Tag: lunch snacks

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #58

Happy Friday friends! We made it through the first full week of September. How was your week? Productive? Relaxing? Getting adjusted into a new routine? No matter how your week went, I hope it is ending on a high note and you have something fun planned for the weekend. If you are a football fan, then I’m sure you are gearing up for a big weekend as the NFL season officially begins! I’m hoping to catch some of the game this weekend.

As we say hello to the weekend, here’s some things that I’ve been loving as I link up with Erika and Andrea for another edition of Friday Favorites!

Cuticle Lotion– I love doing my nails and through the years, I have tried different brands and tools and colors while giving myself my own at-home manicures and pedicures. I have been using this cuticle lotion by Burt’s Bees and have really been loving it. I use a cuticle oil when I don’t have any polish on, and I have been using this lotion on my cuticles as well. Typically, I will change my nail color once a week and on the days when I don’t have any polish on, I will put on the oil in the morning and the lotion at night (or whenever I have time through the day). I like that the lotion isn’t too thick or heavy and I have found that it has strengthened my cuticles. I have used it with polish on but prefer to use it without polish. I only have been using the travel/ sample size and it’s been working well. After I finish the sample size, I will see about investing in the full size, I’ll keep you posted.

Hair Drying Bow– Another beauty product for you this week, I shower at night and try to have my hair fully or mostly dry before bed. I got this hair drying bow and I have been using almost every day. I like how it absorbs the water in my hair after I’m done washing it. There are also essential oils infused in the wrap which leaves my hair smelling good too. Plus, it doubles has a headband which holds my hair back if I’m doing things before bed like reading or watching tv. I think I got this one from Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx, but I have seen ones similar at those stores and Target and Walmart. It’s a fun beauty accessory that has a purpose.

Rice Cakes– I know I am late to the game with this snack item, but I recently discovered Rice Cakes and I have really enjoyed them as a lunch snack. They aren’t super flavorful, so I typically add a spread on top. Since I have been eating them at lunch when I am home, I have been spreading some peanut butter and my homemade strawberry jam on top. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and salty and low calorie too! I know people eat them for breakfast a lot or even as a snack. Since I am new to the rice cake group, tell me, if you are a fan, what do you eat them with? What’s your go-to spread and flavor? I’m open to trying everything!

An easy go-to lunch or snack!

Ear Bud Cleaning Kit– Whether you have Air Pods, Wireless headphones or even regular ear buds, a cleaning kit is a huge help. I got this ear bud cleaning kit a few months back and it has all the tools to clean out headphones, earpieces, even smart watches. There are so many different brushes, fine toothpicks, and other items to really give your headsets a good cleaning. I wear an earpiece for work every day and use some of these tools to clean them out. I have done a thorough cleaning of my Apple Watch and its band and used some of the tools as well. If you use headphones daily, I highly recommend getting a little tool kit to keep things clean. 

A must need for headphones or earbuds!

Sunday Scroll– I mentioned before how I have really been enjoying following some of my favorite bloggers and writers on Substack. It’s a writing platform that has brought me so much joy to read posts from some of my favorite people! Emily Ley recently launched a Sunday Scroll series where she shares some of her favorite books, links, articles, and favorite things. You can learn more here. It only takes a few minutes to read, but it’s been fun to learn new things and find new items. Definitely a light read/ scroll during the weekend.

This week has been a fun one with lots of fun favorites too! I hope you have a great weekend! See you back here on Wednesday!

Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #37

Happy Friday Friends! It feels like Springtime here! The sun is out longer, I’m not wearing layers upon layers when I head out the door and flowers are starting to bloom. I love this time of year!

First signs of spring

As we make out way into another spring weekend, I’m sharing some of my favorite things with you from the week as I link up with Erika and Andrea!

Easter Fun!

I know we are a week past Easter, but I wanted to share an easy recipe! We always make a traditional Easter Bunny cake! We use a box mix to make to circular cakes and then here’s how you get the bunny shape!

Bake your two cakes in two circular pans.
Take one cake and cut two angles to make the ears for the bunny face.
Use the other for the bow
Ice, decorate and enjoy!

Sea Salt Crackers– I picked up these crackers when I was out and was looking for a new flavor for my lunches. I love to pair these crackers with cheese, apples or salads. I love the consistency and flavor of the pita and sea salt. I am always on the hunt for new flavors and tastes and these check all the boxes. If you are looking for a new cracker, definitely check these out.

Rose Water and Ivy Wall Flower– As the seasons change, it was time for a new wall flower scent from Bath and Body Works. For spring , I’m using Rose Water and Ivy and I’ve really been enjoying it. I love the sweet and fresh smell it gives off. I also swapped out my plug-in for a new one with sleeker look. I’m excited to use this more in the coming weeks.

