• About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Menu
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Instagram
Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
Search
Close
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Menu
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Instagram
Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
Search
Close

Healthy Recipes

45 Kiwi Recipes for Weight Loss | Kiwi fruit offers tons of health benefits - it is a powerful antioxidant, boosts your immune system, helps with insomnia, and aids in weight loss due to its high fiber content. If you're looking for creative ways to enjoy kiwi, we've curated tons of simple recipes. From healthy smoothie recipes and breakfast muffins, to easy dried kiwi snacks and tasty juicing combos, to yummy dessert recipes (think: kiwi lime pie!), these recipes are delish!

Gloriously Green: 45 Kiwi Recipes You’ll Wish You Tried Sooner

50 Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids | If your child has a gluten intolerance or full-blown celiac disease, you'll love this collection of easy and tasty recipes! We've curated 10 recipes each for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts, many of which are both dairy and gluten free. And if you're looking for sandwiches lunchbox ideas, there are so many options to choose from, including pizza twists, sausage rolls, pretzel bites, cheerios snack mix, apple fries and gluten-free chicken fingers!

Homemade with Love: 50 Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids

30 Flaxseed Recipes for Weight Loss | If you are looking for simple ways to add ground flaxseeds to your diet, this post is for you! Flaxseeds offer so many health benefits - improving digestive health, lowering cholesterol, decreasing inflammation, and aiding in weight loss and weight management. From smoothies and other breakfast favorites like pancakes and overnight oats, to homemade breads, pastas, and muffins, to nut butters and flaxseed eggs, these recipes won't disappoint!

30 Simple and Nutritious Flaxseed Recipes for Weight Loss

20 Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipes | If you love hot chocolate but don't want to break your macros, we've curated the best homemade recipes that are easy to make and taste delicious. Perfect for adults following a clean eating plan and for kids with food sensitivities, there are a mix of options here for different palates and dietary needs. From almond milk and oat milk recipes, to sugar free cacao powder beverages, to peppermint and cinnamon upgrades, these recipes are delish!

Carpe Cocoa: 100 Must-Try Hot Chocolate Recipes

30 Turmeric Tea Benefits and Recipes | Adding turmeric tea to your morning routine offers lots of health benefits - it boosts your immune system, improves cardiovascular health, offers a tasty natural remedy for IBS and arthritis, and its antioxidant properties protect your body from free radicals. While the bold flavour of fresh brewed turmeric tea isn't for everyone, there are tons of turmeric recipes you can experiment with and we're sharing 20 of our fave homemade turmeric tea recipes!

Boost Your Immunity: 30 Turmeric Tea Benefits and Recipes

46 Ginger Recipes We Love | Calling all ginger lovers! This post has so many delicious recipes you'll wish you tried sooner. We're teaching you how to make pickled ginger, how to make candied ginger, and we've curated the best ginger-infused breakfast and dinner recipes. From a delicious banana, orange, and ginger smoothie, to easy ginger scones, to garlic ginger chicken and broccoli, to simple ginger cookies, there's a recipe here for everyone!

Cooking With Ginger: 46 Ginger Recipes We Love

60 Simple Instant Pot Rice Recipes | If you're looking for quick and easy rice upgrades you can make in your instant pot on busy weeknights, this post is for you! Whether you prefer white rice, brown rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice, we've curated the best of the best. From healthy vegan and vegetarian options, to spicy Mexican, Indian, and Asian rice recipes, to simple beef and chicken dishes, we've got something for every palate and dietary need!

60 Simple Instant Pot Rice Recipes You’ll Wish You Tried Sooner

50 Baked Chicken Recipes Under 300 Calories for Weight Loss | If you're looking for simple, easy, and healthy chicken recipes to add to your weekly meal plan, this collection of recipes under 300 calories will not disappoint! We've included tons of options for every palate, including keto, low carb, breaded, and shake and bake chicken recipes. Whether you're cooking a whole chicken fresh in your oven, or looking for a way to use up leftover chicken, these ideas are quick and delicious!

50 Baked Chicken Recipes Under 300 Calories for Weight Loss

45 Super Bowl Cocktails Under 200 Calories | Part of the fun of Super Bowl Sunday is the drinks. Am I right? If you're trying to lose weight and want to indulge in a cocktail (or 4) without ruining your weight loss progress, we've curated the best low calorie drinks that are easy to make and taste delicious. Perfect for one or for a crowd, these simple cocktails go beyond vodka sodas. Learn how to create low calorie drinks with rum, tequila, gin, and anything else you have on hand!

