Lemon Pucker Pistachios

I like snacks. A lot. Please tell me I'm not the only one! A few years ago, I indulged my snack habit and started a subscription with Nature Box. I became obsessed with these Lemon Pucker Pistachios that you could order. I could order 5 bags of snacks and I would often order multiple bags of the pistachios. It's always inevitable that when I love something, they stop making it. I pouted about it, sent tweets to the company, checked back incessantly in hopes that the pistachios would return with no luck.  I have finally come to grips with the fact that the Lemon Pucker Pistachios just might not make it back to the snack rotation at Nature Box, so what's a girl to do but set out to make her own.

I think I got pretty darn close and making them couldn't be easier. If you love pistachios, you will love these lemon flavored ones.

I've tried making these pistachios a few different ways. This is the best recipe. I promise you. You will need:

1 large lemon {about 1/2 cup}
1 small bag {8 ounces} of lightly salted pistachios

Juice your lemon. You will need around 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Fresh lemons are the key! Do not try to use the juice out of those little plastic lemons. It will not taste the same.

Pour the whole bag of you pistachios into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice until all of the pistachios are coated. Set a timer for 5 minutes and let the pistachios soak in the juice. Don't let them soak for too long. This can make them soggy, even after you roast them. While you are letting them soak, turn your oven on to pre-heat at 325 degrees.

After your pistachios have soaked in your lemon juice, pour them on to a non-stick pad {I love these silpat sheets: they make me feel like Martha Stewart and they last forever!} and pop them in the oven for 25 minutes.

Let your pistachios cool and then enjoy!

You guys! These are fabulous and now I'm obsessed. Why the heck didn't I think about making them myself? So easy! Give them a try.

I think you guys are really going to enjoy these too! Let me know if you give them a try.

dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!

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You are more than just a number

“Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Weight Watchers through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Weight Watchers Beyond the Scale, all opinions are my own.”

I was 29. I had three small kids and I was nearing a milestone birthday.  I had a fairly healthy diet, but I did love my ice cream. I was moving very little and had never in my life taken part in any kind of workout routine. I decided that I would enter into my 30's taking care of me. I had spent my 20's really focused on being a wife and a mom. My body was a baby maker and food creator and while that was perfect for that season of life, I was starting a new chapter. I wanted to be the best version of me that I could be, not only for myself, but for my family.

I didn't have a number on a scale that I was striving for; I only wanted to lead a healthier lifestyle. I joined a gym and started doing group fitness classes. I ran my first 5k on my 30th birthday,

followed by my first half marathon: 13.1 miles. I wasn't a runner, never had been. I had never run more than a mile and only when I had to for our Presidential physical fitness test in middle school, so it was crazy to me, that I started pounding the pavement to train. I realized that I didn't love running, but I sure did love feeling accomplished when I met my goal afterwards.

There are so many numbers. Heck, these are the numbers I have just mentioned or think about when I talk about my own healthy lifestyle.

It's easy to get caught up in numbers when you are on a journey to a healthier lifestyle. The number on the scale, the calories in the food you eat, the goal you have set to accomplish, but you are more than just a number. You are uniquely you. 

I love the new approach that Weight Watchers has taken with their Beyond the Scale program. Weight Watchers realizes that you are more than just a number on the scale, you are much more complex and exciting than that! 

The Beyond the Scale program starts with a personalized assessment so that they can see the whole picture of your lifestyle, your challenges and your goals. While the scale is one tool that is used to measure your weight loss progress, the Beyond the Scale program realizes that there are other ways that reach beyond the scale to help you meet your maximum potential. 

Beyond the Scale is all about you! Personalized to look at every aspect of your lifestyle and your personality. Weight Watchers offers a holistic approach to healthy eating paired with a healthy lifestyle. No one loves a diet. Beyond the Scale is simply a way to help you manage how you eat paired with a new fitness approach that will keep you on track to meeting all your health goals. You are simply creating a healthier version of you!

When you join Weight Watchers you will also be given a personalized SmartPoints™

 budget. This personalized budget takes into account your height, current weight, gender and age. Not only will you have a daily allowance, you will also have a weekly allowance that will take into account splurges, bigger portions and going out. SmartPoints™

are a simple counting system that are easy to use and will help you feel in control of your own progress and goals. 

I started eight years ago with a focus on a healthier lifestyle. I was living life before but I finally feel like eight years ago I really started to live life. My kids have run races right alongside me, we enjoy hikes together and being outside and being active is one of our favorite things to do as a family. I'm leading by example how to live a healthy life and I love that the Beyond the Scale program is coming right along side men and women just like you to help you do the same.  

