What's in my gym bag

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a little crazy to say the least. We have all shifted life to accommodate our individual circumstances which means everyones day to day looks a little different. Welcome to my new normal! I went from teaching spin and having an unlimited yoga membership to being at home with my dogs where my fitness routine looks a lot different.

Thank you so much to shortyLOVE for sponsoring this post! These bags were created by the boss babe who was previously the design director for Marc Jacobs and she named her brand after her dog (a woman who speaks my language!).

In the spirit of normalcy let’s talk about what’s in my gym bag! First off, my gorgeous gym bag is from shortyLOVE and it’s the Boxer in black. It holds ALL of my gym essentials and I store all of my go-to’s in it even while at home. The bag converts from a backpack to a shoulder bag (see below) so you can wear it how you want! I’m going to walk you through how I use it when life is a little more normal so you know how I use it to it’s maximum awesome capacity.

Use code MAE10 to receive $10 off your first order.

Let’s start at the bottom where you’ll find a large zipper compartment for my shoes. This compartment is spacious and depending on how big your shoes are, you could probably fit more than just shoes - I recommend throwing your dirty clothes in here as well (once we are back to the gym of course)!

The side zipper holds my laptop, the two side pockets hold water bottles, and the middle front zipper is perfect for easy access to my phone. Moving on to the spacious interior! The main compartment is massive and holds my clean clothes, hairbrush, shower spray, and whatever else I’m carrying with me. The inside is also complete with an interior zipper pocket, interior red pockets (another place for phone/wallet), and a GREAT pop out bag where I keep things like headphones, deodorant, gum, extra mic covers, snacks, headache medicine, and iPhone dongle. I love this because in other bags, my essential smaller bag always gets buried in the bottom so I LOVE that this pops in the top.

If you’re into this shortyLOVE Boxer, I also recommend checking out the other bags they make:

The Wonder comes in camo (pictured), black and navy. For me, this bag is perfect for yoga when I don’t have extra shoes, but I still need enough space to carry my towel, waterbottle, and essentials.

The Amuse is a crossbody or top handle bag and also comes in camo, black, and navy. This is the perfect purse size which means it gets used for EVERYTHING.

Lastly is the Shorthand which is my choice for walking the dogs. It’s perfect when I want to be handsfree when all I need is my phone and some treats!

What are your must have gym essentials? Let me know below! 

Check out the full shortyLOVE collection here! Use code MAE10 to receive $10 off your first order.

How to Incorporate Gratitude in to Your Daily Life

“Happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ― Frederick Koenig.

Let’s talk about practicing gratitude. Maybe you’re familiar with it or maybe this is the first time you’ve really read about it.  In a nutshell, practicing gratitude requires you to express deep appreciation and acknowledge the positive things around you. Although something you should still do, this is more than saying thank you to someone for doing something nice. This is taking a few moments a day to really recognize the great things, big or small, in your life. Studies have shown that people who consistently express gratitude are happier, less depressed, more optimistic, sleep better, and have stronger relationships. 

Intrigued? It gets even better because multiple scientific studies have proven these benefits. In 2017 Berkely University completed a study with 300 people who were currently seeking mental health counseling for depression or anxiety. Group one wrote a letter of gratitude to another person each week for three weeks (but they didn’t have to send it), group two wrote emotionally about negative experiences, and group three did not do a writing activity. The group who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health four weeks after the exercise and even better results twelve weeks later than those who didn’t. What is even more fascinating is the fMRI scan conducted which revealed that the gratitude letter group demonstrated greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when experiencing gratitude than the other groups three months later!

So, how can we practice gratitude? There are various avenues you can take that range from simple and short to creative and tangible. I’ve listed a few below:

• Let’s start with the one we already know, gratitude letters to specific people. We read above that these can make a massive impact by writing one a week and the choice is yours whether you send it or not. 

• Keep a gratitude journal that you write in every day. I always suggest at least three new things a day, but even one entry is better than nothing. These entries can be as simple as a bullet point list or you can let the pen fly!

• Create a gratitude jar. This one is great for kids since they can decorate the jar however they want, but I’m all for adults doing it too! Each day write down on slips of paper what you’re grateful for and watch the jar fill up. If you’re ever feeling down you can grab a few out and remind yourself of all the great things, people, and experiences in your life. 

