Spring can be pretty fleeting around here, we tend to go from cold, dark rainy days right into that warm, high-70’s weather that just begs for beach days and barbeques and ice cream. I have my sights set on Memorial Day weekend to officially kick-off summer! Last summer I got to partner with Better Homes & Gardens to share some recipes in their Summer Entertaining Guide. This year I’m excited to contribute a few more ideas from their annual guide and use some of the items they sent me in their Summer Party Box to create a summer to do list!
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This post was created in partnership with buybuy BABY. All opinions are my own.
I was talking with a group of moms this week about the juggle of working with a baby, and each mom commented on how incredibly lucky I was to be able to stay home with Jane while working for myself. I’m coming up on two months since I officially took the blog full time and the work-from-home life has been both challenging and amazing. Hearing those moms share their perspective gave me a much-needed reminder of how wonderful it really is that I get to do a job I love and still get to spend all day with Jane. My “new normal” has not come without it’s challenges though. I’ve been working hard these past two months at finding my work/mom rhythm. Jane is three and a half months old, and only in those past two weeks have I finally started to feel some normalcy in our routine. Reading about other working mom and business owners’ workday routines is one of my guilty pleasures; I gobble up those articles and dig for tips I can apply to my own life. I thought it would be helpful to share a bit about what’s worked for us in our own routine, in the tools I use, and the products that are making my life a bit saner.
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I’m getting in the fiesta-spirit for Cinco de Mayo this weekend, because any excuse to pour a pitcher of margaritas is reason for celebration, right? Outside of this extra festive holiday, I think ‘fiesta’ is generally one of my favorite party themes. Brightly colored lapel picado banners,tissue paper fringe covered piñatas, and of course a Mexican-inspired menu are all key. I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Cinco de Mayo party supplies to help get those fiesta inspiration juices flowing. 
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Cinco de Mayo a is pretty big celebration in our family because it happens to be my little sister’s birthday. We call it Cinco de Mara (she’s really lucky her name works so well in that pun), and since she’s been old enough to drink margaritas we’ve been fiesta-ing like there’s no mañana on the 5th of May. It just so happens that margaritas are one of her favorite drinks, too – how perfect! In celebration prep for this festive fiesta of a holiday, I’ve been thinking about some spins on the classic margarita to add to my repertoire. 
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I got to kick the week off at a really fun event with some of my favorite Boston blogger ladies. My friends Julie and Meg run a calligraphy pop-up class called Sip & Script and hosted a session at the most darling home and gift shop in Southie, Neatly Nested. The concept is right up my alley, they get a bunch of friends together, pop some bubbly and pour some cocktails, and teach you the basics of calligraphy. Crafting and cocktails? Yes, please. Speaking of cocktails, they tapped me to craft up a recipe for the signature drink for the night — we enjoyed my spiked and sparkling lemonade and it was a hit. We were refilling glasses and talking about how it’s “sneaky” spiked — you can get the recipe in the images below if you want to mix one up yourself!
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This post was created in partnership with Keurig Green Mountain®; opinions are my own.
You may have noticed that I’ve been talking about brunch around here a lot lately. I have a newfound appreciation for this meal since it’s usually the time of day when miss Jane is at her best. Since taking the blog full time I suddenly have lots more time on the weekends – time that used to be dedicated to getting blog projects done — to appreciate brunch too. More than that though, this time of year seems to be chock full of baby showers and bridal luncheons and it’s-finally-spring-let’s-have-people-over brunches.
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Growing up, a big tray of savory Italian Strata was a brunch staple; my Mom would make a variation of this for just about every holiday. It’s an awesome recipe for two reasons: 1) It’s a great way to use leftover bread that might be a little bit past its prime – crusty bread works great, and 2) you can make this recipe the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.
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Friday night pizza was always a tradition in my house growing up; a large cheesy New York pizza with the best toppings and usually a few garlic knots or “pizza rolls” made an appearance to close out the week. I wish we had pizza here like we do back home where I grew up in New York, I love living in Massachussetts but pizza, bagels and good delis are all things you just can’t replicate here. Lately, I have been picking up that tradition and making my own pizzas on our pizza stone as a little Friday evening treat. It’s no New York slice, but I experiment a bit each week and have been getting better at making a quality pizza at home. Last week I was scanning the fridge and doing a survey of leftover ingredients to see what I could make for a quick meal, and lots of my pizza toppings were stacked up begging for a little love.
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The first few weeks after having a baby, we survived on trays of food brought over by our amazing friends and family. Some of my favorite meal ideas to bring new parents are a hearty chicken pot pie, or a tray of breakfast burritos (no one ever brings breakfast, you’ll be a star!). One friend brought us a delicious and healthy jar of trail mix that was amazing to nibble on for quick snacks. Perhaps the most classic of freezer dishes to bring new parents falls into the Italian casserole category. We ate all of them during those first few weeks home with the baby: lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parmesan, and eggplant rollatini.
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If you asked my friends what my signature dish was they would probably reply with “rice krispy treats.” It’s such a simple dessert to make, but after tweaking my own version of recipe for years, they’ve definitely become a go-to item to bring to parties. I noticed the other day that I’ve posted a pumpkin spice version, neapolitan flavors, and even cocoa football treats — but I’ve never actually shared my classic rice krispy treat on here! The secret to mine? A little bit more butter and some sea salt, because butter and salt make everything better. I got the urge to make these and thought I’d put an Easter spin on them by punching them out with a bunny cookie cutter and adding some bunny-faces with a little bit of colored frosting. What’s the word for a pack of bunnies? A herd? Yup, I just ate a herd of these bunny treats while writing this post.
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