Category Archives: Daily Updates

Life Hacks

Posted on August 11 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

I believe as moms and busy individuals, we are always looking for a quicker, safer, better way to do things. As I’ve gotten busier over the last year, caring for another human being, I’ve looked for ways to make things easier on myself and I wanted share some of my favorite life hacks here.

My Top Life Hacks

We love berries in my house, every week I buy strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The thing is, we weren’t getting through them all in a week and I was starting to just throw them out, if I purchased them on Sunday by the following Friday there was mold growing in them. We were wasting SO much money in produce, enter the vinegar bath! I found the Food Lush article one day when I was randomly scouring the internet for a way to stop the growth of mold, I tried it after the next shopping trip and I can tell you it really TRULY works! I currently have blueberries and strawberries in the fridge from last Sunday’s shopping trip and they are free from mold and still taste amazing.I know you might be wondering whether you can taste the vinegar after you’ve washed the berries in the vinegar/water solution. Absolutely not! The mixture is so diluted that after a quick rinse, you can’t taste a thing but the delicious berry taste.
[source]
More berry hacks! As mentioned above, we love berries but there is nothing more frustrating than cutting off the stem of a strawberry and losing so much of the fruit or having the hard crunchy part left behind. Try using a straw, you push it through from the bottom and it pops the stem right and any crunchy part right off. Easy peasy!
[source]
I always buy lettuce, I’ll have a salad or two but the lettuce gets gross and slimy in just a few days. I went on a hunt for a way to keep lettuce fresher longer. Try this – wash and thoroughly dry your lettuce, lay a paper towel on the bottom of the container you’re putting the lettuce in, put the lettuce in and then lay another piece on top. This works! My lettuce lasts so much longer, but check out this post on AndreaDekker.com, the lettuce in her pics is 2 weeks old and it looks fresh from the store.
[source]
Tis the season for iced coffee, but stopping to buy it every single day can get pricey. Making it at home is much more affordable, but making it in the morning and pouring hot coffee over ice just makes it watered down and taste lousy. Try making coffee ahead of time, pouring into an ice cube tray and freezing for the next morning. This way, as the “ice” melts, it not watering your cup of Joe down.

[source]
5. And finally, because we all need more brownies in our life… How to make a single serve brownie in a coffee mug. Yum!

[source]

Your turn!

Have you tried any of these, have they worked for you?

What other life hacks have you used to enhance your life?

Filed Under: All About Me, Daily Updates, Food & Recipes

What I Ate Wednesday – #4

Posted on August 7 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

After posting last week’s What I Ate Wednesday, I realized I hadn’t eaten very many fruit or veggies and needed to up the ante this week. So I started my day off with 2 eggs, multi-grain toast with some Trader Joe’s goat cheese, blueberries & strawberries and half of a perfectly ripe avocado.

One of my favorite breakfasts of all time is eggs, on toast with goat cheese. When I was pregnant, I ate it almost everyday, until I got sick of it and had to move on. It’s making a comeback, now!

Remember back when I first started this blog (way WAY back, in September) I mentioned something called an Avo-Saver (you can buy it off Amazon, here)? If you don’t remember (and I don’t expect you to), you can find the posts here and here. Anyhow, I never usually eat an entire Avocado in one sitting so having this device handy is a must. It works so SO well! If you have an extra $5.27 (cost on Amazon) lying around, I highly recommend you grab one for yourself. I swear you’ll never waste an avocado again.

Back to my What I Ate Wednesday post…

I had my usual cup of coffee, Trader Joe’s Kona coffee, with a tablespoon of hazelnut syrup, I like Da Vinci’s and two tablespoons of So Delicious Coconut Milk creamer. I’ve been really into this creamer lately, and I don’t taste a lick of difference between the coconut milk creamer and regular half & half. They both make my coffee super delicious and creamy (just like they should). I’ve only tried the original flavor but after looking at the So Delicious website, I’m tempted to try some of the others!

My snack consisted of some celery and a tablespoon of Marie’s chunky blue cheese. I love celery, dipped is the way to go.

Lunch was some Trader Joe’s Pork Shu May and chipped carrots, lots and LOTS of chipped carrots. The Shu May were really awesome, I just steamed them (from frozen) for about 12 minutes and sprinkled some sesame seeds on top. If I had planned ahead, I would have grabbed some green onion and chopped that up, but we don’t have any in the house.

I also really want to rave about these chipped carrots. I love carrots so much but I’m over baby carrots and I never clean whole carrots and they end up going bad, enter these chipped carrots. They’re full carrots that look like they were sent through the mandolin slicer. The taste is awesome! I first learned about them on Peas and Crayons, she’s the same blogger than came up with the What I Ate Wednesday, idea.

