Stuff Of Our Days | Ali & Katie
Katie and I spend a lot of time together working and playing.
We eat lunch together every week day here at my house and are both trying hard to eat healthy most of the time. Most days we go downstairs, make lunch together and sit at the dining table.
Some days we chat but usually I read the paper and she checks out Pinterest while we eat. We're good with quiet and we're good with really big laughter.
We often make "plate" lunches - a combination of stuff like slices of cheese, meat, crackers, fruit, etc. Some days we have soup. Another favorite is steamed broccoli with chicken and either a peanut (goma shabu) or soy (shabu soy) dipping sauce that I often have for making shabu shabu (a favorite Japanese dish).
When the weather warms up we've got plans to eat more lunches outside.
Here's some of the fun things we are loving lately:
Pretzel Crisps & Sabra Classic Hummus | We get both of these at Costco - a big bag of the pretzel crisps & the individual cups of hummus (nice for portion control/not nice for the environment). Katie started on this snack after picking up a little combo pack of Hummus & Pretzels at a local grocery store. It's addicting.
Frosty Light from Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth | So I bought a Vitamix. Aaron and I were at Costco a couple weekends ago and it jumped in my cart. I pinned this concoction and we've had it multiple times recently and find it delicious - we even add the chia seeds and I'm a total convert.
Spotify | While working in the office we listen to music. This is a change from when I was working on my own - it was all talk radio all the time. Katie's definitely brought music back into my life (Aaron's helped with that too). I made the leap and am now subscribing to Spotify and I love that I can listen to the playlists in the car. Here's a couple of playlists we are listening to Twin Forks (just their album), Girls Night, Hits Right Now (makes us feel super current - ha) and one Katie made called Feel Good. Find me and the things I've been listening to by searching Ali McDougall Edwards.
Jimmy Johns | Yep. Sandwiches. For some reason Katie and I love this place. I always get the #6 (veggie) + salt & vinegar chipas and Katie almost always gets the #1 (Pepe) + BBQ chips. Sometimes we eat there and sometimes we bring it back and eat at my dining room table.
Project Life Wednesdays | I'm working on a post to share how our block scheduling has been going but I can't post about the things we're into and like doing together without mentioning Project Life. We've designated Wednesdays as Project Life days and after taking care of admin stuff in the morning we dive in and have the best time working on our individual albums together. We usually turn the music up loud and get down to business. This includes finishing up spreads, photographing them and then working on the posts for the following week. We totally look forward to Wednesdays.
Viral You Tube Videos | We like to laugh. We like to be inspired. Some of our current favorites include: Kid President's Letter To A Person On Their First Day Here, pretty much anything from Jimmy Fallon but especially the lip sync battles (Paul Rudd and this one with Joseph Gordon Levitt & Stephen Merchant) and when he sang Let It Go with Idina Menzel & The Roots (that one gets played over and over).
What's something you are really into and loving right now?
Yea - I fell for a Vitamix at Costco a little over a year ago - love it but it comes and goes from my counter. I also LOVE Wendie's Frosties. I will have to give this a try!
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Eating healthy and making healthy choices! But I wouldn't eat hummus much...high in fiber...yes......higher in fat.....YOU BET....not the good fat either...hope you know that :)
We are big believers in moderation! From my understanding it's actually the good fat (unsaturated, cholesterol lowering) - what are we missing?
Throw a can of garbanzo beans, a clover of garlic (or two, depending on the tolerance of the people you'll be encountering after), a little salt, a little lemon juice, and a bit of water into your new vitamin and you'll have amazing hummus with no fat. of course, you can fatten it up with a little olive oil for extra creamy goodness! I can't live without my Vitamix! It gets used daily in our house!
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Thanks Ali for sharing all this information with us, love the Youtube videos and the Frosty Light recipe, I enjoy reading your blog everyday!
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We have had a Vitamix for 5 or so years now and use nearly everyday. We love making sorbets and protein smoothies with it and soups too. Totally worth the money!
Love that Jimmy Fallon video with Idina Menzel and any of the ones with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy, but especially the #hashtag one.
Love Jimmy Johns also- #12 is my go to - but I sure wish they'd bring back the alfalfa sprouts to it -or add cucumbers to put the crunch back in it!
What I am loving right now: Blooming flowers and trees (minus the allergens), longer daylight, low 70 degree weather, and planning for an upcoming trip to Europe with my mom and my sister in May. :) Btw- What were/are your go to spring/summer shoes for walking around Paris etc? Saltwater sandals? TIA.
Take care you.
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Have you tried Stacy's baked pita chips......talk about addictive! Delicious with Hummus!
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OK...first off, what am I into right now THIS blog:) Just makes me happy AND I need that allot right now.
AGREED on the "eating everything in moderation" So many people today are all jacked up about fat, what's good, what's bad. GEESH what I thought was healthy isn't healthy, what IS healthy you get the picture. My goodness don't engorge, eat in moderation and BE HAPPY:) That's what I'm saying anyway!!!!!!!
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Loving right now:
1. Your blog. I stalk for the PL updates. :)
2. Walking. Its a nice end to the day, even if it is feral hot here at the moment.
3. Rice paper rolls. NOM!
4. Weekends.
5. Pizza. Doesn't always mesh well with the whole diet thing. :)
6. Chiobani Yoghurt in a squeeze packet. NO SPOON needed!
7. Fresh fruit and salads.
Looks like you ladies have a great time together. :) Thank you for sharing. :)
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Thank you so very much for the link to kid president. What an incredibly *awesome* breath of fresh air. My girls and I watched nearly an hours worth of his videos. We laughed along with him and had some great discussions as well. I can always count on you for quality recommendations.
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Thanks so much for sharing my smoothie! xo
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Currently i'm into PROJECT LIFE (just get so excited everytime i work on my album) and secondly, i have decided to give myself a makeover from the inside and am researching a RAW VEGAN lifestyle (raw as much as i can:-)) Ali, that VITAMIX is one of the BEST INVESTMENTS you will ever make for your health! I have had mine for over a year now and man it just keeps smoothing....You will definately THRIVE:-)
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My mother used to babysit my son when he was little and his favourite lunch was a "fancy plate". She would put cheese, carrots and dip, crackers, cucumber and some meat slices on a nice plate. He loved it and we still do it sometimes and think of her. Enjoy!
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Hi Ali
I would love to hear your thoughts on your routine once Simon and Anna arrive home. My son is 6 (full time kindergarten) and my daughter will be five on Sunday (home with me most of the time but part time preschool and other activities). Much like Anna, she is bright, gregarious and EXTREMELY strong willed. I am finding the transition from school to home somewhat challenging and was just wondering what that time of the day looked like in your house.
Love the blog!
Great topic! I'll add that to my list.
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three cheers for getting a vitamix!!
you are gonna love it... it's a game changer for your health.
have fun with it.
xo
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Have you seen Jimmy Fallon with Carly Rae Jepsen and the Roots doing Call Me Maybe with the classroom instruments? We love that one! Thanks for sharing as always.
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Ohhhhhhh Jimmy Johns!! LOVE YOUR SANDWICHES SO MUCH. Veggie is my favorite, too-- with extra extra cucumbers. That avocado spread is the stuff of my dreams, haha. I think it was at Jimmy Johns that I discovered my love for salt-and-vinegar, chips, too!
Now, I must go find myself a snack. I've made myself hungry ;-)
oh, and speaking of food (what can I say, it's on my mind)-- your plate lunches remind me of the lunches my mom used to make for me and my brother when we were little. She'd put all sorts of different things into the cups of a 6-muffin tin, and we called them "surprise lunches." Not exactly sure what the surprise was--even then, we all, (even my mom, haha!) wondered-- but just the thought brings back good memories :)
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So cool - I am listening to Twin Forks as I read your post! Glad to find another that enjoys them - they opened for Phillip Phillips a few weeks ago in Winnipeg, and I fell in love! We are also big pretzel chips and hummus eaters in our house.
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I got my Vitamix at Costco a couple days ago - we made the broccoli cheese soup tonight and it was delicious!
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Hi Ali, I was just wondering where your office chair is from? I am in the market for one and do a lot of design work at my computer. Thanks :)
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Loved this post. Thank you for sharing! :-)
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Ali, we bought a vitamix recently and although expensive (I live in Australia) it has so been worth it. We use it nearly everyday for green smoothies and milkshakes and looking forward to trying it for soups as it gets colder here! Mon
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Joseph Gordon Levitt KILLED it in the Jimmy Fallon lip sync battle! Amazing "Tiny Dancer," then he brought it to a close with "Super Bass." I often re-watch this video when I need a quick smile!
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You two are so fun! What a creative team. Thanks for sharing these glimpses. Hummus and pretzels are a go-to for me as well. :)
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