In The Kitchen: Adding New Purpose To Your Cooking Routine

I have always known that I have an affection for healthy food, a fascination for the origin of where organic produce is grown and harvested, and a love for experimenting with new recipes and flavors, but I have come to notice that time and lack of energy from a full schedule eliminated space to explore and grow in these passions. Cooking became more of a chore, gardening was a no-go since we weren't at home long enough to sustain it, and sometimes just picking up dinner from the Erewhon food bar was way easier than thinking about what to whip up. Not to mention, the task of cutting veggies and doing dishes just seemed daunting and anything but enjoyable.It's like a new world has opened up during this quarantine time. Cooking has become what I look forward to every day, our garden is thriving, the local farm we discovered is my happy place to buy organic and biodynamic produce + support a small business, and dishes seem like a breeze. I have been cooking almost every night with the windows open and the Florida Georgia Line radio playing, and Jase sometimes is creating the most beautiful cocktails next to me with freshly squeezed watermelon and orange. I am more intentional about using the produce we have because not many other options like we had before are available, and I have such a strong desire to feed our bodies with nutrition to keep our immune systems strong!I started a Master Class and Alice Waters is inspiring me to plan meals based on the ingredients I get from the farm, and it has brought about this whole new light and intention to cooking and meals! This time is truly bringing new purpose to what used to be a mundane activity. Now I cook out of necessity for health, conserving the produce we have, and it has allowed so much space for creativity. Who knew that I would develop a new excitement for making homemade salsas from the pretty tomatoes or roasted carrots from the cookbook I never had a chance to look through? There are truly so many silver linings in this time of unknowns, sadness, loss, and confusion. Embracing them makes every day a little brighter!How has this time added to your cooking routine?I'm excited to share with you over the next few weeks a few of the things I'm doing in my kitchen right now as a part of my In The Kitchen series – things like how to maximize your produce, what to grab when shopping, growing your own greens, and more.Follow along with me here, or at my Instagram where I often post a meal I'm cooking or kitchen must-have I'm loving. xShop My Look Here: Top, skirt, sunnies

Thinking Bigger: How Simplicity Changes Everything

I have been reflecting on this time a lot, and as I am sure most of us are, thinking about new routines and positive habits that we have developed during this stay at home order that we want to bring with us as we enter back into "normalcy," which I assume will never be the same. Although this time has so much heaviness and devastation that surrounds it, I continually think about how wonderful it has been to be forced to stop, to pause, and to be where we are.These reflections have led me to start a collection on the blog focusing on Thinking Bigger – Over the next few weeks, my hope is to cover topics that have been developed in this time like the power of simplicity, serving others, new rhythms and routines, and digging into new passions.Before this pandemic, the general answer from the majority of us when asked how we were doing would be, "we are so busy."Even though our days still remain full since Jase and I's work has shifted and continued, our days look so incredibly different. We are able to start our day in a more restful way, we have been spending hours in the fresh air and sunshine every day, we have been extra present and available for little Bennett doodle (our 5-month-old puppy), and we are more intentional with who we connect with virtually + having time and space to think about others more, to help small businesses, and the list goes on. Not to mention, shows such as The Today Show (the majority being filmed from their homes) and even my husband's show (currently transitioned to interviews on IG Live) have all felt so personal and so genuine, which I think we have all craved without even knowing it.I didn't realize how much mental space was taken from coordinating and deciding on social plans, organizing travel schedules, unpacking just to repack, going to appointment after appointment, and driving to and from everything. This realization has given me a little hint as to why I feel like we are doing things so differently during this time. I really had to sit and think about why we didn't spend our evenings outside before this since the time in the evenings have stayed quite similar from then to now, why cooking felt more like a chore then and is a joy now, why FaceTiming with family and friends felt distracted then and is longer and so focused now. As I have realized in the past through my own experience is that traumatic times seem to show us immediately what is important. It filters out the fluff and hones in on necessities to live – the simplicities that keep our joy kindled.The things that this time has brought that I feel so grateful for: hearing the birds outside, noticing things in nature that I have never had the time to enjoy before, listening to music all day, buying our groceries from a local farm, starting a masterclass that has taught me so much about cooking, planting a garden, going for long neighborhood walks while getting to know the neighbors from a distance, and reaching out more to friends and family to check-in.One last thought: isn't it so interesting to think that this is so similar to how our parents and grandparents grew up? Neighbors knew each other, people borrowed an egg from the person next door, so many gardened and enjoyed the simple things, cooking and dishes were day to day tasks...Questions to leave with:What has changed in your routine that you feel thankful for? What is one thing you want to continue when the world starts opening up again?Shop the tank here.[show_shopthepost_widget id="4023495"]

