Personal Trainer Food - Week 2

I've been very impressed by the delicious meals I've enjoyed this past week from Personal Trainer Food. Not only are they incredibly tasty, but to my surprise, they are very filling. It certainly doesn't feel like I'm dieting. In fact, each time I sit down to the dinner table, I feel as though I have my own personal chef. I'm getting spoiled!

You would think eggs that have been frozen wouldn't be tasty, but if I didn't know better, I would have sworn that this Cheddar Omelette had just been whipped up in my kitchen. Meals are packaged in see-thru plastic bags, just pop them in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes and voila. 

The chicken entrees have been fabulous including Zesty Chicken Fingers {pictured above}, Buffalo Ranch Chicken Stix, and the Butter Roasted Chicken Breast. The veggies have also been exceptional, they look and taste as though they were just picked at the farmer's market. There was only one meal, the Santa Fe Veggie Burger, that I didn't care for but only because it contained a spice I dislike. Good takeaway though for anyone placing their first order ~ make it a point to read the ingredients for each item before selecting entrees. 

Another fave ~ Monterey Jack Chicken Stix with Zucchini

I neglected to mention in last week's intro post that Personal Trainer Food suggests fasting 2 days prior to starting the program to jumpstart your metabolism. I skipped this step and also had cream in my coffee which is not allowed on the plan. I also had family visiting for Thanksgiving and went off the plan for 2 days. In hindsight this was probably not the most opportune week to start a new diet program, but at least it helped me put the brakes on continuing to pack on the lbs. I lost 2.4 of the 5 lbs. I gained while on vacation. Can't imagine what my results would have been had I not "cheated". Thankfully, I have this week to find out! ☺

Just in time for the holidays, the generous team at Personal Trainer Food is offering Chic Luxuries' readers $200 off any 28-day meal plan, use promo code Chic200. In addition to anyone wanting to lose weight, this plan would also be perfect for working singles or couples who want a break from cooking during the holidays. To learn more about Personal Trainer Food and view the complete menu, visit them at personaltrainerfood.com. Follow them on Twitter,  Facebook and Instagram for diet tips, fun giveaways, and more. 

Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide

Good things really do come in small packages that's why, in our family, we save opening our Christmas stockings for last. We've rounded up some of our favorite stocking-sized gifts for her, and included a few for the guys on your list too. It wouldn't be a Chic Luxuries holiday feature without a giveaway, so be sure to enter to win the prize of your choice from our gift closet.

Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes is chock full of over 600 delicious recipes that cooks have submitted and readers have raved about. The 448-page book with spiral-bound pages contains colorful photos and detailed instructions for every meal and icons that indicate recipes that freeze well, 5-ingredient dishes, 30-minute or less recipes, slow-cooker recipes. Available for $24.99 on amazon.com

All the gals on your list with fall in love with this adorable Frosty Bath Cupcake from Fizz & Bubble. The top of the cupcake creates a bubble bath and the bottom is a fizzy formulated with a blend of 8 essential oils which cleans and moisturizes skin. Additional scents available. $10 exclusively at ulta.com.

What girl doesn't want to find jewelry in her stocking? These Sparkling Rosé Hoop Earrings from Chloe + Isabel add just the right amount of bling to holiday parties without taking away from an outfit.  $52 To locate a Chloe + Isabel Merchandiser, visit chloeandisabel.com

We stash the best surprises in the toe of our Christmas stockings and that's where Kat Burki Rose Hip Revitalizing Serum belongs. It's a luxurious, anti-oxidant rich serum that protects skin against free radicals, and works to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Brightens and balances skin tone, reduces inflammation, and leaves skin velvety soft. $165 katburki.com

While hair products may not be a typical gift for Christmas, they surely won't mind if it's Mon Shampoing!  Create custom hair care by mixing a specially formulated oil blend in with Mon Shampoing Gentle Shampoo with Keratin and Gentle Conditioner with Keratin. There's a delightfully-scented oil to treat every hair need ~ oily, color-treated, fine & brittle, dry & curly, and delicate. Prices start at $19 for the oil blend. shop.monshampoing.com

Eminence Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream is just what the doctor ordered for the holidays. Soothes eye are after a night of holiday parties and minimizes dark circles and puffiness. Nourishing botanicals instantly hydrate eye area and plump lines and wrinkles for a smoother appearance. A 1.05-oz bottle retails for $96 at eminestore.com.

If you want to keep those pesky wrinkles away, wear sunscreen year-round and add Colorescience® Holiday Kit to your Christmas Wish List. The kit includes a Mini Sunforgettable Brush-On Sunscreen SPF50 in Medium Shade and a Sunforgettable Lipshine SPF35 in Rose. The mineral powder sunscreen has a retractable brush applicator and both products are small enough to fit in a pocket or wristlet. $39 colorescience.com

No need to spend hundreds of dollars on anti-aging treatments at the spa when you can have the same results in the privacy of your home. DermaWand® delivers thermal energy at 100,000 microcurrents per second to gently massage skin and increase blood circulation while bringing oxygen and nutrients to the skin's surface. Use for three minutes twice a day to to help reduce wrinkles and pore size, tighten skin, and lessen puffy eyes. Instructional booklet, CD, travel bag, and $120 in free skincare products included with purchase. $154.75 payable in 4 installments. Save 10% with code DWYT7 at checkout. dermawand.com

They'll love receiving a Pixie, a lost item finder that can even locate a dead iPhone or iPad! Attach one Pixie point to your iPhone and one to keys, wallets, even pets to easily locate the items if lost. Should the tagged item go missing out of bluetooth range (150' outdoors 30-50' indoors), Pixie will reveal the last known location. Compatible with iPhone 5s or later and iPad 4 or later. Available in 2, 4 or 8-packs starting at $29.99. getpixie.com

John Masters Organics Raspberry & Orange Body Scrub is USDA-certified organic and formulated with 15 organic oils and extracts to gently exfoliate and moisturize skin. The deliciously-scented scrub also blends ylang ylang and geranium oil to sweeten the senses...delightful! A 4.8 oz. jar retails for $20. johnmasters.com 

Put a little spa treatment in her Christmas stocking with a luxurious Starskin® Lifting Lace™ Revamping Meltaway Lace Eye Mask. Beautiful lace is enveloped in a slow-release gel concentrate which melts into skin to revitalize tired eyes, and plumps skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. A set of 2 masks retail for $15 at barneys.com.  

Fill their home with the cozy scent of Fall. Bright Endeavors Almond Berry Galette Candle smells delightful! The handcrafted soy candles burn cleanly and the fragrance lasts to the end of the jar. All proceeds support young moms participating in a job training program. Available in 4 sizes starting at $7.99, the 11 oz. signature glass candle retails for $24.99 and has an approximate burn time of 40 hours brightendeavors.org.

La Bella Donna Baci-Baci Moisturizing Lip Sheer delivers a touch of color and shine while it conditions lips. Housed in a silver click pen with brush applicator allowing for precision application of this anti-aging lip sheer. Available in 9 shades. Cloister Sunrise, pictured above, is a beautiful neutral color. $26.50 labelladonna.com

Calling all brunettes. Too busy with holiday plans to get to the salon? Treat yourself to John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Deeper Shampoo in between color treatments to extend the life of color and prevent fading. Available at food, drug and mass retailers. SRP: $9.99

Chic Giveaway! ~ One reader will win the prize of their choice from our gift closet.

To Enter: email chicgiveaway@gmail.com and include the following:

• "Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide" in the subject line
• your first and last name
• complete mailing address
• twitter id 
• facebook name 

If you're entering our giveaways, we ask that you follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest 

We would love it if you would tweet this giveaway, here's a sample tweet for your convenience ~

Enter to #Win the prize of your choice from @ChicLuxuries gift closet in their #StockingStuffer #giveaway Details: ow.ly/VgRj30gvKvF 

Contest ends 11:59 PM ET December 23, 2017. Limit one entry per household. Winner will be notified by email and announced on our Winner's page. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize. Open to US Residents 18 years of age and older.  We received no compensation from any brand featured in this post, nor were affiliate links used. 

