Easy Italian Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Save money, resources, and create beautiful and uniquely wrapped gifts with these upcycled gift wrapping ideas!

One thing you should know about me: I really love wrapping gifts. I love the process of making the finished product look beautiful and lovely for the person receiving it. I feel like it’s act of love to put thought and care into act of wrapping a gift.

Anyone else with me on this?

I know everyone doesn’t feel that way. Lots of people would much rather buy a gift bag at the store, throw the gift inside, and call it a day. I get that. And trust me, sometimes I’m too busy for anything but that.

Whether you’re buying gift bags or wrapping paper, though, wrapping gifts can be wasteful and expensive.

This year I decided to do a solid for Mother Earth (and my wallet!) and come up with some upcycled gift wrapping ideas.

I feel like the results have been just as beautiful as if I would have bought wrapping paper, but much more unique and special.

I reuse ribbons and bows every year, so my out of pocket expenses for gift wrapping this year is very low! Most of what I used was from simply looking around my house and seeing what would work for pretty wrapped gifts.

Let me show you my favorites!

Upcycled Gift Wrapping Ideas

1. Brown Paper Bags 

If you have brown paper grocery bags, they can easily become a pretty gift wrapping paper. You simply need to cut the bag so it’s flat, then wrap your gift.

Brown paper grocery bags are quite thick and stiff, so it’s best to wrap boxes with these. They look great with a classic red plaid ribbon.

2. Old Catalogs or Magazines

Some old catalogs and magazines can make very beautiful and unique gift wrapping paper. Above is a page from the Minted holiday catalog they sent us. I’m going to use the whole thing to wrap gifts because it’s got beautiful colors and the holiday theme is perfect.

It doesn’t matter what the pictures are of as you can’t really tell once it’s wrapped up. Just look for pretty color schemes or patterns.

3. Old Calendars

I used my 2018 calendar for gift wrapping this year. It just happens to be a huge Stendig Wall Calendar. You can use smaller calendars for wrapping smaller gifts. The white with black numbers make a striking gift wrap and you can use any ribbon color you want!

If your calendar has pictures, those would be beautiful for wrapping paper, as well!

4. Newspaper

Newspaper is a classic choice! You can dress up the wrapping so many ways with pretty ribbons or even objects from nature like pine tree branches or flowers in the warmer months. I also love that newspaper is so easy to work with.

5. Use the Same Material you Wrap with to Make Gift Tags

I have a stash of old cards that I used for making the gift tags on all the gifts you see in the pictures. I just used different shapes to cut out the cardboard backing, and then cut the same shape out of the material I used to wrap.

I then glued the material onto the old card, punched a hole, and a new tag was created!

Easy and beautiful!

Do you have any different upcycled gift wrapping ideas? Please share them in the comments!

Are you getting into the Christmas spirit yet? Make sure to check out my post on the best Christmas Cookies (lots of healthier ideas for you!) and my post on Magical Family Christmas Traditions. Both will help get you there if you’re not feeling it yet!

Links to products are affiliate links. 

The post Upcycled Gift Wrapping Ideas appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/upcycled-gift-wrapping-ideas.html

Christmas Cookies and other Sweets for the Holidays

Well, friends, just like that, Thanksgiving is over and we make a quick switch to the Christmas season. It’s coming fast and furious, ready or not. Time to start thinking about Christmas cookies!

To help your planning, I thought it would be nice to have all my favorite Christmas cookies and Christmas desserts and sweets on one page. You can save this to your Pinterest page and refer back to it as often as you need during the holiday season. I’ll add my newest recipes to this page as I post them this season.

All of the recipes here are from Happy Healthy Mama. There’s a wide variety of options for different dietary needs, which I specified for you. My Christmas cookie recipes that are not gluten free generally use whole wheat pastry flour.

If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour * or prefer not to use it, all-purpose flour can be substituted in the same amount. I recommend unbleached all-purpose flour.

Enjoy my lists!