• Gratitude app. If pen and paper aren’t your thing, there are some great apps out there. Seriously, just type in “gratitude” in the search bar of your app store and you’ll find plenty to choose from. A few features I like about using an app is the ability to add photos to my bullet lists, push notifications reminding to put in an entry, and the ability to add a passcode to keep it personal. 

Do you think you’ll add a gratitude practice to your life? If not, what’s stopping you? I truly believe (and science agrees) that it will only bring greatness to your life. Just as you take care of your body, you also need to take care of your mind. 

I’ve also put an Instagram story template below. Please feel free to use it to help spread the habit of gratitude to others. <3

PLANT-BASED BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER

Hi guys! Today I’m giving you three super easy plant-based recipes. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is vegan and has been for about five or so years, and I’ve been pescatarian for almost a year. We are no strangers to plant-based food, but I totally understand that it can be really intimidating when you’re first starting out. I’ll be honest, some plant-based options are YUCK, but that’s the case with ANY food, right? I mean even the meat-eaters out there can agree that you’ve had an amazing burger and you’ve also had a really terrible one. The good news is, plant-based brands have come a LONG way and some options out there are IDENTICAL to the “real” thing - it’s crazy!

I’m here to tell you about 3 recipes that you’ll love. Full disclosure, this blog post is NOT sponsored, but I did work with Kroger on some Instagram content. So if you’re in the south you can find all of these ingredients there. I genuinely just want these recipes to be easily available to you guys whether you’re dipping your toes into the plant-based world or just doing meatless Fridays because of lent.

PLANT-BASED BERRY SMOOTHIE:

Serving Size: 1 Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 banana

• 1 cup mixed frozen berries

• 3/4 cup oat milk

• Hand full of spinach

• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp PB2 

Blend until smooth and serve with a reusable straw. :)

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PLANT-BASED DELI SANDWICH 

Serving Size: 1 Sandwich

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread

• Simple Truth Plant Based Ham Deli Slices

• Field Roast Chao “cheese” slices

• Hand full of spinach 

• Half an avocado 

• Cucumber slices 

• Mustard of your choice

Put it together and enjoy! This one is great for the kids lunches or in our case, we always take sandwiches when we go on the boat in the summer time. The deli “meat” and the “cheese” slices are A+ and if you don’t live in the south, I highly recommend anything you see from the brand “Field Roast” because it’s available all over the country.

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Plant-Based Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli and Savory Smoky Crunchies

Serving Size: 2 

Ingredients:

• 8 oz of pasta (we used rigatoni)

• 1 head of Broccoli 

• 1 tbsp or less of Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil

• 1 cup Coconut

• 2 tsp Liquid Aminos (Tamari or soy sauce would work as well)

• 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke

• 4 tsp Maple Syrup

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have large non-stick skillet on stand by. 

2. Cut head of broccoli into bite size pieces. Toss in olive oil (or vegetable oil), salt, and pepper. Place on baking tray and bake for 8-10min or until lightly browned. 

3. While broccoli is cooking, add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions on package. Most likely it will be around 8-10 minutes until al dente. When pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and put to the side, drain the remaining pasta water, return pasta back to the large pot and keep off heat. 

4. To make the savory crispy bits, place a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add coconut flakes, Liquid Aminos, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss consistently until the coconut is evenly coated and the coconut is cooked until slightly browned. This should take 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl when done. 

5. Add the Alfredo sauce and 1/2 cup of pasta water to the cooked pasta. Reduce over low-medium heat.

6. Divide the saucy pasta into two dishes. Top with broccoli and crunchies. Salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

If you guys have any plant-based brands that you love, please drop them in the comments below. I also love the No Evil Pulled Pork, JUST egg, Miyoko’s Mozzarella, Earth Balance butter, Nasoya Kimcbhi, Field Roast Apple Sage Sausages, FIeld Road Choa slices (used in recipe above), and Treeline French-style nut cheese (SO GOOD with crackers) to name a few!

