Saucy BBQ pork tucked into melted cheese in a buttery crisp tortilla? That’s something I can’t possibly resist. This pulled pork quesadilla is a quick and easy way to get a hearty meal on the table, even on the busiest of weeknights.

Pulled pork is one of my favorite food leftovers to have in the house and these quesadillas make the most of it.

BBQ Pork Quesadilla

The beauty of quesadillas is that you can fill them with almost any cheese, meat, or vegetable combination and they taste delicious. Chicken and caramelized onions? Check. Cheesy pepperoni pizza? Definitely. Meat lover’s steak and cheese? Oh yeah. Fully loaded with all the vegetables from the fridge? Every chance I get.

There isn’t a quesadilla you can make that my crew won’t devour. (Or, if there is, I haven’t found it yet.) At our house, bbq pork, green chile shredded pork, and carnitas are made on a regular basis and plenty of that pork gets tucked into the freezer for quick meals later.

For something a little bit different, this Honey Lime Pork Roast is a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, with just a hint of citrus.

Slow Cooker Mexican Pork is some of the best pulled pork you can make at home and it requires about 5 minutes of prep time before you turn on the crockpot and walk away.

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F45 is a high-intensity, 45-minute workout that challenges every muscle in your body. Learn more about the program, and tips for beginners and first-timers here.

Hi hi! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one. Ours was packed with fun events: rehearsal dinner, Trevor and Danielle’s wedding, Liv danced in a parade, family brunch, women’s basketball game… it was so much fun, but a total whirlwind. I’d love to hear what you were up to!

Since I’m off to cardio day at F45 – let’s be real, I work much harder there for cardio than I do on my own – I thought I’d share some tips for beginners or for friends who are considering trying it out for the first time.

F45 For Beginners: What To Expect At A Class

What is F45?

F45 stands for Functional Training 45 – it’s a team training environment with a functional workout that only takes 45 minutes. Their little tagline/motto is: team training, life changing.

One of my favorite parts about this workout is that they don’t waste any time. They go through the demos, start the workout, and you GO. I LOVE that it’s not an entire hour – except for the weekend classes – which makes it more reasonable for my schedule. I typically go to F45 once or twice a week, usually on a pure cardio day and pure strength day.

You can check out my post comparing F45 to Orangetheory here!

How are the workouts structured?

One of my favorite things about F45 is that the workouts alternate each day, so you can go MORE days without risking overworking certain muscle groups and overtraining. The intensities also vary, as each day has a specific emphasis. (Unlike Orangetheory, which I think is best around 2x a week depending on your goals. I think it’s too much to do every day and can be counterproductive.)

A week at F45 *right now* looks something like this:

Sunday: Strength hybrid – 60 minutes

Monday: Cardio (High-intensity interval training)

Tuesday: Resistance training – full-body

Wednesday: Cardio (HIIT)

Thursday: Pure strength (upper or lower body)

Friday: Hybrid workout (total body cardio and strength)

Saturday: Total body cardio and strength – 60 minutes

How do you know what to do?

It’s a screen-guided workout, so once the trainers go over the demo, you follow the exercises for each station on screens throughout the studio. They also have a heart rate monitor option on the screens, but I find that a majority of people at our studio don’t use their heart rate monitor but rely on their own fitness trackers instead.

What to expect?

Classes are different every day, but you can expect to sweat in the 45 minutes you’re there. I feel like it’s a balanced and challenging workout for your entire body using functional strength and cardio exercises. They use ALL the equipment, too: ski erg, assault bikes, rowers, kettlebells, TRX, Y bells, dumbbells, sandbags, Revo bars, BOSU trainers, slam balls, and medicine balls.

Here’s what you can do if you’re a beginner or if you’re taking class for th

Roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts are combined with spicy sausage and plenty of cheese to create an irresistible dinner.

Quite a few years ago, I stumbled across a dish that combined Brussels sprouts with pasta and potatoes. Several days later, I couldn’t get that combination out of my head.

Sausage and Brussel Sprouts

As I started playing with the idea of using Brussels sprouts in a main dish, I wanted something a little heartier than the bacon that I typically pair with Brussels sprouts.

Sausage is one of those magic recipe ingredients. It almost doesn’t matter what you add to it, sausage has the ability to flavor all the other ingredients brilliantly.

I paired some spicy sausage with the Brussels and I LOVED the combination of flavors in this meal. One of my boys pointed out that the very best bites were the ones with a potato chunk, a sprout, sausage, and cheese together; I couldn’t agree more.

The first time I made this, I tasted it before taking a picture and then I couldn’t stop sneaking bites as I was attempting to photograph it. I lasted for about 30 seconds worth of clicks and then we dove into this meal.

In the years since then, I’ve attempted to reshoot this recipe multiple times in order to update the photos, and without fail, I decide not to bother with photos as soon as it’s out of the oven. This is one of my all-time favorite recipes on this website.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally practiced enough restraint to shoot new photos before diving into this and I’m still as much in love with this recipe as

We’ve never been more connected, but the ever-present onslaught of information can be difficult to deal with – here’s how to cope

Sometimes, it can feel like our entire day is made up of social media notifications, breaking news alerts, and streams of work and personal messages. If it’s not updates on conflicts around the world, it’s news of political unrest or troubling social issues – and that’s before we even get to the hurried texts and emails from our jobs, family, and friends. Especially in the aftermath of the draining Covid-19 pandemic, such an onslaught of information can leave our brains feeling scattered, making it a struggle to know where to turn our attention.

If you often find yourself feeling this way, you’re not alone. A 2020 Pew Research Center survey found that 66% of adults felt worn out by the amount of news they were consuming. And it’s having a real impact on our mental wellbeing. Psychologist Ella McCrystal says: “This information is coming in faster than we can fully digest and understand it. This overload can make us vulnerable to lowered mood, information fatigue, and increasing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

“And the impact of attention fragmentation is that we become less productive, less creative, and less able to make good decisions.”

Disconnecting from technology entirely isn’t all that practical – so how do we combat the issue of information overload, while grappling with the need to stay up to date?

Turn off notifications and alerts

One easy change you can make to set boundaries with the outside world is to turn off all of your notifications, be it email, WhatsApp, or Instagram. “We need to give up the fictitious narrative that we need to be on top of everything,” Ella explains. The reality is that very few things need our attention so urgently – so denying these outside influences’ constant access to you is a helpful way to protect your wellbeing. If the thought of turning off all notifications makes you feel anxious though, schedule in five minutes every hour or two to check your necessary platforms.

Schedule in chunks of time to disconnect

“Giving our brains downtime to process new information input is a critical element of learning and thinking,” Ella explains. In order to do this, it’s helpful to disconnect at regular intervals during your day. Not only will this help you to process what you’ve read and seen, it’ll also help you to calm any feelings of anxiety it may have sparked.

Try meditation, or simply sitting quietly, looking out of a window for five to 10 minutes at points during your day. Therapist and author Marisa Peer says: “While these ‘mindless moments’ might feel like a time waster, it actually gives your mind the time to reboot.” If this doesn’t work for you, you could try getting outside for a 10-minute walk without any digital devices, or practising some relaxing yoga poses.

Do a brain dump

One of the main problems with information overload is that it can leave us unable to prioritise – how can we plan out our family’s weekly schedule when our mind is full of the worldȁ

With one in eight of us feeling tired all the time, could sleep tourism help us feel more rested and relaxed? Or is it just another wellness trend to get us to book a new kind of vacation?

As a nation, we are tired. According to YouGov, one in four of us feels tired most of the time, while one in eight feels tired all the time. In fact, we’re so tired that two in five of us would rather sleep more than spend time with our families. It’s no wonder that so many of us are willing to try anything to get a better night’s sleep.

What is sleep tourism?

Sleep tourism refers to any kind of holiday with programmes focused on getting a good night’s sleep. Thought to be a top trend for 2023, the travel industry has reported seeing more sleep-related services appearing on hotel and tourism-related websites and packages. Designed to promote restful sleep, relaxation, and overall wellbeing, you can even find specific ‘sleep retreats’ to help guide you towards improving the quality of your sleep.

Why are we focusing our holidays around sleep?

While the thought of building a vacation around rest and relaxation seems natural, the idea of going on holiday to sleep more can seem a little strange. But sleep expert and CEO at MatressNextDay Martin Seely thinks we could all benefit from trying a sleep retreat.

“Going on a sleep retreat could benefit anyone. This is because sleep is essential for many, many reasons. Sleep helps us learn new information and consolidate memories. There’s also evidence that lack of sleep can make you more prone to depression or anxiety by affecting your moods and emotions, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)”.

While the reasons why we may feel the need to seek help to get a better night’s sleep can vary, Martin explains that there are often common themes. “Many people have trouble falling asleep at night because their minds are racing with thoughts about work or life in general. Others have trouble staying asleep due to stress or anxiety about what tomorrow may bring.”

By taking a break from our normal routines, we may be able to help break the cycle of bad quality sleep (and our anxiety surrounding it), helping us to reset and gain a better night's rest.

Counselling Directory member and therapist, Nicole Grilo, (MBPsS, MBACP, FDAP) explains more about the benefits of sleep and how it can be seen as a superpower linked with better health outcomes.

“Sleep is so beneficial and essential, as it facilitates body restoration and repair. Sleeping heals our body and is what [we need] after a day of movement or exercise. Give yourself at least nine hours in bed. Stay away from coffee and sugar at the end of the day. Give yourself time to wind down [and] keep a consistent routine.”

What to expect from a sleep-focused retreat

If you’re considering building a holiday around improving your sleeping patterns and overall feelings of rest and relaxatio