Y'all, I am tired today.

And there is still so much to be accomplished this week.

(And yes, I said y'all.  I have officially lived in the south for four months which means I am allowed to use it at will without criticism.  It's like an unwritten rule).

Mondays bring with them mountains of laundry scattered around the house, a dirty bathroom, a disorganized and disoriented refrigerator of leftovers, and an overall ‘stale-ness' to the house that can only be battled by what I like to refer to as a ‘top-to-bottom-fluffing'.  

I am also battling getting the nursery put together with it's hodge-podge of leftover furniture and random accessories.

My point is simply this – by the end of Mondays, I'm always tired.  But especially today.

I think I need hot chocolate.

Yes! Oh, wouldn't that be lovely?! A mug of warm and sweet stove-top hot chocolate?!

Hold on…let me go and try and manipulate my husband into making me some.  I am, after all, carrying his child (don't men love when women pull that one?).

….

It worked.

Booya.

This week has some added extra spunk in that we are also getting ready to drive up to North Carolina.  I know, I know.  Big time travel, man!  Stuart has Fall Break next week (Hallelujah!) and we will be spending the majority of the week with his family at his brother's new home.  

This brother:

Remember him?

And would you believe that this was the last time we got to spend time with him?! At our wedding, people.  That was forever ago.  

It's long overdue, I'd say.  Especially since they haven't even met Georgia yet and now here we are, only seven(ish) weeks away from having another one.

I, for one, am excited.  Time with the family is always appreciated.  

Again (as noted yesterday), I'm really working at not feeling anxious about travel concerns (hello, extended-toddler-time-in-the-car).  I'm planning the best I can with what I've got and taking all my worries to the Lord.  That's the best I can do.

Part of this ‘planning' involves packing a cooler of food to take with us.  Not so much because I'm worried about eating ‘bad' food while we're there, but mostly because I have this compulsory fear of being hungry and if I don't have food around me and easily accessible to me at all times my heart starts to race with anxiety.

Then, my palms start to sweat.

Then, I start to get really angry at every one around me.

Then, I curse myself for not making sure I had food readily accessible.

It's better for every one if I just plan accordingly.

Thus, Thursday will be spent preparing and packing food for the journey.  And just in case you're wondering ‘Shaye, what the heck are you going to take anyway?' I thought I'd share.

Whole-Food-Travel-Foods-Baby
– Raw milk.  This is an essential for G.  Too much pasteurized milk and…bad things happen.

– Organic chedder cheese, cut into sticks.  Instant fat.  Instant protein.  Instant happy Shaye.

– String cheese.  Because girlfriend can't ever have too much cheese.

– Protein bars.  I am forever in love with these rich bars.  Just the boost I need in moments of desperation.

– Cozy banana bread.  My Mom always used to make banana bread before our car trips as kids.  I feel happy when it's around.  I'll be sure to take some grass-fed Kerrygold butter with me too – just as an added bonus for smearing.

– Soaked whole-grain crackers.  Because sometimes I need something to eat with my cheese.

– Satsumas and oranges have been making an appearance in my CSA basket lately and I am thinking these are perfect fruit for traveling.  Lots of fresh citrus (as well as some bananas) will be included in the cooler.

– Along the same lines, carrot sticks, cucumbers, and sliced peppers will also be along for the journey.  Fresh from the farm into the CSA basket into my belly.  Yum!

– Homemade kombucha.  To keep things active and healthy while we're out of our normal eating habits.  Plus, this is the only thing G drinks besides raw milk and water.  She'd be heartbroken without it.

– Hard boiled local, free-range eggs.  I could literally eat a dozen eggs a day if I let myself.  I love them beyond measure.  They instantly balance and heal my blood-sugar when it gets all wacky.  I'd be lost without them.

– Home-roasted peanuts.  I've loved having access to fresh local peanuts down here in LA (Lower Alabama, for those not privy to such sweet acronyms).  I roast them with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a few generous pinches of salt.  Then, I sit and nibble on them for hours like a squirrel while I watch new episodes of Parks and Recreation.  Just bein' honest here.

– Filtered water.  Naturally.

I think that concludes (thus far, anyway) the tour of our car cooler.  It may seem extreme considering there is a restaurant every five miles down the interstate, but none-the-less, you know by now it's important for me to fill this growing belly with rich, real-food goodness.  

You know what I wish?  I wish I had some of my brother-in-law's venison jerky to take with us.  That's always one of the highlights of the holidays at home – venison jerky.  Yum, yum!

Brandon, will you send me some?  I'll love you forever? And can it be here by Friday?  Awesome.

For all of you who will be spending time on the road this fall, you may find THIS POST from The Nourished Kitchen helpful for staying healthy on your journey.  

What do you take with you when you travel?  Anything I forgetting?  Speak up, now!  I don't want to be caught off guard with something I've forgotten!  

My heart will start to race!  And my upper lip will get all sweaty!  And I'll start to shake and hyperventilate!  

It's really not pretty.

Which is why I'm a preventative eater.  And a preventative food packer.

Judge me if you will.

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