Healthy living and lifestyle blog
Hi!! I saw this on my google home page and found it worth sharing with my friends.
I am so sorry if you suffer from these or know someone who does, I think everyone has bouts of either or both at sometime in their life.
These are some good tips and tools to implement if you feel under stress. Breathe slowly, it is helpful when in a panic.
xoxo, Michelle 😘
m.rediff.com/amp/getahead/report/health-10-yoga-asanas-to-fight-stress-and-anxiety/20190816.htm
I spent last weekend in Washington DC celebrating my niece’s high school graduation. Graduate festivities have become so much more than when I was graduating. It was so very special and there were many wonderful memories made with her friends and parents friends and great conversations about things they know or really need to know as they head into the 🌍 world.
In honor of my niece and the graduating classes this year, I wish you so much happiness and the very best in life and to anyone else reading this, I wish you all the best and hope this list may help you in some way.
I love you, Grace. xoxo, Mimi
This is a list I have considered writing many times in my life. Mentors, teachers, and people we look up to can pass on little gems of knowledge to keep us on a straight path or help us to be a good human, taking care of yourself and others, and to live and love your life. In no particular order.
Here goes…
1. Saying please and thank you will always go a long way. 
2. When someone is speaking to you, do not look at your phone. 📱📱📱📱📱📱
Avoid walking while looking down at your phone. This is not only impolite, but will alter your posture and increase the size of your thighs while they work to assist you from falling, which will be likely, and possibly lead to injury.
3. Adopt and keep a good skin care regime. This includes washing your face before bed, moisturizing and using a Clarisonic style face brush to keep your face as clean as possible. Even using wipes to clean your face can leave pores unclean. Your skin texture will change over the years, be open to changing your routine to accommodate but do not skip taking care of your skin.
4. Moisturize your neck, too. I have been in the sun a lot in my life and my neck has seen a few sunburns. A client once shared this advice and I hope my efforts after 29 will sustain, but start now if you do not already. Moisturize both your face and neck.
5. Take proper care of your teeth. Brush and floss morning and night and in between, when you can. Do not skip regular dentist appointments and do not ignore any discomfort in your teeth or mouth.
6. Do not misuse available credit and credit cards. This will follow you into buying a car, your first home, and other things you may be disappointed by missing out on. It is ok to use credit cards and build credit and they can be rewarding when properly researched and handled. Do not let them get out of your control. Do not spend beyond your means.
7. Always hold the door for the person behind you.
8. Look for the good in everyone and everything, it will make you happy, I promise.
9. Do not participate in gossip. Be “No gossip.” Do not make time for conversations with gossips.
10. Take care of your vehicle. Have regular maintenance done on your vehicle and your tires checked. Always have more than one quarter tank of gas. Especially in the winter, be prepared, to stay warm and to be safe. Have an emergency bag, with blanket, towel, paper towels, gloves, a flashlight with batteries not installed, a pad of paper and pen and any other items helpful in a situation. My niece received her grandfather’s car as a gift and in the car was the most spectacular bag of everything you might need in case of an emergency. He brought out each item and explained to her how each could be used and why it is important to have on hand. Brilliant, Joe. 👌🏼
11. Always be a student. Be willing to be coachable. There will be more to learn in any area, on any playing field, in any career or sport you chose. Take coaching as it is intended: to help you grow. Be proud of what you know.
12. Be kind to everyone. You never know what battles people are hiding and fighting. Be a helping hand to others, you may be in need of a hand one day.
13. Have the utmost of integrity. You are your word, unless you are not your word. You will have so many chances to make choices in your life. Always choose to be your word and honor your commitments. Cancel if you need to cancel, call if you know you will be late, apologize if you are wrong or have hurt someone. Be your word.
14. Ask for assistance when you need it. You will never have to do everything all on your own. Be willing to speak up if you don’t understand something or to arrange for help if you could use the help. ❓❓⁉️
15. Remember that you are loved by so many!! ♥️ People are all so different and everyone comes to the table with their own set of memories or things which made them be the way they are. You are loved so much by so many, let it go if you meet someone not in your circle. Everyone passes through your life for a reason, maybe to teach you how not to be, or what you need to add to your life. Be open to the possibility of loving everyone. Turn away from negativity and look for the good ones. Ones like you. 🤩
16. Exercise daily, even for 30 minutes. Know that every little bit does count. Even if you are in good shape, your muscles need to be used and your heart is a muscle that needs regular exercise to stay healthy. Doing yoga every day will help your mind body and soul stay balanced, or at least give them the chance to be balanced. Exercise will boost endorphins which will improve your mood. Exercise will help you to keep a clear mind. Exercising regularly will help fight disease.
