Are you excited as I am for the new American Girl Doll of the year for 2017? I know we are! Madison and I recently headed to the NYC flagship store on 5th Avenue and picked up Lea Clarke before she disappeared for 2016. I've always been disappointed that the American Girl of the Year Dolls seemed to just disappear as soon as the year is over. Well I have some good news for you. First I want to introduce you to Gabriela McBride who is the new Girl of the Year Doll for 2017. I am also happy to announce that, unlike past Girl of the Year characters, Gabriela will be available throughout 2017 and beyond. Woohooo! No need to rush into the American Girl store on December 31st because you forgot to get her all year, only to find out that she's out of stock and you won't be able to get her any longer. No more disappointed little girls, thank you American Girl!

Here we are again, looking at the start of a new year! There is always an exciting feeling in the air around this time. Although people often set unrealistic expectations for themselves, and many resolutions go unrealized, the sheer possibility of starting something anew generates an energy that is electric. Rather than be like everyone else, and let this opportunity fall away for yet another year, take it upon yourself to set realistic goals for yourself in the New Year. Oftentimes, although you can make changes in any aspect of life you want, it is useful to think in terms of your finances, since it is a tangible area of life with very clear metrics. Also, improving your finances will have a ripple effect through many parts of your life. Here are some important financial resolutions for 2017...


Avoid credit cards

One of the biggest traps that people get themselves into, financially (and especially young people), is credit cards. While there can be a benefit to using a credit card sparingly and paying it off right away, this is usually not how the story goes. Credit card companies make exorbitant amounts of money. And it’s all coming from somewhere, right? Sometimes it’s just better to not even have the option to use a credit card, as the temptation to use it irresponsibly only needs to take over for one day to get you into real trouble. This year, take it upon yourself to give your old credit cards the scissors, and certainly don’t take it upon yourself to sign up for any new ones.

Cut down on costly resolutions

Did you know that January is the single best month for gym membership sales? Yet, despite this fact, gym attendance never sees a proportionate rise. The reasons for this are obvious. However, it points to a larger trend of people using the new year to justify costly decisions that are made hastily, and usually after a few glasses of champagne. If you have a resolution to go to the gym more, or simply be more active, wait a few days and find a gym membership that actually works for you, rather than luring yourself into a nice, luxury contract that will drain you for the next year. This goes with any other costly resolutions. This isn’t saying NOT to make these resolutions, but be responsible about how you are spending your money in the new year.


Act like the wealthy

If you want to be wealthy, then you need to imitate the actions of the wealthy. This doesn’t mean setting yourself up with a luxury lifestyle and simply faking it until you make it, all the while keeping your bank account in the red. No, instead, this means seeing how successful people take steps to protect their finances and be responsible with their money. Most rich people do this with wealth management services that cover many different aspects of financial planning, which puts you at a disadvantage. However, their finances are also probably a lot more complicated than yours, which means you can probably do most of the key aspects of wealth management yourself!

Make the personal changes that are holding you back

The truth about changing your financial situation is that there are no simple steps that will universally get everyone to financial prosperity. Indeed, the fact of the matter is that the things that are in your way of making financial progress, such as saving money, eliminating debt, and making better career moves, are probably personal issues that you need to solve before moving forward. How do you move past these problems, though?


The example we will use in this situation is addiction, which is a behavioral disease that affects millions of people. Addiction is a clear case of a personal obstacle that will get in the way of financial prosperity not only directly, such as spending money on substance abuse and losing jobs over it, but also prevents you from taking the necessary steps towards better financial independence. In order to actually make financial progress, an addict will need to eliminate the throes of addiction from their life. This is an extreme example, but an important one to make. Indeed, the steps for moving past many life problems can be taken from the same steps that are required for addiction recovery.

Celebrating New Year's Eve at home with your family can be an amazing opportunity to bond, have fun together, and enter into the New Year with your loved ones. With all the possible results for the amusement, food, drinks, redirection, and activities, spending New Year's Eve at home can be a real treat.



