Goals for 2018 & Whole30 + Blue Apron!

Good morning!!!  I’ve got some delicious food to show you today (can you spy my bump… we made these meals right before Skye joined us). I also have something new to tell you about what Blue Apron is doing!  Towards the end of the post you can find some of my goals for 2018 too.  I’d love to hear any of your resolutions or goals for the new year!  This post is sponsored by Blue Apron and I’ve got a great deal for you at the end.

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Let’s get started by talking about two meals that Andrew and I made last month for dinner!

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Like usual, our meals from Blue Apron were delivered to our door in a refrigerated box with all of the fresh ingredients that we needed to make this deliciousness in all of the right proportions.   This last month we went with the 2-Person Plan but they also offer a Family Plan too!  Along with the huge selection of recipes that Blue Apron offers (and they are constantly adding to) they now offer 8 recipes to choose from each week (it used to be 6 meals)… gotta love all of the variety!  The only problem now is I want to choose all 8 each week;)

How I wanted the kids to pose for the picture:

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How they wanted to pose for the picture:)

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The first meal we made was Spicy Broccoli & Fresh Fusilli Pasta with Mascarpone Cheese.

In case you were wondering how much Blue Apron costs—>  all of their meals start at $8.99 per serving (you can skip or cancel the service at any time).   Cheaper + healthier for us than eating out and I don’t have to go to the grocery store which means I buy less candy too.  I can’t imagine going to the grocery store now and not getting candy because it tastes so good again.  Also, I don’t remember the last time I went to the grocery store… I’m kind of loving the fact Skye and I are supposed to stay home as much as possible.  Long story short, I do not miss the grocery store.

Tangent—>  Brooke has loved broccoli since she was just a little thing.  Now I need to find a way to help her feel the love for other vegetables too!

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PS have I told you yet that I prefer having Skye outside of my belly a lot more than being pregnant?!  Luckily, by the third trimester I loved the smell of food again.  This dish was SO good!  I loved the combination of the heat from the broccoli with the creaminess of the cheese and the butter.  This meal hit the spot for me (which was saying a lot a few weeks ago ha)!

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The second meal that we made was the Spicy Chicken Khao Soi w/Crispy Wonton Noodles.  Clearly, I was craving some spicy food (or maybe I was secretly wanting it to get some contractions going ha)  and noodles when I made my order this last month!

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I love how each item is labeled and tells you a little bit about it.  I love the learning that comes along with making these meals!

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Just frying up a few of those noodles to place on top of the dish!

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The final product!  This was a dish unlike anything we had ever made or really eaten before.  All of the different textures between the crispy wontons, the spicy broth, noodles and kale were really good.  It was definitely a meal I want to make again and again!.

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I wanted to tell you about a new thing that Blue Apron is doing!  Blue Apron is partnering with Whole30.  They will have eight weeks of Whole30 approved meals that you can order.  Whole30 is all about people eating whole, nutrient-dense food: meat, seafood, and eggs; lots of vegetables and fruit; natural healthy fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings.  These meals include all of that goodness!  PS If you aren’t sure what Whole30 is—> It’s a program meant to last 30-days (not a follow forever thing) and there is no calorie-counting or calorie restrictions!  These Whole30 Meals from Blue Apron will start being on the menu on January 8th (make sure to order 6 days before you want to start the service to get it the day you want it) until the end of February.  Each week you can easily manage your delivery schedule and make your menu choices to get your Whole30 Meals each week. If you want to do this, Blue Apron will deliver two Whole30 Meals per week!  You can do this with either the 2-Person (2 meals/week) to get only Whole30 Meals or the 2-Person (3 meals/week) to get two Whole30 Meals plus an additional Blue Apron meal (this one would not be Whole30)!  If you are planning on doing Whole30, this is such a great help!  It takes away thinking about what to make a few times each week and offers you something delicious, different and fun to make!  Don’t forget to check below on how to get $40 off on your Whole30 meals through Blue Apron!