I skipped having an afternoon snack, I just wasn’t hungry, but once Seamus got home from work, Emmett and I went out for a walk. We stopped at Starbucks to pick up my newest obsession, an iced decaf Americano. Yummmm!

Dinner was pretty simple, a panini with Wegmans Rosemary olive oil bread, provolone cheese, bacon and ham, watermelon and more carrots. I love ’em!

I am much happier with the amount of fruits and vegetables I ate this week, I need to carry it into tomorrow and the days ahead.

Question of the day:

What kind of new foods did you have on this What I ate Wednesday?

**As always be sure to check out Peas and Crayons, where this all originated.**

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Food & Recipes, What I Ate Wednesday

First Birthday Party Madness!

Posted on August 5 by Jillian416 • 1 Comment

We celebrated Emmett’s first birthday party Saturday!

Let me start off by saying that I am not a party planner, never have been, never will be, but I think the party turned out pretty decent. If it weren’t for my mother asking my probing questions about whether I was buying this or that, or whether we’d be serving one food or another, the whole thing would have been a disaster… So, if you’re reading this, THANKS mom !

My parents live about an hour away from us and the party was scheduled to start around 1, because my parents were just hosting the party, not throwing it, Seamus and I needed to get down there early to put it all together. We got down there around 9 and spent a little time just hanging out and visiting with my mom and then we went right to work. My mom had rented a tent and some tables, which required us to set up the tables and chairs, and decorate.

We went with a monkey theme, our thought was that his entire first year of life has been monopolized by monkeys, why would his first birthday party not include them too. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime, seriously! Remember how in the first paragraph I said I wasn’t much of a party planner? I wasn’t kidding! I waited till pretty much the last minute to do everything, but we found these super cute monkey decorations (see below) that had a matching banner, plates, napkins, tablecloths, etc. We didn’t buy all of that, just the hanging decorations, the banner and some cake plates (of which I only bought a pack of 8, for a party of approximately 15). So, yeah, don’t hire me to plan your next party. Ha!

Once the tables and chairs were set up, cleaned and then covered, I had a half hour to sit and chat with my sister. I hadn’t seen her since late May and we had so much to catch up on. I had missed her!

The whole day was a bit of a whirlwind for me because I feel like I was talking to Bridget and then, boom guests were arriving, then food was being served, then presents, cake and clean-up.

Emmett was especially adorable the entire day, thanks to a nap on the ride down and then one at grandma’s house. He was smiley and giggly and was okay with anyone holding him, I think he knew it was a special day.

Emmett also got to play with his cousin for the first time. This meant there were two adorable babies in one location, just take a look and you’ll see what I mean.

This my absolute favorite picture from the day! This was Emmett’s present from his Uncle John and Allison, a Buffalo Bisons hat.

We have a tradition in my family where we put a half dollar, a rosary and a shot glass, in front of the baby turning a year old. The first one they choose is supposed to speak to their future and what direction they’ll head in (it’s all just superstition but it’s fun). The rosary is obviously for religion, shot glass is for drinking and the half dollar is for money. My boy chose the half dollar! Woohoo! He’ll be able to take care of momma and daddy in old age. 😉

And then cake!

We made him his own cake in hopes of a cake smash. No such luck, he just daintily picked at the peanut butter mousse, and then rubbed it all over himself and his hair. We took a splash in grandma’s baby pool after cake.

There are so many more pictures! I’ll try share some periodically throughout the next few posts I make and also on the Baby Doodah! Facebook page.

Question of the day:

How did you celebrate your child’s first birthday?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Emmett's Birthday, Family

Birthday Party Teaser

Posted on August 3 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Whew! I am exhausted!

Here’s a birthday party teaser for you…

Oh yes, today was Emmett’s first birthday party and I’m pretty sure a good time was had by all. I will share the whole experience with you tomorrow, but tonight (because I’m pooped) I’ll share just a few of my favorite pics from the day. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Emmett's Birthday, Family

Munchkin Meals #2

Posted on August 1 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

I’m on my porch as I write this week’s edition of Munchkin Meals, because the evening is absolutely beautiful in WNY, problem is I only have 18% battery left so I’m typing fast. 😛 It’s one of those nights where you wish the evening light would just last and last, it’s one of those nights where if I were back in college I would be out roaming around Elmwood, enjoying the weather and being surrounded by the people. Well, I’m about 10 years old (and wiser…maybe), a wife and mother, so instead I’m on my porch. I’m okay with this, I’m feeling happy and settled today, it’s a good feeling, one I hope lasts!

Okay, back to what Emmett ate…

For breakfast he had some Strawberry Banana Chobani, a mixture of strawberries and blueberries and a locally grown plum. He devoured almost the entire container of yogurt, all of the blueberries and some of the strawberries (I think they were a bit on the tart side).

I am so much better at making sure that Emmett has a well balanced, healthy meal. I always put his needs WAY ahead of mine, I should probably start making our needs equally important.

Anyhow, his lunch was pretty basic but he definitely acted like it was so delicious. A PB&J on a plain bagel and a delicious locally grown peach.

I keep mentioning that much of our fruit is locally grown because I love shopping (and supporting local) and also the taste of the fruit is out of this world. There is rarely a time when I shop at Wegmans (or any other grocery store) that I find the produce looks or tastes as good as something from the farmer’s market.

At day care and on Wednesdays, Emmett usually has a snack. It typically will consist of a couple crackers or biter cookies and a sippy of water. Apparently I wasn’t moving quickly enough for my little cookie monster!

He got through about 4 bites of cookie before I interrupted his fun, I’m a party pooper, but he’s a little cutie.

Dinner was a yummy daddy made cheeseburger, more blueberries and some french fries. Nothing fancy, but Emmett loved it!

We started giving Emmett whole milk this past Monday, we are slowly working to wean him off of breastmilk. So far so good, he still nurses twice and I pump once on weekdays.

What a yummy day Emmett had!

Question of the Day:

What yummy foods have you made for you kids this week?

Want to read more about how Munchkin Meals got started? Check out Brittany’s blog, A Healthy Slice of Life.

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Food & Recipes, Munchkin Meals

What I Ate Wednesday – #3

Posted on July 31 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Has it really already been 3 weeks!? Time is moving WAY too quickly, it can slow down any moment now. Thanks.

Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled What I Ate Wednesday!

Emmett and I got up and started eating early today, well earlier than we usually do on a Wednesday. Since I don’t need to shower before I start working, I’ll typically get our breakfasts ready and sit down to my work computer and get some stuff done while we eat. Today’s breakfast for me, was rolled oats, with First Light Farm and Creamery (I swear I have no affiliation with them, I just seriously love their stuff) plain yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and cinnamon.

It was just alright. I love oatmeal and I love this yogurt but together they didn’t go so well. Maybe if I had added some honey or cinnamon directly to the oatmeal, instead of just sprinkled on top, it would have made a difference. Either way, it was so filling!

For the remainder of the day, until dinner, I just did snacks. I wasn’t in the mood for a big, heavy or warm meals. My first snack was the rest of my Wegmans guacamole and some Trader Joe’s cut organic carrots.

That stuff is seriously good! I’ve been eating it on top of my salad in place of salad dressing and it’s been hitting the spot. If you live near a Wegmans and haven’t tried their guac, I highly recommend that you do!

Oh and with that, I also had a cup of coffee. I know that sounds disgusting but I didn’t have them together, it was one right after the other, so completely NOT disgusting

My next snack happened to occur right around lunch time, so I got Emmett’s meal together and then mine and we sat down with the grub. I had blueberry and cinnamon goats cheese with some Wasa crackers and a delicious locally grown peach. Mmmm

The picture doesn’t do the goat cheese justice, it is really really delicious but I think you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Remember, looks can be deceiving!

And here’s that lovely peach I mentioned earlier…

Dinner was nothing fancy, typically week night dinners aren’t. Evenings are just such a whirlwind of spending time with Emmett, making dinner, doing laundry, eating dinner, bath and finally bed, so we try and keep it on the easy side. Tonight’s meal consisted of a Trader Joe’s chicken burger on a mini-Kaiser bun, french fries and some blueberries (not pictured).

Now your turn!

What were your eats on this beautiful hump day?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Food & Recipes, What I Ate Wednesday

BlogHer NaBloPoMo: August

Posted on July 30 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Readers! Guess what!? I’m going to be participating in BlogHer NaBloPoMo or National Blog Posting Month!

What this means for you, is that most days I will use the prompts from this challenge to create my daily blog posts. I’m certainly not running out of ideas to write about, having a child pretty much gives you a new topic everyday but I want to become more involved in the blog community and this is a great way to do it.

If you’re not familiar with what BlogHer NaBloPoMo is all about, you can read about it on BlogHer’s website, but in short bloggers are given a list of prompts for each day of the month and then they take those prompts and interpret them how they choose and blog from that (if you want more details surrounding how NaBloPoMo began, you can check out this link on Wiki). BlogHer’s August Theme is “hot” and after looking down the list of prompts for the month, I’m really excited to write about most of them. It will help lead me in a direction I haven’t yet gone in on this blog and in a way that I was eventually hoping to go.

The blog won’t change, I will continue to write about family life, work life and my (poor) attempts and eating better and working out. I’m just adding this in because I really would like to spread my wings and expand into new territory, plus you’ll have the benefit of learning more about me (well, I think that’s a benefit anyway). 😉

So who’s with me? Who wants to join me in writing about what’s “hot” in August?

If you’re interested, follow the below links to add yourself to the blogroll, you have until August 5th to do so.

BlogHer NaBloPoMo August: