With over 700 posts, bring joy has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, eat more healthfully, be a better spouse or parent, exercise more, or get out of debt, chances are you’ll find something to help you out.

Here’s a round-up of some of the all-time faves. 

{If you’re new to bring joy, you might want to check out my FAQ’s too!}

recommended resources

some of my fave products & services

recipes
all vegan + gluten-free
check out my index for the full list of my recipes

the best carrot cake
one of my all-time favorite desserts

thai quinoa salad
combines my favorite flavors with one of my favorite foods

buttermilk pancakes & buckwheat buttermilk pancakes
no crazy ingredients, delicious fluffy pancakes

breakfast crepes
only four ingredients!

vegan

is a vegan diet healthy long term?
yes, it can be great for weight loss, reversing diabetes, heart disease–but what about long term? 

why I went vegan
why I decided to make the plant-based jump in 2006

vegan & mormon, an anomaly?
being vegan, from a practicing Mormon’s (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) point of view

save

I wanna be rich, here’s why
the love of money may be the root of all evil, but money does make the world go round

how to create an abundance mindset, no matter your income
when you’re tight on money it’s easy to go down the scarcity mentality path–don’t do it

get on the debt-free boat
in fall of 2012, we start the get-out-of-debt process

why we’re not doing the Dave Ramsey plan
how John McDougall & Dave Ramsey are alike

debt snowball update
September 2014–how we’re doing on paying down our debt

35 ways to save thousands of dollars each year
little & big ways to save in the margins of life

7 ways to save on groceries each month
your groceries can be one of your biggest expenses each month–learn how to trim your food budget

family

light through water: summer recap
summer 2014 was a long one

looking back, looking ahead
a reflection on a major life milestone & eight years of marriage

how to raise an independent child
tips for raising a responsible, independent critical thinker

and, life changes in an instant
my experience with witnessing a drowned boy come back to life

literacy

10 reasons to teach the love of reading
creating a literacy rich home starts with this basic premise: kids should learn to love reading

marriage

love: 10 years of it
my husband is a romantic, & here’s the email to prove it

let’s talk about, ahem, the importance of sex
I‘m blushing

frugal dates, & why you should date your husband
reignite the flame–date your spouse

motherhood

dear first time mom, what five pregnancies has taught me
after five pregnancies, I’ve learned a thing or two

blogging

dear new blogger: 13 things I wish I’d known sooner
a retrospective on 5 years of blogging

weight loss

my weight loss journey after baby #5
I gained nearly 60 pounds of fat with baby #5–follow my weight loss journey

fitness

my free workouts without equipment
over a dozen videos, ranging in 4-20 minutes in length
Pilates, kickboxing, yoga, interval training, toning, abs

my top 5 fave workout DVD’s
the best workout DVD’s for overall fitness & weight loss 

tips for frugal fitness
it doesn’t have to cost a lot to stay in shape

personal

30
thoughts on turning 30

50+ fave books, podcasts, movies, etc. 
I share some of my favorite books, movies, magazines, podcasts, & other forms of media.

body image

curves
a rather pivotal turning point in how I view my womanly curves

is it possible to lose weight without resorting to disordered eating? 
in response to a reader’s concern that I was turning back on my curves post