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10 Ways Dads Can Help with New Baby

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ParentingWithPrimoH20 #CollectiveBias

Dads are an integral part of parenting and there are plenty of ways that dads can help new moms. We discuss 10 ways dads can help with new baby that will truly help mom, and the family as a whole. 

Parenting is no joke. Everyone thinks it’s going to be easy until the day that a baby is placed in their arms and then things get real.  You realize that someone is entrusting you with a whole actual life and there’s no manual.  It’s all up to you and no matter how many classes you took or books you read, that all goes out the window. For many decades, the main parenting roles have been left to mom. However, as we move into a new era, dads are helping more.  For many, they simply don’t know how to help because they were never shown. Luckily, there’s dozens of ways dads can help with new baby whether it’s baby number 1 or number 10.

The most important thing for dads to remember is that moms need their help more than ever during the first 6-8 weeks after childbirth. If a mother had a vaginal birth it’s a minimum of 6 weeks. If she had a c-section, it’s a minimum of 8 weeks. However, beyond that the first 6 months, especially after the first child, are a transition period that all mothers can use as much help as possible.  Mothers are known for being strong, so it’s important that you save this list and try to help as much as you can, even if she says she doesn’t need the help.

10 Ways Dads Can Help with New Baby

This list is great for whether this is the first baby or baby number seven.  If there is a new baby in the house, these are ways dads can help a new mom.

1. Know what postpartum depression and anxiety are and how it differs from postpartum blues. 

Baby blues are a period of a few days up to two weeks after baby is born that mom may be sad, scared, or feeling overwhelmed. Often times, mothers cry because of these feelings.  Learn more about how to distinguish between the postpartum blues and more serious diagnosis of postpartum depression so that you know when you need to reach out to her medical care provider for assistance. Never judge her for feeling this way.

2. Listen to her 

When someone has a baby, their hormones are shifted all over the place.  There are lots of emotions that come along with this, including anxiousness, fear, and guilt. Being able to open up and have someone by your side is critical during the first few weeks.  You can really help by just offering to listen to how she feels.

3. Tell people that want to visit that they need to bring a meal or do a chore

Lots of people want to come over, but rarely do they want to do anything but hold the new baby.  Speak up and ask for help from anyone that asks to come over, especially if someone asks if you need anything. “We would love if you could help with dinner tonight” or “I could really use some help with the dishes or laundry”.  Most people are willing to assist and it takes a load (pun intended) off of the new parents.

4. Do the household chores and errands 

The more you do, the less she’ll feel stressed.  If you remember only this line, it will help everything so much. Remember she just birthed a baby. Yes, you are learning the ropes too, but your organs aren’t shifting back into place after being moved for the past 9 months approximately.  Things you can do are the dishes, laundry, dusting, sweeping, mopping, and more inside the house.  Outside errands include going grocery store, grabbing household necessities like toiletries and cleaning supplies, more diapers, or dropping things off at the post office if needed.  Any way that you can reduce the amount she has to do will help.

5. Make the meals (breakfast, lunch, and/or but especially dinner)

By the end of the day, the last thing a new mom wants to do is prep dinner. If you do nothing else, helping to make dinner every night for the first few weeks will be a huge help. Ask family to help by bringing or having dinner delivered, make easy meals like bbq sliders or pasta salad.

6. Set up some type of home self care appointment.

Self-care is a thing most moms fail at. Moms constantly feel like they have to take care of everyone else, which leaves no time to take care of her. After having a new baby, self-care is critical because mom needs to feel like she still is somewhat of the same her that she’s always been, even though she’ll forever be different.  This is especially true after the first baby.

Some ideas would be to set up a postpartum massage, hair appointment or mani/pedi but with someone that comes to your house. Local Facebook groups are great for finding someone like this.  Make sure to get references and/or reviews of people. Another option would be to ask her if she’d prefer to get out of the house to do this.  Sometimes if moms have postpartum depression, being away from her baby terrifies her so having this in home will help.  However, some moms would love to have an hour or two out of the house and this is the perfect way.   Offer to drive her if she’s still under the driving restriction.

7. Try to soothe the baby yourself 

Mothers are known to naturally have maternal instincts. Women are raised to play with dolls, be babysitters, and natural nurture. So it’s only natural. However, that doesn’t mean dad can’t. Not only do dads need to learn to do this so they can bond with babies themselves; but, soothing a baby helps a mom’s stress levels.  If mom is the only one who can care for a baby’s cries, it becomes exhausting and overwhelming.  Offer to try to help.

8. Let mom have some me time

Whether mom wants to take a shower alone or take a walk outside, let her. Don’t ask her how long or rush her when she’s doing what she’s decided on.  You can and will successfully be able to take care of a baby.  If you need help, call another woman figure in your life whether your own mothers or another friend that is a parent you know, but let mom have a little peace of her own.

9. Bring her snacks

You may think that as soon as she stops eating for 2 people that she won’t be as hungry but that’s not true.  Having a newborn is demanding, especially if she is breastfeeding and/or has more than one child to attend too.  Here’s over 100 postpartum snack ideas for you to make and bring her when she’s hungry.

10. Keep her water bottle or glass filled up

Moms need to stay hydrated! This is especially important if mom is breastfeeding. You can easily keep her water bottle filled up with a Primo® First Steps Bottom-Loading Water Dispenser. It allows for the perfect temperature of cold water that is always readily available.  You can even set it up right in your room so you never have to worry about make long treks down stairs or hallways in the middle of the night.  It seems simple, but mothers are usually parched and need to make sure they are getting enough liquid. Primo water has a purification process that removes the presence of chlorine, bacteria, parasites, heavy metals, and travel levels of pharmaceuticals which means mom is drinking healthier and safer water for her.

