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Greens for Mother’s Day

Posted on May 9, 2018

It’s finally starting to feel like spring in NY. The sun’s out, birds are chirping, flowers are starting to bloom, and Mother’s Day is around the corner! I love holidays, especially ones where you get to show your appreciation and love for the special woman in your life. This woman does it all, and is the best wifey and mommy to her 2 boys. From laundry, to cleaning, to helping Nate with his school projects, shooting and editing all of my blog photos, and working her day job, it’s no wonder she freaks out that there’s not enough time in the day sometimes! She works from home so she’s in her office a lot and has slowly been trying to redo her space and make it less chaotic and more of an inspiring work space, so I thought us helping her with this would be the perfect gift!

This Mother’s Day I teamed up with JCPenney, to show you that you don’t have to break the bank on a gift, and also be able to find that piece you know she’ll love. From jewelry to apparel and home decor to those unique gifts you wouldn’t normally think of, JCPenney has a huge selection. They’re the one-stop shop for just about any Mother’s Day gift you can think of, with the best prices. No matter what kind of gift I decided to go with I knew I could find it here. Now I know I could have just went the easy route and stopped by the jewelry department and picked up something there, but I wanted to do something a little different this year.

She loves green plants. Real or fake, she just loves adding them to our home. We have a bunch of cacti, a palm, and then some little fake guys mixed in all around our house. And I do agree, they just add that freshness to our space. Unfortunately, we don’t get a lot of light in our house and most of the plants, besides the cactus, end up dying. My wife has been talking about finding a faux hanging plant for her office corner, so Nate and I took to JCPenney.com to do some searching, and luckily, we found what we were looking for! They had the perfect plant with just the right amount of droopiness! It’s the perfect size, is potted in a clean, white pot, and looks close to being real! It’s actually really pretty and I’m pretty proud of ourselves for finding it!

We picked up a white ceiling hook, and as soon as we hung it up, we knew she was going to love it! It hangs at just the right height, right above her desk decor and really completes that part of the room, and adds some depth to her new wall tapestry. We did good, Nate! We couldn’t wait for mommy to come home and see her new plant. We were right, she loved it! Just sitting at her new desk in her office that is slowly starting to come together, I can definitely see how working in a space like this, is much more relaxing when she’s juggling so much on the day to day. We love you mommy and appreciate all you do!

Check out this plant we found on JCPenney.com! It will seriously add the perfect touch of leafy greens to any room, whether you get that natural sunlight or not! We love it!

Family Home

Valentine’s Day Gifting For Your Man With ProFlowers

Posted on February 8, 2018

Valentine’s day is one of the many days you get to show your love to that special someone in your life and is also one of the largest flower sending holidays. But let’s be honest…for the most part, it really has become a day for the man to buy his wife some roses and some jewelry. 90% of women have reported receiving flowers, and 53% of men report never receiving them. For some reason flower gifting is often perceived as a man’s chivalrous duty. Do women not think men want to feel the love too? Shivalry should be shared!!! My wife is a prime example of just that, and it all started the very first day we met. I was at the bar, that my wife worked at, with my friends and I was on the dance floor doing my thing to J.T. (Justin Timberlake). LOL When my wife saw me tearing it up, she had no choice but to make the first move and came up and started dancing with me. From that day on, it was history! Here we are now, 15 years later…married, house, kid, dog and all! Even though she made the first move, and still does with certain things from time to time, I must say, I am somewhat of a lovey dovey husband, and also love surprising her with special gifts, or just constantly telling her how beautiful she is, even when she just wakes up with hair a mess and retainers in mouth. LOL This Valentine’s Day, we partnered up with ProFlowers, and my wife flipped the script on me again by surprising me with this beautiful Golden Pothos Tabletop Plant from them. She knows I love the greens! And I’m really loving the idea of gifting a guy a plant for Valentine’s Day. It definitely falls in line with the same vibes as surprising your lady with some flowers, except a little more masculine 🙂 Not to mention, I’m trying to cut back on the chocolates! I love that this one comes in a geometrically modern pot and I love the grey & gold color combo. There was also a little more thought behind gifting me this plant. I actually have really bad allergies, so she opted for this plant from the ProFlowers Breathe Happier™ Collection – it actually has air purifying properties! Besides adding a little life and style to our room, it’s going to make me breathe a little happier too. Plus, this one is also easy to care for, which is much needed in our house, because our thumbs are not very green. It’s perfect on my nightstand, right near my head while I sleep. Thanks boo…I love it! Ladies, definitely consider making the first move this Valentine’s Day. ProFlowers has a great assortment of flowers, plants or sweets for your sweety. We may not show it, but like I said, us guys like to feel the love too from time to time! Take the initiative and surprise us! Fellas, this does not (and I repeat), does not mean you don’t spoil your significant other too. Make sure you always one up her no matter what! 🙂 And if you’re not in a relationship, I say spoil yourself! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Family Home Reviews Travel

