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Showing posts from August, 2018

All Of That Struggle, and Such a Simple Solution

Making Dinner: A Meal Planning Brainstorm

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Panko salmon, brown rice, sweet potato fries, and zucchini wedges.  On the first day of kindergarten, I was determined to be a super mom and make my dinner while Mazen was in school so we could relax and spend time together that afternoon. But since I’d had little working time the previous week, I was so behind on tasks that they took over my day and all that I had accomplished by 5:00 was taking the salmon out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge that morning. (Note: It was still partially frozen when I was ready to cook it.) It was a total dinnertime preparation fail, and if you missed it, you can see all the videos that I saved in Instagram Stories by clicking on the dinnertime circle in my Insta profile . I think the combination of craving routines at the end of summer and having a baby on the way has me itching for a stricter schedule so that cooking, dinner, bath, and bedtime routine go as smoothly as possible. My goal is dinner at 6pm sharp, Mazen’s bath/shower around 6:45

Testimonial: Keto Success: Get Your Mind Right

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Robb, Let me first say thanks.  Of all the info I consume regarding diet & health, yours is by far the best communicated.  When you write or talk, it feels like having a conversation in person with you.  (yikes, hope that’s not creepy).  I’ve been Keto’ing for the last year, but still bought your Keto Masterclass just a week ago.  Great so far. I’ve also been reading and listening to your material for the last couple years.  As I’ve moved along my own journey of losing 50 lbs and improving my health markers, I’ve wanted to hear someone talk about the mental side of diet & health. I’ve yo-yo dieted like many, starting in late high school.  The past two years have created real change.  I’ve finally learned about food.  In college, a box of Rice-a-Roni was a healthy meal as far as I knew.  I finally enjoy eating healthy today in my mid 40’s.  What I’ve realized is that in all the prior diets, my approach has been, “Let’s do this so I can get back to a place where I can start

What I’m Loving Lately 119

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Hi, guys! Happy Friday and Labor Day Weekend to you! I can’t believe this is our final weekend of summer. It seriously flew by. It was truly the best few months, and I’m sad to see the fun times end, but I am a little excited to get back to a routine. Mal is back-to-school next week, and Quinn “officially” starts PreK. I can’t believe this is Quinn’s last year at Kindercare before he’s in Kindergarten and riding the school bus all by himself. WHERE does the time go, right? With it being Friday and all, I wanted to share some FAVORITES from the past week. It’s quite the mix of goodies with everything from oysters and popcorn to CBD oil and cozy fall sweaters and hoodies. I hope you guys enjoy this round-up! 🙂 The Raw Bar at Island Creek Oyster Farm on Duxbury Bay – We finally made it, and it was everything I expected and more! If you’re local and love oysters, you definitely need to visit before the season ends. FYI: The Raw Bar only serves oysters (and other raw ocean items)

How to Throw a Low-Carb Barbecue Party—With 20 Recipes

Magical Linen and Snooglicious Pillows

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I spy – a huge bump! Suddenly I feel so large and in charge. Moving off the couch and rolling over in bed has become much more difficult. Thomas has noticed an increase in grunts : ) But my bed is cozier than ever! MagicLinen asked if I wanted to review one of their linen duvet covers. I love the farmhouse look and feel of linen, especially in dusty blue stripes. Based in Lithuania, MagicLinen is stonewashed to give it softness without chemicals, and all of their pieces are handmade. They aren’t cheap, but they should last forever. We absolutely love the feel of the duvet, and because linen feels a cool in hot weather and cozy in winter, I’m hoping I can use this year round to rotate with my other navy blue cover. (I’m only buying bedding in shades of navy, blue, and white from here on out so I can mix and match everything – note that my other shams match well!) I will say that one reason I tend not to buy a lot of linen is its wrinkle factor, but this cover came out of the d

What Can Heat Do For Your Health?

Chocolate Milk + Fish Sticks

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Hi, guys! Happy Hump Day! Did you see that I just launched a new FALL-INSPIRED macro offering ?! It includes all sorts of delicious, macro-friendly seasonal recipes (i.e. apple, pumpkin, squash) along with your own personal macro goals. It doesn’t include one-on-one coaching, but it’s great for someone who just needs a little kick in the butt and motivation to get back on track. It’s perfect for post-Labor Day! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Ok, so onto our day so far – which, for Quinn, started with chocolate milk and fish sticks . Apparently, he was hungry before bed last night (or just planning breakfast for the next morning like his Mumma does) because he said he wanted them “after his nap.” Quinn woke up more than ready for his chocolate and fish sticks this morning, so that’s exactly what I made him – and he ate and drank them right up! Please note (again): The abandoned Pull-Up on the coffee table. Haha! I assume they’re not that comfortabl

Why Babies & Toddlers Hate Vegetables (and what to do about it!)

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This post might be a rude awakening for some parents and it’s not meant to be a slap in the face, but I think it’s important to share the truth about foods that are marketed towards babies and toddlers. Especially since eating a processed food diet is the #1 reason why kids don’t like vegetables. When my daughter started eating solid food, I didn’t buy any jarred baby food. I never bought a single jar of pureed peas, pureed bananas – or any of those other jars of pureed baby food. I also didn’t blend up pureed fruits and veggies at home to make my own homemade “baby food”. When I tell some people that, I can tell they are confused and wonder what in the world I fed my daughter when she first started on solids.  There is an entire industry dedicated to selling jarred and pureed baby food and parents are led to believe that this is what you are supposed to buy for your baby (unless you make homemade pureed foods). Yet in my experience, babies can start  with small soft finger foods

A Sardine-Packed Trip To NYC

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You may have caught on Instagram that I took a quick trip to NYC on Monday and Tuesday! On Monday night and Tuesday I attended a Culinary Workshop with the  Cans Get You Cooking  program put on by the Can Manufacturers Institute. I took a super early flight on Monday so I could spend the day with my little niece Emerson! I was up at 4 am for the flight and got to NYC in time for breakfast with my sister and Em. (PS. My doctor told me I could fly until 36 weeks, but this was my last trip!) We walked to Stumptown Coffee where I got a delicious cappuccino. I had toast with almond butter at Larbs’s apartment. We went for a long (hot) walk along the Brooklyn waterfront. Our walk ended at a food hall in downtown Brooklyn where Larbs and I shared two delicious dishes: an arepa with avocado, plantains, and cheese that was SO GOOD! And this tapas plate, which we barely touched because per usual we ordered too much food. (The lighting down in the underground was fantastic…not.) I w