An Unplugged Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving holiday came and went in a reflective, quiet kind of way. No hoopla, no drama, no pressure to Black Friday shop or even put on real clothes. Yes, I wore workout gear to Thanksgiving dinner (the rest of my family was dressed so nicely, then there was me, the enormous swollen person who fits into very little at this stage in the game). There were all the mainstay dishes and a wonderful smattering of family smiles and nothing out of the ordinary at all. And you know what? Nothing out of the ordinary felt really comforting. It was really nice to have a stable, dependable kind of holiday weekend. Because externally, there is a lot stirring in my family life, and my head gets a little foggy when I think too hard about all of it. Things like, my parents are moving out of their beautiful home next weekend. The house I love. I admit I'm sad about it. And also, I am having a baby sometime in the coming month. What is he going to be like?? Am I ready for two babies?! And of course, Christmas season is upon us! May the merriment continue onward!

Can we take 12 seconds to talk about this Japanese Maple tree in my back yard? I am so in love with the fiery red goodness its shed all over the fading grass. It's losing its leaves every day and I am so glad we snapped a few more good photos of it before autumn forfeits and gives way to real winter.

Also, I won this outfit on Instagram, you guys. Enter all the giveaways! You never know what you can win! And thank you to Seraphine, who sent me this wayyyy comfy active kit. Please don't hate me for not using it to exercise, because it's just not in the cards.

My sis. Does it look like I ate the third sister? #IpromiseIdidnt #shesinflorida

Don't move don't move don't move don't move. Whew. I just needed to get that out. They're not even moving far away, you guys. Haha I just can't handle the change.

Everett got the croup over the weekend and I think I was fighting off a little bug, too. We stayed in bed and rested a lot, and I actually think we caught his early enough that it didn't manifest into a full-blown sickness situation, thank goodness. I've been using a new brand of essential oils over the past few weeks and I don't mean to be such a crazy oil lady, but I actually think diffusing so many good oils in the house could have helped both of us from getting too, too sick. Time will tell, but I can see this whole essential oils thing becoming an addiction... I've already ordered more and I am really into concocting my own recipes for the house every day. #crazyoillady

I was really kind of terrible at documenting this holiday. I didn't get any pics with Stevie's fam, even though we totally celebrated with them the day before Thanksgiving. And I didn't take any food photos, even though I actually cooked a bit more than I originally planned. And - I even decorated our dining table and it looked so snazzy but alas - no photos. I just needed a good unplug and some extended rest and this was the weekend for it. I am so grateful for this family of mine. It's really everything. And now I'm feeling more refreshed and ready for December and all it's glow.

I hope your weekend was sweet and full of family and love and quiet and yes - Gilmore Girls! Wasn't that revival something?! I have so many thoughts, but I have to re-watch everything to really process the story.

What was your favorite thing about this holiday weekend? Did you have any killer good new recipes that are must-try? Happy Monday to you, friends! xox

P.S. - I have a few Cyber Monday promo codes for you to some of my favorite stores:

At ASOS - Get 30% off every single thing! Use Code THANKFUL30. Valid 11/24 8am – 11/29 8am GMT.

At Stella & Dot - Get up to 60% off flash sale items!

Shop the Handmade gifts section of Amazon for her, for him, and for kiddos. I heart Amazon this time of year.

At Modcloth - Everything is 30% off with Code: CYBER16!

My Whole30 Diary. Part 3.

This is it! Week three of my Whole30 experience! You can read about why I'm doing Whole30 here.

Day 15.
Breakfast: Egg scramble. Coffee. Half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salad with Greek toppings. Sliced apple.
Dinner: Leftover pulled beef with green onion and homemade ranch dressing. Coconut cauliflower rice.

The cauliflower rice left much to be desired. It was NOT GOOD. On the hunt for a better recipe.

I am a little bit sick of my Greek salads everyday. But I've got all the ingredients so it's easiest (and most budget-friendly!) to just keep making them.

Day 16.
Breakfast: Frittata. Coffee. Half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salad with Greek toppings.
Snack: Cherry Larabar.
Dinner: Stir fry with onions, green, yellow and red peppers, chicken sausage and red potatoes.

Oh my. This dinner was THE JAM. Who would have known that such an easy dinner would be so delicious? Definitely putting this one on my list to make again. In like two days. Because seriously, I've been slaving away in the kitchen for weeks and this dinner meal was much simpler and quicker than usual. Praise report.

Day 17.
Breakfast: Frittata made with last night's leftover onions, peppers, sausage and potatoes. Coffee. Grapefruit.
Snack: Apple with almond butter.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings.
Dinner: Baked chicken with homemade pesto and kale chips.

I JUST WANT TOAST. GIVE ME TOAST.

I thought I was getting on board with the Whole30 today. Then I got a hankering for toast that ailed my soul and left me wanting. And wanting. And WANTING.

Day 18.
Breakfast: Frittata with onions, mushrooms, spinach and chicken sausage.
Lunch: I honestly can't remember. But I'll bet it was salad!
Dinner: DINNER OUT! FINALLY!

