Sharing the best of the best from today and tomorrow’s Prime Day deals!  

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far! The kids are home from school for fall break, and while we’re staying in town, I’m definitely looking forward to some fun adventures. This week, we plan on strolling Botanical Gardens, taking a family hike, and going to see the new baby sloth at the zoo! We’re also going to get a little shopping done.

Today is the huge Amazon sale, and it’s the perfect time for the holidays! I’m trying to get as much done as possible early this year, which is what I say every year, but I’m determined. I used to love the frantic energy of last-minute shopping – it gave me a rush, what can I say lol – but no longer. It’s too stressful. This year, I’m trying to set myself up for success and blast through our list, so I can kick back with a lil mug of hot cocoa and watch Christmas movies without the shopping list in my head.

If you’re shopping early for family, friends, or yourself, I’ve scoured all of the sale in advance to share the best stuff with you!! I hope you get some good ideas here, and I’d love to hear what you’re shopping for and what you’ve found. It’s also a great time to stock up on home essentials, appliances, and beauty deals. Everything is listed below!

*Affiliate links are included below, which don’t impact purchase price. They enable me to earn a small kickback that I use to keep the blog running! Thank you so so much to those of you who shop my links and support the blog in this way.

Prime Big Deals Day

For her:

This oversized cardigan

This long line sports bra. I have a few of these and they’re very similar to Align tanks.

This square-neck bodysuit.

Chunky hoop earring set.

Cozy wool socks.

One of my fave sets of all time.

Half-zip sweater.

These waterproof Chelsea boots are so cute and they have amazing reviews.

Memory foam slippers.

I have a couple of Read more

Foil Baked Mustard Maple Bacon Salmon

Tender flaky salmon wrapped in bacon and glazed with a garlic maple mustard sauce, this baked salmon recipe is sensational! You have to try it!

My friend Megan swears by her dad’s salmon and bacon. I only like salmon when it’s got enough flavor to mask the fact that it’s actually fish. Bacon to the rescue! Everything is better with bacon!

My friend Janet makes a good one, and I love a few of our own recipes like our Salmon Bowls and Asian Sticky Salmon, but when Megan said there was bacon in her dad’s recipe, I was so intrigued!

If you have been an OSB follower for long, you will know that I am not a seafood person. It’s just not my thing. Even salmon…I have been trying to love salmon for years, and I have to say that this baked maple mustard salmon has won me over!

Recommended Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Whisk

Before You Begin…

Grab four sheets of foil that are big enough to wrap each of your fillets in and lay 2 slices of bacon vertically on each piece of foil.

How to Pick Good Fresh Salmon

Buying salmon at the grocery store can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be! There are a few things to look for…

• Smell – good fresh salmon should not have a fishy smell
• Color – vibrant, deep shades of red/coral/pink is what you are after and there shouldn’t be any brown spots anywhere on the fillet
• Appearance – it should look moist and not dried out
• Touch – when you gently press the salmon, it should bounce back and not leave an indentation

What Do I Need to Make This Baked Salmon Recipe?

All the ingredients are easy to find and create the most amazing flavor. Here is what you will need:

• Salmon Fillets
• Lemon
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil Mayonnaise
• Maple Syrup: Grade A
• Garlic
• Dijon Mustard
• Yellow Onion
• Bacon
• Thyme: or parsley

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card. You can also print and save the recipe there.

How to Make Baked Maple Salmon

1. Prep: Preheat the oven, get foil pieces ready and place the bacon on each piece of foil. Season the salmon fillets.
2. Sauce: Whisk all the ingredients of the sauce together and pour the sauce on each fillet.
3. Assemble: Top the fillets with the onions and wrap the bacon around the fillets. Fold the foil around each piece of salmon.
4. Bake: Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake, then open the foil and change the oven to broil to crisp up the top for about a minute.
5. Season: Sprinkle each fillet with fresh herbs and serve!

The complete instructions for making this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. Keep scrolling for all the details.

Sharing a full recap of my first 21-day detox, how I felt, what I learned, and if I’d do it again. Check out my full review! I also created a freebie with 21 days of detox recipes if you’d like to download it (details below).

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a lovely weekend! Ours was great. I feel like I caught up on life (laundry, chores, grocery shopping) and also taught a couple of classes, we had an amazing dinner night with friends, and also met up with the fam for brunch. I hope you had a great one, too!!

