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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Cheers to the Ho-Ho-Holiday with Mocktails and Cocktails {Recipes}

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Disclaimer: I was provided supplies in order to create these recipes.  


The holiday season is upon us! Be the “host or hostess with the mostest” with some perfectly festive cocktail recipes using flavored sparkling water like Cascade Ice that is calorie-free, sugar-free, sodium-free and gluten-free. This smarter option makes a great alternative to sugary mixes or colas that add unnecessary calories as well as fun way to celebrate the holiday for the whole family. 

Just for the kids, consider an Apple Cinnamon Sparkler! And for mama and daddy, try out this Candy Cane-tini and Pomegranate Punch! 

Cinnamon Apple Sparkler

4oz of Cascade Ice McIntosh Apple 
2oz of apple juice  
green apple wedge
cinnamon stick

Simply mix 4oz of Cascade Ice McIntosh Apple and 2oz of apple juice in a glass with ice. Add a green apple wedge and a cinnamon stick to complete the yummy drink.


Candy Cane-tini 

3oz of Cascade Ice Cranberry Pomegranate 
2oz of vodka 
Fresh lime juice 

Stir the contents in your shaker with a handful of ice and garnish with a skewer of cranberries or candy cane crumbs.


Pomegranate Punch 

4 parts Cascade Ice Pomegranate Berry 
Mint leaves 
Juice of 1 lime 
1 part club soda 

Pour Cascade Ice Pomegranate Berry over ice. Then, mix mint leaves, juice and club soda together. Combine with Cranberry Pomegranate and you’re ready to serve.


Cheers!


Gifts that Give Back: Reinventing Blocks, One Honduran at a Time with Tegu

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Disclaimer: I received product for purposes of this review. 

I always love the idea of giving a gift that not only gives your giftee something, but also can make a little impact in the world. Last year ‘s gifts that give featured some amazing ideas from World Vision Gift Catalog, Impact Foods, Fresh Cup of Hope and Cardraising. This holiday I found some amazing items that anyone would help you score big this season, but even more because you made are helping to make a big change in the world like Tegu Blocks. 

Do your kids love LEGOs? Well honestly what kid doesn’t? They allow kids to create whatever their imagination can dream up.  Much like that idea, Chris Haughey returned from Honduras with a vision to create a for-profit business that would have a transforming effect on the lives of Hondurans from start to finish (the full story of how Tegu is making changes can be found here.) So he created Tegu, the magnetic wooden block system that has no limitations for building. 

Nominated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) for the prestigious 2014 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award, Tegu’s magnetic wooden blocks come together with their iconic “click-clack” sound, introducing a new spin on a classic toy that offers unmatched building possibilities in durable, safe, and natural materials.  Tegu encourages the types of unscripted, imaginative play that is now considered to be one of the best forms of learning by many childhood development experts.


But this season Tegu doesn’t end there on giving back, but they have introduced The Tegu Elf!


Since Black Friday, whether you are in need of a quick dinner fix during the holiday madness (he’ll send you a gift card to a local restaurant!), a little afternoon mocha to keep their motor running (Starbucks gift card is on the way!) or they are feeling inspired by a local charity (he makes soup kitchen donations as well), #TeguElf may just come to the rescue. Now until Dec. 23, The Tegu Elf will be granting wishes for a plethora of lucky folks in need of a holiday S.O.S. including just throwing in extra products into your order like a carrying case or the magnetic wheel set. 


Reach The Tegu Elf with your  holiday “S.O.S.” moment using #TeguElf on FB, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest; he will respond to requests randomly to help make the season brighter. 

And you can still order your Tegu sets now with a 20% discount with code LAST CHANCE20 (and possibly with even a few extra sets courtesy The Tegu Elf) at http://www.tegu.com!


Building a Better Tomorrow One Block at a Time,

10 Tips to Enjoy DFW’s Prairie Lights – NOW EXTENDED until Jan. 5, 2014

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Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post.


 Like a bad family Christmas movie, DFW’s most recent uninvited guest, ICEmaggedon, put a big kibosh on several holiday events, especially the light displays across the metroplex. Thankfully, many of these organizations, like Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie, have decided to keep their gates open a little longer this season to allow guests the opportunity to appreciate these annual holiday experiences that are sure to put you in the Christmas spirit OR light up your 2014 in a whole new way! 

