Food & Recipes – Joyful Messes

DIY

Christmas Cookie Roundup – Festive & Fun Christmas Cookies

These fun and festive Christmas cookies are a delicious way to get everyone in the holiday spirit this year. These cookies are cute, easy to make, and super tasty. These holiday cookies are also a fun way to get the kids and the family involved with holiday baking. As everyone gathers in the kitchen to create and decorate their favorite Christmas cookies, just think of how many memories will be made! These cute Christmas cookies are perfect for holiday parties, family gatherings, or just to enjoy as a sweet treat throughout the day during the holidays and festivities. Don’t forget to leave some out for Santa! 1. Christmas Wreath Cookies These Christmas wreath cookies are shaped and decorated like a beautiful red and green Christmas wreath. 2. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Simple and delicious, these easy to make sugar cookies are cut out into holiday shapes and decorated with a…

Breastfeeding Diet Plan

Breastfeeding Soups For Healing, Milk Supply + Weight Loss

Soup season is here, and soups are an amazing meal for breastfeeding mamas because they offer a lot of nutrients. Soup is also so simple to make and throw together, as well as being cozy and comforting on those long, tired days with a newborn. I had all my babies in the fall or winter, and lived in the Seattle area during that time. I LOVED soups in the fall and winter because of the comforting, delicious meal that makes the whole house smell good. I also eat most of my soups out of a mug, so it was an easy, one-handed option while breastfeeding. If you make your soup with bone broth, the healing benefits after birth are AMAZING! I equate my quick weight loss while breastfeeding to the protein shakes I drank and all the soup I drank! I LOVE both, and both are amazing for nourishing postpartum…

Food & Recipes

Nutritious Spins Of Foods Both Kids + Moms Love

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Conagra Brands#ad #goodeats Staying healthy can be more difficult as the fall and winter approach, and all the cravings for the best comfort foods start hitting us. Pumpkin spice is already here before September! It is also a busy time of year with school, drop offs and pick ups, after school activities and home work. I am new to the school schedule, after homeschooling, and I thought with the kids gone a few hours I would be in HEAVEN! But, there is a lot to do, with a less time after school. We are still struggling with getting our reading and writing practice in, as well as some computer work, so quick and nutritious dinner or meal options for myself and the kids are a lifesavers! Frozen food options have come a LONG way from TV dinners. I am personally a…

Food & Recipes

Why This High-Protein Pizza Is My Go-To Lunch Staple For Picky Eaters

This post is sponsored by Sweet Earth, but all opinions and thoughts are my own! #ad #SweetEarth #ConsciousbyChoice Back-to-school season is officially here in Florida, which being a Pacific Northwestern, it seems a little crazy to be starting school the beginning of August. This means I have to wake up early, pack food and get everyone dressed in one, quick swoop. In order to accomplish this with all three of my boys, I HAVE to have lunches and snacks packed the night before. My children are also not big eaters and very picky. This makes packing a lunch they will actually eat very challenging. I made the mistake of packing two cookies for dessert, and of course he ATE NOTHING but the cookies. That was a fail on the first day, so I needed to get smarter. My first-grader also won’t eat a tuna or turkey sandwich because it gets…

Breastfeeding

The Best Protein Powder For Breastfeeding Moms

I’ve been discussing protein powder for breastfeeding mamas for years now. I’ve gotten a chance to review many different protein powders over the years, but I always felt like breastfeeding mamas were missing out on what we need: a protein powder that increases milk supply, helps with sugar cravings, nourishes our bodies, and ultimately aids in weight loss. Of course I have a 10% off code for you: LACTATION So, I set out to create, Milk Dust, the best protein powder for breastfeeding mamas. I’ve been advising new, breastfeeding mommies on weight loss while breastfeeding for years, including offering a full program, diet and app that new mommies can use to help them eat the right breastfeeding diet, heal their core and pelvic floor, and get to their pre-baby weight again. In those years, the same struggles were repeated to me by many mamas. The sugar cravings, appetite, and lack…

