Holiday Survival Guide 2014 – Time for a little fun

Stephanie | October 20, 2014

Welcome! If you are new and joining us, please check out our prior weeks (Week 1; Week 2 and Week 3) for great Halloween and Fall tips. For the fourth week of the Holiday Survival Guide 2014, we have some stuff for you and your kids! We have fun Halloween crafts to help decorate your home and get you in the holiday spirit. We also have some yummy self-care recipes to help take care of you, too! Lastly, we’ve also got your top links from last week’s link party and a new, fresh link party for all your awesome crafts and DIYs! Be sure to read all the way to the end to check out all of the great ideas!

Holiday Survival Guide 2014

We’re going to get you decluttered, organized, cleaned, decorated, and ready for all the holiday fun…without you needing to be committed to the looney bin before New Year’s.

It takes quite the team to pull this off, but we’re here for you! We’ll be here every Monday through the end of the year to make sure you’re on track and able to enjoy everything you have planned.

Ready to meet the team?

Sheri from Career Girl Interrupted

Dani from Dani Schnakenberg Studios

Katie & Jairus from KatieMarcum.com

Jessica from Jessie Bee Healthy

Kristen from From Son Up Til Son Down

Stephanie from Sharing A to Z

and our lovely co-host Amanda from It’s a Fabulous Life

Each week we’ll take turns bringing you something awesome to help you stay on track preparing for the major Holidays of the season. Be sure to come back and link up your holiday posts each week so we can share the fun!

From our friend Kristen:

It’s OCTOBER!!! My favorite month of the year!! The air is crisp, the nights get a little chilly and the world is ablaze with color. It just feels like everything is alive! One of my favorite holidays comes in October… Halloween!!!

Kid-Friendly, Budget-Friendly Halloween Crafts

Toady I’ll be sharing with you some craft ideas for your Halloween Shindig!!

I don’t know about you, but come this time of year I start to buckle down on the spending. I have just had to buy my oldest a whole new wardrobe as he has out grown every item of clothing- UGH!! So I thought I would come up with some cheap, easy and kid-friendly crafts for Halloween. I tried to also use items from around the house whenever possible.

MUMMY MASON JAR

GHOSTLY MILK JUG

SCARY EYES

When you’re done crafting with the kids, it’s time for some relaxing “Me-Time”! So how about trying these delicious beauty DIYs from our friend Jessica:

Pear Honey Face Peel

Pumpkin Hair Mask

Now, who’s ready to party? Share your Halloween-inspired crafts, printables, and activities with us this week!

Link Party Rules:

Follow all hosts: subscribe, FB, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter…whatever you prefer!
Be sure to link directly to your specific post, NOT your blog’s homepage.
Don’t link and run! Be sure to visit the last couple links before yours and let them know how you found them through #HolidaySurvivalGuide2014!
By linking up, you give all hosts permission to pin and share your projects (with links back to you, of course). We’ll also be sharing the top three clicked through with each following week’s project!
Be sure to follow the Holiday Survival Guide 2014 Pinterest board, too!

Baba’s Chicken Soup

Stephanie | October 18, 2014

My Slovak grandmother used to always make this soup, especially when you weren’t feeling well. Throughout the years, my parents and I have made a few slight modifications, but it is essentially the same. I hope you enjoy it!

Baba’s Chicken Soup

One Whole (organic) Chicken
One Onion
Celery (organic) – I usually use the whole bag
Carrots (organic) – I use one or two bags as my kids love these carrots!
Sea salt (Celtic or Himalayan) is better for you than regular table salt
Noodles*

In a large pan, cover the chicken with water. Add a little salt and the onion. Gently boil and cook for about 2 hours. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and let it cool on a plate.

A tip from my mama: if you peel the carrots over a bag in the sink, the clean up is a lot easier!

Add the veggies and cook. Much to the dismay of my family, I have added any number of vegetables to this recipe and it has always turned out delicious. You can get your veggie on and use your imagination here.

When the chicken is cool and the veggies are cooked, add the chicken meat back into the soup. Add salt to taste.

Cook the noodles in a separate pan and enjoy! It is even better on the second day, when you can scoop off any fat and reheat. You can also add ketchup and/or hot sauce for a different taste (we usually do this on day three of the soup). It also freezes well! Do you have a favorite soup recipe? If so, share it in the comments below.

*Everyone has their own favorite noodles to go with this soup. My father likes the skinny egg noodles and I like whole wheat noodles.

To your health,

Stephanie

If you enjoyed these tips and would like to hear more, please subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters. To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see Facebook or Pinterest.

Vitalizer: everyday nutrition for life

Stephanie | October 16, 2014

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Want more information? Email me at sharingAtoZ@gmail.com

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	All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

*	These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase through my link. Thank you for supporting my blog and small business! (Please review the disclosure tab at the top for the full disclosure.)

Additionally, I am Shaklee Independent Distributor. The information provided on this website is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental health condition. Please consult your healthcare provider. I share personal uses. Please check the Shaklee labels.

