We’re not on Whole 30 and we haven’t been on Whole 30 for… like two years. But whenever we’re looking for a new recipe, we tend to search “Whole 30” and then the thing we’re looking for. Whole 30 chicken recipes, Whole 30 taco recipes, etc. If we discover something that is 1. easy and 2. Whole 30 compliant, then we know we can make it a part of our lives on the regular and not feel bad about it. Enter these Whole 30 compliant cinnamon apples.
Honestly, I found this recipe years ago when I was babysitting a little boy who ate a LOT. I wanted to make him something easy and tasty. Since then, this has been a staple in our house AND is often requested by kids I babysit for.
Get ready because it’s the simplest.
Three ingredients for these Whole 30 compliant cinnamon apples:
STEP ONE: Put a scoop of coconut oil in a skillet and heat on medium.
STEP TWO: While that’s heating, dice the apple(s), preferably with two super funny, cute kids to keep you company.
STEP THREE: pour diced apples into the skillet. Move around occasionally.
STEP FOUR: When the apples start getting a little mushy, sprinkle cinnamon all over them. Cook for another minute or so.. or really however long you want.
STEP FIVE: Dish up! They’re so delicious on their own OR you can add a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream (that part is not Whole 30 compliant!).
In the months leading up to our wedding, I started really thinking about the whole better or worse thing.
I thought about our friends whose baby was stillborn.
I thought about my friend who loved and served his wife until the succumbed to cancer.
and the whole “worse” thing took center stage.
My wedding weekend was really tough for me. In addition to being knocked over and off my feet by a huge wave of grief, I kept thinking… this declaration and ceremony is BIG. I couldn’t just stand there and think of some house with a white picket fence and 100% healthy children and a long life. I stood there and thought… what if I have to wipe your butt in 7 years? What if our dreams shatter right before our eyes? What if we deal with a loss that threatens to drive us apart? THAT is what the day was about for me. The hard, the unimaginable, the “worse.”
As my friends were grieving and I was still distracted by the sparkly ring on my finger, I kept thinking “did they imagine AT ALL that THIS would come? did they think the worse would be THIS WORSE?”
Right now we’re going through our own season of “worse.” It’s nothing super traumatic. It’s not cancer or an empty nursery. It’s just stressful and hard. The past 24 hours, I’ve cried more than I have the whole year, I think. Year being like 2019, not calendar year, to keep it in the right perspective.
I did that super girl thing where I looked in the mirror when I got a wave of calm (why do we do that?) and as I stood there, watching fresh tears fall down my sad little face, I suddenly remembered a moment of our wedding.
There was a lot I let other people choose. The flowers. The food. The date. But the one thing I had to have my way was the music. I walked down the aisle to By Two by Dave Barnes (sung by one of best friends, Ernie). We walked out to Ever Ever After from Enchanted (don’t judge me). and during our communion, our friend Tyler sang I’m In His Hands, by my friend Phil. It was the best way I could think to reconcile the promise of the “worse.” When that wave rolls, there’s something more and bigger than Justen and I.
I will not fear, though the darkened clouds may gather ’round me.
I trust the One who whispers “Peace.”
Although the wind and waves may threaten to confound me,
He walked upon the raging seas. He still can calm the storm in me.
I cannot see in the night that lies before me,
but I hold the hand that made the stars. …
I’m in His hands, whatever the future holds, I’m in His hands.
The days I cannot see have all been planned for me.
His way is best, you see. I’m in His hands.
I’ve mentioned that song before on my blog because that line about Christ straight up strolling across a stormy sea like it is nothing so of course the storm in my heart and in my head is not a big deal for Him to come in and conquer.
BUT. That’s honestly not what popped in my head as I stood there amazed that my normal eyes could magically transform into such a deep, scary pink color. Instead I thought of these OTHER lyrics.
“You don’t have to worry, and don’t you be afraid.
Joy comes in the morning, troubles they don’t last always
for there’s a friend named Jesus, who will wipe your tears away
and if your heart is broken, just lift your hands and say
‘I know that I can make it, with Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way, my life is in His hands.
With Jesus, I can take it. with Him I know I can stand.
No matter what may come my way, my life is in His hands.'”
