Today’s chilly, rainy weather just called for an afternoon pumpkin spice latte…which got me thinking… I should share my current go-to buttery latte with you. Of all the simple joys in life, coffee is among my top 10 (alongside furry slippers, a cozy robe, red wine, bouquets of flowers, quaint cafes, smiles, and scented candles). I look forward to my morning cup of coffee every day. I often switch up how I take my coffee…sometimes, adding a bit of organic half and half, other times I use a quality, dairy-free, flavored creamer (like Califia Farms), but as of late, my favorite coffee comes with butter.

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Let’s be real. Sometimes we just need the convenient route. My definition of clean eating might be in stark contrast to another’s…and that’s okay, but for me, I can still eat clean with the right packaged foods. I actually credit convenient packaged options with keeping me on track for so many years. If I always put pressure on myself to make every, single meal with whole foods, I’m sure I would’ve thrown in the towel long ago.

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Happy Friday to you! Hope you had a fantastic week! I am definitely looking forward to the weekend…we have a couple fun things on our agenda over the next few days, but I also plan to spend some time relaxing…hoping to finish up the book Hidden Figures, work on a pumpkin energy bite recipe, and do some meal planning for next week! And now, here are a few finds and favorites from this past week. Have a good one friends!

ANDALOU NATURALS BRIGHTEN AND TIGHTEN MASK 

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Morning! Today, I am sharing my thoughts on the Fitbit Alta HR and on owning a fitness tracker in general. I received this Fitbit as a gift from a company I partnered with and have been wearing it daily for about a month now. I definitely haven’t tapped into all the features this tracker offers, but after a month’s use, I can honestly say I think this is an awesome product.

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“AUTUMN, THE YEAR’S LAST, LOVELIEST SMILE.” – William Cullen Bryant 

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Happy Friday Eve all! I hope your week has been a good one so far. Stopping in today to share 5 tips for staying positive. I think we all want to be positive people: to live life joyfully, to stay calm under pressure, to see the bright side of things…and yes, sometimes that’s really freaking hard. Things go wrong, people hurt us, we have a sleepless night, we don’t get the job we’ve been yearning for…so many aspects of life, so many circumstances can affect how we feel day to day. And of course, it’s natural and necessary to sometimes just have a bad day.

But, when you feel like you’re in a negativity rut, desperate to regain a positive outlook, try out these 5 things. I have found these are the 5 tricks I constantly use to keep myself hopeful, happy, and joyful.

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Happy Monday all! With the official kick-off to summer happening last week,  I began thinking about a summer bucket list. Almost every season, I brainstorm fun (usually seasonal) activities I’d like to partake in.

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Hey friends! Happy Tuesday to you! I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Friday seems like ages ago, and yet, the weekend passed by super fast thanks to a fun mix of outings, relaxing, and teaching. We didn’t go into the weekend with many plans, but it ended up being an absolute blast…lots of quality time with my favorite human in the world (Matt would roll his eyes big time at this statement, but it’s true)!…

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Hey, hey! Happy Wednesday! Today, I am sharing a few ways I’ve incorporated more veggies into my daily meals. This is a struggle with a capital S for me…I’ve never really liked veggies. When I was a kid, I remember staring at my salad bowl in disgust, willing it to disappear. I also distinctly recall trying to feed my poor dog veggies under the table, and when she sniffed them, but took a pass on eating them, I understood. They’re just not everyone’s thing.

When carrots and peppers are nice n’ crisp, perfectly sliced and accompanied with a good dip, I’ll go for it now, because I know it’s good for me. But, on a whole, my vegetable consumption is not ideal. The last few months, I’ve come up with some tricks to increase the amount of vegetables I eat daily and I thought I’d share them with you today!

Tip #1:

Add vegetables to smoothies

I am starting off with my favorite way to consume veggies, that’s right, the way where I can’t even taste them. For years, I’ve added spinach and/or kale to my smoothies, so that’s nothing new for me, but if you don’t already, there’s an opportunity for those greens! A few months ago, I began adding riced cauliflower into my smoothies and/or post workout protein shakes and was pleased to find out if you add just a bit, the cauliflower doesn’t alter or ruin the smoothie’s taste.

You most definitely can go overboard, so tread lightly here. I usually add about 1/4 C (maybe a little more) and find that cauliflower rice is best accompanied with a banana in any smoothie concoction. After a surprisingly pleasant experience with cauliflower, I started thinking about other veggies I could blend in, and butternut squash popped into my head (it was fall and all things butternut squash/pumpkin were happening).

Butternut squash is a HELL YEAH in smoothies. It is SO tasty with banana, almond milk, almond butter, cinnamon, maybe a little vanilla protein powder, or collagen peptides for a protein boost.

You can get riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Whole Foods also carries frozen riced cauliflower which I think would be even better in smoothies. Same goes for butternut squash- I buy frozen bags at Whole Foods and add the pieces into my smoothie at least once or twice a week.