Reducing an item in your diet

Stephanie | October 16, 2014

Today while getting coffee at our local coffee shop, I overheard a conversation between two ladies. One was saying how she had to reduce things in her diet such as milk. Therefore, she was going to use half and half (I had to bite my tongue here). The other woman said that even if she was put in jail she could never drink black coffee. While I didn’t chime into their conversation, it made me want to share how I stopped drinking coffee with flavored creamer. As my father says, “If you want a candy bar, eat a candy bar. Don’t drink it in your coffee!”

To make the transition from “candy bar” coffee to black coffee, I started by reducing the amount of creamer I used. Then, I switched to almond milk and a little sweetener. I started with a little organic sugar, then transitioned to rice syrup, which has a very mild, sweet taste. Lastly, I gradually reduced the amount of the almond milk and rice syrup. The first few days drinking black coffee wasn’t fun. I only had one cup instead of three or four, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Now, I drink one cup of black coffee most mornings.

While at a friend’s house, I recently tried some flavored creamer in my coffee and it was way too sweet for my new tastes! Yay! It’s the small victories that make me smile! This can be applied to reducing other items from your diet, too! I hope sharing my story has inspired you to slowly make healthier changes in one of your food consumption patterns.

Have you done something to positively change your diet? I would love to hear it in this comments below or on my Facebook page!

If you enjoyed this and would like to hear more, please subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters. To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see Facebook or Pinterest.

Holiday Survival Guide 2014 – Fun Halloween Printables

Stephanie | October 13, 2014

Hello and happy fall! How has October been so far? Are you ready for Halloween yet? I hope our printables, recipes and link parties have helped to get you in the Halloween spirit. For week three of the Holiday Survival Guide 2014, we have some fun printables for candy bags, invites and more! We also have your favorite links from our link party last week. Lastly, we have a new link party for you to enjoy! Please enjoy our friends and our fun Halloween posts and link up your own!

Holiday Survival Guide 2014

We’re going to get you decluttered, organized, cleaned, decorated, and ready for all the holiday fun…without you needing to be committed to the looney bin before New Year’s.

Ready to meet the team?

Sheri from Career Girl Interrupted

Dani from Dani Schnakenberg Studios

Katie & Jairus from KatieMarcum.com

Jessica from Jessie Bee Healthy

Kristen from From Son Up Til Son Down

Stephanie from Sharing A to Z

and our lovely co-host Amanda from It’s a Fabulous Life

This week we’ve got a set of spooky Halloween-themed printables from Sheri at Career Girl Interrupted!

(Click HERE or on the image above to download all the PDFs in a .zip file.)

Now, who’s ready to party? Share your Halloween-inspired crafts, printables, and activities with us this week!

Link Party Rules:

Follow all hosts: subscribe, FB, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter…whatever you prefer!
Be sure to link directly to your specific post, NOT your blog’s homepage.
Don’t link and run! Be sure to visit the last couple links before yours and let them know how you found them through #HolidaySurvivalGuide2014!
By linking up, you give all hosts permission to pin and share your projects (with links back to you, of course). We’ll also be sharing the top three clicked through with each following week’s project!
Be sure to follow the Holiday Survival Guide 2014 Pinterest board, too!

Nutritional yeast AKA nooch

Stephanie | October 11, 2014

Have you tried nutritional yeast? I had never even heard of it until I started migrating to more of a vegetarian diet. It seemed this ingredient was mentioned in numerous vegetarian/vegan cookbooks and conversations. So, I decided to try it and now I am hooked! I love it! It has a nutty, cheesy flavor that goes great on popcorn, in soups, stews and on pizza or spaghetti. It is good for you, too! It is a favorite among vegetarians and vegans because it is a protein and contains B vitamins. I have tried a few brands and so far, Red Star is my favorite.

If you have tried notch, how do you enjoy it? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

To your health,

Stephanie

P.S. I was not paid for this post. Red Star has no idea who I am or that I am writing this.

Popcorn

Stephanie | October 10, 2014

As crazy as it sounds, popcorn has a special place in my heart as it always makes me think of my dad. He has been making it since I was a child and still makes and loves it.

If I am going to make popcorn on the stove, like my dad always did, I slightly modify his recipe to cut back on some oil. If I am serving it to the kids, I don’t add the red pepper.

Dad’s healthier popcorn recipe

4 TBSP of Canola Oil (I sometimes use coconut or red palm oil)

1 cup popcorn (Please try to use organic popcorn as most corn is GMO)

A few flakes of red pepper (or more depending on how much kick you want)

Sea Salt (Celtic or Himalayan) is better for you than regular table salt

On high heat, add oil to the pan and throw in three kernels. When they pop add the rest of the popcorn. Turn the heat down slightly. Once the popping slows down, shake it and take it off the heat. Add salt to taste.

This makes a big pan and serves a family of four with leftovers (or a few people who love popcorn)!

When I was pregnant with my second child (and trying not to gain as much as I did with my first). I purchased a popcorn maker. They are relatively inexpensive and don’t require using any oil. Once it was popped, I sprayed it with EVOO and added nutritional yeast (AKA nooch).

Either way you make it, popcorn is a wonderful snack. It is less expensive than chips and healthier, too! How do you eat your popcorn?

For an extra special twist, check out this Valentine popcorn recipe (that is good anytime)!

Keep poppin’,

Stephanie

Fall Recipes

Stephanie | October 6, 2014

For the second week Holiday Survival Guide 2014, we are bringing you some of our favorite fall recipes! We have covered every course in a meal for all you pumpkin lovers! We also have a new link party for all of your favorite Fall recipes! Be sure to link up as we would love to try your favorite Fall recipes!

Additionally, below are the top links from last week’s link party, too. Be sure to stop back next week to see what we have in store for you!

Holiday Survival Guide 2014

We’re going to get you decluttered, organized, cleaned, decorated, and ready for all the holiday fun…without you needing to be committed to the looney bin before New Year’s.

Ready to meet the team?

Sheri from Career Girl Interrupted

Dani from Dani Schnakenberg Studios

Katie & Jairus from KatieMarcum.com

Jessica from Jessie Bee Healthy

Kristen from From Son Up Til Son Down

Stephanie from Sharing A to Z

and our lovely co-host Amanda from It’s a Fabulous Life

This week Stephanie, Katie and Jairus are bringing you some tasty Fall-inspired recipes!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothee from Katie & Jairus at KatieMarcum.com

Pumpkin Soup from Stephanie at Sharing A to Z

Smoky Bacon Pumpkin Penne from Katie & Jairus at KatieMarcum.com

Pumpkin “Ice Cream” from Stephanie at Sharing A to Z

Pumpkin Pie Spice Whipped Cream

Now, who’s ready to party? Share your awesome Fall-inspired recipes with us this week!

Link Party Rules:

Follow all hosts: subscribe, FB, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter…whatever you prefer!
Be sure to link directly to your specific post, NOT your blog’s homepage.
Don’t link and run! Be sure to visit the last couple links before yours and let them know how you found them through #HolidaySurvivalGuide2014!
By linking up, you give all hosts permission to pin and share your projects (with links back to you, of course). We’ll also be sharing the top three clicked through with each following week’s project!
Be sure to follow the Holiday Survival Guide 2014 Pinterest board, too!

Pumpkin Soup

Stephanie | October 5, 2014

For us, fall means pumpkin everything! My friend, who speaks mostly spanish, was telling me about how she makes a delicious pumpkin soup. I speak some spanish, so I believe I understood most of the ingredients. I added a few more ingredients and that is how this soup was created. This pumpkin soup is good, easy to make, quick and healthy!

Pumpkin Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped

Red Palm Oil (or Olive Oil)

1 clove of garlic

1 pound of pumpkin (fresh or canned)

16 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the oil. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Put mixture in a blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend to your desired consistency. Pour into pan to warm. Enjoy!

Do you have any favorite pumpkin recipes? I would love to hear them!

Pumpkin “ice cream”

Stephanie | October 5, 2014

In our home, we love ice cream. However, we also try to eat healthy. (Well, I try to eat healthy and teach the kids about healthy choices). One of our favorite healthy treats is “ice cream” made from frozen bananas. You can add different fruits and spices to create the various flavors. Since it is fall, we love to incorporate pumpkin into our recipes!

Pumpkin “ice cream”

2 frozen bananas

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp pure maple syrup

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix in a high-power blender.

*You can adjust the pumpkin, milk and spices to your taste.

To be extra special, I added some spiced pumpkin seeds from Trader Joes. Be careful, they are addictive (and not exactly healthy)!

Do you have any favorite pumpkin desserts? I’d love for you to share them in the comments below!

Enjoy,

Stephanie

Ready to meet the team?

Sheri from Career Girl Interrupted

Dani from Dani Schnakenberg Studios

Katie & Jairus from KatieMarcum.com

Jessica from Jessie Bee Healthy

Kristen from From Son Up Til Son Down

Stephanie from Sharing A to Z

and our lovely co-host Amanda from It’s a Fabulous Life

From our friend Kristen:

When you’re done crafting with the kids, it’s time for some relaxing “Me-Time”! So how about trying these delicious beauty DIYs from our friend Jessica:

Now, who’s ready to party? Share your Halloween-inspired crafts, printables, and activities with us this week!

Link Party Rules:

Top links from last week:

Ready to meet the team?

Sheri from Career Girl Interrupted

Dani from Dani Schnakenberg Studios

Katie & Jairus from KatieMarcum.com

Jessica from Jessie Bee Healthy

Kristen from From Son Up Til Son Down

Stephanie from Sharing A to Z

and our lovely co-host Amanda from It’s a Fabulous Life

Now, who’s ready to party? Share your Halloween-inspired crafts, printables, and activities with us this week!

Link Party Rules:

Top links from last week:

Ready to meet the team?

Sheri from Career Girl Interrupted

Dani from Dani Schnakenberg Studios

Katie & Jairus from KatieMarcum.com

Jessica from Jessie Bee Healthy

Kristen from From Son Up Til Son Down

Stephanie from Sharing A to Z

and our lovely co-host Amanda from It’s a Fabulous Life

Now, who’s ready to party? Share your awesome Fall-inspired recipes with us this week!

Link Party Rules:

Top links from last week: