January 27, 2021

Why it’s important to keep a journal in 2021


“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” – William Wordsworth


Journaling has always been a big part of my life. All thanks to my mama, who gave me my first journal when I was seven years old. 


I remember coming home after school, laying belly down on my bed with my journal in front of me. There I would write my little heart out... about my day, about my favorite quotes, lyrics, my love for dogs... Aw! To be young again!


Why it’s important to keep a journal in 2021


A journal is a place to clear your mind. To write down what’s clouding your thoughts and keeping you up at night. To help with conflict resolution and to give you solutions. It also helps with memories for years to come. 


There has been plenty of research on how journaling helps those with anxiety and depression. It helps people write down things that they might not want to say oro someone face to face. One study specifically mentioned how older adults with ongoing medical conditions and anxiety found that journaling helped to decrease their mental stress load and increase their overall well-being.


Just like one my favorite songs, a journal is thinking aloud. It makes you more self-aware. It helps to fight your inner demons. To face your fears!


Another one of my favorite purpose of keeping a journal is write down your GOALS you would like to accomplish. It is also a place for you to write down your bucket list


If you like being creative and are a type-A personality  there is even a new trend of journaling called bullet journal: 


bullet journal is a method of personal organization developed by designer Ryder Carroll. The system organizes scheduling, reminders, to-do lists, brainstorming, and other organizational tasks into a single notebook.




Journaling can be accomplished by either using pen and paper or electronically such a an online blog, a note app on your phone, voice app (where you say your thoughts into the recorder) or email account. It honestly doesn’t matter how you go about journaling, it’s the end result that matters!


Imagine your future children reading your journal entries and getting a glimpse into what your world was like?


A couple of journals from famous people:



The Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci recorded his thoughts in a series of papers and notes, which was then put together after his death.



One of the most renowned composers of all-time, Ludwig van Beethoven kept numerous notebooks, journals and letters which provided an indication of the man behind the compositions.


My only hope is that you are inspired to start journaling today. Even if you start small, just give it a chance. Your mind and soul will thank you later!  





January 24, 2021

Brownies four ways : blondies, traditional, avocados, and beans


For today’s “chef would be proud series” we are going to share with you four different versions of brownies! 

If you aren’t familiar with what a brownie is well think of it as a small square of rich chocolate cake, typically containing nuts. It has a cake-like texture but a little bit dense and fudgy.

Brownies four ways:


This traditional brownies recipe found on blendtec “fresh blenders” cookbook it’s definitely a winner in my book. I’ve had my blender for about 7 years now and it came with this cookbook. Out of all the recipes I’ve tried I keep coming back to these brownies because they are simple and to the point! The only change I’ve made is add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of granulated sugar instead of 1 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.


Blender Brownies:


3/4 cup of butter (melted)

2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 large eggs

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract 

7/8 cups of all-purpose flour 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter and chocolate chips to blender and blend for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and “pulse” if you also have a blendtec or beat for about 2 or so minutes until batter is well combined. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Initially I was very skeptical of this oats and black beans recipe. After I got over the thoughts of beans in something sweet the taste was actually delicious! The only few tweaks on this recipe would be to really blend the beans first (in a blender or food processor) and also blend the oats a bit more. Other wise it’s pretty good! I hope you give this black beans brownies by chocolate covered Katie a try! 


The only down of this recipe is that it wasn’t moist enough to my linking. I’m going to tweak the ingredients a bit to see if I can make it moist but I still think that you should try the best blondie recipe by sugar spun run! 


Next to the traditional brownies this avocados recipe has got to be one of my favorites! It’s so silky and moist with a shine to it. My kids loved it and kept coming back for more. You should most definitely try this avocados recipe by detoxsinista! 

Watch the YouTube video below so you can see me attempting to make these yummy recipes:



What do you think? Are you a brownie person?



January 22, 2021

Why you should get a library card in 2021

Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Photo: STLJB/Shutterstock

 Why you should get a library card in 2021


One of my fondest memories as a kid was going to the library to pick out books... Reading, much like journaling, came naturally to me. 

I distinctly remember getting my first “big kid book” for my 10th birthday: Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone.

It was right when it came out so all of my friends were reading it too. Something about curling up under the blankets and slowly flipping through each page and fully emerging myself into the fantasy that did it for me. Speaking of fantasy, adventures and fantasies were my favorite genres! 

Growing up, my school had a huge library, but so did my city. Which gave me a lot of choices when it came to books.

                                                          Salt Lake City, Utah public library

Being a kid and going to the library was everyone’s favorite thing to do back then. You could rent out a VHS, check out different books, read magazines, look at maps, attend classes, and just fully experience the library. Oh! My favorite part is that my local library even had a “movie snacks section” so my sister and I would pick a movie and grab snacks for our family movie night. 

