Meal Planning - 2016 Week 9

Welcome to my weekly meal planning post. Each week I share my intentions for feeding my family for the upcoming week. I take time each Sunday night to get organized and plan out a menu of mostly "real food" items, in an attempt for all of us to eat healthier. In the end, when we follow the plan, we do eat healthier and we save money besides. I hope you take away some ideas and inspiration for your own weekly meal plan.

We really enjoyed the Sheet Pan Meal from last week. It was easy to make, easy to clean up and delicious!

How to Wear Long Cardigans

Welcome to another weekly fashion post, where I share real fashion for real women. Each week, I highlight at least one outfit that I'm wearing right now, as well as provide ideas and inspiration to help you get dressed in the mornings. Life is hard, getting dressed shouldn't be. This week we're going to talk about the long cardigan trend.

With winter hopefully on it's way out the door, and spring rushing in, it feels like time to ditch the coats in favor of something lighter to help chase the chill. Something I noticed a lot on a recent shopping trip, were long cardigans. For argument's sake, let's call a "long cardigan" any sweater whose bottom hem falls below hip-level. Generally that means somewhere between mid-thigh and your ankles.

Meal Planning - 2016 Week 8

Welcome to my weekly meal planning post. Each week I share my intentions for feeding my family for the upcoming week. I take time each Sunday night to get organized and plan out a menu of mostly "real food" items, in an attempt for all of us to eat healthier. In the end, when we follow the plan, we do eat healthier and we save money besides. I hope you take away some ideas and inspiration for your own weekly meal plan.

Things are settling down right now, but I know this is the calm before the storm of Spring Sports Season. LAX games and practices for two kids in two leagues are just around the corner.  This is our first experience with High School sports, so I'll keep you posted on how it affects our schedule. 

What's Happening at The Franklin Institute

My family and I are so lucky to live in an area so rich in history, culture and things to do. Philadelphia is not only the City of Brotherly Love, but it is the birthplace of America.  In such an amazing city, it is not surprising to find amazing opportunities to both entertain and educate yourself and your family. One of our favorite places to do that is The Franklin Institute.

The Franklin Institute was founded in honor of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, and is one of the oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country.  In The Country. The Institute is dedicated to public education and creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would most likely dazzle and delight its namesake.

What to Wear When Jeans Won't Do

Welcome back to another weekly fashion post, where I share real fashion for real women. Each week, I highlight at least one outfit that I'm wearing right now, as well as provide ideas and inspiration to help you get dressed in the mornings. Life is hard, getting dressed shouldn't be.

What happens when you have an event to go to and jeans just won't do? It seems strange how ingrained jeans and denim have become in our society. They can go just about anywhere, if properly accessorized, but sometimes, jeans just seem too casual a choice or I'm just tired of wearing them. Last week, I had a Blogger event to go to, and I felt like jeans were just too casual. But it was very cold and snowy, and I didn't want to get too dressed up.

Skirt - Aventura | Top - Aventura | Boots - Bandolino | Earrings Stella and Dot

The Harlem Globetrotters are Coming to Philly {ticket giveaway)

The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Philly and that's no foul!  In case you didn't know, the Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, and comedy. Over the years they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 122 countries and territories.

This year, the Globetrotters are celebrating their 90th Anniversary with family-friendly games all over the United States, including right here in Philadelphia. The Globetrotters are coming to The Wells Fargo Center on March 6th and March 12th.

A star-studded roster will have fans on the edge of their seats to witness the ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that thrills fans of all ages. You can join Globetrotter stars after the game, where they will stay for an autograph, photograph and high five session for fans (subject to availability).

The Wells Fargo Center has provided TWO great opportunities for blog readers!

• If you're getting tickets for the game, be sure to use the code HGBLOG for a special discount. 

• Or, if you are feeling lucky, you can enter to win a Family Four Pack of tickets for the March 6th show at 5pm. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Open to local residents only. Winner must supply a local mailing address within 24 hours of contact. Tickets will be mailed on February 26th. Not responsible for tickets after mailing.)

catch you soon - 

Meal Planning - 2016 Week 7

Welcome to my weekly meal planning post. Each week I share my intentions for feeding my family for the upcoming week. I take time each Sunday night to get organized and plan out a menu of mostly "real food" items, in an attempt for all of us to eat healthier. In the end, when we follow the plan, we do eat healthier and we save money besides. I hope you take away some ideas and inspiration for your own weekly meal plan.

Love, Romance and Essential Oils

February is the month of love. With Valentine's Day on February 14th, the entire month is filled with hearts in red and pink almost everywhere you look.

