Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’ve been home for almost a week and I’m not entirely sure where the time has gone. I’ve gifted myself the last week of our summer work-free – and I’m still pretty happy about it. I’ll be back with new recipes to share next Monday. In the meantime, there are thousands of recipes already on the websites – check them out and find something new to try!

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Nothing new from me, but my friends have been sharing all kinds of deliciousness. Check these recipes out for inspiration this week!

I need to make this Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad soon. And this Chicken Panzanella sounds fantastic. 

This Broccoli Rice Casserole looks creamy, cheesy, and perfect for pretty much any meal. It would be great with some juicy grilled chicken. 

And this recipe for Whipped Goat Cheese and Blueberry Balsamic Crostini is absolutely calling my name.

Oh! And that reminds me that Rebecca’s Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Goat Cheese Fondue is one of the tastiest goat cheese inspired things I’ve ever tasted. (It’s a copycat Rusconi’s recipe and it’s truly fantastic.)

German Chocolate Cake is one dessert that I absolutely can not turn down if it’s being offered. And this one looks soo good!

My FAVORITE THING this week is this magnetic cell phone holder. I’ve been using this phone mount for almost 2 years, and I just bought another one for my new car. We have them in all of our vehicles now. It’s the easiest thing ever to use!

What I’m READING: This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo MD. Dr. Naidoo is a psychiatrist, nutrition specialist, and professionally trained chef. She draws on a great deal of scientific research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and illustrates how our diets can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues. 

While food isn’t going to cure everything, there are a great many studies that have proven how beneficial certain foods can be for specific health issues. I found this book to be fascinating. (Side

Hi friends! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? It’s a pretty normal weekend around here with basketball, dance, time with friends, and time to plan and catch up for next week. It’s also our anniversary 🙂 I’m looking forward to a family dinner with my favorite people; I can’t believe I actually got to marry to Starbucks guy and feel blessed every day for this beautiful life we have together.

17 years <3

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

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.

8.16 Friday Faves

Fashion + beauty + random:

New Amazon watch band! I got this to wear with me “real people” clothes aka non-workotut clothes, and the quality is surprisingly good.

I loooove this gentle exfoliator. It isn’t too abrasive for sensitive skin and is also unscented.

Tangle teezer! Our girls’ friend had one of these and loves it, so I got some for the girls. The hype is real! It takes out tangles without pain and while the Morrocan oil always helps, this has been a gamechanger with all of the siwmming they’ve done.

Read, watch, listen:

The girls and I have been reading old American Girl books before bed and friends, they have stood the test of time. They’re just as lovely and interesting as I remember and the kids have adored them! It’s been fun to share the thing that introduced me to historical fiction when I was P’s age.

Hi friends! I have a new podcast episode live and I’m so thrilled to be chatting with Dr. Alice Honican.

Here’s what we talk about in today’s episode:

-autoimmune treatment and cures

– bioenergetic testing

– How to support detox pathways

– what she thinks about thermography

– dry eye tips

and so.much.more.

170: autoimmune treatment and bioenergetic testing with Dr. Alice Honican

Here’s more about Dr. Honican and her background:

Dr. Alice Honican is a Doctor of Naturopathy, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, and Bioenergetic Practitioner at Longevity Health Center in Roswell, GA.

After earning her Bachelor‘s Degree of Science in Psychology from the University of Georgia, Dr. Honican continued on to receive her Master’s Degree in Acupuncture from The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, CA. She is Nationally Certified in both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology and licensed in the state of Georgia. She also earned her Doctorate in Traditional Naturopathy, completing her dissertation on Chronic Lyme Disease.

As the daughter of a Naturopath-Acupuncturist, Dr. Honican was raised in a home that embraced a natural perspective on healthcare. Her father, Dr. Seneca Anderson, was treating chronic fatigue syndrome and Epstein-Barr virus back in the 80s. He was one of the first Lyme-literate holistic practitioners in the state of Georgia, as well as the country, and ran a thriving practice for more than 45 years. Dr. Honican trained under her father, and has now been practicing for 20 years, treating hundreds of patients with tick-borne infections and other acute and chronic illnesses.

