Motivation Monday #6

Hello! It’s Monday again and time for another roundup of healthy motivations to get you through this week! I was just recalling that it’s been about 2 years since I started posting some blog posts and almost exactly 2 years since I signed up for my first Iron Girl! It’s crazy to see how this journey has taken shape over the last couple of years with all the little bumps in the road. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be doing the race again this year though I haven’t signed up yet. My sister and I are still planning on running the Chicago Half Marathon as our first half at the end of September so that’s the money priority at the moment.

In other news, the Summer Corn Chowder is back at Panera! This is the first thing I ever tried at a Panera after going on a date with my mom to see Mamma Mia back in high school.

Meal Inspirations

I’m currently working on cleaning out my recipe book and reorganizing it into a more useful resource because at the moment, I’m rarely using it and so many of my printed recipes are just hanging around. I follow a good collection of food blogs and I often find some recipes there that I can use or modify to fit my needs. Pinterest is another tool I use a ton but if I’m looking for something a tad more specific, Google search is a great recipe finder. Here are some of the recipes I’ve curated this week!

Smashed Chickpea Avocado Sandwich – Feasting at Home

DIY Mason Jar Home Salad Bar – PopSugar

Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese – Innocent Delight

I made these pierogies last week and my kitchen was a gorgeous mess by the time I was done. I left out the cheese and they tasted great but I definitely need some more practice making them and maybe a little bit more help to get it done quicker.

Simple Vegetarian “Meatloaf” – Nutrition Stripped

This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it!

Overnight Oats 3 Ways – Five Heart Home

This has been on my list of things to try for a while now but I kept forgetting to make it the night before. I finally made some last night for my hubby and I and we both really liked it! I’m going to share my recipe this week but for now here are a few I think look delish!

Workouts

Zumba is still one of my favorite at home cardio workouts and I’ve loved doing it for the last couple of years but variation is good and so is free. Whenever I find a good workout routine, I throw it into a YouTube playlist so I can find them quickly. I tried this Cardio Kickboxing routine the other day and it kicked my butt. Cardio Kick was one of my fitness classes in college so doing this routine was kind of a throwback for me. I like the PopSugar collection because there’s a wide variety of workouts and there’s a timer in the corner so you know exactly how much longer you have in your sweat sesh.

How Beginner Runners can Transition Away From Walking Breaks – Women’s Running

I’m a slow runner and running doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does to someone like my husband so it takes a while to build up endurance. If you’re just starting out for the first time (or the second, or third) I found this to be a pretty useful reference.

Mastering Pushups – PopSugar

If you struggle with doing regular pushups, here are a couple of really great modifications to get you ready for the real thing!

The “Everything One Minute Upper Body Workout” – PB Fingers

6 Stretches For Anyone With Tight Hamstrings – PopSugar