Getting Away with Oyster Bay

Posted on December 27, 2017

This month has been crazy! Between running around to shop for gifts, decorating the house from top to bottom, and making December special for Nathan, I felt like it was about time to show my wife a little magic as well. Taking care of her two boys the way she does is no easy task. I really wanted to give her a day of complete relaxation – free of chores and to-do’s – to show how much I appreciate all she does. This silky-smooth Pinot Noir from Oyster Bay inspired me to truly celebrate how much I love her by taking a quick local getaway to a nearby bed and breakfast overlooking a serene lake.

This was only the second time my wife and I had stayed at a bed and breakfast, but as I get older, I realize I’m more and more into them. The peace, hospitality and cozy vibes really help you unwind and enjoy a holiday away from home. By turning our phones off, avoiding emails and disconnecting from the distractions of everyday life we could truly relax, drinking Oyster Bay’s fruit-forward Pinot Noir and enjoying each other’s company in total peace. There wasn’t even a TV for us to watch. Normally, I couldn’t survive without one (LOL), but with the ingredients we had, it made for a magical escape!

We played board games (which I of course won ;)), read a little (which, sad to say, I haven’t done in a looong time) and I even made the B&B’s cats sing by messing around with a guitar (I don’t know how to play at all).

For me, drinking wine always makes any ordinary day feel like a special occasion. On a romantic weekend away, great wine takes the moment to a whole new level. When I’m looking to celebrate, I can’t rate highly enough Oyster Bay Pinot Noir from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It’s fragrant, soft and flavorful style is the ideal catalyst for any magical celebration, and set the mood perfectly for our romantic local getaway.

Family Home Reviews

How We Slow Down for the Holidays

Posted on December 5, 2017

December is here, which means it’s officially time to get ready for the holidays. As magical as this time of year is, it’s easy to get caught up in all the festivities, from decorating to shopping to holiday parties and the general running around you inevitably have, to squeeze into the five weekends of December. For my wife and I, it’s also one of the busiest times of year for work. Between all the demand of the holidays, it’s so important to stop for a minute, relax with someone you love and remind yourself what you do it all for. It’s not the gifts that create lasting memories, but the experiences and the time spent with friends and families that make this time of year so special. Like most people, we’ve been in overdrive for the past few months and don’t see ourselves slowing down until 2018. So, one night last weekend, I decided that once I got home, it was time for the wifey and I to relax, unwind and embrace the holiday spirit in a stress-free way. Naturally, my first thought was wine!

Since Oyster Bay Wines are synonymous with great moments, enjoyed in great locations, with great people, it was only right to pop a bottle (or two, who’s counting?) for a romantic night at home! Since there’s nothing relaxing about having to spend a ton of time cooking and doing dishes, I kept it simple and made some elegant finger foods. I love making crostinis! They’re easy, you can make a hundred different kinds, and most are usually just a few simpleingredients. For these crostinis, I opted for brie, prosciutto, basil and drizzled honey. I also bought my wife’s favorite stuffed mushrooms from her favorite restaurant as an accoutrement. The earthiness of the shitakes/Baby Bellas/etc. complimented the elegant fruit-forward flavors of Oyster Bay’s Pinot Noir perfectly. We also snacked on cherries, to enhance the fragrant concentration of bright red cherries in Oyster Bay’s signature pinot from the cool, maritime-influenced climate of New Zealand’s Marlborough region.

