Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week?

I’m sorry for disappearing on ya this week. I honestly just needed a second to breathe. The Pilot was gone – he’s back today! – and I was getting the girls ready for back to school, but also… I was just having a mini blog crisis. I’ve had one before, and just had one of those weeks where I was just in a little bit of a funk. I’m back now and missed you all <3

We’re trying to find our groove around here with airline life, but it’s definitely been more chill than military and commander life. I waited SO long for this time to actually be here and am so so glad it is. Just trying to establish our new routine. P is starting homeschool again on Monday (here we go!) and I’ll share what we have planned – lots of fun stuff ahead.

(JELL-O arms from this week’s Pilates class. We wore arm weights the entire time and it was fierryyyyy.)

Meal prep has saved me during these solo parenting weeks, even though we ate all of the fruit within 3 days.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

8.8 Friday Faves

Fashion + beauty + random:

July reader faves! It’s always fun to go back through analytics and find the bestsellers that I shared here on the blog.

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! What are you up to? The Pilot is home from a trip (YAY), we’re meeting friends for a last hurrah swim and dinner at the pool, we have an NCL meeting, and family dinner at our house. Since we got back from Spain, we’ve been doing weekly family dinners again and it has been such a great way to start the week. My favorite memory from last week was watching our 10-month old niece Daisy eat a popsicle on the patio. She was a HUGE fan.

I’d love to hear what you have going on this weekend!

Mazer wanted to show you her fresh cut and long eyelashes.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

8.1 Friday Faves

Fashion + beauty + random:

A moment for the shoes. (Got them in Spain but they have them at Nordstrom! I’m always a US 8 or 38, and sized up to a 39 for these and they’re perfect)

My friends at Left On Friday sent me some new suits! It was my first time trying this brand and I was blown away by the super light compressive fabric (I sized up to a medium after reading a ton of reviews online and it still felt like it held everything in), fit, and quality. It’s totally seamless and they have a ton of colors. I ended up choosing this one piece, and this top + these bottoms. The bottoms I chose had the most booty coverage and feel like this is my new fave swimsuit brand. Both suits are linked here.

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Hi friends! I have a brand new episode live and I’m SO excited to listen to my chat with Dr. Jonathan Carp all about healing through nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and the mindset shifts that support long-term wellness.

Here’s what we discuss:

Why your diagnosis doesn’t have to be your destiny

The healing power of food and the limitations of conventional medicine

How to create supportive environments that promote lasting health

The role of circadian rhythms, light exposure, and outdoor activity in overall wellness

Plus insights on Miracle Noodle’s mission, upcoming products, and so much more!

188: Heal Your Body from the Inside Out with Dr. Jonathan Carp of Miracle Noodle

About Jonathan Carp:

Dr. Jonathan Carp is a board-certified dermatologist, wellness advocate, and the founder of Miracle Noodle, a brand dedicated to providing healthy, low-carb alternatives that support a variety of dietary needs. After witnessing the limits of traditional medicine in treating chronic illness, Jonathan became passionate about using nutrition, education, and lifestyle medicine as tools for real healing. His mission is to empower people to take control of their health through mindset, visualization, and supportive daily routines.

Connect with Dr. Carp:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miraclenoodle
Website: https://www.miraclenoodle.com

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For my free Autoimmune Healing ebook, click here.
Detailed show notes here: https://fitnessista.com/podcast

Watch the full video on YouTube:

Partners:
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Sharing some of my go-to easy dinner ideas when I’m solo parenting.

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope that you’re enjoying the week so far! I have a podcast interview today, Pilates, and we’ll probably hit the pool. We’re trying to live up the last bit of summer before we’re back in school craziness.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favorite easy dinner ideas when I’m solo parenting. Since the Pilot is back with the airlines, he’s back to traveling more regularly while I hold it down with the crew here. When he’s gone, meals are wayyyyy more casual. They’re things I can make in less than 20 minutes that I know we all love. Usually I’ll make something that includes leftovers so we can enjoy them the following day for lunch.

For our family, meals will include some type of protein, some type of starch, a fruit and/or vegetable. It makes it pretty plug and play, and when the kids have rounded meals like this, they’re happier (no blood sugar crash) and maybe a little less snacky? (Though let’s be real, summer is an all-day snack avalanche.)

Here are some of the things I have in the rotation when it’s just me and I want to cook something tasty, healthy, and quick.

Easy solo parenting dinner ideas

– Breakfast for dinner.

We do this at least once a week, whether the Pilot is here or not, because it’s a crowd pleaser and you can customize it based on what you have. I might make Hello Kitty gluten-free waffles, pancakes (they still love these banana pancakes after all these years), French toast, and serve it up with breakfast sausage, bacon, or eggs as the protein, and some fruit.

– Tacos, rice and beans.

I put the chicken in the Instant Pot with oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some chicken broth, and cook for 12 minutes on manual. I shred it with the mixer, and serve with tortillas, beans, Mexican rice, and guac. I’ll cut up whatever fresh fruit we have on hand and serve it on the side.

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Sharing some of my go-to functional labs for moms over 30.

Hi friends! How are you? What are you up to this morning? I have a couple of calls today, a workout, and a podcast interview this afternoon.

For today, let’s chat about one of my favorite topics: functional labs. (Friendly reminder that this post is not medical advice. I’m not a doctor, and these are just some of my favorite labs to run with clients. Before making any health changes, reach out to your doctor.)

What are functional labs?

Functional labs go beyond the standard blood work you typically get at your doctor’s office. While conventional labs look for disease states or out-of-range markers, functional testing is designed to assess how well your body is functioning before things go wrong. These labs can uncover underlying imbalances in hormones, minerals, gut health, detox pathways, and more; often before symptoms become more serious.

Unlike standard testing, functional labs often use non-traditional samples like saliva, urine, stool, or hair (instead of, or in addition to blood). This allows for a more detailed view of what’s happening at the cellular and metabolic level. For example, a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can show mineral imbalances and heavy metal toxicity, and a salivary cortisol test can map out your stress response throughout the day –  things you won’t typically see on a routine blood panel.

These tests are incredibly valuable for creating targeted protocols that support healing at the root cause, rather than just managing symptoms. They can also be completed at home, which makes them super accessible.

Functional labs for moms over 30

If you’re a woman over 30 and feel like your body isn’t responding the way it used to – your energy’s off, your sleep is inconsistent, your workouts aren’t working, and your mood feels like a rollercoaster – it’s not in your head. It might be time to look under the hood!

Functional lab testing is one of the most empowering things you can do for your health. Instead of guessing which supplements to take or diets to try, testing gives you data. It gives you clarity. It tells us where your body is out of balance, and more importantly, what we can do about it.

(It’s worth mentioning here that these tests do not look for diseases and are not used to diagnose illness. Instead, they look at deficiencies and toxicities so you can work to bring the body back to balance.)

These are the core functional tests I recommend for many of my mom friend clients over 30. These can be especially helpful if you’re in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, and want to get ahead of symptoms like:

Hormonal imbalances

Fatigue and burnout

Weight gain (despite doing “all the right things”)

Mood swings or anxiety

Trouble sleeping

Gut issues and bloating

Hair loss or skin changes

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