Maria

Sweet and Savory Apple Nachos

I love apples! They are definitely one of my go-to snacks.

I have found a sweet yet savory way to spice apples up and make them a snack that makes me full and satisfied.

I take 1 or 2 apples depending on how hungry I am and slice them. I cut them into large slices, but you can cut smaller slices if you choose. Just make sure they are big enough to comfortably pick up with your hands (like a nacho chip). I lay the apples all over a plate as you would with chips if you were making nachos.

I then use unsweetened sunflower butter and drizzle it all over the apples on the plate. I try to drizzle the sunflower butter evenly over the apple slices too!

Lastly, I take cacao nibs and sprinkle them all over the apples and sunflower butter. Cacao nibs make the snack crunchy, and they are a superfood!

Now enjoy your apple nachos!

My Favorite Iced Starbucks Drinks

Iced Starbucks Blonde Cocoa Cloud Macchiato

This drink has quickly become my absolute favorite at Starbucks. This is my Treat Yo Self drink. I get it as big as I can and savor every last drop. The title may be intimidating, so I will break this drink down for you.

Macchiato: This drink is espresso shots with flavoring and foam. That’s it!

Blonde: This is the Blonde espresso shots at Starbucks. Whenever I get an espresso drink at Starbucks, I always get the Blonde shots. I like lighter roasted coffee and prefer the Blonde shots over the regular espresso shots.

Cloud: This is a type of cold foam that Starbucks has for its Macchiatos, and I am obsessed with it. They use egg white powder when they make the cold foam, so it gives the foam a meringue texture. I love meringue, which means I am obsessed with this cloud foam.

Cocoa: The Cocoa part of this Macchiato drink is a drizzle of caramel sauce and a drizzle of mocha sauce. Additionally, there are 2 pumps of toffee nut syrup. I actually trade that out for only 1 pump of vanilla syrup.

This drink tastes like heaven to me! The flavors of mocha, caramel, and vanilla definitely bring this drink to another level.

If this drink sounds yummy to you, I would highly recommend trying this ASAP!!!!

Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte

I LOVE matcha. If you don’t know what matcha is, it is ground up green tea leaves and is full of antioxidants. It’s good to know that Starbucks used matcha that is sweetened with sugar. Other places that serve matcha may not add sugar to their matcha powder.

I love the flavor of green tea! I find that this drink is very refreshing, and it has less caffeine then a coffee-based drink you would get (it still has a decent amount of caffeine though).

For me, this drink is sweet enough, and I typically get it unsweetened. I do love vanilla flavoring with matcha. If you are looking to sweeten this drink, definitely add vanilla flavor pumps.

Cold Brew with Cold Foam

I love Cold Brew coffee. I also love cold foam. So any Cold Brew coffees with cold foam are right up my alley.

I tried the Irish Cream Cold Brew in December when it was out, and Woah! was it good. I love the smooth cold brew coffee mixed with the creamy flavor of the cold foam.

I am eager to try to their Cold Brew with Salted Honey Cold Foam!!

Iced Green Tea

This has been a go-to Starbucks staple for me. I get this completely unsweetened. If you are looking for something refreshing and don’t want something sweet or super caffeinated, definitely try this!

I would love to know your favorite iced Starbucks drinks! Let me know your favorite iced Starbucks drinks in the comments!

Working From Home

I feel incredibly blessed to be writing this right now. I am fortunate to be working my full-time hours from home right now. With working my full-time hours, it has been hard to keep up healthy habits and to form a routine with my new schedule.

These times are hard, and I highly suggest taking the time to relax and do what feels right, but I think some routine and structure can be good at a time like this.

I am challenging myself to incorporate a few things into I am challenging myself to incorporate a few things into each day to make them feel a bit more structure. I wanted to share what I am trying to do to hopefully help you spark some ideas if you are feeling like you need some structure.

Plan to take a walk or sit outside.

