#I have so many yummy recipes I’d love to share but only if asked to!

[bunnyfrail]

The orange and pink dye makes it taste yummier! I wanted to bake an ooey gooey cake and it ended up accidentally vegan and 90 calories per 3x3.25 piece- what a nice surprise ^^

[suituuup]

pieces - chapter ten

Five years ago, Chloe dropped off the face of the Earth. Beca didn’t expect to see her again dancing in a strip club, out of all places.

rated: E (drug use and emotional abuse in early chapters)

ao3 link

*

The knock at the door made Chloe jolt. 

Aubrey was here, and Chloe was a nervous wreck. Even if Aubrey had shown nothing but support in the texts they had exchanged over the last couple of months, Chloe was bracing herself for judgment. It had become her default setting over the last couple of years, to always expect people to think the worst of her. 

It turned out Aubrey couldn’t make it for dinner that weekend and instead offered lunch on the following Monday, so Beca was currently at work. Meeting her alone made Chloe even more nervous; Beca had become her rock, her lifeline over the past couple of months, and someone Chloe actually trusted, and she would have been more comfortable with her being present. 

She wiped her hands on her apron and padded to the door, sucking in one last deep breath before pulling it open.  Her friend looked the same as Chloe remembered her, except for her hairstyle, which evolved into a neat bob and matched the lawyer persona well.

“Hey Chlo,” Aubrey greeted softly, eyes soft and smile shy. 

“Hi,” Chloe breathed out when she remembered she should say something, blinking. 

Before Chloe could step aside, Aubrey stepped forward and pulled Chloe into a loose hug. Chloe’s first reaction was to tense for a brief moment, eventually wrapping her arms around Aubrey’s back, in turn, her shoulders relaxing as she exhaled. 

“Thanks for having me over,” Aubrey said as she backed away.

Chloe nodded with a small smile and took a step back to let Aubrey through. “Come on in. I uh-- I made chicken pasta. Do you still like that?” 

Cooking had been one of the activities Chloe had rekindled with since finishing rehab. Following a recipe was a good distraction from her cravings. 

“I do. Sounds yummy.” 

“You-- you’ve been here before, I imagine?” Chloe asked as she shut and locked the door behind them, leading Aubrey to the main room.

Aubrey shrugged off her jacket. “A few times, yes. I think the last time was for Beca’s birthday last September.” 

Chloe nodded once more, then remembered her manners. “Can I offer you anything to drink?” She asked as she padded to the fridge. “We have water, flat or sparkling, coke and fanta.” 

“Sparkling water is good,” Aubrey said as she perched herself on a stool, resting her chin over her propped-up hand. “How’s it been living with Beca?” 

“Good,” Chloe replied as she reached for two water glasses in the cupboards, the water bottle in her other hand. “She’s been really amazing with trying to make me feel at home. It’s weird though because I can’t pay rent or groceries. I still feel like I’m taking advantage of her generosity.”

Aubrey hummed. “I get that. But you’re not. Beca wouldn’t offer all those things if she felt like you were taking advantage. And we all know you’re not. You’re getting back on your feet and could use all the help you can get, which I’m sure Beca is happy to give.” 

Chloe took a deep breath and nodded. She uncapped the bottle and poured some water into both drinks. 

“How have you been feeling otherwise?” Aubrey questioned then. 

Chloe shrugged, breaking eye-contact. “It’s been a real rollercoaster, to be honest. Somedays I feel fine, other days it feels like I’m drowning. If it weren’t for Beca’s support or--” The baby, which she had yet to tell Aubrey about. She swallowed, forcing herself to meet her friend’s gaze. “A few days before the end of rehab, I found out that I was pregnant.” 

Aubrey blinked twice in slow succession, much like Beca had done. “You are? I mean--” 

“I’m keeping it,” Chloe cleared up before Aubrey could attempt to reword her question. “I know it probably sounds crazy and irresponsible given my situation and who the father is, I--” 

“I think you’re going to make an amazing mom, Chlo,” Aubrey murmured before Chloe could finish. “And yes, your situation is tricky right now, but it won’t forever be that way. And the father might be a dick whose balls should be fed to wolves, but you and I both know that a  baby sharing your genes can’t be evil.” She tilted her head to the side. “Are you going to tell him?” 

Chloe froze. She hadn’t dared broach the subject with her therapist for fear of her telling a judge, and she didn’t know what she was allowed or not allowed to do. “Do I… have to? I mean, legally?”

Aubrey shook her head. “No, you don’t have any obligations to. The father’s name on the birth certificate can be left blank, and that means Marco will have no rights over the child.” 

Chloe nibbled on her bottom lip as she processed that information. “What if he finds out? Can he get custody?” 

“He’ll have to submit a petition to the court through a lawyer in order to have a DNA test done,” Aubrey explained. “After that, a judge decides if he has the right to have custody, but I really don’t see how he could, given his track record. I had a friend at the precinct look him up, and he’s been convicted several times for drug dealing and violence.” 

Relief swept over Chloe upon hearing that. The thought of Marco having any influence on that child gave her nightmares. “Okay. Good.” She cleared her throat when her brain caught up with the rest of Aubrey’s sentence. “I didn’t know he was a criminal.” But she wasn’t surprised, now. “I wouldn’t have-- he was really good to me at the beginning, and by the time his true personality surfaced, I had nowhere to go.” 

“He was toxic,” Aubrey said as she nodded. “A manipulator. He probably loved the hell out of you at first, bombarded you with sweet messages and calls and flattery? And little by little, the connection faded and you started to feel meaningless? Unworthy?” 

Chloe could only nod faintly, because Aubrey had just put into words what her relationship with Marco felt like, without Chloe telling her any of that stuff. 

“I come across so many people with the same profile in my job, and the victims, men or women, always blame themselves. But they shouldn’t. You shouldn’t.” 

Her therapist had already told Chloe that many times, but Chloe’s default thinking made it hard to grasp that. Being with Marco felt like chaos reigned in her head, her emotions, her body, her life, and he found a way to make her believe it was her own fault. 

Chloe mustered a soft smile, feeling more than ready to stop talking about that for now. “Should we eat?” 

The conversation thankfully transitioned to easier subjects. Chloe caught up on the last six years of Aubrey’s life, feeling a little lighter and more at ease around her friend now that it was clear Aubrey held no grudge or judgment towards Chloe for cutting her out of her life. They found themselves reminiscing about their college days, two hours zipping by without Chloe once thinking about her cravings. 

“I’m just a call away, alright?” Aubrey said as she slid her jacket back on. “And if you ever want to come to Boston for a weekend, I have two guest bedrooms.” 

A genuine smile spread across Chloe’s lips as she nodded. “I’d love that.” Chloe was the one to initiate the hug this time, letting it linger. “Thank you for coming down, Bree.”

Aubrey smiled back. “It was my pleasure. See you soon, Chloe.” 

Bean’s thirteen-week-check-up took place the following day. Chloe was set on having as many tests done as possible at this stage, with an NT scan to help assess the baby’s risk of having complications such as Down syndrome, other chromosomal abnormalities, and major congenital heart problems, as well as full blood work to rule out cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs.

Bean passed their scan with flying colors, much to her relief. The heartbeat was strong, and 

Bean’s features were unmistakably human this time around; Chloe could make out Bean’s head and their nose and the round belly and tiny feet.

She went home with three pictures, and Beca insisted one should go up on the fridge. 

The following month was punctuated with more therapy, NA meetings, and the visit to Oregon. Chloe felt more at home in Beca’s apartment with each passing day, though she tried her best to stay out of the way whenever Sarah was over. 

On the day of their departure, Chloe was beyond grateful Beca agreed to come with her, as telling her parents the truth felt incredibly daunting. 

They landed in Portland a little after four that Thursday, renting a car to drive the two hours to Newport, where Chloe’s childhood home was located. As Beca parked the car in her parents’ driveway, Chloe was rooted to her seat with nerves. 

Beca’s hand on her leg snapped her out of it. “Hey.” Chloe turned her head to the left, meeting Beca’s soft eyes. “Breathe. In and out.” 

Nodding, Chloe inhaled deeply through her nose and released the air through her mouth, closing her eyes. She reached for the door handle next and stepped out, swallowing thickly as she let her leaned legs carry her to the front door. She pressed the doorbell and stepped back, instinctively reaching for Beca’s hand. 

Her mom appeared on the other side a handful of seconds later, and she engulfed Chloe into a hug before Chloe could even utter anything. 

“Hi mom,” she croaked out, her eyes fluttering shut as she released Beca’s hand to hug her back tightly, basking into the instant comfort being in her mom’s arms brought her. 

Alice pulled away but kept Chloe at arms’ length, her gaze sweeping over her features. “It’s so good to see you, baby.” Her focus shifted to Beca, and she embraced her next, keeping it a bit shorter. They had met each other before when her parents flew to Atlanta for Chloe’s graduation. “Welcome to our home, Beca.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Beale.” 

Chloe’s mom glared playfully, tutting. “It’s Alice to you. Come on inside.” 

They stepped into the house, a smell Chloe knew well drifting from the kitchen: her dad’s famous lasagna, Chloe’s favorite. 

“Hey Chlobear,” her dad greeted as soon as they rounded the corner, smile bright and eyes sparkling as he sat in his electric wheelchair by the couch. 

Tears pricked behind Chloe’s eyes, and she crossed the distance between them, bending down to hug him. His working arm drifted up to snake around her back. “Hi, Dad,” she whispered, emotions trapping her voice in her throat. “I’m so happy to see you.” 

“Me too, sweetheart,” he murmured, his own voice wavering. “I made your favorite. Well, your mom made your favorite under my supervision, ‘cause she would have messed it up otherwise.” 

“Hey,” Chloe’s mom objected, drawing a chuckle from both Chloe and her dad. 

Chloe straightened, hitching her thumb over her shoulder. “You remember Beca, right?” 

“Of course I do,” Mike confirmed as he made his chair go forward, then extended his hand. “How are you, Beca?” 

“Hello Mr. Beale,” Beca greeted, shaking his head. “It’s nice to see you again.” 

“You, too. And it’s Mike. No Mr. Beale around this house.” 

Beca laughed, nodding. “Got it, Mike.” 

“I hope you guys are hungry, we’ve made enough food to last us until next month,” Mike commented as he moved towards the table. 

After freshening up, she and Beca sat at the table just as Alice pulled the lasagna out from the oven, then grabbed the salad and the wine bottle from the counter. 

“Wine, Beca?” She asked, holding up the bottle. 

“I’m good, thanks, though.” 

Chloe glanced at her. “You can have some if you want.” 

Beca shook her head, smiling softly as she unfolded her napkin and draped it across her lap. “I’m okay, I promise. Water’s fine.” 

Chloe caught her parents sharing a confused look over the exchange, and she cleared her throat, knowing it was probably best to get this over with. “Mom, you should probably sit down.” 

Concern creased a frown on Alice’s forehead as she set the bottle down and lowered herself next to Chloe’s dad. “What’s going on, Chloe?” 

Chloe took a deep breath, and she felt Beca’s hand cover her own under the table. She flipped hers over and wrapped her fingers around Beca’s, grateful for the grounding contact. “I um--” she swallowed, unable to figure out where to start even though she had practiced her speech countless times leading up to their visit. 

Shame and guilt rushed through her, digging their claws into her heart and lungs, making it harder to breathe. 

“Chloe,” her mother’s voice pierced through the buzzing in Chloe’s ears. Chloe looked up from her plate, finding soft eyes. “Whatever it is, you can tell us.”

Chloe closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath, forcing herself to own up to her situation by looking at her parents while she spoke. “I have a drug problem. Had. I’m--I’m in recovery. I got out of rehab a couple of months ago.” 

A heavy silence settled over the room as Mike and Alice processed the news. Chloe felt like bolting out of the house as she watched her dad swallow thickly, and her mom’s jaw-dropping. She felt a squeeze to her hand and remembered to breathe. 

“Oh Chloe,” her mom whispered and got up to sit in the vacant chair on the other side of Chloe, taking her other hand as she tilted her head to the side. “How long have you been struggling?” 

Chloe cleared her throat. “About five years. I never-- I never graduated from vet school. I dropped out.” 

Her father frowned, his mouth moving wordlessly for a few beats. “But-- the money you gave us for my treatment every month?” 

“I was a stripper,” Chloe admitted quietly. “That’s how I got introduced to cocaine. How I met Marco. How I... made so much money.” She was hit by an array of emotions -- shame, fear, and somehow, relief -- right then, and a sob burst out from her throat before she could reign it in. “I’m s-sorry I lied to you for so long.” She released Beca’s hand to cover her mouth, her body shaking as she crumbled under the weight of her feelings. 

She didn’t fight it when her mom pulled her into her arms, rubbing her back in slow circles and whispering reassuring words into her ear. “It’s okay, sweetie. Breathe. We love you. No matter what.” 

It took a few minutes for Chloe to be able to get her breathing under control, straightening when she did and taking the tissue Beca offered her. 

“You must have a lot of questions,” she murmured, licking her dry lips. She still had the baby bomb to drop, but one thing at a time. Thankfully she wasn’t showing that much yet, and her large hoodie kept her small bump concealed. 

“Thank you for telling us,” her father murmured, and Chloe saw him wipe a tear away when she looked up. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be, as for deciding to seek help.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t do it before. I was ashamed and lost and--” she shrugged. “I wasn’t myself.” 

“How are you feeling now?” Her mom asked softly, pushing Chloe’s hair behind her ear. “You said it’s been two months since rehab?” 

Chloe nodded, sniffling. “Ups and downs. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Beca. She’s the one who encouraged me to get help, who paid for rehab, continued paying for your treatment, and I’ve been staying at her place while I get back on my feet.” 

Both her parents’ focus shifted to Beca, gratitude swirling in their eyes. 

“She’s been incredibly strong and responsible,” Beca said, smiling softly. “Hasn’t missed a therapy session or NA meeting since getting out of rehab.” 

“And this Marco…” her dad trailed off in a questioning tone. 

“He’s out of my life. He wasn’t a good person, but I failed to realize that.” 

“More like he hid it well,” Beca corrected gently. Chloe met her eyes. “Remember what Aubrey and your therapist said about how you didn’t have to blame yourself for that?” 

Chloe nodded. “Right.” 

“Did he… hurt you?” Mike asked next, a tremor in his voice as he seemed to brace himself for the answer. 

“Not physically.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Chloe didn’t think that slap was worth mentioning. “Just… emotionally. He knew how to get into my head, and the drugs didn’t help. They have this funny way of having you believe whatever it wants you to. Logic and reason no longer existed for me when I was at my lowest. I was ashamed of lying to you every time we spoke on the phone, but the paranoia over you not wanting to talk to me again if I told you was stronger.” 

She was sure her dad had a lot more questions and probably wondered if his treatment and their financial problems pushed Chloe into taking that job, but he remained silent, clearly mulling everything over. 

“We could tell you looked tired every time we called, but we never…” Alice trailed off, shaking her head as a few tears rolled down her cheeks when she blinked. “I’m so sorry.” 

“No,” Chloe croaked out, having feared this: her parents blaming themselves. Her heart felt incredibly heavy as she sandwiched her mom’s hand between her own, glancing at her dad briefly. “I don’t want you guys to feel guilty and think that you should have noticed. I hid it well, especially the first few years. Then it sort of derailed, that’s why I stopped visiting. Please don’t apologize.” 

“Did you take that job because you felt like you had to help us?” Her dad asked, just as Chloe had predicted. “With my treatment?” 

