Hey friend, so you know I’m a bit like an onion with all my layers. And that means that I have all the things to share with you and not just recipes and food tips. However I do love talking food, but today I’m sharing some of my favorite things that have been on my mind lately. It’s been way, way too long since I’ve done a post like this, so I’m excited to share with you.
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But back to my favorite things, because that’s what we’re here for today. Honestly all five of these topics could probably be their own post, but today I’m doing a cliff notes version for you.
We’re covering everything from cooking to cleaning, skin care and a health challenge to chatting budgets. So there’s likely a topic for everyone today.
So let’s dive into my favorite things, shall we?!
1. Bikini Series
When it comes to fitness inspiration and body goals, I tend to not look much further than the Tone It Up girls. Karena and Katrina are a powerhouse that has created a culture (and now products in Target) to help kick our booties into shape. They run challenges throughout the year, but right now it’s time for my favorite one.
This first favorite find is the Bikini Series that they run every year to get you bikini ready. I think this is the 3rd time I’ve done it, and the recipes and content gets better and better. And it’s an 8 week program and this is week 1, so you definitely have time to join in.
Now it’s a bit of a challenging week for me as I’m packing and moving, but I’m committed to making it work. So that means that I’m finding time for healthy meals and exercise anyway I can. And if you want to kick your fitness and health journey into gear, let’s do this together!
In the coming weeks I plan to be sharing lots of recipes that are clean and good for you. So while I’ll definitely be following the TIU plan, I imagine there will be times I’ll add my Kelli twist to it. Stay tuned!
2. Meal Prepping Tips
As I mentioned, I’m moving this week, which means that I have to pack up my whole life. That also means that my entire kitchen must be put into boxes, so cooking will be interesting for me. So I knew meal prepping was going to be really huge for me right now.
The best thing to do when you’ve got a crazy week where cooking is going to be on the back burner (ha – see what I did there?!), is to have a plan. And lucky for me, I’m following the Bikini Series plan, so I don’t have to think too hard on what I’m eating. But I do have to make some adjustments around the middle and end of the week as I get packed and moved.
Since I’ll want to be as packed as possible early this week, I went ahead and cooked chicken and cut up lots of veggies for salads. I plan to leave out a couple pans and cookie sheets and that’s about it, so I need my food to be pretty much ready to grab and eat.
And I also made sure I had plenty of snacks on hand, because it’s too easy to hit a drive through these days. I made some of the fab TIU mini muffins for snacking and also grabbed some of their protein bars and bites at Target, so I always had healthy options within reach.
Meal prep is an area I really want to focus on more here in the coming weeks and months, so look for more on that topic too.
3. Aesthetician
So I’ve had some work stresses in the past 6+ months that FINALLY ended in March. But stress always shows itself on my skin in the form of acne, and it’s been a real biatch to deal with.
I hesitated sharing this side of me and being uber vulnerable, but the fact is that a lot of us are still facing break outs well into even our 30’s and later. So I decided to seek help (thanks to my family and bf for supporting me in that). I’m the type of woman who feels like I ought to be able to solve stuff myself, but I was at my wit’s end on what else to do.
So off I went to Sassy Face KC for a consultation, and one month into the program, I’m seeing results. Calling it a relief is an understatement, but it feels amazing to start to get back in control of my skin. The breakouts are clearing and my skin hasn’t felt so soft in ages.
So if you’re in KC, then go check out Amber’s practice. She’s an aesthetician with a passion for helping people facing the acne battle, and I can’t wait to see how my skin continues to improve!
4. Budgeting
YNAB, aka You Need a Budget, has been a complete game change for me. I can see myself writing many more posts on this topic in the future. To say that I have money baggage is a very real statement, and YNAB is changing my relationship with money.
I’ve gone from being afraid of the word “budget” to getting excited to pay my bills. Literally I was paying bills early in April thanks to this amazing application.
I’ve done a lot of money work over the past 3 years, and YNAB came at the perfect time. Unlike normal times of moving with expenses coming from every direction, this time around I actually feel like I’m in complete control of every dollar. I’m okay spending a little here and there, because YNAB helped me budget for it.
So whether you’re drowning in debt, overwhelmed with budgeting, or simply want a plan for your money, YNAB is it! I’m totally sold on this amazing application, and can’t stop singing its praises to everyone I know. So for a free month, click that link (full disclosure, it’s my referral link) and give it a try!
5. Cleaning Tip
Okay by now it’s obvious I’m in full-on moving mode, so I’m doing a lot of deep cleaning. It’s great timing with the Spring cleaning vibe, so I’m purging the hell out of all of my spaces.
One thing I know is that I’m really hard on my kitchen, because I use it all the time. And my stove was needing some TLC because I couldn’t seem to get it clean. I had grease that cleaners wouldn’t remove, and I didn’t know what to do.
Thanks to my mom, I tried something that I was majorly skeptical about. I used water and a microfiber cloth, and yes that’s it. I sprayed water on the greasy areas of my stovetop, and with lots of elbow grease, the grease disappeared. My stovetop was practically sparkling!
My mom has switched to this powerful duo for her daily cleaning, and I’m starting to do the same. I can’t believe this actually works, so I just had to share this as my favorite things. Caring is sharing, and have a clean home is crucial to keeping me happy and zen.
So go grab yourself a bunch of microfiber cloths and a spray bottle, and you’ll be all set!
I covered a lot in this Favorite things post today, so I hope you found it useful. If you want to discover more of my favorite things, then check out these posts! Interestingly, the driving force behind all of these is they help me become a bit more happy throughout my life.
Anyone else doing the Bikini Series with me or enjoying any of these Favorite things I mentioned today? Or do you have anything that you’re loving right now?! Comment below and let’s continue chatting, because I love new discoveries!
Stay inspired & try new stuff!
~Kelli
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