Monday, March 27, 2017

Three Ways To Make Breakfast Your Favorite Meal Of The Day

Breakfast can often be one of the biggest battles of your day, particularly if you have kids. Not only do you have to corral everyone to the table at the same time, but you also have to provide food that no one scoffs at and refuses to eat. Luckily there are some ways that you can improve breakfast to make it the best meal of the day...

blueberries, breakfast, cereals
Image source


Change Up The Normal Foods
A lot of the time, breakfast simply consists of toast or cereal without all that much in between. Not only are they easy and convenient to make but if you have a family it also means that there isn’t too much arguing! But it’s time to make them a little more interesting than usual. If your kids love peanut butter on toast, add slices of banana for a little extra energy and some chia seeds for a superfoods boost. If you’re more of a cereal family then why not try adding some fruit to the mix? Now spring is here and summer’s just around the corner, fruits like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries will get a whole lot cheaper so you can chop them up and sprinkle them on top of your cereal for a little extra health, color and taste.


colorful, colourful, dessert
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Make Smoothies
Smoothies are the way forward if you’re not great with breakfast. Not only can you make them in the evening and refrigerate them over night but they’re also a lot easier to stomach in the mornings. Check out sites like HealthyButSmart.com to figure out what sort of blender or juicer you should buy that would suit your family’s needs and then get planning what sort of fruits you’d like to throw in there. Try out a coconut water base with orange and pineapple for a tropical taste, or go with strawberry and banana for a traditional touch. Peach and raspberry is also a popular flavour combination but if you want to go for a green juicer - all power to you if so! - try throwing in some kale, flavoured by green apple for some added sweetness.

Pancake With Cherries Toppings
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Treat Yourself On Weekends
Let’s face it, the weekends are almost always considerably easier than the week (unless you’re one of the unlucky people who has to drive kids to a thousand different football and ballet and music classes, of course!). Even if you have a busy weekend ahead of you, chances are you and your family can afford to spend at least one breakfast time relaxing together. There’s a reason that brunch has become hugely popular among people - it’s the kind of meal that you can really enjoy and luxuriate over, while spending time with your nearest and dearest. You don’t have to drag your whole family out to your local hipster brunch joint to enjoy the meal - rather, recreate the atmosphere at home. Make smashed avocado on wholewheat toast with a twist of citrus, a sprinkling of feta cheese and a poached egg for a real brunch experience, or go for a continental breakfast with pastries or pancakes.

Cover Reveal: The Gravity of Us by Brittainy C. Cherry




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gravity-ebook

The Gravity of Us (Elements #4) by Brittainy C. Cherry

Release Date: April 13th, 2017 Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Quirkybird Designs

Book Four in The Elements Series

By Brittainy C. Cherry

Graham Russell and I weren’t made for one another.
I was driven by emotion; he was apathetic. I dreamed while he lived in nightmares. I cried when he had no tears to shed.
Despite his frozen heart and my readiness to run, we sometimes shared seconds. Seconds when our eyes locked and we saw each other’s secrets. Seconds when his lips tasted my fears, and I breathed in his pains. Seconds when we both imagined what it would be like to love one another.
Those seconds left us floating, but when reality knocked us sideways, gravity forced us to descend.
Graham Russell wasn’t a man who knew how to love, and I wasn’t a woman who knew how to either. Yet if I had the chance to fall again, I’d fall with him forever.
Even if we were destined to crash against solid ground.
Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/2UgSH7
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Start the Series of Standalones Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

The Air He Breathes

The Fire Between High and Low

The Silent Waters

About the Author:

Hi! I'm Brittainy! Join me as we travel through my mind as a Romance Author. This includes such things as my random thoughts, tricks, tips, things I'm learning, things I'm re-learning, things I'm forgetting, and my weird ways of crafting stories.

