Let's just get to the goods with the recipe, shall we?   This is an absolute favorite of our twins, the Gillies and this mama doesn't feel too bad when I see them munching down on them because it's loaded with healthy fats and a wee bit of sweetness.  Okay, a lot of sweetness because I tend to go heavy handed on the chocolate chip morsels!  

ALMOND BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

• 1 cup of melted almond butter
• 1 pasture-raised egg, whisked
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of almond flour  
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chip morsels 
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp of baking soda 
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 dash of sea salt 

NOW WHAT?

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Using a baking sheet, line it properly with parchment paper OR simply grease up a muffin tin for quick easy pop-out cookie/muffins.
2. Now, I like to use as MINIMAL DISHES as possible for easy clean up.  So, you do you, love. ...

One day during our drive to the city, I spotted two cyclists riding their bikes up a mountain.

First off: bravo to anyone riding or running up the mountain. Especially, while wearing air filter masks in this heat and smoke.

However, there was a lesson learned from watching these cyclists in the 5 minutes they were in our view.

Cyclist A was the first to come into our view... he was glancing over his shoulder, watching the cars pass and head going back/forth.

He seemed distracted and the crease in his brow made it seem like this mountain was quite a feat.

Looking at his handle bars sway this way and that, it looked like it was taking TWICE the effort to get up the mountain.

Then after several hundred feet, we get to Cyclist B who was laser focused... eyes straight ahead... handlebars facing forward. No unnecessary energy spent.

And these two guys showed me how when we get distracted with what’s going on around us... we end up focusing on the obstacle, spending more energy to...

NEED PERMISSION TO WEAR SWEATPANTS?  

Read on...

Dude.
Some folks like to get nails done. Some like to snag a morning cup of coffee as a treat each day from the local barista.  Others like to get regular massages... and that is the group I fall into.

During my veterinary emergency residency, I had every Thursday afternoon off... which also meant I had a regular Thursday afternoon appointment with the BEST massage therapist I ever met.

Hands down, Kate, you are my fave.

And I chuckle because after the TWINS were born, I found out I needed a massage MORE than ever yet never made the time to go get one...  you know, life.

Now with social distancing, massages are a thing of the past for me; however, just because I can’t go to a massage therapist at this time doesn’t mean we can’t snag the benefits of a massage at home.

I’m talking about FOAM ROLLING or as the hubster calls it, “poor man’s massage.”

The reason I love foam rolling is...

CHARCUTERIE BOARD:
(noun): an arrangement of cured meats, cheeses and finger foods on a platter or board.

And this could TOTALLY be off on what a charcuterie board actually is, but this is what I feel like it is especially when I search on Pinterest "charcuterie boards".  

But on a serious note. 

We are getting FANCY up in the Gillies household these days because every single morning for the past three weeks, I have been making our own little "charcuterie boards" for breakfast.

It's a habit we will keep for awhile, let me fill ya in with what I learned by doing this:

• our 6yr old twins will SHARE their food and you can hear them ask one another, "sis, do you want the last berry?"
• experimenting with different sources of proteins (even DRUMSTICKS one morning) helps their little growing bodies
• our little miss finds it EXTREMELY fancy even if her mom has a hard time saying the word correctly
• with a combination of veggies, berries, protein and healthy fats... the Gillies are...

Just wanted to share with you, love this quick daily morning habit or “biohack” I started awhile back and started to see amazing benefits from... because it’s super easy to do PLUS cost absolutely nothing except a few minutes of your time.  Here goes: 

DAILY MORNING BIOHACK: grounding in the sunshine while saying my morning “I am” manifestation statements.

Wow.
Say that one ten times fast... (I’ll wait)... tricky wasn’t it.

Here is the thing, there’s only two things I can control: my actions and my effort. Nothing else. And one thing I noticed is when I speak affirmations out loud in the sunshine while my feet in the soil... I have TREMENDOUS energy throughout the day which contributes BOTH to my actions + my efforts!

Maybe it’s just ONE of those items which helps like the Vitamin D from the sunshine OR maybe it’s the grounding (with feet in the soil) and the release of positive ions in my body.

Maybe it’s the...

