As we all know, nothing in life comes easy. We go through challenges daily, but these obstacles push us to our max. Sometimes we hit rock bottom, but then bloom to be the best self we've ever been. 

A few years ago, I was blindsided by a disturbing secret that affected my marriage. Fast forward a couple of years my ex's secret got worst and eventually broke our commitment. 2016 started out to be the worst time in my life. I was married to some one I did not know. I hit a low point in my life. Going through divorce was horrible. It brought out the worst in every one, but I knew it was the best for my kids and myself. 

I made a major decision and decided to move to Austin, TX to be closer to family. I didn't want to leave what I've known for the past 12 years. I loved the small town I say I'm from. I loved my job. I loved my friends. 

I packed up my car, drove off, and didn't look back. I'm blooming in Austin, TX. I love it here. The kids are flourishing. They continue to amaze me. They are so resilient. Although I still face obstacles daily, I feel as if I'm the best me and continue to grow into a better version of myself. 2017 has already been so wonderful. I'm finding myself, healing myself, loving myself, being passionate, building relationships, meeting new people, and making memories. I encourage you to take a leap of faith and follow your dreams. Know yourself and be the best version of you. 

I love the message Wente Vineyards puts out. "For the love of the Journey." This company is incredible. Filled with lavish history and rich heritage. Their journey started in 1883 and continues to flourish. Wente is 130 years strong, and 5 generations as the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery. A common thread that is weaved through from generation to generation is it's Love of the Journey. As they say, “We don’t make wine because we have to, we do it because we love to.”

What is your journey? What are your dreams, goals, and how with you accomplish them?

Thank you for stopping by!

​Kristi

I’m hooked! These are so good! I recently started counting my macros or macronutrient intake. I track every day how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats I consume. I like to say I’m a health freak, but that isn’t really true. I can’t stay away from candy and cake. Not healthy. I do love fruits and vegetables, but sometimes I don’t eat enough vegetables. These Blueberry Oat Muffins from Garden Lites are made with fresh zucchini and carrots! The chocolate muffins are 33% vegetables! Crazy to think that it's made up of 1/3 veggies. Garden Lites provide a convenient, more enjoyable and easier way to eat your vegetables. It’s so nice to know I’m getting a good amount of veggies while eating a tasty treat! Since I can’t stay away from sweets, I eat these muffins for dessert. It’s the perfect balance of healthy and sweet – it makes the perfect dessert for me.

 I got my Garden Lites Muffins at HEB! You can find yours in the freezer section of  your nearest Publix, Stop & Shop, Giant, Shop-Rite, HEB, Kroger, or Costco. This is a hot item! The chocolate muffins were sold out at the HEB closest to my house. Luckily, There were a few boxes of the Blueberry Oat Muffins left. 

My kids are in love with the Blueberry Oat Muffins! This is an easy on the go snack/breakfast/side/etc. This single mama loves them because they have fresh zucchini and carrots! My kids have no clue they are getting a good amount of veggies! Made of clean and simple ingredients. Added bonus that they are gluten free and dairy free!

For more information about these yummy Garden Lites Muffins, click below.

I challege you to try these. Ask your child what they think the main ingredient is... veggies!!! 

Thank you for stopping by!

​Kristi Le

​I love my coffee table! It’s a great beginner project. It was my second piece of furniture I built. The first was an outdoor sectional. I used Ana White plans for this rustic coffee table: http://www.ana-white.com/2012/07/plans/rustic-x-coffee-table
 I love Ana White's blog. The plans are easy to read and the pictures help me a lot. 
Since I was still new to woodworking, I had no experience with cutting angles, and honestly, I sucked at it. It took me a long time to get those “x’s” on the coffee table. There is probably an easier way, but I just used my square tool and cut a 30 degree angle (see slideshow at the end of this blog post for picture). One side did not fit, so I just held the 2x2’s and marked where to cut. It was also hard to put the bottom boards in, but I used a mallet and hit it in. Probably, not the best way, but glad it didn’t break. 

