Weekend Dispatch

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

We're off again! We've been back from Rehoboth Beach for only a few days, and on Thursday morning we are jet setting to Salt Lake City for my nephew's wedding. However, in the days since we've been home, a lot has happened. After you read about that, you'll understand just how much we need both a break and and some time with family to celebrate a joyous occasion. So, here's what I'll be doing this weekend and on the flight out to SLC. Enjoy your week and weekend! xx
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Life Is Short

Monday, August 27, 2018

It's a cliché we hear all too often and usually under casual circumstances. "Life is short. Eat dessert first." It's fun and playful to say. We don't really think about how short life is until tragedy strikes and the reality of the saying rings true and hits close to home.

Last week, we learned the hard way that life is short when my sister-in-law passed away suddenly. Nothing feels quite like a freight train has hit you like news like that. We were rocked to our cores. Shocked and speechless, you're glad your body breathes on it's own because if you had to think about making the effort to do it, it wouldn't happen.
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, August 23, 2018
The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. The most popular cookbook in each state via PureWow.

2. Health benefits of sleeping with a fan on via Bustle.

3. A weird trick for applying mascara for long, thick lashes via Redbook.
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How To Juggle A Hectic Work and Family Life

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

When you're a working parent, life can be tricky at times. Juggling your work life and home life is no easy feat. The fact is that for working moms, juggling a hectic work life and family life can, at times, seem totally impossible. The good news is it's not impossible. It's just a case of knowing how to balance everything effectively. If you have a plan of action in place, are organized and have help on hand for when you need it, you can make it much easier to cope and find a good balance between your work life and family life.

Here are a few tips I use to work efficiently, parent effectively, and run a home at the same time.
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5 Tips For Loving Your Workouts

Monday, August 20, 2018

It's been 18 months since I made the commitment to get into a regular a fitness routine. When I turned 49, I became hyper aware of my midlife status and rather than dread getting older, I decided to embrace it. My first step was getting to the gym and learning to love my workouts.

Building on the mistakes I've made in the past and what I had hoped to accomplish in the future, I've put together this list of easy tips for establishing a love-love relationship with your workouts.
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4 Important Life Milestones

Saturday, August 18, 2018
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When I look back on the past 17 years, there are definitely milestones and goals that my husband and I worked towards and achieved in our years together. They may not happen for everyone, and if they do, they may not happen in this order, but you are likely to achieve at least one of them at some point. Maybe you're in a relationship and you don’t know where it's going at the moment, but eventually when you do have a solid plan, you'll need to think about the milestones below. Traditional is not the norm these days. So you can choose any path you like and achieve whatever milestones you want. 
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Non-Traditional Options For Creating a Family

Friday, August 17, 2018
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There are so many choices when it comes to deciding not only whether we want to create a family of our own, but how we can go about achieving this. Traditionally, when we think of creating a family, the majority of us will tend to think of a man and a woman conceiving through traditional intercourse. However, thanks to increased awareness surrounding all sorts of social issues, and also dramatic improvements in science, medicine, and technology, this isn’t the only way to create a family of your own.
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, August 16, 2018

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. What it's like to be a realtor on House Hunters via Apartment Therapy.

2. Six self-care things to do to feel better about summer ending via Byrdie.

3. The best way to treat (and get rid of) mosquito bites via Into The Gloss.
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How To Update A Room On A Budget

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Decorating your home is a never ending process. As home interior styles and trends change, I have a tendency to want to follow them, which can get expensive. Since I don't always have the budget to make large scale changes, I try to stick to a combination of buying new and mixing up what I already have. New furniture, knowing how to repurpose old things, adding color, changing a theme are all ways you can update the look of your home and make it feel brand new without blowing the budget. Here are a few other ways I make quick updates on a small budget.
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Ways To Care For Yourself When You Are A Busy Mom

Wednesday, August 15, 2018
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Parenthood is the biggest adventure of all, and certainly one of the most challenging and rewarding things that most of us will do in our adult lives. When you start a family, life changes forever and your entire priority becomes caring for this little person and preparing her for adulthood and a life independent of you. However, while you are doing that, you can't lose sight of taking care of yourself. So many mothers pour themselves into taking care of their families that they forget to take care of themselves. In this age of self-care, you have every excuse to set aside time to focus on you whether you have a newborn or a college-aged child.
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Weekend Dispatch

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

In four days, my girls and I are heading to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware where we'll spend a relaxing week with my sisters and their children. If you are a long-time reader here, you know that I grew up vacationing in Rehoboth with my parents, sisters, and often, extended family. My sisters and our kids have been doing this trip since 2007, and it's one of my most anticipated weeks of the year. This week will be spent wrapping up posts for the blog, tying up loose ends for a client, and of course, packing, packing, packing. But during those rare moments of downtime, here's how I'll be spending my time.
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5 Fab Finds Under $50

Monday, August 13, 2018
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On a budget but still want to look great? Here are 5 fab finds under $50 that won't break the bank but will keep you (or your home) looking cute.
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, August 9, 2018

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. The best educational toys for kids via Business Insider.

2. What to consider when applying for jobs you are unqualified for via Fast Company.

3. The regrets of 90-somethings via Medium.
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My Favorite Beauty Products For Rosacea

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Lately, I've been getting a lot of compliments on my skin...which makes me very happy. I have struggled with controlling my rosacea which I've had for a little over 15 years. My dermatologist told me that I likely developed the condition during my pregnancy and while rosacea isn't curable, it is treatable. Since that time, I've been hyperaware of my skin condition and have diligently worked to keep it under control. I've tried both oral and topical prescription and over-the-counter medications and many different beauty products.

50% of the way my skin looks is about what I eat. The other 50% is about how I take care of my skin. In the end, I have found that altering my diet and using a combination of beauty products that help mask redness have been a successful combination.
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Loving Lately: Wrap Dresses

Tuesday, August 7, 2018
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Diane Von Furstenberg invented the wrap dress in 1974. For over 40 years this iconic dress has been a solid wardrobe staple for generations of women. While its style has evolved over the years, the wrap dress has remained a classic. This summer especially, I've fallen in love with wrap dresses. I bought a super cute, inexpensive one at TJ Maxx at the beginning of the summer and this one at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Here are a few of my other favorite wrap dresses.
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Weekend Dispatch

Monday, August 6, 2018

Last weekend I made a last minute decision to take a little blogging break. After heading to central Pennsylvania to visit my sisters and their families, I returned home and was still in a laid back vacation mode and decided that I wouldn't push myself to write posts that just didn't feel organic and natural. There's something so satisfying about going to central PA where the pace seems slower and more laid back. My sister Holly lives directly behind a farm, and it's a complete juxtaposition to wake up to roosters crowing and cows mooing at the crack of dawn instead of hearing cars rushing by my window at home. It's always good to spend quality time with those we love, and that's exactly what we did. This week's Weekend Dispatch is combined with part of last week's which was never published since I took a break.


One of the things Emma wanted to do when we were in PA was go to Knoebels Amusement Resort. We hadn't been there in two years since we went camping (for the first time ever!) in July 2016. We spent the day there on Sunday. If you live in the NJ/PA area, it's a great day trip and a very cost-effective option for an amusement park. There is no admission fee, and you pay for only the rides you want to go on. I always enjoy our trips to Knoebels. If you go, be sure to ride The Phoenix and The Twister roller coasters, and a waffle ice cream sandwich is a MUST!! Here are a few of my other must-dos. Oh, and the Ferris wheel is never a bad idea! For more info on Knoebels, click HERE.



If you are a big fan of 80's music, then you know that Boy George is touring this summer with Tom Bailey (best known as the frontman for the Thompson Twins). On Friday, my sister, my niece, and I saw the concert at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park. It was amazing! Boy George and his band were phenomenal, and if you were a fan of the Thompson Twins (and I was a huge fan!), you'll love Tom Bailey. The Summer Stage is always a great show no matter who is playing. Check out the schedule to see the lineup for the remainder of the summer, and you can get info on the Culture Club/Tom Bailey tour HERE.


So I know I'm totally late to the game here, but have you watched The Affair? I tried to watch it back in 2014 when it premiered on Showtime, but it airs on Sunday evenings which don't really work for me as far as TV watching goes. I did watch some of it, but never followed through. A few weeks ago, I installed the xfinity app on my iPad and decided to give it another try. I started from the very beginning, and before I knew it, I was hooked. As you can guess from the title, the main plot of the show focuses on the affair of two married people, Alison and Noah. But this show is so much more than that. There are several sub-plots that are equally as good and engaging including family tensions and betrayals. It also explores the emotional/psychological impacts the affair has on everyone involved. It's set in Montauk and New York City, and the cinematography is so well done. Added bonus: Joshua Jackson.


If you are looking for an easy and nutritious meal, you can't go wrong with a grain bowl. They take seconds to put together, and although there are hundreds of recipes out there, you don't need one. You can use whatever ingredients you like or have on hand to create the perfect grain bowl for you. I like this recipe for quinoa and roasted broccoli grain bowls (p.s., I don't include the grapes) because I can use leftover broccoli and it includes one of my favorite cheeses: goat cheese. Start with a base of quinoa or rice and just add your favorite elements from there.


My list of favorite podcasts is every-growing, so much so that I now officially spend more time listening to podcasts than I do to music. When someone in a private Facebook group I belong to recommended the Second Life podcast, I was skeptical. The premise of the podcast is interviews with successful women who have reinvented themselves. They have made complete career changes, followed their passions, and are reaping the rewards of making such drastic decisions. Having been in the business of blogging for almost 10 years, I thought I had enough of those stories. But I was pleasantly surprised when I had my first listen to this podcast. It includes interviews with Lauren Conrad who went from being an actress to an entrepreneur and Ali Webb, the founder of Drybar.


So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend?
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Best Online Reads

Thursday, August 2, 2018

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. When to pay with a credit card and when to use cash via Huffington Post.

2. The right way to clean a hairbrush via PureWow.

3. Solutions to 7 stressful family holiday situations via Real Simple.
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