Author: Abby H.

Meal Plan Monday 11/5/18

Abby H.

stemarie_1650skitchen

I’m back home from Wow Summit, and I had 4 bags full of goodies- most of it was food- no lie! So this week is going to be incorporating a lot of the new foods into our lives and seeing how we like them.

Breakfasts are usually the same for us: Protein shakes for grown ups, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. We have plenty of protein shake fixins’- I buy the over ripe bananas, peel and slice them pop them into ziploc bags, and freeze them for smoothies and protein shakes. I also keep sandwich ziploc bags of  other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or a protein shake for the grown ups, and The Big Kid has a specially packed lunch of whatever he’s into at the time (which changes frequently). Bitty Bird eats whatever I’ll feed her.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked.

Monday: DIY Ramen Night with ramen kits I got from Wow Summit. One is Forbidden Rice Ramen, and the other is Red Miso Ramen. We’ll add poached eggs, bean sprouts, scallions and Asian veggie patties from Aldi’s. I love DIY Ramen nights- it’s a great way to have a yummy, filling vegetarian (or even Vegan) meal. I’ll be writing more about how you can do your own DIY Ramen bar at a dinner party soon.

Tuesday: Grilled Cheese sandwiches and soup, watermelon slices

Wednesday: breakfast for dinner! probably egg scrambles with bacon, veggies, cheese, and whole wheat toast (or whatever bread I have in the freezer)

Thursday: Fruit salad bar (I have a lot of fruit right now- it’s time to make a huge fruit salad), yogurt or cottage cheese, and granola.

Friday: Steak. I really want a steak right now, so I’m planning on pan seared steak with caramelized onions, and a red wine pan demiglace. Roasted veggies, twice baked potatoes, green salad, and popovers. This is a super simple, inexpensive dinner- Less than $20 for a steak dinner for three (Big kid doesn’t eat meat).  I will write about making a rocking steak dinner on the cheap soon.

Saturday: DIY Pizza night

Sunday: Leftovers

 

Talk Back: What are you craving for dinner this week?

Checking in from #Wowsummit2018!

Abby H.
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Pre-coffee selfie!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen my pictures this morning of the Moms Meet Wow Summit!

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I’m meeting with tons of moms and brands today and tomorrow, and I’ll be bringing home tons of goodies- Expect an amazing giveaway next week.

Never heard of Moms Meet? Here is my post all about it!

Talk Back: What kind of goodies would you like to see in my prize pack next week?

#wowsummit

Review: The Ritual of Ayurveda with #Tryazon

Abby H.
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I love this box!

Recently, the awesome people at Tryazon and Ritual sent me an incredible box of the most heavenly products to review… The Ritual of Ayurveda-Balancing Ritual.

Ritual recently opened up a store at one our local more upscale malls, and I was entranced by all of the varieties and scents. I was so excited to dig into the box and discover what Rituals products were all about.

 

Screen Shot 2018-10-28 at 10.21.51 PM.pngThe Ritual of Ayurveda-Balancing Ritual, comes with:

  • The Ritual of Ayurveda-Body scrub 4.4 oz
  • The Ritual of Ayurveda-Hand Wash 10.1 oz
  • The Ritual of Ayurveda-Balancing Body Cream 2.3 oz
  • The Ritual of Ayurveda-Harmonizing Foaming Shower Gel 6.7oz

Screen Shot 2018-10-28 at 10.22.09 PM.pngEach of the products in the set have the most intoxicating aroma: Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil. What I love about the scent is that it’s not what you commonly think of as ROSE. You know what I mean.. Heavy, sweet, cloying. Kinda like old lady perfume.

Indian Rose is a light, delicate aroma. It’s a mood booster, and roses have long been the universal symbol of purity and love.

Combined with sweet almond oil, which not only has a light scent, but is also rich in proteins and vitamins. It regulates moisture in the skin- the perfect base for skin and body products.

I started my Ritual in the shower with the Body Scrub. Not only is the smell heavenly, but, the scrub has an amazing feeling. The base is a mixture of rich oils: Sweet almond oil, macadamia nut oil, and jojoba oil. The actual scrubby part is pink salt, which exfoliated gently and left my skin so soft and smooth.

Afterwards I used the Foaming Shower gel, which is unlike anything else I’ve ever used. It goes out as a gel, but quickly lathers up to a rich, creamy foam.

I’ve been keeping the Body Cream next to my bed and applying it right before bed. I wake up with soft, supple skin. It’s a great feeling, especially with all the dry late summer/early fall weather we’ve been having lately.

If you want to check out  The Ritual of Ayurveda or any of the other awesome Rituals, Check out their website, or visit one of their stores.

While I received this set for free, all opinions are my own, and I was not financially compensated to write this review. You can learn more about my reviews on my disclosure page.

#ritualsusa #shareyourslowdown #tryazon

Five Ways to Help a Special Needs Mom

Abby H.8 Comments

158b3ea47eb4b5467a381bf7aa1d910b.jpgAs much as love and tolerance for others is taught these days, sometimes the first reaction when someone sees a special needs kid in public having issues (read: meltdown or stimming/self soothing) can be to stare wide eyed, make offhand or rude comments, or just bristle at “the weird kid”.

Please remember that the parents are doing the best they can, and that just like your neuro-typical kids, their kids have bad days too. Here are my five tips for how anyone can help a special needs mom.

  1. Offer to Help:  Offer to carry a bag or box they may be struggling with, especially if they are trying to remove their kiddo from public. I remember a few years ago, we were at Chick-Fil-A and Our big guy was done. He was tired, there were 15-20 kids in the little sound-proof kids area, so it was crazy loud in there and he was over stimulated. He just broke down and started crying and was wailing like a banshee. Two moms at the next table helped us pack up our leftovers, got our drinks refilled, and helped us carry everything out to the car, so I could carry both kids out. No shame, no dirty looks. Just compassion for a situation that every mom faces: THE PUBLIC MELTDOWN.
  2. Be a Friend:  It can be very isolating to have a special needs kid, trust me. Text your friend. Offer to get together at a park or some place that her kiddo(s) can play, so you can spend time together. Some special needs parents have hectic schedules with therapy appointments or doctors visits sometimes weekly. Keeping in contact with your friend can really help “normalize” her life.  I so seldom see other moms, that texting and Facebook are two of the ways I am able to keep up friendships.
  3. Starbucks Run: Ok, so it doesn’t have to be Starbucks, but if you know she’s having a rough day, bring her a coffee or a treat. I had someone (and to this day it’s a mystery), send flowers to me after a really rough week.
  4. Expect to hear NO- and be OK with it: As much as you want to see your friend, hang out, go to the movies, get a pedicure, or just gossip over coffee, it can be hard for special needs moms to get away. Not everyone has family that can handle their kiddo, and special needs respite/care can be expensive. Sometimes, even the offer to hang out is better than being left out completely.
  5. Give Your Friend Grace, and Pray for them: Recognize that your friend may have a harder road to hoe that you and your family, and that’s ok. If you aren’t religious, think of them or send them good thoughts, dedicate your meditation or yoga session to them.

Talk Back: I’d love to hear about a time when you helped another person!

Are You an Influencer?

Abby H.

laptop2V.jpgAre you a Social Media Influencer?  Are you looking for a way to make some income while sharing cool promotions, deals, and freebies?

Let me introduce you to ShopHer Media! They are an awesome Influencer Marketing Agency.

I use ShopHer Media a lot- They have an impressive list of freebies that they update constantly (which is how I am able to pass on such great freebies every week or so to ya’ll). I also have a really great account rep, who answers emails quickly.  They update their offers, I swear, daily.

In addition to freebies and deals, ShopHer Media also has printable coupons from coupons.com, and redplum, among other companies.

If you are interested in learning about learning more about their Influencer Marketing Platform, check ShopHer Media out!

Sweet Thanksgiving Graphic Tees & Hoodies from Cents of Style

Abby H.

**This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

I love the graphic shirts from Cents of Style (in fact, I have two). When I found out there was going to be a sale on their latest shirts, I had to share.

The coupon code to use at checkout is BOLDTHANKS and it takes $10.00 off the lowest marked price. Making tees ONLY $16.95 and hoodies ONLY $29.95! 

Don’t forget the FREE Shipping. The code is active 10/24/18 until 10/29/18 at midnight. Click on the link below to check out all of the cute t-shirts and sweatshirts.

Bold & Full – 10/24/18 – $10.00 Off Thanksgiving Graphic Tees and Hoodies! w/code: BOLDTHANKS 

Talk Back: What are you thankful for this fall?

Versatile Chicken Meatball Recipe!

Abby H.1 Comment

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This recipe is dead simple! We don’t eat a lot of red meat, and I’m not a huge fan of ground turkey, so I was hoping to find some way to concoct an awesome meatball recipe.

