My 15 Trader Joe's Must-Haves

I freaking love Trader Joe’s. I unfortunately do not live close enough to one to shop on a regular basis there. There are three stores that are about an hour away from me and if I’m ever nearby one of them I always stop by and grab some goodies. I asked on Instagram (Click here to follow me) if you wanted to see the items I always stock up on when I’m near a Trader Joe’s and 100% of you said yes so here we are. I always get other items too depending on what I’m planning on making that week or if something looks really interesting to try. These are simply the items I always make sure to get!

My first tip for Trader Joe’s or just shopping at a grocery store that’s a little farther away from you, is to buy a reusable thermal bag to keep in your car so that you can safely take chilled items home without them spoiling. I bought mine at Trader Joe’s for under $9 and I love it because it zips and holds so much!

1. Red Lentil Pasta ($2.99):

I am gluten-free now so I love this red lentil pasta and always grab at least two bags. As an Italian I love my pasta al dente and my number one complaint about other gluten-free pastas is that they are too squishy and always fall apart. I think this pasta is the closest texture I’ve seen to regular gluten pasta and I love it. Plus it has more protein and fiber than normal pasta so that’s amazing.

2. ‘Everything But the Bagel’ seasoning ($1.99):

If you haven’t heard of this one you have to have been living under a rock because it has to be one of the most popular products Trader Joe’s sells. I use mine mostly for topping avocado toast and eggs, but it can be used in so many other ways! I am convinced there is nothing this isn’t good on.

3. Nutritional Yeast ($2.99):

I don’t always buy this one every time I am stocking up, because you actually get a lot of nutritional yeast for the $3. If you don’t already know, nutritional yeast is a common cheese replacement. I use it in place of parmesan or pecorino cheeses when I’m cutting back on dairy and have even used it to make a dairy-free ‘cacio e pepe’ that was delish!

4. Coconut Sugar ($3.99):

I LOVE this coconut sugar. The price is great and I use coconut sugar so much. I try to use it in place of brown sugar whenever I can, and even use it on my oatmeal every morning. I purposefully look for baking recipes that call for it instead of granulated or brown sugar because I love it so much and it’s so much better for you. Click here to visit a post I did about swapping it for brown or granulated sugar in your kitchen and why it’s beneficial.

5. Gluten Free Rolled Oats ($3.99):

I go back and forth between buying this bag of oats and the Bob’s Red Mill Quick Steel Cut Oats from Costco, but I love that these are gluten free and you get a HUGE bag for $4. It’s nuts! If you don’t follow me on IG you can go there and see my love affair with oatmeal that has been continuously blossoming for years.

6. Fruit Bars ($0.99 each):

I always keep bars in my backpack purse in case I am with a client, doing a wedding, or just out and needing a snack. My biggest thing with bars is making sure they are clean and not loaded with fillers. These have just two ingredients; the two kinds of fruit! Nothing else. They are super yummy and I don’t care that they have 20 g of sugar because it’s coming straight from fruit.

7. Green Tea ($2.49):

I always keep massive amounts of Green Tea on hand because I drink at least one cup a day, and sometimes more in the winter. You can’t beat this price for a tasty & classic big box of green tea bags.

8. Salsa Verde ($1.99):

My sister convinced me I needed this one time when I was shopping with her and I am so grateful she got me addicted to it. I love it for regular chips and salsa, but it’s especially great for pouring over a chicken breast in the slow cooker. When it’s dinner time, you shred the chicken and you have easy chicken tacos with lots of great flavor.

9. San Marzano Tomatoes ($3.99):

San Marzano tomatoes are simply the best. They make the most flavorful tomato sauce so I always make sure to have a can or two on hand for when I need to make a sauce for a special night.

10. Green Chiles ($0.89):

This is another can I keep on hand, but it’s for whenever I want to whip together a quick chili. I pretty much always have the ingredients on hand, which is extremely helpful for easy dinners in the winters and fall.

11. Proscuitto ($4.99):

This is the second time in a row I’ve not paid attention to the proscuitto and accidentally bought the German smoked version which I don’t like as much as regular proscuitto. I like to keep it on hand because I’m Italian and I really have no better reason than that. I’m addicted and it’s genetic.

12. Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour ($3.99):

You can pretty much use more GF All Purpose Flours interchangeably with a few recipe exceptions so I like to always have it on hand. The price of this one is pretty good compared to some of the ones out there.

13. Ginger Paste (~$2):

I already had a bunch of these tubes on hand so I didn’t actually see how much this one costs in the store. I always have this on hand because I LOVE cooking with fresh ginger. I absolutely hate buying a knob of it at the store however, and not using it up in time. I hate wasting food, so I love that it’s already in paste form and keeps well in my fridge. I flavor so many things with ginger.

14. Polenta Roll ($1.99):

I adore polenta and while it’s really cheap to keep the dry polenta flakes on hand, sometimes it’s really convenient to keep a log of polenta in your pantry so you can fry it up really quickly and serve it as your carb with chicken, mushrooms, veggies, etc.

15. Marinated Artichokes ($2.69):

I love having a jar of these in my pantry to quickly jazz up pastas, pizzas, salads, and more! The price is also really great compared to my usual grocery store. Extra tip: I like to use the marinated oil that the artichokes are packaged in, in place of regular olive or avocado oil for extra flavor.

There you have it! Those are my top 15 must haves from Trader Joe’s. Do you shop at TJ’s? Comment below with your favorite items to stock up on and let me know if any of these are your staples too!

Have a great start to your week,

Andrea

Tips for Hosting an Easy Dinner Party

It is no secret that I love to cook. Feeding people is my love language and my house will always be open to transform empty bellies into full and happy ones. I hosted a dinner party the other night and when I shared a few snippets of it on Instagram, a few of you reached out and asked me to share my tips on how to make hosting a dinner party easier. I am proud to say that it was amazing and I was able to create a dinner party magic in less than 2 hours. You read that right. I started cooking/setting up around 4:45 and my guests walked through the front door at 6:30. So how did I do it? I will show you how.

Planning:

In order to whip something like this up so quickly, you have to plan. I did a few major things that made this night super easy for me:

1. I planned my menu out at least a week in advance and checked with all of my guests that they were fans of foods that not everyone loves, i.e., mushrooms in this case. I chose dishes that were not super detailed and needy, so that I could be cooking multiple things at once (I’ll get more into this in a little bit).

2. I grocery shopped the night before and left everything out on my counter that wasn’t perishable, and put everything together in the fridge that I’d need. This allows you to pull everything out and not go searching through your cupboards/fridge trying to find each ingredient. You’d be surprised how much time you can save when you don’t have to keep walking to the pantry.

3. I made a rough timeline of what I wanted to cook when. For example, my appetizer was something that needed to sit and stew a little, so I started this first. This allowed me to not have to think about what I needed to do next because it was all written down for me. I just check things off my list.

Decor:

When it comes to decor, I love to have things like books, place mats, candles and such all around. Instead of getting extra decor out to decorate my table, I just used what was already sitting out around me. I walked around my living room and grabbed things like pumpkins and candle sticks, and brought them to my table. I have a little storage cupboard by my front door, who’s top houses my keys and such, but inside I actually hide away all of my entertaining dishes, so that when it’s time to bring them out, they are all in one spot.

Personally, I find a rustic and cozy atmosphere to be the most appealing at a dinner party, so don’t get to stressed about things matching. In case you didn’t notice in the pictures above, I only had four of the gray and white tassel place mats, so I just grabbed a gray and white striped tea towel from my kitchen and added it for my 5th place setting. I’m not big on patterns matching perfectly but I generally always buy my entertaining dishes in neutral colors so that they always go together well enough.

Also, don’t be afraid to get out of the box and get creative with items that might not normally be used on the table. I like playing with height, so I stacked some big and really old coffee table books about Italian food right in the center of the table and placed my bowls for olives on them.

Cooking:

Now for the main portion of the planning and why this dinner party was so easy, did I mention everything was Gluten and Dairy Free? Here are the things I did to make my life easy:

1. I chose recipes that didn’t need to be babysat, but would still wow my guests.

2. I baked my pumpkin spice cake the morning of the dinner party at 6:30 am and did yoga while it was in the oven. BAM Kill two birds with one stone people. Also, you will automatically fill your house with the aroma of dessert all day which is a great way to start off prepping for a dinner party!

3. My appetizer was a slow cooked tomato and garlic spread for crackers (recipe to come in a special announcement). I also set out two kinds of olives and would normally do cheese as well if the crowd wasn’t dairy-free.

4. I also made a super easy and light mushroom soup because once the onions and mushrooms are sauteed and seasoned, it literally sits on the corner burner and stews for a little while, which means you can do other stuff! (Recipe also coming in that super exciting announcement…haha)!

5. My entree was a homemade vodka sauce (I swear by this recipe from Rachael Ray) over brown rice and red lentil pastas. Can you guess why I picked it? You’re right, it’s super quick and easy and only stews on the stove for like 20 minutes! But you’re actually making a homemade sauce so it tastes like heaven.

If there is one piece of advice I can give you for hosting a dinner party it’s this….CLEAN YOUR DISHES AS YOU GO! There is nothing worse than having the world’s best dinner party full of laughter and happy tummies and then everyone walks out the door and you have a WHOLE kitchen to clean and you get depressed and want to ignore it and walk straight to your bedroom to sleep instead. So I always do this… While I’m cooking I wash every dish I can at every chance I get. I’ll even start placing food in their serving plates so that I can wash the pots they were cooked in. I even go as far as to wipe up my counters and stove before anyone arrives. This way the only things left to clean afterwards are the dishes you eat on and the serving plates. You can quickly rinse all the food off so they are mostly clean, load them in the dishwasher or leave them in the sink for the next morning and get to sleep instead.

I love dinner parties because of how relaxed and enjoyable they are. If you plan ahead and do certain tricks, you can make it enjoyable to host as well. If you have any tips or recipes you love for hosting dinner parties, be sure to comment below! I hope you enjoyed this post and remember; the details aren’t necessarily the most important part of the dinner. The food is a vehicle and excuse to experience the laughs, the stories, and the love among your amazing guests.

Happy hosting!

Andrea

How I Whiten My Teeth At Home

Today I’m back with a post that I’m really excited to be sharing. There’s even something exciting for my readers at the end so make sure to read through! 

As many of you know, I quit drinking coffee on a regular basis a few months ago. I have always loved my smile, but in the last few years I had noticed how my coffee habit was affecting the color of my teeth. I figured that since I’ve kicked the caffeine habit, now was the time to look into whitening my smile, as it would be easier to maintain without the daily coffee consumption.  

It’s funny how life works, but after spending a little time researching at home teeth whitening, I opened my email inbox to a message from Smile Brilliant wanting to do a collaboration! If that wasn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. 

I was excited to work with Smile Brilliant because they wanted to send me a teeth whitening system and share my honest feelings with you guys about the process. Now this is not a sponsored post but I did receive the teeth whitening system for free. However, my opinions on it are completely my own and I hope you already know that I would never recommend a product I didn’t like! 

I know that a lot of you reading this are getting ready to celebrate either your own special events, like your wedding, or have many close friends and family members celebrating special events and you want to look your best for them all. If your schedule looks anything like mine these days, there are photo ops every month.  

