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Melinda Strauss

Melinda
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therealmelindastrauss

❤️Teaching you how to LIVE with intention
🙏🏻Transforming your health➕business
🐶Sharing INSPO on my morning dog walks
🍪Tahini Cookies👇🏻

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The one question I get asked the most when I share my vacations (especially when they include foodies and restaurant crawls) is how I can eat all this food and keep the weight off that I worked so hard to get rid of. I also got lots of questions about type 1 diabetes and eating all that food...but that's for another time 🙈
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Well I'll tell you this...IF I ate every day, or even once a week, like I did in Miami (or how I eat any time I visit @zakthebaker), I could tell you that I would feel like I did before I found Optavia and coaching. Bloated every day, frustrated, and feeling stuck.
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This weekend was a treat. It was something special. But it is not my normal. I don't eat at 3 restaurants in one night, or eat pecan pie for dessert every week, or drink alllllllll the alcohol every night. If every day is a treat day, I definitely would NOT be able to keep my weight off because the old me who started on my plan 4 years ago was a treat-every-day kind of girl.
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It's definitely something I still struggle with, especially with healthier treats like acai bowls and gluten free desserts (bc they are still treats!), but I am absolutely in a better place than I was before and I'm proud of how far I've come!
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This isn’t just about my weight either. When people ask, I know they’re focused on the number but it’s sooooo much more than that for me! I feel so freaking good when I eat foods that are better for my body. And honestly, this weekend, my stomach was not happy with me! I still enjoyed every second of it but I won’t be going on more restaurant crawls any time soon 😂
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What’s your favorite TREAT food?
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#treatnotcheat #treatyourself #foodcrawl #girlsweekend #howikeepmygirlishfigure #healthymindset #healthylifestyle #habitsofhealth #celebrateyourself #workinprogress #vacationvibes #miamifood #kosherfood #onehealthyhabitatatime #bodytransformation #mindsetmatters #healthychoices #mindfulness #zakthebaker #wynwoodeats #miamieats

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This is what it takes to get the money shot 😂
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This girls weekend at @sobewffest isn’t even over yet and I can’t even begin to tell you how blessed I feel right now. @busyinbrooklyn @spiceandzest and I spent the morning hanging out outside in the beautiful breezy Miami weather with @adeenasussman @mollyyeh (two kind souls that I am grateful to have in my life) and their super amazing husbands @jayshofet and @nhagen_ (aka eggboy) ❤️
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Tonight may be our last night in Miami but this trip will last forever in my memories! To many many more girls trips in the future 🙏🏻
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Where would you like to go on a girl’s trip?????
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#girlsweekend #friendshipgoals #vacationmode #twinning #sundayfunday #blessed #grateful #gratefulheart #womenempowerwomen #supportivefriends #bloopers #bts #behindthescenes #miamibeach #southbeach #sobewff

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So here’s the story of the stolen La Croix...
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Justin likes to order seltzer online, which means we get heavy boxes dropped off at the front door. I don’t mind cause I’m awesome and I lift weight 😂 But one day, a few of our packages were stolen from our front porch (my dog needs to learn how to be a better guard dog) and one of those boxes was our @lacroixwater order! I was so upset and went live on Facebook and all everyone could do was make fun of my missing La Croix 🤦‍♀️
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Did @walmart replace the La Croix? Heck yeah! Did we call the police and some cute cops 👮‍♀️ came to the house? Heck yeah! Did they ever catch the man who stole our La Croix that we caught on camera? Of course not! So someone out there got some delicious seltzer and I’m pretty sure there were some dog treats in there also! I’m still bitter about it!
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On the plus side, @sobewffest had a whole La Croix booth and it was not only so pretty and bright, but I finally got to taste the new Limoncello and Watermelon flavors! Woohoo!!! I still can’t believe we came down to Miami for #SOBEWFF (it’s been a dream for many years) and I’m so grateful to spend some time here with amazing friends!
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Before you ask, my dress is from @hm 😘
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#sobewff2020 #southbeachmiami #girlsweekend #foodfestival #lacroixwater #seltzeraddict #selfcare #sparklingwater #friendshipgoals #storytime #feelingcute

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This is what a girls weekend looks like ❤️❤️❤️ South Beach for the weekend with @busyinbrooklyn and @spiceandzest for @sobewffest. Yup, we’re all in one room and it’s gonna be cozy!
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If you can get away for a weekend, or even a day, with friends, do it!!!!
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#girlsweekend #foodiefriends #friendshipgoals #southbeach #sobewff #foodblogfeed #foodfestival #selfcare #feedyoursoul #yeahwerecute

