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Quick, chicken and broccoli are three words that my family can relate to. I do my best to prepare healthy, well-balanced meals most every night of the week. Although I am a full-time mom, that doesn’t not mean that I have all the time in the world to sit and prep meals. So when I come across recipes that I know my family will love and don’t require much prep work or cook time at all, I’m hooked. The next time I make this, I’ll lessen or omit the amount of ginger simply because I’m not that big of a fan of it. Otherwise, it’s right on point. Enjoy!

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12 Minute Chicken & Broccoli via Gimme Some Oven:

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper
1 bunch broccoli, chopped into small florets
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and mostly cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, cornstarch, garlic, ginger and sesame oil until combined. Set aside.

Once the chicken is browned, add the broccoli and stir to combine. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, and cook for an additional 1 minute until the sauce has thickened.

Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Wedding Recap

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My family and I spent this past weekend in Hudson Valley, NY for my sister in law’s wedding. Kayla and her new husband Matt made the most picture perfect bride and groom and put on a wedding that no one will forget. It was wonderful to see all of the details we have been discussing for months on end come to life. As Kayla, her sister, mother and I worked through the planning process, we sifted through Pinterest and other resources to come up with a classic, old world feel. After suggesting ‘marsala’, Pantone’s color of the year, Kayla ran with it and worked with her florist to create the most beautiful arrangements which included a number of succulents which I adore. Being the most laid back, perfect bride that she is, Kayla let her sister and I choose our own bridesmaid dresses in navy. She also tied in a new purchase from her groom, her Manolo’s, pictured above. I do plan on stealing them one of these days ;) I admit, I didn’t do the best job capturing everything there was to see. I was busy chasing after my 2yo as she made herself known as the life of the party! But there’s certainly enough to inspire you or a friend…or make you want to marry your husband all over again ;)

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(first dance photo courtesy of our friend Jessica Braga)

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Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Kaplowitz! Love you guys! xoxo

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday, gang! We made it to Hoboken yesterday and today are en route to NY for my SIL’s wedding. Since my husband had meetings booked, the kids and I spent as much time as we could enjoying walking around town despite the chilly (or downright cold) weather. It’s funny how my son lived there until he was nearly 4 years old, yet looking out our hotel room window at the city skyline and the Hudson river, it’s like he was seeing the ferries, boats and helicopters for the very first time. We enjoyed our brief pitstop, but are all excited to see friends and family and get the celebrations started!

Here are a couple of updates worth mentioning and a few shots from our trip thus far:

1) As some of you may recall, last year I was honored to be one of Redbook’s 10 winners of their Real Women Style Awards. It all began with the simple entry of a photo, and that was it. This year’s contest is underway and this time around they’re partnering with Dove and will be putting the winner on their cover (what?!). You can check out some tips from last year’s winners here and then head on over and enter yourself or a friend here. Be sure to let me know because you’ll get my vote daily!!

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2) I know many of you have tried out Stitch Fix by this point and if you haven’t, you can read about my initial experience here. Well, for anyone who might be expecting, they recently began carrying maternity styles. I had been eager for them to do this throughout my entire pregnancy, but now at the tail end of things it isn’t exactly worth it. If any of you try it out, I’d love to hear about your experience!

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3) Jack and Madelyn, taking it all in as if it were their first time seeing these sights :)

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4) Venturing around town doing a little exploring.

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5) Winding down with a little TV time while I wonder how they’ll ever sleep in the same bed without giggling the entire night!

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Have a fantastic weekend!

Road Trip

Today we’re on the road heading to NY to begin a weekend full of wedding celebrations for my SIL. Comfort is always key when traveling, but even more so at 32 weeks pregnant. I’ve rounded up what I’m currently wearing as well as some of what has been stuffed into my everyday tote. Reading material, water, snacks (because I get hungry and my kids rarely stop eating!), wipes (because they are a necessity anytime children are involved) and lip gloss (which keeps me feeling slightly pulled together) are a few things that are guaranteed to be with me. We are also loaded with children’s books, leap pads, and many, many batteries. Wish us luck!
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sweatshirt / leggings / sneakers / watch / tote / lipgloss

Orecheti with Turkey & Broccoli (1)Today I’m sharing one of my latest go-to meals with you. I love this one because it’s relatively quick to prepare and covers all of the meat, veggie, pasta requirements of a dish that my family tends to enjoy. I found this recipe on Real Simple and made a few adjustments to enhance the flavor a bit more to our liking. It has some kick, so you may need to hold some of the crushed red pepper for those of you feeding children, but otherwise it’s quite delicious and a new favorite of ours.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple:

Orecchiette with Turkey & Broccoli

Ingredients
3/4 pound orecchiette
2 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
kosher salt
Parmesan, for serving

Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the broccoli during the last minute. Drain and return the pasta and broccoli to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, garlic, fennel seed, red pepper, italian seasoning and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes; season with ½ teaspoon salt.
3. Add diced tomatoes and heat through.
4. Toss the turkey mixture with the pasta and broccoli and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Serve with Parmesan.

Transitioning

Transition

 (click on image to enlarge)

Outfit 1: Top / Denim / Bag / Shoes / Necklace / Bracelet

Outfit 2: Dress / Scarf / Booties / Bag / Watch / Earrings

I believe we are officially finding ourselves in the transition period as we head out of winter and into spring! Light layering during spring and fall are my favorite times to dress. A scarf, here a jacket there, it’s the perfect time to put your accessories to use. I recently ordered the tunic dress above which is perfect for the upcoming months. It looks much better in person than it does on the model in my opinion. Although it’s currently a bit too snug around certain areas (ie the bump), I’m looking forward to slipping this on come May. I worked together one possible way I would style it as well as a more casual outfit to get your wheels spinning. A cute tee, broken in denim and simple accessories are a typical go-to for me. Which outfit could you see yourself in?

