5 Sometimes Healthy Things to Do After a Breakup

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I was really pleased with the response to my breakup post, so I decided that, although it is a bit frightening to “put myself out there” and discuss my personal life, I’m going to do it every once in a while.

As that famous quote from somewhere I can’t remember says, “If you’re not scared, you’re probably not doing it right.”

I’ve mentioned a few times that I can’t believe just how quickly I began to feel better and more like myself once I arrived in Omaha post-breakup. It took about a week, but one day I realized that I’m actually very content right now. There are a few things up in the air, including my job and where I plan to live in Omaha (thanks for the temporary home mom and dad), which make me feel uneasy and unsettled at times. However, I genuinely feel good about myself and the decisions that I’ve made since arriving home.

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Realistically, the worse days probably aren’t behind me yet. I’m sure they’ll be some rough days every now and then. But, in the meantime, I’m just going to try to enjoy the ride!

Let’s be honest: breakups suck. But, they happen all the time. Every day. All day. In fact, there’s probably about a million people breaking up right now as you read this post. Yet, knowing that “you’re not alone” really doesn’t help ease the pain does it? Your pain feels uniquely horrible and you cannot possibly imagine anyone feeling as bad as you do.

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I get it. I’ve been there. 

So, for any of you that are going through a painful breakup right now, I wanted to provide a few things that helped me through the bumpy times.  Continue Reading →

Posted in: Breakups, Life Changes, Uncategorized

Cookie Dough Oreo V-Day Truffles + Kickboxing Bootcamp Workout + a Romcom Must-See List

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

As someone who has spent many Valentine’s Days both single and in relationships, I’ve never really understood the bitterness towards this holiday. Sure, it’s a Hallmark holiday, but if you’re in relationship, it’s another opportunity to remind that special someone why you love them and if you’re single, it’s the perfect excuse to bake some sinful sweets and show some of the important people in your life how amazing they are. 

And let me tell you, after the “great breakup of 2014,” I have a long list of people to thank for their love, support and of course, patience. You see, I’m one of those people who constantly seeks advice from her friends and family. I listen earnestly, taking in every single word and vowing to take their wise advice. Yet somehow, I always end up doing the opposite. Thus, I owe a lot of “thank yous” to these patient people!

Anyway, lots to cover today and such little time to capture your attention. If you’re scrambling to bake something last-minute today, then I have just the recipe for you…and you don’t even have to bake. All you need to do is grab some of those new Cookie Dough Oreos, some cream cheese and melting chocolate and magically, you will have a rich, decadent and chocolatey truffle.

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Personally, I always indulge a little extra on every major holiday. Therefore, I make the gym a priority on those days as well. Today’s workout is inspired by a class I took at the gym last week. The class combined simple boxing moves with intense bootcamp exercises, and I was a hot, sweaty mess by the end. Hopefully, this workout will do the same for you.

And finally, if you are single on Valentine’s Day, you may just want to stay in with some friends, eat those delicious oreo truffles and watch a nice, cozy romcom. I’ve put together a list of my top 10 romantic comedies that never fail to make me cry like a little baby but also remind me that the whole “happily ever after” deal does exist. 

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Continue Reading →

Posted in: holidays, Recipes, workouts \ Tagged: , , , , , ,

WIAW: Back in the Game

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First things first: Thank you so very much for all of your kind words yesterday! Many people claim that they just write for themselves, but frankly, I do not! I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment whenever I read a comment that somebody has truly related or benefited from my ramblings. 

Now, if you’re joining me for the traditional “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW), then might I suggest that, upon finishing this post, you  hop on over to my breakup post. My eats are interesting and all, but trust me, this post is way more of a page turner…or should I say “page scroller.”

For those of you new to the blog after finding my breakup post, let me quickly clarify WIAW. It’s a sort of “party” for the healthy living bloggers world. We all write about our daily eats and then post them to this blog in what is called a “link-up.” Then, throughout the day we all check out each other’s wacky food choices and comment on them. Believe it or not, it’s actually very interesting!


Alright, now that the intro is out of the way, let’s hop into breakfast. I was up very early to take a YOGA class. Yes, yoga – new year, new me, or whatever. Every year I try to make myself a yogi, and I usually give up after about 2 classes. But, given all the changes in my life, I figured, no time like the present.

