Happy Sunday! I hope you had a great weekend and enjoy this week’s meal plan.

I’m thinking we jump into fall recipes next week but you tell me.. is it too early?! I’m feeling super ready for autumn this year as I said in a previous note — the heat takes pregnancy to a whole new level and I can’t wait to be able to throw on a sweater and leave the house without feeling like I’m melting.

I’m also really craving my pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies (they’re life changing) and I’m thinking that Labor Day is going to be my green light to make them. Okay I’m getting a little ahead of myself — enjoy this final week of soaking up summer and I’ll see you on the other side!

xx Anna

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But getting pregnant has changed me in ways that I didn’t anticipate — obviously exhaustion plays a role, but my overall desire to move slower has been difficult to ignore. Part of me is bothered by this, I won’t lie — later wake ups make my days feel so much shorter and like I have less bandwidth to get things done. But I’m realizing that this season is less about getting things done externally and more about letting my body get things done internally (AKA build an entire life from scratch). What a trip!

So, here’s my updated morning routine — five months pregnant and allowing myself to adjust with as much grace as I can muster up. Let’s dive in:

The Routine

7:30 AM - What once was a 5 AM wake up time has shifted quite a bit! First thing after waking up I make my bed, tongue scrape with a copper tongue scraper, brush my teeth, and check my sleep score. In case you missed it, Natural Cycles, the app I recommend for hormone-free birth control and natural family planning, recently launched Sleep Insights within the app which is HUGE – I have had such qualms with other sleep tracking devices in the past because they don’t take your cycle into account (aka they weren’t exactly built with women in mind ). This is such a good option for those of us who want to see our fertility status, cycle, and sleep insights all in one place without constantly being told we’re dying just because we’re luteal (or, in my case, pregnant). You can use code FEELWELLBYANNA for 15% off your annual subscription and a free wearable (the NC° Band, I love mine) at checkout!

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Happy Sunday!

I hope you had a great weekend. The past few days have been tough for me — I’m having some pretty intense pregnancy soreness/ligament pain and have basically been bedridden for the past 72 hours. No fun, but any sort of sickness always reminds me how valuable our health is. As the old adage says, A healthy man has a million wishes, but a sick man only has one. Isn’t that the truth.

Enjoy this week’s meal prep — it includes a few of my current hyperfixation meals and some mainstays that never leave my rotation.

xx

Anna

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The internet meltdown that ensued was predictable — the usual suspects crashing out, barking about how these changes are a “crime against humanity” and will “surely cost innocent lives.” To be honest, I see both sides and have sympathy for these people — I cannot imagine spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a medical degree only to realize that the entire medical system is a parrot for big pharma and insurance companies. It’s understandable that some of them will double down — after all, belief in the efficacy and safety of vaccines has become a religion in America.

The same overused script was echo-ed over and over again by these pediatricians that comes directly from their overlords: “These changes are not based on evidence. We will continue to follow the vaccine schedule that is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which is based on science and data alone.”

In fact, many of these doctors participated in a celebrities-during-COVID-style compilation video, endorsing the AAP and it’s commitment to unbiased science. So, I guess based on this scripted (and likely paid) social media campaign, we can all take a deep breath, right?

Not so fast — to understand the scope of the AAP, it’s important to understand the organization as a whole. Per it’s mission statement, the AAP is a professional organization of 67,000 pediatricians focused on the health and well-being of children. They create guidelines on all things related to children — breastfeeding vs. formula, cosleeping vs. cribs, SIDs, feeding newborns, circumcision, ultrasounds during pregnancy, and more.

The issues come in when you start to look at the way the organization is funded (follow the money like we always do, duh). Their most recent Form 990 from fiscal year 2025 vaguely shows where their cash comes from:

• Total revenue: $138.50 million

  • Contributions: $48.38 million - This is money given to the AAP (aka they do not make this money by selling something). Think: individual donations, corporate donations, grants from foundations or corporations, etc.

  • Program-service revenue: $82.55 million - This is money the AAP earns by providing something, usually membership fees from pediatricians, conference registrations, etc.

  • Investment/other revenue: roughly $7.57 million - This is money from the AAP’s investments as an organization (interest, dividends, etc.) and other income that doesn’t fit into the other categories.