17. Eat a well balanced diet. On a college girl budget, it may be tempting to eat gummy bears for lunch, but skip the candy. Use common sense, or ask me (😂) , and do not get into bad eating habits. They will always catch up with you and losing weight is a struggle. Worse, having type II diabetes would be awful when it is due to poor eating habits. Be sensible and eat plenty of meat (or protein) and vegetables.
18. Respect the “Elders.” I put that in parentheses because they may not necessarily be older, but in a higher position or one to whom you answer. Give everyone respect. Be known as respectful.
Thank you for reading my list of 18 things I would tell my younger self. Feel free to share with the young people in your life or change it some to make it your own list.
Until next time, xoxo, Michelle
Disclaimer: This website contains affiliate links which means that you may click on a link that will take you to that item on amazon, and if you make a purchase I will make a small commission which will be at no added cost to you. This helps offset costs of blogging and is highly appreciated.
Have you seen the beautiful and colorful bowls all over Instagram?? A lovely creation of red chia and yogurt base, a row of sliced bananas, a row of a pint of blueberries, chocolate chips, walnut halves mixed with toasted coconut slivers, or some other pretty color and mixture of great things.
Honestly, they look amazing, I am confident they taste as good as they look. If it is your main meal, all of these things adding up to 500 to 800, calories unless you are careful, is very fine. I couldn’t really sign up for this type of indulgence very often if ever.
I love the look and they photograph so well. They make each ingredient in the pictures into a pretty sculpture almost.
I have been eating Oikos Triple Zero yogurt cups, Lemon Tart is my favorite or vanilla, with sprinkles of bran fiber for my lunch. The texture of the fiber is so nice and if I leave it a few minutes it softens up and is less crunchy. 
I picked up some pumpkin seeds the other day and when I went to put them away, I put them next to the bran sprinkles and had an idea 💡 
Just like the Instagram pictures, only much smaller and better use of portion control. For me, anyway. This is the result, a tiny handful of a cup, with two extra ingredients. Stir, and enjoy!! This was so great!! Of, course, you can substitute anything you like, but know what you add, calories? Fat? Fiber? I added fiber, the pumpkin seeds were for fat.
The yogurt was 110 calories to begin, add fiber sprinkles for 20 calories (2 tbsp) add 10-12 pumpkin seeds 40 calories. Total is only 170 calories. A very protein, fat and fiber packed breakfast or lunch or snack!
Some days, I mix a packet of strawberry collagen (30 calories) into the yogurt first. This is my favorite!! Collagen has many health benefits, including improves skin texture and elasticity, helps improve bone health like breaks and arthritis, and good for digestion, hair and nails. This one blends very well, and is great in water or this yogurt bowl, too.
Thanks for reading and I hope it inspires you to try a tiny smoothie bowl creation of your own!👌🏼 Let me know!
xoxo, Michelle ♥️
This site contains affiliate links to some of the products in the posts. This means i will make a small commission of you click they to amazon and make a purchase. This will be at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for helping with costs for my blog.
Have you seen the many beautiful yoga pose photos on Instagram ? Tons of talented and beginner yoga enthusiasts take to Instagram to show their practice or progress and participate in yoga challenge after yoga challenge. Why??
I know for me, I wanted to improve my splits practice and when I searched the hashtag on Instagram, I found so many challenges with the goal of improving the splits! When I read the rules and saw how all levels were included, I did my first challenge.
To participate, I only needed to follow the hosts and the sponsors and post a photo each day of the challenge, tagging everyone in each post. It is really that easy.👌🏼
I have continued doing the splits and doing yoga challenges. Now, I am a host with two others and we do four challenges per year. #fourseasonsyogis
Here is a sample of a flier to promote our challenge. There are many many other groups and individuals hosting yoga challenges on Instagram. If you look, you will find several that you will like to join at any time.
