Alexandrea Garza

Father’s Day is right around the corner so I put together this Father’s Day Gift Guide with items from Amazon! It has so many different items from a lot of different categories! I hope this Father’s Day Gift Guide helps you find something special for your dad!

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Heated Mug– Who likes their coffee getting cold? This mug is great for busy mornings and will keep his coffee nice and warm while getting ready for the day!
Beer Glass– These glasses are so cool! You can keep them in the freezer but they have a nice wrap around the glass to keep his hand warm while holding it! Perfect for the beer lover in your life!
Portable Projector– OK-this item is so cool! It is so small and can fit in his pocket- but it will project movies, TV shows, and Netflix anywhere! Perfect for the Netflix obsessed!
Foot Massager– This foot massager is so awesome. Perfect way for him to unwind at the end of a busy day.
Beard Oil – This oil is great for guys with a beard and it smells so good!
Portable Speaker– This speaker is great for anywhere! They can play music while outside, in the garage, working out, or at the beach! The sound quality is amazing!
Phone Charger– This charging station is awesome. It can hold a lot of his electronics and charge them all at once!
Golf Balls– If your Dad or husband is a golfer then golf balls are always a great gift! They are also something that you know he will use!
Air Pods- If he doesn’t already have AirPods then these will be a great gift. Once you have them, you wonder what you ever did before!
Yeti Cooler- Yeti Coolers are an amazing product. They keep everything so so cold. I love that this one is portable and comes with a nice strap.
Picture Frame– Sentimental gifts are always good Father’s Day gifts. This one from Amazon allows you to frame it all from their website!

I love to start off my morning with a workout! Even if it isn’t super long it is a good way to start off my day with some endorphins and feel accomplished right away! There have been some great workouts on Instagram lately and so I have been picking some of those to do for my summer morning workout routine.

Can we all agree that wearing a cute workout outfit really helps motivate you to workout? The sports bra and shorts I am wearing is super comfortable and I am loving biker shorts right now! A couple other sets I like are linked here: Top Bottoms | Top Bottom | Top Bottom. My tee is one of our archived designs from my store shopgoodtobe.com. Check it out for lots of cute loungewear! My white and neon sneakers are my favorites right now, APL has great tennis shoes!

In terms of the workouts I do, I like to do the Melissa Wood Health videos. A lot of them use minimal weights or no weights which is really nice to be able to do it from anywhere you are! I just lay out my yoga mat and it works perfectly to have a little cushion on the wood floor! There are also a lot of videos that are shorter (around 20-30 minutes) which are perfect for a summer morning workout routine (especially when you have a toddler)! You can check out all my at home workout essentials in this post here!

As many of you may know, I make this celery juice recipe every morning. It is my favorite way to start off the morning. Celery juice also has so many health benefits too. It helps promote your digestion, boosts your immune system, promotes weight loss, and maintains good sugar and cholesterol levels. I read the book Celery Juice by Medical Medium and use this for a guide.

Here is how I make my morning celery juice recipe

First, I cut the top and bottom off of a full “bunch” of celery. That way the hard ends are not in the juice. Then I will put the entire bunch of celery in the juicer. I love this juicer from Williams Sonoma, but another great one is from Amazon. I will then juice it until it is smooth. The last step would be to sift out the imperfections. This strainer is really great and perfect for smoothing out the juice! This will make about 16oz. of juice. If I make it ahead of time for the week, I put them in these cute glass containers. They are perfect for storing them in the refrigerator. I also use these glass straws all the time.

I will drink the whole glass first thing in the morning, and then wait 15 minutes before drinking or eating anything else. Check out our TikTok of how we make it below!

Enjoy!

@alexandreagarza
How I start my mornings #medicalmedium #celery #healthyfood #morning #fyp #foryourpage
♬ Sunday Morning – 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠

There are so many great at home workout essentials from Amazon that I love to use daily. Being able to do a workout at home has really been a lifesaver not only during our quarantine period but also balancing working and having a two-year-old. It allows me to do a full workout at my house at whatever time works for me and my schedule. I rounded up some of my favorite at home workout equipment as well as some great workout gear from Amazon.

At Home Workout Essentials: The Tools

Check out My Faves

Hand Weights – These three to eight pound weights from Amazon are perfect for a lot of online at home workouts – like Pilates and Barre that use a lot of small weight movements in high repetition. You really see results quickly when you use this method and also makes it so you don’t have to buy a huge heavyweight set for your house.

