Monday's Reminder: Your FIGHT

A little reminder for your Monday..

“You’re not in control of what life throws at you..

But you ARE in control of your fight..”

-Rachel Hollis 

Not fighting AGAINST what God ultimately is allowing.. but fighting THROUGH it.

Fighting with your daily effort.

Fighting past human, sinful & self limiting thoughts.

Fighting the lies the devil tells you.

Fighting your way to victory.

Because here’s the deal..

If God’s going to allow storms & trials & challenges & uncomfortable circumstances in your life..

{which, He does! Being a Christian certainly does NOT steer ya clear of “suffering”}

He IS going to equip you.

And He can guide you through it.

Be fuel and comforted by that today.

You can do ALL things because of Him!

So control the effort of your fight.

#gracefullybalanced

Working the Pockets : My Tip for Online Business Success

My team & I .. we talk OFTEN about how we work in the POCKETS of of our lives.

Your pockets?

You know.. Little windows of time we all have that we {my team & I} choose to use productively towards business growth.

You see, nearly ALL of us have:

Careers, families or a million other responsibilities that we juggle.

Some of even enjoy & thrive when being super busy, yet purposeful!

At the moment I was writing this, I was actually sending emails while nursing my baby to sleep. Time that I could have been mindlessly scrolling Pinterest or IG stories. This is a POCKET. And I’m werkin‘ it.

I can’t believe it’s been four years now of figuring out this business & how it fits with my life - through ALL the seasons & transitions we’ve been through. 

What a BLESSING that it’s been a constant for me!

I remember feeling stressed & stunted at my old job.

I remember feeling stuck in my schedule, without the freedom I craved.

I remember going through the motions & dreading Mondays.

I remember being 20+ pounds heavier, self conscious & discouraged that I wasn’t living up to my potential.

I remember thinking “I wish there was another way..” but not knowing exactly what that looked like for a young 20 something who hadn’t completed her degree yet.

And then this..

I stumbled upon this..

I took a giant leap.

NOT knowing what I was doing.

But full of faith that I'd figure it out.

Because I needed so desperately what it could offer me on so many levels. 

The fear of staying put was bigger than the fear of failing forward!

So hear me with this.

Because maybe you’re intrigued.

Or maybe you’re an eye rolling skeptic, reading for a “punch line” to joke or poke at.

if you are still someone that SCOFFS at working a business online, or recommending products that you love --- you truly gotta make a mindset shift, friend.

As cheesy as it sounds.. times have CHANGED.

Things are not what they once were.

And the opportunity in network marktingn& social commerce is REAL.

And I’m so glad I made the leap when I did!

I knew absolutely ZILCH about managing /growing my own business - or social media for that matter - four years ago when I said YES.

Simply put — I cared MORE about finding a wellness solution for myself and helping other along the way.

And like I remember the tough times in my past before I took this leap, I equally remember now the INCREDIBLE provision we’ve experienced (more than just financially) because of this coaching gig I started.

•coming home from my part time office job to spend time with my husband who was back from his third deployment

•helping pay off several debts

•being home with my daughter her ENTIRE first year + of life.. because of learning to WORK THE POCKETS

Four years

Loads of failing

But refusal to quit

And resilience to keep on

RESIDUAL INCOME. 

FREEDOM OF TIME.

CHOICE.

That’s what i have to show for.. & I’m so grateful!

You may still think “you do you, boo..” but at least do your research before you make a conclusive decision.

This opportunity - what we offer - the mission we’ve set out to tackle .. it’s not going anywhere. It’s GROWING.

So this is a great time to jump in.

I know this isn't for everyone. But, I BELIEVE it’s worth your consideration because of what’s possible!

What if you could _______.

Wouldn’t it be worth it!?

And could you afford NOT to try?

My job is more than helping people! Helping people get healthy andddd helping people build their version of success. I get to teach my team how to create opportunity!

My coach mentorship is open now & I’d love to chat with you about joining me! 

You have nothing to lose & so much to gain by giving this an honest shot.

So let’s TALK!  

Email me via lindseykollar@yahoo.com OR complete this form & I'll contact YOU!

( PS : you will be successful if you do the daily work, stay teachable & implement training.. AND focusing on helping people!! Kapeesh!?)

Banana Oat Cookie Recipe: Healthy & Baby Led Weaning Friendly

When our daughter Rae was about 6 months old, we decided to begin introducing her to solid foods. We did so using the "Baby Led Weaning" technique. If you haven't heard of it before, give it a quick google. It's really fascinating!

In a nutshell, baby led weaning is intended to be a more "natural" approach to food introduction that skips purees/baby foods entirely & goes straight to solid foods from milk. All while following your baby's lead through the process & trusting their bodies/instincts. I could go on, but I won't. Ha.

After a few months of BLW, we had 3 structured meals built into Rae's day {in addition to breastfeeding}. But I was needing some snack ideas for those in between times or on-the-go days. So I began looking for healthy "snack" options that weren't puffs.

PS, we love us some puffs, but just like to have options.

No judgement here, fellow mamas!

Okay, on to the cookies..

Anyone else struggle with healthy snacks for their kiddos?

