Marriage Tip #15

Date night. Dinner and a movie. Five star restaurant. Drive in movie. A round of putt putt golf. A picnic in the park. Romantic candle light dinner. All of these ideas are some pretty standard date night ideas, and ones that I love, in fact! Honestly, the more ideas, the better. You can get so creative when it comes to date night.

But today, my tip is going to challenge you to get out of the date night box. I'm calling you to date DAY. And more specific, a romantic breakfast date. Yes, breakfast.

Our marriage tip for today is to plan a breakfast date with your spouse, and if you have time, make it a whole date day.

Zach and I have actually done a lot of breakfast dates over the course of our dating, engagement and marriage. We especially had a lot during our early dating days because we were about an hour and a half apart, and met in the middle of Atlanta for breakfast more than a few times. It also helps that my honey absolutely loves breakfast foods (pancakes in particular) so convincing him to go on a breakfast date it pretty easy.

But, if you have never tried to have a breakfast date with your spouse, or a date day, I challenge you to break out of the box of date night and switch things up. Great things happen when you get out of your normal routine and try something new, and who knows, maybe this is the spark that ignites something great and begins a new tradition for you.

I mean really, how fantastic is it to start the day on the right foot with your spouse? Starting the day over a long conversation over morning coffee, lingering over a tasty bowl of oatmeal, or a warm plate of bacon and eggs, or a towering stack of pancakes? There is so much creativity that can happen even within breakfast.

If you don't want to cook it yourself, go out to a fun breakfast place nearby! Discover a whole new breakfast restaurant you haven't tried, or visit an old favorite. If you do enjoy cooking (And we do) it is also a lot of fun to cook breakfast together!

Zach and I have even gone on an early morning shopping trip together to get some ingredients and then come back and prepare breakfast while listening to some fun jazz and just relaxing together. Seriously, there is so much greatness that can happen over a breakfast table, particularly if you have time to linger together.

So, my challenge to you is this....plan and have a breakfast date with your spouse! Decide if you will go out for breakfast, or if you will stay in and make a special breakfast together! You could even have breakfast in bed and read a book together or watch your favorite show after breakfast. Personally my favorite is at the kitchen table, but there is so much creativity to be had.

Who else has experienced the amazingness of a breakfast date before? What's your favorite date DAY activity?

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Y'all. Seriously, this was so good. I tweaked a recipe that I found a bit and made it our own, and absolutely loved it. This recipe is absolutely a keeper and one that we will be having again in the Cason house! Lasagna is such a comfort food, so I love finding ways to clean it up and add some more nutrients in any way that I can. This recipe is dynamite!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients
Half of a butternut squash, cubed and COOKED
2 cups ricotta cheese, divided
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tsp salt, divided into two 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 oz uncooked spinach
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cooking oil
10 oz whole wheat lasagna noodles
4 slices of provolone cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Prepare your lasagna noodles! Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook noodles until just tender. Drain and run cool water over them, set aside.

3. Prepare your butternut squash filling! Combine your butternut squash, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a food processor, and process until creamy. Set aside.

4. Prepare the spinach filling. Heat cooking oil a medium skillet over medium high, add minced garlic and cook about one minute. Add spinach to skillet and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and add to bowl. Combine with 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 2 tsp basil. Mix together and set aside.

5. Grease a 9x13 baking dish lightly. Divide your  butternut squash filling into thirds. Put 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with lasagna noodles.

6. Add 1/2 of your spinach mixture on top of the noodles, and follow with another layer of noodles. Add another layer of butternut squash, followed by noodles and then the rest of the spinach filling and noodles.

7. Finish with the last 1/3 of the butternut squash mixture, top with 1 cup of mozzarella. Cut each piece of provolone in half, and layer across the top.

8. Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes, uncover and cook for another 10 minutes.

9. Serve and enjoy!! 

5 Benefits of Warm Lemon Water

When you think of lemons, we usually go to images of cool, refreshing lemonade, vibrant decoration, refreshing aroma, and the like. Maybe even just that slice of something to perk up our water at restaurants, or the subject of some hilarious baby videos of them chomping on a lemon and experiencing the tang for the first time.