It was a bit early for breakfast, but I forced myself to down a Chobani with fruit to avoid being that awkward girl who sucks at yoga and also has her stomach growling the entire class.

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Continue Reading →

Posted in: WIAW \ Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Honey Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding + The Magic 100’s Workout

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Hope everyone has made it through the cold week without, well, catching a cold!

Is it weird that I spend 90% of my day in a big fluffy hat, scarf and mittens (even when I’m in the house)?

A couple weeks ago, in WIAW, I shared my experience trying a Chia Pod, an on-the-go freshly packaged chia pudding from Australia. I was instantly hooked on the texture, but the lack of flavor left me yearning for more.

So what does an unsatisfied Sometimes Healthy Girl do after a less-than-stellar chia pudding experience? Well, she grabs the chia seed by the horns of course! Once I realized how easy it was to make my own chia seed pudding, I set out to make a pudding that packed a flavor punch.

The result was a creamy pudding swimming with chia seeds, vanilla and a hint of honey. When topped with some fruit and chocolate chips and paired with my typical extra large coffee from DD, it was just the fuel I needed to help power me through a very challenging circuit workout!

But, first the recipe for this oh-so-easy Honey Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding!

Honey Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding
Yields 4
The superfood to conquer all superfoods stars in this simple breakfast dish that can be thrown together in a pinch. SImply whisk with some key ingredients and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, like magic, you'll have a creamy, nutritious and tasty breakfast!
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Save Recipe
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Millk
  2. 1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt
  3. 1/4 cup chia seeds
  4. 3 tbsp honey
  5. 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  6. 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, whisk all ingredients gently, until well-incorporated.
  2. Let stand for 30 minutes, and then transfer to mason jar. Seal, shake and place in the refrigerator overnight (or 4-5 hours if you don't want to wait!)
  3. The next day, serve in mason jars, or spoon into bowls, topping with berries or dark chocolate chips.
The Sometimes Healthy Living Blog https://www.sometimeshealthylivingblog.com/
Can you believe how thick and delicious this superfood pudding looks?

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When I first set out to make this pudding, I was totally confused. “I don’t get it,” I thought. “How does the pudding become thick without gelatin or xanthan gum??” Wellll, it’s because the magical little seeds absorb liquid overnight, until the texture and thickness is the exact consistency of pudding. Continue Reading →

Posted in: Recipes, workouts \ Tagged: , , , , ,

WIAW: Let’s Keep this Brief

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Hello from a snowy, snowy New York.

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I must apologize, but I’m on the clock here (the parking meter clock) so this “What I Ate Wednesday” post shall be brief. Seriously, dry your tears.


Early morning breakfast before prepping for an exciting job interview:

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Pre-interview coffee with sprinkled munchkins for good luck…please admire the hot lipstick marks.

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Mid-day vitamin squeeze to fend off this cold that I am certainly getting… (PS – I put my Emergen-C in hot water…helps soothe the throat AND keep me warm).

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Brilliant Whole Foods salad concoction…I couldn’t even tell you what is in there if I tried, but it all tasted delicious meshed together.

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 One of many snacks throughout the day. This Red Pepper Goat Cheese dip was also purchased at Whole Foods, and you should definitely try it. It will certainly change your life.

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Blue Apron Moroccan Beef Dish with Couscous. Oh.my.lord. The flavor in this dish was OFF THE CHARTS. City friends, Blue Apron is a must.

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Desperately seeking warmth with about 5 million of these hot chocolates all day. The marshmallows on top are also from Whole Foods – toasted coconut. Ridiculously delicious.

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Dug into this stash to quench my sweet tooth craving before bed.

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NOW PLEASE, SHARE WITH ME:

What are you doing to keep warm during this cold, coooooold front? 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Uncategorized

Sometime Healthy Kitchen Disasters + Countdown to Love Workout

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Welcome to a very special edition of Sometimes Healthy Kitchen Disasters.

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I’m your host, Jamie, and I generally fail more often in the kitchen than I succeed. But after each epic failure, I garner inspiration from one of my childhood heroes, Michael Jordan. 

As Mike once said:

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Well, Mike, I think I’ve lost plenty of “games” in the kitchen at this point. So, as long as I’m abiding by your formula, eventually I shall achieve greatness, right?

Last night, despite being without an oven for one more week, I was excited to show everyone how I could make a delicious meal using only the crockpot and microwave. The brilliant plan was to re-make a crockpot meatloaf recipe and share it with the blog after taking some fabulous pictures. I also planned to make some corn bread and steamed spinach in the microwave. Continue Reading →

Posted in: Uncategorized

A Baby Shower in NYC

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Good morning from the top of the world!

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Otherwise known as a hotel in NYC. I’ve been in NYC for a few days to celebrate a very happy occasion for our family….

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The first grandchild for the family! (Well, our side of the family. My brother’s wife has a sweet little 2-year-old niece.)

The baby shower was a blast, and I couldn’t have had a better time catching up with family, eating delicious italian food and cooing at all of the adorable baby gifts. I’m so excited for my brother and sister-in-law!

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Fun Fact: 5 of the people attending the baby shower were also pregnant, so we kept joking that there was something in the water.

A couple of things I really enjoyed at the shower included a “decorate your own baby block” station and bringing our own favorite childhood books to start the baby’s library. When we got there, we were all given a name plate to insert into the book, so the baby will always no who the book is from. Of course, I also went ahead and wrote a little poem for Baby H. Can you guess what book I brought?

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This is my favorite book of all time! And even though I know the baby will probably receive it countless times in his/her life (graduation, first job, etc.) I’m excited to be the first! Such simple words, but such an important lesson!

All-in-all, it was such a refreshingly joyous day. As the quote above states, “A new baby is like the beginning of all things – wonder. hope. a dream of possibilities.”

I cannot wait to become an Auntie for the first time! I will most likely be the Aunt that stuffs her niece/nephew full of cookies and candy and then hands him/her off full of sugar and energy :-). Shhh…don’t tell anyone.

YOUR TURN:

Any auntie tips for me?

Favorite childhood book(s)? I used to LOVE everything Dr. Seuss and Bernstein Bears

 

Posted in: Life Changes \ Tagged: , ,

A Healthy Start to your Day: Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

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Before we closed down shop in the kitchen for a couple of weeks, I snuck in to make the BF’s favorite breakfast this past Sunday: Blueberry Baked Oatmeal. Of all the breakfasts I’ve cooked, this one is by far his favorite. It’s the one he proudly talks about to his friends at parties as he boasts of my skills as a breakfast chef.

The best part is that it’s 100% healthy and extremely easy to throw together. When I have friends over for brunch, I’m always tempted to throw together an elaborate, decadent and unique dish, like Fruity Pebble Pancakes (I said elaborate…not elegant). Sometimes, however, it’s nice to cook up a warm, comforting and healthy dish for my guests. Enter Blueberry Baked Oatmeal.

Packed with fiber, this healthy comfort food breakfast draws upon the flavors of maple syrup, honey and blueberries to achieve the perfect of level of sweetness. Cook it for a group of people or simply to impress your significant other (leftovers can be reheated in a pinch!)

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Serves 6
Take your ordinary oatmeal breakfast up a notch with this healthy and easy baked dish.
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Save Recipe
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
  2. 1 tsp salt
  3. 1 tsp baking powder
  4. 1 tbsp cinnamon
  5. 1 ½ cup Almond Milk
  6. ¼ cup egg substitute
  7. 2 tbsp lowfat melted butter (cooled)
  8. ¼ cup maple syrup
  9. ¼ cup honey
  10. 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  11. ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine oats, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
  3. In another medium bowl, combine almond milk, egg substitute, melted butter, maple syrup and honey.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until fully mixed; gently fold in blueberries.
  5. Pour mixture into 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish (or similar) coated with cooking spray and top with brown sugar.
  6. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.
The Sometimes Healthy Living Blog https://www.sometimeshealthylivingblog.com/
Since the New Year is all about healthy changes, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you might as well start with this baked oatmeal.

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Doesn’t it look positively scrumptious? I also like to test other fruity combos, such as apples and raisins, strawberries and bananas and even peaches! If you want to get a little Sometimes Healthy, you can go ahead and throw some chocolate chips into the mix…but I would NEVER do that.

