Author: candacebd

  • How to Mince Garlic (the Ultimate Hack!)

    Sometimes, the “proper” technique just doesn’t work for the home cook. In culinary school, we were taught how to mince garlic by using the side of our chef’s knives to smash a clove, then dice it into teeny tiny pieces. That works, but chopping the pieces small enough can be tedious. So, one very odd…

    Garlic, just before mincing
  • Is ‘Cancel Culture’ Giving Us an Excuse to…Escape Our Own Shame?

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    While reading the New Yorker this morning (yup, I do read things beyond what’s coming in the next FabFitFun box and the ingredients in Popeyes cajun sauce sometimes), I came across an interesting quote: “We’re in the midst of this cancel culture: ‘This person is gay, this person didn’t fight in the military, this person…

  • Review: How to Get the Most Out of Rachel Hollis’s Priority Planner

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    Update (September 28, 2020): Target has just released the Q3 edition of Rachel Hollis’s Priority Planner and Start Today Journals, featuring designs inspired by Austin, TX (the previous editions featured LA and Mexico City). The jackets are all new, but the content remains the same, so my review stands. If you’re curious about her Start…

    A look at the daily pages section of the Priority Planner
  • Causebox Vs. FabFitFun: Which Subscription’s Better?

    After seeing endless Instagram ads and influencers touting the latest swag they scored in their subscription boxes, admit it: You’re kind of curious whether they’re worth the cash each month (or quarter). But with all of the options out there, it’s hard to know which one’s worthy of scoring your credit card number. That’s why…

    Spring 2020 Causebox
  • What It’s Like Inside the New York Toy Fair

    Two eight-foot-tall Care Bears waddle past me, steps away from a remote-controlled parrot flying through hoops (and, admittedly, into walls) and what looks like a museum featuring artifacts—a bear’s windmill! A bunny cottage!—from the Calico Critters’ 35-year history. There’s a center stage spotlighting dozens of bug-eyed Beanie Boo’s, the latest iteration of the Ty Beanie…

    The main hall of the NY Toy Fair 2020
  • Maida Heatter’s Baking Soda Trick for Baking Cookies, Tested

    Maida Heatter’s a legend among bakers for her cakes, but her cookies are pretty popular, too. So popular, in fact, that she had no qualms about naming her take on chocolate chip cookies “Positively the Absolute Best.” Since I’m perpetually in pursuit of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, I’m morally obligated to try it.…

    Maida Heatter's Positively the Absolute Best Cookies
  • What Happens During an Aura Reading?

    Let’s get weird. I’m always down to try something new, so when I heard LA’s House of Intuition was offering free aura readings as part of the launch of its New York pop-up store this past holiday season, I said yes. I had no idea what that even meant, but I headed down to the…

    Aura photography - get aura read
  • 15 Unconventional-Yet-Awesome Compliments to Give Someone

    There’s a certain high you get when someone says something truly, genuinely kind about you. Sure, classic compliments (“You look so great in that sweater!”) always bring a smile, but they’re so tried-and-true that they don’t have quite the impact as something that delves a little deeper, that’s a little more specific and insightful—or that’s…

    "You are incredibly beautiful, and that's the least interesting thing about you." Plus even more amazing compliments via LifeBetweenWeekends.com (Photo: Lee Scott/Unsplash)
  • How to Dice an Onion Like a Chef

    Learning how to dice an onion was honestly, truly the best thing I learned after weeks and weeks of intensive culinary school programs. Sure, I learned how to debone a fish, roast a chicken, cover a cake with fondant and all of the essentials of fine cooking, but the one thing I turn to again…

  • Starting A ‘Present Over Perfect’ Revolution

    Maybe you can relate to my struggle right now: Lately, it seems like words wash over me more than I absorb them. My mind feels fractured; even when I think I’m fully present, I find that any lull makes me want to reach for my phone, check that notification, or think up how I’ll respond…

    Starting a 'Present Over Perfect' study session with me - Photo: Averie Woodard/Unsplash
  • The Best Time of Day to Make a Major Decision

    Often, whenever I have to make a huge decision, I put it off. I want to give myself as much time as possible to weigh the pros and cons, visualizing every outcome. And, to be very honest, the more complicated the decision is (Should I accept a new job? How should I handle this difficult…

    The Best Time of Day to Make a Decision
  • The $4 Trick That Saved My Sanity When Flying with a Baby

    Every time I fly, the same knot of anxiety tangles up inside of me: Will Emerie have a meltdown? Will I subsequently have a meltdown? Why am I so concerned about upsetting other people? Why am I wasting energy on this? And so the shame spiral plunges me deeper into some strange, soul-excavating journey, where…

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