A quick hello from the Sunshine State

Greetings from Florida, my friends! I’m coming at you from the Sunshine State, where I arrived on Wednesday night. And yes, I flew across the country alone at almost 30 weeks pregnant, and it wasn’t a big deal at all, outside of the usual travel delays and stresses that can happen to anyone, i.e. having only 20 minutes to change planes and rush from one terminal to another in Kansas City (so fun).

Nonetheless, I’m here hanging out with my parents and my future sister-in-law, and there’s something special on the horizon this weekend: my Florida baby shower! Yay!

(Breakfast scenes from yesterday and the best jammy pants ever!)

But for now, I’ve got a random hodgepodge of things (much less deep than this post about life from earlier in the week), so sit back, relax and enjoy. And we’re keeping this pretty short, because I don’t have all that much to share. My camera and phone have been mostly tucked away — which is sometimes a good thing (even for a blogger) to do …

My favorite healthy restaurant lunch

Whenever Dave asks me where I want to go for lunch in our neck of the woods in Walnut Creek, my first answer is always True Food Kitchen. I love it. Like love it. But I’ve got to be honest, the portions are pretty small, and the menu items are quite expensive (organic and quality local food tends to cost more). But I would eat pretty much anything on the menu (which is not always the case everywhere we go), and it’s all anti-inflammatory and healthy (developed by a doctor, I believe) and has a lot of flavor. Yum!

Last Sunday, I had brunch/lunch with my friend Jill, (who will sadly be missing my California baby shower next weekend, so we celebrated early), and we shared a couple of things, including the organic egg sandwich shown above and some un-pictured quinoa pancakes. Both were awesome, and I am reminded that I really do like everything at True Food Kitchen. 

With sweet potatoes, avocado, grass-fed beef, kombucha and more, it’s right up my alley. And I’m not the only fan in the Bay Area. It’s always busy, and I usually try to make a reservation if I know that I’m planning to go, which helps a lot with getting a table. Overall, because of the price, True Food is not an everyday thing, but I’m definitely happy to make it a once-a-weeker. If you haven’t been before and you visit a city that has one, it’s worth a stop. May I suggest the ancient grains bowl as your first choice?

My favorite local dairy delight

Yogurt — I love you, and I’m so glad that I can eat you and other forms of dairy (hello, ice cream, I’m talking to you). I have yogurt almost every single day, whether that’s with my breakfast, in some overnight oats or as a snack. And for a very long time, I’ve eaten the same kind of full fat Greek plain yogurt, Fage. But recently, my friends at Clover Sonoma, who of course are based in Northern California, sent me a care package of of their local varieties. They have a whole milk organic cream-on-top yogurt in all sorts of flavors and organic whole milk Greek yogurt too.

The sugar content in the flavored ones isn’t too bad either, and I had forgotten how fun it is to eat the kinds of yogurt that have creams or fruit to mix in once you open. That’s entertainment right there.

I appreciate the fact that the products include whole milk (because I find that far superior to low-fat or non-fat dairy), and they are organic, non-GMO, local and from a company that has been around for more than 100 years. Clover Sonoma has a lot of other types of products too (like cheeses and kefir, which I haven’t tried), all from the same local farms. Keep your eyes peeled for these tasty yogurts next time you’re at the store. And if you can’t find these, try something local to your area. It’s always a good idea to shop local.

My current favorite workout

I’m still going strong teaching Bootybarre a couple of times a week (well actually, I just cut back to once a week), and this low-impact barre workout feels great this far along in my pregnancy. I love the isometric leg movements, light-weight arm circuits and stretching included in each hour session. Commence creepy and sweaty post-class gym selfie from last week …

In fact, I even did 25 minutes of Bootybarre at my parent’s house yesterday in my bare feet as my workout on the road, and it was just what I needed to start the day (I used a chair for the barre). I have some instructor online videos I can access whenever I need some inspiration, so I put those on and started learning a new set to teach in my class next week. Yay for barre keeping this pregnant gal moving!

My favorite things from around the web

And here a few good reads worth checking out …

• HEALTH AND HORMONES: If you read my ebook, “Fit and Fertile,” you know that I also recommend you read Alisa Vitti’s book “Woman Code” — which is packed full of helpful knowledge for women on how you can manage your hormones better and ultimately fix a lot of period-related problems you may be unnecessarily dealing with. I was reminded again why I loved reading “Woman Code” when I came across this quick article, which offers a glimpse into what you would find in the book — two foods that will help to clear your skin. Good stuff!
• NUTRITION: As a blogger, it’s in my best interest to read a lot of other blogs, but quite honestly, I don’t read as many as I used to. But when I stumble upon a gem like this, I’ve got to share it. This gal is an RD and she talks ALL about workout nutrition and how food helps you recover. Quite informative!
• LIFE TALK: I can’t thank you all enough for your comments and kind words on this post. You guys are the best! Writing is my passion, and every time I open up, I am so reminded why I do it. Because so many of you can relate. 
• GIVEAWAYS GALORE: There’s still time for you to enter to win a video baby monitor here. And today is your last chance to enter to win some protein shakes and bars here. Feeling lucky?

That’s it for today! I’m off to hang out with the fam and enjoy the weekend. Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for the some pics of the baby shower, etc., and I hope you have some fun on tap too. See you soon! 🙂

Fun stuff and a quick hello from the #SunshineState by @apstyle ... Click To Tweet

Questions of the day

What are you up to this weekend?

What’s one thing you loved about this week?