This is a very easy, healthy dinner that can easily be made with meat, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, paleo, low carb, the works!  Get creative and let me know what you think!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cooking oil (I use coconut oil.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tbsp)
• 1 bag fresh mixed vegetables (Use whatever you like.  I use a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.)
• 1 tbsp almond butter (Any nut butter will work!)
• 1-2 tsp Sriracha (Depending on how spicy you want your sauce.)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 package of noodles of choice (For a low carb or paleo option, use Shirataki noodles.)

 

Instructions:

• Heat the cooking oil in a wok or large saucepan on medium heat.  Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
• Add the vegetables, and cook to desired consistency.
• While the vegetables are cooking, prepare your noodles according to the package directions.
• Once noodles are finished, add to the vegetables.
• Add the almond butter, Sriracha, ginger, and soy sauce/coconut aminos.
• Stir everything together to coat and warm thoroughly.
• Serve and enjoy!

 

XOXO,

Molly B.

As a Christian, one thing that I know is incredibly important is having a daily quiet time with the Lord. One thing that I struggled with for years was a daily quiet time. I would do so well for a few days, but inevitably, I would drop it and feel an overwhelming sense of guilt all day, every day. I would still pray throughout the day, but I wasn’t taking that dedicated time with God that is so vital to our relationship.

A couple of years ago, our church hosted a women’s brunch, and the theme was “Abide.” I really loved this word and was struck by the concept of abiding in the Lord each day. So I used this as an opportunity to commit, creating my own acronym from the word, and I have used it to guide this precious time. I’m sharing it here so that it may help you in implementing a daily quiet time for yourself.

ABIDE

A: Alway have a plan. What are you reading? Where are you sitting? When are you meeting? Do you need paper, pen, coffee? For me, I thrive on routine. I start my morning with my quiet time. I get a daily devotional email, and I use that as a starting place. I wake at the same time, sit in the same spot, read the email, and this guides my first moments with Jesus.

B: Bring the gratitude. God does a lot of really good stuff, y’all. We get so caught up in complaining and asking for things. It’s important that we use part of our quiet time to thank Him for what He is doing in our lives.

I: Include the Bible. It’s important that we have the Bible close by during quiet time. You can use it to find helpful versus, to dive deeper into scriptures from your devotional, to use as the concrete word in your conversation.

D: Determine to receive. Pray and listen for God’s response. The key word is “Quiet” in quiet time, and that is important. For this to be effective, you have to be present, undistracted, and ready to hear what God has to say. Keeping in mind, it’s not always what you want to hear…

E: Express yourself. Look, God already knows what’s up, but TELL Him what’s in your head and heart, and ASK Him for what you need. He will provide in His perfect timing and ways, but it’s important that you tell Him how you’re feeling and what you’re wanting for your life.

Just like with any relationship, this takes time, commitment, and dedication. My ways aren’t perfect, but they’re working well for me. I would love to hear about your quiet time and how you’re meeting with the Lord each day.

XOXO,

Molly B.

Okay I’m sure that every city has their fair share of vendor shows, but Kansas City has this on lock! Since moving here, I have been continually impressed by the vendor events in this city. These are not your standard, just any random booth events. They are carefully curated with the local community in mind. There are so many good ones, but I’m highlighting my top five in this post.

Sip, Style, Shop:

In her inaugural year, Sip, Style, Shop creator, Brianna Archuletta executed two extremely successful events. Her Spring event, held at The Berg, featured snacks from Hyvee and Midwest Cookie Co, a sampling of local boutiques like Coco, LadyBye, and Shop Scoobie, and a mini tutorial on personal styling. In the Fall, Archuletta took it to the next level with an afternoon at 28 Event Space. Swag bags upon entry, DJ Ashton Martin spinning the soundtrack, snacks by Grazing KC, Midwest Cookie Co, and Cottontale and cocktails by Boozie. Twelve local boutiques were on site for exclusive shopping, and Paint was providing complimentary manis while Posh was hosting a braid bar. When asked why she created SSS, Brianna answered. “It started as a fun way to answer the question ‘where can I shop local in KC.’ As the planning went on, I noticed how anxious locals were to actually connect with the businesses, not just shop, and it quickly became a platform for small businesses to interact with the community.” Now that’s a mission I can shop behind! Check out Sip, Style, Shop to stay up to date on future events.