The hosts show the pose of the day, usually the evening before, or some challenges list the poses or have them pictured, so you know what you are meant to do for each day. Simple. You do not have to have an influencer apartment for background effects, whatever setting makes you happy to do yoga. Hashtag the challenge so that hosts and sponsors may view your entries to be eligible. Now, the list…
10 Reasons to do an Instagram Yoga Challenge
1. Do yoga! Maybe you already do, but this will keep you honest so that you continue the practice. The benefits are endless, some even immediate.
2. Learn new poses you may not already practice. You may learn new ways to enter poses or variations you have not seen of poses you practice. Or do tree pose with the mascots for the Cardinals baseball team and the Blues hockey team at a health fair.
3. Meet other like minded yogis participating and like their posts and interact with them through the challenge. I have made several wonderful friends this way and have connected with them through yoga. 👊🏼😍
4. Improve your flexibility. While this is really a given, I know I am guilty of practicing what I already know I can do. A challenge can bring new life to your yoga practice and create a new goal you did not know was available.
…wait for the smile at the end. 😆
5. Improve your knowledge of yoga and your body. Are you a newbie?? I sort of dislike this word but someone just last night said that he was after my class. It’s really ok to be new. I wish everyone would at least give it a try. Every yogi has done their own first yoga class. Maybe you remember maybe you want to forget! Challenges can help renew or develop a love for the practice, which can improve your health dramatically! (Please always use responsibility when practicing. For example, warm up your body before trying any pose, new or seasoned yogis included.)
6. Do something you can be proud of. You never know until you try, right?? It is true of so many things in life. This is something I love about yoga and bringing yoga into my life, off the mat. I usually video my poses to use on a challenge, it makes finding the right frame easier. Believe me, I took many self timer FAILS! Delete. Do it again. Delete. A few tries with the video and I love doing it this way and editing. You may be surprised by your abilities. I first did videos when I needed a camera person. This one was during a splits challenge and made my day when I saw it. (Friend David is the camera man) I look so tall at 5’2″ !!
7. Improve your confidence. Another reason I love these challenges. Maybe you do not know this will happen, but seeing your your own progress is very powerful and boosts your self confidence. It can improve your photography skills, as well. I have had fun learning about filtering and positioning of the camera ( iPhone ) 🤭
“Practice and all is coming.” – Rumi
8. Become a selfie pro!🤞🏼 Most of the time, my favorite camera man is working when I am apt to strike a pose, and I have a few favorite places that I know I can set my phone up to record without help. Having someone else’s viewpoint is always nice, and he can get shots I can’t. My ability to edit and use the reverse mode on the phone’s camera improves with practice. My taste in filters changes which is fun, too. I like to use preset filters when I can, knowing the end result is a win.
9. Win wonderful prizes from thoughtful businesses. Most of us are shifting away from chemicals in our daily lives when we can or some, at all costs. The sponsors that are typically featured in the yoga challenges I have been a part of and seen are for the most part also yogic in their lifestyle or mission. The sponsors may be beautiful artists or talented wood crafters or eco friendly leggings and jewelry.
“Remember, yoga is always a practice, not a performance.”
10. Practice self care and Do yoga!🤷🏻♀️ It is such a great thing to do for yourself. Self care is a much overlooked necessity when it comes to maintaining a healthy body and mind. Even if it is only a few minutes of warming up before taking the photo for the challenge, this may be a good way to maintain the practice of yoga in your life.
Thanks for reading my post and I hope you are inspired to try a yoga challenge. Reach out if you have any questions about them!! Or follow me on Instagram to join the ones I do or host. Instagram
Have a great day, xoxo, Michelle ♥️
Need a great yoga mat?? This one by Yoga Design Lab is amazing!! You can pick from many colors and patterns, and it is so nice having the towel on the top of the mat, easy to clean and available on Amazon!!
Yoga Design Lab ultra yoga mat
Or this is a double sided yoga mat with even more choices of design and color…
Did you see my post about trying yoga this year?? here
Read my tips for taking a warm or hot yoga class… here
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links within this post and on this website. This means that if you make a purchase by clicking through one of the links, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps pay for the expenses of having this blog. Thank you so much.