Ab roller- Ab rollers are a great tool to have on hand at home. Some online workouts will include an ab roller as part of the workout routine, but you can also find workouts that are strictly for when using an ab roller. These are so effective in building muscle and are still small and compact. Try this one from Amazon, it is really one of my favorite at home workout essentials.

Yoga Ball- If you have a decent amount of space, a yoga ball can be very useful. Not only can many ab, leg, and glute exercises be done with this ball, but it is also essential for stretching during yoga or just after a workout. Try this workout ball!

Ankle Weights- Ankle weights are great for adding resistance to any workout. You can literally put them on during any workout you are trying, and it will help give you that additional burn! These are some great weights from amazon and are only $9!

Resistance bands – Just like ankle weights, resistance bands can add a lot of extra work to your normal exercises. Also, a lot of on-line workouts will include workouts with resistance bands. This set from Amazon is super nice and comes with several bands in a pack.

At Home Workout Essentials: The Gear

Leggings- These leggings are very similar to the Lululemon align pants. But, you will love the price tag on this pair!

Biker Shorts- These shorts are super comfortable and very on trend right now

Tie Tank- I love this tank for wearing with high waisted leggings or shorts!

Cropped Tank- This tank is so cute! I love the cut of it, and again it would look great with high waisted leggings! It comes in so many cute colors too!

Gallery walls are so beautiful and I have loved seeing them sprout up around the Internet lately. It is a great way to showcase a lot of family photos all in one place while still creating a nicely designed space. We filmed a video about how to create a DIY gallery wall and you can check it out here. Instead of ordering a whole kit, we ordered the frame set we liked, white matting, and then manually measured and hung the frames. This will save a lot of money as the gallery wall kits can be super expensive!

We decided that a nice neutral gallery wall would be the perfect addition to our home. We wanted to originally put them in the playroom or above the couch but decided to put them in the entryway as it would fill that wall space nicely. Additionally, we knew we would want to have enough space to show off the pictures and space them out properly. So, we picked these frames from IKEA linked here, because we loved how the frame was super neutral and large.

For the matting, I created the look myself. Deciding to create a DYI gallery wall was definitely the way to go. We picked matting that would create a lot of white space for our 5 by 7 photos. We wanted there to be a lot of white surrounding each picture because it gave it a very nice clean look, which was exactly what we were looking for in this space. I bought the matting from Amazon. It came in whole sheets, the size of our frames, but without a hole in it for the photos. So, I just used double-sided tape to tape the photo into the middle of the matting. Then we inserted the matting with the photo into the frames. It was pretty easy to do!

To hang the photos, we measured out on our wall where to place each of the frames. We hung them from left to right and top to bottom. This part takes a little patience!

Then you are done, and have a beautiful gallery wall to enjoy!

diy gallery wall — Frames | Matting | Rug

What Beach Day Essentials I Love

One of our favorite activities to do as a family, is going to the beach. We spend a lot of time in Florida especially in the winter and it is so fun to make memories playing in the sand and going in the ocean with Julian. I love that there are so many beach day essentials on Amazon that make going to the beach a lot easier (as we know that can be tricky with young children) or even adults! There are a lot of things to pack and remember to bring for a full day at the beach. I wanted to round up some of my favorite beach day essentials from Amazon that we use all the time and hopefully you can find some here that you will love too.

My Top Three Beach Day Essentials

Reclining beach chair
A Beach wagon
Beach tent

My Beach Day Essential Breakdown

Wagon- This beach wagon from Amazon is a perfect beach day essential. Especially with kids it helps to keep all of the toys, the cooler, sunscreen, clothes, shoes, food, all in one place. Also, it easily pulls through the sand. That way you don’t have to fuss with carrying a ton of bags and you can just put everything in the wagon from the car and pull it to the sand right to your spot on the beach. I’m telling you, it is a major life saver and definitely a beach day essential.

Reclining Beach Chair– This beach chair is my absolute favorite. They are perfect for sunbathing, reading, and just relaxing! I love how the chair reclines back to several different levels so you can be comfortable! Additionally, it has a head rest!

Beach Tent- Our beach tent is a beach day essential for sure! Having some shade while you are at the beach is definitely needed. Especially with babies, toddlers or children, it is super important that they have somewhere to stay out of the sun. It is also the perfect place to have lunch. If that didn’t convince you, these tents are easy to put up too!

There’s More!

Beach Toys – Julian loves playing in the sand at the beach! So, beach toys are definitely a must have product for the beach. Amazon has so many great toys for the sand, but this set has so many included like shovels, buckets, castles, and more and it is a great price!

Beach Fan– A beach fan is a great essential for long days at the beach. It can easily clip on to your chair, stroller, or wagon and keep the kids cool (and you too)!

