The Home Diva - Bright Ideas & Fabulous Finds For Your Home

Meal Plan Monday!

By Ananda | Published April 11, 2011

I’ve recently seen a trend in families doing meal plans which I’ve been doing for about a year now. I thought I would share this week’s meal plan with all of you. Having a husband who craves variety, being on a budget and trying to lose a few pounds, planning weekly meals is essential for me to stay on track. I have found when there isn’t a plan in place, its very tempting to make bad eating choices. You will be AMAZED what a little planning and organization will do for your wallet and waist-line.

With a trip to the farmers market yesterday and on my way to the grocery store (coupons in hand) here is what I’ve got planned for this wonderful week of April, which includes a very special birthday on the 13th…a big shot out to my soul sister Ashley!

Monday: Whole-wheat Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Fresh Mozzarella from the farmers market. Leftovers make great lunches the next day!

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken with Broccoli Mac-n-Cheese (I’ve got so many boxes of mac-n-cheese in the pantry I’ve got to clear up some space! I make it without butter, low-fat milk and toss cut up fresh broccoli right in)

Wednesday: Using up the left over chicken from Tuesday I plan to make a Chicken Hash. I found this easy recipe out of my Weight Watchers book, never made before so I will let you know how it turns out! (This turned out absolutely delish! I used left over chicken and added a cup of shredded potatoes. Yum!)

Thursday: Beef Stir-fry using up the peppers from the farmers market.

Friday: Roasted Turkey Breast with Low-fat Feta and Sun Dried Tomatoes, I also got this recipe from my Weight Watchers cook book.

And there you have it! My week’s meals are planned on a budget and calorie conscious! If you would like a copy of any of these recipes please send me an email and I will gladly share them with you!

Have a great week everyone!

Posted in Diva in the Kitchen | Leave a comment

11 Things I Learned From My 1-11 Wedding

By Ananda | Published April 5, 2011

This is for my brides-to-be out there. Tidbits of things I learned from my wedding.

1. Etsy has the most amazing and unique wedding items!

2. Check, double check and triple check that your DJ knows what you are looking for. A rehearsal is not a bad idea if you have a special entrance. It’s best to provide in advance, an outline with the reception agenda (including father/daughter and mother/son songs), preferred song list and don’t forget the DO NOT PLAY list as well!

Continue reading “11 Things I Learned From My 1-11 Wedding” »

Posted in Wedding Diva | Leave a comment

The Home Diva’s 10 Favorite Things

By Ananda | Published December 17, 2010

Hope everyone is managing the holiday scramble and staying warm! Inspired by Oprah’s Favorite Things, I wanted to share my own list of favorite things. So when reading this list please do so in Oprah’s voice and imagine streamers and flashing lights going off! Apologies I do not have a free one for each of you, but I can offer up some great gifts ideas – free of charge!

1. Swiffer Sweeper Vac – as you know this is my absolute favorite thing! Cordless and amazing at picking up dust, dirt, hair and crumbs. It has been especially useful this month cleaning up those pine needles from under our tree! And the gift my puppy Lucy left for me while I was out Christmas shopping. She is the cutest monster.

2. Exfoliating hand gloves – Unlike a loofa which is too rough for my skin and those puff thingys that really don’t do much at all, these gloves are just right! They don’t waste shower gel and easy to use since it’s pretty much like using your own hands. I just love these! A great and affordable stocking stuffer, you can even pair it with a great shower gel!

3. Sweater Comb by The Laundress for J. Crew - Have you ever thrown a sweater to wash only for it to come out covered in fuzz balls? This drives me crazy! I’ve used one of those battery operated “fuzz busters” which actually made matters worse by catching a thread in the blade and snagging the sweater! This comb does not snag and really gets those fuzz balls off. I’ve used it on cotton, blends and cashmere and it really works! Continue reading “The Home Diva’s 10 Favorite Things” »

Posted in Chatty Diva | Leave a comment

Stop Running From The Flaw

By Ananda | Published November 24, 2010

At last I am back! Thank you for your continued support and my apologies for my Home Diva hiatus while continuing my education.

On to today’s topic! There are no products to promote, rather a post about THE CELEBRATION OF YOUR UNIQUE SELF! With my wedding coming up I’ve found myself looking in the mirror and criticizing what I see a lot more than normal. I definitely don’t have my 20′s body anymore, signs of aging have kicked in, and there’s always those scars and that odd birthmark reminding me that I am flawed.