Hi!! It has been a minute since I posted – sort of “broke” my website on the last post with the funny giphy clips, but all is back up and running without too much pain, so here is a wonderful chili variation for you to enjoy reading on this lovely afternoon.
This Green Pork Chili recipe is from one of my husbands friend’s mom, Mrs. Marty Wells. He made some adjustments and then a few more for me since I can’t handle the heat as much. Jack brought home a new “toy”… for this batch of chili, he used a Traeger Smoker to smoke and prepare the pork before putting it into the chili.
Wow!! We loved it so much!!! This recipe has great flavor anyway and Jack will often pull one from the freezer to make us Green Eggs and Ham for dinner. ♥️
As smoking takes a bit longer, this became an all day event. You absolutely do not need to smoke the pork, although the flavor was amazing, you may want to sear the outside on the grill first or in a skillet and roast it in the oven. Fully cooked meat will make your chili very flavorful, you do not want to skip this step. Check pounds and minutes per pound for how long to cook your pork. Here is a chart for you…
Eden Organic Navy Beans Lowest in sodium I have been able to find, organic…all good. We eat a lot of Pinto Beans in our house and this brand is the go to for all beans. Very good nutritional panel, only way to achieve lower sodium is by soaking the beans, but this is a mere 15 mg per serving. SO LOW!!!
I have had my crock pot for ages, and went to find one like it for you, but couldn’t on amazon, so here is a similar crock pot of 5 quarts, although, you may like larger for your family as they are available in 7 quarts, too. When I got mine, I was single and worked until 7:30 and 8pm, so the crock pot was my best friend! I taught Jack how to make my fabulous Crock Pot Chicken ( <<< recipe), and when he moved here, I would make it and freeze it for him to take for “School Lunch.” My mom called any lunch School Lunch, so it stuck and when I called it that he like it. Moms are good for those sweet little memories. (if you like to use the crock pot, check out some of my other recipes like sweet potato and chicken chili, and white chicken chili, which I listed on my home page)
INGREDIENTS
2 large cans green chilis chopped small 28 oz cans
1 can diced jalapeno 4oz or 4 fresh chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes 32 oz
2 cans Navy or other white beans 28 – 30 oz total
2 medium onion diced small (yellow or white)
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 1/2 – 2 lbs Cubed Pork 1″
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped fine
1tbsp olive or other oil of choice
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp sea salt
It is up to you how you will like to cook the pork. Smoking is the most flavorful, you can also grill or roast. If roasting, or baking, first brown the pork on all sides in a skillet and move to the desired cooking place. Using the same skillet or pan, cook onion, garlic, jalapenos, until onions are translucent. Add cilantro, cumin and sea salt, mix then add green chilis and tomatoes and stir. Add beans and 1 cup chicken broth or water, leave to cook for four to six hours on low. Your meat was cooked before adding, so this is the best way to lock in the delicious flavors.
We love greek yogurt 2%. Serve with a scoop of yogurt on top with some fresh cilantro. Jack will put a little more hot sauce on his to make him sweat a little.
We freeze what is left in usually 7 or 8 glass pyrex dishes for him to take for the school lunch or to make Green Eggs and Ham dinner. Super yummy!!
Thanks for reading my post and let me know if you try this recipe!! Or if you have one like it and I reminded you how much you love it!!!
Have a beautiful day!!
xoxo, Michelle
Disclaimer: Please note there are some affiliate links in this post to help you get the ingredients, which means if you click and make a purchase (which I hope you do) I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!! xoxo
Dinner in the crock pot!! You will love it!!
Sweet Potato & Chicken Chili 🍲
Hi there!! I have been wanting to do a post including some great giphy clips and I hope you will enjoy this one about yoga.
It can be an intimidating thought to go to your first yoga class, or a new class, for anyone. Thoughts may cross your mind like
“What should I wear?”
“Should I eat breakfast first or drink lots and lots of water right before??”
“Will they yell at me if I can’t do a pose properly?”
“Some people seem so natural at yoga and I am very inflexible and have no balance. I will make a fool of myself, I can’t do it.”
While this is a natural thought before doing something unknown, what you do not know, is the instructor wants you to love it and will help you feel better and assure you it is ok to modify and to rest if gets to be too much.
– You are not required to do every move as if this is part your every day movement.