Christmas Cookies

 

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (whole grain)

Chocolate No Bake Cookies (dairy free, gluten free, grain free, can be made vegan by subbing out honey)

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies (vegan and whole grain)

Healthy Ginger Cookies (whole grain)

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

No-Bake Peanut Butter Snowballs  (gluten free, dairy free, 4 ingredients)

Vegan and Gluten-Free Carmelitas

Chocolate Cookie Pops

Other Christmas Desserts and Treats

 

No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Balls (vegan, gluten free, grain free)

Homemade Peppermint Bark Recipe

Peppermint Brownies (vegan and gluten free)

Christmas Tree Dessert Pizza (gluten free, grain free)

Easy Chocolate Fudge Recipe (vegan, low carb, keto)

Strawberry Banana Santa Hats (gluten free)

Skinny Buckeyes  (gluten free, grain free)

Vegan Chocolate Pudding (vegan and gluten free)

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

*links to products are affiliate links

The post Christmas Cookies and other Sweets for the Holidays appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/christmas-cookies.html

All of your Favorites on Sale!

Are you a Black Friday shopper? I like to shop from the comfort of my own couch. Lines? No thanks. Crowds? Not for me.

If you’re like me and would rather do your shopping online, here are some great deals I found on my favorite things that start TODAY or tomorrow!! These are all brands or services I use and love.

Links to products are affiliate links, which means, at no extra cost to you, when you purchase from my links I will get a small percentage of the sale. Thank you for supporting Happy Healthy Mama!

ZYIA Active FREE BEANIE with $200 orders and 10% of 7/8 leggings

You’ve heard me rave about ZYIA Active and how much I’m loving their activewear line. It’s high quality and SUPER CUTE.  If you’ve been waiting to check them out for yourself, TODAY would be a great day! This is the only day of the year they do discounts. Today you get 10% off of select leggings and a FREE BEANIE with your $200 purchase. Remember that every Wednesday is New Release Wednesday for ZYIA and they released lots of items today.  SHOP HERE.

Sunbasket $60 off your first three weeks

I posted my Sun Basket Review earlier this year. It’s a HEALTHY meal delivery service that has been a lifesaver on busy weeks! Right now you can get $60 dollars off total–$20 off your first 3 weeks!

Beautycounter 15% OFF site wide (just a few exclusions) AND FREE SHIPPING for orders over $50. 

 

Beautycounter is my go-to line for safe, nontoxic, non-hormone-disrupting personal care products. They are safe and perform so well! I use all of their make up products, shampoo and conditioner, and my favorite Overnight Resurfacing Peel. They also have a ton of cute holiday gift sets. Shop all of Beautycounter Products here!

Klo Organics 30% AND FREE SHIPPING use code FAMILY30 (Starts on Thanksgiving)

Look at all the nourishing oils used in Klo’s products! I have used Klo Organic Beauty’s oil cleanser and serum for over two years now and it’s the only skin care products I’ve ever felt worked WITH my skin. See my post on the oil cleansing method here as well as my post on How to Get Clear Skin Naturally. Click here for 30% off Klo using FAMILY30 starting on Thanksgiving.

Butcher Box-FREE Bacon for Life

Butcher Box is where we get all of our meat. It has organic chicken and pork, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, and they ensure that all of the animals are humanely raised and never treated with antibiotics or hormones. We get a box every two months that we keep in the freezer. Right now, if you sign up for a subscription you will get a FREE package of nitrate-free, uncured bacon for the LIFE of your subscription! Click here to get this offer!!

J CREW 40% off entire purchase  use code TOGETHER (ends 11/22)

I’ve been a huge fan of JCrew since I started stealing my brothers’ plaid shirts in the 90s. I shop from the women’s section these days and JCrew always has cute options. At 40% off everything, this is a great time to get some Christmas shopping done! Click here to shop JCrew and get the 40% using code TOGETHER. 

