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Hi Friends!

Here is a quick recipe I wanted to share for a fast grab and go breakfast! SO YUMMY!

I saw a sweet coworker eating these one day at work and I immediately went home to make them and have gotten a lot of questions on Instagram!!

Ingredients: eggs, prosciutto, oregano, black pepper (no salt needed the prosciutto has plenty)

preheat oven 375º

1. lay prosciutto in each muffin space, I fold them in half, then press them down flat around the edge.
2. crack 1 egg in each spot
3. season
4. bake for approximately 20 minutes

Always read your labels!!!!

Will keep 5 days in the refrigerator, reheat in microwave, eat on the way to work 🙂

Enjoy,

LC

The name: Choose Joy, Give Grace.

I choose every day when I wake up and put my feet on the floor that I will be JOYFUL. I believe joy comes from the Lord and I am capable of showing that joy to others every day.

I choose JOY.

Give grace to yourself and give grace to others. No one is perfect. Grace is this beautiful thing. We are given or shown something we do not deserve. Not by merit but by grace. One of my journals has this quote on it “I will hold myself to a standard of GRACE not perfection.” The Simplified Journal by Emily Ley. She is a mom of three with a set of twins. Grace is a must. People who give grace love well, so they quickly become someone I want to be around!

My hope for Choose Joy, Give Grace is to encourage self care and self love. I want to use my voice and my influence to be a light. I hope to encourage all of you to be lights too. You are wonderfully made and have purpose—it is important you know that and believe it.

Don’t give up. Don’t stop fighting the good fight.

We live in such a fast-paced world. We practically feel like if we are not busy we are lazy or failures. I am guilty of this myself. I book myself back to back and wear myself out. Then on the days I intentionally plan alone time for journaling, quiet time, etc., I am in bed watching Netflix and feeling useless, too drained to benefit from my “me time.” I feel guilty, like I wasted a day.  I didn’t use any of that time to reflect, to nurture my soul, or to practice yoga. BUT on the other hand, I did rest. I was still. I typically laugh a lot if I’m watching Gilmore Girls. Laughter is the best medicine, after all!

You can’t pour from an empty cup. You have to be intentional about YOUR TIME and what you need to fill your cup back up. Find what fills you up, and do a lot of it!! (more ideas on this to come)

I would love for this space to become a community of people supporting one another, lifting each other up, and giving selfless advice to support common wellness. We all have a story, and we all can learn something from one another!

This is a judgment-free zone. I am not a writer. Sometimes I wonder why I am writing this to begin with, but I remember I do have a story to tell and I want to help people! I love people. It does not have to be perfectly articulated to be helpful to someone else. Sometimes we just long for connection. No one is perfect. I certainly am not. My mistakes have taught me more than my successes. I am thankful for them today, and I know I’ll continue to grow and learn from them.

I will share my heart and passions here. I am excited for what is to come for CHOOSE JOY, GIVE GRACE!!!

xo LC

Like most girls I always wanted to “feel pretty,” and that started at a young age. When I was 13 years old, I was wanting spray tans and fake nails. HA! I had the right idea with the spray tan because it is actually better than sun-tanning, but that is besides the point. In high school I got my first facial and joked with my comparative religions class that I reach “nirvaña.”  It was so relaxing and felt amazing.

Fast-forward to college, nursing school to be exact. It was no longer about being “pretty,” it became a way for me to deal with stress.  I wore oversized t-shirts and yoga pants to class just struggling to remember everything. I would treat myself to blowouts (where they wash your hair at the salon and blow dry it with a big round brush). My hair is super thick and a pain in the butt to style, so I wasted money paying someone else to do it but saved TIME. Time was so important to me. I studied while they did my hair, so that was an hour of study time!!

During nursing school I had to do some serious soul searching. I started to care a lot more about my heart and less about my appearance. Nursing school was much more than pathophysiology and assessment skills. I learned a lot about myself too. One thing in particular I learned: You must take care of YOU from the inside out. Your heart and soul need time and attention too!

I struggled with attention problems but managed to make some amazing friends who studied with me and kept me on track!! This is when my love for ESSENTIAL OILS (EO) began. I used rosemary for memory. Lavender to relax. Peppermint and orange to help keep me alert and focused.

When I thought about launching this blog, I thought I wanted to launch my oil business separately. But then I realized how self-care and oils go hand in hand for me!! This is a natural transition!

Once I became a nurse, I continued to learn a lot about myself. I also have learned compassion fatigue is a real thing. I really needed to make time to take care of myself. I spent 12-hour shifts taking care of others and then got home too exhausted to take care of myself. (I worked in the ICU the past year—talk about hard work. I respect those nurses who stay for the long haul so much.)

Self-care had to be a priority. If I was not healthy, I could not take care of anyone else.

Moms out there, you listening?! You have to take care of you to take good care of baby!! I now remind my new moms of this every day because I have the pleasure of working in maternal/newborn. I love helping new moms and new babies, and I definitely come home less stressed!

Part of getting healthy from the inside out also meant taking a look at the food I was putting into my body. I’ve always tried to eat healthy, but this March I decided to get a lot more intentional and completed my first Whole30.

30 days of investing in my health, my heart, and my happiness. It was amazing. It was life-changing. Since then I have continued to make healthy eating choices with occasional treats. I feel like I know my body so much better. I crave nutrient-dense foods! I want to fuel my body properly so it functions properly.

I have also switched to more natural makeup, cleaning products, and detergents. I see a Chinese medicine doctor who treats me naturally with acupuncture, cupping, and massage. I use essential oils every day as a part of my self-care routine. “Joy” EO blend is my current favorite, seems only fitting. 🙂

I will continue working toward a toxin-free lifestyle!!

This journey of self-care is an important one. I am excited to share more with you!

XO, Lauren

Makeup: Katie DeVore.      Photography: Katie DeVore.       Two-Piece: Elle Gray Nashville

Welcome 🙂

THANK YOU all for your love and support!!! I have been so moved by you guys! I love the messages I get from old friends and new friends. This community is so special to me.

I would love feed back, so let me know what y’all are wanting me to share!

I’m so excited!!

XO LC

 Finally sharing my WHOLE30 Approved Chicken Salad Recipe on the blog!!!

I have loved all the positive feed back from this recipe!! It’s definitely a treat on whole30 and a clean option for anyone else!! Enjoy 🙂

1 lb pulled plain chicken (mine @sprouts)

1/2 cup @primalkitchenfoods MAYO

2 handfuls of Grapes 🍇halved

2-3 stalks of Celery chopped

Juice from a whole 🍋 or 1/2 🍋

Salt and pepper to taste (I use close to a 1/4 tsp of each)

Fun fact: lemon juice is a natural preservative, it will keep your chicken salad tasting fresher longer!! I love the taste of lemon so I actually use juice from 1 whole lemon in mine!! Ps. That salad was AMAZING ❤️🙌🏻

#whole30approved #whole30 #primalkitchen #foodfreedom #happylife #lifestyle #cleaneating #communityovercompetition #sharingiscaring #enjoy #lovesprouts

enjoy,

LC