Chloe took a deep breath. “I took it because NYC was expensive and I was struggling a bit with rent. And when your health worsened, I asked for more shifts to help out.” She didn’t want to get into what she was asked to do for more money. She couldn’t. Her dad would be eaten away by guilt if he knew how much of a toll working in the VIP room took on her. The whole truth would hurt him more than a small lie. “It’s when I started doing drugs that everything fell apart. It’s not on you, dad. I promise.” 

Mike swallowed and ran his hand over his face as he visibly tried to keep a hold on his emotions. “You’re my daughter, you shouldn’t have had to provide for me, or to put yourself first.” 

“Dad, please,” Chloe whispered, feeling her throat shrinking. “I wanted to help. I just… made bad choices and met the wrong people. It’s not your fault.” Her eyes found her dad’s. “Please tell me you believe that?” 

Her father remained silent for a stretch as he stared at her. He eventually offered a faint nod, but Chloe wasn’t sure if he was being honest. 

Her mom reached up to wipe her tears away, sniffling. “What… what can we do to help you through your recovery?” 

“Being part of my support system, like you unknowingly have since I got out of rehab,” Chloe murmured with a small smile. “And dealing with more of my visits,” she added, knowing they would both be all for that.

“You are always welcome to move back here, Chlo. For as long as you want,” she offered. 

“I…” she cleared the rising lump in her throat as she briefly glanced down to her lap. “There’s something else that I need to tell you.” Another deep breath. “I’m four months pregnant. With Marco’s baby. But he’s not going to be involved. I’m going to raise them on my own.” 

There. Everything she was ready to share was out there in the open, and Chloe felt incredibly lighter, despite her heartbeat picking up as her parents once again fell silent. She really couldn’t blame them, after everything she had just dumped on them. 

“I know it’s a lot,” she added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I know my decision to keep it might come across as strange, but I couldn’t get rid of it, and this baby is giving my life purpose again because I want to be a better person for them.” 

“I think you are incredibly brave,” Alice said after a little while, reaching out to catch a tear falling on Chloe’s cheek with the side of her pointer finger. “And I’m failing to find words to express how proud of you I am.” 

Chloe sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand as her gaze met her dad’s once more. She could tell he needed more time to work through everything, and maybe they could talk about it some more the next day, once he had slept over it. 

“That kid is going to be the most spoiled grandchild of all Newport,” he joked with a soft smile, his words loosening the nerves in Chloe’s stomach.

Chloe released a watery giggle. “I love you guys.” 

“We love you, too, Chlobear,” her dad murmured, and after embracing her mom tightly, Chloe stood up and rounded the table to hug her dad. 

They eventually dug into dinner, the conversation shifting to the baby, whether it was okay, what the risks there were, when was her due date... Her parents offered to turn the office into a nursery if Chloe wanted to move back in with them, to which Chloe answered that she would think about it. She had been concerned about how much the pregnancy and having a newborn baby around would affect Beca’s life and her relationship with Sarah, and this would be another alternative to which Chloe needed to give some serious thought. 

Chloe and Beca headed upstairs shortly after dinner, both feeling exhausted as their mind and body were three hours ahead. After showing Beca to the guest room, Chloe changed into her pajamas and washed up for bed, knocking on Beca’s door on her way back to her own bedroom. 

She pushed it open upon hearing a soft come in, finding Beca lying on top of the comforter, already changed in her sleeping wear. 

“You okay?” She asked, smiling as Chloe sat down on the edge of the mattress. “That went pretty well.” 

“Yeah, I…” she swallowed, shaking her head in leftover awe. “I have amazing parents. I didn’t think they would be so understanding.” 

“Of course they’re amazing. They raised you.” 

Chloe bowed her head as blush bloomed in her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “I think my dad is a bit shaken up and part of him feels to blame, but I’m hoping he and I can talk some more tomorrow.” 

Beca nodded. “Yeah. I think that’s a good idea.” 

Chloe let out a small sigh, and she reached out to squeeze Beca’s hand. “Thanks again for coming here with me.” 

“Not a problem. I’m hoping you’ll show me around the town at some point, take me to your favorite spots.” 

“We can definitely do that tomorrow,” Chloe agreed, her smile genuine. “Goodnight, Bec.” 

“Night Chloe. Night Bean.”

[queen-scribbles]

A Taste of Home

Quick fill for @pillarspromptsweekly​ 74, in case the other idea takes too long. Using Rekke, summer and first bite of a new food as my elements.

If she hadn’t just tripped over a crack and slammed her shoulder into a wall hard enough to make her hand tingle, Adela might have thought she was dreaming. The wizened, ratty Vailian woman hawking food in one of Neketaka’s many back alleys had Ixamitl summer pears. She didn’t know how the woman had gotten her hands on them, didn’t really care. Her mouth was already watering at the half dozen golden fruit, dusking slightly red at the top in proof they were at their ripest.

Hearing the merchant’s heavily accent Aedyran, Adela smiled warmly and greeted her in Vailian. “Ado, aimica, your wares look so good, I would be a fool if I went on without obtaining some.”

The woman’s face split in a matching grin. “Belfetto, aimica,” she returned,  “Renata Giaro is at your service, tella.”

Adela nodded to confirm the deduction in that last word and glanced back toward her lollygagging companions. She had a couple minutes before they caught up--maybe more if Xoti decided she couldn’t walk and tell whatever tale she was weaving at the same time. 

“How much for the pears?” she asked, gesturing toward the sack. It might not be smart bartering to be so obvious, but frankly, she didn’t care if she got fleeced, those pears would be a taste of home and she wanted them.

Renata gestured grandly as she plucked the woven sack from its hook and placed it on the counter. “You have excellent taste, aimica. Ixamitl’s summer pears are delicious, and hard to come by here in the Deadfire.” She drummed her fingers against the counter twice in succession. “I could let you have them for seventy five pires each.”

That was piracy worse than the Principi engaged in, and Adela still had to stop herself from knee-jerk agreement, just to ensure she got a taste of home. “Too much. Forty five each,” she countered with a shake of her head.

Renata tsked and shook her head in return. “You’ll beggar me, tella. Sixty each. Not a pire less.”

Still high, but acceptably so. “Deal.” Adela counted out the money, took the sack, and turned to leave-

-Just in time to almost run into Rekke as he and Xoti finally caught up to her. He mumbled something startled and grabbed her shoulder to steady her. “Sorry, Adi. I thought you knew we were there.”

“I did, sort of,” Adela assured him, grateful his hand had fallen on the shoulder she didn’t run into a wall. “Not your fault.”

“What did you buy?” he asked, nodding toward the sack.

“Oh, ‘member when we were talking about favorite food an’ I mentioned spiced pears?”

Rekke nodded. “Ta.”

She grinned and hefted her prize. “These are the pears we use for that. I may not be the best cook in Eora”--That’s Ben, she thought, with a small pang of homesickness--”but I’m pretty good, and I bet I can cook ‘em pretty close to what I remember.” She winked at Rekke and Xoti each in turn. “If you’re real nice to me, maybe I’ll even share.”

“I ever mention how pretty your hair looks, Adi?” Xoti immediately piped up, a gleam in her eye that said she caught the joke.

“I may’ve heard it once or twice, yeah,” Adela winked. “Yours is pretty, too, Xo.”

The three of them headed toward Queen’s Berth, heaping lavish jesting compliments on each other the whole way.

>O<

Adela had forgotten one thing in her excitement--the other ingredients. She remembered the recipe, sure enough, but the Ilhana’s galley lacked cinnamon and nutmeg; the two most crucial parts after the pears themselves.

“Port Maje might have ‘em,” Xoti pointed out. “Bein’ a trading post. If you don’t mind the detour.”

“I don’t,” Adela said frankly, and with a word to Beodul, they were en route.

“You really want to make these pears, ta?” Rekke laughed as the two of them sat on deck, summer breeze ruffling their hair.

“Ta,” Adela nodded. “I haven’t had them in forever, Rekke, and I can practically taste them. That’ll drive me mad even faster’n the gods at this rate.”

He chuckled, wrapped a lock of hair around his finger. “And I have been nice, ta? I get a taste?”

“Oh, you’re always nice,” she laughed in reply, smiling at his eagerness. “Of course you get to taste. I promised, didn’t I? It won’t be the same as having them in Ixamitl, where they could slow-cook all day in the right kind of oven, but they’ll still be yummy.”

“Yuki,” Rekke grinned. “I hope they have these spices in Port Maje.”

“Me, too,” Adela said with a nod. “I don’t wanna be forced to sail the Deadfire looking for damned spices.”

They did, though she wound up owing Alteria a very large favor for the nutmeg. “Rarer than hen’s teeth, you know?” the blonde merchant shrugged.

Adela did know, so she promised the favor, took the nutmeg, and beelined for her ship. Gods only knew when she’d be back this way again; she’d worry about this favor then. Right now she wanted to cook.

>O<

Between preparation and cooking--and one agitated xaurip who didn’t like having ‘her’ galley invaded--it took several hours for the pears to be ready. They smelled just as delicious as Adela remembered, and her mouth was already watering as she carried the dish back to her cabin.

Xoti and Rekke were waiting right were she’d left them--the windowseat, Xoti playing with Rekke’s hair again--though they both quickly moved for the table when she entered with the much-praised pears.

“Patience is a virtue,” Adela teased--somewhat hypocritically given her own hurry. “And remember, there’s not a lot. They’re so good you’re gonna want to hog it all to yourself, but we get two each.”

“Is that reminder for us or you?” Rekke asked mischievously, winking at her.

Adela shot him a dirty look as she set down the pears and lightly flicked the side of his hand. “Both.”

“Play nice, Adi,” Xoti laughed.

“I’m sharing my favorite food in the world ‘stead of hogging it all for me,” Adela protested. “That seems pretty nice to me.”

“It is nice,” Rekke said, propping his chin on one hand. “Can we eat pears now?”

“Ta,” Adela replied with a giggle. It was easier than she expected to play the hostess and serve them each their share before taking her own, because that meant she got to watch their faces light up at the first bite of her favorite food from home.

“Gaun’s eyes, Adi,” Xoti effused, still chewing, “does all the food in Ixamitl taste this good?”

“More or less,” she nodded, giggling at Xoti’s enraptured expression. “‘Least if Mama or Ben cooks it, it does.”

A long string of quiet, almost reverent Seki tumbled from Rekke as he finished his first bite and he met Adela’s eye to offer a crooked smile. “You were right, Adi. It is like eating pure joy.”

“Toldja,” Adela grinned.

“That’s a good way to put it,” Xoti agreed, eyes gleaming with laughter. “Gods, if I’d had food this good, maybe I’d never’ve left home.”

“Believe me, it was a struggle,” Adela said wryly. Satisfied her friends enjoyed the dish as much as she did, she finally dug in herself.

The familiar taste almost overwhelmed her and her eyes fluttered closed. Hound’s teeth, I’ve missed you. There was nothing quite like the rush of euphoria from eating a long-absent favorite. The nostalgia of her associated memories was almost as strong as the taste itself, and she couldn’t stop a quiet hum to let out some of the warmth balling in her chest.

Xoti laughed. “Yeah, basically that. This is really good, Adi. Shame there ain’t more.”

“Believe me, I heartily agree,” Adela sighed. “But given it practically cost an arm and a leg just to make this much, I’ll have to be satisfied with just a taste of home.”

“Thank you even more, then, for sharing,” Rekke said as he carefully cut off another bite.

“Yeah, thanks a bunch, Adi,” Xoti nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh, you’re welcome,” Adela said brightly. “Food’s better when you share it, right?” That had always been Mama’s philosophy, and she found herself agreeing with it--watching her friends enjoy a dish she loved made it taste even better.

To see them so happy, she could definitely manage with just a taste of home.

---------------------------------

Man, I love writing Rekke. And Xoti. And Adi. And extra especially all three of them together. Are brot3′s a thing? Cuz that’s basically what they are. :D

[fanders-fic-awards]

Misadventures in Baking (Summer Fic Comp 18)

Summary: Patton loves to bake but sometimes his height is a problem. Maybe his tall kiddo could help him out.

TW: small fall, anxiety, possible injury

Word Count: 2048

Ballot

Baking was something that Patton loved to do. It was a good stress reliever, allowing him to focus all his concentration on something rather than all the other things he had to deal with, and getting yummy sweets out of it was a plus. He could bake bread, cookies, cupcakes or cakes, muffins, and pastries. He baked so often that he knew most of the recipes by heart.

Making the sweets was fun and eating them was great! But the best thing was sharing them with everyone. He would always have doubts that what he made wasn’t good, but the others always praised him for his good work, and that helped to chase away those fears. He always tried it before the others in case if it was really bad, he didn’t want to let his kiddos eat it, that would be mean.

The one thing that trumped all of those things was baking with someone else. An extra set of hands always made it easier, but it was fun to have the company and someone to tell his puns too. One time when Roman was baking with him, they started to dance around the kitchen to Elvis, but got so distracted that the cookies began to burn. Logan walked into the kitchen to get water, but found the two running around and screaming like maniacs. He got water from the bathroom.

There is one reason that he likes to bake with the others, but it’s something he doesn’t want to tell them.

You see, Patton is a bit… vertically challenged. He is the shortest of the sides in actuality, being around five foot three and only coming up to Virgil’s armpit, who is the tallest at six foot three. You can’t tell the difference in the videos, but that’s because of camera angles and step stools. To reach some of the things in the higher up cabinets, he has to stand on the counter, he was only ever caught doing it once, but that wasn’t a good experience.

Patton and Virgil had just started dating when Patton was baking cookies and had to climb on the counter to get the chocolate chips from the cupboard. Everything had been going smoothly, he had a map that listed where everything was so it made it easier to find things, and he was preparing to get down.

As he knelt to get down, a surprised but concerned voice from behind him said, “What are you doing up there Patton?”

To his chagrin, Patton wasn’t expecting anyone to come into the kitchen and catch him baking at two am because he couldn’t sleep. He turned around quickly to find Virgil standing in the doorway, sleep obviously making his brain confused, but that didn’t stop him from being concerned. He just watched Patton, his lovely boyfriend, dangerously climb onto the counter, grab something from a cupboard, and start to get back down at two am. Neither of them should even be up right now, but Virgil had to get more water and was confused when he saw that the kitchen light was on.

Because of how quickly Patton turned around, his leg slipped off the counter and when he tried to grab the cupboard to stabilize himself, he missed. He prepared to hit the ground, instinctively protecting his head, but all he felt were strong arms lifting him up bridal style. The arms pulled him into a soft chest, hugging his curled up form close.

After the initial shock, Patton removed his arms from protecting his head to look up at whoever caught him, which was Virgil. The two stared at each other for a moment before heavy blushes settled on their faces. Virgil gently set Patton on his feet while mumbling, “Sorry, fight or flight.”

“No, it’s okay Verge,” Patton reassured him, smiling bright at the other, only for it to dim at the look on the other’s face. It was concerned, confused, worried, and scared. Patton grabbed Virgil’s hands, ready to calm him down from whatever he was feeling. “It was my fault for being up there in the first place, I wasn’t expecting anyone to come in this late. But thanks for catching me kiddo, I guess I could call you my knight in shining storminess!” He joked, but Virgil only nodded, eyes still wide with shock from the whole situation.