Weight Watchers wants to help you find and feel your inner strength. You are more than just a number. You are uniquely you. You can be happy and healthier if you are taking care of yourself from the inside out. You deserve a program that recognizes that and is tailored to fit your unique needs.  You deserve a program that helps you stay inspired and motivated. What are you waiting for? Start today!

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The 4 week water challenge. Does it really take 10 years off of your face?

I know I don't drink enough water. I know how important drinking water is, I just don't do it. I do sip on water throughout the day but my maximum intake is around 12 ounces of water per day. A far cry from what is recommended, though despite all of us knowing 8 by 8 {8 glasses of water by 8 pm}, water recommendations are no longer a one size fits all approach. WebMD has a recommendation of 1/2-1 ounce of water for every pound. I'm 108 pounds and live a fairly active lifestyle, so around 100 ounces is a pretty fair goal to shoot for. A few years ago I had a pedicure at a spa {thank you groupon} and the esthetician told me that my skin was dry. I didn't think my skin was dry. It didn't feel cracked or flaking but she recommended that I drink more water.  She told me I could be dehydrated. I took note of it, but obviously didn't really change my habits.  I guess I sort of underplayed how important drinking water is for my overall health. For some reason, despite having seen this article before, I was inspired to drink more water and to start a little blog experiment.  I thought that I would document the process week by week and see if I saw results as drastic as she did. She really does look 10 years younger. I'm wondering if it will work for me.

source

I downloaded an app to my phone to help me keep track of my daily water intake. The author drank 3 liters of water, which is about 101 ounces, so I set my app to track what felt like an ocean of water every single day. I started on a Monday, so with no makeup on, I took a picture. Each Monday I logged my observations from the week and snapped a no makeup picture. I do occasionally drink things other than water {usually coffee}, but those don't count towards my water goal. I'm sticking to logging strictly water only.So here we go me on day 1.

Come see what this journey was like for me and if I will keep on drinking 101 ounces of water every single day. Are you dying to see if I look 10 years younger just by changing this one habit?

week 1: 

I noticed more zits this week. I don't normally break out, but I had at least four lovely zits rear their ugly head. Not sure if it's coincidence or not.  Some people say it's my body's way of getting rid of toxins. While trying to drink so much water one day, I skipped my coffee. I don't drink a lot, only one cup a day but if I don't drink that one cup, by the afternoon I have a massive headache.  On this particular day I didn't get a headache. I read later that water helps you detox from caffeine and I will heartily agree. I'm not ready to give up my coffee, but on those days that I don't drink it, it's nice to know that just by keeping up my water intake I won't suffer the caffeine withdraws like I once had.My bathroom visits are crazy. I'm in there nearly every hour and at night I'm up once. This part is not my favorite.I met my water goal 5 of the 7 days but still drank more water on those days than normal, so I consider it a win as I ease into this new habit.

week 2:

More zits. I can't even. They are mostly on my neck. Can I blame the water? Perhaps it's taking so many years off of my life that I'm now entering puberty again.I have found that if I get my water consumption in by 8 pm, I don't usually wake up at night to go to the bathroom. If I am still chugging by 10, then there is no hope for me sleeping straight through the night.Speaking of sleep, I always slept well, but I have had some pretty great nights of sleep. Coincidence?I'm noticing that my contacts aren't quite as dry as they sometimes get in the evenings and I'm finding that I am craving water now. I'm constantly sipping and carrying my big cup full of water with me everywhere I go.I met my water goal 7 out of 7 days last week, usually exceeding it by a few ounces. 

week 3:

I was traveling this week, so it was harder for me to fit in copious amounts of water consumption with my schedule. Pretty much, that's a nice way of saying that I didn't have time to be making bathroom stops every hour!  But I did manage to get my water goal 5 of the 7 days.I had a massive zit that required it's own zip code. Seriously, this whole zit thing is a major downside if the two really are indeed linked to one another. I normally have some pretty killer cramps and this month, I didn't notice them quite as much. The introduction of yummy Tex Mex into my diet and eating out nearly every meal for five days straight had me gaining five pounds. I have always heard that drinking more water would make you fuller and help you lose weight. I did not find that to be true.

week 4:

You would think that by now the habit of drinking water would be in place but I can't say that it was. It was still a struggle for me to make sure I downed enough water. I met my water goal 6 out of 7 days.I'm still noticing acne. Maybe it's not water related at all. I was hoping that my bladder would expand and get used to the increase in water but it hasn't. I'm still making frequent bathroom trips and that interruption in my day is pretty annoying.

