This girl, right here, had no idea what was in store for her at the blossoming age of fourteen…but one thing she did know…her smile could hide a lot.
Up and downs…trials and tribulations… nine schools, always the new girl.
She had no idea that a move to New York would transform this outgoing girl.
Consuming her with feelings of self-doubt, sadness, and misery.
She never knew the longing she would feel for her friends, the sand beneath her feet, and the salty air brushing against her face as she rode her bike along.
She didn’t know barely passing classes was an option, coming from being a straight A student and always praised.
She didn’t know the weight she felt internally would manifest on the outside as well.
She didn’t know she would switch to three different high schools, as she had a vision of settling down for once but her vision was quickly stripped away.
This girl had no idea that her emotions would take over, cause countless tears, emotional eating and nervous laughter.
This girl couldn’t accept being loved…she never knew if the moving van, driving down the street once again from her house, would drag that love through the rubble, breaking it apart, never to be found again.
So this girl built up some sturdy walls…but one thing this girl knew…she knew she was strong.
She knew this stage was just a few moments in time…a small part of her life…so she persevered.
She pulled herself up and wrapped herself in love.
She didn’t let anxiety take hold, dragging her down.
She didn’t let some of the teacher’s snide remarks change her love for learning.
She didn’t let her doubt ruin all that was to come.
She didn’t let her fear of love not allow her to love.
So this girl, as miserable as she was, woke up each day, maybe a bit shaky and not as strong as she hoped to be, and placed one foot in front of the other, saying a silent prayer for this day to move along and to find some joy.
She didn’t let her sadness take over, rather she reached into her gut, pulled out a smile, and once again introduced herself, attempting to make new friends.
She didn’t hold back her laughter, even though some days it was hard to muster up the courage to laugh.
Friends, you know what got this girl through?
Love.
Self-love.
The love she had for herself when nothing was going according to plan.
The love she had for herself when the path she traveled was beyond unstable.
The love she had for herself knowing one day she would make a difference.
Her story would matter.
So when I look at this girl, my young fourteen-year-old self, all I can say to her is, “We made it.”
And we did…we made it.
Never leaving each other’s side, holding tight, knowing the future held so much in store for us.
Ali Flynn Is excited to share with you the joys and hardships of motherhood with an open heart, laughter and some tears. Ali is a monthly guest contributor for Westchester County Mom and has been seen on Filter Free Parents, Grown and Flown, Today Parents and Her View From Home.
Grab some sweets for your sweetheart. The Valentine’s Day collection at Dylan’s Candy Bar has officially launched. These adorable confections will make expressing your love deliciously easy.
Valentine Sprinkle Pop
Make a big impression with an oversized, heart-shaped cherry lollipop! It's an Insta-worthy addition to any Valentine's Day gift.
This exclusive tackle box is the perfect mix of creamy and crunchy bites for any chocolate lover. A special ribbon and a Valentine's Day hang tag make this tackle box ready to gift.
To many, the holiday season means it’s time to dust off those tried and true festive recipes from years past. Chex cereal has unveiled new recipes that will bring some extra cheer to 2020. The holiday party staple ingredient has teamed up with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, who know the keys to a good celebration, to deliver some serious cooking inspiration.
Teigen and Legend created these recipes to help foodies put a new twist on this year’s holiday celebrations, including:
Legendary Muddy Buddies: this deliciously sweet spin on classic Muddy Buddies™ was created by Teigen and Legend with double the chocolate and peanut butter flavors for a truly legendary holiday snack mix.
Sugar and Spice Chex Holiday Mix: seasoned Chex cereal, pretzels and peanuts are combined with vanilla coated Chex and marshmallows for a salty sweet treat with a kick.
“Chex has been my go-to snack forever. It’s in my cookbooks and is always in our pantry for when I need to mix up a last-minute party snack, so when I had the chance to team up with Chex to create some holiday ideas, I was all in,” said Teigen. “Chex is a versatile staple that enables creativity and fun with kid-friendly recipes. My hope is these recipes inspire families to get into the kitchen together with Chex for the holidays.”
With more people than ever planning to be home for the holidays, cooking is sure to continue as a pastime to both celebrate and stay entertained with everyone at home together. Popular, easy-to-make Chex recipes are the perfect way to get the whole family involved in making festive snacks that become holiday traditions.
