Wholegrain mini waffles with bananas, peanut butter, agave nectar, slivered almonds, and Trader Joe’s Super Seed and Ancient Grain blend.
health
3 Ways to Keep Your Resolutions
Hey y’all! If you’re anything like me, you get all excited for the new year and plan many resolutions to make yourself a new and improved person. Needless to say, mid-January rolls around and all of those improvements seem much less appealing. So how can we keep up the good work in a realistic way?
- Consolidate – Yes we want to have a killer body, eat kale everyday, and solve world hunger, but let’s be real. If you feel like you set a few too many large goals, go through and reexamine the list. Make sure that everything on the list are things that are practical and that you need to achieve. Don’t overwhelm yourself all at once.
- Specify – Be very specific in your goals. If your goal is to “Get Healthy” then your process will be much harder. You’ve given little accountability by not specifying to yourself what it is you’re going to do to achieve that goal. Try making specific goals such as “Run 12 Miles Per Week” or “Have Vegetarian Monday”. Creating specific goals will be much more manageable to achieve.
- Faith – It’s so easy to get wrapped up in our appearance and material possessions when evaluating life. Remember to make God the main priority in all of your goals. Pray for the strength to meet those difficult resolutions and for guidance in the process. Don’t be afraid to pray about the difficulties in your weight-loss journey or decluttering project. Nothing is too small for God.
Those are my tips! Over the next few months, encourage each other in your resolutions. Be a blessing to people this year.
Thanks for stopping by!
Emerald
How to Reboot After Thanksgiving
If you’re anything like me, you probably ate way too much Thanksgiving and now feel groggy and bloated. The mounds of turkey, buckets of gravy, and lack of green vegetables can be quite the trial. Trust me, the struggle is real lol. Since we’re probably all in the same boat, I thought I would share a few tips to help you get back on track…
- Drink More Water ~ Water is always mandatory, but is especially helpful when high sodium and greasy foods are apart of the scenario. Drinking a little more water than you typically do will help you to flush out those toxins and feel much better.
- Exercise ~ Adding more movement into your schedule over the next week will help to cleanse your system even more. Taking the stairs, parking farther away from the store, or maybe even hiking this weekend are great ways to boost your physical activity.
- Keep Breakfast Clean ~ This week, really watch what you eat for breakfast. What you choose to fuel your body with first sets the tone for the rest of the day. For a quick and easy breakfast, try making a dressed up bowl of oatmeal such as Good Morning Breakfast Oats. They will keep you full until lunch and give you the energy to conquer the day.
- Pray for Gratitude ~ Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and celebrating harvest, but how often do we think about gratitude any other time of year? Let’s remember to thank God daily for His blessings AND trials. Pray that God would give you gratitude for every situation in life. The hardships help us to appreciate the good times.
Thanks for stopping by Little Things and Sunshine! Feel free to leave any tips you have for getting “back on track” in the comments below.
Have a blessed week,
Emerald
3 Ways to Eat Chia Seeds
Hey Y’all! I’m sure you’ve heard about chia seeds, the tiny super foods that all of the celebrities and health food junkies rave about. Chia seeds contain loads of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, omega 3, fiber, and protein. They’re one of my favorite things to incorporate into meals and snacks. Here are just a few of the ways I love to sprinkle them into my diet;)
In my nut-butter~ One of the easiest ways to add chia seeds into your regular meals and snacks is through nut-butters. Sprinkle some into almond butter to enjoy with apples or celery. 
In my smoothie bowls~ Another much raved about food item is the smoothie bowl. I love to add chia seeds as a topping along with frozen mango, shredded coconut, and hemp seeds.
In my homemade popsicles~ One of my favorite treats are homemade popsicles. It is so easy to combine fresh fruits, and even vegetables, into healthy indulgences that can by enjoyed by the whole family. For convenience, I like to blend all-natural fruit juice, frozen berries, and chia seeds in a blender, pour into popsicle molds, and freeze overnight for an anytime pick-me-up.
