Homemade (Healthier) Mounds Bar Recipe

This Blogging Life: Blogging Seasons

Even though the calendar says there’s another month of summer, my second grader Meghan starts school this week, and it feels like summer is ending. Just like the seasons of the year, there are blogging seasons. Like the changes in weather, our motivation, time, and love of blogging ebbs and flows naturally, even if our readers don’t always see what’s going on behind the scenes.

This year started on a high note with my January traffic higher than it had ever been and my motivation soaring. I set goals, made plans, and was ready to conquer the blogging world. It was the season of focused determination. Those seasons can be intense.

As the school year ended I was still riding the high. I had a list of tasks I wanted to accomplish and was ready to keep checking off those t0-dos. I knew summertime wasn’t easy for a blogger who is also a mom of school-aged kids who are now with you all day and demanding your attention. I considered hiring a nanny so I could keep a work schedule. I didn’t want to stop the train I was on.

Then, a realization settled in my mind and I shifted gears entirely. These two little people aren’t going to be little forever. This time is fleeting. Instead of buckling down and working harder on my blog, I took a step back. I remembered the promise I made to my husband to never put this blog ahead of our family. I remembered how quickly my baby girl turned into a growing young lady and how it seemed like just yesterday Luke was learning to crawl. You blink and it’s gone.

It wasn’t easy, but I enjoyed spending less time on this blog this summer. Yes, at times it was stressful because even if you aren’t doing the work, it’s still there, calling you.I knew I was getting behind and not moving forward. But on the flip side, I spent time with my kids that I’ll never get back. I can’t regret that.

I still worked, but much less than I did the first half of the year. I forced myself to be in a different blogging season, and I’m glad I did, even if I was reluctant at first.

Those ideas in my head? They’ll still be there when these two are back in school and I have an empty house and hours to fill. That blogging to-do list? It’ll get done. My pace, my terms, but it will get done.

We didn’t do any big family vacations together this summer. But we still made memories at home, just being together. More memories than ever could have happened if I’d decided to hire a nanny and work away the days. I’m forever grateful for my little family and their understanding and support of this crazy passion of mine that is blogging. They get it when I have to make just one more batch of muffins to get the recipe just right. They know that I’m glued to my computer sometimes because I’m doing something I love.

I don’t know that I would have been able to stick with this blogging life as long as I have (6 years!) if I didn’t embrace the different seasons of blogging. Soon, this season of stepping back and doing less is going to end and I’ll be able to focus again with a renewed energy and passion. Thank YOU, readers, for always being there through my blogging seasons. Much love.

The post This Blogging Life: Blogging Seasons appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/08/blogging-life-blogging-seasons.html

Why Drink Limu?

A popular question that gets asked is “should I drink Limu?” The answer is really simple in that it depends on what you’re looking for. The following are some of the reasons that people drink Limu. You just might find that one or several of these reasons work for you too!

Limu Original – Health and Flavor

You may have seen pictures of this bottle all over the place. It is probably the most popular product sold by The Limu Company. Limu Original is usually mixed in with water and taken periodically by people who are interested in preserving their health or even enhancing it. It is rich in something called “fucoidan” which has been speculated to have many amazing benefits. Without getting into too much technical stuff, fucoidan is something you get from seaweed and it is sought out by people all around the world because of the supposed health benefits that it might have.

In addition to health, Limu Original has a really great taste! You’ll probably notice the organic papaya or even the mango taste. It’s really amazing! It’s made with natural flavors and it’s vegan, kosher and gluten free too. These are just some of the great benefits of Limu original. You can check out the products page for more info!

Limu Lean – Lose Weight

As the name implies, Limu Lean is a product that people from all over are taking to lose weight. At the time that this is being written, it is the only weight loss and meal replacement system that also has fucoidan. It’s endorsed by Olympic gold medalist, Rowdy Gaines too!

Unfortunately there isn’t a huge variety of flavors available for Limu Lean at this time. But if you’re interested in losing weight, this might be a good product for you to try out. The entire package is extremely convenient in that you can also have Limu Burn which is sort of like a “shake on the go”. It’s packaged and ready for you to consume right away in case you happen to be in a rush.

