Author: fivemarigolds

Cinnamon Eggnog Bread

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Classic flavors of the holidays such as cinnamon, eggnog, and vanilla come together in a fluffy dessert bread that the whole family is sure to love. <

This recipe, Cinnamon Eggnog Bread, was sponsored by Nellie’s Free Range. All opinions are my own.

One of my very favorite treats of the holidays is eggnog. So, as I thought about new recipes I wanted to try this season, this ingredient was at the top of my list. I’m happy to report that this  recipe, Cinnamon Eggnog Bread, is a real winner. It combines the sweet taste of eggnog with dreamy pockets of cinnamon throughout.

Cinnamon Eggnog Bread Recipe for Christmas | Five Marigolds

The holiday season is coming soon, and the flavors of eggnog will be everywhere. The creamy flavor is one of my favorites, especially this time of year. Combine that with cinnamon, vanilla and you have a winning combination!

This cinnamon eggnog bread is so easy to make, and is sure to be a family holiday classic recipe for you, too. 

Cinnamon Eggnog Bread Recipe for Christmas | Five Marigolds

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Simple, Nutritious Lunchbox Recipes

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KID-FRIENDLY, NUTRITIOUS LUNCHBOX RECIPES PACKED WITH FRUITS AND VEGGIES

A big thank you to Juicy Juice for sponsoring these lunchbox recipes. All opinions are my own.

One of the biggest challenges of the back to school season is packing lunches. We pack our own lunches most days to keep lunchtime affordable and nutritious – while making sure their bellies full for the afternoon of learning ahead! Today I’m sharing two of our favorite lunchbox recipes that can be prepped ahead of time: Savory Veggie and Cheese Muffins and Fruit Leather.

 

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Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes

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Perfect for an easy and filling breakfast, or to pack in lunch – Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes will make your school morning prep a little sweeter.

A big thank you to Nellie’s Free Range Eggs for sponsoring this recipe for Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes. All opinions are mine alone.

As much as I love to cook, there are a few things I’m just lousy at in the kitchen. Generally speaking, any food that requires careful flipping in order to create a perfect golden brown is out: grilled cheese, quesadillas, and of course, pancakes. If you don’t like them slightly charred, you don’t want me making them. That’s why I’m super excited about this recipe that we’ve been making for quick and easy back-to-school breakfasts – Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes.

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25 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for Fall

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25 Simple Crock Pot Soups, Stews, Chilis and Comfort Foods for Fall and Winter.

On a brisk fall or winter day, there is nothing quite like the feeling of coming home to the  aroma of  dinner in the crockpot, ready to serve.  From hearty soups, stews and chili, to pastas and your favorite beef and chicken comfort foods, I’ve got 25 easy slow cooker recipes for fall – and you’ll want to try them all!

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Red White and Blue Almond Trifle

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The delicious sweet taste of almond pound cake balanced with the slightly tart red and blue berries make this red white and blue almond trifle recipe a showstopper at your Independence Day gathering! 

Today I’m sharing my favorite EVER strawberry shortcake recipe…with a twist. This Fourth of July, wow your potluck guests with this Red, White and Blue Almond Pound Cake Trifle.

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Top 20 Best DIY Mother’s Day Gifts

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Thoughtful, homemade Mother’s Day gifts on a budget

I know I can’t be the only one who wracks my brain for Mother’s Day gifts every. single. year. Not only do the moms in my life all live out of state from us, but we are on a super tight budget! Today, I’m sharing some of the best ideas I’ve found for the top 20 best DIY Mother’s Day gifts on a budget.