Long one of my favorite of displays in DFW, Prairie Lights Powered by Gexa Energy in Grand Prairie is well worth the time and money! There is such much even beyond two miles of lit paths and four million lights, it’s a whole night of fun for the kid in all of us. The experience includes not only the drive-through display, but a Holiday Village with free rides, delicious holiday fare, a marketplace and of course, Santa. There’s even a special Holiday Magic theatrical show and a Walk-Through Forest (for an added cost), so you can keep the spirit of Christmas going all night long!


To ensure the best experience, there’s only two things you really need to remember: 
Allow Yourself Enough Time to Enjoy the Fun and 
Prepare Accordingly.

While you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed that you have to do anything at all, these are hopefully a few helpful tips to make you have the best experience ever at the Prairie Lights. 

10 Tips to Enjoy DFW’s Prairie Lights

1. Pick your day mindfully. The weekends are always full, so if possible, pick a Monday – Wednesday to attend (especially if you have kids), so you can keep the car moving in a comfortable pace.

2. Don’t plan to wait until one hour before it closes down to roll in the gate. We had only planned to drive through with the kids, but couldn’t help ourselves from stopping at the out-of-the-car experiences like the Carousel and the huge corn dogs (so good!) AND Since we didn’t pace ourselves, we didn’t get to see the best part of the event, the world’s longest tunnel of lights – because they did turn them off! It was our fault for waiting, so I’d suggest giving yourself at least 2 hours (maybe 3 on the weekend) to leisure enjoy the display, events and activities without missing anything!

3. Bring a blanket (or three). You will want to roll down the window and it gets cold even with the heater.

4. Sip and savor Christmas. Prepare a thermos of hot chocolate or roll up to the nearby Starbucks for hot chocolate (it makes everything better, I promise.)

5. Plan for the Potty. On the same note, you don’t want to have a potty break in the middle of the drive-through portion (you can’t get out of the car to stop once you are in line, so make sure that hot chocolate is a small one or you can hold it until you get to the Holiday Village!)

6. Make sure to grab those coats, scarves and mittens even if you don’t think you want to do the other events. You might change your mind and you don’t want to endure those winter winds without a little bundling capabilities (especially for the kids!)

7. Bring some extra dinero. With all the opportunities to enjoy the lights at the Holiday Village, funnel cakes and Santa pictures, you don’t want to come empty-ended and not able to participate. Even the biggest Grinchs want to get out of the car and get on the rides! 

8. Turn on the holiday music, even if you hate holiday music. It’s just part of the fun! And remember, this year’s holiday station is no longer KVIL, but now sister station, KLUV at 98.7 or turn on the Pandora!

9. Turn off your lights! The best way to enjoy the light display is to not have your view ruined by bright headlights in your face, so make sure to turn those off and just enjoy driving with the brake on without road rage.

10. Enjoy the time in the car. While normally I am not a fan of being stuck at less than 10 miles an our on a one-lane road, you can really do some great catch up time with the kids or your friend by just enjoying your time together without distractions! While I took some photos to share with you, it’s just best to let yourself be in the moment and enjoy the Prairie Lights!




Prairie Lights Powered by Gexa Energy 
Now until Jan. 5, 2014: Sunday – Thursday: 6 – 9 p.m./Friday – Saturday: 6 – 10 p.m.
Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve: 6 – 10 p.m.
Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake
5610 Lake Ridge Parkway
Grand Prairie, TX 75052

Admission for cars is $20 Monday-Thursday (non-holidays) and $30 Friday-Sunday and holidays. Tickets for Holiday Magic Live! are $5 for adults and $3 for children. For the Holiday Magic Lights Walk-Through Forest, adult tickets are $3 and $2 for  children. Save on combo tickets for both – $7 for adults, $4 for children. Carnival rides are free. There is a small charge for pictures made with Santa. VISA and MasterCard are accepted at the admission gate and in Holiday Village.

For more info on hours, admission prices and directions, please visit Prairie Lights on www.facebook.com/PrairieLights, http://twitter.com/PrairieLights, call 972-237-GLOW (4569) or go to www.prairielights.org. 

It’s Never Too Late to Enjoy the Holidays!

The Gift That Really Gives: Massage Envy {Giveaway}

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Disclaimer: I received complimentary services from Massage Envy to give me a moment to calm me down long enough to write this post. Keep that feeling all year long with a gift to yourself with a membership Massage Envy! 