Food & Recipes

Creating a Kid-Friendly Hot Dog Bar This Summer

This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All comments and opinions are my own. Summer grilling is just around the corner and my kids LOVE hot dogs. We grill outside frequently living in South Florida, and I often set up little bars or tables of snacks and hot dogs that the kids can reach, grab and assemble on their own! I prefer to have a kids table set up because it allows me to keep the kids entertained and fed without a lot of effort on my end. If I don’t have to get plates and drinks for all of the kids and monitor their eating, then I can socialize and enjoy the evening much more! One of my biggest mom tips is shopping at Sam’s Club! It’s a great place to stock up for your family. Since we entertain a lot in the summer, I like going at…

Breastfeeding

How To Lose The Baby Weight Naturally, Without Working Out

After you have a baby, you may think that breastfeeding will cause the baby weight to just fall off naturally. You can eat what you need, and before you know it, you are back to your pre-baby weight with no major effort. Actually, losing the baby weight while breastfeeding can happen naturally, with no workout plans or fitness regimens. I know exactly how to lose weight while breastfeeding, without working out because that is exactly how I lost the baby weight fast after my first two pregnancies. Here’s a quick run down of my experience, what I’ve learned, what didn’t work, and how you can do it too! Eat as CLEAN as possible for every snack and meal (more on what this looks like below) Use protein shakes for fast nutrition Walk as much as possible Don’t eat unless you are hungry (intermittent fasting can work really well!) Use milk…

Food & Recipes

Simple Summer Entertaining With A Pizza Board

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreschettaFresh #CollectiveBias Cheeseboards are all the rage for entertaining throughout the year, but they don’t work well for the warm summer months. Cheese go soft and lose their texture in the warm weather, so I have another simple entertaining idea for you – A Pizza Board! These are so simple and fun, yet they offer an awesome way to entertain for the summer. I’m going to go over my essentials for a good pizza board, which includes a frozen pizza because that is so simple! From there, I doctor up the board with snacks, dips, veggies and fruit to allow for lots of different sampling and munching. As a mom of three boys, entertaining has to be simple, easy and yummy. Freschetta is an awesome problem solver when it comes to fresh, yummy…

Breastfeeding

8 Reasons This Protein Powder Is The Best For Breastfeeding Moms

Protein needs increase while breastfeeding, which is why a top-rated protein powder is beneficial to your breastfeeding nutrition, and I have the best protein powder for all you nursing mamas needing a good protein shake to boost your milk supply, nourish your body and help you lose weight! This specific protein powder is formulate to help breastfeeding mamas increase their milk supply, or help maintain their milk supply while losing weight. I created Milk Dust as an answer to the sugar cravings, lactation struggles and weight loss barriers that so many nursing mamas face. As a Pre/Post Natal Fitness Specialist, I help new mommies get back in shape and lose weight after baby. After hearing so many of the same difficulties from breastfeeding mamas, I set out to create a nutrient-dense product that satisfies postpartum and breastfeeding nutrient-needs, while also boosting lactation through carefully chosen galactagogues. Why is a protein…

Food & Recipes

5 Simple Tricks For Fast Meals To Keep You Fit, Full + On Track For Weight Loss

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FindItInFrozen #PickUpFoodThatFits #CollectiveBias #ad Fast entrées are essential for mamas who are working hard to lose weight, feed themselves and feed their families. I am a big fan of fast entrées because my boys still give me little time for lots of cooking. When I do cook, I actually do more of the batch-cooking style, where I cook and prep a lot at once, which really helps me have things ready to go and warm up. I also do this for myself, because otherwise I end up eating hand fulls of cheese crackers, crusts of peanut butter and jellies, a few gummy bears and cheese sticks. Then I wonder why I am so tired later that afternoon. So, I have a few tips and tricks that can really help you have some healthy…