FIXATE Chocolate Chip Cookies

So we woke up this morning with the baking itch! The boys choose cookies, so we went to our favorite 21 Day Approved Fixate cookbook. So we had some friends over and made some chocolate chip cookies and it was a blast :)

Serving size: 1 cookie; 1.5 yellow containers; makes 26 cookies

Ingredients:

-  3 cups almond flour

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1/4 tsp. sea salt

- 1/4 cup extra-virgin organic coconut oil, melted

- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

- 1 large egg

- 2 egg whites

- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Spray pan or line the sheets with parchment paper (I use a baking stone, so I don't need to spray it)

3. Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; mix well. Set aside.

4. Beat oil and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl until creamy (approximatly 4-5 minutes).

5. Add egg, egg whites, and extract: beat for an additional 2 minutes.

6. Add almond flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until blended.

7. Add chocolate chips; mix until just blended.

8. Drop rounded Tbsp. on prepared baking sheet. Flatten cookies with a spatula. 

9. Bake 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown. 

10. Store in airtight container!

I hope you have as much fun as we did ;)

Deanna

Vegetarian Chili

Made some delicious Chili today! It recipe is not spicy, this girl does not do spicy! You can also easily substitute out the vegetarian hamburger for hamburger. I have definitely been enjoying the scrumptious smell today! I hope you enjoy as much as we do....

 Serves 6

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. vegetarian hamburger  
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 chopped green pepper 
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, undrained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 1.5 cup uncooked whole wheat short pasta such as rotini or macaroni 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Stir to mix it together. 
2. Cover with lid, and cook on low heat setting for 4 hours. After 4 hours, add pasta to slow cooker and stir until all pasta is submerged in liquid; turn heat to high and cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until pasta is al dente. 

All three dudes in this house went back for seconds (me included)!

* If you are using meat Brow before mixing in the crockpot.

* 21 Day Fixers: 1 Purple, 1 green, teaspoon, 1 red per serving. 

Enjoy,

Deanna

Thankful Fun for the Whole Family

Bryan and I were trying to come up with some fun family gratitude ideas to do with the boys! I wanted to share them incase you wanted to implement in your home :)

So all year I am all about thankfulls (love my made up word)! We talk about your highs and lows at dinner and I have this, "tell me somthin good" song that I sing to the boys and then they tell me something! I have always loved it! 

Here are the two holiday ideas that we are doing in the O'Halloran house! Comment below if you are going to be trying one out and I would love to hear how it goes ;)

1. I bought this Postal Wrapping Paper off of Amazon and we are going to use it as our tablecloth for Thanksgiving (and probably a couple days after)! I am going to lay out markers and write the everyones names above their plates! The boys can doodle all day (especially while mommy is glued to the Thanksgiving day parade...My favorite;)) and then that night before we eat we will write down and share our three thankfulls! Just thinking about it, I get the warm and fuzzes. 

2. A grateful jar! This girl LOVES mason jars, so I am always looking for fun ideas, so that I get to use them. Super simple too...just print off a cute tag from Pinterest, add some pretty ribbon, tie, and done!!! I just cut up some computer paper and set it on the table. I told the boys to tell us when they think of something they are thankful for. So far I have gotten: mommy (heart melts), daddy (melt again), cars, Paw Patrol, riding bikes outside, cookies, mac & cheese, dinner, hummus, yogurt, school... It's so fun to hear what they say and they like hearing ours as well.

Enjoy your family,

Deanna

Why Should I Read Personal Development?

A lot of people are curious as to where I come up with my motivation, why I am so positive, how I can remain so consistent, how I got my business started, how I manage my time, and many of the other positive attributes people see in me…..and I give ALL of that credit to personal development and self help books.

Personal development has been a game changer for me. Not only in my business but also as a wife, mom, friend, and individual. I seriously look at the world in a whole new way and there is no way I am going back!!! I used to read all kids of books, mostly romance novels (don't judge), but now I really don't have time! Between being a PhD student, a wife, mom, and business owner, I have to make choices on what to cut. When you say yes to something, you have to say no to something else. I chose to say yes to professional development and no to romance novels.

If you are someone going through a transition, someone stuck in a rut, someone having relationship trouble, wanting to parent better, or someone who thinks they are happy, sad, mad, or unhappy...personal development is for you! There is always room to improve and why not focus on being the best version of yourself?

Do yourself a MAJOR service and get your nose into personal development books. They have changed my life and are continuing to help me become even MORE of a super-achiever. When do I have time? I read before bed and I keep and pen or highlighter near by so I can write down ideas that come to me or things I found extra inspiring. Some people on my team read in the morning because it sets their positive intention for the day and motivates them! Doesn't matter when you do, just carve out the time and make it happen. 

So think of something you want to work on, go read the backs of some books and chose one, or choose one from my list. BUT whatever you do get your nose into some personal development books!!!!

Feel free to reach out to me if you need help finding a book! I may not know but I would love the chance to help.

5 Reasons to Workout With Your Partner

So Bryan and I both started our transformations at the same time! It was about two years ago and I was really down and uncomfortable in my own skin after having our two beautiful boys. Bryan says (he is here too!!) he wanted to feel more comfortable, look better in his clothes, and wanted typical life tasks to be easier. 

So we made a commitment to each other that we would reach for our goals together and we never looked back. Do we workout together everyday? Nope. Sometimes our schedules don't allow for that. However, we really try and make it a priority to workout together a few times a week. 

Here are our 5 reasons to get sweaty together:

1. Accountability - Not going to lie some nights all I want to do is sit my bootay on the couch and eat Oreos. However, living with your workout partner holds you accountable! He is there to say, "Let's do this" or "na let's not go binge eat Oreos tonight"! 

2. Spend time together - we are busy and working out is non-negotiable so why not do it together and get just a little more time to hang out, work toward a common goal, and have some laughs. 

3. Endorphins - Exercise induces the symptoms of physiological arousal—sweaty hands, a racing pulse, shortness of breath. The results? A boost of attractiveness to your partner.

4. Helps you feel more connected to your partner - Sometimes it can feel awkward or embarrassing to workout with your partner. Let's face it, that is a vulnerable time, especially if you are just starting. By working out with your partner, you start to feel more confident in yourself and you begin to eliminate that vulnerability between the two of you. Plus you start to feel more comfortable in that sports bra and short shorts and confidence is sexy ;)

5. Sense of accomplishment - My husband is my biggest cheerleader and I like to think I am his. We push each other to do that last 10 seconds in a plank position or just one more push up! We like to spike the encouragement with some butt slapping, song singing, or loud clapping when the going gets tough! I feel like I can accomplish a lot more with this guy by my side. Tackling our workouts together helps boost our confidence to handle whatever life throws at us!!!

I hope this motivated you to get sweaty with your partner! If you did I would love to know!! Comment below that you tried a workout with your partner and what you thought!!

Thanks for stoping by,

Deanna

Family Photo Time of Year

Okay let me just preface this post with saying, "I LOVE family photo day"! To me yearly photos are very important. Here are my top 3 reasons for getting yearly family photos:

1. To see your family change and grow: I absolutely love changing out our picture frames each November with our new family photos because I get to take a nice long sentimental walk down memory lane! I am shocked every year at how much we change and I love having them all to look at. I also know as my boys grow up I will have the pictures to reminisce about, to show future partners how cute they were, and to make my hubby snuggle up and look through them with me when I am feeling nostalgic (he will love it I just know it ;)).

2. You're all together in the shots: Meaning mom is not behind the camera and missing from the pictures!!! I noticed this a couple weeks ago when someone asked for some pictures of the boys and I. I went into my photos and literally could only find a few where I was in the picture too! A lot of times we forget to get in the picture because we are so caught up in capturing the moments. So family photos allow for me to have some special pictures will all three of my favorite dudes!

3. It's Fun: We always make a family date around the day! Now my approach is fun and casual, I really want the pictures to represent us! So I let the boys help pick out their outfits and gel their hair! We usually have a big snack before hand and then we take them out to dinner afterwards. This year was a blast on our date afterwards. We try to just go with the flow when we are taking pictures, based on everyones mood (i.e. the kids aren't nuts and their are no massive melt downs ;). This is where I think it is really important to choose your photographer wisely! You want someone who has experience photographing kiddos (they get it!)!  I also love getting all dolled up and seeing my handsome dudes all cute for the day as well ;) 

Anyway, above is a little glimpse into our 2015 family photo sesh with the amazingly talented Kimberly Gaiser of lilie Photography! You can check her out here if you are Tucson based or if you just want to smile at some stunning photography: http://www.liliephotography.com

Thanks for stopping by,

Deanna

21 Day Fix Mini Pizzas

We love making homemade pizza at our house!!! The boys love picking their toppings. I like to call it a topping bar and they walk along the little bowls and choose which ones they like! This is a win-win for me because they get to choose and I will because I chose the options! I usually have: olives, cheese, peppers, pineapple, vegetarian hamburger, etc.

Hope you have as much fun as we do!

*Serving size: 1 english muffin each

Ingredients

• 2 whole wheat English muffins 
• 1 purple of sauce (You can use homemade or store bought. If you are using store bought, try to use organic with no added sugar)
• 1 blue container of mozzarella cheese
• Seasoning of your choice (oregano, salt, pepper, etc.)
• Whatever toppings you want to add!

Directions

1. Split English muffins and place in the oven at 350 degrees until toasted. (Or, you can toast them in a regular toaster or toaster oven.)
2. Divide sauce evenly among the four halves.
3. Divide cheese evenly among the four halves.
4. Top with seasoning and toppings of your choice.
5. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted.

Enjoy,

Deanna :)