My Story: 3 Jobs, 1 Dream

Genius Kitchen Hack!

🤩👩‍🍳 GENIUS KITCHEN HACK: BAKING SECRET 🤫

It’s not your recipe, it’s the temp of your oven 🤯 What’s the average baking temperature called for when making baked goods? Around 350F right? Kid 2 and I always joke “when in doubt add a teaspoon of vanilla and preheat the oven to 350F” 😂 While your muffins will look fine at that temp, if you want bakery worthy muffins there’s a SUPER EASY TRICK that will forever change your muffin game and it’s FREE + EASY!

What if I told you these muffins came from the same batch? One looks so much better than the other! This trick I’m about to share with you works with any recipe- your batter doesn’t matter whatsoever… it’s how you bake ’em!

Instead of 350 degrees F, we are going to start one batch at 425 F. Then, at the 5 minute mark, we are going to lower the temp back to 350F to finish. The high heat actually gives them a head start.

Although both batches are great, the kitchen trick makes them turn out so much prettier! Since we eat with our eyes first, I love using this trick for my baked goods. Follow along for more kitchen tips and tricks.

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Dupe Alert: New Costco Coffee Copycats and Starbucks Secret!

DUPE ALERT: NEW COSTCO COPYCATS ☕️

Have you noticed a difference in your Costco Kirkland brand coffee? There’s something pretty big brewing and the savings are HUGE! So who’s behind their NEW SECRET BEANS? I did some deep digging to find out!

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Breaking news from the coffee section at Costco. Did you know Starbucks is no longer sourcing the Kirkland brand coffee? For YEARS, Kirkland has been sourced by Starbucks. Throwback to 2023, when the logo used to say sourced by Starbucks! That’s gone sis, so who’s sourcing the Kirkland brand coffee?!

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If you take a look at the bag, all of the Kirkland logos say made my Enveritas. So, instead of Starbucks, it’s the same people who source Peet’s coffee! They also source some other pretty big names too, like Philz, Blue Bottle, and Stumptown.

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Pricewise, it’s a shocking 500% difference. Per ounce, Kirkland coffee costs $0.32, while the name brands cost just under $2! It’s time to run to Costco for big savings on your coffee.

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What’s your favorite designer coffee? Comment and LMK! ? Follow for more money saving dupe hacks!

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Save Big: Food that Never Expires!

🤩💰SAVE BIG: FOOD THAT NEVER EXPIRES 🚫🗑️

How tied to expiration dates are you? I used to think the milk magical knew to go bad by the date printed on the top 🤭 Boy was I wrong! While milk is an easy read when it takes a turn, there are some things in your kitchen cabinets that NEVER GO BAD! Here are the things that LAST FOREVER! Forward this to someone who needs it 💕

There are probably a dozen things in your cabinets that never go bad. No more tossing these items sis, and it will save you so much money! Check out this list and see what you have right now.

XO,
Lora

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Williams Sonoma Copycat Secret Simmer Pot Recipe

Have you ever noticed how INCREDIBLE Williams Sonoma smells? 😌 That’s because they constantly have a simmer pot going! While they tweak the recipe depending on the season, THIS RECIPE is their SIGNATURE SMELL that’s on the stove more than any other! And you won’t believe what the SURPRISE INGREDIENT is 🤯

🚨🤩 WILLIAMS SONOMA COPYCAT 👯‍♀️ SECRET SIMMER POT RECIPE REVEALED 🤫

Although they don’t let you get close enough to figure out exactly what’s in the pot, I cracked the code! It’s just 4 simple ingredients, and yes, PEPPERCORNS are in the mix! Definitely unexpected, right?🤯 I’ve got a recipe below, but feel free to measure with your heart ❤️

Ingredients:

8 cups of water

1 lemon, cut into slices

1 tsp. – 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. black peppercorns

3 sprigs of rosemary

This simmer pot recipe will make your house smell like you’ve just cleaned it—even if you haven’t! 🤗 Click here to check out my favorite simmer pot ingredients, plus the slow cooker I use to make it (spoiler alert: it’s my favorite method 😉).

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Genius Rice Hacks: Does Washing It Matter?!

Do you wash your rice before you use it? If yes, how many times? And do you soak your rice? Is any of this really necessary? And is brown rice better for you than white? What’s the best way to cook it? 🤔 SO many questions, luckily, I have the answers 😉

🤩🍚 RICE HACKS: DOES WASHING IT MATTER?! 🍽️

Did you know all rice contains ARSENIC? That means rinsing is a MUST! The absolute bet way to remove arsenic from rice is to soak it. Soaking it overnight is the best way! The most effective way to cook it is like pasta because the extra water allows the arsenic to escape!