Nowadays, you either have an electronic device where you listen to audiobooks or your parents have different streaming services for you to pick from (Netflix, Hulu, and so on). So it makes it where reading an actual book is not as “exciting” as it used to be. 

Naturally, in this day and age libraries are becoming more of a “school chore” for kids. Instead of wanting to go there and browse, they have to go there to check out a book for school.

2021 should be different. If you take anything at all from your 2020 experience is that you should be living life to its fullest and do things that either put you outside of your comfort zone or make you happy. Guess what? Getting a library card from your local library might just do that!

I encourage you to go to your local library’s website. Create an account and request a library card. It’s a super easy process.

From there, you should make a plan with your child to check out books once a month. Or even rent out classic movies to watch together (now that would be a fun family night) 

So There are many perks of having a library card:
  • Access to a database for research on what matters such as agriculture, academic, business, and so on
  • Creativebug, which is a website with multiple craft videos and tutorials
  • Explora, it provides a safe and trustworthy environment for students to look up facts for research papers
  • Libby, which is an app for ebooks and audiobooks
  • Hoopla, and app that lets you stream videos, read ebooks from everywhere 
  • Rosetta Stone, which is a program that teaches you a new language 

Although this list of resources is great, you should still check your local library website as they might offer different perks.

I want you to encourage your child to read. To fall into that fantasy (Logan and Lia will stay up for hours in their room reading their books). If they want to watch a movie, watch a classic with them that teaches them a lesson. We recently watched “the page master” and the kids loved it! 

So go on, get that library card. Plan a weekly activity with your kids that involve the library books or movies you checked out. 

I’m telling you, your kids will love it! 



January 20, 2021

Side Hustle Ideas for 2021

You might find yourself at home more often than before due to this whole pandemic. Today, we are going to share with you side hustles as well as full-time jobs you can do from home right on your computer.

1. Start a BLOG

This is one is simple and it does take a little bit of work in the beginning but in the long run you could potentially make a lot of money. With blogging, the more work you put in, the more money you could make. 

Not sure how to start a blog? Here is how:

1. You can start for free by going to blogger.com, sign up for an account. Then follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to Blogger.
  2. On the left, click the Down arrow.
  3. Click New blog.
  4. Enter a name for your blog.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Choose a blog address or URL.
  7. Click Save.
Now comes the fun part! Write your little heart out! Choose a niche (a topic you are passionate about) then start to create blog posts about topics such as finance, gaming, social media, travel, recipes, deals, and etc.

When you have created your posts in order to make money you can sign up for affiliate programs through either Amazon or your favorite companies. Most companies nowadays have an affiliate program that you make a percentage off of a sale that comes from your special link. One of my favorite companies to work with is prosource fit. You will also have to create a disclosure policy.

After you have enough blog posts on your blog then you can apply for Google Adsense and chose where you want to put your ads. They pay per click/views and even though it might be a little low at first, once you start getting more visitors that number will go up!

You can also work with specific companies and have them as a sponsor on your blog. They will either pay you in product or you can have a set price they will pay you after the campaign is over. Usually, they will ask you for a Media Kit.

There are other blogging platforms out there but if you are short on cash and want to start right away, the blogger is the best option because it is free!

Blogging words to be aware of:

Affiliate Marketing: a marketing arrangement by which an online retailer pays a commission to an external website for traffic or sales generated from its referrals. Aka a blog.
Sponsors: Such sponsorship can mean one of two things: Sponsors might pay you to put their ads on your website. Sponsors might simply provide you with free goods or services in return for advertising on your website.
Adsense: AdSense is a free, simple way to earn money by displaying ads next to your online content. The AdSense program differs in that it delivers ads served by Google Ads to your site.
Disclosure Policy: The main purpose of the Disclosure Policy is to ensure that required information, other than confidential business information, is disclosed to the public, investors, employees, customers, and blog readers.
Affiliate Link: An affiliate link is a specific URL that contains the affiliate's ID or username. In affiliate programs, advertisers use affiliate links to record the traffic that is sent to the advertiser's website.
Media Kit: A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person, company, organization, or cause and which is distributed to members of the media for promotional purposes.


2. Become a Virtual Assistant

I have a page specifically set up for my portfolio. This page and my Media Kit is what I will usually send to my potential client and brands.

In order to become a successful Virtual Assistant there a few things, you should be good at; for example, time management. Then, you want to pick a niche that you are passionate about and know how to work with it. whether it be Pinterest management, social media marketing, product photography, and so on. Learn everything there about it so that you don't disappoint your clients. We are lucky to have the internet at our fingertips. All you have to do is google: “how to create ads on Pinterest” or “how to add affiliate links to a blogpost” you get the idea.

Here are a couple of website for “freelancers” aka virtual assistants that you should start with: Upwork, Fiverr (although the pay here is little)

I recommend fixing your LinkedIn profile with your credentials. Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of experience, you can create a blog and practice on there and add it to your LinkedIn profile as your job.

Lastly, search on social media platforms for the job posting. Facebook has a lot of groups that you can find by searching for “VA for hire”.


3. Start a business from your own home

If 2020 taught us anything at all is that you need to have plan B, plan C, and so on. Starting a business can cost you a little upfront, but you could have the potential to earn a lot of money in the long run.

My first suggestion would be to go through your closet, electronics, and storage. Look for things you aren’t using anymore. Things that are just taking up space in your home. There are plenty of places where you can sell your stuff:

Poshmark: perfect for clothing, shoes, and beauty products. If you own clothes that are currently “in style” you will make great money here!

eBay: perfect for old electronics, vintage clothes, books, crafting materials, and anything that’s kind of random in your home.

Facebook Marketplace: perfect for furniture, baby items, electronics, toys, tickets, gift cards.

This varies by location but you can also check your local classifieds as they should have a section for you to sell at for Free.

If you’ve done all of the things above then my suggestion is to start an actual registered business. You could make different food and either deliver it around town or sell it online. Your own clothing line, jewelry line, stationery, or your own beauty line.

When it comes to low start-up costs, a baking business is a way to go! Baking is science (meaning anyone can be a great baker if they wanted to), and most of the ingredients are in your kitchen right now. You can start by posting it on your Facebook page and sharing it with friends and family that you are now selling goods. If they are awesome, they will support you!

Baking ideas: your own cookie shop (where you come up with different flavors each week), brownie business, an ethnic business where you sell foreign candies, cakes, and cupcakes (which would be perfect for birthday parties), and you can even niche down to a specific diet, for example, Keto treats, gluten-free treats.

Next, you can create an Etsy shop for your business and start selling online. There are other online platforms for selling but I think that Etsy is the cheapest to start with.

Soon I will go more in-depth on starting a business because there is so much to talk about. Right now I just want to give you some ideas!


4. Babysitting - Dog Walker

Remember when you were young and babysitting your neighbor's kids was one of your first jobs? Well, it’s still a job that you can do to this day! There are websites online like care.com where you create a profile and get matched with different families in your area.

The same goes for dog walking, the website Rover is just for that! You create your profile and get matched with local pet owners. Some will have you take them on walks while others might need an overnight stay. It really depends on what you are looking for!


5. Online Jobs

There are a lot of companies looking for employees that are willing to work from home right now. It’s the perfect time for you to find a side hustle that could potentially turn into a full-time job. One of my favorite sites to check for online jobs is Rat Race Rebellion. One quick google searches and you will find a lot of websites with work from home opportunities. The possibilities are endless here!

There you have it, did we give you plenty of ideas to get you started on your money-making journey?

*Disclaimer: Nina Talks earns a small commission from affiliate links on the blog. We also receive compensation or product in exchange for reviews. All opinions are my own. We only recommend products that we love. Thank you for your support. 


January 18, 2021

10 of the healthiest foods on Earth: FRUITS

Salt Lake City, UT, USA

It’s the New Year and you have been working on your resolutions thinking of what to add to it. Perhaps eating healthier is on there? Today’s blog post is part of our 

We are going to go over 10 of the healthiest foods on earth that you should add to your lifestyle. Starting today with fruits!

FRUITS 

the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.


There really are no bad fruits. If you had a choice between eating artificial sugars vs natural sugars you should always choose the latter. Although some fruits do contain sugar and if you are diabetic or have high blood sugar it could be a challenge for you, guess what? You can still eat fruits! 

A couple of word definitions you should be aware of:

“Antioxidants- a substance that inhibits oxidation, especially one used to counteract the deterioration of stored food products.”

“Anti-inflammatory- agents that block certain substances in the body that cause inflammation. They are used to treat many different conditions.”


1. AVOCADOS

Avocados are an amazing food. They are high in fat but that is largely monounsaturated fat ( Monounsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the healthy fats, along with polyunsaturated fat) and specifically oleic acid, which is an omega-9 that is found in high amounts in olive oil and macadamia nut oil and many nuts. Monounsaturated fat actually lowers cholesterol. The kind of fats found in avocados has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and diabetes. 

Avocados are a great source of fiber (11-17 grams per avocado), vitamin A, folate, and potassium.  Also, great for your eyes, heart, and skin! 

Here are a few AVOCADOS forward recipes you should try:





























2. BLUEBERRIES 

Blueberries are brain food; They keep your memory sharp. These powerful little fruits should be on anyone’s list of superfoods. Blueberries actually help neurons in the brain communicate with one another more effectively.

