The Truth About Home Chef (What I learned from one week of subscribing to their meal service)

May 8, 2017June 1, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This post is not sponsored by Home Chef in any way. I personally purchased the products featured in this post, and all opinions are completely my own.

Have you thought about subscribing to the Home Chef meal subscription service but you weren't sure if it was worth it or not? Here's an HONEST opinion on the service (and the pros and cons of actually subscribing to Home Chef).

I’ve been toying with the idea of subscribing to a meal subscription service for awhile. After all, much of my life and career is wrapped up in food. As a busy mom, I don’t always have time to plan out meals perfectly (as much as I’d like to). When I plan so many recipes for this blog, I kind of experience a little “meal burn out.” My family is used to me struggling to come up with dinner ideas outside of work at times.

A meal subscription seemed like a decent solution. So, I recently dove headfirst into the world of Meal Subscription Services. After looking over the menu of multiple services, we decided to start with Home Chef. We looked over what each service offered for the week we were ordering. While different weeks vary, the particular week we were looking at put Home Chef in a good light. Here’s the full rundown from first impressions to final results.

DIY No-Sew Felt Tacos for Imaginary Play

May 5, 2017May 24, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This post about no-sew felt tacos may contain affiliate links. This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Dragons Love Tacos, it’s authors, or it’s publishing house.

$If you or your kids love Dragons Love Tacos, or it's sequel, you'll love these fun taco felt food ideas! DIY No-Sew Felt Tacos are perfect for mixing and matching, and they're perfect for play kitchens. If your child loves imaginative play, make these for a fraction of the cost of buying them from big name companies... and make exactly the taco flavor you'll want for your playroom. Perfect for kids who love to play cooking, and great for future chefs.$

Psssst… let me clue you in on a secret. Dragons. Love. TACOS. Seriously, if you want to hang out with a dragon, you should probably have some tacos for the party. Maybe even a BOATLOAD of tacos. It’s something that Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri explore in their book, Dragons Love Tacos, and then they explore the complete lack of tacos on earth in the sequel, appropriately titled Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel. When reading aloud to my kiddo, it helps his comprehension to have something to play with while we read. The kiddo and I have bought felt foods in the past, but I’ve found out just how easy it is to make DIY no-sew felt tacos at home (and, like the name implies, you totally don’t have to be a master crafter or great at sewing to make these).

Easy Homemade Soap Jelly DIY (Just Like Lush!)

May 4, 2017April 25, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This post of an easy homemade soap jelly DIY may contain affiliate links.

If you love Shower Jelly like the kind you find at LUSH, you'll love this easy-to-make DIY Soap Jelly that is as fun to make as it is to bathe with! It's nice and cool for showering off in the summertime, and a fun way to get clean after playing in the mud and dirt. What kid wouldn't love their own jelly soap? | DIY Soap Jelly | Jelly Soap Homemade | How to Make LUSH Shower Jelly |

I cannot be the only parent with a child who is protesting bath time. It seems like in the spring and summer, we absolutely love playing in the mud and dirt, but we hate actually getting clean after. I’ve started having to get creative to get my kiddo nice and clean. And I think I finally found the trick! Nice, cool, gummy soap jelly. These are easy to make in any fun shape your child likes. It’s the perfect thing for cooling off and getting clean, too! They aren’t edible like other gummies, but with a soap and gelatin base, they allow for fun, jiggly, squishy clean fun!

Spring Inspiration by the Bucketful: Recipes, Crafts, and Home Decor to make your Spring Shine!

May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

Spring is one of the most fun seasons to celebrate. I love the light, fresh spring flavors like lemons and strawberries, and I love the bright, springy colors. I cannot wait to spring into something new this season, so I’ve got a whole collection of fun spring themed posts from myself and other great members of the Social Fabric community. I know you’re going to love each of these great ideas, and I sincerely hope you’ll be able to use them to create fun new spring memories and traditions with your loved ones. We know that you will enjoy them and hope that you can create some new spring memories for yourself and the ones you love. I’m especially looking forward to trying the Lemon Poppyseed Cake pictured below.

