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New Year Goals
New Year Goals. We all pledge to improve once January 1st comes and by the end of February most of us fall off track and forget the New Us. So how do we make sure we become better each year? Well, first, let’s write down our goals. Not just on a piece of paper, but make it into art you can hang on the wall or add to your mood board. Looking at it on a daily basis will inspire you to follow the new resolutions. Second, you should never make your resolution a negative one, for instance, instead of saying “Lose Weight” say “Exercise More”. Do you see where…
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Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
It’s become my own personal tradition to bake gingerbread cookies for friends and family during the holidays. I’m not a big fan of the thin, super hard and crunchy gingerbread cookies you can get from the stores and bakeries, so my recipe is made sure they turn out soft and chewy. I’ve kept this recipe a secret for years thinking one day I should sell these and become a billionaire, well, not all dreams come true! I featured this recipe in my Halloween Skeleton Cookies, too, if you want to see a scary-fun version of these. Make these and let me know if you enjoyed them. Gingerbread Cookies (makes about…
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Thanksgiving Leftovers: Eggs Benedict
Thanksgiving leftovers are the best, so this morning I turned mine into brunch. I made a Thanksgiving Leftovers Eggs Benedict! But first, a little about my Thanksgiving so far. This year I celebrate Thanksgiving twice, once with a dinner for two on Thanksgiving, and the second time on the weekend after with the whole family at Ma’s house. So for Thanksgiving dinner I only had to cook for two people. I got lucky when I headed to the store hours before the actual dinner to get the turkey breast.. There were only thighs and wings left, and the rest was frozen, with thaw time being 1-3 days. I didn’t have…
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2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies
Chicago may still feel like early spring (70s in November? What?) but the truth is simple, the holidays are just around the corner, and we all know the “foodie” on our shopping lists is the hardest person to shop for. So, I rounded up the ultimate holiday gift guide for any kind of the Chicago foodie. For The Brunch Squad No matter if your brunch squad is just a 2 person affair, or a whole group of 10, everybody will love a good gift card to spend on Mimosas. Kanela Breakfast Club (multiple locations, including the trendy Streeterville and Old Town) offers a great gift card deal this season: spend $100…
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Home Office Space
Working from home can be challenging! How do you stay focused? How do you keep motivated? How do you stay away from the fridge/TV? Creating a designated space for our work that is clean, inspiring and reflects your style is one of the first steps to successfully completing your daily assignments. Here’s my own little space. I kept it white and simple with a small off-white writing desk, a swivel chair and an eraseable calendar to keep my schedule organized. Desk: Joss & Main, Chair: Wayfair, Rug: H&M, Faux fur accent rug: IKEA
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‘Tis the Season: Cold Spell Mint Eggnog
Added a shot of Cold Spell “Intense Mint Whiskey” in my eggnog today and it was life changing. Everyone loved it and it got me thinking.. aside from the traditional rum, what makes your eggnog stand out?
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Makeup Vanity
Believe it or not, I found this cute vanity in an alley, waiting for its end of time. I think it matches my mirror perfectly so I decided to use it as makeup vanity. It’s a little scuffed up, but I think it has character. One day I will sand it down and re-stain it. Isn’t it beautiful? Have you ever found something on the side of the road, that makes you really, really happy to look at?
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Roasted Lemon Chicken Recipe
Every woman needs to master at least two dinner recipes in case she ever gets to host a party. This roasted lemon chicken recipe came from a silly book, believe it or not, and I only tried making it to see if it was a joke last Thanksgiving. Turns out, this recipe was as serious as it was delicious, and very easy, too! Read on for the recipe. A photo posted by ivy (@inivyshead) on Dec 25, 2015 at 1:44pm PST Ingredients: 1 whole chicken cinnamon 2 organic lemons 1 small tin of candied lemons 1 onion 2 Tbs soy sauce fresh rosemary, tied in a bunch (not in…
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Halloween Cookies Recipe
Boo! It’s Halloween, let’s bake some Halloween Cookies! I took my favorite recipe for spice cookies which I make every Christmas and turned them into skeleton gingerbread men for the ultimate Halloween treat. Look! I had a super cute Vine of these, but then Vine went kaput so a pic has to do.. (like my Day of the Dead fella?) A photo posted by ivy (@inivyshead) on Oct 31, 2015 at 7:50am PDT Alright, let’s just get right to it. Here’s my recipe, just a heads up, you’re going to need a scale. Ingredients: 50ml Orange Juice (about 4 Tbs) 140g brown sugar 50g honey 2 T water 150g unsalted…
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! There are plenty of great ways to support breast cancer research foundations and organizations. You can donate directly to your preferred cause, or use your purchasing powers at local establishments to give back. Important facts About Breast Cancer In The United States: One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Each year it is estimated that over 246,660 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000…
