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Super Easy Stain Trick!!! 🧺

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My oldest has started cooking more these days and especially enjoys making breakfast for everyone. It really does make mornings easier so I can workout early and when I’m finished breakfast is ready, as opposed to the usual begging for food the moment I walk into the kitchen…before I’ve even had coffee ☕️😳 And she’s even getting better at cleaning up after herself which is a definite win!

Last week after she finished cooking she realized she had this round stain on the front of a new Vineyard Vines T-shirt she had just gotten a week or so before. After much thought we figured the stain was from closing the Pam spray by pushing the can against her stomach to pop the lid in place. And we all know how nearly impossible it is to get grease or oil stains out of clothing!!! 😳 And this stain was super noticeable!

Here’s what we were dealing with:

And this was after I had spot treated and washed the shirt twice with laundry stain removers. At this point I figured we were out of luck and she can just wear the shirt around the house, but she was pretty upset about it. Then I decided to give a quick online search and see what other stain remedies I can find as a final attempt. I read articles and watched videos, and I was overwhelmed. I read about everything from aloe vera to baking soda with vinegar and even WD40. I wasn’t looking for a big ordeal with seventeen steps, just an easy cleaning hack with products I already had at hand.

A few articles I read mentioned plain old Dawn soap. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. So I rubbed Dawn dish soap (which by the way I get at the dollar store because the small container is perfect size for filling up the pump by my kitchen sink!) all over the stain and let it sit for about 3 hours.

After a few hours I did a quick warm wash cycle in the washer and then hung the shirt to dry. At this point it was too wet to tell if it had worked. But later that evening when it was mostly dry….🥳🤩 success!!! Totally gone!

I love super easy remedies like this!! And the best part is it even works after the garment had been washed multiple times, because sometimes you don’t notice those stains right away.

📍Another good one is boiling hot water for berry stains. And yes it absolutely works! My daughter had gotten blueberry stains on a white dress once when she was dressed for a special occasion. A quick google search and I read to just pour boiling hot water right into the stain and poof 💨 it disappears right before your eyes!!

I would love to know what other simple stain removing hacks people have tried! Comment or message us and let us know!

~Elena 💖

Books

2019 Reading Challenge Update 📚

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Summer has been way busier than I imagined it would be. I pictured lots of quiet time relaxing & reading poolside, finishing books left and right …. but it hasn’t worked out that way yet. I’ve had some time here and there, but otherwise we’ve been doing a lot of running around with camps, swim lessons, summer baseball, errands, workers at the house and a recent 13th birthday that took up quite a bit of time as well!

Needless to say I’m averaging about a book a week -give or take a few days.

So here’s my most recent dozen:

I can honestly say I really liked them all!! I’m not going to spoil anything but here are some thoughts of mine on just a few of the books:

The Looker was a quick and easy read if you’re looking for something speedy. But left me with a lot of questions.

The Silent Patient definitely surprised me. It was one of those books that has an amazing twist in the end that you never saw coming, sooo good!

My Lovely Wife was not at all what I expected!! I try not to read too much about books beforehand because I don’t want to read spoilers by accident, so this was disturbing and intriguing all at the same time. The story was so different than anything I’ve read before.

No Exit was intense because there is not much back and forth time wise. Most everything pretty much takes place in a day or two period of time. So this one was really hard for me to put down once I got in to it.

The First Mistake I was sent as a prerelease and this one is definitely a good summer read. I thought I knew where the book was going but I had it all wrong. Can’t wait for her next book!

Honestly, We Meant Well- I was sent through an Instagram giveaway and had to put on hold for a bit because I had a few library books that were only 2 week holds. But once I got started I loved it! I love seeing the points of view of all the family members and the fact that everyone has secrets, thoughts, memories and hidden agendas that the others aren’t privy to. This is my first Grant Grinder book so now I really want to go read the others!

