This week isn’t over yet and honestly the meal plan I had for this week kind of went of track due to a few off days but that’s okay. Today we get our first Organics To You box of goodies – comment below if you’d like to see a video and/or blog post with the contents of our box – and I’m excited to see what we actually get in our box. That all being said I just worked on our latest meal plan for 1/23-2/5 and the best part I am trying a few new recipes from Vegan Pressure Cooking by JL Fields and I’m also working on some super nutritious, simple and tasty recipes for the blog.
Friday: PIZZA PARTY FRIDAY NIGHT
Saturday: Beans, Greens and Grains (recipe in progress)
Sunday: SoyCurl Mac & Cheese (from Vegan Pressure Cooking) and veg side from Organics to You Box
Monday: Roasted Squash, Quinoa, Greens and Tahini Sauce
Tuesday: Rice & Veggie Bowl (recipe in progress)
Wednesday: Potato & Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice
Thursday: Quinoa & Veggie Bowl (recipe in progress)
Wednesday: Sundried Tomato & Cannellini Beans with greens
Thursday: Fridge Clean Out
So there you have it our meal plan for the next two weeks. Tonight we are most likely going to be doing a clean out the fridge night since our box arrived and Thursday is going to be a use what’s in the box (that doesn’t go with a recipe) night.
What is on your menu or are there any recipes you are dying to try right now?
To see what I am eating along with natural skincare/beauty, fitness and a few extras mixed in follow me on Instagram @runwithtongs
Filled with ideas for blog posts and YouTube videos. Stay Tuned.
You guys I have come to a realization that blogging on RWT 365 days in a row is just not feasible. I know most of you are reading this and saying DUHHH! I know, I know I was feeling super ambitious to start the year off and here I am 20 days in and I haven’t missed a day but the thing is I could keep going but I fear that other projects that I have in mind are going to fall to the wayside.
If you are also a Naturally Family (NF) reader you will have noticed that blogging has been slow this month and I would say that sickness (both kids and husband) and daily RWT blogging are getting a bit in the way. So to help balance my blogging I am re-evaluating my daily blogging and instead of blogging 7 days per week I am scaling back to blog posts Monday, Wednesday and Friday with an occasional extra day on RWT and Tuesday and Thursday on NF. The other reason I am planning to scale back on blog posts is because I am working on starting a YouTube channel. I figure I might as well go out of my comfort zone and try something new. I haven’t determined my posting schedule yet but I am thinking Tuesdays and Thursdays.
But why YouTube? Well the thing is I often find myself wanting to tell you about my favorite products (beauty, food, skincare, fitness, ect), or I want to share a recipe with you or I simply want to share life with you but lately I have been finding the written word and photos a little restrictive and I want a new way to share things with you. So here it is I am scaling back on blog posts so that I can make time for NF and now YouTube. Who is excited? Please someone say you are because this is a scary step but I am excited.
Also if you didn’t know I have a new IG account to give you a daily dose of natural and/or cruelty free beauty and skincare.
This is going to be a quick post because I have a baby with roseola who needs lots of cuddles. Anyways I have been loving tea lately and have decided to host a tea swap. This is an opportunity to connect with a group of tea lovers or tea curious people and exchange your favorite teas. I have created a form below and will have it open until Thursday 1/22 at 7pm PST. I will notify participants of their partners on Friday 1/23.
It’s Sunday night and I am wondering where the weekend has gone and I’m thankful that tomorrow is a holiday and that Neil is off tomorrow. This weekend was kind of a crazy one that actually started off particularly lazy. Saturday it was pouring out so we spent the morning at home just lounging around in our PJ’s until just after nap time. After nap we headed straight to coffee because we found ourselves without any Saturday morning so come afternoon we were ready to enjoy a cup of coffee. After we secured our coffee it was time to head to IKEA.
Can I just tell you how much of a love/hate relationship with IKEA? I love it but then a toddler + IKEA = so much fun and sometimes just so many tears. This trip had a bit of both but we successfully left with only a few things we hadn’t planned on (rather than the cartful that usually happens) and only a few tears were shed. We ended up spending far too long at IKEA, which always happens, and ended up breaking our “no eat out in January” rule and went to Veggie Grill on the way home.
Sunday was spent just as lazy, well lazier actually. We spent the morning reorganizing our bedroom, which now feels significantly bigger despite there being a new toddler bed added to the room (yes we all sleep in the same room). Besides that we did hardly anything until close to 5pm when we decided to check out Grocery Outlet where pleasantly surprised at what we found. While you have to be picky but there are actually some really great finds and this time we found some cashew butter, Earth Balance, Amy’s soups, Kiss My Face body wash and about 6 more bags of things. Check out a sneak peek of my cart.
