There are many moments in motherhood when youβre just too tired or busy to spend time in the kitchen cooking healthy meals from scratch. But that doesnβt mean you want to resort to fast food or overly processed junk food.
This guide will give you helpful tips that you can resort to when youβre crunched for time or in a pinch. Iβve also taken into account scenarios when youβre low on fresh groceries and freezer or pantry foods are your only option.
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Your 30th birthday is truly a milestone event unlike any other, especially if you celebrate it while pregnant. When you enter into your 30βs era, your life tends to shift and your priorities change. You begin to settle down and focus on big picture life changes. This is all particularly true when youβre about to become a parent to a new baby.
If you happen to be celebrating your 30th birthday while pregnant, you may be wondering how you can still commemorate this special occasion. This particular birthday is known as the βDirty Thirtyβ which can imply partying with alcohol and shenanigans. Well obviously the pregnant birthday girl will be responsible and not partake in any unruly or unhealthy exploits. But donβt worry, you can still live it up and have plenty of fun.
This guide is filled with pregnancy-friendly party and activity suggestions. All of them are great choices for any point in your pregnancy, no matter what trimester youβre in during your birthday. I myself have done all of these things during my own pregnancies so I speak from experience. Trust me when I say that you can enjoy plenty of get togethers with friends and family to make your birthday memorable without compromising your baby's health.
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Having a sleepover as a tween or teenager was a rite of passage for many of us American girls. They usually involve snacks, movies, makeovers, and talking for hours about crushes. Itβs an easy way of having fun and a great bonding experience.
But the fun doesnβt have to stop in adulthood. Grown women can still have sleepovers and connect, just like in the old days. While it may look a little different than when you were 13, sleepovers can form a fun part of celebrating everything from birthday milestones to graduations and bridal and bachelorette parties.
If youβre looking for a budget-friendly and nostalgic way to hang out with your girlfriends, then youβve come to the right place!
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This pasta salad may be easy to make, but it really delivers when it comes to flavor! Youβve got the tangy and creamy ranch sauce, smokiness from the bacon and a dash of fresh zest from the veggies. The protein from the chicken really makes this a hearty side dish, and it can even be a quick leftover main dish lunch!
Whenever I have a BBQ gathering coming up, or I need to make a potluck dish for work, this is one of my go-to recipes. If you have a busy schedule, you can make it ahead of time and leave it the refrigerator overnight. It can be served warmed up or at room temperature, either way its delicious!
Once youβve got all the ingredients purchased, prep work for this recipe just requires chopping up the veggies, cubing the chicken and mixing up the sauces. Next itβs time to cook the pasta and bacon, chop the bacon, and then mix it all up. If youβre working diligently, you can make this recipe in under 30 minutes, and it yields a large amount of pasta salad to feed a crowd.
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You may know me as the blogger who travels all over California, but I actually do have a full-time office job working as a Marketing Manager for a Northern California surrogacy agency. I wanted to write this blog post because there are so many questions and concerns that potential surrogates have and the information available online is very limited.
Iβve seen so many happy families with their surrogacy babies and I know there are many more women out there who would make excellent surrogates. In general thereβs a shortage of qualified surrogates compared to the amount of Intended Parents waiting to get matched.
So buckle up! All of the conversations Iβve heard happen behind closed doors Iβm putting in this blog post because information is power. Your top 50 surrogacy questions answered with all brutal honesty I can muster. If thereβs something holding you back from filling out a surrogacy application, hopefully I can address your concern and put your mind at ease.
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The 2019 Makerβs Mart was comprised of over seventy makers, creators, artists, and entrepreneurs. The vibe inside the market was so warm and cozy, with an incredible turn out of attendees (especially considering the rainy weather). It just goes to show that the Sacramento community is filled with diehard fans of handmade goodness!
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The 5 Love Languages is both a theory and best selling book on how to improve your relationships with the loved ones in your life. Chapmanβs advice is simple and uncomplicated, but still very impactful and easy to implement.
In a simple summary, every individual has both primary and secondary ways that they prefer to give and receive love. As individuals we are all unique in how we express emotions, and sometimes we have a hard time communicating or acknowledging those feelings with our loved ones because we weβre aware of their particular love language.
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This light and aromatic cocktail recipe is a delight for the senses. The blood orange adds a sweet and tart zing, while the lavender and vanilla are fresh and botanical. For the for the piest de resistance, we used fresh lavender that cut ourselves on a California lavender farm.
This summer cocktail is perfect for any warm weather gathering such as the 4th of July or a grown-up birthday party. Your guests will love this smooth and refreshing cocktail which you can serve with a small food bites on a charcuterie board.
For this cocktail recipe we partnered with the expert mixologists from The Mixer who helped us deliver this elegant and elevated cocktail (and mocktail) recipe.
