Three Easy Ways I Have Been Trying to get Healthier This Year – an update! Three easy ways that I have been trying to get healthier this year and what’s been working for me. 

3 Easy Ways I Have Been Trying to Get Healthier This Year

As a blogger I spend a lot of time sitting down, working on my site and writing up posts. I decided to really make an effort to get healthier this year. I am not where I want to be yet but it feels so great to be working toward a goal and seeing some results. I thought I would share an update. You can see my first post about this goal here as well as my Sugar-Free Strawberry Frozen Lemonade Recipe. It’s so good!

Get Moving

I have been making an effort to get at least 10,000 steps in a day. I was finding this difficult when I didn’t make time in my day to get up and about. But my neighbor and I have been walking first thing in the morning and it’s been great. We leave after I get my kids in school and do it first thing. Then I can come home, get ready for the day and work without feeling guilty about not exercising. My husband and I have been hiking a lot which has been so great. My mom also bought me an apple watch for my birthday and I love that it keeps track of my steps without me having to bring my phone with me when we walk. You can also set up your fitness goals on the watch and it has rings — one for steps, one for standing and one for activity and while you go about your day you can see your rings start to close. It also dings me during the day when I have sat for too long, reminding me to get up. It’s pretty nifty!

Getting Sleep

I used to stay up late doing my work and I never got enough sleep. I think this was hard on my body. It also made me feel tired all day long. And when you’re tired you don’t feel like you have the energy to get up and exercise. So now I do my work during the work day and I go to bed. It’s also nice for my marriage and gives us time at night to spend together and really focus on each other.

Cutting Back on Sugar

I tried Whole 30 at the beginning of the year and it was too extreme for me. I think cutting back on lifestyle choices is a healthier way of staying on track nutritionally. I was a HUGE sugar lover. Especially candy. I have tried to replace a lot of my candy cravings with fruit. But it’s also nice to be able to make cookies or a cake. So I have been switching out sugar for Splenda Naturals over the past few months. And I honestly can’t tell a difference. Splenda Naturals give my recipes the same taste as sugar without the sugar. And I love that Splenda Naturals is made with Stevia which is natural. I sprinkle it on cereal too! You can grab the recipe for these amazing Pumpkin Waffles that I made with Splenda Naturals and my kids loved them so much that I made TWO batches!!

Update

I am down a few pounds. People probably can’t tell a difference, but I CAN. My clothes are fitting better and it feels so good to have a sustainable plan. This is a picture of me taken last week. I feel more confident going into the holiday season knowing that I will keep getting my steps in and that I can substitute out some of the sugar with Splenda Natural. I’ll be making some holiday recipes with Splenda Natural and are healthy and delicious. So keep reading my site for those! And tweet me at @jenjentrixie or tag me on Instagram @tatertotsandjello and share what you are doing to get healthier!!

You can find out more about Splenda Naturals and get wonderful recipes:

Instagram 

Pinterest 

Twitter

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Splenda. The opinions and text are all mine.

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I decided to start up the Whole30 diet. Have you heard of it? So, I thought I’d collect some recipes for myself, and share them with all of you too!

Whether you’re looking to change your diet, lose weight, or get healthy, these recipes are full of veggies, and will inspire you to eat better and not sacrifice on taste. This list of 20 recipes will help you reach your goals too!

One Pot Mexican Chicken Stir Fry @ Sweet C’s Designs

Mango Chicken with Coconut Cauliflower Rice @ Food, Faith, Fitness

Slow Cooker Jalapeño Chili @ Hold The Grain

Roasted Carrot Hash with Ground Beef and Bacon @ Paleo Running Momma

Thai Basil Ground Beef Bowl @ Slender Kitchen

Zucchini Noodle Breakfast Bowl @ The Almond Eater

Whole 30 Chocolate Pudding @ Accidental Farm Wife

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa @ The Cookie Rookie

Chicken & Zucchini Poppers @ One Lovely Life

Roasted Pepper & Arugula Scrambled Eggs @ Fake Food Free

Carrot Cake Smoothies @ Tasty Yummies

Hearty Vegetable Soup @ I Heart Naptime

Roasted Strawberries & Coconut Cream @ Brooklyn Supper

Paleo Jalapeno Chicken Burgers @ Once a Month Meals

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust @ Amazon Ashley

Whole30 Ranch Seasoning @ The Pinning Mama

Low Carb Chicken & Cauliflower Rice @ I Breathe I’m Hungry

Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins @ Half Baked Harvest

Chicken Tortilla Soup @ Smashed Peas and Carrots

Eggs in a Nest @ Our Paleo Life

What do you think? Which one will you try?

What New Year’s Goals have you set for yourself this year? Tell me in the comments!

xoxo

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My bff has lost almost 20 lbs since January doing Weight Watchers. Since we talk often…we have chatted about all the fun recipes out there that reduce your sugar intake…but don’t taste like cardboard:) Some of the “low cal” recipes call for some funky ingredients. Not this one….not one thing artificial in this cupcake:) This is a recipe that I tried a few months back…and it is a huge hit with everyone in my house. I have really started to keep a closer eye on the sugar we are eating….and this recipe is low sugar but high on taste. Even if you aren’t on Weight Watchers…this is a great treat to make…

^{Here is what you will need:}

• 3⁄4cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2cup brown sugar, plus
• 1tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1⁄2teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2cup water
• 1⁄4cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1⁄2teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1⁄2teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven 350. Mix all the dry. Separately mix all the wet. Combine and pour into foil cupcake liners. Bake 18 minutes and let cool. Dust with a bit of powdered sugar:)

They are so moist and decadent….you will never buy store bought again:)

****

Thanks Tracie! I can’t wait to try those! It’s always awesome to have healthier versions of foods we love! Tracie has amazing ideas on her blog. Here are a few I know you’ll love:

She has this yummy Overnight Sausage Egg Casserole Recipe

And you’ll love her plans for a Kids Office Space. Such a great idea for homework and studying!

And I love life hacks like her post on The Easiest Way to Peel an Orange.

Visit Cleverly Inspired and

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January is my favorite time to try out new healthy recipes and kind of detox from the excess of sweets and candies that the holidays always bring. Here are…

10 Healthy New Years Recipes & Tips from this week’s Link Party Palooza! 

* * * * *

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas @ Home Cooking Memories

DIY Smoothie Packs @ Lacey In Love

Superfoods for Fat Loss @ Pancake Warriors

Green Smoothie Recipe @ Pink Heels Pink Truck

Reasons to Drink More Water @ Suburban Simplicity

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps @ Embellishmints

Carrot Cake Smoothie @ Home Cooking Memories

Three Ingredient Black Bean Soup Recipe @ Honey & Birch

Whole 30 Sample Meal Plan @ Eat Pray Read Love

Vegan Kale Pesto Hummus @ Food Faith Fitness

* * * * *

Don’t forget to check out all of this week’s excellent projects for a huge variety of projects, recipes, and more!

I’m so excited to give away this prize pack of Michaels Organization Supplies!

Here’s how to enter to win:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * * * *

Are you trying anything new in your diet this year?

Tell me what you’ve been working on in the comments – I would love to come see YOUR ideas!!

xoxo

The post Great Ideas — 10 Healthy New Years Recipes & Tips! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

If Dessert was considered a meal in our daily eating regiment, It would certainly be my Favorite meal of the day.

I’m excited to share the recipe for these Gluten & Grain Free Peppermint Patties!

Unfortunately Dessert often comes with high amounts of sugar and sugar is one of those things that causes are bodies some of the most harm. It wreaks havoc on our metabolism, it’s an EMPTY calorie ( that being a whole lot of Calories with No essential nutrients) to much sugar can overload and lead to a Fatty Liver. There are still so many reasons beyond this to say why Sugar is bad for you, but there are just to many to mention. All in All, too much Sugar is bad for your body and quickly turns into unhealthy FAT!!!

Our Bodies are High Functioning, Powerful Machines and they need the proper nutrients to Fuel and Help our bodies run to their Maximum potential. Choosing the foods and ingredients to use can make or break the overall Health and Wellness of your body. Not to mention even that of your entire family and friends. Choosing to Eat Clean often comes with the FEAR that your food is going to be BLAND, BORING, TASTELESS and just plain NO FUN!!! I am hear to tell you just the opposite. You can still choose to Eat Clean and Make Healthier choices, while still enjoying and actually liking the foods you are eating.

One of my TOP ingredients that I will NOT make any exemptions for is SALT! Salt is one of the most IMPORTANT ingredients. WHY? Because are BODIES actually NEED it. It’s just NOT something we can do without. The body needs salt. Why? Because Salt helps control your fluid balance, it also controls the way your muscles and nerves work. Our very cells contain large amounts of salt. Our bodies automatically regulate how much salt, or sodium, that is present.Real Salt is also helpful in cleaning wounds whether in your mouth or on your body. It aids in Hydration, replacing minerals that may have been lost and of course flavoring foods. Remember in all this preparedness is to think you will not have access to any Markets, so try packing items that you know that having Quality is important.