OUR WEDDING VIDEO

My Dress: Wedding Angels in Roswell, GA (if you get alterations make sure you request Karan)
Zachs Suit: Savvi Formalwear
Bridesmaids Dresses: Etsy
Groomsmen Grateful Dead Socks: Stance via Amazon
My Earrings: Etsy
My Ceremony Heels: Asos
My Reception Wedge Sneakers: Bebe Hi-Tops
Hair: My Hair: (Maxine from Arrow Salon) + Bridesmaids and Mothers Hair: Meg Me Beautiful
Makeup: Meg Me Beautiful
Hair Extensions: Laced Hair
Bouquet and Arch flowers: Venue’s personal florist
Formal Place Settings: Prissy Plate Company
Private Dinner Flowers: Heather with Stem’s Atlanta
Hand Lettered Place Cards and Tiles: Haley at Wilde Flower Paper Co
Pampas Grass: Sourced from Cut Flower Wholesale in Atlanta, GA
Venue: West Milford Farm in Cumming, GA
Photographer: Diamond Eyes
Photobooth: Smilebooth
Videographer: LT Photo + Film
Illustrator for coloring page: Etsy
Custom Koozies: Etsy
Catering: Penni with Flavorful Events
Cupcakes: Splat

HOW TO MAKE A HOT CHOCOLATE BAR

With Christmas coming and the Winter season here for several more months, I thought it would be a great idea to share my hot chocolate bar with you! I sourced my goodies from all over (mostly Home Goods and Kroger) but I will link as many similar items as I can find.

This was a hit at our annual Christmas party, but the only other recommendation I have to add to the list below is to get some Kahlua or Bailey’s to add some alcohol to the mix!

ITEMS USED:

SERVINGWARE:

• Two Tiered Marble Server is from Crate and Barrel

• Bonavita Electric Kettle (ours has a traditional spout and I can’t find it, but the linked one is similar

• Mason Jars

• The little plastic bowl for the chocolate spoons is from the Dollar Tree

• Small serving tongs are from the Dollar Tree

• Measuring spoon to measure the hot chocolate powder, these are similar

• Gold tray - this one, this one, and this one are similar

• Napkins are from Home Goods, but these are cute and so are these.

• Cups with lips and sleeves are from Home Goods, but these are similar and cute

INGREDIENTS:

• The multi-flavor chocolates are from Home Goods, but these are similar

• Chocolate spoons are from Home Goods but Amazon has them as well (linked)

• Sprinkles from the grocery Store

• Cinnamon Sugar from the grocery Store

• Marshmallows from the grocery Store

• Candy Canes from the grocery Store

• Creme Filled Stick Cookies from the grocery store or Home Goods

• Whipped Cream from the grocery Store

• Optional Kahlua or Bailey’s

DECOR:

• Gold tree is from Target and they sell two sizes

• White feather boa

I hope you guys love this as much as we did! I will for sure be setting up another one of these are our next party this winter season!

My Top 5 Winter Amazon Finds Under $60

Hey guys! I did a little shopping on Amazon for the winter season and came across some really great pieces (and some not so great pieces, but those got sent back- hah!) perfect for your upcoming events. These are all items that I liked enough to keep and have already worn.

Everything I’ve listed is $60 or less and is eligible for Prime which means free shipping and free returns if you decide the items don’t suit you or you need another size!

1. Epic Fluffy Coat

This coat is my favorite find. It’s pink, fluffy, super cozy, and actually thick. Tip: Use the sizing chart. *I ordered an “XXL/12” for a slightly looser fit.

2. Leopard Cardigan

This sweater comes in 16 different prints (I have the one pictured). I love the long length and casual vibe. *I ordered a size small.

3. Fitted Sweater Dress

This dress is an unexpected find and comes in camel and grey. I love it way more in person than I did online. The length is nice, the sleeves are long enough for my monkey arms, and it looks amazing with thigh high boots! *I ordered a 4/6.

4. Oversized Sweater Dress

This is the dress I’m wearing in the first photo. It’s not my top pick, but I do like it so I felt it was worth mentioning. I love the huge turtle neck, pockets, and the length, but I ordered the white version (it comes in 8 colors) and you definitely need to wear a slip with it. I almost didn’t keep it because of this reason, but it’s just an easy piece to wear so I decided to hang on to it. *I ordered size large for an oversized fit.

