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The Most Important Thing I Learned from my Financial Advisor

Men's Lifestyle Blogger

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There’s never really a bad time to start thinking about your future and getting your finances in order. Obviously it’s better to start earlier rather than later in life, and I’m happy my wife and I really started taking initiative when we did. I’ve always been a decent saver, but I’m also a pretty good spender LOL. I partnered up with Northwestern Mutual to share my experience meeting with one of their financial advisors, and I must say, in the few meetings we had, I learned a lot and accomplished a lot!

Before our initial meeting, my wife and I worked on filling out a spreadsheet that our advisor gave us. We input all of our expenses, as well as our income. At this step it’s definitely best to try and be as detailed as possible. It’s crazy how much you spend in a month when you add up everything outside of monthly bills as well! You have to think about it all – food, gas, entertainment, dining out, family activities, etc. – boy does it add up! When you have your first meeting with your advisor, they break it all down for you, and let you know what you have left at the end of each month and/or year. We also discussed our financial goals and if we were planning on making any big purchases such as a home, car, wedding, etc. I don’t know why, but previously when I thought about monthly expenses I really only thought about monthly bills, but that’s only a portion of it, you have to think about where all your money is going each month!  It’s really good to get you thinking about it and getting it all down on a spreadsheet as a visual.

For us, our main objective of our meeting was to know how we were doing financially. We wanted to make an investment and do some home improvements but we were nervous to spend the money if we weren’t in a good place financially. I mean, we felt like we were in a good place, but we really wanted a professional financial advisor to confirm what we were feeling because we really didn’t know. So that’s why we were so excited to have our first meeting with Northwestern Mutual. We wanted to accomplish certain goals, but needed a little guidance and confirmation. Finances are usually a weird thing to talk about and get advice on from other people, so being able to talk to a professional who we knew was going to keep everything confidential and work with us to make the best possible financial decisions definitely made us feel more comfortable.
During our meetings, our Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor spoke to us about different kinds of life insurance, college savings for Nate, possible ways to invest, and why it’s so important to not just have money sitting in a bank account depreciating in value and to make your money work for you. This was honestly one of the biggest take-aways for us and really blew our mind! We thought we were doing the right thing by trying to stack up as much money as possible and just have it safely sitting in savings. Little did we know, it would be way more wise and beneficial to keep it in a money market, investment, or a life insurance policy. We are always so nervous about losing our hard earned money, so we didn’t want to touch it, but by trying to be safe and keep it in a savings account, that’s exactly what we were doing. That’s my free little tidbit for today! 🙂 You’ll have to meet with your own Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor to review your personal finances and see what works best for you. Since we do like to stay on the safer side, we are currently just trying to keep enough in our savings to keep ourselves afloat for a year, which is actually still 6 months more than suggested, but we still feel better being cautious and moving the rest of our money somewhere more beneficial!
We left our meeting with our advisor feeling really good. She had confirmed that the steps we had taken up until this point were good and we were in a good financial place considering all of our expenses. With our discussion she confirmed that we would be able to make some home improvements and some investments. From that meeting until now, we really feel like we accomplished a lot! We ended up buying a new bedroom set (which we have wanted for years now), we opened up a 529 college savings plan for Nate, my wife and I both got life insurance, we made a monetary investment, and we finally moved forward with our front deck project that is now just about complete and that we are totally in love with! We spend so much more time in the front of our house now and feel guilt-free about spending the money on the project, because we know we are making the right moves with our finances!
Now that we’re in August of this crazy year we’re having, and despite the pandemic, we’ve accomplished a lot. Now it’s time to get back to saving for a bit, and then we’ll revisit our next round of goals at our next Northwestern Mutual meeting. Hopefully the next home improvement will be our siding 🙂
I really recommend anyone to set up a meeting with one of their advisors. It’s a smart move to let a professional tell you what you could be doing better to get the most out of your hard-earned money. Even from just the few meetings I had, I feel much more knowledgeable on the potential of financial growth and definitely now know that just having money sit in a savings account is not a wise financial decision. #ad
This blog post was sponsored by Northwestern Mutual
Home Reviews

Dyson V11 Torque Drive

Dyson V11 Review

Dyson V11 Review Dyson V11 Review Dyson V11 Review Dyson V11 Review Dyson V11 Review Dyson V11 Review Dyson V11 Review

Like most people, during the summer my family and I LOVE being outside! Whether it’s hanging by the pool, or just sitting on the back deck relaxing, or having a drink, or entertaining, or having a bbq, we love spending as much time as we can outside. And ever since we got our deck redone last year and have new outdoor furniture, we want to be out there even more.

With all the trees around my house I always have leaves and other debris falling on the deck and on our furniture (annoying!). So before we lay out, sit out, or cook out, we always tidy up beforehand because it just looks nicer and feels nicer! Just like inside the house, I want convenience and ease to make cleaning quick and simple so I can get to my pina colada as soon as possible LOL. That’s why I love being able to just grab my Dyson V11 Torque Drive and just swoop around, hit the deck and cushions, and throw it right back on the charger. So quick and easy!

I love the LCD screen on the back that tells me the battery life. You can switch between the 3 power settings: eco, auto, and boost and choose the right power that you need for whatever mess you’re cleaning up. I love this feature! The overall suction is incredible and I love all of the attachments it comes with. The crevice tool attachment might be one of my faves. I use it behind the furniture cushions, under my baseboard heaters in the house, under and between my seats in my car, and pretty much anywhere I can’t get to normally. So good! I have these chaise lounge chairs that always seem to build up debris right where you sit because of the crack from where they fold, and this tool also works perfectly here because it sucks the little leaf pieces right up! It’s so crazy, but I get this weird satisfaction using this little powerful vacuum and watching the debris disappear in seconds. Even my son love using it! LOL

I just love the Dyson brand all around. They have such incredible and high-tech appliances that look as good as they function. I love when appliances look sleek! So we still have the Dyson V10 which we decided to bring upstairs in our house and we will keep this Dyson V11 Torque Drive downstairs. I can’t say enough how easy these vacuums make our life. Instead of having to lug out this big vacuum and only get to vacuuming once a week because it just feels like a huge inconvenience, this family vacuums at least once a day. It’s just so quick and easy! Between Nate’s crumbs when he sneaks snacks in his room, our carpeted stairs that always seem to get dust and hair stuck to them, the dirt that gets tracked into our home right by the front door, and of course our outdoor space that is exposed to the most debris, we easily use our vacuum multiple times a day, and don’t mind doing so. Our Dyson V11 is quick, it’s easy, it works amazing and it looks cool!

Family Home Reviews

Nate Made Me Breakfast in Bed!

NY Lifestyle Blogger


Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwiches NY Daddy Blogger Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwiches Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwiches Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwiches NY Lifestyle Blogger Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwiches NY Lifestyle Blogger NY Lifestyle Blogger NY Lifestyle Blogger NY Lifestyle Blogger NY Lifestyle Blogger NY Lifestyle Blogger NY Lifestyle Blogger Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant Sandwiches

This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Father’s Day is quickly approaching and it’s one of those holidays that always gets me super sentimental. My father passed away when I was 15, so every year that I get to celebrate with my son means a lot to me – and I’m sure every father feels the same way!

Read on to see how my son surprised me and made me feel so special by serving me Jimmy Dean® Frozen Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches in bed! We’ve been shopping online for groceries more so than ever lately so Nate usually browses the ACME app with us to add anything special he wants for the week, so he made sure to secretly add these sandwiches with mommy without me seeing. Now that we’re using the ACME app to shop and get our groceries delivered, it was a lot easier for them to surprise me without us all being at the grocery store together. We love the “New Deals” section in the app – it’s so easy to see the new items on sale that we may not have necessarily had on our list, but are always willing to purchase at a good deal!


I was having one of those weeks where I felt overwhelmed. I was rushing around finishing work and projects, and I was even feeling busy at home on the weekends. I had said out loud, “I wish I could have one of those days where I don’t even leave the bed, and I can enjoy yummy food and watch movies all day.” Well, my son is very observant and takes in everything he hears. So this year, Nathan wanted to make me breakfast in bed!

It’s well known that I’m the cook in this family, so I think Nate was a little skeptical with the idea, since he knows mommy is not much of a cook LOL (she cleans, I cook) – and it works out just fine! He told me I could get dressed but not to leave the bedroom.

We eat plain croissants a lot in the house, especially in the mornings, and whenever we go out on the weekends, I usually stop for a sausage, egg and cheese at the deli. So when my wife and son saw these Jimmy Dean® Frozen Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches at ACME, they knew they would be perfect for me, and perfect for them because they didn’t require any preparation or cooking! 🙂

I waited patiently upstairs while they prepared, and I could smell the warm croissants heating up—I had no idea what it was, but it smelled so good! Nate was so cute, barely being able to carry the tray with everything on it, but somehow he managed. It was complete with a little plant, pineapple juice (which I love) and salt, pepper, and ketchup; because he knows that’s what I always get on my egg sandwiches at the deli!

Up he came with the Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant sandwiches, and they were so good! I love how crispy the croissants got! Nathan had never actually tried eggs before and never even had an urge to, but I think because these sandwiches looked and smelled so good, he was enticed. Plus, he loves croissants, so that enticed him even more! He really surprised me by asking if he could have one. I was shocked. You know how kids are—if they think they don’t like something, even if they’ve never had it, that’s it, they don’t like it, end of conversation. But he wanted to try these, even though they had egg on them, so I was thrilled! To be honest, I feel like having a sausage, egg and cheese croissant is like a right of passage. I think I may have lived on them all throughout high school LOL. I was seriously so excited he wanted try them! First bite, and his eyes lit up. He loved them, and it made me so happy because now I have someone to enjoy them with! My wife on the other hand, wants nothing to do with eggs, so I never really end up making them as much as I would like to. But now that I know Nate is a fan of these Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant sandwiches, they will be stocked in our freezer at all times!

