Orzo Pasta Salad

A ten minute dinner that will knock your socks off! The perfect spring/summer dish to have on your table. 

Ingredients:

8 oz. whole wheat orzo pasta

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 purple onion, diced

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

1 avocado, diced

1 lime

Annie's Organic Cowgirl Ranch dressing, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a medium pot over the stove, cook orzo pasta until done. Drain the water and return to pot.

2. Add in beans, pepper, onion, tomatoes, avocado, and toss.

3. Squeeze lime juice over top.

4. Add in dressing to taste and gently toss. Enjoy warm or cold!

Tubby Todd

I want to introduce you to some of our favorite products as of late... and they come from

T U B B Y   T O D D

My little Ellie has struggled with eczema on her back and the backsides of her arms. We had tried many other products, but nothing had worked so far. I was excited to give Tubby Todd a try because I had heard such great things. So, we got the Basics Bundle because it had all the six necessities, and gave it a whirl. Here is what the bundle includes:

Hair & Body Wash (Lavender and Rosemary)

Everyday Lotion (Lavender and Rosemary)

Bubble Bath (Sweet Quince and Honeysuckle)

Baby Fresh Spray (Sweet Quince and Honeysuckle)

All Over Ointment (Fragrance-free)

Dream Cream (Shea Butter and Mint) 

Let me tell you what happened with Ellie's eczema. We bathed her with the "Hair and Body Wash," and afterward lathered her skin in the "Everyday Lotion." On the really dry eczema spots, we let the "Dream Cream" soak in before bundling her up in her pajamas. In the morning, lo and behold, her eczema was GONE. GONE! I seriously couldn't believe it! No rough patches, no reactions... just smooth baby skin.

Greatest magic trick ever! I was sold.

Here are some before and after pictures of her back. If you look closely, you can see all the rough areas and the red patches on the back of her arms.

Now here's after using Tubby Todd...

Beautiful and smooth, right!?

Thank you so much Tubby Todd! We're hooked.

Our favorites of the Basics Bundle were definitely the three I mentioned above: the "Hair and Body Wash," "Everyday Lotion," and the "Dream Cream." Those three did the trick, and are the ones I'll be purchasing from here on out. With that being said, the other products in the bundle have been fun to have around. The bubble bath is something Ellie loves, and smells super good. I love that it's so gentle on her skin. The Baby Fresh Spray scent is super yummy too. There truly is nothing better than a babe fresh from the bath, and smelling so good you could eat them up. And lastly, I loved the thickness and consistency of the "All Over Ointment" which can be used for things like diaper rashes, etc.

Give them a try! You won't regret it. 

Here's what Tubby Todd promises, and another reason I'd recommend these products to anyone, especially those with sensitive skin like my Ellie.

100% natural + organic ingredients

gluten-free

dairy free

certified animal-cruelty free

100% natural, plant-based fragrances

made in the u.s.a.

safe for sensitive skin of all ages

free of toxins, parabens, sulfates, artificial colors and preservatives, and bpa

How's that for awesome!? 

Happy bath time! Show that skin some love.

xo

LEGS

10 seconds rest in between moves and 30 seconds rest between sets. If you repeat 3x through, this should be less than 15 minutes. Give it a try!


1. Roll up into jump squat, 10-12 reps


2. Bear crawls, 2 forward + 2 back + ONE rep, 10-12 reps


3. Clockwork lunges, 4 with right leg leading and then 4 with left leg leading repeating 3x (12 reps total for each leg)


4. Wide stance sumo squat with slow alternating heel lifts, hold for one minute

Repeat circuit 2-3x through!!

Thailand Travel Guide

I've had too many people ask... so here you go!

A full guide to what we did in Thailand, and the things I'd recommend.