For today’s post, I wanted to share a recap of my 21-day detox experience! I love doing the EquiLife detox four times a year. It helps support my liver pathways, I always feel GREAT when I do this, and it’s become a part of my health routine. Please keep in mind that I’m just sharing my experience and this isn’t medical info. Before proceeding with any new fitness or nutrition routines, always consult with your doctor. 

As you guys know, I’ve been dealing with some inflammation issues since last spring. It started with my eyes (which was a long, painful mystery, and thank God, it’s been resolved), and in the process, I had a couple of markers come back positive for Lupus. I share more of my story in this podcast episode.

In addition to working with my primary care, I’ve been running some functional labs on myself. I had a feeling that I had some gut issues (since gut issues can manifest in different ways and contribute to autoimmune symptoms, as well as allergies, brain fog, fatigue, digestive issues, decreased immune system function, low mood, poor sleep, etc.) and sure enough, I had significant yeast and bacterial overgrowth.

Here’s what page 1 of my OAT test looked like, which is extremely comprehensive. It also gave me insight into nutrient deficiencies as well as neurotransmitter levels.

(Please keep in mind that functional labs do not treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure any types of disease or illness. They’re used as a tool to discover deficiencies and toxicities, so you can work to bring the body back to balance. After running a couple of tests

Creamy, chewy oats, bananas, and pecans are topped with a generous drizzle of maple syrup to make this warm and filling Banana Nut Oatmeal. Less than 10 minutes of effort is required to put this hot breakfast on the table.

Oatmeal with Bananas

I love making oatmeal for breakfast. The fillings and toppings are endless and the different variations keep it interesting.

Different variations of banana oatmeal tend to be my go-to addition to stovetop oatmeal recipes. We pretty much always have a basket of bananas on the counter and everyone enjoys them.

My two youngest boys are always happiest with a bowl of oatmeal first thing in the morning.

Maple Oatmeal

While you can sweeten oatmeal in any number of different ways, I’ve found that a small amount of maple syrup provides a lot of flavor and sweetness.

Depending on the oatmeal add-ins, some fruits will provide all the sweetness I want, but when the oatmeal needs just a little something more, I reach for the maple syrup.

When I have it on hand a dollop of whipped cream is a big treat for the kids and it gives the illusion of eating dessert for breakfast. (That is a win with everyone!)

Sautéed Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

Harvest the last of your green beans and cherry tomatoes and make this quick and simple side dish that is both healthy and appetizing!

I literally make this dish every month all year long. Snapping beans and the “thunk” of each pod hitting the bottom of a large, white bucket is burned into my childhood memory . We’d busily snap beans for my mom to can during the summer in Washington and then enjoy them all year long.

Nowadays I’ve leaned away from canning a bit and instead savor those summery flavors every month but keeping two basic ingredients in hand, just cherry tomatoes and green beans. So simple and budget friendly!

Recommended Equipment

• Wusthof Knives
• Tongs

Before You Begin…

You’ll want to get started by washing and trimming your green beans and giving them a quick blanch. See section below for how to blanch green beans.

What Do I Need for Sautéed Green Beans and Tomatoes?

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty vegetable side dish.

• Green Beans: fresh is best, either from the garden or grocery store
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor to the water that you boil the green beans in
• Water: used to boil the green beans
• Olive Oil: helps sauté the shallots and vegetables
• Shallot: adds a mild onion flavor
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Cherry Tomatoes: different varieties are best, grape tomatoes also work great
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Lemon: adds a bright citrusy flavor
• Fresh Herbs: You can use any combination you want. We like to use herbs such as thyme, parsley, dill or oregano.
• Feta: or cotija works too…and the cheese is totally optional

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Blanch Green Beans So They Actually Stay Crisp

Blanching is the process of cooking a fruit or vegetable by quickly scalding them in boiling water then moving them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. For this recipe, you will only leave the green beans in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. This is just enough time to cook the green beans until tender but still crisp.

If you let them go much longer, they will start to get soggy and lose their bright green color. By transferring the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water, they stop cooking and stay crisp for the next step of the recipe.

Do You Have to Trim Green Beans?

You should remove the top end of the green bean. This is the end that was once connected to the plant. It can be quite hard and chewy, so you wouldn’t want to eat it. Some people like to also remove t