Friday Favorites

Happy June everyone! I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by. Summer is here and I am so excited for beach days, time in the sun, and enjoying this season with my little tribe. I thought I'd share what I've been digging lately and what I've been grateful for in life, because God is good and I definitely feel blessed!

1. Father's Day cookies. I've posted about these cookies so many times, and you can find the recipe here. These are my husband's favorite cookies. They are so delicious and light, so I woke up early on Sunday morning to bake them for him! We've been munching on them all week, so delicious!

2. Disneyland days. I am beyond grateful to have the chance to enjoy so many Disneyland days with Emma! We went on Monday and had so much fun! I love watching her learn and notice new things every time we go. She is growing up so fast!!! I also had to stop myself from buying this  cute Beauty and the Beast tea set. Belle is my favorite Disney princess! Who is yours??

3. Limiting caffeine. Ever since becoming a mom, I've gotten into a bad habit of having 3-4 cups of coffee a day. So I've made a more conscious effort to just have 1 cup of coffee/day, and I'm feeling a lot better! I am definitely a bit more tired, but I know that I will get used to it and it's better for me overall, and might help my sleep too!

4. Free food at work. I used to not give in to the free food at work because it's typically not the healthiest, but this week I definitely enjoyed some! We had an all-day training yesterday and they brought Corner Bakery for breakfast and Panera for lunch...basically all. the. carbs. I ate what I typically don't eat, but health is not about being perfect 100% of the time. It's about eating nourishing food MOST of the time so that your body is able to handle the occasional treats and sweets! That's a much healthier mindset to live in long-term, and I got right back on my healthy eating plan today and feel incredible!

5. Emma's Mickey Mouse toys. My cousin got Emma these toys for her birthday and she has been OBSESSED with them. Every morning she wakes up and talks to them, carries them around the house, and sets them up all around her. It's absolutely adorable to watch her play and interact and babble! I just love this girl so so much.

I hope you can also think of some things you are thankful for in your life or the blessings God has bestowed upon you this week! Blessings are all around, you just gotta look for them! Happy Friday, everybody!

Friday Favorites & Updates

Hello friends! Long time no chat! It's been exactly a month since I've blogged. I've had every intention of keeping up with this place, but with being a working momma and Emma getting more mobile every day, it's been hard to carve out time to consistently blog. It's still such as passion of mine though, so I promise to be more consistent! Anything YOU all would like to see more of in this space? I'd appreciate any ideas in the comments below!

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things that have been on my heart and mind this past month...starting with the best cake smash ever!

1. Emma's cake smash.

Emma thoroughly enjoyed her cake on her first birthday! It was a simple white cake with vanilla frosting and we let her go at it for a couple minutes and then swiftly took it away.

And yes, it was a full sugar, full flour, totally regular cake. I didn't make anything sugar-free or organic or anything like that because the truth of the matter is (from the research I've done and children I've worked with), when you restrict a child, they are even more likely to rebel and do things that you don't want them to do. She eats healthy vegetables, proteins, and whole grains 99% of the time and I want her to have a healthy relationship towards treats from the very beginning; starting with the fact that treats are "sometimes" foods, and not "everyday foods" and that it's ok to have a treat on your birthday, then move on with your life.

2. Birthday trip to Disneyland

We took Emma to Disneyland the Monday after her birthday and we had a BLAST! She slept for the first two hours which gave my hubby and I sweet time to walk around, grab coffee, and reminisce about our days at Disneyland when we were dating and just married. Disneyland holds a special place in my heart, and now it's even more special to be able to enjoy it with my little tribe!

3. Being Brave

I grabbed this book on a whim at Target and I am so glad I did. Almost every devotional, Bible verse, or motivational quote I've read lately has been on the concept of being brave. Think God is trying to tell me something? All that to say, I highly recommend this book!

4. Cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe's.

This stuff has been blowing up my Instagram feed for weeks, so I finally decided to give in and try it. Oh. My. Gosh. WE LOVED IT! Even my husband who needs meat with practically every meal, thoroughly enjoyed this. We used a pesto cream sauce (literally combined a 1/2 cup lite Alfredo with 1 tsp of pesto and mixed it well). Such a good meal and I'll be definitely grabbing a few bags next time I hit up TJ's!

5. Kodiak Cakes.

A box of these protein pancakes have been sitting in my pantry for a couple weeks. I finally made them and they were SO good! And all you do is mix the mix with water, so easy! I added a dash of cinnamon to the batter too, because cinnamon. These complemented my spinach scramble nicely and kept me full for quite a while! I highly recommend!