For our date night out, Stevie and I split the perfect order: The skinny dip bison burger from Ted's Montana Grill with no bun, and a side of mustard, avocado and tomato. Oh, and a sweet potato with literally nothing on it. It still tasted like pie though. And the Big Sky salad with salmon and bacon, hard boiled egg, tomato, avocado and red wine vinegar.

I just want to say it. We should have eaten out so much sooner. I had prepared every single meal from scratch for 18 days in a row, and I was so burned out. I didn't think we could eat out anywhere, but after talking to a few Whole30 veterans (who shared their Ted's orders), I felt confident we could make it happen. And it was the best night I've had in, I don't know, 18 nights! It just felt SO GOOD to not have to clean up the kitchen.

Plus, we got coffee and tea at Starbucks afterwards, walked around, browsed the William-Sonoma clearance sale and Stevie secretly bought me the waffle maker I've been wanting for months! We were walking out of the store and the lady slyly slipped a bag into his hand, along with his credit card. He was like, "It was the last one left in your color." That man. Such a good man. My whole kitchen is red (well, all my appliances are red), so it wouldn't have been a big deal to get a normal one, but he made sure I got that red waffle maker :)

It's technically a gift for Everett, since he begs for waffles every morning. We are letting him open it for Valentines Day. Unless we cave and he opens it sooner.

Basically? Best date ever. Also? Cheapest date ever. No dessert and no alcohol? I was amazed at our bill. Take that, sugar and booze! (Don't worry, I still miss those things)

Day 19.
Breakfast: Frittata. Hot Tea.
Lunch: Chicken salad with random vegetables.
Dinner: Mexican taco salad with ground beef, spinach, salsa, guacamole and homemade ranch dressing.

Again, this was a GOOD dinner. A surprising one. I love making traditional taco salads, so I figured this would suck in comparison, but alas, I judged too quickly. The addition of the ranch dressing added just the right kick and it was one of those meals where we both went back for seconds.

Day 20.
Breakfast: We hosted brunch at our house with some friends. We made them "normal" food (including biscuits, quiche, and fruit salad), and for ourselves, we made a frittata (I know, you're shocked) with mushrooms, onions, and chicken sausage. Coffee and juice all around.
Lunch: Breakfast was kind of for lunch, you know?
Snack: Apples.
Dinner: Crockpot pulled beef with green onions and homemade ranch dressing.

Day 21.
Breakfast: Quick egg scramble. Fruit to go.
Lunch: Tuna salad on top of a spinach salad. Assorted veggies.
Dinner: Leftover crockpot pulled beef. Because it's SO GOOD. I kind of wish it was a bottomless crockpot.

Overall Recap:
There is no more anger. There is just a general sullenness about how much work it is for me to prepare healthy meals every 3-4 hours.

I still get tired from time to time, but I do feel a sustained amount of energy during times where I would usually crash.

I am able to wake up quickly, completely clear-minded, without that foggy, grogginess. I guess that could be attributed to this Whole30 gig.

I can tell a difference in my physical body that I haven't been eating sugar or drinking alcohol, because my clothes are fitting more loosely. This makes me realize that there is no quick fix to actually losing weight and getting toned - it's just a matter of doing the work. I have no idea if I've actually lost weight though, because I haven't weighed myself. That wasn't my #1 goal in doing this, either. It's just a perk.

Unfortunately, seeing my skin clear up was one of my top goals, and I don't feel like I've seen major improvement in that department. I'll keep hoping.

Am I glad I'm doing this? Yes. I am gratefully annoyed.

Anyone doing Whole30 want to chime in? How's it going for you?

P.S. Part 1 and Part 2 of my Whole30 diary, in case you're interested!

Wishing You a Happy, Healthy (& hopefully humorous!) Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving! The day has come! I suppose that a lot of you are scurrying around the kitchen on this fine day, apron donned and wooden spoon in hand. Something dripping. Something spilling. But hopefully - nothing burning! I can just see you there, stirring and whipping and basting and brining. Roasting and toasting and testing and trying. Mmm holidays make me rhyme, friends :)

Enjoy the day. This is a holiday. Which means you get a break from stress, anxiety and anything else that is perhaps clouding your thoughts these days. No matter what your Thanksgiving prep and celebration looks like - whether you're in the car, heading to your parents house. Whether you're visiting your in-laws for your first holiday meal as a member of their family. Whether you're bringing a jar of pickles and a loaf of bread. (Actually if you're doing the previous one, maybe throw in a bottle of wine for your hosts, too. Just a tip :) But whatever this day looks like for you, whether it's teeming with familial awkwardness or triumphant with spazzy amounts of love, I would encourage you to enjoy it. Soak it up. People all over our country are huddled in warm homes today, talking football and reminiscing and eating to their heartiest content. From the high rises of New York City to the lofts overlooking the San Francisco Bay to this suburban home of mine, tucked between some trees, we are all alike today. We are all eating. We are all enjoying family, even with all its quirks. Hug those sweet souls as much as you can, because they are yours to hug today. And it is undoubtedly good.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!