They contain compounds that are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. Are known to help with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease. If you are looking to get amazing health benefits to try adding 1/2 cup a day to your diet. 

Here are a few Blueberries forward recipes you should try:



3. KIWIFRUIT 

The Kiwifruit has twice the vitamin C of oranges. They are also one of the most underrated healing foods. According to the author from food as medicine “Because of their rich array of disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients, (a substance found in certain plants which are believed to be beneficial to human health and help prevent various diseases.) they are often prescribed in yoga nutritional therapy to help fight cancer and heart disease.

Two medium Kiwis have almost 5 grams of fiber and is also a decent source of magnesium. It’s recommended that you add kiwi to your simple diet because of its effect on our DNA as it repairs any damages.

You might be afraid to try kiwi due to its furry exterior and bitter interior, but here are a few recipes that should get you started on your kiwi-eating journey:




4. COCONUT 

Coconut and coconut oils are superfoods. Coconut and its oils are one of the most healthy, amazing things you can ingest. A 1/2 cup of shredded coconut meat has almost 4 grams of fiber, 142 mg of potassium, and 13 mg of magnesium. Less than 3 grams of sugar and most importantly 13 grams of the most heart-healthy fats.

You should not fear saturated fat in the coconut! The reason we say this is because the human body needs fat to survive. We can’t exist without it. It’s used as an energy source and it cushions and protects our organs.


Here are recipes with coconut in it that you should try:




5. STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries, like all the other berries (blueberries, raspberries) are spectacular for your health! 

All berries contain chemicals found to protect cells against cervical and breast cancer. Strawberries also contain ellagic acid (which is a polyphenol, or micronutrient, found in fruits and vegetables. Some foods contain a more complex version called ellagitannin. This is an acid that is converted into ellagic acid in the body. Ellagic acid is known for its antioxidant properties).

Strawberry compound may also improve short-term memory. Compounds in strawberries may also protect your brain and memory.

A cup of strawberry has only about 50 calories. 3 grams of fiber. 85 grams of vitamin C. It also has calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Here are recipes with strawberries in it that you should try: 




6. GUAVA 

Oh, Guava, the most delicious tropical fruit that reminds me of my childhood! 

Guava is right up there with all the berries when it comes to antioxidants. It contains Lycopene (a red carotenoid pigment present in tomatoes and many berries and fruits.) which helps fight prostate and breast cancer. Also, once lycopene is absorbed by the body, it helps prevent and repair damaged cells.

One cup of cut-up guava gives you 688 grams of potassium (which is 63% more than a medium banana) 

Guava also contains almost 9 grams of fiber, 367 mg of vitamin C, and 81 mcg of folate.

My favorite way to eat guava is either in a smoothie or just cut up by itself.

Here are recipes with guava  in them that you should try: 




7. RASPBERRIES 

Much like the other berries, raspberries are a powerhouse and full of vitamins.

They are about 64 calories per cup and 8 grams of fiber.  Not only that but they contain calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K and get this, only 7 grams of net carbs. 

Raspberries could also be a natural arthritis treatment. That’s due to containing anthocyanins (a blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigment found in plants. Anthocyanins possess antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases.)

Here are a few Raspberry forward recipes you should try:



8. PAPAYA 

Another fruit that brings me back to my childhood. It was always on our table for breakfast and I would usually eat it with a bit of sugar sprinkled over it.

Papaya enzymes ease digestion, and inflammation.

It contains 781 mg of potassium, 5.5 grams of fiber, and only 55 calories in a cup of cubbed papaya.

It’s also known to reduce lung cancer risks by 30%.

Here are a few Papaya  forward recipes you should try:



9.LEMONS-LIMES

You know that old saying? When life gives you lemon... yeah that’s because Lemon and Limes have so many health benefits when added to your water. 

1/2 of lemon juice a day raises the level of citrate in the body, which may help fight kidney stones. 

Lemon peel and hot black tea help to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

It contains limonene (which is a group of chemicals found in the peel) it has been shown in studies to prevent liver, lung, and UV-induced cancer.  

When making lemonade, try using the whole fruit, including the peel! So you get all the benefits.

Here are a few Lemon-Lime forward recipes you should try:



10.WATERMELON 

Oh, watermelon, one of my go-to fruits when I’m pregnant!

It has high water content and it is a high-volume food(takes a lot of space and very little calories). Which in turn, helps with weight loss. Watermelon is about 92% water.

Watermelon is low calorie, high volume, filling, contains vitamin A and carotenoids (Carotenoids, also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi). 

Even though watermelon has a high glycemic index(around 72), it’s glycemic load is a low 4. Which is the number you should pay attention to! 



I hope that you have learned a little bit more about each of these fruits and are willing to add them to your diet!