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I still got it, baby!!!!!
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You are looking at a Carrot Cake Hamantaschen right now! I know, it’s glorious and it’s on kitchen-tested.com now 🥳
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Shredded carrots and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in the dough, homemade pecan bourbon raisin filling, topped with cream cheese frosting that basically tastes like cheesecake. I left out the coconut because I’m the only one in my house who actually likes coconut 🤦‍♀️ so totally top these bad boys with toasted coconut if you’re in the mood. Oh, and if you’re @peaslovencarrots and you don’t like raisins (sorry, I meant to say that you HATE raisins), you can just leave them out.
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I cannot wait to see all the hamantaschen you’re making this year! Hamantaschen really bring us all together ❤️
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#hamantaschen #purim #jewfood #carrotcake #cookiesofinstagram #f52grams #bakersofinstagram #buzzfeedfood #thefeedfeedbaking #thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed #prettyfood #droolclub #thebakefeed #bakeandshare #gloobyfood

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Anyone else get major mom guilt?
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Today I interviewed @cookingwithtantrums for the KAVANA Podcast (I will be sharing it in just a few weeks) and what started as a convo about food and social media ended in a pretty deep convo about mom guilt. I feel it every day and it’s something I’m always working on. In my heart, I KNOW that I’m a great mom and I’m doing the best I can every day...and my kids are doing great! Yet when I leave town, get on a meeting instead of say shema with them, feed them freezer food, or get annoyed at the tiniest thing, I feel all the guilt 🙈
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As I always say, I’m a work in progress and I’m working on the guilt but I’m proud to say that I’m definitely not letting it stop me from living my life! I’m feeling all the guilt but doing it anyways 🙌🏻 What about you??
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#momguiltisreal #parenthood #parentingishard #doingthebestican #motherhood #fillyourcup #realtalk #momsofinstagram #wegotthis #selflove #treatyoubetter #selfcarematters #mompreneurlife #momsinbusiness #imperfectlyperfect #momtruth

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@naominachman knows how to throw a party!!!
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What a beautiful night to celebrate my incredible friend and her daughter, Leora! Of course we didn’t get any good pics (besides one selfie) so I’m sharing one of me and Justin that I love instead 😂
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Naomi and I became friends through the kosher foodie world so many years ago and our friendship has grown in ways I never imagined possible! The first time I met Naomi, I totally fangirled! Did you know that?!?!? And now I can’t even imagine my life without her in it! Naomi’s family has become my second family ❤️
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Naomi- I am so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and watching you celebrate your final bat mitzvah was a sight to see! PS. You said you were going to cry during your speech but you somehow held it together and I totally lost the bet 🙈 but I love you anyways!!!
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#friendshipgoals #foodiesofinstagram #partnersincrime #celebratelife #celebratefriendship #foodbloggersofinstagram #partytime #batmitzvah #princessvibes #werecute #livingmybestlife #dressedup #friendslikefamily #mysecondfamily #surroundyourselfwithgreatness

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🌈RAINBOW HAMANTASCHEN🌈
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The last time one of my recipes went viral, this is what it looked like! The most beautiful rainbow hamantaschen ❤️ The step by step directions with lots of photos are on my blog so you can make them too!! PS. They are sooooo fun to make with kids. Search for the recipe on kitchen-tested.com and I’ll be putting together a round up of all my hamantaschen recipes very soon 🙏🏻
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Ive been asked me the difference between the rainbow hamantaschen dough vs my super easy hamantaschen dough so I figured I would share here too. The rainbow recipe is similar to shortbread dough. It’s made with lots of margarine/butter and whipping cream. Def not healthy 😂 but the texture of the dough is amazing!!!! My easy hamantaschen dough recipe (that’s what it’s called on kitchen-tested.com) is a soft cookie and definitely more of a traditional hamantaschen cookie. The dough is no-mixer and no margarine. It’s seriously the easiest hamantaschen dough and yummy too! Both recipes are great for making rainbow hamantaschen so you can’t go wrong with either one ✌🏻
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Have you decided what kind of hamantaschen you’re making this year?
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#rainbowcookies #rainbowdessert #rainbows #hamantaschen #jewfood #purim #kitchentested #foodblogfeed #thefeedfeedbaking #thefeedfeed #f52grams #cookiesofinstagram #cookiegram #rainbowfeed

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