Beach Blankets – This beach blanket is so large and perfect for under a tent! It is nice to have somewhere to sit that isn’t covered in sand! This one comes in a bag and you can pin it down so it doesn’t blow away.

Cooler- A cooler is definitely a beach essential! Pack up lots of water, fruit, and snacks for the day in this Amazon cooler backpack! I love that you can wear it as a backpack and it can store cold and dry items!

Sunscreen– My go to baby/kid sunscreen is this one! The one I wear on my face is Avene and for body, a great one is the Coola SPF 50 body spray.

Sun Hat– Always make sure to wear a hat at the beach whether it is a baseball cap or a sun hat. Sun damage is so bad for your skin, so start wearing a hat and sunscreen whenever outside. This will prevent fine lines and wrinkles too!

Reclining Chair | Bathing Suit (similar here)

Beach day essentials from amazon — Wagon | Similar Clover Bracelet (not amazon)| Similar Cuff Bracelet (not amazon)

If you enjoyed reading about my beach day essentials from Amazon, you might also enjoy my post about my Amazon kitchen essentials. You can read it here.https://goodtobebyalexgarza.com/top-amazon-kitchen-essentials-you-need/

My Go-to Lunch: Healthy Summer Salad

This healthy summer salad recipe is one of my go-to recipes for lunches. It is so healthy and you can really add whatever you want to make it your own. Additionally, there are so many great ingredients you could try in this salad. It allows you to get in a lot of your daily requirements for proteins, greens and nutrients. I think it is so important to have quick and easy recipes that you can make for lunch. Lunch is usually the busiest time of the day for me so it really helps to have these types of ingredients in your refrigerator that you can grab quick and taste good all together.

So, when I go grocery shopping, I try to keep in mind healthy easy recipes for lunch. Also, as a mom and business owner, my days are extremely busy and having things for meals planned out really helps previous save a lot of time. This healthy summer salad recipe will be a staple for you- I promise!

Here is What I Put in My Summer Salad

Mixed greens i.e. arugula, kale, and romaine
Sauteed veggies like onions, broccoli and brussels sprouts
Diced carrots
Cucumbers
Radishes
Hummus
Harissa
Chopped cherry tomatoes
Kalamata Olives
Topped with Primal Kitchen Greek dressing
Add anything else you like!

I typically will mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Summer Salad Recipe you will love — Shop my Bowl here!

We Made a Whipped Coffee Recipe!

Whipped coffee is such a fun treat for the morning and a great way to mix up your coffee routine! You can watch our entire vlog making the fun whipped coffee recipe here! We tried it a few different ways in the video while with my parents. This was a really tasty recipe and pretty easy to do. It seems to work best when you do it one serving at a time. We tried it hand whisking the mixture and with a frother. But there are so many ways you could do it, so have fun with it and make it your own. A tip: the more you stir and whisk, the more thick it will get! It reminds us of coffee flavored ice cream- I know-YUM!

Bracelets are Van Cleef and Cartier-I linked similar options here and here

Here is What You Need To Make Whipped Coffee

For one serving
1 Bowl for mixing
1 hand whisker or hand mixer (here is a frothing wand we used or a nice hand mixer you could try)
A coffee cup (some of our favorite mugs are these ones)

Ingredients to Make Whipped Coffee

2 Tbs hot water
2 Tbs of sugar
2 Tbs instant coffee (we used Nescafe but you can use any instant coffee)
Milk, to serve
Ice, to serve

Now Here’s How to Make the Whipped Coffee Recipe

To start, take the hot water, instant coffee, and sugar and combine them into a bowl.

Now, you’ll use a mixer to combine all the ingredients. You can use either an electric whisker, hand whisker, or even an electric mixer. You will want to continue this for around 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes fluffy and lighter.

Lastly, fill up your coffee cup with your milk of choice and ice, and then scoop out a spoonful or two onto the top of the milk and ice!

We found it tastes best when you mix it up! But definitely take your insta pics before!

Enjoy this sweet treat! We hope you enjoyed this fun whipped coffee recipe!

Kickoff the Summer in style

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking of outdoor family activities for backyard fun- that the kids (and even you) will enjoy! Spending summertime in the backyard is great way to unplug for a little bit and make memories with the family-no distractions!

Summer Fun Ideas the Whole Family will Enjoy

Outdoor toys
Blow up pools
Sprinklers and water fun
Outdoor movie night

Fun Water Activities the Kids will Love

There are so many awesome kids toys out there! Amazon has so many options that are at great prices. Blow up pools are great for hot days, as well as sprinklers– like this giant blow up dinosaur that Julian LOVES! Bubbles are also great for backyard fun and keeping the little ones entertained!