I have a long queue at the library, about two dozen screenshots in my phone and a Barnes & Noble order coming this week, but if there is something you’ve read lately that I must read please let me know!!

I’m at about 50 books so far for my 2019 Reading Challenge, not too bad. 😊 📖

Happy Reading! 🤓

~Elena 💖

Food

French Toast Casserole- with buns 🤪

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Last weekend we decided kind of last minute Friday afternoon that we were going to grill up some hot dogs for dinner with friends. So when my husband got home from work I quickly ran out to get hot dogs, buns, sides and toppings. Hot dog buns were on sale 3 packs for $4. Does anyone else struggle with these deals the way I do? I mean I know I might not need the amount offered but I can’t seem to say no to a good deal 😖. Needless to say we had so much food that I wound up with 2 full bags of buns leftover.I hate freezing and thawing buns, I just don’t ever feel like they come out the same so I never do it and then they just go bad before I think of using them for something else.

The next morning I had a totally unconventional idea to make hot dog bun French toast casserole! Sounds crazy and my kids thought I was pretty nuts when I told them, but it turned out pretty amazing.

I sprayed a pan with nonstick spray and just broke up all the buns into pieces. In a large bowl I mixed 2 cups of milk and 6 eggs (because I only had 6 eggs 😬), a little bit of vanilla, about 2 tablespoons of sugar and some cinnamon. I poured the liquid over the pan and mixed really well until each piece was covered. Then I made sure it was evenly spread out in the dish, sprinkled the top with more cinnamon and then some brown sugar.

I baked at 350 ° for about 30 minutes. I used a larger casserole dish but would probably use an 8×8 or similar in the future so it’s a bit thicker. When it was done I sprinkled with some powdered sugar and drizzled with syrup!

It was seriously so good! I love a quick & easy breakfast idea that doesn’t require me standing over the stove forever. A simple and easy way to use up extra bread and you can probably do this with pretty much any type.

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box. I hate wasting food and I also can’t turn down a good deal😬

~Elena 💖

Uncategorized

My top 10 favorite Netflix series.

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I know everyone is super excited about summer and it finally being warm enough to be outside again. Trust me when I say I am too!! It was a long, miserable winter here in New England and we didn’t have much of a spring. But I also know even in the summer we’ll have some rainy days. So here are my top 10 most favorite Netflix series you should check out when you are stuck inside.

1. What If

2. You

3. Ozark

4. Dead to Me

5. Designated Survivor

6. Stranger Things

7. 13 Reasons

8. Pretty Little Liars

9. The Society

10. Ted Bundy mini series

As you all know I’m spending a lot more time alone with the whole divorce and all. So on my down time I often read or binge watch shows on Netflix. Lol! I am always looking for new shows to watch, so if you know of any good ones let us know. I love having a nice distraction while I’m working out or folding the dreaded laundry!

It is what it is 💁‍♀️

-Erin 📺

Home

Product Review: Tom & Sheri’s Iron in a Bottle 👕👚

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I’m not a huge fan of ironing. Well that’s not entirely true. I thoroughly enjoy the actual act of ironing. It’s kind of relaxing and I’m a bit of a perfectionist so seeing the wrinkles completely gone really feels satisfying (⬅️my preteen uses that word all the time 🙄). Ok but seriously, if I start ironing I get into it and want all the clothing items at once to make them look perfect. But the actual chore of taking the ironing board out and warming up the iron for one item often when I’m hurrying to get out the door- drives me insane. Because it usually happens that it’s last minute that I change my outfit and what I want is wrinkled, or I see my kids dressed in something that they must’ve had rolled up in a ball in the corner under their bed 😳

Recently I saw a few people mention this clothing wrinkle releaser spray. After a few mentions I finally googled it and watched a little video on QVC that had me a little intrigued. I bit the bullet and ordered. Here’s the link:

Wrinkle Releaser Spray

I purchased the combo which included the large bottle with sprayer and the travel size. I tried it a few times myself and was seriously amazed!! Let me first say that I ordered this myself and paid full price and I am not someone who is easily impressed by things. For me to share something it has to really be awesome. So after trying it myself I asked the kids to each get something really wrinkle from their room and give it a try.

