Rainy Days☯

It's been raining like crazy the past couple of days. Last night, we had a storm where I thought my house was going to be picked up and tossed across the neighborhood, and i'm not even joking. It started getting suuuper windy, like 80mph at least, and then it started hailing too! Some of my furniture outside was picked up and thrown across my backyard, so it was a pretty freaky storm. The thunder and lightning was my favorite though, and the buckets and buckets of rain we got. I live in a desert, so this was totally unexpected.

Since my friend was over, we decided to make the most out of this beautiful storm. We both got into our pajamas and slippers and created a little tent (i know so grown up right) in my room and threw pillows and blankets on the floor. We also got some snacks and put them in pretty bowls haha! Then we got my computer and put on The Lizzie McGuire movie, since that's been our favorite since we were little :) We were so cozy and happy, and the sound of the rain totally relaxed us. 

I absolutely love doing things like this during a rain storm. And sometimes, well actually a lot of the time, I will bake some cookies too. It makes me feel so good!! I must sound like an old lady, but hey that what I like to do. Isn't it such a nice feeling to curl up in a blanket with a nice book (or your computer lol) and listen to the rain against the house? I'm never able to hear a lot of rain, but when I do I make the most of it.

What do you like to do on rainy days? 

Maddie

5 Ways To Make Your Day Better

I don't know about you, but sometimes I wake up in a not so great mood. Even though, for the most part, I try to always stay on the positive side of things, my emotions are too strong and they pull me in the wrong direction. On days like this it's a little tougher for me to find motivation to do things, so I got an idea to share with you guys some little tips on what I do to get out of the weird funk. 

Make a beautiful, delicious breakfast// Okay this one might be weird, but if it's morning and you find yourself unhappy or 'not in the mood', make something good to eat! I love food, like a lot of it lol, and breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. Usually I have a nice warm bowl of oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and cinnamon or a delicious green smoothie. It all depends, but I always make sure to make my meal look pretty. It makes me happy! :)

If you're angry or holding tension, exercise// It might not seem like you would want to exercise if you're unhappy, but trust me, it HELPS. Even if you punch your pillows as hard as you can, you will exert that negative energy out of your body and release "feel good hormones" into your brain. I personally like to do something everyday, whether its run, lift weights, do squats, swim, or yoga. I always make sure to switch it up so i don't get bored, because I'm the type of person that can't have the same routine for very long.

Get up, and dress up!// Make yourself look beautiful! Throw on a great outfit that makes you excited, or if you have a new shirt that you haven't worn, wear it! Then, put on a little makeup, or a lot! Who cares, just do what makes you happy. Add the extra cat flick or go for a bold lip. Sometimes when I'm feeling rebellious, I like to wear dark lipstick. It makes me feel SO good ;)

Go for a walk// If the weather is nice, going for a walk is something I love to do, whether if I'm by myself, with a friend or with my family. It clears my head, and often it's when I get some great ideas coming to mind. Plus, there is nothing better than hearing nature. I love to stop in the middle of countless tall trees and just stare at the sky and think about life. You have to remember that we are only given this life once after all, so anything making you upset is really meaningless. Breathe a couple of breaths and feel grateful for everything.

Watch your favorite movie and bake some treats// This might not be for everyone, but yes I am like an 80 year old grandmother, okay?! There is nothing that makes me happier than staying home at night, watching I Love Lucy or the Parent Trap, and baking some cookies. And then eating handfuls of dough lol. And doing it with a friend or my mom is even better!! ;) 

Yes some of these are weird tips, but they help me get out of weird moods and if you've never tried any before you should, just to see if they help you too. Remember, each day is just a day. If you have one bad day, don't scold yourself, and don't hold on to negative energy. Before you go to bed, make a list in your head of things that make you happy, or things that your grateful for. Think about exciting things coming up in your life. When I do this I tire my mind and fall asleep. And then you can start a brand new, fresh day! :) SMILE!! 

Maddie

Chunky Coconut Granola

 

I seriously wish you guys could smell how amazing this granola smells. When you make this, your house will literally flood with the aroma of apple pie or Thanksgiving. And it tastes just as good, to me even better than it smells. It's chunky, crispy, nutty, sweet, coconut-ty, and even a bit spicy from the cinnamon. It's all around DELICIOUS. I've been eating mine in the morning for breakfast, with some sliced banana, strawberries and blueberries and some coconut milk. Mmmmm it's making me want some right now lol but I will fight the urge! It's also good just to snack on plain, or on top of anything you want really. So let's get to the recipe! :)

1 1/2 cups of oats

1 cup of shredded coconut

5-6 dried apricots 

1/4-1/2 cup pepitas

1/4-1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup almonds

1/4-1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

Small handful of cacao nibs (or chocolate chips!)

Lots of cinnamon!

First, turn on your oven and set it to 225 degrees (this is in fahrenheit). So basically, you can add all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Chop up the dried apricots into little bite sized pieces, and if you want you can chop up some of the almonds too. I did just because it makes it seem like theres more, and it's easier to eat. Give it a little mix (i just tossed it with my clean hands haha!) and then get a little pot and warm the coconut oil and maple syrup on the stove. This doesn't need to be hot at all, just enough for the coconut oil to liquify, so a couple of seconds on the heat. Then simply pour the mixture over the the dry ingredients and mix mix mix! Now is a good time to sprinkle the heck out of it with cinnamon. Even if you think you put enough, put more. That's the secret to making it so warm and tasty, along with the maple syrup. I dare you to try and not eat any!! ;) Spray a baking sheet and spread the mixture evenly onto it. Put it in the oven and let it bake for about 40 minutes, then check on it and mix it up. Then, I turned the heat up to 280 degrees, and let it cook for another 30-40 minutes. It came out nice and golden brown! It all depends on how crispy or baked you want it. 

Then just let it cool and you have yourself some delicious homemade granola! You could also drizzle a tiny bit more maple syrup or sprinkle it with stevia while it's cooling :)

Let me know if you bake any <3

Maddie

Weekly Recap ♡

Well happy Friday everyone! :) This week flew bye. I planned on doing more than I did, but I just got caught up with other things and now it's already the weekend, crazy! My dad was away all week for a business trip so I'm looking forward to spending time with him...I'm scheduled to go and get my driver's license (yikes!!) so I need to practice with him a weeeee bit more haha! Anyway, I though I would just share some moments of my week that made me smile. I personally love to read these kinds of posts, so I wanted to write one myself :) 

Monday// I woke up and felt so energized and ready for the week. I had an amazing workout and much needed tan time!

Tuesday// At about 10:00 at night, I got the urge to bake some homemade granola. Lemme tell you, I don't know how I didn't eat the whole batch. It's got everything from sunflower seeds, to walnuts, almonds, dates, coconut flakes, and toooonns of cinnamon. Recipe coming soon ;)

Wednesday// Guess what I ate for breakfast? Yep, my granola. With some sliced banana, strawberries, blueberries, and a splash of coconut milk. It was heaven. 

Thursday// My mom, little brother and I all went out to this outdoor shopping center. We walked around and had the nicest time, then stopped by the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. But you know what that means, yes of course we ordered dessert. I'll just say we all licked the plate clean.

Friday// Since it's technically the beginning of the day I can't really say much, but I am feeling extra grateful all snuggled up in my bed sheets writing this. I'm going to go make some tea and then do some yoga. Ahhh, I'm so happy :) 

I hope this made you smile a little bit! Did you have any special moments during your week? Share them down below! :-)

Maddie <3

The Most Important Meal of the Day (maybe)

Good morning! Or good afternoon, evening, night, whenever you’re reading this. I’ll start off by saying I am a morning person. I could wake up every single day at 5:00 am when the sun rises and it probably wouldn’t bother me (actually, it’d kill me if I had to go to school). In the mornings when I wake up early, I feel like I have the most energy. Sometimes I’ll meditate or do yoga, sometimes I’ll write or jot down some ideas.

In the mornings I love to make a great breakfast. It’s something I’ve started doing recently, and it just makes me happier haha! For this post I will show you my oatmeal that I make almost every day. This isn’t what I always eat, but I could save my other meal ideas for another post (if you’d like?) :)

Usually I make regular steel-cut oats, but recently I’ve been loving quick oats. It’s so simple and fast, and a little bit of a change from the texture of regular oatmeal. First I’ll heat up some water in a pot, until little bubbles start to form. The key is to not let the water boil!! If you put the oats in right before the water really gets hot, it will turn into the perfect consistency. Then, when it thickens up after a couple of minutes, I’ll add a splash of coconut milk. Let me hear the “oooohs” and “aahhhs” and YUMS! Really, this makes it so creamy and divine. I also add a dash of cinnamon and stevia extract to sweeten it up a bit.

For toppings, usually I will always go for berries. Strawberries, blueberries...I also love to slice some banana. Mmmmmm making me so hungry even though I ate this a couple hours ago. Sometimes, I’ll heat some frozen blueberries in a little mini pot on the stove while the oatmeal is cooking, and when its done I’ll pour the blueberries over the oatmeal. IT’S AMAAZING. And no matter what topping, I’ll always add some nuts to top it off. This adds extra protein, and yumminess. Walnuts, pecans, or almonds are my go to.

So maybe this inspired you to try somethin’ new! :) I hope you enjoyed, and if you guys want I can do more recipe ideas soon! I really love to experiment with food, so expect some foodie posts in the near future ;)

Xx,

Maddie

The Way I Eat ♡

Since this is a blog basically about my thoughts and ideas and lifestyle, I decided I should tell you, my readers and friends, the way I eat. Hmmmm where do I even start!! Beware, this is kind of a long post...

First of all, I eat very clean. By that, I mean I don't ever eat anything from a box or bag or something thats processed. I'm not saying in any way that cereal will never pass my mouth again, I just choose not to eat it. I like to fill my tummy with food and products that grow naturally from the earth, with very minimal factory work.

I also eat littler meals than a regular "American sized meal." I'm saying my meals aren't HUGE. I have a TON of protein, complex carbohydrates (more on that next) and essential fatty acids that are essential to LIVE in every meal. I make sure to get more protein because I am a semi-vegetarian, which means I choose to only eat fish and eggs, not chicken or meat. There's nothing wrong with these foods, but for my body I am better off not eating them.

To make this post a little shorter and to the point, I also choose not to eat gluten or dairy. When I do eat dairy though, I use goats cheese, as it is a lot healthier than from a cow.

Okay so now onto carbs. Most people scream and hide from this word...CARBS! Ahhhh I will get fat and bloated!! NO. STOP. NOW. COMPLEX Carbs are essential for the human to receive energy and burn unneeded fat. Some complex carbs include brown rice, quinoa, veggies, beans, and more. These complex carbs will not bloat you or make you fat, these foods will actually reduce bloating and boost your metabolism. YES! I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Carbs that people are afraid of are foods like white flour, white flour pasta, bread and such. And indeed, yes these foods are bad for you. They are simple carbs that spike your sugar levels, and leave you feeling weak and tired a few minutes later. See the difference?!

FAT! Yes, fat. This is hard to explain in a short sentence or two. Fatty acids are essential if you want to burn unwanted fat. YES YOU JUST READ THAT RIGHT! Fat in foods like nuts, avocados, salmon, beans, and more help boost metabolism and burn fatty fat on the body. BAD fat is fat in burgers, ice cream, desserts, cheeses, and things like that. American food mostly! Haha. This fat will be stored onto your body! Most people are afraid to eat essential fat, but the truth is those foods do not make you fat.

Things I eat on a daily basis are meals like this:
Breakfast- Oatmeal, mixed with flax meal, chopped apples, chopped almonds, and stevia
               - Green Protein Smoothie: frozen banana slices, flax or hemp seed, kale, superfood protein mix, stevia, ice

Lunch- Salmon on a bed of steamed veggies, kale or rice
          - Tuna on gluten free Ezekiel Protein bread, with avocado, kale, and pico de gallo
          - Toasted Ezekiel bread spread with almond or peanut butter, topped with sliced apples and cinnamon

*I will post many many dinner and snack ideas! There are way too many to type up right now haha. I will be posting many meal ideas along this journey!*

I try just to eat the best things possible! But you should know, I bake almost everyday cookies, and energy balls that taste like peanut butter cups, and brownies filled with...kidney beans. Yes, kidney beans. You have no idea what I make! And the funny thing is, I feed my creations to friends and they think I buy them at the store or something...I'm very sneaky! I would also like to note that never in a million years will I ever give up chocolate. I just can't. So, there you go :-)

I hope everyone understands where I am trying to go with this, haha! I just wanted to post this to clear a lot of questions up. 

Have a lovely day <3

xx, Maddie

Lunch Time ♡

So almost everyday or every other day, I eat salmon. I am actually addicted. And I have mastered the way to cook it on the stove top! This was my lunch yesterday:

My specialty (and what my family devours many dinners a week): Carrot Fries

My salmon salad

Mixed in my lovely salad, I chopped fresh Kale. I have gotten used to eating this, so it really has no flavor to me. Someone who has never eaten this before might get a bitter taste in their mouth. Anyway, I love this leaf so I eat it everyday! I mixed the salmon, and also threw in guacamole, sunflower seeds, and pico de gallo. It was SO GOOD. I seasoned it with Himalayan pink sea salt, lemon pepper, and olive oil.

For the carrot fries, all you need to do is chop carrots in half length wise, like above, and cut them how ever skinny you want them. Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and coat them with olive oil and sea salt! Put whatever seasoning you want on them and cook them for about 45 to 50 minutes on 350 degrees. Voila!

Let me know if you like seeing some of my meals or snack ideas! :)

Have a lovely day

xx, Maddie