Happy Saturday!  I am enjoying my last full day in San Fran and will be traveling back to NC tomorrow.  On my last trip, My dear bloggy friend Nina from Peace, Love & Good Food agreed to do a guest post in my absence .  I decided to repost it because it is a great post!  She has been a champion of my home here pretty much since the beginning and I have been so blessed to get to know her.  I hope that we will meet someday!  

Hello, friends! I’m Nina and I have a little blog called “Peace, Love & Good Food” where I share my love of food and snippets of newlywed life. Adrienne and I met a few years ago through our blogs and have been friends ever since! I do hope that our paths cross in real life someday.

When I got married and moved to Illinois I was most excited about opening up my new kitchen gadgets and having someone to cook for every night! What I didn’t realize, was how much work goes into planning meals each week.  My husband and I both work from home and while our daytime schedules are fairly flexible, I also don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen after a workday channeling my inner Giada (this is saved for weekend feasts!). When making our weekly menu, it’s mandatory that our weeknight dinners are healthy, made from fresh ingredients and can be on the table for us to enjoy together in an hour or under. Another thing I take into consideration? What we will enjoy leftover and given a little makeover for our lunches. Cooking for two people always ensures leftover food so if I cook things we will enjoy leftover, it ensures that no food goes to waste!

So, for you readers today, I’m going to share with you a 5 day dinner plan (recipes included!) that you can also turn into some fantastic healthy lunches throughout the week with the leftovers.  All recipes can be downloaded by clicking:  Peace, Love & Good Food- 5 Days of Weeknight Favorites

MONDAY

Perfect Roasted Chicken

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Baby greens salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

TUESDAY

Salmon with Lemon & Garlic

Citrus Orzo

WEDNESDAY

Garlic & Herb Dijon Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

THURSDAY

Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps

Homemade Pico de Gallo

Avocado Mousse

FRIDAY

Neopolitan Pizza

Now, for lunchtime. Keep in mind that I am a total foodie, when I say that when I eat, I want to sit down, enjoy and savor it. I like to mix my meals up and don’t like to eat the same thing two meals in a row. I only make enough salad for the night we eat I, because no one likes soggy salad. I do, however, make extra dressing to keep on hand during the week for lunch salads. Roasted chickens are great to make at the beginning of the week because you can eat off of it all week! Here are some creative ways to remix your dinner leftovers and turn them into fabulous lunches.

• Shredded chicken wrap or lettuce wrap with sweet potatoes, tomato and avocado slices
• Shredded chicken on top of baby greens with sweet potatoes, veggies and champagne vinaigrette
• Salmon with baby greens and veggies and champagne vinaigrette
• Citrus orzo with shredded chicken added
• Pork tenderloin wrap or lettuce wrap with veggies
• Pork tenderloin salad
• Fajita salad with chicken tenders, roasted onion and pepper leftovers, topped with avocado mousse
• Pizza doesn’t need to be re-invented. Just throw it in the oven at 350 degrees and enjoy for Saturday lunch!

Thanks, Adrienne for allowing me share a week of recipes and remixes. Happy meal planning to all of you and please visit Peace, Love & Good Food where I share my passion for the palate and so much more!

xoxo,

Nina

Happy Friday luvs!  I am deep in conference workshops and networking but I am so glad I got to preview this post prior to my trip.  It’s time to get those toes out of winter shoes and into some sandals.  Andrea from My Chihuahua Bites has been one of many bloggers I discovered via the addiction some of us call Twitter.  Her quick whit and authentic voice are refreshing and she has amazing make-up tips!  Enjoy!

Hello! I’m so happy to be posting here at La Vita e Bella today! For those of you who do not know me, I’m Andrea from My Chihuahua Bites! I’m a 33 year old blogger and mom to one very precocious 2 year old. I am a social worker by trade, but I fancy myself a bit of a beauty junkie and amateur makeup artist on the side (can you call yourself a makeup artist if you only make up yourself?!). I blog about a little of everything, from my life as a mom and wife, cooking, crafts, home decor, fashion, and all things beauty related.

Today I have a fun vlog to share with you guys! I collect nail polish like some people collect coins, and I wanted to show you some of my favorite shades. I am so happy it is spring, and I’m all about the bright shades out there right now. Neon is a huge nail trend for spring, as is hot pink, deep purple, mint, and all shades of orange, from creamsicle to coral to tangerine!

