Sugar is an extraordinarily addictive & destructive substance that most people eat far too much of, which is why on February 15th, I'm hosting a Ditch Sugar Today! Challenge  that you can sign up for HERE.  In the meantime, if you're craving something sweet but you don't want to overdo it on the calories, try this tasty treat.  Oh, and did I mention, it's sugar free?  Well, there's that bonus too!  Let me know what you think!





Good for You Chocolate Oatmeal & Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:

• 3 bananas (preferably overripe bananas)
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology 
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F 
• Mash bananas in a large bowl
• Stir in remaining ingredients 
• Let batter stand for approximately 20 minutes
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet
• Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
• Bake 10-12 

​Enjoy!!

When you travel, you may only see places & meet people once in your lifetime.  Are you documenting your travels so you can remember your experiences later?  If not, here are 5 fun ways you can capture the moments.  

1.  MAKE A PHOTO BOOK.   Not everyone has time for scrapbooking (I know I don't), but there are tons of companies you can work with to print a book full of your travel photos.  I'm a huge shutterbug, so I'm all about taking pictures while traveling and not being afraid of looking like a total tourist at times.  It's fun to have pictures to look back on and remember visiting.  There are times when I look at a photo and think "did I really take this picture??" Different sites around the world can take your breath away all over again thru photos.  Also, having a physical book about your travels printed are fun to share with friends & family and have displayed on a coffee table.

2. KEEP A PAPER JOURNAL.  This may seem "old fashioned", but there's nothing quite as reliable as putting a pen to paper to help you capture memories of your travels.  Take a few minutes a day to sit down in a coffee shop with a simple notebook and pen and let your thoughts flow.  Absolutely no wi-fi required, but you'll need to remember to carry a notebook with you!

3. START A BLOG.  And then there's the modern version of keeping a paper journal--blogging.   If you're planning to write regularly and publicly about your time abroad, a blog is an excellent way to do that.  Blogging will allow you to share your traveling adventures with your friends and family from wherever you are in the world to wherever they are in the world.  You can check out popular platforms like Tumblr, Wordpress, Blogger or SquareSpace that are free to use and easy to learn. 

4. POST PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM.  Capturing images to share on your Instagram feed is a fun, quick, and easy way to organize and share memories in a visual way.  You can check out my Instagram feed @Kirsten_Harr to see some of my travel photos and videos.  

5.  START A COLLECTION. A fun way to tie in all of your travel experiences is to create a collection around a common theme. The collection could be visual like images of food you've eaten on your travels, or interesting doors you saw.  It could also be something physical like tickets (train, bus and plane). Use your imagination, but think lightweight, cheap and small--they're easier to travel with!

What are your favorite ways to document your time abroad?

You may think that your boarding pass is only important to hold on to for you to board the plane.  BUT, you may not want to let that little piece of paper out of your sight even after you board your plane.  Well, it's not really the boarding pass that's important, it's what's on the boarding pass--the boarding pass bar code.  

The bar code on your boarding pass contains a lot of information about you.  Not only does it include your future travel plans, connecting/upcoming flights, and confirmation code, when accessed, it can reveal your entire account with an airline... including your home address and phone number.

Solution:  Rather than leaving your boarding pass in your seat back pocket, carry it with you and destroy it (shred, burn, cut up) when you return home.  Better to be safe than sorry!