Game Changing Christmas Tree Hacks

Do you draw straws to see who’s stuck putting the lights on the tree at your house? It honestly used to my least favorite part of decorating the tree, but not anymore! I’ve got a new way to put on those lights FASTER AND it adds more sparkle ✨ Wondering how many bulbs to buy? My EASY bulb calculator will take the guess would out of that, too! Plus several other game changers ?

Don’t forget to check out my Storefront to shop the goodies from my tree shop HERE?

✨?LORAfied CHRISTMAS TREE HACKS?✨

Instead of going around the tree, drape the lights vertically. This way, you’ll get more coverage and the process is a lot quicker! Keep in mind, you need around 100 lights per vertical foot.

When it comes to decorations, start with the largest guys first, and then fill in with the smaller ones! Refer to my bulb calculator to crack the code for how many bulbs you’ll need based on your tree size?

Ribbon hack: flat irons aren’t just for hair! They are great to straighten out old bows to make them look good as new.

Tie some bells at the bottom of your branches to let you know if a baby (of any kind?) is tugging at your tree!

Rule of thumb: but your delicate decorations and ornaments toward the top of the tree and put 5lb bags of rice under the tree to keep it from tipping over!

Do you name your tree? Comment and LMK! We call this one “The Little Mermaid” ?‍♀️ Elvis (think blue suede shoes ?) was a close second and of course, Kid 2 wanted to call her “Tiffany” because of the blue ribbons ??

Happy Holidays!

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Genius Butter Hacks

Do you leave your butter out on the counter or is it always in the fridge? If it’s in the fridge, where in the fridge are you keeping it? Believe or not, this all matters! And if you buy unsalted butter, it REALLY matters! Butter Hacks you need to know…including the ONLY BUTTER to use when ENTERTAINING ? Here’s how long you have before your butter goes bad!

If you are having a dinner party, grab the salted butter.
Because of the preservaties, you can leave this guy out for about 1-2 days on the counter. For unsalted butter, we are talking only 30-60 minutes! Any longer than that, it all needs to go in the fridge.

Two of butter’s least favorite tings are heat and light. Keep away from your oven and window.

If you aren’t refrigerating your butter , I recomend using this super cute “butter bell.” You can find the link HERE: https://amzn.to/3VieEVY. Your butter bell can stay on your counter for up to 30 days. How to use this guy is to pour a little water at the botton of your base, add your butter and seal it up. Here’s the catch- you need to change the water in this guy at least every other day.

We all have those butter compartments in our fridge, but turns out that’s not where we’re supposed to be putting our butter. The best place to store your butter is in the BACK of the fridge because it’s the coldest!

What about butter spreads and margarines? Because of the lack of fat content in those guys, those guys are best refrigerated. And guess what, the color of your butter doesn’t matter! If your butter is more yellow, it probably means the cow was just milked in the spring or the summer. If it’s a whiter butter, it was probably winter or fall.

Do you buy salted or unsalted butter? Or maybe butter spread? Comment and LMK! I’m a salted butter gal…even when a recipe calls for unsalted, I still use the one with ??

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Apple Pie Hack With Cinnamon Roll Crust

?? APPLE PIE HACK WITH CINNAMON ROLL CRUST ?❤️ SO EASY!

Are you more of a pie person or a cinnamon roll fan? Why choose? Now you don’t have to! This hack isn’t only EASY… it’s ONLY 4 ingredients!

LORAfied Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Ingredients:

1 can cinnamon rolls, 8 count
2 cans apple pie filling (21 oz. Each)
Caramel sauce/topping
1 package premade pie crust (2 count box)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F
Cut cinnamon rolls in half, roll flat on a floured board.
Press into greased pie plate.
Pour in both cans of filling.
Top filling with caramel topping (measure with your heart here).

Using a small cookie cutter of choice, cut a design on the top crust, then lay over filling, making sure to pinch the edges together.
Using second crust, cut out the pieces for the edge of your crust. Brush edges with egg wash (see note below), then place pieces on top.
Brush entire pie with a little egg wash, a sprinkling of sugar and a little bit of flaky salt.
Cover edges with pie protector or foil, place on baking sheet.
Bake 40-50 mins.
Cool completely before cutting.

NOTE: Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 Tbsp. Heavy cream, milk or water beat well to combine.

What filling would you choose? Comment and LMK! I’m thinking this crust would be insane on a pecan pie ?

Happy Holidays!

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The Best Stuffing Hack

? ? STUFFING HACK: EASY + PRETTY! Would you agree that stuffing is the least photogenic dish on your Thanksgiving table? ? This hack will change that! AND, the part my husband Scooter is jazzed about: more crunchy surface area ?

