It's been a year of podcasting over here, which feels kinda awesome! I wanted to do a fun episode to celebrate, and I also know there are many new listeners and new social media followers around here lately (THANK YOU), so I'm bringing you some of my favorite things!
My friends Sam and Christine from the podcast “Compassion & Cucumbers” do fun "top 5 favorites" kind of episodes, s0 I wanted to play too!
Read on to discover some of my favorite: Grocery Stores, business products/hacks, snacks, "impulse purchases", meals you can prep & freeze, & finally, my favorite quotes!
My Favorite Grocery Stores!
Aldi: I do most of my grocery shopping here! You really just can't beat Aldi's prices. Compared to any other grocery store, in my experience Aldi always wins - with a great organic section, lots of produce, and a great mix of specialty shelf-stable items.
Wegmans: More expensive, but a great selection of vegan and plant-based products, huge variety of cultural groceries, basically a great one-stop-shop if you can spend a little bit more for convenience.
Trader Joe's: I could easily spend half a day in this store. I love the unique groceries they have, the convenience that a lot of the options are pre-cut and ready to cook, lot's of prepared frozen meals that are actually healthier, and a great selection of plant-based options that aren't super expensive.
Tops Markets: I started going back to Tops recently because they are affiliated with the APP Flash Foods - which is an amazing way to get discounted food that might be close to the end of their shelf life, but it's still good & saves on food waste at the same time. It's a win-win! PS: use the code: STEP1B2K for $5 off Flash Food!
The Vegan Grocery Store: ONLY in Tonawanda, NY - This is a rare occasion for me, because they don't carry a ton of the staple kitchen items. HOWEVER they offer some of the most amazing specialty vegan & plant-based items that taste AMAZING. So, it's a really fun place to check out once in a while to try something new!
Products or hacks for running my business
Canva: I use this for any of my graphic content on social media. It's a really affordable online software (also has a free version!) and you can make pretty much anything you need on here.
Trello: this is great for managing my tasks. It's basically an online to-do list. You can make different categories, add links or photos, and it's shareable so you can invite other people to your board & keep up-to-date on where everyone is at. This is also FREE!
Google Drive: I probably don't need to go into much detail about this, but I'm just saying I use google drive for EVERYTHING! It's the best way to keep all my information together, easily share & edit documents among multiple people, and keep track of my own work.
Focus Mode: This is a phone setting which lets you choose which apps are available for you to open during certain times which you set. For example, in my focus mode I keep open text messages, phone calls, podcasts, & my walking tracker. This way, I can't just start mindlessly scrolling when I really need to focus (iPhone info here / Android info here)
Tab Groups: I was 33 years old when I learned how to use tab groups. If you're on your computer right now, how many tabs do you have open? I keep so many tabs open so I don't lose my pages or forget something. But, I recently found out that I can group my tabs according to category - like, email pages together, all business pages together, and research pages together!
Snacks on the go
Froozeballs: date, nut, & fruit, energy packed, whole food snacks!
Raw fruits & veggies: in any form, these are so easy to grab & take with you. I keep some pre-cut in the fridge to make it even easier!
Protein shake: Check out KOS Protein! I love them because it is fully plant based, organic, GF, aka safe for all diets (be aware of allergens like nuts!) It's literally delicious enough to just mix with water, too. PS: Use code BEWELLWITHSTEPH for 15% off!
Meal prep you can freeze
Chili or any kind of stew: so easy to make a huge batch, that you can divide, freeze in containers, and they thaw & reheat really well.
Smoothie bags: plain & simple - Ziplock bags with your individual smoothie ingredients (maybe: chopped banana / berries, handful of spinach, flax seed or protein powder) so it's all chopped, ready to blend and go, saving you a bunch of time in the morning!
Batches of grains: Great if you are meal-prepping on a budget, or just cooking for 1-2 people. It takes pretty much the same amount of time to cook a batch of rice, quinoa, or pasta for 10 servings as it does for one, right? So make a larger batch, and just freeze the extra so it's ready to go for the next meal, or whenever you're pressed for time.
Produce that's in season: Any time of year that I can buy fresh, local, in-season produce, I try to buy extra whenever it's possible for me, so I can save those in the freezer for the times during the year when they aren't in season, and won't be as easy or affordable to buy.
Impulse purchases
Ninja single serve blender: this was a total impulse buy, that it turns out I use almost daily! It's not only great for smoothies, but for soups, hummus, dips, purees, etc.
Silicone ice cube trays: another impulse buy, that we decided to try out just because they were cool & new, but I totally ended up loving them!
Buffalo gal mascara: local, natural & organic skin-care company in Buffalo! I discovered at a wellness fair, just happened to need mascara so I grabbed one & totally fell in love with it. My eyelashes feel so lush, not clumpy, & I just feel great about the product I am using. PS: Use code BEWELLWITHSTEPH for 15% off!
Bistro table and chairs: Bought this set for my classroom when I was teaching 5th grade, which I used for a while & it was so so cute. When I left teaching, I found myself using it all the time at Wellness in the Village! It's currently sitting out front, to enjoy the sunshine :)
Motivational Quotes
This was super hard to narrow down - if you haven't realized yet, I am a huge believer in the power of words. Words hold so much power & energy and have the ability to completely change your mindset & have such a huge impact on your life. So, I have a lot of favorites but these are some that I keep finding myself coming back to and feeling connected with!
1. You can do hard things.
2. Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss things. Small minds discuss people. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
3. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what the sunflowers do. ~Helen Keller
4. Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. ~Walt Whitman
5. If you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done.
6. Someone once told me not to bite off more than I can chew. I said I'd rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity.
7. I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. ~E. B. White
Use the code BEWELLWITHSTEPH for 15% off my favorite products from KOS (including plant-based protein powder) & Buffalo Gal Skincare!
Buffalo Gal Skincare: http://www.buffalogalskincare.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bewellwithsteph_
Use STEP1B2K for $5 off Flash Food: https://www.flashfood.com/en/download
Join my Facebook Community: http://www.facebook.com/groups/bewellwithsteph
Free Discovery Calls & Coaching Info: http://www.bewellwithsteph.com/workwithme
Help support free content! http://www.buymeacoffee.com/bewellwithsteph
Did you resonate with any of the things I shared today? Want to know more, or just talk about your health goals? Reach out to me any way that's convenient for you, I'd love to connect and meet you!
email: steph@bewellwithsteph.com
website: www.bewellwithsteph.com/workwithme
instagram: @bewellwithsteph_
Prefer to listen to this topic? You can, here!
(I elaborate a lot more on some of these important, ideas, too.)
Would love to hear if you love any of my favorites, too, or if you're excited to try something new. :) Let me know in the comments! ♡
You are worthy of living and capable of creating a healthy lifestyle you love. 🤍