Spicy Parmesan Zoodles

OK, gotta be honest! I was a little AFRAID of Zoodles aka zucchini noodles! But, on my quest to eat MORE veggies (and loving all things HEALTHY that taste NOT healthy ;) ), I decided to give them a try! And I was pleasantly surprised with this yummy recipe!!!

Now- I'm all about EASY so I grabbed my already-spiralized zucchini noodles from the Veggie Noodle Co. They were PERFECT and this yummy recipe was actually right on the box!

Ingredients:
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 C diced onion (I like mine SUPER fine so I actually put mine in a food processor)
1 tsp EVOO
2.5 Cup Kale (this was in original recipe but we didn't have any on hand so left it out)
1/2 C grated parmesan
1/4 tsp pepper flakes

Directions:
Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Add olive oil, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and kale.
Saute for 2-3 minutes or until kale wilts and onion is clear.
Add Zucchini spirals and toss for 3-4 minutes until al dente.
Toss in 1/4 cup cheese.
Top with cheese as desired.

Check out even more recipes HERE.

Healthy Gluten Free Brownies

So, every other Wednesday, I get to REFUEL with so many CARBS!!!! I eat lots of carbs EVERY day, but nothing with sugar or white flour! So today I feel totally spoiled! This week, I made these AMAZING brownies- BOTH of my older kids approved, so you KNOW they're good LOL.

And they were quick and EASY to make- pretty much one of my main requirements ;) This recipe is from Fixate :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
¼ cup unsalted organic grass-fed butter
2 large eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder, gluten-free
1 pinch sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
¼ cup semisweet (or dark) chocolate chips

RECIPE:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Line 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Place chickpeas, butter, eggs, maple syrup, extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in blender (or food processor); cover. Blend until smooth.
4. Add chocolate chips; mix by hand until blended.
5. Evenly spread batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of brownies comes out clean.
7. Cut into 16 squares.
8. ENJOY!!!!

SERVES: 16    Prep Time: 20 minutes   Bake Time: 25 minutes

Container Equivalent: 1 Yellow

I'd love to know your FAVORITE dessert that you want a healthier recipe for!!!

80 Day Obsession Phase 1 Review

Ahhhhhh!!!!! We are DONE with Phase 1 (aka 28 days) of our 80 Day program!!!! Nope, it hasn't been EASY - but it also hasn't been NEAR as "hard" as expected! Seriously though- the last week of this phase involved flying to Park City and being there, away from home, for 5 days!!!

In that month, I've lost 5 lbs and 5 inches! I'm fitting into SOME of my goal jeans and wearing some shirts that are actually FITTED instead of covering everything up!

Yep- no pizza, no ordering in, no fast food for a MONTH- and I feel the happiest and healthiest I have in YEARS!!!! And TODAY is Valentine's Day and I've managed to AVOID the sweet treats haunting me from my kids' bags of candy LOL.

No denying when you see RESULTS from the BACK!

If you've been feeling lost in the yoyo diet cycle- I feel ya! I have been there FAR too long! Having an EXACT plan to follow has SAVED me!!! I'm actually feeling strong and confident- believing in myself and what I can do again! TOTALLY worth it!

If you'd like more info on how YOU can get your habits under control too- check out more info here and fill out the application so i can be your coach!

Stay tuned for my travel tips blog on how we stayed on track, but I just wanna reassure you that it's TOTALLY doable! The nutrition is timed, there are no question marks, super straight forward and you are armed with a PLAN, which is EXACTLY what I need! This mama has a FULL plate, and having my week LAID OUT for me has made my life SO MUCH EASIER!

FREE Love your AAA Challenge

Ok you know I LOVE me a good FREE group to GIVE you some tips and tricks to help make your life BETTER!!!

And this one you’re gonna LOVE!!!

This new program has already got me down over 6 inches (and fitting in my SKINNY jeans) in just 21 days. It's unlike ANYTHING I’ve done before and I’m gonna share some of my FAVORITE moves with YOU!!!

I'll be working right alongside you because this girl has GOALS too!

We’re talking 5 days of Arms, Abs, and YEP- A@@ moves to start getting your body in tip-top shape!

And it all takes place in our FREE community (plus there are GOBS of other goodies- like workout moves, meal plans and MORE!)

Come join us- it will be FUN and there are PRIZES, plus you never know what awesome new friend you might make!!!!

CLICK HERE and request to join my PRIVATE COMMUNITY.

Grace Not Perfection

One of my latest reads TOTALLY struck a cord with me! I'm really focusing on balance and being PRESENT where I am this year- and that can honestly lead to some overwhelm some days when my scheduled didn't go as planned or my day didn't feel "balanced" or I found myself reaching for my phone WAY too often! ;)

The book, Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley, is a great place to start if you're always catching that "Mommy guilt" bug.

And, I feel like, especially as moms, we have such a tendency to automatically go to guilt and question ourselves and what we're doing- if we're spending enough time with our kids, if we shouldn't be working, if we're awful moms because we have our own dreams and goals that fall outside of motherhood!