LORAfied Stuffing Hack

Dressing Ingredients:

4 cups dry cornbread cubes 4 cups dry sourdough bread cubes 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp rubbed sage or 1 Tbsp of fresh 1/2 stick butter 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped celery 4 cups chicken broth 4 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F Grease large baking dish Combine bread cubes, salt and sage in large bowl and set aside. Melt butter in sauce pan, add onion and celery, cook until soft. Pour butter mixture over the bread cubes Add broth and eggs, mix well. Depending on type of bread you’re using you may need more or lees of the chicken broth. Bake at 350F for 50-60 mins. (the longer you bake, the crispier it gets)

Scooter’s Cranberry Sauce: 1 bag (12oz) fresh cranberries 1/2 – 1 cup of sugar (May add more depending on your desired sweetness) 1 cup of water Optional juice of 1 orange and orange zest. Bring water & sugar to to a boil, add cranberries and cook about 10 minutes until the cranberries start to split. You can smash them a little or leave them more whole, your preference. Once cranberries have split, add the orange juice and zest, it using. This will thicken as it cools.

Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving!?

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My Viral Mashed Potato Hack- No Peeling!

Where does peeling potatoes land on your list of life’s joys? It’s not very high on mine and boy is it time consuming, right? This is THE BEST POTATO HACK EVER! I can’t wait for you to try it ? No peeling, no dicing, no nothing!

LORAfied Mashed Potato Hack

INGREDIENTS:

Bag of Yukon gold potatoes, approx. 3-4lbs.
1/3 cup butter, melted
Approx. 1 cup half & half, warmed (use less for thinking
1 tsp. Salt or to taste

Toss your peeler, because you will not believe how easy this hack is! The days of losing life minutes to peeling potatoes are over. All you need is a bowl and a baking rack for this hack.

Boil potatoes with SKIN ON for 20-30 minutes (depending on size), until you can easily insert a toothpick. Remove from water and set aside.
After slicing your potatoes in half, place the potato half cut side down on top of baking rack and smash into the bowl! It’s so satisying!

To finish off your mashed potatoes, add your butter, warmed half & half, salt and beat until fluffy with a blender. Light and fluffy without all the work.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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The Best Ever Thanksgiving Turkey Hack

? ? TURKEY HACK: THE BEST EVER + NO BASTING! 1 Step: Set It and Forget It ?

Are you in charge of the turkey this year? If you are, this turkey hack is going to be a game changer. No more setting a timer to baste the turkey, no more stressing about it drying out ?

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F, remove middle rack, only leaving the lowest rack you have
Remove turkey from bag
Remove bag of giblets, set aside to use in other recipes, if desired
Place on roasting pan or make your own
Butter outside, inside and under the skin (I use 1 stick of butter)
Salt & Pepper outside and inside of bird
Fill cavity with citrus, veggies & herbs (I use an orange, onion, celery, rosemary & thyme)
Cork cavity opening with half an apple
Tie legs, dress the wings
Soak 1 pkg of cheesecloth in 2 sticks of butter, drape over turkey, completely covering your bird
Bake 13 minutes per pound. My turkey took exactly 3 hours. Internal temp should read 160-165. Let rest for at least 20 minutes, longer if possible.

NOTE: Do not open the oven while cooking. You don’t need to check it and more importantly, you’re not basting it! Resist the urge to peek, just let the magic happen ?

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Crock Pot Turkey Dinner Hack

?? $35. CROCK POT TURKEY DINNER HACK ?

How challenging is it to get your ENTIRE turkey DINNER done at the same time?! AND have it all be HOT at the same time, right? This crockpot dinner hack is the answer! It’s SO EASY and BUDGET FRIENDLY? I hope you love this as much as I do! I’m tickled pink with this one and thrilled to finally share it with you and your family ?

The most important thing happening here is how we layer this guy. After spraying your crockpot, start by adding 3 cups of cornbread stuffing mix, 1 chopped onion, 3/4 cup of chopped celery, and 1-2 tsp. of poultry seasoning. Finish this off by pouring 1/4 cup of chicken broth right over the dressing layer. Now, it’s starting to smell like Thanksgiving!

Now, it’s time for the turkey. Grab a 3 pound turkey breast and lay her down with the netting still on right on top of the mixture. I placed her down almost like these dividing the crockpot in half. I then poured 1 large can (you can also use two small ones) of cream of chicken soup over the turkey. This layer is going to provide a coating that will bring the whole party together.

The next step is adding 3 cups of traditional stuffing mix– half is going to go on one side and half on the other. Then, add 2 cans green beans, drained to one side and 2 cans whole potatoes, drained (or fresh, can also use sweet potatoes) on the other. For the final layer, top it off with 1-2 tsp magic seasoning (you can find the recipe HERE), 1 1/4 cups chicken broth (poured over green beans & potatoes), and 1/2 – 1 stick salted butter.

To cook this guy, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. After it’s done, remove the netting from the turkey and serve each of the different ingredients in dishes of your choice. Stir the dressing really well to combine both, and top the green beans with those crunchy canned fried onions.
NOTE: You can mash the potatoes if you’d like. I used the gravy packet that came with the turkey ?

And just like that, Thanksgiving is served! Let me know if you try out these easy, affordable and delicious crockpot hack. You can shop my crockpot and other Thanksgiving essentials HERE

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Money Saving Cheese Board Hacks

??MONEY SAVER: $30. CHEESE BOARD HACK ?❤️ Did you know the average cost of a large charcuterie board spread runs between $100-$200?! NEARLY 7x the price of a large turkey ? That’s significantly more than the rest of the meal combined! Here’s how to create an AMAZING board for 70% – 85% LESS! ?

LORAfied 1 + 2 + 3 Cheese Board Recipe:

1 condiment (pick 1 or more: grainy mustard, honey, fig jam) 2 different crackers (or baguette) + 2 fruits and/or veggies 3 different cheeses & 3 different meats *Optional add-ons: nuts, dried fruit or olives, which I used

Budget Board Shopping List:

Smokey Gouda: 2.99 (Aldi)

Swiss: 2.00 (Walmart) (cut into 3 shapes – slices, triangles, mini triangle chunks)

Brie: 2.97 (Walmart)

Olives: 2.23 (Walmart)

1 Cucumber: .74 cents (Walmart)

1 Green apple: .64 cents (Walmart)

Bread Sticks: 1.90 (Aldi)

1 speciality cracker: 3.59 (Aldi)

Baguette: 1.65 (Aldi)

Hard salami: 2.78 (Walmart)

Sliced salami: 4.92 (Walmart – used for salami rose)

Roast beef: 3.64 (Walmart – 1/2 package rolled into cigars, 1/2 folded into ribbons)

From my pantry: Honey Grainy Mustard

Shopping Tips:

-The stores with the best prices on cheese are Aldi, Costco and Walmart (30-40% cheaper)

-Skip the specialty section and head to the regular dairy case. You’ll save 500%!

-Generic brand cheese is usually the same quality as their pricey counterparts

-Skip “fancy” crackers. Pick up a baguette and slice it your self for a fraction

-Fruits like apples and veggies are great substitutes

-Skip the specialty meats and go for the sliced deli meats instead. Roll & arrange yourself

-Turn the regular salami into a rose as seen above

What cheese do you dig into first on a cheese board? Comment and LMK! Mine has to be Brie ☺️

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This Hack Will Help You Fold a Fitted Sheet

How do you fold your fitted sheet? The frustrating old fashion way is an option, but honestly, unless you’re a professional sheet folder, why waste the life minutes, right? ? I’ve always wanted to see the person at the factory folding them into the packaging like it’s a form of origami. If you don’t possess that special skill (and really, who does?) then I have a hack for you. This is hands down the EASIEST WAY to FOLD a FITTED SHEET! I can’t wait for you to try it ?

Tap here to check out the sheets my entire family sleeps on ?☁️✨

??️ LORAfied FITTED SHEET HACK ?

Lay out the sheet elastic side up. Then, fold in the ends to square out the corners (this allows you to continue folding just like you would a normal sheet.) That’s all! A perfectly folded fitted sheet, every time.

Do you sleep with a comforter, a heavy blanket or covered duvet? Comment and LMK! I’m a covered duvet gal because it’s easier to wash?

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Trader Joe’s No Bake Holiday Dessert Hacks

?? TRADER JOES HACKS: 3 NO BAKE HOLIDAY DESSERTS ??

Will you have the time or energy to bake this holiday season? Here’s the answer: you don’t need to! I’m sharing three quick, easy, and affordable no-bake desserts all from Trader Joe’s that will wow your friends and family without ever turning on your oven. The best part? You can put them together in under 5 minutes.

This first one is my pumpkin cheesecake transformation. All you need is the Trader Joe’s pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin butter, pumpkin spiced pretzels, caramel sauce, and sea salt.

Start by adding a layer of the pumpkin butter on top of the cheesecake. Top that off with these delicious pumpkin spiced pretzels, and add a drizzle of their caramel sauce with a pinch of sea salt. The hardest part was opening the box!

Next up, we are elevating the TJ’s pecan pie. I grabbed an entire tub of TJ’s whipped cream cheese and mixed it with one cup of their powdered sugar (no need to sift). Cream the mixture together until it’s smooth and frost it right on top of the pie.

