Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Trying Out the Smoothie Bowl Trend: It’s Weird, But Yum!

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Have you seen the drool worthy photos on Instagram and Pinterest (where we are already following each other, right?) of smoothie bowls? I’ve been pinning them for months but decided to finally try to make one today once I saw that a new cookbook that had been sent my way had quite a few smoothie bowl offerings.

My first attempt is not as colorful as many of the examples I’ve seen, but I will say this: it was DELICIOUS!!

Want to learn how to make it? I picked it because I had everything but the kiwi on hand and I needed to run to the store anyway to pick up a few other things. I can’t wait to try some of the other smoothie bowl ideas!

goji and raspberry smoothie bowl with muesli topping

Goji and Raspberry Smoothie Bowl with Muesli Topping

from 300 Best Blender Recipes Using Your Vitamix, by Robin Asbell

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup dried goji berries, soaked and drained*
  • 1 large frozen banana
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1 large kiwi, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup muesli
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

*soak the berries in about 1/2 cup of water and let them sit for about an hour. Pour off the excess water when you are ready to use them.

To your blender add the first 4 ingredients and blend until smooth. Add blender ingredients to a bowl, and then top with kiwi, muesli and walnuts. Enjoy immediately!

The smoothie bowl concept takes a minute or two to get used to, I have to say, but having those yummy and crunchier items on top helped it all make sense and not just feel like I was eating a smoothie with a spoon. 🙂

As for the cookbook, I’m really impressed with the wide variety of recipes inside (I definitely assumed it would be 100% smoothies and that is not the case). I highly recommend it for anyone with a Vitamix (I think anyone with a blender at all can benefit from it, but recipe instructions to discuss specific settings on the Vitamix to use)

DIY Perfume with Essential Oils: My Daughter’s First Fragrance

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I was quite surprised when my 7-year-old requested some perfume for Christmas this past year. I thought that seemed far too old to be interested in fragrance! But as we talked about it a bit, she seemed to actually be interested in making homemade perfume, seeing it as one more neat thing to experiment with and create.

That I can handle! Since we are an essential oil loving family, I knew exactly where to start: with what we already have on hand! With just a few ingredients we were able to make a scent that is uplifting and very “happy” (according to my daughter) and that she is proud to wear because she made it. It took all of 2 minutes to make; so easy!

DIY perfume essential oils

Here are the supplies you will need:

scent-free witch hazel

carrier oil (we used Vitamin E oil)

small glass refillable perfume bottle (we chose a 5 ml for this recipe)

essential oils of your choice (we used Orange, Stress Away and Bergamot from Young Living)

For a 5 ml bottle of perfume, you’ll need 15 total drops of the essential oils of your choice. We loved the combination of Orange, Bergamot and Stress Away, so we used 5 drops of each of those oils). We filled the rest of the bottle up with a combination of carrier oil and witch hazel. This would mean that the bottle contains around 15% essential oils and the rest is carrier oil and witch hazel, to give you an idea of ratios. You could certainly play around with a lower dose of essential oils and see if you like the result (I’m a big fan of going low and slow!).

You will find that the witch hazel and the oils separate from each other, which is perfectly fine. Simply give your bottle a shake just before applying. I recommend using a see-through bottle to help you remember to do this before you use it.

The smell is quite lovely, and I appreciate knowing that my daughter is wearing something that does not contain chemical fillers (and endocrine disrupters!) and that is actually quite good for her, instead. She loves the smell and will enjoy creating a new scent once this bottle runs out. Depending on the oils you use, the cost for a bottle of DIY perfume can be just a few dollars or even less, which works for me!

If you make perfumed with essential oils and have some suggestions for others to try, please leave a comment below! And if you don’t already use Young Living essential oils and would like to try 1-3 different bottles, I place an order once a month and would be happy to help you out!

 

The Best Carrier Oils for Your Face: Top Picks for Different Skin Types

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Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own and based off my own experience using carrier oil on my face. 

If you want to incorporate essential oils into your skincare routine, you may be surprised to discover that carrier oils are recommended as a component of what you are putting on your face, whether you are washing, moisturizing, fighting acne or keeping wrinkles at bay. No matter what you goal, carrier oils are part of the solution.

