Berry Breakfast Bowl

Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a terrific weekend, it rained for a little bit here, but as soon as it stopped my boyfriend and I headed to the cider mill for some fall fun. We did tons of walking through apple trees and I went through my first corn maze🌽 I'm not sure how I made it this long without going through a corn maze, but it was a ton of fun and I definitely want to do another one!  

I'm not ready to let go of summer just yet because then berries will be out of season😢 What fruit am I going to use for my breakfast bowls?! Speaking of breakfast, I get asked about my breakfast bowls a lot, so I figured why not tell you how to make them? They're super quick and easy to make and totally customizable. Fruit can be cut up ahead of time and oats packed in a bag or bowl and made at work if you're short on time in the morning. The addition of protein powder helps keep me full for much longer than just plain oatmeal. No one likes a hangry person or wants to be a hangry person by 10am😳 

Berry Breakfast Bowl

• 1/2 cup gluten free oats
• cinnamon, to taste
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons protein powder
• fruit of choice
• honey (optional)
• sprinkles

In a microwave safe bowl combine oats and cinnamon. 

Pour water into bowl- use as much water as directed on the oat container- and microwave according to instructions. 

When oats are cooked stir in 2 Tablespoons protein powder, my favorite protein to use is Bob's Red Mill vanilla or chocolate or Vega protein. 

Once you've stirred in the protein add your favorite fruit on top- my go to's are strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I like to add small drizzle of honey on top of the fruit, but that is optional. 

Finally add sprinkles on top because sprinkles are awesome :)

If you make a breakfast bowl take a picture, tag me on instagram, and use the hashtag #thesimplelife I'd love to see your creations! Don't forget to like my new Facebook page! 

Logging Off and Living Life

I have been spending a lot of time away from the blog recently and as strange as it may sound I'm 100% ok with it. 

I know I have talked about needing breaks before to just live life, but recently I have been stuck in a creativity rut. Every time I'd walk into the kitchen to work on a recipe I was not feeling the usual spark that I normally do. While I do have ideas for some new recipes to make the desire to get to work just is not there and that's not a feeling that I want to force. I want to want to be in the kitchen with my sleeves rolled up enjoying creating something for you guys. My dad always used to tell my brother and I that half hearted efforts produce half hearted results and I don't want to do anything half hearted. 

While the creativity bug has not been striking me I have been enjoying life away from the blog. I have gotten less screen time than I have in a very long time and I have ZERO complaints. I doubt anyone gets to the end of their life and wishes they could have spent more time on blogging or on social media. If someone said that that would be incredibly sad because there is so much more to life than social media. 

Instead of blogging I've been spending lots of time outside. I have been hiking some nearby trails, I hit up a local farm with a friend and I have been enjoying time with my boyfriend. I have only taken a handful of pictures while I have been out with friends but it is so liberating to be out and not take my phone out. 

I have laughed and smiled more in the past few weeks than I have in a long time. I have woken up genuinely happy and excited for a new day. It's no secret that the past few months have been a struggle for a me as I have been adjusting to post grad life and looking for a full time job. There have been a lot of days where I have woken up depressed because I felt like I didn't have a purpose. I am a goal chaser and a doer so not having anything to do has been a struggle. I hate mindlessly sitting around filling out job apps or scrolling through social media because I don't feel like I am accomplishing anything. I have been learning to find purpose by going to the gym and accomplishing running goals, but still it is difficult, especially when I see friends getting jobs and accomplishing big goals and sharing those moments on social media. I can't help but compare myself in those moments and I always feel like I don't measure up. Those moments helped me realize I needed time away.

Taking time away from the screens has felt so good and for the first time in awhile my soul feels refreshed. I have not felt pressure to post on social media, I have lost some followers but life is not all about gaining followers and likes. I have loved sharing some more personal posts on instagram, not just food posts. So what if the personal posts don't get as many likes? I like sharing glimpses of my real life because my life does not revolve around food. I love seeing other bloggers share glimpses into their real life because I love getting to learn new things about them that are not food or fitness related, so why not share a few of my own?

These past few weeks away from social media and all sorts of screens have been exactly what I needed. I needed time to focus on what really matters in life- people. I have been focusing on the friendships and relationships in my life and both are richer and fuller than before. So am I going to totally ditch social media and blogging? Of course not, but I have and continue to cut back. I spend less time scrolling through instagram and Facebook and more time having actual conversations. Social media is a fantastic tool to stay connected, make connections, and reach an audience but it's a double edged sword. 

Personally, I would not trade these past few weeks for anything. I love the memories I have made and all the friends I have gotten to spend time with. The simple moments of walking trails, watching farm animals and just interacting with other people have made my heart so incredibly full. My advice would be to intentionally close the laptop, put down the phone or whatever piece of technology you are using and go engage with other humans- friends, family, significant others, whoever it may be. Engage outside of social media because the nights you remember most will not be the ones you spent lounging around in your PJ's scrolling through instagram. 

Thinking Out Loud

Happy Thursday! I know I have been MIA from the blog a LOT recently, but I wanted to get a Thinking Out Loud post in this week. I'll explain my absence more in a post tomorrow (I promise I'm ok) but sometimes you just need a break from being bombarded with so much screen time. 

This weeks TOL is all over the place, literally everywhere. I'm talking chickens, snapchat and love songs. Really it's a giant mishmosh of randomness, but that's exactly what TOL is for. I love reading everyone's TOL posts because you learn little things about other people that you wouldn't learn by following them on instagram or whatever social media platform. Are you ready for randomness? Here we go...

1. Go listen to this song right now. I cannot stop listening to it because it's one of the sweetest songs I've ever heard. I'm a hopeless romantic at heart so songs like these make my heart melt. The lyrics are so heartfelt and will make your heart swoon. Right now the song is 69 cents on iTunes so go buy it! There's also a stripped version of the song called the wedding edition that's really good for a slower version. 

2. I may be a romantic at heart but I cannot stand chick flicks. It's a total contradiction, trust me I know. If I'm going to see a movie I tend to stick more to comedy and action movies. My tastes range from Accepted <- if you have not seen that movie you are missing out on life- to Pineapple Express to Miracle. I do love a good sports movie too and Miracle is the single greatest sports event to ever take place, trust me it's an amazing movie go watch it.

3. I saw this random fact about the Mackinaw Bridge on Instagram yesterday and was pretty freaked out. Almost every year my family drives over the Mackinaw Bridge, but I NEVER EVER want to be on the bridge when it's moving 35 feet due to wind😳 

4. Are these not the fluffiest chickens you've ever seen!?!?! Last week my boyfriend surprised me and took me to dinner, afterward we went to a local park where they have all sorts of farm animals and I basically fell in love with these chickens. A few days later I brought my best friend to show her the chickens and she found them just as adorable as me. I know nothing about what kind of chickens they are all I know is that they're cute and so freaking fluffy. 

5. Maybe it's because I'm extremely late to join the snapchat game (rachaelminer<- add me) but I find the filters so amusing! If you saw the chipotle filter that stuck your head in an avocado I laughed way too hard at that one and if my best friend ever decided to blackmail me she'd have plenty to work with. My current favorite filter is the glittery bunny because even when I don't do my hair or makeup it still makes you look cute😁 and no I didn't cut my hair super short it's just pulled back and laying funky in this pic. I don't think I could ever pull off having my hair that short🤔

6. The weather is starting to change and I'm already missing summer. The sun sets so early now and rises so late and nights are a lot cooler ->aka I'm stuck running on the treadmill. I love fall because it means trips to the cider mill, chunky sweaters, football, scarves, and changing leaves but I miss summer days spent on the lake and warm nights spent outside with friends. I also happen to miss this extremely awesome chicka, please come home soon because I miss you Lindsay💜

7. I'm impatiently waiting for next weekend to arrive. I have been looking forward to next weekend for months because I am going to visit one of my best friends Kate to celebrate her birthday🎉 I love celebrating birthdays and have a few surprises planned for her so I am super pumped. Normally I'm not one to rush a week but next week please go by fast!!!

That's all I've got for now, so have a great Thursday and I'll see you tomorrow with a post!
What is one song you can listen to on repeat and never grow tired of?
Do you have any fun plans or vacations that you are not so patiently waiting for?