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I have found myself searching for new recipes to not only change up our menu since pretty much every meal is being made at home, but I'm also looking for new recipes to feature in my second cookbook. If there is a recipe you love and would like it to be featured in my book, please send it along to me. I love to hear about what others are making these days and learning of new recipes. Last week I found several recipes in the Sunday, January 3rd New York Times paper I want to try. The recipe below is adapted from Ali Slagle's Chicken and Rice Soup recipe. Because I had no interest in going to the grocery store yet again this week, I used items I had on hand. The original recipe called for jasmine rice, but I used brown rice.  I love the bright lemon flavor in this soup! Enjoy!
xo,
holly

Chicken & Rice Soup
Ready in 40 minutes
Serves 4 to 6 people
Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth 
​1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 stalks celery, chopped 
¼ to ⅓ cup celery leaves, chopped
1 cup brown rice
Salt and pepper
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ to ½ cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
Preparation
1. In a large pot, combine the broth, celery, and chicken. Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 25 minutes. 
​2. While chicken is cooking, combine the chopped celery leaves, parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl.  Set aside.
3.Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board or in a bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite size pieces and then stir back into soup. Turn off heat.
4. Add the butter, if using, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the lemon juice. 
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with approximately one tablespoon of the parsley mixture. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.
Tips
I used low-sodium chicken broth and the full ½ cup of lemon juice because I LOVE lemon, but you can use less. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Cheers to Rum Chata for a special Christmas, a festive Rum Chata Peppermint Bark Holiday Martini and a wonderful holiday video from mixmaster and Rum Chata founder, Tom Maas! I love that despite 2020 being a crazy, challenging year in so many ways, people found a way to say yes and make things special for others. Tom Maas, mixmaster and Rum Chata founder and the amazing team at Rum Chata created a wonderful holiday video for us for our Zoom December Girls Night In! 

We loved that Rum Chata was created in the Chicagoland area and is bottled in Wisconsin! And, we love Rum Chata! We reached out to Rum Chata to ask if Tom would do a special holiday message for our Girls Night In. In a year filled with so many no's, we weren't sure what would happen with our crazy request and had very low expectations. I checked my phone and nearly fell over when I saw not only a yes, but a wonderful video from Tom! Thank you so much to Tom and the epic Rum Chata team for saying yes and for helping make our December Girls Night In special! You can see the passion that Tom has for Rum Chata and his entrepreneurial spirit  as he talks about creating Rum Chata at his kitchen in Lincolnshire and a Rum Chata top secret! We loved the Rum Chata Pepperminat Bark Holiday Martini and it was so fun that Tom told us about the Rum Chata Hot Chocolate! After the video Sylvia shared that she has made the Rum Chata cupcakes and Treva whipped out Rum Chata pudding shots that she had made. We toasted the holidays with our Rum Chata Peppermint Bark Holiday martinis and talked about Christmas traditions. 

We had such a fun December Girls Night In! Huge thanks to all the girlfriends that joined us for some holiday cheer! Thanks for sharing your favorite Christmas cookies and recipes and we loved hearing about everyone's traditions and what they were doing during this unusual year. We are excited about our Girls Nights Ins in 2021 and hope you will join us! And, when we can all be together again we will have an epic in person Girls Night Out! 

As we are sliding into the final days of the hot mess of 2020 we'll be sipping on Rum Chata and toasting the abundance of time at home with family, the incredible doctors, nurses, and all those on the front lines of COVID-19, the creative ways we virtually connected with friends, the determined entrepreneurs and small business owners, and new friends we've made during the pandemic. We'll also be toasting all of you that have supported us in our Messy Mommies adventures! We hope you'll join us and raise a glass of Rum Chata as we say good-bye to this challenging year and look to the hope of 2021! Cheers! 
xoxo, Meg and Holly

This year has been so stressful, so crazy, and so different. When Holly and I started talking about doing Zoom girls night ins, we just wanted things to feel a little normal. We wanted to capture laughter with friends, new and old, again and have a few minutes to escape together. Basically, we were trying to create our own Hallmark Christmas movie experiences with a fabulous group of gals!