Thanks for my early Father’s Day surprise bud! Besides being so thoughtful, I’m happy we got to share that moment of you trying a new food for the first time and loving it just as much as I do. Happy early Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Home Reviews

Valentine’s Day Ideas With Goodsey

Eric Wertz

It’s February and that means Valentines day is coming (in 5 days actually!)! I love Valentine’s day. It’s just another day that you can really devote to showing your loved ones how much they mean to you. Now that doesn’t mean it’s all about spending a bunch of money on them, but instead it’s more about the thought you put into the day…as it always should be. I have always made sure to make Valentine’s Day special for my wife, but now that we have my son Nate, I know I have to make it special for both of them. I actually made the mistake of thinking my son was not into Valentines day last year and didn’t really get him anything special and he was devastated. My wife and I felt horrible, because here my little 6 year old son was picking out something special for the both of us at his school store (which obviously melted our hearts) and we didn’t get him anything. I’m not sure why but we just didn’t think he would’ve been into it but we were wrong. He was upset but after talking to him he understood and let us off the hook. Now we know this year we have to make it extra special for him!

For me when I’m shopping for Nate and my wife I always try to think about what they’re into and things I know they are going to like. My wife has never really been into roses or flowers. She appreciates them, but I know it’s really just the fact that I thought of her, not really the actual flowers that excite her. I usually let Nathan pick out her gift because I know that whatever she gets from him the actual gift will have meaning to her and will not just get pushed aside and be forgotten about, and it won’t just be flowers that are so short-lived. For that reason I love jewelry as a gift! It doesn’t always have to be something expensive. Get what you can afford and if there’s thought behind it, I’m sure it will make someone’s day. I actually even love getting jewelry myself especially from my wife and son. Every time you wear that piece, you will think of the person who gave it to you. And when you get older, maybe you will end up passing it down to someone else and you can share the story of who gave it to you and where you were at that time and how it made you feel when you got it. For all of these reasons, jewelry is one of my favorite gifts to give and get! Nate seems to be following my footsteps when it comes to the gifting department because lately that’s all he ever thinks of buying myself, my wife or his grandparents. It’s too cute actually.

This year we used the Goodsey Valentine’s Gift Finder to find the perfect gift for mommy. Nate and I sat together and scrolled until he found something he knew mommy would love. He went with the Black Love Rose Gold Necklace. I didn’t want to point it out because I knew he wanted to be the one to pick it out but I was actually eyeing the same necklace hoping he would pick it and he did! My wife and I also found some cute items for Nate this year. For him, we couldn’t resist the Deluxe Emoji Gift Box – this kid loves emoji’s and has a serious sweet tooth! He also loves all kinds of dogs and puppies and loves to snuggle so the Valentine Puppy Pillow was perfect. We know we’ll get some awww’s and hugs from him for this one!

I partnered up with Goodsey and fellow blogger Tiffany (@tiffanyallison7 on IG) to hear what some of our followers were buying their loved ones, what they were hoping to get themselves, and some ideas of what others had planned for Valentine’s Day this year. The answers were across the board! In terms of what people wanted this year…candy & chocolates are always a fave, the obvious one flowers, anything with thought behind it, and a relaxing night with a loved one or even alone were the top answers. Sounds like some people could use some gifts in the pampering department! I found some cute and unique gifts from the Goodsey website to hit each of these categories!

FLOWERS: Maybe don’t go with the typical bouquet this year, instead opt for something cute and different! I love how pretty this Seeded Paper Flower and Herb Set is, AND the fact that you can plant all of the items and watch the flowers and herbs grow! This gift is super cute from a kid to a grandparent, to a mom, or from hubby to wifey. So different!

SWEET TOOTH: Everyone loves something sweet & yummy – at least everyone in my family does! I love how V-Day festive this Deluxe Valentine’s Assortment is. All the little bite-sized pieces and toppings just scream Valentine’s Day. These sweet treats are sure to make anyone smile no matter their age! I love giving sweets and treats as a gift. It’s not just that they get to enjoy something delicious, but you can share it with them and enjoy it together…which is what valentine’s day is all about!

THOUGHTFUL: Maybe the gift is meant to be used to aid in the ambiance of the Valentine’s Day festivities. I love this I Heart Cheese & Cracker Serving Board. I can just see setting this up with your significant other’s favorite snacks, whether it’s cheese and crackers, fruits, all the ingredients for some yummy s’mores and of course with a side bottle of your favorite wine. Sounds like a romantic time to me!