Shop them all here!

Outdoor Movie Night for the Family

Another idea for summer backyard fun, is to set up an outdoor movie theater. This portable screen from Amazon is really nice, easy to put up and at an amazing price point. This projector is great for outside as well as it does not need to be plugged in. Bring out some cute popcorn containers, blankets, and pillows, hang some string lights and have a seat on the grass! Or if you’re looking to get some new patio furniture this set is pretty affordable and would be perfect for daytime use and movie viewing parties! This is something fun and different and kids of any age will love it! Even your teenagers will think it is so cool, they will want to invite all their friends to watch movies at your house! Since summer nights in the backyard are limited, make the most of the beautiful weather and enjoy!

Shop everything here!

My Favorite Routines and Products for Self Care

With everyone spending more time at home lately, I wanted to share some of my favorite products for DIY self care routines . From makeup to nails there are so many alternatives to going to a salon. Self care is so important not only to your physical, but mental health. These things will hopefully make you feel better inside and out. I have a whole youtube video highlighting these routines too, so you can check that out here or below!

Nail Products for at Home Self Care

I think it is always a good idea to have a nail routine! It’s a treat to get your nails done but it definitely saves time and money to do them at home sometimes too! I love the NailsInc. Nail Kale as a base coat. It really helps strengthen your natural nails. Then I use the Deborah Lippmann top coat which helps your manicure last a lot longer and gives it shine! Some of my favorite nail colors are Hue is the Artist by OPI and Cajun Shrimp by OPI.

Skincare Routine for at Home Self Care

I think we can all agree it is so important to maintain a good skincare routine. Keeping up with it every day not only helps your skin but also just makes you feel good and fresh. It is a great way to start and end every day. One of the things you can do that is SO easy to maintain your skin (especially in-between salon appointments) is face shaving. I use tinkle razors (straight blade razors) to help remove the peach fuzz and dead skin on the surface layer of my skin. This not only helps makeup set better on your skin, but it helps all your skincare serums and oils soak in as well! Also, I have never had an issue with hair growing back darker-which is an added bonus!

I like to do a weekly facial as a treat to myself and for some me-time! I love the Dr. Jart sheet masks from Sephora, they are so nice and have a lot of different options for brightening, tightening, aging and hydrating, so I try and use those once a week. Try using a jade roller on top of the mask while it sits! I also love doing a combination of the Sunday Riley sulfur mask (in the t-zone) and the Tatcha Radiant C mask (everywhere else) it will make your skin so soft and clear! Lastly, I use the Alpha Beta Peel wipes 2-3 times a week. These are amazing and really help with evening out your face tones and texture. Lastly, I love using some gel eye patches first thing in the morning to reduce puffiness around my eyes- and they wake you up (try keeping them in the refrigerator).

Simple Daily Makeup Routine to Feel Good

I haven’t been wearing a ton of makeup lately, but I have a few favorite products for a light makeup look that make me feel a little more put together. I love a nice tinted moisturizer that really helps even out my skin tone without looking too heavy. Also brows are a great way to look more put together easily! My favorite go-to product is the Gimme Brow by Benefit– it is perfect for giving your brows a light and fluffy look. Lastly, I top off my look with a tinted lip balm like this one from YSL Beauty!

Body Care Routine

One of the things I have always done in my self care routine is body exfoliation. This is an important step of beauty routines that can sometimes get left out! I use my Eco Tools exfoliating brush and massage my arms and legs with it before shaving. This also acts as a massage and helps with lymphatic drainage (which is SO GOOD for you). I use the Gillette disposable razors for daily use – make sure it is fresh! Another added step to my body care routine is this Necessaire body exfoliator for in the shower. I use it 1-2 times a week. It is perfect for keeping your skin even and bump free and smells amazing!

Self Tanning Routine that is Easy to Maintain

My absolute favorite self tanner is the Tan Luxe Gradual for my body. I have been using this for years and it is so easy to apply. Unlike other self tanners, you do not need to use a mitt or applicator and it doesn’t stain either! After a couple uses you will see a very nice natural tan. For my face, I use the Tan Luxe Face Drops. I add a few of these to my moisturizer at night and wake up to a gorgeous glow in the morning!

BONUS TIP: If your roots are starting to show and you can’t get to a salon- L’Oreal makes a great root spray that is waterproof and works so well. You can also use it on your hairline to even it out where there may be gaps!

Father’s Day Gift Guide