Ever since I received the iPad Pro and Apple pen, I have left my MacBook Air to collect dust. The iPad Pro has streamlined my work performance and decluttered my work bag so much, I swear my back pain came from carrying around 15lbs+ of paperwork everyday too.
I also discovered “digital planning” and OMG, where has this been all of my life? Being able to create custom inserts, with folders, and endless amounts of digital notebooks has been life changing. The Apple Pen also allows me to still get the traditional feeling of writing (that I love) but also has an endless amount of pen styles, highlighters, colors etc all in one.
After geeking about it hardcore on our IG stories we had tons of DM’s requesting more info so here are all my favs…
You definitely do not need to get 256gb but I wanted to make sure I had enough space for all of my files. If you need more storage you can also pay a monthly subscription to apple to keep everything on a cloud.
This keyboard was just released this year and it’s amazing. If you’re looking to replace your laptop, this is key because it also has a trackpad and the functions we love with a traditional mac keyboard. I love the simplicity of it and it’s very sturdy.
again…WHERE…HAS…THIS…BEEN…all my life? Lol i’m a planner addict but I was just wasting so much paper. Usually I would buy a few planners a year or create my own printables because I had different needs. The customization with digital planners is literally endless and way more efficient. I’m able to use ONE digital planner for every aspect of my life.
Of course now that my eyes are opened to a whole new world I found my next addiction…DIGITAL STICKERS. Adding a cute post it or bullet points just makes your day a little bit more fun 🙂
I went to the Olive Garden today and was served this unlimited house salad with field greens instead of iceberg lettuce. I liked the taste of it but the texture threw me off because I was expecting the classic American mix. I am hoping this swap was temporary because there was a shortage at the restaurant because you can’t mess with a classic! Update: after some research – due to crop disease, 2020 aftermath, and supply and demand levels – it looks like there is a iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce shortage. This is causing a huge price increase for stores/restaurants but is not affecting field greens – hence, new Olive Garden house salad for now!
Well let me answer that question – something we get almost 20 times daily any time we feature a video of us frying food on our Instagram account.
Short answer: we save it and continue using it until it is too dark or gets cloudy.
Here’s the scoop…
Our families have always deep fried foods since before we can even remember. Back in the day, there would be a designated “frying pot” where the oil would sit until someone needed to fry something – nowadays, in our own homes, here is what we do:
Let the oil cool completely.
Place a mesh strainer at the mouth of a large jar and pour the oil in there. You want the big bits to get caught so it doesn’t end up floating around in the jar. The reason you want to strain the oil is so when you reuse the oil, it doesn’t make the oil darker than it needs to be. It also helps keep the oil tasting fresher (in our opinion).
Close the jar and store at room temperature.
We reuse the oil until it becomes a brown color but that is completely up to you. The darker the oil, the darker your food will look after you fry it, so just adjust the amount of times you reuse based on the color and preference you have.
Now some additional questions we know y’all are going to have:
What kind of oil do you use? We like to use avocado oil because it is clean and has a high smoke point. Use what oil you can afford and are comfortable cooking with. Canola oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil are all oils we have fried with – they are just very processed.
How many times do you re-use oil? Depending on what we fry, it’s 5-6 times. If we fry fish, the oil is dunzo because the smell and taste will not go away.
W T F happened to Summer 2020?! With the official start of Fall commencing on Sept 22, we thought it would be fun to jump start the new season with a keto based health and wellness reset week starting on Monday, Sept 21st. This challenge will run from Sept 21- Sept 25th and will focus on total grams of carbs, upping your step game, and being better with your water intake.
The guidelines are simple:
Stick to 20g TOTAL carbs or fewer. That means DO NOT SUBTRACT ANY FIBER to get to 20g of total carbs. This also means you will be depending on very low carb foods to get you through the week instead of many processed foods with added fiber or sugar alcohols. This is a great way to refocus your low carb intake and challenge yourself to eat more unprocessed, whole foods.
Aim for 10K steps a day. Yes, we understand that many of you can barely fit 3K steps into your daily routines between your jobs, families, activities, and general schedule. However, there are many opportunities you can take to fit steps in, like take the stairs at work, taking a walk during your breaks, parking further away from the entrances if businesses, etc. If you want to achieve something, you’ll make it work.
Try to be consistent with your hydration patterns by hitting 100oz of water each day of the challenge. Water is so beneficial on ANY diet, but it’s super helpful when you’re entering a deeper state of ketosis. Your coffee and electrolytes count as water too.