Self-Care Tip: Bath Must-Haves

While there are many things about this season that have been challenging and difficult to process, I’ve been taking extra time to be grateful for the things I do have, and find light in the little activities that bring joy, rest, and make me feel whole. I think now more than ever, it’s important to find ways to take care of yourself, and to allow yourself to find peace. One of my favorite ways to practice extra self-care is by taking a bath! Here are a few Self-Care Tips and my Bath Must-Haves that have quickly become a part of my everyday routine: I often talk about this brand because I absolutely love their products! These bath soaks are made with many great (and of course, clean) ingredients including essential oils that add such a calming and soothing aspect to my bath routine! (I’ve stocked up on their bath line and love to rotate through them as a part of my bath routine).Any time I take a bath, I’ll use this beforehand! Dry brushing has so many great benefits, but before baths, especially, it’s a great way to practice self-care by activating your body’s release of toxins before you soak. These bath salts are simply the best! I love this brand because the ingredients are pure and raw, and they also assist in fighting off toxic build up in the body while hydrating and nourishing my skin - a self-care must! This scrub is an item that takes my time for self-care to the next level. It’s made with brown sugar and hydrating sweet almond oil that not only smells amazing but also leaves my skin feeling so moisturized afterwards! This sponge I’ve talked about a few times before because I simply love it! Not only is it a bath must-have staple for me, but the amount of body wash it’s helped me save has been amazing. It has quickly become a self-care item I cannot do without.I’ll use this particular bath soak on nights when I’m extra tired and need help getting rest. It’s also a great aid to your body when you feel you might be getting sick or are already under the weather! When I’m feeling stressed and want to relax, I make sure to use these bath salts that help calm my mind and soothe my muscles! I love the way it smells and knowing that it’s helping my body while I cut out time for self-care is such a bonus. However you’re feeling in this season, I hope you find time to do something that adds extra care and relaxation into your routine! x[show_shopthepost_widget id="4014588"]

Self-Care

The start of a new year always brings about fresh reminders of my values and offers a time to realign my habits, desires, and priorities. 2017 has been filled with a lot of re-grouping as many new passion projects have been added to my career plate. The initial thought in my mind is, what can I remove from my schedule to free up some time? I immediately think to cut down on yoga, infrared sauna appointments, grocery shopping, and cooking. But, wait. All of the things are so important to me. They exist as priorities to make a house a home + they are self-care necessities!I have learned this year that you must take care of yourself to have healthy relationships, a healthy body, and a healthy home. You must learn to be self-aware and create space for the things that are necessary for your well being. Side note: accept your needs! Feeling selfish for feeding your emotional, physical, and spiritual health limits you from giving, living, and serving with the fullest heart.In order to balance work, self-care, errands, and relationships, simplify your life. Here are some shifts I have made to bring more ease into the to-do's, which in turn creates time and space for self care.

1. Wake up and read for 10 minutes to relax your mind and bring perspective to your day. This book is my favorite right now.
2. Create a productive schedule for your day. My mom recently recommended listening to the podcast in this blog, and the productivity sheet has made my days uber-productive, yet I have more free time than ever. I am a big to-do list person, but this mind set has increased my focus tremendously. Aren't moms the best?
3. Shop on Sunday for a week full of groceries. I am on week one of trying this, and it has been a game changer.
4. Ask for help. If cooking dinner seems stressful one night, I ask my husband for help! Doing it as a team makes it so enjoyable and stress free.
5. Get gel manicures OR leave them bare. This requires much less maintenance!
6. Declutter your work space. A mind functions better in an organized atmosphere.
7. Give yourself breaks. Go for a 10 minute walk outside in between projects, make a homemade latte, or call a friend!
8. Set aside a specific hour or two a week to work on administration, paying bills, and budgets!
9. Consistently clean out your closet and cabinets AKA expired goods, clothes you do not wear, beauty products that you won't use, and linens that are stuffed in a cabinet. If you do it consistently, it will never feel like a big, intimidating project.
10. Breathe and enjoy life.

This series is in collaboration with some stellar ladies.  Be sure and check out their posts on Self Care too: Kat Harris, Tutti del Monte, Danielle Bennett, Kate Labat, Joanne Encarnacion, Nikia Phoenix, and Chelsey Korus.

THE OUTFIT:

jeans | booties | striped top | sunnies (c/o)

images by felicia lasala 

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