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And because there wasn’t one picture of Skye in this entire post… I have to include one!

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Since the new year is just around the corner, I wanted to share a few of my goals for 2018!

*I really hope to continue breastfeeding throughout 2018… I know that some things are out of my control but I want to do the things I can control as far as breastfeeding goes.  I’ve had a really good (and painful at times;) experience so far with breastfeeding Skye.  Doing what I can to keep up my milk supply this year is definitely high up on my priority list.

*I mentioned this in an earlier post but as far as running goals go (you can read them all here)… I hope to do a marathon this fall (not for time but to remind my body how to do them again:) and then start my training in December for a PR at a spring marathon in 2019.

*To eat at home more!  Each year this is one of my goals and this year we are really going to do it.  During my pregnancy we ate out SO MUCH (I am pretty sure that most of the waitresses of my favorite restaurants know my name because I was there so much;) but now more than ever I am home and excited to cook and eat at home.  Blue Apron will definitely help me out with this resolution to eat a bit healthier and cook more at home!

*To write in my personal journal and the kid’s journal at least twice a week!  Time is flying by so fast and I want to make sure I am writing down the different things going on with us at home and the funny things these kids do because before I know it they will be teenagers;)

*To daily work on positive self-talk. This is kind of a life-long resolution for me because it is so easy for me to forget how important (necessary!!) this is for my happiness.  It is something I’m constantly working on!  Sometimes we don’t always have a ton of control over the thoughts that pop into our heads but we do have control to determine what we do with those thoughts—>  do we continue to think about, dwell on them, believe them or do we replace them with positive (or even neutral) thoughts?

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Want to try out how delicious and easy Blue Apron’s new Whole30 recipes are?  The first 50 people to sign up for Blue Apron here will get $40 off their first two weeks of Blue Apron Whole 30 orders!

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Did 2017 feel like it went by quickly or not so much?  I feel like it zoomed by for us!

Do you set goals for the new year?  Resolutions? 

Ever tried Whole30 (what benefits did you notice)?  Ever made any Whole30 recipes?  

Parents reading—>  what vegetables do your kids like/love?

-Currently just sweet potatoes and broccoli for Brooke and carrots for Knox. 

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27 comments

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Great goals! 2017 definitely flew by. Skye is so precious….as are all your kiddos.
I almost always cook at home – I’m a cookbook author, so I’d better! ;) But my neighbor, who is a teacher and is super busy gets Blue Apron and loves it! Happy 2018!

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The Whole 30 doesn’t restrict calories but it is a restriction diet. (restriction only leads to binging-especially on -1 day one and day 31!).
Also, nothing is more primal than intuitive eating.
Definitely an opportunity for Blue Apron to take advantage of though, smart marketing.

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Yes, Molly! I was going to comment something similar. I have recently embarked on my own journey into intuitive eating after suffering from an eating disorder (anorexia and then later bulimia) as a young woman and then later being what I thought was a “recovered” mom of five who even wrote a book on making peace with your body only to discover I was still very much entrenched in the dieting mentality and had some more work to do to completely make peace with food and to be kinder to my body. I have so many friends who follow Whole 30 only to binge on food later or to get angry at themselves when they slip up and have to start all over instead of realizing that they didn’t fail; Whole 30 failed them. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing – a very restrictive eating program that’s all wrapped up in happy, health claims (which are not backed by science at all; the website doesn’t contain one research citation!). It claims to promote food freedom and not be about calorie counting or losing weight; yet, it triggers anxiety around food for many of its participants. What can I eat? What can’t I eat? But I can see how it’s tempting, and I don’t fault anyone who tries it and even loves it at first because of weight loss or because they sleep so well (I’ve often wondered that the reason some people sleep better on Whole 30 is because their bodies are craving carbohydrates so much that they’re just exhausted!)! I actually was very tempted to try it after I had baby # 5 earlier this summer and couldn’t lose the last 10 pounds. I signed up for the emails and everything, but it just didn’t sit right with me. Then I did further research. If anyone is interested, check out podcast episode #49 here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bodylove-project-with-jessi-haggerty/id1170170171?mt=2 The dietician does an excellent job of pointing out the problems with Whole 30. Thank goodness I’ve discovered intuitive eating instead. IE isn’t as black and white as the Whole 30 food rules, and it doesn’t last for 30 days. It’s a journey, not a destination, and I’ve had some ups and downs but overall I am thinking way less about food, eating and enjoying what my body and yes, sometimes my mind wants, honoring my hunger cues, and not giving into the food police. It’s been very freeing so far for me!