Drink Up! 45 Super Bowl Cocktails Under 200 Calories

21 Eggless Cake Recipes | If you and/or your kids are allergic to eggs like I am, and you're on the hunt for simple and easy homemade egg free cake recipes, this post is just what you need! We've curated the best of the best, including a range of different types of cakes for every palate and dietary need. Whether you prefer something simple like vanilla or chocolate cake, or want something extravagant like red velvet, banana, or mango cake, these recipes are healthy, easy, moist, and delicious!

21 Delicious Eggless Cake Recipes You’ll Wish You Tried Sooner

60 Super Bowl Recipes Under 300 Calories | If you're looking for super bowl party food ideas that are healthy and delicious, you're in for a treat! We've curated tons of easy to make low calorie recipes, including vegan and vegetarian options that will leave you satisfied. From appetizers you can make in your crockpot to desserts that hit the spot, this collection of super bowl recipes has a mix of options to suit different diets, including low carb, keto, Whole 30, and gluten-free ideas!

It’s Game Day! 60 Super Bowl Recipes Under 300 Calories

44 Gluten Free Cookies | If you're on the hunt for gluten-free cookie recipes to bake, this collection of ideas will not disappoint! We've curated the best of the best, including a range of options to suit your dietary needs and palate. From healthy, sugar-free, and vegan recipes, to easy no bake cookies and simple cookie bars, this post has it all. Grab your almond flour and coconut flour and learn how to make chewy chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter cookies, and so much more!

44 Flourless and Fabulous Gluten-Free Cookies You’ll Love

75 Comfort Food Recipes Under 500 Calories | If you're craving comfort food without the guilt, this post is for you! We've curated the best healthy, low calorie comfort food recipes, allowing you to enjoy your favorite meals without sabotaging your weight loss goals. From vegan and vegetarian comfort foods loaded with plant-based protein, to crockpot and casserole dishes that are easy to whip up, to our favorite guilt-free desserts, these comfort food ideas will not disappoint!

Guilt-Free and Delicious: 75 Comfort Food Recipes Under 500 Calories

21 Plant Based Desserts that Satisfy | If you're looking for easy plant-based recipes that are equal parts healthy and delicious, this post is for you! We've curated tons of easy to make treats made from whole foods to support your dietary needs and clean eating goals. These vegan-inspired desserts are flour, oil, and sugar free and made with plant-based protein to keep you feeling full and satiated while also satisfying your sweet tooth! These desserts are great for weight loss too!

Healthy & Delicious: 21 Easy Plant-Based Desserts that Satisfy

35 Make Ahead Baked Oatmeal Cups | If you're looking for healthy breakfast ideas to kickstart your day, look no further! We've curated the best baked oatmeal cup recipes, which are equal parts easy to make and delicious to eat! This list includes options for every palate and dietary need, including faves like peanut butter banana, banana chocolate chip, apple cinnamon, pumpkin, carrot cake, and blueberry. They are high in protein, helping you feel full and supporting your weight loss goals!

35 Make Ahead Baked Oatmeal Cups to Kickstart Your Day

75 Authentic Greek Recipes | If you love Greek food and want to try and make some traditional dishes at home, this post has tons of ideas to inspire you! From brunch and lunch, to appetizers and snacks, to main dishes and delicious desserts, we've curated the best Greek recipes, many of which are easy and healthy. Whether you're a meat lover looking for chicken, beef, or pork recipes, or you prefer things like vegetarian moussaka or spanakorizo, there's a recipe here for you!

Let’s Eat! 75 Easy and Authentic Greek Recipes You’ll Love

44 No Fuss Sheet Pan Dinners | If you're looking for easy and healthy one pan dinners you can meal prep ahead of time, this collection of quick and easy dinner recipes is just what you need! We've curated a ton of ideas for every palate and dietary need, including low carb, keto-friendly recipes and vegan dinners that are loaded with plant-based protein. And for our meat lovers, we've included a mix of chicken, sausage, steak, pork tenderloin, and beef recipes that will hit the spot!