Pasta Rice Method:
To cook your rice like pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, approximately 6 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Pour rice into boiling water and cook until desired texture. Start checking at around 7 mins…may take much longer, like 20-25 mins depending on the type of rice you use. Drain, rinse with cool water and let it sit for a few minutes to let the steam escape. Eat immediately or refrigerate for later.

TIPS: Not all rice is created equal. Long grain rice tends to have more arsenic than short or medium and white rice has less than brown because white rice is basically brown rice with the husk removed. If you’re looking for the lowest arsenic in your rice, look for rice coming out of California, India or Pakistan!

Do you prefer white or brown rice? Comment and LMK! I’m a sticky white rice gal 🤍Click here to check out my favorite rice cooking essentials & other kitchen picks! 👩‍🍳

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Stanley Tumbler Dupes!

💦🥤STANLEY DUPES 👯‍♀️🥊 TUMBLER WARS 🏆

Do you own at least one of these guys? Kid 2 and her buddies are obsessed with these things! If I’m being honest, I don’t really understand the hype surrounding them. I thought I could get away with just ignoring this trend while I kept using what my teens call “an embarrassing knockoff!” But after we missed the special Valentine’s Day edition release at Target and found out they were being resold on eBay for over $200 each, I knew I had to see if this barbell of a water bottle was really worth it… What I found was SHOCKING!

In terms of price, Stanley and Hydro Flask tumblers cost over 50% more than Simply Modern! Simply Modern wins best price.

Next, I conducted a 5 second water test to see which tumbler has the least spillage. 5 seconds upside down and Stanley loses an entire cup of water! Hydro Flask lost 1/4 of a cup, and Simply Modern? Less than 2 tablespoons! Simply Modern wins again.

Now for the temperature test. I filled each tumbler with ice and let them sit for 13 hours. Stanley and Simply Modern both tied at here at 33 degrees. While the Hydro Flask didn’t have any ice left, it was almost 40 degrees.

Of course, none of this really matters unless it works in your car. I’m not gonna lie to you… none of these were home runs in the cup holder department. Plus, all of them are so heavy! We could definitely use these guys at the gym ?

Bottom line, Simply Modern is a winner for me.

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Money-Saving Beauty Dupes: Perfume Edition!

🤩👯‍♀️ PERFUME DUPES: MONEY SAVING COPYCATS 💰❤️

Have you noticed the price of perfume and cologne lately?! ? When Kid 3 casually asked for a bottle of Dior Sauvage for Christmas, I almost passed out when I looked up the price! So I sat out on a journey to find the best dupe I could! Not only did I find an incredible copycat for that one, I uncovered a treasure trove of others you’re going to love as well. Oh, and there is one copycat I suggest you skip ?

First stop is Target. Good Chemistry’s Magnolia Violet is a fantastic dupe for Marc Jacob’s Daisy perfume. While Marc Jacobs costs you $101, you can grab this guy for just $26.99.

Dossier Fruity Jasmine is a fantastic dupe for Dior J’Adore. It brings the price down from $100 to just $29! Dossier Aromatic Star Anise is the dupe for Dior Sauvage and brings the price down from $100 to just $29!

I found the Dossier perfumes at Walmart in store. While there are some Dossier perfumes online, at time of posting, the following two were not readily available on the internet, so go grab ‘em in person ?

At Bath & Body Works, grab You’re The One. It smells just like Miss Dior and only costs $19. 80% off sounds like a deal to me!

Over at CVS, they have something called “perfect scents.” It truly was a perfume treasure trove! The Patchouli Musk scent is a dupe for Creed. While Creed will cost you $265+, you can grab this guy for $20. What a steal!

If you’re a fan of Tom Ford’s Black Orchid, try the Perfect Scent in Wood Vanilla. It’s $150 less and a fantastic copycat. And if you are into Baccarat Rouge 540, grab perfect scent’s Cassis Amberwood. You are going to save over $300 with this guy!

Perfect Scent’s dupe for Chanel 5 is one you want to skip. To keep things simple, it smells nothing like my mother-in-law.

What’s your favorite perfume? Do you have a signature scent? Or maybe you’re looking for one. Comment and LMK ?

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Starbucks Costco Dupes

??DUPE ALERT: COSTCO COPYCATS ?‍♀️ STARBUCKS ?️

When’s the last time you stopped at Starbucks for a quick snack? I’m a sucker for their egg bites, high in protein and easy to eat in the car, but I almost passed out when they rang them up recently – over 6 bucks with tax here in California ? WHAT?! Costco has an incredible dupe for those and several other Starbucks snacks, including Kid 2’s fav, the double-smoked bacon, cheddar & egg sandwich ?

This first Costco dupe is a winner! It’s the exact same double-smocked bacon cheddar and egg sandwich you can get at Starbucks. It even has the croissant bun! The Starbucks version costs $5.95, but this Costco dupe is only $2.