This guy is also getting the caramel sauce on top, along with some chocolate chips and a pinch of flakey sea salt. If you haven’t tried the pecan pie + chocolate combo, now’s the chance!

And for a dessert that takes less than 1 minute to put together, grab the TJ’s mini sheet cake. I used these Thanksgiving-themed cookie cutters and cut these guys into petit fours. You can use different shaped cookie cutters for any other holiday!

I topped them with these super cute seasonal chocolates, and they are ready to serve!

Which one sounds the best to you? Comment and LMK! The cream cheese topping on the pecan pie is SO GOOD you’ll be using it on everything! It’s amazing on pancakes, waffles and even as a dip! ?

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Helpful Cooking Oil Hacks

??‍? KITCHEN HACKS: OLIVE OIL ??

Is the cooking oil in your cabinet in a clear bottle or dark bottle? That one factor can mean the difference between good oil and bad ? Rancid oil doesn’t only taste awful, it’s awful for you AND can cause inflammation! I KNOW ? Luckily, there are few SUPER SIMPLE TIPS for buying and storing your fav oils to make them last longer ?

Do you buy clear bottles of oil? If you can see your oil through the bottle, your oil is exposed to light. ANY light, artificial or natural, will damage your oil and make it go bad.

It doesn’t matter if it’s olive oil or vegetable oil, whether it’s a glass or plastic bottle: you are going to want to skip anything in clear bottles and buy your oil in dark bottles.

Oil is one of those products you don’t want to buy in bulk unless you know you are going to use it within the next 6 months. The minute you pop the top off, oil starts going bad.

While oil dispensers are pretty, the oil inside is not only going rancid fast, but it’s also bad for you. Avoid transferring oils into plastic or glass dispensers and keep in the original, dark container. For extra protection, store your oil in a cool and dark spot rather than on your counter or near the stove.

Where do you currently have your EVOO? Is it sitting on your counter? Near your stove? In a cabinet? Comment and LMK ?

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Trader Joe’s No Cook Diet Hacks

?️❤️ TRADER JOE’S DIET HACKS: NO COOKING ?

Do you see all the cool meal prep ideas on here and think, “Wow, wish I had the time for that”, me, too ? But the reality is, I don’t and most nights I’m winging it…but winging it can be dangerous if you’re trying to watch what you eat ? If you don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have the life minutes for it, here are some fantastic low carb and low cal items you can pop right in the microwave, all from TJ’s ? The best part- they are all pre-made!

The pre-made turkey and chicken are fantastic items to grab at Trader Joe’s. The turkey tenderloins have 0 carbs, 20g of protein and come in at only 100 calories. The pulled chicken salsa verde has 2 carbs, 18g of protein, and also comes in at just 100 calories.

Another goodie: the chicken fajitas. Only 3 net carbs, 210 calories, and 38 grams of protein!

Take a look at the Trader Joe’s pre-made chicken thighs. This guy has 0 carbs, 18g of protein, and only 110 calories.

Surprisingly, the beef tenderloin comes in at only 130 calories, 2 carbs, and 21 grams of protein. Another surprise is the pork belly. It has 0 carbs, 13 grams of protein, and 240 calories.

Okay, it’s time to talk pre-made veggies. The Kung Pao Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Veggies are going to be your best pop in the microwave options. The Brussels come in at 12 net carbs, 3g of protein and 120 calories, while the roasted veggies come in at 1o net carbs, 2g of protein, and 80 calories.

And if you are looking for salads, the Caesar salad kit and the lemony arugula kits are going to be your best bets. Note: they don’t have to be the organic kits! The Caesar salad kit has 6 net carbs, 4g of protein and 170 calories. The Lemony arugula kit has 5 net carbs, 4g of protein and 150 calories.

Don’t forget to grab the riced cauliflower in the freezer section, coming in a 2 net carbs, 1g of protein, and only 20 calories! My honorable mention goes to the chicken parmesan, which has 350 calories, 16 net carbs, and 33g of protein.

Which one would you pick for dinner tonight? Comment and LMK! My pick: the grass fed sirloin ?

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Game Changing Christmas Tree Hacks

Genius Butter Hacks

Apple Pie Hack With Cinnamon Roll Crust

LORAfied Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

The Best Stuffing Hack

My Viral Mashed Potato Hack- No Peeling!

The Best Ever Thanksgiving Turkey Hack

Crock Pot Turkey Dinner Hack

Money Saving Cheese Board Hacks

This Hack Will Help You Fold a Fitted Sheet

Trader Joe’s No Bake Holiday Dessert Hacks

Helpful Cooking Oil Hacks

Trader Joe’s No Cook Diet Hacks

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