A Few of My Favorite Things… to Make Your Life Easier

Remember this summer when I said I was going to start doing this??  Well, the kids are back in school (if you haven’t read my Back to School Prayer yet? You are missing out.) and I have SO MUCH TIME to do the things and to think the thoughts and to watch the Netflix and um, do laundry and stuff. I ALSO have more time to blog so I’ll be all up in this joint!

I love hearing about products, books, apps and websites from my friends. You know when your bestie is all, “OMG I have to tell you about this site I found!”? And then OF COURSE you love it because, duh– she knows you.

That.

That is the point of this.

First things first: SKINNYTASTE–Skinnytaste is a website devoted to recipes that are delicious and good for you. Gina breaks down the nutritional info for each one, including Weight Watchers’ points (I’ve never been smart enough to do that, but if you are, it’s already there for you.) But if I’m gonna be real honest, I also love her site because I KNOW that if I’m cooking from her site I AM eating healthy and I don’t really even look at the nutritional info, I just eat the portion size she recommends– it’s like an internet trust fall.

Skinnytaste is possibly (probably) my #1 website for recipes and I almost hate saying that because, I love me some food bloggers. I love so many sites but I have a special place in my heart for Gina.

I have NEVER, not ever, made a single one of her recipes and not liked it. Likewise, I’ve never made a single one of her recipes only once– four, five, twelve times? Abso-freaking-lutely. I pick a recipe, make it once and it gets added to the regular rotation.

My besties (The Lolers) and I spend hours a week stalking Skinnytaste looking for recipes and discussing what we have cooked/ are going to cook.

Here are a few LOL Faves:

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken– Lightened Up

Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls (All of my kids ate these. Even the picky one who REALLY does think ketchup is a vegetable.)

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Fiesta Lime Rice

I had to make myself stop. Seriously. They are all amazing and it’s really easy to flip through categories to find exactly what you need– which makes us love Gina even more.

My friend Jenn told me about Lickety Split and it is my secret weapon. I don’t use it every day because I NEED it to work when I whip it out in a pinch.

When I ask my four-year-old to do anything, her strategy is to move so slowly that I will eventually get tired of waiting for her to do it on her own and do it for her.

Lickety Split is a timer app (I have an iPhone so I don’t know about you Android peeps.) It plays music and says in a really sassy British accent, “Beat the timah!” I wish I had a video. I can say, “Sadie pick up your toys.” Without the timer? She rolls on the floor, gets out more toys. Whines.

I can say, “Sadie pick up your toys,” and push start on the app and she literally jumps to her feet and cleans up so quickly that she looks like a blonde blur racing around the room.

It has 6 preset timers: Clean Your Room, Put on PJs, Get Dressed, Make Bed, Ready to Go and Mealtime (wash your hands & sit at the table.) The point of these is to beat the timer. When she does beat the timer, Sadie pushes the “I Did It!” button and the app erupts into applause and cheers– that chit right there will straight motivate a four-year-old.

Then there is a Count Down setting, where the point isn’t to BEAT the timer but to WAIT for the timer. (Who loves me?? Let me know if you need my mailing address for chocolate and/or champagne.) For example: Brush Teeth, Read Quietly, Take Turns, Study Time. It’s like Super Nanny is IN YOUR PHONE. (You also have the option of setting custom timers.)

So there you go–two of my very favorite things!

What’s your favorite site for recipes? Got any apps for your kids you love?

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