Patton frowned, grabbing Virgil’s face to look in his eyes properly. “Virgil? Are you alri-”

Patton was interrupted when Virgil pulled him into a tight embrace. His arms were wrapped tightly around Patton’s back, holding him close like he was a beloved childhood stuffed animal. Patton could hear Virgil’s fast heartbeat, his attempts to slow his breathing and reassure himself that Patton was okay, he wasn’t hurt. Patton wrapped his arms around Virgil’s waist, comforting Virgil with sweet pet names and safe words.

“I’m okay kiddo, a little fall never hurt anybody,” Patton said, trying to reassure his taller boyfriend. He fit perfectly into the pocket of Virgil’s arms, allowing the string bean to curl around the other protectively.

“I know,” Virgil whispered after a few moments. “I was just really worried and… and scared. What if you got seriously hurt? I wouldn’t know what to do!” His breathing started to become a bit more rapid again, but Patton was quick to reassure him once more.

“But I didn’t get hurt cause you were here to catch me, I’m okay. You don’t have to worry,” he said, hugging Virgil closer.

Virgil nodded in response, relishing in the feeling of Patton’s hugs a little bit longer. After a little bit longer, Virgil pulled back and looked down at Patton, a questioning look behind his eyes, but it took him a moment before he asked, “Why were you up there anyway?”

Patton became sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck as a dark blush spread of his cute face. “Well, you see, I’m just a bit….”

“Shorter?” Virgil finished for him, his trademark smirk crossing his features when Patton’s blush seemed to darken more.

“Yes, which means that it’s harder for me to… reach things on the higher up shelves. So sometimes, I’ll climb onto the counter…,” he admitted bashfully, not believing that he just admitted to one of his insecurities.

It didn’t help when Virgil started to laugh, a deep, guttural and jovial laugh that echoed throughout the kitchen. Patton pretended to be mad, but knowing that Virgil was just playing with him, he started to laugh. They fell into a fit of laughs and giggles, still holding one another in the kitchen, at two am.

Once they settled down, Virgil wiped a tear from his eyes and said with gasping breaths, “I think your shortness is adorable, but please don’t climb on the counter just to grab something. I’d rather you come get me or one of the others rather than going up there. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t care what time it is, just come and ask me for help. Heck if you are having a bad night and can’t sleep, come get me and we can cuddle or do whatever you need to be able to sleep. Got it?”

“Got it, but you promise to get me to if you ever need help, okay?” Patton said, holding out his pinky finger for the promise to become official.

Virgil laughed again, always loving Patton’s childish antics. “Promise,” he said, locking pinkies with Patton.

“Yay!” Patton cheered. He then looked back at the cookies, and then at Virgil, smiling. “Wanna help me finish these cookies?”

Virgil nodded, giving Patton a loving kiss before moving to help him with the rest of the cookies.

There had been many more times after that day where Patton would get help from his taller boyfriend during baking.

Today was no exception. Patton was in the kitchen, making a cake, when he needed more sugar for the chocolate cake batter. Realizing that is was on a top shelf, he debated on what to do. He knew that he should just Virgil’s help, but he wasn’t sure where his Emo Kiddo was or what he was doing, so he got ready to climb on the counter.

He was about to push himself up when he saw Virgil walk into the kitchen from the corner of his eye. His face lit up with a bright smile and he swung around to look at Virgil, momentarily startling the other.

“You good there, Pat?” Virgil asked, phone held casually in one hand from where he had been scrolling through Tumblr, and a book of crossword puzzles in the other. Logan had given it to him as a gift and a good way to calm down and relieve stress.

“Virge!” he exclaimed happily, clapping his hands together. “Can you help me?”

He nodded, setting down his book on the table and putting his phone in his pocket while walking over to Patton. He pulled Patton closer by his waist, planting a small kiss to his hair before asking, “What ya need Pat?”

“Can you get the sugar off the top shelf for me? You told me not to climb on the counter and you walked in at the perfect moment,” Patton explained, pointing to a new, unopened bag of sugar on the top shelf above the sink.

Virgil nodded silently, letting go of Patton for only a moment to grab the bag and set it on the counter, then he immediately went back to holding Patton securely in his arms.

Patton giggled, holding Virgil’s hands that were wrapped around his stomach and leaning into the touch. “You’re always so sweet to me Virgil, even sweeter than this sugar!” he joked to lighten the mood, but Virgil only shrugged in agreement, like something was on his mind. “Is everything alright Virgil?” he asked, looking up at Virgil from his place under the other’s chin.

“I don’t know,” Virgil said, “I’m just feeling anxious today, well more than usual, but I can’t figure out why.” His voice was obviously tired and anxious, but he didn’t know how to deal with it at the moment so he just tried to ignore it. It wasn’t going too well, so he wanted to be near his boyfriend, the one person who always keeps him calm. 

Patton turned around in his hold to hug Virgil, letting Virgil hold onto him for as long as he needed. After a bit longer, Patton looked up at Virgil and asked, “Feeling better?“

A nod was the response he got.

“Would you like to finish making this cake with me?”

“Yes please…”

And that’s what happened next, they finished up the cake batter and put it into the oven. While they waited, they made the icing for the cake. They had some plain white to dirty ice it, but then split the rest into five separate bowls, one for red, yellow, blue, darker blue, and purple. As Virgil made one of the colors, Patton took the regular blue for a moment. He turned back around, saying, “Hey Virgil.”

“What’s up Pat?” Virgil asked, only to bust out laughing when he turned around.

Patton had put an icing mustache on his face, which added to the adorableness he had at the moment from having flour and sugar in his hair, on his face, and his clothes. Virgil was covered in it too. Patton gave Virgil a look of anticipation before saying, “Hey Virgil, I mustache you a question.”

“W-what is i-it?” Virgil managed to get out in between giggles.

“Did you make the red icing?” Patton asked, partially serious and partially joking, while pointing out the red dye on his hands.

“Yeah,” Virgil replied, “I guess you caught me, red handed.”

Patton’s smile grew wider, giving Virgil a hug and kiss on the lips to show how much he appreciated it that Virgil was playing along with his puns. Virgil hugged him back, albeit a little awkwardly to avoid getting dye on Patton’s cardigan.

“I love you Virgil,” Patton said adoringly.

“I love you too Patton,” Virgil said back with just as much adoration. They stayed together for a while longer, just enjoying the company and the silence.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

“The cake is done!”

@ninjago2020

[sw33tsouth3rnb3ast]

High Protein Diets For Bodybuilding: Learn To Eat The Right Amount

In case you're working hard to build the muscles of yours then, you need to be cognizant of a nutritious diet. You most likely know that bodybuilder's diet plan is rather high in protein. Thus, eating the correct amount of protein is great for the muscles of yours.

It's claimed that "Proteins are the machinery of living cells which creates the buildings and also performs the chemical reactions critical for life."

Thus, your diet holds a lot of importance in the life of yours. So, you have to emphasize on a diet in addition to a workout. If you would like to create a great muscle mass you have to abide by the following equation:

Seventy % Healthy Diet + thirty % Workout = Healthy Body as well as Good Muscle Mass

To confirm my above equation, I am going to illustrate the higher protein diets for weight reduction.

You're only one step beyond the physical fitness. Stay with me as well as I am going to let you know the techniques behind bodybuilding and diet programs.

Let us watch the entire show!

The Ultimate List Of The High protein Diets For Bodybuilding

1. The Eggs: Will always be Best When Eaten Fresh Protein Content: six g / one large egg

The eggs are the primary attraction when you walk around the block at the food store.

These white-colored spheres are near immaculate muscle nourishment. That's on the justification that the organic esteem a measure of just how much protein out of the nourishment may be consolidated into proteins in the body of an egg is above almost whatever another factor in the grocery store.

The herbal confidence is to a great level guided by the degree of fundamental amino acids nourishment has, and the moderate egg offers lots of these.

Keep a watch out for containers with eggs with bulked up omega 3 levels to create your morning scramble work significantly harder for you.

Thus, if want improves protein foods in the diet of yours, pick the eggs.

2. Greek Yogurt: A great Ingredient From The Milk Family Protein Content: twenty-three g / eight oz. serving

It is a great component from the dairy family. It's truly yummy in taste. It is a Greek-style Yogurts which has the double amount of protein as in contrast to the standard one.

The plain yogurt has fewer sugars than the flavored it. I need to allow you to know one secret. Yogurt is probably the richest source of calcium.

Consequently, in toto, you receive calcium in additional. So, I'd suggest you've no less than one bowl in one day.

3. Cottage Cheese: Milk's Leap Towards Immortality Protein Content: fourteen g per 1/2 glass serving

The cottage cheese is endowed with the casein protein. This's a slow digesting protein and it materials the amino acids on the muscles. Having this in the type of treatment before bedtime is helpful.

The cottage cheese is enriched with salt too. But look at the product labels at the carton. Compare the nutrition labels of various brands.

Those who want to develop the good muscle mass is able to take cottage cheese. Do not choose artificial supplements. They are able to damage the body of yours.

4. Swiss Cheese: The Love Of Bodybuilders Protein Content: eight g per one oz. serving

Swiss cheese is an excellent option for those that are vegetarians. It provides much more protein than additional ingredients. This business owner is a muscle friendly option for the sandwich of yours and burger recipes.

You are able to insert this to your nighttime snacks checklist or perhaps can have exactly the same after the workout whenever you feel exhausted.

Must try out this particular one!! A like of every bodybuilder.

5. Milk, 2% Protein Content: eight g per one cup serving

Many people make unusual faces when I ask them to get dairy. Nevertheless, milk is a great option. Why pick the flavorless skimmed milk when you have the choice for you? You are able to enjoy the cup of yours of milk & need not to separate the fat.

Do not worry! If you've extra fat and then, it'll be absorbed as fat-soluble nutrients. For instance Vitamin D.

So have milk and savor the work of yours out. Need not to be concerned about!

6. Ground Beef Protein Content: eighteen g / three oz. serving

This much quantity of ground beef provides you with a complete level of fat. The beef or else you are able to say the white meat gives you creatine too. So, you have a purchase one get one deal that is free here.

Is not it?

Give another thought upon it. In case you're looking for higher protein diet programs for bodybuilding. Next, add beef in the platter of yours for sure.

7. Chicken Breast: Good For The Tastebuds of yours Protein Content: twenty-four g / three oz. serving

Pick the chicken breast but which to be skinless and boneless. Chicken breast offers you plenty of proteins and of course great for your taste buds too.

You are able to hold the chicken breast by tempering it with ginger, garlic, and orange. This provides the flavor as well as the nourishment.

Have it today just!

8. The Protein Bars Protein Content: twenty-five g / hundred gms

The chocolates are believed to be mood swingers. They load bad mood in the great one. I understand your mouth is today watering, although mine!

I am kidding! I am kidding!

Let us not go out of the path. I was speaking about protein bars. Hence, you are able to hold the protein bars after doing the exercise session. This will provide energy to the depleted entire body and in turn, is likely to twist the mood of yours.

That's, You are going to be happy.

Take a look at the protein content before you purchase the protein bar.

Well, It is Time To Say Good Bye!

Well! Well! Well!

I've given you the summary of high protein diet programs for bodybuilding. So, you are able to add them to the platter of yours. I always support the purely natural diet for the entire bodybuilding.

The above-listed products really hold the excessive quantity of protein and as I've explained to you at the start that physical exercise and diet both are the key factors of bodybuilding.

But diet always holds seventy % credit. Therefore, the focus of yours must be on a diet. You are able to record reference of your diet plan counselor for introducing these materials into your meal platter.

Tell us, in case you've any questions for us or perhaps in case you wish to add something to the understanding of ours. We'd like to support you, and any sharing of yours is welcomed.

[chicandchaud-blog]

N°25  • ‘Tea with Nova’

In today’s post I’m switching things up and introducing you guys to a new segment on my blog, ‘Tea with...” (obvi you could insert your favorite creator there sometime soon, LOL). In today’s post however, it’s Tea with Nova, who is the creator of the renowned hair (wig/frontal/closure) store, ‘Little Bones’. In this interview you will read up on what’s to come from Little Bones, along with some of Nova’s true feelings about the world of Second Life – that’s as far as creating, and more. Thank you so much for taking your time to read, and enjoy. *special thank you to Nova Faerye for trusting my pen, and being my first guest.

alas, the interview;

J: I’m so glad to have you here today considering your super busy schedule, also I’m totally loving the hair! – I must ask how are you today, what’s been up?

N: Thank you, and I'm doing good! A little tired, been working super hard but it's a good kind of fatigue. You?

J: I’ve honestly been fine just keeping up with my studies, and making sure my readers are loving my content – speaking of my readers, since I do often times post looks, I must ask who are you wearing today?

N: I'm wearing the Lexi jumpsuit from the ISON x Rowne collection, shoes from Vale Koer, and some turtleneck I found on Marketplace a while back. Pretty simple, but I love a clean look.

J: I love how your look is curated of different creators that don’t technically fit in the same “theme”, versatility is always key when pulling a look so I want to ask you who are some of your favorite creators, along with the reason why.

N: That's a long list to be honest, so this might be longwinded. I love so many people, clothing wise I love people who push boundaries of what people would normally wear, like Sanya Bilavio of Vive Nine and Fiore, Harry from ISON, Bob from Vale Koer, Fash from Rowne, Vo Pralou from Seul, Tyr Rozenblum from all her various projects, Nylon and Poly from Nylon Outfitters and Yummy,  They're all so incredibly hard-working and sweet people with a unique vision, there's no one like them. Hair wise I love Silent Acoustic from Moon, my best friend and confidante. (to the tune of Golden Girls). Lamb, Lelutka, Magika, Exile... pretty much anyone who's put the time in building their style. They're all super unique and something special.

J: The people you listed are literally so iconic, and statement making, so with that I must ask in the world of Second Life – what do you feel is missing, or otherwise what do you wish would make its grand return in the field of creating?

N: Hmm, I'm not sure. I guess I miss innovation-- people figuring out fun ideas and how things could work for people. Basically becoming inventors on top of designers. That's not to say people aren't doing it at all, but it could be more. Can you imagine how exciting it would be if everyone threw out a game-changer all the time? SL would be even more amazing.

J: The idea of being inventors in the field of creating ontop of designing sounds like a dream come true, you yourself could consider yourself one given the versatility of your groundbreaking style hud. Since in some case scenarios what’s able to be done in Second Life is limited – If you could change one thing about Second Life what would it be?

N: Give me physical bones to work with so I can finally make a whippy ponytail. Bento is almost right, but a full physical skeletal system would just make my heart explode.

J: I’d literally die to be able to whip my ponytails on here, so that seems fun, I’d like to ask what is your biggest pet peeve on Second Life aside from not being able to make that awesome whippy ponytail?

N: That people don't make more clothing for Belleza, those hips though.

J: Haha! That’s actually a pressing issue that I hadn’t realized, I thought it was just a joke that Belleza didn’t have much clothes. – I want to dig deeper into the questions, and ask you how do you feel about people that try to imitate your aesthetic?

N: I don't really think about it that much. I think people get to where they want to be eventually, and for the most part watching and learning is an important way to find your own aesthetic. So, if people use my work as a stepping stone to their best work that's totally fine; also, it's a natural unconscious thing to pick things you like to build on. It's not that serious to me.

J: I like how you don’t mind technically being the ‘blueprint’ for what ones’ style may be. I would however like to ask since you said that learning is an important way to find your own aesthetic, what influenced you to create in the style that you do, and also what gravitated you to wanting to create hairs?

