Find the joy

Mostly Veggies Cookbook Review: Finding Joy in Nourishing Food

Some gifts arrive exactly when they’re meant to. This Christmas, I finally received the Mostly Veggies cookbook by Brittany Mullins — a book I’ve been wanting for such a long time — and it instantly felt like one of those gifts that fits beautifully with the Find the Joy ethos.

If you’re familiar with my Blogs for You page, you’ll already recognise Brittany Mullins as one of the creators I love and share. You can find her featured on my page here:

👉 Brittany Mullins on Find the Joy — Eating Bird Food

Brittany is the creator behind the blog Eating Bird Food, which has long been a source of inspiration for me. Her content focuses on nourishing, feel-good food that’s realistic, balanced, and joyful — something I value deeply and love sharing.

🌿 Brittany’s blog: Eating Bird Food — https://www.eatingbirdfood.com

📸 Brittany on Instagram: @eatingbirdfood — https://www.instagram.com/eatingbirdfood

Finally holding her cookbook felt extra special, knowing how often I return to her recipes and ideas online.

First Impressions

From the very first page, Mostly Veggies feels warm, calm, and inviting. It’s the kind of cookbook you want to sit with — not just skim for recipes, but actually enjoy flipping through. The photography is beautiful without being intimidating, and the recipes feel achievable for real, everyday life.

This isn’t about perfection or strict rules around food. Instead, it gently encourages a more plant-forward, nourishing way of eating, without pressure — something that fits right in with the gentle joy we celebrate here on Find the Joy.

The Recipes

What I love most is how practical and joyful the recipes feel. They’re centred around vegetables, whole foods, and simple ingredients, yet they still feel comforting and satisfying.

There’s a lovely mix of:

Bright and nourishing breakfasts Simple, satisfying lunches Comforting dinners Snacks you’ll actually want to eat

Many recipes also offer options for dietary preferences like dairy-free or gluten-free, which makes the book incredibly flexible.

A Gentle Approach to Meal Prep

One of the standout features for me is the focus on meal prep and seasonal planning. It’s not overwhelming or rigid — instead, it feels supportive. The book encourages you to think ahead in a way that actually makes life easier, helping you free up time and mental space during the week.

This approach really resonates with the idea of finding joy in the everyday — preparing food not as another task on the list, but as a way to nurture yourself.

Why This Book Belongs on Find the Joy

Mostly Veggies aligns beautifully with what Find the Joy is all about. It reminds us that joy can be found in small, intentional moments — cooking a nourishing meal, slowing down, choosing foods that make you feel good, and enjoying the process rather than rushing through it.

Knowing that Brittany Mullins is already a creator I admire and share through my Blogs for You page makes this cookbook feel even more meaningful. It’s a natural extension of the content I already love and recommend.

Final Thoughts

Mostly Veggies has quickly become a cookbook I know I’ll return to again and again. It’s thoughtful, approachable, and genuinely joyful — and I’m so glad it finally found its way into my kitchen.

If you’re looking for inspiration to eat well, simplify your cooking, and reconnect with food in a gentle, positive way, this is a beautiful place to start.

Insta Reel – Mostly Veggies

Finding Joy in Stillness and Intention – James Clear

Each week, I share a small moment of inspiration—an invitation to pause, reflect, and notice the quiet joy woven into everyday life.

This week, I spent some time with James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter, and it offered a gentle but meaningful reminder: joy often appears when we stop rushing toward the next thing and instead pay attention to how we’re living right now.

One idea that especially stayed with me was the importance of designing our lives around how we want to live, not just what we want to achieve. It’s easy to chase titles, milestones, or outcomes, but joy tends to live in the day-to-day experience—how our mornings feel, how present we are with others, and how much space we leave for rest and reflection.

Another insight focused on stillness. Without moments of pause, we can confuse being busy with being fulfilled. Slowing down—mentally or physically—creates room to notice what’s already working, what’s meaningful, and what quietly brings us joy.

The newsletter also included a simple but powerful question:

If you weren’t allowed to complain about this anymore, what action would you have to take?

I found myself wondering how often joy is delayed because we stay stuck in frustration instead of choosing one small, intentional step forward.

A gentle reflection for you:

Where might you be able to create a little more space this week—space for stillness, honesty, or a choice that supports how you truly want to live?

If you’d like to read the full 3-2-1 newsletter that inspired this reflection, you can find it here:

👉 https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/december-18-2025

Shared with the hope that it brings a moment of calm, clarity, or joy to your week—

until next time, may you continue to find the joy.

Find the Joy in Eating the Rainbow This Christmas Day

Christmas Day isn’t about perfection.

It’s about warmth, connection, laughter round the table — and finding joy in the little moments.

And when it comes to food, joy doesn’t have to mean “all or nothing”. Sometimes, it’s as simple as adding a little more colour to your plate.

This Christmas, finding the joy in eating well can start with something beautifully easy: eating a rainbow of fruit and veg.

What Does “Eating the Rainbow” Mean?

Eating the rainbow simply means enjoying fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours — reds, oranges, yellows, greens, purples and even whites. Each colour brings its own goodness, its own nourishment, its own quiet way of supporting your body.

There’s no counting.

No cutting things out.

Just adding in what’s already vibrant, seasonal and delicious.

And honestly? Christmas is already full of colour.

Why Christmas Is the Perfect Time

Festive food is naturally joyful — think roast veg glistening on the table, bowls of berries, rich reds and greens everywhere you look.

Instead of seeing Christmas as a time where “healthy habits disappear”, what if it became a moment to gently support yourself while still enjoying everything you love?

Adding colour doesn’t take anything away — it only enhances what’s already there.