Now, of course, the AAP doesn’t go line by line and tell us how much money from each category is made from the pharmaceutical industry, but we know that a sizable amount of the contributions and program-service revenue comes directly from industry. The sponsorship graphic below comes directly from their website.

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Happy Sunday! I hope you enjoy this week’s meal plan — it’s filled with some of my favorite summer staples and a few things we’ve been cooking up as we’re looking forward to autumn flavors. And thank you all for bearing with me as we had a few repeat meal plans over the past couple of months — we’re back to regularly scheduled programming now with lots of newness for you all.

Wishing you a happy and healthy week ahead!

xx

Anna

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Over the past four years, this has become a celebrated ritual on my account — I get thousands of questions each week (a blessing I don’t take for granted) and love responding to as many as I can with care and nuance (I know, shocking this still exists somewhere in the world).

There are, of course the repeaters — questions I get every single week (some of them are frankly bizarre: how much money does your husband make? LOL). But one of the most common repeaters, especially since I announced my pregnancy, is difficult to ignore: what are your thoughts on ultrasounds?

So I thought I would put pen to proverbial paper here and do a little brain dump on all of the things I’ve learned about ultrasounds so you can see my thoughts in one place. Per usual, this is not medical advice nor is it meant to replace the guidance of your practitioner, rather just to get you thinking about how you want to personalize your care.

So, let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

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I’ve been thinking a lot about the true meaning of nourishment — obviously we associate this the most with food, but I think it goes so far beyond that.

In a world that prioritizes information over intuition, I’ve recently felt nourished by leaning into how I’m feeling above everything else. Yes in what I’m eating, but also the media I’m consuming, the people I’m surrounding myself with, and my daily routines. I don’t know if it’s because I’m pregnant (and now more than ever I feel like an emotional sponge), but I feel a whole new level of empowerment when it comes to leaning into what feels authentic to me and disregarding everything else.

I hope you find this week’s nourishment to be just that — nourishing. Hugs!

Anna

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August is here and honestly — I’m so ready. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some summer, but the insane heat here coupled with tourist crowds galore makes the summer months in coastal NC a little harder to navigate than the rest of the year. We lovingly refer to September and October “Locals Summer” because it cools off a bit, the crowds dissipate, and the year-rounders are able to experience all the area has to offer. Needless to say, I’m excited!

With all of that said, I’m simultaneously very focused on soaking up every last drop of August. I can’t believe this will be our last summer without babies, and we’re trying to do all of the the things that will look a little different next year when our little peanut is here: late nights around the fire with friends, spur of the moment dinners out, all day boat days.. you get the gist. I actually found this mentality to be super helpful when we were TTC as well — time is fleeting, and once you have a baby, it’s never “just the two of you” again. It would be a shame to wish this time away.

So this month’s edit is an ode to closing out the summer strong and also looking forward with bright eyes to autumn. Hope you enjoy.

xx

Anna

For My Home:

• Oak Essentials x Jenni Kayne Hand Wash and Balm Set - This scent is delicious. Perfectly clean? No — but candidly sometimes I prioritize chic factor over clean factor (okay, a lot of times) and this definitely fits my criteria. Would also be a perfect host gift or MIL gift for the holiday season!

• Sir Madam Splatter Mugs - I am very into splatterware right now (which is obvious from my Instagram) and these mugs are adorable. They’re also the perfect size for a cappuccino — I have the latte color but love cacao and nettle as well.

• Sabre Bottle Opener - I collect Sabre sets (one of my favorite pastimes) and recently added one of their bottle openers to my collection. Such a fun pop of color for the kitchen and something we use every single day.

For My Kitchen:

• Blue Bottle Hayes Valley Espresso - One of the things I miss the most living in North Carolina is my beloved Blue Bottle. Iced NOLA cold brew with half and half? Sign me up. These espresso beans are 100% worth the hype — I have them stocked for when I want a caffeine treat that tastes like artisan coffee shop quality.

• Lineage Collagen - I have been lucky to try quite a few different collagen brands and this is by far my favorite. So many of my friends have repeated the same anecdote regarding collagen in pregnancy: “I swear it helped me not tear.” Even if there’s a slight chance that’s the case, I’m in! I drink it every morning in my coffee or in a smoothie.

• Ballerina Farms Bone Broth Hot Cocoa - One of my favorite pregnancy hacks is drinking this at night instead of having a sweet treat. Mix it with warm milk, top with homemade whipped cream or homemade gelatin marshmallows and you’ve just gotten in 30+ grams of protein and satisfied the sweet treat craving.

• Julius Roberts Tarragon Roast Chicken - I crave this monthly — it truly is as delicious as it sounds. Sometimes I sub the tarragon for rosemary and thyme but it’s the perfect Sunday dinner as we move into brisker months.

For My Closet:

• Almina Concept Wrap Cardigan - I love Almina Concept sweaters and recently ordered this one to take on our trip to France and England in September. They’re super cozy but also very practical and wearable!

• Polo Crew Neck Sweatshirt - I wear this sweatshirt constantly — it’s the perfect travel piece because you can wear it with sweats on the plane and then jeans and sneakers for a cute but relaxed look when you’re tourist-ing.

• Jeffrey Campbell Suede Flats - I REFUSE to spend $800 on The Row ballet flats (especially because I don’t find them to be particularly comfortable) but love these Jeffrey Campbell alternatives. They’re super wearable and the brown suede is perfect for autumn.

For My Mind & Soul:

• Birthing Instincts Anatomy Scan Podcast - I have been super torn about whether or not I want to have the anatomy scan during my pregnancy and this episode was so enlightening. Highly recommend for any mothers that are questioning whether they want ultrasounds during their pregnancy.

• Catholic Devotional - I just downloaded this for free on Kindle Unlimited and love having a devotional that I can take with me everywhere. Highly recommend for any woman who is deepening her faith!

I hope you all had an incredible weekend!

We spent ours enjoying simplicity — long walks, nutrient-dense meals, tan lines, a late night with friends around the fire.. truly soaking up the last bits of summer while it’s here. I’m notoriously an autumn girl but this summer has been particularly special and I’m already feeling nostalgic for it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the week ahead of nourishment and, per usual, shout if you have any questions!

Anna

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I recently got a DM saying “You have some pretty out there opinions about birth for someone who has never given birth.”

The truth is that I don’t think any of my opinions are very out there — I think, actually, what’s happening in labor units every day in America is more eerie than any thought I’ve ever had about childbirth. We have collectively gotten so far away from God’s design for birth and, to me, that’s the main reason that so many women (and doctors) have birth trauma, birth regret, unnecessary major abdominal surgeries, and more.

That said, my thoughts don’t come from just vibes — I was raised by a mom who had three unmedicated (ish, she was induced with pitocin for my birth) births. Childbirth was a normal part of our conversations growing up and I always found it fascinating.

As I moved into adulthood and friends started to discuss getting pregnant and having babies, it always struck me how almost all conversations around childbirth are steeped in fear. I think one of the reasons I don’t feel this fear (I’m sure I will get anxious as we get closer though) is because of my upbringing — talking about childbirth with honesty and candor demystifies the topic.

For this reason, I wanted to share some of my favorite resources that I’ve consumed over the past year with each of you. I believe that being informed is the true antidote to fear, so no matter where you are in your journey, these will apply — I started consuming childbirth content long before my baby was even a thought in my mind, and I honestly think this approach could help so many women. I’ll send an updated list in the second and third trimesters, but for now here are some of my favorite books, podcasts, and movies that I’ve used to stay informed during trimester zero and one. I hope this helps!

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Happy Sunday!

Our weekend was spent relaxing inside — we had inssaaaane torrential downpours all weekend long. I’m still feeling pretty exhausted from being pregnant (I am 16 weeks tomorrow so hoping I will turn the corner soon), so honestly the relaxation that came with the rain was lovely. We also went and saw The Odyssey on Friday — I honestly thought we would hate it due to all the online chatter about all of the woke stuff but guys.. IT WAS SO GOOD. Highly recommend.

I have been eating out a ton recently — not sure what it is about pregnancy but it has really made me crave anything that is not made in my house. I have felt myself being more pulled to my own kitchen over the past week, so I’m excited to get back into cooking and recipe developing for all of you. Thank you for your patience in the meantime!

I hope you have the best week!