Planning Food and Drinks For the Night

Make a Homemade Meal – Considering that going out on New Year's Eve routinely costs more (since prices are usually extended for the holiday), this is a good excuse to splurge a little and make a family meal at home. Pick out dinner food that everyone enjoys, foods that you don't get a chance to have very routinely, like steak, stew, or lobster. This family meal can even begin a New Year's Eve tradition.

Make Fun Snacks and Treats – Consider making treats, toffee, or other desserts that you can make together as a family and eat all through New Year's Eve night. You can get even more in the New Year's soul by making New Year's specific desserts. Bundles of social orders have New Year's Eve treats like Vasilopita, a Greek New Year's Eve cake baked with a coin concealed in the dough. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the coin will have favorable circumstances for the best in class year. Marshmallow invitation skewers are another fun dessert idea. Each marshmallow has two or three numbers drawn on with consumable ink, and you can eat the marshmallows as you count down to midnight.

Make Holiday Drinks and Mocktails – Kids will love having got cocoa, fruity soda pop, and sparkling grape juice on New Year's Eve. You can even make other mocktails like strawberry-kiwi spritzers, cranberry sparklers, and peppermint drinks. Adults can make their own specialty drinks, or stay with classic champagne. In case you or family members are starting to feel tired, consider making some fun coffee drinks with or without alcohol.


Having Fun Throughout The Night

Have a Family Game Night – Bring out the board entertainments, card preoccupations, and electronic games, and even group video games to play as you wait for the clock to strike midnight. You could make up game rivalries, or endeavor to play all the games at least once in the midst of the night.

Have a Movie Night – Pop in a movie you already have at home or rent a film that you all have been requiring to see. Watching a movie can be just one a portion of your New Year's Eve plans, or you can turn it into a film marathon. In the midst of this time, you can eat and drink different snacks that you have masterminded for the night.

Create a New Year's Eve Photo Booth – Designate an area of your home to be the photo booth stage. Find a divider or background that you can use as a foundation, and adorn it with some even decorations or your written resolutions. You could even print out some masquerade sort costume pieces, or have your own stand-out photo props.

Play Dress Up – Bring out everyone's best pieces of clothing and make everyone in the family feel like they are a part of an excessive New Year's Eve party or ball. You could play music, move, and everyone's fancy outfits can make for some phenomenal photos.

Make Countdown Bags to Open Every Hour – Fill little bags with different snacks and treats to open up at every hour leading up to midnight. You can make as many bags as you need depending on how early you need to start opening the bags.

We are a little bit late sharing our Joy Gold Christmas Tablescape for the holidays and I have to say that I don't have a good reason. Blame it on traveling extensively for the holidays. We had an amazing 8 days at Walt Disney World and now we're currently in New York City, my home, spending the holidays with family. However, we decided that we wanted to celebrate a Caribbean at home before we left. So we shared our Oxtails Over Curried Jasmine Rice and our Holiday Tropical Punch. When it comes to the holidays we like to go all out, but we also like to keep it low-budget, after all we want to save some cash for food and gifts. Last year we did a fairly inexpensive Traditional Tablescape which cost little to nothing, this year I wanted a bit more gold but still something that won't bust my budget. What I came up with I absolutely loved! Check it out!

We're just returning from our week vacation at Walt Disney World, and the one question I got from a friend after hearing that I purchased the Memory Maker in advance was, "was it worth it?". You bet your Mickey ears it was. So how does the memory maker stack up to the original Disney Photo Pass?

There are many ways to learn how to budget during the holidays. Let’s start by stating that the most money wasted during the holiday season is on gifts, wrapping supplies and quite possibly food for entertaining family. With that being said, here are some fabulous tips on how to budget during the holidays so that you can actually enjoy this season a bit more stress-free:


Learn to Spend Less

Make a full commitment that you will not go crazy spending cash out of pocket. The best way to ensure you remain within the budget you have allotted for holiday expenses is to never use a credit or debit care for purchases. Set aside a specific amount of cash and use it wisely.

