Cauliflower Hash Browns (under a pile of goodness)

These cauliflower hash browns are relatively easy to make and make a fantastic base for a pile of goodness, such as what I have here:  sauteed vegetables, avocado, and an over easy egg.   It’s good.  Believe that.

Once you get the cauliflower cooked and grated, the hard part is over.  Here are my tips for making this as simple as possible:

TRX Ab Workout –  Or just an ab workout 😉

Are you ready to work your abs, really engage your Transverse Abdominus (just a heads up, I’m pretty obsessed with this muscle, ESPECIALLY for postpartum mamas!), and even get a burn in your upper body?  Then check out this quick trx ab workout circuit that is done entirely on TRX straps.   (Full length demo at bottom of post!)

No straps?  No problem!

You can do this two other ways:

• Use a stability ball.  This will make it harder and for the mountain climbers, just drop your feet off the ball and do them with your feet on the floor.
• Use a set of sliding discs (I use these sliding discs, which work on carpet or hard flooring) and do these on the floor.  This is an easier modification.
• Use paper plates or socks instead of sliding discs!

Arugula Lime Pesto – a kicky and healthy dip!

This arugula lime pesto is easy and quick- it’s ready in less than ten minutes and you don’t even have to use your stove.  It’s the perfect pesto for summer!

This was originally intended to be arugula basil lime pesto, only I found out at the last minute that my husband used all the basil.  I managed to take 8 tiny leaves off our fledgling basil plant, though. If you have basil on hand (and love it as much as I do) then toss it into the pesto!  You’ll need more than 8 tiny leaves to make an impact, though.  Add a handful!

You are going to love this fast, effective full body kettlebell workout!

I created this full body kettlebell workout a few weeks ago and I love it, not only because it’s super fast (20-25 minutes, not including the warmup) but crazy effective and will really get your heart rate up.  My legs were so sore the first time I did this workout, so prepare yourself!  It really gets the glutes and hamstrings- there is a lot of squatting in this workout.

Intuitive Eating- Because nutrition isn’t “one size fits all” 

What is intuitive eating and how will it help you feel and look better?   Quite simply, it’s a matter of listening to your body and learning what works for you.   Every person is different.  We don’t all metabolize carbohydrates in the same manner, nor do we all have the same amount of muscle mass.  Nor do we all have the same activity levels!

We also don’t have the same digestive systems. What I can easily eat may not work for you.  A good example of this is flax seeds.  I just can’t handle much of it…if I have too much I get horrible stomach pains.  But other people (mainly vegans) routinely use “flax eggs” in place of regular eggs and they don’t suffer for it.

By utilizing intuitive eating, you will eat foods that your body needs which in turn will lead to you feeling (and looking!) better.

Exercises that help ease lower back pain

(Don’t want to read?  Scroll down for a video with three exercises to do daily to help ease lower back pain !)

Do you have chronic lower back pain?  Or have you recently had a baby and have lower back pain that you are having difficulty managing?  If so, you aren’t alone.  An estimated 37% of people have lower back pain complaints, and 50% of pregnant women complain of lower back pain.  After giving birth, that back pain continues as the core region, especially the transverse abdominus, is weakened significantly.  In addition, the hormone relaxin in still at play, causing increased mobility in the pelvic region (that’s not a good thing!).

So how can you ease your lower back pain?  Several ways:

Paleo Egg wrap with ham, veggies and sriracha

Jump to the recipe!

I’m about to give you a serious weapon to add to your recipe arsenal…it’s a paleo egg wrap, and it’s fantastic. Now, I’m not so naive as to think I’m the first person to use an egg as a wrap (I’ve heard of crêpes, people!) but this combo of ham, veggies and sriracha is killer.

The best part about this wrap? It keeps you full. Or maybe it’s that it’s packed with lots of protein, healthy fats, fiber and nutrients. I’ll let you decide.

You know what else?  This is a good lunch box item!  I take this to work for a lunch fairly regularly.

Oh!  And kids eat this, too.  (Although I do have to leave out the sriracha until my little munchkin learns to love spicy foods as much as I do.)  If I make this for my lunch I just cut up a slice of ham and some of the extra sauteed vegetables and leave it for his lunch (I already make a scrambled egg for him almost every day).

 Gluten-free graham crackers, ya’ll!  Delicious, easy, and perfect for kiddos!

 Jump to Recipe

Before I was even pregnant I was thinking about making paleo/ gluten-free graham crackers. I’m not sure why, given that I don’t really eat graham crackers, but they just seemed like a great idea! Now that he’s ready to eat such a thing, I started researching paleo graham crackers and you know what? I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the recipes I found. They all used a lot of almond flour (not surprising) or coconut flour. Those ingredients are fine, however almond flour is very expensive and I wanted something a little less heavy. For that reason, I decided to create a gluten-free graham cracker that uses both almond meal and oat flour. This means it’s not paleo but for me that is ok.

I remember how overwhelmed I was when I started my baby registry. There are so many options! It took me three days just to decide on a stroller! I mean, who knew that you need an umbrella stroller, and an infant caddy stroller, and a Bob? (Well, you don’t need all three but I sure did love my caddy stroller that went with the infant seat, and I use my Bob stroller daily.) So I want to share those essential baby items that will last you well into toddler-hood.

I will probably do a second post on items that are great for the first year, but this post focuses on items that will last you well into the second year. These are the items that I use often and don’t regret purchasing. (As an aside, these are all links to Amazon because to be honest, that’s where I buy most of my stuff and that’s also where I registered.)

Let’s start with some basic essential baby items, shall we?