  1. Homemade Watercolor Tea Towel – It doesn’t get any easier than this watercolor technique! Perfect for even the youngest kids to help out with. Even better, it makes such a pretty and practical gift!Homemade Mother's Day gift ideas: DIY watercolor tea towels
  2. Bathtub Tray  – I love this idea for a super simple DIY lucite bathtub tray! Totally  waterproof,  and  matches  any  bathroom  decor!Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget.
  3. Lavender Bath Soak – Take the Bathtub Tray idea up a notch by adding a relaxing Lavender Bath Soak and presenting it in a pretty jar. Get the recipe here. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - Lavender Bath Soak
  4. Cement Succulent Flower Pots – I’m still obsessed with these cement flower pots, and they are super easy to make! Cement doesn’t have to intimidating at all – check out this easy tutorial for creating your own!
    Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - cement flower pots
  5. Garden Stone – We love to make handprint garden stones as precious markers of how the kids have grown over the years!
  6. Give her a hand – Okay, I really hope allll the husbands and kids out there are giving Mom a hand on Mother’s Day, but if you can’t be there to help, I love this simple idea for making life a little easier on Mom. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - give mom a hand with this cute dinnerware gift set.
  7. Pamper Her with this DIY Leather Pouch – This no-sew leather pouch is easy to make and totally stylish and practical! Drop in a few of your favorite pampering gifts – like yummy hand lotion, or my favorite EVER lip balm for super dry lips (if you can get past the super crazy name!).Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - no-sew leather pouch
  8. Handwritten Heirloom Recipe Tea Towel – I absolutely love the idea of taking a handwritten heirloom recipe and putting it on a tea towel. Totally sentimental and useful. Check out how to make one here. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - DIY heirloom recipe tea towels.
  9. Book Lover’s Gift Set – If she loves to read, give her a mini vacation basket, complete with a good book, chocolates, and a DIY leather bookmark. If you don’t sew – no worries! Just use a super strong, flexible all-purpose glue. Budget tip: upcycle an old purse from the thrift store to course your leather!Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - no-sew leather bookmark.
  10. Garden Gift Basket – This is attractive all on it’s own for a flower container, but I love this gift basket idea including custom garden markers and garden tools.
    Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - Garden Gift Basket with DIY garden markers.
  11. Potted Picking Garden Flowers – I’ve been trying to grow my own flower picking garden, so lately I’ve been loving receiving peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs and more for Mother’s Day! Truly the gift that keeps on giving.Building an 18-year Mother's Day Flower Garden | Five Marigolds #GrowBeautifully #Monrovia Plants #sponsored
  12. Brunch  – If you’re lucky enough to be with your mom for Mother’s Day, make her a special brunch (disclaimer: if you’re a mom yourself…schedule this for a day other than Mother’s Day so you can sleep in and get pampered by your kids!). I’m a huge fan of these Ham and Cheese brunch squares. Or, for something extra simple and a lot lighter, try these overnight Peaches ‘N Cream oats.Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake Recipe
  13. Sunshine in a Basket – Okay, there just might be a floral theme on this list, but I’m obsessed with this cheerful gift basket idea. This collection of candles, chamomile, citrus, herbs, and a charming potted cactus  would brighten anyone’s day. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget. - citrus, chamomile and cactus gift basket.
  14. Framed photo or Photo Book – I mean, what mom wouldn’t love a photo of her kids or grandkids? The Print Your Photos Challenge - how I printed my entire 365 photo a day project with Blurb. | Five Marigolds #blurbbooks #ad
  15. Leaf Print Fabric – Am I overdoing it on the tea towel love in this list? Didn’t think so! ???? They are such a great idea because they are inexpensive, thoughtful, and practical! I love this idea for leaf printing on fabric for more charming tea towels. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - leaf print hand towels.
  16. Send Flowers – I’ve often sent flowers, simply because it can be hard to give a special Mother’s Day gift from out of state. It’s not always frugal, but flowers are always a good idea!  Click here to  get  20%  off  from  FTD.Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget.
  17. Something Sweet – My mom and I both have a serious sweet tooth, so I love this cool idea for saying it with ice cream! Whip up a batch of your favorite homemade ice cream (like creamy lemon vanilla or cookie dough frozen yogurt), add a few toppings, and top it with this cool gift tag. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - Mom is Cool Ice Cream Gift Tags
  18. Handwritten Card – Trust me – you can’t go wrong with a caring, handwritten card. Let Mom and Grandma know just how much you love her, and list every. single. reason. why.
  19. Digital Frame – Okay, so this one isn’t truly DIY…or frugal, but I’m obsessed with this digital frame because multiple family members can update it in real time, right from their phones! And, it’s so stylish and sleek compared to the digital frames of yesterday.Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget.
  20. Last Minute Gift – If all else fails and you’ve totally blown it this Mother’s Day…well, Mom doesn’t have to know. Give her a call (or even better, show up in person), tell her how much you love her and bring a card with a gift card to buy whatever she wants. Amazon gift cards are always a good idea! Buy and print (or e-mail) one in minutes.

