It’s Friday! It was a busy week for me, so I’m definitely looking forward to the weekend, and hoping we get some rain. It’s been really hot and dry lately, and I wouldn’t mind a reason to stay in and get some things done. Here’s this week’s recap of Amy’s podcast, 4 Things with Amy Brown. Go listen to the full episode if you haven’t already, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!
- Science of happiness. Amy talked about an Instagram post that she saw, and explained how just three minutes of negativity (like watching something on the news) can affect your mindset for the next six hours. Similarly, doing something positive first thing in the morning, like sending an email or text to someone to thank them or let them know you’re thinking of them, can lift your mood. Recognizing and writing down what you’re thankful for also plays a big part in your happiness.
- Enneagram numbers when stressed. Enneagram expert, Hunter Mobley, was back this week to explain how our enneagram numbers can shift during times of stress or security. We often do things we wouldn’t normally do when we’re under stress or feeling secure, and a lot of this has to do with our personality type, or enneagram number.
- Eat the rainbow. Amy reminded us that when we’re grocery shopping, we should be filling our shopping carts with many different colors of produce. Don’t just reach for the same fruits and veggies each time you shop. Try different things. Maybe you need some purple or red in your cart, in addition to your normal greens, or whatever it may be. Also, remember that many veggies contain protein, like broccoli, edamame, green beans, and spirulina. So, even plant-based diets can get protein in its natural form.
- Clean out your inbox. Having too many unopened texts or emails can cause you to miss important ones. This is something Amy has struggled with, but she recently started clearing them so she could keep up and respond to the people she needs to. She even recommended a free app called Unroll.me that will filter through emails for you and unsubscribe from whatever you don’t want. Personally, I always try to keep on top of my emails, and I constantly delete the junk throughout the day. I also try to respond to texts as soon as possible so I don’t forget! It just keeps things less stressful for me that way.
Here are the 4 things I’m loving most this week.
- Mexican quinoa bowls. Caitlin from Southern Curls & Pearls inspired me to try these, and now I’m hooked! These Mexican quinoa bowls are such a quick, easy, and delicious meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. I used the frozen quinoa from Trader Joe’s just to save time, then added organic fire roasted frozen corn from Whole Foods, some black beans, black olives, jalapenos, sliced avocado, my homemade salsa, and some fresh cilantro. You could add any toppings you’d like and any amount you like! I kept mine vegan, but the possibilities are endless. The quinoa makes it really filling, too. You can find Caitlin’s exact recipe here.
- Yasso frozen Greek yogurt bars. I bought these on a whim while I was at the grocery store recently because they’re made from Greek yogurt and are healthier than a lot of other sweet treats. Plus, they had my favorite flavor — butter pecan! I honestly thought these were just as good as regular butter pecan ice cream. They have tons of other flavors, too!
- CMT Music Awards. I’m a sucker for country music awards shows, so I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. I love watching all the performances and hearing some new songs that haven’t been released yet. If you missed the original airing from Wednesday night, CMT typically re-airs it all weekend.
- Bubly sparkling water. I’m typically a plain, still water fan. I don’t need fancy fruits or bubbles in mine, but once in a while if I want something different, I enjoy flavored sparkling waters since they have no sugar, calories or really anything in them! I don’t know how they literally have zero grams of anything, and the only ingredients are water and natural flavor. I’ve tried several brands now and like them all, but when my grocery store had the Bubly ones buy one get one free this week, I had to stock up because they’re that good, and you just can’t beat a deal like that! So far, I’m enjoying all the flavors I’ve tried.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s 4 things! Thanks for reading, and see you back here next Friday. Have a great weekend!
