Happy Sunday!

I hope everybody is having a truly lovely weekend. The weather hasn’t been spectacular here, but we’ve managed to enjoy ourselves celebrating birthdays (I’ll have Baby M’s 6 month update soon!) and spending time with family (and eating good food).

Now that I’m feeling a bit more into the blogging groove, I leave you with some tantalizing recipes that have caught my eye this past week and some good reads.

See you later. 🙂

.Recipes.

French Toast Sandwich Waffles For An Epic Brunch via Imma Eat That

Seriously NEED a waffle maker! This is brilliant.

Easy BBQ Meatloaf via Peanut Butter Fingers

I never ate meatloaf until I was well into adulthood. The name sounds awful and it looks unappealing. Thankfully, though, I’ve realized it can be delicious and comforting, and I love the sound of this BBQ version. I must include in our next week of dinners.

Pan-Seared Trout With An Orange Butter Pecan Sauce via Wicked Spatula

I adore seafood, but we rarely cook it at home. Trout, however, is so easy to prepare—and it’s downright tasty. Pecans + citrus sound like a winning combination.

Banoffee Pie From My New Roots via Oh She Glows

I made some raw, vegan banoffee pie bites a couple years ago, and while they were good, they pale in comparison to this pie. I’d love to try this for the next special occasion we have.

Roasted Strawberry Milkshakes With Chocolate Pistachio Brittle via How Sweet It Is

Wow. I think I vowed to myself I’d try roasted strawberries after finding another of Jessica’s recipes, but I never did. This looks amazing—the perfect dessert, despite being so high-maintenance.

.Health & Body Image.

Health Industry Pet Peeves via In It 4 The Long Run

A big “amen” to all of these. I understand the health food/diet/etc. business is lucrative, but the exaggerations, lies, and blatant guilt-tripping are too much and really get my blood boiling as well.

The Thing About “Healthy Living Blogs”… via My Food & Fitness Diaries

I agree with Ashley 100% on this. It is necessary to be subjective when reading so-called “healthy living blogs,” because, A) the author may not share all the details, and B) we’re all so very different (in our activity levels, physical health/abilities, goals, etc.).

One Bad Photo via My Freckled Life

We’ve all been here. I felt the same way during pregnancy when I looked at photos. In real life, I felt healthy and beautiful, but when I saw myself from a certain angle, I felt hideous. I have no answer for why we allow things like this to bother us so immensely, but we should try our hardest to just move past it.

I Love My Body (But I Want To Change It) via Mind Body Green

This is perfect—a good read for somebody who’s still coming to terms with her “new normal” postpartum. It’s ok (and normal) to be happy with something but still want to change or improve it.

Shorter Stature May Pose Higher Risk of Heart Disease via The New York Times

Well, crap. I’m only 5’3… Good thing other factors (diet, exercise, etc.) have greater influence on our health.

.Mental Health.

The Psychology of Healthy Facebook Use: No Comparing To Other Lives via The Atlantic

Comparison truly is the thief of joy. I don’t think FB and social media (blogging!) are inherently bad, but it’s all in how you use it. Maybe if you’re already feeling down you should put the computer/cell phone away for a bit and take a walk instead?…

Motherhood Mondays: The Hardest 2 Months of My Life via A Cup of Jo

This blog post is several years old and I’m not sure how I stumbled upon it—but the idea of weaning terrifies me. I’m not looking to do it any time in the near future, but I worry about how it will affect me hormonally. For now, I’ll just enjoy bonding with Baby M and know what to expect when the time comes.

.Life.

The What If Weed via Run Wiki

I love this analogy—and it’s so true. Reflection of the past is one thing, but dwelling on the “what ifs” of life is detrimental to our happiness.

3 Life Changing Pieces of Advice via Fit Fine Day

Great pieces of advice. I find I struggle the most with #2—I seem to take any sort of disagreement or insult personally.

.Laughs.

Eating Like A Stereotypical Healthy Living Blogger For A Day via The Big Man’s World

This made me giggle—except that I truly do enjoy eating overnight oats out of an empty PB jar. Just use the small jars!