Need a gift for Mother’s Day? These necklaces are on Amazon and are Prime eligible! Check them out here: https://amzn.to/2GnZKpV
Author: todayineeda
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Happy Hedgehog ~ Kid Gift Alert under $20
Happy the Hedgehog makes kids happy! My daughter just received this gift for her 6th birthday and she is in love – as you can see!! Along with being a weighted sensory toy this stuffed animal comes with fun reusable felt stickers and flip sequins on its back.
Also available are Sparkles the Unicorn on Amazon and Speedy the Sloth at Target. All three are on sale now and under $20, a great gift price point.
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Swimsuit Cover Up Under $20 at Target
Quick review today – Target Women’s Embroidered Cover Up – Kona Sol™ White
Ahhh…vacation at the beach. Does it get any better? For all of you planning vacations I wanted to post some pictures of this bathing suit cover up that I recently got at Target. I love this cover up, it is light, breathable and cute. You can almost wear it as a dress like I did over leggings and a tank and then wear it to the beach over a bathing suit. As you can see, it is relatively see-through which for a bathing suit cover up is pretty standard. I love the drawstring around the waist (complete with beads) that makes it fit perfectly and keeps it from billowing in the wind. Below is a pic of the cute embroidered details.
*affiliate links
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A Dog Birthday Cake Recipe for Your Best Friend!
My dog’s 10th birthday – she was a little confused! Dog owners out there, this post is for you! Our dog recently celebrated her 10th birthday and my kids wanted to do something special, she is their best friend after all. After thinking up different places we could take her we decided, because it was a cold and rainy day, we would make her a small cake and party hat as a way to celebrate. My daughter’s quickly went to work decorating a piece of paper to make a hat worthy of their superdog while I went to work baking.
Well, not right away. First I had to scour the internet for a cake recipe that was both healthy for my dog and only used ingredients I already had at home. That is when I found this recipe at a blog called Spoonful of Sugar Free, which has some pretty good human recipes as well.It had everything I was looking for. Specifically, this cake only has 4 ingredients (egg, apples, peanut butter and baking powder), all of which my dog likes and can eat. The cake bakes easily in 20 minutes, and because I didn’t have a small cake pan, I used a piece of tinfoil that I folded into the shape of a circle.
As I got to work baking I realized the only thing missing to make this cake complete was the frosting. The cake recipe I had found didn’t include frosting so I decided to improvise.
Simple Dog Cake Frosting Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
Process:
Really simple, just mix the two ingredients until they are combined and creamy. Store in the refrigerator or use immediately. And that’s it! Once the two ingredients came together it looked like real buttercream frosting!My kids cut and taped their decorated paper into the shape of a hat while I frosted the finished cake and tada! A celebration fit for an amazing dog.
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Get Hasbro Yellies! on Amazon!
Check out the Hasbro Yellies Pet Deal here. This makes great for filling Easter Baskets last minute
*affiliate links
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Shoes I’m Living in this Spring
Shoes! Cute and functional shoes for plantar fasciitis relief
Quick Links here, full reviews below:
Flip-flops – Reef Women’s Ginger with Slim Woven Strap
Leather Sneakers – ECCO Women’s Soft 7 Sneaker
Running Shoes – Asics Women’s Gel-Cumulus 20
Slippers – Vionic Adilyn Women Round Toe Canvas SlipperI love shoes, always have. Shoes can really make or break an outfit, and your feet, all at the same time. So, when I started having issues about two years ago with plantar fasciitis pain, I had to leave my flat flip-flops and super cute-but-unsupportive flats behind. Let me tell you, when I started researching shoes with good arch support or supportive shoe design I found lots of shoes that may have been good for my feet, but were not so good to look at. So, through trial-and-error, and lots of online searches, I came across these shoes that I live in every day.
1. Flip-flops – Reef Women’s Ginger with Slim Woven Strap
I am a flip-flop girl. I love them and wear them all through spring, summer, and the first half of fall. The problem is that most flip-flops are just a flat piece of material which provides absolutely no support for your arches. I searched and searched for an affordable brand that met my needs for arch support and didn’t hurt my feet. These Reef brand flip-flops were the winners! As you can see in the picture below, they have a raised arch area for support and I wore them for a 1.5 mile walk with my dog right out of the package with no issues between my toes or where the straps are located. I will say, they are pretty form fitting to my feet which I believe to be standard to even a bit narrow in size, so if you have wider feet this style may not be for you.2. Leather Sneakers – ECCO Women’s Soft 7 Sneaker
These are some of my favorite shoes ever! They were my first “supportive shoe” purchase and I wear them everywhere, even during the winter when the snow is not too high. What I love about them is that they are high-quality leather so they have lasted in good condition going on two years now. They could use some cleaning, but other than that they look great. I also love that the insole is removable. They don’t have quiet enough arch support for me alone, so I removed the insole that came with the shoe and replaced it with my own insole with much higher arch support. If you look at the picture below, you’ll see my blue inserts, you can find the ones I bought here. These shoes are versatile, I wear them with almost everything and get compliments on them all the time!3. Running Shoes – Asics Women’s Gel-Cumulus 20
Now, running shoes are a very personal purchase. We all have differences in how we run, how our foot strikes the ground and slight differences in the anatomy of our feet. What I can say is I have always worn Asics for running and these Gel-Cumulus 20 shoes are well-suited to my feet. They have a wider toe-box which I prefer, I hate when my toes feel tight. They are a bit more structured and have just the right amount of arch support for my specific needs. If you are unsure of what you need, I would definitely recommend going to a running store and getting a professional to help you choose a shoe for you. I am almost exclusively a treadmill runner and these Asics have held up well for me.4. Slippers – Vionic Adilyn Women Round Toe Canvas Slipper
Ok, so I wouldn’t consider these to be shoes, but I wear them exclusively around my house every day. And I mean it, I rarely go barefoot anymore. These Vionic slippers offer me daily arch support which, along with my other shoe choices, has helped my heel pain almost disappear. They have an adjustable velcro strap on the side which I needed because I consider my feet to be average to narrow and do adjust these to almost their tightest fit. They keep my toes warm all winter, spring and fall and the only time I don’t wear these slippers is on very hot days in the summer. They have a hard sole so you could wear them outside if needed. While not the cutest on this list, they do what I need them to do which is all that really matters for me.*affiliate links
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Carolyn’s Favorite Protein Bar Recipe
I used to have the hardest time finding a breakfast that not only kept me full until lunch, but also was something I was willing to eat every day. I don’t love a savory breakfast, don’t ask me why because I LOVE eggs for dinner, so I was mostly choosing to eat oatmeal in different variations until that got boring.
Throughout my research over the years trying to find this mystery meal, I started to incorporate protein powder into my breakfasts. I found a recipe for a homemade protein bar and tried it out. While that first protein bar wasn’t a home run, I changed the recipe a little here and there over the years to make it what it is today – my favorite breakfast that I actually crave. These bars are not too sweet (but still chocolatey), actually keep me full, and are exactly what I am looking for in the morning. Please remember that I am not a nutritionist and this is not medical advice, just my opinion & a homemade recipe.Carolyn’s Favorite Protein Bars
This recipe makes 9 bars
Ingredients
9 Scoops Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein Powder – Chocolate
1 cup oats
1 cup high fiber cereal – I used Kashi Go Lean
1/2 cup almonds
3 Tablespoons chia seeds
5 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
4 LEVEL Tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 – 2 cups waterProcess
Mix all the dry ingredients together so they are evenly distributed. Add the peanut butter and 1 cup water. Start mixing making sure to spread the peanut butter evenly among the rest of the batter. Slowly add more water a few tablespoons at a time and mix until there is no dry protein powder left. You may not use an entire 2nd cup of water, the amount of water you use will change depending on slight variations of dry ingredients. The batter will be VERY thick and should not be too watery. I usually have to push and smear the peanut butter a little to help distribute it.
Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish or pan with non-stick spray. Press all of the batter into the dish compacting it down and leveling the top. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Once solid, cut into 9 equal pieces and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.Variations: You can change a lot in this recipe such as using walnuts or pecans for your nuts, almond butter instead of peanut butter or a different cereal or protein powder flavor. If you don’t like the flavor at first, add more or less of what you like or don’t like!
After doing the math I came up with the following approximate nutritional figures per bar based only on the recipe as written above:
Calories – 267
Protein – 25.7g
Fiber – 8.27g -
Buy Cat Stax and get Dog Pile 50% Off
We highly recommended Cat Stax in a previous post and now it is on sale (read our review here)! Target is offering BOGO 50% off on select Games, Puzzles & Video Games. If you buy Cat Stax for $7.89 you can get Dog Pile for only $3.75. Just $11.64 for the pair.
They would make a cute addition to this years’ Easter Baskets or a fun game for the car on a Spring Break road trip! The sale ends 4/13 so grab yours soon.
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Today I need a … Protein Powder
This week’s Today I Need A… post is all about protein powder. Specifically our favorite powder, Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein. Let’s talk about how we use it and why we love it. Before we start I need to let you know we are not nutritionists or doctors, this is only our opinion and not medical advice.
Why do we use protein powder in the first place?
Carolyn – I wanted to up my protein intake to help keep me fuller for longer periods throughout the day and to add a little extra support after my strength training workouts. I used to get hungry within an hour of breakfast if I chose to eat something that wasn’t high in both protein and fiber. Now, I make homemade protein bars that keep me full until lunch, I make shakes as afternoon snacks and add it to pancakes, muffins or anything else to add a little bit of extra organic plant-based protein to my recipes.Nanette – Life is busy!! Getting enough protein during the day can be very difficult in our house, especially on hectic days. A bit of protein powder can get me through the morning – I’m not a big fan of breakfast as I don’t get hungry until later in the day. When the girls get home from school and need a snack to keep them from getting hangry before dinner (which can happen a lot) – I’ll just whip up a shake. They love concocting new crazy recipes. My husband uses protein powder before his workouts, especially before he jumps on the treadmill.
What protein powder do we use?
We both use the Orgain line of protein powders on a daily basis.
Orgain Chocolate Fudge – Carolyn’s Favorite but Vanilla and Peanut Butter are also available.
Orgain Protein & Greens Powder – Great way to give you or your kids an extra serving of green vegetables! Choose Chocolate (Nanette’s Favorite) or Vanilla.
Orgain Clean Whey – If you prefer an animal based whey protein. We haven’t tried this version.Why we love it:
–Organic plant-based protein. Nanette and I both make a commitment to our health, as well as the health of our families, and we both strive to eat more organic foods and vegetables.-Protein + Fiber in one. For those of you who are like me (Carolyn) and are constantly hungry, I find the combination of protein and fiber to be more satisfying and allows me to go a little longer without getting hungry between meals.
-Makes getting our daily intake of veggies easy!
With Orgain Protein & Greens Powder I can get my kids as well as myself to eat more veggies without really knowing it because it contains spinach, kale and broccoli in the powder! While I do taste a bit of the veggies, it’s tolerable to me, my kids don’t notice it when they also taste the chocolate and if I am just drinking the protein plain with milk I can always add some powder from the chocolate fudge flavor to help with the slight veggie taste.How do we use it?
Carolyn – Each week I make a batch of homemade protein bars which I eat for breakfast almost every day. I include other healthy ingredients such as almonds, chia seeds and oats to get my day started on a positive note. I also make a modified version of protein bars and sometimes granola bars for my kids which they love! I love that they are getting some veggies in and they don’t seem to notice. Recipe for my homemade protein bars coming soon!
My homemade protein bar – LOVE it! Might not be pretty, but I am hooked. Nanette – Lately we have been obsessed with shakes in our house. My daughters’ pediatrician always reminds them to “eat their colors”, I love this saying! It means to eat different colors of vegetables and fruits everyday. If you have only eaten red (apple) today then you need to add some orange (carrots) and green (spinach). Shakes are really good way to do this and adding the Orgain Protein & Greens Powder helps them get their greens. We blend the vanilla with all different types of fruit like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Their FAVORITE recipe is Peanut Butter Patty: just mix Chocolate Orgain with peanut butter, banana and unsweetened almond milk. It really tastes like the Girl Scout cookie!
*affiliate links
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Curated Mother’s Day Gift Box for only $54.95
Need to find a Mother’s Day gift for someone special? Here is a great idea for you – Causebox.
I ordered their Spring box and am absolutely obsessed! Every season they curate an amazing box of limited edition items from socially conscious brands ~ every box is filled with items totaling at least $200 in value.
Their Spring Box does not disappoint. If you purchase the monthly subscription the price is $54.95 per box, if you decide on an annual subscription you save $5 making each box only $49.95 and you get to customize some of the items.
The box I ordered had the following items in it:
1. Ettitude Bamboo Lyocell Eye Mask, $15 retail value
2. Luxe Charm Bracelet by Marina De Buchi, $37 retail value
3. Silky Scarf by Cleobella, $52 retail value
4. Wyld French Pink Clay Konjac Sponge, $16.90 retail value
5. Glass Ladder & Co. Megan Portfolio Clutch, $120.00 retail value
6. Cosmedix Glow Bamboo Brightening Mask, $54 retail value
7. Kalos Mist Congeniality Elixir Tonight Mist, $22 retail value
8. Altru Macrame Plant Hanger, $14 retail value
So go ahead treat your mother (or yourself) to a fun and luxurious gift!*affiliate links
Today I need a... 