If you are in the Minneapolis area, check out our segment on Twin Cities Live, Channel 5 at 3:00pm TODAY!!! I’ll be talking freezer meals – and as always, we’re talking quick, easy and inexpensive!
Real Housewives in the Media – Live!
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Author Archives: Brie Borntrager
How To: Look Put Together in Under 10 Minutes…New Mom Edition
I got the idea to do this post when I continued to get comments on how put together I always look so soon after having a baby! I love all the sweet comments and it makes me feel so much better, especially since I still have about 20 pounds of “baby weight” to lose! If only they knew how easy my routine is to get out the door!!! Here are my secrets to making it out the door looking put together in UNDER 10 MINUTES!
– Get a low-maintenance hair cut. My newborn does not like being put down so I have a very limited amount of time each day where I have 2 hands to work with. This pretty much means I can throw doing my hair out the window! With my low-maintenance haircut, all I need is a comb, at most!
– Brush your teeth right when you get up (even if it means baby has to cry for 2 minutes). Being in dentistry, I hate walking around (even at home) without having my teeth brushed. I do it right when I get up in the morning and I don’t have to worry about it the rest of the day.
– Have a good selection of cute, comfy clothes. One of the most important things about choosing clothes for the postpartum period, for me, is functionality. The last thing I want to worry about is being uncomfortable or feeling like I can’t move with 2 little ones in tow. But I’m not talking about sweatpants and sweatshirts (leave those for home)! Think *Leggings or jeggings *Black yoga pants *Cute cotton v-neck t-shirts *Cardigans *Cotton dresses (weather permitting). These are all cute and functional. Just be sure they are clean!!!
– Change into cute clothes right before leaving the house. This is a continuation on my last point of keeping your clothes clean! Leave the grungy sweats and tops for home where they can get covered in spit-up, pee, poop, and breast milk without having to stress. When you are about ready to leave the house, put on your clean, cute clothes!
– Complete your outfit with cute flats, sandals or heels. Nothing screams frumpy mom like going out in your white tennis shoes (sorry, but that’s not cute)! Trade in those tennis shoes for some comfy flats, or if it is just a quick trip, throw on some sassy heals!
– Add some fun accessories! Spruce up your outfit with some cute earings, a fun necklace or a pretty scarf. It only takes a couple seconds to throw on and it instantly looks like you spent a good amount of time getting ready to go. I have a couple staple pairs of earings and necklaces that I can throw on quickly. They are super cute and go with most outfits. A pretty scarf can also add instant pizzazz to your outfit.
– Keep a bag of go-to makeup. For me this is *concealer, *mascara and *foundation. Keep it in a small makeup bag and do your makeup in the car before you pull out of the driveway. This way, the kiddos are all loaded up and ready to go and you have 2 free hands to get it done in a flash! I also keep a *comb and *perfume in there that I can throw on!
There you have it! That is how I look “so put together” with a 2 year old and a newborn! My entire routine takes me UNDER 10 MINUTES! Do you have any awesome tips for how you get out the door looking fabulous?
Love, Macy
How To: Reduce the stress of leaving your infant
I am so excited to report that DH and I will be going on our first date since our newest little bundle of joy was born! I could not be more excited! DH and I are going to the Minneapolis Auto Show and then will probably grab some dinner before heading back home 🙂 With baby being only 5 weeks old, I thought it would be helpful to make a “How to guide” for taking care of our little one. Not that my mom hasn’t raised two kids already, but those of us who have kids know, each baby is unique. Here is a peak at my “how to” for taking care of our two little ones (our older daughter just turned 2).
Eating:
– Addie eats roughly every 3 hours. This is not a strict time limit. If she is crying and does not stop while being held and rocked, she is probably hungry. This holds true even if she has just finished a bottle.
– Making bottles: fill a bottle with 4 oz of tap water. Warm in microwave for 9 seconds. Put 2 scoops of formula in and shake well.
– Burp her after every ounce. She will most likely still spit up, so have a burp cloth handy.
– Lydia can eat whatever you are eating. As a general rule, we try to give her at least one fruit or veggie or both with each meal. She may tell you she is “all done, go play!” right away. Request she eats her food first. If she still refuses, it is okay to let her down but she does not get a chance to eat again until the next meal.
Sleeping:
– Addie most likely will not go to sleep without being held. It is also unlikely she will stay asleep if you put her down. If you attempt to put her down in her bouncy seat or swing while she is sleeping, lay her on her side – Chances are better she will stay asleep.
– Lydia’s bed time is 8:00. She will insist she has her ‘moosey’ and ‘beary.’ She will also request that you give her and them a hug before she goes to sleep. She likes her music on. She will probably request that you say a night time prayer before you leave the room. Once all that is completed and she is tucked in, you can leave and she will fall asleep.
Diapering:
– Addie’s diapers and wipes are in our room under her bassinet. Change her whenever her diaper feels full. Or if she poops. Dirty diapers can go in the metal trash can in our bathroom.
– Lydia’s diapers are in her room. Her wipes are in the middle drawer of the changing table. Dirty diapers and wipes go in the diaper champ next to her changing table.
Other: Dirty clothes and burp cloths can be thrown in the hamper in the laundry room. Feel free to eat whatever you can find. If you need anything, you can call us. Thank you and good luck! 🙂
I hope you all enjoyed a peak into our little routine! So before you leave the little one at home, make a “How to guide” and relax!
Is there anything else you do to reduce the stress of leaving your infant??? I’d love to hear your ideas!
Love, Macy
“Be That Girl” Inspirational Book GIVEAWAY!