PAMPERING: Surprisingly some people responded that they wanted a relaxing evening at home alone – hey no problem with that! Everyone can use that quiet alone time. Whether you’re buying for your significant other or even yourself, I say have a little spa day at home. This Cherry Blossom Spa Gift Set is the perfect gift for anyone whose in need of some self pampering, or the perfect gift to give someone who could use a little me time!

GUYS: I’m not sure how many guys really care about getting anything too big on Valentine’s Day but I could think of at least 5 guys right now, and even some girls, who would appreciate the Craft Beer Flight Beverage Sampler as a cool gift!

Hey, and if the budget doesn’t allow for any gifts this year, the perfect card that shows you took the time out to go find the perfect way to express your love is honestly all that’s needed.

Aside from the gift and card giving, Valentine’s Day is all about using that one day to do something a little more special together than you normally would. Again this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a ton of money. It just means you have to make it special! For my family it has now become a tradition that we go away skiing for Valentine’s Day. It’s something that we all love to do together and honestly just makes it really feel special that we’re enjoying something we love together as a family. I love the idea of getting away with your loved ones! From the Instagram poll, that was one of the top mentioned answers and I’m all for it! If you’re both active, maybe go for a hike or a bike ride, or go rock climbing…as long as you’re both having fun together. You can also keep it simple. One of my favorite memories of my wife and I spending Valentine’s day together was before my son was born and we had said we weren’t going to spend a lot of money because we were saving for a house and thinking about having a baby. My wife used to LOVE Taco Bell so I got home before her and set up a bunch of candles, some roses, rented a movie (when you actually went to Blockbuster), and set up a romantic picnic on the living room floor (Taco Bell and all) and she LOVED it! Haha It’s all about spending time together and trying to think of ways to make the other person feel special knowing you know what makes them happy. No matter what you do, just be there in the moment. Maybe again, it’s something as simple as spending the night in and getting take-out or going out to eat but definitely agreeing to leaving the phone at home so you’re just focused on each other!

Some other top suggestions when Tiffany and I asked our followers on Instagram what they had planned for Valentine’s Day was: a weekend away, yummy food (I’m all for that!), a romantic dinner at home, a ring for your significant other, family time (same here!), and for others….alone time or nothing at all!

To some it’s just another day, but for me, I do like to put in a little extra effort no matter how big or small, just to show my love and appreciation for the ones that matter most to me. Hoping my family and I can continue our tradition this year and make it skiing again this Valentine’s Day weekend! If you’re in need of a last minute gift for someone, there’s still time! Check our the Goodsey website. They have unique gifts for him, her and the kiddos too. Whether you’re spending it with someone or alone, I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Family Home Reviews

Hey Portal, Call the Grandparents

Portal from Facebook

I love adding new technology into my house. So, when I was gifted the new Portal+ from Facebook, I was super excited! I’ve seen the Portal from Facebook commercials, but never realized how much I would love it until I actually started using it. What’s better than a device that makes it so easy to see loved ones and brings family and friends closer no matter where in the world we are. And that’s exactly what this Portal does!

As soon as I opened the box I couldn’t believe the size of the screen – it was much larger than I expected and I love the way it stands up on it’s own and also allows the screen to swivel from a vertical to horizontal orientation. It has a sleek yet sturdy feeling to it. Portal from Facebook is so easy to use with the large touch screen or you can do things like start or answer a video call with “Hey Portal”! It also comes with Alexa built-in so you can start off your commands with “Alexa…” as well. Obviously, the coolest feature is definitely using Portal to make video calls by utilizing your Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp contacts and allowing you to have instant face to face calls with them, hands-free.

It’s so amazing…you don’t even have to stop doing what you’re doing in the house because you can initiate the calls with voice commands, and then the camera will actually keep you centered in frame as you move around the room. If there’s more than one person in the room, it will widen the lens to include everyone or zoom in and focus on the person speaking. With the size and quality of the screen it really almost makes it seem like the person you’re video calling is actually in the room with you!

Portal From Facebook

Besides the video-calling feature, Nate is also able to watch his favorite Youtube videos on it, we’re able to stream music with different apps, and it also has a digital picture frame feature, which I’ve actually always wanted for our house! You can display photos from your Facebook and Instagram, or upload photos to your Portal devices directly from your smartphone’s camera roll.  We have so many pictures that just sit on our phones, that it’s nice to finally be able to see them featured somewhere in our house. The speaker quality of Portal really surprised us. It’s really clear and goes louder than you would think a device like this would be able to. We love it so much and love having it in our kitchen. We always seem to find ourselves saying “Hey Portal, play some Christmas music” and dancing or spinning around in the kitchen – so it’s perfect.