I was excited to try out Smile Brilliant because it’s a professional whitening system that you do at home, yet is still really customized and effective. Not only that, it’s REALLY easy to use. No awkward lights to put in your mouth; just custom trays that fit perfectly and you can go about your activities while whitening. I had only ever used Crest Whitestrips in the past, which were easy but took a lot longer to see results; plus I always experienced sensitivity. Smile Brilliant has a few different system options, and I chose sensitive which has really helped me not feel any side effects in my day to day life while whitening. One thing that is really great about Smile Brilliant is that if you are not happy with your results they will give you a full refund! Click here to visit their website and get even MORE info on the whitening systems! 

When you get your kit in the mail, the first step is to make your impressions so that your trays fit perfectly. The kit comes with very detailed instructions for the whole process. Once you make your impressions, you pop them in a pre-paid envelope and send them back to Smile Brilliant so they can make your trays. This whole process was pretty quick too, which I liked because I was excited to get started! 

Once you start the whitening process, it’s simple. 

1. Brush your teeth with water. 

2. Fill your trays with the whitening gel and leave in your mouth for 45 minutes up to 3 hours.  

3. Brush your teeth like normal (including brushing out your trays). 

4. If you’re doing the sensitive version, you add the desensitizing gel to the trays, leave on for 15-20 minutes and then don’t drink any liquids for at least an hour. 

It takes anywhere from 7-14 sessions to get your teeth where you want them, and they send plenty of product! Now I’m sure you’re really curious about my thoughts. Below are some photos of my before and after and then we’ll get into the pros and cons of using Smile Brilliant. 

Let’s talk about the cons first. The thing I found most challenging about using the whitening trays was that I had to plan out my life accordingly. I preferred to whiten at night after dinner, but then I couldn’t drink water before bed which was kind of annoying. Sometimes I simply get home too later and need to sleep and don’t have time to whiten so I would have to skip a day or two before I could get back on schedule.  

The only other big con was that I did notice some sensitivity with my gums. Now most of this is probably due to the fact that my labial frenum (google it) on the top of my mouth was supposed to be clipped when I was younger and they never ended up doing it. So this means that it is attached lower than it is supposed to be and the trays really felt too tall for my mouth and scratched up against this. Again, this is more so my fault, not Smile Brilliant’s, but I have to say that I received lots of tips and help from Sierra over at Smile Brilliant, with how to increase my comfort level. I ended up coating my gums in coconut oil before hand and trying not to talk or move my mouth much while whitening. I also decided to whiten every other day, which helped cut back on irritation and I don’t think it skewed my results. If you end up trying this system out, I highly recommend the coconut oil on your gums for decreasing sensitivity! Works great! 

Now let’s talk about the PROS! I cannot believe how quickly this system worked. I noticed my teeth being whiter after one use, but ended up doing 10 sessions. Plus I still have whitening gel that I’m going to keep for touch ups before my sister’s wedding this fall! I loved that the trays were customized and molded to my teeth because having a tray in your mouth for over an hour that is big and doesn’t fit would be super annoying. One big thing I loved too was that even if I accidently got some gel in my mouth, it didn’t taste TERRIBLE. I had a bad experience once....can you tell? Haha  

I’m really excited to enter the fall season of weddings and events that I have being more confident in my smile. I think we can all agree that a whiter smile makes us feel more confident as we go about our daily business. As a makeup artist I am always taking pictures of my own face to share makeup looks, meeting new clients, and even taking photos with my brides. I am happy now that my smile is free of the coffee stains and would highly recommend you give Smile Brilliant a look if you are looking for teeth whitening.  

Here’s what my teeth looked like before and after 10 uses of the Smile Brilliant Sensitive Whitening System.  

These photos have not been filtered and have had absolutely no retouching. These ARE MY TEETH!

Now for the exciting part! I am doing to be doing a giveaway with Smile Brilliant that will allow one of my amazing readers to win a whitening system of their own! Click the link below to enter the giveaway that is being hosted on their website for all of you! Good luck!! 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER GIVEAWAY! (Giveaway close one week from today - September 3rd

You can also use the code andreafontanabeauty15 to recieve 15% off store wide at Smile Brilliant!

Please be sure to message me or leave me comment below if you have questions about the Smile Brilliant at home whitening system. Also let me know if you try it out for yourself and what you think about it! I’m excited to have been able to share something like this with you guys.  

Have a beautiful weekend, 

Andrea

Tooth Whitening Gel

My 'Party's Over' Detox Skin Tips

Welcome back! If you don't follow me on Instagram (...but like why aren't you?) then you wouldn't know that I spent 5 days last week in Chicago working a wedding and then frolicking with friends in the city. This meant more gluten than I normally eat, little sleep, wine instead of water, and all sorts of anti-clear skin habits. Am I paying for it? You betcha. Was it worth it? HELL YES! Because spending quality time with my best friends is priceless and I have the tricks to get my skin back to where I want it once the party's over. 

Today I'm sharing what I've been doing to get my skin back to where I want it & my body feeling normal again. These are my "Party's Over" Detox Skin Tips. Whether you're back from vacation or just celebrated your birthday week (...or month haha) I hope you find these tips helpful to getting back on track with your skin & body.

1. Get rid of all the guilt. Do not spend one second stressed about the fact that you had 2 donuts instead of 1. We've all been there. We've all done it. But that's the point. It's done and all you can do is accept that you cannot change it and get back on track now.

2. Cut out your trigger foods for a week. The first thing I had to do when I got back was get back to eating gluten-free every meal. I usually had one or two meals with gluten when I was in Chicago and since it affects my skin so much, I have cut them out for a week to boost my clear skin and feel better. Whatever your trigger food may be, skip it for a few days or a week and it'll help you to start feeling like yourself again.

3. Do an At Home Detox Facial: Chances are you were a little more lax with your skincare routine when on vacation so it's time to get your skin back into shape. This is especially important for me because my diet caused some serious texture issues and breakouts. I cannot recommend this enough. Here's how I do it.

1. Start by cleansing your face & toning. I'm currently using this Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Gel Cleanser, but if you don't have it try to go for one with a gentle chemical exfoliation to help get rid of any congestion. This cleanser was in my July Favorites; click here to read why I liked it. 
2. 1st Mask: Chemical exfoliation; I like the Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Mask because it's great for blemishes. Leave on for 15-20 min until dry and wash off & tone again.
3. 2nd Mask: Detox and clarifying; I prefer the Aztec Healing Bentonite Clay because it boosts circulation and detoxifies so well! Click here to read my post on this mask. The clay comes as powder and I like to mix it with apple cider vinegar or water and add a few drops of tea tree oil until it forms a thin paste. I apply it and leave it on for 30-45 min depending on how long it takes to dry/how long I can handle it. It tingles! Rinse and tone again.
4. 3rd Mask: Hydrate & Nourish; I love the Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Anti-Oxidant Hydration Mask to hydrate and heal my skin after I've neglected it. It warms on contact and is such a comforting and nourishing experience. Leave this one on for about 15 minutes and have a cup of tea. Rinse off, tone, and apply your normal spot treatments & serums. 
5. Lastly it's time to re-hydrate your skin due to your preference of wine over water. I like to throw on my Laneige Water Sleeping Mask in place of my moisturizer so I can really benefit from all the hyaluronic acid and feel hydrated when I wake up.

4. Try reducing your caffeine intake. I know what you're probably thinking. Wait, I need MORE coffee to recover from a great time than less, but trust me. Your skin and your body will adapt better with less caffeine. Try sleeping more instead! Crazy I know...

Go ahead bookmark this post for easy access next time you have a girls night out, staycation, or simply need weekend recovery. If you're like me, you're not 21 anymore and can use the tips to getting back on track. Maybe you'll feel a little less stressed about skipping your routine when it's time to simply have fun!

Have a great week,

Andrea

July Favorites

I'm back with favorites and I'm excited to share the ones I have this month. I polled you guys over on Instagram and while a lot of you like the video format from last month, most of you prefer the written format, so I'll probably return to this format and film a YouTube favorites video every so often. 

This month is short but sweet, but I hope you enjoy it.

The only skincare product that is new to me recently is this Green Apple Brightening Gel Cleanser by Juice Beauty.  When I went through my skincare product detoxification, my cleanser rated so high on Think Dirty. This one is a ZERO and I love it. I feel like I've hit the jackpot. It's loaded with antioxidants which is really important in protecting your skin. The brightening is due to the citric (lemon) and malic (apple) acids! I love how this has left my skin feeling cleansed well (coconut oils) and brightened. I highly recommend it if you are someone who struggles with an uneven skin tone.

Every spring/summer I seem to revisit my lipstick collection and pick out lipsticks that I forgot about. This one from Maybelline (Shade 945: "Stormy Sahara" is one I realized that I've never talked about but is a classic shade from them. If you're a light/medium skin tone and looking for a good rosy/nude check this one out. 

This next favorite is also a lip product but on the higher end. Back in the spring when I did a Sephora and Ulta haul I mentioned this NARS Power Matte Lip Pigment in 'Walk This Way'. I am so amazed by the formula of these. They feel like water going on, but are packed with pigment and go on so easily. They dry down to being virtually undetectable and wear so nicely on the lips. I love this shade too, because it's just enough of a pop of color to be noticeable but isn't obnoxious and bright. 

My last beauty favorite is a nail polish that has been the only thing on my toes for the past year. The color looks especially great in the summer. I'm not sure if you can still get it anywhere besides this website I found, but the Essie Metallics Collections in 'Nothing Else Metals" is the best shade. It's a silver/lavender shade that looks so great on toes. It matches everything and really looks great with a tan in the summer. 

A food favorite for the month is one that I tried a long time ago. I can't remember where I tried this brand for the first time, but when I went on Amazon to buy them I ended up getting this variety pack that was AMAZING! These bars are free of the top allergies; peanut, dairy, gluten, tree nut, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, & sesame. While I try to stay away from processed snacks, these are relatively clean and I like them every once in a while especially now that I'm gluten free. The Chocolate Chip crispy squares and Strawberry granola minis were definitely my two favorites, but I really enjoyed all the flavors. 

So those are my favorites from the month of July! I told you they were going to be short and sweet! What have you been loving? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Have a great August,

Andrea

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.

How to Pickle Onions

This recipe was highly requested over on my Instagram because it seems I'm always showing or mentioning pickled red onions in my food posts. I'm just obsessed with them. They make many dishes look prettier and taste better! If I don't know what I'm making for dinner at night, you can often find me standing with the fridge open, pickled onion jar in my hand, snacking as I scan the fridge for ingredients and ideas for that night. If you don't follow my Instagram yet, go check it out! It's where I talk about food the most and share tons of tips

To make pickled onions you will need the following:

1 large red onion  (I like to use red, but you can use others)
1 cup of white vinegar
minced garlic
black peppercorns
3 TB white sugar
1.5 TB salt
Storage jar like a mason jar

1. First add your vinegar, salt, sugar and peppercorns to a small saucepan and mix to dissolve the sugar and salt. Put the lid on the pan and bring to a boil over just slightly higher than medium heat.

2. While waiting for mixture to boil, slice your onion into really thin rings. I like to put them in a big bowl and mix a few teaspoons of minced garlic into them. 

3. When mixture comes to a boil, pour it evenly over the onion & garlic mixture and mix it well. I like to put the lid from my pan over the onions in the bowl to trap the heat in there so they don't cool as quickly. If your liquid doesn't quite cover all of your onions (this can depend on what size of bowl you use), mix the onions in the liquid mixture every 15ish minutes. 

4. Let the onions cool and place in the mason jar making sure to pour the pickling liquid in with the onions to cover them. You can really squeeze them in there, I promise! Store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. (Mine never last this long...haha)

5. ENJOY! These are great on tacos, burrito bowls, sushi bowls, scrambled eggs, and more! The possibilities are endless. 

Leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite thing to pickle is!!