Ham and Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups

May 2, 2017May 3, 2017 - Mama 2 Comments

Ham and Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups are the perfect choice for a weeknight meal. They're easy to make and taste delicious, pairing your favorite ham and cheese sandwich with a delicious lasagna twist. | weeknight meal | lasagna roll up | ham and cheese | easy dinner idea |

It was 4 o’clock again, and I had forgotten to let any sort of meat thaw for dinner. Dinnertime was rapidly approaching, and my plans of any kind of decent meal were flying out of the window because… no meat, no dinner. I live with some total carnivores! But then I remembered I had ham in the fridge, and that’s when ham and cheese lasagna roll ups popped into my mind. They’re the perfect effortless weeknight meal.

Jose Peppers Copycat Espinaca

April 25, 2017March 31, 2017 - Mama 2 Comments

This slow cooker spinach queso recipe/Jose Peppers Espinaca copycat may contain affiliate links.

Soccer season is back in full swing, and my family is, of course, cheering for Sporting Kansas City. Who else would we cheer for? They’re a force to be reckoned with, powerful and exciting to watch. But there’s just something about game day, especially an away game day, that calls for good food while watching the game. That’s why we’ve been loving this copycat of a Kansas favorite– Espinaca just like the kind at Jose Peppers, a local Mexican place that we adore. This is an almost identical copycat, the perfect spinach queso recipe!

Easy DIY Chalk for Tons of Sidewalk Chalk Fun All Summer Long

April 20, 2017April 22, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This DIY chalk recipe may contain affiliate links.

DIY Chalk is so easy to make-- it's the perfect way to prepare for summer. Simply make your own sidewalk chalk with a few easy-to-find ingredients for a bucketful of chalk that will last you all summer long! This homemade chalk recipe is also perfect for giving fun-shaped chalk pieces as party favors or gifts to friends! You can make your own chalk in any color you can imagine. Perfect kids DIY.

As a child, I remember many, many hours spent playing with chalk. There was just something fun about creating artwork for hours. I spent so many hours getting my hands and knees and elbows multicolor from sprawling on the driveway to draw. My kiddo is a big fan of chalk art, and all of his friends love it, too, so we’ve been going through a ton of it lately. I decided it was time to get creative to bring forward the most pigmented, best chalk for our money (and guess what? It’s easy to make, AND more affordable than buying boxes of chalk).

Fruit flavored syrups made with REAL fruit to amp up your waffle and pancake game!

April 18, 2017April 14, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This post for fruit flavored syrups for pancakes made with real fruit may contain affiliate links.

Literally the best part of going out to a pancake restaurant instead of having them at home is the fruit flavored syrups. See, I’m more of a homemade pancake girl, because I love mine extra fluffy and a little bit undercooked. But when it comes to those fruit flavored syrups, I always feel a little like I’m missing out when I’m eating pancakes and waffles at home. Luckily, they’re really not hard to make and they store in the fridge for weeks!

Electric Blue Kiwi Margarita (Virgin Style!)

April 11, 2017March 31, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This post about a virgin kiwi margarita recipe may contain affiliate links.

If you want all of the margarita fun and flavor and none of the alcohol, you'll love this totally virgin electric blue kiwi margarita! Hello, spring and summer! This has plenty of flavor-- lime and kiwi, blue and bright green, it's party-ready in no time. Virgin margarita recipe made quickly in your blender! | Virgin Kiwi Margarita |

I cannot be the only non-drinker that loves watching Tipsy Bartender. He’s passionate about his work, and he always combines innovative, awesome flavors in his drinks. But I never get to try his fun recipes because, as I said, I don’t drink. But when I saw his Kiwi Margarita recipe, I knew I had to re-create it for all of my non-drinking friends! It’s too bright, too fun, and too delicious not to re-create, virgin-style! With Cinco de Mayo less than a month away, you’ll be all set with this delicious recipe.

40+ Easter Ideas For Teens That WON’T Break The Bank

April 10, 2017April 10, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

40+ Easter Ideas for Teens that Won't Break The Bank | If you're on a budget, these budget-friendly Easter gift ideas for teens will make your day. Perfect gifts for teens for Easter. | Easter Basket Ideas | Teen Gift Ideas |

In case you missed it, this week I am sharing a ton of ideas (over 40 of them!) for Easter ideas for teens that won’t break the bank. Seriously, if you’ve ever gone Easter shopping for a teen, then you know how challenging finding the perfect gift can be. Whether you have a writer or a comic book enthusiast, a foodie or a gamer, an athlete or a pinterest-aholic, I’ve got some ideas to share.

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