After some trial and error (ok- it was one batch that was weird and dry), and tastings with various sauces, and here is the final tasty result!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground chicken (I use Foster Farms)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 small onion diced small
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped small
  • 1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • 1 T. dried parsley
  • 2 T. olive oil

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except the olive oil.
  2. Once all of the ingredients are combines, shape the meat mixture into small balls. Place small balls on a plate or cookie sheet and place in the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes, until firm.
  3. Once firm, fry in olive oil in batches until cooked through.
  4. Meatballs can be topped with a favorite sauce and served right away, or store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a month.

This recipe makes between 12-20 meatballs depending on how big (or small) you make the meatballs.

These meatballs are great with BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce, even as Swedish meatballs!

Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

stemarie_1650skitchen

I spent a bunch of time late last week cleaning out the pantry, fridge, and freezer and worked up a list of meals that we can have over the next ten days.

Breakfasts are usually the same for us: Protein shakes for grown ups, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. We have plenty of protein shake fixins’- I buy the over ripe bananas, peel and slice them pop them into ziploc bags, and freeze them for smoothies and protein shakes. I also keep sandwich ziploc bags of  other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or a protein shake for me and the Mister, and The Big Kid has a specially packed lunch of whatever he’s into at the time (which changes frequently). Bitty Bird eats whatever I’ll feed her.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked.

Monday: Bean, Rice, and Cheese bowls, watermelon slices

Tuesday:Chicken meatballs (I’ll post my recipe later this week-it’s super simple) with BBQ sauce, herbed cauliflower rice, green salad

Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers, roasted brocolli, popovers (with lots of butter)

Thursday: Homemade Ramen (complete with veggies and poached eggs)

Friday: Veggie Burgers, fruit salad, butternut squash

Saturday: DIY Pizza night

Sunday: Leftovers

Gazelle Rewards: Earn More For Your Old Phone!

Abby H.

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**This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

Ok, so maybe not a phone that’s as old as the one above… but…

Gazelle has recently launched the Gazelle Rewards program so that customers can get even more money for trade-in devices! I’m pretty excited about it because I need a new phone like whoah. My phone is 3 years old, and it’s starting to not hold a charge for long along with a few other things. But, I’ve kept it in an Otter Box, so it’s in really excellent shape.

How it works:
Step 1. Sign up for Gazelle Rewards by creating an account and opting into the loyalty program. If you have an existing Gazelle account, log in and opt into the loyalty program through the Rewards Dashboard.
Step 2. Sell your devices to rake in points.
Step 3. Redeem your points to add $5, $10, $20, $50 or $100 to your next trade-in payout from Gazelle!

Right now Gazelle has a couple awesome promotions: 10% Bonus on iPhones $150+ at Gazelle (10/22-10/28) But if you aren’t in the market for a phone, There is a pretty sweet deal on MacBooks: $10 Off Sitewide, Up To $100 Off Some MacBooks at Gazelle (10/23-10/29)

I’ve sold two of our old phones to Gazelle. I like that our old technology isn’t relegated to a junk drawer or ending up in a landfill.

Freebies from TopCashBack!

Abby H.

When I wrote about my complete list of side hustles, I talked about TopCashBack. I love it for getting cash back when I shop online. If you are new to TopCashBack, you can score one of the following items for free!

file000495960738.jpgOk, so this is my favorite: $10 off at any Ulta.com purchase of $10+.

How to get this offer:

1. Visit the offer here 
2. Create your account with an email and password
3. Click on the “Get Offer” button and it’ll take you to ULTA.
4. Add any item or items that totals to $10.00 (excluding sales tax and shipping) to your cart and checkout as normal.
5. Once you checkout, in about 14 days $10.00 will post in your TopCashback account.

Congrats on making your first purchase with TopCashback and getting $10.00 cash back!
* New TopCashback members only. Ends January 25th at 23:59 PST. All details and terms are available here.

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If you are looking for some holiday home decor (think Christmas lights) you can Visit Lowe’s through TopCashback, purchase any items totaling to $10.00 (excluding Shipping and Tax) and within fourteen days’ $10.00 cash back will post in your TopCashback account.

 

Still looking for something free? This one makes a great holiday gift! Visit Walmart through TopCashback, purchase one (1) Twin Size Mainstays Plush Blanket for $10.46 and then shop as normal. Within fourteen days $11.19 cash back will post in your TopCashback account. I love this one because you can use ship to store to save shipping costs, and really, who doesn’t want a nice, soft blankie?

 

Terms and conditions apply to each offer, and only one offer per person/account. Pick the one that works best for you.