Our November Glam Girls Night In captured that Hallmark Christmas movie spirit! We had girlfriends join our Zoom from 14 different cities - from Boise, Idaho to Alexandria, Virginia to Chicago, IL we crisscrossed the country! Just like so many Hallmark Christmas movies that involve holiday baking, chef Holly shared a cinnamon puff recipe for Thanksgiving morning. Next, the gorgeous Tori Belle consultant Coleen Krause showed us how to up our glam game for the holidays. Watch Coleen's tips on our YouTube channel! 

Then, the amazing fashion designer Sandhya Nair shared tips on how to accessorize for the holidays. We loved her styling tips! Subscribe to Sandhya on YouTube! Then, the wonderful Tastefully Simple consultant, Treva Jones shared a great appetizer recipe.

As we sipped our cocktails and chatted about changing out of lounge wear to make the holidays special, I couldn't help thinking about how the Hallmark Christmas movies often talk about taking care of yourself and doing something to make it special. ​There was great laughter as we talked about favorite Thanksgiving dishes, cocktails, and the upcoming holidays. 

Holly and I shared that we had recently discovered Hallmark Channel Wine thanks to the awesome social media team at Jewel-Osco! We loved the wine so much that Holly and I took pictures with Santa with the festive Hallmark Channel Jingle Wine when we recently did outdoor pictures with Santa with our girls. Santa LOVED the Hallmark Channel Wine! Then, Holly and I shared our surprise video with our Girls Night In gang! This really was just like a Hallmark Christmas movie! We had reached out to the winemakers of the Hallmark Channel Wine - Evan Nelson and Andrew Nelson and asked if they would do a holiday greeting for our Messy Mommies Girls Night In! Evan and Andrew said yes!

We loved the video, we loved their cat, and we especially love the Hallmark Channel Jingle and Hallmark Channel Joy wines! Thank you so much Evan and Andrew for sharing holiday cheers with us! The 2020 Wine Enthusiast's 40 Under 40 Tastemaker' brothers, Evan and Andrew did a fabulous job creating this festive wine! We raffled off Hallmark Channel Jingle wine during our Zoom which was so much fun and have been giving Hallmark Channel Jingle and Hallmark Channel Joy wines as holiday gifts. You should too! The Hallmark wines are so good and so cute! You can order 2, 4, and 6 packs of the Hallmark Jingle and Joy wines! Order now on-line or pick up at many local stores! 

As a side story, when I was picking up the Hallmark Wines for our Zoom, a grandpa was behind me in the check-out line at Jewel. He asked me about wine as he had not seen before. I shared that we were so excited about the Hallmark wines and that it had recently launched. He shared that his wife loved the Hallmark Christmas movies and every year they bought a Hallmark ornament. He had just built her a bookcase to display all the Hallmark ornaments. He said he was going to get the Hallmark wine as a surprise for his wife. I saved his spot in line and he was so happy when he came back with two bottle of Hallmark Jingle wine. It was so sweet. 

Our November Glam Girls Night In was so much fun! We had so much laughter and so much holiday spirit! And, it was a great escape for a little while. A huge thank you to all the Messy Mommies girlfriends that joined us for our November Girls Night In! We so appreciate you joining us, especially during these crazy days!

Spread some Christmas cheer with...
ELF CHRISTMAS GRAMS!
 
My daughter, Eleanora, and her friend Courtney want to spread some extra Christmas cheer this season!  

The girls plan to dress up as Christmas elves and deliver ELF CHRISTMAS GRAMS! Elf Grams are unique, customized video messages that include a song and dance and letter mailed to you from Santa. Send an Elf Gram to family and friends - people of all ages will love receiving an Elf Gram. One Elf Christmas Gram costs $5. Proceeds from this will support Saint Clement Church’s Jesse Tree. The Saint Clement Jesse Tree is something our parish does to spread Christmas cheer by delivering presents to those in need.  

If you would like to purchase an Elf gram for your child, fill out this form or email: perfectchristmas24@gmail.com. Purchase Elf Grams by December 9, 2020. Elf Grams will be emailed to you before December 24th. 
Once the girls receive your request for an Elf Gram, they will send you payment information. 

