Happy Friday! It’s the start of a new month, and I don’t know about you, but February always seems to fly by in a flash for me. Here are Amy’s 4 things for this week from her podcast, “4 Things with Amy Brown.” Be sure to go listen to hear all the details!
- Weird ways to de-stress. Amy talked about some unusual things that can help us de-stress like washing dishes, de-cluttering your home, sniffing your significant other’s laundry (not clean laundry, either… kind of doubt many people would be willing to try that one!), exercising with a group, and reflecting on your failures to help learn from them. My favorite of these is de-cluttering your home. There’s something about a neat and clean house that really puts me at ease, and I love getting rid of things!
- Water like a plant. Amy’s son, Stevenson, was part of this segment, and it was so cute! She talked about how not drinking enough water can affect your mood. Water brings you back to life just like it brings a plant to life. She discussed several health benefits of drinking plenty of water, and did you know that the recommended amount of water we should be drinking daily has increased? I had no idea! Women should drink 90 ounces or 11 cups, and men should drink 125 ounces or 16 cups. Luckily, water is my favorite thing to drink, but I probably have a lot more to go to reach the new recommended daily intake.
- Shave your face. Aesthetic nurse specialist Keri, aka @thenashvillebeautygirl, joined Amy to discuss face shaving for women. Yes, that’s right. Amy has been shaving her face for five years (about twice a week)! They explained why they do it — it removes dead skin along with peach fuzz. And Keri said it’s a myth that the hair comes back thicker. It just feels like it because you get used to the smoothness. Amy and Keri also recommend some products you can buy if you’re interested in trying this. I have to say, my grandma shaved her face for years!! She was apparently way ahead of the trends!
- Table time. This was all about how important it is to sit down at the table to eat. It allows you to have quality time with your family and it slows you down as you eat. And if you’re alone, try scheduling time to have meals with other people, or just try to eat at the table rather than sitting on the couch in front of the tv. For some reason, I feel like I enjoy my meal more when I eat it at the table. Maybe it’s also a comfort thing for me because growing up, my family always ate dinner at the table together every night, and I’m really thankful for that.
Now that you know about Amy’s 4 Things, here are my favorites from the week.
- Ithaca cold-crafted hummus. This stuff is the BEST! I just discovered it at my grocery store this week while it was on sale and bought every flavor. It has nothing artificial in it, and it tastes so fresh, like homemade. Cold-crafted just means they use cold pressure instead of heat pasteurization to keep all the ingredients fresh and more nutrient-rich. So far, my favorite is the fresh lemon beet, but you really can’t go wrong with any of them. To find out where you can find it near you, just go here.
- Vegetarian lentil tortilla soup. I made this in the slower cooker on a cold, rainy day and it was amazing! I hadn’t used dried red lentils before, and they were pricier, at almost $6 for the bag, but they are worth it. They cook quicker, and more tender, and I thought they had a neutral flavor. Basically, they just thicken the soup and give it a little extra texture and lots of good protein and nutrients. These are the lentils I bought at my regular grocery store. The flavors in this reminded me of eating a Chipotle burrito bowl! I topped mine with plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips. SO good!
- Back with the ex. I just discovered this new show on Netflix the other day. It kind of reminded me of The Bachelor at first — it even has a similar opening, but it’s a much different concept with way less craziness! The show follows four different couples who were previously in relationships (some have been split up for a couple years, and for others it’s been a couple decades)! They reunite and spend three weeks together, and then have to decide if they want to try a relationship again. Seems like the most bizarre idea ever, but it works for tv! Don’t sign me up for it, though!
- Door wreath. After taking down all of my Christmas decorations, I felt like my front door looked a little bare. I wanted a simple wreath that would work all year long. I ordered this eucalyptus one from Target and am really happy with it! It spruces things up just enough without being too much.
That’s all for this week! See you back here next Friday for more of mine and Amy’s 4 Things!
