Getting all your ducks (and boxes, and moving trucks…) in a row is key to ensuring a smooth move to your new home or apartment. Want to get organized and make sure all your “must-do’s” are done in time? Follow my moving timeline at Homes.com!
Turkey Avocado Wraps {Whole30 & Paleo}
July 30, 2014 By 3 Comments
Alright all you Whole30-ers, Paleo lovers, and anyone interested in a quick and healthy lunch – this post is for you! I’m always on the lookout for great Whole30 recipes for lunch, and I pulled this one together after opening my fridge and seeing only a handful of ingredients:
Turkey slices.
An avocado.
Shredded carrots.
Sometimes the simplest things are the most delicious.
For each wrap, I laid out two turkey slices, overlapping them. Next, I sprinkled on some shredded carrot and topped with sliced avocado. Lastly, I drizzled a Whole30 vinaigrette dressing over it all:
Whole30 and Paleo-compliant Turkey Avocado Wraps.
Now roll it all up, and enjoy!
There are some great Whole30 recipes for vinaigrettes and dressings found in the book It Starts with Food and online, or you can use a Whole30-approved Tessemae’s Dressing. My current favorite is Tesseamae’s Zesty Ranch (found at Whole Foods in the refrigerator area of the produce section), but feel free to play around with dressings and flavors that appeal to you. I’ve yet to drizzle something on these wraps that hasn’t tasted great!
These Turkey Avocado Wraps are one of the quickest, easiest and healthiest recipes you can throw together…and mmm, are they so good! The combination of the creamy avocado with the sweet, crunchy carrots makes this wrap irresistible. I’m telling you – try these and you’ll be hooked.
What are some of your favorite Whole30 recipes for lunch?
See more recipes here: All Things G&D Food Gallery
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Calphalon Giveaway Winner & #CouplesCooking Sweepstakes
July 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Thank you so much to everyone who entered and shared last week’s Calphalon Giveaway! The winner of the 8 piece Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Cookware Set is:
Congratulations Erin! Please check your email for information on how to claim your prize.
But wait – there’s more!
Right now, Calphalon is celebrating couples! Couples cook up savored memories – from the first meal they create together in their new home to the meal they share on their 25th anniversary. The cookware they choose serves as the foundation for which these “Couples Cooking” memories are made.
Calphalon wants to recognize these #CouplesCooking moments by asking couples to share pictures of the meals they cook together for a chance to win $1,000 of Calphalon cookware!
From now through Monday, September 1st, Calphalon is inviting participants to post photos of the meals they prepare with their significant other on Calphalon’s Facebook page. To enter, couples will be asked to share why the dish is unique or special to them and use the hashtag #CouplesCooking. I don’t know about you, but $1,000 in Calphalon cookware is certainly enough incentive for me to get G in the kitchen!
Happy cooking, everyone!
Homes.com: Garage Sale Tips
July 25, 2014 By 3 Comments
Planning a garage sale this summer? G and I recently had one and made more than $2,000! Check out our 10 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale on Homes.com, and say goodbye to unused items and hello to extra cash in your pocket!
Haven 2014: Yep, That Happened (Vol. 2)
July 23, 2014 By 1 Comment
The second day of the Haven Conference kicked off with a welcome ceremony from the fabulous Haven organizers. These women work their little tails off to bring us a fantastic event year after year, and they knocked it out of the park as always!
2014 Haven Organizers (L to R): Tracy from Beneath My Heart, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick, Rhoda from Southern Hospitality, Kristen Stockdale (wonder woman event planner), and Chris from Just a Girl.
Exhibit A of Haven Organizer Awesomeness: Traci from Beneath My Heart asked some bloggers to send her clips of us dancing along to Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” and she put it all together into a video for the Haven welcome! (You can see me at the 24 second mark dancing on a walking path near our home - so much fun!)
Next, it was time to present! I was so thrilled to be asked to attend Haven as a presenter this year, and couldn’t have been teamed up with a greater group of gals! Our class was “Blogging Trade Secrets: What We Wish We Knew Then…” and I was joined by Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Erin from DIY on the Cheap, and Laura from Finding Home. The four of us had been exchanging emails for months, working hard to get ready for this presentation - and it paid off!
Collage courtesy of On Fern Avenue. (I’ll give you one guess which of these slides is mine.)
We were worried we wouldn’t have many people in attendance on our first day because Mike Holmes from HGTV was presenting at the same time (his only appearance at Haven), but boy were we surprised – our session was PACKED! Every chair was filled, people were sitting on the floor wherever they could find a spot, and our guests even spilled out into the hallway! It was pretty amazing to see. Even more amazing? All of the people who took the time to stop us, Tweet us, Instagram and Facebook us to tell us how much they loved our presentation. I had one blogger tell me in the elevator that our presentation was the first one she attended and she added, “If it had been the only thing I did at the conference, I would’ve felt like I got my money’s worth.” WOW!! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who came to learn, laugh, and support us. I’ll be doing a blog post highlighting part of my presentation (blogger media kits) soon, so stay tuned for that!