So if you’re overweight and asking yourself “should I drink limu?” the answer is might just be yes. Just make sure to take a look at the product for yourself and make that decision on your own.

Blu Frog Energy Drink

Are you already drinking energy drinks? Monster and Red Bull are terrible for you! Even the stuff from Starbucks is pretty bad. However Blu Frog is an energy drink that is made with some Limu Original. In my opinion it’s way better than anything else you can get on the market. It always leaves me feeling great after I drink it and I don’t crash after having one.

I would have to say that Blu Frog is probably my favorite limu product. It’s also gluten free and vegan! Check out the Blu Frog page for more info on the benefits, reviews and ingredients.

So, Why Drink Limu?

In the end you’re just going to have to come up with your own conclusion based on the facts, reviews and information that you’ve acquired through our site and the many websites out there. I drink limu because it makes me feel great, it’s clean, it tastes awesome, and it seems to be so much better than any other products available.

If you’re still not sure about limu and you need more information, you can find out what limu is here. This is an article written to help people who are unfamiliar with limu get a basic understanding.

Thanks for checking in to our blog and be sure to share!

The post Why Drink Limu? appeared first on Limu Juice.

Source: http://www.limujuice.net/why-drink-limu/

source https://limujuice.wordpress.com/2016/08/13/why-drink-limu/

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-free)

31 Smoothie Challenge Update (and a New Look!)

Hey, hey! Do things look differently around here? If they don’t, you might have to refresh your page or clear your browser’s cache. I’ve been planning this little site refresh for a long time, and I’m so happy it’s finally ready. I’d love to hear what you think.

Just for fun, I thought we should look at how Happy Healthy Mama has looked through the years. The funny thing is, it’s been around for six years, yet this is only my third design change. I’m not sure what that says about me. I don’t like change? Probably more like I am slow to make changes because changes take time and money. Ha!

Here’s what my design looked like from September 2010-May 2012

I designed this header myself. (You mean you can tell it’s not professional?!) I took a picture of orange slices on a green napkin and added the font that came with the free WordPress theme I was using at the time. (I don’t remember what it was called.)

Although I tweaked this one a few times, this is what my site looked like from May 2012-this weekend. This is the Foodie Pro theme running on the Genesis framework. The header and buttons were done by Designs by Tracy and I really liked the design. Until I felt like my site kind of outgrew the look and I wanted something fresher and more modern looking.

For the design you see now, I used Julie at The Blogger Boutique. I love her work! I chose Julie for the new design because she has a lot of experience customizing the Foodie Pro theme. As much as I would have loved a completely custom design, that just wasn’t in the budget. Maybe someday? It’ll probably be another 4-5 years before any more changes happen around here, so don’t hold your breath!

Now for a Smoothie Challenge Update. Some of these challenges are easier to give updates than others. (Hint—>if you want to look back at some of the other challenges, look under the Healthy Year Challenge category.)

For this update, I wanted to give you some information on the ingredients from last week’s smoothies. When I developed these recipes, I put a lot of thought into choosing a variety of ingredients that would fuel our bodies well. I wanted the smoothies to be all vegan, so I relied a lot on seeds like hulled hemp seeds and chia seeds to provide protein. While these seeds can be a little pricey, they are just as expensive (and healthier) as protein powders. I much prefer getting my protein from a whole food source than a processed protein powder. Let’s look at some of the ingredients from the smoothies and why I chose them:

Bananas:  Bananas naturally sweeten smoothies and even with their sugar content have a low glycemic index rating. They act as a prebiotic and aid digestion, are rich in vitamins and minerals. Their high potassium content and low salt content makes them a food that helps lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Apples: Rich in antioxidants and high in fiber.

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk: Low in calories with no added sugar and the vanilla adds flavor and a touch of extra sweetness.

Cinnamon: High in antioxidants and it helps keep blood sugar levels even. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Dates: A natural way to add sweetness to a smoothie while adding fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Cucumber: Keeps you hydrated, flushes out toxins, rich in B vitamins, and adds fiber.

Mango: Rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B-6, and iron.

Spinach and Kale: Greens are the most nutrient-rich vegetables out there. Each week, I introduce new greens to add to your smoothies.