N: I guess a multitude of things. My style has always changed over the years, so it could be anything from pop culture to my personal style. I'm ever-evolving, so it could be anything from runway, to movies, to animated characters. For the creating question, when I first started, it was only because I wanted certain styles and colors people just weren't doing. I wanted to make stuff for myself, and share it with people who might like them too. Plus I felt like I'd be pretty good at it.

J: Aesthetics sometimes do in a way ‘promote’ stores, and attract customers – so tying into that statement, did you ever expect to be where you are now in the field of creating?

N: Actually yeah, I knew I was pretty good. Definitely not great, looking back. I put on some of my older styles and cringe like crazy.. But when you look at any creator, quality only goes up. I knew I could do that eventually.

J: LOL! Looking at past projects as a creator could always make one cringe a bit. The next question I have for you would be, if you could teach your old self a  thing or two, what would it be?

N: All the tricks I learned to make wigs faster, although I'd probably have a catalog full of shit, so maybe it's for the best that it went the way it did. Another piece of advice would probably to calm down. It's not that serious. Have fun, do what you want.

J: That’s a great answer, some people want to have the best formula, or recipe early in the field of creating, but don’t take into consideration what could have been the result of that. Another question I’d like to ask is what advice if any could you give those wanting to learn to, or just starting to create.

N: Pretty much the same answer. Actually, a big one I'd wanna put out there would be that there really is no such thing as competition here. People get caught up in the race to be the best, when that doesn't matter. Just worry about YOUR best. People will love your craft, and it won't matter what the next person is doing. Another thing, do what you want, don't listen to people who want to influence you. If you don't like what you're doing, it won't turn out very good. Put some love in it, and you'll do great.        

J: Great advice! So, obviously you’ve put a lot of love into your brand – so I want to ask this question that has been bothering me since we’ve sat here. I’ve always wanted to know, where did the name, “Little Bones” come from?

N: It came from the fact I wanted something edgy and cute. I also hate the name and wish I could change it. Haha. It reflects who I was at 19, not me now at 25. We'll see down the road if I branch into a name I like better.

J: Haha! Well, Little Bones does sound edgy and cute so I can’t knock that, but  since you did mention that you’d branch into a new name possibly – I want to ask what could we expect from Little Bones in the near future?

N: A lot more ideas I want to implement, a cute building I'm working on, as well as collaborations and image changes. It's important for me to grow and learn, or I'll just get bored. But in the end, expect more frequent releases. There's a slew of beautiful things just waiting to get out on the grid!

J: Well, Nova! That’s all the questions I have for you, thank you sooo much for stopping by and giving me your time to ask you these questions. Do you have any more words?

N: No, thank you so much for having me, and I cant wait to show the grid what I’ve been working on!

Please be sure to keep up with Nova Faerye of Little Bones on her social media, and shop at the links below!

FLICKR / MARKETPLACE / INWORLD STORE

#HQ

[renegadesrpg]

Soulmates, Part 8. Interludes. Layla and Sean

Sean: *wraps my arms around you and buries my face in your hair* It's been a rough day. *sighs*

Layla: I'm sorry love. How can I help?

Sean: Just be here. It's just discouraging to be faced with the reality that there are so many among us who are self-serving. Well... *sighs* Sin will take care of that in the end.

 Layla: Yes he will and you all will be there to aid him as needed. I'm always here for you. *pulls you close*

Sean: *The love she has for me flows over me like a warm blanket of comfort. Sighing...* It's not like it was unexpected. Adrian and I already pretty much knew who could be trusted, but it's still dam....darned exhausting to be right.

 Layla: I can only imagine.

 Sean: *heaving another sigh, I put it behind me. Adrian's in the half-world, keeping guard outside of the cottage but he won't pay any attention to what goes on in here unless I sound an alarm. Knowing he's watching my six, I can let it go. Kissing the top of her head, I hold her for a moment before stepping back and looking down at her.*

So how was your day? What did you do?

 Layla: I crocheted some owls and just put stuff away since I still had boxed things.

Sean: *raising an eyebrow* Some owls? You can crochet owls? I want a' see 'em.*Laugh as she shows me and picking up the blue one* Hey, these are sorta' awesome. I can't believe you just took some yarn and made something like this. I bet Bryn would like one. Owls kinda play into the whole witchy thing.

Layla: Take them to her. They are hers then. I made something for Sin too. Think he'll like it? His heart is heavy, thought he could use a lift.

Sean: Really? I can give them to her? She'll love 'em. I know a couple of goddesses that these would probably make smile too. I might split up the set. *smiles down at her* It always pays to be on the good side of deities. *setting the blue one down with the others as she brings out the painting. A low whistle escapes me*

Wow... that's beautiful. He'll love it. *tilting my head as I look at it* You know, I bet he'd do a showing for you if you decided you wanted one and had a few of these. Or get his gallery manager to. One of his business interests is a gallery Miami. He's got another in San Francisco, but the Miami one specializes in promoting unknown artists. This is pretty awesome.

  Layla: Oh I don't know about that. *bites lip nervously* I started this last week, took me a bit to get the colors just right. Oh and if you know females who would like the owls go ahead and share. I can make more. I like making them. They are easy and cute whether knitted or crocheted.

 Sean: *nods* Thank you, baby. I will. Owls are associated with a few of them. Occasional thoughtful gifts like this make them welcome our presence. But the art...if you decide to do it for more than your own enjoyment, Sin would be the one to talk to. Me, I'm just glad our home will be filled with things as beautiful as you are.

Layla: *smiles and blushes* it will be love.

 Sean: I'm tired baby. *smiles* Are you hungry? I could call up something to eat?

 Layla: A little.

 Sean: What do you feel like? I can get it for you

.

Layla: Something light. A sandwich?

 Sean: What do you like on it?

 Layla: Mmmm roast beef, mayo, and horseradish mustard (a little), and smoked gouda cheese.

Sean: Now that does sound good. With a thought I materialize the sandwiches on china plates, putting them on the kitchen table. I took them from Katz's Deli in NYC. Only Sin can create things out of thin air. The rest of us just move things from one place to another.* Two roast beefs sandwiches with smoked gouda, mayo and light horseradish mustard. With a side of coleslaw and a bag of chips. *grins* I live to serve my female.

 Layla: Mmmm looks almost as scrumptious as you. *takes a big bite of the sandwich* Oh this is yummy!

 Sean: *sitting down, I smile at her enthusiasm. Taking a bite of my own sandwich, then set it down. I gotta admit its good, but I'm not really hungry. Sitting back in my chair I watch her eat, pleased I was able to do something for her.*

 Layla: Been a long day for you, huh love?

 Sean: *smiles tiredly* Yeah it was. Actually, I'm ready to crash. I just like watching you eat.

Layla: *giggles* Come on love....bedtime. *I get up, wipe crumbs off hands, and pull you from seat*

 Sean: *willingly I stand and follow her down the hall. Once in the door I demat my clothes down to boxers and fall into bed, pulling her with me.* Come snuggle.

 Layla: *I strip and lay down in your arms, snuggling close*

 Sean: *naked in my arms, just the way I like her* Night baby. *kisses her gently*

 Layla: Goodnight love. Sleep well.

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Sean: *Mists into the cottage looking for Layla-mine after a long and difficult day with the reaper corps.*

 Layla: Hello my Love

 Sean: *smiles a little tiredly, but damn, it’s good to see a friendly face besides Adrian's after the day I've had.* Hey baby. *pulls you onto my lap* How was your day?

 Layla: *kisses your temple as I land in your lap* It was good. I started something special and got you a present. You look so tired mo chridhe, would you like me to make you food?

 Sean: *leans my head into her kiss and sighs* In a little bit. I'm not really hungry but you should eat sweetheart. But *Tilting my head up and raising my eyebrow* I thought you couldn't cook?

 Layla: I've been practicing. I found these recipe guides on that YouTube. I'm not great but I've learned a couple things that were easy.

 Sean: You have huh? *Smiles* That wouldn't be because you have a male around would it. *teasing, 'cause, I kind of like that.*

 Layla: Well, I kind of like you. Plus, I like learning new stuff. *shrugs my shoulders*

 Sean: *reaches up and kisses you gently* I know you do. It's one of the things I love about you. So what have you learned to cook?

 Layla: Cheesy French bread pizza and cheesy meatloaf.

 Sean: Now you're making my mouth water. *grins, letting the stress channel off of me as I relax with her* Both sound pretty damned good.

 Layla: Good cuz I put the meatloaf in the oven 20 minutes ago. *giggles*

 Sean: *Tease you* Well aren't you a prescient chosen, knowing I'd be home soon. *laughs* Tell me about your day baby.

 Layla: I knitted on a blanket, I read over recipes I want to try and made a grocery list, and I got a delivery. How about you?

 Sean: *My smile fades a little as I think about the day* It went. *sighs* We knew we had disloyal reapers and that's why Adrian and I are going through the corps, so I can probe with my empathy while he talks to them. It's just discouraging to have it confirmed so...clearly.

 Layla: Ah Love, I'm sorry. It must discourage you all too much though. That is what your enemy hopes for.

 Sean: *shakes my head* We already had a pretty good idea of how many and who they were. We've used the recent attack on one of the other lieutenants as a reason to have reapers working in pairs and we've matched them up with people we know are loyal. When the time comes, we've got a plan to neutralize them until the fighting is done. It's just ...*Shaking my head* Sin would never have allowed them into the corps in the first place. He left because he had to, but I don't think he understood the difference having him in charge made. But he does now.

 Layla: I'm sad it went down as it did but glad you have answers now. Would you like your present? It might make you feel better.

 Sean: A present? *the delight is evident on my face* I don't really ever get presents. What did you do Layla-mine?

 Layla: I asked a favor of a Brother. It's small, for boots he said. *I give you the wrapped box and wait for you to open it*

Sean: *ripping away at the wrapping paper like a kid at Christmas, until I get to a polished wooden box. Opening the lid of the box a finely made dagger with a black sheath is revealed. My eyes widen as I take it out of the box. The hilt is an intricate Celtic design and I draw it from the sheath, the razor sharp edge gleams in the light*

 Layla... this is beautiful. *holding it to the light, entranced by the workmanship* And it's deadly. *And will be even more so as a reapers weapon once it’s enchanted. Looking at her as I lay the blade back in the box, I lean forward and kiss her* Thank you. I'll carry it always.

 Layla: I had him add in some of my blood to the metal. No idea how that works but apparently it was doable. And if you look in the hilt....that's a braided lock of my hair. That way I'm always with you. *leans in and kisses you gently* Ohhh the meatloaf is done. Be right back!

  Sean: *continues to examine the blade, touched more than she can possibly understand that she accepts my job so much and loves me enough to make sure a part of her is always with me. She doesn't understand that her blood gives this blade special properties but I do. And I'll have to thank the Brother that did this for her, because I'm pretty sure he knew.*

 Layla: Dinners ready Love. *I place two plates full off meatloaf and veggies on the table.*

 Sean: *carefully laying the dagger aside, I whistle appreciatively* That looks amazing!

 Layla: Hope it tastes good. That's the real test. *chuckles*

 Sean: *cuts into the meatloaf and takes a hot, steaming bite as cheese oozes out* Oh, damn baby, this is awesome. You are amazing at everything you do!

 Layla: *smiles at the praise and love I hear in his voice* Glad you like it. I'm happy it turned out nummy.

 Sean: Baby, *swallowing another bite* I think you should experiment more often. You might not have cooked much but I think you've got a gift. *a little more seriously* You know that reapers don't need to eat or sleep to survive, right? But doing those things is important to us. It keeps our humanity with us. You, whether you’re in my arms at night letting me dream with you, or making things like this that are just amazing, you help me be better. Help me to do my job the way it needs to be done. You make me a better male. And I love you even more for it.

 Layla: *His words tattoo themselves on my heart. I smile even as a tear falls* I love you so much. Thank you for loving me and sharing this all with me even though you don't have to.

 Sean: *brushing her tear away with my thumb* Don't cry Nalla... *smiles, because yes, I've been learning the old language of your people* You're wrong though. I /do/ have to. You're my heart and soul. Now that I've found you, I need you to survive. If I were to lose you...*shaking my head* I wouldn't live through it. I wouldn't want to.

 Layla: Never. You will never lose me. *I grab your face in my hands* We have both been through enough, it will not end. What we have is eternal. That much, I know.

 Sean: * Smiles and leans in to catch her lips, placing one hand atop of one of hers* It is. When we win this, I'll find a way for us to be together through eternity. I promise.

 Layla: I know you will. Now finish your food then I'll show you the blanket I'm working on.

 Sean: *taking another bite and then practically licking the plate* What, a blanket? Knitting? Sure, I want to see it.

 Layla: It's not done yet....

 Sean: *wipes my hands on my napkin and puts my plate in the sink before touching the blanket* Wow. That's beautiful babe. The design is so intricate. How in the hell do you do that, get all the colors like that?

 Layla: I follow the pattern. This one is called Scottish Thistle.

 Sean: *smiles softly* I know. I wasn't sure if you picked it for me or just because you liked it. The pattern is so intricate though. This much must have taken you weeks.

 Layla: Of course I picked it for you. I like making special things for you. I've been working on it for a couple weeks.

 Sean: *cocks an eyebrow...and yes, thanks Sin for passing on that mannerism* Just two weeks? You got all this done in that little time with everything else you do? That's... baby, that's amazing. You do this stuff so well. *smiles* I want this on our bed when we're mated.

 Layla: I can have it done by then. And there are 12 hours, at least, where I have time to do many things. I just give myself time limits is all. *smiles*

 Sean: *kisses you gently* Anyone ever tell you that you're a very efficient and organized Chosen? *sighs* I'm beat babe. I need to recharge.

 Layla: Alright Love. Let's go lay down. *takes your hand and leads you to the bedroom.*

Sean: *closes the door behind us and pulls you to the bed to lay in my arms for the night.*

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Sean: How's my female today? I'm sorry I haven't been around babe.

 Layla: You are busy, I understand, you don't have to apologize love. I'm feeling, what humans call, blah today.

 Sean: *frowns* I'm sorry sweetheart. *slides my arms around you and gives you a soft kiss* How can I make it better?

 Layla: Oh I don't know Love. I'm not sure why I feel this way. I started a new drawing and worked more on the blanket but now...blah. Want to see the new drawing?

 Sean: I'd love to see them. Maybe it'll help chase the blues away.

 Layla: It’s you in wolf form.

 Sean: What I'd look like if I could shift? * tilts my head as I look at the drawing.* I see it around the eyes and face shape. *looks back at you* That's kind of amazing that you can do that.

 Layla: Well, not necessarily as a shifter. But you said you liked wolves so I drew a wolf that I tried to put your personality in and did the same for me in Cheetah form.

 Sean: You did a good job. Aren't pencil sketches a new thing for you?

 Layla: Yes. I was doing charcoal but I didn't like the dirt all over my hands and getting everywhere. *laughs* So, I did a pencil one day instead and it was less messy and gave me the control over smaller details like charcoal did.

 Sean: *snickers* I can see that. But this is a good medium for you. You like the details in things.

 Layla: Yes, I like detail. I like it to mean something when I do it (whatever it may be).

 Sean: I get that. Everything a person does has meaning, causes a ripple that the Fates have to consider. Paying attention to the details gives you a little control over that ripple and what they do with it and the choices they offer you.

 Layla: *nods* That makes sense.

 Sean: For instance, somewhere, some when you created a ripple that caused the Fates to allow us to meet. *smiles* To give you a choice about what to do about it. I'm glad I was your choice.

 Layla: *smiles* I'm sure choices Sin and you made brought you to me, in order for me to have the choice. You and I are forever.