Well, that's how I was feeling when my older sister shared THIS recipe with me.

This recipe is a slight variation of the original recipe from TastingPage.com. Be sure to hop over there for some other awesome, healthy recipes!

Healthy Banana Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1 cup of oats

(whatever oats you prefer, just not instant oats)

3 tablespoons of nut butter

*any other adds in you might want - such as dried fruit, nuts, spices, etc.

This will likely depend on the age of your child if you are making the cookies for them! Always consider the safety of your ingredients*

NOTE: you can make these without nut butter!

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mash the bananas in a bowl.

Then fold in the oats & nut butter.

And stir in any other add-in ingredients to the mixture.

 

I personally used chunky natural peanut butter & added chopped, dried blueberries & cinnamon in our cookies.

Drop mixture onto a cookie sheet or baking stone & bake for about 15 minutes. This recipe should make roughly 12 small cookies.

Cool after baking so they "set" before eating.

Store in the refrigerator.

They should keep for a few days!

We LOVED this recipe - not just for Raegan, but for ourselves too!

These are a PERFECT snack when you're on the go, needing something light pre/post workout or even as a healthy dessert alternative!

Also, the #frugalfelicia side of me really appreciates that you (1) use those bananas that are overly brown/soft/border line bad (2) can basically adjust the recipe to use whatever you have currently in your pantry.

Need a little more convincing to whip these up?

Picture this:

Double the recipe.

Split the banana/oat/nut butter mixture in half.

Stir in add ins of choice to each separate mixture.

meaning: make a selfish batch!!!!

Make 12 cookies for the kids with whatever THEY like..

& 12 cookies for mama with some gooey dark chocolate chips!!

Even better - make a batch of these & freeze them for the future!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we have.

And be sure to share in the comments whatever you try!!

Happy baking, friends!

Easy Prep Recipe: Spinach Salad with Sweet Potato, Chicken & Goat Cheese

Ever shy away from prepping ALL of your food for the week because you want something FRESH -- instead of endless containers of "left overs?"

While I don't personally relate to that.. gimme ALL the PREPPED food & left overs.. I DO love adding in some fresh salads to our weekly menus!!

What's sneaky about this recipe though is that some of it IS prepped ahead & the rest can be thrown together in a snap.

You're going to LOVE this!!

Spinach Salad

with Sweet Potato, Grilled Chicken & Goat Cheese

You can keep this super simple OR dress it up.

You can always make tweaks to YOUR taste & depending on the foods you have on hand!

This recipe was actually inspired by a couple of salads I ordered on our most recent trip to New Orleans last month. We has LOADS of yummy treats while we were there, so once a day I tried to squeeze in a load of greens to keep my tummy happy.

I made a couple of adjustments to make it simpler to throw together and healthier - stuff like less dressing, a lighter dressing & fewer "extra" toppings. You could certainly make this more rich though by dressing it up for a special occasion.

Okay here it is!

& I'm T E L L I N G you.. it's just too easy!

Ingredients:

Spinach

Sweet Potatoes

Chicken

Goat Cheese

Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette

(or a vinaigrette of your choice)

Coconut Oil Spray

Dried Spices of your choice + Salt & Pepper

Prep/Assembly:

Start by grilling your chicken.

This is where part of our prep ahead came into play. We grilled enough chicken for the two of us plus our 11 month old daughter to eat for dinners all week! All we had to do each day was dice our servings, heat & top our salads!

We seasoned with himalayan salt, pepper, garlic & dried rosemary. Then grilled to perfection.

I think some other DELICIOUS protein alternatives would be grilled shrimp or salmon, depending on what you have or have the taste for! We'll be trying these soon for SURE.

While the chicken was grilling, I prepped a week's worth of sweet potatoes. I washed each potato very well & the cubed them into small, bite-sized pieces. I decided to leave the skin on for added texture, but you could certainly peel them (I only peel them for my daughter, Raegan). I sprayed our potatoes lightly with coconut oil & seasoned them with himalayan salt, pepper & dried garlic.

BEWARE: roasted sweet potato bites are like CANDY & you WILL want to snack on them while they're cooling.

When it came to the day OF & it was dinner time, assembly was easy peasy.

Make yourself a pretty little bed of spinach.

Layer a warm serving of grilled chicken & diced sweet potatoes.

Crumble goat cheese ALL over.

Drizzle with vinaigrette!

I personally LOVE this Skinny Girl Raspberry Vinaigrette

Some other tasty topping ideas?!

Toss on some chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts!

You could even sprinkle a few dried cranberries over the top.

OR a fresh alternative.. dice up some strawberries!

Not a huge fan of sweet potatoes?

Go for butternut squash.. also DELICIOUS!

Lastly, switch up your dressings & try another vinaigrette.

Anyone else hungry yet??

Alrighty, friends. That's all!

I TOLD you it was too easy.

If you try something different, be sure to share it with me.

I'm always on the hunt for anything quick, healthy & easy to prep a little ahead!

I hope you enjoy this prep ahead but fresh SALAD!

PS: For any of my followers who are on the "fixate" meal plan, this recipe as I have shared it before substitution suggestions is: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 blue & 1 orange if you measure out each ingredient before plating!