Hemp Seeds: Hemp Seeds are a perfect and natural blend of easily digested proteins, essential fats (Omega 3 & 6), antioxidants, amino acids, and fiber. They also provide iron, zinc, carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin E, chlorophyll, calcium,magnesium, and more.

Chia Seeds: These have a similar nutritional profile to hemp seeds, but with less protein.

Week #2 introduces a new variety of plant foods. Did you get the recipes? If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, you need to do that to get the recipes. Click on the button below to sign up for my weekly newsletter and you’ll get instant access to Week #1 and Week #2 shopping lists and recipes.
Click Here to Subscribe, Join the Challenge, and Get the Smoothie Recipes

Did you notice some smoothies made a large smoothie and others made smaller smoothies? That’s because I really paid attention to the calories of the smoothies. The smaller smoothies were made with more calorie-dense ingredients. A cucumber, for example, will really bulk up a smoothie but adds less than 50 calories. So in case you were wondering about the amount of smoothie the recipes makes, that is why.

Replacing a meal with a smoothie has been great to help me become more aware of how much I eat versus how much I need to eat. Overeating is so easy to do!

I have also loved having my breakfasts planned for me already and it’s great knowing I’m getting a variety of different fruits and vegetables in my first meal of the day. (One day I felt like oatmeal, so I had my smoothie for lunch, but most days I’m having the smoothie for breakfast.) I’m finding it is a great springboard for the rest of the day and helps me want to continue to eat well and make good food choices. Believe it or not, I make bad food choices just like everybody else. This Smoothie Challenge is helping me think about those choices more.

I hope you’re enjoying the Smoothie Challenge, too. Feel free to let me know how it’s going in the comments!

 

The post 31 Smoothie Challenge Update (and a New Look!) appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/08/31-smoothie-challenge-update-new-look.html

Feta Basil Greek Yogurt Dip

The 31 Day Smoothie Challenge

It’s time for a 31 Day Smoothie Challenge! We are in the 8th challenge of the Happy Healthy Mama Healthy Year Challenge, and I think this one is going to be the most fun. We are going to replace one meal a day with a delicious, nutrient-dense smoothie. What do you think?!

Why a Smoothie Challenge?

There are a number of reasons you might want to take part in a smoothie challenge. Remember, we are talking about replacing one meal a day, most likely breakfast or lunch, with a smoothie. Here are some great reasons do take part in a smoothie challenge:

• Smoothies are an excellent way to add a wide variety of nutrients to your diet. You can use a lot of different plants in a smoothie including fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole grains. Plant power!
• If you have trouble eating the recommended amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in a day, smoothies can help.
• Smoothies make healthy eating easier. No cooking involved, just some quick blending and you have a complete, nutritious, balanced meal.
• Smoothies provide built-in portion control. If you have a problem with overeating, replacing a meal with a smoothie can help!
• The right smoothies (not the kind loaded with sugar!) can fight inflammation and help you feel great.

I want to make participating in the smoothie challenge as easy as possible, so I’ve created 31 different smoothie recipes for you! Each week of this challenge, I will email you 7 new, nutritious smoothie recipes along with a grocery list. This is, of course, totally free to you. You’ll be armed with everything you need to start the challenge right away. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you should have already received this information and the recipes. If not, you can join right now by clicking the image below!

The smoothies that I created for you are designed to be complete meals.

Each 31 Day Smoothie Challenge Smoothie:

• Is between 350-450 calories
• Has 4+ servings of fruits and vegetables
• Has no added sugars
• Is totally plant-based (vegan)
• Has at least, often more than, 10 grams of protein
• Is made with only whole food ingredients–NO protein powders

You can expect to eat around 20 different plant foods in a week just by taking place in the challenge! Variety is an important key to building a strong immune system and keeping your body healthy. If you’ve struggled with keeping your healthy eating on track, this 31 Day Smoothie Challenge is a great jumping point to help you! 

Today is August 1, but it doesn’t matter if you start this challenge on August 2nd, August 9th, or even sometime in October if you happen to be reading this later down the road. Start when it works for you, just make sure you start! Click below to get started—->

Click Here to Subscribe, Join the Challenge, and Getthe Smoothie Recipes

 

The post The 31 Day Smoothie Challenge appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/08/31-day-smoothie-challenge.html