Merry Christmas from Santa’s Elves!

xo, 
holly

We know the holidays are going to look a lot different this year. Messy Mommy Holly and I are constantly talking about how the holidays may play out and how we can do it in a safe manner. We chat about what traditions we can keep - even in a different way and how to make things special for the kids. We're also looking at ways to capture these unprecedented times so someday our kids can show their kids. 

Pictures with Santa was something I hoped to make happen. Today, we did outside mini pictures with Santa with the amazing Michelle and her team from Red Photograph with Michelle in Minooka! It was fantastic! Huge cheers to Michelle and her team for a fast, fun, and safe experience!  

Michelle had taken our large Tortorello family pictures last year on Christmas Eve which was so nice of her. The pictures turned out beautiful! I knew she did mini Christmas sessions and checked out her Red Photograph with Michelle Facebook page. I loved her Christmas scenes. She has outdoor holiday scenes with the darling vintage red truck, the so cute VW Bug, the cheery red and white camper and the magical Santa's Sleigh. I wanted pictures of the girls and my mom with Santa and asked my sister-in-law/Messy Mommy Holly and my niece, Eleanora to do pictures with Santa and us too! 

Michelle is so organized! She did an outstanding job staggering families. And, the scenes are spread out so we were not near other people. The weather predictions changed and she called us the night before to move up our times to make sure we could get our pictures in, such great service! We checked in and were able to do our pictures right away. While we were near Santa, we were also socially distanced. We did pictures with masks to note this moment in time and some without masks. Michelle was great and had encouraged people to bring their own mugs, Christmas blankets, and other props which we did and so did others. The Christmas scenes were all so cute and the mugs and blankets were great!

The photographer who did our pictures was excellent! She was great with us as we did different combinations of Nana with the granddaughters, with just the girls, and all of us. Holly and I did a few pictures with Santa for our blog and Santa was so fun with us as we posed with the so festive new Hallmark Jingle wine!

We had a great time taking pictures with Santa. It was so much fun, so festive, so normal, and so safe. Michelle also has a beautiful, outdoor log cabin scene, a darling cookies and milk scene, and some gorgeous inside fancy settings. You can book your holiday pictures and find more details on the Red Photograph by Michelle website.  There are a few spots still open for Santa for Sunday, Nov. 15! We can't wait to see our pictures! Thanks to Michelle and your team for helping spread Christmas cheer and for capturing this moment in time! Merry Christmas!  

Join us for our November Glam Girls Night In on November 19 from 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm on Zoom! While we may be staying home for Thanksgiving, we can still stay stylish! We are so excited to talk fashion, food, and fun while having cocktails! 

We are so excited that our friend and fashion designer Sandhya Nair is joining our Girls Night In! Sandhya will share tips on how to accessorize for the holidays. Check out Sandhya's YouTube channel: Riveting Flair with Sandhya Nair. We love her passion for design and how she encourages women to feel great and believe in themselves. 

We are thrilled that our long-time friend and gorgeous Tori Belle consultant Coleen Krause will also be joining us! Coleen will share insights on fabulous lashes and make-up! The Messy Mommies will be raffling off a Tori Belle "9 to 5" magnetic liner and lashes bundle! 

The amazing cookbook author Holly Murer will also share a Thanksgiving recipe and the wonderful Tastefully Simple consultant Treva Jones will ship up another great appetizer! We'll have cocktails, lots of chatter and many laughs! Take a break from this crazy year and come join the girls for a fun night. Send us a message to RSVP and receive the Zoom link. Or RSVP to our Facebook GNI event! Thanks, and as Sandhya says, stay safe and stay stylish! 