Planning trips is one of my favorite things in the world, and I spend hours and hours researching the ins-and-outs of it all, but it's become one of my favorite hobbies. I'm the planner, and Bry keeps me company as my right-hand man. He's my favorite travel partner because no matter what happens, he's always happy, always looking for the good, always up for an adventure... and while I argue with the taxi drivers when they try to rip us off, he's the one staying calm. ;)

I'd recommend Thailand to anyone adventurous. It's one of the most beautiful places we've ever been, but you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone a little bit. And once you experience the "squatting bathrooms" or see people chowing down on a fish head (bones and all), you'll get what I mean.

Here's our trip video below. Watch full screen and music up, if you can. ;)

We'll start at the beginning and I'll keep things brief and to the point. Bry and I flew into Bangkok after stopping in LA and Shanghai, and had just one day to spend there. Our recommendations are below.

Bangkok

1. Damneon Saduak Floating Markets. Get there early, spend 1/2 day there, and try alllll the food. But the pad thai, sticky rice with garlic pork, or coconut ice cream are 10 stars!

2. Tour on the tuk tuks. We hopped onto a tuk tuk for only 40 baht, and they took us around to see the Standing Buddha, Laughing Buddha, Thai Fashion (where Bry got measured for a custom-fit suit and dress shirts for super cheap!... and by the way, it was shipped to us before we even got home and fits perfectly.), and Grand Palace. We loved everything we saw! If you're spending only a short time in Bangkok, I'd recommend getting a tuk tuk to do this type of thing so you can see a lot of sites over a short period of time. The Grand Palace and temples are amazing, but be sure to wear clothing that covers your knees. We bought a long skirt/long pants for $3, and they worked great. The temples in Thailand are gorgeous.

3. Sanctuary of Truth Pattaya. We never got to this place, but I've heard amazing things. Look it up! Such a beautiful sanctuary hand carved from wood!

Nakhon Si Thammarat

The only reason we knew of this place was because we were meeting up with two of our good friends here, and her family still lives there. It was fun being able to see her home town and meet her Thai family. Wow, are the people generous!! They are all so humble and kind. We got stares everywhere we went because we were the only "white people" in town, but it was such an incredible experience to be immersed in true, authentic Thai culture.

1. If you do travel out this way, you have to put the Ai Khiao Waterfall on your list of things to see. It was about an hour drive from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but probably one of the most beautiful places we had ever seen. We had so much fun swimming in the pools beneath the waterfall and sliding down the rocks. Bring some bread for the fish- they go CRAZY for it there. They have no fear of humans, that's for sure!

2. Thai Massage. No matter where you go, take advantage of the massages in Thailand! When our feet got tired, we'd just stop by a Thai foot massage place and for $3 we'd get a half hour foot massage to relieve our foot pain. Most amazing thing ever! But if you do feel adventurous and want to try a full Thai massage, be ready to be a little sore. They don't hold back! I laugh just thinking about it. At one point, Bry looked over at me and the lady massaging my back was underneath me with her legs on my back and I was suspended in the air, arched spread eagle. I was laughing hysterically. But afterwards, I felt so much relief throughout my body and it truly felt amazing. She said to me she wanted to follow me to America because she couldn't believe how stiff my back was haha. I wish! #backprobs

Kanom

We stayed at the Aava Resort and Spa in Kanom, and the only word I can think of to describe that place would be DREAMY. I really wish we would've spent two nights there. The beach was incredible and not crowded at all, they offered free kayak rentals, had a pool overlooking the ocean, the dreamiest cabanas, the ocean was SO warm, and the hotel was all modern and chic. I loved everything about it. If you ever head that way, that hotel is beautiful.

Khao Sok National Park / Khao Sok Lake

Out of everything we did, this was probably top of the list. One night there was perfect, but I also could've done two. We splurged a little bit on this part of the trip because our first half of the trip was so cheap ($25/night for our hotels!). Every bit of this was worth the splurge for us. After reserving our spot online, we were still a little unsure if everything was going to work out (because the website is a little bit confusing), but all the transfers/taxi services/long-tail boat to the bungalows... everything went so smoothly. The guy that helps run it is actually from California, and so he helped us out a lot through the process.

