The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies, Board Games And All Things BOYS

Posted on August 16, 2015

Hi Friends, here’s a look at our week!

I’ll just come out and say it: we have the coolest kids. They are smart, insightful and they CRACK US UP. Nighttime stories, after dinner games, and weekend brunch made entirely by them has become our new normal, and we are loving it!

One of my main reasons for loosing over 100 POUNDS was to be able to play with the boys: to run and be an active mom right along side of them. I am happy, healthy, and energetic, which is the best gift I could ever have given to them. If you need help or don’t know where to start, Real Life Paleo outlines how we did it, and will help you make small steps towards a large goal without being overwhelmed.

I love being able to spend quality time with these three cuties! This passed week I was even joined by my mom for our family tradition of Eastern Market mommy date for natural casing hot dogs and shrimp salad. This salad was something that the boys love so much that they begged us to re-create at home! You can find the recipe here: Eastern Market Shrimp Salad.

The boys also went to their week of summer camp this passed week. Cole and Finian had another great year at Arcadia Farm Camp where they participated in the “Little Chefs” program. This is an AWESOME WAY to teach healthy habits to the next generation! They have a blast learning how to grow and make their own food – they are even taught knife safety! They always come home inspired to cook delicious things, like the pesto recipe they learned at camp last year is a family-favorite! This year Finian is loving Zucchini Latkes, which are very similar to this recipe already on the blog but I imagine a blog post will show up on the site soon from these campers to recap their week at camp to inspire your youngsters to go get dirty and grow things to eat! Next year Wes will be old enough to attend, and says that he is most looking forward to “feeding bad bugs to the chickens for yummy eggs.”

Engaging activities like this are great for helping manage Cole’s ADHD without medication. Along with outdoor exercise and limiting screen time, we’ve learned that him having coffee in the morning actually helps to calm his brain and improve focus —> much more about that in this podcast with the boy himself! His favorite coffee is cold brew (we get refillable jars at Whole Foods) with three drops of Sweet Leaf Vanilla Cream Stevia and unsweetened Nut Pods French Vanilla cream.

Events & Announcements

Squeee!!! We can’t wait to share this with you!!!

Next week we launch The Reset and Thrive Library – all the resources you need to create health, wellness, and balance as we head into fall and a new academic season!

40 resources with content that HAS NEVER BEEN BUNDLED BEFORE will be available for a limited time to help you live your best life and thrive! All the details coming to your inbox next week, so don’t miss it!

There’s still time! Happening Sunday evening!

AUGUST 16: 4pm, Alexandria, VA
Woot woot! We wrote the foreword because we luuurve this book and can’t wait for you to see it! Come down to the launch party and help us celebrate with Jennifer! Details and RSVP —> HERE!

worth eating (according to the boys!)

Many people ask us what the boys actually eat, and the truth is that they eat what we eat. They eat the recipes on our blog and in our cookbooks, and yes, they even fight over who gets the last serving of brussels sprouts!

So what do they love to eat the most? You’ll find a ton of their favorites in our One Stop Paleo Shop boxes. The boys helped picked out every item in them! See exactly what is in their boxes —-> HERE!

The boys also each have their own blog post about their favorite foods, favorite recipes, places to eat out, and even their favorite activities. Check them out here: Cole, Finian, Wesley.

worth playing (according to the boys)

At almost 10, 7, and 5-years old, the boys are at a great age for playing family games together. It’s become part of our regular routine, and something we all look forward to. It replaces screen time, makes them use their brains, is great family togetherness and creates fun memories. Here are our current favorites!

Blokus: Our new family favorite! A great strategy game that even Wesley is old enough to participate in, but has the depth to challenge any age level. It takes less than a minute to learn, and the game itself goes pretty quick, so it is perfect for before bedtime. Find it —> HERE.

Coup: Another fairly quick-playing card game that combines the bluffing and uncertainty of Poker with the detective work of Clue, but with deeper strategy and more storytelling. The older boys love this one! Find it —> HERE.

Munchkins (Apocalypse): We’ve been playing Munchkins as a family for a long time, and our newest favorite in the series is the Apocolypse version! Find it —> HERE.

Legendary: A deck-building game based on the Marvel super heros, where you get to pick villains and super heroes. We love that you get to play with other players to be beat the villans! Find it —> HERE.

Apples to Apples: Not only (often hilarious) fun, but secretly builds vocabulary and encourages thought by matching words and descriptions. Even though Wesley can’t read yet he still plays and we all love to laugh at what his answers end up being! Find it —> HERE.

The Boys’ Favorite Recipes

Autumn (or Summer!) Breakfast Cake

50/50 Bacon Burgers

Cinnamon Raisin (not) Rice Pudding

Easy Peasy Pancakes

Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (by Merit + Fork)
We know it’s unusual for us to highlight recipes that aren’t ours in our newsletter… but truly, these are the boys FAVORITE chocolate chip cookies. AND they’re egg-free and nut-free, we HIGHLY recommend you check them out if you haven’t yet!! Frankly, they’re what endeared our boys to Nicole (who is the recipe creator and often brings a batch over for the boys).

Weekly Discounts & Coupons

We’re fortunate to partner with some incredible companies that, like us, work towards promoting health, wellness, and fun! Your support of these companies helps support us, and we greatly appreciate that.