Hi friends! Happy Friday! The weekend is heeeeere and the Pilot and I are off to Miraval. BLESS IT. Cell phone access is limited, but I’ll definitely share sneak peeks and some of the fun (and delicious eats) on IG stories when I get a chance.

What do you have going on this weekend? Liv has a show later this weekend, and we’re meeting up with friends for swimming and dinner. It’s the usual summer fun around here and I’m soaking it up since the kids start school so early here in AZ. We’re headed to Hawaii in a couple of weeks to cap off the summer, and unlike our previous family vacations, I haven’t planned much at all to do while we’re in Oahu (Waikiki area).

(Pic from a milkshake date with these cuties a few days ago)

I’m just excited to be there and I think the kids are pumped to spend every day at the beach. I booked the Paradise Cove luau – so many were sold out – so if you have feedback or tips on that luau (or if you hated it and we should cancel lol), please let me know!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some 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.

We had family visit this past week (the Pilot’s mom, dad, sis, + our niece and nephew) and that was definitely a huge a highlight. We took them to some of our fave Tucson spots, ate the best Mexican food,

and we had everyone over for a cookout and swimming. We had 20 people over and the Pilot smoked a giant brisket, two whole chickens, and we also had cheesy potatoes, chopped salad, ceviche, chips, fresh sourdough, fruit salad, asparagus, salmon, s’mores and dump cake for dessert. It was pretty legendary. 🙂

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Look, I get it. You know you’ll feel better if you work out. But maybe your alarm was extra-unwelcome this morning or you’ve had an exhausting day. And you know that with a little bit of a boost, you’re not just more likely to actually feel up to exercising — you’re also more likely to crush that workout.

And that makes a pre-workout pretty appealing, but that quick high comes with some serious lows you need to be aware of.

Why I don’t use pre-workout

You all know I take my sweat session seriously. So a lot of people are surprised when they hear that I never make pre-workout part of my routine. I mean, it’s a pretty standard part of that fitness lifestyle for a lot of people.

But here’s the thing. Pre-workout is FILLED with synthetic sh*t like artificial sweeteners and untested supplements. Like, you’re truly getting that boost from chemicals paired with a VERY heavy-handed dose of caffeine. And that means it comes with side effects like:

• Jitters
• Nausea
• An energy crash afterward
• Tingling and flushed skin
• Digestive problems
• Water retention (read: bloating)
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches

You might think those side effects would probably be pretty rare — but you’d be wrong. A 2019 study found that 54% of people who took pre-workout experienced side effects, and those side effects were more common in women than in men. That means that if you and your friend both take pre-workout, the odds are pretty darn high that at least one of you will have to deal with feeling sick, getting a skin reaction, or some other issue. 

On top of all of this, pre-workout raises your heart rate. If you’re going to be getting into some serious cardio, that can put excess (read: dangerous) strain on your heart. 

As we learn more about what pre-workout does to the body, more and more health and fitness experts are coming out against it. And I’m right there with them.

What to watch out for

I’m not saying all of this to freak you out. But I do think that if you’re using pre-workout, it’s important to put some thought into it. Read the label and look up ingredients you don’t know. Here are a few common ones I would steer clear of:

• Excess caffeine: A lot pre-workout products have upwards of 250+ mg of caffeine per serving. Factor your daily cup (or two) of coffee on top of that and you’re quickly hitting or exceeding the FDAs recommended caffeine intake of up to 400 milligrams. It’s important not to shock your system and overload it too quickly. 
• Beta-alanine: This compound is supposed to help prevent muscle fatigue and soreness. But it also affects your skin. If you’ve ever felt tingly after taking pre-workout, beta-alanine was probably to blame.
• Niacin: A.k.a., vitamin B3, niacin does play an important role in your metabolism. But if you’re eating a healthy diet, you should already be getting plenty of it. And the high levels of niacin in pre-workout cause skin flushing, so much so that a lot of people get red patches on their skin. 
• Creatine: Creatine is a pretty popular fitness supplement because it helps to boost muscle mass and enhance athletic performance. But do you know

Sharing a recap of some of the thing’s I’m loving lately – summer edition! Here are some of the items we’ve bought lately and I find myself using them all time time, and constantly recommending to friends. 

Hi friends! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you had a safe and happy 4th! We’re back from an incredible weekend in Vegas – I’ll share a recap soon – and while I’m a total zombie this week, it was 100% worth it. We had such a great time and it was a huge treat to spend some time together as a couple and also with our friends Betsy and Jeremy.

I’m slowwwwllyy making my way back into real life (and getting ready for a fun visit from the Pilot’s side of the fam this weekend!), studying for IHP and getting the finishing touches on Summer Shape Up. If you’re not signed up already, grab your spot here!! It’s free and we start on Monday!

For today’s post, I’m sharing a list of some of my very favorite things for summer, along with some of your top recs and fave purchases.

Things I’m loving lately (summer edition)

1) This backless strapless bra

Friends, I have worn this sticky bra SO many times with all of the strapless, off-shoulder, and tank tops this summer. The only downside is taking it off, which is borderline painful lol, but it keeps things covered and in place without wires (THE WORST) or straps. I just wash it with hand soap and water and let it air dry, and it’s remained perfectly sticky. The funny thing is that I originally bought it for an event, thinking I’d never wear it again. Who knew it would be such a staple?! It’s 14000x better than strapless bras.

2) These Madewell earrings

My friend Nicole has these earrings and I automatically thought they’d be super pricey because they’re structured so beautifully. Found out they were $28 and bought them that day! I wear them constantly with cute tanks and dresses, and always get compliments on them.

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Hi friends! Hope you’re having a lovely morning so far! In today’s post, I wanted to chat a bit about how to eat clean and healthy on a budget and my tips for saving money on food!

I shared a post here on what it means to eat clean, and how this phrase is common (and this post is really titled like this for search purposes) but it isn’t my favorite phrase. No food is “dirty” and I’m a huge believer that you should eat the things you enjoy that work in your budget and lifestyle. Eating clean emphasizes eating nutritious and minimally-processed foods (though many processed foods are actually healthy!), eating fresh fruits and veggies, unprocessed veggies, smart carbs, and whole grains.

Eating in this way can seem expensive, especially when you’re buying organic options, but it’s absolutely possible to eat clean and healthy foods without breaking the bank when you know how to shop smart and plan ahead.

How To Eat Clean And Healthy On A Budget

Avoid trendy health foods

Trendy healthy foods are usually = $$$. You don’t have to include trendy superfoods (like spirulina, chlorella, goji berries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and micro greens in your diet to have a nutritious and fufilling style of eating. While ya’ll know I LOVE a trendy superfood now and again, the beauty truly is in the basics. Fruits, veggies, protein, starches from the earth, and healthy fats. When all our fails, check out the perimeter of the grocery store (this is where the fruits, veggies, meat, and eggs are typically found) and the freezer section for healthy staples.

Bring nutrient-dense snacks

If you know you’re going to be out and about, a great way to save money is to bring your own snacks instead of buying something while you’re out. Some of my favorite grab and go snacks: jerky and an apple, trail mix, yogurt (if you like dairy), a hard-boiled egg, tuna packs and veggie packs from Thrive Market. I’ll also often bring a salad, a breakfast cookie, or a wrap with me when I’m out of the house working.

Meal planning

This is my favorite way to save money on food because we minimize waste and know exactly what we’re going to eat each week. If you meal plan, it also helps you stick to your budget for the week since you’re not buying food on the fly. My exact formula for meal planning and meal prep is here! I break down how I plan each night and organize our weeks.

Prepare meals with ingredients that you have

When I make our meal plan for each week, I also try to take into account foods we already have on hand and would like to use. I get almost all of our meat from Butcher Box, so I’ll think of the meat and seafood we have here when choosing recipes for healthy meals.

Create a grocery list

Throughout the week, I have a list I’ll add to as I realize we’re out of certain items. This way I don’t spend extra money buying something that we already have on hand. (We also know to double up on certain items, like almond milk, peanut butter, and maple syrup, when we run

Hi hi! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? We have an event at the Pilot’s work, are spending lots of time in the pool, and have a DATE NIGHT. Our babysitter moved out of town for college last year but she’s here for the summer and we’re SO thankful. I hope you have a fun and wonderful weekend ahead.

Some pics from Memorial Day weekend!

The Pilot and I went with our entire squadron to see the new Top Gun movie. So many people dressed in costume (we’re talking a towel, aviator sunglasses, and dog tags for one of our friends), and it was everything. I also LOVED the movie. The Pilot said it was, “Cute” and then immediately went into all of the mission inaccuracies blah blah. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it! So action-packed and incredible cinematography.

Dress is here and shoes are here

(Also I want Tom Cruise’s secret. His ability to defy aging continues to mystify me.)

Speaking of defying aging, the grillmaster:

(he cooked up burgers, tons of BBQ chicken thighs, hot dogs, and corn on the cob and everything was amaaaazing)

Eating cake with my babies by the pool:

Food spread:

Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, toppings, buns

Paula Deen banana pudding (the most insane banana pudding you will ever have)

Fruit and yogurt dip

Mediterranean chopped salad

The best pasta salad ever