How To Be More Healthy This 2018! - Physically & Mentally

We are nine days into the new year! I know most of you probably have new year's resolutions to exercise more often, eat healthier, etc. Everyone has different resolutions and goals whatever the time it may be, but based on social media, YouTube, talking to people in general, "Being more healthy", and, "Working out more often", etc., is the most common goal I've heard! (So far!) And no, I'm not going to tell you that the things I've written below in this blog post are the only things you can do, or the right thing to do, but I'm just sharing a little of what I do and what's been helpful! P.S. I missed my Merry Monday, post this week! I will probably do a bonus post this week instead, just to let you know! Sorry about that though! Anyways, in this post I want to talk to you guys about my favorite places to grocery shop, how I eat organic food and produce that tastes great, what motivates me to exercise, how I keep a good mindset, all the things! The first thing is that grocery shopping doesn't have to be overly expensive just because you're buying healthy items. Even though items can be expensive sometimes, I find that it is very worth it if it's something nutritious. I know everyone has different grocery stores based on where you live, so hopefully I've mentioned one that you have near you! I buy most of my groceries at Trader Joe's and Costco. I have a family of 4 and typically spend $100-$120 on groceries. I buy them all on Sunday so I don't have to make extra runs during the week. (But no, this doesn't mean I never have to make the occasional run to the store to buy an onion or two!;) ) I buy vegetables at Farmer's Market(s) near my house, because A) they're more affordable, and B) more fresh than at the grocery stores (well, typically). Great way to save money on fruits, veggies, and my market has people selling breads, and meat as well. What I love about Trader Joe's is that, no, not everything there is healthy and good for you, but they have great alternatives to name brand snacks that your kids, (and basically everyone), wants. For example, they have healthier versions of GoGurts, Cheetos, Oreos, chicken nuggets, frosted animal crackers, etc. Besides that, they also carry (mostly) organic milk, juice, cheese, bread, and everything in between. Whole Foods also has the similar idea, I just feel that Whole Foods is more expensive. If you've ever been to Costco, you know that it doesn't specialize in healthy foods, but it definitely has its fair share of healthy cheese, seafood, meat, pasta, frozen food(as healthy as that gets), yogurt, etc. Also, pretty much everything comes in bulk. (Except meat and seafood, fresh produce, things you can buy by the pound). The good thing about bulk packaging is that you can save money and not have to buy things over and over. However, since everything comes in a huge package that can usually last a month or so, sometimes you or your little ones get sick of eating the same snack over and over. So, here's what I do. I open up the pack of crackers, or whatever non-perishable snack item, and we all eat it and just have it as a pantry item. I usually save the packaging if it comes in a box, or I just use my own pantry bin. Then when we start to get sick of it, I take all the snack packs that haven't been eaten yet and put it in another bin in my pantry. Usually I have one designated bin that just has a snack medley, I like to call it! If the kids ever want a better variety of snacks, they go in that bin. We just make sure to monitor the expiration date, as to not leave the snacks in there for to long. I use the app Ibotta when grocery shopping. You can earn cash back for buying things that you usually buy anyway! Sometimes, you can earn $1 back, $0.75, or sometimes just $0.01, but it all adds up my friend! Usually you can earn it by watching an ad, or simply taking a picture of your receipt to prove that you bought the item. It's a free mobile app available to download onto your phone. Visit them here!As for exercising, I like to do it in my house, in my backyard, or at the small park near my house. Exercising and being healthy does not mean you need to buy all the yoga mats, weights, Lululemon gear, and have a gym membership to get started. I know people who absolutely love their gym, bring their kids there to play, etc. And are willing to pay a more expensive price. I also know people who just treat their gym as purely a gym and don't mind at all that it isn't the prettiest facility and that the price is good. I do not have an enthralling, large, spacious backyard. I just have your average backyard and an amateur gardener (me), if you saw my Instagram stories! Anyway, I still love it and I still enjoy that breath of fresh air, the crisp cold of the winter these days. There are plenty of at-home workouts for anyone to do on the internet, on Pinterest, etc. Of course, assess your level and your space but most are appropriate to do at home. I've linked one here! (just click on "here" for all the links. I always do that and not quite sure if I ever explained it, but just in case you didn't figure it out. Sorry I wasn't clear!) Mentally, I always remind myself that working out, eating healthy is for my own health. I think that a lot of people have so many expectations of before and after pictures, being able to buy smaller sizes of clothing, looking more slim, being lighter in weight. Exercising truly celebrates our body and shows that we can work toward goals and make things happen. We don't need to rush, we don't need to feel pressure from others. Our body and minds work at our own pace. If you do do some shopping for workout gear, or just things in general, you may want to consider the Earny app. It is a mobile app, available for most phones. Basically, if you buy a pair of leggings for $25, and they later go on sale for $15, you will earn that $10 back. Visit them here! This wraps up my blog post for today! Sorry it was super chatty today, and I rambled a lot, but hope it was helpful!

Here's a little motivation for ya!

XOXO,

Kate