Thank you so much for joining me at Little Things and Sunshine! For more posts like this, you can follow me by simply clicking the button on the right or down below. Let me know what your favorite ways to eat chia seeds are, and I hope you have a great day!
Emerald
3 Ways to Unwind
About this time of year, mid-terms arrive and work schedules seem to be never ending. It is so easy to get bogged down and let the stress of day-to-day life get to you. With that being said, it is also just as easy to unwind after a long day. A little bit of self-care can go a long way in bringing much needed relaxation. Here are just a few ways that I like to unwind when life gets crazy…
A Cup O’ Tea: Ahhhh I love tea! For me there is nothing better after a long day than sipping on a cup of tea as I settle down for the night. Some of my favorites for relaxation include Traditional Medicinal’s Organic Throat Coat tea, Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Honey tea, and Twining’s Lemon and Ginger tea.
Working Out: It is crazy how much stress can be released through exercise. Most days, I like to go for a run, stretch or do yoga, or do a floor barre or boxing workout video off of Youtube. Just moving, especially after sitting all day working on school and writing, eases my mind and makes for a much better night’s sleep.
Listening to Podcasts and Music: While reading is great for relaxing, after looking at school books and a computer screen for most of the day, it often hurts my eyes and is just unappealing. Instead I really enjoy listening to a podcast or music while I sip my tea, walk, or get ready for bed. For podcasts, my two favorites are Glorious in the Mundane, a podcast by Christian singer/songwriter Christy Nockels, and Gospel in Life, a podcast of sermons by Timothy Keller. For music, I love listening to artists such as Audrey Assad, Ellie Holcomb, and the Norton Hall Band. My Encouraging Morning playlist has some of my favorite songs by these artists.
Well there you go! Thank you for visiting me here at Little Things and Sunshine. I hope these suggestions help you to “take a deep breath”. If you have any favorite ways to unwind, let me know in the comments!
Emerald
BREAKFAST
Cottage Cheese and Fresh Tomatoes on toasted Ezekiel bread with an optional sprinkle of salt and pepper.
“OH! What a beautiful morning…”- from Oklahoma the musical
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Apple Peanut Butter Yogurt
Hey ya’ll! Earlier this week, I posted a recipe for peanut butter granola. Today, I thought that I would show you one of my favorite ways to use the granola.
For this amazing yogurt bowl, all you need is apples, greek yogurt, all-natural creamy peanut butter, and your homemade peanut butter granola. Just layer all of your ingredients and you have a super easy and healthy breakfast or snack.
Thank you for stopping by! #littlethingsandsunshine
Blackberries and Cream
Hello there! I love this simple snack and it’s so easy to prepare. Just place frozen blackberries in the bodom of your jar, pour whole milk over the top, and sprinkle slivered almonds on top. It’s healthy, filling, and a delicious frozen treat. Serving it in an old jelly jar is a great way to recycle+ It makes transportation super easy:)
Thanks for stopping by!
P. S. Let me know in the comments what your fav summer/spring dessert is!
Emerald
Quick Quotes~ “If it is right, it happens – The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.” – John Steinbeck
Happy Monday y’all and thanks for stopping by! Today’s Daily Prompt was “Zip”. As soon as I read that word, it was obvious what I should share with you guys.
“If it is right it happens – The main thing is not to hurry, Nothing good gets away.” –
John Steinbeck
Hurrying, rushing, zipping. Those are probably some of the words that characterize your daily routine. Well congratulations you are officially normal lol. Modern day culture is so rushed. We zip around in our cars, rushing to school, to work, and back home everyday. Let me encourage you to start being abnormal. Take time to rest, pray, and depend on the One Who Holds Tomorrow. It is so easy to get caught up in the zipper of life and forget to look around. Don’t get caught. Take time to look around and remember that what’s important will still be there when you continue forward. Have faith and remember that “If it is right it happens.”
Have a blessed week!
BREAKFAST
Breakfast Sandwhich- a fried egg, roast beef, sliced cheddar cheese, avocado, and a dash of siracha, on a sprouted grain English muffin.
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. ” ~ Alice In Wonderland
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