Bored With Your Keto Diet? 27 Strategies to Make Keto Fun Again
/If you feel bored with your keto diet it’s time to think outside of the box and look for ways to make your low carb diet fun again. I have 27 strategies guaranteed to eliminate keto boredom. Try adding variety to your keto meal plan, making your keto mealtime special, experimenting with keto carb up days, trying new keto recipes, flavoring you water, journaling about your low carb journey, stop (or start) tracking macros, hosting a keto potluck dinner, meal prepping a with a friend, and embracing self-care. Those are just 10 ideas. Read on for the other 17!
Bored With Your Keto Diet? 27 Strategies to Make Keto Fun Again
Have you ever felt bored with your low carb diet? Maybe tired of eating veggies and eggs for breakfast? Every. Damn. Day. Or maybe you can’t bear the thought of another salad with avocado and bacon with dinner?
Maybe it’s not the keto food that’s boring. Maybe you get wear of meal planning. And shopping list making. And grocery shopping. If so, I feel ya!
Tracking macros every day or testing for ketones can be tiresome.
A certain level of boredom with your keto diet is to be expected.
I like to call it “ROUTINE,” lol.
Whether you call it boredom or routine or just “I can’t bear the thought of another fat bomb,” it’s also perfectly normal. Life isn’t always exciting, after all. You can get in a food rut with any diet or even no diet at all.
But when boredom makes you want to quit, it’s time to take action and make keto a little more fun. Turning to carbs or quitting keto is not the solution.
Because I have felt keto boredom myself, I came up with a list of 27 strategies to make keto fun again.!
Let’s begin…
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1 - Add variety to your keto meal plan.
Sometimes just a little tweak to your keto meal plan will eliminate keto boredom and make your diet fun again.
Mix up your menu.
If you always have eggs and veggies for breakfast, try a keto smoothie or keto cereal for a week.
If dinner is always roasted chicken or beef, steamed veggies, and a salad, add seafood more often, or roast your veggies. Add interesting toppings to your salad.
I get into the “hunk o’ cheddar and handful of nuts” snack doldrums all the time. I have to remind myself I could munch on a keto bar, have low carb veggies and dip, or eat a tasty coconut fat bomb.
Making your keto diet more interesting can be as simple as just changing up the foods you normally eat. Make a list of your favorite meals and then rotate them.
Eat according to the season.
Create your diet around foods that are in season where you live. Roast veggies in the winter and make nourishing, comforting soups.
In the summer have lighter meals, like fresh salads with grilled meats and veggies.
2 - Try new foods to conquer keto boredom.
If you repeat the same keto foods over and over again, you’re either a minimalist who loves the same thing, or you need expand your culinary horizons! Trying different types of foods will definitely help eliminate keto boredom.
Here’s how:
Nuts aren’t just for squirrels!
They are generally high in fat and there are lots of yummy nuts and nut butters. Branch out from the usual almonds, pecans, and walnuts, and enjoy macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios.
Berries are low in carbs.
Look for fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Take a walk on the wild side and try exotic meats or game.
Think venison, frog legs, antelope, bison, goose, elk, wild turkey, and yak. You may find interesting cuts of meat and sausage at farmer’s markets and local butcher shops, or order online.
There are tons of keto-friendly processed foods.
Want keto cereal? Check. Keto bread? Yep. Keto cookies? Sure thing!
There are tons of keto options at local grocery stores, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, health food stores and, my favorite, Amazon. I love being able to read reviews before I buy something new.
Searching for keto goodies on Amazon is how I discovered one of my favorite breakfasts: Low Karb brand Keto Blueberry Granola
Visit a farmer’s market.
One of the best ways to find new keto foods to try is to visit your local farmer’s market. See vegetables and low carb fruits grown by farmers in your area. Ask them for ideas on how to prepare the foods. Look at the meats and poultry offered by farmers. Many times you will find grass fed beef and bison, and free range chicken and eggs.
If you’re in the USA, just click to find farmers markets in your area: Where to find a local farmer’s market.
3 - Make your keto mealtime special.
Eating off of paper plates is great for busy nights, but consider making your keto meals special.
Set the table.
You don’t need to have fancy china, silver salt shakers, and cloth napkins to set a beautiful table. But creating a visually pleasing table setting makes your keto dining (or any eating) experience more pleasurable.