As a part of the holiday campaign, fans can find Teigen and Legend on specially marked Chex cereal boxes, as well as videos on Chex.com where Teigen and Legend show how to make the Legendary Muddy Buddies recipes in two minutes or less as well as one with Legend on bended knee sharing a very special holiday gift with Teigen.
“We know the holidays are going to look different this year, but that doesn’t mean they will be any less special,” said Taylor Gessell, Marketing Communications Manager for Chex. “We are here to bring joy to families with easy recipes and activities that will help them make the most of this holiday season and who better than Chrissy and John to share a modern take on classic recipes to remind us all of how much fun we can have together in the kitchen.”
The holidays are all about enjoying plenty of seasonal treats, but not everything comes packed with sugar. If you’re into the more savory side of life, you’ll love Archie McPhee’s collection of weird candy canes.
With ten flavors to choose from, you can enjoy the salty seasonings of unique offerings that include ham, ketchup, clam and pizza. Oh, but there’s more! Keep scrolling to see them all.
Kale
Ketchup
Mac & Cheese
Mushroom
Bacon
Pickle
Clam
Pizza
Ham
Pho
You can shop the entire collection at Archie McPhee, where each box is $6.50 and comes with six candy canes each.
Creepy or cute? Sweet or sour candies? Trick or treat? When it comes to preparing for Halloween, there’s a lot of decisions to make about costumes, activities, and, of course, the treats—which is why we love the new trend of Halloween treat boards!
Halloween treat boards are an easy way to include everyone’s favorite nibbles in one place. Think a sweet version of a charcuterie board filled with festive fall treats!
Now that you know how to make a Halloween treat board, it’s time for the hard part: deciding what goes on it! Enjoy Life Foods has great allergen-friendly recipes that are both tasty and adorable.
Spooky Surprise Halloween Cupcakes
The cute Spooky Surprise Halloween Cupcakes use an allergy-friendly batter to hide a Halloween Chocolate Mini inside for a sweet treat that everyone can enjoy!
Monster Mash Krispie Treats
Sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, orange and black—these Monster Mash Krispie Treats check every box for a delicious Halloween treat!
Ahhhh, I found a new calling during the fifth decade of my life, which makes me sound so old! I leisurely made my entrance into the fifth decade (my 40s) with a good job, a great salary, a healthy 9-year-old son, and happy marriage. What better time to pivot and do a complete metamorphosis? And why in the world would you do that? Life can be such a trip.
Our journey in this new adventure started because of a major problem. Plato said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” What I said was, “What the heck, this is ruining our vacation!” Like trillions of other families, we would vacation at the beach. Around the time my son was 6 years old, he started to really play in the ocean. “Started” is the keyword, because it only lasted a few minutes. Sure enough, we would take all the things down to the beach, finally unpack and settle in our chairs, pop a cold beverage, and there he would come, waddling back to us like a worn-out cowboy with the cowboy tears to go with it. The saltwater caused painful chafing on his thighs, armpits, and chest.
We removed the netting of his cute overpriced swim trunks. We slathered on every known product from the local drug store. He wore basketball trunks, underwear, no underwear, you name it. This went on for summer after summer. One particular gnarly summer beach trip, we waddled to the local surf shop. This wasn’t your cheap surf store. This store catered to surfers, so naturally, we expected they would have a remedy.
They didn’t and suggested going to the local drug store and trying the diaper creams, ointments, and all the things we had already tried. The products we tried either didn’t hold up well, didn’t last very long, left a white residue, or were super messy and left grease all over his boogie board. That summer, I returned from vacation and went to work in my kitchen blending and mixing products I thought could make a difference. We happened to go back to the beach the same summer, and this time I was prepared with my trusty small blue Tupperware container of goop.
We traveled with several other families whose kids suffered from this same issue. Turns out if you pay attention, you’ll see a ton of bowlegged kiddos waddling around in complete misery on the beach. I brought out the goop and we slathered it on the kids in all the trouble spots. They played all day in the water and spent the day uninterrupted on the beach. It did not even dawn on me that I had just created a solution to this major problem.
The following summer, we went back to the beach with a larger group, and more kids. The blue Tupperware made the trip and all of the mothers used it to slather their kids before we left for the beach. One of the mothers, a great friend, looked at me while we were sitting in our beach chairs and said I needed to post on Facebook that I had a solution to this problem. I posted, “Moms, if your kids suffer from chafing from the saltwater while playing in the ocean, I think I have a solution.” I had over 700 comments, DMs and text messages within the hour. I could not believe it.
After arriving home from vacation, I had to immediately blend and fill using what supplies I had leftover, and then order more asap. For six months, my husband and I mixed, poured, and filled containers every day after work. People showed up at my home looking for the goods. We ended up putting a small red cooler on the porch full of jars of goop, which we named “Salty Britches.” People would come by, pick up a jar, and leave $10 behind. The demand was incredible. Friends posted about our new discover like crazy. Strangers showed up at my home.
I did not anticipate the response what so ever. In the fall of that year, 2017, people started discovering other uses for our product. Dry chapped hands, chapped lips, fussy skin and even to prevent blisters on feet, were just some of what we were hearing about. I literally thought I might die of exhaustion, however, from working the two jobs simultaneously. Because of the crazy demand, a friend of mine that owned a local boutique contacted me and asked if I wanted to set up at her shop. On a Saturday morning, I showed up before the store opened with my box of hand mixed and poured Salty Britches and saw a line down the sidewalk of people waiting to buy it. I cried. I hugged everyone. I will never forget that Saturday morning. It was then that I knew, I had to pursue this.
Needless to say, we built a “shop” for our HQ and distribution right behind our tiny home in rural South Carolina. We simplified and downsized our life to bootstrap our business. My then seventh-grader had to move schools and even articulated he knew this was his part to play in this endeavor. I am doing this. I am doing this in my fifth decade of life and I finally feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
“Mama Desperation” was the catalyst for starting my own business. There is a reason the word “mother” is used in the phrase “necessity is the mother of invention.” We are immensely grateful for the local support from our small community. Gratitude is like fuel. Train your mind to appreciate the problems. You never know, solving one might send you on the greatest adventure of your life.
I am a 45 year old Mom of a teenage son, bonus step Mom to two amazing young adults, pet mama, sandwhich generation daughter and daughter in law and I am building a business and brand thanks to an unmet need my son had. The good stuff is in middle life!
This year has made the Reese’s brand salty and they’re not afraid to admit it. You can see it in their words and in their Reese’s cups. New Reese’s Big Cups with Pretzels are a twist on the classic cup that’s bigger, saltier and packed with delicious pretzels.
Finally, a product that represents how we’re all feeling in 2020. We’re keeping it together on the outside, but we’re salty on the inside. To introduce Reese’s Big Cups with Pretzels, you may have noticed some salty tweets from the brand.
“Let’s face it, we’re all feeling a little bit salty this year,” said Ian Norton, Reese’s senior director, Reese’s brand. “In true Reese’s fashion, we channeled our feelings into sweet and salty deliciousness with new Reese’s Big Cups with Pretzels.”
Get excited, because there’s one more salty savior coming too – Reese’s Big Cups with Chips – which will be available for a limited time only beginning March 2021.
Reese’s Big Cups with Pretzels will be available in a 1.3 oz. standard size/single cup ($1.49) and a 2.6 oz. king size/two cup ($2.09) and will be available November 2020. Additionally, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with Pretzels Miniatures ($3.79) will be available in January 2021. Reese’s Big Cups with Pretzels and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with Pretzels Miniatures will be a permanent addition to the Reese’s line-up at retailers nationwide.
The humble cabbage is having a renaissance. There is more to this versatile veg than a sauerkraut recipe or a cabbage soup recipe. We’ve rounded up a bunch of cabbage recipes that range from coleslaw to a unique take on a kimchi recipe. See our favorite cabbage recipes below.
This Cabbage Steak recipe from Well Plated is crispy on the outside and caramelized on the inside. It is the simple side dish you never knew you needed. Get the recipe here.
This delicious Cabbage Roll Soup recipe from One Lovely Life has all of the classic recipe elements with none of the agro. It is a one-pot dish, so it’ll even save you doing lots of dishes! Click here for the recipe.
When you think of a hearty cabbage recipe, a variation of this meal comes to mind. The Salty Pot has adapted it for the instant pot. You get a lot of satisfaction with minimum effort! Win-win! Grab the recipe here.
Want a variation on a traditional Sauerkraut recipe? This Hot Pink version from Nourished Kitchen so-called due to the use of red cabbage instead of white packs a flavorful punch. Grab the recipe here.
Looking for a unique kimchi recipe? Feasting at Home has come up with one in soup form. The combination of kimchi, shiitake mushrooms and kale is perfect served over noodles or rice. Click here for the recipe.
