November 30, 2017
2017 Kids Holiday Gift Guide + Giveaway
This gift guide is for babies and kids- some fun and some practical ideas! ***Keep reading for an awesome giveaway for two BapronBaby bibs, a Munch Mitt and 2 pairs of HOTBUNZ pants! !
November 29, 2017
Kids Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie
Kids Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie is a nutritious smoothie for kids with bananas, oats, peanut butter, and milk. As any mom, I truly want the best for my kids when it comes to nutrition. I am so lucky that Adalyn has always been a good eater from the start. As a dietitian, I have a pretty good idea of what foods that toddlers need, though we still struggle at times just like any parent feeding toddlers. Lately, at age 3, Adalyn has been struggling with eating meals. I know that part of the problem is that we are giving her snacks which sometimes, fill her little belly up too much before a meal. We are now trying to limit snacks close to dinnertime which seems to be our biggest struggle. If we do give her a snack within an hour or two of dinnertime, we try to stick to something light and nutritious like raw vegetables.
November 28, 2017
Apple, Celery and Mushroom Stuffing
Apple, Celery and Mushroom Stuffing is a healthier family favorite that is loaded with sauteed mushrooms and onions, apples and celery! My dad's specialty for Thanksgiving and anytime we want a turkey dinner is making his famous stuffing. It has apples, celery, onions and a whole bunch of sage. I have never made it myself and wanted to make it similar to his but included mushrooms. It turned out awesome!
November 27, 2017
Chai Whole-Grain Waffles
Chai Whole-Grain Waffles are whole-wheat, light and fluffy and packed with protein and fiber and delicious warm chai spices. They can be made ahead of time and reheat well in the toaster. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Oregon Chai®. The opinions and text are all mine. I love whipping out my waffle maker on mornings when I have a little bit more time because A. waffles are delicious, B. my daughter loves them and C. they look like you spent a long time making homemade waffles when really, they are quite easy! I decided to channel my love for all things fall and make these waffles using chai tea. They turned out wonderfully and have a medium chai flavor- not too strong, which is just the way that I like it.
November 22, 2017
3-Ingredient Apple Rose Tarts
3-Ingredient Apple Rose Tarts are super simple to make and look impressive- no one will know how easy they were! Filled with warm, drippy peanut butter, fresh apples all in a crispy mini phyllo cup! You guys! I am so excited to share this winner of a dessert with you! I have had "apple roses" on my huge list of recipes that I want to make for forever but was convinced that I would not be able to do it. See, I am not a baker. I lack the patience it takes for just about everything with baking and am not necessarily artistic. These apple roses are so easy to make though that anyone could do it, really! To make the apple roses, you just take a peeler to an apple- I used a pink lady apple and a gala apple. You start peeling around the apple- not just the skin but the flesh too, until you have about a 6-10 inch piece of apple. Then, you just start rolling it up until it looks like a flower. Ta da! Magic!
November 20, 2017
Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Shake
Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Shake tastes like an indulgent treat while being quite healthy with banana, chocolate protein and fresh mint leaves! I struggled whether to call this drink a smoothie or a shake and ultimately decided on calling it a shake. It tastes thick and creamy like a shake so that is what sounded best. I had originally decided to make a completely different recipe instead of this one and then dreamed this up in the middle of the night and couldn't get it out of my head. In fact, I emailed myself to make this in the night so that I would not forget by the next morning. A shake recipe in November you ask? I wanted to make something a little healthier that still tasted like the holidays and the fresh mint in this recipe is the key to making it taste like a holiday beverage! If you cannot find mint (I found mine at my local grocery store in the fresh herb section for $2!), you can use mint extract found in the baking aisle or with the spices.
November 16, 2017
Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie
Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie looks beautiful in a glass with separate layers that taste like grape jelly and peanut butter! Use your choice of berries for different options. Here I go again with the PB and J theme! If you know me, you know that I love anything peanut butter and jelly flavored. When I hear about that combination, I am instantly sold! I love smoothies because they are filling, totally customizable and are a great way to pack a bunch of nutrients into one glass.
November 15, 2017
Staying Organized While Running an At-Home Business
This post was sponsored by AT-A-GLANCE as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Life is busy! Running a business at home and taking care of two little kids while trying to keep the house clean keeps me busy pretty much 24/7. Add in a full social calendar and we have our days filled to the brim. Staying organized can be difficult and I want to share some of my best tips with you on how to stay organized while running a business at home. For me, this is my blog but most of these will pertain to any mom who is trying to run an organized household.
November 14, 2017
How to Save Money During the Holiday Season
Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SaveWithHopster #CollectiveBias \ Holiday spending can get out of control pretty quickly! Between buying gifts, holiday decor, doing fun holiday things, and spending money on entertaining, this time of year can be pricey. I like to be able to "do it all" and therefore, have found ways to save money that make it so that we can enjoy the holiday season without spending too much.