Have a great day,

Andrea

Tips for Practicing REAL Self Care

I realized recently that I haven't shared a topic on here that I talk about a lot in my non-blog life. I am just going to come out and say that I hate the phrase 'Self Care'. It's not so much the term that I hate but the trend that it has become in today's world. Stay with me. I think that taking time to yourself is crucial, but let me explain why I feel this way.

I find that the phrase 'self care' has become a trendy word for procrastination and a gold mine for the marketing of products to us. 'Practice self care and buy this bath bomb...you deserve it.' I know you've seen these campaigns and messages and frankly it frustrates the crap out of me. Taking a bubble bath is really great but if you have several things that you need to get done that night, a bubble bath can wait until tomorrow. However, if labeled as a 'self care' moment, it's fine to push off your priorities. 

If we are so stressed that we need to take a break and pause for a minute to take a bubble bath, I believe true self care is figuring out what is causing these moments of burning out and readjusting your life so it doesn't keep happening. It's crazy to keep doing the same things and expecting life to get easier if we don't self reflect and make some changes. There are no products that are going to fix the unbalanced life we are living, so today I'm offering you some tips to truly practice REAL self care and dig deeper into the stress of our lives. Use self care to really change your lifestyle so you can set yourself up for success and reduce stress and anxiety. 

Please be sure to comment below with your thoughts on the 'self care' trend and whether you agree or disagree with me.

6 questions to ask yourself to practice REAL self care:

1. What is one area of my house that I can tidy to relieve some anxiety? I am a huge believer in the idea that if your environment is messy, you will feel more anxious. Is there one space that you look at day in and day out, that could be tidier? Spend some time tackling it and I guarantee it will make your home more pleasant. 

2. What is the one thing on my To-Do list that would relieve some stress if I just did it? We all have those things on our lists that are either tedious tasks or simply no fun, but need to get done. Recognize this task as being annoying and just do it. Think about how relieved you will feel when it's done and carry that thought with you through the process to motivate you to complete it.

3. What is one thing that I don't want to think about right now but need to? This could be in many different categories of life. Sometimes we push things off or put them on the back burner because we don't want to think about them, but acknowledging them can take a huge weight off our chests. Debt is a great example of this. If you have no idea how much you owe in student loans, car loans, etc....ADD IT UP! The scariest part is looking at that total number, but once you do it, you can create a plan to get rid of it. 

4. How would I feel if I didn't let these anxious thoughts affect me? Sometimes we need to practice self care because we can't get out of our own heads. Trust me, I'm right there with you. But if we take a moment to think about how we would feel if we didn't let the stress and anxiety affect us, we give the anxiety less power and it's easier to think through it. Really try to think about the actual emotions you could be feeling instead.

5. Who can I call to just listen to me work through this stress and anxiety? Something that is really helpful for me to do is to talk to a close friend about whatever is bothering me. Venting in a sense and getting it all out, can be all we really need to feeling better. Sometimes it's helpful to hear someone say yes this is stressful and it's okay to feel this way. For me however, I like doing this because often it's helpful to have my best friend say what's the worst that could happen. 

6. Do I have a habit that I don't like and what can I do to stop it? Sometimes we don't realize the habits that we have created unless we measure them. I recommend to friends all the time to track what they spend their time doing and what the pros & cons are for each activity. If you don't like the habits you see, work to get rid of them! If it's a pretty big habit, look for support in your community to break it! 

Overall these questions encourage self reflection which I am HUGE on! I talk about it all the time with people because I believe it is so important to make changes when it's necessary and redirect what we are doing on a daily basis. I hope these questions encourage you to practice REAL self care and change your lifestyle for the better instead of supressing it with another bath bomb.  

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

How I make Almond Milk/Flour:

This post has been so highly requested and I'm happy to finally write it for you. After doing my elimination diet a few months ago and feeling what it felt like to be eating 100% unprocessed, I was hooked. I've always had the belief that life is about balance in many aspects. I would never want to deprive myself of the foods I love but also think there is an alternative to eating heavily processed treats. I have kind of always operated on the idea that if I can make it myself I'm allowed to eat it.

Almond milk isn't necessarily bad for you, but when you buy it in the stores it unfortunately has to have stabilizers and other ingredients that keep it fresh for you to enjoy at home. Making almond milk eliminates all of this processing and tastes SO MUCH BETTER. Plus, since going gluten free I like to have almond meal (aka flour) on hand and it's expensive! Making your own almond milk yields the milk, but also about 1 cup of almond pulp that you can easily turn into meal! This means it's a zero waste process and will save you money, especially if you use almond meal on a regular basis! Today I'm going to take you through how I make my almond milk and turn the pulp into meal!

First let's go over what you will need for this process:
- 1 cup of almonds (I buy mine in a big bag at Costco)
- 7 cups of water
- Vanilla or salt if wanted
- High speed blender or food processor (I use a ninja) --> Here's the one I have and LOVE (Side note: I took FOREVER to decide on a blender and this is the one I went with. I've had it for over a year and use it constantly. I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for a high quality blender but don't want to shell out the money for a Vitamix)
- Glass container to store milk up to 3 or 4 days --> I purchased this one from Amazon
- Nut Milk Bag --> I purchased this Nylon 2-pack from Amazon.

1. You'll need to soak the almonds for at least 4 hours (I usually just do it overnight) in order to soften them and make them easy to blend.

2. Empty the water that the almonds have been soaking in and add the cup of softened almonds, 7 cups of water and a splash of vanilla and sprinkle of salt to the blender. I have made it with no salt and vanilla and it was great too! Choice is up to you. If you're used to unsweetened original almond milk, leave it out!

3. Blend for 2 minutes on a high speed.

4. Pour your blended mixture through the nut bag into a bowl and squeeze all of the liquid out with your hands! I love the nylon ones I purchased from Amazon because they are super easy to hand wash and keep clean (I also use them to strain my kombucha!)

5. Store in your glass container for up to 4 days!

YES It's really that easy! Now for the almond meal:

1. Preheat your oven to 100 or 150 degrees.

2. Spread your almond pulp onto a baking sheet and break up all of the clumps with your fingers. The more liquid you squeeze out the easier this will be.

3. Bake for 1-1.5 hours until the almond meal is dry, checking on it every 15-20 min to make sure it's drying out evenly. 

4. If your blender hasn't ground it fine enough, you can put it back through the food processor, blender or even a coffee grinder to make it finer!

One of the cool things about making your own almond milk is that you can flavor it however you want! I cannot wait to add turmeric, cinnamon, and more to my almond milk in the fall to make yummy drinks (Thanks for the suggestion Detroit Wifestyles!) 

Have you ever made your own nut milk? What kinds of combinations do you do? Leave a comment below and let me know!

As always, have a beautiful day!

-Andrea

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.

June Favorites (Beauty)

Well it's officially the beginning of a new month which means it's favorites time! I'm changing things up this month and decided to do my favorites as a video instead of a blog post! Leave me a comment below if you prefer watching instead of reading my favorites! Thank you for watching! Also make sure to comment below what your favorite products were this month! 

Here are the products and links I mentioned in order of appearance:

NYX Honey Dew Me Up Primer https://amzn.to/2zd0UE3

NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray https://amzn.to/2NwZFD4

Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow https://amzn.to/2tVa6rW

Jordan Samuel Skin etOILe with Retinol Treatment Oil https://jordansamuelskin.com/products...

Coola Suncare Organic Sunless Tanning Anti-Aging Face Serum https://amzn.to/2lUofAY

Pacifica Rose Flower Hydromist with Kombucha https://amzn.to/2KzCZ7k

Acure Argan Oil & Pumpkin Shampoo and Conditioner https://amzn.to/2tUKdbM

Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion https://amzn.to/2MTD56v

 FTC: All products were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty. This does not affect the price that you pay.

Have a wonderful start to July,

Andrea

Changing things up this month and decided to do my favorites as a video instead of a blog post! Leave me a comment below if you prefer watching instead of reading my favorites! Thank you for watching! Also make sure to comment below what your favorite products were this month!

8 Easy Healthy Food Swaps

This post was born out of the idea that I don't believe in dieting long term to stay healthy. It's just not realistic. However, we can make healthier choices daily in order to create a healthier lifestyle for ourselves. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite foods that you can substitute for those that are not as good for you. Regardless of what you decide to swap on a regular basis, remember that it's important to treat yourself every once in awhile; just don't make it a continuous habit. 

1. COCONUT SUGAR FOR BROWN/GRANULATED SUGAR: This is one of my favorites to do, especially in oatmeal and sweet treats. Coconut sugar comes from coconut palm sap and has a lower glycemic index than the others. This means it won't spike your blood sugar as much and is digested slower. Also it contains minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, potassium and more, which isn't the same for table sugar which is simply empty calories. 

2. COCONUT AMINOS FOR SOY SAUCE: If you love soy sauce this one might be a little harder to transition to but it's so worth it. Coconut aminos isn't bad, it's just sweeter and different than soy in my opinion. It's obviously soy-free and also gluten-free which is great for those of you who are conscious of your soy & gluten consumption and doesn't have nearly the amount of sodium as soy sauce. Based on the name, you might have guessed that it contains essential amino acids, which soy sauce does not.

3. AVOCADO OIL FOR OLIVE/COOKING OILS: I love me some olive oil. I am Italian after all, but recently I stopped buying it and swapped it for Avocado oil and I'm obsessed. Avocado oil has tons of healthy fats including oleic acid and with it's high smoke point, you can cook at a higher heat without worrying about breaking down the structure and losing the benefits. I don't notice much of a change in taste either, so I highly recommend this swap.

4. PLAIN GREEK YOGURT FOR SOUR CREAM: I have been doing this one for a long time, but I'm always amazed how many people don't know what an easy swap this is. Make sure you don't make the mistake of buying vanilla, it HAS to be plain. But I honestly barely taste the difference, I get that creaminess that I like from sour cream, and I get a little added protein in whatever I'm doing! I love adding it to the top of a taco salad instead of dressing!

5. LEMON JUICE/OREGANO/AVOCADO OIL FOR SALAD DRESSING: I basically don't buy salad dressing, because I love the simplicity of oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Making a little vinaigrette with oregano, salt and pepper too, makes for an easy summer salad that is light and refreshing! If you can't tell, I don't like heavy dinners in the summer. 

6. ORGANIC BROWN RICE CAKES FOR TOAST: I fell in love with these in my elimination diet because I was able to eat brown rice still and loved that rice cakes gave me the crunch I was looking for without the gluten. Now I still eat them all the time with avocado in place of my old avocado toast! 

7. AVOCADO OR HUMMUS FOR MAYO: This one is another classic, but I love mashed avocado or hummus (or both!) on a sandwich in place of mayo. You still get the creaminess, but a much healthier fat option!

8. FRUIT COMPOTE (HEATED FRUIT & COCONUT SUGAR) FOR SYRUP ON PANCAKES: Now this one is something I made up when I was in my dutch baby obsession because I wanted a healthy alternative to store bought syrup. Maple syrup is obviously a healthier option too, but if you like fruit, I highly recommend this one. Simply use frozen or fresh berries on medium heat in a pan, and sprinkle some coconut sugar on top (a few tablespoons depending on how many berries you have and how sweet they are). The sugar will help to break down the fruit and bring the juices out and if you let it bubble and thicken on a lower heat for a little bit, you'll get a beautiful and delicious fruit compote, perfect to top pancakes, waffles, dutch babies, ice cream, etc!! Depending on the fruit you choose, this can be a great way to get extra fiber, antioxidants and minerals (see coconut sugar above) into your daily diet!

