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Meal Prep 101

4/18/2019

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Meal prep is a total game changer. Especially now that we’re moms, once 5 p.m. rolls around, the last thing we want to do is figure out what on earth we’re going to make for dinner. We haven’t gotten it down to a perfect rhythm just yet, but we’ve started to get into a bit of a meal-planning groove and we are loving the difference a little prep can make. To give you a bit of meal-planning motivation, we’re sharing some of our top tips to make dinnertime a breeze. And we’re even keeping it real by sharing one of our favourite takeout options thanks to Greco Pizza! Now if only we could find a way to make washing the dishes just as easy! 

Make a Plan
Choose one night a week to make a plan. Carving out this time is essential to setting yourself up for a successful week ahead. Jacqueline likes to make her meal plan a week in advance. You may prefer to prep on the weekend. It doesn’t matter when you plan, just make sure you do it! 
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​Choose your Proteins
We like to choose a couple proteins to carry us through the week. For example, roasting a chicken allows you to enjoy a roast dinner one evening, chicken sandwiches with sweet potato fries another, and chicken curry the next night. If you’re serving a large family, roast a turkey to give yourself even more protein. Your protein doesn’t have to be meat. Jacqueline has a mild obsession with chickpeas. (That’s normal, right?) They are so versatile, packed with protein, and work perfectly in a quinoa salad or curry. 
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One-Pot Wonders
We love a good one-pot wonder. These dishes are usually easy to freeze, packed with flavour and make great weeknight dinners. Think soups and stews (using your protein of choice for the week), or casserole-type dishes like lasagne, mac and cheese, or shepherd’s pie. 
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Think Big 
Anytime we make pasta sauce, soups, or curry, we make enough for a few meals and freeze the excess. We cannot tell you how many times dinner has been saved by a good ol’ freezer meal. You can also freeze meatballs and pizza dough. The options are endless. 

Treat yo’ Self!
When we were in university, every Sunday, without fail, the whole family would get together for takeout pizza. Our favourite food mixed with our favourite people was the best way to head into a new week. We currently have Greco Pizza on speed dial (no shame). Did you know they have the largest party pizza in Atlantic Canada? It’s 24 oh-so-delicious slices of pizza goodness and our go-to for family pizza night. After a long week and after the meal prep is out of the way, we are all about kicking up our feet and digging into a hot pizza. No fuss. No mess. And definitely no disappointment. We have no idea what herbs and spices are sprinkled on their crust, but… Oh. My. Goodness. If pizza isn’t your thing (seriously though, how can pizza not be your thing?) Greco has lots of other options, including oven subs, donairs, salads, and donair egg rolls! Oh, and the garlic bread! Visit greco.ca to see the full menu and to order your own party in a box this weekend! 
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Happy planning lovelies!

​xo Jacqueline and Lindsay

[This post has been sponsored by Greco Pizza.]
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Easter Crafts with Kids

4/17/2019

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The countdown to Easter is on and we’re sharing two super simple Easter crafts for kids. For a demo of both crafts, scroll to the end of this post and check out our segment on CTV Morning Live. Happy crafting!
 
Yellow Chick
This is a cute idea that uses your kid’s hands to make the wings! 
 
What You’ll Need

  • Yellow and orange cardstock. You can also use construction paper, but cardstock is thicker and a little sturdier.

  • A glue stick.

  • Paper fasteners. 
 
  • Scissors.
 
  • A pencil.
 
  • Googly eyes

Instructions
 
Cut all of your shapes out first. The wings are shaped by tracing your little one’s hands on the yellow cardstock with a pencil. For the chick’s body, cut out a circle using the yellow cardstock. Use the orange cardstock to cut out the feet and a beak. The beak is the shape of a diamond. 
 
Pierce holes with a pencil or scissors on both sides of the yellow circle and at the top of the wings. Attach the wings to the circle using two fasteners. 
 
Using your glue stick, glue the legs onto the back of the yellow circle. Fold the orange diamond in half to make the beak. Apply glue to one half of the folded diamond and attach it to the front of the chick. Apply glue to the googly eyes and attach them to the front of the chick.
 
If this is a gift for a loved one, you can have your little one draw a picture or sign their name on the back of the chick. It’s a creative keepsake and a homemade Easter card! 
 
Paper carrots 
We know the Easter Bunny loves carrots, so this is a little treat that would make a sweet gift. These paper carrots would also make a cute centrepiece in a wicker basket. 

What You’ll Need

  • Orange and green cardstock.

  • Scissors.

  • Glue and/or scotch tape.

Instructions
Cut a rounded-bottom triangle into the orange cardstock. The size of the triangle just depends on how big you want to make the carrots. 
 
Cut a wide strip out of the green cardstock. Make sure the green band wraps around the entire top of the carrot and you have a little bit of overlap. Cut slits into the green paper, but make sure to leave about two centimetres uncut at the bottom so you have room to add glue. 
 
Once the pieces are cut, add a strip of glue to one side of the orange cardstock and roll the paper to make a cone. You can also add a piece of clear tape to make sure it stays together. 
 
Take your green band of paper and add glue directly under the cut strips. Wrap the green paper around the top of the carrot and press down as you go to make sure it sticks. You can add another piece of tape here to make sure it stays together. 
 
Happy Easter!

For a full demo of both crafts, click here: http://bit.ly/2DiFiG0 
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Tips and Tricks for a Successful Purge

4/12/2019

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We've talked about purging in our checklists pretty much every month, and after binge-watching Tidying Up on Netflix, we've become slightly obsessed with de-cluttering every corner of our home. If we're being honest, our Everest has been clothing. We love to shop and we love to tell ourselves that at some point, in the next five years, we might have a need for that purple poncho with the gold tassels. So this week, we're sharing a few helpful tips and tricks that has kept us on track during our mission to purge. 

  • Anything with holes or stains (hello motherhood!) has got to go.

  • If you went through an entire season without wearing an item of clothing, then you’re probably not going to wear it again. A good trick is to hang all of your hangers facing the same way. Once you wear something, turn the hanger the other way. You’ll be surprised at how few hangers are actually turned at the end of the year. 
 
  • If you never seem to have enough hangers, it’s probably time to purge. 
 
  • Socks without mates (such a mystery!) will make an excellent puppet, but don’t belong in the sock drawer. 
 
  • If it’s past its prime, it goes into the garbage or compost. This rule goes for food, bath and beauty products, and makeup.
 
  • Anything with a respectable expiry date that you know no one in your home is going to eat should go straight to a food bank.  
 
  • Containers without lids (how does that happen?) are no longer serving their purpose. 
 
  • Chipped cups and bowls were cute in Beauty in the Beast, but they don’t belong in your kitchen. 
 
  • If your kids are old enough, explain the power of the purge and the satisfaction of donating any unused items to a local charity. 
 
  • Toys that no longer work and can't be fixed are just taking up space.
 
  • Set a good chunk of time aside to go through every piece of paper in your home office. Chances are a lot can head straight to the recycling bin. 
 
  • Remember: quality over quantity.
 
  • Be honest as you go through each item and ask yourself: Do I really need it? Do I really want it? Does it even work? Will I miss it if it's gone?
 
  • Commit to the purge. If you know you don’t have a ton of time, set aside ten minutes a day. Be intentional and focused.
 
  • Create an organized space. That way, when clutter comes a calling, it will stand out and won't get lost in the fray. 
 
Happy purging! 

xo Jacqueline and Lindsay
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    Jacqueline and Lindsay are sisters and new moms living on the East Coast of Canada.

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