Next up is a fantastic dupe for the Starbucks egg bites. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came out of the same factory! The Starbucks version costs $5.75, but you can grab the identical Costco dupe for only $2.40.

If you’re a fan of the Madelines, pick ’em up here at Costco! At Starbucks, they cost 250% more than at Costco! At Starbucks, you pay $2.45 for 3 Madelines, but only $0.95 at Costco.

And forget about a copycat for the Starbucks pink drink because Costco sells the real deal! You pay 220% more if you buy it at Starbucks, so make sure to pick them up at Costco. For that price, we can get our own ice.

While this Costco dupe isn’t exact, it’s close enough! This sandwhich has turkey bacon instead of sausage but it pretty similar to the sausage, cheddar, and egg sandwich at Starbucks! This Costco version is only $1.33 instead of a whopping $4.95. For that price, I’ll take the healthier version!

What would you like to see a dupe of? Comment and LMK ?

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Uncovering Costco Secrets

🛒🤫 COSTCO SECRETS REVEALED🕵️‍♀️

Did you if you go to Costco every week you’re more likely to spend less per trip than folks who go less frequently? But no matter often you go there ways to SAVE ON EVERY TRIP TO COSTCO! Here are the secrets Costco has had under wraps until now 🤯

Why is the food such a deal here? Costco’s food court is actually a loss leader and gets you to stay longer. Everything is done to keep you in the store!

On average, people spend $2.70 a minute at Costco! Costco has a higher in-store “dwell” time than Walmart or Target… especially you bring your kids!

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this but there are no signs here to direct you at Costco! Just that alone makes you run into stuff you didn’t know you needed. There’s also no curbside pickup at Costco! By not offering curbside service, that means you have to walk in the door for everything. This means you run into stuff on the way to find the things you need. Items are also constantly moving around.

Costco actually has fewer choices, which means increasing the chances you’ll buy something. The decrease in selection is Costco’s way of avoiding “choice paralysis!” Costco offers only 4,000 items a day, compared to Walmart which has over 120,000 options on the floor on any given day.

Did you know you are 65% more likely to buy something if you sample it? If you can, skip the Costco samples!

When you hit one of the big club stores do you go with a list or do you like the hunt? Comment and LMK!

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Amazon Luxury Bag Dupes!

??DUPE ALERT: AMAZON COPYCATS ?‍♀️ HERMES ?
Did you try grabbing one of the Walmart Birkins last month? Me, too! But no luck! I’ve been looking for a good dupe ever since! Not only did I find an affordable copycat for the Birkin, I found one for the Kelly as well ?

Let’s start with the famous Birkin bag! This dupe from Amazon was way cuter than I expected. What?! If you’ve been wanting one of these, but don’t want to sell a kidney to get one, shop HERE! Less than $100, this guy’s a pretty good copycat. Bag acccessories are included!

If you love the look (but not the price tag) of the infamous Kelly bag, take a look at her! She is a great Amazon dupe, and the twilly scarf is included. At under $50, this Kelly dupe is a winner. Shop HERE for this great find!

I cannot get over the price of the real versions- these dupes are the real winners in my book! Which one do you like the best? Comment and LMK! They are both so cute, but the green is really something ?

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Walmart Dupes: Secret Brands That Will Save You Money

?? DUPE ALERT: WALMART EDITION – THE SECRET BRANDS??

Have you ever wondered if the low food prices on Walmarts Great Value items were somehow inferior? I’ll be the first to admit, I would shy away from them thinking the prices were too good to be true. But I recently ran across an article by @bonappetitmag testing popular yellow cake mix brands…long story short: they liked the Great Value brand the best! That started me thinking (and researching) what other Walmart food items are masquerading behind fancier name brands? Here’s what I found!

Let’s start with their Great Value cake mix. These guys are made by my favorite box mix, Duncan Hines! Their Great Value ice cream is made from the same plant as Blue Bunny ice cream, and it’s a fantastic dupe for Bryers.

Their butter is a pretty easy guess as to what dupe it is…looks almost identical to Land O’Lakes! Their peanut butter has a connection to a very familiar face- Peter Pan Peanut Butter. And when it comes to their ketchup, it’s Heinz!

Walmart’s incredibly affordable spices are McCormick, and wait til you see you makes their salsa… it’s Rosarita!

You can trace their baggies back to Ziploc, and their paper towels back to Bounty!

Walmart has GREAT deals for all of your food essentials. Get this, their Great Value Bread is made by Nature’s own. Their mayo has a strong connection to Kraft, and their yogurt is almost identical to Dannon. And when it comes to cereal, they are all made by the name brand!

DUPE ALERT: If you love A&W root beer, the Great Value root beer is a great dupe AND a great deal!

Do you have a favorite Walmart food item? Comment and LMK! Mine is hands down the cake mix ??

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