The Best Holiday Gift-Wrapping Hacks!

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 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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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 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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No Mess S’mores Hack

?? S’MORES HACK: NO MESS ?❤️

Are you a messy s’mores fan? I’m not either ? I love the ooey gooey warm marshmallow, but the struggling for a baby wipe over an open fire isn’t my favorite part of the experience. This is the EASIEST S’MORES HACK EVER! It all happens indoors and if needed, you’re close to a sink for your hands ? BTW: you can dip whatever you’d like in this or just eat it plain…I’m just going to put a good word in for the bacon, it’s life changing ?

This is seriously my favorite s’mores hack EVER: only 5 minutes and NO mess! Start by grabbing your air fryer and a liner.

Next go grab these four ingredients you already have in your kitchen: marshmallows, caramel, butterscotch chips and flaky sea salt. Layer these in that order in your air fryer liner, all measured with your heart. The most difficult part of this is opening the caramel! Because caramel is made with white sugar and butterscotch is made with brown sugar, we are adding both? If you add nothing else, add the flakey sea salt!

Set your Air fryer to 350F for 5 mins OR pop it in the oven at 400F for 3-5 minutes. I decided to dip apples and bacon, and let me tell you, it’s LIFE CHANGING!

If you had to choose one: caramel, butterscotch which one would you add? Comment and LMK! I’m going butterscotch ? Chocolate chips would also be fantastic in this!

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Pottery Barn Holiday Dupes from Walmart

??DUPE ALERT: WALMART COPYCATS ?‍♀️ POTTERY BARN?♥️

You can shop all of these Walmart dupes HERE

Are you ready to decorate for Christmas? I know, it’s REALLY early and I gave a lot of thought to doing this one so soon, but honestly, these copycats are going to go fast ? This is an early bird gets the best deal situation, so I couldn’t wait ? These are Walmart holiday dupes you need for this upcoming holiday season!

Take a look at this guy! This Wicker tree skirt from Walmart looks exactly like the Pottery Barn version but at a fraction of the price. At Pottery Barn, their tree skirt costs $130 but only $25 at Walmart.

This next one is such an incredible dupe. These felt ornaments from Walmart are only $2 a piece, but at Pottery Barn, you pay $40 for 4. What?!

Pottery Barn isn’t going to be happy about this one because Walmart has done their metal reindeer for half the price! At Pottery Barn, the cheapest price you can find is $20, but Walmart prices start at just $10.

Look at this next dupe I found! These Cranberry balls are 4 for $9 at Walmart. And get this, at Pottery Barn, they are $20 each!

This next dupe is not an exact copycat but it’s pretty darn close. This wreath at Pottery Barn costs a whopping $150, but you can grab the lookalike at Walmart for just $30. All this dupe is missing is the lights, but for $30, we can add our own!

This next dupe isn’t Pottery Barn but you are going to love it! My absolute favorite dupe I found is a lookalike for the acrylic nutcracker from CB2. While the original is $179, I found an exact copycat here at Walmart for just $25.

When will you start decorating for Christmas? Comment and LMK! My tree won’t go up until the weekend after Thanksgiving ??

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Genius Onion Hack: No More Tears

?? NO CRY ONION HACK ?

What onion cutting hacks have you tried? The goggles? Water running? Wet paper towel? Turns out you don’t need any of ‘em! This FREE & EASY HACK is a game changer! ZERO TEARS! I honestly can’t wait for you try this one and give me a call, I’m that jazzed about it ?

Did you know that the little hairy part on the onion is the key to no more tears? This is actually the root of the onion. Make sure NOT to cut the root off of your onion.

Here’s why this matters. The root section of the onion actually holds all of the juices and gases that give you the most grief when you are cutting your onion. You can cut through the hairy part, but just make sure you don’t cut it off and get rid of it!

BONUS TIPS:
✅ Keep your onion in the fridge OR place in a bag and freeze it 10-15 mins before cutting. The cold helps the juices and gases contract, making them less potent when you slice it.
✅ Use a sharp knife. It not only makes cutting easier, but a clean cut also helps reduce the likelihood of those pesky irritants escaping ?

What’s your favorite type of onion? Comment and LMK! I love the red ones and still scratch my head over the fact we don’t call them purple onions ? Is it me, or don’t they look way more purple than red?! ?

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