A beautifully set table says that you (and your family or guests) are important. It influences how you feel about the food on your plate.
Setting the table doesn’t have to be formal or like Thanksgiving dinner at your grandma’s when you were a kid, sitting on plastic-covered dining room chairs.
Create an atmosphere.
There are lots of ways you can make your keto meals a special (i.e., not boring!) time:
use fun plates and bowls that make you smile
artfully plate your meals and use garnishes (or throw a sprig of parsley, idgaf)
buy funky napkins, either cloth or paper
light candles and dim the lights
play music
treat yourself to fresh flowers on the table.
Every meal and snack doesn’t have to be a spectacle, but make setting the table and creating a fun dinner environment a new habit.
HGTV has some really creative “elegant everyday” table settings you can look at for inspiration.
4 - Experiment with keto carb up days.
A keto carb up (sometimes called carb cycling) is intentionally eating more carbs for a meal, or an entire day. Many keto eaters include a carb up meal once a week or a few times per month.
Carb ups have several benefits:
#1, they help prevent keto from being boring because once a week you can eat anything you want so you never feel deprived.
When you don’t feel deprived, it’s easier to stick to your keto lifestyle long-term.
It allows you to eat carbs and stay in ketosis or
When you carb up at night, it helps improve sleep and boost serotonin, exercise recovery, and immune function. (I learned this from the Happy Keto Body program which is how I learned to eat keto in a way that works best for my body.)
Carb-ups help balance your hormones and women may find this practice particularly helpful.
What to eat for a carb-up meal?
In a perfect world, we would all carb up with wholesome carbs like sweet potatoes, white rice, fruit, or butternut squash. But in reality, you can eat whatever carbs you want. A carb-up meal could be a gourmet burger on a bun with French fries, mushroom risotto with a glass of your favorite wine, and taco Tuesday including the chips and queso!
You can learn more about carb-ups HERE, and they are a great way to avoid keto boredom!
5 - Try new keto recipes.
When you’re bored of keto foods, it might be time to try new recipes! Channel your inner Bobby Flay and experiment with new dishes. Challenge yourself to try one or two new recipes each week and make it a game. That will definitely make your keto diet fun again!
Buy a keto cookbook (or check out your local library).
There are tons of wonderful keto cookbooks on the market. Some designed for beginners, and some for more advanced cooks.
Two of my very favorite cookbooks are:
Create a Pinterest board for keto recipes you want to try.
Pinterest is a great way to discover new recipes. Consider having one board where you save all the keto recipes you want to try some day. And another for the recipes you tried and love. That way you don’t have to sort through a ton of pins to find the keto recipe winners.
Use an app like Plan to Eat to save the keto recipes you love.
I use the Plan to Eat app for all my keto meal planning. (You can use it use it on a desktop, a tablet, and your phone.) I save all the recipes I’ve made and love to Plan to Eat and then I can drag-and-drop them on my weekly meal plan and generate a shopping list.
You can check out Plan to Eat free for 30 days (no credit card required): Try Plan to Eat
6 - Simplify your keto lifestyle.
If you’re a minimalist like I am, streamlining your eating, meal planning, and food prep is not boring, it’s refreshing. Also fun.
Are there ways you can make keto easier for you?
Maybe check your keto strips every other day instead of every day. If you eat the same types of foods, just track your macros once a week to see if you’re on track.
Plan a month’s worth of meals at one time? (And definitely save your meal plans so you don’t have to recreate the wheel every week.)
Play with intermittent fasting and eliminate the need to prepare one meal a day?
Some people may find a simplified keto lifestyle boring, so if this is you skip this tip. But for me, and other minimalists, we are happiest when things are simple.
7 - Flavor your water!
Drinking water is super important on your keto diet. Try adding a few slices of lemon, or frozen berries. Or fruit infused water.
You can add water to a pitcher in the fridge or make your own flavored water in an individual water bottle.
I have a big, 32 ounce fruit infuser water bottle. It has the ounces listed on the outside so I know exactly how much H2O I’ve had, and how I have left to drink! I just add fruit to the infuser basket (my favorite combo is strawberries and mint) and I have delicious, refreshing water to sip on all day. Click to see the current price on Amazon here: Hydracy Fruit Infuser Water Bottle
Use one type of fruit in your water, like lemon, or berries, or combine fruits with herbs for a tasty treat.
Here are some delicious flavored water combinations:
lime and pineapple
peach and blackberry
cucumber, mint, and lime
blood orange and vanilla (use a tiny bit of vanilla extract)
watermelon and basil
pear, apple, and cranberry
blueberry and pear
Not only does flavored water taste amazing, helps to eliminate keto boredom, but the fruit and herbs add a touch of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to your diet.
8 - Delegate your grocery shopping and meal planning by using a keto meal kit service.
Meal kit services, like Green Chef, will delivery ingredients and recipes right to your door to create simple, low carb, gluten-free dinners. Using a meal kit service will definitely make your keto diet less complicated AND not boring!
I love using Green Chef when I’m bored with my keto diet or when I’m too busy or tired to cook. The meals are simple to prepare, have high quality, fresh ingredients, and I never set foot in the grocery store. They also have meals way more exciting than the ones I plan. Recent meals have been:
Sesame-crusted tuna with sautéed mushrooms, snap peas, bok choy, and cashews.
Mustard-crusted pork with cauliflower, fennel, cremini mushrooms, and sauerkraut sauce.
Italian shrimp and veggie bowl with lemon-herb sauce, bell pepper & cabbage, toasted walnuts.
Steak with sun-dried tomatoes, creamy mushrooms, chard salad with hazelnuts.
You can get $80 off and free shipping by using this link to check out the keto meal kit service: Green Chef $80 Discount Offer
9 - Change up your coffee.
Coffee is one of those morning staples that we don’t really think about changing, right? Coffee is totally keto if you watch what you add to it, so get rid of keto boredom by altering your coffee routine.
Try a different brewing method.
I use a Keurig most days for convenience, but it feel extra special to pull out my French press and coffee grinder for a luxurious cup of java. What different brewing methods can you try?
Traditional drip coffee maker
Keurig or other k-cup machines
French press (don’t forget your coffee grinder!)
Percolator coffee maker
Pour over coffee maker
Espresso machine
Aeropress
Experiment with different roasts or flavored coffees.
Check out local coffee shops or your favorite grocery store. Often they have specialty blends which you can purchase whole or ground. If you usually get a light roast, try a medium. If you buy ground coffee, try whole beans and grind your own.
Just don’t use instant, lol.
Add healthy add-ins to your coffee.
If you’ve done keto for awhile no doubt you’ve heard of bulletproof or fatty coffees. There are lots of cool things you can stir in your morning joe and still stay keto:
MCT oil or MCT oil powder
full-fat coconut milk
collagen (I use Sports Research Collagen Peptides)
grassfed butter
organic heavy cream
a sprinkle of cinnamon. nutmeg, or cardamom
A new coffee mug might make you smile!
It’s all about the experience and a cute and colorful mug, or one with a snarky saying, or even an insulated travel coffee mug will definitely eliminate coffee (and keto) boredom.
I have been using this stainless steel travel mug for years and it keeps my coffee deliciously hot for hours: Thermos Stainless 16 oz Travel Tumbler I even take it with me on vacation, that’s how much I love it
10 - Treat yo’ self. Go out to eat!
It is easier than ever to enjoy a keto meal at most restaurants. The variety you can get while dining out will definitely help if you’re bored of keto food. (Or bored of grocery shopping and cooking!)
Here are some tips:
Check out a restaurant’s menu online.
Most restaurants have menus on the web so you can look for keto options before you go.
I also have a few keto restaurant guides here on the blog and will be adding more in the future: Keto Restaurant Guides
Order a meal moderate in protein, high in fat, and low in carbs.
You know that, duh. But many meals come with starchy, high carb sides like French fries, mashed potatoes, or rice. So ….
Don’t be afraid to ask your server for modifications to make your meal keto.
Most restaurants really want to please their patrons. Just ask if you can substitute extra veggies for the fries, or for extra dressing with your salad, or if their special sauce contains sugar.
If you see something on the menu (like a burger with avocado) and you’re ordering chicken and a salad, don’t be afraid to ask for avocado on your salad since you know it’s an ingredient they have on hand.
Skip the bread basket and tortilla chips.