After lunch I paid a visit to two of my favorite girls to show a little #brandlove – Gillian and Amber from Homes.com and ForRent.com! As always, they (and their booth) were looking as cute as can be, all decked out in their signature orange and blue. I first met these lovely ladies two years ago at Haven, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. Now that G and I are getting our house ready to sell I’m so proud to take our relationship to the next level as Homes.com’s newest blog ambassador! You can see my Homes.com articles (and videos, coming soon) featuring helpful tips and how-to’s for selling, buying and maintaing a home at Homes.com’s Idea Gallery. While you’re there, take the Homes.com & ForRent.com Neighborhood Survey, and share what you love about your local area for your chance to win $500!
Hanging out with two of my favorite girls – Gillian and Amber from Homes.com and ForRent.com!
I spent the afternoon learning from Jen Staag from withHeart and Jon & Katie from SewWoodsy about Creating Video Content for Brands, YouTube and Television. They shared so much great information that I cannot wait to incorporate.
Afterwards, I snuck away for a much-needed nap. When I woke up I joined Kim from Sand & Sisal, Jessica from Four Generations One Roof, and Laura from Finding Home for dinner. (Sidenote: Having a glass of chardonnay within minutes of waking up feels like vacation. You should try it at least once.) I wish we had thought to take a picture at dinner because I adore these girls and miss them already! I met Kim a couple of years ago at a Delta Faucet event, Jessica at last year’s Haven conference, and I’ve been saying ever since that these girls are my kind of people. They’re funny, sharp-witted, and I love that when we’re together we can just breathe, relax, and talk about anything – no censoring necessary. This year was my first time meeting Laura (who was also my co-presenter) and oh did I fall in love with this woman! I swear we were cut from the same cloth, and I was so happy to have this chance to spend more time with her. That’s probably why we didn’t get a picture of the four of us – we were too busy laughing!
After dinner I hit up the Rustoleum Cocktail Reception, followed by a Haven dance party (no Haven is complete without a dance party) and spent the rest of the night seeing, dancing, and chatting with so many wonderful women (and Jamison) that I can’t even list them all!
Ending Day 2 with these wonderful women: Ann Marie from White House Black Shutters and Sarah from The Ugly Duckling House; getting handsy with Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick and Chris from Just a Girl; catching up with Megan from Honey We’re Home; and kissing on Chris. (Because I love her.)
This is a good time to remind you that all my pics were taken with my iPhone.
My final Haven recap is coming soon!
Homes.com: Creating a Home Face Sheet
July 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment
In the market to sell your home? Stand out from the real estate competition and help potential buyers remember your beautiful abode long after they leave by creating a personalized “face sheet” for your home. Wondering what a face sheet should include? Check out my latest article on Homes.com (Creating a Personalized Face Sheet for Your Home) for details!
Example of a four-page home face sheet. {Source}
Calphalon Cookware Giveaway
July 21, 2014 By 107 Comments
***This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered! Want to get your hands on more fabulous cookware? Check out Calphalon’s #CouplesCooking sweepstakes for your next chance to win!***
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When is the last time you looked at your kitchen pots and pans?
I mean, really looked at them?
A few months ago I realized ours were not in good shape. Their surfaces were getting rough and starting to peel – definitely not my idea of healthy eating for my family. I was in search of a new set of pots and pans, and with so many options out there I wasn’t sure which to choose.
Enter Calphalon.
Calphalon’s Contemporary Nonstick Cookware is simply amazing. It has all the features of a nonstick pan, the durability you’d expect from Calphalon, and it’s dishwasher safe! Our old set of pots and pans were hand-wash only, so to find a high-end set that was dishwasher-safe was quite the perk and time-saver. In addition, Calaphon’s Contemporary Nonstick Cookware also features:
- Heavy-gauge, hard-anodized aluminum to ensure even heating
- Triple layer, PFOA-free nonstick for lasting release
- Durable, cast stainless steel loop handles
- Oven safe capabilities to 450°F / 230°C
- A beautiful, contemporary design
- A full lifetime warranty
And did I mention they’re dishwasher safe?!
Not that you ever even need to wash these pans, by the way. They’re so super nonstick that we’ve found they rarely even need a wipe down after cooking, let alone a thorough washing. Depending on what I’m cooking, I’ve been able to get multiple meals out of our large skillet before needing to wash it because the food releases so cleanly that there’s nothing to wash!
Photo courtesy of Calphalon
Want to get your hands (and spatula) on a set? Enter this All Things G&D and Calphalon Giveaway for your chance to win a fantastic 8 piece set (pictured above) with everything you need to fresh your kitchen and your dinners! Simply use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter multiple times this week for your chance to win:
Good luck, everyone!
Disclosure: I received Calphalon products to review at no cost to me. All opinions are my own.