Here are the polishes I mentioned in my vlog:
Milani Neon Pink Hottie
OPI Did It On Em
OPI Red Lights Ahead… Where?
OPI A Roll In The Hague
OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips
China Glaze Secret Periwinkle
Butter London Disco Biscuit
Wet N Wild I Need A Refresh-Mint
Revlon Colorstay Coastal Surf

Let me know if you have any questions! I’d love to hear your personal favorite polishes for spring. What’s on your nails and toes?

Be sure to visit me at My Chihuahua Bites!

Thursday! I hopefully have made it to San Fran by now!  I started following Melissa a few months ago and love the fact that she isn’t afraid to be herself.  She is a champion VLOGGER and one day I am sure you will see her on the TV screen.  Seriously…enjoy!

Hi everyone! I’m Melissa from The View From Five Two. I’m a 5’2” lawyer and I am married to my high school sweetheart. I mainly blog about tons of random things – food, life, love, our first house, and I love to vlog too!

Today I wanted to write a post about what I wish I had known as I was graduating from college and becoming a “real world, real life adult.” As my sister is getting ready to graduate from college and I am facing my 28th birthday this month, I see us in two very different stages of life, and I’m feeling pretty reflective. I, of course, truly feel right now that she has no idea how much her life will change.

Here are some things I wish I’d known as I was entering “the real world” –

1. Get some sleep. When you are in the real world, you may have a more structured daily schedule than you’re used to, but suddenly your body will quickly begin to feel as though you are 22 going on 50. You will find yourself wanting to go to bed at 9:00 every night. Give in to it. It’s okay. Going to bed early isn’t a crime. Your friends are tired too.
2. Open a savings account, and use online banking technology to your advantage. Set up an automatic transfer every month so you can save money without even thinking about it. Because guess what? That “rainy day” will come and you will need some emergency money!
3. Stay in touch with your friends. This takes a lot of effort – more than you ever dreamed when you were up at 2 a.m in college, laughing together over something ridiculous. Then, you thought you’d talk once a week on the phone after college was over and you went your own ways. But the reality is, everyone stays so busy, it is hard to keep in touch sometimes. Send them snail mail, birthday cards, call just to say hello, and send emails. You’ll miss them and you’ll need them.
4. Find time to exercise – even if it’s just going for a walk a few times per week. The real world makes you feel crazy sometimes – it can be a hectic rat race where there’s not enough time, not enough money, and certainly no energy or time to exercise. But if you don’t take a few walks and let out some of your stress – and burn some calories, too – you’ll quickly find a few extra pounds and zero energy.
5. Keep learning and keep reading. It’s easy in the “real world” to forget to keep learning and exploring – because that’s part of the beauty of life.

Most importantly, don’t rush life. Don’t worry or stress about marriage, babies, retirement… it will all happen when it’s time. Enjoy each stage of life, because they will come and go so quickly.

Thank you to AMP for letting me guest blog! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Happy Tuesday Luvs!  I’m packing like a mad women and can’t wait to share about my first trip to California!  Meanwhile, the lovely Lauren from the merry mrs. mobley is here to share some great insite with you.  I find her to be a very refreshing voice and I hope you enjoy!

Hello readers of the wonderful La Vita e Bella! My name is Lauren and I blog over at the merry mrs. mobley. I stumbled upon Adrienne’s sweet blog through another blog, but it was her curious musings that kept me reading! Many thanks to this fabulous lady for having me by. I am excited to be here with y’all today talking about something that I think a lot of us struggle with and that is the question. . .

Do you live to work or do you work to live?

I was listening to the radio the other day and a woman asked that question of her listeners. Now let me just preface this by saying I have major radio ADD. It takes a lot to keep me on a station for more than a few minutes. I especially love to change it when the talking starts. But as soon as she asked this my finger stopped mid-air and I knew I couldn’t change it.

I am still fairly new to the whole working world. I started working as soon as I was able by babysitting for local families in the neighborhood. I then graduated to nannying, lifeguarding, swim lessons, and eventually a customer service position in the recreation office at school. I then graduated and worked as a nanny before taking a full-time position as a teacher at a local middle school. I’m definitely not one to sit around idle. But was I going too far?

I then asked myself, “do I live to work or do I work to live?”.

My sweet husband and I have talked about balancing work and home life multiple times as we begin discussing our future family. We are both insistent on not letting our family life suffer because of work. The problem with my profession is that work is never done. Even if I leave the school building, I’m still thinking about the next day’s lesson plans or the student who seemed upset that day. I’m certainly not complaining (I love my job!) but it is the reality of it. So, now the task becomes-how do we make it so we have balance in all aspects of our life??

Leave your work at work!

I know this is not always possible, trust me. You’re talking to the girl who averages 6-8 hours of school work on Sundays after church. But it is important to not let it infringe on your home life or you will never relax.

 

Find the fun!

I know that 3 hour meeting doesn’t seem like fun, but find the fun in it. Can you sit near a co-worker who makes you laugh? Can you split the meeting up with ice breakers? Can you count how many times the keynote speaker says “um” (been there, done that).

Remember why you do it!

Don’t ever forget the real reason you chose that profession. If it’s not a reason you still stand by, then maybe you shouldn’t stand by that job.

 

Reward Yourself!

I am a big believer in mini-rewards to keep you on track. Companies wouldn’t give bonuses if they didn’t work!

 

I hope this can help you figure out a way to work to live and not live to work!

Hello luvs!  Happy Monday!  I am busy acclimating my 2nd graders back to the routine following Spring Break and packing my bags for a 5 day trip to San Francisco.  I am happy to have some fabolous bloggers picking up the reins for me this week!

First up is the amazing Kenzie from Life According to Kenz.  She amazes me with her faith, grace and style and her blog is one of the most well written blogs out there.  Enjoy!

Hello loveys!

So excited to be guest posting here at La Vita e Bella! Getting to know Adrienne has been a huge blessing – she is truly such a beautiful woman and a wonderful encouragement! Very simply put, I feel so blessed to have met her and to have the opportunity to get to know her.

I’m guessing that many of you (as reader’s of the lovely Adrienne’s blog,) aren’t familiar with who I am! My name is Kenzie and I blog/vlog over at www.lifeaccordingtokenz.blog.com. It’s a work in progress, but I’ve always had a passion for writing and sharing my experiences with others – so I feel GREAT about finally setting up a blog of my own.

I’ve really been struggling with a mini-writers block lately (I’ve had worse…) so it’s been really difficult choosing what to blog about here – but I will say that prayer has helped me find an incredible topic and I’m thrilled to share it with you all today!

Over the course of the past 6ish? months I’ve been reading a book called “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. I am no where near finished because I’m TERRIBLE about reading a chapter a day… But hey, I’m still getting something from it. If you haven’t read this book… Pick it up! It is so encouraging and really helps you understand why exactly God put you here on earth. It’s truly helped me step up and start to become the person He created me to be.

One chapter has touched me in a tremendous way. The title of this particular chapter is “Life is a Temporary Assignment.” Now, that title alone is enough to make you stop and think. For a long, long time. I think that’s because it “wakes you up” in a sense. It really forces you to grasp the concept that we are only alive (here on earth) for a short time. It’s so easy to get caught up in the here-and-now, I’ll be the first to say and wholeheartedly agree with that statement. But with God’s help, we can change our mindset so that we can live our lives for Him instead of ourselves or this world. This prayer (also a verse in Psalms) has helped me remember this…

Psalm 39:4~ Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.

Moving, isn’t it? I know for a fact that I need to start praying that verse more often.

The chapter goes on to use a quote that, again, touches my heart TREMENDOUSLY…

“Your identity is in eternity and your homeland is Heaven.”

What a powerful quote! What an amazing reminder! My mind is just blown away. No matter how much of a “good person” we are, no matter how often we go to church, no matter how often we pray… We ALL forget this. We all confuse who we “are,” with who we were created to be. We do it because we’re human. We just ARE that way. But, we’re not completely hopeless. Nope. We can CHANGE our mindset. But how? And why is it so hard?

1.) PRAY. Pray about your concerns. Pray about your dreams. Pray about your excitement. Pray about your well-being. Pray whenever, wherever! Nothing is too “little” to pray about. If it matters even the tiniest bit to you, it matters to God. There is no right/wrong time to pray. NOPE! God wants us to turn to Him WHENEVER and WHEREVER we need Him. You don’t even have to pray out loud. Just take a minute to share your thoughts with Him and ask for help… He’s listening!