Holiday Mart:

This annual event is hosted by Junior League Kansas City each October at Bartle Hall. This is Kansas City’s premier nonprofit shopping event that supports several local agencies, primarily focused on women and children. Shoppers are encouraged to use the event to get a jump start on their holiday shopping, but I rarely leave with anything for anyone but myself. What’s so special about Holiday Mart? The majority of the vendors are our local favorites! Boutiques, jewelry makers, bakeries, all shutting down shop to raise money at this event. In addition to the multi day event, you can expect a Ladies Night Out event, a Happy House, a DIY event, and their annual Pics with St. Nick. Check out Holiday Mart KC for details.

Strawberry Swing:

Founded in 2011, The Strawberry Swing has become a Kansas City tradition. They host an event every single season, with several creative pop-ups in between. These events always bring the most unique and innovative that KC has to offer. Typically focused on handmade goods, these events elevate that idea with handmade food from food trucks, handmade tunes from live music, and handmade activities for the whole family. I look forward to these events every season, because I know that I will always find some new obsession from our creative community. Check out the Strawberry Swing webpage for upcoming events.

Just For Her:

The Just For Her Event is Kansas City’s premier women’s event held each June at the Overland Park Convention Center. Originally designed as a way to bring women together to enjoy time with friends and family, it has grown to over 350 exhibitors. The event focuses heavily on shopping, but their goal is to tie in other things they knew women love, including beauty, pampering, wellness, fitness, health, food, drinks and more. With the many vendors and gorgeous pink decor, this is my perfect excuse for a girls day! For all the details on the next event, check out Just for Her.

Chick Events:

Chick Events focuses on buying, eating, and sipping locally in a pop-up style event. They primarily support the handmade vendors in KC, encouraging attendees to shop and eat local, versus chain stores and restaurants. Their events are so creatively put together that you feel as if you’ve been transported to another (crafty) world. They host multiple events throughout the year, and you can stay up to date through the Chick Events website.

What are your favorite KC vendor events?

XOXO,

Molly B.

Try to hide your shocked face…I love clothes.  Clothes, shoes, jewelry, handbags, I love it all.  But the other day, when I came home from a shopping trip and went to hang a shirt in my closet only to realize that I already owned the EXACT SAME SHIRT, I knew it was time for a LONG overdue closet purge.

Purging your closet is hard!  We attach emotions to clothing, so letting go of things can be quite the task.  But purging your closet will not only free up and organize your space, but it will help you to further define your style.  I have put together a few steps to help you with your own purging process.

 

Step One: Empty Out Your Closet.

Yes, I’m dead serious.  Take it all out.  Painful, I know, but necessary.

 

Step Two: Try On Everything.

Yes, again, serious.  Again, maybe painful, but again, necessary.
It’s important to try on everything so you can make informed decisions about what you plan to keep in your closet.  Trust me, even clothes that I thought fit me, did not.

 

Step Three: Ask Yourself, “Does This Serve Me?”

Yes, a little Marie Kondo-ish, but very powerful.  So what does it mean?

Does this make me feel good?  Do I feel like me?  Do I feel comfortable?  Do I get compliments when I wear it?  Is it flattering?  Does it fit properly?  If the answer to any of these is “no,” it goes. Is it damaged? If you won’t take the time to fix it, it must not be that important.

 

Step Four: Could You Wear The Item At Least Three Ways?

Yes, there are the occasional statement pieces like a gown or cocktail dress, but for the most part, versatility is key.  If an item cannot be worn multiple times or multiple ways, chances are, you won’t.

Pro Tip: Take pictures of outfits and save them to a Pinterest board so you don’t forget the ideas you had during your purge.  This will ensure you wear your items and will save you from a creativity slump.

 

Step Five: Does It Have A Future?

Have you worn it in the last year? Will you wear it again? If you can’t remember the last time you wore it and have no use to wear it again, get rid of it.

I like to use the hanger method—Hang all of your hangers in one direction. After you wear an item, flip the hanger in the opposite direction. At the end of the year, get rid of all clothes that have hangers that haven’t been flipped.

If an item has sentimental value, you don’t have to get rid of it. Just limit it! I have one storage box that houses a very few items that I cannot let go, and that box is in our basement storage room, rather than taking up space in our closet. Another option is to take a picture and then get rid of the item.

 

Step Six: Keep. Trash. Donate. Sell.

After you’ve done your tryons, separate your items into four piles: Keep, Trash, Donate, and Sell.

Keep are the items you will be putting back in your closet.

Trash are items that are damaged, or are used intimate items. (Check the rules for proper trash disposal in your area.)

Donate items that you don’t intend to keep or sell. Find a local charity that is accepting clothing donations. I am a big fan of donating to local women’s shelters!

