Trader Joe's Has Arrived

My very, very favorite grocery store in the whole wide world finally opened their first store in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was more excited for this grand opening than I was for Black Friday - which is a lot. My Mom and I arrived just in time for the ribbon cutting and then as the crowd (a couple hundred people) went wild we were let inside. It took a long time to reach the door where we received a lei and an awesome welcome from the TJ's staff. The aisles were so congested we couldn't move or see anything but it was so worth it.

Today my Mom, Ella, and I went back so we could buy more. It was still crazy busy and there were a lot of products out-of-stock, but I got a ton of fun TJ products to try. I was so excited that for the first time I could by freezer foods since I couldn't buy them and bring them back to Utah when we were out of town. (The freezer section is one of the biggest since our store doesn't carry alcohol.)

As we were checking out we asked if it was true that our TJ's grand opening broke records, the cashier replied "No, it didn't break it records - it shattered them!"

TJ's will definitely be a weekly trip for us. Our store is amazing.

Lemon, Rosemary, and Vanilla Home Simmer

If you are on Pinterest you have probably seen a pin for some kind of natural home deodorizer that you can simmer on the stove to make your home smell delicious. The recipe I have seen the most is this one; mix water, a couple of sprigs of rosemary, slices of lemon, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and simmer of the stove all day. This is a smell that is familiar in Williams-Sonoma stores. 

I have a mini slow cooker and thought it would be perfect for this. I turned it on high, left the lid off, and it let it simmer all day. It made my house smell really fresh and delicious.

Good Morning Yoga Sequence

Via Thoughts By Natalie

I love this morning yoga routine. All of the poses are easy to do and they give your body a really good stretch to start the day.

My 7-Day Detox Plan

When you hear the word detox do you think of a juice cleanse or a fruit and veggie fast? Detoxes can be number of different plans, but the main purpose of a detox is to eliminate poisons and toxins from the body. Detox plans can help prevent chronic illnesses, reduce damage to your immune system, help rid the body of excess weight, and more. 

One of the main reasons I am going on a detox plan is to get my healthy eating habits in check, kick my wicked sugar addiction, and rid excess toxins from my body. I have done so well adding healthier, whole foods to my diet but I am still struggling with my sugar addiction. My goal is to finish this week long detox with my bad habits in check.  

Inviting Waters from Martha Stewart

Here is my 7-day detox plan:

Water. 
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Add lemon, lime, or other fresh ingredients to jazz it up.

Eat Clean.
Eat foods that are whole, all-natural, organic, and clean. Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, legumes, and healthy fats (like avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds, etc.). Avoid dairy and gluten for the next 7 days. Eliminate added sugar, caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, and artificial ingredients.

Drink Green.
Drink 1-2 green smoothies per day. I blend 1-cup of spinach or kale, 3/4-cup fruit, 1/2 banana, and 1 tablespoon of chia or flax seeds.

Get Your Z's. 
Sleep 7-9 hours per night.

Exercise.
Spinning, weight lifting, walking, etc. Sweating eliminates toxins from the body.

Breathe Deeply.
Practice yoga or meditate daily.

Body Brush.

Brushing your skin five minutes a day sloughs off dead skin cells and improves circulation. Read more about why I love to body brush, here. 

If you are interested in a detox plan, you can find a great starting plan here: Whole Living Action Plan. Also, one of my favorite documentary films has a short video about detoxes, click on Hungry For Change Detox to watch.