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5 Vegan Paleo Christmas Desserts

  • Posted on: 16 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Desserts
Tags: 
vegan paleo christmas desserts
vegan desserts
paleo christmas desserts
It's nearly the most wonderful time of the year and I am already dreaming of Yuletide goodies to make that won't have me feeling awful the next day. Here are five recipes I intend to add to our holiday menu. The first four are vegan and paleo, and the last one is paleo but uses eggs. These delicious recipes will have you chock full of health and good cheer! Almond Gingerbread Cookies from the Clean Dish Gingerbread Latte Copy Cat from The Big Man's World Snickerdoole Cookies from The Urban Poser Christmas Rum Balls from Healthful Pursuit Coconut Milk Egg Nogg from Back to Her Roots (this one'...

Vegan Chili and Goodbyes to a Close Friend

  • Posted on: 15 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Dinners
Tags: 
vegan chili
This month one of my best friends in is moving very far away. Mandy and I have been friends for almost two years, but it feels like we have always known one another. When I first moved to Birmingham I was very lonely. I had left all of my friends and family to come to a brand new city and start a new chapter in my life. Mandy was one of the first friends that I made. Mandy has one of the most genuine hearts of anyone I have ever known. Her spirit radiates love, honesty and grace. I know that no matter what things I bring to her to speak about, she will lend me a kind and understanding ear. As...

Dealing with Disappointment in Healthy Ways

  • Posted on: 12 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Fit
We have all dealt with disappointment at one time or another. I am currently dealing with a little disappointment about an opportunity that did not work out. I have a tendency to get angry, mopey and sad. I will be distant to those close to me, quit eating healthy, and turn into a loner. But today I am taking a stand. I am not going to follow those same patterns of behavior. They are not healthy or beneficial. Here is what I am doing instead. Upping my meditation game I am meditating twice a day now, instead of once. During this time I am looking towards the future and reminding myself that...

Gluten Free Holiday Wreath

  • Posted on: 11 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Desserts
Tags: 
gluten free corn flake treats
gluten free holiday desserts
One tradition from my childhood that I always remember this time of year is my mother's Christmas Wreath. I remember exactly what the house smelled like as the butter and marshmallows melted, I remember the movements of her hands as she stirred in the crunchy corn cereal. I remember her eating little pieces as she shaped the wreath. And most of all I remember the feeling of family. In those moments, everything was perfect.

Almond & Cranberry Crusted Goat Cheese

  • Posted on: 10 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Snacks
Tags: 
almond cranberry goat cheese
holiday side dish
I attended my first holiday party tonight! I know some folks prefer to celebrate one holiday at a time and feel it's a little early for Christmas celebrations. I love to celebrate them all starting in November! So bring on the Thanksgiving get togethers, Christmas get togethers, New Year's get togethers. I'll take them all! For tonight's party I made a simple, but very festive recipe with 3 delicious ingredients.

4 Reasons I'm Proud to be a Partner at Starbucks This Holiday Season

  • Posted on: 9 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Uncategorized
Tags: 
starbucks red cup
starbucks red cup offensive
to be a partner
My Response to the Red Cup Ridiculousness Normally we do not share things such as this on our blog. But, today we make an exception. The past two months I have been fortunate enough to become a partner at Starbucks. Here are 4 Reasons I am proud of that. Starbuck Supports Farmers "Starbucks invests in programs designed to strengthen economic and social development in local communities, while also caring for the environment. To extend the reach and impact of our programs, we collaborate with nongovernmental organizations that have experience and expertise in working with farming communities."...

Mood Bosting All Purpose Cleaner

  • Posted on: 8 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
DIY
Tags: 
Mood Boosting All Purpose Cleaner
native american nutritionals
lemon essential oil
lemon oil cleaner
Thinking about cleaning does not usually put me in a good mood. I dread the thought of scrubbing the tub, wiping the counters, or dusting the tables. After a few different mixtures I came up with a simple, extremely effective cleaner. The best part? It contains lemon essential oil that actually improves my mood with every spray! Two problems solved: less scrubbing and a better mood! I strictly use Native American Nutritionals therapeutic grade oils. I buy directly from the website. No one makes commission. I do not sell it. I highly recommend this brand. I use several of the oils daily in...

