It’s March already! This year is just flying by! 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!
- Husband & love. Amy’s husband, Ben, was a guest again this week, and he came on to discuss how important our words are when we tell someone we love them. He actually didn’t tell Amy he loved her until they got engaged! It was even after she said yes! He just feels that overusing “I love you” makes it less special, and it’s something that should be said to that one person you marry. Amy and Ben knew each other since they were kids, but they didn’t start dating until they were in their 20s, and then they didn’t date very long before they got married. Amy shared a funny story about how Ben actually wanted to date her older sister originally! You have to hear the whole thing!
- Don’t weigh yourself. Celebrity trainer Erin Oprea came on to talk about how weighing yourself can actually cause you more harm than good. She explained that looking at the scale and not seeing the results you want can actually make you more likely to give up. She said that your weight fluctuates each day with your sodium intake or certain things you’ve eaten, so have a ballpark figure of what you typically should weigh, but don’t focus on it. And remember that if you’re working out with weights, the scale is likely to go up, but that’s not a bad thing! The most important thing is how you feel and how your clothes fit. Find balance. If your clothes feel tight, clean up your diet and move more. But don’t deprive yourself if you want a treat now and then.
- Eyebrows are important. Amy has shared with us about her eyebrows and her experience with microblading before, and this time she had makeup artist Meegan Pearson on. Meegan is the one who fixed Amy’s brows and microbladed them to perfection. Meegan said that we should be careful about trends and keep with a minimal and natural look for our brows — do whatever looks best on your face. It’s much better to add to them than to overdo them. I actually had my makeup done at Sephora a few years ago and the makeup artist did such a bad job, mainly because of how thick and dark she made my brows! I hated it! I took a picture and everyone I showed agreed it looked awful. Needless to say, I’ve always just done my own makeup after that experience.
- Weighted blankets. I’m glad Amy discussed this topic because I’ve been interested in hearing more about weighted blankets. She ordered this one from Amazon and loves hers! They help with anxiety and give you a grounded feeling by calming down your body. You should get one that’s 5-10% of your body weight for it to be most effective. And they can help with other disorders, too — not just anxiety. Teachers have even been using them in their classrooms to calm kids. If you have a weighted blanket or have used one, let me know in the comments!
Here are the 4 things I’m loving most this week.
- Lemon garlic broccoli. I’m addicted to making this broccoli. It’s so good and so easy. Cut up a head of broccoli into florets, then toss it with some olive oil (about a tablespoon or a little more if it’s a big head), salt, pepper and one clove of minced garlic. Roast it in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. When it comes out, toss it with lemon juice (about half a lemon is what I use) and Parmesan cheese. I promise you’ll love it!
- Vegan cheese. Now, let me just say, I absolutely love cheese! But I found this Violife vegan Parmesan cheese at Whole Foods and it’s amazing! I actually used it on the broccoli in the photo above. I tend to eat more dairy than I probably should since I try to get a lot of protein from Greek yogurt and cheeses, and it can sometimes cause congestion for me, so cutting it out some is a good thing. This cheese tastes just like regular Parmesan, if not better! And it grates right up, or you can crumble it or slice it. They have other varieties, too, but so far I’ve only tried the Parmesan because the day I bought it, it was literally the only one left on the shelf. I’ll definitely have to try the other Violife vegan cheeses and report back!
- “Living” by Dierks Bentley. I am obsessed with this song! Dierks Bentley has always been my favorite, but I have to say, this is probably my favorite song of his. It’s from his most recent album, The Mountain. The words are just so meaningful. It really reminds you how some days we just go along with our lives like we’re programmed to complete each day, and other days we experience all the little things and appreciate how great life is and how blessed we are. This song made me really emotional the first time I heard it. And the video is beautiful! It has some amazing scenery in it.
- Love on the Menu. I’m a sucker for Hallmark movies, and this one was no exception. It premiered last Saturday, but it comes on the Hallmark Channel again this Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern. It’s about a woman who works for a frozen food company, and she tries to convince a restaurant chef to turn his recipes into a frozen food line in order to save the restaurant. Of course, there may be some romance along the way, too! Hallmark has been premiering a new movie every Saturday night, so I’m excited about this week’s, too!
I hope everyone has a great weekend! See you back here next Friday for more fun things!