Obviously avoid carbs and sugars that are commonly served in restaurants, like breads, rolls, bread sticks, and tortilla chips.
Avoid sides with potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, or beans.
Look for hidden sources of sugar and carbs.
I talk about this in the Keto Restaurant Guides, but be on the lookout for hidden sources of carbs in:
croutons
breading or batter
salad dressings
sauces and condiments (BBQ sauce is typically loaded with sugar!)
marinades
coleslaw
fried foods
If you’re unsure about any menu item, just ask your server. If they don’t know, they can always check with the chef.
11 - Herb and spices will, err, spice up your keto food life.
Herbs and spices are used to flavor food and can turn a bland meal into something special! Best of all, herbs and spices are incredibly healthy.
Herbs and spices are healing (and definitely not boring).
Depending on which herb or spice, they may help:
lower inflammation
lower blood sugar levels
boost the immune system
improve brain function and memory
reduce appetite
(Source.)
Herbs.
Herbs are the leaves of certain plants and give delicious flavor to your meals..
Try fresh, frozen or dried herbs. In the summer I grow my own, and in the winter I splurge on one or two fresh herbs each week, usually basil and cilantro.
You can even grow your own herbs indoors.
Try these popular herbs, and others:
basil
oregano
parsley
cilantro
mint
rosemary
thyme
chives
dill
Spice up your life!
Spices come from the bark, buds fruit, roots, seeds or stems of plants or trees. They add lots of flavor and aroma to your keto cooking. If you are unsure how to use a particular spice, google it! Here are some common spices:
cinnamon
cayenne pepper
allspice
nutmeg
paprika
ginger
fennel seed
curry powder
cumin
anise
12 - Journal about your keto journey.
Write your own keto success story in real-time by journaling! Seeing on paper (or in a Notes app or Google doc) how your life is changing will help you fight keto boredom.
I kept a journal for the first 12 weeks when I began my keto journey in earnest and reviewing it now is super helpful and inspiring. I could see how I white-knuckled through the first week or so when it was hard going from a carb-heavy diet to low carb eating. I wrote about how my food cravings went away. I journaled about how I felt lighter and healthier and not obsessed with food.
These are the things you want to re-read when the going gets tough! Or when keto gets boring.
It’s way more powerful to read your own success story than to compare yourself to anyone else’s.
I used this 12 week keto journal to track my food, plan my meals, and journal about my experience. It’s a printable planner you can download and start using right away: Printable 12 Week Keto Journal, Food Log, and Meal Planner
“Is your keto diet boring? Diving headfirst into carbs or quitting is not a solution. Instead, find ways to enjoy your keto eating and embrace your keto lifestyle.”
13 - Keep the reason WHY you do keto front-and-center.
If you’ve been doing keto for a while and find it boring, get back to the reason WHY you started! Think of all the benefits keto has already brought to your life, or those you expect to enjoy.
Your reason why is deeply personal. Maybe it’s to lose weight so you can comfortably play with your kids. Or maybe you’re trying to kick pre-diabetes. Or maybe you want the food cravings OUT of your life. (That’s my reason why.)
Whatever your reason, be sure to right it down and reflect on it often. It will keep you motivated and inspired, and fight keto boredom.
14 - Throw a keto potluck party!
Keto can’t possibly be boring if you host a party, right? It’s super simple to have a fun potluck party for your keto friends.
How to be the hostess with the mostest:
pick a date and time
Decide on a theme (dinner, keto tailgate, appetizers, brunch) or no theme at all
Invite everyone to bring a keto dish to share - and to bring the recipe.
If you won’t want to deal with dishes, get some study paper plates, napkins and plastic cutlery (I love these eco friendly paper plates).
If you have room for everyone to sit at a table, buy or make a fun centerpiece (it can be as simple as a bowl of totally keto avocados, with lemons, oranges, and springs of fresh herbs).
Provide a few keto drink options such as flavored waters (see #7 above!), unsweetened ice tea, or keto lemonade. Don’t forget about ice!
If you or your friends want alcohol, definitely make the party BYOB.
Do a quick declutter of the kitchen (especially countertops) so you have room to display your keto goodies.
Don’t stress about what your friends bring, or if you have more desserts than main dishes. That’s the fun of a potluck!
15 - Stay motivated.
It’s hard to be bored with keto when you’re feeling highly motivated!
Read success stories on blogs, Instagram, and/or Facebook.
If you find keto before-and-after photos and success stories highly motivating, seek them out on social media. But caution.... some people - ME! - get caught in a comparison game. If you look at other’s successes and feel discouraged, this tip is not for you.
Look at the benefits of keto in your own life.
Have you lost weight? Eliminated your prediabetes? Went down a dress size? Improved your eating habits? Feel more confident and strong? Have you inspired others on their keto journey?
Sprinkle keto positivity throughout your day.
Find encouraging or motivational or funny messages and set them as alarms on your phone. Or copy keto quotes onto sticky notes and post where you will see them.
16 - Take progress pictures.
Take progress pics - and calendar to take new pics every month. (Bonus for hopping on the scale and tracking your measurements too.)
Sometimes the scale doesn’t tell the whole picture. It’s fun to look at photos to see the amazing changes keto has made in your body. And if you’re still working on those changes, you’ll be glad to have pictures from when you started!
17 - Meal prep with a keto friend.
It’s hard to be bored with keto when you food prep with a buddy. Put on your favorite music and share chopping, cooking, and assembling chores.
Start with a plan.
Decide in advance what meals or proteins, fat bombs, or side dishes you will prep and assemble.
Have each person in charge of bringing the recipe and ingredients for their dishes.
Be sure to have enough containers for your meals! I love these glass storage containers!
Chop, bake, grill, roast, and assemble together. Then split the meals.
Need keto meal prep ideas?
These are some of my favorite books for keto meal prep. They include recipes, shopping lists, assembly, cooking, and storage instructions.
18 - De-stress and embrace self-care.
Following a keto lifestyle is one type of self-care, but be sure to include others if you feel bored or stressed about your keto diet. A calmer, more peaceful you, is less likely to rebel against your keto diet and run to carbs for relief!
Types of self-care.
Try adding one or two of these self-care ideas into your week:
meditate (I use the free Calm app) or pray
take a bubble bath
light scented candles
stretch or do yoga
call a friend, your mom, or your sister
journal
get enough sleep every night
keep a gratitude list
go for a walk, bike ride, or hike
sit in a comfy chair and close your eyes
watch a funny or inspirational video on YouTube
listen to a podcast
clean and declutter your desk
read a book just for fun
binge watch your favorite Netflix series
sing in the shower (or in your car, or anywhere that makes you happy!)
declutter your social media - unfollow or mute people who bring negativity to your life
get a massage
19 - Losing weight on keto? Wear clothes that fit you now.
Buy a cute outfit in your new size.
You deserve to look and feel your best NOW, not just when you hit goal weight. Buying a fun (or practical) new outfit is one way to stop keto boredom AND increase your confidence.
Donate or sell clothes that no longer fit.
You can also donate old "fat clothes" that are too big. This article is great for clarity if you’re having trouble releasing your wardrobe: Should I Throw Away My Fat Clothes?
Plan your goal-weight wardrobe.
It’s fun (and free!) to plan your goal-weight wardrobe. Just create a Pinterest board for clothes you want when you hit your goal.
20 - Recreate your favorite non-keto foods or recipes.
Really, really want a high carb food? Find or create a keto version of that favorite food.. Google and Pinterest are your friends. You can find a keto version of almost anything online.
If you love the keto-friendly recipe, be sure to save it to Pinterest or Plan to Eat so you can find it in the future.
21 - Learn something new about keto, or how to make keto work best in your life.
If you find your keto diet boring, KEEP LEARNING! If there are areas of keto that make you unhappy, look for solutions!
If it weren’t for doing my keto research, I never would have known that some people (me!) does better on higher carbs. I learned how to add carbs into my day, little by little, until I found the amount that made me happy, kept me in ketosis, and helped me reach a healthy weight.
It doesn’t have to be about the carbs, though.
Listen to podcasts about nutrition, or low carb lifestyles, or exercise. Get books or google topics that interest you.
Learning is fun, it helps you stay motivated, and it staves off keto boredom!
22 - Laugh!
Life is better when you’re laughing. And it’s certainly not boring!
Laughter boosts the immune system, it reduces stress, boosts your mood, increases blood circulation, reduces pain and it just plain feels good to laugh.
