Thanksgiving Leftover Round-Up

There's nothing better than Thanksgiving leftovers. 

You know it. I know it. And the scale knows it...

Until you're on day 4 and you just want a salad. Or a pizza. Or Chinese food. Just anything but stuffing & dry turkey.

So here are some cute ways to give your family & friends some of the love & how to generally up your leftover game.

Have a happy, safe, wonderful Thanksgiving !

THIS. Just all of this. 

[ Mason Jars for dinner & leftovers ]

[ Cupcake and Cashmere's leftover box ]

[ Printable Labels ]

[ Day-After Turkey Soup ]

[ Turkey Quesadilla with Gouda ]

[ Grilled Turkey, Brie, and Arugula Sandwich ] ... I'm drooling

DIY Candles

My absolute favorite thing to do is pour a glass of vino, light some candles, and read a good book or catch up on my shows. Now I know you're probably wondering when the 20 cats stroll in but I swear it's the most relaxing thing ever. But it also leaves me dropping a good amount of money on candles... a month! Woof.

So when I was romping around Pinterest and stumbled across DIY candles I knew I HAD to try it. Perfect craft for a cold, quiet weekend.

& S O  E A S Y !

What You Need

> Wax flakes - whatever wax you buy will most likely have directions, follow those if they differ from mine. The heat levels differ by wax type.

> Jars / whatever you want to put your candle in

> Wicks - ones that include the metal disc at the end are the easiest to work with (as shown below) Also make sure it's long enough for whatever jar you choose

> Wick bar (holds the wicks straight - I improvised below because my craft store was out of them, ha!)

> The scents of your choice (found near the wax and wicks in your craft store)

> Thermometer

* If you want to dye your wax, you can get some dye at the craft store or use pre-colored wax

What You Do

> Melt the wax on low heat - to about 175 degrees

> Then let cool to 150 & add the desired scents - the amount of fragrance is dependent on how much wax you're melting - I admit I 100% eyeballed it & was happy with the outcome.  I put 10 hefty drops in for 2 bags of wax flakes.

> Stir

> Pour the wax into your jars

> Put the wick bar on top quickly, make sure the wick is straight & let dry

> Wait 24 hours before lighting! 

Add ribbon & a tag to personalize

The Full-Body-Wherever-Workout

Hate your love handles but hate the treadmill more?

Don't feel like MAKING TIME for the gym?

You love your workout videos but you're traveling and FORGOT the video?

You can't swing the cost of your yoga class this week?

The above excuses have been my life for the past 4 years. 

Let's stop the bitching!

I've been doing T25 with my boyfriend for about 4 weeks now. I absolutely love it. It's quick, I can do it at home, and I already see differences in my body. So does he. BUT, I won't always be able to take the DVD and my computer with me when I travel. Or better yet, I won't want to - my boyfriend also needs the DVD and I hate carrying my computer. And hate my eating habits. But that's a different blog post for a different day.

SO. I found something on Pinterest that gave me a set of 5 exercises to do over & over again. I took that & enhanced it with the moves I've learned in T25.

I did the below, my first time, 3x in a row and was completely out of breath and dripping sweat. My next goal is to do it 5x in a row.

You can absolutely do this anywhere; there's no excuse. Do it at your own pace but try to avoid breaks. Make sure your form is on point to avoid injury. Stretch. Have water at-hand. Time yourself so you have a point of reference of how long this takes you & you can set your own goals.

Full-Body-Wherever-Workout

30 Jumping Jacks

Do 5: Push-up position, tap each shoulder w/ the opposite hand (no rocking), do 1 push-up

50 High Knees

7 Burpees

30 Second Plank Hold

10 Squats

15 Mountain Climbers

20 Bicycle Crunches

5 Shoulder Tap Push-Ups (above)

10 Squats (Or Burpees)

30 Jumping Jacks

15 Second Plank Hold on your right side & 15 seconds on your left

1 Minute Wall Sit

5 Shoulder Tap Push-Ups

50 High Knees

Repeat

You work hard throughout the week at work... make time & work hard for yourself.

5 Headache-Saving Tips for Commuters

I commute. Every Day. For a total of 2.5 hours. I like to think I've mastered this art. 

Here are tips to making your commute easier on you:

1. Tide To-Go Pen

Literally a life saver. There is nothing worse than getting knocked into on your way to the office by the lawyer on the phone that is unaware that his elbow is the size of the Empire State Building; coffee in hand (obvi). You're NEW white blouse/chunky cable knit sweater/blazer now has tan streaks and smells like a cheap Starbucks (not a terrible thing but not ideal)...

This summer a woman walked into me causing me to shower myself with iced coffee (yum!) while wearing WHITE PANTS (not so yum). Emotional breakdown commence. I immediately used my Tide to-go pen and seltzer - every single drop of coffee was out of my pants within minutes. No exaggeration. I have witnesses.

Tide to-go pens will forever be on every wishlist I make for the holidays.

2. Extra Chargers

INVEST IN CHARGERS! This is #2 on my list for reasons beyond the obvious: safety. I cannot tell you how many times I've gotten to Grand Central or Penn Station (ugh) and the trains are backed up and I'm down to 2% battery on my phone and my iPad is giving me that stupid red battery sign - it won't even turn on. OR you're already on the train and it just decides to break down for kicks. There's snow. The trains too cold. There's a "signal" problem. It's 2014, you can get your signals straight people. Anyway, you wait an hour just for the conductors to realize they can't fix the problem and then you're waiting for the "back-up train". You're phones dead. No Instagram. No Pinterest. No Facebook. Hell.

Always have a charger on you. 

3. Always Have a Book

This should be obvious from my rant above in #2. Technology isn't perfect. iPads and Kindles stop working sometimes. Your app freezes. Your device needs to be charged. You have no service. You want to actually feel what it's like to read a good 'ole paperback.

Always have a book.

4. Get the "this-app-tells-you-train-times-even-though-we're-sometimes-wrong" App

I know, I know - if the trains can't even get their signals straight what makes you trust their app, right? Well, surprisingly A LOT. I commuted for a few months right after college from NJ to the City and I now commute from CT to the city. I had the NJTransit app and now the Metro North app. Out of all my cranky mornings, delayed trains, broken down trains, and the-AC-is-broken trains these apps have only been wrong ONCE.

The best thing about these is that they tell you what track your train is coming on. You KNOW that is helpful. Playing the track guessing game is the worst. Especially when you're in heels. How can you Hulk Hogan your way to the front of the train if you're 50 yards away and in heels because you GUESSED the wrong track? Cringe worthy.

5. Use a Tote/Messenger Bag

I'm not saying this tip is always fashionable. I'm not even saying it's one I always follow. I'm just saying it'll make your commuting life a lot better. 

Compartments are your friend. They hold the Tide to-go pens. The chargers. The iPad. The book. And my favorite: the snacks!

Everything has a place and there's tons of room to throw in things only commuters can understand: your entire make-up bag because you're running late and don't have time to put it on at home, extra shoes because it's cold and you're in your Uggs (they're hideous but the most comfortable things ever, #sorryimnotsorry), your homemade lunch because you're trying to save money to move out, a cardigan due to your freezing office, and an extra shirt to wear for the happy hour you're going to after work.

My biggest piece of advice would be: don't feel guilty for spending money on things to make your commute more enjoyable. You work hard and deserve to enjoy these couple hours to yourself! Commuting doesn't have to be negative. Read, sleep, relax! And well, yeah, drink.

Healthy, Hearty Chicken Chili

Recipe inspired by: Gimme Some Oven 

What I love about soups and chili is that you can pretty much load them up with whatever you love. It is so easy to make these veggie-packed and meatless if you're trying to be good for the holidays (hahahaha that's a funny thought, right?)

This recipe as is will provide you with at least 6 servings. If you're like me and ALWAYS go for seconds, then I can't promise anything... but it's a life-saver for the week and freezes well.

Curl up, grab the chips and salsa, & enjoy!

What You'll Need

> 6 cups of chicken broth

> 4 cups cooked & shredded chicken (equals about 2 large boneless chicken breasts)

> 2 15 oz. kidney beans (original recipe calls for Great Northern beans but I chose Kidney because they're high in fiber)

> 2 cups salsa verde (I left this out the first time I made it & it was still awesome!)

> 2 tsp. ground cumin

> 1 tsp chili powder

> 1 1/2 cups corn

>1 cup finely chopped onion

> 2 avocados (this is for garnish so choose how much you like & grab some more for the rest of your servings throughout the week)

> sour cream (again, to top with so your call how much!)

> Tostitos - because, we'll they're amazing

What To Do

> Bake chicken, covered, in the oven at 425 for about 30 - 40 mins (I just add some salt and pepper to the chicken before placing in the pan)

> While the chicken is baking, chop your vegetables

> Put the chicken broth, beans, spices, and vegetables in a pot and bring to a boil then turn down the heat to a light simmer while you're waiting for the chicken to be done

> Shred the chicken once it's cooked and add to the pot

> Serve while adding avocado, sour cream, and chips to taste

You'll be full & happy - promise!