Sell high quality items. You can sell clothing that is in good shape, of high quality, and in style. In person, try the resale shops in your area, like Clothes Mentor or Plato’s Closet. For Online, try eBay, ThredUp, or Poshmark. You can also do a yard sale or clothing swap with friends.

Bottom line when deciding what is coming back into your closet: Be ruthless.

 

Step Seven: Simplify Your Life

Now is the fun part: Putting your items back. You can finally organize your closet to fit your needs and lifestyle. I recommend separating items by type and color. It saves so much time, and you’re more aware of what you own.

 

Now that you have these helpful tips, spend some time over the weekend to commit to a closet clean out. You’ll be so happy you did!

XOXO,

Molly B.

We moved to Kansas City nearly nine years ago for my husband’s job. We left my job, all of our friends, all of our families, everything we had known for our entire lives. Exciting. Terrifying.

Over the last nine years, this city has given us so much. Thriving careers that we love, friends that are family, restaurants and stores that we adore, beauty everywhere you look.

We decided early in our residence that we wanted to give back to the city that continues to give so much to us. Over the past nine years, we have volunteered, served on boards of agencies, donated money, and provided other means of support to local agencies in an effort to say thank you to this community.

In September, my friend, Cassie, called attention to the idea of Pantry Privilege. September is Hunger Action Month, which is an effort to end hunger through our nation’s food banks. Through the hashtag, #pantryprivilege, she issued a challenge to any who would accept it, to donate at least three items to a local food pantry. She started with the idea that, on any given day, if you open your pantry, you likely have at least three things that you will not use and will expire on your shelves. Personally, I hate wasting food, so I try not to overbuy food or let it expire, but she wasn’t wrong. I opened my pantry and quickly filled a bag with items that I knew we wouldn’t use.

And that’s a privilege, right? The fact that I CAN open my pantry and find food that I don’t want or intend to use, when millions of people are literally dying to have them. 40 million people to be exact, as I found as I researched Cassie’s challenge. That staggering statistic broke my heart. 40 million people are struggling with hunger (11 million of which are children), so obviously this issue doesn’t end in September. Hunger touches every community, including our beloved Kansas City.

I was so inspired by this challenge, and my friend, Cassie, that I continued to read about hunger insensitivity and the things I could do to make an impact. Every community has a food bank, and Kansas City has several. The biggest ways to make in impact are to volunteer your time, to donate your funds, to bring awareness on social media, and of course to donate goods to the pantries.

With my travel schedule, I knew that I couldn’t commit to a regular volunteer effort. And I can’t necessarily afford to give my money on an ongoing basis. But this city makes it so easy to donate goods to our local food banks! So after that initial bag of donated items, I came up with a plan to give on an ongoing basis. Each week, when I get my groceries, I will be adding three donation items to my cart and dropping them in the Harvesters barrel at Price Chopper. The average can of vegetables is less than 50 cents, and the donation barrel is at the front of the store. Couldn’t be easier.

Kansas City, we love you so much, and I just hope that this provides some relief to the community that has embraced us as their own.

So what about you…can you accept the challenge and donate your time, money, or pantry items to help end hunger?

Here is a list of the most needed items at food pantries:

 

Find a Food Bank in Your Area

All statistics were taken from Feeding America.

 

XOXO,

Molly B.

You want to talk travel game changer?  Save your packing list on the Notes on your phone.  Seriously, life changing.

The list might vary slightly from trip to trip, but this running list has kept me so organized, ensures that I don’t forget anything, and saves me a ton of time on packing.

I also have one for Jack, but I’m sharing mine today.

 

• Vitamins/Pre-Workout
• Water Bottle/Shaker Bottle
• Snacks
• Suitcase
• Gym Bag
• Straightener/Curling Iron
• Robe
• Toiletries Case
• Makeup
• Pajamas
• Workout Clothes
• Work Outfits
• Casual Outfits
• Cash
• Carryon
• Chargers
• Tablet/Laptop
• Travel Documents
• Portfolio/Notebook
• Planner

 

What would you add to your list?

 

XOXO,

Molly B.

 

I feel like I’ve been holding out on you by not sharing this recipe sooner.  My Protein Cookie Dough is probably the quickest, easiest, and tastiest thing that goes down in my kitchen multiple times per week.  I developed this a few years ago, and it remains one of my favorite sweet treats.  A lot of times, after dinner, I want a little something sweet, but don’t want to make anything overly complicated.  This is the best solution, and I know you’ll love it too!