Combine Gift Giving

Have a family that you normally purchase one gift for each member? Consider purchasing family gifts, such as one item that can be provided to the whole family versus a gift for each family member. This is an easy way to cut costs while still providing a kind gift to this family that matters to you.


Host a Potluck Gathering

As opposed to hosting a large family gathering where you supply all of the food, consider hosting a potluck gathering so that each member brings a dish. This helps to curb the extra costs associated with hosting a holiday dinner on your own.

Have your Kids Set Priority Lists

Most kids enjoy creating a holiday wishlist, perhaps this year you put a little spin on their list. Have each kid rate their wishes from a level one and on, with one being the most valuable to them to receive. Perhaps this will help you to know where to designate funds for their presents, as opposed to getting everything on their list.


Stay in the Holiday Spirit

Let go of the consumer side of the holiday season and accept that this is a season about giving, joy and being grateful for all that we have in life. Remember that many have far less than you and this is a great time to volunteer as a family at a local shelter rather than spending extra cash for events.

Remain Positive

Regardless of how little of a budget, you may be working with during the holiday season, if you follow each of these tips and learn to prepare sooner next year for the holiday season, you surely can remain positive and remember that this is a great time to reflect upon all that you do have in life.

‘Tis the season for cookies, cocktails and fatty foods. While packing on the pounds may seem unavoidable, there actually are ways to indulge and keep calories in check at the same time. It may be common sense to avoid hors d’oeuvres, but there are a few other tips and tricks you may not have thought of. Here are 5 ways to avoid weight gain this holiday season.

Winter storms usually occur in the months of December and January. These storms can consist of snow, sleet, freezing rain and ice. All of these dangerous activities should be taken very seriously. The most dangerous is the ice storm. This can literally cause bad car accidents and difficult traveling patterns. It's best to stay stationary in this type of weather. A lot of people don't know how to judge whether or not it's worth the risk of leaving their homes when this type of activity occurs and it usually ends up in bad results. You just have to use smart judgment.




Water for Drinking. Enough for three days; one gallon per person per day, minimum.

Food. Choose non-perishable, easy-to-prepare foodstuffs, and have three days' worth.

Medications and First Aid. Make sure that all prescriptions are filled ahead of time, and also keep on hand basic OTC medications that might come in handy, such as Tylenol, Advil, Pepto-Bismol or Benadryl. Don't forget to include a fully stocked first aid kit as well!

Batteries. Make sure you have plenty of extra batteries in every size you need.

Radio. A battery-run or hand-cranked radio can keep you updated on weather conditions when the power goes out.


Flashlights. Keep plenty of these around in case the electricity goes out.

Hygiene and Sanitation Items. Remember to account for the possibility of pipes freezing.

Chargers for Cell Phones. Conserve battery in case of an emergency.

Copies of Personal Documentation. You never know what you may need and when. It's always a good idea to keep a copy of important personal documents, birth certificates, deeds, insurance policies, and lists of medication/medical information - in a safe and waterproof place.

Extra Cash. It's always a good idea to take a little cash out of the bank before a weather emergency in case you need it.

List of emergency contacts and family members. Write down all important names and numbers for every reference.

Alternate source of heat. A fireplace or a wood or coal-burning stove can be a lifesaver in winter weather; make sure you have plenty of whatever fuel your alternative source of heat requires.


Any Special Needs Items. If there's anything needed by any member of your household on a daily basis that isn't listed here - don't forget about it!

Warm Blankets and Clothes. Sometimes alternative sources of heat aren't an option; bundle up with plenty of layers, opting for warm, loose-fitting clothes. Make sure every member of your household also has boots, hats, gloves, and other winter outerwear.

Sand, Rock Salt or Non-Clumping Kitty Litter. These can all be used post-storm to make walkways and steps less slippery.

Remember - it's always better to err on the side of caution and over-prepare for an emergency that never occurs than to be underprepared when a winter storm hits.