Find simple ways to add a bit of laughter to your day:
find funny YouTube videos
use Instagram or Pinterest to find keto humor
save funny memes to your phone
watch goofy movies or TV shows
buy a funny year-in-a-box calendar that has a cartoon or funny quote every day
watch funny pet videos
keep in touch with your funny friends
23 - Track your weight loss in a fun way.
If weight loss on keto is your goal, I hope you’re tracking your weight somehow! Think of a clever way to do so to keep you motivated and to avoid boredom.
Have two glass jars - one filled with the number of marbles, or buttons, or coins, for the pounds you want to lose, and the second to put a marble in each time you lose a pound.
Find a simple coloring sheet to track your weight loss. It doesn’t have to related to weight loss; it could be a picture of a vase of flowers. Just color in a flower (or leaf or whatever) for each pound lost.
Buy an inexpensive charm bracelet (see stores like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby) and add a bead or charm for every pound lost.
Create a collage with photos of YOU for every 5 or 10 pounds lost. Try wearing the same outfit.
Print a “year on one page” calendar that has all the months of the year. Write your lowest weight each month in a brightly colored marker.
Make a weight loss scrapbook. This is like keeping a journal (see above) but on steroids, with plenty of pics of yourself along the way.
This health tracker is from a printable 12 Week Keto Journal. Click image for details.
24 - Or track other keto milestones, like how many days you’ve been eating keto, or how many days you’ve hit your macros.
Use a notebook, dry erase board, or a journal to track how many days you’ve stuck to your macros, or have exercised, or have avoided fast food.
Track your measurements or body fat.
Track the number of recipes you’ve tried or how many servings of low carb veggies you are eating in a day.
Use your imagination! Tracking cook keto milestones is definitely not boring.
25 - Stop (or start) tracking your macros.
Speaking of tracking, tracking your macros every day can be tedious and, yes, boring!
If you faithfully track your macros every day and you find it boring or tedious, consider eating the same way but NOT logging all your food and tracking all your macros.
If the thought of not tracking macros daily stresses you out, consider doing it every other day or once a week.
And if you’ve been winging it for awhile, maybe go back to tracking macros for a week or two to be sure you’re hitting the numbers you want.
26 - Find a keto accountability buddy.
Find a keto accountability buddy to keep each other motivated and not bored, lol!
Here are some ways you hold each other accountable:
text pics of your keto meals
video chat when the going gets tough
share keto recipes
meal prep together if your accountability buddy is local
share your goals with your accountability partner, and brainstorm steps to achieve them
do mini challenges together, like drinking more water, getting enough sleep, or hitting your macros every day for a week
27 - Add movement to your day.
If you're not already working out, add some fun physical activity to your day. Exercise helps control your weight, reduces stress, helps your body control blood sugar, strengthens your bones and muscles, improves your mood and, if you pick a fun exercise, IS NOT BORING.
Start with just 5 or 10 minutes and do something you enjoy. Maybe walking, hiking, dancing, lifting weights. No gym requried (unless you like the gym)! Youtube has tons of free workout videos (I love Refit Revolution for cardio).
Sometimes when you’re bored of keto you just need a little bit of a mindset shift, like reminding yourself keto is easy and healthy and it works, dammit. But sometimes you need to change things up to put a little spring in your keto step. I hope these 27 strategies to make your keto diet fun again (and not boring!) are helpful!
Do you have any other ways to make keto more fun? Please share in the comments!
—The Keto Minimalist
Struggling with keto?
If you are not losing weight, or can't shake the keto flu, or are not getting the results you want, it might be time for a reset. To take the time to really LEARN not just what foods are keto (we all know bacon and avocados are keto foods), but how to choose foods that work best for you.
If you want to go back to the basics I highly recommend Happy Keto Body. It's a 12-week online course that you can take at your own pace to learn about keto and customize an eating plan that suits your tastes and your health issues. No crazy ass "must do this" rules. No restricting carbs to 20g a day. No jumping into intermittent fasting if you don't want to. It's all about healing your body and eating for good health.
You can check out the Happy Keto Body program here: Happy Keto Body
Oh, and be sure to PIN this post or SHARE on Facebook so you can find it in the future!
