Paleo Overnight Chia Pudding

I like to hit snooze in the mornings. And when I say I like to, I mean I really, really like to. So much that Jon knows that when I say I have to get up at 6:00am I actually mean 6:45... It drives him nuts but for some reason I feel the need to have several reminders before I actually have to get up. Does anyone else do this?

Because I'm a lover of sleeping in a little bit later than I should I am a huge fan of this overnight chia pudding. It's takes seconds to make and looks so adorable in the half pint size mason jars. Food always tastes better when it's served in a mason jar. And when you have an adorable puppy nearby ;)

(P.S. this is Navajo and this is his first appearance here on the ol' blog! He is the service dog that we are currently training - follow him on Instagram @give_drop_leaveit to keep up with his adventures)

Paleo Overnight Chia Pudding

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp. chia seeds (the more you add, the thicker the pudding will be)
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
fresh berries, nuts, coconut flakes; optional

Directions
1. Put everything (except the berries) in a mason jar and shake well. The half pint size jars work perfectly.
2. Let sit in the fridge for at least 5 hours but overnight is best
3. Shake, shake, shake! Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy straight outta the jar.

Autism Awareness Month - Jewelry for a Cause

Hi friends!

April is Autism Awareness month and I'm ready to spread awareness and educate others about Autism and the impact it has on families.

I work in a clinic where we provide 1:1 behavior therapy services to children with autism. On a daily basis I see the struggles these families face as well as the smiles on their faces when their child does something for the first time, has an amazing day at school, or says a new word!

Did you know that 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder? Studies have found that these families have a harder time getting by financially, finding adequate child care, and are more likely to have poor parental mental health (Autism Speaks).

This morning I took Loyalty, service dog in training, to an autism walk in Orlando and she showed her support by wearing her new pin!

Working with these children and their families is truly life changing and I'm always looking for a way to support them.

When I heard that Stella & Dot is supporting Autism Awareness month by donating a portion of their sales to the HollyRod Foundation I immediately talked to my friend who is a Stylist for the company about hosting a jewelry party.

Stella & Dot has an "autism boutique" collection of bracelets and the proceeds from those pieces will go directly to the HollyRod Foundation to provide care to those living with autism and their families. How amazing is that?! And it's so easy to support this cause because who doesn't love shopping for new jewelry, clothing, and purses?!

If you are interested in shopping and helping me raise money for an amazing cause please shop THIS LINK and share with all of your friends! Stella & Dot just released their new summer line and pieces are going quick so be sure to check it out now so you are the first to get your hands on their amazing pieces.

Thank you :)

Saturday Morning Faves (Plus a K-Cup Tip!)

Saturday mornings are my absolute favorite.

While most people look forward to the weekend so they can sleep in, my internal alarm clock has me up bright and early so I take full advantage of it. And by taking advantage of it, I mean cuddling up on the couch with a warm blanket, a big cup cups of coffee, and my favorite FoodNetwork shows.

This morning I decided to change up my usual smoothie routine with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of chia seeds. It definitely hit the spot.

In addition to the oatmeal, I had several cups of coffee in my Epcot mug! I have a small coffee cup collection that would be much bigger if I had the space to store them all!

I have a few handmade ones, gigantic ones that Jon calls a "bowl of coffee" when I drink from them, ones with cute little figures in the bottom, and mugs shaped like different animals. They are just so much fun to find and they always bring back memories every time I use them.

Side note: this photo shows my third cup of coffee from the same K-Cup pod! I have a Keurig 2.0 but do not have a carafe. I experimented a few weeks ago and found that I can get 2 really good quality cups of coffee and 1 weaker cup from the same pod. I drink my coffee black so this is fine by me! I am always sure to hit the "Strong" button on the machine when brewing cup number 3 to get as much flavor as I can.

Jon's dad and uncle are going to be in town this weekend so I am off to do a little bit of light cleaning, finish watching my show, and run a few errands before they arrive!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite thing to do on Saturday morning?

A Productive Sunday

Today was a productive day for a Sunday! Normally I'm curled up on the couch all day, watching TV, and dreading the work week. But today I went shopping, cleaned up the house, meal planned, read a new book, did some laundry, and soaked up a little bit of sun!

George on the other hand... He didn't do much of anything.

I started off the day with a big cup of coffee and meal planning. I just started a new method to my meal planning and it has been making it so simple and quick, however I want to give it a few more weeks to work out all the kinks before I share it with you all. 

One of my secrets to making it so quick is eMeals. 