Simply Delicious: 44 Sheet Pan Dinners that Save Time and Money

75 Almond Butter Recipes | Hold onto your underpants! Whether you're looking for healthy breakfast or snack ideas, high protein keto desserts, or glutinous chocolate treats, this post is full of easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS homemade almond butter recipes, including smoothies, desserts, cookies, muffins, and fudge recipes. Many of these are vegan and naturally low carb, with many options for our paleo, Whole30, and gluten-free friends!

Simply Delicious: 75 Almond Butter Recipes Everyone Should Try

55 Drool-Worthy Peanut Butter Recipes | Whether you're looking for easy, healthy, low carb, keto-friendly peanut butter recipes, or decadent peanut butter desserts that include yummy ingredients like Nutella and chocolate, this post has it all! We've curated tons of ideas, including peanut butter cookies, peanut butter pie, no bake peanut butter balls, peanut butter rice krispie treats, and chocolate peanut butter recipes that will not disappoint!

Creamy or Crunchy? 55 Drool-Worthy Peanut Butter Recipes

45 High Protein Vegan Meals | If you're looking for simple and quick vegan recipes that are easy to prep, we've curated the best vegan recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are high in plant-based protein to help you feel full for longer. With tons of low carb and low calorie options to choose from, these recipes are healthy and delicious. Clean eating has never tasted so good!

45 High Protein Vegan Meals to Satiate Your Hunger

16 Sweet and Savoury Rice Cake Toppings | Whether you're looking for gluten-free breakfasts, filling snacks for weight loss, or no sandwich packed lunch ideas, this post has lots of simple and easy ideas to inspire you! With a mix of sweet and savory snacks and desserts to choose from, these healthy low carb recipes are low calorie and really hit the spot. From high protein breakfast recipes, to a delicious twist on avocado 'toast', to a chocolate combo worth trying, these are delish!

Healthy Snacking 101: 16 Sweet and Savoury Rice Cake Toppings

Page1 Page2 Page3 Page4 Page5
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Follow Us On Instagram

@Merakilane / #merakilane

‘HOW YOU DO ANYTHING IS HOW YOU DO EVERYTHING.’ —Jess Sims
.
While some people love reading self-help books or listening to inspiring podcasts, quotes, mantras, and song lyrics are my jam. I spend hours upon hours scrolling through my social media feeds each week searching for motivational quotes and sayings, and I copy the ones I love most to the notes app on my phone so I never forget them. 
.
I have a quote and lyric for pretty much every feeling and occasion, and if you follow me on stories, you know that I try to share something motivating and inspiring every morning. 
.
I’ve recently been using short quotes/mantras to help me stay focused. Mantras are typically used in meditation, but they are also a fabulous tool to help you stay grounded. The idea is to pick a word or phrase with meaning to you, and each time your mind starts to wander, you repeat the mantra over and over to bring yourself back to the present moment.
.
I use mantras to help me stay productive with work, to keep me motivated when I want to push myself during my workouts, to stay present when I’m overwhelmed and trying to do too many things at once, and to stop me from ruminating about the things that make me stressed and anxious. 
.
If you’re looking for inspiring quotes and mantras to help you stay focused, present, and calm, here are some of my favorites!
.
‘Be present where your feet are.’
—Unknown
.
You don’t have to. You get to.
—Jess Sims
.
Easy is bullshit.
—Christine D’Ercole
.
Feel the burn, step closer to the fire.
—Emma Lovewell
.
A setback is an avenue for a comeback.
—Alex Toussaint 
.
Hold the vision, trust the process.
—Unknown
.
No challenge, no change.
—Robin Arzon
.
Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway.
—Emma Lovewell
.
Impossible is just an opinion.
—Paulo Coelho
.
Treat your body like it belongs to someone you love. 
—Hannah Marie Corbin
.
Fix your ponytail and try again.
—Unknown
.
👇🏻 What quotes and mantras keep you focused and present when you’re overwhelmed or anxious?
‘ALL GREAT CHANGES ARE PRECEDED BY CHAOS.’ — ‘ALL GREAT CHANGES ARE PRECEDED BY CHAOS.’ —Unknown
.
f you’ve been following me on stories, you know we moved to a new house a couple of weeks ago. I was going to document the whole thing, but moving during a global pandemic in a city that is completely locked down with a child in virtual school is… 🤪
.
This was the biggest move I’ve ever undertaken, and my Type A personality really struggled with how little control I had over everything. Lists and schedules are my jam, but it seemed the harder I tried to keep things on track, the quicker they fell apart.
.
I eventually decided to just embrace the chaos. I allowed myself to let go and just enjoy the excitement of it all and it ended up being the smoothest, most enjoyable move I’ve ever experienced. We’re still waiting on furniture deliveries and have lots of painting to do, but since no one will be visiting us for months (years?!) on end given the state of the world right now, there is absolutely no pressure.
.
And that feels great.
.
If you’re struggling, here are 4 things that helped me find order in the chaos that has been our lives for the last several weeks:
.
✔️ EXERCISE. I start every single day with a hard workout to get those feel-good endorphins flowing. It makes me feel accomplished, helps me work through whatever is on my mind, and sets the tone for the rest of my day.
.
✔️ ENERGY MANAGEMENT. I do all of my most pressing tasks when my energy is high and my mind is clear, and save all of the monotonous, mindless stuff (think: responding to emails, meal prep, folding laundry) for the evening.
.
✔️ NEVER TOUCH SOMETHING TWICE. Once I ‘touch’ a task, I deal with it then and there so it’s taken off of my plate, rather than ’touching’ it multiple times and allowing it to take up extra energy and mental space. This is one of the best productivity tips I’ve ever read and it’s been a life-saver for me lately! 
.
✔️ DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. I struggle the most with this, but the last few weeks have been a great exercise in challenging a lot of my Type A tendencies.
.
👇🏻 How do YOU stay on track when you feel overwhelmed?
‘SELF-CARE ISN’T SELFISH.’ . If you met me I ‘SELF-CARE ISN’T SELFISH.’
.
If you met me IRL, you’d probably [hopefully?] never know I suffer from anxiety, and would likely assume I’m just a high maintenance, high strung, Type A personality. All of those things are in fact true, LOL, but what you may not realize is that each of those traits of mine are the result of years of feeling anxious and worried and stressed.
.
I grew up at a time when we were taught to keep our struggles to ourselves, and when I think back to grades 3 and 4 when my anxiety was at it’s absolute worst, it pains me to remember how much I suffered in silence. I feel proud that I was able to overcome some pretty tough stuff on my own, but I refuse to let history repeat itself.
.
I will not raise my daughter in a world that stigmatizes mental illness.
.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 38% of Canadians say their mental health has declined since the start of the pandemic, and people already struggling with their mental health were 2 times more likely to say their mental health has declined further. 
.
One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma. It is the number one reason why people living with mental illness do not seek help.
.
Today is #BellLetsTalk day and Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, local or long distance call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk - all at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access. 
.
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.
.
Let’s end the stigma.
‘STOP TRYING TO CALM THE STORM. CALM YOURSELF, T ‘STOP TRYING TO CALM THE STORM. CALM YOURSELF, THE STORM WILL PASS.’ —Unknown
.
My daughter went back to school virtually today, and while the Type A in me is excited we’re back in some kind of routine, I had forgotten just how chaotic and impractical distance learning is. A province-wide internet outage took down her teacher within 2 hours, shattering any hopes I had of grabbing a little time to myself to get caught up on all of the work stuff I’ve been putting off for the last 3 weeks. I’ve dried tears, prepared snacks, provided new Zoom logins, helped with grade 4 math, and I even made paper plates out of construction paper for a last minute craft.
.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
.
All is good in our world again, and soon we’ll dive back into those math problems and whatever else is on tap for homework before I retreat to my office to print off tomorrow’s agenda and worksheets. We’ll all play Roblox before dinner to help us unwind after a crazy day, and I’ll stay up later than I want to tonight trying to get caught up because I know tomorrow will bring more unforeseen challenges, and I hate starting my day feeling behind schedule.
.
Parenting in a pandemic is extra messy, and if this sh*t storm has taught me anything, it’s that we need to give ourselves a hell of a lot of grace right now. There will be days where we’re super productive and get through everything on our never-ending ‘to do’ lists, but there will be many more days where we feel like we’ve accomplished absolute nothing.
.
It’s on these difficult days that we need to remind ourselves that our most important job right now is making sure our kids are healthy and happy, and that they feel safe and loved. When they look back on this time, they won’t remember if the house was clean and the laundry was folded, how often we ordered takeout, or if we gained weight. All they will remember is how we showed up for them - even on the days we were struggling to show up for ourselves.
.
If the return to reality has you feeling overwhelmed today, stop trying to calm the storm. Take a deep breath, get present in this moment, remind yourself what’s important, and focus on that instead.
.
We’ve got this. 💙
BACK TO REALITY… . Are you ready to get back at BACK TO REALITY…
.
Are you ready to get back at it?
.
While we’ve certainly been busy organizing, packing, and getting our new home ready and didn’t really relax as much as we’d hoped to over the holidays, I’ve enjoyed operating at a slower pace the last couple of weeks. We’ve stayed up late, slept in a little bit each morning, had too much to eat and drink, and enjoyed a break from routines and schedules. 
.
Toronto is currently under lockdown, so my daughter is going back to school virtually tomorrow while my husband and I continue to work from home. It’s not ideal, but we’ll make it work and I’m excited to get back into a routine. The time away from my computer helped me reset and recharge, and I feel like I’m starting 2021 with more realistic expectations of myself. And that feels good.
.
2020 was definitely not my favorite year, but when I look back at the last 12 months, a lot of really great things came from it. It gave me more time with my husband and daughter and brought us much closer than our busy, pre-2020 lives would’ve ever allowed. It helped me reconnect with friends I had lost contact with due to the craziness that is being a working mom. And it helped me form amazing new friendships that I will cherish forever.
.
I know 2021 is likely going to be just as challenging - if not more so - as 2020 was, but for the first time since becoming a mom, I finally feel like I have a tribe of people around me. I feel less lonely than I’ve ever felt in my life, which is hilarious since we have been holed up in our house for ~10 months, but it feels pretty amazing.
.
I’m not sure where I was going with this post, but suffice it to say I’m ready to caffeine and conquer! ☕️
‘ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE. KNOW THAT ‘ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE. KNOW THAT IT IS YOU WHO WILL GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, NO ONE ELSE.’ —Les Brown
.
I think we can all agree that 2020 was the absolute shits, and I know we’re all looking forward to a chance to start fresh in hopes that the universe will be a little kinder to us in 2021. 
.
Of course, our lives aren’t going to magically go back to the way they were at 12:01 am. It’s not easy to be positive right now, but instead of getting stuck in the suck, remember that the only thing you have control over is your attitude.  You can continue to feel sorry for yourself and mourn all the ways your life has changed, or you can straighten your crown and focus on all of the good things happening in your life.
.
If you dig deep enough, you’ll see that there is so much to be grateful right now.
.
And if you can’t think of anything that you feel proud of or that brings you joy, then it’s up to you to create it. Accept responsibility for your life. Stop making excuses and be the change you want to see. 
.
Instead of thinking of 2021 as another year of lockdowns and restrictions while we wait for vaccinations to take place and herd immunity to take hold, look at it as an open book. 
.
12 new chapters. 365 new chances. 🥂
‘BE PRESENT WHERE YOUR FEET ARE.’ —Unknown . ‘BE PRESENT WHERE YOUR FEET ARE.’ —Unknown
.
What do you do when you have downtime?
.
I haven’t had time off since last Christmas. We hit the ground running in January as we were planning a 2-week family vacay in March and wanted to do ALL THE THINGS beforehand so we could unplug and enjoy the trip. Our vacation obviously got cancelled, and we’ve been on autopilot ever since. I feel like the pandemic has either made people really busy, or extremely bored. There’s no in-between!
.
My team and I have been busy working ahead over the past couple of months as I really wanted to unplug and unwind for a few weeks over the holidays and now that the craziness of Christmas is over, I don’t know what to do with myself!
.
I’m caught up on This Is Us, we finally watched The Undoing, I’m almost done Open Book, I’ve done a lot of drawing on my iPad, I’ve had a lot of wine, I’ve eaten a ton of chocolate, we’ve played games, I’ve done my nails…and I’m bored, lol. But unless I find something else to do, I have to face packing up this house (we’re moving, ya’ll!) and I can’t face that just yet.
.
👇🏻how do you unwind?
Copyright © 2020 Meraki Lane Inc. · Site by Lennox Creative Co.
Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer