Finally. This crazy year is coming to an end. After all of these ups and down, surprises and shocks of this year we should genuinely enjoy the last month of the year the best we can. The month of peace, joy and family. The month of comtempletiveness and cozy times. And in order to make this month really enjoyable and good for you I am bringing to you my last top 5 for the year. My food of the month, recipe of the month, product of the month, workout of the month and last but definitely not least (be excited for that!) – my inspiration of the month!
Please notice that this post is in no way sponsored or payed by anyone to advertise certain products. These just really are my favourites, my recommendations and based on my experiences with these products. I just wish to inspire you and help you make your December a bit better!
Food of the month: Chai
It was impossible to not be putting this as the food of the month! I have discovered this a few months ago and ever since then I have added it to pretty much everything I make. Porridge, pancakes, energy balls, drinks,.. chai spice everything! But what actually is chai?
Chai originally is a black tea mixed with spices that comes from India. Today you can still find it at some coffee shops as a tea but more often you’ll find a chai latte or a dirty chai latte nowadays. This chai latte basically is the same as chai just with milk instead of tea and the spices. To be honest, whenever I add chai to something I only use the spices because I truly cannot be bothered boiling the tea every time.
Chai spices consist of cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sometimes star anis and vanilla. You can easily make this yourself as a lot of people already have all of the ingredients for this at home – or you can buy a ready to use spice mix, which you can find in a lot of supermarkets or organic stores.
This spice mix actually is super health-beneficial. Cinnamon, the main ingredient, is high in antioxidants, has been shown to reduce heart pressure and has anti-inflammatory compounds. Ginger also works anti-inflammatory and has various healthy benefits, as you probably know from ginger shots, is can, among other aspects, lower blood sugar level. Also the other spice compounds have been shown to contribute something to a healthy well-being. So all in all, it can be said, that chai spie is a very nutritious spice blend! Just make sure to not mix it with too much sugar or sweetener when preparing it.
Recipe of the Month – Ultra comforting Roasted Sweet Potato and Chicken Tikka Masala
The comfort level of this dish is unreal. It really warms you from the inside out! I mean, we all love curries and who does not like sweet potato or chicken? This recipe is truly for everyone – for those who cook for the family, for those who just like to treat themselves to a good meal, for those who want to eat healthy, for those who don’t want to compromise flavour and even for those who eat a plant based diet since there is a vegan option to it!
Ready in 30 Minutes, made from whole foods, and packed with so much flavour! Really, I could have this every week, especially during this time of the year! Dip it up with naan, or enjoy with some fluffy rice. It will warm you from the inside out.
My mom, my dad AND my brother loved it (that means a whole lot), so I bet you will love it too! Get all cozy with this in front of you favourite movie – or even better – in from of your phone, face timing your best friend or someone you genuinely miss and haven’t talked to in ages!
Product of the month: SKOG scented candle
I have actually discovered this brand (Sandinavisk) last year as I was gifted one of their candles and since then we love their candles, soaps and hand creams. This Scandinavian based company who wants to bring the Scandinavian feeling and lifestyle to your home. They have various fragrances that are all kept simple and natural. Their body products (like hand lotion, body lotion, hand wash, etc.) all all organically made. Their candles are made FSC-certified and the packaging and glas is partially recycled and died with natural die only.
What I really love about their products is the simplicity, in both the design and the fragrances and that you, unlike other scented candles, actually smell what is written on the package.
The SKOG candle, which I chose as the product of the month smells like „Pine needles and fir cones, birch sap and woodland lily of the valley“ – and tbh you actually have the feeling of walking through a wintery forest. The great thing about this candle is that it does not only smell Christmas-y (although there are Christmas fragrances on their website too) but it is a smell that also is pleasant in January or February.
If you want to get it and live in Austria, I would not recommend buying it at the website directly but at Copenhagen Hus, which is a Scandinavian lifestyle store in Vienna. Why get it there? Because this way you support local, small businesses that are having a difficult time right now – and – it is more than 20% cheaper due to shipping and the different price. So it’s a win-win!
Workout of the month: @christmas.fitness
What’s that? Christmas and fitness – two words that would usually not go in line with one another. That’s what Basti thought too! So why not make them match? Instead of spending the last month the unhealthiest and laziest of them all – use this last month of the year to end it off strong and find motivation to start the new year healthy and fit!
What is @christmas.fitness ? This is an instagram page where you will find a DIFFERENT 15 minute body-weight workout EVERYDAY from now until Christmas! And the best thing? Since it only is done with body-weight, it is suitable for everyone – young, and younger, men and women!
As if this would not be enough – you will find a high protein, fitness recipe twice a week! One is a main meal and one is a snack! They all are easy to make, healthy, and of course – most importantly – delicious! If you want to take this December next level & make it healthy and fit, join us and accept the challenge!
Inspiration of the month: The 5AM club
Before you skip reading this, already being sure you will never get up at 5AM, know that this book made me jump out of bed at 5AM to read it. The title already says a lot: own your morning – elevate your life. A book full of inspiration, amazing quotes, insights and life-changing formulas.
I have read several books of this kind before, these „your whole life will change if you read this“ kind of books but none has inspired me so much. Just to say beforehand; no book ever has the power to change your life – the only one having this power is yourself. But anyway, no book has ever motivated and inspired me this much to take action and uplift my life.
What makes this different is that it is not all science based and backed up research with huge numbers and any words you don’t understand but that it is written in a story-telling way everyone understands and can relate to in one or another way. It is not straight „get up at 5 am and your life will become better“. It is more about explaining the HOW and WHY. It shared such valuable insights that you cannot only apply to your „victory hour“ in the morning but to your life in general. And it makes you start to think and reflect (at least it did this to me and my dad – who both have read it) about everything. That is what is golden about this book. It touches on life on the whole and not simply one thing.
I have written 105 – yes I counted – sentences, quotes and thoughts out of that book to remind myself each and every day. Maybe you’ll read this book and get up at 5am every day and maybe not. What I believe is more important is that you can apply these insights to your current life – no matter whether you are extremely happy with how it is going or you are absolutely not and want to change something – to live it in the best, most gorgeous and most magical way you could.
I hope that these 5 things will contribute something positive to your December and that they will make the end of the year a tiny bit better! I am looking forward to hearing how you like them!
Love, Katie