Recap

I'm actually pretty darn proud of myself for sticking with this little experiment for 4 weeks. I made note every week of how many days I made my 101 ounce goal and even when I had a shortcoming, I was still drinking far more water than I normally do on average, so I consider it a win all around.I want to say that I noticed a huge change in my skin like the woman in the article that inspired me but I don't. I was really hoping those dark circles under my eyes would be less dark and noticeable but they haven't.The constant bathroom stops this month have been beyond annoying. My kids even mentioned that they are all ready for me to be done with my little experiment because they are tired of the bathroom breaks every hour on the hour!

4 weeks of 101 ounces of water before and after

The end results

I really wanted to notice a bigger difference. I really did. I wanted this experiment to be life changing and that drinking more water was something that I could swear by as a way to make you look younger, but it's not.I know many experts would disagree. Maybe the benefits are all internal and I've never been healthier or more flushed out. Who cares that I didn't notice a difference in my skin besides a ton more acne? Will I keep it up? Probably not. I don't love spending my day finding bathrooms and making pit stops. I didn't notice enough benefits to make it worth it in the long run.Of course I will continue to drink water, just not 101 ounces of water every day. 

Should you do a 4 week water challenge?

Maybe, just maybe if I was trying to break a soda habit this might be a great challenge to take to help change that behavior.  I know every person is different and you may notice huge benefits from drinking more water. I would hate to discourage you from trying because there is no harm in it.Just be warned that you will be making frequent bathroom breaks! Don't take my word for it. Give it a try. I would love to see how your skin changes just by drinking 101 ounces daily. You may have killer results. Have you ever tried a water challenge? Did you notice any benefits to it? Would you try taking the 4 week water challenge?

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Should you join a gym? Pros and cons of gym membership

Almost exactly eight years ago I started hitting the gym as part of a rare new year's resolution that I had made. I was turning 30 and was done having kids and one of my older friends kept telling me how much your metabolism changes once you hit your 30's and lawd knows, I didn't need that catching up with me!

I've never been the most athletic person. I like being active and being outside but if you are playing a game, I don't blame you for picking me last. I had never stepped onto an elliptical before, never really used weights to work out with and outside of a PE class in high school where we did a Cindy Crawford workout video, I had never done a group fitness class ever.

But, with three small kids at home, my attempts at finding time to workout weren't working out, so I took advantage of the great deals in the new year and found a gym that offered a free three week trial. I got comfortable with the idea of going to the gym and then joined a different gym that was closer to my house that had everything that I needed.

If you are like millions of Americans who resolve to get healthy in the new year, I have a few thoughts if you are considering gym membership. It may save you a ton of money!

Pros of gym membership

1. You may feel obligated to go

Gym membership can be expensive {I know this is sounding like a con already but bear with me!} but if you have paid your membership fee {usually through automatic bank withdraw}, you may just feel obligated to go. 

2. You get out of the house

As a young mom, this was top on my list of reasons! I needed an outlet and going to the gym was a great place for that outlet. Some gyms offer child care or kids programs that are fun for the whole family. Now that my kids are older, going to the gym still gives me a great reason to get out of the house and start my day off right.

3. You can meet new friends

I started meeting friends in the classes that I took and they started inviting me to run with them or to join them at a new class. I had a routine time that I went to the gym and generally the same people came at the same time. I started to get to know new people. It was a great social outlet when I was starting to feel isolated with young motherhood and people start to hold you accountable if you miss a day or two.

4. Your new friends can encourage new habits

Before joining a gym I had never run more than the mile that was required of us during the presidential fitness test in school, but once I joined the gym, I had new friends inviting me to run with them and while I didn't love running, I did love the social aspect of it...misery loves company so they say. On my 30th birthday I ran my first 5k and took 3rd place in my age division and since then, I've run 5 half marathons and countless 5k's.

5. All the expensive equipment is there

I change up my routine quite often. I use the treadmill, the elliptical, the stair climber, bikes and the rowing machine. I lift free weights, I use the Bosu and medicine balls and I use the weight machines. I haven't had to buy or replace a single piece of gym equipment for my home. I don't have the clutter or the storage of big bulky pieces of machinery. Everything I need is at the gym.

6. It can cut down medical bills

I was dealing with a pretty nasty case of post postpartum depression when I started working out. I was on depression medication, but I attribute starting a fitness routine with the success of that medication. I was able to go off of the medication less than six months after I started my fitness routine and have been able to stay off of the meds since. Going to the gym has been a sanity saver for me. Not to mention, I have been in the best shape of my life since. I was thin before I started working out, but I wasn't healthy. I would huff and puff when I took a flight of stairs and I didn't have the endurance to do any type of activity for long. While I don't know how much this new healthy lifestyle has saved me, I do know that I have never been healthier.

7. You work out harder

I've been running next to someone on the treadmill and upped my speed just to keep up. I've taken classes where I've looked over and seen the woman who is twice my age grab a heavier weight and challenged myself to do the same. I find that having people around me who are challenging themselves, help me to challenge myself.

Cons of gym membership

1. You have to leave your house

I have friends that are hooked on the 30 day fixed. They love that they can work out at home after just having rolled out of their pajamas and they don't have to add the drive time to the time that their workout takes away from their day. I get that. However, I will say, that when I have attempted to work out at home, I am usually distracted by the million things that I have to do here and usually cut my workouts short.

2. It's expensive

Some gyms can be quite expensive. It doesn't cost you hardly anything if you are working out at home. You can stream workouts from nationally known trainers on your laptop and you can download apps on your phone to help keep you on track. Thankfully, I have found a local gym that is running distance from my house that costs only $10 a month, so affordable gyms do exist.

3. You may not know what you are doing

Like I said before, I had never worked out at a gym before. I was a total newbie. I was afraid to use some of the machines for fear of not doing them right. If working out is new to you, this may be a real hindrance for you. However, I have found that most gyms have trainers that are happy to show you how to use the equipment for free. And if you want to try a class, you usually won't get called out for being in the back row and doing your best. While it feels like all eyes are on you, they usually aren't.I'm a frugal gal and I like to spend my money wisely, so an added expensive like gym membership has to be worth it for me to rationalize paying for it every month. I think that the pro's far outweigh the cons for me and probably for most of you, but before you get into a hefty monthly contract, make sure you have made your new healthy habit of hitting the gym a priority before you link that bank account.  I would love to hear what you think.Is joining a gym worth it? I would love for you to add your list of pros and cons.

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The secret to keeping your New Year's Resolution

Every January it's the same old thing. The gym that I frequent is always busy, the racks at the stores are full of workout gear and there are ads all over for weight loss this and diet secret that. 

I was one of those New Year's resolution makers that said I would start hitting the gym. I was 29...about to hit 30. I had three small kids at home and I was skinny but I wasn't fit. I had heard that your metabolism changes at 30. I had fears that my nightly bowl of ice cream and my dessert snacking were going to catch up with me, so I took advantage of one of those 3 weeks free gym trials and I started to work out. I switched gyms once I found out how much the fees were, but I did start a healthy habit that I have actually kept for eight years now.

But I must confess, I hate this time of year. I hate the people who show up at my gym and make me shift my normal routine. Faces I see for a few weeks before they drop off again. The workout clothes that get bought with good intentions, but that only get worn after February to run errands in.

Trust me. It's gotten harder and harder for me to sometimes find the time to fit workouts in, but I think I might have the secret for you so that you can keep your New Year's resolution to live a healthier lifestyle.

I love my Fitbit. I bought it about a year ago and have worn it nearly every single day since.

I have friends who keep me accountable on my Fitbit app. They will cheer me on or invite me to challenges, and while that's super fun and helpful, that's not what keeps me moving to get my 10,000 steps in.

What does, is an app called Pact. I downloaded it for free and I linked it with my Fitbit. I promise you, I am not getting paid for this review. I just wanted to share the one thing that makes me stay motivated to get my 10,000 steps in. 

To use the Pact app, you make a "pact" to exercise, log your meals or eat fruits and vegetables for a certain amount of days. When you sign up, you also sign up to be charged $5-$10 for every day that you miss.  

My credit card is linked to my account, so if I miss one of my six days that I have made a pact for, $10 is deducted from my account.  If you hit your goal, you get paid anywhere from 30 cents to $5 from those members who had to pay up for not making their pact.

I'm cheap, so knowing that I could be charged $10 for missing my workout and not getting my steps in, encourages me to get out there. Sometimes that means that I walk outside in the rain, or that I take a few extra laps at the grocery store.

Currently, I only have a gym pact, because I can connect that with my Fitbit. You can also "check in" at your gym and it will log in your pact after 30 minutes, but I like having to get in my 10,000 steps because there is nothing I have to log or check in on. Once you set it up, you can forget about it!

When I travel or if I am sick, I am able to put a freeze on my pact or tweak it a bit to fit into my current lifestyle.  

I totally get that Pact isn't for everyone. My husband thinks it's some kind of crazy pyramid scheme. But it keeps me motivated. And since I have had the Pact app, I have been paid over $50! I use my Pact money and download it into my Starbucks account as a little treat.

You aren't going to get rich off of the app, and then challenge yourself. I have my pact set for six days a week because that's more of a challenge for me. Especially in the cold rainy wet months, but I like a challenge!

If you are motivated by money and don't want to see $10 get sucked out of your bank account for missing a day at the gym, give Pact a shot. It may be the secret weapon to keeping your resolution this year!

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