[ Healthy version of Poptarts by Taralynn ]
Pretttttty excited to introduce you all to this little lady. Not only is Taralynn McNitt the cutest thing ever, she happens to be one my favorite bloggers [ I whipped up her pumpkin pie oatmeal here ]. She’s so practical when it comes to healthy eating annnndddd her blog, Undressed Skeleton, has such pretty, colorful images. I promise you: you’ll fall in love with her too!
Oh, & P.S. Lindsay Buckley won the JNB giveaway! E-mail me at Lauryn@TheSkinnyConfidential.com, so I can send you your gorg jewels ; ).
Ok, ok. Here’s all the deets on Taralynn:
+ Tell us about yourself and your blog.
TM: I am a 21 years-young blogger/college student living in the beautiful city of Chicago. You will most likely find me sitting in coffee shops blogging my little fingers away, ignoring the stack of homework I have. I moved to Chicago from Ottumwa, Iowa last year & it has been an amazing transition.
My blog mainly focuses on the balance of healthy food, finding love for fitness, & maintaining a healthy social life. You will also see some of my personal thoughts in a blog post every now & then, a bit of fashion, & occasionally a post on my passion for art.
+ Inspiration to start blogging?
TM: I posted my before & after picture on ‘Spark People’ about three years ago; my inbox filled up with over a hundred messages in five days asking numerous questions. I had messages from all kinds of people telling me how inspired they were & that they needed the motivation to keep going. I thought if I could make a small difference in peoples lives through my accomplishments, then more people would be passionate & serious about health.
I failed at the healthy lifestyle over & over again, so I was constantly looking for motivation. That’s why I started my blog. To put my story up. Honestly I didn’t think it would get popular. I never told anyone in my town about my blog [ including my boyfriend ]until last summer. I had people I grew up with messaging me, so I finally decided to be more open about it.
+ Advice for new bloggers?
TM: I wish I could have read some advice before becoming a blogger, but I just took a jump at it without reading the warning sign. Blogging is an amazing hobby to pursue; it can eventually become a career if you are passionate enough about it. It allows you to express anything & everything without having to fight your boss to get content published.
Things you should never do as a blogger: read things that you know will make you mad [ hate comments, emails, etc. ] and post anything you wouldn’t want someone to see. I have tons of horrible comments &/or mail but I have to remember not to take it personal or let it bother me. Write what you want & don’t let the fear of bad comments/rude people hold you back. You may have two bad comments but don’t forget about the hundred people who love you!
If you want to become a successful blogger I’d recommend finding what you are passionate about, use that as the base of your blog, & branch out with other topics you’re interested in. Partner up with other bloggers & host on each others blogs to grab their audience while sharing yours. Use social media sites to get your story out there. It took me about a year to get the hang of blogging & to organize my site.
Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out the whole blogging world. Don’t be intimidating by a beautiful blog- it’s all about the content.
+ Love it! Let’s talk quick skinny tips &/or tricks?
TM: Stay busy. Never skip meals. The more you have to do the less you worry about snacking & eating giant meals. Find little ways to be on your feet sixty percent of you day: cleaning, mall-walking, cooking, walking your dog, folding laundry, etc. Don’t let your friends & family influence you with their eating habits. If you’re at a restaurant, & all your friends order pizza don’t be embarrassed to order a salad. That’s the willpower they would kill to have!
Also, treat yourself daily with a small dessert so you don’t end up depriving yourself. Oh! And dressings/sauces on the side!
+ Weekly workout schedule?
TM: I try to balance my workouts through out the week with cardio & strength training. Sometimes I’m too lazy to work out so I do little things to make up for it like mall-walking or golfing. I try to run at least four to six miles at least four times a week, yoga twice a week, & maybe Zumba twice a week. If I’m bored I’ll do a fun, ten minute, YouTube workout video. Fitness has to be fun & different or I’ll never find the motivation to do it!
+ Favie go-to healthy food?
TM: Soup & salad. I try to order soup with a salad from every restaurant [ if it's available ]. It’s the most filling & nutritious. My favorite places for soup and salad are: Olive Garden, Panera Bread, &/or Potbelly and Charlotte’s.
+ Cocktail of choice?
TM: I may be twenty-one, but I’m not much of a drinker. My drinking/party days ended senior year of high school. I have had maybe four drink since being twenty-one, which some people may call sad but I’m perfectly fine with it. I wouldn’t say I have a favorite cocktail but if I’m going to have a drink it’s usually vodka with vanilla diet or a Bailey’s.
+ Motivation to stay in shape?
TM: Staying in shape makes me feel confident and happy, which is a great motivation to keep moving forward. I also want a healthy body & don’t want to be at risk for any diseases that come along with an unhealthy weight/bad eating habits.
+ World’s best beauty product?
TM: Lush Cosmetic’s ocean salt scrub. I cannot describe how amazing my skin feels after using this product. It’s also organic & environmental friendly too!
+ Natural beauty remedy?
TM: For hair: I mix up 1/2 cup full fat mayo, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, & three eggs. Then I massage it into my hair & wrap my hair up with a plastic bag for three hours. This moisturizes your hair & builds protein. For skin: I make my own mask with three tablespoons of smashed avocado, one tablespoon of lemon peal, three tablespoons of oats, two tablespoons of mashed cucumber [ without peel ], & three tablespoons of sea salt. I leave it on for twenty minutes & then rinse with warm water.
+ Quick, easy recipe?
TM: Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! Here’s a fast recipe that’s perfect for the days you’re running out the door!
Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal:
1/2 cup whole grain oats
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup diced pitted cherries
1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 packet of Stevia
1 tablespoon of chocolate chips
A sprinkle of walnuts
+ Directions: Prepare oatmeal with water using the microwave. Add coco powder, sweetener, cherries & then mix together well. Top with chocolate chips, walnuts, & cherries.
