But if you find yourself slathering a bit too often, we have some bad news: Your precious lip balm may be doing you more harm than good. Counterintuitively, some lip balms can make dry lips worse by contributing to chapping. What gives? Despite the hydrating promise of lip balms, what you see isn’t always what you get. “Certain lip balms only contain humectants (read: immediate moisture)—like hyaluronic acid and glycerin—which draw water from the air,” says Marnie Nussbaum, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City....

I first fell in love with Nutella on a trip to France where they put the stuff all over crepes. I guess that was probably 10 to 15 years ago, which is absolutely crazy to think about. Now I just eat it on pretty much anything I can – bread, crackers, cookies – you name it and Nutella makes it better. I’ve had a number of people ask me to come up with some more ideas for brunch food ideas and one of my favorite things for brunch is muffins....

Every family has go-to family recipes. Almond chicken, pizza loaf, and zuppa toscana are some of ours. And this balsamic grilled chicken. It’s one of the easiest recipes yet has tons and tons of flavor because of the balsamic marinade. I know some people aren’t huge fans of balsamic so if you’re one of those people, I recommend trying something else like maybe this orange chicken recipe or these teriyaki chicken bowls....

We’re coming up on the end of my Easter treat recipes – well almost. I’m sharing these carrot cake balls today and then a couple more tomorrow but then that’s it, Easter recipes are over for the year. I’m cutting it a bit close but who cares, these are good enough that I didn’t want to wait until next year! Ever since I made this delicious carrot cake last year, I’ve been wanting to make something else using carrot cake....

When it comes to appetizers – whether they be Christmas appetizers, Super Bowl appetizers, or even everyday appetizers – I like to keep them quick and easy. You have enough to worry about as a host to slave over complicated food. These crockpot grape jelly meatballs are pretty much the easiest appetizer ever – all you really need is a little time! It’s a classic recipe that we’ve upgraded with a better flavor profile to make them a bit sweet, a bit savory, and 100% delicious!...

Pepperoni Rolls – Two Ways I had originally intended to write this post about just one type of pepperoni rolls – the ones you see in the picture above. Then I went to my parents’ house to cook the rolls in our new brick oven and when I mentioned pepperoni rolls to my dad, he had a totally different idea about what that meant. To make a long story short, apparently when my parents were going to school at the University of Wyoming back in the 80s, there was a pizza joint there called The Upper Crust that was a hangout for all the college students....

As my youngest gets a little older, we’ve started getting into the world of painting and crafts with him. Everything still needs to be super simple and controlled or we end up with paint all over the house, but he’s getting there. This simple pumpkin patch craft using apples is great because it’s easy and foolproof for the kiddos. Dip the apples in paint, press the apples on the piece of paper....

I love fruity things. Most of the time in my life when I’m craving something, it’s something fruity. This strawberry pineapple sorbet is one of my favorite ways to crave my need for something sweet without eating something super sugary. It’s one of my favorite post-workout treats, especially after a good half marathon training run. Making the sorbet in the Twister Jar couldn’t be easier; you literally put the fruit and coconut water into the jar, turn the Blendtec on, and twist as you go to turn the fruit into the creamy treat....

I just did what I said I would never do. I agreed to help out as a partial room mom for my son’s 3rd grade class. I think it was the whole not being involved at all in school last year that made me suck it up and say yes. But I’m quickly realizing that a lot of my favorite Halloween games and Halloween treats like peanut butter spider cookies are ones that may not work so well in a small classroom with 21 kids....

That being said, some popular protein and granola bars aren’t much better than eating a Snickers, nutritionally speaking. They’re often filled with sugar and artificial ingredients; others are so filling they can outweigh your entire lunch. (Unless you’re hiking up a mountain, you can probably skip the meal replacement bars.) But in a crowded marketplace with endless imposters posing as nutritious, picking a real-deal healthy snack bar—particularly one that doesn’t taste like cardboard—is daunting at best....

The collection was also inspired by a growing home decor trend. “There is a newfound appreciation of vintage-inspired color and aesthetic,” Ashley Banbury, senior color designer for HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams says. “Designers and DIYers are bringing vintage-inspired décor and details into the home as a way to bring a sense of comfort.” As the variation of the collection shows—ranging from deep purple to a soft, sage-tinted gray—there’s no one way to do vintage decor, and the colors can look as modern or as timeless as your interiors....

This post contains affiliate links to products for your convenience. If you purchase via my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I can thank my dad for my love of the Olympics. He’s had a healthy obsession with the Olympics for as long as I can remember. We even went on a big family trip and skipped a week of school my senior year of high school so we could actually go to some of the events at the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002!...

As Jordan tried to cope with the disappointment, her mother, Angela, a special education paraprofessional, sought to come up with something to brighten her days. “These kids are missing out on a lot, and their memories will forever be what happens now,” Angela says. “I was just thinking about what could be done to help with that. Sometimes having an outside source praising them is a big deal and makes a bigger impact....

The Importance of Chewing for Proper Digestion Contrary to popular belief, the digestion process doesn’t start in the stomach; it begins in the mouth. The first step of digestion is chewing, which both reduces the size of food and activates the salivary glands to secrete more saliva, according to Johanna P. Salazar, MS, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Healing Nutrition. Saliva contains enzymes like amylase and lipase, which break down carbs and fats, respectively....

And real talk, we’re all probably taking in a lot more caffeine than we realize. The average cup of coffee is around 100 milligrams of caffeine per serving, soda is typically 50 milligrams, and energy drinks contain as much as 250 milligrams per serving. Even a chocolate bar can have more than 30 milligrams of caffeine. According to Roshini Malaney, DO, a board-certified cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in New York City, everyone metabolizes—or breaks down—caffeine differently....

You may think you’re a diligent cleaner: Your home is always tidy; you clean your surfaces every day using organic and/or all-natural products; you dust; and you even vacuum every few days. Yes, it appears things may be on the up and up—until you learn what’s lurking in your vacuum cleaner. That vacuum cleaners need their own cleaning attention is nothing new. According to a 2013 study published in the journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vacuum cleaners that haven’t been properly cleaned have the potential to disseminate mold and bacteria inside your home....