Health and Fitness Collab!

Good Morning ladies!

I just posted a video on my YouTube channel where I share with you my health and fitness routine. My video is part of a collaboration with 5 other YouTubers. Below are links to check out each of their channels. 

Cherie: http://www.youtube.com/user/livelovelatte

Deb:https://www.youtube.com/user/debwanderson

Clara: https://www.youtube.com/user/claraslate

Tina: https://www.youtube.com/user/frugalfunfab

Annie: https://www.youtube.com/user/Anniesimplelife

In my video I shared two recipes that I love to make on a regular basis. Below you will find the complete recipes. I really hope you enjoy these recipes and let me know if you would like to see more recipes or cooking videos in the future. 

3 Ingredient Cookie

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe bananas

1 cup of oats

1 scoop of protein powder

Chocolate chips-Amount it up to you!

* You can also add in nuts, nut butter, chia, flax seed, or dried fruit. 

Instructions:

1. Mash bananas really well and then mix in all ingredients. 

2. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. 

3. Cool and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 ripe Spaghetti Squash

Pasta sauce of choice

Optional: You can add in ground beef, ground turkey, tofu, Morning Star crumbles, shredded cheese, or any protein you like.

Instructions:

1.Carefully cut the squash in half length wise

2. Take microwave safe dish and add about 1/4-1/2 inch water. 

3. Place squash open end down into the dish.

4. Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes.

5. Take out and let it cool for a minutes and then use your fork to scrape the squash, starting at the top and scrape down vertically. It should look like angel hair spaghetti noodles. 

6. Top with your sauce/protein of choice and serve!

*leftovers stay good in the fridge for about 3-5 days. 

Check out these links to some of my other favorite Tone It Up recipes:

https://www.toneitup.com/recipe/no-bake-almond-joy-protein-truffles/

https://www.toneitup.com/recipe/avocado-toast-5-ways/

https://www.toneitup.com/recipe/black-bean-quinoa-chili/

I hope you enjoyed this post and my video. STAY TUNED for my next blog post where I share my workout music playlist! 

 Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and watching my video!

Have a great day and follow me at the links below to stay connected!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/CourtneyVal 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/

Snapchat: courtney.val

Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval

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Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyValYT

My 2016 New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year, lovelies! 

I hope your 2016 is starting off full of health and happiness. 

Here we are almost one full week into the new year and I am just now taking time to make my goals for the year. I actually think it's a good idea to wait a few days into the new year before cementing your resolutions. You need time for the newness of the year to wear off a bit and reality to set in. It's so easy to get hyped up on December 31st and make resolutions that, in reality, you won't keep. Then you feel bad when you can't complete your unreasonable resolutions. One week ago I was resolving to cut my hair short, dye it purple, and run a marathon before May. Now, I have settled down a bit and have compiled a list of reasonable goals that will help me improve myself and my quality of life in 2016. 


SIDE NOTE: When you make your own resolutions do not be afraid to add, subtract, or change goals as you see fit. If you are working towards a goal and realize you need to change it to most benefit yourself, then do it. These are your goals.  Don't eliminate or change a goal just because you are tired and don't feel like trying anymore. If you think a goal is unrealistic then switch it out for something more attainable but still challenging. 

Ok, without further ado...here are my 2016 new year's resolutions. 

1.  Read 15-20 books. This is one carried over from last year. I read about 10-15 books last year so only half of my goal. I read a lot of online newspapers,  blogs, and magazines but I want to set aside more time to read actual books. 

2. Complete a Tone It Up fitness challenge. I'm a Tone It Up girl! Are you?  I've been following the Tone It Up nutrition and fitness plan for about 4 years now and it is life changing. It helped me get into great shape for my wedding and the nutrition plan helped reduce my migraines and completely eliminate my stomach issues. Plus, there is a huge community of women who are all here to support each other. If you want to check it out you can visit their website HERE. Every year they have  a bunch of free challenges so my goal is to complete one. They have one going on right now if you're interested. I also have a separate Instagram for Tone It Up and fitness in general. Follow me @liveloveandtiu. 

3. Volunteer at least one a month. I really want to get involved with the House Rabbit Society and volunteer with them at least monthly. Do you have any suggestions of other good places to volunteer? Let me know in the comments!

4. Create more great content for you. This year I want to take my blog, Instagram, and Youtube channel to the next level. I am already working on a brand new blog website that will hopefully be ready soon. I'm also planning out a new filming and editing set up for my YouTube channel.  Let me know in the comments if there are any specific video requests you have and I will try my best to make those happen. I can't wait to share amazing content with you in 2016!

5. Take a class...or two. I love learning new skills and I think continuing education is good for everyone. Last year I took an American Sign Language class which I absolutely loved. This year I would like to take another ASL class and maybe something else. French? Photography? French Photography!? 

6. Try a new hairstyle. I've been rocking these straight, long locks for about a year and a half. It's time to spice it up with a new cut and maybe color. 

7. Cook more. This year I want to set aside more time to cook and try new healthy recipes. Someone requested I make healthy recipe videos for my YT channel so I will definitely share those with you. 

8. Write more...with my actual hands. In this age of technology we don't really even need to get out a pen and paper to write things down. I was recently looking at some old notebooks of mine and I noticed that my hand writing used to be so pretty. Now, it's a jumbled mess because I hardly ever have to actually write things down. This year I want to handwrite in my journal, notes to friends, to-do lists...anything to get me hand writing things again. 

9. Stay connected with far away friends and family.  This year I want to make more of an effort to Skype, Facetime, text, and send cards to my family and friends who live far away. Sometimes it's hard to manage different schedules and time zones but I really want 2016 to be the year that we stay connected better. 

10. Participate in my local community. This year I want to explore my local community and take a more active role. I would like to attend more community events, network with people, and participate in the local culture. This can also tie into my goal to volunteer more. I also want to explore the local nature and get outdoors more. 


What are you new year's resolutions or goals? Let me know in the comments section below or on any of my social media sites. 

Cheers to an amazing 2016!

Courtney

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