One last idea, add in some carrots. I’ll throw shredded carrots in smoothies (think carrot cake smoothie: banana, carrot, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder OR vanilla yogurt, etc.) before the carrots go bad. Just make sure you have the proper blender to add in carrots.

Let’s review: Add spinach, kale (or other greens), butternut squash, riced cauliflower, and carrots into your smoothies (rotating them obviously) to pack in those nutrients. One final smoothie add-in option…avocado!

(Recipe for a butternut squash smoothie: here)

Tip #2

Dip it. Dip it real good.

I am not suggesting you flood your salads or veggies with Ranch dressing like we all did when we were kids… what I am suggesting, to eat more RAW veggies, is find yourself a damn good, high-quality dip that will help you enjoy the vegetables a bit more. My current favorite way to eat raw veggies is either with Kite Hill Chive Cream-Cheese Style Spread or hummus. Keep the spreads/hummus to a minimum, but if a little dip helps you eat a shiz ton more veggies, it’s worth it!

Tip #3

Be freaking sneaky 

Anytime I’m making dinner or planning out dinners for the week, I try to think about how I can sneak more veggies in. Making meatballs? Cool, throw a little riced cauliflower in there. Making pasta? Nice, add some chopped up peppers, onions, and zucchini to the sauce. Tacos? You get the picture…chop up vegetables and add it into the meat. The point is, when you mix vegetables into something with a strong flavor (like taco seasoning), you can’t even really taste them.

Tip #4

Grill baby, grill

Okay, I think asparagus is just yuck. And that’s childish, I know. But if it’s seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper, and grilled, I can dig it. I also LOVE grilled onions,peppers, and eggplant. However, I really try to reserve grill time for those vegetables I despise the most…so sorry asparagus.

Tip #5

Oven roast

I am starting to love oven roasted broccoli. I drizzle the pieces in olive oil, add in garlic, salt, pepper, maybe a little paprika…let them crisp up in the oven, then sometimes sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese. Super tasty, and I think oven roasting is a great way to enjoy a wide variety of veggies.

Tip #6

Ease into the groove of veggies

One of the reason I struggle with veggies, is sadly, the preparation. Some weeks, I just don’t want to chop up broccoli, so I buy the pre-cut broccoli at Whole Foods. Pick and choose your battles with this, but certainly don’t be afraid to grab some pre-prepared veggies if that will help you get into the groove of eating them. Going along with that tip, try out veggie noodles! More and more grocery stores are offering prepared veggie noddles- an awesome opportunity to test out some fun pasta recipes, sans actual pasta.

Tip #7

Add it to a frittata 

I find it incredibly easy to add veggies to a frittata, omelette, or eggs. Finely chopped onion, peppers, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms…all fabulous additions to an egg creation.

Tip #8

Soup it up 

If you’re feeling ambitious, make your own veggie soup- I find vegetables super satisfying when they’re in a homemade soup. A fun soup swap out? Use zucchini noodles in place of regular noodles in chicken noodle soup. Now, let’s say you love the boxed tomato soup from Trader Joe’s (as I do), spice it up by adding in some vegetables- my faves in tomato soup are onion and zucchini.

Tip #9

Give your salads some love

I used to make the most boring salads ever. Every day: feta, avocado, carrots, cucumber, not much else. And I tired of salads, quickly. It is a MUST to switch your salads up! Bring in seasonal elements: fresh strawberries in summer (with goat cheese or feta, cucumber, grilled chicken, red onion, slivered almonds). In fall, incorporate beets, pumpkin seeds, and butternut squash into salads. Make salads fun…use hummus in place of dressing some days, add in sliced turkey, grilled chicken, or smoked salmon for protein. When you spice things up in the salad department, you’re less likely to skip the greens completely.

Tip #10

Prep ahead

If you end up not getting pre-cut veggies, or if you still have some that will need slicing, do it ahead of time. Designate time on Sunday to cut everything up so it’s all ready to go when you need a quick snack throughout the week. You’ll be more likely to reach for veggies if they’re all nicely sliced and ready to DIP (or not, whatever, your choice).

There you have it. 10 tips to get more veggies into your diet. Bottom line, you’ve got to rip the band aid. With veggies, with anything that’s a struggle. Stop avoiding it…have fun with it. Don’t let it become a chore, let it be a puzzle you have to figure out. I actually chuckle to myself when I add cauliflower into my smoothies, like, “damn…she doesn’t even notice!”

Vegetables aren’t my strong point. But, instead of being hard on myself, I take it one day a time. I’m far from perfect, but these tips are certainly helping me get closer to my veggie-intake goals!

I wanted to hop on today and talk about staying balanced in your life, in fitness, and with healthy eating. Recently, I sort of feel like balance is my life motto for just about everything. Not to be super cliché, but I think I’ve grown a lot in the last few years when it comes to leading a well-balanced life, which is why I want to address this topic. First of all, how do I even know I am more balanced than ever before? Well, I feel it. I sleep better, I’m less anxious/nervous about things that would’ve sent me down a vortex of worry in the past, and in general, I just feel a sense of calm.

