Monthly Archives

December 2018

Life & Family

Goodbye 2018

by Laura
written by Laura

As the year quickly comes to an end I’m thinking about my goals and desires for 2019.

Is BALANCE possible?

In January 2018 I came up with “balance” for my word of the year. I thought I wanted balance between my family and my business but really, I wanted to be a perfect mom, wife, daughter, friend and entrepreneur. It has been a constant struggle. I recently listened to a book that told me that there was no such thing as balance. I felt a little foolish. Did everyone but me know that balance wasn’t possible?

2019 will have some changes. Better systems for home and business will be in place, kids will know limits and expectations and I will be better organized. I will have abundant time for my family and my business because I will implement the systems and time blocking. All of this sounds great, right? Check back with me in March to see how I am doing.

My cup must be filled

While I fully intend for all my goals to happen, big picture, a happy family is my greatest desire. That does not mean just happiness for my kids, but for my husband and me also. It took me a long time to realize that it is really hard to give to my family without first filling my cup. Filling my cup means having a creative outlet and helping women and families make healthier choices. It makes me over the moon happy to help people put forward their best self.

Truth is that I am not super human. Being with my kids as much as possible is my top priority, so some things have to give. Time is ALWAYS working against me and I have to rely on people to help.  You never know how you can be equally helping someone reach their goals when they are helping you reach yours.

My Laundry Angel appeared

A mentor of mine asked me this summer what I could remove from my plate that takes me a lot of time and do not enjoy. Laundry was the first thing that came to mind. Crazy thing is, when it was a subconscious thought, my laundry angel appeared.  Not kidding! It has freed up so much of my time and energy and I am supporting a small business at the same time.  Maybe your task to eliminate is meal planning, grocery shopping or cooking. There are so many options accessible these days to help take the burden off you so that you can give more focus to your goals.

Tell me, what fills your cup? What is your burdening task? Do you have specific goals for 2019?

 

 

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BlogLife & Family

Mindset and Gratitude

by Laura
written by Laura

Mindset is a subject in my life that is recurring every time I turn around recently. Last night I heard a fabulous woman talk about subconscious thinking and it all really hit home to me; a positive mindset, gratitude and the subconscious can provide a happy life with abundance.  This is a lesson that I want my family to learn way earlier than I learned myself.

Being negative was no longer how I wanted to live my life

A few years ago, I was going through a rough patch. My husband was getting his MBA while working full time on top of trying to change careers. Because that wasn’t enough, we had a new baby and a three year old. I was constantly bringing my husband into my misery and loneliness. One day he finally snapped and let me know that my negativity had to go. After a few days (or weeks) of self-reflection, I decided that complaining, feeling sorry for myself and being negative was no longer how I wanted to live my life.

Being in a place of gratitude and positive thoughts has changed my world. Yes, life is very busy and overwhelming at times, but I welcome that because I know that I’m making an impact and helping people everywhere that I go. Even on the hardest days I remind myself of my blessings. Finding joy in every situation can keep you on a positive path.

If I want my kids to live a life of gratitude, I must teach it and show them everyday

It has become all too clear these days that my kids rarely come from a place of gratitude. This is a hard pill to swallow because I know that it is because of me. Do I give them too much? Do I do too much for them? Are they too often surrounded by people who have the same mindset as them? The answer to everything is YES! If I want them to live a life of gratitude, I must teach it and show them. It is an everyday journey, but I guarantee big steps will happen in 2019!

 

The most gratitude I have is for all my family and friends who have supported me and my dreams my whole life even when I wasn’t so grateful. I am also grateful for my friends who I have met through business and networking. Relationships with girlfriends are hard. My original career had some vicious women and it gave me trust issues, but over the past two years I have met some really incredible women and they have shown me what it is like to live a life of gratitude and abundance and where that can lead you. These days I am not taking this for granted because I know that I am blessed!

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Santa’s Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies
BlogRecipes

Santa’s Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Laura
written by Laura

Tonight, as I started a fire for the first time this season my kids started asking about Santa and how he fits down the chimney when he is so big. My middle baby asked if we will make him homemade cookies this year when my oldest chimed in that we should make him some oatmeal cookies because they are healthier. Talk about a proud mama moment! I have been making a very conscious effort to make our favorite things a little healthier and it warms my heart when my family is on board!