The coolest part about this whole thing was that not only were the bungalows a total dream, but they cook fresh food for you every day (which was amazing), and we had a private tour guide named "P," who took us everywhere. He led us on a private hike through the jungle, teaching us about sounds we were hearing and different trees/plants along the way. It starting pouring rain, but we kept trekking on, and we were so glad he didn't make us turn around due to the weather. The view from the top of the mountain was amazing even though it was pretty foggy. We had such an incredible time there... kayaking, using the pedal boats, and taking a jungle tour where we spotted about 20 wild monkeys, and some native birds. If you are willing to splurge a little bit, I would do this over a tour of the Phi Phi Islands... this is prettier in my opinion and wayyyyy less "touristy." In fact, many of the people who live in Thailand still don't even know this National Park exists, and have never visited. I'm crossing my fingers it stays this way. I feel like once things get too "touristy," they lose some of their charm. If you are anything like Bry and I, we always treasure the places that are off the tourist path. We'd rather experience more authentic cultural experiences, and we've always been this way. But everyone is different!

Phuket

Phuket is kind of a party town, and we wished we would've seen Krabi before coming to Phuket (next time!), but we had so much fun living it up in that city. Our first day we crammed in so many fun things, but it was one of the best days of our trip. Everything we did on day one, is below... and yes, we did all of this stuff in ONE DAY. Phew, we were exhausted by the end. 

1. We ended up finding a place to ride elephants. I was super worried about this before we left and did a bunch of research on what places were kind to the elephants. You'll have to do some research before you go. When you look at reviews online, you see that many of these places mistreat the elephants, chain them up, beat them with sticks until they obey, and leave many of them with open wounds. I didn't want to ride them if I saw any of this going on. 

If you're worried about it like I was, look up some of the elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. Most of those are much better with how they treat the elephants. You can go to bathe and feed them (there's a really great sanctuary in Chiang Mai up north... another city I want to visit one day). But after looking around a little bit, I felt like I found us a good one. I was trying to remember the name of ours, but can't find the pamphlet I thought I saved. I also don't have any pictures of the name of it. Doh! I'm so sorry! But it was about an hour out of Phuket, the elephants were treated well, they had lots of space and greenery to roam in, our guide let us ride him the whole time and never used a stick on him, and the elephants were in good condition. We had a good experience, but with this whole thing being so controversial, you'll have to do the research before you go and see how you feel about it.

Upon coming home, someone let me know that the website called earsasia.org has some valuable information on where to find the best sanctuaries etc. I would look that up before you go! Wish I would've known a bit more about this before we left.

2. Tiger Kingdom: This place is cool, and is really close to where we visited the elephants. It's worth it to get these pictures and to be that close to a tiger. Terrifying at first, but the workers there make you feel safe.

3. Flying Hanuman: Holyyyyy cow, I haven't heard Bry laugh like that for a long time. We had SO much fun ziplining here, and I think much of that was due to our hilarious guides. The ziplines are high in the air, long, and really exhilarating. We would absolutely recommend coming here. And again, really close to Tiger Kingdom. One of our favorite things of the trip for sure!

4. After Tiger Kingdom, we had some time to kill, and so we got a taxi to Patong Beach, and shopped the markets and big mall there. We also found a yummy place for dinner, and stopped for a quick 30 minute foot massage (for $3) because... well.... why not. ;) We had tickets to a show called "Phuket FantaSea" that evening, and so we spent a good deal shopping and bargaining on the main street before. At night, this place is hopping and really fun! 

5. Phuket FantaSea: This show was incredible and one I'd recommend. It goes through the history of the Thai culture and has things like acrobats, music, magicians, and elephants that do tricks! We took a tuk tuk there from Patong Beach and closed our night with the show. A lot to cram into one day, but we sure lived it up!