No matter what your Valentine's Day plan may be, it's always a good idea to pay attention to the love and romance in your life. In fact, studies have shown that love can protect your heart, lead to a longer life and even help you beat cancer. Doctors at the University of North Carolina have found that hugging may dramatically lower blood pressure and boost blood levels of oxytocin.

So what can we do to foster more love and romance in our lives and what does that have to do with essential oils? Well, essential oils have been used for thousands of years for cosmetic purposes, as well as for their spiritually and emotionally uplifting properties.

Seeing Red (and Pink) - What to Wear for Valentine's Day

Welcome back to another weekly fashion post, where I share real fashion for real women. Each week, I highlight at least one outfit that I'm wearing right now, as well as provide ideas and inspiration to help you get dressed in the mornings. Life is hard, getting dressed shouldn't be.

It's that time of year again . . .Valentine's Day. It's been YEARS since we have gone out for Valentine's Day. Not only because we are parents, but my birthday is the day after and EVERYTHING is more expensive on Valentine's Day. I refuse to eat a limited menu at my favorite restaurants or pay three times more for flowers than I did the week before. What I WILL do however, is wear red or maybe pink.

We don't have anything special planned for the day and it's a weekend, so I will most likely resort to a basic red sweater and jeans.

No red sweater? No worries - how about red accessories, like a scarf and/or bag? Even a great pair of red shoes or boots can make an everyday outfit seem more festive. Now is also a great time to break out any heart-shaped pendants, bracelets and earrings in your jewelry box.

Why A Retreat May Be Just What You Need

What do you think of when you hear the word, retreat?

I immediately conger up something relaxing. A retreat to me, means getting away from it all and recharging your batteries.

I recently had the opportunity to go on a weekend retreat with a group of creative entrepreneurs. It was like a girls' weekend, but with a mission. We even had a loose agenda to keep us on track and accomplish our goals.  We loaded up journals, paper, pens, yoga pants and wine and headed to a beautiful cabin in the Maryland woods.

Meal Planning - 2016 Week 6

Welcome to my weekly meal planning post. Each week I share my intentions for feeding my family for the upcoming week. I take time each Sunday night to get organized and plan out a menu of mostly "real food" items, in an attempt for all of us to eat healthier. In the end, when we follow the plan, we do eat healthier and we save money besides. I hope you take away some ideas and inspiration for your own weekly meal plan.

I have vowed to take the word "busy" out of my vocabulary this year - it's a fact that we all have a lot going on. But some weeks are packed with more activities and commitments than others  and require more planning and forward-thinking. This is one of those weeks for me, with the potential for a snow storm on Tuesday, and three evening commitments for mom. How do you handle your meal planning for weeks that are just a little more full than usual? For me, it includes keeping things easy, and planning things that I can make ahead.

The Tired Mom's Guide to Afternoon Tea

Being a parent is exhausting. As my kids get older, I realize that it doesn't matter what their ages are, just the emotional stake in parenting and raising kids is exhausting. Throw in some play dates, after school activities and hours of homework, and you end up with one tired mama!

I am a work at home mom, and both my kids are in school during the day. While that makes some things easier for me than for some of you mamas with small kids at home trying to work your hustle, we all need a break during the day. A habit I've gotten into lately, is enjoying an afternoon tea break.

Classic Afternoon Tea is a light meal served in the afternoon, typically between 4 and 6 pm. Research says that the custom originated among the wealthy classes in England in the 1840s. It's a tradition that has definitely made the leap across the pond, as you can enjoy afternoon tea in many hotels throughout the United States. But I am a tired mom, and I like to enjoy my afternoon tea in my living room or home office at about 2 pm.

A Great Khaki Skirt - What I Wore

Welcome back to another weekly fashion post, where I share real fashion for real women. Each week, I highlight at least one outfit that I'm wearing right now, as well as provide ideas and inspiration to help you get dressed in the mornings. Life is hard, getting dressed shouldn't be.

Skirt - Aventura | Turtleneck - Talbot's | Boots - Hunter Boots | Necklace - Tiffany

Last week I attended a local grand opening for a new World Market store. There was still plenty of snow on the ground with a threat of freezing while we were out. Those conditions always make shoes an issue for me, so I knew I needed to build my outfit around my trusty Hunter Wellies.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 5

Welcome to my weekly meal planning post. Each week I share my intentions for feeding my family for the upcoming week. I take time each Sunday night to plan out a menu of mostly "real food" items, in an attempt for all of us to eat healthier. In the end, when we follow the plan, we do eat healthier and we save money besides. I hope you take away some ideas and inspiration for your own weekly meal plan.

Sometimes, I get bored with meal planning and I start to feel like we eat the same things all the time. But when I ask my family for ideas, they don't have much besides what we "usually" have. In fact, the last few "new" recipes I've tried have not been big hits.  So sometimes, it's better to stick with what everyone likes.