january favorites
FOOD
chocolate protein mug cake
Most days I drink one or two superfood shakes, but every once in awhile when the weather is cold and I'm feeling a craving for something sweet, I'll turn my superfood mix into a protein mug cake! It's super simple, and I just add 3 tablespoons of almond milk and 4 tablespoons of water to the mix, and warm it up in a mug in the microwave for 2-2.5 minutes. As soon as it's done, I'll top it with a square of dark chocolate or some chocolate chips while it cools down. It tastes like a decadent dessert, but is actually packed with minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, and 24 grams of high-quality whey protein.
apple "nachos"
I'm always a fan of apples and nut butter for a snack, but lately, I've been feeling kind of fancy. I warm up some Justin's Vanilla Almond Butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and drizzle it over my apple slices. Once again, mini chocolate chips are the finishing touch.
slow cooker pot roast
So one thing you should know about me is that I really only know how to prepare chicken and ground beef or ground turkey. In my 8 (ish) years of adulthood, I have never made a meal that involved anything besides those kinds of meats.
For some very very strange reason (maybe the unusually cold weather here in Florida), I've been craving hearty beef and potato dishes. Earlier this month I made a beef and vegetable soup, and last week I made a pot roast with red potatoes and vegetables in the slow cooker. I have no idea what got into me, but it was so good! The kids didn't necessarily care for it (they are going through a kind of vegetarian phase right now), but Justin and I devoured it.
quinoa bake
This is a go-to recipe in our house each week. I love that it's so easily modified (you could make a vegetarian version, sub brown rice for quinoa, or add more or different vegetables.
PRODUCTS
cube organizers
We recently added 2 more cube organizers to our collection that we got free or extremely cheap from friends who are moving. I seriously can't get enough of these. We use some of them for toy storage, one in lieu of a dresser, one in our entryway (I'm thinking for shoes...but I need to get some cubes or "drawers" for it - like these or these), and one to just look nice in our living room. My favorite part of these is that you can contain the mess, and throw everything in the drawers and they still look nice and neat! Lifesaver when you have young kids!
teething necklace
Lewis is at the age where he (1) is pretty much constantly teething and (2) loves to grab and pull on whatever jewelry I'm wearing. We've been loving this adorable teething necklace from Mads & Grace Co. I wear it every single day and Lewis is constantly playing with it and putting it in his mouth. My favorite thing about it is that it's stretchy! Next, I want to try out one of the natural wood ones.
MuTu system, round 2
Ok, so I already wrote about and reviewed the 12-week MuTu System program, and saw great results. After I finished it, I kind of slacked off on doing my core work and ended up meeting with my OB and even a surgeon about the core weakness and back pain I was experiencing. Long story short, I'm starting my second round of the MuTu System to reconnect with my core. I'm actually really excited about this, because during the few weeks in between finishing my first round and now, they completely revamped the program! I just finished week 2, and I'm loving the changes so far.
In addition, I'm taking to heart a lot of the "non-exercise" advice from the program this time. In the coming weeks, I'll be writing a whole post about the lifestyle changes I'm making.
(In case you were wondering, "MuTu System is for women who want their bodies to look, feel and function better after having a baby. Whether you had your baby 6 weeks ago or 6 years ago or more. A proven, truly effective, tried and tested solution for ‘mummy tummy’, diastasis recti, pelvic floor weakness and core that isn’t as functional or strong as you’d like it to be.")
TRAVEL
blue spring state park
On a nice chilly Saturday morning this January we drove an hour away to Blue Spring State Park to see the manatees. They make their way to springs and huddle together to keep warm during the colder winter months. We saw almost 200 manatees!
cocoa beach
I can't wait to type up our family travel guide to Cocoa Beach! It was such a fun day trip for us, and we actually found plenty of free and cheap things to do with the kids. The only downside was that we left Pippa's Curious George somewhere in Cocoa Beach. I think it's time to order another one from Amazon!
miami
We just got back from a weekend in Miami where Justin was coaching in a basketball tournament. Entertaining three little kids in a gym for 2 days straight didn't sound that appealing to me, so I decided to get some travel material out of it. We drove all over the city and experienced some amazing things! I'm physically exhausted from getting the kids in and out of car seats, wearing Lewis everywhere, and doing a ton of walking, but it was so worth it. Again, look for a travel guide later this month!
That's it for January! It was a full and exciting month with fresh starts, fun day trips, and lots of snuggles. There were a few rough moments, like sickness, a canceled trip to Phoenix for Lewis and me, and a day or two where I was feeling really down about my core and back pain. Overall, though, I think I can count this as a wonderful start to 2018. My word of the year is FUN, so I'm continuing to focus on finding the playful and joyful side of work, family, and downtime.