– You do need to be responsible and know it is not a competition or a performance. Do your best at the time to follow the guidance and instructions and to listen to your own body if you meet resistance.
– Take it easy on yourself and enjoy the learning curve. It may take several classes to be sure this is for you. It is for you. It is for everyone.
There are so many different styles and places and there is something out there for everyone. Each style does have its purpose and one of my favorite sayings is, “that’s why they make chocolate strawberry and vanilla” , everyone has different tastes and likes.
Good for you for wanting to try yoga. And Good for you for showing up to your mat. Also Good for you for taking a step to improve your overall health.
There are many amazing benefits to doing YOGA including clarity of mind, improved circulation, increased organ function, improved flexibility, strengthening in the muscles to help support bones and joints, improved posture, improved digestion and the list goes on and on.
Each of us is different and there are also a lot of different styles of yoga, including HOT yoga, which is done in a heated room to about 105° and many are as humid at 60%. THAT’s HOT!! Most likely, this is not the best class for a beginner to try.
Keep in mind… Yoga is a practice, not a performance, not a recital, or a competition with the person next to you. You will practice poses or asanas, but you will also practice breathing and being intentional and being present.
Thoughts will come through your mind and you may even have a conversation in your head about how well you are doing or not. All completely normal, and it is part of the practice to continue to let things go. Practice letting go of thoughts of how far you should push or what is this pose doing … to allow your mind to stay with your breath and to deepen your self awareness.
If your body is unable to do what the instructions are for a particular pose,
Stand still to watch or sit on your knees. Walking to the back to get your water or moving around a lot will distract others attention, stay still and learn by watching, then join back when you are ready. Most classes will not get anywhere near to the above, in case you are worried about that.
You may wonder “Why do they call it downward dog??” Dogs naturally do some of the poses which are in a regular yoga class. Or maybe they copy you when you are going for that photo for an Instagram challenge and this happens!!
Hilarious, right?? It does help to stay in check with your ego. If today isn’t the day for great balance or you have tight hamstrings, it will be ok. Do not be in competition, only express to improve.
Be open to new possibilities and accept challenges without putting pressure on yourself to have a specific outcome.
Practice is Practice.
Yoga is breathing.
Today, yoga may be this …
Tomorrow or in a years time, with dedication and the right partner, it may be this …
Above is an example of Acroyoga, and this may never be in your yoga future. I have had a few broken bones in my life including my sacrum, so you may not find me doing things like this, but that is to show you how there are so many varieties and there may be one that will feel like a perfect fit for you.
Thanks for reading my post about yoga and I hope you have a blessed day!! xoxo, Michelle
Will you like to come to one of my classes or see my schedule?? Here it is.. message me! xoxo
Did you see my post with coaching tips for taking a hot yoga class?? Here
Do you have tight hips?? Here is a post for you
Need a great yoga mat?? Try this one or maybe you like this better
My favorite marine collagen, in packets of strawberry (or blueberry)
Disclaimer: This post and this website include affiliate links, which means if you click through to make a purchase, I may be paid a small commission at no additional cost to you. This is to offset costs for running this website and blog, so thank you so much for your support! xoxo 👌🏼
Hello 2019 !! I love the New Year and a fresh calendar and I came back from a visit with my family for the holiday to find a lovely gift in the mail from this amazing company StatementMadeJewellery < Click to view their website.
This silver necklace gift with North East West and South came in a cute little pink velvet bag and with a Certificate of Authenticity. I love it and will be able to feature it with many outfits and keep my favorite “m” necklace in place for a layered look or wear this alone. I wore a new black lace top and the necklace looked so nice. This is only a tiny example of the selection on the website and this post will highlight some but you must go to the website to see for yourself! here
StatementMadeJewellery is a wonderful source for personalized gifts for all occasions. There are specialized gifts for the Mother of the Bride, with special notes included, and Grandmothers and Mothers. They can engrave a pendant with your words or the words from a note from a child – in the child’s handwriting. The work is lovely and there are many choices for fonts when engraving and shapes to engrave on, or keychains with other charms, too. Each piece is made with love and is packaged as a gift, which is exciting to open.
This is the necklace I received, and it is just the right length for me, and to stay visible.