Walking almost every day has been a significant game-changer for me. I notice the days I do not get to walk, I feel much more blah. Getting outside and getting fresh air is very important since we are all stuck at home. If you can’t take a walk, go out on your porch or sit near an open window. I bet the fresh air every day will make you feel better.

Make sure to meal plan.
Before I was at home all the time, I would plan meals only a few days out at most. I could go to the store whenever so I did not worry about planning a week’s worth of meals. I have found that planning my meals for an entire week has been super helpful. Since I grocery shop once a week and have all my meals picked out, I only have a small decision to make each day when dinner time comes around. The stress of buying and planning the meal is gone. This is super helpful on days where I am feeling off and do not want to do much after work. I can just choose an easy recipe from my shortlist, throw ingredients together from a save recipe, and cook! Meal planning ahead of time lets you incorporate fruits and veggies that will help to keep you healthy and boost your immune system. It also gives you something to look forward to all week!

Clean your work, living, and sleep spaces.
Clean spaces really change productivity and mood. A clean space can help clear your head and make work a little easier. I cleaned my room 2 weeks into being home full time, and it has made me so much happier. I have space in my brain to worry about other things. I also make sure to straighten up my workspace too. After a week of working in the same spot for hours and hours, your desk will be messy. Clean it up and start fresh Monday morning. Also, brighten your workspace in some way. I have a fun mouse pad and typically have a fun mug on my at-home desk at all times.

Limit your media consumption during the workday.
This one, I had to learn the hard way. The first 2 weeks I was home, I viewed every news alert and update that came to my phone about the pandemic. I would hear something that was starting, and that would throw me off my work game. I recommend waiting until after work to see what is up in the world. It is easier to digest when you aren’t worried about answering work emails and dealing with work things.

Don’t be afraid to change your workspace location.
Sometimes I feel a bit blah during my workday. When this happens, I decide to take my work to another location in the house. Sitting at my kitchen table instead of my desk makes me feel more at easy some mornings. Also, making calls from my bedroom is the best place since we have a few adults working from home at my house. Do not be stuck in one location, you can find spots that work for different tasks you need to accomplish.

Schedule lunch FaceTime sessions with friends.
Having a virtual lunch with friends has definitely been a saving grace for me. For an hour, I get to eat lunch and chat with a friend just like if we were to get lunch during a typical workday. It is a great way to vent and rejuvenate. I am an extrovert, so the communication from these FaceTime sessions makes me productive in the afternoon.

Plan a consistent weekly activity or two.
I recommend this even when we are not stuck at home, but it has really helped with marking time during the week. Every week, we FaceTime family to watch Harry Potter. We started from the first movie and are working through the series. We also have a movie night every Friday with friends when life was normal, and we have moved that virtually. We spend a few hours every Friday chatting, catching up, and venting about our weeks. Also, our grocery day is Saturday. These weekly activities help me remember what day of the week it is. They give me checkpoints and things to look forward to. I challenge you to plan something you can look forward to every week.

Get “ready” for work every day.
I do not mean actually doing the whole getting ready routine every. I try to change out of my pajamas, though. I make sure to put my Fitbit on and brush my hair and teeth first thing in the morning.

Find a hobby or two to focus your spare time.
You finally have some extra time to do some things you love! I have made sure to spend my time reading, blogging, making coffee, and being creative!

Go to bed at a reasonable hour.
You will thank yourself in the morning.

Do not pressure yourself into accomplishing anything super productive while you are at home. This is time to take care of yourself, mentally and physically.

I read a quote a while back that said something along the line of We are not working from home. We are at home during a pandemic trying to work.

This quote really described what it is like to be working at home right now. It is A LOT, and that is okay. Take care of yourself and incorporate as little or as much structure as you need in your daily life.

Stay safe and healthy out there, everyone! <3

April 2020 Book Recommendations

Anyone else looking for a good book while we are at home?
I have been spending my new free time reading some books! I have had some books on my to-read list for a long time, and I am excited to finally read them! I have read 2 books that have really stood out to me this month and needed to share. Here they are!

Girl Wash Your Face
This book by Rachel Hollis is incredibly inspiring. She made me feel not alone and motivated to set goals and accomplish them. Even though not every aspect of the book was directly relevant to this phase in my life, I found it comforting knowing that some else has been through things I have, am, and will go through.

Paper Girls (vol. 6)
I love love love these graphic novels. I have read 1-6 and highly recommend all of them. They have some vintage Stranger Things vibes mixed with Back to the Future vibes. It is definitely its own thing, though! The colors and art in these graphic novels are stunning. They have a captivating storyline with unique graphics that take these graphic novels to the next level.

What have you been reading? Drop your favorite books in the comments below!

Brewing Coffee At Home

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with coffee big time.

Considering all of us are stuck at home for a while, I thought I would talk about some at-home brewing methods I am using daily and some fun ones to try! Here are my top 5 coffee brewing ideas to try at home:

Cold Brew Coffee
I love love love cold brew coffee; one of my favorite coffees to get at my local coffee shop is a black nitro cold brew. IT IS THE BOMB!
I love how creamy, smooth, and not acidic cold brew coffees are and wanted to try to make it at home.
So far, I have tried making cold brew in my large French press. I used a med/coarse ground coffee(I do 2 tbsp for every 6 oz of water) and added that to my French press. I added room temperature water and put the press/ lid on top but did not press it down. I put my French press in my refrigerator and let it sit overnight (approx. 15 hours). I took the French press out of the fridge and pressed my coffee. Then you are ready to pour and enjoy!
I also decided to order a cold brew coffee maker to make my life easier because French presses become cumbersome to clean regularly. I ordered the Cold Brew Mason Jar Coffee Maker by Country Line Kitchen on Amazon. I am patiently waiting for its arrival. I choose this cold brew maker because while reading reviews for other cold brew makers, people said the glass breaks easily. The brewer I bought is already made with durability in mind because it is made from a mason jar. I ordered the 1-quart option because that is about 2-3 days worth of coffee for me. They also have a 2-quart option if you drink a lot of coffee, want to make coffee once a week, or have multiple people in your house drinking cold brew. I also really liked this cold brew maker because of the easy pour lid and removable stainless steel filter. Once I get the coffee maker, I will make sure to let you know if it’s as excellent as I expect it to be.
French Press Coffee
I have a 2 cup French Press, and that thing is my best friend. I drink my coffee black, and there is nothing like a delicious, dark, rich cup of coffee from a French press. If you have a French press, awesome! Get that thing out for some quick and delicious coffee. If not, I suggest you grab one because I am learning some cool new tricks with mine, and you’ll need one to try them!
I use 2 tbsp of coarse grounds for every 6 oz of water for my French press. ( many people recommend weighing your coffee for a more precise ratio, but how many of you at home have kitchen scales? I want this to be easy for you!!) I add my grounds to the bottom of my French press and boil water in my electric kettle. I pour the boiling water over the grounds and make sure all grounds are saturated with water. Once your done pouring set a time for 4 minutes. ( I also sometimes add my lid but make sure it is not touching the grounds floating on top). After the 4 minutes, press and enjoy! It’s that easy.
I recently learned another method of brewing in a French press from Electric City Roasting Co. They do live brewing tutorials on Instagram during the week, and I am obsessed with them. They went over this second method, and I have been using it ever since.
I use the same ratio of 2 tbsp of grounds for every 6 oz of water. I use a more medium grind for this method instead of the more traditional coarse ground for a French press. I do the same thing for the French press except for the last steps. Once I pour my boiling water, I do not cover my coffee with the lid. I wait 4 minutes, and then I take a spoon and push the coffee gently down into the water a bit ( called folding). You will start to see grounds float to the bottom. I usually do this folding 2-3 times. Then you’ll see a small foamy, lighter colored top layer (called crème). Scoop that off and get rid of it. Once it’s gone, add your lid, but DO NOT press. The top helps with pouring the hot coffee. The grounds that floated to the bottom should stay there, so pour and enjoy!

