effortless evenings

and how I'm getting my pink back!

A new season of life brings a new series!! So here we go. Welcome to Effortless Evenings, where a little prep earlier in the day means dinner is handled later!

In case you didn’t know, I’m a new mom and our evenings with our almost 8 month old are quite chaotic- finishing up work, entertaining the baby, doing his bedtime routine and making dinner for us all it can feel overwhelming to say the least. My new series is all about how to make easy, simple dinners with minimal ingredients that you can keep on repeat to help with the mental load of everyday life. All you need is a little time to prep earlier in the day (which I love to do during nap time) to help make cooking dinner less daunting.

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We’re starting off with a slow cooker recipe because my Crockpot has been my saving grace postpartum. I get to make my dinner in the morning during my baby’s first nap when I’m buzzing off my coffee and life feels way less hectic than it does in the evenings. I am always so grateful when 5 pm rolls around and my house smells delicious and dinner is on the table without breaking a sweat. You can prep this in 10 minutes before you go to work, or make a big batch on Sunday before the week begins. It makes great leftovers!

Don’t own a slow cooker? Don’t stress! Throw all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and grill, sear, or bake until cooked through. Majority of these ingredients are spices that you should already have on hand. If you need to stock up, I promise you will make this recipe again and again so whatever you buy won’t be shoved to the back of your spice cabinet until it turns into a rock. It’s an investment for future easy dinners!

Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Bowls

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

• Juice from 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

In a slow cooker, add the chicken thighs, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and spices. Stir to fully combine and ensure the chicken is evenly coated.

Cook on low for 4–5 hours or high for 2–3 hours, until tender and cooked through. Shred or slice, then serve in bowls, wraps, salads, or pita with cucumber, tomato, rice, tzatziki, you name it!

Other cooking methods:

If you don’t want to use the slow cooker, you can also marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).

Oven: Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes until cooked through.

Stovetop: Cook in a skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.

Grill pan or grill: Cook over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through.

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Getting My Pink Back

At almost 8 months postpartum with summer approaching, I want to feel more like myself again. To be clear, a postpartum body is not something that needs to be fixed, this is all about feeling your best during a time when it’s really easy to feel like you’ve lost yourself. Here are some things I’ve been doing to get my pink back.

1. What brings you joy? Carve time for it. Think long and hard about what actually gives you energy and what drains you. Focus on more of what fills you up! For me, it’s girl time, walks outside with my family, filling the house with fresh flowers (love Trader Joe’s for this), putting together a cute outfit I feel good in, and baking. If you think you don’t have time, talk to your partner. Tell them there’s some things you want to incorporate back into your life to make you feel good again and work together to block off some time in your calendars, whether it involves your partner or you are leaning on them to take over watching the baby!

2. Prep some healthy food. Food is fuel!!! Now more than ever I find myself reaching for a handful of candy or opening up a bag of a chips when I need a quick snack. The result? Low energy, a belly ache and never satisfied. I am not talking a full meal prep spread every week, just a quick healthy breakfast ready to go to start the day or a nutrient dense snack is more than enough to make a major difference in how you feel.

3. Keep up with your sups (especially Nutrafol Postpartum). Postpartum hair shedding feels like some sort of cruel joke. The best thing I did was start taking Nutrafol Postpartum the day I gave birth to Jonah. My hair has truly never been healthier than it is almost 8 months postpartum. Their postpartum formula is 100% drug-free and breastfeeding safe! Click here to get $50 off first 3 months or $106 off first 6 months all formulas! (Nutrafol Partner)

4. Get yourself a new cute workout set. I have been really struggling to get my usual workouts in. Whenever I buy a cute workout outfit it always makes me more motivated to do something active or even book a Pilates class with a friend (although most of the time it’s a stroller walk around the neighborhood). Plus a matching set helps with the decision fatigue of picking out an outfit. I’ve been loving Form because they always have the cutest color combos.

5. Get dressed up. Book a trip, date night or even a coffee date with a friend. Wear something that makes you feel good and take a cute picture!

6. Keep a fab lip combo on hand. I swear this is such a life hack for feeling more confident instantly. A good lip combo instantly makes you look pulled together, in my opinion. This one has been my go to lately (liner in Coupe and gloss in Pointelle).

7. Upgrade your essentials. My body is totally different post baby and I realized I was trying to fit myself into things that did not suit me anymore. Getting a couple comfy bras that flatter my new shape (love this one under a white tee) and taking my favorite jeans to the tailor has made getting dressed way less stressful.

I hope these are useful and let me know if there’s anything that has helped you get your pink back! xx