We will support you throughout the week by answering your questions and documenting what we do ourselves to reset for the Fall. Follow us on Instagram to watch for story updates, meal ideas, and live q&a sessions.
Before you start, take pictures, measurements, and weigh yourself. This will show you how small changes can make a difference. Make sure you plan ahead by making sure you have plenty of food and ingredient options that will nourish you this week and keep you satiated. Do not plan to wing it the morning of Day 1.
If you need a little TLC because you are new to keto or have never tracked total carbs, here is a sample meal plan with product links to get you through the week. Please note that these are suggestions and you can customize them to ensure success with your reset. If you need more meal ideas, search the #20gtotalreboot hashtag on Instagram to see past meals we have eaten during this type of reset.
We only share products/services that we love. This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through our links.
Keto 5 Day Meal Plan
To help get you started, here is a sample ketogenic diet meal plan:
Pro tips: -skip breakfast if you are not hungry -season your food with zero carb seasonings -mix and match meals you like and don’t eat meals with foods you do not like -drink a lot of water throughout the day
New at Target! Does anyone else like to browse the aisles for new products on the regular? I feel like I’ve been doing that more than ever lately because quarantine had me in a little rut. David and I were at Target last week and picked these babies up – maybe they aren’t as new as I think but they are new to me and I haven’t really seen anyone else talk about these.
So here are some precursors to this review – I do not like Starbucks Egg Bites and I am not a huge fan of the 3 Petit Lechons Brand of sous vide bites from Aldi/Specialty Grocery Stores. Costco and Target also see the ThreeBridge Egg Cup bites but I don’t think they have much flavor.
I didn’t have high hopes before trying but the ham and swiss combo sounded good.
Here’s the run down:
These are $4.49 for a box of 4 omelet cups. The cups are the size of mini cupcakes and come two in a pack. One box is one serving, coming in at 2g total carbs for the entire box – which is not bad at all, however, the portion is tiny LOL. You win some, you lose some, right?
These can be found in the frozen food aisle, next to the frozen breakfast items. You can order it for pick up at your local store as well.
Prep:
The omelet cups are frozen and do not require thawing to cook. You just remove the plastic and then pop them in the microwave for a minute and a half and then let them sit for another minute.
We have a lot of people inquiring about our skincare routine and complimenting on our skin (thank you🥰) so I thought it be easier to have everything I use in one post.
I use to have 1000 products in my routine thinking it will guarantee good skin but once I paid attention to the quality of ingredients I eliminated all of the unnecessary steps. I also was applying things in the wrong order…oops but hey, my failures are learning lessons for your success.
Here is a nice diagram I found online on the basic steps on how to layer your products and what you need.
Hudabeauty.com
I try to be consistent with both AM/PM routines but ya know my laziness gets the best of me sometimes. If I happen to fall asleep in my makeup (huge NO-NO) I would add double cleansing in the morning.
If I followed my own directions the night before then this is my daily AM skincare routine:
1. Cleanse/Rinse: I have dry skin so I do not use a cleanser in the morning. I wish I knew this tip sooner because I was essentially drying out my skin more by cleansing in AM/PM. Now, I gently rinse with warm water and pat dry.
2. Toner: I like to be efficient and having multi use products. Discovering Laneige Cream Skin toner was a dream come true. I apply the toner on a cotton pad and wipe my face down. This feels amazing on the skin and doesn’t feel like I’m stripping my skin.
4. Serums: Vitamin C is a must have ingredient in any serum you use. It helps with uneven skin tone, rough texture, fine lines, scars, and just gives you a GLOWWWW. I’m on my second bottle of La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Face Serum
5. Eye Cream: This step is also unnecessary if you use a good moisturizer but because my skin is dryer than the desert I like applying eye cream during the day. I gently pat in Kiehl’s Avocado Eye treatment under my eyes, on my eyelids, and on my laugh lines. You just need a tiny amount (I use too much but enjoy it lol) and applying this gives my Vitamin C serum time to soak in.
6. Moisturizer: My moisturizer graveyard is ridiculous and shameful. I have purchased and tried out so many before I found my go-to ride or dies. I want something that gives me a hydrating glow, but not too glow-y that I look sweaty. Something that is richer in texture but doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. Thank you psoriasis for making me become a picky bish lol. My ride or dies for the past 2 years: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream and La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream
7. SPF!!!!!!!! If I could only choose one morning skincare product it would be SPF. Without using SPF the rest of the products are pointless. You need SPF even if you’re driving to the store quick. Get into the habit of applying SPF in the morning like how you brush your teeth. SPF is essential to protect your skin, prevent wrinkles, sun damage, etc. We are spending all of this time and money on skincare products but if you don’t wear SPF you are just wasting your efforts.