Here we go:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByoYPFHFE3U/?igshid=rr41ai45kurg

This is our first ever video share so go easy on us 😂. My littles were a bit camera shy but my oldest loves the spotlight 🎥lol. And I hate seeing myself and hearing the sound of my voice 🙈🙉

Seriously try this product, it is such a time saver!! My only notes are that once you spray the item shake the fabric and stretch it a bit to get the wrinkles out. If it’s really wrinkled you may have to do it a couple of times. The item will then be a tiny bit damp but dries quickly and smells like fresh, clean laundry!

Try it and let me know what you think!!!

~Elena 💖

Food

June is National Iced Tea Month 🍹

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It’s June…I can’t believe how fast this school year went by and I’m excited for all things that include sunshine and tan lines! ☀️ Which means tons of sweet tea🏖🥤

I’ve been a sweet tea drinker for as long as I can remember. When I was young we used to make it with Lipton iced tea mix year round and on hot days my mom would make sun tea, 🙌🏻my fave! I’ve done the same since my kids were little and when we lived in Florida I’d make sun tea weekly.

Now living in CT I haven’t made it as much from scratch, mostly because life is hectic and my kids often make the Lipton mix on their own when they want it. Apparently they’ve forgotten that I used to make sweet tea by boiling water or putting a pitcher out in the sun. Recently after a visit to Erin’s house my oldest said ‘you should learn to make sweet tea like Erin, she makes the real kind.’ 🙄

So I heard earlier today that June is National Iced Tea month and I’ve been dying to try it in the Instant Pot after all the posts I’ve read about it. I browsed Google quick and looked at all different variations but then decided to wing it. And I love it!!

I buy decaffeinated tea bags- mostly because we enjoy tea before bed and my kids don’t need any help prolonging bedtime rituals. I used 6 regular decaf black tea bags and cut off the paper tags. Tossed the tea bags into the IP with about 8 cups of water. I also put in 2 scoops of sugar, skip the sugar if you’d like but that’s no fun. 🤣 Totally kidding, I love plain tea too but my kids will only drink sweet and the sugar never mixes once the teas cold. (The scooper I use in my sugar jar is probably equal to 2 tablespoons.)

Close the IP and cook on high for 4 minutes, then allow the natural release. I actually turned mine on and went to the basement gym to workout. When I came back (or finally remembered 😬) it was more than 40 minutes past finish time and it was still pretty hot when I opened it. So you don’t need to get it immediately. If you find it’s too strong for your liking you can always mix in some more water. But I think it came out perfect and sweet but not crazy sweet.

I poured mine in a container to keep in the fridge and my goal is to teach the almost 13 year old to be able to make this for us all summer long! 💁🏼‍♀️

*6 tea bags, 8 cups water, 2 scoops of sugar

*4 mins high pressure then natural release

~Elena 💖

Books, Family

🏖Summer break is in sight! 🖼

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It’s that time of year again…Summer Break!! ☀️ Well …we still have about ten hectic school days to finish here in CT but we can see the finish line! As much as I love a break from the routine, I don’t love the kids complaining they’re bored, bickering and expecting me to be cruise director EVERY SINGLE DARN DAY!! So that being said I still try to provide some casual structure to our summers. My kids know they have to be responsible for their rooms, cleaning up after themselves around the house , some chores and get some reading time in on the daily. But I also like to keep their brains from shriveling up which means some learning needs to happen, but just a tiny bit.

When my oldest finished her first year of preschool her teacher gave each student a Bridge book for the summer. What an amazing and generous gift that was and it’s now been our tradition for ten years! Every year as the school year comes to an end I order my kids each a Bridge book based on the grade they finished and the grade they will be entering. Every (well that’s an exaggeration, so let’s say most) weekday mornings in the summer I will ask the kids to do 20-30 minutes in their Bridge books. When they were little they loved it and they would want to keep going and often even pull out the book during the day. As they get older and pages get harder it’s certainly more of a chore. But I’m here to help and I enjoy having my morning coffee in the kitchen while they sit and do some work.

I used to order on EBay but this year I ordered from Amazon, and they’re super cheap! Most books are less then $10.

As you can see the book is to ‘bridge’ your child from the class they just finished to the grade they will be entering. So the early activities are things they are familiar with and the book then gets harder as they go farther. The back is usually full of flash cards for spelling, math facts, vocabulary…anything that they are working on for those assigned grades. The book is divided into sections and then days. So your child can easily do a day at a time, or more if it’s easier and they finish quickly. There are even stickers in the back if you decide to review their work when they’re complete.

My kids have always gotten excited when their books arrive and enjoy doing them, at least for the first few weeks! 😂

I let everyone pick out a small basket or bin at the dollar store to keep in the kitchen for the summer. They each put their Bridge book, whatever book they’re reading, a devotional and anything else in there that they plan to work on daily throughout the summer.

This year my husband ordered for our Kindergartener through her subscription to High Five magazine. So hers was a bit pricier but she got a bunch of other fun books thrown in!

And being that my oldest will be 13 in a few short weeks 😱 and did amazing in her first year of middle school, I let her off the hook this year. But instead we’ve propositioned her with a Reading Challenge! She loves to read but sometimes there’s too many distractions, so we’re offering a little reward for every book she completes this summer.

I wish someone would reward me for every book I finish! 📚

~Elena 💖

Food

Recipe Review: Mississippi Chicken 🐓

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I’ve been on a roll this week with dinners. I’ve been thinking ahead, preparing and trying new things…it’s what I imagined being a stay at home mom would be like all the time but is not at all 🤣. Usually the days are so rushed, there’s so much to do, places to be, appointments, volunteering, activities and somewhere along the way I’ve forgotten to defrost something or didn’t get a chance to run to the store and it’s a dinner fail. We wind up grabbing something out quick or throwing something random together. But this week I’ve had more time during the days at home and have really stayed on top of things. So this week I have a few new recipes to review but I’m gonna start with last nights dinner.

This recipe had me a little concerned because the ingredients were simple but seemed a bit odd together. Let me start by saying that this is hands down one of the easiest crock pot meals EVER!!! There is zero prep work, zero!! And when it’s cooked all you do is shred (which it really just falls apart anyway) and stir. I found this one on Buns In My Oven which I’ve been obsessed with lately. All the recipes I’ve tried from there have been amazing. You can even sign up to have them emailed to you or if you follow on Facebook they can come through messenger. I’ve been printing the ones that interest me as they come in and there are so many! This one is called Mississippi chicken and is an easy weeknight meal but would also be perfect for a party or potluck.

Mississippi Chicken 🐓

You start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I used 3 large for my family of 5 and we have just a little bit leftover. (My lunch 😬🤗) Then you add 1 packet of Ranch dressing mix and 1 packet of Au Jus gravy mix. Let me say that I didn’t even know that was a thing! I’ve just always made the au jus from the drippings with some broth, so I’ve finally learned there’s a packet! 😂 Then toss in one cup of pepperoncini -which you can buy in the jar already sliced and ready to go, and 1/2 cup of butter (we use Olivio instead). And that’s it!

I cooked on low for about 8 hours since we had a baseball game and ate afterwards, and it fell apart when I shredded it. But you can cook on high for 3 hours also. Shred, mix and eat! I bought buns and we had sandwiches. Since it was super hot I added a slice of cheese and it melted right on top. So I thought the smell alone of the pepperoncini would turn my kids off but nope. The two oldest even decided to share a second sandwich and let me say they don’t share anything!!!

I can’t tell you how good this was in words, you really just need to try it yourself. In the recipe link it says you can eat over mashed potatoes or egg noodles which would probably be amazing also. But I was thinking for a party or work potluck this should be a go-to!! 👍🏻

~Elena 👩‍🍳

Fitness, Home

Anyone else read on the treadmill? 🏃‍♀️ 📖

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It’s no secret that I love to read, I’m kind of obsessed. I feel like there are so many books I need to get to and just not enough time in life to read them all. I’ve written about how I read everywhere…in bed, in the car, waiting rooms, kids practices, pickup lines, traveling, seriously I bring a book everywhere! I’m even rubbing off on those around me. My daughter came home today excited to tell me about two new books she got at the library and I even bullied Erin into becoming a reader 💁🏼‍♀️ 🤣 But my family thought it was nuts a while back when I told them I’d been reading on the treadmill 🏃‍♀️

I don’t think it’s that crazy. I mean I’m in one spot and I speed walk more than I run anyway. But I was having difficulty propping my book or e-reader up in place. I knew there had to be something out there that worked with a treadmill and other workout machines. So I found this on Amazon:

Here’s the link: Treadmill holder for iPad/Books

This is a game changer!! I can use it to hold actual books, magazines or my iPad/Nook/Kindle whatever it is I’m using to read with at the moment. And if you’re not a reader but need to catch up on some Netflix shows while you workout, well then this works for you too. It is two sided and each side has a different sized lip for different machines and/or depending on what you’re using it to hold. No matter how fast I go or how high I incline this stays put! And it comes in different colors, but I ordered the clear so I can see through it and still read my time & stats. And it’s under $20 🙌🏻

I can watch a show on the iPad or get into a good book and not even realize I’ve been on the treadmill for almost an hour! And when I’m reading no one bothers me at the gym 🤣 #homegym 😜

~Elena 💖

Books

‘The First Mistake’, book review.

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I was sent ‘The First Mistake’ a few weeks ago as a pre-release to read. This was my first Advance Readers Edition and I was super excited! A few months ago I had read ’The Other Woman’ also by Sandie Jones and I couldn’t put it down, so I had no doubt that this book would be just as good. I had to table it for a week or so because I had 2 other books I was in the middle of and really wanted to finish them first…. but I was anxious to begin it.

I started ‘The First Mistake’ and had completed the book in less than a week. I know everyone says “I couldn’t put it down” but seriously that was the it. Something about her writing leaves me wanting answers. I certainly don’t want to give too much away and ruin the book for anyone who plans to read it…because I really think you’ll want to read it. If you like novels that keep you asking questions and curious to the end full of twists and surprises, then this one should be on your ‘to read’ list!

As the book started we are introduced to Alice and get a tiny glimpse into her present life. But throughout the early chapters there are sudden hints about her past and why she is the way she is today, without ever giving too much away. I can’t tell you how many books I have to put down and walk away from because they just don’t capture me. I try to force myself to push pass page 50 before I give up. If I feel like it might go somewhere but I still don’t love it yet, I may even force myself to make 100 pages. But who wants to force themselves to read a book? Not me! I hate to give up on a book, but sometimes the author talks to much, describes too much or doesn’t explain enough and I just can’t take anymore. Sandie Jones gives just enough of a teaser that keeps you curious to find answers. And at some point I thought I had figured things out, only to find out I was totally off course.

Between Alice’s husbands (yes plural, just not at the same time😜 lol) and her best friend, I was back and forth trying to figure out who the ‘bad guy’ was , and I even wondered if I was blind to who Alice really is. This book had me questioning everyone and wondering if anyone could actually be trusted. The ending was shocking and definitely not at all what I expected.

Jones’ writing makes for an enjoyable and thrilling read. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!! This ones on sale 6/11 but I checked and you can preorder now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Let me know what you think! 📖

~Elena 🤓 📚