Navy Layers

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Thankfully this outfit works perfectly for maternity style, but I love the fact that it’s an outfit I’d wear during my non-pregnancy days as well. I do my best not to purchase maternity clothes that I wouldn’t buy if I weren’t pregnant because honestly, some of the styles are just horrendous. At the beginning of this pregnancy, I went through my collection of maternity clothes to sort out what I’d be wearing again and what I’d be donating. I surprised even myself with some of the clothes I had from 6 years ago when I was pregnant with my first. I was obviously buying anything that would fit because there were numerous items that didn’t resemble my personal style in the least. Thank goodness I wasn’t blogging back then ;) Granted, I’ve been eager for the day I can get back into my normal clothes for ohhhh 8 months now? But thankfully I’ve been doing my best to come across as ‘Marisa’ and not ‘pregnant Marisa’. After all, mom’s sacrifice enough of themselves for their children, style doesn’t have to be one ;)

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Details: Michael Stars draped cardigan (similar here and here) / JCrew maternity pants (non-maternity here) / Motherhood Maternity t-shirt / Anthropologie scarf (option) / Madewell tote / Blackstone boots

High Five for Friday

Friday is here and I am officially exhausted. It’s been a busy week and having my son home for spring break (which meant no chance of a nap for me!) kept things interesting. I’ve also been making preparations as we get ready to head to NY next week for my SIL’s wedding, yay! Haircuts, dry cleaning and making sure those of us that are walking down the aisle (oh yes, me and my bun in the oven are making that walk!), are set. This weekend though, should be rather low key and I’m looking forward to enjoying it :)

Here’s a look into our week:

1) Does daylight savings always throw you guys too? Not in any major, immediate way (outside of getting ready for church Sunday morning after loosing an hour of sleep), but halfway through the week I remember how that hour was taken away and it all clicks why things just feel off!

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2) Having an older sibling to read to a younger one is sort of the best thing ever. Not to disregard the cuteness factor, but they were actually managing to keep themselves entertained!

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3) I love when he gives me reminders that he’s still my little boy :)

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4) I started stocking up for warm weather with these Soludos. I bought a pair last summer and they were immediately comfortable without requiring any break-in period. This year I tried a few other pairs including these from Target which are similar to the Chanel pair (which I will not be purchasing) and this pretty floral pair, but neither compared by a long shot to the comfort of Soludos. And at their price-point, you really can’t go wrong.

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5) One more with these crazies, because we spent A LOT of time together this week :) I have to say, I think the getting along slightly outweighed the arguments though, and that brings a smile to my face.

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Have a great weekend, all!

Coat Free

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It’s exciting times when I can start to step outside sans coat! Granted, I still had to layer with a turtleneck, sweater and scarf, but the sun was shining and it was glorious. I just recently grabbed this scarf at Madewell and the light texture of it makes it perfect for spring/summer. It’ll look great thrown over a maxi dress come summertime. For those of you that are eager to add some spring to your closet regardless of the current temperature, scarves are a perfect transitional piece. Always a good idea in my opinion!

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Details: Madewell scarf / Boden sweater (option here and here) / LOFT turtleneck / Motherhood Maternity denim (similar non-maternity) / Dolce Vita boots / Dooney & Bourke bag / Michael Kors watch

I realized that I hadn’t talked beauty in a bit with you all. The main reason is likely because my beauty habits don’t change all that frequently. For the most part, I continue to follow this routine which I discussed with you a while back. But there have been a few tweaks and additions. Let’s discuss briefly:

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Posh Neutrals Palette by Bare MineralsBenefit’s Erase PasteLaura Mercier’s Radiance PrimerMAC’s Eye BrowsAmika’s Un.Done Texture Spray

 

Some days when I don’t feel like wearing foundation, I stick with Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer which is fantastic and gives just enough coverage. Recently however, when I wear the tinted moisturizer, I began mixing a drop of Laura Mercier’s Radiance Primer to it before applying. In addition to setting a great base for my makeup, I love the slight glow it gives my skin…how I fool those that tell me I’m ‘glowing’ during pregnancy ;)

Benefit’s Erase Paste is another gem I’ve been using for a while now. My under eyes always need a little help and that will only be intensifying in the months to come! It covers, it holds and I love it.

I’m still a big fan of my Naked2 Eyeshadow palette, but I now go back and forth with this Posh Neutrals Palette by Bare Minerals. I love the colors, which take you from day to night, and also appreciate how well their shadows always apply.

I have extremely thin eyebrows. So much so that I rarely need to pluck in fear that they’ll disappear! I had tried another brow pencil previously, but when I started using MAC’s Eye Brows in lingering I was instantly addicted. It fills in my brows just enough and helps to give them the shape that I lack.

Finally, I wanted to throw in one new hair product that I mentioned last week, Amika’s Un.Done Texture Spray. As I continue to grow out my hair, I have to deal with the fact that it’s constantly changing. I love that this product adds the volume and texture that I need to finish my look at this length and I look forward to the way it’ll enhance my style as it continues to get longer. When you’re not looking for the shiny, Pantene looking hair, this spray gives you the perfectly ‘un-done’ looking style.

 

 

 

 

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