We ended up making it a late night with a Target run and finally got Edith to bed and sat down for dinner and The 100 at 8:30pm. Now it’s time for wine, popcorn and more of The 100 before heading to bed and enjoying Neil’s day off tomorrow.
What did you do this weekend? Who has the Monday holiday off?
This year we are working on becoming more minimalist, I mean we aren’t going crazy and getting rid of all our things but we are working to declutter. This week was a huge step for us in that process as we sold of an extra stroller, bassinet (tear) and a bunch of carriers that we had accumulated over the last three years. It sure felt good to rid of things but it got me to thinking about how crazy services like Craigslist can be; how you never know what you are going to find when you go to look at something/buy something or who will show up to buy what you are selling.
It actually reminded me of a time about 3+ years when Neil and I were looking to buy a washer and dryer. We had found a listing on Craigslist that advertised a washer and dryer in excellent condition. So we drove about 35 minutes from our house to go and check it out. When we arrived we found ourselves at an old, practically decapitated barn. The person who was supposed to show us the W/D showed up a few minutes later and led us into the barn that was filled with tons of random things. Finally at the very back corner of the barn we found the W/D that looked to be at least 10 years old and excellent condition ….well that was debatable. To top it all off the W/D still had clothes in it and the person showing us scrambled to take all the clothes out while still trying to sell it to us. Needless to say we decided not to buy that W/D. At least we got a story out of the experience.
Do you have a good story about buying or selling items? Share below in the comments!
It’s that time of year again when many of us are re-committing to eating healthy and getting fit. The holidays have come and gone and if you’re like me you say you are going to stay on top of your workouts and healthy eating and then December gets the best of you. So here we are it’s January, a new year and it’s time to refocus and get back on track. I am working hard to get back on track and lose the baby weight and get back to my old healthy self. Here are five things that I am doing to help get back on track:
1. Drink Water. I can’t stress this enough drinking water is so incredibly important. Drinking water promotes weight loss, increases our energy and aids in digestion among other things. For me it has taken years to really get in a habit of drinking tons of water but there are two things that really help and the first is to drink a big glass of water as soon as I wake up, it really helps to get my body started for the day and sets the tone for my day. The second is finding the right vessel to drink my water out of. I have tried so many things from pint glasses, to jars, to cups with straws and a variety of bottles but the vessel that works best for me is a Blender Bottle; I don’t know what it is but when I use one I drink tons of water.
2. Follow a plan. If I am left on my own to figure out my workouts I can get lazy and easily skip days. Give me a workout or training plan to follow and I am more apt to stay on track and reach my goals. Right now I am registered for a Spring race and have a training plan; only two weeks in and I am already seeing a difference in my activity level. Not a runner? That’s fine there are tons of workout plans out there for whatever you enjoy.
3. Get outside everyday. And no walking from your car into work, home, a shop, ect doesn’t count (unless it’s a good distance away). Being outdoors, in the fresh air helps to reenergize us, helps us to clear our mind and reduces stress. We have to remember that mental health is just as or some might argue even more important than physical health. I believe that they are connected so how about trying to get outside for 15 minutes per day? Take your workout outside, go for a walk, read or simply sit quietly.
4. Find a buddy. Working out with a buddy makes the time pass by more quickly. You have someone to support you and you can help to keep each other on track. Bonus you also get to make your workout a social event which also helps with our mental health. So ask a friend to join you for a workout, find a running group or group class or simply get your family involved in your workout.
5. Get more sleep. Our bodies need to rest and recharge. Most of us don’t get enough sleep and lack of sleep can result in lower energy, lack of focus and often causes us to turn to quick forms of energy such as sugar and coffee. I have settled into a routine that every night I am in bed by 10pm whether I think I am tired or not. I know I need to get more rest and just what a huge difference it makes for me. When I get more sleep I feel more motivated, focused, encouraged to eat healthy and I am less apt to skip a workout.
Bonus Tip: Get yourself some clothes both for working out and for everyday that you feel good in regardless of the size. Don’t wait until you are at your goal weight/size to buy clothes that you feel good in. When I have clothes that I feel I look good in I actually feel MORE inspired to keep up my healthy lifestyle. If you are looking for some great activewear gear to help to make you feel beautiful and motivated to get active I highly recommend Lands’ End new line of workout apparel. I love the quality of the workout apparel and how versatile the pieces are.
We have officially lived in Oregon for two years now. It seems like forever (in a good way) and yet two years is such a short time. I laugh when I see this picture now because we were just so excited for vegan Voodoo Doughnut’s and now I’d tell you if you came to visit that they aren’t worth the hype and send you towards the Hawthorne Street Blue Star Donuts. It’s funny I always thought I would be an East Coast girl and in many ways I still think I am but I sure love the PNW and have no plans on leaving.
