LUNCHPAILS AND LIPSTICK

Let me introduce you to Paula Hankin, celebrity chef and culinary consultant. You might recognize Paula from  Bravo’s hit TV show, Pregnant in Heels. She also has appeared in national media including, Shape, Men’s Fitness and OK! Paula is known for flawlessly uniting taste, beauty, and nutrition, whether she’s preparing a four course dinner party for Oscar winners in LA or teaching an afternoon cooking class for moms and moms-to-be in Brooklyn.

Paula has been busy working with the newest member of the New York Real Housewives, Kristen Taekman. Paula provided the kitchy movie treats for Kristen’s Real Housewives of NY premiere party.  I was thrilled to spend the afternoon with Paula at the famous FROLIC play place in Brooklyn. Not only can Paula cook she is one fashionable mom. She has the cutest little boy, Max. Paula taught my girls how to make healthy snacks while having fun. These are a must try! My girls loved the snacks so much they licked their plates.

Paula’s Top  / Jenna’s Top,  Wrap Bracelet / Kid’s Birkenstock Sandals /

Paula is a brand ambassador for KIND snacks. Have you had Kind Bars? They are a favorite in my family. I especially love the bars with a small drizzle of dark chocolate found here. Kind bars are the perfect snack to put in goodie bags for party favors.

Frolic is Brookyln’s premier rock n’ roll play space for rockers 6 and younger. The play space is 5,000 square feet of fun. This water front enrichment center provides music lessons, story time, classes, birthday parties, coffee lounge for the moms and a unique playground based on rock n’ roll. Celebrity Moms like Kate Hudson and Katie Holmes have been spotted many times taking their kids to play at this RAD play place. Your little urban rock stars will love sliding done the Rolling Stone inspired slide. Cool vibes are definitely happening at FROLIC in Williamsburg. Go check it out! Read more about it here.

The party room at Frolic totally rocks. Your kids will keep busy with all the music instruments and rock n’ roll decor.

Paula’s Recipes

Kale and Mozzarella Stuffed Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets, Served with
Marinara

Ingredients:

6 , 4-6 ounce boneless and skinless Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup of flour

1 egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of whole milk
1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
4 teaspoons of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup frozen Kale – defrosted and drained
1/4 cup of cooked quinoa (ensure that it’s completely dry and cooled)
3 flat containers (I use leftover take-out food container then just throw
them out/recycle afterwards…Less clean up!)

- Pre Heat Oven to 400
- Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray
- Cut chicken into long nugget size pieces then cut a slit in the middle -
Don’t cut all the way through.
- Put ingredients into 3 bowls:
bowl 1) flour
bowl 2) beaten egg and milk
bowl 3) bread crumbs, quinoa and grated parmesan cheese
- Stuff each piece of chicken with small pieces of kale and some shredded
mozzarella cheese
- Roll in the flour, then egg, and then quinoa bread crumb mixture
- Place on baking sheet
- Before baking, spray both baking sheet and chicken with cooking spray
- Cook for 25 minutes (may vary based on oven), flipping nuggets halfway
through.  -
- Serve with a side of marinara for dipping.

Healthy Banana Bunny Ears

You can read more about Paula here and find more healthy recipes for you and your family here.

www.cluelessinthekitch.com

twitter – @paulabhankin

xx,

Jenna

SHOP PAULA’S PICKS

A few fun finds from today! BONUS: click HERE for 25% off your ENTIRE purchase from Shopbop!

          xxo

           Lisa

tank and leggings by Arrow and Aspen | shoes | mom’s sunglasses

Yesterday was a big day for Goldie! She got her ears pierced:) Her tears were short lived and she loves them! Sometimes I get bummed out seeing my kids get older, especially my littlest. Goldie and I chose a fun little outfit from Arrow and Aspen to wear for this special day. Their catchy graphics and easy, yet super cool pants are some of my very favorite. Our friends at Arrow and Aspen are offering you 10% off your total purchase with code: lunchpails10! Happy Shopping.

XXO

Lisa

If you haven’t tried One Love Organics products than you need to.  They are awesome!  This company sparked my interest and when I did some more research, I loved what I found.  It is owned by a mom of two.  She and her husband are both lawyers turned business owners.  Her love of beauty products mixed with beautiful packaging and high quality ingredients created One Love Organics! It has been seen in top magazines such as Vogue, Real Simple, US weekly and The Oprah Magazine just to name a few. I love when real moms can accomplish remarkable things and have much success.  A big congrats to Suzanne!  Our L&L exclusive up close and personal interview with her…

1. How did you meet your husband? I met my husband on St. Simons Island, Georgia at a University of Georgia alumni event.

2. How many kids do you have and what are their ages? We have two little boys, Chip who is 8 and Hayes who just turned 7.

3. What sparked your interest in Organic products and holistic healing? I have always loved beauty products-it was always my first choice for a treat. I absolutely love the textures, scents, packaging and the way I feel after treating myself to a beauty treatment or new product. It seemed to me to be the perfect guilt free and healthy indulgence. Over time, I found that I wanted to learn more about ingredients and how to make these products with the highest grade and healthiest ingredients available. In fact, the day my husband called for our first date was the same day my first set of essential oils for a course in aromatherapy arrived. Over the next eleven years, I studied aromatherapy, herbology, holistic skin care and created natural beauty products. It became so consuming that my husband suggested I pursue my passion full time.

4. How do you find a balance in being a mother and having two successful professions? I no longer practice law, One Love Organics is my full time job. However, I use the research and analysis skills I gained during my career as a lawyer to determine for myself what is actually beneficial to the skin and what is not. Like most lawyers, I don’t just accept the conventional way but instead look for what is truly the best way—often the road less traveled. I am not afraid to explore both sides of the coin and take an objective approach to a solution-whether it pertains to making a final decision to include a certain ingredient or to help finalize our latest formula. Only what is necessary for formulation and what is best for the skin gets included in our products. As far as balance, honestly, it is not always easy balancing a start-up with a family. I will admit that we eat yogurt and fruit on many nights. It doesn’t all get done but I try to focus on important things like giving them my undivided attention so we read, play, listen to music and have long tuck-ins in the evening.

5. We love the One Love Organics products and packaging. Do you have a hand and oversee every little thing?  I absolutely do have a hand in every little thing. From formulating, to producing batches, to shipping and customer service. There is no part of the business that I am not involved in daily. I am absolutely passionate about making products. Most companies hire a third party manufacturer but I wanted to be intimately involved with the process, ingredients and the final outcome. So as a company, we have put a lot of time, effort and resources into building a great facility where we craft each piece we sell on St. Simons Island, Georgia and we love it.

6. What has been your biggest obstacle in creating and owning your own business? What has been the best thing about it? To create your own business from nothing takes faith, diligence and humor. You will find obstacles literally around every corner-there are too many to name. You really have to view it as an adventure and learn to go with the flow. My husband, who joined One Love Organics full time March of last year, really keeps me grounded. He often reminds of the poem “If” by Kipling that advises us to treat success and failure as equal imposters. You have ups and downs in a start up entrepreneurial venture and you must learn how to cope successfully. The very best thing is that I get to do what I love with people that I love and it doesn’t get better than that!

A must have product from One Love Organics:

I’m also hooked on this…

Brand New Day is wonderful and will give your skin a fresh feel and look!  It can be found at one of our favorite stores here!

Thanks Suzanne for inspiring us to use beauty products with all natural ingredients.  We love your stuff! See all their great products at www.oneloveorganics.com

XOXO

SUMMER

winner of the sprouted arrow contest:

Leslie April 4th, 2014

I love love the ruffled shorts. I also think the Peter Pan collared shirt would look great on my little gal this summer!

*please email us within 24-48 hours to claim prize

xx-jenna

 1. This top is so dang pretty. Airy, light, and full of color. I can’t wait to wear it all spring and summer!

2. Turquoise is a favorite of mine! This layered necklace is so great! Only $58, I’m positive it won’t last long. 

3. How pretty is this suit?! It also comes in navy. This suit offers great coverage and looks amazing on. 

4. You’ve been seeing Birkenstock’s quite a bit here on L&L. It’s like going back in time to our youth. I love the updated look of metallic! This pair is $90 and will last another 20 years when the trend resurfaces yet again. 

5. Stripes+sleeves+just above the knee and slightly oversized= the perfect casual dress! 

1. Although this little white number looks like a dress it’s actually the cutest romper.  I just got it and it’s perfect.  It has adjustable straps and fits like a glove!  I plan to wear this to the beach and pool all season.

2. A good stud is timeless.  These new Kate Spade earrings come in a ton of fun colors. We all know how well they are made and that we can be confident they will last and hang out in our jewelry drawer for a long time.

3. This black and white satchel is a jelly bag!  I love that they are back.  Can you imagine how easy this is to keep clean?! Just take some wipes to it every now and then and it’s good. So great!

4. I have fallen in love with Ivanka shoes.  They are just so comfortable! This new pair just came out.  A gold gladiator always gets two thumbs up from me because it’s a basic that can go with anything.

5. Lately, bold floral blouses have been catching my eye.  The colors all together are so pretty.  They look great with skirts and also jeans.  This is one of the best ones I have seen and the price is good.

 1. These running shoes are my absolute favorite. They make me want to get to the gym. Love this brand new green color. Order one size up!

2. This black top is so fun. It comes in white as well. The high neck line is unique and I really love the sleeves. The best part about it – Under $40!

3. These PAIGE denim are the perfect cut. I love a good slim boyfriend jean. The denim wash is so good.

4. I’m looking for the perfect clutch that will look good with everything. I’m pretty sure this is it. I love cork with the gold tortoise shell.

5.  Yosi Samra is a favorite here on Lunchpails. These new sandals are chic and simple. I love this line of shoes.

These three little bunnies LOVE their Easter Baskets from Personal Creations!  This company is SO great. I love how you can custom create.  Having my kid’s names on their baskets makes them each feel so special.

We chose the create your own girl’s easter basket found here but thought these were fun too:

 Easter basket with liner/ Canvas Easter Basket/ Felt Bunny Basket

The beautiful thing about Personal Creations is that you can order any of these baskets pre-filled with lots of yummy candy like Thompson brand chocolate and Peeps!  Also, darling sock monkeys and stuffed bunnies.  Even easter grass!  They make awesome gifts!

Personal Creations is offering 25% off your purchase until April 14, 2014 when you use code:

BunnyHop25

Check out www.personalcreations.com to see all the selections!

We can’t wait to use ours for many egg hunts this year and then again in years to come.

Each year the bunny that comes to our house likes to fill baskets with spring and summer essentials.  Here are some ideas for fillers that we love:

1. aviator sunnies 2. zinka sunscreen 3. 3D sidewalk chalk 4. camo/stripe jammies 5. palm tree trunks 6. glitter flip flops 7. powder blue trunks 8. heart sunnies 9. gingham cap 10. ruffle striped rashguard/swimsuit 11. power planes 12. polka dot swimsuit 13. beach balls 14. macaron matching game 15. i’m a smartie puzzle 16. camo flip flops 17. embroidered dress 18. marshmallow robin eggs

XOXO

SUMMER

There are a few items that are definitely worth splurging for. These are on my wish list.
xx,
Jenna

My friend Amanda is the queen of organizing. You can read all about this fabulous New York City mom here. She is a well known event planner in the city and has become known as the “Fashionable Hostess”. I love reading her tips on throwing dinner parties and decorating your home for guests. Here are a few of my favorite tips from Amanda on organizing your vanity space.

1. Fairest Of Them All Vanity Table from Urban Outfitters or similar here / 2. Stick Around Side Chair from CB2 / 3. Chemist Jars from Anthropologie / 4. Topsy-Turvy Jewelry Box from Anthropologie / 5. Mint Julep Cup Vase  / 6. Pink Peonie Blossom  / 7. Jonathan Adler Sugar Candle 

WIDE MOUNTED GLASS SHELVES /GLASS SHELF CLIP KITS

Mount glass shelves for extra storage for makeup and products if you have a small bathroom like most NYC spaces. 2 options, WIDE MOUNTED GLASS SHELVES or GLASS SHELF CLIP KITS from Container Store.

Use  Acrylic Lipstick Risers for  lipstick and lip glosses. Then order the Linus Shallow Drawer Organizers so you can organize the remainder of your makeup. I used one drawer organizer for foundation and powders, another for bronzers and blush, and another for eyeshadows. For makeup brushes and mascaras, buy the Clear Amac Boxes {removing the lid} and organize them by placing brushes in one and eye liners and mascaras in another. Good Luck! You will now have a bathroom fit for a queen.

xx,

Jenna & Amanda

SHOP THE STORY

Easter dresses are a fun tradition! Having three little girls to dress each year can be a challenge. Here are my top pick’s for Easter 2014!

XXO

Lisa