I hope you all have had a great week and can pick at least 5 things you are grateful for and are "favorites" in your life! It's always good to have a positive mindset and look for the joy and blessings in our life verses only focusing on what may be stressing us out! Have a great weekend and blessed Mother's Day to all you mommas out there! Not gonne lie, we are rockstars!

Friday Favorites!

Happy Friday everyone! I can't believe it's already Friday. The weeks are flying by, and I am getting closer and closer to returning to work. It's hard even thinking about it, because sweet miss Emma has completely stolen my heart. I don't even want to think about how it will be to leave her and go to work once August hits, so for now I am going to soak up each and every day with this bundle of joy and appreciate all the seconds that God has given me to pretend I am a stay at home mommy. 

And since it's Friday, I thought I'd write up a few of my favorite things lately! Friday is always a great day to reflect on the week and focus on the blessings, good times, and ways to make the next week even better!

1. Crispy Chickpea snacks from Trader Joe's! These little suckers only lasted a few days in our house. They are SO good and taste like the Corn Nuts I used to devour in my junior high days. I love ranch flavored anything, and the crispiness of these totally satisfy any chip craving, while being slightly healthier and nutritious! 

2. Praying for God's grace. My husband and I have tired to be a bit more intentional about our prayer life. Being new parents can take a toll on those spiritual disciplines we used to be better about. Prayer is so important and brings us so much peace, plus invites God into every aspect of our lives. Some of my favorite times this week were praying together over our family, our jobs, our baby, and our life goals and dreams!

3. Panera's strawberry poppyseed salad! I've been to Panera 3 times this week and each time I ordered this salad plus some kind of sandwich or soup! This salad is full of fruit, which I usually don't like but this summer, I am digging the fruit and salad combo. The dressing is super light and tasty too! 

4. My new Bebe au Lait nursing cover! This cover makes it so much easier to nurse in public (hence all my trips to Panera this week...mama's gotta get out of the house!) This cover is breathable so both Emma and I don't end up a sweaty mess trying to cover up, plus it's easy to put on and take off yourself so you don't need help! Makes for a happy mama and happy baby!

5. SHIFT SHOP! Beachbody's newest program got launched this week! I've already done some of the workouts and man oh man, I canNOT wait to officially start this program in a few weeks! Our team of coaches is kicking off a prep week starting Monday the 17th, then officially starting the program on the 24th! Which means I will be in the thick of the program during our 5 day Palm Desert family vacation! But who cares, I've made enough excuses in my lifetime to postpone getting healthy and fit, and I'm so over making excuses now! I'm going to do my best to follow the program while on vacation! 

This program is a 21-day strength and agility program, with a nourishing meal plan and a focus on shifting your mindset, confidence, and overall health! I am SO excited I cannot contain it! I have wanted something fresh and new to help me get back into my pre-Emma strength and shape. If you want to challenge yourself this summer, apply to be part of our test group! The deadline is Monday! Apply here!

And that's a wrap folks! Emma is taking an extra long nap this morning, so I may make a cup of coffee and get some reading done before she wakes up. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy this beautiful summer weather!

Friday Favorites!

Happy Friday everyone! This week flew by for me since I had Monday off, but I'm still so happy the weekend is here! We have really been enjoying our new home, and my favorite part so far has been my 8 minute commute, versus my 45 minute commute to our old apartment! It is so nice to finally clock out and be settled at home 10 minutes later. 

I thought I'd do a "Friday Favorites" post since I have a lot of favorites to chat about lately!

1. My new work space! Last summer, I set a goal that in one year, I wanted a set and official work space. As many of you know, I am currently building a business as a Beachbody coach, but the only room I had in our old apartment was the floor, couch, or random moments on my phone to work on it! In our new house, we converted the second bedroom to an office for both my hubby and I, and this goal has officially been met! I love having my quiet time here, space to work on my business and check in with my clients , and a space to workout! It's quickly becoming my favorite room of the house. 

2. Justin's nut butter packs. I have one of these a DAY and they are just delicious and amazing and fill me right up! Healthy fats are so "in" nowadays, and I love that there is a sweet treat packed inside these packets, as well as healthy almond butter! The vanilla almond butter and chocolate hazelnut butter are my absolute favorites!

3. Armor of God study! In my work space picture above, you can see that I am currently working my way through the "Armor of God" Bible study by Pricilla Shirer. This study is so eye opening, faith-strengthening, and has rocked me to my core. It is all about being armed and ready for the enemy's attacks. This week was about real faith and how to step out in faith so that your faith takes action and isn't just theoretical. So convicting, I can't wait to keep going and digging into God's word! 