5. Lightweight Sweater

This is that perfect lightweight sweater that looks great french tucked into a pair of jeans. It has the chunky look without all of the excess material. I ordered a size small in this yellow color, but it comes in 5 colors.

Bonus Item

This pack of basic cropped camis is a bonus item. They are definitely not winter specific, but I do find myself wearing them under these items instead of wearing a bra. They are super lightweight, comfortable, and wash/dry without shrinking. I have the 3-pack in a size small.

That’s it for me! If you have any other Amazon winter items that you recommend, please link them in the comments below!

The boots pictured in the photos of me are sold out from Nasty Gal, but here are a few that are similar: these, these, these and these.

Photos by Jason Holland

Make Your Wedding Uniquely Yours

My biggest piece of advice (besides hire a wedding planner) is to make your wedding yours! If you want to ditch a tradition, or all of them for that matter, do it! For example - I definitely got some looks when I told a few people that we decided to do online RSVP’s, but I’m SO glad we did it! It kept count for me, saved on paper and postage, and encouraged everyone to look at the wedding website I spent so long on - haha. If you followed my wedding journey you’ll know that I DIY’d A LOT and that alone gave my wedding a ton of personal touches, but we didn’t stop there!

All of my vendors and links are at the bottom of this post.

Style

Pick the look that reflects YOU! I opted for a strapless dress and paired it with some big awesome earrings that I ordered from an etsy seller based in India. I didn’t go with a veil, I decided to wear my dress the whole time instead of changing into a dancing dress, I added a custom faux leather jacket at night, and I changed from my sparkly heels into wedged sneakers for comfort after the ceremony. My makeup was very glam and featured glitter on my eyes, big lashes, and a red lip. My hair fell IMMEDIATELY because of the humid rainy weather, but I opted for a sparkly hair piece, wavy hair (rip, lol), and extensions for a fuller and longer look. Zach chose a paisley tux jacket and he and all of his guys wore skeleton Grateful Dead socks as a nod to Zach’s favorite band and the fact that we were getting married the weekend before Halloween.

Ceremony

The focal point of our ceremony as you walked in was the beautiful geometric arch that Zach’s dad made for us. It started with a Pinterest photo that I showed him, and he created my vision perfectly. Zach and I will be using it in some way in our new house that is currently being built (ahh so cool!). During the ceremony we each stood by 5 girls and 5 guys, I had two maids of honor and Zach didn’t choose a best man because he didn’t want to rate his friends, haha. Zach and I laid out our ceremony word for word with the help of our officiant. My biggest request to Zach was that our vows be personal and that we read them out loud (don’t forget to hire a DJ that will mic you so that your guests can hear you). We decided on five individual vows that started with “I promise” where we swapped back and forth with personal banter that was secret to each other until that moment, and ended on “I promise to always be your best friend” and “I promise to always be your best friend, too.” Our ceremony also included a rose ceremony that thanked our parents and ended with us presenting a rose to each of them. The venue also featured several of the signs that I DIY’d including welcome, seating chart, order of events, drink menu and more.

Reception

We knew we wanted time for photos after the ceremony so we entertained our guests with a cocktail hour complete with a digital photobooth featuring a DIY where we made big heads of our dogs Sweetpea and Loki to use as props, passed hors d'oeuvres that included options for everyones dietary needs (a big reflection of Zach since he is vegan), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with custom '“Drunk in Love” koozies, and a playlist that Zach made himself! (We would have also had cornhole had it not rained). Our guest tables were lined with floating candles that I sourced and planned, numbered with another simple DIY that Zach and I did with dried flowers, and each table had crayons and a coloring sheet of our dogs Sweetpea and Loki that I had custom made by an illustrator on Etsy. We did our grand entrance to “Beastie Boys - Fight for Your Right to Party” where I debuted my custom leather jacket that I DIY’d days before the wedding with my new last name on the back - it was awesome! Zach also created another playlist for dinner where we snuck away to the greenhouse on the property and had a private dinner with just the two of us featuring a gorgeous table setting from Prissy Plate Company and Stem’s Atlanta. I highly recommend doing this! It was quiet, we talked, enjoyed the food, and could hear Zach’s playlist in the distance - so magical. Speaking of food, we hired a caterer that knew how to make delicious vegan food! We opted for a few non-vegan options, too - but really made a point to create a buffet that reflected our personal tastes. When it was time to cut the cake, we chose five cupcake flavors (2 vegan options and 3 non-vegan options) that sat under another smaller arch also built by Zach’s dad. Besides the formal dances, we chose to only play upbeat music for the entire night complete with bubble guns on the dance floor and my bridesmaids surprising me with hilarious animal heads. We ended our night with a sparkler send off and “pretended” to leave in one of Zach’s dads old cars (we hired a car to actually take us home though as we had been drinking).