Portal from Facebook

Portal from Facebook is available in Portal+ (the device we went with!), Portal, Portal Mini, and then Portal TV. Portal offers a 10″ HD display and Portal Mini offers a 8″ HD display video calling experience and both offer the built-in Alexa as well. Portal TV allows video calling on the biggest screen in your home! The smart camera hooks up to your TV and instantly makes it feel like the ones you’re speaking to are right there in your home with you. We felt like our GG’s were with us on the Portal+, so I can’t even imagine what it must feel like if their loving faces were up there on our 60″! Portal TV is a great way for families to stay connected. When speaking with a loved one through the phone, with no visual connection you still feel like you’re miles apart, but as soon as you see those faces come through, the call no longer feels distant and instead it feels like they’re right there with you.

Portal from Facebook

This is such an awesome gift idea for a relative or friend who you don’t get to normally see as much as you’d like. We love being able to video call Nate’s great-grandparents in Arizona and my sister in Maryland. Before Portal from Facebook, I feel like I’d catch myself saying “Wow, I haven’t seen the grandparents in months” Now, even though it may not be in person, I don’t have that same feeling of not seeing them in a while. It’s just a different kind of closer feeling and connection you get when actually seeing the person you’re speaking to, rather than just talking on the phone. The fact that you don’t even need to be near the device or touch it and still be able to make your call and see the person you’re calling, has me already making the switch from my regular smart phone to the Portal from Facebook. This household loves it!

This post is in collaboration with @PortalfromFacebook. #PortalPartner #PortalFromFacebook #FeelThere #Portal

All images were created by, me.

Family Home Reviews

Indoor Freshness With Miracle-Gro

Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review

Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System Review

Growing up in Brooklyn and always living in an apartment I never thought I would be able to have my own garden. When my wife and I finally bought a house in the suburbs I thought that was finally my opportunity to have one. However, whenever it came down to talking about actually having a garden in our backyard, it just seemed like way too much work, and not feasible with our NY seasons and the limited time that I’d actually be able to grow produce. Not to mention, with all the time I spend working and wanting to make sure I spend as much quality time with my family as I can, I learned very quickly I was probably not going to get that garden that I’ve always wanted.

I thought about just growing herbs and putting them by the window but my wife was not thrilled with that idea either. Not to mention, we don’t get a ton of natural sunlight in our house and also don’t have the greenest thumbs around…even though we are such plant lovers in my house!

So…when I finally got the chance to get a MiracleGro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System I was super excited! Right out of the box the system was pretty simple to set up. I just downloaded the app and followed the step by step instructions. It really was just a couple of screws to get it together. I immediately started growing garden lettuce as a seedling, which again I learned by just following the instructions on the app and it showed me how to put the seedling in the system. After all of your seedlings are planted, that’s pretty much it! The app told me when the water got low and when I needed to add food. Besides that, there was nothing left to do until it was time to harvest! How do you know when it’s time? You guessed it…the app will tell you! It was so cool watching the seedling start out small and over time get fuller and quicker than I expected. Nate and I loved taking a peek together to check on our growing lettuce as the days went by.

Once it was time to harvest, it really was so cool and fun being able to just pick my lettuce right from my living room! Nate helped me out and he got a kick out of it too. Right now, Nate’s not a huge veggie eater, but I’m hoping with our new system, and him being able to grow his own, it will make it a little more fun and make Nate more likely to want to eat them! Since I try to stick to the clean-eating during the week, I decided to make buffalo shrimp lettuce tacos with my newly grown lettuce. I’m always on the hunt for healthy new recipes so I can’t believe I’ve never tried this one before. They were sooooo good! Recipe down below!

After I harvested all of my lettuce, I decided to try mint and sage next…you know, for those weekend mojitos. 🙂 I’m thinking I will probably use the system more for herbs because I use them more frequently when cooking. I love eating healthy and always use different herbs in my meals. But honestly, there is nothing worse than when you get to the supermarket and find that the mint and cilantro or other herbs just don’t look fresh or they’re out of stock completely! Happens to me more so than not. So, I just went to the app, changed what I was growing and it gave me step by step instructions on how to clean the system to prep for my new growing period. Whenever you change plants, it tells you to clean the system and start fresh. This only took me about 15 minutes and again was super easy.

This time around, I started with a young starter plant that’s already been growing in soil, and again, the app gives you the steps you need to do so. Once you plant the herbs you are pretty much on autopilot until it’s time to harvest. Besides having fresh herbs right at my fingertips, to be able to use in all of my recipes, there’s nothing better than walking past the system and getting the scent of that fresh mint! We put the system in our living room right next to our favorite chair and love hearing the running water in the background. The LED light also works as a great night light. It just sets a whole new vibe in our house amongst all of our other plant decor and we love it!

Since I’ve had the system, I’ve grown lettuce, kale, mint and sage and my entire family absolutely loves it! My grandfather, who has an outdoor garden in Arizona was so intrigued when I was telling him about it, he was asking how he could get one for his house LOL Now I officially have my fridge, my stove, and my MiracleGro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System all synced up to my phone…so crazy & convenient that it is now all connected!

BUFFALO SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS
Ingredients (Makes 6 tacos)
• 1 lb raw peeled + cleaned frozen shrimp (thawed)
• 1/3 cup Buffalo Sauce
• 2 tsp oil or butter for sautéing
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 6-12 leaves of lettuce leaves

Toppings
• shredded carrots
• chopped red bell pepper
• chopped or sliced jalapeño pepper
• pickled carrots or pickled jalapeños
• shredded cabbage or slaw
• chopped red onion
• chopped green onion
• fresh cilantro
• crushed red pepper flakes
• extra red hot sauce for drizzling

Instructions
1. Set defrosted shrimp in fridge, covered, while you prep your tacos
2. Wash lettuce & chop your choice of veggies from the topping list
3. Heat a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat with 2 tsp of butter or oil and sauté your shrimp. Season with paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until shrimp curl and become opaque. The cook time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp
4. Add buffalo sauce to pan and mix to coat while the pan is still hot
5. Add shrimp to the tacos whole or chopped
6. Pile the shrimp on your lettuce and top with your choice of taco toppings

Home Reviews

Meal Prep in the New Year With Samsung

Men's Lifestyle Blogger

Samsung Double Oven Range Men's Lifestyle Blogger Samsung Double Oven Range Meal Prep in the New Year Meal Prep in the New Year

Now that all of the holidays are over, it’s time to start getting back into my routine! Unfortunately, every year from about October to December, I gain a bunch of weight…and this year was no different. I gained 17 pounds!!! I know some of you might be thinking where? You seem like you’re in decent shape. Trust me, if I took a photo of myself now and compare it to myself in the summer, you’d see it! LOL So it’s time to get back on it!

If you ask anybody whose in good shape they will tell you that it all starts in the kitchen. So, I’m going to share one of my favorite foods to cook when I’m eating clean. Now this isn’t one of my really strict dishes, so instead, I might eat this on a Friday night to reward myself for the week. 🙂 And the dish is…..Spaghetti Squash with spinach, pesto, and shrimp! Spaghetti Squash is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. It’s easy to cook, and there’s so many recipes out there for it. Ingredients & instructions are below! Or head to my “At Home” highlighted Instagram story to see how I do each step!

Now that I’m back on the clean eating routine, my new Samsung Flex Duo Range is going to come in handy more than ever! My wife and son aren’t always on board with the strict meals I’m eating, so we end up making 2 different meals. One for me, and one for them! LOL While I was making my spaghetti squash, they opted for some baked ziti. With our new range, we’re able to cook 2 different meals, at 2 different baking temperatures, and for 2 different time frames…all at the same time! It’s awesome. Previously I’d make their food, and then while they’re eating, I’d pop in mine next. Now, both of our dishes can be finished and we can sit down and eat together! 🙂

When I’m not cooking 2 different dishes I just use the top portion of the oven, and I can’t tell you how much quicker it reaches the temperature compared to our old stove. With the smaller section it just heats up so much quicker. I absolutely love it!

Besides this spaghetti squash dish, I also always get a package of chicken sausage and make a quick dish with it. I just cook the sausage, cut it up and throw it in with the spaghetti squash and tomato sauce and boom…lunch is served for the week! If you have any questions let me know…and if you try making it yourself, comment below and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1.5 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBSP pesto
• 1 ounce fresh spinach
• 1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 8-10 ounces fresh raw shrimp
• 1/4 tsp regular paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
• pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds
• rub the cut side of the squash with 1/2 tsp olive oil and place on a baking sheet
• roast face-down for about 40 minutes or until tender
• while the squash roasts, measure our your seasoning, clean your shrimp & defrost if needed
• once squash is roasted, allow to cool slightly
• while it cools, pat shrimp dry and season with paprika, garlic powder & cayenne pepper
• heat a skillet to medium-high heat with 1 tsp of oil & sauce your shrimp. cook on each side for about 2 minutes.
• use a fork to separate the strands of spaghetti squash and remove
• toss the strands together with spinach, pesto & parmesan & season with salt & pepper
• top it off with your shrimp

Family Home Reviews

Christmas Cookies With Samsung

NY Daddy Blogger

Samsung Stove Blog NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger Samsung Stove Blog NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger NY Daddy Blogger Samsung Stove Blog Christmas Anisette Cookies Recipe Christmas Anisette Cookies Recipe Christmas Anisette Cookies Recipe Samsung Stove Blog Christmas Anisette Cookies Recipe

Like most families, during the holidays, we tend to spend more time in the kitchen. We really wanted to do something festive on Christmas Eve before heading off to make our family rounds, so we decided to bake some of Aunt Sue Sue’s famous Anisette cookies! And what better way to christen our new Samsung Flex Duo Range!

I love cooking (even though I’m not great at it LOL) and think it’s a great way to spend time with the family where everyone can get involved. We just popped on some Christmas music on our Samsung Family Hub and got right to baking feeling those Christmas vibes! Nate was especially excited to be baking these because he was going to leave some of these cookies for Santa tonight, and thought it was really cool that he actually was making them for him this year!

If you want to try the recipe you can check it out below! They’re a family fave! However, if we try and make these again next year, we will be asking Aunt Sue Sue to come over and help us. Even though the cookies came out ok, we definitely did not make Aunt Sue Sue’s cookies LOL, but we sure did have fun making them! She normally makes a classic ribbon shape, but Nate really wanted to try out different shapes and use his Santa cookie cutter, so that was fine by us. We also went a little more crazy with our sprinkles than Aunt Sue Sue does, so I’m not sure ours came out as picture perfect haha, but again, still a ton of fun!

I haven’t really gotten the chance to use all the features of the range just yet, but I am blown away on how it elevates the look of my kitchen. I love that all the dials and controls are in the front and because of that, it shows more of the backsplash and overall, is just a cleaner look. One of my favorite features is that the stove top hangs over the countertop about a quarter of an inch. This means no food or crumbs can fall in the pesky little cracks…that always drove me crazy! This stove is going to be key for my meal prep for the week or cooking big dinners with the added dual door. By keeping the insert inside the stove I’m able to split the stove and cook with the top and bottom at two different temperatures and times. So awesome!

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season!

Aunt Sue Sue’s Anisette Cookies!

Ingredients
6 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Margarine (softened)
5 Cups Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
6 tsp Anise

Icing Ingredients
1 Cup of confectioners sugar
5 tsp Anisette
1.5 tbsp Water

Baking Steps
1. Blend eggs, margarine, and dry ingredients (except flour)
2. Add Anise
3. Gradually add flour
4. Bake in preheated oven at 400F for 8 minutes
5. Let cool, then dip tops in icing and sprinkle away!

This post was in partnership with Samsung, however all thoughts, opinions and comments are my own. We love this stove!

Family Home Reviews

Why This Family Loves Our Samsung Family Hub

Samsung Family Hub

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Since I bought my house 6 years ago I have done one to two projects every year around the house and little by little we’re finally making it our own. One of the first things we bought upon moving in were new appliances. The thought of using someone else’s appliances kind of skeeved us out…plus they were pretty beat up. We bought a base model stainless steel refrigerator, stove & dishwasher. The fridge we purchased didn’t have any features except a water/ice maker. Yeah, from the start it was definitely an upgrade from the pre-existing fridge, but I can’t tell you how bummed I am that we wasted our money on this basic unreliable fridge. The ice maker broke in the 3rd year and the drawers started falling apart shortly after. Plus, after we had finally gotten to redoing our kitchen, we wished we had went with a better looking model because our new kitchen looked amazing but the appliances just didn’t have that same wow factor!

So, when I got the opportunity to get my hands on the new Samsung Family Hub Smart Refrigerator I was ecstatic! The first thing you notice when you see this fridge is the 21.5″ touchscreen. It definitely has to be one my (and the rest of my family’s) favorite features…not just because of how cool it looks, but because of all the features it now brings into your home. When I walk into my kitchen, the Family Hub is one of the first things that grabs my attention. To be honest, even though this fridge has more cubic feet than my last fridge, when I first opened it I thought it was going to be too small for me. I think the fact that there is a separate drawer (called the Flex Zone) makes the size seem a little deceptive. However, I was completely wrong about the size. The way the fridge is set up allowing you to be able to customize the shelves and drawers really helps you keep everything inside the fridge organized and creates even more space! Honestly…it’s definitely helped to eliminate those “babe, where’s the mayo” moments LOL. Not only does my Samsung Family Hub have a water and ice dispenser, but it also comes with a built-in water pitcher that you can set to auto refill when you put it back in it’s spot! The pitcher also has a flavor infuser built in, which I love. Give me ice cold cucumber-flavored water any hot summer day!

So this might be a little weird and out of the ordinary, but what I use our Family Hub the most for (besides keeping my food cold & organized) is for my workouts. Yes, my workouts! I usually go to the gym for about a half hour and work on a specific body part while I’m there, but then when I get home, after I play with Nate for a little, I always do an at-home WOD (workout of the day). Using the Family Hub’s wifi enabled touchscreen, I go to the Pinterest app and search for workouts. I then create a to-do list with my workout. This way I’m able to save it for another day and I’m able to cross off the exercises as they’re completed. I used to have a drawer full of papers with all of my workout lists, but it’s safe to say I’ve since thrown those out. This is much more efficient for sure! I then go to one of the many music apps to stream some music to get me pumped, like iHeartRADIO.

One of my other favorite features is the Shopping List app. This is an all-around family favorite! I hate going to the supermarket and hate wasting an hour or two with the whole process in general, so anything that can help speed it up is a win. Once you download the hub’s shopping list app on your phone, it all gets synced up. This allows you to create a shopping list which will then show up on the hub, my phone, and my wife’s phone. When anyone edits the list it will update across all devices! Now when you’re doing your shopping, as you grab what you need, you can cross it off the list and it will cross off on everyone’s list. It’s amazing! This way we can split up the shopping and really cut our time in half. No more screaming across the store, “babe, grab bananas”, or “did you get the milk?!” LOL. If I’m at the supermarket alone, while my wife’s at home, she just adds new grocery items she remembers to the hub app and it will pop up on my phone. We really love it!

The app will also take things like strawberries and let you know that in 2 days they are going to go bad. These little reminders are super cool because in the past we’ve definitely wasted way too much fruit in this house, but since the hub have become a lot more aware of our fridge items. Did I mention I can also see inside my fridge from the outside? If I’m at the store and can’t remember if I’m low on mike, I can just view the inside of my fridge on my phone and check. My family hub has 3 interior cameras that takes a photo every-time I close the door and keeps me up to date!

There are seriously so many cool features to my Samsung Family Hub, that I could go on and on, but another one of my faves is the Memos app. I hate waking up so early to go to work and leaving my family without getting a chance to talk or say goodbye in the morning before I leave. So I love that I can quickly type them a cute note that will show right on the fridge’s screen. It might just say “I love you” or “Sorry, I’m busy, but I’ll call you later” or silly things, but just knowing I was able to drop them a line for them to know I’m thinking about them makes me feel better and they love getting my surprise notes throughout the day!

We seriously love our Samsung Family Hub and little by little are incorporating more and more features into our everyday routines. Besides keeping us all connected and making some of our tasks a lot easier, overall we just feel more organized. And in this house with all the running around we do, between work, blog projects, events, everyday commitments & activities and just life in general, feeling more organized and connected definitely helps keep you feeling on task and able to get things done a lot quicker!

 

Home Reviews Style

Netflix, Chill & Wine

Pinot Noir Blog Review

Pinot Noir Blog Review Pinot Noir Blog Review Pinot Noir Blog Review Pinot Noir Blog Review Pinot Noir Blog Review Pinot Noir Blog Review Pinot Noir Blog ReviewThere’s not too many things I can think of that I really enjoy when trying to relax, other than a glass of wine. As of lately, it’s becoming my go-to drink when the lady and I are enjoying a drink at home. We both started getting into wine the last few years, and I was actually shocked when I found out that it has such a high alcohol percentage…usually 10% – double the amount of a normal beer! When we first started drinking wine, we were pretty cliche. We thought that whenever we had a glass it had to be on a special occasion, or it would always be with dinner and always with Italian food (LOL). I think that was because we were newbies in the wine drinking game! I now realize that a glass of wine doesn’t have to be shared over a candlelight dinner for it to be a special moment together. Whether it’s paired with dinner, on the couch in the evening during a family game of Trouble, or while I’m on my laptop in my zone of blogging, I definitely appreciate a nice glass of wine to make these everyday activities feel cozy and complete.

So when Nate had a play date one Saturday, wifey suggested relaxing in our pajamas with a nice glass of wine. That was music to my ears! It’s not too often you get to block out all responsibilities and be in a complete state of relaxation with your favorite flicks and the perfect red wine. We recently came across Tempranillo from the Spanish wine region of Ribera del Duero and it has been our go-to ever since. It pairs well with just about anything, whether it’s food fresh off the grill, pasta night, or even some popcorn and Netflix in bed! We popped open a bottle of Finca Torremilanos Montecastrillo Tinto 2016 and it really just set the mood for the day. Popcorn and movies in bed are great, but add in a bottle of wine and it’s just the icing on the cake. We were sipping, snacking, laughing and just enjoying every moment of our afternoon.

If you’re a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, you should definitely try Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero. I’ve heard and must agree that it’s a “red wine lover’s dream”. It’s the perfect wine for every meal and every occasion and definitely helped elevate our afternoon at home! Next time you make that stop at your local wine store, remember to look for the Ribera del Duero logo on the back of the bottle (or save one of my blog post images to your phone) and try it out for yourself! Or you can just order it directly to your house from www.wine.com! I highly recommend trying Finca Torremilanos Montecastrillo Tinto 2016 and El Vinculo Crianza 2012. If you try it, let me know what you think, and how you paired yours. Was it over a yummy steak dinner, or with some popcorn and candy like us?!