For these Reasons alone REAL SALT is what are family chooses to use. REAL SALT is just what it says it is, REAL! No exceptions, Real Salt® brand sea salt comes from an ancient sea bed in Central Utah, where for more than 30 years we’ve delivered completely natural sea salt — nothing added, nothing taken away. That means you get more than 60 trace minerals in a delicious, healthy salt that is never chemically treated, bleached, or kiln dried.

Here is one of our Valentines Desserts our family enjoys making. Gluten & Grain Free Peppermint Patties. They are so easy and make such a Yummy Dessert for everyone to enjoy. Here’s what’s needed: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour, 1/2 tsp Real Salt, 1/4 cup organic pastured butter or coconut oil melted, 2 organic eggs, 1tbs organic Honey, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 3tbs bakers cocoa powder and 2 tbs Raw or Organic Milk.

Add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix. In a medium bowl add wet ingredients and mix. Then add wet ingredients into your dry ingredients bowl about 1/3 cup at a time until all is incorporated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are golden brown. Once cooled slice in half.

Filling: 8oz Organic Cream Cheese, Gluten Free Peppermint Candies, (optional) 1-2tbs Organic Maple Syrup. Mix Cream Cheese and Maple Syrup until smooth. Fill your sliced GF&GF patties and Roll in your Crushed Peppermint Candies.

If you don’t want to add the Gluten Free Peppermint Candy, you can add Branch Basics Food Grade, Peppermint Essential Oil in place of the candy or even for added peppermint flavor. (which is what we LOVE to do)

These Gluten and Grain Free Peppermint Patties make a wonderful dessert for the entire family to enjoy or even to giveaway as gifts. The BEST thing about them, they’re actually good for!!! You also get to enjoy them with out ALL the added DESSERT guilt.

With Valentines just around the corner they will surely put a smile on all the ones you LOVE!!! And, you get to smile because you have made a HEALTHIER choice!

I am so EXCITED to share that the WONDERFUL folks from REAL SALT have offered to giveaway a prized packaged valued at $75.00 for one of you to enjoy. Included is a cute little boxed set to giveaway to one of your family members or friends. All so you can enjoy the wonderful Health benefits of what REAL SALT has to offer, while at the same time bringing great FLAVOR to all your cooked and baked goods. It’s REALLY a Win, Win!!!

Thanks for having me today, Jen!

************

Thanks Angelina! I’m trying to eat healthier, and I can’t wait to try your recipe. They look so amazing! Angelina has so many great ideas on her blog. Here are a few I think you’ll love:

These Organic Mushroom Pizza Bites look like a yummy way to get more veggies in your diet.

She has amazing sewing projects, too like this gorgeous Ruched Ribbon Apron.

And, her recipe for Gluten Free Cranberry Cake looks amazing!

Enter her awesome giveaway below, and make sure to follow JoJo and Eloise and

xoxo

Here’s how to enter to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Gluten & Grain Free Peppermint Patties [And A Giveaway!] appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

check out these 20 Healthy Recipes!

Baked Honey Crisp Apple Chips @ This Silly Girl’s Life

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad @ Hello Little Home 

Feta, Chickpea, and Avocado Salad @ Butter & Jam 

Curried Cashew Broccoli Salad @ Food Faith Fitness

Winter Steak Salad @ Simply Designing 

Energy Boosting Breakfast Parfait @ The Coconut Head’s Survival Guide

 Skinny Frittata with Smoked Salmon and Spinach @ The Seasoned Mom

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bread @ Practical Stewarship 

Banana Maple Yogurt Parfait @ Lemon Tree Dwelling 

Quinoa and Tuna Stuffed Peppers @ The Seasoned Mom 

 Tomato Beet Soup @ Aria’s Kitchen

Simple Homemade Trail Mix @ Live Laugh Rowe 

Baked Apple Fries @ It Happens in a Blink 

 30 Second Egg White Breakfast @ Homework

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup @ Pink Heels Pink Truck 

Cilantro Lime Pesto + Black Bean Burritos @ Practical Stewardship 

Brown Sugar Steel Cut Oats @ Penney Lane Kitchen

Light Ranch Dip @ Wine & Glue 

Homemade Crock Pot Yogurt @ Practical Stewardship

Ground Chicken & Spinach Noodle Bake @ A Pretty Life in the Suburbs 

* * * * *

Don’t forget to check out all of this week’s excellent projects for a huge variety of projects, recipes, and more!