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When it comes to indoor plants, letβs face it β everybody loves them! They can spruce up a place and make it look more welcoming, warm, and filled with positive energy.
However, not everyone has a knack for keeping houseplants. I have to admit that I have unintentionally killed my fair share of potted plants. I have no problems caring for my human children and my dog, but for some reason my plant babies never seen to survive more than a couple months.
For this blog post I sought out the expert advice of a botanist who could provide valuable advice and knowledge to those of us who are not born with a green thumb. Below youβll find a list of low-maintenance houseplants that can still flourish with forgetful and preoccupied caretakers.
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So, your 40th birthday is on the horizon. Congrats! You might feel a little bewildered about this next chapter, wondering whether youβre still considered young (or over the hill). Is it time for your mid-life crisis yet? Hint - youβre as young as you feel!
Regardless, turning 40 is a remarkable milestone. It is time to reflect on your life, the past as well as the future. If youβve been living all footloose and fancy-free, maybe itβs time to finally start βadultingβ and working towards big goals and building a sustainable future.
Where your 30th birthday was about saying goodbye to the wild days of your 20s and entering the β30, flirty and thriving eraβ, your 40th birthday is going to be more about creating the ideal life for yourself with all the life experiences and wisdom youβve gained.
I myself am turning 37 years old on my next upcoming birthday. I will admit that the second half of my 30βs really snuck up on me, but Iβm doing my best to embrace this new era of womanhood. This blog post is not only things to do on your 40th birthday, but also how to approach midlife with gusto and zest for life.
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For years my husband and I were paying high rent costs for our tiny apartment in San Francisco. All the photos in this blog post were taken during our last year of renting. While we loved living in the city, we knew eventually we would be moving into the suburbs to buy a house and start a family.
One day we received a letter from our landlord that our rent would be going up again, and this was the kick in the pants we needed to lay out the groundwork to homeownership. This notice was the straw that broke the camelβs back and we made the decision to get serious about buying a house and putting a permanent end to paying rent.
This guide compiles all the research and steps we followed in the process of buying our first house. It took us about a year to complete all these stages in our journey, not to mention saving up for the downpayment.
Itβs never too early or too late to begin your own plan of action towards owning your first home. My advice is to take it one step at a time and give yourself a reasonable amount of time to complete all the steps.
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The Christmas party episode of The Office was pretty memorable. The theme was ββnights in Moroccoββ as stated by Phyllis Vance, who wanted to plan an original Christmas party. After enduring so many traditional holiday parties put on my Angela from the Party Planning Committee, Phyllis was ready to flex her power as the new head of the PPC with an exotic party theme.
Whether you want to replicate Phyllis's Moroccan Christmas party at home, or would like to know what parts of the party were actually Moroccan and what parts were not, here is everything you need to know about that episode.
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Thereβs something so romantic and nostalgic about vintage board games. It brings you back to a time before technology had taken over our lives and people really took their time to enjoy each otherβs company.
For myself and my husband, our perfect date night consists of lively conversation, good food and drinks, music playing and cell phones turned off.
The board games listed in this blog post were each chosen because they are great options for two players. Each game has its strengths and will set the tone for a romantic evening. So grab two glasses of wine, light some candles, play some chill background music and let the competition begin!
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As a busy mom, you know that thereβs never such a thing as too much money. Whether itβs for planning that next family vacation, back-to-school shopping, or simply a hefty grocery run, a few extra hundred dollars per month can stretch quite a long way.
If youβve been looking for a side hustle that is both lucrative and respects your busy schedule, this article is here to help! Weβll be showcasing five of the best side hustle ideas for mothers, including how you can easily get started.
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Moms, the unsung heroes of our lives, deserve all the appreciation and love for their tireless efforts. Balancing work, home, and personal life, they often make tons of sacrifices and put their own needs on the back burner for the kids, family, and they care about.
Busy moms have it a little bit, but they still manage to push through the challenges, keep the family intact, and raise successful kids. The woman who raised you automatically deserves some pampering and spoiling from time to time, so go ahead and spoil her whenever you can.
Here are some ideas on simple yet luxurious ways to make mom feel spoiled and pampered as you appreciate her for the hard work she puts in.
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When a family's young adult leaves the nest and goes away for college, you may be excited for them to start the next stage of their life. But this big life transition comes with mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety, not to mention homesickness for those who have a close relationship with their parents and siblings.
Homemade care packages are a great way to let the college student in your life know that you are thinking of them. This small token can go a long way in showing support for students who arenβt used to living far away from home and family.
In this guide Iβll outline some easy to recreate DIY care package ideas, which can easily be tailored and customized for each individual student.
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