While relaxing and sipping (with the lights dim and Bing Crosby playing in the background), we started going through some of our holiday decorations. Every year we buy Nathan a new ornament. He loves his car ornaments, and it has grown into a family tradition! This collection belonged to my wife’s late father, but my mother-in-law handed them down to Nate. We just sat there and reminisced about the past years & ornament ideas we had for this year! It made us really giddy for the holidays, especially with Nate being so into Christmas. He keeps the magic alive for us!

All in all, slowing down with a cozy night in is a great way to kick off the holiday season. There also might have been some canoodling, but hey, I’m not one to kiss and tell! (LOL) We’re already looking forward to the next time we have a second to enjoy a bottle of Oyster Bay together, but our upcoming weekends are already packed. ‘Tis the season!

Whether it’s a romantic night in, small gathering, or festive dinner, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir is the ideal companion for all your celebrations. Try it yourself by heading to select liquor retailers nationwide, ordering via Drizly or checking out oysterbaypinotnoir.com to learn more. Cheers!

Family Home Reviews

Black Friday Pre-Gaming With Flipp

Posted on November 22, 2017

This post is sponsored by Flipp, however all opinions are my own.

Everybody knows that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. Everyone is going crazy looking for the best deals, and who can blame them?

I mean let’s be honest, Christmas time can get expensive! I decided to stop running around the crowded mall this Black Friday and use my Flipp app to make saving money a lot less stressful. You can go right on the app homepage and see the Black Friday countdown – wow, only 2 days left! Then, under the countdown, you can find all the Black Friday circulars you need, with an easy call-out as to when the sales begin and when they end – to ensure you don’t miss out!

If you don’t see the store you’re looking for, simply search the specific store using the search tool. You can even search for a specific product! While browsing through flyers you can click on the products you want and they will be automatically added to your list. Hey, you might find a deal you weren’t looking for from the start! You’ll love how Flipp keeps the items in your Shopping List super organized.

Download the Flipp app now and plan your Black Friday shopping (once your belly is maxed out from turkey) right from the comfort of your couch so that you can find the best deals and have a game plan BEFORE you go to the stores. And, even if you have the urge to hit up the malls on Friday, don’t run around like Nate and I did…sit back in the food court with some hot cocoa and let Flipp help you find the best deals first!

Family Home Reviews

Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes & Savings With Flipp

Posted on November 11, 2017

This post is sponsored by Flipp, however all opinions are my own.

One of the best things about fall is pumpkin flavored goodies. Every year around this time we all get excited for yummy treats like pumpkin candy corn, pumpkin cider donuts, pumpkin cider, and one of my family favorites, pumpkin pancakes! I’ve partnered up with Flipp, a shopping app that makes it easy to search for deals and coupons by item, brand or retailer.

I wanted to show you my steps for making the perfect homemade pumpkin pancakes – beyond just the recipe. Every Saturday morning, I take on breakfast duties and these pancakes are a family favorite. These seasonal pancakes require a few ingredients that require a quick grocery trip – so I turn to Flipp to help plan ahead and stay organized.

One of my favorite features on the Flipp app is the Shopping List feature. I always have my phone on me, so having my grocery list right at my fingertips is convenient, and ensures I’ll never forget what I need. My wife, who also has the app, can add groceries to the exact same Shopping List, which is super helpful when we’re at the store together or making separate trips. This feature really works well for us, because now when it’s time for me to go shopping I don’t have to keep calling or texting her asking what’s on the list, and when we check off an item we can see those updates in real-time.

Flipp also makes it a lot easier to shop for everything on our grocery list and help us find the best deals and coupons. I was able to search for my specific supermarket, view the weekly circular and quickly find the available coupons for that location. And, just by clicking a button I was able to add them right to my (virtual) price plus card! Once I got to the supermarket I was able to choose the store location I was at and locate what aisle the products I needed were in. This is especially nice so I didn’t have to walk around aimlessly searching – when Nate’s with me, it’s best to be in and out as quickly as possible (LOL). Once all the shopping is complete, I can just hand the cashier my phone and they can scan it for access to my price plus card. It’s so nice not to have to carry around these cards anymore and have one central location for them to all be stored on the app.

My family tends to put all the grocery circulars directly in our recycling bin before they even make it in the house because we know we’ll never end up remembering to bring them to the store anyways. But, now with Flipp, I’m actually looking at digital flyers in advance and using coupons for the first time! I’m finally taking advantage of savings! Watch the video to check out our shopping experience with Flipp and my first stab at making homemade pumpkin pancakes! They were soooo yummy! For the ingredients and pumpkin pancakes recipe, which I found online, see below! To top them off I added a little bit of whipped cream and some cinnamon and sugar!

Share how much you saved using Flipp! It’s available to download for free on iOS and Android!

Produce
● 1 cup Pumpkin puree Refrigerated
● 2 Eggs

Condiments
● Butter
● Maple Syrup

Baking & Spices
●   2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
●   1 tbsp Baking powder
●   1/2 tsp Baking soda
●   1/3 cup Granulated sugar
●   2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice blend
●   1/2 tsp Salt
●   2 tsp Vanilla extract, pure

Dairy
● 3 tbsp Butter, unsalted
● 2 cups Buttermilk

1.   To a large bowl, add the buttermilk. If using the vinegar plus milk option, let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the milk to turn to buttermilk.
2.   Add the pumpkin, eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir with a whisk to combine.
3.   In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
4.   Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
5.   Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.
6.   Heat a non-stick griddle to 325 degrees or set large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a little butter on the cooking surface, spreading it evenly, if desired (if the surface is non-stick, you may not need to do this). Using a 1/3 cup measure (or, my pancake scooping weapon of choice, a trigger-handled ice cream scoop), pour the batter onto the griddle or into the frying pan. The pancakes are ready to flip when they look a little dry around the edges and start to form little bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and completely cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes.
7.   Serve topped with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

Family Home Reviews Style

Soccer Season Begins With Flipp

Posted on September 26, 2017

This post is in partnership with Flipp. All views and opinions are my own.

With the warm weather coming to an end and the long days of sunshine slowly getting shorter, the end of summer can be a very depressing time of year. However, this September was VERY exciting (and emotional) for us, because our little boy started kindergarten! And by exciting, I mean for Nate…for me it’s more of just sadness. I’m excited for him, but it’s also just a reminder that he’s getting older and starting this new big boy chapter in his life. Lucky for me we had lots of back-to-school shopping to do to help cheer me up. I’m curious if I’m the only dad who actually enjoys this part of it! LOL

With most of Nate’s new clothes shopping complete, we just needed to pick up some equipment for his first year of actual soccer. Last year it was more practice drills with hands-on help from the parents, but this year he’s on a little team with real practices and real games! He’s very excited. It also means he’s going to need some official equipment. I recently teamed up with this amazing app, Flipp, to show you how I handled finding exactly what Nate wanted at the best prices. Talk about perfect timing! The app takes all of the circulars you receive at home (or don’t receive!) and brings them to one digital space. Think of all the time you can save by just opening up the app and finding all the deals from your favorite retailers right at your fingertips, and not having circular after circular scattered across your counter-top! Browse by retailer, by product category, or by discount offered…no matter which way you Flipp it, Flipp helps you find the best deal across multiple retailers. Whenever I’m in a store and find an item I usually try searching it online to see if I can find it cheaper, but now that I have Flipp, it can handle all of that for me!

You can even store all your reward cards in one place so you don’t have a wallet or keychain full of cards. Once you find the deals as well as any additional coupons you want, Flipp gives you the ability to just clip them right to your loyalty cards, or get money back via rebate. I must introduce this app to my mom and mother-in-law who are still carrying around reward card keychains from 1999! LOL

We used Flipp for our back-to-school soccer season shopping. Nate was able to pick out his cleats, shin guards, and a hat that he wanted for soccer and then I was able to go on the app and figure out where I could purchase them for the best prices. He’s officially all set for his first week of practice, and we saved at least $30 by using Flipp to find the best deals.

Apparently my son also thinks that when you just click an item in the app, it will magically be shipped to our home, (no $ needed) so he asked for us to download Flipp on his tablet as well so he can browse for soccer balls! LOL

Download the free Flipp app today for iOS or Android and let us know how you used it to help you save for back-to-school activities!

Family Home Reviews Style

A Father’s Day BBQ With Marshalls

Posted on June 15, 2017

This is going to sound horrible but the fact is my wife and I aren’t the best hosts when having a BBQ, party, or just having friends over. It’s not that we don’t want to – per say (LOL), but after a long work week, we just want to kick back and relax (or party). This year we decided it’s finally time to start stepping up our game. We figured the first step to becoming great hosts is having the right home essentials to make our porch look inviting and feel like you’re away on vacation rather than actually at home. We hit up our local Marshalls, like we do every week (or sometimes twice a week), and scored some great finds. We couldn’t wait to see how everything looked all set up, so we decided to have a test-run and throw ourselves a pre-father’s day BBQ. Of course it decided to rain that day, so we took it indoors and spent the afternoon in our screened-in porch. We just got back from the Caribbean so we wanted it to be bright and feel a little exotic. We scored a bunch of really cool flamingo pieces – like these dinner plates, a serving plate, and this fun table cloth. For cups, we went with classic BBQ mason jars (but with the handle, to make it more functional). We already had a picnic table, but wanted to add some more seating so we also picked up these really chic looking white outdoor chairs that are made of some sort of rubbery plastic – almost like the same kind of material they use for jelly shoes! We added a few plants around the table (to be honest, the more plants the better) and made some pink lemonade in our new beverage dispenser. This will probably be one of the only times you will see this used as a non-alcoholic beverage dispenser (LOL). My wife and I like to find new cocktail recipes during the summer weekends to relax & sip by the pool. One of my son Nate’s favorite pick-ups were these cute little pig corn-holders…they really are too cute. We used them with our corn trays that we actually already had from a previous Marshalls shopping trip. We’ve been searching for a larger home cooler/drink tub for awhile now and finally found one that we were happy with – love the white with the wood handle. I love the Marshalls home section, but rarely do I leave that store without an apparel piece in hand! So…onto my outfit! I wanted to be ready to jump in the pool at any moment the sun came out but I wasn’t in the mood to look and feel so casual. This summer I’m all about comfortable, flowy shirts – and this designer button down was just that. I paired it with this classic spring green bathing suit. The linen top really elevated my bathing suit and made it feel more like an outfit rather than just a bathing suit. We actually also picked up Nate’s little tie-dye tee in Marshalls as well. He loves that store – but mainly the toy section (haha). We are so happy with the way our porch turned out and can’t believe how it transformed with just some small decor additions. Now, we cannot wait to tackle the outside porch and find some new outdoor seating pieces! Our pre-father’s day BBQ dress rehearsal was a success so I think my wife and I may finally be ready to host! Since Father’s Day is right around the corner – here are some gift ideas you can pick up at any Marshalls, that I’d personally love to receive: a new wallet or money-clip card holder, new grilling utensils, cozy pajama pants (my son always picks out a fun print at Marshalls – last year he picked out these lounge pants covered in sharks for me, and I LOVE the fact that he picked them out himself…so much more special that way), new shoes (I mean, this is a no brainer for me – I might have more pairs than my wife), or just stop by any Marshalls and they always have that cool little section of the latest gadgets and unique gifts for any guy! Overall though, just getting quality time to spend with my family is honestly the best gift of all. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Check Out My Feature In Their GET INSPIRED Section!

Family Home Style

A Party With Popsicle

Posted on May 29, 2017

Who doesn’t love a good party? When I got a chance to style pieces from the new INC x Popsicle collaboration and throw my family a little party I was all in. This INC x Popsicle Print Shirt screams fun and has the perfect colors to rock out at any summer BBQ or party. The black base with the scattered Popsicle print, in their classic Popsicle colors (including the famous firecracker pops), is fun, without being too loud and over the top. It might be my son’s favorite shirt of mine! The black INC Men’s Skinny Stretch Pants are truly a rare find. A pant that comes in the perfect length and fit? With no belt or tight-roll needed? They seriously fit me perfect! These Popsicle’s are not only pretty iconic in the ice game but are actually a huge part of my family’s daily routine. My wife and I have a sugar-free pop almost every night – they’re only 15 calories! We LOVE the new Red Classics! And, as long as Nate finishes his dinner – he usually goes with a classic Popsicle Firecracker. Overall my family’s a big Popsicle fan, so we were thrilled with the INC x Popsicle collab. With such fun graphics from the INC x Popsicle collection, it’s only right to carry them over into the social media world & offer them as Emojis! My personal fave is the Popsicle Snow Cone – I used to live on those as a kid! Check out all of the INCmoji Stickers HERE. Plus, check out more pieces from the INC x Popsicle collection at Macy’s. Great collab! This post was sponsored by INC International Concepts, available only at Macy’s.

Home Reviews

Gettin’ Boozy With My Brother

Posted on May 26, 2017

I recently received a Brother P-touch D210 label maker. I’ve actually used Brother P-touch label makers before when doing electrical work. They come in handy when you need to label wire, pipe or finish plates…and are much neater and more legible than handwriting on tape! However, I never had the opportunity to take one home. So, what’s a guy like me going to do with a 14-font, 600+ symbol P-touch PT-D210 label maker? I started in my kitchen and decided to label my cereal containers and jars that I use for cooking & baking ingredients. Not only does it help make things look neat & organized, it also helps make sure there is no confusion on what you’re grabbing. My son, who loves to help me in the kitchen, is in the process of learning how to read, so putting a label on certain items helps him to familiarize himself with new words. When I ask him to grab something for me he can now see how to spell the ingredient he grabbed! Just like how my son and I usually try a new recipe every few weeks, my wife and I like to mix up a new cocktail every few weeks 🙂 Not sure if it’s just me, but I can’t remember a recipe for the life of me – even an easy one. So, we thought it would be cute (I mean tough) to put the ingredients on the pitcher – and if guests ash what’s in the drink, they can just look on the pitcher and if they like it, snap a pic & save it for themselves. Right now we’re making Strawberry Mint Mojitos (see below for recipe). We also used the P-touch PT-D210 to make flags for the straws so there’s no confusion on whose drink belongs to who. Now here you can have a little fun! My wife’s straw flag said “Lightweight”, mine, “Boozy” and Nate’s, “Virgin”. Almost all the drinks we make taste great – with or without alcohol. So, if you have someone who is not of age, like Nate, (but still likes to feel like he’s part of the party), you can make sure there is no mix up! The P-touch PT-D210 also lets you easily personalize your labels with borders, symbols and different color tapes. We used White On Lime Green and White On Berry Pink TZe tape colors to go with the Strawberry Mint Mojito theme. P-touch TZe tape is laminated, making it water-resistant, and fade resistant if you want to reuse the pitcher for the same recipe! Looking forward to many more recipes, and having fun personalizing with our Brother P-touch! To purchase the P-touch D210, visit Amazon.

STRAWBERRY MINT MOJITO RECIPE

Ingredients (serves one):

3 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
5 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) white rum
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1/4 cup club soda

Directions:

1. In a glass, muddle the simple syrup, strawberries, and fresh mint leaves until fragrant.
2. Add a handful of ice to your glass and pour in the white rum, lime juice, and club soda.
3. Gently stir, garnish with a sprig of mint, and enjoy immediately!

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