A GIVEAWAY with StickyGram! (CLOSED Winners announced below)

So excited about this Giveaway from the folks at StickyGram! I know how much these magnets brighten up our fridgie and I'm so happy to be able to share this great item with you guys. First off, making StickyGrams is like the easiest thing in the world. Ok, you've got your Instagrams...you go to StickyGram, click on your fave pics...and then in a few days an envelope shows up at your door with these perfect little magnets of your pics.
We spend all day long with our eyes are on our screens. We keep all of our best images locked up inside technology...and I like the idea of pulling those pics outta there and peppering them throughout my life in other ways. I just love going to the fridge and seeing some of my fave Instagram pics staring back at me.
And they make great gifts! Perfect for Grandparents! I know my mom would flip for pics of our niece Olivia all over her fridge! 

 Your StickyGrams arrive in a square of nine magnets that you can pull apart and display wherever....fridge, locker, file cabinet. The imagery comes out crisp, and the magnets have a soft matte finish. I'm totally impressed by the quality and the service.

OK...so if you would like to win a set of StickyGrams...Entering is easy!

Here's how: Leave a comment on this post and let us know that you're a follower of Everyday is a Holiday and StickyGram. Here's where to find StickyGram on Facebook or Instagram. 

The Giveaway will be open from today until Tuesday the 18th. We will be picking 2 winners! And make sure to leave info in your comment here on the blog so we can contact you.

And if you seriously cannot wait to see if you are one of the lucky winners...and just need to order your very own StickyGrams today...use code: FRIENDMPQD for 2.00 off!

They are 14.99 for a sheet of 9, with Free shipping worldwide!

Each StickyGram is 50mm x 50mm. That’s approximately the same size as they appear on your iPhone.

 And StickyGram LOVES to hear from their customers! Check out their Pinterest boards to see all of the amazing pics from their customers all over the world!

Good Luck everyone!!!
xo, Jenny & Aaron

CONGRATS to our WINNERS!!!

Jiffy Jambalaya

We love spicy over here, and usually add at least a slight kick of heat to any recipe we can. So ok, my little brother and his girlfriend had just got back from New Orleans where they spent a few days helping build houses with Habitat for Humanity. In the evenings off they took time to try some local eats. They hit Cafe Du Monde for chicory coffee and beignets. And on another occasion...Gator! Walt loved the gator Po-Boy he had so much that he had gator 2 more times over the weekend. I do not think I'd be able to do it...I feel like it would be equal to eating a dinosaur. But...just hearing about all of the other non-dinosaur spicy food gave us a craving for one of our favorite recipes. 

Aaron named this recipe Jiffy Jambalaya, because of it's resemblance to Jiffy Pop. And you really can make them in a Jiffy! Most store bought Jambalaya mixes, are just loaded with insane amounts of sodium and fillers...and really, why bother? This take on the classic is full of flavor, and  has great texture. You're using fresh veggies...nothing dehydrated or whatever. And because you're using Instant Brown Rice these pockets cook up real quick! Seriously takes no time to whip them up. Everything gets stirred together in one big bowl...that simple. And you could even do them on the grill this summer! Oh, and you can totally substitute your proteins. We used shrimp and some chicken sausage. But you could even go vegetarian, with some tempeh or tofu.

Here is what you will need:

1/2 lb raw shrimp deveined/tail on

2 all natural chicken or turkey sausage ( we used Applegate Organic Andouille Sausage)

1/2 medium white onion diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 rib of celery diced

1 1/2 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced

2-3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons salt free Cajun seasoning

1 cup instant brown rice

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Olive oil cooking spray

First thing, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Chop your tomatoes, celery, green pepper, and onion...put to the side.

Measure out your spices, salt and pepper, garlic and brown rice.

Prepare your sausage and shrimp.

Now in a large bowl combine all ingredients! Your veggies, rice, garlic, salt & pepper, spices, shrimp, sausage, and broth.

Mix well! Try to coat everything. You want the rice to be well blended throughout and moistened by the broth.

Now cut 4 rectangular pieces of tin foil, fairly large so that you've got enough slack to fold up into nice pockets. Spray the surface of the foil with your cooking spray, then measure out a 1/4 of the mixture for each. Place the mix in the center of your foil.

Making foil packets is super easy, and it's a great way to make all sorts of fab meals! Especially this summer on the grill!  Just bring the long ends to center to meet each other and fold down about 3 times depending on the length. It'll be like a long tent.  

And then fold the sides in a few times till you meet your filling. 

Place your packets on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for about 25 mins. At the 25 minute mark you may want to open just one of the packets to check on your rice. Taste a few grains to see if its tender. If not, fold it back up and pop them back in for another 5 mins.

As far as serving, you can open all 4 packets and pour them into a large bowl, or you can do what we do and place your packets directly on plates and eat 'em like that. Again, this adds to the Jiffy Pop allure, and makes them sorta summery and festive.  

We hope that you Jambalaya lovers who are looking for a healthier and easier version will give this a try! If you do we'd love to hear about it!

Thanks so much for popping in!

Happy Cooking and Eating!

xo Jenny & Aaron

*adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

Friday Favorites

Late last night the middle brother of my younger brothers arrived in town for one of his best friend's weddings. It took a bus, a train, and a couple cabs to get him here. The first leg of his trip was from way upstate NY into NYC, which was 8 hours...and then a cab to the train, then the train to Jersey, and then a cab to our house. It was maybe 12-13 hours on the road. Epic trip. He arrived late at night and we set him up on the couch. So great to see him. He had every right to be a zombie from his trip but was his usually cheerful self. We wound down the night by getting him caught up on our favorite VINE-ers. Which, if you know what Vine is...then you can understand the appeal and absurdity of our night. If you don't yet know Vine then oh geez it's a total rabbit hole...a great great rabbit hole that you're sure to get lost down for a few hours a week possibly. Actually, I think we will save the Vine talk for it's very own blog post. I kid you not...I  have some favorite Vine clips that pretty much have invaded my life and I reference them all day long. The looping melody of "Chillin' in the crib with a pocket full of pancake." will find itself in my brain when washing dishes, cutting spinach, sipping iced coffee... 

We were all pretty exhausted so we only hung out for about 2 hours before bed. And first thing today, after a quick iced coffee, he was picked up by friends, and they embarked on the final leg of the journey...all the way down to Cape May, which is a few hours away...geez. The wedding is tomorrow, and is taking place at the Cape May Zoo! How cool is that?! Only stinky thing...it is raining like crazy here and will be for the entire weekend. Total bummer. 

Like I mentioned yesterday, we are able to concentrate on the house again being that we have completed the book! So today we are scraping the walls free of peeling paint in the the non-gutted bathroom. I am so so excited! Seriously! I mean, scraping paint is no fun...but I'm excited for the progress. We'll be blogging all of it, so stay tuned!

Well, despite that 3 paragraph extended greeting...this is a Friday Favorites post!

First on the list, that dollhouse up top. I am a sucker for dollhouses. But I must specify... I am way more into very very handmade homemade types. I don't really go for the perfectly crafted untouchable type. For me, the quirkier, the more thrown together with spare wood by a dad in his workshop, the better. So this here dollhouse I spied on Rachel Ashwell's Instagram had me swooning to no end! The vintage floral wallpaper is perfection! I love seeing giant florals on tiny walls. Me and Aaron have done hand painted versions of that in people's homes and it looks so awesome.

Kittens in a box!!! Need I say anymore?! Kittens in a box!! Look at that guy - front left middle...squished between his siblings...the only guy making eye contact with the camera. Oh boy oh boy! I wanna make tiny party hats for these guys! Kittens in a box!!!!

I love everything about this little kitchen vignette. The soft tones, aged surfaces, and texture. Just so classic and pretty. We've painted our walls so so many times and I never can tell if I'm a colored wall type of gal or a white wall type of gal. Depends on the day and the mood and the light and the wind speed and barometric pressure I think. Anyway, I love the way that these accessories do all of the talking. Pop over to Sandra's blog to see more!

Gosh I don't know what it is about this painting by Terry Miura. Maybe the years I spent upstate NY, or the stories I hear about my parent's living upstate and their new small town. Rural Americana just transports me. Slows everything down. You have to check out the entire collection. I love this style of painting.

These Chalkboard Art canister labels are super cute! And they are a freebie download from FabnFree.com. There are a bunch more to choose from. Go see!

We were so so excited to see our sweet friend and fellow blogger Kate featured on Teen Vogue. Her world, her room, her wardrobe, her colors, her cats. It's like beyond "lifestyle" for Kate. That word is overused...and I feel like her special ingredients go way deeper. I'm honored to not only count her as a friend but a collector of our art. It's so fun to see our Apple Pie a la Mode print hanging above her work table. Pop over and see the entire photo shoot! So much eye candy!

How sweet is this dress?! It's by Kate Young for Target. The Peter Pan collar is the topper. I want to paint imaginary girls in this dress and then I want to steal their imaginary style.

Ok, rain rain go away, and Happy Friday!

xo, Jenny...and Aaron 

lately...

Did you just hear that? No? Well I'm shocked...since it was the loudest exhale ever!  

Aaron and I have just finished the book! It's pretty much all in the hands of our publisher now. Of course we expect we'll have to do some edits and that sort of thing...but overall, the big bulk of it is no longer on our shoulders. And it feels goooooood.  

We are just so so excited about this book. It's got some good stuff in it and we cannot wait to hold a copy in our hands....and more importantly, we can't wait til you guys can hold a copy in your hands! Come Fall, we'd like our trip to Atlanta to teach at Sweethearts on the Homefront to just be the beginning. We want to get out there on the road and visit some fantastic book stores and scrapbooking stores...do some crafty classes and have some get togethers! We love all of our projects and hope you guys will too! We really think there is something for everyone here! 

Yeah, so the other day while shopping I stopped dead in my tracks. Just like...mega flashbacks to childhood upon seeing these! I had a Krazy Straw back then...a purple one...and mann I loved it! How the heck was I gonna pass up getting these? It's the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition! Iced Cofee has been taken to a whole new Krazy level my friends! 

We've been doing lots and lots of cooking over here. It's our break from the day. We belly up to the kitchen counter and that's all that exists for that moment. And we are sooo excited for summertime dinners. Gonna do lots of grilling and special salads...creative Marinades, and homemade dressings galore. One of our absolute favorite flavor combos is Jalapeno, Onion, Lime..and cilantro! Oh geez..the smells just meld together and rise up from the cutting board...love it!! Oh and speaking of...check out our new cutting board! Needed it so bad! I had been wanting a big chunky round one forever, and they are always so $pensive. Thanks to Aaron's mom, who is a Kohls card carrier and gets all sorts of Kohls cash and coupons and offers, we scored this one for a great price! Aar logs like twenty minutes a day on that thing.

"Jenny wishes Aaron had never discovered krumping."

"Jenny tries to sneak in a midnight snack."

Love these hilarious little cartoons. You will too. Get the Bitstrips app on facebook...it's fun and addictive.

See this? Well it is just the tippity tip of the iceberg over here. All of the stuff that we had to move out of the back room after Hurricane Sandy has been living in piles all around us. Actually it's just a huge huge WALL of stuff in boxes, on shelves...furniture galore. A massive wall. We haven't had one minute to even consider it. But now that we've handed in everything with the book...we are ready! When you come off of juggling a ton of projects at once and then all of the sudden there is room in your schedule, the natural reaction is to fill the void. You can't go from doing a ton to then sitting on the couch...you must keep moving. And since Summer is pretty much here it is time to get this place back to being a home. We've got walls to paint, floors to replace...a ton to do, but we gotta start somewhere.  So the second I hit publish on this blog...that wall of stuff is going to get tackled! Wish us luck!

Hope you guys are having a great day! We'll be back tomorrow with Friday Favorites! 

xo Jenny...and Aaron!

Product Review: Scrub Buddy Sugar Body Scrubs

I'm definitely a thrifty gal when it comes to shopping for myself. I always say "well, I don't really neeeed it." and I'll leave the store or website empty handed. But when it comes to Bath and Body products, I WILL open the wallet. They are one of the very few things I will spend money on. I can remember back over the years...if I got birthday money...it went to bath and body stuff. Or if someone asked me what I'd want as a gift I could give them a list of scrubs, bath bombs, body butters, in a hot second.

 And what I usually go for are the products that are handmade from small independent shops on etsy. I mean, first off, the quality is usually way better when the product is coming from someone who is passionately planning, dreaming, creating, testing, and marketing all on their own. Me and Aaron can definitely relate.

So when I got the opportunity to try out these new Scrub Buddy Sugar Body Scrubs I jumped at the chance. Scrub Buddy is a newer business, located in South Carolina, with a whole bunch of scrubs available on etsy. So many scents...seasonal, fruity, floral, bakery, mens, dupes...Yes, I was thrilled to try this good stuff.

These scrubs are made to order. They come to you in an 8 oz. container...simple clean design, and with tiny little "spoons" for scooping. The scrubs are packed real tight so you get plenty and the spoons are great for digging in.

I really wanted to give you guys a good review with plenty of detail. So at home I kept my opinions to myself and gave some scrubs to Aaron and my little brother Walt...who is a manly man. And here's what we all had to say:

Me: I've tried many many scrubs, so I know what I like and don't like. What works for me. I chose the  Chocolate Decadence Cupcakes to try first. I normally don't go for chocolate scents, but this had a great creaminess to it. It lists coconut and buttercream as notes, which are faves of mine. I found that it was perfect for my knees, shoulders, elbows and heels. Now with the summer months upon us...being that I'm not a sun type of gal...I usually use a sunless tanner. So scrubs are perfect for prepping the skin for an even and smooth application of tanner. 

 I will say that if you do not like the feeling that coconut oil leaves on your skin, you should use the scrubs before your usual body wash. That way you can get all the benefits of the scrub while also washing them away afterwards. I am really interested in trying out some of the summer scents like Coconut Cabana, Beach Bum (similar to Bobbi Brown's Beach), Sun & Sand . And Pina Colada sounds fantastic!

Aaron: I gave Aaron a handful of scents and wouldn't ya know...his first choice was also the Chocolate Decadence Cupcakes. He loved the stuff...and as of this typing...he used it all up! He get's rough skin on his arms and loved how smooth the scrubs made everything. And he likes smelling the chocolatey scent in his forearm hair during the hour or so after showering. He also tried some of the manly type scents and liked those too...but he's a cupcakey and sweet kinda guy when it comes to scents.

Walt: As I've mentioned many times, my youngest brother Walt lives with us, and we see him for about an hour a week...tops. He works like crazy, and even if he is here on the property...he'll be out under some motor...draining things...getting covered in grease and dirt. The longest duration of time we'll see him for is when he's grabbing a towel before showering and then when he's in the laundry room searching for socks afterward. So I grabbed him pre-shower and told him about the Scrub Buddy...then handed him a few options to take in the shower with him. The Perfect Man , Cool Water Type, and also gave him one to give to his girlfriend Val who was coming over later that night. I figured she might go for Strawberry Milkshake.  

Well, as always he was in a very big rush to go look at some motor or maybe to go to his "mandatory monthly meeting" of his mud club...yes, a club for driving Jeeps in the mud. So normally he'd jump out of the shower, dress in record time and then we'd hear the door close and his Jeep start in the driveway.

But on this night he walked into the living room in his towel to tell us how much he liked the scrub.