As an introvert, this may come to a shock to some but one of my favorite things… is attending a conference.

I know, who am I and what have I done with Amber? 

There’s just something about being in a room with folks who all have similar interests whether that’s a veterinary conference to dive deep into the latest techniques or a mastermind retreat where you are brainstorming ideas for your upcoming launch.  

I love it ALL and try to attend a conference at least once a year and BEST if it's once every 3-4 months pending hubster’s work schedule as well as, you know, LIFE as a mom.  

Anywho. 

One thing I noticed was how with each event I attended, my body would react in slightly unhappy ways… my gut would feel “off”, my sleep was a wee bit non-existent and my energy level was highly dependent on caffeine.

It wasn’t until I took a step back and focused on my habits WHILE I traveled, that I learned how to...

It's funny when I think about it... the evolution of my smoothie journey. 

First, it all began in college when my smoothies started out with bananas, strawberries and vanilla yogurt as I tried to replicate my favorite sugar-packed smoothie from the local health food store.   

You probably know the one I am talking about, it was oh so yummy but would make me CRAVE more sweets throughout the rest of the day.  

My smoothie journey evolved over the years... and I'll be honest it was hard for me to get in the habit of drinking a smoothie every single day.  

But you heard the saying, "Success leaves clues"... right?  And as I listened to mentors of mine talk about what they were nourishing their bodies with each day... starting the day with a smoothie packed with superfoods was one clue.  

So.  I figured I would share with you MY favorite smoothie... this is the smoothie I make every single day.  Seven days a week-...

The other day, I downloaded a PDF from a mentor of mine, James Wedmore and it was titled something like MAKE 2020 YOURS...

Anywho.
One thing about me is I absolutely LOVE setting new goals for my birthday year (personal goals)... and for the upcoming year (business goals).

So any chance I have to snag a PDF to help me do so... consider it: SNAGGED!

However, this workbook was a wee bit different as... it asked a few questions I never considered before.  Yes, it talked about what LESSONS your learned... and what did you ACCOMPLISH.

But it also asked, "what ways can you CELEBRATE your lessons + your successes from 2019?"

This had me baffled... celebrate my successes? celebrate my lessons? Um... as a dear friend pointed out, I tend to check off my accomplishments but rarely tend to PAUSE and celebrate.

Why? Probably because I see it as... I gave my word I would accomplish this... so I did, why celebrate?

But ONE thing I teach my clients is to CELEBRATE their wins... no...

Here's just a quick glance on simple tips we use to get our twins, the Gillies... who are 6... to eat their vegetables.  For all the moms out there, hope this helps!

First thing is first... it starts with the MENU!

Each week, we allow the Gillies to choose ONE vegetable of THEIR choice and ONE vegetable THEY HAVE to agree on... for the week ahead.

It never fails... little man will choose broccoli while little miss opts for asparagus or leafy greens like spinach

SIDE NOTE: Little Miss likes asparagus because it makes their pee smell funny... and Little Man likes to eat "trees". Sha babes, right?

Anywho.
Now that they EACH get a vegetable of their choosing, they have to AGREE on which vegetable they will choose together.

Recently, the vegetable they choose TOGETHER is brussels... which they love drizzled with avocado oil, bacon bits and roasted. And I'm not complaining either.

Next we head to the grocery store.  Now, we all go SHOPPING together which is a wee bit of a...

You know those folks who get super excited about their birthday... telling everyone from the grocery store clerk to the coffee barista it's their birthday!  Yep, I'm not that person.   

And it's not because I do not like celebrating my birthday or want to hide the fact I am aging.  Celebrating another year of life is a GIFT and I'm grateful for life. 

It's just I feel like birthdays are a beautiful time for growth + gratitude.   Plus, I am NOT a fan of opening up presents in front of folks... it seems I never show the appropriate amount of enthusiasm for the gift purchased.  Either I'm too over the top or, well, not.  

Let me also add, this is NOT something I do with our twins, the Gillies... although, thinking about it now this could be a tradition we start with them later on. 

Anywho.  How about we get back to growth + gratitude, shall we? 

On the eve of my birthday, when the Gillies are tucked asleep in...