Whatever image or thoughts you have about lemons, I want to bring a new one to your attention...warm lemon water in the morning!

I have been doing this over the past year and love it! I haven't been as consistent as I would like (read that it has not been consistently every day), but you can bet if I have lemons in my fridge, I'm making warm lemon water in the morning.

On top of lemons being a powerhouse of vitamin c and antioxidants like most citrus fruits, there are numerous other health benefits to squeezing some fresh lemon in warm water in the morning! Some of my top favorites are these...

1. It's a refreshing and energizing start to your day. Think about it. When we want something to smell fresh and clean, lemon is a go to option. Well that natural zesty scent can add a pep to your step in the morning when you start out your day that way!

2. It promotes good oral health. Yup, it's good for your mouth! Know that awful morning breath when you wake up? Warm lemon water can help with that! Lemons eliminate mouth bacteria responsible for bad breath. It is also a natural bleaching agent! Just be sure to brush your teeth after drinking so you don't damage your enamel over time.

3. It's the age old cold buster! Any time you feel that tickle in the back of your throat, honey lemon water is your new best friend. 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp lemon juice in warm water will help you feel better sooner! It helps kill off excess mucus, honey helps sooth the throat, and it also has anti viral properties and the vitamin C boosts your immune system. Before running for a prescription, try this trusted remedy first!

4. It can help get you in a good mood! Vitamin c is a known stress reducer, and the smell of lemon also has shown to help minimize anxiety and depression. Start your day on the right foot and soak in some lemon water and the inviting scent, too!

5. It helps you maintain your bodies proper pH balance! Our bodies have a oh balancr, and based on what we are eating, it can be in good condition or bad. If its in bad condition, that can lead to more serious issues like arthritis, digestive problems and skin diseases to name a few. When your pH balance is in check, it helps your body absorb nutrients better, and keep your health at an overall better level. Lemon water is a great way to getting your gut back in good working order because it addresses one of the roots, your pH level!

I could go on and on with more benefits of drinking warm lemon water in the morning, weight loss aid, heart health, eye health, and so on. But I think you get the picture! Drinking warm lemon water is extremely beneficial for your body!

My favorite way to enjoy it? Boil up some water on the stove, squeeze half a lemon into a cup (I also leave the lemon in), pour hot water over it and enjoy! Adding honey also gives you some great benefits as well! You can also add some cayenne pepper to help rev up the metabolism.

Do you drink warm lemon water at all? Or what is your preference of drink in the morning?

Marriage Tip #14

Opening up a book is like escaping to another world. Adventure awaits, learning is there for the taking, knowledge seeping through words printed on a page. In a culture that loves its iPads, iPhones, tablets, Nooks, eReaders and whatever else is out there, I still much prefer the physical book. Whether you prefer your books in electronic form, or love to sniff and hold a physical book like I do, my marriage tip for today is this...

Read together.

And dare I suggest...out loud?

This is something that Zach and I started doing not long ago, but it is something that I have really come to truly enjoy. It gets you out of your comfort zone a little bit, because I feel like not that many people read out loud any more. If you do, extra kudos to you!

Pick a book, really it can be any book! It could be fiction, non fiction, a series you both love, or something new that you want to learn. Your options are endless!

Right now Zach and I are reading through a book about intimacy in marriage, and I love it. I love learning with my husband, and talking about it. We don't read every night, but try to read often before bed.

It is a great way to wind down from the day together, cuddle, and enjoy time with each other. It is a simple thing, but you might be surprised at what it does! Sometimes those simple little things can mean the most, especially when done intentionally and consistently.

So, grab a book and start reading together! Take turns, open up, and move forward together in a new adventure.

Do you read out loud with your spouse? What are some of your favorite books?

21 Day Fix Extreme Review

Today is my last day of my first official round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme! So, in celebration of that, I wanted to bring you my official review of the program! This is my fourth Beachbody program, and i must say, they set the bar high, and I love it. My other programs are T25, the original 21 Day Fix, and Les Mills Combat! The 21 Day Fix sets have been fantastic, so let's go ahead and dive into the review!

