Vanilla Chia Energy Balls

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and got a chance to celebrate Father's Day with their Dad/Grandpa/father figure. We always keep celebrations low key, but it's always nice to spend some time with my dad, plus we couldn't have asked for a better weekend! The weather was absolutely perfect- upper 80's to low 90's (F), with a nice breeze, and lots of sunshine! 

I spent most of the weekend outside doing yard work and let me tell you it certainly works up an appetite! Normally I'm not very hungry when it's so hot outside, but after shoveling sand for hours I was sore and hungry (it was also arm day before then so that didn't help haha). Luckily, I had whipped up a new batch of energy balls on Friday and I was definitely happy to have them around! 

I used Bob's Red Mill new protein powder in the recipe and I must say I am LOVING the vanilla chia flavor. It's so versatile that I've been using it in everything from smoothie bowls to energy balls and it works every time! I've been buying Bob's Red Mill products for as long as I can remember because they're high quality and have so many allergy friendly products. If you've never tried Bob's Red Mill NOW is the time to try them, plus by clicking this link you can get $1.00 off coupon that's good on any Bob's product. Their website also has a store locater where you can select what product you're looking for and it will tell you what stores in your area carry it (so helpful). You're definitely going to want to find their new protein powder so you can make these energy balls! There are only 4 ingredients and are ready in under 5 minutes, so what are you waiting for?!

Vanilla Chia Energy Balls

• 6 dates (pitted)
• 2 Tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Chia protein powder
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (I prefer Peanut Butter & Co crunch time)
• 1/2 Tablespoon chia seeds

In a food processor place all ingredients in processor.

Process on low-medium until all ingredients are ground and combined. It should still be loose and crumbly.

Using your hands form balls by scooping 1/2-1 Tablespoon of dough and rolling. I was able to get about 10 energy balls. 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Athletic Greens Review

Why hello there! It's been awhile since I last blogged, but I was in need of some time away, especially after the wake of violence in Orlando over the weekend. My heart is absolutely broken over these senseless acts of violence. 

A wonderful friend of mine (@dani_nemeh on instagram if you want to follow her) shared a quote from pastor Rick Warren that I really loved, "Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." I'm going to end my thoughts on all the violence with that quote because I truly think it speaks volumes. 

On a much lighter note I do want to talk about Athletic Greens. The team at Athletic Greens sent me some of their superfood cocktail packets to test out. If you follow me on instagram you know I love my smoothie bowls, so I was super pumped about adding even more nutrients to it.

Right off the bat I LOVED the individual packets. Life is busy and I found the individual packets were really convenient for grabbing while out on the go to throw in a shaker bottle, or even when I was home making a smoothie not having to measure it out was great. Athletic Greens is completely allergen friendly so everyone can enjoy it- a big bonus for people like me who can't have gluten or dairy! The one thing I did not like about the packets though is that it says "superfood cocktail." I think the word cocktail is really misleading and even one of my friends questioned if it had alcohol in it, which it doesn't. I think if it said "superfood blend" or even "superfood mix" it would be much better.

Another thing I really love Athletic Greens is that it's packed with superfoods! We could all use more superfoods in our diet and having them all packed in the same place made it easier to get the nutrients. Since Athletic Greens is packed with so many nutrient rich foods it provides a natural boost to your immune system- an awesome bonus for people who suffer from auto-immune diseases like me. Even if you don't need the added boost for your immune system you're still getting a full days serving of fruits and vegetables. For any fruit or veggie haters this could definitely be helpful! One packet of Athletic Greens contains only 40 calories (4.8g carbs, 1.9g fiber, 4g protein) so you're getting a powerful nutritional boost for very few calories. 

To be totally honest, when I first tried Athletic Greens I was not a big fan. I included it in a fruit smoothie and the taste was really overpowering to me. I'm not sure if it just didn't mix well with all the fruit and protein powder or what. I'm not one to give up, so I tried it again in a very simple green smoothie and liked it MUCH better- I think it would taste really good in this green apple smoothie. I also found it to be good blended by itself in just water, but if you don't like protein powder blended with just water than you might not be a fan. Like anything else if you don't like it the first time don't give up! Try having it in a different way because you may end up liking it!

If you want to see how other people are using Athletic Greens or just get some awesome foodie inspiration checkout their Facebook page or instagram! 

P.S. If you're interested in trying Athletic Greens be on the lookout on my instagram and Facebook page today and tomorrow!

*I was not paid for this review. Athletic Greens sent me products to try, but I did not have to give a review. I wanted to share an honest review with you because I know some readers are interested in such products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How to Adult

Remember when you were six years-old and being "grown up" sounded like the best thing in the world? If only I could tell my younger self what I know now...

Let's be real, being an adult is HARD. Personally I think it's harder to be an adult these days because everyone is forced to grow up so fast. Heck by 18 most people I knew had around $20,000 in debt just for their first year of college. Being that young and facing that much debt scares me. Heck at 21 debt (of any amount) still scares me!

Being an adult doesn't have to be so scary if you're smart about it. There's not a perfect formula to being an adult, but here are some tips to making "adulting" a little easier.

1.Set Financial Goals

Getting your finances in order should be your number one priority at any age. At a very young age my parents taught me the importance of saving money and whenever I got a gift of money or a paycheck they made sure I set some aside in my savings account. I'm thankful my parents instilled in me good financial practices and set a good example for me because it will benefit me for the rest of my life.

Some of my friends consider me to a cheapo, but in reality I have priorities. I have a monthly budget which includes groceries, healthcare, bills, savings, and if there's money left over then maybe a little spending money. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to spend money to have fun, especially if you have specific financial goals in mind. 

It's also important to start building credit at a young age. Down the road you're probably going to want to buy a car, house, etc. To get approved for loans (with a decent interest rate) you need to have a good credit history. If you have no idea where to start or what to look for in a credit card Credit Card Insider breaks credit cards down by type (if you're a student, business, travel, etc.), issuer (American Express, Capital One, Discover, etc.), and by credit score. It's a great tool for anyone because it makes it easy to find the right credit card for you.

2. Make Your Health A Priority

Health should be a priority at any age, but getting on top of it while you're young will instill lifelong habits and benefit you in the future. I love working out and cooking my own healthy meals, but not all people like those things. Working out doesn't mean punishing yourself for an hour on the treadmill everyday. Find something you like to do- lifting weights, running, hiking, cycling, yoga, zumba, piyo, barre, etc. There are ENDLESS possibilities and these days you don't have to have a gym membership. I include a gym membership in my monthly healthcare costs, but there are TONS of workouts you can do in your home. If you're looking for some fun home workout ideas that don't need equipment checkout Blogilates on YouTube.

3. Learn To Cook

Cooking at home will save you a TON of money. I make all my meals at home and always meal prep for the week ahead. To meal prep I browse local grocery store ads to see what's on sale and then plan a week of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. When I grocery shop I ONLY buy what's on my list and I never grocery shop when I'm hungry (you're more likely to buy more when you're hungry). 

Usually I prep on Sunday and by "prep" I mean I cook up whatever I'm having that week. So if for lunch I'm having salads I'll make all the salads and if for dinner I'm having roasted potatoes, salmon and green beans then I'll cook all of that. Typically, I'll have everything packed in individual containers so I can just grab one and go. If you're looking for meal prep ideas I have a ton of ideas in my recipe index. 

4. PLAN

There's a lot of unknowns in life, but you can make plans. I'm a planner by nature so I have a plan for just about everything. For example, if I'm going on a trip I'll make a list of everything I need to pack (I even categorize it because I'm OCD like that) so that way I don't forget anything- it also helps to avoid the overpacking issue. Life doesn't always happen according to plan, but if you're organized and prepared the unexpected moments are usually easier to handle, or so I've found. 

5. Build Your Network

I'm sure you've heard someone say it, but connections are EVERYTHING. You're more likely to get a job if you know someone. It can be hard to reach out to people, but just do it. I can't tell you how many letters I wrote to complete strangers in college asking for interviews for my college TV station. People are generally willing to help, plus it allowed me to build relationships and a network of connections. Don't be scared to email or call professionals to ask for advice or help, despite what people think the world is not full of completely awful people. Besides, when you reach out it makes you look good and you never know the relationship can blossom into a friendship.

These are just a few ideas that can make adulting a little easier. What are some ways you 'adult?' 

*Credit Card Insider asked me to share some 'adulting' tips, but I was in no way compensated for this post. All tips, thoughts and opinions are my own.