There are a couple “treats” that my husband does not appreciate my changing. One is his mom’s banana bread and the other is the original chocolate chip cookie recipe. I keep the banana bread recipe pretty genuine, but I have mixed up our chocolate chip cookies. While sugar cookies with icing were a Christmas family tradition for me growing up my hubby strongly prefers chocolate chip in our home. Little does my daughter know, we will be making Santa some of our healthier chocolate chip cookies with ground oatmeal that are just as delicious as the original!

We have a house full of chocohaulics and everyone seems to have a sweet tooth. Some simple substitutions I use in our baked goods are whole wheat white flour (no one can tell the difference) in place of white flour and coconut oil (the extra refined has very little coconut flavor) in place of butter or vegetable oil. For these little pillows of chocolate chip deliciousness I’m also using a bit of oat flour (oatmeal ground up in my food processor. You can also buy oat flour). When using chocolate chips, I sneak in dark chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate and it makes me feel a little less guilty for the indulgence and I’ve had no complaints thus far.  Another option is to use mini chocolate chips since they have a better distribution in these small cookies.

I don’t know about you, but the hardest part for me about making cookies is waiting for the dough to chill before I bake them. My final secret with these cookies is to scoop them out right after you combine the dough and put the sheet tray with the dough balls in the fridge for 30 minutes. They bake up fluffy and soft.

My kids love these cookies.  Because they are smaller, I don’t have to tell them no when they want a second one.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Laura
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Chilling Time 30 mins
Course Dessert
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ C Coconut oil
  • ¼ C unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ C granulated sugar
  • ¼ C light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 C White whole wheat flour
  • ½ C Oat flour Rolled oats in a food processor
  • ½ t baking soda
  • ¼ t salt
  • 1/3 C Mini chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Cream coconut oil and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine two flours, baking soda and salt. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat just until combined. Pour chocolate chips into the mixture and use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
  • For fluffier cookies, chill the dough for at least 2 hours. I prefer scooping out the dough before chilling with 1 TBSP scoop and placing 1 inch apart on a silpat or parchment lined sheet pan. Chill the sheet pan with the dough for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
  • Makes 2-1/2 dozen small cookies

 

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Looking Fresh for the Holidays
Health & Beauty

Looking Fresh for the Holidays

by Laura
written by Laura

Heads up: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through one of the links, you won’t pay a penny more, but I’ll get a commission, which keeps the tips flowing your way. Thanks!

We are approaching the busiest time of the year for most people. On top of the holidays my husband and I both have birthdays in December. With everything on my to do list between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, unfortunately self-care usually takes a back seat. This year I refuse to let that happen. My skin and health will be right there at the top of my list because it doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming.

A few products that are on my must use list are Vitamin C serum and eye cream. I will go a little into the science behind the plant-based skincare products that I use.

Vitamin C serum

Everyone knows how great Vitamin C is for the inside of your body. It helps boost your immune system, maintain your bones and teeth, but did you also know that it also helps with wound healing and collagen production?   With the reduction of collagen, we see fine lines and wrinkles. By applying Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, directly on your skin you get the direct benefits of the increased collagen and neutralization of free radicals in the skin. So, what exactly can Vitamin do for your skin?

  • Acts as a powerful anti-oxidant
  • Boosts collagen
  • Treats photo damage
  • Brightens and smooths skin

Mix & C Serum from The Retro Company has become my very favorite skin care product. Why is this product different? First, it is plant based. Second, is the technology behind the packaging. The 100% Vitamin C is separated from the hyaluronic acid serum. Not until you pop the membrane will the vitamin C touch the serum. Because of this technology, you are getting the freshest Vitamin C serum available. This is because once Vitamin C is oxidized it loses its effectiveness. When it turns dark orange Vitamin C should be discarded. Hyaluronic acid it the other amazing ingredient in the serum. It pulls moisture from the air into your skin.

 

Eye Treatment

Have you ever used Aloe on your skin when you have a sunburn? We do this because of its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to help skin retain moisture without clogging pores or being greasy. Like vitamin C, Aloe is rich in antioxidants.

Sunflower seed oil is a product that not as many people are familiar with but has been used for thousands of years to condition skin and hair. It is a great source of Vitamin E (protects collagen and elastin) and is rich in anti-oxidants (helps in the premature signs of aging).

It is no wonder that Aloe and Sunflower oil are the main ingredients in my favorite eye treatment also from The Retro Company. The benefits of Retro’s Transforming Eye Treatment are:

 

  • Visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles
  • Restores firmness
  • Deeply hydrates
  • Soothes tired eyes
  • Long term results – Healthier looking skin

Along with the infuser tool, you get almost instant results to give you a fresher, non-exhausted look for your holiday parties.

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