Which of course made me think of the OTHER lyrics which then just made me start crying EVEN MORE (plus I was staring in the mirror which has like an 80% chance of making you cry again) because I realized that this is what I knew would eventually come. And all things considered…. it’s not cancer or death or anything that rips your heart out and makes it hard to breathe. It’s just a storm, and I know someone who is so unbothered by storms He can nap through them.
These “worse” and stormy seasons are held in holy, holey hands that sleep through, walk on, and straight up shush storms. and I think I’ve done a lot of looking for an umbrella and trying to find a life boat, instead of crying out to the person who is able to shelter and save me from the chaos.
Something I’ve realized is that we’re a society of people who curate and create a feed or timeline that often neglects to mention the things that are breaking our hearts. Not always to hide it, but sometimes because it’s not appropriate to share or we want to hold it close to us. But because of that, I know there are people whose social media presence show life is carrying on as normal but there’s a storm raging on beneath the surface. This is for all of us who fall in that category. <3
It’s been a year since I started listening to podcasts, and my podcast interests have changed a LOT. In the beginning, my favorite podcasts were just the 4 podcasts I listen to. Now that I’ve started and stopped a bunch of different podcasts, here’s a list of my five favorite podcasts (for right now, we’ll see how it stands in a year)!
ONE // THIS PODCAST WILL KILL YOU
Never in my life did I imagine that I’d love listening about infectious disease. The other day I told Justen “now I’m going to know about disease AND murder, so I’m going to be great at a party!” 🙂 It’s run by two epidemiologists (say that outloud, it’s REALLY SATISFYING). So far they’ve covered influenza, rabies, yellow fever, smallpox, polio… it is crazy to hear about the history of these infectious diseases and how they’ve affected our world. They are a delight to listen to and present the information in a way that is really easy to understand.
TWO // DR. DEATH and DIRTY JOHN
I’m listing these two together because they’re both finished (for the most part, Dr. Death has some updates). They’re stories of two really crappy human beings and the people they affected. Dr. Death is the story of a completely unqualified monster of a human being who operated on people with LITERALLY NO REASON to ever hold a scalpel. Dirty John is another monster of a human being who was a con artist who wreaked havoc on a family and the story came to a really surprising end.
I just love true crime and I really love this podcast. Every week they have a smaller “minisode” where they share listener e-mails and stories, and then on Thursdays each of the hosts shares a true crime story. There’s a lot of f bombs and foul words, so just beware if that’s not your thing.
FOUR // THE INFLUENCER PODCAST
I wanted to include some sort of blogger/influencer podcast for any of y’all interested in that sort of thing. I had a hard time deciding. Not because they’re all great but because so many of them are so-so. People who can’t pronounce the word especially, who have terrible audio, respond “I love that,” to every single answer given to a question. I chose this one because while it’s popular, I’m not completely annoyed with the host… as of now.
If you listen to any blogging/influencer/social media podcasts, do me a favor and recommend some to me!
FIVE // BROS BEFORE ROSE
Of COURSE there’s going to be a Bachelor podcast. A Bachelor podcast is what started my love of podcasts, after all! I’m still trying to find my most favorite Bachelor recap podcast, but I REALLY like Bros before Rose. It’s two men and their wives recapping the Bachelor. I apparently have no pride and am totally fine giving more than just 2 hours of my week to the dumpster fire that is The Bachelor. If you’re like me in that, I’d recommend giving them a listen!
Last month I didn’t post my monthly goals… I also didn’t do well with them because I spent nearly half of the month out of town. In an attempt to be kinder to myself, I gave myself an extension on my February goals and they’re rolling over into March, since I’ll be home! I already accomplished 3 of my February goals, but with a little extra time and attention I’ll be able to knock them out this month.
Also my blog has become a combo of just goal posts and sponsored posts and I’m trying to get creative about getting out of that funk. Any suggestions would be welcomed 😉
MARCH GOALS
Journal 5xs
Try a new coffee shop
Send Lucy’s quarter
(Lucy let me borrow a quarter to cover my breakfast burrito, so it’s only fair to pay her back. She’s 7.)
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., Abreva, Emergen-C, Lipton, Robitussin and Theraflu. All opinions are mine alone. #SickDayTips #CollectiveBias
Here we are, in the thick of winter. It’s cold, snowy, sneezy and coughy. We’ve been constantly surrounded by people getting sick, catching germs and spreading germs. Not only that, but Justen works at schools. With devices. That teenagers have touched, coughed on, breathed on… even puked on (no joke).