Now, I’m not saying all day, errrr day, I’m a flower child humming tunes without a care in the world. I still worry about stuff (er, finances, cough, cough), but I think my perspective is better, as is how I respond to these normal life obstacles. For me, letting go of comparison, washing away the idea of “timelines,” and focusing on the present moment are all things I do to live that bad-ass, balanced life.

Let’s start with comparison…DON’T FREAKING DO IT. EVER. We clear? Good. Your life is your life. Everyone has a different outlook on life, different goals, different views on what makes a fulfilling life. If I allowed the comparison game to seep it my blood, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

You see, I felt that something needed to change a few years back…I didn’t love my job and I really believed I could find a way to make a career out of what I enjoy most (so…ya know, eating and fitness). Easily, at the ripe ol’ age of 29, I could have said “too late, kiddo. It’s time to stay stable, start having kids, and really settle down.” Because you know what, that’s what was starting to happen around me…right as I’m starting to have all these epiphanies about who I could be and how amazing it would be if I took a chance and left familiarity behind, others around me were diving into a way different life story- babies, buying homes, PhD’s,… It can be confusing when you feel you’re at an age at which you should be hitting that next life milestone, but instead of looking at my life as a timeline, I listened to that little voice inside of me that said, “do it.”

And I’m better for it. I’m not saying life wouldn’t be incredible if I had chosen another path, but I feel stronger, more balanced having gone down this one. The fact that I don’t dread Mondays, suffer from sleepless nights, and I feel excited to inspire others daily, are all testaments that I’m becoming who I was meant to be. I don’t want you to have this impression that everything is perfect in my life (it’s all tulips, overnight oats, and Pinot o’er here!) Everyone struggles with something, no doubt, but it’s about truly loving who you are and what you do that allows you to live observing your struggles, rather than letting your struggles be your life.

So I guess what I am saying is, if you don’t feel balanced, gut check. What’s your inner-voice telling you? I think when we tune into ourselves (via meditation, prayer, writing in a journal, etc.) we can discover those answers we need. Maybe not right away, but eventually, we do find that path we’re meant to be on. And hey, you might have to go on several paths simultaneously to get where you’re going, and that’s cool too. The one thing you can’t do? Look at someone else’s life and judge your own. You’ll never feel balanced living a life that is not authentically yours.

Okay, so now for a little health and fitness specific talk with regards to balance. I think it’s pretty common for many people to take on that “all or nothing” mentality when getting started on a workout or healthy eating kick. Here’s the thing- it doesn’t work. You are not going to have perfect workouts every week, and you sure as heck are not going to eat perfect 100% of the time. Here’s how I look at it… first, with regards to food, the question I ask myself most throughout the week is “what is this food giving my body?” Maybe it’s Vitamins A, C, B, or protein, healthy fats, complex  carbs…but, by asking that question, I’ve acknowledged the true purpose of food: nourishment and strength for the body. But, I’m also human, and I love ice-cream and I believe sometimes our souls just need it. So I buy ice-cream that has real, natural ingredients (please don’t get artificial crap). I don’t have it every, single night, but I do have it when I truly crave it, and you know what it gives me? Balance 😉

The meals I make at home are pretty darn healthy, so when we have a date night out at a restaurant, I know it’s cool to indulge a little. When the majority of what you eat is clean, natural ingredients, then those occasional indulgences are good. And in a way, they are necessary (at least for me, I know they are). It’s all about listening to your body and being honest with yourself. You know if you haven’t had a single vegetable in a day. So work on that. You know if you’re being too hard on yourself and never allowing yourself treats. Work on that. Above all, love your body.

The same goes for exercise. We’re meant to move, but we’re not meant to move so much that we’re always tired, sore, or sick. Listen to your body. Mix up your workouts. I am a Pure Barre fanatic, but I still take myself through my own circuit workouts. I do yoga when I need an extra long stretch. I take rest days and I have weeks where I barely workout at all. It happens. Honor your body week to week, take walks, dance, stay active, but don’t pressure yourself to do a certain number of days, or a certain number of hours in the gym. Just focus on moving, having fun, keep your body guessing, and make sure you feel good. If you’re feeling good, likely you’ve got a good routine.

So why all the balance talk? Well, I hadn’t blogged in awhile, and I realized it was because I had spent some time focusing on other areas. I didn’t dive into every aspect of balance here today,  but sometimes in order to keep our lives balanced we have to set certain priorities, and as a result, some things take the back burner for awhile. With work, with relationships…there’s always a fine line to maintaining balance. But, I’m back and ready to share and, hopefully do lots of inspiring here.

My idea of balance may not be yours. That’s okay. My point is, with everything in life, take time to listen; listen to that inner voice, listen to your body, listen to your heart. I think no matter what our definition of a “balanced” life is, no one can go wrong if we just listen.