Four Ways to Prepare to Be a Caregiver

Here's the thing, sometimes life gives you unexpected curve balls... I know I've seen it happen too many times in my life already. I've been told this by my elders too. One day someone is up, walking around, totally healthy... and the next, they're in recovery and under the supervision of a home health aide. It happens.

While I'm blessed enough to say a majority of my family members are in tip-top health, I do have experience providing care for those in need. I'm actually a formerly certified nurse assistant, so I know firsthand how much love and determination it takes to be a caregiver. I am one. It takes a big heart to provide care to loved ones, but it also takes patience, a new set of boundaries, and sometimes even arming yourself with a new knowledge-base.

Today I'm going to suggest a few ways you can prepare for this stage in life, including tips for helping you cope and how you can save some money while transitioning into your new role:

1. Learn to listen whole-heartedly - You'll want to re-evaluate the way you communicate with your "patient". Listening to body language is of utmost importance and be humble in your responses. Do everything you can to understand, even if it's hard at times.

2. Bring on the basics - You probably wouldn't think of it until it's time, but Sam's Club is a great place to find basic care giving items. Things like a walker, supplemental drinks, Poise products, Depends products, a gait belt, and several other necessities.

The protection having these items offers can provide both the patient and the caregiver with peace of mind... and luckily you can find most of what you need at Sam's for a great deal!

Plus, if you're feeling bashful, you can always use discreet shipping from Sam's Club to get the supplies needed to provide care, as well as the ability to use club pick up, scan & go, and more.

The item I think is the most valuable when making Sam's run as a caregiver is Ensure Nutrition Shakes. I know the power of providing adequate nutrition is important and finding a great deal on these supplemental items is a true blessing. 

3. Rethink boundaries - While we all have a "bubble" and find comfort in it, with care giving that bubble goes out the door. As a CNA, I held people up, I helped them roll from side to side, and the list goes on. You no longer have personal boundaries once you start providing care for most patients and really, no topic of discussion should be off limits either. You'll be discussing bowel movements, catheters, and other private matters regularly as a caregiver.

4. Remember - My last bit of advice to a caregiver is to remember. Remember what it's like to be vulnerable, remember that your patient (whether a family member or a stranger) is a person and has likely done amazing things in their life, remember the golden rule - treat others as you would like to be treated.

With that said, I'm so lucky that I have had the pleasure of learning to provide care from some very loving and well-educated individuals... and while I'm not currently using my certification, I know when the time comes to care for those I love, I'll be ready... 

Gourmet Four Cheese Chicken Pasta

While we're all kind of battling a cold in my house, life has actually been pretty good lately. We're embracing the chance to slow down and really savor life. As we all know, being sick is never fun, but it has meant for some good quality family time... and I'm not gonna lie, we've spent the last handful of nights snuggled up on the couch, with a good movie and definitely enjoyed it.

Luckily, we're all finally feeling a bit better today, so we decided to reward ourselves and our taste buds with a flavorful dish... because what's better than a delicious meal once you finally have kicked a cold? Ummm, let me tell ya... pretty much nothin', especially when it's a plate of delicious cheesy pasta made with Stella Cheeses.

That's right, today in celebration of my family and I finally feeling better, I'm dishing up the recipe for the most delicious Four Cheese Pasta... possibly ever! Are you ready?

For this recipe you will need:

2 slices of bacon
1 lbs of chicken breast, sliced into four pieces
3/4 cup Stella Fontinella Cheese
1/4 cup Stella Italian Cheese Blend
Handful of Stella Shaved Parmesan
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Seasonings: Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper, Thyme, Rosemary, Onion Powder, Parsley, Paprika, and Red Pepper Flakes
1 box of thin pasta, cooked as directed

First we're going to start on the saucy deliciousness that makes this dish pop -

In a large sauce pan, melt butter on medium-high heat. Add in 1 cup of cream and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Add in 1/2 tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp red pepper to taste. Stir in Stella Fontinella Cheese and Stella Italian Cheese Blend slowly allowing them to melt, then remove from heat.

Now, for the chicken -

Take the four chicken breast pieces and season - Sprinkling the first side with onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary, then sprinkling the other side with garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika.

Lightly coat a pan with butter and add chicken over medium heat, flipping every five minutes until cooked through - then set heat to low, just to keep warm.

Next, you'll microwave bacon (as per package instructions), crumbling and using about one piece on each plate your preparing.

The final step, plating -

Add your pasta in a bowl, topping with sauce, adding in the chicken, then garnish with Stella Shaved Parmesan cheese... and Bon Appetit!