​I also did not sand the top. I wish I did, because it is hard to wipe the table. I’m always scared of getting splinters. I plan to sand and re-stain the top one day.

In the end, I love it. It goes well with my dining room table! My kids love it!
 
My next project will be a matching TV console! I can’t wait!

​Thank you for checking out my blog!
 
Kristi Le

2017 has started off with a bang! I’ve been working out 4-5 times a week and eating healthy. I started meal prepping every Sunday – making healthy meals for the whole week. It started out great, but then I got tired of eating chicken, boring salads, and turkey meat over and over, the exact same meals for lunch the whole week, sometimes even dinner. Amateur cook here. So I looked up healthy recipes, but my Sunday cooking took a lot longer than usual and the pictures on Pinterest looked a lot better than it tasted. Also, how do I know what's healthy and not? Trying to figure it out was overwhelming. Low sugar? High protein? Organic? Gluten free? Confusing. And let’s talk about cleaning. Pain in my butt. Washing all the containers, pots and pans, etc. Especially, if you do more than one type of meal. I have the perfect solution: 

Snap Kitchen. Amazing. I’ve never heard of Snap Kitchen till I moved to Austin. There is one a couple of miles down the road from my house and another one near a children’s museum here in Austin, TX (Thinkery). It solved my healthy meal prep problems and my busy mom problems. They are made from scratch daily in a local kitchen. Snap Kitchen has breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, and my favorite - dessert. The foods are very well labeled and can fit many special diets like paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, whole 30, etc. The meals are creative and are already in containers so you just grab and go. Snap Kitchen is fast, convenient, healthy, and has great options. ​

​I wake up at 6:00-6:20am (depending on how many times I press the snooze button). I get the kids ready, and don’t get home till 5. We then go workout and won’t get home till 7pm. I don’t have time to cook a healthy dinner, so Snap Kitchen has been a life saver. My kids love the spaghetti turkey bolognese! My favorite is the chicken teriyaki. I add sriracha to it, and it's heavenly.You just follow the instructions on the container, heat it up, and ready to eat! Saves us so much time. They have different sizes, so when it’s just me, I get a small – medium. For my kids, I’ll get a large for them to split. They also have healthy juices and snacks! I see clients at my work and sometimes they are in crisis that I don’t have time to eat, so the cold-pressed juices helps hold me over till I can eat lunch. It even has health benefits!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kristi Q. Le

Awe, when I think of peanut butter and jelly, it brings me back good childhood memories. I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! It was one of my favorite breakfast foods growing up.
Our mornings are crazy here! I'm not a morning person, and big city traffic consumes so much of our morning time, I need a fast breakfast. My kids love granola bars. They can eat that any time of the day. So why not combine Jif Creamy Peanut Butter & Smucker's Fruit Spreads and granola? YES! My kids think I'm a genius ;) and the best cook ever. I'll take it! 

Ever heard of the Cartwheel app? If you love Target, the Cartwheel app is for you! It's an app that offers extra savings/coupons for items at Target! Jif Peanut Butter and Smucker's Fruit Spread are 5% off till January 21, 2017. 

PB & J Granola bars
Prep time: 00:25               Refridgerate time: 02:30
Main Ingredients
1/3 cup Jif Peanut Butter
1/3 cup Smucker's Strawberry Preserves (or any other Smucker's flavors!) 
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
​

Preparation
1 Preheat oven to 350F
2. Line bottom and side of an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking oil and put oats in a even layer. Bake for 5 mins, then stir. Put back for 5 mins or until lightly toasted. Transfer to large bowl.
3 In a saucepan, combine Jif Peanut Butter, Smucker's Strawberry Preserve, honey, butter (cut into pieces), brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and consistency is smooth.
4 Pour PB & J mixture into the bowl with oats. Mix well and let cool for a few minutes.
5 Transfer to lined pan. With damp fingers, press mixture to an even layer. Press hard, so the bars will be together once cooled and cut. 
6 Cover pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2.5 hours. 
7 Remove granolas from pan and remove aluminum foil. Cut into twelve bars. Enjoy!


