It might be almost halfway through the month but that doesn’t mean we can’t start a new wellness challenge right? I hope you’ll join me for this one because it’s going to be fun, healthy, and save us all some money. But first, a quick recap of last month’s challenge…
Daily Meditation Recap
I had a really really hard time with daily meditation. I realized a few days in that apps were my downfall and that was why I couldn’t enjoy it. For some reason, I felt so much pressure with any of the guided meditations which I realize is the opposite of what most people feel. Go figure.
Instead, I decided to take a few minutes each day, whenever I felt like it, to sit down, close my eyes and think about what I was feeling grateful for. Then I would center my breath and do a full body scan. Sometimes it would last literally 30 seconds and other times, when I was really feeling it, it would last up to 5 minutes.
The whole point of my daily meditation challenge was to feel more grounded and present, and that practice achieved it so I’m counting it as a success! I don’t plan to stop anytime soon either. How did it go for you?
April Wellness Challenge: Cook More
I love to cook. I find it almost meditative and my body feels good when I eat homemade food. I also feel a bigger sense of appreciation for the food itself when I am part of making it come together. But since we had Amalia, we’ve ordered in more often than ever.
Over the last week or two, I’ve gotten back into my meal prepping and have been making more dinners at home. It feels really good and it’s been fun to experiment with new recipes (like this one) and ingredients (like shishito peppers).
When I cook at home, not only do we all feel healthier, but we save money in the process. My Seamless and Uber Eats receipts were getting OOC. I’d rather spend a fraction of that money on high-quality ingredients that go into delicious recipes.
To make this more structured I’m giving myself a “rule” to cook at home for everyone in my family at least 5 nights per week for the month of April which will allow us to order in or go out twice a week. Anel is now in charge of dinners on Thursday nights so I personally will create four of the five meals.
The plan is to meal prep to some extent on Sunday and Monday nights and then create one new recipe each week to keep things interesting. That plan might not work out perfectly but as long as we cook five nights per week, I’ll consider this challenge successful.
I put together a list of some of my go-to sources for cooking inspiration. I like to peruse these passively all week long, and when it comes time to put together my shopping list, I can go back through the recipes I’ve saved and be sure I have all of the necessary ingredients. I also love to share recipes with family and friends so I draw a lot of inspiration from there as well. I’m looking forward to some inspo from you too!
My favorite recipe sites
Bon Appetit
Pinterest (yep!)
Sprouted Kitchen
Inspiralized
Design Love Fest: Bri is one of my favorite bloggers and when she posts recipes I always pin them because they look so beautiful and delicious.
Half-Baked Harvest
New York Times Cooking
Comment below with your favorite recipe websites. I’m always on the hunt for something new!
Previous Wellness Challenges
January: Dry January
February: Break a Bad Habit
March: Daily Meditation