Want to make everyday and every meal a little more gourmet? Learn more about Stella Cheeses.

How I Spent My Weekend as a Long-Term Investor...

Guess what I did this weekend?

I spent the whole weekend having fun as a family and while we were having a blast at our favorite amusement park, we also invested in our future. I guess you could say I spent the weekend where investors belong.

And... Can I just say, we honestly enjoyed our time together more than normal!

You may be asking yourself, the question " why was this weekend better than any other"?

Well, several reasons. It was partially because our 9 year wedding anniversary is coming up and we had the chance to celebrate with our tiny little princess. It likely had to do with the fun rides, the cute animals, and all the other exciting stuff we saw at Busch Gardens,because we weren't worrying about our future.

I was overjoyed to realize we can celebrate the way we want to, we can enjoy moments together as a family, and we can do this all without stressing about planning for our future.

What's different about Vanguard? This is a community of investors all focused on long-term planning, instead of short term fads.

I found it interesting when I learned Vanguard clients spend 6 more hours per week, on average, with their kids compared with clients of other investment firms. That means you'll essentially be investing in time with your child now and forever... and to me, and many of you, that's invaluable.

  Want to learn how you can invest in "time" and your future? Whether you want more snuggletime with your spouse, a couple extra hours of fun with your kiddos, or maybe you're just looking for somewhere to invest your money. Check out how Vanguard can help you invest wisely.

The Where Investors Belong survey was conducted by market research firm Kelton Global in 2016. It polled 1,000 Vanguard clients and compared them with 1,000 clients of other investment firms. All differences between Vanguard clients and clients of other investment firms are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The parental stat refers to clients with children of any age who provided the number of hours per week they typically spend with their children or who, compared to other people they may know, believe to be more involved in their child’s life. . The experiences of these Vanguard clients may not be representative of the experience of other Vanguard clients and aren’t a guarantee of future investment performance or success.

3 Unique & Adorable Gerber Baby Apparel Looks for Your Toddler

Did you know Delainey is now a paid Brand Ambassador for Gerber Childrenswear?! What does that mean exactly? It is just is a fancy way of saying this post is sponsored... but as always, all opinions expressed below are mine alone!

Alright y'all... let's be real, before I even had Delainey I always thought baby clothes were adorable... what girl doesn't? I knew I would love being a mama, but I really had NO IDEA how obsessed I would become!

While Delainey and I always have a ton of fun doing all types of activities together, I'll be the first to admit - we love playing dress up... and I do mean "we". This girl loves bows, clothes, and shoes, just like her mama. So she's always willing to get her sassy pants on and run around the yard while I take some pictures.

 With that said, today we want to show how versatile the coordinating Gerber sets from Walmart are, more specifically we are going to show you how we style our onesies for fall, from bow to toe - in 3 completely different ways.

Some may say babies don't have "style", if that's the case - they haven't met this baby! She's full of style and sass and these three Gerber looks show it:

We'll start with the simple pretty in pink look. This one is possibly my favorite, it's classic with a twist of fun. For this look, I paired White Pearls & Lace distressed jeans with her pink striped Gerber onesie and a Bloomology bow. We finished the look with a pink rose bib and some grey converse and she was set for a day on the go with daddy.

This look is pretty much an everyday outfit for Miss Delainey and it should be for your babe too. Since the Gerber coordinated baby apparel collection is available at Wal-mart at a super affordable price, every girl should own a handful of these classic onesies.

Whether you're currently expecting or dealing with a fun little feisty toddler, like me, the Gerber apparel collection offers just what you are looking for...

On that note, the next look we have is this "Sweet Baby Blues" preciousness. Delainey is showing off in her "Sweet" blue onesie. Paired with some polka dot leg warmers and a glitter bow, this look is perfect for hanging around the house and chasing her pup from room to room!

Plus, with her baby blue eyes, I can't get enough of this gorgeous blue color... we MUST have more and luckily, there's other items in the coordinating collection that match it!

And the last look we're going to share today is her punk rock princess persona. I'm not even joking when I say she loved the way she looked in this outfit. From giving herself a smooch in the mirror to giggling the whole time we played in the backyard, I think this look was D's absolute favorite.

We paired a purple Gerber hat, with a fun floral print Gerber Onesie, and a coordinating tu-tu that we just happened to have... but isn't it beyond perfection with this print? We completed the look with a fun bubble necklace, some Gerber socks, and another pair of Converse!

So, now that we've shared three completely different, fashionable, and adorable looks with you, be sure to leave your favorite stylish combination to dress your toddler up in below!