November 13, 2017
Wedge Salad Dip
Wedge Salad Dip is the perfect party appetizer filled with crumbled blue cheese, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, green onions and a homemade Greek yogurt ranch dip! Wedge Salad Dip There is a restaurant within walking distance of our house that is a cute little diner-type restaurant. The menu is simple with home-style classics such as coney hot dogs, meatloaf, breakfast items and more. One item on the menu that we really love is the wedge salad. We get it every time that we go! That's how I decided to give my favorite wedge salad a different take and create this wedge salad dip.
November 12, 2017
The Importance of Family Traditions
My sister's boyfriend jokes that everything in our family is considered a tradition. We sure do love our traditions! We have been enjoying certain traditions for many, many years. Especially surrounding most holidays, we have lots of traditions that are very important to us. From a young age, my parents taught my siblings and I the importance of traditions and now, as adults, these traditions are extremely important to us and we love them.
November 10, 2017
The Best Products of 2017 Part 30 + Giveaway
1. Simply Snackin Jerky Troy has always been a fan of jerky but what surprised me is that when Adalyn was about 1 1/2, we found out that she is crazy for jerky. Like she will do anything for it- haha. We were getting ready to walk her to preschool yesterday morning and we had just finished a big breakfast. she pulled one of these out and asked if she could have it. Dried meat anytime for my girl! Since my family are hunters, I love that they sell venison jerky. Simply Snackin has lots of flavors and makes jerky with chicken, beef and venison. These are great high protein snacks that use 100% grass fed beef and are gluten-free for those who need it. You can shop at simplysnackin.com . **Keep reading for a Simply Snackin jerky and Soulfull cereal giveaway!
November 09, 2017
Easy Cheddar Hash Brown Waffles
Easy Cheddar Hash Brown Waffles take 10 minutes to make and are the perfect kitchen hack with crispy, cheesy hash browns ready in no time! This post has been sponsored by Eggland’s Best. All thoughts and reviews are my own. I first made hash brown waffles a few months ago wanting to test out if they really worked. I was thinking that they wouldn't really stick together and that they would make a big mess in my waffle iron but the idea sounded so unique that I wanted to give it a try. I was definitely wrong and they turned out amazing. I knew that I had to share the recipe with you all! **Keep reading for a Visa gift card and Eggland's Best coupon giveaway!
November 08, 2017
White Cheddar, Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Chicken
White Cheddar, Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Chicken is ready in just 30 minutes and is full of flavor! The mix of sweet, tangy and creamy flavors will make this one of your favorite easy meals! The first stuffed chicken recipe that I made was this Apple-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken with Apple Cider-Dijon Sauce . It was so good that I immediately put a bunch of other stuffed chicken recipe ideas on my must-make recipe list that I keep handy at all times. I wanted to make another simple recipe that also tasted delicious. That is how this White Cheddar, Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Chicken was created!
November 07, 2017
Oliver Richard 7 Month Update
This month started off pretty darn rough as we had a concern with Oliver and it has gotten so much better- keep reading for all the details. Oliver is sitting up, laughing like crazy, crawling and eating all the foods!
November 06, 2017
Cajun Turkey with Roasted Vegetables
Cajun Turkey with Roasted Vegetables features a dry-rubbed, slow cooked cajun turkey along with roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli and red potatoes! Cajun Turkey Have you ever hosted Thanksgiving before? I have not hosted Thanksgiving day but I have hosted a few full turkey dinners with all of the fixings. I love hosting these for my family! Of course it is fun to have the big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving but it is also great to do it other times of the year as well. You don't even have to do all of the sides- just choose a couple of favorites and have a little get-together. This cajun roasted turkey is so delicious and the whole family will love it.
November 03, 2017
How to Get a Great Smile with Tom's of Maine
Thank you Tom’s of Maine for sponsoring this post. First time at the dentist! I talk about all different angles of nutrition and health but don't often talk about a beautiful smile and teeth. My sister works in the dental field and I have nutrition knowledge and decided to share some information about what to eat and drink for a cavity-free and stain-free smile as well as what products to use (we have been loving Tom's of Maine toothpaste).
November 02, 2017
Hawaiian Teriyaki Steak Burgers
Hawaiian Teriyaki Steak Burgers feature freshly ground burgers, flavorful teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple and red onions and melted cheddar cheese. Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers Hunting has been such a huge part of my family's lives for so many years now. It used to be my grandpa and dad that hunted together. I have the fondest memories of them hunting together on my parent's 80 acre farm in the thumb of Michigan. I am teared up just thinking about how even when my grandpa was ailing and elderly, he still got to go hunting with my dad and brother one last time. I still miss him 12 years later.
November 01, 2017
Facts about HIV: Helping to Raise Awareness
Thank you Johnson and Johnson for sponsoring this post. Help make HIV history by clicking here HIV is still a huge issue today with 1 million people dying from HIV-related illnesses in 2016 according to the World Health Organization. Seeing that number is just shocking. Almost half of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. I have worked with patients with HIV and it is a horrible disease that happens many times to such nice people. HIV takes so many young lives and finding a cure or a vaccine against it would be amazing.