Tick tock! 2019 is upon us. If you are like me, 2018 FLEW by and suddenly we are hit with a new year, a fresh start and a time for us to reset what makes us happy, motivated and overall smiley.

Hi! I’m Paige, a professional food photographer, as well as a gluten-free and vegan recipe developer. Over the past 2 years my husband and I have moved 4 times for my husbands job. 90% of the time, I have been able to work from home and sometimes those days are long and lonely. There are a few things I have gotten to learn about myself, my attitude and my growth to allow myself to find true happiness in this lifestyle.

I know, many of you are thinking, “What on earth! Why have you moved so many times?!”. My husband works for the United States Military, and I am lucky enough to have a job as a recipe developer and food photographer that can move anywhere we need to go as long as I have a kitchen! Late in 2017, we made our biggest move yet. West Coast to sunny Florida. We were away from our families, newly married and I found myself alone all day with my doggie, working. Since we didn’t know anyone on base, I was forced to make friends with my neighbors, at the gym, a the  grocery store and out walking my dog on the beach. I learned a lot about internal happiness.  

Allowing yourself to find happiness in your routine, whether it’s drinking a twist of Health-Ade with lemon in the morning (my favorite), before you head to the gym, or enjoying some healthy pancakes for breakfast, those little routines set up your day for success.

Let’s talk sustainable happiness goals. 

Hitting the New Years, looking for a rest I feel is the wrong approach to year long goals. Think the first day of January when everyone is at the gym, and then fast forward to February 1, when the gym is empty. Setting unrealistic goals sets you up for failure, and disappointment. So collectively…let’s not even go there! Allow yourself to set goals in personal growth, happiness and a positive mindset! That is what I focus on year after year!

I find that the goals I set for 2018, are very similar to my goals for 2019. They anchor in personal growth, that betters relationships, of friends, co-workers and significant others. I was able to sustain and grow with my goals in 2018, and I raise a bottle of your favorite booch to your 2019 goals in bettering yourself, your mind and your spirit! Tag me in your 2019 goals and we can create a stronger community of Health-Ade warriors!  

About Paige:

Not one day has gone by that Paige Billings has not believed that cake can solve most problems. After being told she was allergic to gluten, Paige realized she had to modify her cake recipes. Committed to making her cakes just as delicious as before, Paige has combined her passion for baking, design, and photography into her career as a freelance food photographer, freelance copy and photography editor, and recipe developer. Her delicious and beautiful recipes that can be found on her blog, instagram, and in the secret pages of her ongoing cookbook. Though Paige has lived in many places, from the Bay Area of California, where she grew up, to Montana, where she graduated from Montana State University. She now works out of her Utah home with the help of her eager taste testers, husband, Drew and dog, Moose.

Today's blog is written by our very own Daina Trout, MS, MPH

Daina is not just our Co-Founder, she is also a nutritionist that has spent her adult life dedicated to finding and sharing health and wellness through food. With 2 masters' degrees in nutritional biochemistry and public health, Daina has called upon her education often while leading the way at Health-Ade - from how we make every batch of kombucha, to how we talk about gut health to consumers, to even how healthy our employee workplace is! She even writes a few blogs here and there. Happy reading! :)