About the Primo First Steps Bottom-Loading Water Dispenser (link)

  • If you are formula feeding, this water dispenser actually has a warm water option automatically dispenses water at 98.6-104oF, that is specially designed for mixing formula bottles. No more worrying about heating it over the stove at 2am…one touch of a button and it’s the perfect temperature for your baby bottle, every time, which if you’re a parent, you know babies are not patient when they’re hungry. The dispenser even has a LED night light to keep you out of the dark during late night feedings!
  • There is a child resistant safety feature for the hot water, so no worries if you have other children.
  • There’s a self-sanitizing function to ensure quality.
  • Set up took less than 15 minutes without tools or having to hook up to plumbing, and the 5-gallon water bottles easily slide in with the bottom-loading design. This makes it easy for you to move it from the bedroom to the kitchen once your baby has gotten older! 
    • The dispenser takes pre-filled or refillable 3 or 5-gallon water bottles (sold separately) and it was so convenient to find it at a retail location near me!

Whether you are on baby number one or you are a seasoned expert, these are all ways that you can help.  If you have older children, the Primo water dispenser makes it easy for everyone to help mom in the smallest of ways all while keeping everyone healthy.  Learn more and see your closest Primo location for pickup today! (link)

50+ Things You Didn’t Know You Could Buy Reusable

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Whether it’s Earth Day or you are looking to make a switch to more reusable products, you will find something in this list of 50+ Things You Didn’t Know You Could Buy Reusable! 

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We’re all looking to make better choices for our families and the environment. For us, we are trying to buy more and more reusable products to be more environmentally friendly and also make our own lives healthier at the same time.

The first step that most of us takes towards a greener life is typically using reusable bags at the grocery store. You may have reusable soap dispenser or even use a reusable coffee mug at your local convenience store.

However, there’s so many more things that you can buy reusable versions of now that you might have never even know (I know I didn’t know some of these!).

We decided in celebration of Earth Day that we would create this list of 50+ Things You Can Buy Reusable Versions of today! Some of these we already use and other ones we are working to implement ourselves.

For The Kitchen

  1.  Paper Towels – lots of options! We like ones with snaps!
  2.  Plastic Wrap– there’s cotton and silicone versions available
  3. Straws – so many options – from glass to stainless steel and beyond, make sure you get BPA free!
  4.  K-Cup
  5. Tea Bags and Coffee Filters – buying loose coffee and tea bags saves you money, buying reusable filters will save you even more!
  6.  Dish Scrubbers – use a dish cloth or grab some actual scrubbers that are washable
  7. Silicone Baking Cups – no one needs those paper wrappers anyway!
  8. Popsicle Molds – Kids love making their own popsicles and this way you can do it all the time (these Blueberry Kiwi pops are a hit here)
  9. Wooden Skewers – replace these with metal skewers – they’re easier to use!
  10. Grill Cooking Sheet – instead of using aluminum foil!
  11. Chopsticks – Buy a reusable pair – These would make a nice gift!




For the Laundry Room

  1. Dryer Sheets – replace these chemical infused sheets with wool dryer balls and scent with essential oils – these are the dryer balls we’ve been using for the last 4 years
  2. Laundry Detergent – Yes, you can have a reusable laundry detergent !
  3. Wet Bags – If you use cloth diapers, reusable tissues, sanitary napkins, or a number of other options, these come in handy! We love them for wet swimsuits after the beach too!


For the Bathroom

  1. Cotton Balls – Cottons balls are just cotton that you throw away. Replace them with cotton make-up remover pads or even better money saving option – go for baby washcloths!
  2. Electric Shavers – ditch the disposables and get a wet/dry shaver for women and an electric shaver for men
  3. Cloth Shower Liner – no more having to worry about mildew on the plastic liner when guest comes over, just wash and re-hang
  4. Toothbrush – these recycled handle toothbrushes last forever, just replace the head, or you can go with a disposable option that is 100% biodegradable
  5. Gum stimulator – instead of floss go with this option that’s better for you
  6. Menstrual Products –  Prefer tampons? – go with a cup; Pads your choice? – go with cloth pads. We’ve been using Pink Lemonade Shop brand of cloth pads for 4 years now with great success.
  7. Breastpads – if breastfeeding, these are definitely a go to product you need
  8. Makeup Remover Cloths
  9. Beauty face mask – This reusable moisturizing mask has high reviews, though we’ve never personally tried it.
  10. Condoms – Okay.  Don’t shoot the messenger. We came across these randomly while doing our research for this post.  We’ve never used them and not sure about brands, but we had to include them as an option!
  11. Toilet Paper – again, don’t shoot the messenger.  Some families swear by this. You can find lots of options on Etsy – just search “family cloth” or “reusable toilet paper”




Misc Home

  1. Produce Bags – no more plastic bags for all your fruit, just reuse these over and over
  2. Lunch/Snack bags – tons of size and pattern options! We love using these.
  3. Furnace/AC Filter – you should replace these every 4 months in your home, but buy a reusable one and you’ll never have to again, just rinse and reuse!
  4. Car Filter – same as the home filters, these should be changed often in your car. Check with your local mechanic about reusable options
  5. Sweeper Cleaning Pads – so much cheaper than continuously buying the store brand cleaning pads
  6. Dry Cleaning Bags – I couldn’t stand how many plastic bags came wrapped in our dry cleaning every time! Use these reusable bags and ditch the plastic.
  7. Toothpicks– Use stainless steel turkey lacers to replace your toothpicks! Just wash and reuse!
  8. Wine Protector Sleeves – Ditch the paper bags and just use these!


