I love to host a good girls night or get together. It's what I live for. I love entertaining, I love cooking and I love seeing happy faces around the room when I watch people eat my food. I think the reason that I'm able to love it so much is I always keep things super simple. Over the years, I've learned that the number one reason people don't entertain is because they don't like to cook or feel stressed and overwhelmed. That's why I'm here! These 5 cheesy appetizers all have a wow ... [ Read More ]
The Perfect Daddy-Daughter Date Night at Chick-fil-A
Hi guys! Todays blog post is going to be a little different than usual because it's the first one that I haven't written myself! You see, my husband, Dan, took our daughter to the Daddy-Daughter date night at the Chick-fil-A at Old Orchard this week and really wanted to share his story on why he thinks these special nights are so important. After swooning for a minute (I mean, how sexy is that?), I came-to, and realized that this man hasn't even written me a card since we've been together. ... [ Read More ]
My Pinterest-Perfect Playroom (on a budget)!
If you're a reality TV junkie like me, home-makeover shows are in your queue more often than not. I can't help it, I'm obsessed. They give me so much inspiration and all these beautiful ideas. My reality however, is that I don't ever know how to execute these amazing design desires. My husband and I have lived in our home for a year and truthfully, I don't have half the decor I had envisioned when we first moved in. As many of us know motherhood, jobs, obligations, etc. tend to take priority ... [ Read More ]
Baby Back Mac & Cheese
The weather here in Chicago has been nonstop gray. We are either in a blizzard, frozen solid, or dealing with a balmy gross slush. This constant gloominess has had me craving comfort food, and lots of it. And nothing is better than BBQ! I find myself constantly craving the kind of BBQ that comes to your table on newspaper, where you can smell the smoker. The only negative is, venturing outdoors for that kind of deliciousness is the only option because BBQ made at home can be a huge ... [ Read More ]
Meal Prep: 5 Meals – 2 DIFFERENT Recipes!
Recently, I started meal prepping because I am really bad at sticking to a healthy diet without planning. I haven't told many people yet, but I actually started Weight Watchers about 6 weeks ago. It's been SO much fun and surprisingly very easy (when I'm planned out). When asked if you were interested in me sharing my meal-planning, many of you said yes, but begged me to create a weeks worth of meals that didn't have you eating the same thing every day. I heard you and I did the best I ... [ Read More ]
2 Ingredient Bagels
What if I told you you could eat bagels with a lot less guilt? Recently, I came across this bagel recipe on Skinny Taste and HAD to share it with you guys. It's THAT good. The original recipe calls for 5 ingredients, but the one I'm about to share can be done with just TWO (not including toppings)! To put it into perspective, I wanted to compare a bagel from Panera with this one... Can you believe a standard bagel has 160 more calories and 50 more grams of carbs?! ... [ Read More ]
5 Reasons To Try Nonni’s Artisan Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies
I'll admit, whenever I go to the grocery store, I find myself wandering the cookie aisle when I should be spending time shopping for healthy meal options for the week. I'm usually just there to look (at least that's what I tell myself), but recently, I came across something I had to try. My favorite biscotti company, Nonni's, has come out with Artisan Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They come in three flavors; Toasted Coconut, Almond Chocolate, and Double Chocolate. After diving into a pack, I ... [ Read More ]
Local Crate: Carne Asada Bowls with Chimichurri & Grilled Zucchini
I know I’m not alone in saying this: sometimes it is just exhausting trying to be all things to all people. I know for me, I want to be the best mom, the best wife, daughter, boss and friend that I can be. I want to be healthy and take care of myself while still having fun. I want to run a spotless household and always have a good hair day. Unfortunately, that is just not always reality. I have to remind myself that being the best version of you means setting your pride aside and taking help ... [ Read More ]
Low-Carb Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks
My reign as carb queen has recently come to an end (much to my dismay). I'm no longer in my twenties, and post baby, my love of carbs has had to take a back seat to healthier options. It would be a million times easier to dive into the low-carb life if my husband wasn't the reigning king. Let's just say this, if there's a carb in sight, he's munching on it. And he's not adjusting to my healthier choices as well as I'd hoped. Well, I'm about to fool him (and you) with these low-carb garlic ... [ Read More ]
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Everything you NEED to Know
Over the years, one of the most asked questions I get on my blog is about Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). People want to know what's the best, how to spot a fake, understand the quality and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle! I've partnered with the European Union to help answer those questions! They have a 3-year campaign called, EXTRA Healthy Living to help disseminate the correct knowledge of European extra virgin olive oils and their health-giving features. Here the answers to the most ... [ Read More ]