I had a hard time finding SPF products that wouldn’t irritate my psoriasis on my face, even the “sensitive” ones would sting my skin. It has also been hard finding a sunscreen that didn’t effect my makeup foundation color. Currently, i’m on my third bottle of Krave Beauty- The Beet Shield and never looked back. I love how it moisturizes the skin, truly is undetectable, and DOESN’T STING. I apply a generous amount to my face and use what I have leftover in my palm to rub in my neck, chest and hands. For my no makeup days I also love Glowscreen Sunscreen to protect my skin and give me that fresh faced look .
8. Bonus: Ever pray for thick hair but got it on your face instead? Dats meeeee. Once a week I shave my face (weird, I know) and exfoliate my face and body. I use this Women’s Disposable Razor to shave my hairy face, but this helps brighten up my complexion and remove texture to keep my makeup looking smooth. I use to wax my face but it was ummmmm painful. Shaving is painless, cost effective and way easier.
We love to ketofy our favorite comfort foods and beverages so there’s something about being able to ketofy this Starbucks drink that makes it feel even that much better.
Here’s how to order:
“Hi, may I please get a Grande Passionfruit Iced Tea, no water, add light heavy cream, with 1-2 packets of stevia… and can you please top it with cold foam made with heavy cream, sugar free vanilla, and a scoop of matcha powder?”
They should be able to make this beverage request for you with no issues. They will point out that there is sugar in the matcha powder – so order based on your keto preferences. There is about 5g of sugar in one scoop of matcha powder. We eat and drink to fit our macros, so this works as a treat for us.
If you’re like me who cries at every 1inch hair trim then you know the feeling when you brush your hair and find it shedding CLUMPS. Once I noticed my hair wouldn’t stop shedding I immediately dove into the internet and found a hair routine to stick to.
Below is a list of items and tips I’ve been using to help me achieve the locks of my dreams:
1. Supplements!
Viviscal and Collagen has been my go to on tackling my hair shedding and promoting hair growth. You can find them
Working in the restaurant industry I would leave with an aroma of oil and grease…LOL so the thought of not washing my hair daily use to freak me out. Turns out its best to NOT wash your hair daily so that your scalp is not stripped from natural oils. Luckily, I do not work in the Resturant industry anymore and feel comfortable on stretching out my washes. I noticed my hair felt more soft and not as brittle as before.
3. THE “BRUSH”
Ok, I’m boujee and I know it. I’m the type that needs all the bells and whistles when I’m laser focused on something. The coveted Mason Pearson hair brush is meant to stimulate circulation, bring blood flow to the scalp, and in turn promote healthy hair growth. Does it work? Not sure yet, but it feels oh so goooooood and makes me want to take care of my hair. The average price for this brush is around $250 but we found an amazing dupe for $40 Here
If you’re looking for a nostalgic way to stay keto on the go, these are delicious and close enough to give you pop tart vibez. We like the brown sugar flavor best but there’s also a strawberry option as well. We prefer these straight outta the box but you can toast them like the real day.
These cakey bars give off some serious fig newton without the fig vibez. They are soft with a little chew and are the perfect sweet treat when you’re on the go.
If you’re a fan if jalapeno white cheddar popcorn mix, this one’s for you. The seasoning on the nuts and cheese is a dupe for the popcorn shop favorite and is only 2g net carbs for a serving!
These seeds are for those of you who are nervous snackers – trying to get the seed out of the shell is 75% of the work and where almost all of the flavor is. We love to have these on hand when we’re on long drives or road trips.
We have yet to try a flavor of this keto friendly granola that we haven’t liked. It’s so good you can’t even tell it’s mostly a nut mix! Eat it for a quick snack or use it as a topping on yogurt or eat it like cereal.
Disclaimer: We only share products/services that we love. This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through our links.
On Monday, May 25th, a white Minneapolis police officer named Derek Chauvin knelt on a black man named George Floyd’s neck until his body went limp. It was all caught on camera. George gasped that he could not breathe, but Chauvin did not let up. George passed from his injuries in police custody. In March, police in Louisville, Kentucky, burst into Breonna Taylor’s apartment in the middle of the night. They shot the 26-year-old eight times, killing her in her own home. In February, two white men gunned down Ahmaud Arbery while he jogged through their Georgia neighborhood. The pair admitted to fatally shooting Arbery, but were only arrested for his murder in May.
George’s death sparked worldwide outrage while Breonna and Ahmaud’s deaths further demonstrate the continued police brutality and rampant racism in the United States. In our hometowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, we have seen massive protests, uprisings, and riots since George’s death while demonstrators around the world have gathered to demand justice and immediate action to stop racist policing and violence.
Why as food/health bloggers are we even speaking on police brutality and racism? Because it affects everyone whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. We are humans and these are humanitarian issues which need to be addressed. Our largest platform is our Instagram account and we have spent the last week watching, listening, and trying to share the right resources to help our keto/low carb community join or continue fighting systematic racism and police brutality in America.
We took some time to reflect on how we have both hurt and helped the fight against racism against BIPOC prior to the events of last week and had a lot of conversations (both comfortable and uncomfortable) with our friends and families. We came to the realization that going back to normal will never be the answer – because normal wasn’t working – so we have to be better at creating a new normal, one that promotes equality and justice within our society and legal system. We know that within the space where our business and blogging resides, we must uplift our BIPOC peers and fellow creators. We will do this through providing more resources for our keto baes and also introduce our audience to new voices, products, and brands.
Breonna Taylor would’ve been 27 years old on June 5th.
Take a look at the list of demands on FightForBreonna.org, curated by Taylor’s family. By signing the petition, you can signal your support of the Taylor family’s request that Louisville mayor Greg Fischer and the City Council take stock of systemic bias and overuse of force within the city’s police department. You can also call or email the mayor’s office, telling Fischer to ensure charges are brought against the officers — Black Lives Matter has instructions on exactly what to say — and while you’re signing petitions, you might also consider this one at Change.org, which makes additional asks that Taylor’s family be paid damages, and that Congress convene a special session to ban “no-knock” warrants, which allowed the police to barrel into Taylor’s apartment.
There’s also a GoFundMe for Taylor’s family, which will help cover their legal costs, make up for some missed work, and generally offer extra support.
Demand police accountability from your legislators.
Make ending police brutality a litmus test for your political support. Campaign Zero — which is also accepting donations — has a comprehensive guide to policies that aim to correct broken windows policing, excessive force, racial profiling, for-profit policing, cash bail, and much more. Familiarize yourself with laws in your area, and contact your representatives — at the local, state, and national level — to press them for their plans on ending discrimination in law enforcement.
If you’d like to support accountability in the Minneapolis Police Department specifically, Reclaim the Block — a Minneapolis organization devoted to reallocating the city’s money away from the police department and toward “community-led safety initiatives,” to which you can also donate — has a petition that asks the city council to defund the police force, freeing up resources to promote the safety and health of the city’s marginalized communities.
You could also research how much of your city’s budget goes toward its police force, and demand your local lawmaker move to cut that spending and reallocate it towards other crucial areas, like housing, education, and public health. Divest-invest initiatives are underway, for instance, in New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles — visit their websites and get involved. They have information on which lawmakers to contact, as well as sample scripts of what you might say.
Pilar Weiss — director of the Community Justice Exchange — says that donating to local, grassroots formations is potentially the most impactful way to prioritize funds. Larger, national organizations tend to attract more resources, so it’s worth doing research into who’s operating in your community. “A lot of times the groups that need the most support don’t have fancy website and don’t have a communications team,” she explains. Talk to friends, families, houses of worship to figure out who is working on the issues you’d like to address, and then ask those people what they need.
Direct aid for victims’ families:
• George Floyd’s family has started a GoFundMe to cover funeral and burial costs; counseling services; legal fees; and continued care for his children. There’s also a GoFundMe to provide for his 6-year-old daughter, Gianna Floyd, and a GoFundMe to support “peace and healing” for Darnella Frazier, the woman who filmed Floyd’s death.
• Another GoFundMe is raising money for Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, donations to which will similarly fund the family’s legal battle.
• There’s a GoFundMe for Breonna Taylor’s family, to help with legal fees and offer extra support.
• There’s a GoFundMe for David McAtee’s mother and family: McAtee was fatally shot just after midnight on June 1, after police officers and National Guard members fired into a crowd of people who were not taking part in the evening’s protests.
Bail funds: ActBlue has a page that will let you split your donation between 38 community bail funds, or if you’d like to focus your donation directly, here are some options.
• The Bail Project, a nonprofit that aims to mitigate incarceration rates through bail reform.
• The National Bail Fund Network also has a directory of community bail funds to which you can donate, along with a COVID-19 rapid response fund.
• Another list of bail funds is available here, and another list of bail funds by city.
Support for protesters:
• A Gas Mask Fund for black youth activists in Minneapolis is raising money to buy gas masks for demonstrators who’ve faced tear gas during protests.