For Kids

1. Food Pouches – Allows you to make and take your own purees, applesauce, and more.
2. Diapers – Using cloth diapers saves you and the environment tons of money – Cotton Babies Flip System and Green Mountain Diaper fitteds were our favorite ones
3. Wipes – You can swap out disposable wipes for cloth ones. Looking to upcycle, you can also cut up old tshirts and reuse those as wipes
4. Juice Boxes – Just swap these and kids still get the fun juice box fill. Even better, these won’t spill everywhere when squeezed!
5. Swim Diapers – Disposable swim diapers are the biggest scam. They don’t do anything but hold in poop. Reusable swim diapers do exactly the same thing and last from birth to potty training.
6. Reusable Coloring Shirts – Kids LOVE coloring their own clothes! Did you know if you grab these coloring shirts and use Crayola Ultraclean Washable Markers and you can wash and color all over again!
7. Stickers – Sometimes stickers are the vein of a parents existence. Reusable Sticker Books all for less of a mess.


For Pets

1. Pee Pads – Animals can be expensive. Save lots of money with these reusable pee pads.
2. Lint Roller – A reusable lint roller just needs washed and it’s pretty close in price to what you pay for disposable ones.
3. Dog Diapers – Same with kids cloth diapers but for dogs – Grab these Reusable Dog Diapers 

For Travel

1. Plastic Cutlery – Grab a reusable spork set for everyone in the family and never worry about plastic again. Bonus – you never have to worry about these breaking if you push down to hard
2. Takeout Containers – Out to eat at a restaurant? Take containers with you and ditch the styrofoam containers which never leave landfills.

Misc

1. Wrapping Paper – I can tell you from experience, kid’s have zero care about how presents are wrapped. Buy reusable wrapping paper and never worry about running out again.  Bonus tip: looking to save money? Wrap presents in newspaper.
2. Batteries – Having kids, we spending hundreds on batteries alone over the course of a kid’s life. You can buy AA and AAA reusable batteries and recharge again and again.
3. Pens – Buy refillable pens and never worry about the ink drying out of your favorite pen again!
4. Ink cartridges – Grab refillable printer cartridges and just do them yourself. It saves a ton too!
5. Hand Warmers – I remember going through a crazy amount of hand warmers at college football games. This rechargeable hand warmer is super neat and we’ll be getting one for snowboarding season!
6. Rain Barrels – reuse water!  It’s free water that you can use for plants, kid’s outdoor play, and more. We love these rain barrel planters that look like home decor!
7. Cable ties/twist ties/zip ties – I had no idea reusable zip ties/etc existed!  We’ll be grabbing these soon!
8. Dry Erase Sheet Protector – We love these reusable sheet protectors for homeschool. We can do the same worksheets again and again and it also allows me to save the sheets for our second little too!
9. Balloons – YES! These is such a thing as reusable balloons! No helium need! How cool is that!?


What switch will you make for Earth Day?

It’s so amazing to see so many different products that are reusable! If everyone could swap out 3 or 5 things from this list, we could all start by doing our part.  Obviously one of the easiest swaps that you can make is simply swapping out plastic water bottles for a reusable one!

We hope you love our list of 50+ things you didn’t know you could buy reusable. Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments!

This post was originally published on 4/21/17 and updated on 4/22/19.

Taking Time To Remember The Small Things

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly, #ConstantComment, #CollectiveBias

Taking Time to Remember the Small Things is an important reminder that sometimes it great to look back and see how far you’ve grown together.

Picture from our first vacation together,2009

“Time flies.”

It’s such an overused phrase.  Sometimes it’s actually quite annoying to hear. But other times, you sit and think about just how far you’ve come or grown and it becomes a bit nostalgic.

I remember someone recently said something to me about 18 year olds now were born after the year 2000. I started calculating in my head. That would mean the year 2000 is almost 20 years ago. ‘scuse me?! I’m not old enough for that to be logistically true.  Right? I couldn’t have calculated that correctly.  But oh, it’s so true.

Then I started thinking about what that means for other things. How it means that I’ve known Larisha for almost 15 years, we’ve been dating for almost 10 and how our oldest is closer to 10 than she is a baby.  How Sway? All of this seems to have happened in the blink of an eye.

I sat down and started thinking about what that means for the past 10 years. How we’ve grown into this family and the bond we’ve made.  The things we’ve come to appreciate about each other. Or how we have taught each other about so many different things. It’s easy for us to keep moving forward every day, but some days it’s nice to take the time to remember the small things.

Remember the things that you have both taught each other

It’s easy to remember the things that you have taught your children.  They are constantly showing you. But sit down and think about the things that you have learned from your significant other. How have you grown over the course of your relationship? What things have made you better because they have shown you.

For me the list is great. We were young when we met and we both still had a lot of growing to do.

I learned how to love someone more than I love myself. When we got together, I was young.  I didn’t know how to really care for another person and I was pretty self-centered. However, over the years, I have realized that our relationship has grown stronger when we have both learned to put ourselves aside for the betterment of us and our family.

Beyond just her though, I learned how to love more deeply than anything.  She made me a father.  She brought not one, but two little girls into my life (I didn’t even think I wanted girls!). I would do anything for my family and it’s funny to look back on that.  It was TERRIFYING to think I was going be a dad.  I mean I legit didn’t even know how to hold a baby and someone was going to give me a whole one to take care of!?  How!? But because of her, I have learned and grown so much.

I have learned a love of traveling.  This is one of the biggest ones that I have learned.  I was such a homebody. There was no appreciation for exploring. However, she showed me that traveling can be one of the greatest things.  And because of that and her passion for traveling, I have seen some really cool things.  I have also picked up on a previous passion – my photography. So many things have come from just her asking me step out of the boundaries.

Interested in trying out the Bigelow Tea like Constant Comment flavor? Hover over the photo to click through to Walmart.com for purchasing.”