Everybody knows the phrase, “you are what you eat.” While this has been a silly, fun idiom applied to the food we eat, it actually works a lot better when we apply it to the world of media. The media that we decide to watch and take in can do a lot to inform us of who we are, as people. Essentially, humans are very social creatures, and we all use the interactions that we see (both in real life, and in the media) to inform who we are and what we want to become (this is especially true for young people). Indeed, there is an entire assortment of ways that the media affects who we are, as people...

This just in. Christmas is 10 days away! It’s hard to believe we posted our holiday gift guide more than two months ago already. Before you know it, the holidays will be over, and we’ll be looking forward to sun-kissed lounging days on the beach! But before then, let’s enjoy what little time left of the holidays we do have.

Part of enjoying the present is looking at what an amazing year it has been. Think about all the fun memories you made, perhaps the people you met, and all the goals you accomplished. There is so much to be thankful for, and there’s still so much holiday cheer to spread! Don’t forget to compile a last-minute list of fun Holiday to-do’s, like visit a light display, bake yummy treats, watch a bunch of your favorite holiday movies, or visit Santa at the mall.

Another part of enjoying this magical time of the year is hearing and understanding the exciting stories that helped us arrive at where we are today. Where does Christmas come from? Why do we celebrate the way we do? Do other countries celebrate differently? Well, check out this awesome history of Christmas traditions infographic to find out!


Happy Holidays, everyone!

Special thanks to Tree Classics for the infographic.

I have personally never shared my journey of how I entered the military and this may be the only time that I share it with you. Joining the US Army was a very big step for me and one that I contemplated for years before actually signing on that dotted line. There was very little support from everyone when I made that decision. The one and only person who truly supported me was my father. I remember calling my parents the day I decided to go in and take my test, the test that would in turn tell me what job I may have while enlisted. The very first words out of my mother's mouth was "Why would you join the army? What happens if you go out to war and never come back? What would happen to your children?". My father on the other hand was very supportive and instead of questioning me, said "Whatever you decide to do, I support you". While I'm very sure that he was worried that I'll go off to war and die, he didn't voice his concern and instead supported me.

This week is all about hosting and having a great holiday with family and friends. I am not a big fan of alcohol, which is why you don't see alcoholic drinks on my blog. My family isn't big on alcohol or smoking for that matter. My dad would drink the occasional beer when he had friends over and although my mom kept them in the refrigerator for him, he barely touched them. My first experience with alcohol was at my brothers house and it was not a nice experience. Hangovers are no joke and I'm not talking about the movie. So although I may have the occasional wine, I don't overdo it. I do keep alcohol around the house but in limited quantities, but whenever I'm hosting I tend to go non-alcoholic. After all there are usually children around and I would prefer to err on the side of caution. That's why today I want to share with you my Holiday Tropical Punch. It's a hit with everyone, the alcoholics and non-alcoholics alike.

Ingredients:

2 Starfruit
2 Persimmons
2 Kiwis
1 cup Simple Syrup
1 bottle World Market® Blood Orange Italian Soda
1 bottle World Market® Limoncello Soda
2 bottles Brix Jamaican Ginger Beer or Regular Ginger Beer (Ginger beer is typically non-alcoholic, check packaging)


Directions:

Using a Microplane or mandoline slice fruit into thin pieces, set aside.

Into a punch bowl or pitcher add Italian sodas, simple syrup and ginger beer.

Taste to adjust sweetness, add more simple syrup if you prefer a sweeter taste.

Add sliced fruit to the punch bowl or garnish individual glasses with fruit.

Serve and enjoy.


Now back in the Caribbean where I grew up, my mother would make her own ginger beer with fresh ginger. Ginger beer is a drink that you would find in most Caribbean homes around the holidays, freshly made of course along with another tropical drink called sorrel. Fresh ginger beer is a recipe that I never really perfected but can make, but when it comes to sorrel drink, I can say that I'm a pro. For this recipe however, we decided to use ginger beer that was purchased, but if you would prefer using fresh ginger beer that you have made then that is a-ok as well.