 Sean: *smiles and kisses you lightly* I'm don't know if the Fates write choices for immortals or if they're a "mortals only" thing, baby. *scrunching up my forehead*. I'll have to ask Sin. He's on good terms with them. *grins* They like him.

 Layla: *grins* You've said that before. He must be a wonder with words and deeds. *giggles* He's a good male. *kisses you*

Sean: *Mutters as you reach up for the kiss* That's not all he's a "wonder" with, apparently. *lingers over the kiss before saying more loudly,* Yeah, he was a good man in life and 35,000 years as a reaper hasn't changed it.

 Layla: *I reach between your eyes and whip away the wrinkles that formed there.* He is a good male, true but he does not have my love or my heart as you do. Never worry mo chridhe. *I kiss you again*

 Sean: *Deepens the kiss momentarily, then pulls back* That's a good thing baby. 'Cause I'd hate to have to punch him. He's my captain and besides, I'm pretty sure he could take me.

 Layla: No need to get physical with anyone, well except me. *I grin and wink*

 Sean: *grins back* I'm all for getting physical with you Layla-mine just as often as possible. I'm pretty sure I can "take" you.*winks back*.

 Layla: *laughs* Very often if I have my way Love. I'm sure you can 'take' me too.

 Sean: Baby you can "have your way" with me anytime night or day. Several times.

 Layla: Challenge accepted.

#TBC

[shakib-posts]

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Did someone say "glow-in-the-dark unicorn blanket"? Sold.

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You, after seeing all of these products. ABC

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[whatshouldieatforbreakfasttoday]

Norwegian mini potato lefse

Lefse should be rolled, but as I have been living in the van for the past two months, I have a very limited kitchen equipment. I simply made smaller versions, which I flatten in my hand. It tastes amazing, so I assume it worked well. Apparently the best way to eat it is with a bit of a butter and a cinnamon sugar. I still had some fruits in a fridge, so I broke this rule. Once again, it tastes really good with peaches, so why not.

I am working on a Norway guide and it will come later, but for now I just have to share, that this is one of the most stunning countries I’ve ever been to. I don’t even know how to start describing it. When we went to Lofoten I said “ok, we’re done over here, there can’t possibly be anything more beautiful in this country”. Lofoten looks like someone took huge mountains like the Alps and placed them in a water. All the tiny houses made it so special. Within the next days Tomasz left and it was me and Mia. Do you know how it is when you travel with someone for a couple of weeks and then this person leaves? You become a bit sad. I’ve decided to skip north of Norway (North Cape) and head to Finland. I drove about 150km and I started to have this strange feeling that I’m missing on something. I listen to my feelings so I turned back (I also have no schedule, so I can change my mind a lot). I went to the North Cape and it happened. I saw hills covered with a green grass, reindeers everywhere and I stood there and I started to cry out of happiness. It happens to me when I see something that makes me truly happy. When I was on the beginning of my travel in Scandinavia I stopped in Olivia’s boathouse and her mom asked me what was the most beautiful place I’ve seen. My answer was “No idea, hard to choose”. But now I’d say Norway. My travel over here was so unique and beautiful. Once I opened a door at 6 am to drink my coffee outside and I saw group of reindeers sleeping just in front of my door. The fiords were breathtaking and it made me feel how great and big world is and how small we are. But more of this in a guide.

For now a bit more of my present life. I get so many messages asking how it is to travel in a camper van with 2 year old. I wrote about it many times, but I will again. It is easy. Really easy. It may be because Mia is so easy, but most probably more thanks to my understanding, that travelling with her means being with her. During my first “on the road adventure” with Mia in New Zealand I learned a lot and during this trip I am wiser. Here are few of my observations:

- I need my sleep. Which means that I cannot stay up late while Mia is sleeping to work more, because I will be tired the next day, which means I won’t have energy and my level of tolerance will be much lower - this means trouble.

- when I plan activities I plan according to what is possible and what not really. Going for a 2h trekking with Mia is not possible as she will get bored. I can try to carry her all the way up, but she simply won’t be interested. So instead, I go to places I can reach by car (far too many) and we play a lot over there.

- I do pay attention to Mia. When she starts to misbehave while I’m driving, it means that she’s tired of it. This is when I look for the first parking and play with her like crazy. We run, jump, dance, chase each other, sometimes we colour her books. When she’s satisfied, we can drive some more.

- there’s Mia time each day and it’s a long time. She needs to run, play, laugh and be a centre of my world. I love this time and it takes a lot of our time. But this is the main reason of this travel - to hang out with my kid.

- I work mostly when she sleeps. I go to bed early, usually with Mia but I get up early as well - 5-6am and I work. I have about 4-5h and then she wakes. Sometimes I need some more time to finish something and cartoons are very helpful. But whenever she comes to me and says “mom, lets go”, I go.

There were so many situations that made me super happy. Sitting on the stairs of my car, looking at a sunrise with a cup of coffee, explaining Mia what the reindeer is while watching them eat. I could cry out of happiness. But there are difficult moments as well. In the end, I am the only parent there and the only adult. And believe me or not, I am not a Supermom and I do get tired. So when Mia asks me for a piece of chocolate, then she changes her mind and wants cocoa, then she changes into a jam sandwich and then she asks for a sausage (after I make it all), I get annoyed. She also gets tired and she can be super annoyed. It is a training for nerves at times. But what helps me is to remember, that she’s not a tiny mean creature and she’s not trying to make me crazy. She needs something and she does not know how to communicate it.

After two months on the road I can say that being on the road with Mia is somehow easier than being at home. There are interesting new views and situations all the time. She’s outside most of the time and she loves it. Even when it rains I put her yellow waterproof overall on her and she runs like crazy (unfortunately I do run with her and I don’t own one).

I remember when a few days ago we were in the forest and she said “lets go domku” which in her mix of languages means “lets go home”. I got sad and thought that the trip is over because I will not travel with her when she doesn’t like it anymore. When we returned to the van, she got all happy and said “auto domku!”.She meant the car. So it looks like we still have 2 more months of travel :)

You’ll need (for 2):

250g baked potatoes

2 tbsp soft butter

2 tbsp creme fraiche

Pinch of salt

2-3 tbsp of flour

This recipe is super easy and yummy. And Norwegian :) I made in in the van, so you can make it wherever you are as well.

Cook potatoes as you usually cook it, so it’s soft. Smash it with a fork, add butter and smash some more. Add creme fraiche and salt and mix it well. You want to leave it in a fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. After this time add flour and again mix well.

I took a tablespoon of the dough and flatten it in my hands. Then I fried each one in a pan. You don’t need any additional oil, you have butter in the dough. But if you like you can pour one tablespoon of an olive oil to start with.

Apparently the best way to have lefse is to serve them with butter, cinnamon and sugar.

The recipe comes from kitchn

Enjoy, Marta

[scripturient-manipulator]

Native American Lakota Research

So I’m working on my trigger-laden story, and I love doing research, so I figured I’d share the parts I’ve saved with you guys! This is absolutely not the only research you should do if you need to; it’s just what I need. Anything in italics are my thoughts.

~

Mom: Ina    Dad: Até

It’s gonna be real fuckin’ annoying to go up to Insert Special Characters every time I want to show their dad but that’s okay #firstworldwriterproblems

This tribe views death as an inevitable equalizer, something that happens to all living things despite their achievements on earth. The Lakota believe that the dead depart to a spirit world free of pain and suffering.

Okay so this link was some good shit right here

 Typically, the Lakota bury their dead. Custom dictates that the tribe wait about a day and half before burial when a person dies at home, in hopes that the deceased might revive.

That’s fair, I mean the natural reaction to someone you love dying is wishing that they hadn’t, so it makes sense, plus I know ghosts are kinda an issue

 Bodies are typically placed on a scaffold to encourage the spirit's journey into the sky. Burial practices vary and include traditional earth burial, air burial -- in which bodies are left in the open, a practice often used for warriors who have fallen in battle --, burial under mounds or rocks and even tree burial, in which the limbs of a tree stand in for a scaffold. These methods vary depending on the tribe, location and resources.

Oh nice, there’s a religion (Jainism, I think?) originating from Asia that does the air burial for everybody to offer sustenance to the earth and birds and everything.

 Journey to the Spirit World

Much of the Lakota's beliefs about the spirit world manifest in their burial ceremonies. To help them on their journey to the spirit world -- a parallel plane of existence that can be reached by the living -- the Lakota take bundles of their belongings with them to the grave, including items such as weapons, pipes, tools and medicine. Mourners also place food and drink at the scaffold of the deceased and kill the departed's horse at this location, tying its tail to the scaffold.

Grief and Respect

Above all, the ceremonial beliefs and funeral customs of the Lakota are meant to show respect and reverence for those who have passed; in a mourning process that may last up to a year, this respect is often expressed through grief. Mourners express grief for the departed by singing, crying, wailing and running pegs through their limbs, cutting their hair or even -- in the case of female Lakota -- cutting off a part of their little fingers. To symbolize their grief for young children who have passed, the Lakota practice ritual crying and wound their own arms and legs.

I’m so happy, this is all perfect, this is exactly what I need. Should I do the whole wounding their arms and legs in term of Chelsea’s father? It’s been seven months for them and I also don’t wanna give anyone’s brain more fuel to prompt a trigger. I’ll think about it.

 Like the belief systems of many indigenous people groups, the Lakota embrace the notion of a balanced universe and see death as a sacred and natural part of the life cycle. In fact, David recalled having attended dozens of funerals during his childhood and teen years, and saw to it that his own children attended funerals-not only for family members but for neighbors and friends, as well.

 In keeping with Lakota custom, David's wake was an around-the-clock event with some members of the family or community present throughout the period of three days. Friends of David's took turns playing a funeral drum and chanting during the wake, and a traditional star quilt hung behind the open casket. Inside the community center where David's wake was held, his casket was placed inside a large tipi, in the belief that his spirit would commune with ancestors who would guide him to the spirit world.

 So this is from an article about a specific Lakota man (David) who died and how his family followed traditions and customs in looking after him. I relish case studies in psychology so this is just delightful.

 During David's funeral, several people shared memories of the ways his life had positively impacted the world, calling on the Lakota values of generosity, wisdom, fortitude (bravery) and kinship. Robert Davis, a middle school social studies teacher recalled David's wisdom as he told of visits to his classrooms and how students sat spellbound as they learned from this friend who had grown up on the reservation. "How was I to know that Sioux was a derogatory name?" Robert asked to the knowing laughter of many of the mourners. "But David had such a gentle way; he just quietly taught me the terms that better defined his tribal heritage. My kids and I all learned something important that day about using care when using 'labels.'"

Shit, I didn’t know that either. Since they’re using Lakota so much and there wasn’t any expansion on the terms I’m gonna go with Lakota being safe

  At all times a surviving family member is with the body and available to visit with those who attend the wake. The casket is flanked on either side by a table filled with flowers and memorabilia of the deceased, and star quilts are hung on the wall behind the casket. All of these items will be given away. This is a time of open sharing, mourning, respect, and compassion. It is not uncommon to see people from all walks of life attend a Lakota wake. People take time off from work, travel long distances, even get a pass to leave jail for this sacred event. The concept of family is far reaching in this culture.

Those who attend the wake are welcome to add their own mementos to the casket as a parting gift to the deceased. Joan wryly commented that during a recent funeral home tour during her seminary education, the funeral director displayed a casket supplied with ‘secret’ pockets that could be filled with small mementos. She thought, “ This is nothing new, we’ve been doing this for years!” Another parishioner told me of witnessing this tradition as he attended a Lakota wake saying, “ My gosh, people kept putting things on top of the dead body that I thought we wouldn’t be able to see it finally.” Such an outpouring of presence and memorabilia frames the Lakota wake.

Oh I love the mementos thing, I want that at my funeral, fuck I’m tearing up

 Buffalo meat has more protein and less fat than beef. It also has less cholesterol, yet a mere four ounces provides more protein than a half a dozen eggs. Wasna, because of the protein it contains, can raise a person’s iron level within 15 minutes. Today’s Lakota believe that their ancestors did not suffer from diabetes, heart disease, or cancer due to the healing powers of Wasna.

The Lakota diet was high in protein and often the tribe either had much food to eat, such as after they killed a buffalo, or very little. One of the traditional Indian food recipes that the Lakota have passed through the generations was Wasna. Wasna is a Lakota word with the "wa" meaning "anything" and the "sna" meaning ground up, although non-Lakota people refer to it as pemmican. This dish consisted of dried buffalo, dried berries, and fat or bone marrow. The Lakota’s would grind the ingredients together with a pounding stone. Wasna was a very good source of protein and the Lakota valued this traditional recipe not only as a food, but also as a healing instrument. Therefore, Wasna is often seen as a sacred food and was often used in ceremonies and rituals.

Another of the Indian food recipes that is a favorite is Lakota plum cakes. This recipe included dark raisins, purple plums, toasted hazelnuts, butter, flour, baking soda, cloves, honey, and maple syrup.

Okay, sweet. The food is only gonna show up for like five seconds because they’re having breakfast, but Wasna sounds perfect. Lakota plum cakes sound yummy too. But these seem like harried yet “responsible” parents, and they hold with plenty of traditions so I don’t think they would give their kids something that might be a dessert. I can’t tell, it doesn’t quite seem it even though the word cake throws me off. But best not to chance it; Wasna gets eaten not just during ceremonies and rituals by the looks of it.

The Lakota used honey and maple syrup as sweeteners

Nice, it’s always good to have something else to dribble on the readers’ senses

 http://www.elexion.com/lakota/iyapi/words2.html

 http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/lakota-burial-ceremony-beliefs-3711.html

 http://www.selectedfuneralhomes.org/A-Lakota-Family-Remembers-199

^^^^^^^^This was so fascinating^^^^^^^^

 http://www.indiana.edu/~famlygrf/culture/minton.html

 http://indians.org/articles/indian-food-recipes.html

 http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/did-lakota-indians-eat-7581.html

[fitscention]

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[lotsofdogs]

Ways to Involve Kids in Cooking

Right around the time Chase turned two, he began regularly “helping” me in the kitchen. I put the word “helping” in quotations for a reason because his level of actual assistance varies greatly and has admittedly increased significantly over the course of the past 2.5 years.

Chase got a kitchen helper cooking stand for his second birthday and it quickly became one of our most-used items around the house. (Chase still uses his cooking stand almost every day and we’ve since put felt pads on the bottom so he can run behind it and push it right up to the counter when he wants to help us in the kitchen.) I initially started including Chase dinner preparation and he now loves helping me make everything from slow cooker meals and casseroles to muffins and desserts. It didn’t take long for Chase to start asking to help with a variety of tasks and now he frequently wants to taste new foods and press pretty much every button on the oven imaginable during our cooking adventures.

I’ve had a number of you guys reach out to ask me to share a blog post on the ways I incorporate Chase into the recipe preparation process and this post has been on my “must write” list forever! I finally got around to assembling a long list of the various ways I include Chase in kitchen fun and you may find it all detailed below.

Please note: I do not do every single thing listed below every single time Chase helps me in the kitchen but wanted to include a thorough list of the various ways I like to incorporate him into the fun of cooking and baking. Chase honestly really enjoys “helping” me these days and I love the fact that he’s learning about cooking while trying new foods and having fun. And the fact that we also manage to knock out a recipe and do something productive in the kitchen together feels like a win… even if every recipe takes 10 times longer and our kitchen is 10 times messier in the end.