What personal touches did you add/want to add to your wedding? Leave them in the comments below :)

My Dress: Wedding Angels in Roswell, GA (if you get alterations make sure you request Karan)
Zachs Suit: Savvi Formalwear
Bridesmaids Dresses: Etsy
Groomsmen Grateful Dead Socks: Stance via Amazon
My Earrings: Etsy
My Ceremony Heels: Asos
My Reception Wedge Sneakers: Bebe Hi-Tops
Hair: My Hair: (Maxine from Arrow Salon) + Bridesmaids and Mothers Hair: Meg Me Beautiful
Makeup: Meg Me Beautiful
Hair Extensions: Laced Hair
Bouquet and Arch flowers: Venue’s personal florist
Formal Place Settings: Prissy Plate Company
Private Dinner Flowers: Heather with Stem’s Atlanta
Hand Lettered Place Cards and Tiles: Haley at Wilde Flower Paper Co
Pampas Grass: Sourced from Cut Flower Wholesale in Atlanta, GA
Venue: West Milford Farm in Cumming, GA
Photographer: Diamond Eyes
Photobooth: Smilebooth
Videographer: LT Photo + Film
Illustrator for coloring page: Etsy
Custom Koozies: Etsy
Catering: Penni with Flavorful Events
Cupcakes: Splat

Epic Overnight Oats - Vegan (Blueberry, PB2, cinnamon)

Hi guys! How are you? I hope you’re having an amazing day wherever you are!

This is my first blog post since being a married woman - woohoo! Will I ever get used to saying “my husband” or my new last name? Only time will tell!

Anyhoo! I am back with a new quick and easy plant-based breakfast recipe. This time I’ve teamed up with PB2 (who are wonderfully sponsoring todays post - you rock!) to use their new Performance Almond Protein Plant Powder. After a bit of testing with various ingredients and amounts of each, I came up with this delicioussss fall inspired overnight oats recipe that you have to try! It’s perfect for anyone on the go and is packed with 17g of protein!

This is now my ideal overnight oats breakfast. If you guys aren’t familiar with overnight oats (don’t worry my husband wasn’t either and thought it was weird that I was making cold oatmeal), but I promise you this is SO GOOD and now he is a believer. It’s a few simple ingredients that you toss into a jar, mix together, put on the lid, and put in the fridge overnight. The next morning you can add some extra milk if you want and you’re ready to go - it’s seriously that easy.

That face below is 100% a reflection of my feelings towards this food.

The Most Epic Overnight Oats:

Serving: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1/2 cup old fashioned or “rolled” oats

• 2 tbsp (or use the container scoop, once and leveled) of PB2 Performance Almond Protein Plant Powder

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp agave

• 1 pinch of cinnamon

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions:

1. In a mason jar or something similar, add almond milk, oats, PB2 Almond Protein Plant Powder, chai seeds, agave, and cinnamon.

2. Stir these ingredients until they are well combined and then stir in your blueberries.

3. Place the lid on your jar and pop it into the fridge overnight or for about 6+ hours.

4. The next morning you can eat exactly as is, or splash a bit of milk for a creamier texture - your choice!

5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Per One Serving:

Calories: 393 // Fat: 7g // Saturated Fat: 0g // Cholesterol: 0mg // Sodium: 67mg // Potassium: 35mg // Total Carbohydrates: 68g // Dietary Fiber: 8g // Sugar: 28g // Protein: 17g

If you guys make this, PLEASE tag me on IG because that will make my day! Also, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, please use the comments section and I will 100% write back. Also, make sure you follow me on Instagram @MaeElizabethG as I post on there almost every day. Bye and see you next time!

Bonus photo for all of you who love my dogs! Sweetpea says hi!