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Twitter: @BrittainyCherry
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Thursday, March 23, 2017

Cutting Costs On Your Reading Hobby

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Whether you read for pleasure or need to fuel your studies, buying books can be expensive – especially new and rare copies. Here are a few ways to buy books on a budget.

Avoid hardbacks

Hardbacks may look and feel nicer, but they’re almost always going to be pricier. Start opting for paperbacks and e-books instead. Occasionally, newer books may only be initially available in hardback, before later being released in paperback. E-books will generally be sold from the initial sale date.

Go second hand

Buying second-hand will always save you money. If you can put up with the occasional crease from a once dog-eared page, you could save yourself a lot of money on a relatively new book. Second-hand book stores and charity shops are all over the place. There are also a number of second hand stores online such as Bookfinder, as well as sites like Amazon and eBay. Flea markets and car boot sales are also great places to pick up a real bargain.

Swap books

If you don’t mind parting with one of your books, you could swap with someone. There are sites such as Paperbackswap that allow you to do this. You can learn more about how to get started with Paperbackswap here. Alternatively, you can always arrange your own book swaps with family and friends.

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Become a member of your local library/bookstore

For avid readers, memberships may something worth considering. Becoming a member of your local library might allow you to borrow books at a reduced price or in some cases for free – however you will have to ensure you are regularly making use of this membership for it to be worthwhile. Book stores meanwhile often offer their own memberships, resulting in discounts on books. This may be better for those that want to physically own the books they read, as well as allowing you discounts on books that you may want to buy for friends and family.

Buy directly from the author

In some cases, authors may allow you to buy their books directly from their sites for a fraction of the price that you’ll get for them in bookstores. This is because by buying directly, you skip out the costs of retailers. Some authors may offer discounts by signing up to their newsletter. If you’re a blogger that reviews books, you may even be able to get a book for free in exchange for doing a write-up.

Borrow from friends and family

Know a relative with a large personal library? Why not save money altogether by asking to borrow a couple paperbacks. They’re likely to happily oblige and may be able to give recommendations. Just make sure that you don’t lose or damage the borrowed book in the process – they may think twice about letting you borrow from them again.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Brilliant Birthday Ideas For Your Girly Girl

An occasion that requires cake and ice cream, such as a birthday, an anniversary or even a Tuesday afternoon is a good occasion. When you are planning a big event, there are many things you need to think about and food is one such importance. Planning a birthday for a child, especially for a daughter, requires precision and whether you hold a huge party for her and all her friends, or you have a smaller party at home such as this afternoon tea idea, you’ve got a lot to get on with.
A time such as a birthday for a little girl is an important occasion. Your daughter will want to impress her friends with the décor she chooses and she will want to be the centre of attention in a vat of all things pink for a day – should she be that way inclined. A girly girl’s birthday party is a big deal and you should sit with your little girl to plan out the best birthday you can give her. Always set yourself a budget to stick to when you are planning a party, but the first thing you need to do is sit down and discuss birthday ideas. We’ve listed some of the best ideas for a birthday to remember, so hopefully you can take some advice and roll with it:
If your daughter’s birthday falls at a time where school is out and you’re on vacation, you may well be in luck. Depending on where you go, a lot of holiday resorts will have facilities and planners on board to help you with your party ideas. Disney World is the most magical place and if your daughter’s birthday falls on a day you happen to be there, then you’ll fall in love with these awesome Disney World cakes that you can commission for her big day. It’s a small world, after all, you may as well make the most of the birthday you can have for her.
Afternoon tea, as we mentioned above is a fantastic idea for a little girl’s birthday. Invitations delicately decorated in lace with requests for friends to wear pretty party dresses is the epitome of girly girl fun. Pink and purple string balloons to decorate and finger sandwiches and cakes for food, and you have yourself a beautiful party for your child.
A sleepover is one of the most fun, most memorable occasions in a little girl’s life. All her friends telling midnight stories with snacks and watching films together while telling secret is the ultimate bonding experience. Deck out the living room with party games and decorations and try to get some matching sleeping bags to stay together in. It’s one she will never forget.

If your daughter is a pink obsessed Barbie girl, then she will love any one of the ideas above, and checking out the ideas for decoration here can give you plenty of motivation to get ready for the most important day of her year.

Take The Boredom Out Of The Road Trip: Don't Leave Without These 7 Things


Whether it’s a trip to visit far-flung family members, or a proper, All American vacation road trip, you’re going to want to be prepared. Even without children thrown into the mix, it’s long hours spent either alone, or in the company of just one or two others, in a tiny box, so tempers can rise. When there are kids involved, it’s a whole other kettle of fish. Only an amateur, or a madman, would set out on a road trip without a few essentials for comfort, safety, and sustenance. Here are my must haves for keeping us safe and sane.

1. The legals
Let’s get the boring stuff out of the way first - you’re going to want your license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance information for any road trip. If you’re planning on crossing any international borders (hey Canada!), you’re probably going to want your passport as well. If you’re planning the trip as a vacation, you might have decided it is worthwhile taking out travel insurance too, so that documentation is also useful. The phone numbers of any local breakdown companies, or your breakdown coverage, are also good to have to hand, just in case.


2. The entertainment
Long hours on the road require entertainment. You might think you and your travel companion can chat for hours on end, but you’ll probably struggle to chat for days at a time. Don’t limit yourself to just one sort of entertainment, either. You’re going to want music, a laptop for watching movies or playing games - as long as you’re not driving - cards and board games to play during pitstops, and even more music. If you love reading as much as I do, audiobooks are a must. Many people get pretty queasy when they try to read on the move, but audiobooks are a great compromise, and before long you’ll be hooked.

Don’t underestimate how much entertainment you’ll need. You may also find that you want different entertainment at different times, depending on tiredness and how long you’ve been on the road for. This is why a variety of musical genres and audiobooks is perfect, and it can keep both the drivers and passengers engaged. If there are children thrown into the mix, bringing them their own MP3 players, so the rest of the car doesn’t have to suffer their taste in music and books is a godsend. If you bring other entertainment devices, such as laptops for movies, you might be lucky enough to keep them schtum for hours on end.

3. The safety features
While entertainment is a pretty crucial must-have for a road trip, your safety and that of your passengers have to come first. Make sure you get your car serviced before you head off - you don’t want to discover faulty electrics or worn-out brake pads in the middle of nowhere. It’s worth keeping a spare tire and winch, as well as a hi-vis jacket for emergencies. It’s far quicker to change your own tire than wait for the breakdown truck to arrive.

As for car safety features, while you’re on the road, you’re going to want to make sure your seatbelts and airbags are all in working order. If you’ve got children with you, ensuring they have the right baby seat or booster seat is crucial for their safety and comfort over long distances. Check out the website Baby Seats to find the perfect seat for your children, and ensure it’s installed correctly too. Any child under four foot nine inches is safest on a booster seat, but they’ll also be far more comfortable on one when you’re traveling for long hours.


4. The snacks
If you’re anything like us, traveling makes you peckish. Taking a picnic for lunch each day is a great idea to keep costs down - eating in a diner for three meals a day isn’t cheap (or particularly healthy) after all. Keeping your car stocked with nutritious snacks is also a great way to get you through the long journeys. Fruit and vegetables are the perfect snacks on the road, and they’ll stop you reaching for the chips and candy too. Beef jerky is especially good if you’re starting to get hungry - it’s packed full of protein, but fortunately low in calories.

If you’re traveling with children, you might choose to use candy as bribery for their silence. Rewarding their patience and perseverance through the boredom is a great idea, and it’s great for helping their ears to pop while you’re traveling through the higher ground. The best investment is a good quality cool box. It keeps your sandwiches safe (and un-squashed) throughout the day, and it means you can have treats like yogurt and juice, which might struggle a bit more in the warmer climates without.