• 1 scoop vanilla Protein Powder of choice (My favorite is Arbonne)
• 1/4 cup Milk of choice (I use Almond Milk.)
• 1 TBSP Nut Butter of choice (I switch it up between peanut, cashew, and almond.)
• 1 TBSP Chocolate Chips (optional)

Put all ingredients in a bowl, mix it up, and it’s ready to eat!

Seriously, that’s it!  Easy to make, a little hit of protein, and it tastes just like cookie dough!

Yea, you’re welcome…

XOXO,

Molly B.

We have been on vacation for the past couple of days, and I can already feel the anxiety creeping in.  I am, for the most part, a creature of habit.  I thrive on organization, routine, and at least some loose structure.  I am able to be laid back and enjoy the moment, but only if I feel like my life is organized.  (I realize how ridiculous that may sound…)  When I travel for work, it is still fairly structured, so I don’t struggle as much with keeping anxiety in check.  But vacations can bring it on quickly and easily, so I’ve spent some time reflecting on what keeps me grounded when I feel overwhelmed, and I wanted to share those tips here.

1. Listen to music.  Look, I’m kind of emo, so music can get me all in the feels.  But it also brings out all of the emotions that I need to feel when I’m overwhelmed–joy, release, humor.  I love praise music, and I find that it points me toward Jesus, which is truly what I need when I feel overwhelmed.
2. Read Scripture.  Full disclosure, I do not have a lot of scriptures memorized, nor can I tell you which book to read about what.  And that’s okay, because it’s not necessary for this to work!  (Thankfully because that would overwhelm me more!)  One thing that I love to do is pull up my Bible app on my phone and do a quick search for key topics.  The same works for Google, but sometimes everything it spits back overwhelms me more.  (Hello, where do I even start?!)  My app will give me several verses based on the key word search, and as I read, I can feel the anxiety melting away.
3. Pray. When I feel like it’s all too much, I literally give it over to God.  I list out everything on my heart and head, and that release feels so sweet.  He already knows all of it anyway, but it feels so good to tell Him how I’m feeling and just be raw and honest.  This leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to move forward. 
4. Don’t overschedule/overcommit.  This is advice I should give myself BEFORE vacations, but I never said I was perfect.  Vacation should be just that, so an never-ending itinerary can be your downfall.  I get wanting to do all the things, but that alone can be overwhelming.  (Plus you feel even more anxiety if you aren’t able to cross off everything on your list.)  I learned this lesson a few years ago, and it has been a game changer.  Prior to vacation, we pick out a few key things that are must do/see/eat, and other than that, we don’t schedule anything.  We also build in downtime for when we return.  Whether that’s a day or morning off the following day, or just blocking the first couple of hours on my work calendar, I build in time to get caught up and back in the non-vacation mindset.
5. Be in the moment.  Often times, I find that anxiety is caused by me thinking about things that are in the future.  “OMG, when I get back I have all of thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis to do.”  And I spend the rest of my time freaking out about that list.  Nothing is solved by me worrying about things I can’t control or work on right now, so when I snap myself back into the moment and truly enjoy it, it can be so calming.
6. Write it down.  Seriously nothing helps me more.  Often times, things are bigger in our minds than they are in real life.  And our to do lists are no exception.  When I’m overwhelmed, I do a big brain dump.  I look at every calendar, every list, every thought in my head, and write it all down.  From there, I can prioritize and game plan.  Most of the time, it’s not nearly as much as it felt like before I wrote it down, and it has a cleansing feeling to get it all out.
7. Take a time out.  Once you’ve got everything written down, you can figure out if anything has to be done right away.  If not, just take a time out.  Whether that’s an hour to watch an episode of reality TV, or maybe an entire day to watch Season 3 of RHONY, you know what kind of time you need and what makes you feel refreshed, so take that time.  If the to do list can wait, let it wait.
8. Exercise.  This is the biggest stress relief for me.  I truly believe that everyone has some form of meditation in their lives–yoga, bubble baths, long walks, actual meditation–and for me, it’s running.  I love to get lost in my thoughts during a long run and literally sweat it all out.  Some of my best ideas and solutions have come out of a long run in the fresh air.
9. Delegate.  Okay, Miss Type A, Do All The Things, is giving you advice that she constantly has to give to herself.  Everyone has their holdup on why they don’t delegate, but we all need to consider it more.  For me, I don’t want to bother anyone.  I feel like I’m now adding more to their list of things to do, so I just overwhelm myself with tasks.  It took me years to ask my husband to take over the dry cleaning drop off/pick up.  Even though it was 90% his items, and on his way to/from work, I continued to do it.  I asked him one time to do it while I was traveling, and it became his task instantly after.  He’s more than happy to do it, and he recognizes how easy it is for him and helpful it is for me.
10. Turn things down.  When you look at that to do list, and you feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to do and places you have to be, do you really?  Is it all necessary?  And if the answer is no, turn it down.  You don’t technically have to reorganize your pantry today.  You know what items, things, and people take priority, and if it’s only adding to your anxiety, turn it down.