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Avocado Egg Salad

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Avocado Egg Salad - low carb, Keto and Paleo friendly

Avocado Egg Salad

This rich and creamy Avocado Egg Salad makes the perfect side dish or protein-packed lunch. Even better - it’s low carb, Keto and Paleo-friendly.

Ingredients

  • 2 small avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
  • 5-6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
  • 8 strips cooked thick cut bacon, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Fresh salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Hard boil the eggs by covering with an inch of water and bringing to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and keep covered for 10-12 minutes before placing in an ice bath.
  2. Meanwhile, dice the avocados and place into a bowl with the Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Mix until blended and creamy
  3. Peel and dice the eggs. Place into a medium sized mixing bowl along with the chopped bacon and cilantro.  
  4. Mix the avocado mixture into the dry mixture until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
© Philip Light

This rich & creamy Avocado Egg Salad makes the perfect side dish or protein-packed lunch. Even better – it’s low carb, Keto- & Paleo-friendly.

Low Carb, Keto-Friendly Egg Salad with Avocados

A big thank you to Nellie’s Free Range Eggs for sponsoring this recipe. All opinions are mine alone.

Is anyone else out there sticking with their healthy eating resolutions for the year? I’m a little behind the ball and just starting to make improvements to my diet. I tend to get really bored when I try to eat healthier, so I’m constantly trying to switch things up.  Today, I’m super excited to share my latest healthy recipe – an amazing Avocado Egg Salad.

The Avocado Egg Salad is a rich, creamy recipe that’s perfect as a side dish, or for a protein-packed lunch.

Avocado Egg Salad - low carb, Keto and Paleo friendly

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Christmas Morning Emergency Kit

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Remove the stress of Christmas morning and keep it all about the fun and season with these tools in your emergency Christmas Kit. Santa approved! 

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PoweringtheHolidays #CollectiveBias

You know that feeling you get on December 25. You are often woken up in the early morning with your excited kids wanting to open all the gifts under the trees. It’s one day that you are happy to be exhausted, right? 

But then you have that “toy emergency”. This toy needs batteries, that toy has packaging that would require 17 steps to remove. And to avoid the possible meltdown that can come with these issues, have your Christmas emergency kit ready to go!

Christmas Morning Emergency Kit | Five Marigolds

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Holiday Survival Guide for Moms

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4 Favorite FINDS FOR FEELING FESTIVE DURING THE HOLIDAYS

This post, Holiday Survival Guide for Moms,  is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. All opinions are my own.

Hey Moms, are you still with me? How are you holding up? Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but this home stretch of the season is always HARD.

Amid all the wonderful tasks on our lists, baking, shopping, wrapping, packing….it’s easy to feel completely burnt out by the time Christmas arrives.

Today, I invite you take a small break from your ever-growing task list. I’m sharing a few things on my own little holiday survival guide.

Holiday Survival Guide for Moms

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DIY Writing Skills Workbook

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custom Writing Skills Workbook for less than $1

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PlayWithPlaymobil #CollectiveBias

Create a custom writing skills workbook in minutes

When I was a young kid, I was blown away one day when my dad brought home a little toy doctor kit, little candies (aka pills – it was the 80’s, okay?) and flashcards for me.

Not an earth shattering story, right?

Except, my parents NEVER just brought home gifts for no reason, so it’s a memory that firmly planted itself in my mind.

Only recently, (many, many years later)I learned the rest of the story.DIY Writing Skills Workbook Kindergarten Back To School

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Lazy Mom’s Guide to Halloween Dinner

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This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc.  but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Can you feel that? The chill in the air is already creeping in, and so are the Halloween decorations in every store I visit. As you’re well aware, I’m not a big fan of fall, but the holidays of the fall and winter seasons sure make the nip in the air a whole lot more tolerable.

While I do love delighting my kids with a fun themed meal every Halloween season, I don’t always have the same zest for pulling off the details.

Today I’m sharing my lazy mom’s guide to Halloween Dinner. I’m including three, super-simple ideas for pulling off that cute themed dinner, without the prep.