Additional Notes:
For softer bars, store in container at room temperature. For harder bars, store in container in fridge. I put mine in the freezer for a little bit, that seemed to speed up the hardening process.

I'm a dork. I know, I love the boomerang app. It makes videos fun! :) Check out the boomerang videos:

​Learn more about Smucker’s at http://www.smuckers.com/ and Jif at http://jif.com/

​Thanks for stopping by! Love!

2016 started out to be the worst year ever, but then ended up being one of the best years! One of the hardest decisions I had to make was to move me and my two kids to Austin, TX. It was the best for the kids and I, but leaving my friends and my job was extremely hard. I loved the small town I lived in. It was all I knew for the past 12 years. I packed up the car and the kids, drove off and didn't look back. Things have never been better! We love it here, and have adjusted well. Although 2016 has been a roller coaster of emotions, it's been a good year of growth and change. We are looking forward to 2017! What is your New Year resolution? I have two main ones I want to concentrate on: 
1. Pray more/put God first. Towards the end of this year I lost faith. I didn't pray as much and put God to the side. I hit a low and need to get back to where I was. Some times you'll fall, but it's important to get back up and keep moving.  Which also goes hand in hand with my next resolution...
2. Be healthy. Workout more. Yes, very cliche for a New Year's resolution, but continue with this goal. Don't stop. I've written goals down of how I'll be more healthy, joined a fitness group, and have accountability. I also want to do this for me and not anyone else. One way I plan to live a healthier lifestyle is to do the Change A Meal Challenge with Smoothie King! I'll be replacing a meal with an under 400 calorie/at least 10 grams of protein smoothie! I'll also be working out at least for 30 mins a day and choosing other sensible meals. Smoothie King also has a downloadable weekly planner! Check it out here:

Who is with me in this? I lost a lot of weight in 2016 and want to keep it up in 2017. 2016 was the year of realizing things, 2017 is the year of putting it into practice. New Year, New Me. I want to feel great, more energized, and clothes to fit looser. Join me! 

Smoothie King's Change A Meal Challenge contains over 20 Meal Replacement Smoothies. My first is smoothie was Lean1 - Pineapple Mango. Delicious! Can't wait to try the others! 

• Greek Yogurt – Pineapple Mango, Strawberry Blueberry, Peach, Papaya
• The Shredder – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla
• Lean1 – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Pineapple Mango
• Original High Protein – Banana, Lemon, Pineapple
• Coffee High Protein – Vanilla
• The Activator® – Chocolate, Vanilla
• Gladiator® – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla
• Vegan – Dark Chocolate Banana, Nutty Super Grain, Mango Kale
  

Smoothie King also has an app. I downloaded it for their menu, rewards, and information on their vitamins and supplements. It also shows where the closest Smoothie King is.

I'll be updating this post with my Smoothie King #ChangeAMeal progress! 

Update 1/17/2017:
​I’m a big fan of the Lean1 Pineapple Mango and the Caffine High Protein! I tried to get a different smoothie every day, but keep craving those! I joined a fitness group to help me stay active and meal prep every Sunday for the other meals.  The pounds are coming off! I’m excited! I feel great! The smoothies are so tasty and keep me full till the next meal! Also, every time you change a meal is a chance to win up to $500 in Smoothie King gift cards, a Fitbit or a brand new bike. To enter, post your challenge photos using #changeameal. The more you post, the more you could win! Enter through March 26, 2017. No purchase necessary. Can’t wait to hit my body/weight goal! 2017 is going strong! 

I love this time of year! Friends and families come into town. I can feel the holiday spirit. Whether I am hosting a dinner party or going to friends-giving, I know I'll be having Wente Vineyard wine. It's a perfect gift to bring to a dinner party. What is your favorite kind of wine? Riesling is a great starter wine if you're not a wine drinker. 

