Simple Steps to a Healthier and Colorful Fall

Thank you Blue Shield of California for sponsoring this post. They are committed to health and wellness, and they believe in tackling health issues before they start.

When it comes to health and wellness, my approach is simple.

I try to make small lifestyle changes everyday to improve well-being for myself and my family.

The key for me is to keep it colorful and fun,  

and do things that make me happy while still keeping it healthy.

Food Swaps

Who doesn't love a donut? But you can't eat them all the time.

Swapping out the classic, fried treat for a sprinkle yogurt donut

is one of my favorite ways to start the day.

I coat a donut pan with non-stick spray, add sprinkles to each mold,

fill with a low sugar yogurt and freeze.  

Then pop them out in the morning and serve over granola.

It's a much healthier breakfast that is still festive and feels indulgent.

I love to serve zucchini noodles as an alternative to pasta, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for french fries or plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.  

They are all easy, delicious changes that don't make you feel like you are missing out.

Take the road less traveled and get out of the car!

Not only is taking your bike for a spin or walking great exercise,

often they take you on picturesque paths that you could never see from the car.  

You can treat yourself by stopping and smelling the flowers, enjoying the wind in your hair

and really taking in the view.

It is good for you body and your mind.  A day at the beach is so much more rewarding when you ride your bicycle there.

Another tip, parking far away from a store's entrance.  It not only alleviates the stress of fighting for a good spot but those extra steps add up.

I don't know about you but I am always proud of myself

when I take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.  Working up a sweat in the gym is a great work out but little everyday activities count too!

Take the eat more color challenge

I love to go to our local Farmers' Market and try to buy the most vibrant produce I can find.

Gorgeous greens, beautiful blueberries, pretty peaches, colorful chard...

not only are they amazing to look at, they taste even better.

I challenge my kids and myself to try to find the most unique products at the market. It is always an adventure and thrill when you discover something you have never tried before.

I encourage them to talk to the farmers about what they have grown and their favorite ways to eat it.

We love learning about seasonal fruits and vegetables and are

always in awe with how much better farm fresh ingredients taste.

Eating better is not only important, it should be celebrated.

Living a healthier life is important but for success, it needs to be something you enjoy and easily fits into the way you live.  I was excited to learn that Blue Shield of California is committed to their patients' health and mental wellness and see that it's crucial to tackle health issues before they start whenever possible. Wellvolution is Blue Shield of California’s a suite of programs that has been proven to prevent and reverse disease through 100% lifestyle based approaches.  Concentrating on improving diet, activity, stress management and social support are all things Wellvolution addresses.  If you are already a Blue Shield of California member it is free to join. Be sure to find more information on Wellevolution here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Easy Family Dinners with Foster Farms DORI™

Thanks to Foster Farms for sponsoring this post. 

As Summer winds down, family dinners are even more important to me.

In a few short weeks, my daughter will be off to college,

 and my son will be back in the swing of school and sports.

Every chance we have to all be together is like a mini celebration for me.

I want every meal to be festive, delicious and if it’s easy too, that is always a bonus.

In our house, chicken is definitely the protein of choice,

if that is what I'm serving, it will definitely be a

winner, winner chicken dinner!

Finding new and interesting ways to serve chicken just got so much easier.

Foster Farms has just introduced, DORI™, 
a new interactive QR code on packages of their fresh chicken. 

She is fun, informative and my newest friend...

You can scan the Foster Farms DORI™ QR code right at the store for hundreds of original recipes, even receive exclusive coupons and more.

It is easy to use with your smartphone or with new iOS 11 and Android updates.

No app download is required, simply open the camera on your device to scan.

Foster Farms is one of the first fresh poultry/meat companies with an on-pack QR code.

It is so convenient to pick out my chicken, 
use Foster Farms DORI™ to choose a dinner recipe idea,

then get all the ingredients in one quick trip.

It is such a help when you are stumped on that age-old question,

"What's for dinner?".

One of our favorite dishes that Foster Farms DORI™ suggested is the

Coconut-Lime Chicken and Snow Pea Salad.

It's colorful and so delicious...

It's like a party on a platter.

I love that Foster Farms DORI™ not only provides simple, creative recipes,

but includes the nutritional information as well.

Not only is this salad beautiful and vibrant,

but the flavorful, juicy chicken is the perfect contrast to the crisp vegetables.

It is an ideal way for me to turn a simple dinner 
into a celebration of my family being together.

You can learn more about Foster Farms Chicken with the DORI™ QR code here and

also find the Coconut-Lime Chicken and Snow Pea Salad recipe here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Eat, Play, Watch - Soccer and Trivento Wine

Thank you Trivento for sponsoring this post. Get in the game with Trivento Wine and Major League Soccer!

I have always gotten a kick out of soccer.
I was on a team as child,
(not well, but I tried and loved being part of a team)
my kids also played and I loved watching them in all the suspense and excitement,
waiting for the joy of scoring or making a big defensive play.
My family is lucky to live close to Stanford and we often to ride bikes over to see their soccer teams compete or kick the ball around one of their beautiful fields.
When I found out Trivento Wine is the official wine of Major League Soccer,
I realized there is even more reason to celebrate one of the world's favorite sports!



It is always my goal to make any event festive and fun.
I'm thrilled that our adult friends can enjoy delicious, interesting wine
 that the MLS know is special enough to be official.

The Trivento Reserve Malbec has hints of ripe red fruits and has a smooth lingering finish.

It has all the perfect flavors of a World Cup worthy wine!

The White Orchid, Torrontes blend is definitely a catch.

It is a great alternative to Pinot Grigio and has the aromas of
 flowers, pineapple, chamomile, golden apple and citrus.
It is light on it's feet and vibrant, just like a great soccer player.

It is no secret, I love a theme.

If we are going to be playing or watching soccer,

 the food we have a ball with, has to match.

It's as simple as black and white...

I love to slice fresh mozzarella into circles and melt onto store bought pizza dough.

Topped with sliced black olives, this snack is ready to kick off some fun.

And just to be cheesy, 

a tray of sliced mozzarella and colossal black olives 

also scores a few points during the game...

Cheers!

You can score big with

Trivento-MLS find out more about their Wine Loyalty program here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Snowflake topped Potato Soup

Thank you Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups for sponsoring this post. Stay warm with this winter with a cozy bowl of soup!

Winter in California is unlike anywhere else.

It's typically sunny and warm but as soon as the temperature dips into the low 70's, 

we instantly whip out our scarves, sweaters and mittens to brave the frigid air!

We constantly talk about how "cold" it is 

and my friends on the East Coast laugh at how silly we are.

No matter what temperate it is, I think it's always a great idea to warm up 

with a comforting bowl of snowflake topped potato soup. 

Lately, I have been cozying up with the amazing  Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups.

They have all the flavorful, slow-cooked taste of restaurant-quality soup 

and they are ready in just five minutes.

Each is filled with real, red potatoes and red potato skins

and deliver exceptional taste and texture with every spoonful.

The soups have so much flavor, it tastes like they've been cooking all day.

They are so great to have on hand for a quick but satisfying lunch or to have with dinner anytime.

On this 68 degree day, I garnished the Creamy Potato Soup with a cheesy snowflake.

As I watched it melt into the delicious soup, 

I imagined was in the middle of a snowstorm with each bite.

It is hearty, savory, soothing and so good.

I have never met a soup topper I didn't like, 

it just adds a touch of fun to the bowl.

My family loves it and 

 these snowflakes are so easy to make.

I used a dough cutter that also imprints a pattern,

 but a regular snowflake cookie cutter works great as well.

(available at most craft stores)

Place the cutter on a slice of very cold cheese and press down firmly but gently...

(I used provolone) 

and instantly there is a snowstorm!

It is the perfect novelty for our sunny winter weather...

or a real snow day!

Idahoan Steakhouse® Soups are available in four delicious flavor varieties: 

Loaded Potato, Creamy Potato, Cheddar Broccoli and Cheddar Potato.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Take Care Package

Thank you Dignity Health for sponsoring this post. Enroll in humankindness.

I knew the day was coming.

My daughter is away at college and she's sick, WITHOUT ME!

As a mom, of course you want to ensure your family is getting the best comfort and care.

To make her feel better, I put together a Take Care Care Package 
so she can have

 a little bit of Mama's bedside manner.

It got me thinking about prioritizing the changing health care needs of my family 

 during this Open Enrollment Health Care period.

My package included:

Tea with ginger, lemon and honey to ease her symptoms and boost her immunity...

Healthy soup and crackers, 

because eating off that cafeteria tray doesn't make anyone feel better...

a mini humidifier to help her breathe easier, help with sore throat and cough

& some lemon essential oil to drop in to clear and hopefully disinfect the air...

and a thermometer, 

because it is something we didn't have on our "pack for college list"!

But my remedies can only do so much.

Of course there will be times she needs to see a doctor.

We are taking advantage of the Open Enrollment period 

to find the best health plan options for us 

and our daughter who is far away.  

My family's needs are much different now than when my children were little 

and there is a lot to consider.

No matter what plan we choose, 

Dignity Health has compiled some very helpful information that can be found here.

Everyone approaches this process differently.

For one, it can be stressful making these important decisions. 

Californians say choosing a health insurance plan is more stressful than paying bills! 

Half say selecting the best health insurance plan is extremely or somewhat stressful. 

Just 39% say this about paying bills and just 24% feel this way about choosing a cell phone plan.

This process is not really looked at as being a lot of fun and can be easy to procrastinate.

7% of Californians would rather get a root canal than research health insurance plans. 46% said they would rather wash the dishes than research insurance plans during open enrollment,  22% would rather go to the DMV and 17% would rather file taxes.

There are so many factors that each family has to consider. 

The right doctor/patient relationship is key to the best care you can get.  

Human connection tops innovation for Californians 

and their health care.   

44% say they want a doctor who listens to them, is engaged and communicates well. 

Outside of their expertise, it is what they seek most when choosing a provider.

If you are considering Open Enrollment take your time, do your research and be healthy.

It is so important for you and those you love.

I always find a trip to the farmers' market is a colorful way to clear my head, 

fill our kitchen with nutritious food, set the stage for a healthy mindset

 and gears me up to tackle daunting tasks.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.