Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week? What are you up to this weekend? It’s going to be a wild but fun one over here. We have a military retirement party, a school event, a birthday party, a neighborhood block party, and it’s my brother’s birthday. Bring on all the spring fun! I’ve also been hard at work this week on an exciting opportunity through EquiLife. I’m so so excited and honored to be included, and I’ll share the details when I can 🙂

Let me know what you’re up to and what’s going on this spring. I love catching up with you and hearing about your life!

For now, 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 love learning about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves 4/19

Life:

We had the most amazing date night at Le Rendezvous last weekend. It’s a Tucson classic, and so many people have raved about it, so we finally tried it out. Everything was a dream.

We shared scallops for an appetizer, enjoyed wine, the beef tenderloin for two (with perfect satueed veggies and a lil scalloped potato statck I wanted to live in), and Grand Marnier souffle. YUM. We’ll definitely be back with the girls, especially because they have escargot; their all-time favorite appetizer.

I realized I never posted before and after pics for our great floor project. We had our carpet upstairs replaced with laminate, and they also re-did our bedroom and office, since they used to be hardwood. We just wanted everything to match, and wanted a neutral brown that would be classic.

I’m so so happy with how it turned out!

We also had the railing on our stairs replaced.

This is what it looked like before:

with the safety rail as they redid the railing:

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I believe that it’s always a good time for sangria, so please feel free to replace “summer” in the name of this easy summer sangria recipe with the season of your choice 😉

Sangria, or wine punch, is a fantastic party beverage, especially if you can make it at home and let it sit in the fridge overnight. I made last night’s sangria at the BBQ we went to, because I had visions of exploding sangria and the Pilot’s car smelling like wine and brandy for the rest of the year. I personally don’t mind the smell of wine and brandy, though…

For this recipe, I like to use inexpensive dry red wine, like a cheap Spanish wine. If you prefer white wine, you could definitely swap the red wine for pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc and make a white wine sangria that tastes just as delicious. I know plenty of people who also like to add lemon lime soda for some carbonation, but you can skip adding that and not miss a thing. After all, the key ingredients here are the fresh fruits (summer fruit in this case) and wine for sangria that’s off the charts amazing yet surprisingly simple.

Hi friends! New podcast episode is live. Friendly disclaimer: we talk about binging and emotional eating in this episode. If you feel like this would be a triggering topic for you, please use your discretion. xo

I’m so thrilled to have Brittany Watkins on the podcast today. She is AMAZING and has so much knowledge to share. I hope you love this episode! She’s offering her 7-day challenge for free for listeners here.

158: Using tapping to overcome weight loss struggles and finding balance with Brittany Watkins

Here’s what we chat about:

Why You Self-Sabotage Your Weight Loss Efforts with Emotional Eating and Binge Eating

How tapping works and how it impacts your body and brain

The Difference Between Cravings and Emotional Eating

Subconscious Weight Loss Blockers

Why You Overeat or Overdrink at Parties

and so much more.

Here’s more about Brittany and her background:

Brittany Watkins is a renowned speaker, author, and creator of The Echo Tapping Method™, a groundbreaking technique in Food Psychology. Recognized as a leading expert in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT or Tapping), especially for weight loss and emotional eating, Brittany has built a remarkable career over the last 15 years. She has changed the lives of over 100,000 women by addressing their food cravings, emotional eating, and self-sabotage. She focuses on finding and fixing the root causes of these issues quickly. She developed The Echo Tapping Method™, an innovative approach that rapidly speeds up the healing process. This unique psychology biohacking modality has been shown to provide the benefits of ten years of therapy in just a few sessions. Brittany’s core professional dedication has been to provide quick and lasting change. Brittany has also trained more than 400 medical professionals, therapists, and counselors in her method, who are helping thousands of patients every year. Her work has been recognized in major publications like Psychology Today, Shape, and Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine. Plus, her techniques have reached over 10 million women worldwide via Facebook and YouTube, establishing her as a key figure in psychological healing for emotional eating.

Check out her Instagram here and her website here.

Sharing my thoughts on rebounding and if I think it’s worth adding it to your routine. 

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re having a lovely morning so far! I have a Spanish lesson today and am getting my nails done this afternoon after a bunch of client calls. I hope you have a wonderful day.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about something I’ve loved for years, but have just recently implemented into my daily routine: rebounding!

In the world of fitness, rebounding has gained popularity in recent years – bouncing on a mini-trampoline. But is rebounding just a trendy fad, or does it offer real benefits for your health and fitness?

Let’s chat about what rebounding is all about, its pros and cons, and whether you should consider adding it to your routine.

What is rebounding and should you add it to your routine?

What is Rebounding?

Rebounding involves bouncing on a mini-trampoline, often to music or following a structured workout routine. It’s a low-impact form of exercise that can be adapted to suit individuals of all fitness levels.

Pros of Rebounding:

Low-Impact: Rebounding is gentle on the joints, making it suitable for people with joint pain or mobility issues. When you bounce, you can also keep your feet on the rebounder at all times and will still get benefits from the motion.

Cardiovascular Fitness: Bouncing on a rebounder can provide an effective cardiovascular workout, helping to strengthen the heart and improve overall fitness. It can definitely increase your heart rate!

Lymphatic System Support: Rebounding stimulates the lymphatic system, which aids in detoxification and immune function.

Improved Balance and Coordination: The act of bouncing requires coordination and balance, which can be beneficial for overall stability. Proprioception – knowing where our body is in space – is an important skill to maintain as we age to help prevent falls and balance issues.

Stress Reduction: Rebounding can be a fun and enjoyable way to relieve stress and improve mood, thanks to the release of endorphins during exercise. Bouncing is super fun!

Muscle strengthening: Rebounding engages multiple muscle groups, some of which you might not often work (like calves).

Increased Bone Density: Rebounding is a weight-bearing exercise, which can help to improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis over time.

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Sharing a recipe for healthy homemade dog food!

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope that your day is going well! Today, I’m off to the kids’ school to volunteer and am looking forward to some time in the sauna blanket after a workout. It should be a pretty low-key day!

For today’s post, I wanted to share Maisey’s latest obsession with you: homemade dog food. This simple recipe is PACKED with nutrients and she goes crazy with it.

(See the crazy eyes?? She’s INTO IT.)

TBH, I always felt a little bad giving her packaged dog food because this creature LOVES fresh food. She’s constantly begging for scraps of broccoli and bell pepper (her two faves), has stolen an entire brisket off the counter (and ate it on our new white couch..), a whole chicken breast (bones and all, and thankfully didn’t get sick), as well as ramen and curry. Knowing her flavor profile, I would pour her kibble into her bowl and feel a little bad for the gourmet gal. To spice things up, we would put Fresh Pet on top from Whole Foods (SO expensive and still felt like a block of packaged meat), but I knew there had to be a better way.

I started researching a ton, and found a recipe online that inspired me to finally make our own.

I’m excited to share all of the details with you! It’s less expensive than Fresh Pet, with certified organic, farm fresh, and wild-caught ingredients, and I love that I know everything that went into it. No preservatives or extra stuff.

Healthy homemade dog food recipe

Benefits of Homemade Dog Food:

Making your dog’s food at home can have a ton of benefits, including:

Control Over Ingredients: By preparing your dog’s food from scratch, you have full control over the quality of ingredients used, ensuring that your furry friend gets only the best.

Avoidance of Sketchy Ingredients: Conventional dog foods often contain questionable ingredients such as fillers, artificial preservatives, and low-quality meats that can be harmful to your dog’s health.

Tailored Nutrition: Homemade dog food allows you to tailor your dog’s diet to their specific needs, whether they require a cer