How to prepare the perfect picnic

There’s no better way to slowly transition into summer than by having a picnic in the park.There’s just something unbelievably relaxing about it! But before you actually get to the part where you chill out all day, you’ve got to prepare for it. So let’s talk about your picnic prep.  With some effort, you can end up with the perfect picnic for your family and friends.

First things first: packaging

Instead of putting all your food together into one container or basket, consider walking with multiple. One container can be used for your non-perishables and cutlery, while you should bring along a cooler or two for your cold foods and drinks. This is especially important if your spot is far from your home. You want to keep your food cold as long as possible!

Bring one cooler full of ice for your drinks, and keep a separate one for your salads and meats for that matter. You’re probably going to open the drinks cooler way more than the meats/salads one, so keeping them separate will help keep the cold air present for the food. It might seem like a lot of hustle to walk with multiple containers, but it’s going to be so worth it when everything is the exact temperature it should be.

You also can never go wrong with Tupperware containers. Keep your salad dressing and sauces in Tupperware containers to ensure they don’t spill or make your food soggy. And it’s also good to just keep your foods in them. If you pull out everything onto your blanket, it’s pretty likely that you’ll just have to throw them out at the end of the day.

On top of that, another thing to keep in mind is your cutlery. Consider investing in reusable plastic plates and forks and knives. These are just as sturdy as glass plates, and they minimize your waste. And of course, don’t forget your trash bags! Clean up after yourself and be nice to the environment. 😉

What’s for lunch?

picnic

Via: Willcookforfriends

Variety is the word to use here. For your picnics, you want to make sure that you have a diverse spread of food available to choose from. One way to do this is to create an assortment of salads to put into your sandwiches. If you need some inspiration, then try out this healthy chicken salad. Spend the day before in the kitchen putting the salad together, then just spoon it into a Tupperware container and you’re good to go! If chicken isn’t your thing, then try out this yummy avocado tuna salad.

Next, make sure that you stock up on some fresh fruits. It might be tempting to just buy some chips and dip to snack on, but fruits are a much better snack. Plus, they’re way more refreshing while you’re outside in the heat. If your fruits are in check, then it’s time to move on to the veggies. Choose your favorite salad from our top 5 picks of salads and bring it along at your picnic. Salads and sandwiches are picnic staples that you can’t go wrong with. 😉

Fun in the Sun

 

picnic
Via: The Crafty Book Goddess

Some picnic goers are into laying down all day with a good book and good music around them, while others want to be a bit more active with the day. Personally, I’m a bit of both. If you’re with a group that’s more into activities, then here are a few tips to think of to liven up the day.

Instead of just plopping down on to a random spot, start your day outdoors with a hike. Explore an area you’ve never been before and enjoy a nice hike while you look out for a beautiful place to chill out at. Next, bring a board game or Twister. Competition is always a way to get people excited. It’s not only fun for those participating, but also for the ones on the sidelines. And if you’re not afraid to get a little dirty, then a go-to activity is a water balloon fight. Have you ever not had fun playing in one of these?

I can’t end this off without including some sort of more physical activity, so if you’re up for it, bring your workout with you. Take advantage of a playground or the stairs at the park and get a quick workout in before you spend the day lounging on your picnic blanket.

I hope that you enjoyed these tips and use them the next time you’re prepping for a picnic. What are your picnic must-haves for a good time?

Fruity yogurt bread for an instant spring feeling!

I love the feeling I get once spring arrives! Starting the day with the smell of flowers in the air and the warm sun shining on your skin. During spring time I also love to eat sweet and refreshing snacks. Therefore, I have made this fresh, light and fruity bread with a soy-yogurt base.

yogurt bread

Recipe: Fruity yogurt bread

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups of vegan (dairy-free) yogurt + ½ cup for the topping
  • 1 ½ cups spelled flour
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 ½ oz frozen cranberries + roughly 2 oz for topping
  • 3 ½ oz frozen blackberries + roughly 2 oz for topping

Preparation:

  1. Add the cranberries and blackberries in a bowl and let them thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 356 ºF.
  3. Stir the eggs and yogurt together.
  4. Mix the spelt flour, flaxseed oil and cinnamon through the egg and yogurt mixture.
  5. Gently stir the blackberries and cranberries into the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into a cake mold (with some baking paper so the bread can easily be removed).
  7. Let is bake for 40 minutes in the oven.
  8. Let the cake cool and add the remaining yogurt and berries on top.

Bon appétit! 

Love, 

Maartje 

Have you tried to make this recipe? Share your photo with us on social media! You can follow me on Facebook & Instagram for more recipes and inspiration! 

Spring Fever

It’s full on spring! A very welcome season to all of us and a special gift for outdoor lovers. A season in which Mother Nature treats us to a few minutes of extra sunlight every day and fuels us with vitamin D. A season that brings an end to those grey days and longs nights and turns the outdoors into a green stadium. A season that no longer provides you with excuses not to go outside. In other words: a perfect season for outdoor activities. But what does the outdoors have to offer when it comes to your personal goals and fit journey? And how can you use the outdoors in a functional way without bringing half of the gym-equipment with you? Well, the possibilities are really endless. In our first article, we already gave you some insights, but here are a couple of practical tips that you can easily apply when training outdoors.