Let me know what you think of these easy food swaps and be sure to comment below what your favorites are!

Have a great weekend,

Andrea

My Elimination Diet Experience

If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen that during April and May I underwent an elimination diet to figure out which foods were bothering me. A lot of you were interested in the process and results so I figured I would share a little bit about my history that led me to do this type of diet, what it was like, and what I discovered about my digestive health. 

*Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before starting an elimination diet or any type of diet. I am not a nutritionist and this post is meant only to share my experience with you guys! 

Background:
First let's talk about my history. A little over 10 years ago, while visiting my family in Brazil, I ended up with a twisted intestine. They were able to fix it there but when I came back to the U.S. I ended up having more pains. They did every test under the sun but weren't able to diagnose anything else. Since my twisted intestine, I have had a love hate relationship with my digestive system. Many foods continued to make me sick and surprise, surprise, more tests came and no answers were discovered. I finally decided to play with my diet and take out the foods that made me sick. 

For the past 10 years, I've been vegetarian 80% of the time because meat has just never settled well for me. I would go through phases of eating no meat and then slowly phasing it back in, but my symptoms always came back. I wake up with symptoms at 3 am more than I'd like to admit and spend 60% of the time probably feeling bloated and looking 3 months pregnant. There's plenty more symptoms but in case you're reading this on your lunch break, I'll spare you the details. I have medicine that I was given to help my intestines not spasm so much, but the thought of living my life taking pills in order to eat certain foods just didn't feel like the life I wanted to live. After talking to my doctor a earlier this year we decided I needed to try more probiotics (I started making my own kombucha which I LOVE) and changing my diet up.

My Elimination Diet:
In the beginning of April, a friend texted me and asked if I wanted to do an elimination diet with her and be accountability partners. I had always told myself that I should try one, like the Whole 30, etc, but had never just bit the bullet and done it. The one we did was based off the book 'The Elimination Diet: Discover the Foods that are Making You Sick and Tired --and Feel Better Fast' by Tom Malterre & Alissa Segersten, which is a little bit different than the Whole 30. If you're interested I highly recommend buying the book and going off of that and checking with your doctor first. 

Elimination Phase:
For the first 3 weeks I eliminated the following; beef, pork, citrus, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc.), soy, corn, gluten, added sugar, nuts, alcohol, chocolate, & dairy. Basically when people would ask what I couldn't have it was easier to tell them what I could eat because that list was shorter! haha I also eliminated caffeine because I knew it has an effect on my digestive system and I didn't want it to skew the results. I used to drink one cup of coffee every morning and a few afternoons a week, so this was a difficult change for me. 

The first three weeks were tough. I craved foods I didn't even really like that much and had never craved before. I had terrible headaches for the first 4 days because of the caffeine withdrawals. The good news though, is that I never felt hungry. I was eating so many fruits and vegetables and foods that were nutritionally dense, but not calorie dense, so I felt great! It was crazy to see how quickly I felt like my stomach shrank in half and I was full quicker. The three weeks honestly went quicker than I expected once I got used to the foods I could and couldn't have. I was basically eating extremely clean and unprocessed and it felt great! I had energy after my meals instead of feeling comatose and ALL of my symptoms went away. I had the best skin I've had in years, with no breakouts and I felt like I was glowing. The only drinks I was having was 2 cups of chamomile tea a day (in replacement of coffee) and SO much water. I'm usually great with water intake but this was even better! 

The one thing that was hard for me at first was that I felt like I lost my love for food for a few weeks. If you've been following my blog or IG you know that I LOVE to cook. Food is my passion and I cook most of my meals almost every day. I found myself feeling like I was just eating for sustenance and not for enjoyment which was hard when you love creating meals. Eventually I got over this feeling though, when I started looking at cooking in a different way. I started challenging myself to create my favorite meals using substitutes and cooking became fun again!

The Reintroduction Phase: 
After the three weeks are up, you start adding one type of food in for 3 days to see what your body's response is. If you pass and have no symptoms, you get to keep it in your diet and move onto the next food. If you don't pass it, you have to wait for your body to clear the upsetting food and remove it again but continue on. The book is great at outlining the order and way that you should introduce the foods so again I highly recommend checking it out so you can do the process properly. 

The Results & Where I'm at Now:
So what did I discover? Beef and pork are in fact triggers for me. When I did three days of each back to back, I was so lethargic and exhausted that I knew it was a sign that my body didn't like them. Going into this I had a feeling it wasn't just these two however, so I wasn't surprised to see that I didn't have my normal symptoms from them. I knew there had to be something else.

Enter in testing gluten. When the time came to test, I had something with gluten for dinner and the next morning all of my symptoms were back. The same thing kept happening over the course of more gluten meals. The interesting part I found was that I broke out terribly on the third day and it just kept happening with more gluten. 

So where am I at now? I eat a gluten free diet with no beef or pork. Even though I didn't end up with symptoms when testing dairy, I still try to eat a very minimal amount (I am so thankful I can still have my ice cream cones this summer), because I have noticed in the past how it can affect my skin. I still haven't gone back to caffeine on a regular basis and I honestly don't know if I'll go back anytime soon. I have only had 2 cups of coffee since I started 2 months ago and will drink an occasional green tea if I feel like I need it. I'm sleeping better and even lost 14 pounds during the process which wasn't intentional but I was happy about! My anxiety was also much lower during this process which I found really interesting. 

The thing I am most proud of however is that I was able to practice self control and accomplish something so difficult! I promise you it’s worth it in the end to so! You will feel great about yourself!  

