It’s been a week of recovery and I’m finally starting to feel like my normal self again! And although I loved making warm, comforting soups, I am SO excited to be reintroducing solid food again. Humans are meant to chomp on their meals, not drink them. Tomorrow, I also end my almost two-week hiatus from Crossfit, so that’ll be painful and amazing all at the same time. Can’t wait!

What’s going on in the world? I’ve been seeing a TON of fun Paleo recipes popping up in blogland, and I want to try them all! Which brings me to #1 of what’s makin’ me smile this week…

1. Happiness is…Thanksgiving recipes, Paleo style.

Here are a few of the Paleo recipes I’ve stumbled upon that are on my ‘To Do’ list for the holidays.

• Gingerbread Almond Butter from Sarah over at Primal Bites. Hi, almond butter + fall flavors?! Say no more. That jar of almonds in my pantry is dedicated to this recipe.
• Pumpkin Pie from Ashley at LivinPaleo. Not only is this recipe super freakin’ easy, but it’s also right in time for your Thanksgiving festivities. Come prepared with a pie that’s sure to please even your non-Paleo family/friends.
• Paleo Sweet Potato Bread from Caitlin at Grass Fed Girl. Caitlin describes this as “a cross between a sweet potato casserole and a zucchini bread”. Um, yes please. I bet the GB almond butter from above would be amazing on this. I’m just sayin’…
• Paleo Thanksgiving Leftover “Sandwich” from Steph (aw, name twinsie)  at Stupid Easy Paleo. Can we just talk about this one for a sec. We’ve got leftover turkey, apple-cranberry sauce and bacony-brussells sprouts sandwiched between sweet potato buns. What?!? That just blew my mind. Do I have to wait for Thanksgiving leftovers to try this?

Needless to say, there are some talented Paleo foodies out there, cooking up wonderful dishes. These blogs will keep you busy this holiday season!

2. Happiness is…getting enough sleep!

If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard the “I’ll sleep when I die” phrase, I’d be a rich (but highly annoyed) woman. The truth is, we’re learning more and more how important it is to get enough sleep. When we deprive our bodies of sleep, it can lead to a butt-load of issues including heart disease, high blood pressure, weight gain, depression, and loss of libido (noooooo). Have you ever pulled an all-nighter and felt like you couldn’t think clearly the next day? That’s your brain crying out for help. When you lose sleep, it affects the cognitive processes that help you speak, learn, problem-solve and make important decisions. So snuggle up and get that beauty rest!

[source]

Lastly, make sure the sleep you’re getting is quality sleep, which means turn off those night lights! The Huffington Post recently published this article demonstrating the effect of light during sleep. According to the study in South Korea, participants who slept with light interference “spent more time in stage 1 sleep – the shallowest kind – and less time in stage 3 and 4 sleep”. These are the most important stages of sleep, when your body is recuperating, repairing and preparing for the next day. I actually was just talking about this with Cave Man the other day because I’ve had to cover up annoying light sources before bed – my laptop light, the DVR light, etc. I’ve noticed a huge difference in how I sleep when I’m in complete darkness.

3. Happiness is…SUNSHINE.

Mark Sisson wrote a great article on the benefits of sunbathing this week. All I read was “Sun is good for your bod. Sun is even better for your bod when you’re drinking red wine and eating dark chocolate, simultaneously. The end” Just kidding. Mark describes what a day of sunbathing would look like, when to step outside, and how to maximize the benefits of sunbathing, like introducing certain foods for UV protection. It’s cleverly written, and chock full of science . Check it out here. P.S. My roomie’s dog knows all about sunshine. We typically find her laying on the outside table in the mornings, like this –

Smart dog.

4. Happiness is…catching up with an old friend.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend I haven’t seen in about a year. She’s doing wonderful and I couldn’t have had a better time listening to her talk about life and seeing her smile. Knowing that she is doing things that make her happy, made me truly happy. Believe it or not, there’s some science behind that feeling. According to this article based off a study in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience journal, humans are wired to feel empathy towards people they are close with. Essentially, we feel as if our friends become a part of us, and we feel happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad.

[source]

Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

5. Happiness is…a new recipe.

Let’s get to the good stuff…FOOD. I made Cave Man and I a terrific egg white scramble this weekend, before a walk to the local farmers market. It’s quick, easy, and delicious. Enjoy!

Now I’m off to sunbathe with some dark chocolate and red wine. In the name of science, of course.