That’s right: if you’re decidedly *not* a Pinterest mom, this post is for you.Lazy Mom's Guide to Spooky Halloween Theme DInner | Five Marigolds

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Southwest Breakfast Scramble Meal Prep

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The Southwest Breakfast Scramble is perfect for prepping healthy, high-protein breakfasts, all week long

A big thank you to Nellie’s Free Range Eggs for sponsoring this recipe, Southwest Breakfast Scramble. All opinions are mine alone.

School’s been back in session for just a few weeks, and we’re already on the struggle bus. Despite all of our planning and the best of intentions.

We passed right through the optimistic honeymoon phase – where lunches are prepped the night before, mornings run smooth, and projects are completed well in advance, instead of at the last minute.

We lingered in that happy place for about a week before reverting right back to where we ended school in the spring.

The crazy is real.

But.

I have been doing one thing right: meal prep.Southwest Breakfast Scramble Meal Prep Recipe

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Back To School Countdown Banner

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Free Library Card Printables for pretend play

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToSchoolGoals18 #CollectiveBias

T-minus 1o days until school starts in our area, and we are not ready mentally…or emotionally…at all. I’m not that mom with the glass of champagne at the first day of school bus stop. I’ll miss the easy mornings of summer and the lack of homework and activities in the afternoon. Life is crazy enough with all of that, but what can you do?

For starters, we can prepare ourselves with a good old fashioned back to school countdown banner.

Back To School Countdown Banner with old fashioned library cards | Five Marigolds

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Loving Lately: Friday Favorites

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What Gets me Through the Weekday Hustle

This post is sponsored by Dannon® Oikos® Traditional Greek Yogurt but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I’m not gonna lie – it’s been quite a year.  Somedays, I have so many plates spinning, I have no idea how I can do it all….until I miraculously do it. Between blogging deadlines, freelancing, teaching ESL and the kids being home for summer…well, it’s busy! Still, I do it because I love it – as well as being home with the kids.

Years ago I used to share my “Friday Favorites” – products and tips that made my life better. Today, I’m resurrecting the theme with useful tips and resources that make my weekday hustle easier.

morning routine

I wake up at ridiculously early hours to teach ESL. This works great for me – because I’m more naturally a morning person anyway. Waking up early gives me time to start my day right. I’ve been really regimented about being sure I fill myself up with good things before adding anything else to my mind and spirit.

That means every morning I’m very intentional about writing in my gratitude journal, reading a devotional and filling my mind with good, positive, grateful thoughts. It’s also an opportunity to pray about the day and release anything that is on my mind, so I’m free to move forward with my day with a clear mind that’s calibrated toward “gratefulness.”Take your photos from drab to fab with this clean and bright photo editing tutorial | Five Marigolds

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Printable Morning Routine Chart

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Free Printable Back to School Morning Chart for Kids

This shop, Morning Routine Chart,  has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnackToSchool #CollectiveBias

I can hardly believe I’m writing this post – but, believe it or not, school is almost back in session. HOW did the summer fly by so fast?? The more relaxed morning routine of summer will soon give way to the chaos of the school year, so today I’m sharing a Morning Routine Chart designed to make life a little easier.Free Morning Routine Printable Chart for Kids

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Creamy Lemon Vanilla Ice Cream

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The Right Amount of Tart & Sweet for the Perfect Summer Treat

A big thanks to GiftsForYouNow.com for sponsoring this Lemon Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe. All opinions are my own.

As the saying goes: When life gives you lemons…make a creamy, homemade Lemon Ice Cream. Just the right amount of sweet and tart for the perfect summer treat that’s easy to make and quick to whip up. Serve it up on a sugar cone or in a glass of lemon-lime soda for a refreshing summer ice cream float.

Creamy Lemon Vanilla Ice Cream | Five Marigolds

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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

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The Flavors of Deviled Eggs and Pasta Salad Take Your Favorite Summer Side Dish Up a Notch.

A big thank you to Nellie’s Free Range Eggs for sponsoring this recipe, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad. All opinions are mine alone.

It’s finally feeling like summer here in the Midwest: school is out, and temps are finally heating up. That means we get to escape to the great outdoors, to enjoy meals on the patio and schedule picnics and potlucks with friends. Recently, I experimented with a new side dish that our family is loving lately – Deviled Egg Pasta Salad. It combines the creamy, rich flavor of deviled eggs with the crunchy goodness of your favorite pasta salad.Deviled Egg Pasta Salad | Five Marigolds

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