I'm so excited for the "In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover" with the sensational Bette Midler, the incredible Sarah Jessica Parker and the hilarious Kathy Najimy on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 pm CT. Sophia, Stella and I love Hocus Pocus and are so excited about the takeover which benefits the New York Restoration Project (NYRP). We just watched Hocus Pocus again a few weeks ago and the girls love the movie. I do too! While 2020 may be saying, "I put a spell on you!" this iconic trio is doing good while bringing some spooky joy to our Halloween. Bette Midler founded the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) in 1995 and has planted trees, renovated gardens, restored parks and transformed open space fo communities throughout New York City's five boroughs. It is fantastic that 100% of the Hocus Pocus takeover will go to NYRP. They also have an amazing list of people joining the spooky night including Glenn Close, Adam Lambert, Meryl Streep, Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Sarah Silverman and so many other festive friends. Buy tickets now!

This October, I've thought so many times, "It's just a bunch of Hocus Pocus!" It often feels like we are in some kind of crazy, scary movie. It may be a slight of hand or some magic, but I've been trying to keep things normal for the girls with Halloween movies, Halloween treats in their lunches and carving pumpkins. Just like the Sanderson Sisters had each other for some spooky fun, I've needed my girlfriends! Messy Mommy Holly and I hosted our October "Ghoul's Night In" on Zoom and it was so good to laugh and chat with the girls!

The creative and funny Tara Rand from Tara's Toddies showed us how to make a great Halloween cocktail, the Haunted Graveyard! It was so fun making cocktails along with Tara and it was a great bourbon drink! Thanks Tara for joining us!

Holly showed us how to make super cute and delicious candy boards! Holly went with a pink and orange theme since her daughter Eleanora and her friends are dressing up to the Mean Girls movie theme! I loved Holly's candy board! I made a mini candy board and Sandhya made a great candy board too!

Treva whipped up another great Tastefully Simple appetizer and then we played "Truth or Scare!" Just like the Sander Sisters, we laughed, cast spells, and had a great time. Time with the girls was just the potion I was looking for to help power through 2020! Thanks to the awesome gals that joined us! We hope you can carve out an hour for your girlfriends soon. Join us in November for our next virtual Girl's Night In! We hope you have a safe and fun Halloween. And, we can't wait to see what the Sanderson Sisters have in store for us! Thanks to the sensational Bette Midler, the incredible Sarah Jessica Parker and the hilarious Kathy Najimy for coming back together for a magical time! 

Day 2 of Amazon Prime Day favorites! Today, we are sharing our ideas for fun Amazon Prime Day stocking stuffers and little gifts for the holidays! ​Please note, you help support our Messy Mommies blog by shopping with our links and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

We love this magnetic car phone holder! 

Up your selfie game with this ring light!

Time to break out the karaoke!

Someone very clever invented this nail polish holder!

With so many people staying home, there is a bigger need for beard combs! 

Get ride of stinky feet with these fun sneaker balls!

You can never have enough chargers!

We love grilling out! 

We love reusable straws! 

Today is Amazon Prime Day! We are so excited to share some of our favorite items that make great gifts and will help make the holidays special! Please note, you help support our Messy Mommies blog by shopping with our links and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

You must be an Amazon Prime member to receive the Amazon Prime Day Deals. Not a member yet? Sign up now!

Shop our Amazon Prime Day Favorites! 
Kids Holiday Gift Ideas
Learning Resources Botley The Coding Robot 2.0 Activity Set, Coding Robot for Kids, STEM Toy, Early Programming, Ages 5+ https://amzn.to/2GK5T3X
Kids Beginner Microscope STEM Kit - We love science and this kit is awesome! https://amzn.to/3nKg8px
Lucky Doug Toy, 192 Pcs Race Car Track Toys Included 2 Cars and 1 Bridge with Lights and Sounds, Christmas Toys Gift for Kids, Toddler Age 3+ https://amzn.to/2SQdCjh
Roblox Action Collection - Legends of Roblox Six Figure Pack (Includes Exclusive Virtual Item) https://amzn.to/3lMjSFf
Hasbro Princess Candyland - So cute! https://amzn.to/2GTEah9
ELOVER Slime Advent Calendar 2020 for Girls Great Surprise Countdown to Christmas for Kids Teens - https://amzn.to/3lHe3bZ
​Taco vs Burrito - The Wildly Popular Surprisingly Strategic Card Game Created by a 7 Year Old  https://amzn.to/2Fp4KxR