How I Take Photos

  • Posted on: 7 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Fundamentals
Tags: 
photography tutorial
vsco
how to take moody pictures
instagram for dummies
iphone photography
The last few months I have worked diligently to improve my photography for my blog and Instagram account. I have learned a lot of things. I figured I should share them with you. What My Photos Used to Look Like What My Photos Look Like Now Before beginning to stage a photo, I follow these guidelines: 1. Be True to Yourself I learned this in an instagram course created by Me and Orla . This is absolutely the number one rule I follow. In any creative outlet, it can be easy to attempt to mimic the styles or stories of those you admire. In this attempt, you may lose yourself. You are the most...

My Go To Weeknight Dinner: Roasted Chicken

  • Posted on: 6 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Dinners
Tags: 
weeknight dinners
simple meal
roasted chicken
Some days are so busy, I hardly have time to organize my thoughts! Much less, plan a meal for us! On those days, my most common go to meal is roasted chicken. This simple meal is packed full of nutrition and flavor and requires very little planning or thinking! Watch our video below to see how we roast a chicken.

10 Clean Holiday Recipes to Try this Season!

  • Posted on: 5 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Dinners
Tags: 
paleo holiday recipes
paleo vegan holiday recipes
This time of year my mind always wanders back home. The sights and sounds of the holidays instantly take me back to the pond where my cousins and I used to feed the ducks, while my grandmother prepared the most amazing meals. I remember one holiday waking up to see the pond had frozen over! It rarely got this cold in Mississippi and I thought it was the most magical thing I had ever seen. My aunts, uncles, and cousins would all pile into my grandparents house, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas. We laughed together, shared our dreams, and told the most exagerated outlandish stories you can ever...

What I Believe Makes Me Who I Am

  • Posted on: 3 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Fundamentals
Tags: 
meditation
oprah deepak 21 day meditation
As I arrived home this evening from a hectic day at work, I rushed through all of my required tasks. I fed my six cats, fed my puppy, threw a load of laundry in, and then immediately changed into my comfty clothes. I made a warm magnesium and chamomile tea, and then put lavender oil in the diffuser. All day I have looked forward to my evening meditation. This is the usually the most relaxing part of my day. Participating in meditation has many benefits, as I wrote about last month . Some of the benefits include, reduce risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and relief from stress and...

Warm Brandy Apple Cider for One

  • Posted on: 2 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Drinks
Tags: 
giggle water
spiked apple cider
brandy apple cider
Here in Alabama the weather is perfectly dreary. The wind is howling, the sky is a beatiful gray, and the rain comes and goes. This Autumn weather calls for a warm drink to sip as you cozy up and watch the leaves fall from the trees. Our recipe for Warm Brandy Apple Cider will make a marvelous companion for all of the brisk Autumn days ahead.

I Am Blogging Like Crazy

  • Posted on: 1 November 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Fundamentals
Tags: 
see jane write bham
bloglikecrazy
blog like crazy
Every year in the month of November See Jane Write's leader, Javacia Harris Bowser, hosts an event called #BlogLikeCrazy . Each participant is challenged to blog every day for the entire month of November. I particpated last year and it was one of the biggest turning points for Spiffy Eats & Giggle Water. The bounds of my creativity, consistency, and will power were stretched in ways I did not expect. This year I know I will grow even more! Over the last few months I have been working on revamping my entire blog. I have pulled in help from other people, and now I can happily say Spiffy...

#SpiffyHealth 10 Day Meditation Challenge

  • Posted on: 14 October 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
Fit
Tags: 
How To Start A Meditation Challenge When You Literally Have No Time
I will often have friends and family ask me about stress management that doesn't require time. "What can I take to reduce my stress?", "What oils can I use to eliminate my anxiety?" "What supplement do you use to relieve stress?" Although I am a strong believer in using essential oils and even supplements on occasion, the truth is, none of these alone can reduce your overall stress. What can? 10 minutes a day. The most effective way, I have found to reduce my stress, is through meditation and prayer. I find benefits from just 10 minutes a day. Instead of thinking of these 10 minutes as one...

Propagating Herbs: A How To Gude Part 2

  • Posted on: 25 September 2015
  • By: jessica
Category: 
DIY
Tags: 
propagating herbs
how to propagate herbs
winter gardening
Well, so far I have had some success and some epic failures. Be sure to hop over to my first post to see how I got started with propagating these herbs for an indoor winter herb garden. Today is day 20! And here are my successes with getting some roots from my herbs. This is mint. It's getting a few small white roots. Yay! Here is some lavedner. It is thriving and healthy and look! One little white root growing! And the loveliest, most flourishing of all- The basil! There's roots everywhere on this little guy! So what's the next step? That's a good question. I plan to start researching the...

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