My Recommendations:
I highly recommend that you do more research and talk to your doctor if this sounds any bit intriguing to you. I think everyone should try this diet at least once because it's very eye opening. I felt like I was finally living without the fog when I was eating clean and unprocessed. Sometimes you don't realize how negatively something can be impacting you until you remove it. Here are some things to remember if you want to try this out:

-Do this process with a friend. It was SO helpful to have someone I could text all the time and ask questions to, give feedback to, and just talk about how I was doing. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between our symptoms. It also happened to work out that on days when I was feeling really low she was doing well and was able to pick me up, and vice versa. Support is EVERYTHING in these types of situations.

-Don't try this when you have many special events going on. The less temptations you have the easier it will be to stick to the diet and not stray. It's not fun to go to a wedding and not be able to eat the food, so plan accordingly.

-Meal plan and prep every week. This was huge for me and I really think it's the bulk of why I succeeded. I never questioned what I was going to eat next and always had many options available that I was excited about. The book contains many great recipes for all of the different phases so it was nice having some options and ideas. 

-Give your friends and family the heads up that you are doing this. If you let everyone close in your life know that you are doing this diet, they will be less likely to invite you out and tempt you into situations where you make bad food decisions.

-Plan on not eating out for awhile. The only times I found it difficult to find something to eat were when I had to eat out (i.e. I went out of town). Bring plenty of snacks wherever you go so that if this happens, you at least have some back up foods. 

I hope this over view of my Elimination Diet experience was helpful for you! Please feel free to comment below or email me with any questions you have. I love talking about it because it was such a positive experience for me. 

Have a beautiful day and don't forget to take your health seriously! We only get one shot!

Andrea

May Must Haves

So May was absolutely nuts. Forgive me as I acknowledge the fact that I was not very good at blogging during it. I think I worked every day but two, which included 5 weddings, many trials, and lots of other fun makeup things. I also celebrated my 28th birthday which is nuts but was absolutely amazing! Thank you for the support and kindness you all share with my throughout the year, but especially on my birthday. 

Today I'm sharing my favorites for May because I actually tried a lot of new things and have been loving them so many of them.

First off I recently decided to switch to a natural toothpaste, which I had put off for so long because I had heard so many terrible things about how bad they tasted. But I was visiting a friend who lives near Trader Joe's and decided to give theirs a shot. The All Natural Anticavity Peppermint Toothpaste with Baking Soda and Flouride  (I've linked a 2 pack on Amazon for those of you who can't get to a Trader Joe's easily) is honestly not as bad as I was expecting. Yes you can tell it's a natural toothpaste because it doesn't have that sweet, strong flavor of the bad stuff but I'm totally used to it now and it doesn't bother me. I feel like my teeth are just as clean as before. The only thing that I don't get from it is that super minty fresh feeling that you get from the bad stuff, but honestly I think that's fine since it's better for me. 

Next up we have probably my favorite find of the month that is courtesy of my amazing friend Suzie who gave me this product for my birthday! I've talked about this before on here, but I do not let the sun damage my face in the summer. I always have SPF 55 on it, hats, sunglasses, towels, haha whatever I can find to protect myself. This obviously means that I end up with a face that is pretty pale compared to my body; that usually gets some color despite my constant SPF because it's just exposed more. Insert the Coola Suncare Organic Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum. I put one pump on every night after my skincare routine and wake up sunkissed every morning. It's not super dark (although I'm guessing that's because I only use a little, if I try to apply more and get darker I'll let you know). The fact that it's a beautiful olive and natural looking fake tan is just the beginning. It's also an anti-aging serum loaded with Argan Oil, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, & plant stem cells to leave you feeling hydrated and glowing! It also smells delicious and you can add it to your moisturizer if you want. When Suzie gave it to me she said it's favorites worthy and she was right! 

I have done videos before showing how I love to mix a liquid highlighter in with my foundation to give me a dewier skin look and have always used the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter before to achieve this. However, it's quite expensive and I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to a whole other bottle. When I was shopping with friends in Ulta in April, we discovered the Maybelline Master Strobing Liquid Illuminating Highlighter in Light/Iridescent and I thought it looked pretty close to the Becca shade in Opal. Fast forward to purchasing and trying it out and it's a pretty close dupe.  If you compare them side by side the Becca one looks a little more finely milled, but once mixed in with foundation and applied to the face I cannot tell a difference. I am so happy I found an amazing dupe that is less than a quarter of the price! They do have other shades as well if you don't want the blush rosey color that is like Opal. 

I received the gorgeous Tarte Aspyn Ovard Eye & Cheek Palette for my birthday from another amazing friend (I know I'm the luckiest girl to have all of these sweet and amazing friends) and luckily with all of my weddings and makeup I've been doing I've had plenty of time to test it out. I love the whole thing, my only critique is that the really glitterly/shimmery shades are a little tricky to apply. I tried using a wet brush with MAC Fix + on it to apply them and that helps, but can also be tricky in a chunky way if that makes sense. The mattes are so beautiful and smooth and easy to use, the blush is an amazing shade for summer, and the highlighter is also beautiful. Overall I love it the shades and think it'll be a great palette to take with me when I want to travel. 

I have saved the best for last! If you have been reading my posts recently, you've noticed that I love Glossier. I have been trying more and more out from them and when they came out with a Mascara I KNEW I had to try it. Lash Slick is if not the best, one of the best mascaras I have EVER tried. I know that is a bold statement but I love it. I saw it described somewhere as giving you lash extension like lashes and I think that is such a great description. It doesn't look like clumpy, thick fake mascara lashes, it really looks soft and natural which I love. The wand is awesome and separates your lashes so well too. If you want a bolder look you could always layer a second and thicker mascara over it which is usually what I do if want a bolder look for night time. The best part for me though is that it truly lasts all day on my lashes. No smudging, no flaking, no changes; it still looks great at the end of the day. Here is my link for you to get 10% off your first purchase from Glossier. I highly recommend checking Lash Slick out if you haven't yet! 

What were your favorites in the month of May? Comment below and let me know! I love hearing about the new things you try!

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea