A few of my favorite things . . . . .

I have a few favorite things some are in my life daily others are for a season and some I am just simply on a kick!  I love sharing these with you because it may be something you have never tried and might want to! Who knows it my become your favorite too. 

This photo sums up a few of my favorites that I have in my life daily. 

1. HOT Coffee- Organic with green tea extract, trace minerals, and coconut oil.

2. Devotionals & Books

3. Journal

4. Candles

Let me just say these 4 things is how I love to start my days. Coffee after my water. While I enjoy my coffee it is devotional/reading time then time to journal.  

This is at a early time in the morning while the house is quiet, it is my alone time. I believe we need quietness and time to ourselves to reflect and learn.  This has been huge for me in my growth. You may not have a hour each day but even starting with 15 min. a day will start to make a difference.

The Candle tops it off for me as silly as it may sound. I love the light flickering and the smell it gives. I find candles very peaceful.

Poached Egg & Kale.  I just fell in love about 2 weeks ago. I never had a poached until then and now have had them often. I love the magic in making my egg in water not oil. I sauté kale. Then enjoy!  Writing about this now makes me kinda hungry for one. 

Cauliflower Soup! I think I love this for many reasons. It is fall in Minnesota and this time of the year screams soup. It is easy it is to make. Best of all EVERYONE in my family loves it! They love it to the point that I now make a double batch and my kids ask of it in their lunches. 

Here is the recipe. 

Cauliflower Veggie & Bacon Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 head cauliflower chopped roughly
• 2 c. organic milk
• 1 head fresh broccoli
• 1-2 cups chopped carrots
• 4 cups. organic vegetable broth
• 1 lb. Cooked - cut into pieces BACON!! 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil, onion, garlic and cauliflower until cauliflower softens. Then add Milk and broth. Cook 5-10min.  to a slight boil.  Then turn down to med. heat. Use a Immersion hand blender to puree the cauliflower (I love to leave some cauliflower pieces).  Then add Broccoli, Carrots and bring to a low boil until they are soft. Last add Bacon. 

Salt and Pepper to taste and I love fresh Parmesan Cheese on top! 

Enjoy~ 

The beauty of Fall. . . . .

Back to school, crisp air, sweat shirt, tall boots, colorful leaves that are falling, a warm bonfire, everything pumpkin, honey crisp apples, squash and so much more screams FALL. 

I sometimes feel this is when God is working even harder creating this world with so much beauty.  This fall I have seen both amazing sunsets and sun rises, even a field full of fog. Then there is the constant view of colorful trees.  You just do not get to see this beauty any other time of the year. 

I love fall time traditions. Heading out for pumpkins, decorating the front porch, baking pumpkin seeds, making soup. This is one of my favorite times of the year to get in the kitchen and get creative! Last weekend I made a simple squash side dish. 

Baked Simple Squash 

1 Squash
1 small apple
Cinnamon 
Coconut oil 


Peel Squash with a vegetable peeler (or knife) or cut into approx. 1 inch squares. Then Cut your apple into small cubes (leave the peel on the apple).  Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Toss with coconut oil, cinnamon and spread out in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until just tender and golden brown, bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until squash is tender. 

Enjoy~

What brings you JOY?

In this blog I focus on being active, recipes, and workouts. Overall living a healthy lifestyle. I really want to bring more to you and it just hit me! I plan to be sharing more of my travel adventures. Travel is a big part of who I am. When I am traveling I enjoy taking in all the new places and experiences. I am in the present moment and most of the time unplugged yet recharging myself.  For me personally living a healthy lifestyle and enjoying this journey called LIFE. It is way more than recipes and workouts. It is really asking myself "What brings me joy?" That my friends is why I will be sharing many more actual moments! You may not enjoy traveling. Maybe you have a different passion, yet I hope we can connect on the agreement of the desire to live our dreams not just to dream them. 

When was the last time you asked yourself "What brings me JOY?"

Last week was my 15th Wedding Anniversary and I surprised my husband with a 5 day trip to Colorado. This is new for us. We typically travel to warm beach style destinations. However I have been wanting to take him to Colorado for a few years. I knew the fall time would be EPIC! 

When planning this trip I wanted to enjoy QUALITY time, being completely active, new foods and of course Wine!  Mission Accomplished. 

I have been traveling since high school but it was my honeymoon 15 years ago when I absolutely fell in love with going to new places. There is so much to see and enjoy. Most of my trips are warm tropical weather destinations.  Two of my top favorites are Negril Jamaica and the stunning island of St.Lucia. 

I had been to Colorado twice, once in high school and once in college. I have never forgotten the beauty of this state. I also knew there were so many more areas I have not enjoyed. 

With mountains everywhere hiking is a must. A great way to get a workout in, take in the views and enjoy some fresh air. 

 Mountain biking was TOP on our to do list. With no Mountains in Minnesota this is something we had never done. What a workout! You could really feel the elevation. There are many biking tours you can join with a group or you can do what we did and that was just renting bikes and letting the bike shop suggest where to bike.  This was out of my Comfort ZONE but in the end I had a blast. I thought going down the mountain was harder than up.

 We also rented a Jeep for a day and headed to Storm Mountain just outside Estes Park. Took a few stops to enjoy more hiking, a little rock climbing and a picnic at 10,000 feet above sea level. 

The Red Rock amphitheater is a fun place for concerts however we went for a hike and s stair workout. The views here were incredible. 

In our family we have a rule, we only eat at a restaurants where you cannot back home. We use a app. on our phones called YELP to help us find the most unique places. We found a little Indian restuarant off the beaten path in Estes Park. Locals and visitors were loving this place. I also just let the waiter pick my dinner. Worked in my favor, delish and fresh. We are still talking about this meal. 

Remember to take a moment and ask yourself "What brings me joy?"

www.destinationvacationtravel.com