I used to totally suck at asking for help. And on top of that, whenever I did ask or invest in support, part of me felt guilty for not being able to take care of it all by myself.  

Looking back, not being able to confidently ask for support was such an UNHEALTHY & STRESSFUL HABIT for me. 

But about 4 years ago I hit my breaking point, which was naturally also during my fertility treament season. 

At that time of my life I found myself more overwhelmed than happy, and began to lose joy in the simple things. 

This was the time I made a decision to STOP FEELING LIKE SHIT & START INVESTING IN MYSELF, because honestly no one else is going to do it for me.

It was a WAKE UP CALL that I am THE BEST & ONLY ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF. 

Let me first preface this story that INVESTMENTS take TIME, ENERGY & MONEY, and only one of these is refundable.  

All of the investment decisions I have made in my life thus far have been led by my gut and have made my whole body shout, "HELL YEAH" when choosing to pay GOOD MONEY for them. 

I'm faaaaaar from perfect at making the most logical decisions, but I am getting really freakin' good at LISTENING TO MY BODY, which to me is way more important anyway. 

Alrighty, so here it goes...

I first popped my "investing in support" cherry when I made the decision to become a Health coach.  I paid good mula $$ for NUTRITION & WELLNESS CONSULTANT TRAINING so I could learn how to fuel my body to feel great and to help others do the same. 

Next, came INVESTING IN FERTILITY TREATMENTS to help me get pregnant. Damnnnn did those co-pays add up.  $$$

Then, I sought out help from ACUPUNCTURE to help my brain process all of my crazy feelings and emotions.  At that time I didn't have anyone to talk to about what I was going through and venting to my husband about my hormones everyday wasn't really making me feel better.  I went to acupuncture at least twice a month.  Yup, more money.  $$

After I got pregnant I was then super unmotivated to stay active, so I invested in support from FIT4MOMS to keep me excited about moving my body.  $$

I then realized that I had no f*cking clue what I was doing when it came to birthing a baby.  Plus I wanted to go the unmedicated route, so I hired my amazing DOULA, Brittney Riddick.  $$$

After Lucille was born, my husband and I realized that we had made so many simple & intentional changes in our life that have made us so much happier we thought more people could benefit from us sharing our story.  This is when we invested in podcasting and SIMPLIFIED KHAOS was born!  $$

I also realized during my maternity leave that I didn't want to go back to a full-time job with a long commute on top of that.  I wanted MORE TIME. 

My days felt short & exhausting and I had little time for family and doing the things I enjoyed.  This was around the time I decided to turn my healthy passion into a side hustle, so I could evetually leave my full-time teaching job. 

I made the decision to turn my little food blog into a little business so I could help other busy families feel less stressed and more joy in their everyday. 

A combination of my health coach training & my passion of creating simple & healthy recipes just seemed to blossom organically into a side hustle.  Creating simple dinner plans inside SIMPLIFY MY MEALS for families is SERIOUSLY A BLAST FOR ME :). 

This is when I hired support, my BUSINESS COACH, Michelle Knight, to help guide me in starting my own business because I had no f*cking idea where to start. $$$

Plus, I didn't want to WASTE ANY PRECIOUS TIME or ENERGY doing things that weren't valueable to growing my business.  

It's kind of crazy reflecting back on all of the BIG INVESTMENTS $$ I have made in the past and how they've added up to make me the person I am today.

So as you can see, my INVESTMENT JOURNEY wasn't cheap and it definitely did not happen overnight. 

Every penny, every minute and every ounce of energy I used to invest in myself has been 100% WORTH IT. 

For me, paying GOOD MONEY for GREAT SERVICES is what adds tremendous VALUE to my life (mentally, physcially, emotionally & sanity-sake). ​

All this to say, listen to your gut, trust yourself and...

1. Pumpkin & Kale Pasta Bake 

2.  Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup 

3.  Maple Pumpkin Bread (Grain-free option below) 

4.  Grain-free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread 

5.   Quick Pumpkin Oat Cookies 



​Cheers to staying cozy & healthy this season! 
            Jillian 

My favorite thing about preparing this meal is that you get to BAKE THE SHRIMP!  

I love the simplicity of preparing a meal that I can SET IT & FORGET IT because all I gotta do is throw the shrimp on a baking sheet, set the timer on the oven and BOOM! 

Baking the shrimp gives me 10 minutes of FREEDOM to do as I wish, WHICH IS AMAZING! #momwin 

What you do during the time it cooks is up to my friend.  I usually either play with Lucille, sip a cocktail or dance around like a total goof.