Be That Girl by Tina O’Connor
Looking for a boost of inspiration and motivation to accomplish your goals this year? Now that January is gone, you may be in a bit of a “New Year’s Resolution” slump…Well, it’s your lucky day! We are giving away the PERFECT book to get you motivated and back on track to accomplishing your goals this year! Be That Girl by Tina O’Connor is considered to be one of the best self-help books for women! No matter what your goals are in life, this book gives your the tools to get there!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Tina’s experiences, hearing of her successes and making proactive steps toward accomplishing my goals – not just for the new year, but for life!!!
Here are some of the things Be That Girl can help you do:
- Success Laws: Be careful what you wish for?
- Practice Win-Win when dealing with your kids.
- 8 Laws to Success from Be That Girl!
- Come on Get Happy…Do what you want!
- Expand your LIMITS!
Get the book now and start accomplishing your goals!!!! Enter the GIVEAWAY now – here’s how!
1. “Like” Real Housewives of MN on Facebook
2. “Like” Be That Girl on Facebook
3. Tell us what you want to accomplish this year
Leave a comment on this post for each type of entry (up to 3 comments/person)!!! GIVEAWAY ends on February 8th, 2013 at 10pm! Good luck!
****THE RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR CHOSE COMMENT #20 – CONGRATULATIONS Crystal D!!!! YOU ARE OUR WINNER!!! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!*******
Love, Macy
Preparing for Baby: Freezer Meals
Photo courtesy of SouthernLiving.com
As many of you know, I am expecting my second little girl any day now! I have been a busy little bee preparing for her impending arrival! I thought I would share with you all some ideas on what you can do in the last couple weeks leading up to baby! First on the list, stocking your freezer with some great meals you have prepared! Why do this? Well, you will be busy, busy, busy with the new baby and most likely won’t feel like cooking. Prepare a few meals ahead of time, freeze them and just heat up the amount you would like to eat! Trust me, it’s worth it 🙂
Easy 10 Freezer Meals:
1. Lasagna –
- 1 Box Lasagna Noodles
- 1 Lb Ground beef
- 1 Large jar Spaghetti sauce
- 1 Medium Onion
- 24 oz Cottage cheese
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 Lb Mozzarella cheese
Cook noodles until soft. Brown beef and onion in pan. Add spaghetti sauce. Combine cottage cheese, egg and Parmesan cheese in separate bowl. Layer noodles, then pasta sauce mixture, then cottage cheese mixture then mozzarella. Repeat 3 times, ending with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
2. Chicken and broccoli alfredo – Grill 2 Large Chicken Breast. Cook one bag of broccoli in microwave. Cook one large box of penne noodles (or whatever type you prefer). Mix all together in large bowl with one jar of alfredo sauce. Pour in disposable baking pan. Cover with foil and freeze.
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo and Sausage Penne Pasta
3. Sausage penne pasta – Cook 12 oz turkey/chicken sausage/kielbasa. Cook one large box of penne noodles (or whatever type you prefer). Mix all together in large bowl with one jar of spaghetti sauce. Pour in disposable baking pan. Cover with foil and freeze.
Store pasta dishes in disposable pan to reduce dirty dishes to clean and free up your other pans for every day cooking.
4. Chili –
- 1 Lb Ground beef
- 1 Can Green beans
- 1 Can Chili beans
- 1 Can Pinto beans
- 1 Can Diced tomatoes
- 1 Small Can Tomato paste
- 1 Can of Water
- Chili powder to taste
Mix all ingredients together in large pot and allow to simmer. Allow to cool and freeze.
5. Tuna noodle casserole (or ‘hot dish’ for all you fellow Minnesotans!) –
- 1 Large bag of Wide egg noodles
- 1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup
- 1 Can (drained) tuna
- 1 Can Peas (Optional)
- Garlic powder and pepper to taste
- Pepper jack cheese
Cook noodles until soft. Mix all ingredients in oven-ready bowl. Top with desired amount of pepper jack cheese (or preferred cheese). Bake until cheese is browned.
6. Pot roast fixin’s – I filled 2 – 1 lb ziplock bags with cut up potatoes, baby carrots and onion. Season to taste.
7. Fajita fixin’s – Cut up 2 large green and 2 large red bell peppers and 1 large onion. Separate in half and freeze in 2 – 1 lb ziplock bags. When ready to eat, grill fixin’s in a pan, add grilled chicken (See below) and 1/2 packet taco seasoning.
8. Muffins –
Apple Oatmeal Muffins(Let’s Dish)
Coffeehouse Coffee Cake Muffins(Chocolate, Chocolate and More)
Dark Chocolate Blueberry Muffins (The Kitchen is my Playground)
9. Energy Bits – See recipe Here!
10. Grilled Chicken – Cook several chicken breasts and throw them in the freezer. Add them to fajitas, salads, etc…
I hope you found this useful! Stay tuned for my “Nesting Check-List!”
Love, Macy
Baking in Progress….
Courtesy of Picky-Palate.com
Courtesy of Bettycrocker.com
DH, LO and I are headed to a Christmas potluck and I was charged with bringing some sweet treats. So, this Saturday morning I am baking delicious Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Rainbow Christmas Wreath (In cake form because I didn’t have a bundt pan and the only one they had at Target was $30.00)! 🙂 Meanwhile, I am joyfully listening to Christmas music and the sweet sound of my DH teaching my LO the A-B-Cs!
Happy Saturday everyone!
Love, M
Free Personalized Calendar Offer :)
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and pictures from 2012: your family vacation, your children’s first day of
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Photo via Vistaprint.com
I just ordered mine! I’m so excited to get it in the mail!!!! Shipping was around $5.00.
They are also offering 50% off Holiday cards and Gifts!
Love, Macy
Real Housewives of Minnesota 