• The Black Trans Protestors Emergency Fund is raising money for physical resources, bail, and medical care for black, transgender protesters, which will be redistributed to black, trans-led organizations “in the event these funds don’t need to be used.”
• The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which supports racial justice through advocacy, litigation, and education.
• The Legal Rights Center is a non-profit law firm based in Minneapolis, offering legal defense, educational, and advocacy services.
• Black Visions Collective, a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
• The Know Your Rights Camp, an organization founded by Colin Kaepernick that provides education and training in black and brown communities, set up a legal fund for Minneapolis protestors.
Organizations working against mass-incarceration and police abuse:
• Communities United for Police Reform is an initiative to end discriminatory policing in New York, helping to educate people on their rights and document police abuse.
• Showing Up for Racial Justice works to educate white people about anti-racism and organizes actions to support the fight for racial justice and undermine white supremacy.
• Communities United Against Police Brutality, which operates a crisis hotline where people can report abuse; offers legal, medical, and psychological resource referrals; and engages in political action against police brutality.
• No New Jails NYC aims to keep the city from constructing new jails, and to instead divert funds that currently go toward the police and incarceration toward housing, ending homelessness, mental health, and other community support systems.
Community support:
• MOODI (Mobile Outreach and Outdoor Drop-In) is an initiative of the Cultural Wellness Center in Minneapolis, providing immediate response and resources for people currently without shelter.
• The Okra Project combats food insecurity in black trans and gender-nonconforming communities. It set up two funds — the Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Fund, for trans men, and the Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund, for trans women — to help cover the costs of mental health therapy sessions with licensed black therapists. You can donate money here, and learn about donating services by following the links above.
• Mutual aid funds are a good place to send community support amid a pandemic. Find more info on where to look here.
• Fair Fight, an organization founded by Stacey Abrams that aims to end voter suppression and equalize voting rights and access for fairer elections.
Join a protest, if you feel you can do so safely.
If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, or if you have been exposed, or if you live with or regularly come in contact people who are at particularly high risk of contracting the virus, the best thing to do is to isolate yourself. And while it is generally true that we should continue to keep our distance from others right now, the desire to show up for your community and your loved ones is understandable. For many people, police brutality poses an immediate risk to their health and well-being, and potentially also a fatal one.
So, if you decide to participate in a local protest, wear a mask. Bring hand sanitizer, and if you can, maybe pack a few extra water bottles, for yourself and for others who might need them. Try to maintain as much distance from others as possible, and not to touch anyone else if you can. Keeping in mind that the coronavirus appears to spread primarily through droplets expelled when people talk and shout and sneeze and cough, do your best to keep your mouth covered, and to refrain from chanting if you find yourself in close quarters with others. Check out our guide to protesting safely; our tips on what to do if you’re exposed to tear gas; and this basic first aid guide.
Offer resources to protestors and affected communities in your area.
As protests flared around the Barclays Center in Brooklyn last weekend, neighbors offered participants water, food, and stoops to sit on during the demonstration. If you have the means, you might consider picking up some extra bottles of water, food, masks, hand sanitizer, and other supplies ahead of protests in your area. Providing these basics is one way to help support the cause, even if you don’t feel like you can safely join in yourself.
Or, you could pick up extra groceries, household supplies — detergent, paper products, diapers, baby food, menstrual hygiene products, cleaning products, first-aid equipment — PPE, and find a donation point in your area. For example: In Minneapolis, where public transit has closed and many stores have been damaged, food pantries are in need of donations. Hunger Solutions has a list; Pimento Jamaican Kitchen is gathering supplies and looking for volunteers; or you can find a pop-up pantry. Women for Political Change also has information on supply drop-offs and donation options in the Twin Cities.
Look into donation efforts in your city, and if you have a car, consider volunteering to drop off supplies to people in need. Ask yourself: “What do you have available?” Weiss suggests. “Is it money, is it resources, is it connections? Sometimes it can be these really small things, like, do you have meeting space you can donate to somebody? Can you be a driver for somebody?” Donating doesn’t always have to mean money.
Help with a clean-up effort.
You can also help by supporting businesses owned by people of color in areas where they’ve been damaged. In Minneapolis, community clean-up events started over the weekend — the Free Hugs Project launched rebuilding efforts last weekend, for example, and Support the Cities has information on Lake Street clean-up initiatives and grocery drop-offs — and will be ongoing. Volunteers will need shovels, trash bags, brooms, gloves, water, and whatever other supplies they can contribute. Things like plywood may also be useful.