He says: "I really like it, it made my arms really soft and I smell really good"

 So wowzer...there you go...a review from a real deal "DUDE"...the manliest of men. But here's the kicker...Guess what scent he went with? The Strawberry Milkshake!! ha!! He loved it! Says he'd love more! It really made me and Aar chuckle.

So, even though the men in my life opt for the sweeter scents...they both agreed that the scrubs are fantastic. 

So to sum up...these amazing scented, made-to-order sugar scrubs gently but effectively exfoliate the skin...they remove dead skin cells and leave your skin glowing and silky smooth. 

The sugar exfoliates while the coconut oil moisturizes. Your dull dry skin doesn't stand a chance against this scrub! And you better hide the scents you love if the men in your lives are anything like mine!

Oh, and Scrub Buddy also offers smaller Sampler sets! So you can give a few scents a try before fully committing...a great way to find your favorite.

I'm so curious to see how you guys like these, so definitely let me know when you give them a try.

xo, Jenny...and Aaron says Hi!

Scrub Buddy is offering Everyday is a Holiday readers 15% off your first order! Use discount code: WELCOME15

Fudgy Zucchini Brownies

We've been wanting to try a zucchini based dessert for a while. Zucchini is one of our household staples, along with avocado. We've seen some fab recipes for cakes made with both zucchini and avocado, and those are sure to make our menu soon, but these fudgy brownies were at the top of our list. Zucchini is great for you...super low cal and high in fiber. And overall this recipe is low in fat and sugar, and there's much less oil and zero eggs. We're definitely making these again and next time we want to give dark cocoa powder a try in place of the regular. Honestly, you do not taste the zucchini one bit. At one point we tasted the batter before baking (being that there are no eggs this isn't a problem) and we could maybe detect a slight textural difference, but once they're baked...these are just really. delicious. brownies. The fudgy frosting is so decadent! Gosh, we loved these! 

We were happy to use coconut oil in place of canola or vegetable oil. There are so many positive health benefits and the flavor is great...and Aaron's been oil pulling with it.

We haven't been doing too many desserts lately, ( I know...sacrilege! ) mainly because we've been too busy. But we were having a very spicy and flavorful dinner that neeeeeded some chocolate as a capper. So we thought brownies would be simple enough to pull off quick...we actually made these right alongside the dinner we were preparing. And they kept moist in the fridge over the next two days. You will love these!

Here's what you'll need:

raw zucchini, 2 cups peeled and chopped

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup of coconut oil

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt 

Frosting ingredients:

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup of almond milk

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of chopped pecans as topping

  

First things first...peel your zucchini. Just peel and chop one at a time because one zucchini may be plenty to make 2 cups.

Chop your zucchini to measure 2 cups. These will go in the food processor.

Since room temperature coconut oil is solid you'll have to warm it up to make it a liquid before putting it in the food processor. Just place it in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 5 second intervals until it's liquid.

In a food processor puree zucchini, coconut oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. And set aside. 

Now put the dry ingredients in a large bowl...your flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt...and whisk 'til combined.

Add your pureed wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until fully blended and moist throughout.

Pour and spread evenly into a prepared 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. To test, poke a toothpick into the center until it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Overbaking will make dry brownies so keep an eye on 'em in the final minutes. Once baked, let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before frosting.

Now, to make the frosting:

In a medium sauce pan combine chocolate chips, almond milk, vanilla, and coconut oil (which you won't have to liquify since you'll be warming this mixture on the stovetop). 

Stir over lowest heat setting until smooth. Once smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar until smooth.

While your frosting is still warm spread evenly over your brownies.

And before the frosting cools top with some pecans.

These brownies are so chocolatey and gooood! They keep moist in the fridge and you can freeze extras in an airtight container for a future rendezvous with your sweet tooth. 

If you give these a try let us know how you like 'em! 

xo, Jenny...and Aaron

*adapted from The Yummy Life