Healthy Chicks

Welcome to the world, sweet Isabella Rose. From the moment we saw you squirming around on your first ultrasound as a tiny sesame seed, we were completely in love. Then on Sunday, August 26th at 7:43pm just as the full moon was rising, you came into our lives and took that love to a whole new level. You are absolutely perfect and worth every minute of the crazy, long beautiful (and yes painful) labor process as well as the rocky journey to pregnancy. Mommy and daddy love you to pieces, you are so worth the wait.

xoxo,

Mommy 

Two weeks ago, we welcomed our beautiful Isabella Rose into the world three days before her due date, and today on the blog I wanted to share my birth story. Before I continue, I want you to know this is my story, and everyone’s story is different. I 100% respect every woman’s choice in how they go about labor and delivery, and I also know that sometimes it’s out of our control and you just have to ride the waves.

As I mentioned before, pregnancy was hard, labor was no joke and motherhood is next level, but I wouldn’t trade it … Read More!

It’s been a while, but I’m excited to bring back the Healthy Chicks in the Community series, highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness community! This week’s feature, Shay, is a role model for many young women, working as a self-defense instructor for IMPACT Boston.

Through her impactful work, she’s able to empower students to find their voice and defend themselves in the real world. I’ll let Shay take it from here!

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: I’m a self-defense instructor with IMPACT Boston (although my actual title is Program Coordinator). We’re an abuse prevention nonprofit dedicated to teaching self-defense by giving students the opportunity to practice physical and verbal skills in realistic scenarios. I coach the students through the scenarios while my coworker, the “suited instructor,” plays a character who might be anyone from a stranger to a coercive dating partner. We teach empowerment self-defense, which means that our approach is evidence-based, trauma-informed, and anti-victim blaming.

I’ve been working here for almost a year and I’m in love with it. I get to help people get to a place where they can walk or wheel through the world without (or at least with less) … Read More!

Yesterday,  I went to Trader Joe’s to scoop up some healthy goodies to get me through the 39th week of pregnancy, and to shamelessly try to walk baby girl out. While I’m still very much pregnant today, at least I got a delicious meal out of it!

You’ll love this easy Arugula Quinoa Salad packed with colorful veggies, omega-rich walnuts, tangy feta and a delicious fig balsamic. The best part? Lunch is taken care of for the entire week, or you could serve as a side with dinner alongside protein of your choice.

Arugula Quinoa Salad with Feta & Fig Balsamic

• 1 box organic arugula
• 1 c. quinoa (yields about 3 c. cooked)
• 3 carrots, shredded
• 1 package of cooked & peeled beets, chopped
• 1 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/2 c. feta
• Avocado, sliced
• Olive oil
• Balsamic Vinaigrette (I used a delicious Fig Balsamic Glaze)

Cook quinoa according to directions, and allow to cool. Once cooled, combine with veggies, walnuts and feta. Toss with olive oil and balsamic to taste! … Read More!

As I enter the final few weeks of pregnancy, I’m officially in “nesting” mode as we await baby girl’s arrival. Our woodland-animal themed nursery is set up, the hospital bag is packed and I can’t stop cleaning.

The other day, I even decided to make homemade muffins in the middle of the afternoon…for fun! I’m sure glad I did, as these gluten free gems are definitely a new fave. The best part? You’ll likely have most of the ingredients sitting around in your pantry and fridge, making these delicious muffins as easy as can be.

Gluten Free Blueberry-Banana Muffins

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 large egg
• 2 TB coconut oil
• 1/4 c. coconut palm sugar or sweetener of choice (optional)
• 1 TB honey
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• dash of sea salt
• 1/2 c. almond or coconut milk
• 3/4 c. almond meal
• 3/4 c. gluten free baking flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• 3/4 c. gluten free oats

1. Preheat oven to 350, and line muffin tin.
2. Mash banana in a large bowl, and whisk in all the ingredients aside from the almond meal, flour, oats and blueberries. Slowly add in almond meal,

Good morning, beauties! I’m currently in my 34th week of pregnancy, and things are getting real. My family threw a beautiful baby shower for me last week, and all I have to say is baby girl is already so loved (and going to be so well dressed).