Greenwich Park– My co-worker shared Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner with me and I loved it, I finished it in less than a week! It’s the perfect mix of drama, thriller and mystery. The story is told from different perspectives of the characters. The book follows a story of a woman who meets a fellow first-time mom in a pre-natal class, the two women become friends until the new women has a hidden agenda and some secrets and connections to the protagonist and her friends and family. The book starts out fairly slow but picks up towards the middle and end, so if you re thinking about quitting, stay with it.

Emily Ley’s Podcast on Friends– I listen to Emily Ley’s Simplified podcast every week. She covers different topics about life, organizing, cooking, motherhood, finances along with guests every week. Last week, she released a podcast about friendships and the different kinds of friends. Her message was all about how there’s different friends for different parts of your life or seasons. This podcast really resonated with me, I definitely recommend the Simplified podcast for regular listening but also for this specific episode.

That’s a look into some of my favorite things from this week. I hope you have something fun planned for you this weekend! Happy Fri-yay!!!

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Fun Ways to Organize Let's Get Cooking

Meal Prepping and Planning

Happy Wednesday all!

It’s the first week of April, every day I feel like we are closer and closer to the consistent warmer weather. I can’t wait for sunshine, clear roads and blue skies.

The morning sunshine gives me hope.

Today we are talking about one of my favorite topics…planning and more specifically meal planning!

I’ve done posts in the past about outfit planning and getting your planner organized, you could say planning is one of my passions. My latest planning area is with meal prepping.

I pack my lunch every day for work. I packed my lunch all through grade school and high school and in college I ate lunch in the cafeteria, you could say I’m not big into spending money on lunch. When it comes to eating when I’m at work, it made the most sense to pack my lunch. Every day is different and I never know where I will end up, so always having my lunch with me works best. I always try to eat healthy and balance meals when I can.

If you pack your lunch like me, I have a few ideas for different meals that are affordable and healthy and keeps lunch time interesting.

I always like to eat a variety of things for lunch to keep it fresh and exciting.

In my lunch box, I typically have something substantial (my main meal), a fruit or veggie, something sweet and sometimes something salty. I don’t always eat all this stuff every day, but I try to have a variety available. For example, I may have pasta and veggies, pretzels, and trail mix. Some days, I may eat it all, other days, I may just eat pasta and veggies. I like that these meals are balanced and will satisfy me.

 I keep things for my lunches or snacks organized in a bin in my pantry. I like to keep back stock for different dry snacks. Right now, I have peanut butter crackers, pretzels, trail mix and goldfish all divided up. I shop when needed, but I typically buy things for meals once a week and then grab things for dry snacks as needed. This also gives me choices of things to put in my lunch.

A look at my snack bin. I divide up the pretzels or trail mix into like reusable containers for portion control.

When it comes to fruits and veggies sometimes I will buy bulk and separate them into reusable containers (one of my New Year’s resolutions was to use more reusable products and I’m so happy that I’ve been using less wasteful products). I will cut up carrots, peppers, celery or broccoli and store them and bring them in to eat. As for fruit, I will enjoy clementines, grapes, apples or even a banana.

For more substantial meals, I like to enjoy salads, either pre-made from the store or I will make a big one at the start of the week and I will bring dressing to add each day.

I also enjoy making baked chicken with seasoning (everything but the bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s is my favorite.) I just add that with some salt and pepper and bake the chicken and then refrigerate it and divide it up as needed. I also often make frozen veggies to add on the side.

A look at meal prepping of chicken and veggies and then chicken salad. I will cook them and put it all in one serving container and then I have a smaller one that I will use to bring into work.

Pasta and veggies is another go-to for me. I will boil a large pot of pasta and then add some butter and garlic and then make frozen veggies (often mix, but sometimes I’ll just choose a specific vegetable.)

Sticking with the veggie theme-Making rice with vegetable is always a tasty win too! I will boil brown rice and stir fry vegetables and add some soy sauce and then seasonings to add flavor. Sometimes, I will add chicken or shrimp, but other times, I just will go with the vegetables. 

A look at a veggie stir fry for this week.
The whole meal goes into one large container and then I divide it up into a smaller container.

As far as other alternatives, I often will enjoy a chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad and enjoy that with cracker or pita.

A look at my tuna salad in a large container and then separated out for each day.

In the winter, soup is always an easy go-to for me, especially with getting easy to go soup containers.

I typically will make all my meals during the weekend and then add snacks each day. I always get my meals organized the night before work so I can just grab and go in the morning.

An example of my lunch for a day. Tuna salad, crackers, trail mix, an orange, ad some peanut butter crackers.

I always like to break up what I eat and what I pack for meals. I find that having a variety of tastes and things in my lunch helps keep things fun and tasty. 

For those of you who pack your lunch, what are your go-to lunches? I’m always open to suggestions.