Most of the things I read, buy and try I find out through other people’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 I’d start sharing a roundup of my favorite things from the past month. Hopefully you’ll find something to read, listen to or try out too!

Books, blogs & articles

• Blue Zones of Happiness by Dan Buettner: This was a really interesting book. The author analyzes places in the world where people are believed to be happiest, and gives tangible things you can do in your life to become a happier person. It’s full of food for thought and makes you look at your life to find areas where you can improve your happiness.
• Body Love Everyday by Kelly LeVeque: I really like Kelly’s approach to healthy eating, to make sure each meal includes the Fab Four: protein, fat, fiber and greens. If you find nutrition fascinating, I definitely recommend this book. Kelly puts it all into easy to understand terms and realistic ways to implement it. There are a bunch of recipes too. The only down side is there aren’t many pictures of the recipes.
• LaurenGleisberg.com: Lauren takes a really honest approach to fitness and health, shares recipes, workout plans and tips for being a healthier person in general. I tried out her Weight Training Plan 3.0 and felt stronger almost immediately.

Recipes & food

• Cauliflower Curry from Pinch of Yum: I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve made this about 10x now. It has become one of my favorite dinners that is also great as leftovers for lunch. The only tweak I make is to cut down on the spiciness for the girls, instead of 2T Thai red chili paste, I add 1T plus 1T yellow curry powder. I also make a batch of brown jasmine rice to serve with it.
• One Bowl Cinnamon Banana Muffins from Kristine’s Kitchen: I love making a batch of muffins and keeping them in the freezer for an easy snack. Plus these are great if you have some spotted bananas that need to be used.

Podcasts & shows

• The Lazy Genius Podcast: I really like this podcast, it’s full of useful tips for how to build your life and time around routines and things that you’re good at and that you enjoy doing. A couple of my favorite episodes have been #123 The Lazy Genius After School Routine, all of the cleaning and household routine episodes, #23 The Lazy Genius Reads and #139 How to Plan Your Time This Winter.

Kiddo stuff

• New Horizon Sleep Meditations for Kids: Leah and I have been listening to these consistently for about a week and a half and her sleep has already improved. She gets anxious before going to bed thinking about the possibility of having bad dreams and thoughts. These meditations have helped her get to sleep and sleep through the night. There are a bunch of meditations to choose, they’re creative and the woman’s voice is very soothing.

Purchases

• Amazon Bestisun racerback workout tank: It’s cute and comfortable. I sized up one for a more relaxed fit.
• Amazon CRZ Yoga leggings: They fit really well and are really soft. Plus they come in a lot of colors.
• Clare Elsaesser art: I have been eyeing her beautiful art and finally purchased a couple pieces for our bathroom and bedroom and I’m so happy with the prints. They are beautiful.
• Abercrombie High Rise Jean Leggings: I’ve been pleasantly surprised with Abercrombie products lately and these jean leggings are really comfortable, keep their shape and are flattering. The only negative is that there are no front pockets. Abercrombie has frequent sales when jeans are $39, so keep an eye out for that if you’re looking at giving these a try.

OK that’s a lot of stuff, but hopefully you’ll find something interesting to check out or try. Let me know if you do, or if you have any favorite finds too. 🙂