I love cooking, and making up recipes in the kitchen. Lately, I've been on a healthy kick so I made a ranch salmon. I went to my local grocery store (HEB) and picked up Wente Vineyard wine, riverbank Riesling. It paired perfectly with my ranch salmon. 

Servings: 2               Prep time: 00:10               Cook time: 00:30
Main Ingredients
1 lb salmon
1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1 bagof small mixed potatoes - mixed white, yellow, purple, red and sweet potatoes (yukon golds, fingerlings, red potatoes etc.), cut
1 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs olive oil
1 packet of ranch dressing seasoning packet

Preparation
1 Preheat oven to 450F
2 Put asparagus and mixed potatoes on pan, drizzle 2 tbs of olive oil
3 Sprinkle ranch seasoning packet (make sure you have enough for the salmon)
4 Bake for 10 mins
5In the meantime, prepare salmon
6 Coat top of salmon (skin side down) with brown sugar
7 Drizzle olive oil
8 Sprinkle ranch seasoning packet
9 Remove pan from oven and add salmon
10 Bake for 10 mins or until salmon is cooked through
11 After that switch to broiler HIGH for 3-4 minutes to brown up the top of the salmon.
12 Remove from oven and serve

Additional Notes:
Add a sauce! Mix mayonnaise and sriracha to add a kick!

The Wente Vineyard Riesling paired perfectly with the salmon. I like wine better than red. Wente Vineyard has a variety of wines.

Here are some of Wente Vineyards’ wines:

Morning Fog Chardonnay
Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
Sandstone Merlot
Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc
Riva Ranch Pinot Noir
Riva Ranch Chardonnay
Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon

I love how Wente Vineyard was founded 130 years ago and is the country's oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery. Wente Vineyard wines are found all over the US. Click below for more information and a location near you.

Printable version of the recipe: One Pan, 3 ingredient Ranch Salmon 

Thanks for stopping by! 

​KQL

Christmas will be here before you know it! What do you plan to get your kids? Neice? Nephew? Friends kid? Etc? Every time Scotty watches a commercial, she immediately says, "Mommy, can I have that?" As a DIY blogger, I love toys that produce creativity and bring friends/family together. I found that in a hot new toy, Pom Pom Wow! 

The biggest reason why I moved to the big city is to be closer to family. My nieces and nephew live extremely close. My ten year old niece is very creative! She loves art, fashion, DIY things, and cooking. She was excited to use the Pom Pom Wow to decorate all sorts of things - her journal, picture frame, school supplies, etc. What will you pom-pom? So easy and fun! Perfect gift for your tween! 

I love how it comes in a case, easy to clean and pack up. She can do this in the car, school, etc. She loves it! She helped my daughter and her little sister decorate their stuff! They had so much fun! You literally just "stick, pull, wow"! STICK the adhesive end of the Pom Pom Wow pellet to an object, PULL upward to remove the tube and reveal the pom-pom, use your finger to fluff the pom-pom for a WOW moment.  I highly recommend this hot new toy! 

My niece just had her birthday, and decided to use her Pom Pom Wow to make Christmas presents! What a great idea! This Pom Pom Wow is a gift that keeps on giving. Scotty saw her gift, and LOVES it! 

**I was not paid for this review or endorsement. All opinions are honest and of my own.

Let me know what you think! We also got the Pom Pom Wow Ultimate Variety Pack! Comes with 120 Pom Poms in four styles and more adhesive dots. I know my niece plans to Pom Pom her world! 

Websites:
www.PomPomWow.com
www.BuyPomPomWow.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC-t45X6gHAEmfizqjQJy9sQ
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mypompomwow/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pompomwow/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mypompomwow


Thank you,

​KQL

With a new dog, a active nine year old boy who sweats like crazy, and neighborhood kids who stop by all the time, I want my house to be clean and odor free! I received a gift basket from Fresh Wave and my house has never smelt so clean! Their product has no harsh chemicals, no heavy perfumes, and no toxic ingredients! I get a headache with strong smells, and haven't with Fresh Wave. I love how they genuinely care about the environment and safe products for families.  

I put the odor removing packs in all the trash cans and I've noticed a difference! I use the odor removing spray on the rugs in the house (we don't have carpet). I've also used it in my car. It's great!

One of the main reasons we decided to go with a Goldendoodle breed was because of their fur. They are hypoallergenic dogs with very minimal shedding. His fur is so soft and thick, that mud and odor stay on him easily. This shampoo gets the job done! Takes the odor away and cleans his thick fur! With our family eczema issues, we need to be careful of products we use. I LOVE this shampoo for Waffles. It's gentle for him, and us. 

Thank you Fresh Wave for the gift basket, and for your great products! We will be continuing to use Fresh Wave!

If you are interested in Fresh Wave Products, check out: 
www.freshwaveworks.com

Products are sold at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and more! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Love,

​KQL

​**I was not paid for this review or endorsement. All opinions are honest and of my own.

Ever since I've moved to Austin, I've lived a lot healthier lifestyle! I try to do trails or hike as much as I can. I love it here. I love being outdoors. My biggest problem is food. I love food and I love to eat. I eat too much junk food and need to make sure I'm getting all my daily vitamins.
Wal-Mart Supercenter is less than 2 miles away from my house and I knew they had Nature Made vitamins. Plus, they have everyday low prices so I don't have to wait for a sale! Nature Made vitamins were affordable! When I got there, I was impressed with their selection! I spent a good quality of time figuring out which vitamins best fit my healthy lifestyle. I don't know much about vitamins, so it was nice how Nature Made had information on the label of what each vitamin helps with. 

The Wal-Mart selection of Nature Made was great, it took me a while to decided the next vitamin. Nature Made® has a variety of vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) to help support nutritional gaps with your health goals in mind ranging from Digestive Support, Heart Health & Function, Energy Metabolism, Women’s Health and much more!†

With the weather change, I needed a vitamin to help support the immune system. I'm ready for this cooler weather. Texas summers are not pleasant sometimes. I do not like the over 100 degree summer days. With cooler weather, comes colds and sickness though. I want to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be so I decided to get vitamin c which helps support the immune system†. My next choice of vitamin is super B-complex. Sounds complex! ;) I wanted to give it a try because of the cellular energy production and antioxidant support†. With my new hobby of hiking and outdoor adventures, I wanted to make sure my body can keep up and be active.

At Wal-Mart supercenters, they also carry Nature Made® Probiotics: Nature Made® Advanced Dual Action Probiotic has been clinically studied and provides dual support to both your small and large intestine for comprehensive coverage to help support digestive balance and healthy gut flora.† I was surprised they had probiotics! Very good way to start or continue a healthy lifestyle! 

Nature Made® is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended brand for many key dietary supplement categories* - that's a huge reason why I trust this brand. 
“*Based on the 2016 U.S. News & World Report – Pharmacy Times Survey.”

Nature Made® vitamins and supplements: An easy, convenient way to help your body get the nutritional support it needs every day, whether it be to support bone health, immune health or energy metabolism (helping convert food into energy).† 

I'm excited to start this new journey of healthy living. I set goals, have an accountability partner, and have gotten the kids involved too! If you are interested in Nature Made vitamins, go to http://shopcentric.influence-central.com/walmart/nature-made/ for a chance to win one of 60 fifty dollar gift cards to Wal-Mart! (No purchase necessary)

For more resources and information:

• Nature Made® Retailer Hub & Sweepstakes: http://shopcentric.influence-central.com/walmart/nature-made/
• Nature Made® Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturemade
• Nature Made® Twitter: @naturemade
• Walmart Twitter: https://twitter.com/Walmart
• Walmart Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walmart/

​“†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.”

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you join me in living a healthier lifestyle!