*Here is another trick for your French press. You can add milk to your French press and repeatedly plunge until you create foam. The foam stays colder and is perfect for adding to your cold brew coffee or even iced coffee!!*
Regular Automatic Coffee Maker
You are probably reading this thinking, Maria, this all sounds great, but I do not have a French press and cannot get once anytime soon.

THAT IS OKAY!

I recommend grabbing a coffee from a local coffee shop/ micro-roaster to treat yourself while you’re at home. Stick with the 2 tbsp to 6 oz water ratio, and you’ll be enjoying your cup of joe in no time!

I may be a bit bias, but Electric City Roasting Co. has incredible coffee. You can order from them through this link: https://electriccityroasting.com/.
Whipped Coffee / Dalgona Coffee Trend
I was very eager to try this internet trend and tried it this weekend! I was shocked that I loved this drink so much. I used Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade instant coffee. I made enough for me to have a large glass and a little extra for my dad to try. Everyone has been using a 1:1:1 ratio for the whipped coffee. I used 3 tbsp of instant coffee, 3 tbsp of sugar, and 3 tbsp of water. I manually whipped the coffee with a whisk, and it took me about 15 minutes to whisk by hand. I also let the whipped coffee chill in the refrigerator right after whipping for about 5ish minutes. This made it stiffer and lighter. When it came out of the fridge, it was the perfect stiff consistency. I used oat milk for my glass and cows milk for my dad’s. The whipped coffee seemed to begin to blend with the oat milk a little quicker than the cow’s milk. I also followed the suggestion of Electric City Roasting Co., and my dad and I mixed the whipped coffee with the milk. I tasted it beforehand, and it is very, very strong straight up. I was super happy with how it came out, and so was my dad. It stayed frothy throughout the time drinking it! It was way sweeter than I typically like, but delicious none the less. I highly recommend trying this when you have a little extra time to make coffee!
Espresso Coffee
So you may not have an espresso maker at home. If you are like me and do, this last section is for you! I rarely get to use my manual espresso maker because it takes time to do it right. I have a lot more time on my hands now, so I decided to pull it out and play! I used some fine grind, dark roasted coffee and got to work. I watched some YouTube videos about pulling my shots on my espresso maker and am trying to perfect my craft. I also played with my steamer and tried to learn how to produce the best milk with just the right amount of foam. I ended up making a latte with a dash of vanilla extract added! SO GOOD!
I highly recommend taking the time out to use your espresso machine and make yourself some specialty drinks. I miss going to coffee shops so badly, so this makes me miss them a little less. Get your machine out and find some espresso drink recipes online and get to work!

Do you have any home brewing methods/ ideas that are delicious? Please share in the comments below!!

Healthy Shepard’s Pie

I love cooking some cozy and delicious recipes. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s cozy yet healthy!

This recipe typically makes 5-6ish large servings.

*I use Whole 30 compliant ingredients for this recipe.

Ingredients:
– 3 lb Ground Turkey
– Kitchen Basics Chicken Bone Broth (Original)
– About 2 cups of Celery, Onion, Carrot Mirepoix ( I typically buy the premade ones at the store in the produce section – just check to make sure they don’t have any added ingredients)
– 5 lb bag of yellow potatoes
– salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

2. cut potatoes and boil them until they are super tender

3. while the potatoes are boiling, begin to brown the ground turkey

4. once the ground turkey starts turning brown, add the Mirepoix and the bone broth. Let the ground turkey finish browning and absorb the bone broth

5. once the potatoes are super tender, strain and mash (do not add anything to the potatoes)

6. once the ground turkey is brown, Mirepoix tender, and bone broth mostly absorbed, add to a deep baking dish.

7. cover the ground turkey evenly with the mashed potatoes

8. let cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes at least

9. you will know it’s ready once the mashed potatoes start to turn slightly brown in some places.

10. take out of the oven and enjoy!

Pro Tip: we love to leave a little of the mashed potatoes out and add a bit extra mashed potato to our bowls!

Maria Does Whole 30

Not to be dramatic, but Whole 30 has changed my life.

I am gearing up to do my 3rd round on April 13th with the Whole 30 community for Whole 30 at home.
It is wild the amount you learn about food and yourself during a Whole 30 journey.

You are probably wondering how has Whole 30 changed my life. I have spent my entire life with many food and environmental allergies and sensitivities. This has always made navigating life more difficult. I worry about the foods I eat when I cannot read the ingredients. I worry about air fresheners and perfumes while I am out and about because I know they can make me feel sick. The more I am exposed to things I am sensitive to, the less I can tolerate them. Many foods that you don’t eat during Whole 30 are actually foods I am allergic and sensitive to. This is one of the reasons it was a good fit for me.

Whole 30 is meant to be a food experiment. You don’t eat foods that could cause allergic reactions or cause an inflammatory response. After 30 days of eating real food, you reintroduce all the other foods you avoided for 30 days. This allows you to see how your body reacts to these foods.

During my reintroduction, I learned about my gluten intolerance, that sugar makes me feel gross and triggers migraines, and that my stomach does not like corn! I also found out that I can have dairy in small quantities without having a reaction. I for sure thought dairy would have been bad for me.

I have a degree in nutrition and love the fact I got to experiment with food and my body to see what it likes and dislikes. I also really enjoy cooking and trying new foods, so I made sure to do both of those to make the 30 days easier.

By far, my favorite thing about Whole 30 is that it is not meant to be just another weight loss diet. It’s actually against the Whole 30 rules to step on a scale and measure yourself during Whole 30.
I wanted to eat healthily and develop strong, healthy eating habits, and Whole 30 did that for me. Can you lose weight in the process? Yes. But is that why you should do it? No.

I want to be healthy. I want to walk farther, dance longer, perform better at work, and show up more present in my life. Whole 30 did all of this for me. It keeps my brain sharp and gives me the endurance to get through long days. It has taught me to not eat because I am bored or emotional. I use to do both A LOT!

Something else I love about Whole 30 is the founder, Melissa Urban. She is such a role model. She is raw, all the time. She is honest, all the time. She shows up, apologetically herself on social media, in her books, and really anywhere. I love being able to see a real person going through life, good and bad times. She is really inspiring. Through her books, emails, and social media pages, she is a great coach and is what you need to get through a Whole 30. After reading so much of her material, she feels like a friend that you can relate to and comfort you.

I found this especially true while reading her book Food Freedom Forever. Food Freedom is that place where you can say no to foods you don’t want to eat without guilt while eating foods you do want without quilty too. Food Freedom understanding what your body likes and dislikes and using that knowledge to make yourself feel good. It is the empowerment you have knowing you are eating food that makes you feel good, even if that means eating a piece of cake you super want! There is no such thing as a perfect Whole 30. Also, after working hard to to find your Food Freedom, you will move back to unhealthy routines. Heck, after my first Whole 30, after a few months, I went right back to my old habits to eating sooo many baked goods and drinking sooo many sugary Starbucks drinks. And as I said before, gluten and sugar are not my friends, so this was definitely bad for me.

I am currently working on my Food Freedom, and it’s hard. I have spent 3-4 days in a row eating sugary foods when I don’t even really want to eat because it is so easy to fall into my old habits. That’s kind of why I want to do another round. To reset and introduce some of the foods, I haven’t and remind myself how good I feel without sugar.

Whole 30 may not be the right fit for you, but if you’re looking to learn about food and your body, I would consider it. There are so many free resources and people who will help you through it.

If you are interested in learning more about Whole 30, please check out their website here: https://whole30.com/

If you have questions for me about my experience or any cool Whole 30 recipes, please feel free to reach out!

Coping during COVID

These are unprecedented times.

I love dystopian movies and books. It is my favorite genre, actually. I am always intrigued by what could happen to our world. One of my favorites is World War Z. The zombies in that movie are super quick, and I definitely would not want to be alive to experience those types of zombies.

Right now, I feel like I am living in one of the dystopian books I’ve read or movies I have watched. Honestly, it feels a lot different then I would have thought. I would have expected to be on the run, no running water, and feel unsafe even at my own home. I believe this pandemic has a quietness to it. It has a loneliness component that feels different then what I have read and watched. It’s bizarre to see how quiet and slow the world is right now.

As humans we are social creatures. We crave attention, love, and connection from others. I think that’s what makes staying at home and social distancing so hard.

Some days I struggle real hard. I am blessed to be working from home, but some days it’s just hard to get out of bed and so the same thing again. Its hard knowing I won’t be in my office for weeks, maybe months. Other days I try to take advantage of the gift of time. I take a long walk, read a book I have had on my shelf for forever, and spend time with the family I am at home with.

I put a lot of pressure on myself regularly, even before this pandemic, to do more, be more, accomplish more. I never feel like I have learned enough or do enough. Honestly, I still feel this way even though I have a lot more time. I am trying hard every day to stop this. I am doing enough. At this point, surviving this pandemic is ENOUGH. It’s okay to be sad, its okay to feel alone.

I am trying hard to reach out to friends and set up phone calls and video calls. I am using my time being at home as an excuse to binge my favorite tv shows, read books, clean my room, learn something new, and take walks every day. These are self-care to me, and I know if I didn’t pursue these activities, I would not be well mentally.

For those of you who read my thoughts on COVID-19, thank you. We are struggling out here and know I am here for you. Reach out to me if you need anything. I am challenging you to do something this weekend that will lift your spirits and is self-care for you. This is your remaindered that you are doing great, and this will all be over before we know it. Hang in there.

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Winter Refresh: Travel Edition

I find it that the holidays are perceived to be relaxing due to the time you have off of work and that you get to spend time with family and friends. I believe the holidays are some of the most unrelaxing and stressful times of the year. Don’t get me wrong, the days off of work and sleeping in can help to recharge a bit but at the end of the day, I don’t get to just relax. Between late nights filled with fun family activities, completing tasks and errands that are hard to do while at work, and traveling from place to place to celebrate, the holidays can leave you tired and dreading January.

I think it can be important to prioritize self-care for the first 2 weeks of January. Go to bed early, do a relaxing activity, go for a walk, whatever self-care is for you do it! I find that mid-January is when winter gets tough. Usually, the cold weather gets colder ( at least where I am from) and the hype from the holidays has fully dissipated. This is the time where I recommend a winter refresh!

A winter refresh is where you plan an activity, go somewhere, or do something to excite you and increase your moral at a rather gloomy time of year. Here are some ways to do a winter refresh:

Travel somewhere that has the opposite temperature/ climate of where you live.
If the temperature where you live is hot, go somewhere cold. If where you live is cold, go somewhere warm. This breaks up the monotony of January and makes you feel like you’re experiencing something new. This also lets you indulge in activities that you may not be able to do in your area at this time of year. How cool would it be to lay on a beach during the winter when you are from a cold area and are used to frigid temperatures? How fun would it be to ski the slopes of mountains for a week if you’re from a warmer climate?
In 2017, I traveled to a warm place in January and a cold place in August. The temperature change was an amazing aspect of both trips. That winter did not feel so long and cold and that summer wasn’t too humid and hot.
If you are able to, getaway for a week and travel to somewhere new with a different climate than your home has right now!
Try an activity that you can only do at this time of year.
Whatever season you are experiencing, there are activities around your area that can only be done in this season. For me, it’s winter and cold right now. Living in the mountains, common activities near me are skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, ice skating, etc. These activities have a timestamp and end whenever the temperature and precipitation decided it in late winter/ early spring. It is also a good time to try cozy indoor activities like getting a hot beverage at a coffee shop!
If you are in a rainy season is there a hiking trail that has an awesome waterfall that you can only see in the rainy season? Is it super hot where you are? Head to a cool indoor activity you have always wanted to try or dive into water sports!
I challenge you to plan a fun activity for the end of January that has you taking advantage of the current season you are in.
Visit a location you love in its offseason.
The beach is an awesome place to visit when its warm and you can lay in the sun all day but have you ever been to the beach when it’s cold?
I highly suggest visiting a place that you love where January is its offseason. You already love the location and it will be fun to see it in a new light. Traveling to a place in its offseason gives you a new perspective of that location and you may notice new and exciting things!
I try to do this whenever I can! Just the other day I visited the lake that I kayak on during the summer. With the trees bare and lake frozen, I noticed new things about the area that I don’t see in the summer. I also love visiting the beach in the offseason. There is something about a vacant beach with loud, crashing, winter waves that excites me in a unique way.

Don’t let January get you down this year and plan something fun! Whether it’s a half-day activity or a week-long vacation, do something this month for YOU!

What do you plan on doing to spice up your January?

New Year Same Me. My 20 for 2020.

Real talk about New Years Resolutions and setting realistic goals for the new year.

With a new year and a new decade approaching it’s hard not to think about the past, the present, and sometimes the daunting future. Every year I try to tell myself that I am going to do this and that in the new year but when the time comes, I end up not following through. I have listened to this podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin consistently for about the past year. They would talk about their 19 for 2019 and the different times of the year that can be treated as a time to start new things. I always found this fascinating. As a Gretchen Rubin Obliger ( if you don’t know what this is please click here:https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com ), I tend to need plans and accountability to follow my goals. This means I tend to consistently fall short of New Year’s resolutions and new goals I set during the year. I want to do a lot but do not have the time and stamina to do it all.

I think this is why the concept of 20 for 2020 has really hit me while listening to the Happier podcast. I feel that spending the year focusing on 20 things will give me a variety of things to do yet a structure and priority to tasks in my life. I have spent the past few weeks honing in and thinking of things that make me happy. I thought of things that are good for my well being and my brain. I also thought about what is good for my body. I created a list of things I want to strive toward. These are not resolutions in the sense of if I don’t complete them, I fail. These are 20 things I want to prioritize and work on in the new year. They are things I love and want to include more in my life. I also tell myself and will stick to the idea that these are not things to check off a to-do list. Overall, I don’t want to be perfect with these. I want to realistically incorporate my favorite things in my life.

Below are my 20 for 2020 and how I plan to incorporate them into my life.

Walk Daily
Since I work in an office, it can be hard some days to be active. I want to make sure I am a smidge active even if I have a busy day. I have a Fitbit and plan to track my steps to see how many I typically take in a day. I hope to add 500 to 1000 steps every few weeks to slowly increase my activity level.
Begin a regular Yoga and Meditation practice
I absolutely love yoga, especially restorative yoga. I want to make sure I prioritize practicing yoga. It is one of my favorite ways to get active and also slow down. I also think meditation is really awesome for my well being and pairs well with a yoga practice. I would love to get into a regular yoga and meditation practice daily.
Live a more sustainable life
I have been really trying to live a more sustainable life the past year and I want to continue this into the new year. I would like to focus on always using reusable bags at the grocery store, bringing a travel mug when getting to-go coffee at coffee shops, and using reusable straws. Hopefully, after focusing on these sustainability efforts, I can set new goals.
Establish my blog
I have been having so much fun writing articles for my blog! I want to set goals for my blog and write material regularly. I want to share my coffee and travel knowledge and think blog posts and videos are the best way to do that.
Schedule doctors appointments
I have noticed that as I get older, life happens and doctors appointments aren’t seen as much as a priority when I am feeling good. I only head to the doctor when I don’t feel well. I want to make sure as I get older I am healthy and staying on top of my health. I want to schedule things like the eye doctor’s appointment I have put off in 2019.
Focus on my Pampered Chef business
I absolutely love to cook and decided in March of 2019 that I wanted to be a consultant for Pampered Chef. Life got crazy and I had to put this side hustle to the side. I want to pick up my love for cooking again and share my love through Pampered Chef.
Kon Mari my life
I loved watching the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo when it came out. I began to use the method to organize my apartment but then I moved and everything got crazy and disorganized! I want to spend this year taking time to organize and get rid of things that no longer serve me.
Save money for a down payment on a house
I would love love love to be in the position by the end of 2020 to buy a house. My goal is to buy a cute little house in Scranton, PA!
Start an Etsy shop
One of my destressers is being crafty. Some of my favorite crafting activities are painting and crocheting. I would love to dive into this outlet and sell some of my items on Etsy!
Read regularly
I have never been a regular reader but I love reading. This summer, I spent some of my lunch break reading. This was a great way to get my reading in but also to take a mental rest from work. I plan to find time slots like this in my daily schedule to read. I would like to read at least 12 books during 2020.
Hike once a month
Hiking is one of my favorites ways to connect with nature and be active. I plan to hike once a month to a new location and maybe incorporate some of my favorite hiking locations.
Start my PhD
My entire life I have dreamed of getting my PhD. I get to begin this journey in the summer of 2020!
Deepen my faith
I want to dive into my faith and spirituality this year and reconnect with my faith. I have spent most of my life attending and now working at Catholic schools and I want to learn more about my religion. I hope to attend mass and spend time connecting with God in 2020.
Paint regularly
When I was in college I found a passion for painting. I love painting nature scenes and find painting outside incredibly relaxing. I want to spend some of my spare time painting in 2020.
Journal daily
In 2019, I began journaling and reflecting on my day to day life. I would like to make a habit of this and journal every day in some capacity to document and reflect on life.
Deepen my knowledge and appreciation for coffee
As you probably already know, I love coffee! I have spent a lot of time studying, learning, and drinking coffee. I really want to learn more about this passion of mine and try new types of coffee!
Find my Food Freedom
In April I did the Whole 30. (If you do not know about Whole 30 please go here: https://whole30.com ) I mainly choose Whole 30 because I wanted to assess what I have reactions to and what foods I should be cautious of. Food Freedom is the aftermath of Whole 30 by using my knowledge from this food experiment. I plan on doing Whole 30 in January to reassess the reactions I have to different foods and build my Food Freedom.
Decrease social media/ phone use
I am so tied to my phone and social media. I love using Instagram and Facebook but I loved the break I took over Christmas for 2 days. I want to plan some time away from my phone and off of social media. I also want to be conscientious of the amount of time I spend on my phone every day.
Buy a DSLR camera
I have dreamed of owning a DSLR Canon camera for most of my life. I am making a savings plan to get the exact camera I have been dreaming of. I plan to dive into my love of photography once I get my camera.
Kayak weekly in the summer
Kayaking is my absolute favorite outdoor activity and water sport. I live by a lake and have my own kayak. In summers past, I have not kayaked as much as I would have liked. My goal is to try to kayak at least once a week!

So there is my 20 for 2020! I am excited to begin this new decade and focus on some activities that make me happy. I hope this helps you plan your own 20 for 2020. Remember to not hold yourself to unrealistic standards in the new year. Comment below some things from your 20 for 2020 list!

Happy New Year and Cheers to a new decade! 🥂