I really do love spending time baking in my kitchen, and there are times when I like making more “involved” recipes. But most of the time I rely on semi-homemade food — especially this time of year when we have so many holiday parties that require food.
However, any time I start with a boxed mix, I almost always manage to spruce it up a bit and make it look {and taste} more homemade. Here are a few of my favorite semi-homemade “recipes”!
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Declutter Your Holiday Season
Several weeks ago, I shared a bunch of tips to get organized BEFORE the holiday season; however if you’re like most people {including myself} — you probably got busy or procrastinated and are now frantically shopping for last-minute gifts, making food for all your holiday parties, getting your holiday cards in the mail, and clearing the clutter from your home!
Sound familiar? If so, here are a few tips to get you through the next two weeks.
Creative Ways to Give a Gift Card
There’s only 8 days until Christmas… and if you are still frantically searching for the perfect gift, it might just be time to “resort” to a gift card.
However, even though a gift card might not seem like the most personal or thoughtful gift, I can almost guarantee the recipient will love it… and with just a few minutes and a little creativity, you can package your gift cards in a thoughtful way.
Here are a few creative ways to give a gift card:
Working From Home… With a Baby
I often got asked “how do you do it all?” and one of my answers to that question was that I didn’t have children yet!
So when we brought Nora home from the hospital on Thanksgiving Day, my ultra productive schedule pretty much flew out the window — and boy did I have a rude awakening to what life is like working from home with a new baby!
That said, there are three things I’ve been doing that have helped me to continue being somewhat productive — even with a newborn at home.
Simple, Delicious Crock Pot Recipes
One of the reasons I love using my crock pot is because I can just dump all the ingredients in, turn it on, and walk away. I don’t need to stir a boiling pot and I don’t need to pull something out of the oven on time… I can simply go about my day and come back in several hours to a hot meal and a delicious smelling kitchen!
Today I’m sharing 2 really simple crock pot recipes from a loyal reader… they’re so delicious!
The Most Important Gift You Can Give Your Kids
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Jill from The Diaper Diaries — and mother of 3 adorable munchkins — is sharing her thoughts on the BEST gift you can give your kids… a healthy marriage. Such a great reminder for me and SO many parents out there — especially with Christmas right around the corner!
Organizing a Baby Nursery
Simplify Your Evening Routine with a Homework Box
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Tara from Deal Seeking Mom — and mother of 5 — is sharing her tips on how to simplify and organize evening routines… specifically the dreaded homework routine. If you have school-age kids, this post is a must-read for sure!
Time Management for Busy Moms
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Jennifer from SheBudgets — and mother of 2 — is sharing her scheduling and time management tips for busy moms! Sheis a wealth of knowledge and if you’ve been struggling to “keep it all together”, this post might just be what you need to read.
Ten Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Karen From Abundance on a Dime — and mother of 2 — is sharing her ten most-valuable breastfeeding tips. I know that nursing can be a challenge but I also know how good it is for me and my baby… so I’m sure I’ll be referring back to this post a few times!
Five Tips for New Moms
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Aby from Simplify 101 — and mother of 3 — is sharing five tips for new moms. Aby is a woman after my own heart and is continually looking for ways to simplify and streamline EVERYTHING… so I know her tips for new moms will be absolutely invaluable for me {and all you other moms out there!}
How To Take Creative Photos of Your Kids
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Jodi from JodiMichelle.com — and mother of 2 — is sharing her fabulous tips on “how to take creative photos of your kids” as well as her methods for storing, organizing, and printing those photos. If you’ve ever been stressed out by photos, this post is a MUST read!
Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me…?
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Amy from The Finer Things in Life — and mother of 3 — is sharing tips from her series, Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me That. Her series includes so much information… you’ll just have to stick around for a while and keep reading; I know I am!
Training Your Little One to Sleep
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Amanda from OhAmanda.com — and mother of 2 — is sharing her thoughts on sleep patterns… which is definitely something I want to learn as much about as I possibly can! As a “jealous-of-her-sleep mama”, Amanda has 4 really great tips that I’m hoping to implement with our new bundle of joy!
Dealing With The Baby Blues
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Kim from Art of Domestic Living — and mother to 2 — is sharing her story about battling post partum depression and the “baby blues”. This is a REAL issue for many women, and Kim’s story is very encouraging for anyone who has dealt with this or might currently be dealing with this.
The 3 Most Important Things I Learned About Being A Mom
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Sarah from Clover Lane — and mother of 5 — is talking about the three most important concepts she has learned in her 17 years of being a mother. She has tons of wisdom to share… so read up!
Daddy: A Daughter’s First Love
Due to the recent birth of our baby girl, I recruited a handful of amazing moms to share their motherly advice with all of us!
Today, Brenda from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles — and mother of 2 — is sharing her heart-warming story of the relationship between her husband and her 2 adorable daughters.
I personally grew up in a family of ALL girls and I know my dad loved every minute of it. And now Dave will experience a daddy-daughter journey of his own!
Meal Planning with Less Meat
If any of you celebrated Thanksgiving like we did, you’re probably still completely stuffed from all the turkey you consumed these past few days!
And while I love a great cut of meat as much as the next person, I also realize that using less meat is one of the simplest ways to stretch a small grocery budget. So if you’re looking for another way to reduce your monthly expenses, try switching up your weekly meal plans to include a variety of these low-meat meals.