As we pulled up to Leah’s beautiful ranch styled home in sunny Boca Raton, Florida, we could already smell the baked sweetness coming from inside her kitchen. Leah had just finished baking Organic Paleo Gingerbread Cookies (which were to die for!) while her baby was taking a well-needed midday nap. Her house was spotless, surprisingly from a mother with two children under the age of five. Yet, she still apologized for the nonexistant mess and kindly welcomed us in. Her home was spacious, with lots of natural lighting (perfect for the photo shoot we were about to have!) and had a GORGEOUS kitchen, (a must-have for someone who’s career depends on it.) 

Meet Leah!

Leah is a health enthusiast, wife, and mama to two little girls, Emma and Jordyn. Leah moved to South Florida from New York City where she lived from her early to mid-twenties. Like most other twenty-something-year-olds; she felt like crap, both mentally and physically, was going out to late dinners, and bars almost every night and fighting hangovers in the mornings. She hated her job at the time, felt unmotivated and was dating crappy guys (hey, who else has been there?👋🏽) Needless to say, a change was in store.

As a Florida State University graduate, Leah decided to pack up and start over in sunny South Florida. Immediately upon moving, she made some major lifestyle changes. Leah changed the way she ate to a plant-rich based diet with no processed food, starting incorporating yoga and kickboxing into her routine and started to feel amazing! Shortly after, Leah met her husband, Josh, and began her blog as a hobby; as she genuinely loved creating and posting recipes. Shortly, people started getting real value out of her personal hobby and now Leah has created a career out of her passion!

“It’s so true that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. I love creating simple, healthy recipes that anyone can make. My goal is to prove to people that eating healthy food can be delicious and doesn’t have to lack in flavor.

What's on Leah's Plate?

Wanting to eat more thoughtfully while feeling better? Leah’s advice would be to try and avoid processed food and rather opt for wholesome foods. "It’s not about fat or calories, but simply about the quality of the ingredients that you’re putting into your body," she says. Her best tip is to do some meal prep on Sundays so there are lots of healthy options throughout the week. Leah likes to roast veggies including sweet potatoes, carrots, and broccoli, and always have some sprouted quinoa or brown rice ready to go for quick and easy (yet healthy!) meals.

It’s also easy to educate yourself on healthful living when you follow holistic nutritionists on Instagram. Some of Leah’s favorite trustworthy accounts are Kelly LeVeque (@bewellbykelly) and Rachael DeVaux (@rachaelsgoodeats). Other incredible resources are the online publications: GOOP, The Chalkboard Mag, MindBodyGreen and Well and Good.

Below you can find links to her all time fav recipes!

Paleo Cashew Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Dairy-Free Kale Pesto "SO good and you’ll never notice that there’s no cheese in it. Bonus that you’re sneaking in lots of kale!" Leah said. You can also find more delicious recipes on Leah's blog!

YUM. Thanks Leah!

Balancing the Beauty of Motherhood

The only thing Leah is more passionate about than a conscious healthy lifestyle is her family. Only three months after Josh and Leah got married, they were expecting little Emma, who is now 3 years old! This past May, baby Jordyn came. They are both the most adorable little girls! Emma got home from school and was a little shy but that did not last long. Before we all knew it, Emma was jumping from couch to couch, showing us all her tricks and playing big sister to little Jordyn. Leah said, “It’s so special seeing Emma and Jordyn form a relationship. I hope they’ll be best friends forever (and always include me too, haha!)”

Josh and Leah’s world revolves around their girls, and that is exactly how they want it to be. They both lead very laid-back and minimalistic lifestyles and love spending as much time together, at home, as possible. Leah said, “I could be happy never leaving the house aside from going to a farmer’s market and yoga class. I’m also very close with my mother and father and it’s so special getting to see them be grandparents. Family truly is everything to me.”

It can be so hard to balance a career, a marriage, two children, being healthy, sleeping properly and staying active all while putting a plant-based diet on the table (and trying to keep your sanity!😅) but Leah executes this mission like a super Mom.

“I work from home, so very often the two worlds (motherhood and work) collide. I’m making an effort to set aside time for each.”

Leah's hopes that her healthy lifestyle rubs off on her children and it already is! Emma was loving Leah's organic gingerbread cookies and one night Emma was asking for 'more broccoli' which is probably the proudest parent moment for anyone! Her children are also taught the importance of being kind and compassionate. Little Emma was sharing her jelly beans with us, which is surprising for a three-year-old! Over any healthy recipe, Leah’s children are the ones who make her feel most alive.

“They don’t judge me and love me so much for who I am. They have changed me for the better and have shown me what is truly meaningful in life. Watching them discover things for the first time makes me feel like I’m experiencing life as a child all over again. It’s a breath of fresh air and truly magical. I didn’t know it was possible to have enough room in my heart for so much love, but I really do! “

Leah is such an inspiration as a mother, from what she puts in her children's bodies to how she talks with them and to the close family bond she has with her parents and husband. She is the perfect Pitusa muse; an all-around laid-back, kindhearted and empowering influence to those around her. "I’m truly so honored to be the girl of the month. I’ve always been drawn to Pitusa because it’s casual, yet so elegant and beautiful at the same time. My favorite thing is that Pitusa has a collection for little ones so I can match my daughters!" Leah said.

Raising kids and maintaining a healthy family can be a little dysfunctional at times and there is no way to always be the perfect Mom; but at the end of the day what truly matters is what you've created, how you feel about yourself and the way you treat others. Leah was able to pull herself out of an unsatisfactory lifestyle, create a beautiful family, manage to be with them at home all while working for herself doing something she loves. We truly feel that Leah is a perfectly imperfect mama!

Pitusa quiz: 

Star sign? Aries

Preferred workout? Yoga and kickboxing

Fav vacation destination? Greece

Any morning ritual? A big glass of warm water with lemon upon waking.

Coffee, smoothie, or tea? Smoothie

Favorite charity?  Harper Smiles

Any guilty pleasures? Wine

Favorite cocktail? Dirty Martini

Favorite quote? “They asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them I wanted to be happy, they told me I didn’t understand the assignment, I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

In honor of this inspirational mama, take 20% off Leah and her daughter’s featured styles and colors for the rest of January! Use code LEAH20 at checkout and keep being awesome!