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April favorites: indoor planters, making kombucha, hygge, playlists & more

April 27, 2020

Most of the things I read, buy and try I find out through other peopleโ€™s suggestions both in real life and online. I like hearing about books, podcasts, products, recipes and tips that others have found helpful and trying them out for myself. So I thought Iโ€™d start sharing a roundup of my favorite things […]

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I'm Lauren

Your Holistic Nutritionist and a mom to 3 girls. I love quiet mornings, homemade chocolate chip cookies, colorful meals & helping moms find joy in healthy eating. Thank you for stopping by!

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Most of the things I read, buy and try I find out through other peopleโ€™s suggestions both in real life and online. I like hearing about books, podcasts, products, recipes and tips that others have found helpful and trying them out for myself. So I thought Iโ€™d start sharing a roundup of my favorite things from the past month.

Especially now, when you may be in need of some little things that bring you happiness. Hopefully youโ€™ll find something to read, listen to or try out too!

Recipes & food

Sausage, Pepper & Rice Skillet from Life Made Simple. This is a dinner that is delicious and comes together really quick (especially if you have leftover brown rice, or make the rice ahead of time). My girls loved this too, and it’s also a good pantry-staple dinner.

Recipe and image via Life Made Simple

Brewing our own kombucha. This has been such a fun science experiment Alex and I have been doing. ๐Ÿ™‚ We grew our own scobies, brewed our own kombucha and flavored it. It was fairly simple but lots of waiting. Leave a comment below and let me know if you’d be interested in a post about how we did it. ๐Ÿ™‚

Purchases

This herringbone indoor planter and this cute African-inspired indoor planter, both from West Elm. Indoor plants make me really happy, especially in a pretty pot. ๐Ÿ™‚

Kids Yoga Mat: The girls like to pull this out to join me for workouts or when they’re watching Cosmic Kids Yoga. It has been getting a lot of use lately. ๐Ÿ™‚ (We have the purple owl mat with the pink background.)

Books, videos & music

Some Good News with John Krasinksi. John, AKA Jim from The Office, shares a roundup of really good things happening in the world. A friend suggested it and it has been a nice reminder of how kind people can be. There are also a lot of celebrity appearances.

The Rachel Hollis Show on the Quibi app. I’ve been a big fan of Rachel Hollis since I read her book, Girl Wash Your Face. I listen to her RISE Together podcast with her husband (it’s such a good one!) and follow her on Instagram. She now has mini videos that each touch on a topic, like finding more joy and gratitude, how to motivate yourself, small habits, etc. They’re quick videos and it’s a fun watch.

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking. I’m currently listening to this and it feels like really good timing. Hygge is a Danish word that doesn’t exactly translate to English, but is the idea of coziness and comfort and wellbeing. And simple things you can do to create this idea in your own home and life. Like focusing on relationships, savoring a hot cup of tea or coffee, baking something delicious and enjoying it with the people you love. This is the way I want to live. ๐Ÿ™‚

The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. A good friend recommended this to me, and I listened and really enjoyed it. Shonda is the writer of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and shares her experience going from saying no to everything to saying yes and how her life changed because of it. It’s a really fun read.

Where’s Waldo? Do you remember these books as a kid?! My girls found one that I had as a kid and my 5-year-old, Leah, (who is amazingly good at puzzles!) has been loving it. So, for Easter I got her this new one and we all have fun finding all of the hidden people and things.

This Making Dinner Playlist I put together, I am loving right now. I’ve been listening to it on repeat when I make dinner, or really doing anything around the house. It’s very eclectic, with Amy Winehouse, Hozier, Foster the People, Leon Bridges. It’s so good! ๐Ÿ™‚

Making Dinner Playlist: fun songs to listen to while prepping dinner / Five Plates

What are some of your favorite things lately?! I’ve shared more of my favorite things HERE too. Hopefully youโ€™ll find something interesting to check out or try. Let me know if you do, or if you have any favorite finds too. ๐Ÿ™‚

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