love your eyeballs | contact lenses 101.

my career in accounting has pretty much left me blind. 

...but wearing glasses {on most occasions} makes me feel like i'm in my pajamas. 

don't get me wrong, i love a good statement frame, but to me, glasses are definitely a look. 

and it's all about how we feel in them, right? so, whether you feel like they totally extinguish the sessy of your lbd, or you can't stand how they fog up in spin class, clearly glasses are not for every occasion. 

how do we remedy this horrific first world problem? 

with contacts, of course.

my girlfriend rachel recently got her first pair of soft contacts and had no idea where to start in how to make them work. thinking back to my initial experience with these babies, i remember dry eyes. fighting the constant urge to rip my eyeballs out of my head. starting every morning out feeling like someone replaced my eyelids with sandpaper during the night. likewise, she was ready to throw in the towel and accept that she just "wasn't a contact person."  if you have had an experience like this in the past, 

please don't give up!

after a ton of trial and error {and finally the advice of a good eye doctor}, i think i found the golden trio of drugstore items. i promise, with the right regimen you can  happily wear contacts, too. 

1. start with the best contact solution:

opti-free puremoist disinfecting solution.

yes, it's the most expensive, and yes, it's worth it. 

it's like slippery liquid gel for your eyeballs.

2. use contact-friendly eye drops during the day:

blink eye drops for contact lenses

drop in while wearing your contacts as needed. especially bring when wine tasting {zin totally dries out my eyeballs}.

3. before bed, use good quality regular eye drops:

systane ultra lubricant eye drops

drop a few of these guys in each eye after taking out your contacts for the night. soooo good.

let me know if this changed your life!!

snacks with benefits.

| recipe for brussels fries here |

...complete this snack by pairing your faux fries with lite cayenne lemonade: omgosh. it's pretty simple. 

    

mix in a mason jar {yes, the mason jar matters because it's super darling}:

• 3 oz trader joe's low calorie lemonade, chilled 
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• top off the jar with chilled filtered water {add a few ice cubes, optional}

|tj's low calorie lemonade is made with organic lemon juice & no preservatives, sweetened with cane sugar & stevia. in moderation, what a great alternative to chemical laden pop & sugary juice. your cute little organs are already thanking you.|

cayenne pepper is one of those often forgotten natural food kickers that is packed with health benefits. not only are you getting vitamins a, e, b6, c & k, it also has a high concentration of capsicum |a substance that reduces internal inflammation, is a natural pain reducer, ulcer preventative, congestion reliever, and a heart-healthy metabolism booster {ahem, weight loss}; it's also being studied for its effect on nerve fiber disorders for people with pain associated with arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetic neuropathy {numb feet}|.

sip. 

enjoy your cool bev with a refreshing spicy-tart kick...not to mention the awesome health benefits of the cayenne & lemon {...and more about my love affair with lemons here}.