 I’m feeling a bit on the “Grinchy” side this year. I admit it. 

Somewhere between having a short holiday season and the huge number of to-dos, I just can’t seem to get ahead – or any sleep. And the fact I’ve been sniffling and sneezing doesn’t make it any better, either. Then the thought of all the driving around to see family and friends just has me tired before I even get to the home stretch of Christmas. 

 I totally can hear “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch…” in the back of my head. 

 For me, like many other moms, the holiday crunch has my increased my level of stress and decreased my quality of sleep, which has me in knots. So it was time to take a breath and just not do anything – at least for an hour. That meant I needed a massage. 

Thankfully, I was able to make a quick call to a local Massage Envy (I visited the Colleyville location with some of the nicest staff) and find a time that worked perfectly for me and between all the other chaos to enjoy doing nothing. 


I was giddy to get the appointment and just have the chance to “turn it all off” and breathe. I disrobed and got under the cozy heated blanket.


Even Santa’s elves need a little down time, right?


After one whole hour, I felt like a new woman. I could even smile. 

It almost felt like that moment in The Grinch when his heart started to grow three sizes. 

“Maybe, just maybe, Christmas could mean a little bit more.” 

I instantly wanted to share this uber-happy moment of euphoria with everyone! 


 So this season, while you are finishing up your Christmas shopping (or actually starting for some of us,) consider Massage Envy to stuff those stockings! Right now at DFW ME clinics, they have an amazing deal for Buy 3 massages, get 1 free! (So that means you can get one for you, too!) Or make even better, you can buy yourself a membership and give yourself a monthly moment to take a breath and relieve tension throughout the year.



You can even print off your gift cards online and make them redeemable at any of the numerous locations in DFW or the U.S. It’s that easy to check off your list and make someone sublimely happy with just a click to massagenvy.com. 


Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the giveaway! After all that talk about massages, you know you want one. And the fine folks at Massage Envy DFW are offering one lucky Mama Challenge reader a FREE MASSAGE! Just enter my giveaway alone for a chance a relaxation.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make this Holiday a Little Less Stressful,

Bake and Thank with Peppermint Holiday Gift Ideas {TV}

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The holidays get everyone in the mood to bake and thank your neighbors, friends and family, especially ME!  I’m slightly obsessed with PEPPERMINT, so I’ve researched Pinterest and created some of my own favorite peppermint recipes for this year’s round of holiday giving!  I even found a how-to to create  tray serving tray made of peppermints to make and give goodies for the perfect holiday gift! 

Here are a few of the best recipes that feature Peppermint! 

 EASY PEPPERMINT FUDGE
Inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction

 Ingredients

 3 cups white chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract 
8 crushed candy canes (2/3 – 3/4 cup)
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 Instructions

 Line 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

 Combine the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract and candy canes.

 Spread evenly into prepared baking pan. Top with chocolate chips and gently swirl them into the fudge with a knife. Top with a few more crushed candy cane pieces. Chill for 3 hours, then cut into squares. 

 PEPPERMINT TRUFFLES
Insprired by Your Cup of Cake 

 Ingredients

 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/3 cup crushed candy canes (approximately 4-5 candy canes)

 Instructions 

 Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Either by microwave or over a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips. 

 Add white chocolate and peppermint extract to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth and well combined.

 Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

 Spray hands with cooking spray. Then make small 1-inch balls with chocolate and roll in peppermint mixture. 

 Wanna see these babies in action? Check out my segment on WFAA Good Morning Texas! 

Other recipes featured on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas and more can be found on my Peppermint Pinterest page! 

I frequently feature recipes, products, and ideas on TV. Check out my past TV segments!

Bring Joy to the Holiday Table with Christmas Eve Lasagna {Recipe}

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Barilla, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JoytotheTable  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.


During the holidays my family gets to do the HOLIDAY HOP – meaning we spend most of it traveling from one family’s home to another to celebrate Christmas. Since we are either in commute or opening gifts, there’s not a lot of spare time for me to cook up delicious favorites or even help create dinner with my family members at their homes. However, I don’t want to come empty handed, either. 

Easy to make, delicious to eat, there’s nothing better to freeze, quick to cook and good to travel than lasagna. Depending on my schedule I can plan to make it well in advance, freeze and then take out to bring where ever we are going so we are bringing some joy to the table! While you can enjoy Christmas Eve lasagna any day of the year, since the “main event” is normally on Christmas Day, we try to make things easy for everyone on Christmas Eve with a little taste of Italy. We serve lasagna, open up a bag of salad and throw a few loaves of garlic bread in the oven for a delicious meal that everyone loves. 

And of course, since it is Christmas, I couldn’t help but make it a true “Christmas Eve Lasagna” by adding a special kick with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes on the inside and a little holiday decoration on the top with pepperoni and fresh basil leaves from the back yard!) 


While I consider lasagna to be easy to make, depending on your number of savory ingredients like a red sauce, pasta and my favorite, cheese, can take some time. Everyone in my family has a different spin on what makes the perfect lasagna, so in this recipe, I put them all together to create our Christmas Eve Lasagna. Since it takes more than an hour to set the ingredients up for layering the lasagna, I take a shortcut with Barilla’s All-Natural Marinara sauce and Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne noodles (I get mine at Tom Thumb/Safeway stores). 

One of the best parts about lasagna is its versatility. You really can customize it with any ingredients you want to make it your own. And with the help of Barilla All-Natural Marinara sauce and Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne noodles to cut down on the time of preparation, you can personalize your lasagna to suit your family’s preferences and diet needs. Just check out Barilla’s “The Art of Lasagna” for more recipes to inspire you to create new and exciting ways to enjoy lasagna! 

And right now, you can get $1 off the purchase of ONE (1) box of Barilla® Lasagne and ONE (1) Barilla® Sauce at your local Tom Thumb/Safeway store!



To make my boys happy when I make Christmas Eve Lasagna, I actually use three different meats with Pepperoni, Italian Sausage and Turkey Meatballs.  


Next taking a hint from Christmas’ color scheme, I created a “pesto” with spinach and sun-tried tomatoes, which also adds a little helping of veggies to the dish.  Then to ensure that the lasagna doesn’t get dry from the freezer, the car, to the oven and to the table, I use cottage cheese (shhh!) in place of the ricotta!

CHRISTMAS EVE LASAGNA

Ingredients
1 box Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne
1 Jar Barilla Marinara Sauce (depending on your family’s preference use 2)
5 Italian sausage links (normally sold in a package)
1 package of Pepperoni (pre-sliced makes it easy and fun for the kids to help)
1 lb. Turkey Meat (85/20 works great, but any will do. Also, I used the Italian-seasoned meat to make it easier on me!)
1/2 onion, chopped
3-4 slices of bread (I used sandwich loaf) 
1/4 cup of milk
1 cup Parmesan Cheese (divided into 1/2 cup servings)
1/4 Italian bread crumbs
Italian seasonings (optional) 
1 bag of fresh Spinach 
7-8 Sun-dried Tomatoes (I used dried, but you could use store-bought in oil)
2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 container of Fat-Free Cottage Cheese
1 package of fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced
1 package of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Instructions

Make building your lasagna a snap but preparing all the layers in advance. 

1.  Meatballs (can be done ahead of time): 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, tear bread into pieces and 1/4 cup of milk mixed together until it turns to a paste. Then add turkey meat, onions and seasonings and mix with your hands until it dry enough to form into 1/2 inch – 1 inch balls, but not so dry it doesn’t have any moisture. On a separate plate, roll each ball in parmesan cheese and bread crumb mixture.  

Place meatballs in a greased mini muffin pan for 30 minutes until browned. Once cooled, slice into halves. 

2. In a skillet, cook the Italian sausages (in their casings) until they are browned on all sizes. Allow them to cool and then slice them until into 1/4-1/2 inch circles. 

3.  To make the spinach pesto, combine a bag of fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in mixer until a fine paste. (If needed, add remaining olive oil to mixture if it seems to dry.) 

4. For cottage cheese layer, mix cottage cheese with parmesan cheese until a paste. 

[Now it’s time to build your lasagna!]

5. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

6. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

7. For the bottom layer, pour 1/2 the sauce into the pan and spread evenly. 

8. Top sauce with 3 sheets of  Oven-Ready Lasagne. (It’s ok if it doesn’t cover the whole pan, it will expand while cooking.) Spread cottage cheese mixture on top of noodles. Add sliced Italian sausage. 

9. Cover with three more sheet of the Oven-Ready Lasagne. Spread Spinach pesto across the noodles. Now layer slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and cover with meatball halves (you will have some left over to nibble!) 

10. Cover layer with three more sheets of Oven-Ready Lasagne. Then add pepperoni slices on top until covered. Add remaining sauce and spread over pepperonis. 

11. Then add shredded mozzarella cheese until covered. (Optional: For fun, I added a basil leaf and pepperoni to make it festive.) 

12. Cover pan with foil and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until gold and bubly. 

13. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving! 

###


 Barilla continues to bring joy to the table this month with their “30 Days of Joy” contest on Facebook. Each day you can discover tips, new recipes and have a chance to win amazing prizes like an espresso machine or a $1,500 gift card to Williams-Sonoma. You can enter everyday for the rest of the month, so make sure to set a reminder to head over to their Facebook daily. 

No matter what type of lasagna you make this Christmas or any day of the week, bring Joy to the Table with Barilla. 


Happy Holidays! 




WIN a Stocking Full of Fort Worth’s Camp Bowie Christmas Goodies!

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If you live in Dallas/Fort Worth, Mother Nature has not been nice to our outdoor holiday events! Thankfully, Fort Worth’s 4th Annual Camp Bowie Christmas, Dec. 14 is still set to happen this weekend. 

If you haven’t made it out to this event, this is definitely one to check out – especially since it’s fun and free. And Santa’s there…with a reinsteer. (Yep, I said reinSTEER!) But that’s not all, folks. Just take a look at all the fun you’ll have in my last post (and to get a look at what happens when BEVO and RUDOLPH have an offspring…) 

To up the ante, several of the fine folks in the Camp Bowie District have put together a wonderful gift package here on mamachallenge.com for one lucky winner to entice you to come and get your photo with the REINSTEER with a stocking full of fantastic gifts from the following retailers:


And one of you fine folks can win it! 
Just let me know “How you’ll be spending your holidays this weekend?”
We’ll announce the winner on Friday, Dec. 13. 

[Since this giveaway is for Fort Worth-based businesses, I’m gonna limit our winners to only DFW folks (why else would you wanna win if you can’t redeem your gifts!) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I love getting to feel like Santa! 

 So have you been a good kid this year? Enter and see who ends up with the stocking full of goodies. 

5 Tips For the Best Holiday Party #CottonelleHoliday

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CottonelleHoliday http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

 While the holidays are meant to be a time to spend with your family and friends, most of us (including me) work so hard to host the best get-togethers that we end up not enjoying anything (or anyone) at all! This holiday season make it a goal to throw a great party that’s not only easy, but is as entertaining for you as it is them by using my five simple Party-Perfect tips! 

1. Create a Theme That Ties it Together. 
From the moment you decide to throw a party, you should work around a theme. 

 Not only do your guests have an expectation of your party plan, but it makes your planning MUCH easier. From the invitation, music, food, and decor, a theme gives you a base to plan your party. However, don’t think you have to use your theme for every detail. And a theme doesn’t have to be complicated either; it could be as simple as blue and silver colors or Peppermint stripes. And remember, not everything has to be as perfect as that pin you put on your Pinterest board, but just enough to give you a little something to remember you (and your party) by! 

 To get your started, I’ve included a Pinterest board full of fun holiday themes to inspire you and to get the juices flowing!

Follow Autumn Reo {mamachallenge.com}’s board HOLIDAYS: Ideas on Pinterest. 

 2. Set the Mood with Music. 
Let your Siri or your computer do the work with either a preprogrammed music list or an online music service. 

 The music is important as it sets the tone for your party, but if you are playing DJ all night, it interrupts the mood and keeps you from your guests. I like the 60/40 rule when it comes to holiday parties with 60% of your all-time favorites (and appropriate) with a mix of 40% of holiday hits (you don’t want your party to sound like a discount store) for a personal touch. 


However, technology has made it even easier with online services like Pandora. Just type in whatever musician you would want to play at your party if money was no option (Harry Connick, Jr. anyone?) and then Pandora spits out a channel with a playlist that includes Harry, Buble and other similar artists with no repeats. (Just make sure to pay the $4.99 monthly fee to ditch the ads so you don’t have a commercial break during your big bubbly toast! You can always cancel it. ) 

 3. Presentation Goes a Long Way with Party Food. 
Food is often a favorite part of a party, but you don’t have to spend three days cooking to present a good spread. Just buy cute platters, muffin papers or small cups and voila, you have an instant presentation even Food Network will be proud of.

  • Order a few of your favorite things from your favorite eatery. Hit up your restaurant, grocery store or deli and have them whip up small versions to plate up at home. Zoe’s Kitchen, Eatzi’s and Olive Garden have several options available for order or even drop in!  
  • Make it a fun food event with a taco or ice cream bar. You only have one big ingredient and then everyone can make their plate exactly the way they want it! 
  • Consider a potluck and ask your guests to bring their favorite dish! Using electronic invitation program Evite or even just a personal Facebook Event Page allows you to post what you are bringing so you don’t have to worry about having duplicate dishes!) 
  • Go frozen! Make it easy by going to your local market or Super Target for all the baked apps you can find (everyone loves those quiches, puff pastry and flautas), throw them on a baking sheet and then 10 minutes later you have party food – now all you need to do is plate it pretty! 

4. Create a Cocktail, not a Bar. 
Being hospitable doesn’t make that you have to have tons of options available at your party. And like music, if you attempt to play bartender at your party mixing up everyone’s preferred cocktail, never get out of the kitchen (and go broke in the process). Mix up one signature cocktail for the party that maybe has a fun name that relates to your theme or has a festival feel and call it done. Then just have water, ginger ale and maybe coffee available for guests.  They don’t call it signature for nothin’ – one cocktail can really make your party memorable. 

However, you could always make it BYOB and tell your guests to bring a bottle of wine. That way you have wine available for guests as soon as the first one shows up at the door. Just make sure to have a few extra bottles on hand for that guest that “forgets” their offering. Nothing is worse than a party that runs out of refreshments just when the party gets going. 

 5.  Prettify the Potty! (Cottonelle Photo)
Yes, you heard me. When you invite 20+ friends over and then serve several servings of apps and drinks, it’s inevitable you also should plan for a least 1-3 trips per guest to the bathroom. That’s why this room should be included in the party plan just as much as what you are going to feed them! 

I like to make my bathroom clean and welcoming with a nice-smelling burning candle, a fresh decorative hand towel (or dry cloths) and stocked with lots of toilet paper. There’s nothing more embarrassing than to run out of TP while you are a guest at someone’s house, so have a few rolls of Triple Roll of Cottonelle (I bought my mine at one of my favorite shopping spots, Target) readily available in the bathroom. That way you don’t have to taken from the fun to go to get another roll (and it still fits on your stand TP holder.) 


And with Cottonelle’s Triple Roll, your toilet paper will last three times as long as that other stuff and the quality is much better, too! If you know everyone is going to have an experience in your bathroom, wouldn’t you want it to be the best one? 

Lucky for you, Cottonelle is helping you spread the cheer (and not the germs) this season with a special offer only from Target. 
[Click the box below to print off your own coupon!]

Now it’s time to get the party started! 


Make it a Moment to Remember with Mimi’s NEW Menu

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Disclaimer: I was invited as a special guest to enjoy new menu items at Mimi’s Cafe. And enjoy them, yes, I did. Read on to find out what I liked most! (All the words here are completely my own!) 

Do you remember your first brunch? 


I was in college I had my first “real brunch” upon a friend’s invitation. Beginning sometime after normal lunch was supposed to happen, we enjoyed 2+ hours of mimosas, muffins and omelets at Mimi’s Cafe. The friend’s treat soon became a weekend ritual, as it was a great time to catch up with each other while we devoured all the cinnamon muffins we could handle – sometimes in our slacks and many times in last-night’s blue jeans and a pony tail. Either way, our Mimi’s moments became my benchmark for what brunching was meant to be – friends, fabulous food and fun. 


Fast forward ten years: things, of course, have changed.  While weekend to-dos have transitioned from brunches to babies, I still remember the fun, comfort and joy I had at Mimi’s. While I hadn’t been to Mimi’s in a long time, I was excited a few weeks ago when I received an invitation to re-experience Mimi’s.  I could only hope it would take me back to what I remembered before life was as complex as a decade of being an “adult” could be. 

Just like my life had changed, I learned Mimi’s had also changed over the last decade. As with any great restaurant, it had transitioned with the times and with it, so had the experience (and not necessarily for the better). So when its new owner, Le Duff America, Inc. purchased the french casual concept this year, they felt it was time to get back to the basics of what Mimi’s Cafe had been for me and many other fans years ago – an inviting, classic French bistro.  
And after months of work, dedication and tracking down many of the recipes to hard copies in the back of the file cabinet, the whole team including the very charming executive chef Executive Chef Katie Sutton (a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and previous Executive Chef at Hess Collection Winery in Napa), was ready to dust them off. 


Like a good champagne, I was anxious to uncork this baby. Let the trip down memory lane commence! 

First of all, the roasted tomato basil is exactly what you want on a cold day – or any day where you feel like you need a pick-me-up, this rich bisque will do the trick (and the bacon doesn’t hurt either.) I enjoyed other classic French dishes like Mimi’s Signature Bouillabaisse, Grilled Salmon Salade Niçoise, Coq au Vin and Spinach Crepe. But the Le Burger de Madame, crowned with a fried egg, was magnifique. 
I’ll be honest, I don’t remember the menu tasting as good in the past as it did that night – especially this baked brie with tart apples and apricot chutney (gush). 

Perhaps it was the company I was keeping (as they were all friends). 

Perhaps it was the staff that seemed like they had been my friends my whole life with their pure passion and generosity. 

Or perhaps it was surpassing my month’s quota of heavy cream in one sitting that made it just seem so buttery rich and perfect. 

Either way, I was not only taken back to those fun days of college, but actually advanced to a new experience that still could include mimosas. However, it also reminded me that life can take you many places but at Mimi’s, you’ll always have a little bit of Paris you can revisit again and again. And even if for no other reason than for those chocolate croissants. 

Just in time for the holidays: 
No time for a Mimi’s moment of your own? Then bring it home with you. Or better yet, let Mimi’s create a memorable holiday experience at home with their Holiday Feast To-Go that can feed all your holiday guests – for both brunch and dinner! 

Or are you looking for a personalized gift to give, but think gift cards don’t show your thoughtfulness? Mimi’s Cafe has gotten really creative with gift cards you can personalize for the holidays with voice messages and photos to really give it that personal touch!


For the nearest Mimi’s Cafe to you, visit their online locator.

Bon Appetit! 




Give Gifts They’ll Love with Help from Walgreens Holiday Gift Guide

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Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

With a Walgreens just around the corner from my house, I’m there all the time. If not to pick up the usual prescriptions or photos, I’m there to pick up any number of things including gifts! It’s like my own little secret to find last-minute Christmas gifts that are perfect for everyone including teacher gifts, neighbor gifts and co-workers. And best of all, Walgreens has all your unique wrapping needs to make your gift stand out and look like you spent hours making it look perfect!

So when work caused me to spend Thanksgiving away from my family, a long-time coworker/friend was kind enough to invite me to her home to join her family for Turkey Day. While I wasn’t able to be with my kiddos, the hospitality of her family not only made it bearable, but memorable, so I wanted to give a little token of my appreciation for allowing me to spend the day with them. 


And of course, I found all kinds of other gift ideas for other people, too! 

The stocking stuffers galore including a great display of Christmas socks and Christmas toiletries that anyone would love.


And I’m pretty sure I began shopping for gift wrap before I even found a gift. Aren’t these options ideal for the small things to the big items that are never easy to wrap. 

And who couldn’t miss these guys – the holiday “chorus.” I just couldn’t resist myself from hearing them all sing in unison. Check out the Walgreens “Chorus!”

One of the coolest things I found was an end cap display – when you buy two bottles of wine and a package of Ghirardelli chocolate, you’ll also receive a free festive red cardboard basket that’s perfect for gift giving, and all for a reasonable price! 

Trying to narrow down the options, I remembered while I was visiting with the family they mentioned that they were having a cooking decorating competition and it would be the last one before her son went to college. So when I saw this Ninja Gingerbread Cookie Kit in the holiday aisle, I just had to have it. Since I’m an apron fanatic, I thought adding a Santa apron would be a way to give signature gift from me. And to wrap it up just right, I found this adorable ceramic Santa cookie tray to use as part of the gift wrap AND as part of the gift. 

Using the red ribbon and these sparkly mitten nametags that almost could be double as pot holders for my culinary-themed gift, I put together a sophisticated gift that I’m so excited to give. 

Walgreens always has the right thing you are looking for and the unique gift wrapping options from quick-and-easy to beautiful and personalized. Make Walgreens part of your holiday shopping this year and don’t forget to sign up as a FREE Walgreens Balance Rewards member! Not only do you get discounts on thousands of items, but you also get money back! It only takes a minute to sign up and you can save even more money just for shopping! 

 Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping at Walgreens! 






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