7 For All Mankind 30% off with code EARLY30 Ends 11/22

I had to share this one with you because I LOVE LOVE my 7 jeans. They are worth every penny. Especially when they’re on sale!! Click here for 7 For All Mankind 30% off with code EARLY30 (Ends 11/22).

Happy shopping, friends!

The post All of your Favorites on Sale! appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/all-of-your-favorites-on-sale.html

Cranberry Salsa Recipe

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktail

Raise your hand if you think the answer to your burning desire to be as fit and healthy as you can is do cardio, more cardio, and then a whole lot more cardio.

Oh, girl. I’ve been in your shoes. I thought running or otherwise getting my heart rate up for extended periods of time was THE most important thing I could do to be fit and maintain my weight.

Step off the treadmill (or Peloton bike) for a moment and let’s have a chat about strength training.

Strength training is NOT just for bodybuilders or dudes in muscle shirts who carry gallon jugs of water from one weight bench to the next. Strength training is for every person, whether you’re 25 or 85 years old.

Strength training is a crucial aspect of staying fit, losing or maintaining weight, and our overall health. Let’s take a look at a listy-list that should convince you why!

Why Strength Training is Important for Everyone

1. Strength training improves your bone health. 

By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density, thereby decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. This is something that is especially important for aging women. And we’re all aging women.  

2. Strength training protects muscle mass. 

Starting around the age of 30, we naturally lose 30-50 percent of muscle mass each year. Without strength training, what happens? We get weaker and weaker as we age. Strength training helps prevent that by replacing the muscle mass you naturally lose.

Look at the facts. This will help us to stay independent (who wants to live in a nursing home when they are older? Not this girl…) and live longer!

3. Strength training reduces belly fat. 

Yep. Studies have shown that strength training is more effective at reducing and preventing abdominal fat than cardiovascular exercise. Pick up those dumbbells.

4. Strength training can help control blood sugar levels.

Strength training has been shown to be very important for diabetic patients because it improves the functioning of the muscle cells that transport glucose from the blood to the muscles, which decreases blood sugar levels.

Even if you aren’t diabetic, keeping our blood sugar levels in check is important.

5. Strength training can lower your risk of injury.

Strong muscles protect connecting tendons while increasing the flexibility of ligaments. This makes the ligaments less likely to get strained or torn. Lifting weights also prevents muscle imbalances that can lead to overuse injuries.

6. Strength training makes your body look better. 

You’re so vain, you probably think number six is about you, don’t you, don’t you? You know what? Call it vanity if you want, but we ALL want to look good naked. RIGHT?! All actual health reasons aside, lifting weights can make your body look good like no other form of exercise.

Resistance training can help us lose weight faster because it speeds up our resting metabolic rate. Why? Because it takes our body more calories to maintain muscle than it does to maintain fat. The more muscle your body has, the harder it has to work (burn calories!) to maintain it.

Lifting also changes the tone and appearance of our muscles in a way that cardio alone cannot. Want the best bang for your buck? Lift heavy weights! If you want your muscles to change you have to adequately fatigue them.

7. Strength training is effective for cardiovascular health. 

There are a few ways that resistance training can help maintain or improve the health of your heart. First, strength training has a positive effect on resting blood pressure levels. Second, it also has a positive effect on blood lipid levels. Lastly, some evidence suggests that strength training can improve vascular condition, or the ability of arteries to accommodate blood flow.

8. Strength training makes life easier!

Think about all the things in life that are just plain easier when you’re strong. Carrying around your toddler all day who wants to be held and only by YOU. Lifting your suitcase off the carousel at baggage claim (am I the only one who gets a huge HEAVY tag on my bag every time I travel??). Bringing in all the grocery bags in one trip.

Resistance training will make ALL of these things and so much more easier for you.

So, who’s heading to the gym today and going to wander into the weight room?! I hope it’s YOU.

I am LOVING my ZYIA Active clothes for working out! Click here to check out my online boutique! 