What do you get when you slowly cook a little cabbage, potato and warming Indian spices? You get this delectable Indian curry from The Wholesome Fork. Get the recipe here.
The Wimpy Vegetarian has gone next-level with this Black Bean & Avocado Tostada with Cabbage salad. It is so colorful and delicious, and there when you need a quick meal. Grab the recipe here.
Sometimes you just need to feel like you’ve ordered takeout. This Sesame Beef & Cabbage Stir-fry from Gimme Some Oven hits the spot. The bonus is that it’s good for you! Grab the recipe here.
Editor’s note: This story is aimed to lower the chemicals you use in everyday life, such as silver polish, laundry softener, etc. but please follow the CDC guidelines for keeping your home and surfaces disinfected and clean to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Everyone loves a clean house, but you don’t always have to use products packed with chemicals to get things to sparkle and . From natural ways to soften your laundry to using lemons to shine your chrome, read on for 12 ways to clean without the chemicals.
1. Use lemon juice to polish all that chrome and stainless steel in your kitchen or bathroom. We like to keep an extra bottle of already juiced lemon on hand for just such a reason, but if you’ve made lemonade and have lemon rinds left, you can actually use the lemon half right on corners.
2. You can also use said lemon rind, juice or a wedge to clean a cutting board. The lemon not only disinfects, it removes trace odors left behind from things like onions and garlic.
Vinegar (White)
3. Mix vinegar to water at a 3 to 1 ration (3 cups vinegar to one cup water) for cleaning windows and mirrors.
4. Use straight vinegar in a spray bottle to combat mildew. Spray offending area and leave for 30 minutes before rinsing with hot water.
5. Next time you’re at the grocery store, grab an extra one-gallon jug of white vinegar for your laundry room. Add a good 20 drops of essential oil, shake, and keep on hand for a fabric softener. Just add a half cup to each load (shake the jug to distribute the oils before each use).
6. Almost every hard-surface floor, from vinyl to hardwood, can be effectively cleaned with a simple water and vinegar solution. One cup vinegar to a half-gallon of hot or warm water should do the trick.
7. Use baking soda with a hint of essential oil, like lavender, sprinkled in to deodorize your carpets. Sprinkle, vacuum up, inhale.
8. DIY your own room freshener without all the toxic chemicals. Just put some baking soda in a cute jar, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (we love the combo of mint + lavender) put the lid on, and shake. Once you’ve got your baking soda + essential oils distributed, remove the lid and place several holes in it to let the freshening begin!
9. Use a teaspoon of salt to tepid water (not hot or even warm) to clean and disinfect water bottles (and sippy cups). This keeps you from that dreaded soapy water taste and neutralizes any lingering odors in your bottle. You can even soak the lids and sippy attachments in a mild salt solution, just be sure to rinse the heck out of it to flush the salty flavor away. A cotton swab with a salty paste can help get in the nooks and crannies of lids, too.
Oil
10. Cast iron skillet hack: If you properly season your pans, you won’t need to scrub too much but sometimes it happens. (Never, ever use soap and water on a cast iron skillet!) If you have a tricky sticky spot, use coarse salt and a vegetable scrubber dedicated to this purpose with a helping of cooking oil to clean off the gunk. While we recommend seasoning your pans after each use with a helping of cooking oil, try this lazy hack for every once in awhile: wipe your pan clean with a dry cloth and then spray with a cooking spray like Pam before storing.
11. Mix vinegar and oil together to make a furniture polish! Do it a 3 to 1 ration (so 3 tablespoons oil to 1 tablespoon vinegar). Or sub lemon juice for the vinegar. We recommend making this one in small batches (a little goes a long way) and applying with a super soft cloth, not a paper towel.
12. Toothpaste cleans stains and tarnish on any silver surface. If you’ve got a detailed edge on an antique plate, a gentle toothbrush + toothpaste can take the tarnish out of the nook and crannies and is way less harsh than some commercial silver polishes out there (which can actually strip silver plating). Ditto this method for jewelry.
Recent reports have surfaced with pics of these paw-dorable plastic buckets popping up all over Instagram. Not only do the buckets hold your salty snacks, but they’re practically made for the classic “Circle of Life” style baby Simba lift maneuver.
So where can you get your very own baby Simba popcorn bucket? According to recent sightings, you can nab one in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom for $16.99.