Breaking down boundaries, letting down guards

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that you have to let boundaries down sometimes in order to be a better person.  One of the biggest guards I’ve had to let down was trying new foods.  Textures and tastes and unknowns about food are so weird to me, but I love that she has helped me step out of my comfort zone.   If you’ve watched any of her live videos, she regularly talks about me being picky (and I admit I am), but I’m more open now because of it.

But this is one of the areas that we have really grown and bonded together.  She’s introduced me to really cool restaurants and things like homemade pizza, and I’ve introduced her to cooler things like ackee, avocados (can you believe she didn’t eat them before we met?!), and a variety of jerk and curry dishes.

Even on a more simple note, I introduced her to a love of tea and she introduced me to one of my favorite blends. Constant Comment from Bigelow.  It’s Curiously Different. Impossible to Forget. Just like her. It has hints of oranges and other spices that make it great for any day of the week. It shows that it’s even the simple things that make a relationship so special. Every time that I go to make a cup, I am reminded of the memories of how we have grown together.

I’m curious after reading this how you think that you have learned and grown since being in a relationship with your significant other?

Sometimes it’s great to really stop and spend time taking time to remember the small things.

What is Bigelow Tea’s “Constant Comment”?

It is a tea that broke the rules, changed the game, and was created for those who refuse to settle. Let “Constant Comment” tea transport you out of the ordinary, into places of unexpected discovery. Grab at your local Walmart in the tea section.

#TeaProudly, #ConstantComment, #CollectiveBias #MyConstantComment #ImpossibleToForget

Everything You Need to Know About Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event

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Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event is back from 4/22-5/4, 2019 and we are breaking down everything you need to know about the Target’s carseat trade-in event! 

The time has returned!  At least once a year Target does their carseat trade-in event! And it’s coming up quickly!  The next event will be held from April 22nd through May 4, 2019. Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event is one of their most beloved events for parents and there’s a good reason why!

Carseats are notoriously one of the most expensive things on the market when you have a child and usually you need at least two different ones as your child grows.  Plus, it’s one of the most important things that you are going to purchase.

Target originally introduced this event in 2016 and since then has recycled more than 500,000 carseats which equals more than 7.4 million pounds of material.

What Can I Take to Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

One of the top questions that we see are parents wondering what type of carseats Target will take for their trade-in event?  Target will take any:

  • infant carseats (bucket seats)
  • convertible carseats (carseats that allow rear and forward facing)
  • harnessed carseats (seats with a 5-pt harness)
  • high back booster seats
  • no back booster seats
  • bases

Can I trade in an expired carseat at Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

Yes! Target will take back any expired carseat at their trade in event.  Carseats expire, not to force you to buy a new one, but simple because the materials can wear down over time.  Most carseats have a 6-12 years expiration date on them, so they last for many years, but they do in fact expire and you definitely want to trade those in for a newer model.

Will they take a damaged carseat at Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

Yes!  If your carseat has any damage, whether from a car accident, left outside, food disaster and other mishap, Target will accept them during the trade-in event.

Where do I have to take my carseat for Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

You can take the carseat that you are trading in to your local Target location (make sure they are participating here first).  Once inside, there will be drop off bins located at Guest Services.

What is the benefit of trading in my old carseat at Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

If you bring a carseat to the Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event, you will be presented with a 20% off coupon. The coupon does not have to be used for a carseat only. The 20% off coupon can be used for a new carseat, base, travel system, stroller or other baby home gear.  According to Target’s website, baby home gear includes, high chairs, rockers and bouncers, playards, or swings.

The coupon is good in combination with other sales going on in the store, such as 10% off baby items, according to Target.

How long is the coupon good to use once I receive it?

You are able to use the 20% off coupon immediately upon receiving it.  It will expire on May 11, 2019. You are able to use the coupon online or in person.

What happens to the carseats that are turned in during Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

According to one site, all the recycled car seats taken during Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event are taken by Waste Management.  They then, make carpet padding, plastic buckets, and materials like steel beams for construction from the carseats. This is much better than any curbside pickup that your local trash pick up may do because typically the seats just end up in the landfill at that time.

More posts you may be interested in: 

Just because you are on a budget, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to maximize your limit for a great seat.  These four carseats are all under $100 and will allow most children to rearface until 2 years old. 

One in four parents are using their carseats incorrectly.  Read up on these 20 Common Car Seat safety mistakes! 

Decadent Caramel Apple Sauce (Vegan Option)

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Somewhere between caramel apple dip and indulgent fruit sauces you have this decadent caramel apple sauce recipe. Once you make it you’ll want to pour it over cheesecakes, stuff into doughnuts, drizzle over cupcake frosting, spread on pancakes, and more. 

caramel apple sauce recipe

Growing up in West Virginia there weren’t many things to do. Every year though there was a small carnival that came to our tiny town. It was there that I discovered my love for caramel apples.  It was one of the few times that we were allowed to get two treats when we went somewhere – caramel apples and cotton candy. Of course, there came a stipulation — you had to eat the actual apple if they were going to buy one. I used to try to figure out how to eat the entire middle of the apple and leave the caramel and nuts until the end. Unfortunately, I was never great at that!

how to make caramel apple sauce

I’ve never outgrown my love of caramel apples. However, as I’ve grown older, I have figured out that my true love is not necessarily with the apples, but with the caramel sauce. Andrew and our girls share this love with me too. I’ll never grown out of my fondness for caramel apples or caramel, but this caramel apple sauce recipe is my current love obsession.

What is caramel apple sauce?

Caramel Apple Sauce is a simple caramel sauce recipe that has been cooked with actual apples and apple pie spice. After cooking down, the apples are mashed into the liquid sauce. You can either leave the tiny bits inside or it can be strained to remove any chunks. The end result is this decadent caramel apple sauce that will leave your mouth watering for more.

caramel sauce with apples

What are the ingredients in caramel apple sauce?

