Favorite Things (March 22)

Favorite Things! Sharing what I'm cooking, watching, reading, wearing, & all the things bringing me joy right now.

This is a collage of some of my favorite things from March. There's a picture of a Target basket, a man in a yellow hat and blck sunglasses eating on a patio, a girl in a flannel on a hike, and a meal prep table.

As we approach a new month, I'm trying to reflect on things that bring joy to my life and share them with you each month. I hope you find a new favorite or two!

I'm loving...

Camping and more

Spring activities! It's starting to get warmer which means I'm motivated to spend more time outside. Al & I have gone on a few hiking & camping trips to Missouri State Parks, and plan to go on many more!

I'm wearing...

THE best jean shorts ever! As someone with larger quads, every summer I struggle to find jean shorts that are comfortable and cute. Well not this year because these Madewell shorts are my FAVORITE & I will be wearing them all summer long.

Note: I got a size down from my typical size in the Curvy version. I went into the store & tried on the Curvy & regular version, and Curvy worked so much better for me. There was much more room in the thighs. (My true size worked in the regular version, but one size smaller in the Curvy version).

This cute Patagonia bag! I just bought this bag and I'm obsessed. It's big enough for your wallet, phone, keys, chapstick, and a snack buuuut it's super lightweight and I forget I'm even wearing it. This will be another most-used item this summer!

I'm watching...

March Madness

Did anyone make a decent bracket?! We watched soooo much basketball during the March Madness tournament... it still has a few more games this weekend, but none of our favorite teams made it to the end.

Mountain Magic

I also went to the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour viewing in St. Louis, and it was awesome! It was basically a night of really awesome outdoor adventure movies -- I left feeling so inspired to get outdoors!

I'm reading...

I have been really into Colleen Hoover's books! I enjoyed "It Ends With Us" & "November 9" -- I have more requested from the library as well! I've read some flops lately too, which I shared on my Goodreads account.

I also have "Where the Crawdads Sing" requested so I can read it before the movie comes out! (Have you seen the trailer yet?)

I'm eating...

It's Easter season, which means it's candy season. Don't get me wrong, I eat candy year-round, but here's some of my favorites lately:

Easter Peanut Butter Wrapped Bites (code JORDO for a discount) - This peanut butter flavor is delicious and these would be so cute for an Easter basket!

The Dark Chocolate Pretzels from Jojo's (code JORDO for a discount) - I've already demolished a couple bags of these. They're not exactly the same as a decadent chocolate-covered pretzel, but they're really good for a healthier version!

& Starburst Jellybeans -- because they're out in every store & I always pick up a bag.

This is a picture of jojo's chocolate pretzels. There are 4 bags, each with purple writing and chocolate pretzels on top.

I'm drinking...

This chocolate coffee drink. Grab a glass of ice. Fill it ¾ full with cold brew and ¼ full with chocolate milk (linked video for my fav brands) and BOOM. The perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

I'm ordering...

Shoes for this summer! A lot of my tried & true shoes are completely worn out so I need to order a few new pairs for this summer. Linked here.

Chacos: I've had the same pair since 2014 and this is the year I'm finally upgrading. These super durable sandals are great for hiking and the water!
Hiking Boots: I rotate hiking in my Hoka Speedgoats (trail running shoes) and Salomon hiking boots. I've heard great things about the Danner hiking boats so I'm thinking about those as well.
Birkenstocks: Not for hiking, but they're super cute and casual to wear all summer long!

I'm shopping...

at Target for groceries! I have a blog post that lists my favorite groceries from Target, buuuut I also shared some fun videos!

Monthly Meal Plan

This month I'm continuing my free monthly meal plans! You might be familiar with my free weekly meal plans which are published every weekend. They have a menu, macronutrients for a few days, and a full menu.

This monthly meal plan was highly requested by all of you! Some people really wanted a plan that focused on dinners, so I created this monthly meal plan. It has dinner plans for a whole month of eating easy, healthy, and delicious recipes.

Download the PDF so you're able to click each recipe! Or check out the monthly meal plan post.

Download PDF Here (with clickable links!)

This is a monthly meal plan for april 2022. There is a recipe item (linked) for every space in the month.

Questions of the Month

Q: Does spending time outdoors benefit your mental health?

A: One million percent! I feel the most real out there. It's the place I show up as who I truly am & it's always enough. I forget about work, others' opinions, and really just focus on the present (& dream about the future!) It feels like weights are lifted off my shoulders & armor comes down.

It's hard to describe the empowering feelings I get from spending extended time in the outdoors, but it's so important. The outdoors accepts you for who you are, no matter what. & it's a place you always leave feeling better than when you arrived!