Ko Phi Phi

The second day we decided to do a tour of the Phi Phi Islands (the famous ones you see pictures of everywhere). Honestly, it was by far our least favorite thing we did. If you like being around hundreds of tourists and on crowded beaches with everyone taking a million selfies, this tour is for you. We wished we would've stayed at our hotel in Phuket and enjoyed the beach and pool there. It wasn't worth it to go in our opinion. But they do give you a tour of many of the islands (which are beautiful), and you get to snorkel a little bit and jump off the side of the boat. I think something that factored into this experience for us was also that it was pretty stormy and going on the speed boat out to the islands takes about an hour. We were going through huge waves and it made us a little sick. A couple people threw up on the way there (yikes!), and our guide gave us all Dramamine on the way back to help. It made snorkeling hard to enjoy too. The big plus, however, was that we found another way cool couple who happened to live really close to us back home, and it was the best part of our experience!

So you'll have to decide what you want to do, but if it were me, I'd say to actually book a hotel there to get away from the crowds, or skip the guided tours!

^^The picture above on the left is how we felt about our tour haha.

That's it! There are the bare bones of what we did in Thailand. To celebrate my birthday, our fifth anniversary, and Mother's Day that week was such a dream. It was so nice to unplug, be adventurous with the guy I love most, and spend some quality one-on-one time together. But with that being said, it's also good to be home and back to our little babe, Ellie.

Let me know if you have questions- I will try to get to them all! It was a trip we'll never forget and one you should put on your list!

 

Cinnamon Apple Chips

Easiest snack on the planet as long as you'll be around for a couple hours at home... and it's one your kids will love and be able to take wherever they go!

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 Honeycrisp apples, or apples of choice

Cinnamon, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Using spiralizer, core apples and leave peel on.

3. Spread out on baking sheet (covered in tin foil) and sprinkle cinnamon over top. Bake for 2 hours, flipping halfway through... or until dry and slightly crispy. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Three Secrets to Exercising Consistently

You know how it goes. January 1st, the gyms are packed. Goals are high, excitement is in the air, and people are itching for a new, clean start. Then May 1st comes around. People are discouraged. 'How did I get off track?' they ask themselves. They are scrambling for the next new diet, asking their friends what the fastest way will be for them to get their "summer bod," and feeling down on themselves for not sticking to their goals.

Do you fall into this category?

If so, don't worry. I'm here to help. It's not too late, and you are NOT a failure. We all get off track every now and again.

My friend shared with me an interesting article from The Wall Street Journal about people who were consistent exercisers and what their secrets were. I chose the top three takeaways from the article and took my own spin on them. I wanted to share these secrets with you so you don't find yourself caught in that rut.

1. Loosen your expectations of what exercise "should be."

Let me cut to the chase: leave the "all or nothing" mentality behind. Studies show that people who are exercising consistently don't pressure themselves to fit their "exercise" into categories of how long or vigorous they exercise. If only an hour of hard, sweaty exercise at the gym "counts," then you'll never be able to keep up with yourself. You'll get discouraged when you miss that one day during the week. Instead, loosen up those expectations a little bit. Be a little more forgiving and flexible. Remember that most of the "health game" happens in the kitchen... the things you eat. And no matter if you're getting exercise in that day or not, you can always control what food you choose to eat that day. So loosen up your expectations on your exercise.

Today I woke up feeling exhausted, and I knew my body needed something less demanding than heavy weights or too much cardio. So Ellie and I walked a couple miles at the park, and it felt amazing. That was my exercise for today, and you bet I counted it. If you are willing to be a little more flexible on this, you take away the psychological punishment of, "I didn't _______ and so I failed."

Do what you can. Listen to your body. Loosen your expectations. Remember even 15 minutes of HIIT can be especially effective. You've got this!

2. Find something you love.

I hear this all the time. "I wish I loved to run so I could get in some good cardio. But it's torture!!" Here's the bottom line: If you don't love to run, don't do it. There are PLENTY of other ways to get amazing cardio in. Hop on your bike, go for a swim, adventure on a hike, sign up for a basketball league... DO WHAT YOU LOVE. You are way more likely to stay consistent doing something you enjoy, and even mixing things up a little bit to keep your interest.

3. Have a plan and stick to it.

This comes with two ideas. The first, is to try and exercise at the same time each day. For me, I do much better when I get it done in the morning. For some reason, having it behind me and being able to lead out my day in a good sweat does wonders for me mentally. I also find myself happier and more productive when I begin my day this way. That works for me. But maybe you're a night owl and have to get up early for work... then maybe working out for you may come easier at the close of the day. Choose a time and stick with it. Studies have shown people who exercise consistency at the same time have better chances sticking with their long term goals.

Other studies have shown that having a plan and visual cue to prompt you into exercising, will increase your chances of staying consistent as well. For me, when I lay out my gym clothes by my bed at night, I am way more likely to not press the snooze button. Put a water bottle by your bed, leave a big sign on your mirror reminding you of your goals... start getting into a routine with visual cues. Have a plan and stick to it.

ABS + SHOULDERS

I did this circuit our last night in Thailand, and it was a keeper. Give it a try!

8-12 reps of each move. Repeat 2-3x through


1. Tricep push-up with opposite toe touch
2. V-jumps (jump into shoulder and hold for one second before jumping back into a plank and then jump into opposite shoulder. Repeat.)
3. Plank step-outs
4. Sit-up tucks (lying flat --> sit up --> pulling in one knee)
5. Leg raise flutter kicks
6. V toe-taps
7. Raised side plank with leg lifts

Teaching Your Kids How To Eat Healthy

Lunchtime: HERS + MINE (pictures below) It doesn't have to be complicated. She eats what I eat, just a little less. Here are my top tips for teaching your children how to eat healthier.


1. Be the example. It's not just about what you eat but it's also the things you say about yourself that they notice. Choose to set a positive example.


2. Don't label foods as "good" or "bad." Just talk about how healthy foods make you FEEL. Explain how they make you feel good and energized.


3. Take them grocery shopping with you if you can. I know it's hard but it will teach them. Ask them what vegetables they want to eat throughout the week. Let them be involved.

 
4. Explain to them the reasons WHY we eat healthy food. If kids understand the reasons behind what they're doing, they are more likely to follow your lead.


5. Involve them in cooking at home. Make fun and colorful pictures with your food... be creative and make it fun!

6. Make the same meal for everyone. Maybe you are eating less carbs than the rest of them, or are adjusting slightly, but still be eating the same things. You can always serve yourself less/more or adjust as needed.


7. Eat around the dinner table. Good conversation and good things happen there. I'm a huge believer in family dinner (thanks, Mom 😘).


8. If you have young kids, implement healthier changes now. It will become their "normal." If you have older kids, don't be afraid to start making positive changes. They'll catch on!

9. Don't be afraid to show some tough love. No kid has ever died from not getting dessert after dinner.


10. You can't control what they eat outside your home and that's okay- but you CAN control what food is available in your home and fridge. Make it count!


🍒 I may be the "mean mom" one day for not buying sugar cereals, and I'm okay with that. But I'd much rather be the "cool mom" who's able to play and keep up with them as they grow... because the sidelines are not for me. Put me in, coach. 😉

Total Body

Here's the drill for today! Find a box, an ottoman, or anything to use as an incline, and get moving!

1. 10-12 box jumps
2. 45 seconds - 1 minute, inclined side plank, right side
3. 8-10 push-up jump-overs
4. 45 seconds- 1 minute, inclined side plank, left side
5. 10-12 toe taps on each side of box
6. 45 seconds- 1 minute, center plank with tricep push-ups every 10 seconds
7. high box jumps... find a staircase and set your high stair... then go for it!
Repeat 2-4x through!

Hotel Circuit

Greetings from Thailand! Traveling and don't have a gym to get your sweat in? No problem!

1. 12 slow squats- hold for 5 seconds at the bottom before coming back up
2. 12 regular squats with weight (my luggage worked perfect for this!)
3. 12 weighted jumping lunges
4. 12 weighted step-ups, each side
5. 12 pistol squats, 6 each side
6. 12 inclined push-ups
7. 12 declines push-ups
8. 12 inclined mountain climbers
9. 12 tricep dip V push-ups
10. 12 raised sit ups (take nice and slow)
Repeat 2-4x through!