Author: Lily

As a high schooler and for most of my adult life, I assumed college was simply the next step. So much of my education was focused on preparing for college, getting good grades, and following the same path that everyone around me seemed to be following. Looking back, I never stopped to ask whether college was even the right choice for me. Now, as a mom with children facing these same decisions, I find myself asking very different questions. This isn’t about being anti-college, but about challenging assumptions and exploring alternatives. It’s about helping our kids make intentional choices rather…

A breakfast sandwich, iced coffee, and warm donuts = my ideal way to start a Wednesday! With spring in full swing and summer fast approaching, the food trucks are back in force at the Columbus Commons, including Breakfast at the Commons every Wednesday morning! You can stop by for coffee, donuts, refreshers, breakfast sandwiches, waffles, shrimp and grits, and much more. For breakfast they usually feature a trio of food trucks covering coffee, sweets, and savory breakfasts. This year’s roster includes a couple new faces and some returning favorites! New this year is Beans & Things Coffee, a trailer with…

It’s meal plan time! 🙌 Here are your recipes for the week – 7 cosy, family-approved dinners, a dreamy dessert and two lunchbox snacks… Bookmark this page so you can come back to it all week. Happy cooking! 🍽️ x Monday: Slow Cooker Honey Soy Garlic Chicken Sweet, sticky and packed with Asian-inspired flavour – […] The post Meal Plan #9 appeared first on Bake Play Smile.

This healthy zucchini bread is super moist, slightly sweet, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and cloves, with a slight crunch from walnuts. Bake it in a loaf pan or a muffin tin; it’s perfect for breakfast or snacking.  Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Irresistible Zucchini Bread Zucchini is one of the vegetables my husband grows in our garden, and each season, we’re blessed with an abundance of them. The beauty of zucchini is that a single plant yields so much produce. Inspired by our crop, I started developing this zucchini bread recipe.  I experimented with different techniques for preparing the zucchini.…

In a world where time is ever of the essence, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of spending our precious free time in ways that do more harm than good. After a long day at work, many of us might find ourselves mindlessly scrolling through social media, binge-watching TV shows, or indulging in junk food. While these activities may offer temporary relief, they often leave us feeling more drained and unfulfilled. The real challenge lies in finding healthy and productive ways to spend our free time, ways that can rejuvenate our bodies, minds, and spirits. What if…

Happy Friday! Here’s the latest Columbus restaurant news: This week Due Amici Italian restaurant downtown abruptly closed after nearly 22 years in business. Reports say it was in the process of being sold before the buyers stepped away. It first opened in 2004 at 67 E. Gay St. and was a mainstay in the revitalization of the Gay Street district. Winans Coffee and Chocolate also announced that they’ll be closing their Short North store. Located at 611 N. High St., the shop opened in February 2024. The German Village and Grandview locations remain open, as do several more around Ohio.…

You deserve a reward. You’ve been a Google warrior for years, and now you’re an AI-genius mom, but not for your own issues; it’s for your son. He struggles with allergies. You see it in the dark circles under his eyes. The eczema patches. He tends to get so congested so easily. The post-nasal drip, the “allergic salute” to wipe his nose again and again. In your heart, you know he’s not well, and you’re doing all you can to keep him safe. You feel guilty for what you didn’t know. So you try even harder to help him have…

It’s meal plan time! 🙌 Here are your recipes for the week – 7 cosy, family-approved dinners, a dreamy dessert and two lunchbox snacks… Bookmark this page so you can come back to it all week. Happy cooking! 🍽️ x Monday: Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Juicy, flavour-packed shredded chicken made effortlessly in the slow […] The post Meal Plan #10 appeared first on Bake Play Smile.

Tangy, sticky and deeply savory chicken with hardly any effort. Balsamic vinegar does an incredible job paired with garlic, honey, fresh thyme, and soy sauce. This is the marinade I come back to whenever I want dinner to feel a little special without actually trying hard. Jump to: Balsamic Chicken Thighs Skip the 5 p.m. chaos and stop staring blankly into the fridge, hoping to come up with an easy yet interesting dinner for the family. This chicken tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant, not something you threw together in five minutes on a busy weeknight. The marinade is very…

I’ve been getting on my soapbox about mouth health for over 15 years now. I’ve interviewed some fascinating oral health experts on the podcast and written tons of articles. This is the ultimate roundup list of everything you need to know about natural oral care! Our mouth health is about more than just a nice set of pearly whites. It’s an important indicator of overall health. When our body isn’t doing well, it shows up in our smiles. Sore and inflamed gums, yellow or loose teeth, bad breath… these all point to other health issues as a root cause. I’ve…