While this is a truly decadent caramel apple sauce, it’s an easy caramel sauce. The ingredients include:

  • apples
  • apple cider
  • unsalted butter
  • apple pie spice
  • brown sugar
  • water
  • lemons.

It’s proof that you don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients to have a truly remarkable recipe.

decadent caramel apple sauce

Can I make this a vegan caramel apple sauce?

The only ingredients in this recipe that make it not vegan are the butter.  You can simply swap that ingredients with a vegan approved butter (we like Earth Balance Soy free) and proceed with the recipe as called for.

How can you use caramel apple sauce?

Try this amazing caramel apple sauce recipe these these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples!

caramel cheesecake baked apples

Or spread on this delicious Caramel Apple Cheesecake!

caramel apple cheesecake

How do you make caramel apple sauce?

5 from 1 vote
Print
Caramel Apple Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

Somewhere between caramel apple dip and indulgent fruit sauces you have this decadent caramel apple sauce recipe. Once you make it you'll want to pour it over cheesecakes, stuff into doughnuts, drizzle over cupcake frosting, spread on pancakes, and more. 

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert
Servings: 12
Calories: 78 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 2 fuji apples (or other sweet variety), peeled and diced small
  • 1 lemon
  • 3/4 cup water, divided
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter (use vegan or dairy free if needed)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tbsp apple pie spice
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and nutmeg.  Set aside. 

  2. In a bowl, combine the diced apples and juice from one lemon. 

  3. In a medium saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water over medium heat. 

  4. Once water begins to boil, add apple and lemon mixture. Occasionally stirring. 

  5. After about 10 minutes, the water should be almost evaporated and the apples beginning to break down.  Add another 1/4 cup water. 

  6. After that 1/4 cup water almost evaporates, add the cider. Stir to combine. 

  7. Let cook for two minutes, then add the butter.

  8. After butter has melted, add the brown sugar mixture. 

  9. Let cook, stirring often, until brown sugar has completely melted and caramel apple sauce is well combined. 

Recipe Notes

If any chunks remain, you can use a masher to make them smaller. 

**Nutritional facts are just estimates. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. 

Nutrition Facts
Caramel Apple Sauce
Amount Per Serving (2 tbsp)
Calories 78 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 4mg0%
Potassium 34mg1%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Vitamin C 4.9mg6%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Pin this Caramel Apple Sauce Recipe for later how to make caramel apple sauce recipe

This post was originally published on 3/9/2018. Updated on 4/5/19.

The Truth of Going from 1 to 2 Kids

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The Truth of Going from 1 to 2 Kids is an award-winning piece about the realness in motherhood in going from having one child to take care of to now having two. All the obstacles that come along with parenting more than one child are daunting. 

going from 1 to 2 kids

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Folks, I’m just going to throw it out there and be completely blunt.

This sh*t is f*cking hard.

Okay, deep breathe.  Exhale.

You know how people are like labor is hard, but they don’t tell you HOW hard it really is and then you are laying (or squatting, or whatever your preferred birthing position is) on the hospital bed screaming in pain, yelling at your doctor that your vagina is on fire.  Same sh*t happened with this.  People were all, “oh, going from one to two was harder than when I went from 6 to 7.”  But they don’t keep it real.

So let me keep it real with you.

You will never sleep. And this isn’t like never sleeping when you only have one. You get the big kid down, then you go lay the baby down, the big kid gets up.  Then you get them both down again and the baby is up. For some reason your toddler decided she wanted to be one of 0.04% of kids that didn’t give up breastfeeding so now you find yourself tandem nursing them both and the big kid is nursing more than the damn baby.  LIKE. FOR REAL.  Just Stop it.  Except when I’m engorged and then I’ll happily let you nurse. Otherwise, back up and have another cookie.

Speaking of cookies, hide those everywhere.  I mean behind the couch, random drawers, under your pillow. EVERYWHERE. Because the older one is going to flip their lid at random times because you are naturally stuck under a nursing baby every 25.3 minutes around the clock.  Cookies help.  Chocolate preferably.  Make sure you put some extra in there for yourself, because you forgot to eat breakfast and lunch and it’s 3:00pm. Go ahead and order pizza because you forgot to thaw out the chicken for dinner tonight.

Once the baby starts crawling, the older one suddenly learns how to hit and bite and pinch and scream because EVERYTHINGGGG is THEIR TOY!  Everything.  Their actual toys.  The baby’s toys.  Your cell phone. Your socks, dishes, and underwear.  Essentially anything that the baby can touch is theirs and will cause them to go ape sh*t the moment the baby touches it.

Someone is not going to be showering.  Whether it’s you, the big one, or the baby, maybe all of the above, there’s just not enough hours.  It’s probably going to be the baby, because hormones have you smelling less than fantastic, showering the toddler get you 6.8 minutes of peace (add color tablets to the tub for 10 minutes), and the baby only spit up twice today, so she’ll be good for another 4 or 5 days.

Just start eating your food straight from the fridge. You will never eat another hot meal until your kids are 12 so just get used to it now. The literal moment that you sit a pipping hot plate of food down, your mouth starts salivating because you haven’t ate all day (except for the random slice of orange, 4 blueberries, 1/2 a pbj sandwich, and cookie crumbs your toddler left behind), the baby will start screaming.  And not like just a little cry, like full fledge scream like someone poked her in the eye (which also may have actually happened if you forget to sit the toddler down to the table).

But I digress. Somehow the moments where you catch them chatting, holding hands, and laughing together, make all the craziness worth it. And then, as if it’s not already hard, the mom guilt will kick in.  You will realize that the big one is growing up too fast, you haven’t spent enough time with them, and you will break down in uncontrollable sobbing to your significant other, telling them that you are a horrible parent and they will look at you like you have five heads.

Carry on. Be strong.

going from 1 to 2

This post won a 2017 VOTY award from BlogHer for best written short piece. Here’s some other posts that you may enjoy on our site: 

This post was originally published on 1/8/2016 and has been since updated to add other related posts. 

100+ Protein Packed Postpartum Snacks

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All new moms need healthy and delicious snacks after having a baby! Grab our list of more than 100 protein packed postpartum snacks to keep moms energized and fueled. 

Congratulations!!!! If you are reading this list of 100+ postpartum snacks, you likely just had a baby. You are now going to be hungry non-stop. Think you were hungry when you were pregnant!? Wrong.

via GIPHY

Before you continue reading this, I want you to learn from my experience. While I only have two kids and some would say that’s not a ton of experience, I do know how I felt during postpartum days.  No one can understand that unless they have kids.  And no matter what happened the first time around and how much your brain has pushed out of your memory, the second time around doesn’t make postpartum any easier.  So I want you to follow these few simple steps no matter if this is your first baby or your 9th.

  1. Scroll down through the list and pick your Top 5 choices
  2. Send the ideas to your partner or family member helping you
  3. Ask them to make it for you

Part of becoming a new mom is learning to ask for help. Especially if you have other kids, you need all the help you can get.  One of the most important things that you can during postpartum time, is making sure you keep yourself hydrated and fueled to take care of baby.

Now, back to the hunger….

There is nothing like newly postpartum mom hunger. I understand why some mother mammals eat their young. THEY’RE FREAKING HUNGRY. Give them a bit more to eat!

As a new mom, you also don’t feel like cooking anything. This means you need quick, simple, healthy, delicious. We’ve complied a list of great postpartum snacks for anyone.

If you happen to be here and you are not a new mom, you are likely looking for something that you can put together for them.  Kuddos! You’ll definitely want to save this list and over the next 6 months to a year, any time you see this mama, take her a snack.

Why Does a New Mom Need Healthy snacks?

Umm, she just gave birth to a whole human being. That took a lot of energy! In all seriousness, birthing a baby vaginally or by Cesarean is a lot of work.  For the last nine months, mama has had all her organs pushed and shoved, grown new organs, and then expelled all of them for the sake of a tiny little being that is now going to keep her up for hours and hours every night.

It’s exhausting giving birth AND having a newborn. Her body is going to expend a lot of energy getting her body’s organs back into place and realigning other bodily functions. This takes a minimum of six to eight weeks to happen, but often even longer.

Now, if the mama is breastfeeding, she’s going to need even more. She’s physically producing milk which is burning a ton of calories.  In order to continue to make milk, she needs breastfeeding snacks that are healthy for her.

How Many Healthy Snacks Does a New Mom Need?

Overall, a new mom needs between 1800 and 2200 calories a day.  Because moms are always on the go, some of these could be in snack form, like the protein energy bites or avocado toast listed below. If a new mom is breastfeeding, she’ll need to increase her calories by another 500-800 a day. Also, if cleared for working out or tandem nursing (either twins or an older children), she’ll need even more. It’s best to talk to a lactation specialist if breastfeeding or other care physician, like a dietician to get a correct number of caloric intake for each specific person.

What are the best healthy snacks for a new mom? 

We’ve rounded up 100+ Protein Packed Postpartum Snacks that are amazing and just what you need as you transition into this new time in your life. Whether this is baby #1 or #6, you still have to eat. Most of these recipes are easy to make or no bake, but there are a few that requires baking. Make sure you have someone else make those ones for you!

Side note: whether you are breastfeeding or not, these are all great snacks for postpartum mothers. Your body needs fuel to recover and heal and you need to make sure you are getting proper nutrition so you have the energy to keep going.

100+ Delicious Postpartum Snacks for New Moms


Best of luck on this amazing journey of motherhood!

Some things that may help you through the transition:


Other Posts You Might Be Interested In

breastfeeding myths

lactation boosting foods

This post was originally publish on 3/21/2017. Updated on 10/10/2018 and reupdated on 3/25/2019.

Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites

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These Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites are the perfect entertaining dessert. These bites size cheesecake bites will make you the star of the day!

chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites

I remember get togethers at my aunt’s house growing up where a family friend would always bring these amazing pepperoni rolls and cherry cheesecakes. Both were always gone in a flash. Decadent cream cheese filling with a crunchy sweet crust and topped with a rich cherry filling topping that would burst in your mouth. As a kid, there was nothing better than that. They were to die for and that’s where I know my love of cheesecake started.

For me, cheesecake is one of the things that I believe could cure world tensions. Everyone just needs to sit down and eat some amazingly delicious cheesecake together and work it all out. Am I right?

While, I personally would enjoy just sitting down with the pan of cheesecake and a fork, I know many people think it’s really indulgent and just want to have a small piece. It’s kind of awkward to cut though so we have recently been making these in a square pan and cutting into bite size pieces to take to get togethers.

What ingredients do I need to make these chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites?

There are four parts to these chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites.  I know that may sound like a lot, but I promise it comes together really easily. You will need to make the crust, cheesecake filling, caramel, and chocolate sauce.  For everything together for these chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites, you will need:

  • graham crackers
  • unsalted butter
  • brown sugar
  • sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • cream cheese
  • eggs
  • brown sugar
  • heavy cream
  • vanilla
  • salt
  • chocolate chips
  • coconut oil

Even though there are four total parts to this recipe, you still only need 13 ingredients.  Not bad for a recipe that’s going to be one of your favorite dessert recipes for gatherings.

How do you make chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites?

This amazing dessert recipe is actually fairly easy to make. To start, you’re going to want to preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place foils on the bottom of a 9×13 cake pan.

In a food processor, crush the graham crackers to crumbs.  If you do not have a food processor you can also achieve this by adding the crackers to a gallon size ziploc bag and use a rolling pin or flat size of a meat tenderizer until you get crumbs. Add the crumbs into a bowl with the brown sugar and melted butter.  Stir this mixture together and them press onto the bottom of the pan evenly using the back of a spoon or your hands. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and let cool.

While your crust is baking, you can start the cheesecake filling.  Grab a large bowl and beat all the cream cheese together until really nice and creamy.  Add in the sugar and vanilla and blend well. Then, one at a time add the eggs and beat on low until just blended. Don’t over mix.  Pour this over the cooled crust.

Place in oven for an hour to hour and fifteen minutes.  The center should almost be set but have a slight jiggle.  Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to remain inside, door closed, for 30-45 minutes.  Let cool to touch, then refrigerate overnight to let set up all the way.  If you are short on time, you can freeze for 2 hours.

Caramel and cheesecake toppings

Then, you are going to want to make your caramel sauce the day you are ready to make the cheesecake bites. In a small pot, over medium heat, add brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, and vanilla.  Let cook, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes. It will be thickened.  Let cool for 30 minutes.  Then pour over the cheesecake and place in freezer for an hour until solid.
Lastly, the chocolate covered part.  Using a double broiler, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together until melted. Bring the cheesecake out of freezer and remove from pan. Pull off foil from the sides.  Cut the cheesecake into bite size pieces.
If the cheesecake begins to soften too much during this phase, then place back in the freezer.  Dip or drizzle chocolate across cheesecake pieces.  Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Repeat with all remaining ingredients.  Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, then move to fridge until ready to serve.  Store any leftovers in fridge or freezer.

making cheesecake bites

Can kids help make these chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites?

We used to do a series on here called Mini Chef Mondays where we would show our oldest baking something with us and learning her way around the kitchen.  Some of the things that she could do for this recipe that you kids could also help with is:

  • Turn on and use the food processor or crushing with a rolling pin if using a ziploc bag
  • Using a mixer (with help if younger)
  • Pouring the cheesecake mixture into the crust
  • Dipping the cheesecake bites into the chocolate
  • and more

making cheesecake bites

What are other delicious cheesecake recipes we should try?

If you are looking at this recipe because you love cheesecake then we would encourage you to try some of our other amazing cheesecake recipes like:

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Print
Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Resting
8 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 

These Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites are the perfect entertaining dessert. These bites size cheesecake bites will make you the star of the day!

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake recipes, dessert, recipes
Servings: 60 bites
Calories: 89 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
For crust
  • 3 cups crushed graham crackers ~18 whole crackers
  • 1 stick + 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
For cheesecake filling
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4- 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese softened
  • 4 eggs
For caramel
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • pinch of salt
Additional
  • 1 bag chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
For crust
  1. Heat oven to 325 Degrees F
  2. In a food processor crush graham crackers to crumbs. With a spoon, add in brown sugar and melted butter.
  3. Add foil to cover a 9x13 cake pan.
  4. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of pan evenly with the bottom of a spoon.
  5. Bake crust for 10 mins. Remove and let cool.
For cheesecake filling
  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium until well blended.
  2. One at a time, add eggs, and beat on a low setting until blended (don't overdo the blending here).
  3. Pour over crust.
  4. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins or until center is almost set (should have a slightly jiggle).
  5. Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to remain inside oven for 30-45 mins.
  6. Let cool to touch and then refrigerate overnight or freeze at least 2 hours.
For caramel
  1. In a small pot over medium heat, add brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, and vanilla.
  2. Let cook, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
  3. Let cool for 30 minutes.
  4. Pour mixture over cheesecake and put into freezer for an hour or until solid.
Additional
  1. In a microwave safe bowl or double broiler, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together until well melted.
  2. Bring cheesecake out of freezer and gently remove from pan and pull off foil from around the sides.
  3. Cut into bit size pieces.
  4. *Tip: Move quickly (but safely) when cutting. If cheesecake begins to soften too much, place back in freezer.
  5. Dip or drizzle chocolate across cheesecake. And place on wax paper lined baking sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes, then you can move to fridge until ready to serve.
  6. Store any leftovers in fridge or freezer.
Recipe Notes

**Nutritional facts are just estimates. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. 

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites
Amount Per Serving (1 bite)
Calories 89 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 16mg5%
Sodium 39mg2%
Potassium 19mg1%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Vitamin A 85IU2%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 I hosted Mini Chef Mondays with these other amazing bloggers.

Be sure to check out each of their Mini Chef posts as well!

  1. Avocado Deviled Eggs // Courtney’s Sweets
  2. Strawberry Pound Cake Parfaits for Easter // Finding Zest
  3. Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites // We’re Parents
  4. White Chocolate Covered Grapes // Frugal Novice
  5. Bunny Rabbit Pancake // Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps
  6. No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites // Vegging at the Shore
  7. Strawberry Pineapple Kale Smoothie // The Shirley Journey
  8. Cooking with Kids: Keeping it Safe // O’Boy! Organic
  9. Peaches and Cream Pie // My Mini Adventurer

Pin these Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites for later: 

This post was originally published on 3/21/2016.  Updated on 3/21/2019.

FREE Breastfeeding Pumping Signs

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Breastfeeding and being a working mom isn’t easy! We’ve made a few FREE breastfeeding pumping signs for your office or pumping area that you can easily put up while pumping. 

We realize that being a working mom outside of the home that needs to pump isn’t easy. Despite clear cut laws in most states about the rights breastfeeding/pumping moms have, you often have to jump through hoops just for adequate times and space to pump.  It’s as though people think leaving your baby is easy.  As though, you have nothing else to do than give someone a hard time about giving you a space other than a bathroom to pump in multiple times a day.  It’s really infuriating that we are still fighting for these simple things. These basic rights for our babies.

Why May You Need a Breastfeeding Pumping Sign

You finally get a pumping space and people decide to keep barging in the door. Talk about a let down mood buster. Constantly having to worry about people coming in while you are pumping is enough to stress anyone out on top of the already stressful situation that pumping at work presents.

Even if you don’t have the issue of people coming in and out of your space unannounced, you may just want a breastfeeding pumping sign for privacy or just because you are the type of person that loves decorating and want to put something up.  No matter your reason for wanting a breastfeeding pumping sign for work, we guarantee that you will love at least one of the signs that we’ve made.

We wanted to take some time and create a few signs for you to print out and be able to put on the door of your pumping space.  While we wish that we could ensure that no one will ever walk in on you, there’s always that risk.  Hopefully, our signs help!

They are completely FREE for you to print out as often as needed. Our only ask is that you share our link with your pumping friends so they have access to them as well!

Tip: On the signs that says “Come back in ____ minutes”, print these out and laminate them. Then, you can use a dry erase marker to write on over and over again.

Scroll down to get the FREE breastfeeding pumping sign(s) of your choice! 

Lactation Recipes – 

Breastfeeding is already hard.  If you would like some delicious lactation recipes, then check out our 15 Lactation Boosting Recipes.  Multiple smoothie amounts, cookies, muffins, pancakes and more.  These delicious recipes will knock your socks off.  Make sure to try the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake — our #1 post for more than 5 years!  As well as our super popular lactation energy bites – just 6 ingredients and under 10 minutes to make, these are a huge hit!

Some breastfeeding words of encouragement: 

I know you are here looking for breastfeeding pumping signs for work, but as a mama who nursed both of her kids to 3yo and 4yo, I feel like I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence without sharing a little breastfeeding encouragement.  #1 – you are doing great.  I feel like I needed to hear that more than I did.  Breastfeeding is not easy.  It’s often secluded and shunned, which can cause moms to have a heightened risk of anxiety and nervousness. However, you are doing great.

Just remember that you are doing this for the most important reason ever – to feed your baby for as long as you can. Pumping is one of the harder jobs ever, but you can succeed. Just keep up doing all the hard work that you are doing! You got this mama!

Another post you may be interested in is 50 breastfeeding myths busted! 

 

Grab any of the breastfeeding pumping signs to print at this link.

 

Grab any of these breastfeeding pumping signs to print at this link.

Make sure that you save our breastfeeding pumping signs to Pinterest so that you always have them easily accessible. 

This post was originally published on 3/8/2017 and was updated with new signs and more information on 3/18/2019.

Maybe We Should Stop Focusing Solely on College Admissions as “THEE WAY”

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Maybe We Should Stop Focusing Solely on College Admissions as “THEE WAY” is a post about how we are doing a huge disservice to our children by saying they aren’t great if they don’t go to college.  

A bomb shell dropped today. Celebrities and socialites were charged with fraud in paying their way into elite schools in order for their children to gain entrance into these universities. There are reports that they bribed athletic coaches, admissions people, college entrance test personal and more.

Now, if you ask me, I thought this was something that we had all already known occurred. That’s how libraries and football stadiums get named after donors, no? Well to do parents have paid their way into everything. From varsity sports team placements in high school to a spot in Ivy League schools.  All you needed to do was pay off the right person and your child could have whatever they wanted. Regardless of that, there’s something else that we truly need to focus on in the wake of this “scandal”.

Why are we forcing children to think college is the absolute end all be all?

College was traditionally seen as something only the elite could do.  Around the time of the later “Baby Boomers” and “Gen X”, they started attending college more frequently and we saw a push from them for their children to go to college.  This push from them created a system that allowed colleges to continue to raise tuition prices to astronomical levels.  Tuition rates in the past decade have risen 213%, to a point where most people simply can’t afford it without going into serious debt. Yet and still, we see many people assuming that their children with graduate high school and go right to college.

Not only do “we” want them to go to college, but we want them to go to THEE best colleges and universities.  Community colleges are frowned upon. Ivy League and upper level state universities are seen as token ways to ensuring a successful individual. But is it?

We are putting pressure on our children to reach insurmountable goals in order to say “look at our trophy”. 

This is exactly what has happened in at least one of the scandal cases.  Lori Loughlin’s daughter said she didn’t even care about school. So why was she there, to put her on a pedestal of look where my child is?  Her daughter Olivia has almost 2 million YouTube subscribers and over 1 million Instagram followers.  She has endorsements, a makeup collection and more.  This sick and twisted version that our children have to go to college has to end.

Here’s a child that didn’t care to go to school and instead of her parents believing in a business she could create out of a passion (social media), they allegedly threw $500,000 away on a bribe.  Think about that. $500,000 you could have invested in photographers, coaches, and more to actually truly make your child a better businesswoman, but instead you threw it away and she will likely be kicked out of school.

And who wins in that scenario? Certainly not the child.

And thinking on a more normal scale, because most of us don’t have even $50,000 we can throw away on a bribe, doesn’t the same apply for our children? Why are we so set that this is the only way?

The average college student graduates with almost $40,000 in debt. They likely still have no idea what they want to do in life. And now have to find a place to live, apply for jobs, etc. All while now figuring out how to make these payments that now on average are $330 a month.

Can you not be proud of your child for getting a trade job? Could you not support them for starting their own business? How about we focus on teaching our children ways to become better and more responsible citizens of the world instead of saying my one goal is to get them to graduate and then off to the absolute best university that we can get them placed in when they turn 18.

1 in 5 college students are diagnosed with depression and maybe, just maybe, it’s because we are focusing that they must go to college instead of helping them see and nurture their talents.

Maybe We Should Stop Focusing Solely on College Admissions as “THEE WAY”

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