Blue Apron will probably make a lot of moula on this, but Whole 30 is just another way of promoting the dieting culture. Sigh.

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write in the journal for sure! that is something i said i was going to do but i stopped and now I feel like I missed all the funny ridiculous things. Do it, it is so worth it!

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Yes, exactly! I always feel like I’m going to remember something that was so funny or cute and then I forget the next day! Let’s keep each other accountable this year to journal writing! Have an amazing day Kendra!

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Love Blue Apron to switch things up. My daughter loves carrots but she will eat pretty much any veggie we give her. Now meat is an entirely different thing.

2017 definitely flew by. I don’t have any major goals for 2018 other than to hopefully break 25 minutes in the 5k. And maybe try to do another triathlon but I’m sort of hoping for a baby instead.

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I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer last month, so my biggest goal for 2018 is to be as proactive with my treatments, attitude, and healthy as possible, and to love my family as much as possible!

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Emily, I am so sorry about what you are going through. I absolutely love your goals. You are an incredible example to all of us of handling something so hard. Thank you for sharing with me and please keep me updated with everything!

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Oh, I am so sorry, Emily. Praying for you, and what a beautiful goal – one for all of us to consider. Life is such a precious gift!

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I have never tried Blue Apron but have always been curious! Maybe I should try it! Skye looks like a little angel in her photos. I am recovering from a major injury in December, so I hope to be back in and doing 5Ks early in 2018 if my body recovers nicely. We will see. You all look so happy and those meals look spicy and delicious!

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It definitely felt like 2017 zoomed by so quickly! I’m actually OK with that because it was a pretty tough year for me. I’m hoping 2018 will be much better and that I’ll figure out what the Lord is leading me to do and that I’ll be brave enough to do it—that’s my main goal right now.

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My husband went through cancer treatments 2 years ago. Definitely take care of yourself and let your friends and family do what they can for you. You’ll be in my thoughts.

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For me, Blue Apron took a lot longer to cook than I wanted to dedicate time to. I do most of my grocery shopping online so I rarely go to the store as well. I have to say…I love it.

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2017 was a rough year for us, I’m really excited to start a new year and make it better than this one. I have a few goals I’ll be working on next year too.

My kids love broccoli and corn. One of them likes carrots. But I can hardly get the other to touch veggies. One thing we will all be working on next year is eating more veggies :).

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It seems like once you have kids, it goes by in a blink of an eye. Time flies when you’re having fun, though, right? As far as goals for the new year, I usually don’t buy this year we did so well with our health goals that I want to keep on going. We also want to try and eliminate as much processed foods from our diet as we can. And the big one, continue to grow as a parent. I have tried Whole 30 but I realized (after so many attempts at diets) that I’m better off without restrictions. Eat well most of the week and then treats when I want them works best for me. My daughter loves all sorts of veggies but my son gags on them. We don’t force them to eat but he knows veggies are mandatory. :) Have a great day, Janae!

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Both of the meals you had sound so good! The chicken dish with wonton noodles sounds amazing and I wish I had it to make right now lol. 2017 definitely went by extremely fast. I can’t believe it’s almost over!

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The sweet potato shepards pie is SO GOOD. I made it last night for dinner and just had leftovers for breakfast.
I’m listening to your interview on Ali on the Run which was a great intro of you to me. Via your blog I discovered the exciting news that Blue Apron is offering Whole30 approved meals. I currently subscribe to Hello Fresh and modify, where necessary. I’m excited to get my first Blue Apron delivery next month. Thank you! Happy 2018!

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Thank you for mentionning how hard it is to feed the kids veggies! ha Feels better to know I am not alone :-) Like knox my son only eats carrots. I did a whole 30 last year and did learn a lot about fueling my training, the importance of protein and fat for me (plus good carbs) and what food makes my body feel good or not. It was a learning tool, but I would not do it full time for the rest of my life. Life is too short ;-)

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I don’t have resolutions for each year because I know I won’t actually stick to them :) My mom and I used to give up one food for an entire year. We’ve done pizza, french fries, chocolate, sweets…those last two weren’t very fun haha! Some years I just have a phrase that I use throughout the year or I have little monthly goals. I haven’t come up with a personal phrase yet this year but I will be setting little monthly goals such as hydrating more, stretching after every run, write more letters, etc. Any suggestions on a personal phrase?

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By some miracle my kids eat almost any vegetable I put on their plate -While waiting to become a parent I read every article ever written about parenting (well, it seems like it anyway :)) and one of those articles that stuck with me basically said not to discuss food with kids, just put all the food on the table and let them take what they want to eat. The theory is that they will self-regulate and try things if they see parents eating it and acting like it’s normal and not something they HAVE to eat. This approach appealed to me not just because it might work, but also because it sounded less stressful than hounding my kids to eat their veggies the way my parents did when I was growing up. Not sure if this has worked, but that’s how we’ve approached food and my kids almost always eat a healthy portion, tell me when they aren’t hungry any longer, and usually also eat veggies -I’ve never acknowledged with them that some people don’t like veggies, they think I like them as much as I like french fries and chocolate cake! Anyway, maybe worth a try now if you want to silently encourage veggie eating.

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Yes! The year just flew by, which makes my mother right again :) She always said time would go by faster the older I got.
I do try to set goals for the year and make a few resolutions. This year, my goal was to walk and/or run 1200 miles and I hit that goal last week! I also resolved to read 10 books and I’ll finish the year with 7. I love to read, but can’t seem to find or take the time and commit to it. I will definitely set goals and resolutions for 2018; it keeps me motivated even if I fall a little short.
Happy New Year to you, Andrew and the kiddos!!

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The start of 2017 was kind of slow but the end has flown by! Time has felt like it’s going so fast since my little one arrived.
I like setting goals for the new year. Resolutions feel like they’re set up to fail but goals are something you can keep working towards.
Do you use a certain journal for your kids? I feel like I should do a baby book but I haven’t liked any that I’ve seen.

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I love hearing about everyone’s goals at this time of year. I have some goals figured out, but I’m still working on my fitness ones. While I’m not much of a runner, I’m considering doing a 5K race in 2018.

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My kids are not veggie eaters! I can maybe can get them to take one bite of something. How bad is this? They haven’t had a good veggie serving since they were babies.
My husband and I started doing bday goals as we
Both have October bdays. So our goals our from one bday to the next. Just like new year goals but at a different time.

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I like all your goals, especially the one about eating more at home. I have a similar goal this year. I want to prepare more meals to take to work instead of buying so much food.

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LOVE Whole 30. . . my husband and I did it back in the summer to cleanse our bodies and we had such success that we made it a life style! I am so happy that we did it. Some meals can be challenging especially breakfast, you can only eat so many eggs before you are sick of them!!!!! But love the recipes that I have made!!

There is a Chocolate 15k race here in Charlotte in Feb and I am dying to run it! 1st goal of the New year, run the race!!!

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Breast feeding really sucked for me for the first 6 weeks. Seriously. It hurt. It was hard. Then after 6 weeks it clicked all around. Hang in there. I nursed my first for a year and my second for over two.
My goal was always to get through tomorrow.

Keep drinking water and you can do it.
Hang in there

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