Loaded with our favorite Mexican flavors; this Southwest Chicken Soup is slightly spicy with chunks of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and tender chicken.

I topped our steaming bowls of soup with a handful of shredded cheese and the entire family gave this meal two thumbs up.

Southwest Chicken Soup

Dinner in just TEN minutes. Seriously. I even timed myself making this soup the second time because it came together so fast. And it was good!

Like everyone else I know, I love having a go-to list of meals that require little to no effort to get on the table. This Southwest Chicken Soup is a winner of a quick and easy dinner!

Within just a few minutes, this soup will be hot and ready to eat! Loaded with all of our favorite Mexican ingredients and flavors, we make versions of this soup at least once a month throughout the cooler months of the year.

10 Minute Chicken Soup

About all that you will need to make this soup is a handful of pantry ingredients and some leftover chicken. This is the ultimate last-minute dinner and it’s a popular one here.

You can use a grocery store rotisserie chicken, a roasted chicken, shredded chicken, or a couple of leftover grilled or baked chicken thighs.

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Sharing some of my favorite stretches for better posture. 

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re enjoying the day so far! I have a Spanish lesson today and am meeting up with a friend for lunch. I hope you have a fun and relaxing day ahead!

For today.. let’s talk about posture. (And how many of you sat up a little straighter while reading that?! I did while I was typing it.)

Good posture is more than just standing up straight; it’s about alignment, balance, and overall well-being. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, maintaining proper posture can enhance flexibility, strength, and even reduce the risk of injuries. However, with sedentary lifestyles and prolonged sitting becoming the norm, many people suffer from poor posture. Fortunately, there are simple yet effective stretches that can help correct and improve posture, regardless of age or fitness level. Today, I wanted to share a variety of stretches aimed at enhancing posture and overall spinal health.

10 Stretches For Better Posture:

Cat-Cow Stretch:

Muscles Targeted: Spine, abdominals, and back muscles.

Benefits: Promotes spinal flexibility, stretches the spine, and helps alleviate tension in the back and neck.

How to Do It: Start on your hands and knees, inhale as you arch your back and lift your chest (cow pose), exhale as you round your spine and tuck your chin to your chest (cat pose). Repeat for several breaths.

Forward Fold:

Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings, lower back, and spine.

Benefits: Lengthens the spine, stretches the hamstrings, and relieves tension in the lower back.

How to Do It: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinge at the hips, and fold forward, reaching towards the floor. Allow your head to hang heavy and hold for a few breaths.

Chest Opener:

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, and upper back.

Benefits: Counteracts rounded shoulders, opens the chest, and improves posture by stretching the muscles in the front of the body.

How to Do It: Stand tall, interlace your fingers behind your back, and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift your arms and open your chest. Hold for 30 seconds.

Seated Spinal Twist:

Muscles Targeted: Spine, obliques, and hips.

Benefits: Improves spinal mobility, releases tension in the back, and stretches the muscles along the spine and s

Sharing a comparison between Pilates and yoga, and which one I like more 😉 

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a great one! We officially have spring fever over there. I want to replant the garden – I let everything outside die when I was dealing with the great eye saga – and clean everything, while the kids are already begging to jump in the pool wearing their pajamas.

I’m enjoying this short-lived sweet spot of weather before it’s a thousand degrees by walking and hiking as much as possible!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a bit about Pilates and yoga, and the diffferences between these two popular low-impact workout options.

In the world of mind-body fitness, Pilates and yoga stand as two prominent practices, each offering a unique approach to physical and mental well-being. While they share some similarities, such as emphasizing breath control and mind-body connection, there are distinct differences between the two. There are nuances of Pilates and yoga, which make them super special, and I wanted to chat about muscle engagement, styles, advantages, and considerations for incorporating them into your fitness routine. As always, talk to a doctor before making any fitness or nutrition changes!

