Hello, 2018 + First Meal Plan of the New Year!

Two thumbs up for a peppermint latte but two thumbs down for no more red cups. 

If I'm being honest, the end of the holiday season always leaves me feeling a little sad. We wait and wait and wait for this time of year and then it passes us by in a blink! We soaked it all in and truly enjoyed the season but I always wish it could last a little it longer. Our twinkly tree is still thriving and glowing and we are enjoying it through the rest of this week. I need a few more snuggly nights by my tree with a Hallmark movie playing in the background. I even made a "Winter playlist" to ease me back in because I can't stop with the Christmas music abruptly. 

I do love the fresh start of a new year, though! We have been in vacation mode for awhile now and it will be nice to get back to early mornings in the gym, routine and my favorite- MEAL PLANNING! We aren't doing a true Whole 30 in January but I'm trying to keep our meals mostly Whole 30. I've found Instagram to be a huge resource for meal ideas and I have so many friends who are on board as well so I always have people to recipe swap with. 

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Chicken Picatta + Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Salad

Cajun Salmon + Green Beans + Roasted Red Potatoes

Hawaiian Chicken Burgers + Roasted Sweet Potato Fries + Salad

Sausage + Greens Roasted Veggie Bowls 

Turkey Taco Spaghetti Squash

Sushi Takeout (I have been craving this for WEEKS!)

If you are looking for healthy recipe inspiration for the New Year, here are a few of my favorites to follow:

No Crumbs Left
Pretend It's a Donut
Ambitious Kitchen
Skinnytaste
The Defined Dish
Pinch of Yum

Also related to the start of the new year, I just jumped onboard with Emily Ley's 2018 Simplicity Challenge. I'm a few days behind but luckily, the past three days have been easy to catch up with. Today's challenge was to clean up your phone! It sounds a little silly, but it felt so good. I deleted apps that I don't use, turned off almost all notifications and organized everything into folders. I also deleted old contacts and moved time sucking apps to the last page of my phone. You can follow the challenge on Instagram by following @emilyley and #simplicitychallenge2018. (not sponsored- just loving the idea of incorporating this in January)

Cheers to a great 2018!