5. The maps
So, you’re probably going to want to know where you’re going, and how you’re going to get there. You might have invested in the snazziest, state of the art satellite navigation system, but you’re probably still going to want some good old-fashioned maps to hand as well. Electronics have a habit of refusing to work at the most inconvenient times after all. It’s also great entertainment for bored kids to follow the route you’re traveling on a map. A sat nav might miss out crucial elements, like where the nearest restrooms are, and some good spots for lunch, so having a map as a backup is perfect.

6. The comfort
With the best will in the world, even the comfiest cars aren’t comfy for that many hours in a day. Regular stops for stretching your legs and getting some fresh air is essential, but still probably not enough. Towels and blankets are absolute essentials. They can be thrown over cold legs during nap time, be rolled up into a makeshift pillow, and even offer lumbar support on those ache-inducing car seats. You can even tuck it into the top of a car window to help to block out the sun, and then use them to mop up inevitable juice spills when you decide to have lunch on the move. Bonus!

Hand-held fans are also great - even with air conditioning, direct sunlight can make the car pretty toasty, so a fan can help to take the edge off. Eye masks and earplugs are also essential for some good distraction-free sleeping when the driver is still insisting on listening to music.

You might want to consider your attire too. Tight clothes are the enemy of comfort on a road trip, so keep the skinny jeans safely in their suitcase where they belong. Light, stretchy fabrics, and loose fitting clothes are the best buddies of comfort, and they’ll be your best buddies too.

7. So much patience
Fair enough, money can’t buy patience, but you’re going to have to find it somewhere regardless. Long hours in the car can be draining, tensions run high, and when you start taking wrong turns or getting lost then World War Three can be staring at you from the horizon. You might get queasy on the windy road, you might feel like your personal space is being invaded every, single, darn minute, and you might be bored, sleepy, or just really need a trip to the restroom. But you get through it by conjuring up every single ounce of patience you have. And you end up loving it, because it’s not easy. Road trips are adventures, challenges, and excitement. For kids, they’re a chance to see the world and experience new landscapes and new towns. For adults, they’re all that, plus the sense of freedom. There is nothing quite as liberating than being out on the open road.

What do you think are some essentials for a road trip? Get in touch and tell me what you wouldn’t travel without.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Review: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1)
Cover Source: GoodReads.com
Title: The Bad Beginning
Author: Lemony Snicket
Series:  A Series of Unfortunate Events #1
Version Reviewed: Finished, Hardback
Website: www.lemonysnicket.com
I purchased this book myself.

GoodReads Synopsis:
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Review:
Ever since I first saw the movie, A Series of Unfortunate Events, with Jim Carrey playing Count Olaf, I knew I had to read the books. Since then I have been slowly collecting used copies of the books and awaiting the day when I had them all and could open up the pages of the first book, The Bad Beginning.

With the introduction of the new A Series of Unfortunate Events show on Netflix, starring Neil Patrick Harris, my daughter has become obsessed with Count Olaf and the Baudelaire children. She has watched and rewatched both the movie and the show so many times that I have lost count and is constantly asking for more Count Olaf. And thus, the day I got to beam in pride at being a bookish mom finally came around. My three year old loves books and it made her day when I pulled out book one in the Unfortunate series. She saw the cover and immediately recognized Olaf, Sunny, Klaus, and Violet and couldn't wait until bedtime when we would dig in. At around a chapter a night, we finished the book pretty quickly and, considering the movie and show didn't change much, there was no question on whether or not we loved the book.

Being a mom that loves knowing big words and finding ways to work them into my everyday conversation, I absolutely LOVE that a book geared towards youngsters has such an abundance of large vocabulary and doesn't try to dumb it down for the younger readers. In fact, the book does it's best to TEACH the large words found inside it's pages and I am insanely impressed by that.

Overall, I can't get enough of this book and I hate that it took me this long to finally begin the series. The Bad Beginning wasn't such a bad beginning. :)

Rating: 4 Stars.