In need of an emotional release? It's time to explore the full spectrum of your feelings – and learn how to accept them all

It’s funny, really: emotions are the very essence of being human, and yet we don’t devote much time to truly contemplating them.

Most of us take feelings at face value, or shy away from those with seemingly ‘negative’ connotations, without really thinking about what they might be trying to tell us.

What is behind our frustration that we’re too afraid to voice? Why is it that our eyes mist up when a joyful moment takes us by surprise?

Emotions are complex, and multi-layered, and sometimes expressing them can come with a lot of stigma.

But when we withdraw from facing how we truly feel, we risk not recognising the signs that our needs are not being met.

This special edition is dedicated to understanding the full spectrum of our emotional experience, from the powerful ways joy can help counter burnout, to the enlightment we can get from connecting with other generations.

Many of us will have first-hand experience of wanting to hide away from so-called ‘negative’ emotions, but we want to emphasise the fact that there is no such thing!

From our columnist Michelle Elman’s personal experience with survivor’s guilt, to coping with triggering situations, and redefining our perceptions of rage, there should be no shame in whatever it is you are feeling.

Plus, this emotions special, our issue 70, print edition includes:

• Enlightening features including a spotlight on seasonal friendships, myths about success (and how to really succeed), the truth about aphrodisiacs, and liberation from the need to be liked.

• Life-changing hacks on how to handle jealousy, morning rituals to improve your sleep, and anxiety-busting weekend activities.

• Expert advice on topics such as lovebombing, accepting your relationship with your body post-baby, and how to deal with resentment.

Every emotion has value, and the ability to teach us something. Recognising the full range of our moods allows us to appreciate the light and shade of life, and truly value all aspects of the human experience.

Without moments of sadness, we couldn’t grasp the infinite value of love and contentment.

So, wherever you are on the emotional scale, know it won’t last forever, and there should be no shame or secrecy. Allow yourself to feel it all.

As Yogi Berra so artfully put it: “Whatever you do, you should do
it with feeling.”

Happy reading!

Rebecca Thair
Editor

Read more

Loaded with flavor and just a hint of heat, these Italian stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef and rice, seasoned with plenty of Italian spices, and topped with cheese.

Served with a salad or warm rosemary garlic bread, this is a hearty meal that comes together without any fuss.

Just brown the meat, fill the peppers, and let them roast away while you kick back on the couch with a book. Sprinkle the warm peppers with cheese just before serving and you’ll have an easy dinner on the table with minimal effort.

Spicy Italian Peppers

These Spicy Italian Peppers are one of my husband’s favorite meals. I’ve been making them for at least 8-10 years now and I double this recipe almost every time I make them.

They’re loaded with flavor and just a hint of heat, but if spicy dishes aren’t your thing, skip the crushed red pepper and you’ll have Italian-style stuffed peppers that will make everyone happy.

The meat mixture freezes perfectly on its own and the stuffed peppers freeze well too. I often freeze the cooked peppers individually for quick and easy lunches.

Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

To make the recipe even easier, you can also use cooked rice leftover from a previous meal. Make rice as a side dish for your lunch and use the leftovers in stuffed peppers for dinner!

My kids and I typically eat one pepper each and my husband will eat a couple of them. They’re filling, delicious, and enthusiastically enjoyed by everyone.

Stuffed Bell Peppers are easy to customize based on your family’s tastes. You can play with different pre-made spaghetti sauces, adjust the spices and try different kinds of cheese on top of the cooked peppers.

Feel free to use this recipe as a jumping off point for making the Stuffed Peppers of your dreams. I love the ground beef in the original version but sausage and ground turkey work well too.

These Italian style stuffed peppers have the advantage of being convenient, easy, customizable and kid-friendly to boot. As far as weeknight meals go, can we ask for anything more?

Read more

TBH I’m always a little hesitant to write this type of post after I dubbed 2020 the “year of travel” but here we go….

Hi friends! Happy Monday and HAPPY NEW YEAR! *throws confetti into the air* I’m back and feeling refreshed after some time with the fam. We got together with friends, watched movies, enjoyed some girl time (pedicures, boba teas, shopping, baking), and are back in the swing of things this week. I hope you had a wonderful blurry week between Christmas and New Years, and hope you had a safe and happy New Years’ celebration.