2.) STOP PLACING YOUR DESIRES ON EARTHLY THINGS. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t love, admire, and be grateful for the things God has blessed you with here… It just means that you should ALWAYS take time out of the day to reevaluate those things and make sure that you’re loving the right people/things for the right reasons. You should also remember to make sure that you’re keeping GOD in front of and above ALL earthly things. Remember, you’re just passing through. Who you REALLY need to know is the Guy you’re spending eternity with!

3.) DON’T BE AFRAID. “In God’s eyes, the greatest hereoes of faith are not those who acheive prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.” Don’t be afraid to make mistakes every now and again… That’s what God put us here for! To stumble and fall… And eventually have no other choice but to turn and cling to Him. Now, that doesn’t mean God is your last resort… It simply means that at one point or another… You WILL realize that you NEED a Savior!

You CAN do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Pray, reevalutate, and build up the courage to life your life for Him. Remember: Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better… And that very “something” is God’s kingdom of Heaven. I want YOU to be there with me.

Blessings to each and every one of you,

Happy Thursday!  Depending on when you are reading this, I am either on route to Houston, TX or already there!  My dear bloggy friend Nina from Peace, Love & Good Food agreed to do a guest post in my absence .  She has been a champion of my home here pretty much since the beginning and I have been so blessed to get to know her.  I hope that we will meet someday!  

Hello, friends! I’m Nina and I have a little blog called “Peace, Love & Good Food” where I share my love of food and snippets of newlywed life. Adrienne and I met a few years ago through our blogs and have been friends ever since! I do hope that our paths cross in real life someday.

When I got married and moved to Illinois I was most excited about opening up my new kitchen gadgets and having someone to cook for every night! What I didn’t realize, was how much work goes into planning meals each week.  My husband and I both work from home and while our daytime schedules are fairly flexible, I also don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen after a workday channeling my inner Giada (this is saved for weekend feasts!). When making our weekly menu, it’s mandatory that our weeknight dinners are healthy, made from fresh ingredients and can be on the table for us to enjoy together in an hour or under. Another thing I take into consideration? What we will enjoy leftover and given a little makeover for our lunches. Cooking for two people always ensures leftover food so if I cook things we will enjoy leftover, it ensures that no food goes to waste!

So, for you readers today, I’m going to share with you a 5 day dinner plan (recipes included!) that you can also turn into some fantastic healthy lunches throughout the week with the leftovers.  All recipes can be downloaded by clicking:  Peace, Love & Good Food- 5 Days of Weeknight Favorites

MONDAY

Perfect Roasted Chicken

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Baby greens salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

TUESDAY

Salmon with Lemon & Garlic

Citrus Orzo

WEDNESDAY

Garlic & Herb Dijon Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

THURSDAY

Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps

Homemade Pico de Gallo

Avocado Mousse

FRIDAY

Neopolitan Pizza

Now, for lunchtime. Keep in mind that I am a total foodie, when I say that when I eat, I want to sit down, enjoy and savor it. I like to mix my meals up and don’t like to eat the same thing two meals in a row. I only make enough salad for the night we eat I, because no one likes soggy salad. I do, however, make extra dressing to keep on hand during the week for lunch salads. Roasted chickens are great to make at the beginning of the week because you can eat off of it all week! Here are some creative ways to remix your dinner leftovers and turn them into fabulous lunches.

• Shredded chicken wrap or lettuce wrap with sweet potatoes, tomato and avocado slices
• Shredded chicken on top of baby greens with sweet potatoes, veggies and champagne vinaigrette
• Salmon with baby greens and veggies and champagne vinaigrette
• Citrus orzo with shredded chicken added
• Pork tenderloin wrap or lettuce wrap with veggies
• Pork tenderloin salad
• Fajita salad with chicken tenders, roasted onion and pepper leftovers, topped with avocado mousse
• Pizza doesn’t need to be re-invented. Just throw it in the oven at 350 degrees and enjoy for Saturday lunch!

Thanks, Adrienne for allowing me share a week of recipes and remixes. Happy meal planning to all of you and please visit Peace, Love & Good Food where I share my passion for the palate and so much more!

xoxo,

Nina