Human interaction is like walking through a field of landmines. Are they anywhere on the sick spectrum, and are they contagious? Yikes.
Truth be told, I don’t often get really sick (knock on wood) but when I do… oh, I am MISERABLE. All caps and everything.
One of the hardest things for me to do is rest. I actually get really bored really easily, so when I am told to drink water and sit and let my body get to work fighting off whatever’s going on, I get really stressed.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there’s no glory in proving you can carry on as normal when your body is begging you to give it time. I’ve learned that if my body needs me to sit and scroll Pinterest for hours while watching a movie, I’m just going to give my body what it wants.
So I thought I’d share with you 10 movies to watch while you’re sick and how to push through it while you rest.
ONE // ENCHANTED Let me scream this from the rooftops – animated Disney princess turned real human who deals with eye rollers and reality? Plus Patrick Dempsey as the true life prince charming… y’all, maybe just watch this one on repeat.
TWO // HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE I’m always going to say start here. If you’re home sick, chances are you’ve got hours… and hours… of resting ahead of you. Why not start with a story line that goes on for hours and hours?
THREE // DUMPLIN’ A Netflix Original that is SO FUNNY.
FOUR // LEGALLY BLONDE Elle Woods is great for any day, but especially when you’re not feeling great. Elle goes from great to down to determined to on top of the world. And there’s even a part two (and soon a part 3!)
FIVE // WHAT HAPPENED TO MONDAY Another Netflix original, but if comedies aren’t your thing and you’re more interested in something suspenseful to pass the time, I cannot begin to emphasize how great this movie is. It’s suspenseful and action packed and I loved it.
SIX // MARY POPPINS A spoonful of sugar…. 🙂
SEVEN // THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Singing and dancing and making your dreams come true. All things you’ll get to once you’re feeling better, right?
EIGHT // JURASSIC PARK Again with the theme of sequels upon sequels to watch while you’re resting!
NINE // HIDDEN FIGURES Do it for the music alone.
TEN // TOY STORY Finishing up with more sequels upon sequels to make you laugh and cry and feel so nostalgic.
While you’re resting, make sure you’re stocked up on essentials to help get you back in tip top shape! As we kept getting reports of people in our family getting sick, we stopped by Fred Meyer, part of the Kroger family of stores, to stock up in case either of us caught a bug!
Since the winter can leave lips susceptible to cold sores, we picked up Abreva® Pump Cold Sore and Fever Blister Treatment, which is proven to heal cold sores & shorten the duration of pain, itching, burning and tingling, when used at the first sign**.
We grabbed this Children’s Robitussin® Honey Cough & Chest Congestion DM even though we don’t have kids because I love honey and they were out of the adult kind! There are dosage amounts listed for adults on the label, so I knew I could use this to relieve chest congestion and mucus.
If you’ve ever had a day in bed, you know that a hot beverage can do WONDERS for you. Fred Meyer had two really great options, both were new to me! One is Theraflu Power Pods Daytime Severe Cold, which can be made in your KEURIG (or any single-serve coffee maker)! Powerful relief without a prescription. There’s also an option for Nighttime, if that’s what you need. (Remember, Theraflu Power Pods Daytime Severe Cold and Children’s Robitussin® Honey Cough & Chest Congestion should not be used at the same time).
My favorite cold and flu season go to is a cup of tea, so when I spotted Lipton Soothe Your Tummy tea, I knew it would become a staple. The Soothe Your Tummy tea has botanicals like ginger and peppermint that make each cup really delicious. Plus, you can save $1.00 off Lipton Tea Herbal Supplement Wellness starting Feb. 20th, so you’ll want to stock up to have Lipton on hand for anytime!
Like I said, I grabbed all of these at Fred Meyer, and I’d highly recommend picking them up so that you will be prepared for any days you need to rest and recharge.
What would you have on your list of 10 movies to watch when you’re sick??
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent disease.
**When used at the first sign, median healing time was 4.1 days; 25% healed in 2.5 days.
Theraflu-(c) 2019 the GSK group of companies or its licensor. Theraflu is for use in adults 12 years and older.
Use all products only as directed. Read label and follow directions. Abreva, Emergen-C, Robitussin – Use only as directed. Read label and follow directions.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, where I love to drink coffee and adventure. I blog because I think life matters too much to let it go by without noticing
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