Every week I am sent a meal plan and grocery list from eMeals based on the meal plan I choose on their site. They have a wide range of plan options from Budget Friendly to Diabetic and Paleo to Paula Dean! 

One of the meals I chose to try this week was the Lasagna Soup. It was so easy to make and I had almost all of the ingredients on hand already! A win-win in my book. 

It smelled so good and tasted even better! After eating the first bowl I realized that I should have broken up the lasagna noodles even smaller so I went back in with some kitchen shears and cut up the big pieces. I packed up the leftovers for lunches this week! 

If you want to try out eMeals for free, head on over to their site and check out the free two week trial! 

After lunch I downloaded a Kindle book and headed outside to catch a few rays. It was a gorgeous day and a little over 70 degrees - perfect book reading weather. 

I also found out about the site BookBub from my mom. You just sign up and they email you every day with a different book for free or that's on sale based on your interests! I'm trying to get back into reading more so this is a great way for me to learn about new books I may have not found on my own.

Question of the Day

Do you have any meal planning tips? How do you find new books?

Disclaimer: I receive this product free of charge in exchange for advertisement on my blog and social media channels. I will not receive any sort of commission if you use the links in the post. I just love the product and think you should try it too!

Game Day Dip

Every time Jon and I head to a party we take a huge batch of buffalo chicken dip. It's so easy to make and you are guaranteed to go home without leftovers. A win-win in my book.

We were planning on taking our infamous buffalo chicken dip to this year's Super Bowl party until we heard that another guest already claimed the dish! While there is no such thing as too much buffalo chicken dip, I figured I would whip up something a little different.

I knew I couldn't go wrong with a cheesy, bacon and ranch dip!

It was actually easier and quicker to make than buffalo chicken dip because I didn't have to cook the chicken first. All I did was throw all of the ingredients into a big bowl, mix, pour into a dish, top with a little extra cheese (because a little extra cheese never hurt anybody!), and bake!

I am a huge fan of this measuring cup! It's perfect for measuring out creamy ingredients because it gets every last bit.  I highly suggest it for any recipe that uses sour cream, peanut butter, honey, etc. 

After mixing your ingredients, pour them into a baking dish, top with a little more cheese and bake.

I'm taking a huge bowl of wavy potato chips with us to the party tonight but any tortilla chip or veggie would be amazing too!

Game Day Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 block cream cheese, softened (8 oz)

2 cups sour cream (16 oz)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

3 ounces bacon bits

1 packet ranch mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour the mixture into a 1.5-2 quart baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes

4. Serve with potato chips, tortilla chips or veggies and enjoy! 

Question of the Day

What are you taking to your Super Bowl party?

Hands Free Running (SPIBelt Review)

When I first began running years ago it consisted of myself and my running shoes. It was such a simple concept to just throw on my shoes and run but over the years, with the growth of technology, it has become a bit more complicated. 

Now a days a run consists of myself, my running shoes, my Garmin, my iPhone, my keys, headphones, energy packs (for those long runs), my ID and a credit card just in case. I am guilty of having said "I can't run tonight because my Garmin is dead." Wow. What kind of world are we living in?

A hands on-technologically advanced-I must have the latest fitness app-world.

Now I'm not saying that we need to go back to running without music, fitness trackers, or running apps but what if there were a way to run with these things and not even know it?

Well, the masterminds behind SPIbelt have figured it out! Their goal is to create things that help keep things in your life simple and safe. And I'd have to say they do a pretty good job of it!

After going on several runs with my SPIbelt, I only have good things to say about it. It's so nice to go on a run and not have to worry about carrying your phone, where you are going to hide your key, and how you will ID yourself in case of an emergency.

The SPIbelt expands to hold all of your essentials and it doesn't bounce when you run. Don't believe me? You'll have to try it yourself. The band clips in the back, the belt is adjustable and everything in the pocket is held securely inside because of it's zipper closure.

The best part? SPIbelt isn't just for runners. They have products that are great for triathletes, travelers, individuals with medical devices/emergency medicines, walking your dog (they have a SPILeash!!!) and kids!

I currently own the Large Pocket SPIbelt in black (which holds everything you could possibly think of) and the High Visibility SPIbelt in turquoise (which is great for running in busy or low lit areas). Head on over to their website now and check out all of their amazing products! Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see where I take my SPIbelt next!

Question of the Day

What do you carry with you when you run? How would SPIbelt benefit you? 

Disclaimer: I received these products free of charge in exchange for a review. As always, all opinions are completely my own.