Oh, hi! I’m Emily from One Lovely Life.

I’m so happy you’re here. I created One Lovely Life straight out of college with the mission to share delicious recipes that make life a little easier.

I’m also a mom of two lovely littles with food intolerances who struggle with picky eating, so I know the kind of juggling it takes to get a healthy dinner on the table that your family will actually eat. (Ha!)

My Background and Food Philosophy:

I have a degree in Public Health with an emphasis in nutrition and wellness, and nutrition has become even more of a passion of mine since having kids. In April 2013, our diet changed fairly radically when we discovered (after years of trying to find answers) that our daughter couldn’t tolerate gluten & my husband couldn’t tolerate dairy well.

We changed our diet as a family and discovered that a lot of our own health issues cleared up. I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance after my son was born, and Michael discovered that his lifelong stomach problems were due to an undiagnosed dairy intolerance.

These days, we all eat 100 % gluten-free and mostly dairy free at home (Michael will occasionally order pizza or a sandwich when out to eat), but other than those intolerances, I don’t subscribe to any specific diet or regimen–low carb, high carb, low fat, vegan, paleo, counting macros…you name it. You’re just as likely to find paleo slow cooker recipes as you are vegan smoothies or a sugary cake or dessert. We eat it all.

I firmly believe in the healing power of food, but I also know that each of our bodies is so different that I don’t think there is a “one size fits all” solution out there. So, my blog is sort of a melting pot of different eating styles, from vegan, to paleo, to Whole30 and everything in between.

Essentially, I stick to Michael Pollan’s advice: “Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not Too Much.” Beyond that, I always suggest you listen to your own body. I am not the food police, and I trust that no one knows how food makes you feel better than you do!

I try to harness delicious, nourishing, whole foods and really play to their strengths. I don’t want recipes that are only good if you HAVE to eat a certain way. I want to create and enjoy delicious, satisfying recipes that are flexible, adaptable, and perfect for sharing. I love knowing I can bring the sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, and no one will think twice about whether it’s made with gluten or dairy, or whip up some a fluffy stack of pancakes on the weekend if we have company in town, or take cookies to a neighbor.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I’m LOVE going to Disneyland. We’ve shared all our Disneyland faves + tricks here.
2. I’m a big-time reader and try to get through at least 100 books a year. You can also find me doing all the voices when I read books to my kids.
3. I hate playing sports but I love exercise. I LOVE walking, yoga, and pilates best, but I’m trying to learn to love lifting weights.
4. I studied interior design before switching to public health and LOVED learning about it. I love talking about Interior design and putting together rooms in my house. (I am *not* very handy, however, so I don’t do a lot of DIY!)
5. I’m a middle child of 5 kids. Could you already tell? I’m sandwiched between 3 sisters and 1 brother at the end, and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
6. I moved a LOT growing up. The longest I’ve ever lived in the same house is 4 years. I’m currently in the process of breaking that record, but I start feeling itchy after 2-3 years (the average time between moves when I was growing up.)
7. I was a theater kid! I loved performing in plays and would love to do it again or take some acting classes as an adult.
8. I love movie night. Movie night is one of my favorite family traditions. Every Friday we have an easy dinner (pizza, nachos, snack dinner, etc.) and all nominate a move. Everyone gets 3 votes and the movie with the most votes wins. I love old movies, musicals, Disney movies/kids movies, period pieces…basically anything other than scary movies. I don’t love scary movies…
9. I dig personality tests. I’m an Upholder, Enneagram 1 (or 3? I keep testing differently!), INFJ, and Virgo.
10. Favorite things. Dark chocolate, fresh berries, salty chips, pool days, Disney trips, family dinners, fresh air, funny shows (Schitt’s Creek, New Girl, Big Bang Theory), good books, Broadway, dancing badly/watching people dance well, and traveling.

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