Finding Joy in Every Colour

Here’s how the rainbow can quietly work its magic on Christmas Day:

❤️ Reds

Tomatoes, cranberries, red peppers, pomegranate seeds — vibrant and festive, supporting heart health and immunity.

🧡 Oranges & Yellows

Roast carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits — comforting, grounding and rich in nutrients that support your skin, eyes and immune system.

💚 Greens

Brussels sprouts, green beans, kale, herbs — the unsung heroes of the Christmas table, helping digestion and bringing balance to richer foods.

💜 Blues & Purples

Berries, red cabbage, grapes — deeply nourishing and antioxidant-rich, adding depth and beauty to meals and desserts.

🤍 Whites

Parsnips, cauliflower, garlic, onions — warming, grounding foods that support gut health and bring flavour to everything they touch.

No pressure to eat them all.

Just notice what’s there — and enjoy.

Simple, Joyful Ways to Add Colour

Finding joy means keeping things light and doable:

✨ Add an extra veg to the roast tray

✨ Sprinkle berries over dessert

✨ Serve a colourful fruit platter for grazing

✨ Toss herbs or pomegranate seeds over salads

✨ Let children “collect colours” on their plates

Sometimes joy is playful. Sometimes it’s just effortless.

To make it feel even easier, I’ve put together an Eating the Rainbow download — a simple, joyful guide to help you notice colour on your plate and care for yourself with kindness

A Gentle Christmas Reminder

Eating the rainbow isn’t about being “good”.

It’s about nourishing yourself with kindness — especially during a season that can feel busy, full, and overwhelming.

This Christmas Day, you don’t need to change everything.

Just add a little colour.

A little nourishment.

A little joy.

And trust that your body feels the love.

✨ Find the joy — on your plate and beyond.

A Moment to Pause

This Christmas, let go of the idea that your plate — or your day — needs to be perfect.

Notice the colours in front of you.

The warmth of the room.

The voices, the laughter, the still moments in between.

Eating the rainbow isn’t a rule to follow — it’s an invitation to be present, to savour what’s there, and to care for yourself in small, loving ways.

You don’t need to get it “right”.

You just need to be here.

Because joy isn’t found in perfection —

it’s found in the moment you’re living right now.

Christmas over the years – Find the Joy

2025 – 10 years of Family Christmases 🎅🏻

Finding the Joy Through Food: Rosemary

At Find the Joy, we believe that supporting your emotional well-being doesn’t have to be complicated. Often, it starts with small, familiar choices — like the herbs you cook with every day.

As part of Dr. Uma Naidoo’s Mood Food series, rosemary is highlighted for its gentle yet meaningful support for mood, memory, and overall brain health.

How Rosemary Supports Your Mood

Rosemary contains natural compounds that help support the brain and nervous system. These compounds are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may help reduce mental fatigue and support clearer thinking.

The aroma of rosemary alone has been linked to improved focus and a calmer, more alert state. Over time, regularly including rosemary in your meals may help support emotional balance and make everyday stress feel a little easier to manage.

How Easy It Is to Include Rosemary in Cooking

One of the joys of rosemary is how effortless it is to use. It doesn’t require special preparation and adds both flavor and nourishment to simple meals.

You can:

Sprinkle fresh or dried rosemary on roasted vegetables, chicken, fish, or potatoes

Stir it into soups, stews, or sauces Steep it in hot water for a simple herbal tea

Infuse it into olive oil for easy, flavorful cooking

Even small amounts, used consistently, can make a meaningful difference.

Key Health Benefits of Rosemary

Beyond its mood-supporting qualities, rosemary offers several health benefits that support overall well-being:

Helps protect brain cells through antioxidant activity Supports memory, focus, and cognitive clarity May help reduce inflammation in the body Provides nutrients that support circulation and brain health

Together, these benefits support both physical and emotional resilience.

Finding the Joy

Dr. Uma’s Mood Food series reminds us that joy often comes from simple acts of care. Adding rosemary to your cooking is a small, nourishing choice that supports your mood, your mind, and your sense of well-being.

It’s a gentle reminder that joy doesn’t have to be chased — sometimes, it’s already growing right in your kitchen.

This post is inspired by Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD, and her Mood Food series, which explores how simple, nourishing foods can support mood, well-being, and everyday joy.

Mindful Monday – I am Affirmations

From the I am app: https://iamaffirmations.app/download

Self Well Festival – Call for Experts – November Launch

When I read the #CIPD report back in September on Health and #wellbeing at work. I knew we had to do more to champion self care. Proactive tools for living a healthy lifestyle has being a passion of mine for a number of years now. I am inspired by wellbeing experts both locally and globally to find ways to promote self care and educate that it is not selfish to recharge and put yourself first, in fact it’s essential in preventing the dreaded ‘burnout’.

So I am taking a leap of faith and putting my passion out there and all my years of talk into action… by curating the #selfwellfestival which, if all goes to plan, will take place in Spring 2026!

We are in the early stages and throughout November we are sharing our ambition with a ‘Call for Experts’ Campaign.

I hope you feel inspired to find out more, if so, please use the link below to get in touch about, how what you do, can help champion ‘Self-Care for the Selfless’,

https://lnkd.in/gy2dxRUN

Thank you in advance and please do feel free to circulate the ‘Call for Experts’ link to others.

I just wanted to say thank you for the support I have already recieved from MD2MD: The trusted leadership ecosystem and Emma Baughan

Please feel free to message me directly if you would like futher information.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-jane-barry-4bb6aa34a_cipd-hr-people-activity-7390707614130765824-H_Q6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAFdP2E8BbF4m7qYD2vUkDA5cKhJRLKliM-4

Day 1 of Call for Expert

From small seeds grow strong trees…