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I have been working on a fun workout to share with all of you, but it’s not ready yet. So, this week you’ll just be getting a recipe from me. Feel free to checkout some of my printable workouts on the blog. By far, my “Create Your Own Bootcamp” Workouts and kickboxing workouts are the most popular on Pinterest, so maybe you should give one of them a try on this dreary Friday?

Before signing off, I wanted to share a picture that my best friend, Becca, texted me last night. She thought I might get a kick out of what her son, Brody, was having for dessert.

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Ice cream topped with Goldfish and sprinkles. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this boy is a culinary genius.

I am also very proud of the fact that my dessert choices mirror those of a 4-year-old.

On that sweet note, I’m off!

YOUR TURN:

Favorite healthy breakfast?

Favorite kiddie foods that you eat? (Mine is obviously Goldfish!)

Favorite workouts that I’ve posted?

 

 

 

Posted in: Recipes \ Tagged: , , , ,

WIAW: No Oven, No Cry

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We’re doing a bit of work in the kitchen over the next few weeks, and this means limited use of my favorite room in the house. 

This week, I’ve had to make due without an oven, and I’ve actually enjoyed getting creative in the kitchen. I also got reacquainted with my old friend the Crockpot, also known as the Magical Pot. Is it just me or is it nearly impossible to mess up a Crockpot dish? 

And, for my next magic trick, I will clear out all of the vegetables in my fridge, throw them in a pot with some chicken broth, beans and seasoning and POOF, in 3 hours, you shall have a delicious and nutritious dinner. So far this week I’ve made meatloaf and last night’s veggie-packed dinner in the Crockpot. Both were magically delicious.

Before I spend an entire post talking about the wonders of a crockpot, let’s step back to breakfast for 2014’s first “What I Ate Wednesday.” (WIAW)


For breakfast, I was really craving a breakfast sandwich, but alas, I had no stove. What’s a girl to do? Well, I simply cooked up some egg beaters in the microwave and threw it on top of an english muffin in the toaster oven. I also sliced up some sweet potato and zapped that in the microwave as well.

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No oven, no problem.

Breakfast was very filling so, I was able to work through lunch without even needing to grab a snack. This never happens. I am a snacker, and I usually eat at least 2 snacks before lunch. Gotta keep that metabolism revved up! Continue Reading →

Posted in: WIAW \ Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Things I’m Loving: The New Year’s Resolution Edition

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Do you ever feel like you’re constantly behind in life?

Who am I kidding? We all feel that way most of the time. The older you get, the more responsibilities you have, and the more responsibilities you have, the more you need to be what they call an “adult” and prioritize, AND the more your prioritize certain things, the more other things go on the back burner and become the “I’ll get back to that when I have the time” things. Such is life.

I’m fairly certain that the last time I didn’t feel behind was in 6th grade where the most stressful thing on my agenda was choreographing my Bryan Adams lip synching skit for the talent show. (Yes, that happened. It was a “dramatic interpretation of the hit ballad “Everything I Do, I Do it for You,” and I absolutely received a standing ovation).

Anyway, here we are in the second week of January, and I have yet to get started on formulating my New Year’s Resolutions. I realize that resolutions aren’t for everyone, but, if you haven’t noticed from some of my posts, my life has been a bit out of sorts for the last few months. I could definitely use an excuse to start getting my s*** together.

Alas, I find myself behind. I’m not ready to put the pen to the paper yet, so instead, I’ve been packing my Pinterest board with healthy recipes, workouts, organizational ideas and other items that will help me be a better “me” in 2014.

According to a Harris Poll, here are the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Americans:

Resolutions

None of these resolutions are too surprising, and I myself identify with each and every one of them, except for #1 and #7. In fact, I’m sure they’ll be on my list in some shape or form. So, in the spirit of the most common resolutions, this “Things I’m Loving” Edition is dedicated to items geared towards helping us out in these ever-popular self-improvement categories. Get ready to “Pin” away!

Let’s start with my favorite resolution of all…. Continue Reading →

Posted in: Things I'm Loving \ Tagged: , , , , , ,