Ways to Involve Kids in Cooking

Adding Spices

I let Chase help add spices to recipes in a number of ways. If the recipe calls for a “pinch” of something, I let him be the pincher. If I need a more exact amount of a certain spice, he loves measuring tablespoons and teaspoons and tapping them on the side of a bowl or pan to add the spice to a recipe. Also, when Chase started learning his numbers, I’d ask him to do something like “three taps” of the teaspoon on the side of the bowl which he thought was fun because of the loud tap noise but it also encouraged counting which I loved!

Also, this is a bit of a random “Mom Hack” but I also frequently slice up some cucumbers or bring out some baby carrots or hard-boiled eggs for Chase to snack on while we cook because he loves sprinkling them with a “teeny tiny pinch of salt.” (Sprinkling apple or pear slices with cinnamon is another favorite.) It’s a great way to get a healthy snack in his belly while we’re cooking or baking together and allows him to “play” with spices a little more. To help keep his sticky hands from contaminating spices/salt, I’ll add a bit to a small bowl for him that he can use as his own little stash.

Stirring + Mixing in an Oversize Bowl

Chase loves helping me stir and mix but when it comes to mixing things up with a hand-mixer or stirring ingredients together, I am all about using oversize bowls to prevent messes. Please don’t take this to mean our kitchen is even remotely spotless when Chase helps me in the kitchen, but to prevent overflow and a bigger mess than necessary, a larger-than-needed bowl is key for containing ingredients when a little one is serving as sous-chef.

Filling Muffin Tins

Filling muffin tins with muffin liners is a task that’s great for fine motor skills since kids have to work hard to separate the muffin liners from each other. I almost always have to help Chase with this one since the liners tend to stick together without him realizing it, but he absolutely loves this task, especially when I let him pick what muffin tin liners he wants to use from a variety of colors and designs.

Pressing ALL the Buttons

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone with kids around, but it seems like all children everywhere are obsessed with pressing buttons. As it turns out, cooking and baking involves a decent amount of button pressing from setting the oven or starting a blender to microwaving something or setting up the slow cooker. Chase loves being the designated “button presser” and especially enjoys pressing the oven light on and off to periodically check on whatever we made together as it bakes away.

Measuring + Pouring

This one goes without saying but measuring (aka “digging” into a big bag of flour) and pouring anything and everything is probably Chase’s favorite task. The bigger the measuring cup, the better!

Ask for Their Opinion

Don’t care what kind of vegetables you include in your vegetable lasagna? Ask your little one their opinion! Chase always has a strong opinion about what I should add to a recipe whenever I ask him and I think he likes feeling like his thoughts matter and that he has a real say in how we cook and bake together. And since 3.5 year olds laugh at everything, sometimes I ask him silly questions like, “Do you think we should add ice cream to our quesadillas?” which will make him look at me with wide eyes before laughing and saying something like, ” NOOO! Silly Mom!”

Picking Seeds Out of Squash/Bell Peppers

Chase has always been a fan of seek-and-find books and games so picking seeds out of everything from a spaghetti squash or an acorn squash to a bell pepper is right up his alley. (I will usually pre-scoop out the seeds from a larger squash so there aren’t too many remaining for him to tackle.) It’s one of those tasks I personally detest but Chase thinks is oddly fun and I love that it’s great for fine motor skill development, too! Don’t expect this one to occupy your little one for long, but it seems to entertain them for a little while at least.

Say “Okay” To Taste Tests

This one might not appeal to some people but since I’m far from a germaphobe and tend to lean toward the “a little dirt won’t hurt” mentality, I don’t have any problem with Chase taking little tastes of our food while we’re cooking with his freshly-washed hands, as long as it’s something only he or our family will be eating together. (We also do a lot of hand-washing during the cooking process since he’s a kid who doesn’t like dirty or sticky hands.)

While things like cookie dough and muffin batter are obvious hits, I’ve been surprised at Chase’s excitement and enthusiasm over trying different spices we use in recipes as well as sauces, homemade nut butters and more. He’s a naturally curious child and while he’s never been a kid with a giant appetite, I do think that helping me cook in the kitchen is to thank for his interest in trying a variety of foods, even if he’ll often say, “I don’t like that very much.” As a mom who hopes to raise a healthy eater, you better believe I’m psyched when he asks to try foods like zucchini or starfruit.

Let Them “Sprinkle”

Any recipe that calls for sprinkling something like cheese, nuts, fresh herbs, chopped vegetables or sliced fruit over the top of a dish is toddler gold!  I’ll often put a large amount of whatever ingredient needs to be “sprinkled” into a bowl for Chase and let him be the designated sprinkler. Naturally he loves this task when it comes to making our own pizzas because pizza, but he’s often pretty enthusiastic about sprinkling just about any ingredient all over a big dish or pan.

Dish Washing

Letting a two or  three-year-old “help” with washing dishes is basically a recipe for something I like to call “swamp floor” but I’ve become a lot more laid back about a water-related mess since it’s incredibly easy to wipe up. Plus, setting Chase up at the sink to “wash” dishes often thoroughly entertains him while I wrap up the rest of a recipe. I like to lay a towel down around his cooking stand when I set him up at the counter and then I fill a bowl with warm soapy water and ask for his help “washing” measuring cups, spoons and other toddler-safe kitchen supplies. I like to tell myself this is also training Chase to clean up after cooking but I’m pretty sure he just thinks of it as some kind of awesome version of bath time in his clothes.

Let Them Pick a Recipe

Chase loves paging through my magazines and using scissors to cut out various pictures so when I’m done with a magazine that has recipes in it, I’ll often let him go to town and cut it up. It was during one of these magazine cutting sprees that I told him to let me know if he saw a yummy recipe he might like to make together on one of the pages. Of course he naturally picked an advertisement for some kind of a kid’s dessert treat but we eventually he saw a recipe for a smoothie that appealed to him so we ripped out the page and put it in “Mom’s special recipe folder” and then I pulled it out one day for us to make together. He remembered finding the recipe himself and I think that made him all the more excited to make it with me a few days later.

Questions of the Day

Do you ever incorporate your kids into fun in the kitchen? What are some of your favorite ways to cook or bake with little ones?

Any favorite kid-friendly recipes your little ones love to make with you? 

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/ways-to-involve-kids-in-cooking/

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New Post has been published on Health bolt

New Post has been published on http://www.healthbolt.net/cooking/healthy-home-cooked-dog-food-recipes/

Healthy Home Cooked Dog Food Recipes

Contents

Enjoy good health

Prefer kitchen appliances

Eggs healthy alternatives

Jones updated: october 18

. smart ideas

Have you ever considered preparing a healthy and nutritious … it heads to the dishwasher, many dog parents may not have thought to start a dinner plate made up for their dog ahead of time. Making yo…

Healthy Dog Food Recipes. Homemade dog food is healthier than the mass-produced dog food brands, and significantly cheaper than most of the organic dog food brands. Making your own dog food does take a bit of time, but you can make extra and store it in the freezer.

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On weekends, he’s cooking up dog … pet foods. "You notice sick animals. You want to help them but you find that you often can’t. Sometimes the owners find the secret. Many times, it’s food, and many …

Jul 29, 2015  · Home > Dog Health > Nutrition > Kiss Kibble Goodbye: Homemade Dog Food Recipes Sally jones updated: october 18, 2018 Nutrition 222 Comments To …

Healthy Bulk Cooking Recipes Read Jamie Oliver’s freeze friendly batch cooking recipes and tips, prepare ahead and reduce waste with these ideas created with family in mind. Sadly, snacking brings with it a huge bulk of calories … So, we explored some healthy yet delicious snacks which will help … "It’s my secret weapon for healthy meal prep," says White. "I make bulk batches of oatmeal … circulating hot air around the … Whether you’re looking for healthy recipes and guides, family projects and meal plans, the latest gadget reviews, foodie travel inspiration or just the perfect recipe for dinner tonight, we’re here to help. smart ideas for the superbig bundles of chicken, pork and fish the warehouse stores are famous for. These bulk cooking recipes will save you time and money, which makes having a healthy home cooked meal every night easier than ever. How To Cook Healthy Meals For My Family How To Cook Sugar Snap Peas healthy dec 16, 2014  · Add the sugar snap peas, salt and pepper and saute, tossing occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar snap peas are crisp tender. Place the … When you want to cook a seasonal and colorful summer meal, choose a dish made with sugar snap peas. Oh snap. Search. Meals & Cooking. … A super healthy side dish you won’t be able to resist. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok, add the shallots and ginger and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the prawns and stir … To demonstrate how to cook a sweet and spicy Asian slaw with shrimp, Sunrise 7 was joined by Chef Christian Czerwonka from Christian’s Bistro. Pan Seared Shrimp With asian sugar snap peas – vegetable … ~ This super-easy Asian Sugar Snap Peas recipe is ready in 5 minutes flat – a perfect side dish for busy nights! Try it with flank steak or roasted chicken, simple broiled salmon, and definitely with Asian-themed main dishes. Healthy Cooking Utah A Utah high school health teacher is accused of gunning down her ex-husband’s new girlfriend as the other woman decorated for … Shannon Weston, nutritionist supervisor for the Nourish Program at the UT School of Public Health, suggests using smaller des… How To Cook Healthy Rice Stir in garlic and remaining Cajun seasoning and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the rice. Arrange fish fillets in a single layer in … Healthy Ways To cook chicken drumsticks jul 26, 2017  · Simple baked chicken leg drumsticks: easy baked chicken recipe. … I’m on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips. … I love to cook easy, simple recipes. These drumsticks look so juicy and yummy. I could certainly finish 5 drumsticks in one sitting. Healthy Way To Cook Bacon And Eggs Healthy Alternatives. You do have options if you want to eat bacon and eggs on a regular basis. Eliminate the yolk, which is the part of the egg that is rich

GUIDELINES TO CREATING BALANCED HOMEMADE DOG FOOD RECIPES. Following are guidelines for feeding a raw or cooked home-prepared diet to healthy dogs. No single type of food, such as chicken, should ever make up more than half the diet. Except where specified, homemade food for dogs can be fed either raw or cooked.

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There are also some ingredients that you should never use when make dog food at home. Stay away … the vegetables in this re…

Learning To Cook Healthy At Home FALL RIVER — When you’re trying to pair a busy lifestyle with healthy eating habits, the last thing you have time for is attending cooking demonstrations and watching lengthy programs on the topic. Th… Sarah Pope has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Weston A. Price Foundation. Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year at the International Wise Traditions Conference in 2010. Simple Healthy Cooking Recipes The Healthy Cookbook for Two: Your go-to guide for healthy meals when time is the only ingredient you’re missing.. Wholesome cooking for two can seem next to impossible to do—but sitting down to the table isn’t just for special occasions. Healthy Cooking Appliances Invest in these life-saving appliances and enjoy good health and delicious meals. Airfryer/iStock Food has a great impact on … "My favorite healthy cooking gadget is this mandoline slicer that has various … you’re going to want to grab one of these p… Robert Wang just wants to be the Steve Jobs of kitchen appliances. "My hero is Steve Jobs … They had little time to cook fa… Each team was able to showcase how easy to use, fast, and versatile the appliances are through their healthy recipes such as: … Consumers prefer kitchen appliances, which are easy–to-operate and facilitate … responsible for the growth of the market are convenience in fast cooking and healthy food consumption. Players in the … coming soon We’re working on something tasty! Notify Me. We promise to not use your email for spam healthy cooking Utah A Utah high school health teacher is accused of gunning down her ex-husband’s new girlfriend as the other woman decorated for … Shannon Weston, nutritionist supervisor for the Nourish Program at the UT School of Public Health, suggests using smaller des… How To Cook Healthy Rice Stir in garlic and remaining Cajun seasoning and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the rice. Arrange fish fillets in a single layer in … Healthy Ways To cook chicken drumsticks jul 26, 2017  · Simple Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks: Easy baked chicken recipe. … I’m on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips. … I love to cook easy, simple recipes. These drumsticks look so juicy and yummy. I could certainly finish 5 drumsticks in one sitting. Healthy Way To Cook Bacon And Eggs Healthy Alternatives. You do have options if you want to eat bacon and eggs on a regular basis. Eliminate the yolk, which is the part of the egg that is rich in dietary cholesterol — and, unfortunately, also high in vitamin A and dietary iron. choose reduced-sodium turkey bacon, which is lower in saturated fat and sodium than regular bacon. How To Cook Healthy Pork Chops In The Oven If I were to pan-roast pork chops in the traditional way, I’d first brown them in a skillet on the stove, then transfer the skillet to the

Jul 03, 2017  · If your dog is picky about his food or suffers from food allergies as my dog does, this homemade dog food crockpot recipe just might save his life. Quick & Easy Recipes | A Fork’s Tale A Food Blog sharing love for quick and easy recipes and travel stories.

Shop and cook accordingly. Once you get started … Below you’ll find a basic cat food and a basic dog food recipe. They are but the tip of the iceberg. You can stay with basic or get as fancy and int…

Many dog food recipes fall short in certain nutrients, especially iron, copper, calcium, and zinc. Even some recipes created by veterinarians don’t measure up. The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine tested 200 recipes, many written by vets. The researchers found most of the recipes were short on some essential nutrients.

[sentrava]

Gifts for You, Gifts for Your Friends, Gifts for Everyone!

Every year when I’m putting together my annual holiday gift guide, it’s more a compilation of my own wishlist—as well as gifts I’ve purchased for my loved ones. (Loved ones, look away! You might spoil the surprise.) No $2000 items or things like a Peloton that you’d never actually buy someone, just things I’ve got on my own wishlist or have mentally bookmarked for my family.

Quick side note: I don’t know why it took me so long to sign up for eBates! I always thought it was a sham, but it’s most definitely not. If you shop online a lot like I do and install the plugin on your web browser, you’ll get an automatic notification when an online store offers cash back; the stores I regularly shop at offer anywhere from 2 to 15 percent back, which is refunded to me every couple of months via Paypal. I pretty much only shop online as I hate going into stores and have gotten $500 refunded to me this year alone. You can sign up here, which I highly recommend before doing any Christmas shopping!

With that said, here are many things I’m loving this year:

FOR A FANCY STOCKING STUFFER: SOCK FANCY

Remember how as a child you’d roll your eyes anytime you received a piece of clothing as a gift, then somewhere around your teens or early 20s, you only hoped someone would give you a present like underwear or socks? Socks have become a routine staple for me: I get them for my mom, sister and SVV every single year, and spent hours searching online for the perfect prints. SVV, you may be surprised to know, is a bit of a sock connoisseur and the crazier the print, the more likely he is to wear it. So when I learned of Sock Fancy, an Atlanta-based sock delivery service, I was more than thrilled that someone was going to take that time searching for the perfect prints off my hands. Best of all, you can customize your subscription—men’s or women’s; all crew, all low-cut or a mix of both; one, two or six pairs per month (I’m going with six given that my washing machine eats socks like no other!)—in a commitment of three-, six-, nine- or 12-month subscriptions. Shipping is free, and if you don’t like something? You can make unlimited swaps. How’s that for satisfaction-guaranteed? You can also get 20% off with the code BF2018.

Price: from $11/month (purchase here)

FOR THE AT-HOME CHEF: RAW SPICE BAR

Born from the desire for better quality sourcing of raw spices, RawSpiceBar is built to control the entire process of ground spice production here in the United States. We’ve been using their products for a few years to make Indian chicken, Italian food, Asian-inspired tacos and so many other yummy dishes. SVV gravitates towards the blended ingredients like tandoori masala or the Persian advieh and absolutely loves the extended recipe section of their website for dinner inspiration. I’m not complaining! If you’re like me and can’t choose, RawSpiceBar offers a subscription model that will kick your kitchen up a notch and it’s customized to how you cook and what kind of dishes you typically like. Genius! We’ve now been subscribers for three years, and not only do we get brand new spices we’ve never before tried sent to us on the regular, but now we can also log onto RawSpiceBar’s online shop and order bigger portions of the spices we love. Note: You can get 12% cash back through eBates with this one.

Price: from $9/month (purchase here)

FOR YOUR PRODUCT-JUNKIE WIFE: GURU POUCH

We all have that person in their lives, who opens up her purse and an entire makeup counter spills out. And if you don’t have that person, it’s probably you (spoken from experience, ha)! The Guru Pouch is a drawstring makeup bag that opens into a 20-inch flat surface. Not only can you can see everything at once, which is my big frustration packing all my stuff into a tiny makeup bag when I travel, but when you’re done, you just pull the strings and everything is tucked inside. Best of all, you don’t need to pack and repack when you’re traveling, as you can use this method at home instead of taking it all out of your makeup drawer and messing up your counter; instead, just set the products back down on the open bag and cinch them all inside when you’re done. Voila!

Price: $12 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR TOY-LOVING HUSBAND: DJI MAVIC AIR QUAD

The best gift I ever gave SVV was the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone a year-and-a-half ago. We use that thing all the time, and it’s become an important component in our photography kit. That said, if you’re just a hobbyist, you don’t need a $2000 drone; the DJI Mavic Air will work just fine (we actually produce videos for tourism boards so need the higher-end model). DJI almost never puts their gear on sale, but for this Christmas, they have the Mavic Air bundle—which includes the remote controller, a spare battery and a hard case, all expensive accessories on their own—on sale for $749. If you’ve ever wanted a drone, now’s your time. If you (or your husband) are in the production industry, I highly recommend the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, which is on sale in a bundle with a ton of accessories for $1800. And if you’re not ready to commit to the real thing just yet, SVV spent a year learning to fly on this $60 BLADE Nano before launching a $2000 piece of equipment into the air. (I much endorse this method! Too many rookie drone pilots out there ruining it for the rest of us.)

Price: $749 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR COLOR-LOVING SISTER: 3D EARRINGS

MonsteRawr was one of my first ever blog friends, so when she launched MonsteRawr Makes earlier this year, I was one of her first clients. Stephanie, who has a long history of working in theater production, uses a 3D printer to make amazing wearable art in the form of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Her style really speaks to my geometry-loving, former math-major heart, and I absolutely love how she incorporates asymmetrical prints and circles in her pieces. You can pretty much order any color you like—her products come in pink, yellow, purple, blue, green—and Stephanie has generously offered all C&C readers 20% off their order through Dec. 31 with the promo code CAMELSGORAWR.

Price: starts at $17 a piece (purchase here)

FOR YOUR FRIEND ON THE GO: A PORTABLE POWER BANK

SVV and I got a couple of these handy charging stations by Lynktec last year, and boy have they saved our lives ever since upgrading our phones and coming to terms with the harsh reality that Mophie doesn’t make a charging case for the iPhone X. Instead, we each keep one of these charging stations in our laptop bags or purses at all times and pretty much use them daily when outside the home, whether out and about in Nashville or traveling for work. Each one gives you four full charges before you need to plug it into the wall and recharge it, plus they come with mini-USB ports as well as an Apple mFi connection, so you can charge iPhones and Droids. Can you say lifesaver? Right now, Lynktec is offering 40% off everything with the code BLACKFRIDAY18.

Price: $60 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR INQUISITIVE KID: LITTLE PASSPORTS

I bookmarked this kids’ subscription box company when I found them almost a year ago as a gift idea for my five-year-old niece Lucy. She’s a precocious kid and always eager to learn new facts and skills. So I ordered her a one-year subscription to Little Passports for this Christmas. Little Passports makes subscriptions toy boxes for kids ranging from 3 to 12 years old with each box designed to take kids on an adventure where they discover more about the world. Even better: The boxes are put together with the help of scientists, educators with PhD and Masters degrees, and award-winning writers and designers. Kids learn by touching and doing, not just memorizing facts. I reached out to Little Passports and they kindly extended a 15% off offer to C&C readers with the code PR8N2F through 12/31/18. They also have some Black Friday sales happening now, plus eBates is another 6% cash back in your pocket.

Price: $12.99/month (purchase here)

FOR THE PHILANTHROPIST: ST. JUDE

Y’all know of my love for my home state non-profit, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, by now. There’s no company I’d rather donate my money and my time to, so when they reached out to tell me about their #ThisShirtSavesLives campaign, I was more than happy to share the good word. For the second year, they asked dozens of celebrities (and a few bloggers like yours truly!) come into the studio and get our photos snapped wearing the newest iteration of the #ThisShirtSavesLives. If you commit to donate $20 a month alongside us, you’ll get the new shirt sent to you—and rest easy knowing that you’re helping St. Jude give children with cancer free access to treatment, lodging and so much more. (In case you didn’t know, St. Jude’s entire ethos is that no family should have to worry about expenses while they’re focusing on their child’s life.)

Price: $20/month (join here)

FOR THE BROADWAY FAN: THE GREATEST SHOWMAN REIMAGINED

Has it really been only a year since The Greatest Showman catapulted into our lives (and our sound systems), forever changing them for the better? I don’t know about you, but I memorized the entire soundtrack in, oh, about 1.5 days, so when I heard The Greatest Showman Reimagined was coming out just in time for the holidays with covers of the popular tracks by some of my favorite pop artists including Kelly Clarkson, Pink and Kesha, I immediately bookmarked it to download in my Amazon Music account. (Side note: Don’t have Amazon Music? We pay $7.99 a month for it, but I just saw that it’s on sale for $.99 a month right now!) If you don’t have a streaming account, you can buy this amazing soundtrack via Amazon as a CD or audio download.

Price: $13.49 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR WOMAN ABOUT TOWN: ALL THE BODEN

I absolutely love buying my clohting from Boden, usually dresses and tunics that transition easily from day wear to night. Typically, Boden pieces are a bit more than I tend to spend on clothing (think: $150 for a dress, which isn’t bad), but Boden frequently has sales and right now is offering 30% off with the code V4N9. Things I’m lusting after: this jacket with toggles, this green jersey dress, this lilac dress, this fun yellow sweater, this color-block dress.

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FOR YOUR UNICORN-LOVING NIECE: A PERSONALIZED PILLOW

I bought this personalized sequin pillow for two of my nieces for Christmas after it popped up on my Facebook as a sponsored post (can you tell I buy a lot of unicorn things?). I love that you can personalize the name, pick silver or gold sequins, and have an option between designs. They also have other designs like a llama, mermaid, Santa and even an option where you can put your own photo on there if you’re that narcissistic, ha.

Price: $35 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR STYLISH LITTLE: ALL THE CUTEST CLOTHES

My niece is now eight months old, and I’ve had the best time outfitting her in the cutest little girl clothes throughout the year. A few of my favorite resources are Gap Baby, Mini Boden, Cat & Jack from Target and Nordstrom (I’m obsessed with Tucker + Tate—they even have adorable little boys’ clothing, which I find is rare). Below you’ll find several of the outfits I bought her this fall and winter. I’ve been stock-piling clothes for her, but have already had to give her a few of her 1-year birthday presents as she’s 8 months but already wearing 12-18 months! That kid is not small.

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  FOR YOUR FRIEND ON THE GO: TOMS

A couple years ago, I swapped out all of my designer footwear in favor of everything TOMS, no matter the season (I often buy them via Zappos, FYI, as Zappos always seems to be running deals). They’re just so dang comfortable, they’re affordable and they have regular sales, not to mention I love their give-back philosophy, donating a pair of shoes to kids in need for every pair sold. I absolutely love their booties and have no fewer than seven pairs in my closet, with more on the way. My favorites are the Ella booties (no surprise there), but I also love the Kala Wedge Booties. BONUS: TOMS just launched an amazing initiative called “End Gun Violence Together” where they’ve pledged to commit $5 million to gun reform, plus will send a letter to your Congress person on your behalf asking for more thorough background checks of gun owners and it only takes 30 seconds, so go to their homepage and do just that. As if I couldn’t love them any more! Plus, they currently are offering 30% off site-wide with the code THANKFUL. And you get another 10% cash back in your pocket with eBates.

Price: starting at $89 (purchase here with the code MADHOUSE for 20% off)

FOR YOUR PUP: THIS CLOUD-LIKE BED

A friend posted this Best Friends by Sheri dog bed that I immediately snatched up for Ella, who has a bed in every house but only seems to be placated by sleeping on my blanket that looks very similar to this. Here’s to hoping our fur child is finally comfortable (ha)! There are four different size options of this donut-shaped bed depending on how big your pup is.

Price: $35 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR GROWN DAUGHTER: ATHLEISURE

Ahem, are you listening, Mom? Honestly, at this point in life, all I care about are leggings, tunics and puffy vests. My go-to shops are Gap, LOFT and Athleta—particularly as all of those have frequent sales (I also stock up on Zella leggings during the holidays or Nordstrom’s annual sale). Since I work from home and don’t often need dressy garb, the majority of my wardrobe is some form of athleisure that can transition from home office to errands to home office again—or be worn on planes or on road trips. I have an entire wardrobe comprising just leggings, and let me tell you I wear them all; the best leggings brands in my mind are Gap or Hue, though I’ve had success with the Vera Wang and Lauren Conrad brands that Kohl’s carries, as well. Here are a few items I’ve either purchased for myself lately or put on my own wishlist. Gap currently is offering 50% off everything with the code BLKFRIDAY (plus 10% in cash back on eBates), which makes my favorite leggings just $15 a pair. These are seriously all I wear in winter months under a tunic, and they tuck in great to boots!

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FOR YOUR CHILD STARTING HIS/HER OWN BUSINESS: GETTING NAKED

SVV recently bought this book by Patrick Lencioni as we continue to evolve our own business model into more consulting in the coming year and show more vulnerability as business owners. It’s a helpful look at entrepreneurship, no matter what field you’re in, as well as a quick read. He also has a number of other business books that are more targeted to specific industries.

Price: $15.99 (purchase here)

FOR THE STAY-AT-HOME MOM: BAREFOOT DREAMS

OK, let’s widen this net to say “anyone who is at home the majority of the time,” including but not limited to stay-at-home moms and grandmoms, creatives, freelancers, remote employees, anyone for whom comfort is key. Barefoot Dreams makes the coziest of the cozy cardigans and wraps that are legitimately like being wrapped up in a big hug. I originally had some bookmarked via Nordstrom, but they all sold out, so randomly I found them on QVC for much cheaper; they’re also having a major sale on everything through Nov. 26 making them even cheaper. They also make these amazing throws that I’m wanting for my home office.

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Price: from $75 if you buy via QVC (purchase here)

As always, I’m giving away a holiday bundle, a selection of my favorite things, some from this list and some which may be surprises, so enter below to win my annual C&C giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All you have to tell me is this: What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

Note: A few of these products are from our partners or are affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission for any purchases made. The majority are things I bought for loved ones this holiday season (hope my loved ones aren’t reading this list!). All items featured are 100% endorsed by me.

  PIN IT HERE

Gifts for You, Gifts for Your Friends, Gifts for Everyone! published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

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The 20 Most Popular FoodieCrush Recipes of 2017

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The 20 Most Popular FoodieCrush Recipes of 2017

I published many recipes on FoodieCrush this year, and while I thought they were all good, this is YOUR list of readers’ top 20 favorites.

The best recipes are the ones we come back to time and time again — the ones that are the heart of of our ever-expanding repertoire and the ones that keep them asking for seconds.

This last year I tinkered and tested, made a lot of messes, and whipped up tons of winners along with a fair share of losers that you never even got to see. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to make memories in the kitchen and to make something good, because honestly, what’s better than enjoying a stellar meal with the ones you love?

I’m happy to bring you YOUR list of the 20 most popular recipes chosen by readers as your favorites. These are the recipes that were most clicked on/bookmarked/and hopefully cooked with by FoodieCrush readers in 2017. Some are new, some are favorites you obviously keep coming back to for more, but all of them were FoodieCrush favorites.

Happy eating, friends. 🙂

“I think of myself as an enchilada sauce snob. Not the type of sauce snob who makes my own, just the sauce snob who “knows” a good enchilada sauce when I encounter it. I have always wanted to try and make it myself, but had no idea where to begin. That is until I found this recipe. It is so easy to make. Not only do I love it, my picky kids love it too. They argued over who would get to lick the spoon! I highly recommend this recipe.” ~ Jamie

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“This salad was fantastic! Perfect side dish to simple grilled chicken the other night. Yum!” ~ Bev

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“Just made these! So yummyyyy! I added some fresh squeezed lemon too! Thanks! ~ Aleka Shunk

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“Soooo delicious! Full disclosure, I skipped the “cabbage bath,” followed the dressing recipe, but only added the celery and kosher salts and pepper to taste. Just an absolutely amazing flavour! I have been searching for “the perfect” coleslaw dressing and this is, as the name implies, the best. Thank you Heidi..” ~ Cate

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“I made this soup tonight and it was wonderful. I usually doctor up recipes but I didn’t do a thing to this one and it was delicious.” ~ Laura Dennison

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“Loved this recipe. Didn’t have tartar sauce but just whipped up some mayo, avocado and lemon. Just as good.” ~ Lisa

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“Made this for my family tonight when I was pressed for time to get dinner on the table. It was a big hit Thanks for a great recipe!” ~ Vivian

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“These burgers turned out so well! All of the flavors really work well in the turkey burger and the my husband said that this is the best tzatziki sauce that he has ever had. Thanks for the recipe!” ~ Ana

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“Hi, I wanted to let you know that I made this last night. Hubs could not get enough and proclaimed that we need to have it at least once a week in perpetuity. It was really delicious. I added celery and a small handful of blanched broccoli. Forgot the red onions, but we love them, so…next time. Love how versatile it is according to personal tastes and that it’s a great way to get lots of veggies in. Thank you!” ~ Linda

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“When I read your post yesterday morning, I knew what I was making for dinner! I found the gnocchi, tomatoes and mozzarella at Trader Joe’s, had the fresh herbs growing in my garden and everything else in my kitchen! This came together quickly and tasted like it was from a five star restaurant! I will definitely be making this again and again! Thank you for sharing!” ~ Michelle

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“Yummy recipe! Made these yesterday for a cookie decorating party and it was a great way to offset all of the sweets we were consuming.” ~ Ana

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“This was truly absolutely amazing!!!! My whole family went crazy over these potatoes!!! The only thing different that I did was I added I’d say at least a teaspoon of garlic powder !!!! I love garlic❤️ Thank you so much!!” ~ Nancy

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“This was DELICIOUS!!! So much good flavor! We used 2 Shock top Pumpkin wheat ales (24 oz). Your tips for the vegetables made them perfect! Thank you!” ~ Laurie

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“I made this turkey roast for my family over the holidays. Huge hit! I was hoping for leftovers for sandwiches, but apparently my family was pretty hungry! Great recipe!” ~ Stefanie

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“Fabulous summer salad. A new favorite for the whole family. Thank you so much for the recipe!” ~ Maren

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“I sent this recipe to my husband last week and he made it. I think it is one of our new faves and we are excited to try it with different veggies and shrimp, etc. Thanks for making one of my favorite Thia dishes that I order out easy and delicious to make at home!! 🙂” ~ Avi

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“This was the best recipe I’ve tried all year! I thought I had vegetable oil and then ended up not, so we substituted melted butter and WOW. We also threw some bean sprout in with the basil and cilantro. This dish couldn’t get any better. Thank you for the easy and fun recipe! Hopefully you have some more coming using that fish sauce, since I don’t know what else to do with it! 🙂” ~ Stephanie

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“This is an outstanding list of breakfast ideas. While I always make time to fix us breakfast in the morning, I often get in a brekkie rut and make the same things. This list definitely brings some new inspiration my way – thank you!” ~ Denise

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“Made this delicious chicken recipe this evening. It was so juicy and the skin was crispy, loved turning the chicken throughout the baking process. This is going to be my new baked chicken go to recipe.” ~ Patty

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“Just tried this, to bring to a party tomorrow. it’s amazing. right now it’s late at night and i can’t stop thinking about it sitting in the fridge because i want some. but no…have to wait ’til tomorrow. thanks for sharing.” ~ Tracy

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2018…BRING IT ON!

