Sharing the best of the best from Amazon Prime Day! 

Hi hi! How are you? I hope you’re having a lovely morning!

Christmas is here in July because Amazon Prime Day is heeeeeere. This is when I usually stock up on things we need around the house, anything I’ve been scoping out, and Christmas gifts! The older I get, the earlier I shop, and it really makes a positive difference in my holiday experience lol. It’s so nice to feel like I’m not scrambling at the last minute.

If you’re shopping Prime Day, I went through and navigated the sale to find the best deals + some of my favorite products and recs. Everything is linked up below! Thank you so much to those of you who shop through my affiliate links; your support means the world to me and I hope you know how much I appreciate it.

Amazon Prime Day picks

Top Favorites

The BEST noise canceling headphones.

Sony A7 camera. I’ve been needing a new camera forever and this is the one I have my eye on. I love that it’s smaller and mirrorless, especially since I’ve been blogging since 2008 and never *really* learned how to use my DSLR.

Revlon One Step hair dryer. I still use this constantly, especially when I straighten my hair. I don’t use it to dry my hair – I’ll use a regular blow dryer and a round brush – and use this as the last step to fully smooth everything out. They also have the Dry Bar version of this tool here.

Your dental hygiene will thank ya. I never thought I could be obsessed with a WaterPik, but here we are.

The famous lip sleeping mask.

This is the vaaccum I use the most often. When our last one died, I got another version of the exact same one because it lasted for many years and does a great job. (My Dyson cordless vacuum died within a couple of years.)

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Sharing 5 online barre classes you must try and are a fun component to add to your fitness routine. 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope your morning is going well and that you had a wonderful weekend! Ours was the perfect summer weekend packed with fun and friend time, and this week, the kids are at a day camp and I’m officially back to work after lots of vacation time. It’s hard to believe that I went so many years without taking a single day off from blogging or content creation. You do what you gotta do, but it’s no wonder I was so burned out. I’ve definitely gotten used to giving myself a day off here and there, and it’s made a difference in my happiness and productivity.

For today, I wanted to talk about a workout format that has stood the test of time. It’s something that I’ve loved for many years and always come back to it as a staple in my routine:

barre!

I LOVE barre workouts because they give me a little reminder of my dance days of yore, they’re incredibly challenging, yet easier on the joints. There’s minimal impact and I feel like no matter what, I always get a good workout. There are so many great online barre options, so I wanted to share five of my top fives if you’re looking to get in some barre classes at home this summer!

5 online barre classes you must try

Pure Barre

Pure Barre classes are designed to target specific muscle groups using small, isometric movements. By isolating and working these muscles to the point of fatigue, you can achieve a long, lean physique while improving your flexibility, posture, and overall body alignment.

One of the things I love most about Pure Barre is its inclusivity. Whether you’re a seasoned fitness enthusiast or a beginner, Pure Barre offers modifications and variations to meet you where you are on your fitness journey. The supportive and encouraging environment makes it a welcoming space for all fitness levels and ages.

Why I like Pure Barre:

I feel like these classes are more music-driven, and they feel like the most *classic* barre exercises to me. It includes a mix of pulses, isometric holds, and full-range movements, in addition to core burners, juicy stretches, and challenging series. With a variety of class formats, including Classic, Empower, and Reform, you can mix it up and keep your workouts fresh and exciting.

Pricing: Starts at $9.99/month (billed annually; $29.99 billed monthly) and you also get access to different formats, including Club Pilates and Yoga Six.

barre3

Barre3 is all about finding balance in every aspect of your life. With a focus on functional movements, the workouts aim to improve streng

The best ever BBQ Meatloaf is here to add variety to your dinner table! Take an easy meatloaf recipe and make it even better with the addition of tangy barbecue sauce and bacon.

Meatloaf with Bacon

We all know the saying, right? Does bacon make everything better in your world too? While you can certainly make this without the bacon, and it’s admittedly tasty that way too, we love it in this bacon meatloaf.

I love the comforting familiarity of meatloaf. That said, it doesn’t have a reputation for being the most exciting of dinners. This meatloaf with bbq sauce is anything but boring.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this bacon meatloaf and the result is every bit as delicious as the more complicated traditional recipes.

Oh! And guess what? I have also made this with pre-cooked and crumbled bacon and it works beautifully that way.

BBQ Meatloaf

Once you assemble the ingredients, this BBQ meatloaf recipe takes hardly any time to prepare and most of the cooking time is hands-off. The barbecue sauce provides terrific flavor for the glaze and it is something I always have on hand – making it a very simple meal to pull together.

We are big fans of meatloaf here and this barbecue sauce glazed meatloaf is a new favorite. I first tried a bbq sauce glaze on meatloaf with this very simple five ingredient meatloaf recipe.

That recipe quickly became a go-to super fast meal to pull together, but I’ll tell you now that adding just a few more spices and seasonings takes it to a whole new level. And bacon, let’s not forget the smoky awesomeness that a handful (or three) of chopped bacon delivers.

Serve slices of BBQ meatloaf with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable sides, like grilled corn, sauteed Brussels sprouts, or asparagus. Get juicy, flavorful, tender meatloaf on the table tonight with this easy bbq bacon meatloaf dinner!

Leftover meatloaf can be wrapped up and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. Leftover meatloaf is wonderful served on bread or rolls the next day for BBQ meatloaf sandwiches.

My kids have even been known to sneak a slice of leftover meatloaf str

Thai Peanut Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Crisp cold lettuce wrapped around saucy flavorful turkey…and you have our favorite Thai peanut turkey lettuce wraps! A healthy and delicious appetizer or light dinner.

I love these turkey lettuce wraps!  Years ago I was living in Chicago and we all went out to PF Changs for dinner. Everyone was ordering the lettuce wraps and I was like, “meat in lettuce??… yeah sounds really great…blah!” And then I tried them and they were awesome!!!!!!!! I was totally thinking it would be lame, but it was delicious.

This is one of my favorite meals to make in the summer months when you want a light easy meal!

Ingredients for Turkey Lettuce Wraps

A quick and easy recipe is just what I need in the summer time! It always seems like we are running to a soccer practice or rushing in from being at the pool, and simple and delicious is my summer jam! Here are the ingredients that you will need…

For the Filling

• Ground Turkey: You can go as lean as you want, but know that the leaner the turkey, the drier the filling will be.
• Celery: diced up nice and fine
• Carrots: You can shred your own carrots or buy them already shredded.
• Red Bell Pepper: You could use yellow or orange too, but I wouldn’t use green.
• Onion: minced up small
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Slivered Almonds: adds the most amazing crunch to the wraps

For the Sauce

• Peanut Butter: You want creamy and it adds all the great peanut flavor to the sauce.
• Brown Sugar: adds a depth of flavor and richness to the sauce
• Sugar: adds more sweetness to the sauce
• Hoisin Sauce: a thick, dark colored sauce that is both sweet and salty
• Oyster Sauce: a thick, dark sauce made from oyster extract that doesn’t taste fishy despite the name and adds an earthy flavor
• Rice Vinegar: made from fermented rice and adds acidity
• Soy Sauce: adds great umami flavor to the sauce
• Red Pepper Flakes: adds heat to the sauce
• Lettuce Leaves: you want whole large leaves with no tears in them

Scroll down to the end of the post to find all the measurements you will need of each ingredient.

How to Make Lettuce Wraps

You only need about 30 minutes to make this flavorful recipe. It’s as simple as browning the turkey, sautéing the vegetables and whisking together the peanut sauce. Here are the basic steps…

1. Brown the turkey until it is almost totally cooked. Remove to a bowl.
2. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl.
3. Add all the vegetables to the skillet and sauté until tender. Then add the meat back in.
4. Add the sauce and let it all simmer together for a few minutes.
5. Spoon the meat mixture into the lettuce leaves and sprinkle with slivered almonds and sliced green onions.<

Protein Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked Oatmeal in a Mug

If you want a simple and delicious high protein breakfast (27g!) that tastes like a chocolate chip cookie, then you have to try this protein chocolate chip cookie baked oatmeal in a mug!

I’ve seen the recipes for oatmeal in a mug, aka mug cake, a slightly healthier mug cake, haha, but I wasn’t loving a lot of the recipes. It turns out that they all had a piece of a puzzle and merely needed to all be put together! This healthy baked oatmeal in a mug has a little protein powder which gives extra flavor and nutrients without overcomplicating the recipe.

Whenever we have a busy day or I’m not in the mood to cook I’ll make a little baked oatmeal and let the family pick out their toppings. It’s like pancake night, but less sugar!

Speaking of, if you want to go all crazy with this protein breakfast recipe you can totally mix up the flavors and add-ins (see ideas below).

Ingredients for Baked Oatmeal in a Mug

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for blended baked oats. This is meant to be a quick snippet of what is included. For all the details, scroll down to the recipe card.

• Banana: adds natural sweetness and moisture
• Egg: binds all the ingredients together
• Oats: You can use old fashioned oats or quick oats since you blend it up. I prefer old fashioned because it’s been processed less. You could also use oat flour if you prefer (since that’s what we are making when we blend these oats up). Use a scant 1/2 cup of oat flour. NOTE: Steel cut oats will not work for this recipe.
• Protein Powder: You can use any flavor you want. Vanilla is my favorite for that true chocolate chip cookie flavor. We have been using coconut flavored protein powder lately which is also yummy because that’s what we have right now.
• Milk: any type of milk works great…whole, 2%, 1%, fat free, almond milk, oat milk, etc.
• Baking Powder: gives the mug cake some rise and fluffiness
• Salt: enhances all the flavors

Substitutes for Banana

I know that there are strong feelings about bananas out there, so if you aren’t a banana fan or you don’t have any, here are few ideas for substitutes:

• Applesauce
• Zucchini
• Apple Butter
• Yogurt
• Canned Pumpkin

You’ll want to use about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of these.

Ideas for Toppings and Mix-Ins

You don’t have to stop at chocolate chip cookie flavor! The possibilities are endless! You can change the flavor of protein powder you use as well as the toppings or mix-ins you add. Here are a few ideas to customize your own baked oatmeal in a mug…

• Chopped nuts – pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Nutella
• Caramel
• Granola
• Yogurt
• Chopped fruit
• Nut butter – peanut butter, almond butter, etc.
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