Continue reading “Stop Running From The Flaw” »

Posted in Chatty Diva | 1 Comment

Scented Savings!

By Ananda | Published September 27, 2010

So as you all know Fall is my favorite time of year! Normally as soon as the Yankee Candle fall scents are stocked at Bed Bath & Beyond I’m there raiding the Pumpkin Spice variety. The large tumbler costs about $25. Using a coupon and taking advantage of a promotional sale they having going on will still be about $15 for the largest size. When you are purchasing more than one (like me) this can get very costly very quickly. Being on a tighter budget this year I needed to find a cheaper option but still pack in the quality and beloved scent of the Yankee Candle brand. Well….I found it at Walmart!!! Better Homes and Gardens had a nice selection of fall scents including Pumpkin Pie Spice for about $5 each. What a steal of a deal and the best part is they actually scent the room unlike most cheaper candles. Same great quality at a fraction of the cost! Gotta love that =)

Posted in Thrifty Diva | 2 Comments

6 Steps To Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf

By Ananda | Published September 21, 2010

Hello readers! I apologize for the delay in this week’s post as I was in Chicago visiting friends for the weekend. It has been 2 years since I moved from Chicago to Ft. Lauderdale and I really miss that city! I had an amazing time and really enjoyed the fall weather, which has inspired this post! Saturday was a rainy gloomy day with cooler temps and although most people would be bummed out with this kind of day, I loved it! I wanted to curl up under a blanket with a good movie and dig into some comfort food! With that said, I have a absolutely delicious, quick and easy comfort food recipe I want to share with you all… Continue reading “6 Steps To Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf” »

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Kick Your Bottled Water Habit

By Ananda | Published September 13, 2010

There has been a lot of talk lately about bottled water and the negative effects on our planet. Believe it or not most manufactures do not provide bottled water that is any healthier for you than tap water. To add to this, its expensive and produces massive amounts of waste each year.

When I heard that American’s buy an estimated 29.8 billion plastic water bottles each year, most of which end up in landfills, I was astonished! I decided to take the “Take Back The Tap” pledge months ago in order to lighten my global “footstep”. I want to get the word out and encourage others to do the same. Here is a great article I came across that explains why the bottled water market needs to be exposed. Also, check out this short video titled “The Story of Bottled Water”…truly shocking! We all need to come together to cut down (or better yet eliminate!) purchasing bottled water.

So now what? I am no longer buying water bottles but I drink a lot of water so I needed a way to keep the convenience of my previous water bottle habit. Continue reading “Kick Your Bottled Water Habit” »

Posted in Green Diva | 4 Comments

What’s Your Fall Favorite?

By Ananda | Published September 8, 2010

For most (unfortunately not here in Ft Lauderdale, booo!) people are beginning to experience the wonderful change of season. Fall brings so many delightful things and it’s my absolute favorite time of year!

My Top 5 Fall Favs…

Continue reading “What’s Your Fall Favorite?” »

Posted in Chatty Diva | 2 Comments

3 ways to Labor-less Entertaining!

By Ananda | Published August 30, 2010

Alas it’s Friday and the beginning of a long weekend! Labor Day is a mark of summer coming to an end, the beginning of football and a season of entertaining. This post is dedicated to 3 of my favorite and labor-less entertaining items.

1. The Remote application by Apple for iPhone & iPod Touch. Remote is a free app that works with your home Wi-Fi network allowing you to control playback from anywhere in and around your home! You can play, pause, skip, shuffle and search your entire iTunes library, you can also create/update Genius playlists right from your backyard! After downloading the app you will need to hook up your computer to speakers and then you are ready to rock! Here is a link on How to Hook Up Stereo Speakers to a Computer Continue reading “3 ways to Labor-less Entertaining!” »

Posted in Entertaining Diva | 1 Comment

2 Words…FIT and FRESH

By Ananda | Published August 23, 2010

There are so many advantages to packing your lunch from home. You save money, you cut calories and now you have the Fit’nFresh line that adds convenience and function! I have to thank my fab friend Maya for telling me about these products. I just love them! These containers keep your food cool and divided, so wet items don’t get your dry items soggy. Perfectly ideal for work, school lunches, picnics and traveling.