And there you have it! The 20 most popular recipes of 2017. So the big question is, what will be the tops in 2018? Time will tell!!

This year has been pretty tasty, but I am totally inspired and ready to share even more goodness in the year ahead. So come on 2018, let’s cook and bake and dine and wine together, and let’s cheers to all the great eats, conversation, laughter and memories ahead!

Do you have a recipe/ingredient/foodcraving you’d like to see? I’d love to hear from you so email me at heidi@foodiecrushl.com or share in the comments below.

XOXOXO and Happy New Year!

Heidi

As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.  

Are you following me on Instagram,  Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest? 

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Gifts for You, Gifts for Your Friends, Gifts for Everyone!

Every year when I’m putting together my annual holiday gift guide, it’s more a compilation of my own wishlist—as well as gifts I’ve purchased for my loved ones. (Loved ones, look away! You might spoil the surprise.) No $2000 items or things like a Peloton that you’d never actually buy someone, just things I’ve got on my own wishlist or have mentally bookmarked for my family.

Quick side note: I don’t know why it took me so long to sign up for eBates! I always thought it was a sham, but it’s most definitely not. If you shop online a lot like I do and install the plugin on your web browser, you’ll get an automatic notification when an online store offers cash back; the stores I regularly shop at offer anywhere from 2 to 15 percent back, which is refunded to me every couple of months via Paypal. I pretty much only shop online as I hate going into stores and have gotten $500 refunded to me this year alone. You can sign up here, which I highly recommend before doing any Christmas shopping!

With that said, here are many things I’m loving this year:

FOR A FANCY STOCKING STUFFER: SOCK FANCY

Remember how as a child you’d roll your eyes anytime you received a piece of clothing as a gift, then somewhere around your teens or early 20s, you only hoped someone would give you a present like underwear or socks? Socks have become a routine staple for me: I get them for my mom, sister and SVV every single year, and spent hours searching online for the perfect prints. SVV, you may be surprised to know, is a bit of a sock connoisseur and the crazier the print, the more likely he is to wear it. So when I learned of Sock Fancy, an Atlanta-based sock delivery service, I was more than thrilled that someone was going to take that time searching for the perfect prints off my hands. Best of all, you can customize your subscription—men’s or women’s; all crew, all low-cut or a mix of both; one, two or six pairs per month (I’m going with six given that my washing machine eats socks like no other!)—in a commitment of three-, six-, nine- or 12-month subscriptions. Shipping is free, and if you don’t like something? You can make unlimited swaps. How’s that for satisfaction-guaranteed? You can also get 20% off with the code BF2018.

Price: from $11/month (purchase here)

FOR THE AT-HOME CHEF: RAW SPICE BAR

Born from the desire for better quality sourcing of raw spices, RawSpiceBar is built to control the entire process of ground spice production here in the United States. We’ve been using their products for a few years to make Indian chicken, Italian food, Asian-inspired tacos and so many other yummy dishes. SVV gravitates towards the blended ingredients like tandoori masala or the Persian advieh and absolutely loves the extended recipe section of their website for dinner inspiration. I’m not complaining! If you’re like me and can’t choose, RawSpiceBar offers a subscription model that will kick your kitchen up a notch and it’s customized to how you cook and what kind of dishes you typically like. Genius! We’ve now been subscribers for three years, and not only do we get brand new spices we’ve never before tried sent to us on the regular, but now we can also log onto RawSpiceBar’s online shop and order bigger portions of the spices we love. Note: You can get 12% cash back through eBates with this one.

Price: from $9/month (purchase here)

FOR YOUR PRODUCT-JUNKIE WIFE: GURU POUCH

We all have that person in their lives, who opens up her purse and an entire makeup counter spills out. And if you don’t have that person, it’s probably you (spoken from experience, ha)! The Guru Pouch is a drawstring makeup bag that opens into a 20-inch flat surface. Not only can you can see everything at once, which is my big frustration packing all my stuff into a tiny makeup bag when I travel, but when you’re done, you just pull the strings and everything is tucked inside. Best of all, you don’t need to pack and repack when you’re traveling, as you can use this method at home instead of taking it all out of your makeup drawer and messing up your counter; instead, just set the products back down on the open bag and cinch them all inside when you’re done. Voila!

Price: $12 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR TOY-LOVING HUSBAND: DJI MAVIC AIR QUAD

The best gift I ever gave SVV was the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone a year-and-a-half ago. We use that thing all the time, and it’s become an important component in our photography kit. That said, if you’re just a hobbyist, you don’t need a $2000 drone; the DJI Mavic Air will work just fine (we actually produce videos for tourism boards so need the higher-end model). DJI almost never puts their gear on sale, but for this Christmas, they have the Mavic Air bundle—which includes the remote controller, a spare battery and a hard case, all expensive accessories on their own—on sale for $749. If you’ve ever wanted a drone, now’s your time. If you (or your husband) are in the production industry, I highly recommend the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, which is on sale in a bundle with a ton of accessories for $1800. And if you’re not ready to commit to the real thing just yet, SVV spent a year learning to fly on this $60 BLADE Nano before launching a $2000 piece of equipment into the air. (I much endorse this method! Too many rookie drone pilots out there ruining it for the rest of us.)

Price: $749 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR COLOR-LOVING SISTER: 3D EARRINGS

MonsteRawr was one of my first ever blog friends, so when she launched MonsteRawr Makes earlier this year, I was one of her first clients. Stephanie, who has a long history of working in theater production, uses a 3D printer to make amazing wearable art in the form of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Her style really speaks to my geometry-loving, former math-major heart, and I absolutely love how she incorporates asymmetrical prints and circles in her pieces. You can pretty much order any color you like—her products come in pink, yellow, purple, blue, green—and Stephanie has generously offered all C&C readers 20% off their order through Dec. 31 with the promo code CAMELSGORAWR.

Price: starts at $17 a piece (purchase here)

FOR YOUR FRIEND ON THE GO: A PORTABLE POWER BANK

SVV and I got a couple of these handy charging stations by Lynktec last year, and boy have they saved our lives ever since upgrading our phones and coming to terms with the harsh reality that Mophie doesn’t make a charging case for the iPhone X. Instead, we each keep one of these charging stations in our laptop bags or purses at all times and pretty much use them daily when outside the home, whether out and about in Nashville or traveling for work. Each one gives you four full charges before you need to plug it into the wall and recharge it, plus they come with mini-USB ports as well as an Apple mFi connection, so you can charge iPhones and Droids. Can you say lifesaver? Right now, Lynktec is offering 40% off everything with the code BLACKFRIDAY18.

Price: $60 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR INQUISITIVE KID: LITTLE PASSPORTS

I bookmarked this kids’ subscription box company when I found them almost a year ago as a gift idea for my five-year-old niece Lucy. She’s a precocious kid and always eager to learn new facts and skills. So I ordered her a one-year subscription to Little Passports for this Christmas. Little Passports makes subscriptions toy boxes for kids ranging from 3 to 12 years old with each box designed to take kids on an adventure where they discover more about the world. Even better: The boxes are put together with the help of scientists, educators with PhD and Masters degrees, and award-winning writers and designers. Kids learn by touching and doing, not just memorizing facts. I reached out to Little Passports and they kindly extended a 15% off offer to C&C readers with the code PR8N2F through 12/31/18. They also have some Black Friday sales happening now, plus eBates is another 6% cash back in your pocket.

Price: $12.99/month (purchase here)

FOR THE PHILANTHROPIST: ST. JUDE

Y’all know of my love for my home state non-profit, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, by now. There’s no company I’d rather donate my money and my time to, so when they reached out to tell me about their #ThisShirtSavesLives campaign, I was more than happy to share the good word. For the second year, they asked dozens of celebrities (and a few bloggers like yours truly!) come into the studio and get our photos snapped wearing the newest iteration of the #ThisShirtSavesLives. If you commit to donate $20 a month alongside us, you’ll get the new shirt sent to you—and rest easy knowing that you’re helping St. Jude give children with cancer free access to treatment, lodging and so much more. (In case you didn’t know, St. Jude’s entire ethos is that no family should have to worry about expenses while they’re focusing on their child’s life.)

Price: $20/month (join here)

FOR THE BROADWAY FAN: THE GREATEST SHOWMAN REIMAGINED

Has it really been only a year since The Greatest Showman catapulted into our lives (and our sound systems), forever changing them for the better? I don’t know about you, but I memorized the entire soundtrack in, oh, about 1.5 days, so when I heard The Greatest Showman Reimagined was coming out just in time for the holidays with covers of the popular tracks by some of my favorite pop artists including Kelly Clarkson, Pink and Kesha, I immediately bookmarked it to download in my Amazon Music account. (Side note: Don’t have Amazon Music? We pay $7.99 a month for it, but I just saw that it’s on sale for $.99 a month right now!) If you don’t have a streaming account, you can buy this amazing soundtrack via Amazon as a CD or audio download.

Price: $13.49 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR WOMAN ABOUT TOWN: ALL THE BODEN

I absolutely love buying my clohting from Boden, usually dresses and tunics that transition easily from day wear to night. Typically, Boden pieces are a bit more than I tend to spend on clothing (think: $150 for a dress, which isn’t bad), but Boden frequently has sales and right now is offering 30% off with the code V4N9. Things I’m lusting after: this jacket with toggles, this green jersey dress, this lilac dress, this fun yellow sweater, this color-block dress.

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FOR YOUR UNICORN-LOVING NIECE: A PERSONALIZED PILLOW

I bought this personalized sequin pillow for two of my nieces for Christmas after it popped up on my Facebook as a sponsored post (can you tell I buy a lot of unicorn things?). I love that you can personalize the name, pick silver or gold sequins, and have an option between designs. They also have other designs like a llama, mermaid, Santa and even an option where you can put your own photo on there if you’re that narcissistic, ha.

Price: $35 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR STYLISH LITTLE: ALL THE CUTEST CLOTHES

My niece is now eight months old, and I’ve had the best time outfitting her in the cutest little girl clothes throughout the year. A few of my favorite resources are Gap Baby, Mini Boden, Cat & Jack from Target and Nordstrom (I’m obsessed with Tucker + Tate—they even have adorable little boys’ clothing, which I find is rare). Below you’ll find several of the outfits I bought her this fall and winter. I’ve been stock-piling clothes for her, but have already had to give her a few of her 1-year birthday presents as she’s 8 months but already wearing 12-18 months! That kid is not small.

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  FOR YOUR FRIEND ON THE GO: TOMS

A couple years ago, I swapped out all of my designer footwear in favor of everything TOMS, no matter the season (I often buy them via Zappos, FYI, as Zappos always seems to be running deals). They’re just so dang comfortable, they’re affordable and they have regular sales, not to mention I love their give-back philosophy, donating a pair of shoes to kids in need for every pair sold. I absolutely love their booties and have no fewer than seven pairs in my closet, with more on the way. My favorites are the Ella booties (no surprise there), but I also love the Kala Wedge Booties. BONUS: TOMS just launched an amazing initiative called “End Gun Violence Together” where they’ve pledged to commit $5 million to gun reform, plus will send a letter to your Congress person on your behalf asking for more thorough background checks of gun owners and it only takes 30 seconds, so go to their homepage and do just that. As if I couldn’t love them any more! Plus, they currently are offering 30% off site-wide with the code THANKFUL. And you get another 10% cash back in your pocket with eBates.

Price: starting at $89 (purchase here with the code MADHOUSE for 20% off)

FOR YOUR PUP: THIS CLOUD-LIKE BED

A friend posted this Best Friends by Sheri dog bed that I immediately snatched up for Ella, who has a bed in every house but only seems to be placated by sleeping on my blanket that looks very similar to this. Here’s to hoping our fur child is finally comfortable (ha)! There are four different size options of this donut-shaped bed depending on how big your pup is.

Price: $35 (purchase here)

FOR YOUR GROWN DAUGHTER: ATHLEISURE

Ahem, are you listening, Mom? Honestly, at this point in life, all I care about are leggings, tunics and puffy vests. My go-to shops are Gap, LOFT and Athleta—particularly as all of those have frequent sales (I also stock up on Zella leggings during the holidays or Nordstrom’s annual sale). Since I work from home and don’t often need dressy garb, the majority of my wardrobe is some form of athleisure that can transition from home office to errands to home office again—or be worn on planes or on road trips. I have an entire wardrobe comprising just leggings, and let me tell you I wear them all; the best leggings brands in my mind are Gap or Hue, though I’ve had success with the Vera Wang and Lauren Conrad brands that Kohl’s carries, as well. Here are a few items I’ve either purchased for myself lately or put on my own wishlist. Gap currently is offering 50% off everything with the code BLKFRIDAY (plus 10% in cash back on eBates), which makes my favorite leggings just $15 a pair. These are seriously all I wear in winter months under a tunic, and they tuck in great to boots!

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FOR YOUR CHILD STARTING HIS/HER OWN BUSINESS: GETTING NAKED

SVV recently bought this book by Patrick Lencioni as we continue to evolve our own business model into more consulting in the coming year and show more vulnerability as business owners. It’s a helpful look at entrepreneurship, no matter what field you’re in, as well as a quick read. He also has a number of other business books that are more targeted to specific industries.

Price: $15.99 (purchase here)

FOR THE STAY-AT-HOME MOM: BAREFOOT DREAMS

OK, let’s widen this net to say “anyone who is at home the majority of the time,” including but not limited to stay-at-home moms and grandmoms, creatives, freelancers, remote employees, anyone for whom comfort is key. Barefoot Dreams makes the coziest of the cozy cardigans and wraps that are legitimately like being wrapped up in a big hug. I originally had some bookmarked via Nordstrom, but they all sold out, so randomly I found them on QVC for much cheaper; they’re also having a major sale on everything through Nov. 26 making them even cheaper. They also make these amazing throws that I’m wanting for my home office.

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Price: from $75 if you buy via QVC (purchase here)

As always, I’m giving away a holiday bundle, a selection of my favorite things, some from this list and some which may be surprises, so enter below to win my annual C&C giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All you have to tell me is this: What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

Note: A few of these products are from our partners or are affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission for any purchases made. The majority are things I bought for loved ones this holiday season (hope my loved ones aren’t reading this list!). All items featured are 100% endorsed by me.

  PIN IT HERE

Gifts for You, Gifts for Your Friends, Gifts for Everyone! published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS