April 2016

Saturday Dinner…with Swagger

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016 livingswagger

It is a little known secret that when my husband and I met I couldn’t cook to save my life- I literally ruined french toast on one of our breakfast dates. Lucky for him…and our children, and all future dinner parties…I was eager to learn and spent lots of time reading cookbooks, experimenting in the kitchen, and nabbing every hint and recipe I could from my mom, step-mom and mother-in-law.

My mother-in-law, in particular, is a pro at home cooking, and her amazing, yet usually not super healthy, recipes are my husband’s absolute faves! Over time, I’ve taken to tweaking some of her famous recipes into more healthy versions. Such is the case with Hamburger Pie, which is a staple in our home (in the healthier version at least).

A quick note: The version of Hamburger Pie I’m sharing tonight is the “quick” version (we decided, uncharacteristically, to throw something together tonight), and contains some canned veggies. More often than not, I do fresh green beans and frozen white corn form Costco.

1.5 lbs ground turkey
2 green peppers, chopped
1/2 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans french green beans (or sub 2 cups fresh green beans)
1 can corn (or sub 1 cup frozen white corn)
3-4 red potatoes (depending on size), chopped and then mashed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350˚. Brown ground turkey, adding chopped green pepper after almost fully cooked through. Allow pepper to soften. Add 1/2 can tomato paste and 1 can diced tomatoes. Stir until turkey/pepper mix is fully coated in tomatoes and paste.

While turkey is browning, chop red potatoes and bring to a boil. Once soft, drain and mash (I usually add a small amount of fat-free milk (maybe 1/4 cup), a Tbsp butter, and some fresh garlic) into a soft mashed puree.

In a glass 13×9″ baking dish, layer ingredients: turkey/pepper/tomato mixture, followed by green beans and corn, followed by mashed potato mix, and finally cheeses.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.

Enjoy!

travel, Uncategorized

Have Children, Will Travel

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016 livingswagger

We try to take our children on travel with us as often as we can, and when we take them we try to make the experience one they will always remember. This year, for their spring break, we decided to take a road trip to AZ.

I know, I know…a lot of people hear road trip with a 7 and 8 year old and think- CRAZY! But in all reality, this trip was absolutely amazing. And by driving the 20 (approx) hours from the Pacific North West to the Southwest, we were able to show the kids (and let’s be honest- show ourselves) some really incredible things that we would have never known existed.

We did some major researching before we left…some things worked, some not so much…and I’ve compiled a list of some really great tips for road trip traveling with the kiddos.

Roadtrippers.com – This site is incredible! You put in the starting point and destination and it does the rest. You are able to select options such as “Hotels”, “Points of Interest”, “Restaurants”, etc. and the distance you are willing to travel from your route. Having two boys we searched this site for the funky and unusual (spooky, haunted, abandoned, etc) and the boys loved every single stop we made.
Backseat organizers- I found ours (Mom’s Besty) for $14.77 on Amazon. We choose this particular one because A) it had good reviews and was affordable! B) it had a bottom strap along with a top strap to keep it in place and prevent it from bashing into the kids legs all trip long and C) it had a Kindle (or whatever other tablet your child might have) slot. Another hit! The boys had room to store drinks and snacks and could watch the movies we bought them without neck strain.
Mom’s Besty
Travel Binders and “Goodie Bags”- I actually put quite a bit of time into these, making one for each boy. The bags were easy- a few coloring books, Mad Libs (who doesn’t love Mad Libs?), and snacks (both healthy and not so much…). The mother-in-law completed the goodie bags with some great IQ/brain teaser games.

I made the binder covers on Photoshop, specifically including the states we would be traveling to/through and threw together a quick page of vintage postcards in a page protector so that they would have a spot to put brochures and flyers from each place we traveled.

I found some really great printables from a variety of different sites and blogs (sorry all…I searched through far too many to give all the site credits here but trust me- they are out there!). These included state fact pages for each state we visited, games, mazes, find-its, word searches, etc. I placed each one in a plastic page protector so that the kids could use an expo marker on the page protector, erase, and do it all over again.

I also put together a “journal” for each place we planned on visiting, giving the kids room to write about what they learned, whether they liked it, and if they would ever come back. I rounded out the binder with notebook of blank ruled paper and a pencil bag that held colored pencils, expo markers, crayons (they melted in AZ!!), and mechanical pencils. The kids adored their binders and loved that fact they could take them in and share with their classmates at school when we returned home.

4. The garbage can- yes, it might sound silly but I saw this pointer online and it worked brilliantly. Think about the amount of trash that comes with that long of a drive. I found my “trashcan” at the Dollar Store (score!) but you can find a plastic cereal dispenser almost anywhere. Add some plastic bags as the liner and you are good to go!

So next time you hear road trip and kids in the same sentence, don’t fret- there are some super simple hacks that make the road less traveled a little easier. Our trip was great! Something the kids, and the hubby and I, will truly remember forever ❤

Note: No product/site reviewed here paid for product placement or advertisement. These are just my opinions 🙂

Uncategorized, wear

April Stitch Fix Review

April 5, 2016May 4, 2016 livingswagger

For my April Stitch Fix I focused completely on spring ❤ I asked for versatile dresses (work friendly, church appropriate and yet still FUN), skinnies and/or joggers, shorts, and a light spring jacket. Kristen M (my streak with Kristen continues!!) pulled in with a major win this month and I have to say I was beyond tempted to order all 5 items!

Her note read: “Hi Kristin, I had so much fun styling this Fix for you! I’m so sorry only the cardigan worked out in your last Fix and hope we have more yes’s than no’s in this box! For a nice Sunday brunch or wine tasting outing with friends, throw on the Skies are Blue cold shoulder dress. I’m so glad you mentioned this dress in your request because I had my eye on it for you! All you need is a few bangles and wedges to complete the look. I know you are interested in dressy joggers and thought you would like to try the grey Laila Jayde joggers. Super comfy for all day wear and can be easily dressed up with a small heel and the bright Skies are Blue lace top. Do a small tuck in the front like on your Pinterest. The black 41Hawthorn faux wrap is the perfect LBD for all year long. Have fun! Can’t wait to hear your feedback! xo, Kristen M”

Seri Knit Moto Jacket – $74

This jacket is too cute! Great jersey like material (really it’s a Cotton/Poly blend that is hand washable). I honestly could not have asked for a better color/style/fit for spring. I feel like this is one of those jackets that could go with so much. The only reason I did not keep this jacket, and believe me- I was tempted!, is because it fit a little too loose in the back/waist area for a jacket that I would never have anything bulky under. Otherwise, this jacket was a solid choice by Kristen!

Verdict- Returned

Shaolin Crepe Cold Shoulder Dress – $58

Ok- so the funny thing with this dress…I loved it! I think it is fun, cute, comfortable, and easily dressed up/dressed down. I agree with Kristen’s idea on the Sunday brunch dress. It is 100% Rayon and hand washable (another plus). The downside? Everyone that I showed the dress and/or picture to- didn’t love the dress. Talk about a downer! And while I do care more about what I think than what others think- I was thrown off by the fact that not one person liked the dress.

Verdict- Returned

Rocco Jersey Faux Wrap Dress – $78

And just to make the circle complete, everyone really liked this dress…except me! Ha! I received a lot of compliments on this Poly/Spandex hand washable dress. Even my kids liked it. And I admit- in the picture it does look super flattering, and I know I could wear it all year long. For some reason though, I didn’t feel comfortable in it. It feels a little heavy, and the neckline threw me for a loop. I really appreciate Kristen’s diversity in picking the dresses she sent though…I’m not giving up on letting her find the perfect one!

Verdict- Returned

Nicki Jogger Pant- $58

I’ve been asking for the dressy joggers and Kristen pulled through with these 100%. Love the fit, material (Cotton/Poly hand washable), and the fact they are just dressy enough to pull off for work! While I do like the grey/green color that they are, I wish they would have been black- only because my Target non-dressy joggers (a $19 score!) are so close in color/look.

Even with the close color though, I can’t pull off my Target joggers at work or church…

Verdict – Kept!

Disanto Lace Detail Top – $48

When I pulled this top out, I wasn’t sure about it. It is cute- for sure- but I was’t sure it would be a keeper. And then I put it on and fell in love… I threw on a pair of jean shorts and it worked great, but I can only imagine how adorable it can be dressed up with a skirt (I can’t wait to pair it with my Walt Skirt from February), my favorite grey skinnies and some booties, or even the Nicki Joggers, like Kristen mentioned. It is Poly/Rayon hand washable.

Verdict: Kept!

Bring on May! I cannot wait for more spring/summer gear!

A note about Stitch Fix:

It’s a super easy to use service…you fill out a style profile, choose the prices you would be willing to pay per each item type, and decide how often you want to get styled. You have the option of setting up your own Stitch Fix Pinterest board that your stylist can look at while styling you. A stylist from Stitch Fix will then be your own personal stylist for however often you choose to receive a box, sending you 5 items based on your style profile, Pinterest board, and personal instructions. If you purchase an item, the $20 service fee goes towards it, if you keep all 5 items, they take 25% off, or you can send all the items back and they only keep the $20.

Check out my “fix” above and (stay tuned for future “fixes”), if you are thinking about trying your own “fix”, use this link https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/6200951 (Note: I will get a credit on a future “fix” if you sign up and will thank you tremendously!!)

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