In this post I’m wearing—–>

Spearmint Pocket Light N Tight Capris

Black Mesh Tank

Resources

Resistance Training is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health

The Benefits of Strength Training for Older Adults

Tips for Staying Active as the Seasons Change

The post Why Strength Training is Important for EVERYONE appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/why-strength-training-is-important-for-everyone.html

Easy Sourdough Stuffing Recipe

Foolproof Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Sweet Potato Tian

This post is sponsored by MegaFood®. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping and noses are sniffling. Seasonal changes can
cause our immune systems to go a little off track and, sometimes, into a fast, downward spiral
that can be hard to bounce back from.

When it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system, I find it best to be proactive rather than
reactive. You can help your body fight off inevitable germs that linger in the colder months by
taking a few simple precautions and by being mindful of immune health. Here’s what you can
do!

How to Stay Healthy During the Changing Seasons

1. Get enough sleep.

Getting good sleep is the most important thing we can do for our health. Studies have shown
that quality sleep has a strong influence on immune functions and lack of sleep negatively
impacts the immune system. (source). Did you know that people who don’t get quality sleep are
more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus? Lack of sleep also takes a toll on how
quickly you recover from illness.

I know how hard it can be, especially when you’re a mom and your only time alone is after the
kids go to bed. I like to have that time too, but our health depends on proper sleep. We have to
turn off Netflix and go to bed! In addition to getting in bed early, I love to use Dream Release TM
from MegaFood as it helps promote that deep, restorative sleep we all seek.*

2. Eat well.

We all know this one, but it’s easier said than done, right? Fuel your body with foods that will
support your immune system on a consistent basis.*

Focus on eating a lot of vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains while cutting back on refined and processed carbohydrates.

3. Take a quality multi-vitamin.

Even with the best intentions to eat well, it’s easy to have nutritional gaps in our diet. A good,
quality multivitamin can help fill those gaps and keep your immune system functioning at a
healthy level.*
I reviewed my favorite, best multivitamin for women here, MegaFood Multi for Women. It’s doctor-
formulated and crafted with a blend of vitamins and minerals that support a woman’s unique
physiological needs, including normal hormonal fluctuations.*

MegaFood is my go-to brand for supplements because they are made with whole foods sourced from quality farms. They are also the first supplement company to have their entire line be certified Glyphosate Residue Free. You know how important this is to me.

MegaFood also just debuted a Daily Multi Powder for Women, which makes it easy to take your
daily multivitamin in your favorite juice or smoothie. This multivitamin in powder form is
formulated especially for women, with 9mg of iron to replenish iron lost during your menstrual
cycle.*

It also has B vitamins to promote healthy energy levels (Yes, please!), and it supports a
healthy response to changes associated with normal hormone fluctuations.*

Taking a multivitamin is an important piece of how to stay healthy year-round and especially
during the winter season and I trust MegaFood supplements to also provide much-needed extra
nourishment for my body!*

4. Wash your hands.

I know this should be a total given, but it’s just a friendly reminder to wash your hands often and
wash them well. Soap and hot water is all you need.

5. Manage your stress.

Stress is another lifestyle factor that can affect your immune system. I have found meditation to
be extremely beneficial in managing my stress. Slowing down and taking breaks from work and
responsibilities can be helpful.

Another technique for managing my stress is writing things down. Sometimes it’s journaling and other times, it’s simply jotting down lists or plans to help calm my anxiety. It can be very personalized, but finding ways to manage your stress can help keep you healthy so make it a priority.

6. If you feel something coming on, fight back!

When the temperature starts to drop it’s important to make sure your immune system doesn’t!

MegaFood’s new Acute Defense supports immune health when you need it most.* It is made
with Vitamin C, zinc, Black Elderberry, together with bitter and phytonutrient-rich herbs,
including Echinacea and andrographis. All of these work together to support a quick immune
response.*

What’s your secret to staying healthy during seasonal changes?

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is
not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

The post How to Stay Healthy During the Changing Seasons appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/how-to-stay-healthy-during-the-changing-seasons.html