To make it a truly Caribbean Christmas in the kitchen, you can check out our Oxtails over Curried Jasmine Rice.

Enjoy!

When it comes to celebrating the holidays I'm a big fan of being in the kitchen. Growing up with my parents, the holidays was something that we looked forward to. The kitchen usually was filled with different foods being cooked and lots of delicacies in the oven. From cakes and cookies to the usual meat dishes, whatever your heart desired during the year was always available at Christmas. Now as an adult things haven't changed much. The holidays in my own home usually mean lots of cooking and baking as well, usually because the kids are home since school is out, and there is usually someone visiting from out of town. I don't consider myself a great host, but I do know my way around the kitchen, thanks to my mother, and with a few products I can put together something that will knock your socks off. As is my custom I usually head to my nearest Dollar General since they are literally 5 minutes from my home. I needed a few ingredients for a new recipe and I knew exactly where to get them.


Madison had been saying that she wanted chocolate cake for quite some time and being the good mother that I am, I decided to indulge her, so off to Dollar General we both went. When it comes to chocolate I knew that Nestle® had just what I needed, so I picked up a NESTLÉ® Hot Cocoa Mix, 6 ct. – on sale for $1. After all I would be able to not only make my cake but I'd be able to have some hot cocoa when I was done as well. With the weather that we've been having lately, it's hot cocoa season after all. I also noticed that they had NESCAFÉ® TASTER'S CHOICE® Instant Coffee, and if you know me, I'm grouchy in the morning before I have my coffee and coffee and cake go hand in hand, and what's coffee without having your own NESTLÉ® COFFEE-MATE® Liquid Coffee Creamer? Dollar General did not disappoint - they had it all! I also realized that I could use all 3 ingredients in my latest creation and that's exactly what I did, and I'm going to now share that with you.




Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup NESTLÉ® COFFEE-MATE® Liquid Coffee Creamer
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup boiling water
1 packet NESCAFÉ® TASTER'S CHOICE® Instant Coffee


Hot Chocolate Frosting

8-ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 packets NESTLÉ® Hot Cocoa Mix

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Liberally spray an 8x8-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Add the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.


Add in the Nestle Coffee-Mate Espresso Chocolate Coffee Creamer, oil, vanilla, and egg. Whisk vigorously for one minute to thoroughly combine.

Add one packet of Nestle Taster's Choice Instant Coffee to the boiling water and stir to dissolve.

Pour the hot coffee into the batter and whisk well to combine. The batter will be thin.


Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.

Plan the pan in the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool before frosting.

While the cake is cooling, you can prepare the frosting.

Add one cup of the whipped topping to a large bowl along with two packets of the Nestle Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix. Whisk until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides to make sure all the powdered mix is incorporated.


Add the remaining whipped topping and gently fold with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Once it's combined, you can put it right back in the same container. Keep in the refrigerator until time to serve.

** As an alternative to covering the cake with frosting, we served individual pieces, lightly sprinkled them with powdered sugar, placed a dollop of frosting on top, and sprinkled with grated chocolate.


Notes:

Always use a good quality cocoa powder. The result will be a better tasting product.

Substituting Nestle Coffee-Mate Espresso Chocolate Coffee Creamer for milk gives the cake an extra chocolatey flavor that is enhanced by the addition of a coffee. Adding coffee to chocolate baked goods enhances the flavor and results in a more chocolatey flavor.

We used the extra creamy whipped topping for this, which is a thicker and creamier. If you store doesn't have it, regular whipped topping works just fine.

If you use a metal baking pan, lower the temperature to 325°F

To prevent overcooking the cake, test for doneness around 20 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter.

When folding the whipped topping, use a large spatula and scoop from the bottom to the top. Fold gently so you don't completely deflate it. Never vigorously stir!

What did Madison think? She thought it was amazingly delicious!! Thank you Dollar General for helping me save and allowing me to make a delicious treat for my family and friends. If you've never shopped at Dollar General before, I suggest checking them out and download some coupons to save on your favorite Nestle products.