Today Dr. Honican has taken over as Owner and Lead Practitioner of the practice. In addition to

Sharing some tips on boosting fertility and supporting your stress levels and hormones. 

Hi friends! I hope that you’re enjoying the day so far! I have a conference call this am and two coaching calls this afternoon. I’m excited to get in a lunchtime yoga class in between the screen today.

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a little bit about fertility. While this phase of life seems so far in the past for us (wahhhh), I know many of my friends out there are considering building a family or working towards it. I also wanted to add a note here that if fertility is a triggering topic for you, please skip this post and I’ll see ya back here tomorrow with a new podcast episode! I’m holding you in my heart and sending you love.

Living a healthy lifestyle is crucial not only for your overall well-being but also for your fertility. In fact, many Americans struggle with getting pregnant, with about 12-15% of couples experiencing fertility issues. The good news? Making a few lifestyle and dietary adjustments can significantly increase your chances of getting pregnant. While I understand that there are complicated and difficult situations out there that can all impact fertility, I’m a huge believer in controlling what you can control, which is exactly what this post is about!

Today, I’m sharing a round-up of natural ways to boost fertility that could make all the difference. (As always, this post is not medical advice and talk with your healthcare provider before making any fitness or nutrition changes.)

(P! My baby fever is baaaaaad right now)

13 Natural Ways to Boost Fertility

1. Reduce Stress

Stress is a major factor that can negatively affect fertility in both men and women. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with the reproductive system, leading to irregular menstrual cycles in women and decreased sperm production in men. Reducing stress, or the impacts of daily stress on your body, is crucial to improving fertility. Techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and even simple daily walks can help manage stress levels. Consider incorporating these practices into your daily routine to create a more balanced and calm environment for conception.

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important factors for boosting fertility. Both underweight and overweight individuals can face fertility challenges. For women, being overweight can lead to hormonal imbalances and conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can negatively affect ovulation. On the other hand, being underweight can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and difficulties in conceiving. Strive for a balanced diet rich in whole foods, and engage in regular physical activity to maintain a healthy weight, which will optimize your fertility.

3. Increase Physical Activity

Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces stress, and improves overall health, all of which are beneficial for fertility. However, it’s important to

Perfect Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe

The bold and juicy flavor of Smoked Brisket is everything! We have the perfect smoked brisket recipe that is flawless every time!

Serve this brisket with a side of macaroni salad or sweet cornbread, and you’ll be in BBQ heaven!

This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

Smoked Brisket on a Traeger

Admit it, no other protein does it quite like beef. Beef tastes amazing, and that taste belongs on my table. When you start with such a delicious high-quality protein, the culinary possibilities are endless! You can sear it, grill it, roast it, use it as an ingredient or make it an entrée, the list goes on and on.

Add a wood pellet smoker into the mix and then you have the best beef on the globe. Brisket is a huge cut of beef and can be quite expensive, so we want to make sure you smoke it to perfection. The smoker makes it so easy, and the quality is top shelf!

What is Brisket?

Let’s start with what this meat is that we are smoking. Brisket is a cut of beef from the breast or lower chest of a cow. You might also see them labeled as a whole packer brisket, which means it includes both the point and the flat of the brisket. It is one of the toughest cuts of beef, but when it is smoked, braised, or slow roasted, it renders into juicy, tender and flavorful beef bliss. All you need is time and a few tools and simple tricks.

Note that there is a lean side and a fatty side to brisket, and you need both to make the perfectly smoked brisket that we are after. The lean side of the brisket has a tighter grain and is harder to make tender.

This is where we divide the men from the boys in the smoking world. Making that lean side melt in your mouth is when you know you’ve reached the peak of brisket perfection. We will help you do just that!

How to Smoke a Brisket

Let’s jump right into the best way to smoke a brisket and then we will answer all sorts of questions below.

Step 1: Select Your Brisket

When it comes to purchasing a brisket, there are few tricks we have learned to picking out a good brisket. First, check the grade of the beef. There are three different grades — Prime, Choice, or Select. Prime is going to be your highest quality and best brisket, but it is going to be quite pricey. If you have the money to spend, go with Prime. If you don’t, then Choice is an excellent way to go.

Also, when you pick up the brisket, make sure it has good flexibility. You don’t want a brisket with