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Childbirth, no — I’m sure I will have nerves as we get closer, but I’m excited to experience something that my closest friends can only describe as deeply profound and life-changing, and I trust that God will provide when my hour comes.

When it comes to motherhood, however, my answer is a little more complicated. I’m not scared of the long nights, breastfeeding, body changes, teething, sleep regressions, etc.—these are things that all parents experience, and we are lucky to live in a resource-rich world that gives us the tools to navigate them.

There is one thing, though, that keeps me up at night—and it’s only really spoken about among women after a few glasses of wine or when a certain level of vulnerability has been reached after many years of friendship.

The thing that I’m most afraid of when it comes to motherhood is how my relationship with my husband might change.

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Happy Sunday!

I hope you had a great week & weekend — I spent a lot of mine horizontal, absolutely exhausted. Everyone said once the first trimester was over I would feel less tired but I have yet to experience that — 10 hour nights of sleep have become the norm around here and I’m not mad about it.

This is also the time of year that I start to look forward to autumn — it’s just so dang hot in North Carolina (96°F yesterday) and I am craving the cozier, brisker days and warmer, heartier foods. I’m not as bad as my little sister though — pretty sure she’s already listening to Christmas music.

Anyway, enjoy eating good this week and we will chat soon!

XO

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I hope you’re well — TGIF!

I wanted to send over this month’s list of everything I’m loving right now. The big baby news kind of overshadowed some of my normally scheduled programming on Substack, so thank you for your patience! Let’s chat through it.

For My Home

• Crow Canyon Serving Spoon & Ladle - You all know I’m very into splatterware right now and this serving spoon as well as this ladle have recently been added to my collection. They’re such a cute and fun addition to my kitchen!

• Zara Home Hurricane - I’ve been looking for a small, unique hurricane for pillar candles in my living room and this one is adorable and super affordable. I got the smaller size!

• Bamboo Dish Brush Set - I’ve been using these dish brushes for years and love them. Great deal alert!

For My Kitchen

• Jacobsen’s Flakey Sea Salt - This salt is dare I say.. better than maldon? It’s incredible. I even recently bought their on the go salt tins from William Sonoma and I’m obsessed. Great gift for the cook in your life!

• Staub 1.5 qt Dutch Oven - I’m embarrassed to admit this but midway through July (like literally today) is usually the time I start to get nostalgic and ready for autumn. I bought this to do the William Sonoma style simmer pots all autumn long and can’t wait for my house to smell like fall.

• Lineage Nose to Tail Collagen - I recently got this collagen and am obsessed. Collagen is so important during pregnancy (one of my girlfriends swears it made her not tear with her second), so I’ve been putting it in my smoothie every morning and loving it.

• Cosmic Cultures Matcha - I tried this matcha earlier this year when they did a collaboration with Glow With Ella and I’m beyond obsessed. Best matcha I’ve had by far and it comes in the cutest reusable container. Code ANNA10.

For My Mind

• Functional Maternity - My friend Mia (on this week’s episode of Back to Basics) recently recommended this book to me and it’s phenomenal. A must-read for every expectant mother!

• Promix Relax - Something I’ve implemented recently to help me sleep (the second trimester insomnia is hiiiiiittting) is Promix’s Relax supplement. It’s a mixture of magnesium bisglycinate and lemon balm, so it gives me the perfect night’s sleep without a weird hungover feeling the next day. While you’re on their site, I also highly recommend checking out their beef protein in vanilla (just launched!) which I’ve been adding to my morning smoothie and loving. Code ANNA for a discount!

• Dr. Shannon Ritchey on On Purpose - Loved this episode about functional exercise and muscle building. Great listen!

Happy Sunday! I hope you enjoy this week’s nourishment — it’s one of my favorite meal plans specifically because of the banana’s foster Greek yogurt. I crave it weekly and truly think it’s the perfect nourishing breakfast.

Xx

Anna

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If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably heard the big news by now — I’m pregnant! We’re so excited to be expecting a baby in January. For more information about how I found out and how I’ve been feeling, listen to this week’s podcast episode.

I wanted to spend this post discussing what I would recommend in hindsight given all of the pregnancy prep I did. Honestly, the TTC space can be very overwhelming and can often complicate the act that is arguably the most innate experience of our species — procreation. I fell into the trap of over-complication early on and spent a fair amount of time peeling back the layers to understand what really mattered when preparing for conception and what is just, for lack of a better term, background noise.

As you can imagine, I had a lot of thoughts while writing this, so I went ahead and organized them into a timeline — six months out, three months out, and while TTC for both men and women. This article is dense and meant to serve as a bit of a curriculum rather than a light read, so feel free to bookmark it and come back to it over time. I hope it helps!

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Happy belated Fourth of July for those who celebrated — I hope you had an amazing holiday! This week’s meal plan will serve as a little bit of a reset — nothing restrictive, just back to basics with good quality nutrition and simple plates. One of my favorite things about living a truly healthy lifestyle is that it really doesn’t matter if you partied too hard last night or ate things outside of your normal routine — you always have the opportunity to come back to your baseline the next day and you’re not “restarting” anything.

I particularly love the smoothie that’s included — it’s an every morning staple for me now that it’s warmer outside (understatement, it’s like 100 degrees in NC) and a super easy way to pack in tons of fiber, protein, and some good fat. Hope you love it too!

XO,

Anna

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Happy Sunday! I hope your week is off to a great start and (for my US - based subscribers) you’re looking forward to a patriotic week ahead. The Fourth of July is actually one of my favorite holidays — especially where we live in North Carolina, people really show out with their best for the USA.

In light of that, I wanted to have some summery recipes on the meal plan this week. Stewed peach parfait, burger bowls, and (what I’m most excited about), the Round Swamp Farm chicken salad. If you’re not familiar, Round Swamp Farm is a bougie little farm and market in The Hamptons — they have tons of overpriced prepared food (including this chicken salad) but also lots of local produce. Most importantly, though, it has a very old-school patriotic vibe — American flags hanging outside (and not in a cosplay way), pictures of military special operators adorn the walls, and more. I just love businesses that put their patriotism on display and also have delicious food, and Round Swamp fits the bill. So I hope you enjoy their iconic chicken salad — it’s divisive on the internet (especially TikTok), but I LOVE it with some sourdough bread or crackers.

Enjoy the week ahead!

XO

Anna

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I was very lucky to spend a few days at Ballerina Farm last week with the Loonen Water team. To say the experience was special is an understatement — just being outside in the mountains felt like a reprieve from the stresses of daily life, and adding the magic of farm life (and a really fun group) took it to another level.

I’ve been a follower of Hannah’s for years. I stumbled across her page in 2020 — peak pandemic, locked in my high rise apartment in Boston, craving nature, and found her content to be inspirational and wholesome. She clearly loved her life as a homemaker, wife, and mother and I found that to be refreshing in a world that tells women that their biggest aspiration should be to become an executive at JP Morgan and not to worry about children until their biological clock was already running out.

My naiveté got the best of me when I was surprised that she started to receive an onslaught of negative press coverage. High-brow publications like The Times slandered her family — painted the picture that she was an unhappy wife and mother, that her husband was controlling (and borderline abusive), that she gave up her dreams of being a prima ballerina just to sit on a farm in Utah (unfathomable tradeoff for the NPCs in the media). They called her the queen of the “tradwives” (whatever that means) and said that her mere presence online was a stain on everything the feminist movement did for women.

It’s funny — when you ask most modern feminists what they believe they’re advocating for, they give the same answer over and over again: “Feminism is about giving women a choice to be whatever they want.” Except, I guess, when that choice is to stop being a professional ballerina, get married young, have a bunch of kids, raise them with faith, and simultaneously build a business worth millions of dollars. In this scenario, there’s only one fathomable conclusion: she is being coerced into this lifestyle, controlled by a man, unable to make her own decisions.

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Happy Sunday!

The past few weeks have been insane and candidly I feel like I’ve been a little MIA. Alongside my travels, I’ve also been working on something really exciting (I hate it when people on the internet do this but I promise it will be worth the wait) that I can’t wait to share with all of you soon. So this week I’m personally looking forward to staying home — cooking a ton in my own kitchen (will post recipes), relaxing with my husband, tending to my garden (it’s feral), etc.

Stay tuned for a fun recap of my trip to Ballerina Farm this week as well as a download on my favorite Prime Day sales coming soon.

Sending love to you all and I hope you enjoy the week ahead.

XO

Anna

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