This is a rose gold bangle with engraving on the rose gold tag. I would love this for my 18th birthday! ( that was a very long time ago ) You can choose to put any message to make a perfect gift. Find this here
One of the many styles of necklaces that can be engraved…
Initial or birthstone angel wings pendants.
Mother of the Bride gifts come with specialized notes for everyone. A very simple and lovely design which will accent any outfit, customizable note.
This is a Mexican Bola Ball Necklace. There are many choices for the color of the ball as well as ones with essential oils. The Bola Ball makes chiming sounds and it is said that pregnant women will wear these harmonious angel caller necklaces to have unspoken communication with their baby before birth. These are amazing looking in a long chain and come in both silver and gold. here
Everyone loves gifts that are personalized and have been picked out just for them. The thought that goes into the designs and details have been beautifully put together by this company and they are going to be a go – to for gift ideas for me!! GO!!
Thank you so much for this lovely gift!! Go check this website for many more stunning gifts!! here
xoxo, Michelle
Disclaimer: This website and post contain affiliate links, which means you may click a link and if you make a purchase, I will make a small commission at no added cost to you. This is to help offset costs of running this blog and website, so Many thanks!! xoxo
Red Lentil Soup Recipe | Blogmas Day 5
https://stralthy.com/2018/12/05/red-lentil-soup-recipe-blogmas-day-5/
— Read on stralthy.com/2018/12/05/red-lentil-soup-recipe-blogmas-day-5/
Reblog… This Looks awesome!!!😍👌🏼♥️
Hi!! This post is about a great natural product I was introduced to recently … Humble Deodorant.
As a fitness professional, trying to go to a chemical free deodorant without sacrificing effectiveness can be a real struggle! Yes, I have tried several (many) and sadly they have been a fail in some way. Too scratchy going on, made me break out with a rash, didn’t cover odor or left white marks on my black clothes.
This one is different. There are several scents to choose from and also an unscented for sensitive skin. I have given Humble Deodorant the ultimate test in my opinion … hot yoga. This is a true sweat-fest, if you are unfamiliar. My normal daily schedules require repeated protection with multiple yoga and barre classes, and I was not ever disappointed. I did a bit of testing before doing hot yoga with my Humble Deodorant and felt confident going in that it would pass this test and prove highly effective.
Any time that you are able to take the metals and chemicals out of products you use regularly on your skin, it is a WIN!
There are several different scents and all are amazing! I have been using the lavender which is so nice and not too much.
Get this on Amazon!! here
You can also subscribe to the deodorant of your choice and never worry about ordering or running out!! Here is the page to on their website to subscribe for automatic delivery of your favorite! I must do this once I have picked my favorite scent ( or no scent ). This is a great service and less than $9 every three months!! Nice!
You can read the blog on their website and learn about all ingredients to look for in a deodorant that are natural and effective and also the “Not Good” ones and what to look for and avoid.
Their website is a plethora of information about annoying anxiety sweat 💦 which can be harder to manage and mask. Read about how to deal with anxiety sweat here.
Read and learn about making the switch from chemicals, detoxing your armpits. It is likely that our bodies get very used to being exposed to the chemicals and may experience a period of detoxing. I complained about break outs from new natural deodorants, and may have been mistaken that it was a break out from missing the many chemicals I had become used to using on my skin. No problems with switching to Humble Deodorant though. Detoxing your armpits …click here. 
This Palo Santo Frankincense & Vanilla is super light and smells very lovely, unisex scent.
I have been telling everyone about this deodorant and am excited to find something with so few ingredients, which has NO chemicals and has not been tested on animals. HUMBLE BRANDS is dedicated to simplicity and providing the most natural product that works.
I am so happy to have been introduced to this all natural, effective deodorant and I hope you will hurry and get some for yourself!! It would be a great holiday gift to subscribe for one of your college students or friends, and yourself, of course!!
( I received this new favorite product in exchange for my honest review.)
Thanks for reading and I hope you are having a great day!! Let me know if you have tried this, or have any questions about anything. xoxo Michelle
Did you see my last post with gift ideas for the holidays?? here
Here is a great crock pot recipe for Sweet Potato & Chicken Chili
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon, and links to the Humble website, which means that if you should make a purchase after clicking the link, I may make a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you and will help me to continue my blog. Thank you so much!! xoxo