Hope this video and tidbit of book review is helpful! I loved this book as I loved Emily's other book A Simplified Life. I highly recommend both of these books- especially if you're a mom who has big goals and dreams! :)

80 Day Obsession 2 week RESULTS and Review

You guys- if you have been NERVOUS to start a new program or have no idea WHAT to do to reach that New Year's resolution of reaching your health and fitness goals- I truly BELIEVE that this is gonna be the ANSWER for you!

I was SCARED when I started this program- not gonna lie! My eating habits have been AWFUL- like OUT OF CONTROL with reese's cups, any sweets I could get my hands on and popcorn and chips. And I was NOT excited to give those bad habits up, honestly.

But- I DECIDED. I COMMITTED. and I went for it! Then, the BEST part happened- my hubby decided to JOIN ME! For the first time in FOUR years, we decided (even though I had to drag him along for a minute ;) ) to do it TOGETHER.

5 AM wakeup calls and workouts TOGETHER!

I've been a coach for FIVE years and have never meal prepped, planned and been so dedicated to a program before! It's ALL laid out for you and very specific- which is EXACTLY what I need to stay on track- give me a plan to follow with rules that make sense and get me results! I could not BELIEVE my results after just two weeks! Honestly, I was questioning the process and then BOOM- down 6 lbs and 6 inches after rest day!

Plus the workouts are FANTASTIC- unlike anything I've ever done before! Yep- some of them are an hour. Yep- I didn't think there was ANY way I'd be able to do it! But we're making it happen- getting up at 5 AM on days the hubby goes into work and 6 or 7 on the days he doesn't!

Baby woke up EARLY which meant nursing and booty day!

The food has been DELICIOUS and I am eating SO MUCH! It's been an adjustment but we're doing what is BEST for us for the first time in a LONG time!!!

When I realized I need to go UP in calories and NOT be hungry!

Example of meals for a day 

Weekends have been the toughest- but not because I wanted to CHEAT like I expected, but because we wake up a little later so getting all the meals in with timed nutrition has taken some adjustment.

If you're looking to TRULY make a lifestyle change, EMBRACE the hard work, get EXCITED about RESULTS, and go ALL IN- getting RID of those bad habits for GOOD- this is for you! Nope- not a quick fix but one you can STICK WITH and STOP that yo yo dieting cycle!

Wanna learn MORE about 80 Day Obsession? Check out my blog post HERE and fill out the application to set up a time to chat with me!

Start Balancing: Book 2 of 52

Alright- y'all know I'm on the quest to read/listen to 52 books in 2018! Here's to my 2nd book DONE!!!

Start Balancing was quick and easy read by Kristy Dickerson. She is GREAT and I love her PLANNER too!

The great thing about this book is that it's more of a workbook so you fill out pages and really work on your dreams instead of just reading about making a plan. It pushes you to take ACTION right there in the book!

A few of my favorite things from this book:

1- She starts by encouraging you to really get to know YOURSELF- reflecting on who you truly are and what you want out of life. I feel like so many of us skip this critical step and just dive into our to-do list- then we are left unfulfilled when we achieve those goals we THOUGHT we really wanted. This prevents that.

2- She talks about getting ORGANIZED- one of my FAVORITE things LOL. You wouldn't always know it by looking at my house, but I do enjoy organizing and figuring out the best systems to make our home peaceful and welcoming. It's a work in progress for sure, but I know when we are more organized with our time (aka using a calendar to focus time on the areas that matter most), organized in our home (aka things have a PLACE so you can find things easily and have a SYSTEM to make life easier) and organized in health and fitness (having a PLAN to follow and planning prepping food)- our lives will be so much less stressful!!

3- Managing your TIME- oh how I could go on! Time is the ONLY thing we're given in this life and the most VALUABLE of assets. How we use our minutes will turn into hours, days, weeks, months and years so every second counts! Just a few of her tips: wake up early, create a to-do list, prioritize, eliminate distractions, block your time, say NO, and optimize your work environment.

4- Becoming efficient- Are you still doing ALL the THINGS and feeling like you're running ragged? Why don't you outsource some things- could you get groceries delivered, hire someone to clean your house, someone to do the yard work? Could you automate some systems at work- maybe automatic email responses or scheduling social media posts? What about creating a workflow and system- like things you do EVERY night before bed and EVERY morning when you wake up- can you write ALL the things down so that others in the house might can help with them too? Maybe do a few things the night before to save you time the day of?

5- Establish healthy habits- You KNOW I'm all about this one!!! (And if you're struggling to establish some, I would LOVE to help you!) Write down some UNHEALTHY habits you have that you'd like to get RID of. Write down some HEALTHY habits you'd like to START. Then pick a DATE and COMMIT to START!!!

I could go on, but I would highly recommend this book- especially if you are a working mom trying to find that elusive balance and feeling like you're burning the wick at both ends and just going non-stop, but maybe not truly accomplishing what fulfills you! :)