When people ask when I’m due and I say “End of August,” the reactions are pretty much the same every time. They cringe and then say, “Oh, it’s going to be hot!” or “Summer babies are the worst!” Trust me, I get it: summer is hot and my bump isn’t getting any smaller. But instead of complaining, I’m choosing to enjoy this precious bump, baby kicks and time with my hubby during my favorite season.

I’ve also been craving lots of alone time, as I know once baby comes she’ll pretty much be attached to me for the first few months. After all, self-care is super important to me, especially during pregnancy. Here are 6 self-care essentials that are helping me get through these last few weeks of pregnancy!

Mama Natural Affirmations

As you know by now, affirmation cards are a huge part of my life. Heck, I even created my … Read More!

Oh BABY, things are getting real now that I’m 30+ weeks pregnant! In fact, yesterday the nurse told me I was in the “final stretch” which really put things into perspective. I’ve been loving my third trimester thus far, especially feeling baby girl squirm and watching my bump grow by the week (while comparing the baby’s size to the latest fruit and veggie).

Today on the blog, I’m sharing an inside look at the third trimester thus far — including weight gain, food cravings and everything in between! You can read my first and second trimester recap here.

FOOD CRAVINGS & AVERSIONS

I don’t really have any intense cravings anymore, but I do have some “go to” foods I can’t live without. This includes cold seasonal fruit like berries, watermelon and peaches, gluten free bagels, arugula salads, peanut butter, Lara bars and anything with potatoes — from French fries to baked potatoes.

I’ve also been loving DIY chocolate protein shakes (made with GO PRO Protein Blend, banana, spinach and ice) and my favorite Mint Chip smoothie from Juice on Main.

“MORNING SICKNESS”

While I got hit with morning sickness hard during my first trimester, it pretty much subsided … Read More!

Can you believe summer is just a week away? I’m so ready for my favorite season that I’m hosting a special Summer Solstice + Salad celebration at sweetgreen Legacy Place next Tuesday, June 19th. There’s still a few spots open, so Boston area friends get on it!

For me, summer is all about keeping it simple in the kitchen with 10-minute recipes, grilled proteins and veggies and lots of “no cook” meals. This holds especially true being almost 30 weeks pregnant, since I’m trying to stay as cool and stress-free as possible.

Last week, I whipped up a simple Zucchini Noodle recipe with homemade pesto and veggies, and it was a big hit with myself and hubby! This 5-minute meal can be served as is, or with a side of grilled chicken or fish, and is perfect for hot summer nights. Enjoy!

Zucchini Noodles with Pesto + Veggies 

• 2-3 zucchini or package of “zoodles” (already spiralized)
• 1 package cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large cucumber, chopped
• 2 cups arugula

For pesto: 

• handful of fresh basil
• ~1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (plus more for desired consistency)
• 1/2 c. walnuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• salt &

I’m officially 26+ weeks pregnant, and time is starting to fly! I can’t believe we have only 14 weeks left until we get to meet our sweet little girl. She’s already such big part of our lives (we love her so much!), and I know our life is about to change in a big, big way.

While I don’t agree with the random woman who told me I won’t have a life once baby comes (um, that’s bizarre advice to give someone you don’t even know), I do agree that life as we know it is about to come to a closing. It will be hard, there will be a lot of change, but we’re about to experience a love like never before and for that I am SO excited.

To celebrate being three months from our due date, hubby and I decided to take a much-needed Babymoon getaway to West Palm Beach last week! In this post, I highlight our favorite places to stay, dine and play while vacationing in West Palm.

Getting There

We are suckers for flying JetBlue, so you can imagine my excitement when I found super affordable flights for just $163 each roundtrip from Logan … Read More!