Here are some specifics about the program, in case you were curious.

21 Day Fix Extreme

Length of program: 21 days, but can be repeated as many times as you want.
How many days do you work out: 7 days a week, one of which is yoga (love it!)
How long are the workouts: 30 minutes
How many workouts are included in the program: 8 full 30 minute workouts, and a ten minute ab
Equipment needed: set of light and heavy free weights and a resistance band
Fitness level needed: You need to have a base level of fitness. If you have completed any other Beachbody program you should be good
Nutrition aspect: portion control containers and an extremely doable eating plan
Helps with: losing that last ten pounds, toning up, getting extreme, getting fit for an upcoming event, and getting healthier!

Alright, so now you have some of the bare basics of the 21DFX (21 Day Fix Extreme) program down. Let's get into the nitty gritty.

Pros: 
-I loved this program even more than the original 21 Day Fix. Specifically I loved the challenge that the workouts gave me.
-I really enjoyed using my weights in most every workout. I feel like it really gave me a lot of great strength training.
-I can do more push ups on my toes now than ever before! For reference, before I started my journey last year I couldn't do a single push up on my toes. After this program I got past 15!
-The eating plan is absolutely doable and sustainable. You do not go hungry with this!
-The principles of the eating plan really nourish your body and give you a good balanced diet. You aren't skipping out whole food categories, and you aren't depriving yourself.
-You have the option of doing the "countdown to competition" eating plan, which is a super clean eating plan to help give you maximum results! I didn't do it this round, but plan on it in the future!
- As with the last program, I love the 30 minute workout length, it's perfect for me.
- I like that they have a modifier on the screen and I could easily follow along if I needed to modify a move.
-I feel like I gained a lot of energy and more over all body strength doing this program!
- Planning ahead and using the eating plan really helps you to succeed with this program.
-I love that it is a 21 day program. It helps you establish a good healthy habit, and gives you a quick win, AND because it is NOT a crash diet, you can continue on with it!

Cons:
-You eat a lot of protein, (or red containers), especially if you do the countdown to competition. It's not bad, but I personally struggle with my red containers anyway, there's only so much chicken and fish I want to eat in a day. But, it is healthy!
-It's not so much a con, but a challenge that I worked through. There is a plyo workout that includes a lot of jumping. I definitely grew in strength but boy did it challenge me!
-It was an extremely comical "con" but I definitely had to get used to using a resistance band for the pilates workout. I wouldn't say it's a con, more something you have to get used to and be careful not to snap yourself in the face with the band while changing positions.
- Not personally a con for me, but I know for others it can be a challenge when you start out to meal plan. If it's something you are not used to doing, it can take time, BUT it is absolutely worth it, and I love helping people through that process.

Overall thoughts about my experience with 21DFX
As I stated before, I really enjoyed this program. If you haven't been doing a higher intensity program or working out at all in a while, I would suggest doing the 21 Day Fix as a god start up point. But people who have been working out can absolutely jump in on this. It is a fantastic program and has taught me so much about nutrition and how key and critical it is to overall health.

Nutrition brings about 80% of your results, so it really is that important. With the 21DFX (and the original) you are focusing on eating clean and nourishing your body with foods that fuel you. That in turn helps you gain more momentum on the fitness side of things and helps you just shred out your physique! I have become more and more aware of just how important nutrition is and I want to shout that from the rooftops.

Using the 21DFX helps you learn those principles and gives you a great foundation to continue that on past the 21 days, and also gives you great workouts that are doable and build your energy and strength. This program is a 10++ in my book!

Who wants to join in another round of the 21DFX with me and get some results of your own?? I have several groups starting soon, so if you are curious at all, or want more information, please don't hesitate to ask or reach out for more information! I would love to help any way I can.

Who is ready to get Extreme?? Stay tuned for my results too!

DIY Strawberry Ice Cream

Today is the first day of spring, and what better way to ring that in and the approaching warmer weather than with super easy and delicious strawberry ice cream? This was incredibly easy, and I loved it! I have made ice cream with frozen bananas before, which is also very good, but sometimes I want something with less of a banana-y flavor.