(New Years Eve at the Desert Museum)

For today’s post, I thought it would be a good time to look back on the year, assess how I did with my goals, and set some goals for 2023.

I tend to have mixed feelings about resolutions. I’m the type of person who often thinks, “If you want to change something, change it now, instead of waiting for the pressure of a looming date or holiday,” but at the same time, there’s something exciting and motivating about a bright, shiny, new year.

I make changes and set goals throughout the year, but this is the time that I usually set big business and financial goals, health and personal goals, and brainstorm a theme for the year: a mantra I can keep in mind when things feel challenging or tough. My mantra for this year is “gratitude.” Having a daily gratitude practice has made a big impact in my mood and mindset.

Here’s a lil recap of what went down in 2022.

Looking back on 2022 and my goals for 2023

I’m SO thankful that we were able to travel more this year! We went to some of our favorite places, like Mt. Lemmon, Great Wolf Lodge (a few times), San Diego, Disneyland, Read more

Naturally sweet and bursting with blueberry freshness, banana blueberry pancakes are a weekday breakfast must in our home.

(Are you wondering how to pull off pancakes on a busy weekday morning?? Check out all the tips below!)

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

I’ve been making these pancakes for years. Blueberry waffles and pancakes have been a long-time favorite, (check out these blueberry waffles for proof of that – they’re just so good!) but when I started adding blueberries to the banana nut pancakes in my first cookbook? That combination became an immediate favorite.

Even with a house full of voracious eaters, I am baffled at how any food can possibly go bad in my household but bananas are my nemesis.

A few years ago a friend told me that when her my bananas get close to spoiling, she just tosses them into the freezer without peeling them or anything else and when they accumulate, she makes banana bread.

FYI that tip did NOT work for me, but peeling the bananas and dropping them into a freezer bag DOES work for me. You can grab however many bananas you need out of the bag and thaw them on a plate. It’s much simpler and less messy than dealing with a frozen and then thawed slimy banana peel.

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

While this is a super handy thing to keep in mind for dealing with over-ripe bananas, I am not even going to admit how many bananas often accumulate in my freezer. These easy banana pancakes are one way to avoid the banana backlog.

Fresh blueberries are my favorite to use in pancakes and waffles, but frozen will get the job done as well. One thing to note with frozen blueberries and pancakes is that the batter will sometimes be uncooked around those frozen blueberries.

To avoid these little pockets of batter I will set out frozen blueberries in a single layer on a plate before mixing up my batter. Then, by the time the batter is made and has had a few minutes to rest while the griddle gets hot, the blueberries are just slightly soft and everything cooks nicely.

Need more fluffy banana pancake ideas? Try these Read more

Protein Waffles – Easy Healthy Breakfast

Two ingredient protein waffles…2 INGREDIENTS…that’s all you need to make this high protein breakfast! We are eating protein waffles for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We practically live off of these things. A few times a month I seem to have one of those days where no matter how badly I want to make dinner (or sometimes don’t even want to think about it), it just isn’t going to happen. Or maybe we just got home from vacation or ate super heavy all week, the list goes on and on. Either way, having something in your pocket that isn’t cereal or nachos comes in quite handy. Introducing what we call, “protein waffles”. 

We eat protein waffles for dinner, but we also have them regularly for breakfast. A healthy breakfast sets the tone for my day, and I love getting a lot of protein in at breakfast. With this waffles recipe, you get 16 grams of protein in just one waffle.

Ingredients for Protein Waffles

Okay, don’t blink because you might miss it! For these protein waffles all you need is protein powder and eggs. You can use whole eggs or go with just egg whites for an even healthier waffle recipe.

What is the Best Protein Powder?

We use lots of different protein powders and have tried just about everything out. Our favorite brand of protein powder for these waffles is Just Ingredients Vanilla Bean. When you’re picking a protein powder, keep a close eye on the sugar. A lot of protein powders have loads of sugar in them and we don’t want that! Just Ingredients brand has only 2 grams of sugar per scoop.