Personal Trainer Food Preview

I just returned from a 9-day cruise and, as feared, gained back some of the weight I worked so hard to lose. I recently heard about Personal Trainer Food, a weight loss meal-delivery plan, but had to give a lot of thought to whether I wanted to try another diet plan. I decided to give it a go because I was curious to see if my body truly is unwilling to go below 135 or if it just needs a change in menu to do so. I was also afraid if I didn't get back on track quickly after the cruise, I would continue gaining through the holidays. I'm sure there will be things I prefer about each plan but my intention is not to pit one against the other, discredit either brand in any way, or write comparisons of the two. I've always been a big believer in "Blowing out another's candle doesn't make yours burn brighter". In fact, I think the opposite usually occurs. For me, trying another plan is the same as patronizing different restaurants; most of us have more than one favorite for various reasons, and there are things we like better about each. Certainly in the weight-loss meal delivery world there is enough room for several brands to be successful based on their own merits. 

A HUGE box of food arrives frozen via FedEx

That said, for the next month I will be focusing on Personal Trainer Food and spotlighting their 3 Meals A Day Plan. Breakfast includes an egg with either bacon or sausage, lunch with a veggie, and dinner with a veggie. Meals consist of whole, non-processed foods, high in protein, low in carbs and are flash frozen to preserve flavor and freshness. There are over 75 restaurant-quality entrees from which to choose, and they all heat up in the microwave in 3 minutes or less...YAY! Daily allowances also include unlimited meat, non-starchy veggies, eggs, one apple, 6 oz. of hard cheese, and 3 oz. of select nuts {almonds, walnuts, etc.}. Additional dairy is to be eliminated{this will be a challenge for me because I love cream in my coffee}. 

This is just the veggies ~ beautiful, vibrant colors ~ can't wait to try them!

PTF believes weight loss is 90% about food and 10% about exercise. I like it already!! They encourage their clients to walk 20 minutes {2,000 steps} a day. I can do that! Personal Trainer also recommends relying more on a measuring tape to track results, than the scale. 

To learn more about Personal Trainer Food and view the complete menu, visit them at personaltrainerfood.com. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for diet tips, fun giveaways, and more. I'll be sharing photos of the meals on Instagram and Twitter and checking in weekly with an update here. Giving thanks to the Personal Trainer Food team for this opportunity. I'm so excited to get started!

Karen Neuburger Holiday Giveaway

Our last Karen Neuburger feature was so successful for the brand, they asked us to host another. Their holiday line is filled with ultra soft pj's perfect for gifting to just about everyone on your list, many with coordinating slipper socks. 

It's so fun for everyone in the family to snuggle up in front of the fire in their matching pajamas on Christmas Eve while sipping cocoa and reading Twas the Night Before Christmas and while opening presents in the morning. Not to mention it makes for a great holiday photo every year. 

As far as I'm concerned, you can never have too many soft and cozy pj's, and everyone needs a new pair at least once a year for travel and sleepovers. 

You can find Karen Neuburger pajamas at Dillards and other major department stores. For a complete list of retailers, visit karenneuburger.com and be sure to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. 

Chic Giveaway ~ One reader will win a pair of Karen Neuburger pajamas with matching slipper socks in the size of their choice. 

To Enter: Email chicgiveaway@gmail.com and include the following:

• "Karen" in the subject line
• your first and last name
• mailing address
• twitter id 
• facebook name 

If you're entering our giveaways, please follow Chic Luxuries on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

We would love it if you would share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Here's a sample post for your convenience ~

#Win a pair of @KarenNeuburger pj's on @ChicLuxuries Details:  ow.ly/ZXRM30goNzQ #giveaway

Contest ends 11:59 PM ET December 7, 2017. Limit one entry per person and email address. Winner will be notified by email and announced on our Winner's page. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize. Open to US Residents 18 years of age and older. We received no compensation for this post, nor were affiliate links used. 

Many thanks to the Karen Neuburger team for sponsoring this giveaway.