As the holidays roll around, more people are going to take to the road and skies for their holiday travel plans. Taking a trip for the holidays is a great way to spend time with family and see more of the world, or even go and see loved ones who live in a different part of it. However, we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that traveling for the holidays comes with its fair share of stress. After all, traveling and the holidays are both activities that are known to have some baggage that can easily cause anxiety. When you put them together, it can spell a difficult time. It doesn’t necessarily have to, though. If you effectively strategize your holiday plans, you can actually have a lovely trip, without all the negative aspects! Here are some tips on traveling for the holidays...

Christmastime is that time of year when it seems that just about everyone pulls out a string of twinkle lights or two to make their home a little more festive. But twinkle lights need not be hidden away in a box for 11 months out of the year; you can put them to a variety of fun uses throughout the year as well. Here are 10 great decorative uses for twinkle lights in your home.


Lighting the Christmas tree

The most obvious one is first, of course—twinkle lights look stunning when woven through the branches of an elegant Christmas tree. Because twinkle lights typically do not get very hot, they are safe for use even on real Christmas trees.

Child’s room night light

Twinkle lights seem to have a youthful aura about them, making them the perfect addition to any child’s bedroom. Since many children do not like going to sleep with the room completely dark, twinkle lights are a fun way to make a bedroom feel more secure at night.

Window accent

Twinkle lights make for a beautiful window accent at night when the sun is no longer around to offer rich, natural light. You can hang a single string of twinkle lights across the middle of your window for a small touch of light, or hang several short strands from the curtain rod for a blanket-like look against the window. Twinkle lights look absolutely magical when paired with sheer curtains, so for the best results, try accenting a bedroom window that is fitted with a sheer curtain—especially perfect for a little girl’s room.


Dreamy headboard

On a similar note, you can try pairing your twinkle lights with a sheer curtain for a magical and one-of-a-kind headboard. One added bonus here is that if you place your plug just right, your headboard can double as a convenient reading light that you can turn on and off.

Mirror border

Twinkle lights look especially stunning when strung around a mirror because of the way in which the individual light beams reflect off of the mirror. Plus, as an added bonus, the twinkle lights will provide some flattering light as you use your mirror to get ready before heading out the door.

Photo display

Want a creative way to display printed photos somewhere in your home? Try hanging several strands of twinkle lights—across a wall, between windows, etc.—and artfully clipping photos to the light display throughout. The light will draw attention to your photos but won’t be so bright that they detract from photo visibility.


Light word wall art

Want to spell out a powerful word on your wall, as as love, faith, or joy? It’s actually possible with twinkle lights. Use small tacks to position the lights against the wall, and use some creativity to connect your letters (much like you would when writing the word with a sparkler.) It helps if you measure, level, and lightly trace the word on the wall in pencil first.

Light filled jars

Want a some creative, decorative jars to accent a side table or entry way table? Try filling a few jars with twinkle lights for an interesting take on the traditional table lamp. A few jars of varying sizes will look purposeful and elegant.

Starry night sky installation

Want to create something really stunning in a bedroom? Consider creating a starry night sky installation on your ceiling using twinkle lights. Opt for strands that are just long enough to span the width of the ceiling without drooping too much, and aim to hide the cord running to the floor creatively using curtains or tall furniture pieces to disguise. It’s an ambitious project to be sure, and it might be one that sees only temporary installation, but the result is sure to be awe inspiring. (For a Harry Potter themed party, perhaps?)


Backyard landscaping

Twinkle lights when added to an arbor, gazebo, pergola, or fencing help create the perfect ambiance in any backyard made for entertaining. Just make sure you use lights that are made for the outdoors before you make them a part of your landscaping!

You are cordially invited to Christmas dinner ... at your own place! Eeek this is the first time you are hosting Christmas dinner and you are so stressed out and have no idea where to begin. Take a moment to breath; we are here to save the day. Today we want to share with you some tips on how you can prepare for hosting Christmas dinner, without stressing out!