Hi! I'm Jelena Meisel

I'm a mom and wife based in the Rocky mountains. I love cooking, hiking and traveling.

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Friday Chat

Jan 13, 2017

Friday Chat

Congratulations, we have made it through our second week of 2017! January is usually a very long month, but somehow it’s flying by. I am trying to savor Miami Winter as much as I can and not rush through the season, as I will be doing enough rushing once humid and rainy summer is here. This weekend I will be savoring South Florida winter and getting out of town with Kiki.Her one Christmas gift wish was her very own suitcase and Santa delivered! My five year old has a worse travel itch than I do, and she can’t wait to pack her suitcase for this mini trip. She has asked me to pack herself as she knows exactly what she wants to take.  I am really looking forward to this weekend and it presented itself in a perfect time! After so much of thinking and me time last weekend, I am looking forward to a little bit of a weekend adventure! What are your weekend plans?

I am obsessed with podcasts, and on Monday on my way to the office I was listening to a podcast about goal setting and this one tip “Focus on getting better, rather than being good!” really struck a cord with me. I am sure I am not the only one out there, but so often the process can be overwhelming.  Changes don’t happen overnight and we don’t immediately arrive at our ideal self. It’s the journey, patience and grit that are required to reach the better. If you’re interested, here is the full article on “Nine Things Successful People Do Differently.

I’ve done lots of productivity, kid, and food related reading in the last week, and here are the few articles that caught my attention and are a great share…even if you read one or two of them, I am sure you will get a lot out of them!

Productivity Hacks

I am really trying hard to change this about me, learn how to finally break your habit of always being late.

5 financial habits to adopt when you start budgeting in 2017.

16 little things you can do to make every day better

I love reading and I love a good glass of wine, what better way to relax after a hard day’s work than a good book and a glass of wine?

Just in time for the mini trip with Kiki – How Children Benefit from Travel

This avocado toast..welcome to my fave breakfast for 2017

There’s a new restaurant in Amsterdam that’s devoted entirely to the avocado. Good thing we have the avocado emoji now!

I found my ultimate breakfast…no surprise, it involves avocado!

Every food trend of 2017 all in one place.

What chefs buy at Trader Joe’s.

Happiness Jar — especially as a project for the kids to take on.

and if you are still looking for a perfect 2017 challenge, I highly recommend this one…as “Trolls” have taught us “happiness comes from within”!

To all my working moms, single moms, stay at home moms…add this recipe to your family’s school night menu. Its hearty vegetables and penne pasta are comforting winterish dish that can be on your table in 25 minutes, and you won’t even feel you were cooking! This is a true quick-and-easy recipe. You can prepare all the ingredients while the pasta is cooking! It also makes a delicious lunch next day! Never doubt Martha Stewartshe always delivers!

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I believe in balancing health and happiness with lots of flavor! My hope is that you find a recipe here that becomes a new favorite and you share it with your loved ones for years to come.

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