Seems a little counter-intuitive to slather oil all over your face as a way to improve the skin’s condition, right? Won’t it clog pores, attract debris in the air or at the very least make an awful mess?

Yes, all of these things are definitely possible IF you are using the wrong carrier oil for your skin type. In today’s post I want to highlight different types of carrier oils and which types of skin each oil plays with best. 🙂

best carrier oil face

Back Up: Why Are Carrier Oils Needed?

There are quite a few reasons why you need to be using a carrier oil in addition to the essential oils of your choosing for a more natural form of skincare. First, essential oils that are worth their weight are EXTREMELY potent, and that means that one little drop is often all you need to get the full benefits. However, one drop isn’t going to very easily cover your entire face before it gets soaked into your skin (essential oils absorb VERY rapidly) and so a carrier oil can help that one drop cover more ground.

Additionally, many essential oils have the capacity to cause a bit of irritation if applied undiluted to the skin. I personally use Young Living Essential Oils to eliminate any concern about chemical additives. If a YL oil irritates my skin, it is simply because it is a “hot” oil and not because it has additives. I prefer to play it safe with my essential oils and use a carrier oil in conjunction with them, especially when the target is my face, which has some of the most sensitive skin on my body.

Sensitive Skin Picks

 Apricot Kernel Oil – a very gentle choice if you are worried about irritation. Also a great pick for use with children.
Olive Oil – An easy-to-find resource (go for the cold-pressed stuff) that is packed with vitamins and minerals and has been shown to be loved by sensitive skin. The smell might be a bit stronger for this oil, which would make it a better choice for the evening than the morning.

Oily Skin Picks

Safflower Oil – Linoleic acid is in this oil, and that makes it a great pick for folks who deal with acne.
Jojoba Oil – Jojoba oil can actually modify the production of your sebaceous glands to get your oil production to a more balanced place. I have dry skin, but if I had oily skin this would be my top pick because it is lauded so highly.
Grapeseed Oil – Properties in this oil serve as a natural astringent
Castor Oil – I primarily see this used as the oil of choice when cleansing the face (as opposed to moisturizing) for folks with oily skin. Castor oil can be very beneficial to irritated skin thanks to its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. It is a very thick oil, and not one I would personally leave on the skin for a lengthy amount of time.

Dry Skin Picks

Sunflower Oil – extremely nourishing and much loved by skin that needs more moisture. Absorbs quickly, which is nice, and has been known to be beneficial for eczema.
Avocado Oil – does not absorb as quickly so this is a better pick for the evening skincare routine. Known to be an excellent moisturizer
Macadamia Nut Oil – Oleic acid in this oil is great for providing moisture and combating inflammation that can occur with dry, irritated skin (such as eczema or rosacea). Palmitoleic acid in this oil is also very healing. This is my top pick for when skin issues arise.
Almond Oil  – This is another personal favorite because I like how light it is, yet how moisturizing it can be. High doses of Vitamin A are in this oil.

Good for Nobody Pick

Coconut Oil – This is a fantastic choice for many folks on other parts of the body, but I do not recommend it for use on your face simply because it is known to clog pores. Some folks do use it with success, but given how many other great carrier oils are out there that perform more consistently on the face, I recommend skipping the coconut oil in favor of something else.
Feel free to experiment with these oils and even to combine them in your DIY skincare products that you make. And if you have one particular type of skin but have benefited from a carrier oil listed in a different category, please leave a comment and tell us about your experience! Just as with essential oils, there is a degree of experimentation that needs to happen for each individual (so look for the smaller bottles of carrier oil if you are buying for the first time and aren’t confident that you will like it!).
best carrier oils face

Planning a European Vacation: How We Scored Cheap Airfare to Europe

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One of my favorite memories of Christmas 2016 was surprising my family with the news that we were planning a trip to Europe (Switzerland, specifically) for summer 2017.

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I spent the better part of 3 years saving to buy tickets and by late November of 2016, I had enough for 4 tickets to Europe during the summer, which is when the prices are highest. My savings account for those plane tickets had $6,000 in it, which did make me physically ill to think about spending.

But I was prepared to spend it because my husband’s sister and her family live in Geneva, Switzerland and have lived in Europe for over 10 years, with our last visit to see them being 2007. We very much want to see where they live, and we want to give the cousins the opportunity to play with each other in one of the world’s most beautiful settings (the Alps!). My husband has saved up 3 full weeks of vacation time, and we have a place to stay in Europe, and we just needed to get over there. It has to happen in summer because that’s when we can be away from home for so long without a school issue, and it’s when our family over there can also go do a big vacation to the mountains.  If you don’t have to go to Europe in the summer, then planning a trip during the off-season is probably one of the quickest ways to save big bucks on your airfare, FYI. 

Here are a few things I did that worked out really well for our peace of mind and our savings account as we shopped for transatlantic flights. I hope these help you!

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No Such Thing as Saving Too Early

Summer happens to be when everyone wants to go to Europe, and so the prices for airfare are usually around $1,500 per ticket, with very little movement down. So I saved and saved and saved some more. My first tip for you is if you want to go to Europe in the summer and you are buying several tickets, start saving NOW. Even if you want to go 5 years from now, you are not saving too soon, I promise!

When the picture above was taken, on Christmas Day, the tickets themselves had not been purchased, but we planned to buy them in early January. Prices had been around $1,250 which was slightly lower than we were expecting, and we were glad for that. But they were not changing much at all.

Keep A (Digital) Eye on Prices

How did we know the prices weren’t changing much at all? We were tracking the prices. There are several free tools out there to help you get alerts when prices change for flights that interest you. We used Airfarewatchdog.com and it was very helpful in the beginning to reaffirm what my sister-in-law already told us, which was that summer airfare prices rarely (if ever) change much at all, except for as your date gets closer, and then of course you can expect fares to go up even more. We were watching 10, 9 and 8 months out and kept seeing fares between $1,200 and $1,600. Honestly this helped me to make peace with the reality of the price and to feel comfortable making the purchase once we were ready.

Only because we were already spending gross amounts of money in December did we not purchase the tickets before Christmas. And that decision ended up saving us THOUSANDS. Why? Because the airlines SLASHED prices two days after Christmas this year. I’m not sure if it was a random fluke or if this is actually common practice in the days following Christmas when most people are all tapped out, financially, and the airlines need to do something more extreme to boost sales that week. Either way, on December 27th we got a notification that there were tickets available to Europe in July with prices as low as $635.

The Price Isn’t Everything

Because we had the money already set aside we were able to pounce on this unheard of deal, and we were even able to be a bit choosy about which flights we took, opting for the airlines, airports, and flight schedules that were the most child-friendly. You see, when traveling with kids, you need to think about factors beyond just the ticket price. My sister-in-law shared with us her favorite airlines to fly across the Atlantic (British Airways and Lufthansa) and her favorite airports to hang in with kids (Amsterdam was her top pick and Heathrow airport also has a great play area). She also helped us think about strategic timing to help the kids adjust more easily. From the states to Europe try to fly overnight so they will sleep some, and coming back start earlier in the day with the goal to arrive in the states in the evening. So armed with this information, we started comparing flight options and ultimately picked a British Airways overnight flight with a layover in Heathrow, noting that this airline had an additional flight to Geneva 1 1/2 hours after our connection would leave, giving us a buffer if our transatlantic flight was delayed or if customs proved to be a nightmare and we missed our connection.  These tickets were $850 each including taxes, and they were the right pick even though there were technically even cheaper flights.

Investigate Your Credit Card Rewards

If you are already very aware of what rewards you are eligible for with your credit card(s) this may not be much of a light bulb moment for you. But I have been using the same credit card since 2012 for almost every single purchase I make except for bills, and I have NEVER even so much as glanced at what rewards I was eligible to redeem. I finally thought to investigate them about a month ago when I realized that we were, in fact, about to spend $6,000 on plane tickets and I was desperate to see if I could possibly get that number down. Just because I had the money set aside didn’t mean that I was excited about spending it! I was PUMPED to learn that I had enough points saved to cover an entire roundtrip ticket (thanks to giving my credit card a good workout every month for 4 years without touching the rewards…airline tickets cost TONS of points, y’all!).

Of course every credit card is different, so you’ll need to investigate exactly how redeeming your points works, but I was pleased to see that when we searched for airfare through our credit card reward system we were seeing the same great fare rates that my husband found through the alert system he was using. While it seemed to me that I had enough points to purchase 2 tickets I couldn’t figure out how to make that work and so, not wanting the prices to change on me before I figured it out, I just got one ticket booked for free and paid for the rest on the spot, spending $2,450 out of pocket, which is less than we spent going to Disney World! When you expect the bill to be more than double that price, you will gleefully pay it! 🙂

So by saving up, getting a good feel for what the prices are like, making use of credit card reward points that were just sitting there, and jumping on an awesome after Christmas sale, we were able to pay for the largest expense we will have for our European summer vacation, and for significantly less than we anticipated.

I hope this helps you snag a great deal and fulfill a dream you might have to take your family to Europe and have the trip of a lifetime! Stay tuned for more posts all about the planning we are doing to make our trip to Europe affordable and fun. 

Bringing the Best Video Games to Life: Mario Bros. Jumps Off the Screen and Into My Home

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I am showing my age when I tell you that I remember the Christmas my brother got the Nintendo NES and the Mario Bros. entered our lives. I got to watch Dallas play the game more than I got to watch it, but like pretty much every other child in America at the time, I had an immediate affinity for these plumbers and their quest to save Princess Peach.

And I just LOVE that 30 years later my own kids can get to know this pair and go on adventures with them. In fact, I’d say that Nintendo is pretty darn brilliant to have kept the Mario Bros. in play, because I am all about getting to relive my own childhood with my kids, same characters and all (but with the benefit of major advances in gaming technology!).

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Nintendo sent us the newest Mario Bros. release, Mario Party Star Rush, which we have been playing on the handheld Nintendo DS XL. One of the things that I really like about this game (and evidently many others as I’m now learning) is that these cool figurines called amiibos can be purchased to further enhance game play. We have Princess Daisy to play with as a stand alone figurine, which is fun for the girls, but you can also activate her by placing her on your screen when playing Mario Party Star Rush to unlock some cool extra features. I have also learned that amiibo figures that are released will very often be able to unlock features in games that get released in the future, too. I think it’s super fun to have such a tactile element added to the game play.

mario-brothers-wall-decals

We also enjoyed kicking the fun up a notch by devoting some blank wall space to a little Mario Bros. mural. This set is available for under $10 and they are VERY easy to apply to the wall, and I tested to make sure that they come off without causing any problems, too. This was a HUGE hit with my daughter and can I just say that I love it, too? It’s so fun to see characters that I loved as a child have a prominent spot in my daughter’s room now.

mario-bros-mustaches

If you haven’t introduced your kids to the world of the Mario Bros. now’s a great time to do so, and you can make it even more fun by doing fun little extras like getting an amiibo or two, some wall decals and if you really want to go wild, get some mustaches, too. Video game fun doesn’t have to be limited to screen time and it doesn’t have to be something that your kids are into but that you don’t understand. If you are a child of the ’80s, then you understand Mario Bros. Your kids will show you how to work the upgraded controllers and you’ll be on your way to find the princess in no time!

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Does your child have a favorite Nintendo game? Do you ever get to play on your child’s system? I sneak in games while the kids are at school! 😉

Why I “Vacation” By Myself

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Referral links may be included at no cost to you. This post is not sponsored in any way. 

This weekend I’m headed away for two nights and three days and my family is not going with me. To be perfectly honest, I’m not even leaving my city. I’ve rented a condo in a different part of town and will be there all by myself. It’s not the first time I’ve done this, either. Why in the world would I leave home without my family? Is it a sign of a troubled marriage, perhaps?

No, the reason is not at all dramatic or indicative of big problems, sorry to say (actually, NOT sorry to say!).  I get away because I need a chunk of time and space to breathe deeply, to read things that interest me, and to think.

personal-retreat

Those of you reading this with little ones underfoot know that being able to have a full, complete and even moderately complex thought is a rather rare occurrence. And as a business owner, when I don’t have the time to think about what I’m doing now and what I’d like to be doing 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year from now, I find myself in the weeds and quite lost, indeed.

I am lost at the moment, and so I’m going away to reconnect with myself and my planner and to remember why I am my own boss and what I want to do with the hours I have available to generate income for my family. In so doing, I am confident based on my previous experience with a personal retreat that I will emerge with a plan of action to help guide me, professionally, in 2017.

If you are reading this and aren’t a blogger or a small business owner, that doesn’t mean that a personal retreat is not for you. Being able to take a break for a few days from the normal routine and all the stresses of life can be so very rejuvenating, and you don’t have to spend a fortune to be able to do it. I’m writing this post to encourage each and every person reading it to give careful thought to the idea of a retreat. It can be a lot easier than you think to pull off!

No Need to Travel Far

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they feel as though they need to get away from it all and have some reflective time is that they have to go far away. Airbnb, the site that showcases condos and homes available for short-term rentals, is an absolute goldmine of opportunities. My nearest Airbnb opportunity is actually on the other side of our alley, as our neighbors have a 1 bedroom unit in their multi-unit building that they rent through the site for a reasonable rate. Being able to see my house from my retreat location is a bit TOO close for me, but a 15 minute drive in town is just perfect. It maximizes the amount of time that I get to spend retreating and reading because I don’t have to factor in half of a day traveling like you do when you take a road trip or plane. I’m also spending next to nothing on gas and there’s no plane ticket, either!

Spend Less, Get More

Renting from Airbnb also makes a lot of financial sense. For example, I’m renting a 1 bedroom condo for about half of what hotel rooms in downtown Chattanooga cost, and I will have about 3 times the amount of space that a hotel room would offer, as well as a kitchen so that I don’t need to leave every time I’m hungry (bringing in groceries will also save quite a bit of money). The complex also has a hot tub, which is an amenity I always love to find.

My weekend away is going to cost under $200, including my food, and I will be set up for a year of success with my business because of it, which could result in tens of thousands of dollars in additional profit. I’d say it’s money very well spent, indeed!

And if you aren’t running a business but just need a break from it all, spending something like $200 to be able to have a weekend of binge watching your favorite Netflix, reading a few novels, and/or sleeping in is worth every single penny. Come to think of it, I could use a weekend like that, too! Maybe I need to schedule something for a few months down the road… 😉

Going away on a little vacation alone can be so very awesome, and you might be able to get away without even leaving the city limits. The last time I did this was 3 years ago, and I think that’s too long to go between retreats. I’m going to make this an annual thing from now on.

Have you ever had a personal retreat? I’d love to hear about it!

The $550 Mistake and the Mobile Banking Platform that Could Have Saved Me

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This post brought to you by BB&T. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

This is the story of how I lost a piece of paper, and in so doing, lost $550. It’s also the story of an app that could have made all the difference, if only I’d known about it. Learn from my mistake, friends! 

photo U by BBNT app_zpsg8pmdr5u.png

A few months ago I found myself with a laptop on the fritz. Since I work online, having a computer is a rather necessary thing, so I promptly headed out to my nearest big box store and purchased a laptop for $550. I bought the one with the largest screen. That was all I cared about in that moment, because I knew I would have 14 days to decide if it was really and truly what I wanted. I made a $550 decision in all of 2 minutes. 

I used the laptop for about a week and noticed some key missing features (no responsive screen, no Windows Office) and decided I wanted to return it and get something that was a better fit.

No problem, right? Unless, of course, you are missing your receipt. And then it’s a very big problem. I searched high and low and couldn’t find that thing to save my life. So I had to give up and settle for a “just ok” laptop. 

There’s an app that could have saved me from this entire incident, though. U by BB&T does a ton of different things, which I’ll explain in more detail later, but one of its features is that you can store your receipts on the device. I would be working on a laptop I love instead of one I can tolerate right now if I had known about this app!

So why would I have turned to an app for organizational help? Well, I recently read a statistic that the average American checks something on his or her phone a whopping 46 times a day. I didn’t believe that could possibly be true until a I decided to pay more attention to how often I grabbed my phone “just for a second.” By the end of the day, I knew it was accurate! The truth is, we do SO much stuff on our mobile devices, so the more of our “life stuff” that we can handle while we are there, the better.

U by BB&T is a new online and mobile banking experience that you can use on your phone to help you go beyond ordinary banking. It offers a way to customize your banking dashboard with features and tools that will meet your particular financial needs. And if you are like me and switch from a mobile device to a tablet and even to a desktop or PC throughout the day, it’s not a problem because this platform is responsive to all devices.

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To get started, all you need is a BB&T checking or savings account. Once enrolled you can download the app on your phone and enjoy awesome features, including sending and receiving money from friends and family by using emails or mobile numbers (no more need to split the bill in restaurants!). You can also set budgeting tools to help you better understand exactly where your money is going each month. I can tell you from experience that if you’ve never tracked your money, you’ll be shocked by how much you waste each month of little “inconsequential” purchases. By being able to track your spending with graphs and charts offered on U by BB&T, you can take back control over your spending and saving and get on track to achieving your financial goals.

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 But perhaps one of my very favorite features of U by BB&T hasn’t even been created yet. That’s because this platform is designed to evolve! As customers use the platform and offer feedback on things that could further enhance their experiences, U by BB&T will grow to meet those needs.

But what about security? The internet is a scary place, and breaches do happen, right? Well, no worries about U by BB&T. This platform is bank-backed, so your money is just as safe as it has always been.

If you have ever lost a critical receipt, or if you have ever wondered why you can’t seem to save up enough money each month to reach a big dream of yours (for me that would be a week in Hawaii), I suggest that you Learn more about U to see how it can help you out.

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Starbucks Verismo Espresso-Based Drinks: How to Make Them at Home

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Espresso is the basis for many of the great specialty drinks that I like to order at my beloved Starbucks, such as the Iced Americano and the Iced Latte (basically, if it’s iced, I like it!). Through lots of trial and error, I have learned how to make my own iced coffee at home on demand (I lack the patience needed for the 24 hour cold brew method) and it works well enough, but any time I pop into Starbucks to get one of their drinks, the difference in drink quality between what they make and what I make is painfully obvious.

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When my friends at Starbucks sent me their new brewer, called the Verismo System, to try out, I was excited but skeptical at the claim that I could make drinks that taste just as good as what I can get from my local Starbucks barista. But the pods for the system are all Starbucks products, which are top notch, and since this machine is note worthy for its ability to make rich, beautiful espresso (just look at those 3 layers of color!), I thought it was worth a try, especially since a drink with an espresso foundation packs a punch and should have some awesome flavor!

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This system will make espresso or coffee, but I think it’s big draw is the fact that it makes those beautiful cups of espresso. And that brings me to what I like the very least about this system: it has a very short clearance for your cup. It is most definitely not designed for the person who plans to make iced beverages, as you can see in the first photo above where my favorite tall coffee cup cannot fit. But to be fair, that’s not what the system was designed to do.

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It should also be noted that the Verismo system has its own line of pods, which are all Starbucks blends, so your K-cups aren’t going to work in this machine. These pods are much smaller, but trust me when I say that the flavor is totally there. And if you do like to have a cup of coffee, these pods make a very generous 10 oz size, which I was excited to discover.

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If you like to use milk or milk alternatives in your beverages, then I do recommend purchasing the accessory piece, which is the milk frother. This machine will warm your milk quickly and even froth it for you. I’m pleased to see that it even has a cold froth option for folks who are making iced beverages (simply hold the button down for about 4 seconds, until to turns blue, for it to stay cold. Holding it for just 1 second turns the button red and starts the heating process).

Cafe Americano (Hot or Cold)

So let’s break down how to make a few espresso-based drinks, starting with the Cafe Americano. To begin, load an espresso pod into the system and brew your espresso.

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Now all you need to do is press the hot water button to add 5 ounces of hot water and your Cafe Americano is ready for you to drink as is, or to add the sweetener of your choice.

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If you like it iced, like me, instead of adding hot water, add 2 Tbsp of cold water to your drink, and then pour it over roughly 1 1/2 cups of ice. I typically just add even more ice and skip the water part.

Cafe Latte (Hot or Cold)

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A latte is an espresso based drink that also uses quite a bit of milk. To make a hot version of this beverage, get your milk frother out, fill it to the line (it’s 5 oz) and make sure your whisk attachment is removed so that the milk is warmed up but not frothed too much the way you would want it for a cappuccino (oh yes, you can make those, too!). Brew your espresso and then add your hot milk to the cup. It’s so delicious!

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For the iced version, take your brewed espresso and pour it over roughly 1 cup of ice, and then add cold milk. I simply took the hot latte I made previously, let it chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool down, and then poured it over ice. The iced latte just might be my very favorite.

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After trying out several different types of drink with the Verismo, I have to say that my beloved Keurig has been permanently unplugged. The flavor quality I’m getting with this system, and the fact that I can still make iced drinks quickly, makes the switch a no brainer for me.

If you have a coffee lover on your holiday list and you are looking for a last-minute idea, the Verismo is a big winner, I promise. I’d love to see some pods wrapped up for me! 🙂

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A Photo is All You Need to Make a Difference: Donate a Photo App

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This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

My family spent most of the month of November not being able to take a full, deep breath, and I do mean that literally. You see, we live in Chattanooga, and this part of the country has experienced a devastating drought this year. Ultimately it led to the spread of wildfires. While our specific area was safe from harm we were close enough to where fires were burning to be impacted. It was a rather inconvenient month, but it was absolutely nothing in comparison to what happened the Monday after Thanksgiving, when massive winds came through and spread a fire in the Smoky Mountains, and in particular, in Gatlinburg. In a matter of hours the entire time was surrounded by, if not engulfed in, flames. It was absolutely horrifying to see what a difference wind can make in the spreading of fires, and it was just heartbreaking to watch a community not far from our own experience this type of devastation.

I was listening to what the people of the area were saying that they needed, and one thing that I wasn’t expecting to hear kept coming up again and again: folks in this area wanted their tourists to please come and see them. These communities rely on tourism as a foundation for their economic health, so one of the best things people could do for the area is to book a trip over to see them.

And so my family did just that, because as it turns out, it was a way to give something very much needed. And that’s the thing about giving: if you keep your eyes and ears open, you’ll be surprised by all the things, great and small, that you can do that will positively impact someone else. In my family, we teach our kids about giving by noting that we all need to take turns sharing. We are also quick to point out to them times when others have shared with us so that they understand that humans need each other, and just because we are in the position at the moment to give, that doesn’t mean that we have never been in the position to receive, or that our circumstances would never change such that we need to ask for help down the line. But when you are able to share, that’s just what you do. Sometimes that looks like bringing canned goods to school for our local food bank. Sometimes it means donating all the money in your piggy bank to a family who wants to adopt. It might also look like buying a few toys for a mother of young children who has just left an abusive relationship and had to leave almost all of her possessions and her children’s toys behind. And sometimes it means taking a vacation unexpectedly, because it will put dollars into an economy that really needs it. We have been able to do these things over the last few months, and we are thankful for the opportunity to share.

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Everyone can share something, even if it feels like you have very little to offer. Do you have a photo, for example? If so, then you already have enough to make a difference right now. Johnson & Johnson has just released the free charity app called Donate a Photo, and all you need to do is download it on your smartphone or tablet, select a charity you’d like to help, and submit your photo. Johnson & Johnson will then donate $1 to that trusted non-profit partner that you chose. Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation. I chose for our donation to go to survivors of the Tennessee wildfires.

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If you are able to give more than a photo, you can purchase a gift from the Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” catalog, or make a direct monetary donation to the other non-profit partners listed on the app. You can take a turn sharing with others right now. You have something that can help already on your phone, and you can spread the love by sharing about this app with your friends and family, and encouraging them to take a turn sharing, too.

The app allows you to share one photo per day, so by taking a few seconds out of every day, you could get $365 donated by this time next year, and that will REALLY make a difference! The app will send you reminders if you want it to, just to make things as easy as possible. Join Johnson & Johnson in this long-standing partnership with Save the Children and other partner nonprofits to support basic health and hygiene needs for families and to prioritize investments in the health and wellness of others.

We all have something to offer to others. Please donate a photo today and give back!