This tasty baked shrimp gets piled on top of a simple spinach & cabbage mixture and served with a cool & refreshing dressing you'll want to put on EVERYTHING! 

P.S. DON'T FORGET THE TORTILLA CHIP CROUTON. Delish :)

INGREDIENTS: 

SHRIMP MARINADE (inspired by Coconuts & Kettlebells) 

• 2 lbs. Wild Caught Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Limes, juiced
• 1/2 c. Extra Virigin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt 

CILANTRO LIME DRESSING

• 1/3 c. Mayo (made with avocado oil) 
• 1/3 c. Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder 
• Fresh ground pepper

SALAD FIXINGS

• 2 cups of Red Cabbage or 1/4 Red Cabbage Head, sliced thinly
• 4 handfuls of Baby Spinach, chopped 
• Tortilla Chips, crush on top
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped and sprinkled on top
• 1 lime, cut into quarters and squeezed on top when serving 

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Place the shrimp in a large bowl with all ingredients listed in the MARINADE.  Cover and let sit in fridge for 15 - 30 minutes. 

3.  While shrimp is marinating, prepare SALAD FIXINGS and toss together in a large bowl.  Prepare the CILANTRO LIME DRESSING too by mixing ingredients in a small bowl. 

4.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper, aluminum foil or a silicone mat.

5.  Take shrimp out of marinade and place on the pan without overlapping shrimp. Bake shrimp for 10 minutes or until pink and opaque. 
​
6.  Once shimp is cooked, place on top of salad mixture and top with tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and a whole lotta dressing! 

Enjoy! ​


Always craving health & happiness.
             Jillian 

Get more MEAL SIMPLICITY HERE in the Simplify My Meals Membership Program! 

Since I'm all about simplicity over here, I had to keep the tasty cookie recipes coming with a new type of healthy flour. 

I already have a BANGIN' almond flour cookie recipe >> SIMPLE CRANBERRY COOKIE and now I'm adding this PHENOMENAL coconut flour recipe for all my gluten-free and grain-free friends out there! 

Let's get this healthy cookie stuff started! 

INGREDIENTS:

WET

• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil, melted
• 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 
• 2 eggs

DRY

• 1/2 cup of Coconut Flour
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips 

1.  PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or a silcone mat. 

2.  MIX: In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients first.  Then, add in the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and stir until it becomes a thick batter. 

3.  FOLD: Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed in the batter. 

4.  SPOONFUL: Using a large spoon, drop cookie dough onto the baking sheet.  Use your fingers to flatten the cookies as big or as small as you would like them.  Keep in mind that they will not get any larger when they bake. 

5.  BAKE cookies for 12- 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.  Let them cool for about 5-7 minutes before serving.  


Always craving health + happiness,
      Jillian 

Let's put aside the usual pasta noodles and switch to something else that has a similiar texture, and a whole lot of nutritional value.

OH HEY SPAGHETTI SQUASH, I'M LOOKIN' AT YOU! 

This is a hearty & simple casserole-ish meal that is flavored with spiced sausage, creamy ricotta and some fresh as hell basil!  Don't underestimate the power of fresh herbs my friend.

So get ready for a FUN spin on pasta night and enjoy a new way to sneak in the veggies! 

My 2-year old daughter loved this, so there's hope for your kiddos too :) 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 lbs. Ground Italian Sausage, removed from casings
• 2-3 cups of Kale, chopped
• 2 cups Marinara Sauce
• 1-12 oz. Ricotta Cheese, Full Fat
• Fresh Basil, for serving 
• Salt & Pepper, to taste 

1.  PREPARE SQUASH (could to this earlier in advance to save time): Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut spaghetti squash length wise and scoop out the seeds. Light drizzle squash meat with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Lay squash cut-side down on a large baking pan covered with parchment paper.  Puncture squash skin with 4-5 fork holes on each half. Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Let cool.  Then using a fork scrap out the squash "noddles".  Put aside until later. 

2.  SAUSAGE MIXTURE: Cook Italian sausage on medium heat in a large skillet.  Break sausage into smaller chunks as it is cooking. Once sausage is cooked add in chopped kale and marinara sauce.  Turn heat on low and stir slowly to mix everything together. Let the kale and sauce sit for about 5-7 minutes. 

3.  BAKING DISH:  In a large baking dish, dump your spaghetti squash "noodles" and sausage mixture (see photo).  Mix everything together carefully.   Once mixed, spread ricotta cheese with a spoon all over the top.  Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper as well. Bake this for about 15 minutes. 

4.  BEFORE SERVING: Cut fresh basil into thin strips and sprinkle all over the spaghetti squash bake before serving. 


​
         Always craving simplicity,
                         Jillian