Pilates vs. Yoga: Understanding the Difference and Benefits

Muscle Groups Targeted:

Both Pilates and yoga engage various muscle groups, albeit with different emphases. Pilates primarily targets the core muscles, including the abdominals, obliques, and lower back, while also engaging muscles throughout the body to improve strength, flexibility, and stability.

On the other hand, yoga encompasses a broader range of muscle groups, including the core, arms, legs, and back, with different poses targeting specific areas depending on the style practiced. I feel like both are great total-body workouts, but Pilates definitely includes more core work.

Jumpsuit is here!

Styles of Pilates and Yoga:

Pilates comes in several forms, with the most common being mat Pilates and equipment-based Pilates using apparatus like the reformer, cadillac, and chair. Mat Pilates focuses on bodyweight exercises performed on a mat, wherea

These buttery, not-too-sweet cookies with a mild lemon flavor and a sweetly tart lemon glaze have been a hit with everyone who tries one.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

In my family, we’re all big fans of lemon desserts. From the best lemon bars you’ll ever taste to the lemon angel pie we make every year, lemon ice cream to lemon sorbet, lemon cheesecake to glazed lemon pound cake, there aren’t many lemon desserts that won’t make me smile.

Sometimes I like that pop of tangy citrus flavor to pretty much hit me in the face. Other times the lemon flavor sneaks in quietly and works its magic that way. These lemon cookies are a quiet kind of magical treat.

This is a mild lemon cookie, perfect for pairing with a cup of tea in the afternoon. If you want to kick up that lemon flavor, a bit more lemon zest will do the trick and a bit of lemon extract will boost it even more. Feel free to adjust the amount of lemon to deliver the lemon cookie you will like best.

Lemon Cookie Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these cookies:

• sugar
• lemon zest
• butter
• egg
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt

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Quick and Easy 15 Minute Chicken Stir-Fry [+ Video]

Looking for quick dinner ideas for tonight but only have 15 minutes to whip together a fresh but easy meal? Try our quick and easy 15-minute chicken stir-fry and ditch the grilled cheese.

I always thought that life was busy with kids and that it would slow down a little once they were in school and I was alone at home to get things done. I laugh out loud at my naive self. You don’t get more done with kids in school, you become a taxi, a tutor, a teacher, a maid, a lunch lady, a soccer mom, a shopper, an errand runner, a project planner, a nurse (because heaven knows once they start school they bring home every germ in the world) — and the list only goes on and on. But this Quick and Easy 15-Minute Chicken Stir Fry recipe is totally attainable even with all of that work.

Creating This Quick Dinner Recipe

Between packing and unpacking lunches and backpacks and making sure everyone gets out the door on time with all homework finished, there isn’t a lot of time left for meal planning. And we know you’re in the same boat as us.

I thought I made quick and easy dinners before, but we’ve stepped up our game. Who’s got time for a 30-minute meal on a day when 3 kids have to be in 3 different places all over town between 4-4:30?!

Cade called to see if I needed anything from the store, and when I told him a super quick dinner idea I could make before the girls had dance he showed up with Yakisoba noodles he found in the produce department and that only require a quick rinse in warm water to eat, and all the veggies for a chicken stir-fry.

He rinsed the noodles and chopped the broccolini and peppers. I opened the matchstick carrots, the pre-sliced package of crimini mushrooms, and cut the baby bok choy open. Two minutes was all it took, and I bet you could find a package of stir fry-veggies that would cut back on your prep time even more. 

In a measuring cup, we threw together a little sauce for it all and opened up a package of already cubed chicken from the meat department (which does cost more, so next time we will just use our own. But hey, convenience on a night like that was important). 

What’s in This Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe? 

For this quick and easy dinner recipe, you’ll need: 

• Cubed skinless chicken breasts
• Yakisoba noodles
• Cooking oil
• Your favorite stir-fry vegetables (I’ve shared ours in the recipe card below)

We opted to make a quick homemade s