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Pantry Remodel
It finally happened. We finally remodeled the pantry. It’s finally Jessica approved, aka organized and pretty. The pantry is no longer yellow with wire shelves; it’s all the bliss. Grey with white wooden shelves. Ahh a cooking and baking wife’s dream and heaven. I finally don’t cringe going in it. Not that I always cringed, but I was not and am not big on wire shelves. While remodeling a small pantry may not seem like a boat load of work, it was more work than I anticipated. I wish I could have just snapped my fingers and it was done, but unfortunately that was not the case. It was a…
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9 Steps to Finding “that” Perfect Piece of Affordable Furniture
We have now lived in the burbs for a year and a half. Moving just seemed like yesterday, maybe because it’s a colossal undertaking; what a beast. I still can’t believe it’s been that long. They say time flies when you are having fun, and oh the fun we have had in this house. We have done so many projects, from the huge undertaking of painting over 3000 feet of this house (thank the heavens the basement level was already painted), to putting up shelving, planting shrubs and our garden, putting a chandelier outside our front door, the list goes on. In addition to the mountains of projects that involve physical labor,…
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Pumpkin Carrot Bread
Like every other person, I too am in love with Fall. There is something about the cooler weather, sweaters, pumpkin everything and colorful leaves that just soothe the soul. Being able to make hot food and not roast your behind off, and to embrace the start of baking season; ahh the bliss. This Pumpkin Carrot Bread is the perfect Fall embrace. Being in the fall mood and all, I had to have a pumpkin scone the other day while picking coffee up at Starbucks. While the scone was HEAVEN the calorie, fat and sugar content was not appealing to say the least. I am all about having your cake and…
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10 Must Do’s During Labor Day Weekend
I can’t believe it’s already Labor Day weekend, but I feel this is how most blog posts start. I can’t believe… Time just flies when your having fun, doesn’t it? Before we know it, it will be Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, however let’s live in the moment. Let’s live the right now and the right now is Labor Day. We are fortunate this Labor Day to be back in Wisconsin with my family enjoying all the things I grew up with and spending time with family and friends. The below are my 10 Must Do’s this Labor Day Weekend and I can’t wait to soak up all the time and…
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Wander + Ivy
What a fabulous Thursday evening I had this past week celebrating Wander + Ivy Wine with none other than the beautiful founder and CEO Dana Spaulding and an intimate group of influencers. We sipped, we shared, we laughed and we sipped some more on the fabulous Wander + Ivy wine. About Wander + Ivy Wine are single serving (6.3 ounces) organic wine ready to serve at all times. The wine is sourced from family vineyards around the world and presented to you in a cylindrical glass bottle. Not only is the wine amazing and super delicious but the bottles are little pieces of art that are perfect for any event…
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Summer Chicken Soup
Dreaming of cooler weather. Yes, I am that person who doesn’t love Summer. I do love the flowers and having a garden and NOT having to shovel snow, but the heat. We have been in the 90s for I don’t know how many days in Denver. We had one “cooler” day in the 80s which prompted me to make this summer chicken soup. It has the perfect combination of chicken soup with a summer freshness. While soup may seem like a meal that is only meant for the Fall or Winter, it’s not. Soup can be eaten year round if you incorporate what’s in “season,” and really take into account…
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Teriyaki Burrito Bowls
I sat sitting drinking my coffee a couple Sunday mornings back contemplating what I was going to make for dinners that week. I like making healthy, easy and delicious meals during the week. This helps me stay on track, aka not weigh 500 pounds and just makes me feel better throughout the day. Another requirement of dinner in the summer is minimal cooking in the house and more cooking on the grill. While I can set the thermostat super low, I hate to think of using even more energy than what is already needed to combat the 90-100 degree temps. While perusing Pinterest and Instagram for dinner ideas I ran…
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5 Tips to Living Your Best Life
I literally use the phrase “living your best life” on a daily basis. It usually is in the context of talking to our pup Duke, as he definitely lives his best life everyday. Recently it has made me stop and think about me living my best life. I really took a step back and analyzed my life and what goes on, on a daily basis. While some days aren’t always the “best” I can say I “live my best life” everyday, because I live my life for me and for those I love around me. What does this mean? Living my life for me and those I love around me,…
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Southwest Cobb Salad
Boy oh boy it’s been hot in Colorado, so much so it’s nice (despite the air conditioning) to make dinner on the grill. It save the house from temporarily heating up and adds some great flavor to your food. We made these Southwest Cobb Salads last night and they were absolutely delicious. Differentiating our salads lately has been a struggle, but last week while traveling I had a southwest salad and it led to the inspiration for this. Who doesn’t like the sound of a grilled salad? We must not be friends if you are saying yes, or maybe we are, you just haven’t stepped out of the box. I…
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Aperol Spritz
Maybe I am late to the game, but I finally tried an Aperol Spritz. My first impression was, “it’s interesting.” I didn’t and don’t know how to pinpoint the flavor. It’s like nothing I have ever tasted before. Interesting is all I could really say after my first one. I since have had a few. Each time making it a little different, and my a little different I mean different proportions of the key ingredients. I have found I personally enjoy less than 50/50 aperol and champagne like most recipes call for. Maybe as my taste buds will get used to aperol. I feel like it’s an acquired taste. It’s…
