Favorite Things (April 22)

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

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 some new favorite things too!

I'm loving...

Triathlon Training! I've been using this book to make a training schedule this year. Triathlon training keeps me entertained because of all the variety! I'm planning on a triathlon in July, August, and September, if all goes well. If you're on Strava, let's be friends!

Fre Skincare. With a combination of warmer weather & more race training, lately I've been more active & sweaty. To keep my skin feeling fresh and clean, I've been using a lot more skincare!

My favorite is this Detox Me Set (pictured below) which includes a hydrating facial cleanser, deep replenishing serum, moisturizer with SPF, and post-sweat clearing mask. It's all of the basics and products I use daily.

Also, Fre Skincare is made for women who are active & sweat (me), which is one of the reasons I continue to use their products. You can use the code JORDO for a discount anytime!

Fre Skincare Standards:

Backpacking! Al & I went on our first backpacking trip of the season at Hawn State Park (a Missouri State Park) a few weeks ago. It was so fun to spend time on the trail together after a few months off. Here's a recap video!

I'm excited for...

Summer Trips! I'm hosting FOUR adventure trips this summer and I just can't wait! If you're wanting to join in one of my trips, there's one spot available for Yellowstone (it says sold out, but send me an email if you're interested!) and a few spots for Grand Teton National Park.

Both of these trips are going to be incredible. All of the logistics, hikes, meals, and activities are planned for you -- all you need to do is show up!

Talk to Jordo about a Trip

I'm wearing...

A middle part! After 15 years of a side part (at least), I switched to a middle part! I only get my hair done twice a year so it always feels like a big transformation. I get balayage with babylights and here's my recent hair transformation video!

These jean shorts! I only own 3 pairs of jean shorts and these are them. All are different brands and I love each. If I had to pick one, it'd be the Madewell shorts. The Madewell jean shorts were a part of last month's favorite things but they needed to make another appearance!

I'm watching...

St. Louis Sports! Now that we're back in St. Louis, working jobs with regular hours, it's so much easier to keep up with sports. We've been watching all of the Cardinals & Blues games -- it's been a blast!

I'm reading...

I've been slacking on reading these past few weeks! I know that once I start a book, I don't do anything else until I'm finished, so I've had trouble committing. I just read Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren, but it was just okay (3 stars for me).

I have Where the Crawdads Sing checked out from the library so I need to finish so I can return before the due date! Here's my Goodreads account if you're looking for what I've read lately.

I'm eating...

Birthday Cake Granola Butter! If you've never head of granola butter, it's a nut-free, allergen-friendly spread that's a similar consistency to natural peanut butter.

My favorite flavors are birthday cake, cookie dough, and strawberry. I promise you these are DELICIOUS. You can use the code JORDO10 for a 10% discount on your first order!

High-protein pudding! I don’t know what to call this but here’s what you’re going to do. Blend together 1 bottle of fairlife nutrition plan with 2 tbsp of chocolate pudding mix. Blend for about 30 seconds and then put in the fridge for a few hours. Take out and stir in whipped cream and crushed oreo cookies. It’s SO good!! Here’s where I found this idea!

I'm ordering...

Road Trip Snacks. This week I shared a video about packing healthy road trip snacks! Save the video or blog post as a reference for this summer or your next road trip! The gummies & goldfish are my favorite things for this little haul!

I'm shopping...

New Items at Trader Joe's! I recently took a trip to Trader Joe's to check out all of the new items. Al & I made a video review of the new items so you know what's worth it or not (in our opinion). Here's the list of our all-time favorites and staples!

Aldi Favorites! I also made a video of my current Aldi Favorites, basically 10 things we get almost every time we shop! Here's a blog post you can save and reference later as well.

This is a collage of the Aldi Grocery Shopping List Pinterest pin. There are Aldi items in each picture.

Favorite Photo...

Soft smiles for the Smiths, apparently!

Monthly Meal Plan

This month I'm continuing my favorite things with 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 the PDF (with Clickable Links!)

Questions of the Month

All of these questions were submitted on Instagram this month!

Q: What is your game-plan for triathlon training? Any advice to start?

First of all, so excited you're interested in triathlon training! I looooove training for triathlons and have always had so much fun.

When I trained for my first triathlon, I had a friend make a training plan that we completed together (so nice! I was so spoiled!) When my friend made our schedule, she used this triathlon book. I'm referring to this for my training as well!

I would say spend some time building up your bases. I lift 3 times a week right now (for fun & to get strong!) and I'm up to 3 runs, 2 swims, and 1 bike a week. For awhile I just did 1 swim, 1 bike, and 2 runs. There's no "right" way to do it! It also depends when your race is and how much time you have to train.

SO, all of this to say, just start adding in all 3 activities! You'll likely have to do 2 in one day.

Q: How do you schedule your day? I end up with mental overload so don't do anything.

Every Sunday, I'll spend some time writing tasks to complete that week. I split all of the deadlines, goals, and tasks into each day. If it's work related, I put it into my project management app (Asana) and if it's personal, I put it into my paper planner (Plum Planner).

While I don't necessarily plan each hour of the day, I definitely have tasks in mind for the day. I also always, always stick to my morning routine! For me, sticking to my morning routine helps start my day with momentum. Starting the day with a workout and nutritious breakfast helps me feel ready physically & mentally to tackle the day.

Q: Where can I find fairlife? They're sold out everywhere & I'm addicted.

Fairlife Nutrition Plans are the cheapest at Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's. You can also find them at Walmart, Amazon, & probably a local grocery store. I usually get a big pack at Costco because that's what is available to me.

Here's a product locator you can use to find where fairlife is in stock near you! Toggle between store, product, and location to find them.

Q: How can I adjust the meal plans to fit macros a little better? As in to make them lower?

Each meal plan can be adjusted to fit your macros! To adjust the macros lower, it kind of depends what you need to change. For example, if the meal plan has 1.5 servings of enchilada skillet with tortilla chips, you could either cut it to 1 serving of enchilada skillet or take out the tortilla chips. Whatever works for you!

Every recipe of mine is in MyFitnessPal which makes it really easy to track!

All weekly meal plans are free on my website.

Q: How do you get back into the gym after a loooong rut? (3 months) I feel so intimidated.

I would say start small! Choose 1 small goal to start with. Maybe it's going to the gym 1 time a week or 2 times a week, or whatever SMALL goal you know you can attain. Once you meet that goal, then add in more days.

If you need some extra accountability or support getting back into the gym, consider signing up for a group class so you know exactly what to do when you get to the gym! It can help you save some time and add some ease as you're coming back.

Or ask a friend to go with you! Having someone there to support you can also help with intimidation.

Q: Favorite meal prep for traveling / conferences where you don't have kitchen / access to cook?

Do you have access to a mini fridge at a hotel or airbnb? I like to pack or pick-up a ton of high-protein snacks to stock the fridge! Think options like greek yogurt cups, cottage cheese cups, turkey meat, cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, protein shakes, protein bars, and other high-protein snacks.

If you don't have access to a fridge, try trail mix, protein bars, jerky, crispy chickpeas, cheese crisps, and basically all of the healthy snacks you'd pack for a plane ride.