And don’t forget about this week’s giveaway for a “New Year, New You” pack of Young Living Essential Oils (an over $55 value)!

Here’s how to enter to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * * * *

What have you made in your kitchen lately?

Tell me what you’ve been working on in the comments – I would love to come see YOUR ideas!!

xoxo

The post Great Ideas — 20 Healthy Recipes! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

I’ve been concentrating on being happier and healthier in 2014 — and in 2015 I’m committed to be even better at it. I’ve been inspired by so many of you who have made the same resolutions for 2015!

In 2015, it’s time for a new year – and a new you! To help us all get inspired, I’m kicking off a weekly feature called “new year, new you!” It’ll be a positive place for all of us to share ideas for being happier and healthier in 2015. That may mean something different for all of us: it might mean bringing more joy into every day. It might mean being more consistent with exercise. It may mean cooking and eating healthy. Or it might mean affordably upgrading your wardrobe or living space to help you feel more focused and free. Whatever it means to you, hopefully you’ll find inspiration in these upcoming ideas!

A photo posted by Tatertots & Jello (@tatertotsandjello) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:05pm PST

In 2014, I made good progress on my goals of losing weight and eating more healthily! I feel like I’ve made good progress in the last 18 months or so since this picture was taken:

(Keepin’ it real with the messy master bedroom!) I knew I needed to lose some of my blogger weight!

The one biggest thing that kick-started my new healthy focus was participating in April Kennedy’s 60-Day Body Mind Spirit Challenge! It focuses on exercise, eating healthy, good habits, and spreading joy and positivity. I lost 15 pounds from this challenge!

That was enough to rediscover my joy of running, and then this year since the challenge I’ve lost another 25 pounds to get me closer to my ideal weight. And I’ve been focusing on eating more healthy, drinking more water, and being positive.

So, for example, one of my favorite discoveries has been my Fitbit Zip. I’ve burned out about 4 of them this year. I like the kind that clip on — like this one — rather than the wristband kind, but you may like the wristband better!

This was the lowest price I saw for the Fitbit Zip:

My oldest daughter loves her Fitbit Flex because it has a sleep tracker – and my middle daughter got one for Christmas, too!

* * * * *

One of the reasons I started blogging was because of the fun interaction and conversations we had. I miss that now — and maybe we can do more of it here and on social media like Instagram (just tag me and use the hashtag #newyearnewyou). I’m hoping this helps inspire and spark positive conversation!

I’m looking forward to a year of positive changes for all of us!

Happy New Year!

xoxo

The post New Year, New You: Being Happy & Healthy in 2015! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

This year I’ve learned about the importance of taking time for myself and to have fun. I started running this year. (I’ve also lost weight and gained energy!)

(Image from my recent Instagram post.)

My daughter participated in a Color Run last year and it looked so fun!  So when Shout contacted me about this Saturday’s 5K Color Run in Salt Lake City and asked me to put together a Team Shout, I jumped at the chance!

And I’d love for you to join me Saturday, August 23rd, on Team Shout for the SLC Color Run! Here’s how you can join the fun:

This Color Run will be my first organized run, ever! I’ve discovered a passion for running, and besides running every day, I’m so excited for this event! It’s going to be so much FUN!

I love Shout’s theme of making time for fun in your daily life. And I love the Fun Finder on their site — reminding us it’s OK to get a bit messy; the most important thing is fun.

Ready to #ShoutItOut at #TheHappiest5K?

Can you come to the Salt Lake City Color Run
this Saturday, August 23?

(it’s from about 8 to 11 AM)

The first 10 people who email me at jennifer [at] tatertotsandjello.com might join me in the Color Run on #TeamShout on Saturday!

Shout will give you FREE entry and a special care package with a team outfit and swag! And you can help me tell everyone how much fun we have!

Please email your name, phone number and address! I’ll contact you as soon as you’re chosen!

Don’t want to run with us on Saturday? Come support the fun!

How do you make time for for fun?

xoxo

This post sponsored by Shout. See my disclosures.

The post How do YOU have fun? Join me at the SLC Color Run this Saturday! #ShoutItOut appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

This is something that I really feel passionate about. As a mom of three girls, I am really hyper sensitive at how my girls’ see themselves. I have seen how harsh girls are on their appearances. And I really want my girls’ to know how important it is for women to “Fight Fat Talk,” which is making negative comments about your body or others. We are making one of our New Year’s Resolutions to “Fight Fat Talk.” It doesn’t matter if you’re the kind of person who makes New Year’s Resolutions — I invite you to join us!

I’ve learned that staying positive about myself improves my life — and studies say that a positive attitude about yourself helps you stay focused, achieve your health goals, and enjoy life. It’s taken me a long time, but I have finally learned to love my body as it is. I have learned to appreciate all of the amazing things that it does for me.

This video really touched me and it shows the importance of fighting “fat talk.” The signs in this video are actual social media posts (can you imagine finding these in a real shop?):

How can WE can #FightFatTalk??

• First, don’t join in. When a friend says something negative about themselves, don’t say something negative about yourself and join in the fat talk! Almost 2/3 of us do that (according to a study done for Special K). Instead, we can turn the conversation to something more positive.  My daughter Hannah suggested that we instead turn it around and point out her friend’s great points instead to help them feel better about themselves.
• Second, you can actively look for friends who “fat talk,” and you can reach out to counter it! The Special K site has a really cool feature where you can search Facebook and Twitter to see which of your friends “fat talk” … and then you can spread positivity instead!

Take a sec and check it out at social.fightfattalk.com!

• Finally, we can stop ourselves when we start to have these kinds of thoughts and start to say these kinds of things. As Ashton at Something Swanky said in her awesome post, “Somewhere along the way, we’ve been conditioned to think that self-deprecation and having a negative perception of ourselves is some twisted form of humility.” This kind of talk actually hurts us — even if it’s just in our heads. So we can resolve to actively avoid this kind of self-talk in the new year.

One of my daughters’ favorite actresses is Jennifer Lawrence, and she has reinforced the importance of keeping a healthy body image — and in fighting fat talk. Here’s a clip from a recent interview:

I love to see her continuing to take a stand. This type of negativity can do so much damage at any age, and especially in young girls.

Share your ideas on how WE can stop Fat Talk in 2014!

I would love to hear your thoughts!

xoxo

This post was sponsored by Special K. The opinions are all mine. See my disclosures.

The post Make a Resolution to Fight Fat Talk in 2014!! [#FightFatTalk] appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

I don’t often write posts focusing on non-decor topics. But when Special K approached me to let me know about their “Fight Fat Talk” campaign, the message resonated with me. Special K says that 93 percent of women “Fat Talk,” which is making negative comments about your own body (or others’).

Not only as a woman, but as a mom of three daughters, I have seen firsthand how this kind of negative talk can hurt. Instead, I want to encourage a positive self image.

Check out this 2-minute video. It’s really great.  Special K’s pretend pop-up shop called “SHHHH” made the unsuspecting shoppers aware of how much this talk can hurt:

I think this is such an important topic. This type of negativity can do so much damage at any age, and especially in young girls.

As I’ve gotten older it’s been harder and harder to maintain my weight and I have noticed that I was saying these negative things to myself.  And this “fat talk” really does hurt self-esteem. A new Special K study says that all of the fat talk can make it harder to keep a healthy weight. I believe that it’s important to spread positivity in the world, not negativity.

I know I am way harder on myself than I am on other people; I think everyone is their our own worst critics. But we can and should stop this kind of talk.

I think this negative self-talk is one of the biggest challenges facing young girls. Watching my girls go through middle school, I’ve seen a lot of negative things around body image. Anything we can do to address this is a good thing.

I had a discussion with my two teenage daughters about this because I think it’s so important. My younger teenage daughter had already watched the YouTube video without me telling her to. One of her friends had pointed it out to her, which I thought was awesome.

Here are some ideas they shared with me on how to #FightFatTalk in their lives:

• If your friends start putting themselves down about something, Hannah turns it around to a positive thing and starts talking about all of that person’s great points instead to help them feel better about themselves.
• If you find yourself surrounded by others who are putting themselves or other girls/women down, Hannah suggests that you may want to hang out with a more positive group.
• If you’re having a bad day — feeling like your butt looks big or something — but she suggests you think about your good qualities. Perhaps your hair looks great that day, or you have a pretty smile. Don’t focus on the one you’re feeling bad about.

Hayley suggests that we

• Not compare yourself to models on TV or magazines — since they’re often Photoshopped .
• Act confident and the real confidence will follow.
• Feel good about ourselves and be confident in our skin; be grateful that we have healthy bodies.
• Turn negative comments from your friends into positive ones.

I was blown away by how often women put themselves down. These stats were shocking to me:

Share your ideas on how we can all Fight Fat Talk during the holidays (and beyond)!

I would love to hear your thoughts!

xoxo

This post was sponsored by Special K. The opinions are all mine. See my disclosures.

The post Fight Fat Talk During The Holidays [#FightFatTalk] appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.