4. Hammer and Chisel! I started up Hammer and Chisel again this past Monday! It's my favorite program and I already feel more like myself doing it! This program + following the 21 day fix meal plan has given me SO much freedom in my health and fitness journey! Building and learning how to feed your muscles is so rewarding and strengthening. I feel like God is making me stronger with this program and teaching me how to use whatever I eat and drink for HIS glory, not my own. My Nourished and Free community is also following along with the 21 day fix meal plan and feels the same! The program is actually on a massive sale this month with Shakeology, so now is the perfect time to try it out if you have been curious about it! It's not too late to join us, click here for more info! 

5. Plants! I've been gushing about my love of plants for months since I've been adopting a more plant-based approach to eating, so I am sharing what I've learned in a FREE accountability group next week about eating more plants! I've been researching and writing up recipes for my group all morning and I am just so excited for everyone in the group and the info they will be receiving! If you'd like to join, it's not too late! Just fill out the form below and I will get in touch with you. Remember this group is FREE with no strings attached, so take advantage of getting back on track with your eating and veggies before the 4th of July weekend celebrations begin!

That's all I have for this lovely Friday! I hope you all have a wonderful, restful, and exciting weekend! 

Some Favorite Things...

Yayyyy it's Friday!!!! I had work today, which is a little hard to get my mind around, but it wasn't too bad and thank God for the weekend!! Just thought I'd share a little update post about some of my favorite things lately. 1. GOD. God has been throwing blessings at me left and right and I just feel so grateful and full of thankfulness to Him. Good people, family, food, and fun times this Christmas season was just what I needed!

2. My new workout jacket. I know I posted about this already but I just had to share again!

This top is so warm and and cozy! I wore it for an outdoors run/walk yesterday with my fiancé (his family bought it for me...THANK YOU!) and it kept me SO warm in the freezing weather we have had lately. Plus it's super cute...so it's a win-win!

3. My new egg pan! My mom just bought a Caphalon pan just for eggs and I love it. It is beyond non stick and so easy to clean! Plus, the eggs are coming out super fluffy and restaurant-like! Can't explain it, but I'll take it!

4. My new family. I love the family that I'm marrying into! They have shown me such love and joy, and I am so excited that I get to finally have a brother and a sister. We had a lot of fun over the holidays and I can't wait for more fun in the future!

5. Lastly, running! I took a little hiatus over the holidays from my 10K plan and did some more easy cardio and weights. I kicked off my running again this morning with a 4 mile run and it felt great! I want to do more low impact workouts like yoga and Pilates, but I will always love running and include it in my regular workouts! And I can't wait for my 10K in 6 weeks. And you can bet I'll be following my injury-proof plan (check in previous posts for schedule!)

I don't know about you, but I am extremely excited about the new year. I can't wait to see what God is up to and I definitely want to be available to be used by Him. Reflecting on some of the blessings and "favorites" in my life keeps me joyful, humble, and grateful.

What are some of your favorite things/people lately? How do you keep your joy up?

Friday Favorites!

This is my first ever Friday Favorites post, and I'm excited to share the goodies I decided to add to my food collection this week. I started at a new site this week for work, and since I am finally at just ONE site, I decided to make it like my home. I have a drawer there in the kitchen that I can keep food or anything else in, and I decided to stock it up yesterday for those times that I do not have time to eat breakfast at home or pack my meal before heading out the door. Even though I always plan out and pack my meals, life happens, you run late, and you end up grabbing at whatever you can, right? Well I wanted to ensure that what I grab at was a healthy option while still being food that I enjoy. So here is a list of my recent Friday favorites!

1. Skippy natural peanut butter. This is my favorite peanut butter! It tastes amazing and is always so creamy. I decided this should definitely be a staple in my work drawer since I basically eat peanut butter every day!

2. Tuna. Tuna is another great and healthy fast option for food. I bought the water packs, no can opener needed! They are a perfect quick protein source when you are in a bind!

3. Rice cakes. I got two kinds of rice cakes. Rice cakes are great because you can top them with pretty much anything and treat them like toast! I figured I could top mine with the peanut butter or with tuna to make it like a sandwich.

4. Brown rice cups. These cups are easy to eat and make for the perfect whole grains source! I love anything that can be heated up in little time.

5. Cliff pumpkin bars. Okay, so these bars are not the healthiest...but PUMPKIN!! I figured I could keep a few of these in my drawer as a treat. And at least they have some protein in them! :)

A few other essentials I added to my drawer include tea, stevia, a toothbrush/paste with floss, and some cough drops. I figure you can never be too prepared!

That's it for my Friday Favorites! I hope you all have a great and fast Friday...I am so ready for the weekend!