 

First of all, running is a good way to improve athletic performances, overall fitness and even strength. Depending on your pace, you can work on your endurance, condition and speed. By making use of interval principles and higher intensity runs, i.e. running uphill or shorter distances in a faster pace, your oxygen uptake can be improved. When you hit the trails and run in a natural environment with different types of surfaces, you integrate diversity into the way you burden different muscles. Because of the uneven and loose surface, your body needs to adapt and work harder to keep the pace and stabilise the upper part of body, thereby improving leg strength and core stability. In other words: you will benefit from avoiding the concrete and running trails or different types of surfaces. But keep in mind to take your time to build this up.

 

Foto1

 

By lifting, carrying and moving natural objects you can improve full body strength, core stability, coordination and prepare yourself for everyday movements. Lifting rocks from the ground, flipping over logs, carrying heavy stones from one side of a field to another, lifting a piece of wood above your head, or anything else you find during your workout. Lots of challenges are out there, just be creative. The advantage of training with natural objects is that the different shapes and forms pose continuously changing challenges and difficulties, thereby preparing your body and muscles in different ways and guaranteeing variety in load.

Another simple and functional way of exploiting the outdoors is by making use of trees for training purposes and integrating climbing in your workout. It offers lots of different possibilities and challenges, such as: vertical pull movements, climbing over trees and natural objects, doing vertical handstands against a tree, climbing from tree branch to tree branch, moving around a tree in a horizontal plank position while keeping your hands on the ground and your feet against the tree. The possibilities are endless. In general, these movements improve coordination, provide strength in different muscles as well as muscular endurance.

 

Foto2

 

Furthermore, there is a wide variety of solo bodyweight movements for which equipment isn’t necessary at all to dig deep. You can think of frog jumps, bear walk, duck walk, jumping over objects, box jumps, moving over a natural balance beam such as a fallen tree, leopard crawl, lunges, traveling burpees, caterpillars, and so on. And of course all these movements can be executed backwards! Besides the functionality and practicality, the advantages of these multi joint movements are that they don’t isolate muscles and thereby develop and improve your complete locomotor system and body as an integrated whole.

 

And last but not least you can exploit the opportunities that hills and dikes provide. All of the above can be practiced in a hilly environment, whereby hills can easily crank up the intensity of your workout and, if it fits your goals, also the production of lactic acid.

 

 

As we described here, the possibilities that the outdoors provide for your fit journey are very diverse, and couldn’t be easier! Get outside, start your workout with a run to the nearest forest or park, and combine these possibilities in order to improve all-round athletic performances. And to keep it fresh you can always take a swim!

 

Enjoy your spring!

Nick & Teun

 

For more inspiration, check Youtube, Vimeo or our Canadian ambassador.

 

Tips on how to declutter your home

Walking out the house you instantly noticed something. No urge to pull your shoulders up. The zip of your coat doesn’t have to go all the way up. And the knitted wool scarf is clearly too much addition to your outfit. It’s that time of the year – a great time to check or update your home inventory!

Tips on how to declutter your home for a healthy lifestyle
I love walking into my home when it’s clean, organised and clutter free. And at the same time I have come to accept the fact that these moments are rare. Our household, or should I say, our hallway is complemented with football shoes, sneakers, boots, rucksacks and little nick nacks cluttering the top of the shoe cabinets. With simple adjustments we now keep the hallway free from clutter and have surely gained a mindful home.

Make an inventory
The solution for getting organised is to start making an inventory list. Write it down in a notebook or memorise it for those who don’t need a list. Go into each room in your house and start to write everything down what you need to get, or what needs to be done in this part of your home. Prevent over-thinking when writing down, we talk budget later.

 

Cupboards, cabinets and drawers
Open all your cupboards, cabinets and drawers. If you keep things in boxes, open them as well. Check what’s in it and take anything out that you haven’t used the past year. If it has sentimental value and you can’t let go of it yet, then don’t. Just keep it and cherish it a little longer.

Box it up, sell it or give away
Collect all the items you no longer fit, need or use and pack them up in to boxes, crates or even bin bags. If you think your items might be of value, sell them through a sell and buy site. Take good photos and keep your advert short and simple. If people are interested they will contact you for more information.
Try to recycle when throwing things away. I know it’s easier to just chuck everything in the bin, but try to find your local waste collection and bring your items or contact local waste collectors to pick items up from your house. Or simply give stuff away to friends, colleagues and family. Plenty options for recycling.

 

Cleaning
Washing dishes, doing the laundry, hovering or mopping the floor and changing the bed sheets are things we do on a daily or weekly base. At least, I hope you do, otherwise you’re one dirty little rug rat! Now is the time to thoroughly clean your windows, bathroom mirror and kitchen tiles till they’re crisp and fresh. Being able to see yourself in it or looking through it is the best feeling ever. Don’t be ashamed of hating to do these household chores or even loving it – I’m not.

Budget
If your list states you have to purchase or update items then do so. Set yourself a budget for every item and go out and get it. Or stay in bed or couch and browse the internet for it. Check the sell and buy sites for second hand furniture and other items. People tend to get rid of their stuff after they lost interest (like yourself), but it might be the perfect solution for getting that never ending cluttered hallway organised.
If you have favourite brands for clothing, search on brand and compare prices.
Do the same for your kitchen tools, shoes, furniture, curtains, accessories, whatever you need it’s out there but keep within budget. If it means you have to save up for it, then do so. It’s really not hard to save money, it just takes some (mental) super powers!

And don’t forget to create a mindful space – where you can do whatever you feel like doing.

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