Enter strawberry ice cream.

It's like an ice cream meets a yogurt, meets a sorbet, meet a sherbet. All delicious. So be sure to give this recipe a try!

DIY Strawberry Ice Cream
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients
4 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek, you could probably even use a vanilla greek yogurt if you like it a little sweeter!)
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender), blend until smooth.
2. Divide into 4 servings, or dip out yours and save the rest for later, and ENJOY!

So easy, so refreshing, and best of all, GUILT FREE! Who is going to try this delectable treat? 

Spring Date Ideas

April showers bring May flowers. Or in this case, I am really hoping that these March showers will bring April flowers! Regardless of when the flowers come, the coming of spring means a whole new world of opportunity to get out and date your mate!

Oh yes, indeed it does. The world will soon be in blossom, and after being cooped up during cold winter months, you are definitely going to want to try some of these date ideas with your spouse or significant other!

These dates don't have to cost a lot, and that is the beauty of it. Finding intentional time to get creative and have fun with your spouse is what is important! Celebrate life with them this spring!

Here are our top ten spring date ideas to get out and have some fun!

1. Grown up Easter egg hunt! Have your own Easter egg hunt...grown up style! Who says kids get to have all the fun? Get a bag of empty Easter eggs, and divide them between the two of you. You can fill them however you want! Big or small, you get creative! You can do their favorite candy, a personal coupon they can redeem, a gift card (if you have a bigger budget), LOVR notes....anything! Hide them outside or around the house and have fun!

2. Scavenger hunt! Use those eggs again for good purpose! Have a fun scavenger hunt. Again, could be around the house, or outside! Fill your Easter eggs with the clues, and lead it to a fun surprise!

3. Go have a picnic! This is the perfect time of year to have a picnic before the bugs and heat come out in full force. Go to your favorite park and have a bite to eat together!

4. Play a game outside! This could be a board game or an actual outdoor game. But there is something so fun about getting out in the fresh air and playing! Zach and I have gone to a local state park and brought a board game and just played on a picnic table. So fun!

5. Take a day hike together. Look online to find what state or national parks may be near you! They are usually very reasonably and cheaply priced to get into for the day. Fill up your water bottles, bring some snacks and hit the trails! Discover s new Area together!

6. Have a "wine and cheese" picnic. Now this you have to be careful with if you use actual wine and if you are outside your own home. Most parks prohibit open containers of any alcohol. But you could do this in your own backyard with wine, or get sparkling wine and go to a park. But go to yourblocsl grocery store, pick out a few fun cheeses to try, some crusty bread, fruit, nuts and maybe a jam, and have a very fun and sophisticated picnic together!

7. Go camping! If you don't have the time or location to fully camp for one or two nights, consider breaking out your tent in your own backyard! Make some s'mores and camp food fare and have fun. This is the perfect time of year to break out the tents.

8. Have dinner by candlelight on your patio. One of my favorite memories as a kid were the nights that we got to eat dinner out on our porch. It's a blast to change up the scenery and enjoy each others company over dinner in the delightful spring air! Don't forget the candles, and remember that Pandora and Spotify have some great playlists to accompany as well! Our most recent favorite: New Orleans Jazz!

9. Paint Easter eggs. Well, you've already hidden the plastic ones, time to hard boil some eggs, buy a dye kit, and paint Easter eggs! It may seems silly, but these fun activities get us out of the normal routine and let us have fun together. Talk about your Easter traditions as a child!

10. Take a day trip to somewhere you haven't been before, and walk around and explore. Don't plan anything except where you are going. Grab your map to get there, and just explore a new place together! Walk around, enjoy the sunshine and find unique places to come back to.

There you have, ten super fun, cheap date night ideas that you can use this spring! Take advantage of this glorious weather, get outside and have fun with each other. It is not all about what you do, but being with your spouse and spending that intentional time with them. Showing them you care by being present and enjoying life with them!

What is your favorite date idea for spring?