Family and Friends Holiday Gift Ideas
Apple AirPods w/Charging Chase (Wired) - Great deal on AirPods! https://amzn.to/3lTR0en
Fitbit Versa Lite Edition Smart Watch - Get fit with this great deal! https://amzn.to/371atFG
“Holiday” Homesick Candle - https://amzn.to/2SObJnh
H iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum-Wi-Fi Connectivity, Works with Alexa, Good for Pet Hair, Carpets, Hard Floors, Self-Charging, Charcoal Grey https://amzn.to/3nFAYX7 Under $200
Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones - Apple H1 Headphone Chip, Class 1 Bluetooth, Active Noise Cancelling  https://amzn.to/3143Mib
RENPHO Foot Massager Machine with Heat, Shiatsu Deep Kneading, Squeez, Relieve Foot Discomforts, Fits feet up to Men Size 12 https://amzn.to/2SNF1Co

Cooking Ideas
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker 11 in 1 w/ Air Fryer, 8 Qt https://amzn.to/3jYkffh
AmazonBasics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven, 6-Quart, Blue - Perfect for fall soups and the holidays! - https://amzn.to/34VfJb4
Handmade Sloth Tween Girl Apron Gift for Kitchen or Art https://amzn.to/2IuLv7v

Balloon Decorations
Pretex Balloon Pump Electric Air Blower Dual Nozzle Portable Balloon Inflator for Fast and Easy Bulk Balloons Filling for Event and Party Decoration - We have this balloon inflator and love it! https://amzn.to/311Hxtg

We are so excited for Amazon Prime Day on October 13 and 14! With all of the uncertainty and angst in 2020, one thing we know for sure is that the holidays are approaching and will be a time for celebration. And, while there is uncertainty of how we will celebrate, we are sure family and friends will be part of the celebration, whether in person or remotely. Now is the time to start thinking about what will make the upcoming celebrations special even if the ways we celebrate are different from years past! 

The Messy Mommies will be sharing some of our favorite items that make great gifts, and also products that will help make the holiday season special whether you are cooking and baking through the holidays, helping the kids entertain themselves when taking a break from eLearning, or things to help you while working from home. We are providing direct links in our stories to items we think are great!

Please note, you help support our blog by shopping with our links and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!

You must be an Amazon Prime member to receive the Amazon Prime Day Deals. Not a member yet? Click the image below and sign up today!

​Amazon Prime Day tips for shopping! Download the Amazon App and turn on notifications for deals! Watch for the Prime Day badges! Ask Alexa, "Alexa, what are my Prime Day deals?"

Get ready for the holidays!
Find some inspiration in the  Amazon gift guides!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, why not start planning for this special day. First, many of you may be thinking it’s time to pull out the flannel and we couldn’t agree more. Check out this cozy flannel shirt available in several colors. It will be perfect for the backyard friendly game of football or cozying up on the couch to watch a movie, and both adult and youth sizes are available. We also have a great hostess gift suggestion, or a gift for someone who can’t make it to the table this year, the Holiday Homesick Candle. Homesick Candles is a company on a mission “to connect people everywhere through the power of scent.” We love the “Chicago” candle but check out all of the options here Homesick Candles.

It’s always great to have a special playlist during the holidays. The New York Times WireCutter website rates Ultimate Ears WonderBoom 2 as the top bluetooth speaker. This will allow you to play all your favorite tunes during the holidays Wonderboom 2. 
While the number of guests you host this year may be fewer as in years past, hopefully you are still planning to make a delicious pie. Two of our favorite kitchen tools that help make whipping up this Thanksgiving favorite are linked here: 
Emile Henry 9” pie dish
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

If you happen to have leftovers, check out these Rubbermaid storage containers. The plastic food containers are not only dishwasher safe but microwave safe so heating up your leftovers is super easy!
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And finally, we leave you with a fun family game.  Left Center Right is a game our family has played over the years. The winner is always a happy camper. Make it a bit more fun by using dollar bills instead of the chips included in the game. The winner will be ready for Black Friday Shopping! And speaking of Black Friday…shop Amazon Prime Days and check out these great ideas for gift giving during Christmas.