How to Stay Healthy on Vacation

Location: Hatteras, OBX | a throwback to Finn's first time at the beach!

Today, I am off to the beach for a much needed vacation.  My family has been exchanging group emails and messages all week long preparing for this trip. With how much I have researched and delved into health and nutrition this year I don't want to have a week that does me more harm than good.  That got me thinking.  We are texting about our packing items and events that are being planned so why can't we prepare to have a healthy vacation as well?

I am sharing some of my favorite ways to stay healthy while taking a necessary break from the every day life and routine.

1. Get moving. Go for morning walks with your coffee first thing in the morning.  You will get to explore your vacation spot and get your metabolism kickstarted by moving early before the rest of the world wakes up!

2. Do what you can. If you don't eat 100% clean and workout for an hour and a half every single day while you're on vacation; know that it's totally okay.  It's better to do a little something than nothing.  Change your mindset about your workouts and focus on what you can/ are able to do and do that!  Every little bit matters, no matter how little.

3. Focus on nutrition. We are bringing some already prepped meals [go mom with the zucchini lasagna!] lots and lots of healthy snacks, and healthy options that we can't live without daily.  Bringing items from home will help you stick to your meal plans as well as save money and the hassle of beach grocery stores on check in days. We are also renting a beach house, meaning we can cook more meals at home rather than eat out.  If you have to eat out just make sure your meals are lean, clean, and green!

4. Enjoy your vacation + rest. Our bodies need sleep and rest just as much as they need movement and fuel. Don't be so focused on your fitness goals that you miss life.  Eat that local decadence.  Spend time with your family or friends.  Take a nap in the sun on the beach.  Being present in the moment and taking in the adventure as it comes will do wonders for your overall wellness.

5. Think outside the "gym".  Find some fun ways to explore and be active. When I am at the beach, I love trying things like standup paddle boarding or kayaking.  If you are vacationing on a budget; running up and down the beach with the pup is always a fun adventure.  Be active in your experiences.  You will not only stay happy and healthy you will make some fun memories in the process.

What are your favorite ways to stay healthy on vacation?

Date Night Italian Style

Mike and I love to cook together.  It's actually how we met.  He was a cook in the restaurant I waited tables at through grad school. So naturally our passion for food and cooking has made for some wonderful date nights at home; creating meals together and breaking bread. I also have a slight obsession with Italy.  It's my dream to go visit there and just eat pasta and drink wine every single day.  Kind of like Eat, Pray, Love but only the eat part.

For my birthday, Mike got me, as a present, a cooking class.  I have always wanted to take a cooking class - to learn something new in the kitchen in a place where they actually have space and equipment to try a new technique.

Once he told me this was my present I got to researching which class I wanted to take.  We decided on Sur la Table because they have such a wide variety of classes.  There is another place where cooking classes are offered in Charlotte I am dying to take but Chef Alyssa's Kitchen is sold out months in advance.

On the menu for our cooking class: caesar salad, homemade pasta with meatballs, and vanilla gelato with espresso. During these classes you can bring your own wine to drink so of course we accompanied our meal with a delicious red blend.

We had so much fun learning how to make all of the components to our meal.  The fresh pasta was my absolute favorite. I have never had homemade pasta before, let alone attempted to make it, now I don't think I will ever eat pasta from a box again it was that delicious.

During the class we made various pieces to the menu at various times, it didn't even make sense until the very end when a delicious meal came together.  The kitchen staff had everything portioned out for us before hand.  We worked with another couple as a group.  It was very easy because we barely had to prep or even clean up our mess ourselves.  I definitely could get used to cooking this way. haha.

I had so much fun at this class and would definitely look into doing something like this again.  I don't know if I would go back to Sur la Table because it is pretty pricey and basic.  Like I said before, my next class will be with Chef Alyssa to support a local business!

Sur la Table details: 
Location: for Charlotte; Southpark Mall
Budget: 60$ a person.
Time: 3.5 hours
Recommendations: If you love food, learning new things, meeting new people, and don't mind spending a little bit of money this is for you.  This was a special occasion because it was my birthday gift - we can't afford to have date night like this all the time. Try something new and go for it! Their calendar has so many classes and options for any type of diet.

What is a food you love to eat and would like to learn how to make it homemade? 

Baking + Decorating Christmas Cookies

Over break, I wanted to do something fun and Christmasy.  Since I knew that my sister and her boyfriend were coming into town the perfect thing to do was make cookies for them and the family!  As a kid my favorite cookies to make around Christmas were the ones that you get to decorate.  Mom had this whole bucket in the pantry full of sprinkles, different caps for the icing, and cookie cutters. I loved making fun shapes and then getting to decorate the cookies all while feeling like a big girl and helping mom bake.

I figured these cookies would be simple, yet so much fun to make because of getting to be creative and decorate after they were cooled! As you can see my ever present helper [Finn] in the kitchen couldn't wait for our cookie baking adventure as well.

So I put on my grammys apron and got to work. I used this super simple recipe for the cookies.  For the decorations I just grabbed a few things at harris teeter: icing and various colors of sprinkles.  I probably will try making my own next time with food coloring but time was limited for me.  They definitely were more fun and hilarious to decorate than anything - lets just say I won't be competing on cupcake wars anytime soon.  This little afternoon activity got me in the Christmas spirit and were a big hit once I brought them over to my parents house that evening!

I'd love to know some of your favorite things to cook and bake, I am always looking out for new fun things to make in the kitchen! Share below: