10 favorite things | May

Welcome back to my monthly segment: 10 favorite things, in no particular order!

1. Wearing my baby on my back — This month, we moved from Denver to Arizona and only had 2.5 weeks to get out of our home after accepting an offer. To say those weeks were insane, especially doing it with a one-year-old, is an understatement. But carrying Lennon on my back was an absolute LIFE SAVER. Even on moving day, I was helping carry boxes to the truck with her on my back! I use the Wildbird (discount link) Aeriel carrier and LOVE it.

2. My throw-together Asian noodle dish — I absolutely LOVE Asian inspired foods, and this has been a go-to lately. I don’t measure anything, but it truly feels like you cannot mess it up! Here is what I do: 1. Cook chicken however I want to, sometimes that is in the crock pot, sometimes I cut it up and sauté it & other times I grill or bake it! 2. Steam broccoli and carrots until soft. I use this pan with the steaming basket almost daily! Did you know steamed veggies retain more vitamins than baked or sautéd? 3. Cook these noodles according to the package. 4. Make sauce with probably a half cup (or more) of coconut aminos + honey, peanut butter, garlic & onion powder, grated ginger, and salt to taste. I would say I probably do 2ish tsps of the honey & peanut butter, but do whatever tastes good to you! I also add 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder to this mixture & whisk it in — this is what thickens the sauce. Once the chicken & veggies are ready, I combine them & add the sauce over low heat! Once it starts to thicken, I turn off the heat & add the noodles! TELL ME IF YOU TRY!!!

3. The Alive App — This month, I decided to get back on the Alive app because I wanted a super regimented weight training schedule. You all know I also loveeeeee Range by Kara, but I just want to be told what to do every day in this season. And I am absolutely LOVING it. I also love that you can turn the sound off on her app and just follow each movement & click next when you finish. It is super low stimulation, which I genuinely look for in a workout program. If you want to get into weight training (by far the BEST movement for your metabolism IMO), I highly recommend it!

4. Yellow mangos — If you didn’t know, mango season starts in May, and WOWWW, they are good right now. I have been getting yellow mangos & they truly are soooo yummy every single time. You can see the way I cut mine in the photo above, which makes it so easy to just bite little chunks off the skin!

5. Food prep — This month, I absolutely LOVED staying on top of food prep. You can see what I prepped in one week in this video! Prepping a few snacks & shredded raw carrot for a daily raw carrot salad truly just helps me eat so much cleaner throughout the week. Instead of reaching for a packaged protein bar or chips when I am hungry, I reach for a homemade gummy or muffin! I also like to keep a bean salad on hand. And yes, it can definitely feel like a lot of work, but I got everything done in the linked video during one of my daughter’s longer naps! These are the food storage containers I use & I am OBSESSED.

6. This cotton knit baby set — Literally SOOOOO cute and breezy for the summer! Pic of Lenni wearing it above — I cannnnot handle the cuteness.

7. A cool dark bedroom — There is truly nothing like a cool dark bedroom with crisp, clean sheets in the summertime. We keep our room set to 69/70 because sleeping at 66-69 degrees is the ideal temperature for deep sleep. We use Quince linen and organic cotton sheets and LOVE them. And we used these blackout curtains at our old house, but actually just ordered these in “latte” for even further blackout. We experienced them at my sister’s house and were soooooo impressed by how well they worked. I know there are mixed thoughts on blackout curtains in the circadian health space because we would ideally wake up with the sun, but I personally think it’s better to block out the blue light from street lights, light pollution, etc., than it is to let the sunlight in. Just go outside as soon as you wake up to tell your body what time it is!

8. This lip balm — I included this on my latest things I find chic video because it truly is just so stunning. But also, it works sooooo well. After long packing & travel days without enough hydration, my lips were SO chapped. I put this on one night before bed, and the next day, they were literally better. Manuka honey is truly just soooo powerful and healing.

9. These organic cotton biker shorts —I have had my Lulu Align biker shorts for several years now and truly do love them. But I am slowly swapping my clothes out for natural fibers, and when I saw these were the same price as Lululemon but made with organic cotton, I knew I had to test them out for you guys! Now, they do not feel like Lululemon because they aren’t polyester… they are a bit stiffer and thicker, but I really do love them! I do wish I had sized up one size from my normal, because they fit a little more snug than I would ideally want.

10. Cod liver oil — I have taken cod liver oil on and off for years, but every time I stop taking it, I am reminded how much my body needs it. It is naturally rich in vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin D. It helps me so much with dry skin, keritosis pilaris (small bumps) on my arms & can help with eyesight too! I give it to my daughter, too. We get the Rosita brand off Perfect Supplements website with my discount code AUDREY10.