 

What about you…what do you do when it all feels like too much?  Please let me know if there’s anything you would add!

XOXO,

Molly B.

One of the most common questions I get is, “What’s your favorite Fill-In-The-Blank in Kansas City?”  Ugh, I love this city so much that it’s hard for me to pick favorites.  And it’s hard for me to think of things on the spot.  But if I reflect, I definitely have my favorite spots in the city, so I wanted to start a post to collect my favorite spots in Crown Town.  I will continue to add to the post, and I want to see your favorites in the Comments!  But don’t be surprised if some categories have more than one name listed.  I told you…I love them all!

Favorite Date Night Restaurant: La Bodega

Favorite Casual Lunch Restaurant: The Mixx, Caffetteria, Unforked

Favorite Boutique: EB & Co., Frankie & Jules, Shop Scoobie

Favorite Dessert: Decadent, Dolce, Mud Pie

Favorite Brewery: Boulevard, Brewery Emperial

Favorite Pizza: Minsky’s, Waldo Pizza

Favorite Rooftop: O’Dowd’s, HopCat

Favorite Tapas: La Bodega, Extra Virgin

 

XOXO,

Molly B.

 

Fall is officially here, and the days of outdoor workouts will soon be a distant memory. Lucky for us, Kansas City has no shortage of innovative fitness studios to keep you sweating in any season! 

As a self-proclaimed fitness junkie, one of my favorite things to do when I travel is get a local sweat session. Although Kansas City has all of your national favorites (Orangetheory, F45, CrossFit, Anytime Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, Planet Fitness, Rock Climbing gyms, Boot Camps, Boxing, Personal Trainers), I encourage you to check out one of these KC exclusives. 

The Bar Method (Barre)

This studio has a mission to empower us to be the best version of ourselves by creating highly efficient, full-body workouts that build inner and outer strength. Every Bar Method class starts with a warm-up and upper-body exercises, followed by a sequence of leg and seat work at the barre and core exercises on the floor. The class uses your own bodyweight for resistance along with a few basic props – free weights, mats, and a ball. Students of all fitness levels work within their individual limits while receiving encouragement to continually push forward. On any given day, this runner chick likes to think she’s pretty athletic, but this workout had my legs shaking throughout! After your class, stop in next door at T. Loft for a green juice or healthy snack. 

Health House (Rowing + Weights) 

Health House is the first dedicated rowing studio that mixes rowing and strength training for the ultimate full body workout. This high energy, high intensity class will keep your heart pumping throughout. With little to no downtime, you will move back and forth between the rowing machine and weights, with a killer playlist and a motivational coach that will keep you going throughout. Rowing uses 86% of your body’s muscle mass, providing a more efficient and effective full body workout. However, since rowing is a seated activity, it eliminates impact on the injury prone joints of the hips, knees, and ankles. This gym is all about community, so you can expect a lot of sweaty fist bumps and high fives. 

FusionFly (Cycling) 

Fellow cardio lovers, I give you FusionFly! Fusion Fitness believes everyone deserves to look and feel their best. And I can assure you, during my class, I feel like a strong, sweaty warrior. They keep the music pumping and the sweat dripping during this ultimate workout that challenges the entire body in one hour. If you’re up for the best coaching of your life, take a class with Jos, and get ready to work! More good news, you can pop in Homer’s Coffee after class to get another boost. 

Core Energy Yoga (Yoga) 

If zenning out is your thing, Core Energy is your spot! This is Overland Park’s first hot yoga studio offering Power Vinyasa Yoga, in the tradition of Baron Baptiste. Core Energy is inclusive of everyone, so you can expect to feel like family, no matter your experience level. This class will keep you sweating, centered, and feeling restored. If you really want to up the positive vibes, book a class with Amanda. But no matter what you do, don’t skip out on Shavasana…Namaste friends!

There are so many great ways to workout in Crown Town. So grab your water and towel, book your classes, and check out all the sweat we have to offer! 

Let me know if you have a fitness studio that you love…I’m always up for a challenge!

XOXO,

Molly B.