Experience As much as sometimes we’d like to just read a book and automatically ‘know’, it typically takes some amount of trail and error. Trial and error comes with time and experience. Small failures become lessons learned. Improvements made in small increments typically stick longer {read more}
As the first three months of the year come to a close, it is a good time to reflect on daily habits. And determine if they are pointing you in the right direction toward your goals. Or if they are ever so slightly off track {read more}
WHAT DAY IS IT?
Whoa! Today is NOT a Monday ;-p. Why are we posting on Sunday?! Two reasons:
(1) This post is about meal prepping for the upcoming week and I want ya’ll to be able to participate (if you so choose).
(2) I’d like to know if my audience would rather a Sunday post versus a Monday post!
Also! Happy Spring Forward day for those in the states. The season change from Winter to Spring is one of my favorites. Second favorite is Summer to Fall.
This week post includes links to the recipes I’ll be making this week. Here is the TLDR, I just want the recipes link which will take you to the that section of today’s blog.
The last post was about being prepared. One of the types of preparations I offered up was to determine how many meals were going to be cooked at home. As well as, what complexity level of meal prep your schedule might allow for.
Even if you do something like Home Chef, you might want to supplement. Therefore, I’m going to share a version of my schedule (just the highlights, not the details) AND the corresponding meals I’ll do along with it. After, you will find a grocery list if you’d like to make these meals.
If you decide to make some of these meals (or all), please share via social media! If you are an anti-food poster on social media, at least put a comment below on what was your favorite, or your families favorite!
It’s probably been said a handful of times, but I start my weeks on Monday’s. For the purposes of this exercise, we will focus on the work week only. My scheduled times consist of my early morning routine, going to the gym at least 3-4 week days, my day job and my blog. Of course taking care of Bianca and sometimes social activities are included.
During these days of work from home 100%, my schedule is packed with lots of meetings and talking during the day. Sometimes I have meetings through my lunch, where I turn off my camera but still need to talk. On those days, I eat a more simple lunch. Other days I go to the gym in the evening and would rather something not so heavy. In general, the time needed to cook, prepare or simply consume is what determines my meal.
| Date Time |
Monday March 15 |
Tuesday March 16 |
Wednesday March 17 |
Thursday March 18 |
Friday March 19 |
| Early Morning | Gym | Morning routine | Up early | Gym | Up early |
| Work Day | Semi-Busy Free @ lunch |
Busy day Easy lunch |
Back-to-back meetings (through lunch) Easy lunch |
Heavy work day Easy lunch |
Regular work day Easy lunch |
| Evening | Cook dinner Walk outside |
Gym Light dinner |
Finish Thur Blog Easy dinner |
Dinner out | Gym Light dinner |
The top priority when select meals for me is nutrition. In close second is tastiness. Another factor, which has only recently come into the equation is variety. While I can eat spinach salads with no toppings everyday, I’d prefer to switch it up a bit. Now that I am going back to the gym, the sheer volume of food I eat is increasing. Plus protein is ever more important.
Oh! One thing you may have noticed but I just remembered is: NO BREAKFAST! For many years I have been an intermittent faster. Meaning, I eat within a 5-6 hour window and, as of right now only two meals a day. When I am not actively going to the gym, sometimes I go down to a single meal a day – but still ensure I am getting calories (no worries there!) More on intermittent fasting at Doctor Berg’s YouTube Channel (here).
Referring back to the schedule, it looks like I will need easy, quick to heat up and eat lunches. And this week, mostly lighter dinners. Monday evening I will have time to cook and Thursday I will be going out to dinner. Two evenings I might just have a protein shake before going to the gym, which means I will need more calories on those lunch days.
Typically, I use the crockpot each week for one meal. In addition, I cook mostly on Sundays. And, as much as possible I store my food in single meal portions. I am a huge fan of raw spinach and cooked swiss chard. Two of my favorites are included below (the soup and the nachos). Nutrition Facts of Spinach.
Now we get to the fun part!
A friend of mine used this tool is for shredding meat. After seeing it work, I went home and bought one. I use it at least once a week, and it is dishwasher friendly!
Two supplemental or meal replacements (These aren’t recipes, instead just links to the products on Amazon.)
Although I stick to my intermittent fasting and do not ‘snack’ between meals. Sometimes, I do like something extra to during meal time. Two of my favorites are here:
Share on Instagram and tag @brighteyedsmiles
Can’t wait to see what you make!
2020: EATING AND SLEEPING We can probably almost all agree that, the past year has been difficult for SO many different reasons. One of the most commons reasons I heard expressed was the feeling of uncertainty. No one knew what was around the corner or {read more}
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY! There are many women in my life that are absolutely outstanding. Amazing mothers, great professionals, wise educators, content creators, determined students and brave authors. No matter their ‘title’ in life, they are all influencers in one way or another. With a {read more}
For just a few seconds, pause. Take a deep breathe. Think about the last time you savored a moment. The last time you completed something or maybe the last time you gave yourself time to relax. The last time you felt content or a sense of accomplishment. Let yourself remember enough to recreate feeling again.
Next, think about a day that stands out in your mind as good. Do you remember the sky that day? The food you ate? Or the outfit you were wearing? Remember how it felt to go to bed that day? Or waking up the following morning after a really good day?
Feel that feeling? The tiny little happy feeling. The feeling that might bring a smile across your face? Wouldn’t it be nice to feel that more often?
What one person calls a good day, may be completely different than another’s. And it is always fun to learn about another person’s preference! Or, even get to know yourself better when there are only two options.
Maybe you could make everyday your perfect day. Or, maybe this would be a one time thing.
Referring back to the Pilot Light post, do you still have your list of daily activities? This time I made a shareable ‘This or That’ list.
Screenshot the below and tick mark your preference! If you want, share it on your Instagram story and got others in on the fun.
Or, take out a sheet of paper, and write out from morning until night the activities that would make up a day.
This is meant to be fun! Because the sharable can only fit a small screen, I made a longer list below for inspiration. Certain I didn’t capture everything, please add any This or Thats in the comments!
I hope at the very least, this list gave you a happy few minutes! If you decide to create your perfect day, let me know how it goes 🙂
HAPPY PLACE. My happy place used to be inside an airplane, in the air, above the clouds. I did my best thinking on the plane, my best sleeping on the plane, my best reading on the plane. I once woke up the passenger next to {read more}
#home Philly will ALWAYS be home. Somewhere between Old City and Fairmount Park I left my heart all those years ago. When I first moved away from Philadelphia in 2006, I returned often. Each return trip, on the descent over the Delaware River, my heart {read more}
One of my favorite and most simple ways to make my day feel ‘different’ comes from something a good friend taught me! This friend happened to be a college roommate too and is one of the bravest people I know.
A few years ago, while I was living in Connecticut, she came to visit. I was so happy to host her and her daughter while her husband stayed in Philly. The trip was fun for many reasons, we went to museums, visited my office, read books and played with toys! One morning while I prepared coffee, she asked if I would add cinnamon. (Funny enough, I first added the cinnamon after I poured us both a cup (haha)).
This small, but tasty addition first added a great laugh because the cinnamon floated on top. After, it made my apartment smell good and tasted great!
Now every so often, I put cinnamon in with the grinds before brewing the coffee. It makes the ordinary, everyday cup sentimental and always reminds me of our visit and her friendship. Every cinnamon-y sip brings a smile to my face. I hope one day when her daughter is old enough for coffee, we can share this little pick-me-up with her!
As we begin the last week of February the year is starting to settle in. New habits are formed, progress is being made and the sparkle of the new year is starting to wear off. Plus, most of us maintain in some sort of restriction due to the pandemic.
Especially now, life can become rather repetitive. Sometimes the tiny extra effort to make a moment special can change the entire day! So yesterday, I asked myself, “How can I make today more than just another day?”
As simple as it is, I added cinnamon to my coffee and it brightened my entire day! It made what would have been another ordinary Sunday full of memories and happy thoughts.
This leads me to wonder – what ‘extra’ can you add to your ordinary today? Something to spark that little memory and prompt a tiny grin, if not an entire full smile?
Maybe, like my example, it is adding a bit of spice to your coffee. Or maybe, its lighting a candle and remembering someone who is watching from above. Wearing your favorite lipstick (even though no one will see it behind your mask) or putting on your favorite sweater. Even as simple as cleaning your jewelry and admiring the sparkle again.
Give yourself the treat this week of making what would have been just an ordinary day, a little ‘extra’. I would love to hear what you do, or see a picture from your extraordinary day!
xoxo
STORYTIME That gorgeous view I vividly remember sitting at my computer, looking out at my amazing view and thinking to myself, ‘the possibilities in life are endless… I want to do it all.’ It wasn’t for another decade that I would truly believe I could “do {read more}