Nicole

Homemade Vegan Chocolate Truffles

There’s something kind of magical about being an adult. Especially on Valentine’s Day. Because in my home it means I get to combine two of my favorite tasks, creating vegan desserts and lavishing love on my family!

This year I’m making one of my favorite easy-to-make vegan desserts, DIY chocolate truffles. The perfect Valentine’s Day recipe. A little decadent. A little fancy. Treats that can be made in under an hour and for a fraction of the price you would pay for store bought treats. Did I also mention they are organic, gluten-free, low in processed sugar, and are customizable too?

Besides being very pretty these date truffles taste kinda amazing. Made from organic cocoa powder, organic maple syrup, and topped with organics, they are so so good! Which is why I wanted to post this little inspiration today – and some of you might be needing to bring a dessert or treat for a date with your loved ones or are looking for healthier treas to send to school for Valentine’s Day. These treats just might fit the bill!

The star of the show? Organic Medjool dates, of course! What would a plant-based dessert be without them? As with most date-heavy recipes, they are simple food processed treats. Easy enough to make on a weeknight but decadent enough to serve as a date-night-in treat too!

Now, you might be thinking, what if you are making them just for yourself? You’ll be sure to have an absolutely wonderful Valentine’s Day night-in and enjoy every moment and bite of it! Oh, and the best part? They can be made ahead of time and kept tucked away in your freezer and thawed hours before delivering these treats! A huge bonus in my book! Self-care always!

So if you are looking for a healthy, affordable Valentine’s Day treat this year, these DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolate Truffles are worthy of any Saint Valentine’s Day festivities!

I love that these date truffles can be customized with a myriad of colorful coatings. I like to use a mixture of cocoa powder and Ceylon cinnamon for some, chia seeds mixed with black sesame seeds for others, and enjoy adding chopped pumpkin seeds or walnuts to others! The choices are endless!

Now if you’d like to see how I transform these delectables to giftable using humble Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day wrapping, check out my latest YouTube collab video for more ideas:

I hope these truffles will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to your Valentine’s Day treats this year at home! Eating plant-based doesn’t mean you have to skin on the luxury and sophistication you have come to expect from commercial truffles this time of year! Give them a try, you’ll love them!

Now I want to ask, will you be making treats for yourself or loved ones this Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear your foodie love story below!

Yum

Homemade Vegan Valentine's Day Truffles

Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 60 Truffles

Serving Size: 1 Truffle

Calories per serving: 45

Fat per serving: 3g

Homemade Vegan Valentine's Day Truffles

These truffles are the perfect Valentine’s Day recipe. A little decadent. A little fancy. Treats that can be made in under an hour and for a fraction of the price you would pay for store bought treats. Did I also mention they are organic, gluten-free, low in processed sugar, and are customizable too? Give them a try for those you love this Valentine's Day and all year long!

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups organic medjool dates, pitted
1 cup dark chocolate, 70%
1 tablespoon organic cocoa powder
Zest and juice from 1 organic blood orange
1 tablespoon organic maple syrup
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
1 cup organic walnuts
1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1/2 cup chopped, semi-ground organic pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup mixture of half organic cocoa powder and organic ground cinnamon
1/2 cup mixture of half black sesame seeds organic chia seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F/175 °C.
Place walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 min until golden brown. Cool completely.
Then place nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Pitt your dates; composting your pits.
Temper your chocolate; stove top double boiler method or 15-20 second increments in the microwave.
In a blender, add pitted dates, salt, zest, and orange juice. Blend until a very smooth cream.
Add dark chocolate and maple syrup to food processor and mix for 2 minutes until smooth.
Place the date mix in the fridge for a couple of hours until firm.
Use your palms to make perfect round sized truffles.
Coat them in different toppings.
Place the truffles in small boxes, lined with paper liners, and wrap them up.
They keep best in fridge, but can be frozen for up to 3 months until you need them.
Makes 60 truffles.

Notes

Need an affordable packaging idea? Consider Dollar Tree treat boxes and compostable paper mini cupcake liners!

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Raw Vegan Strawberry & Pistachio Brownies

My affair with food has existed possibly since birth. My earliest memories included spending Saturday’s in the kitchen watching my grandmother make desserts while reading her floor to ceiling collection of vintage cookbooks. My favorites? Dessert cookbooks from the late, great Julia Child.

I like good food (obviously, who doesn’t, right?), and I only post my personal favorite recipes on this blog. While I do believe that healthy food can be tasty, in regards to dessert, it’s not always as easy to find recipes that pull off both great flavor and are as healthy as they are easy to prepare.

Coupling this, with my recent desire to develop tasty dessert recipes that also help me to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet. Because sugar is great once in a while, but not when you’re scarfing it down day in day out. It’s a totally other matter!

Which is why I wanted to share one of my latest dessert obsessions, strawberry pistachio vegan brownies!

Brownies, that aside from tempered organic cocoa butter, are raw, vegan, gluten-free and guilt-free.

Featuring a combination of dates, pistachios, black walnuts, dried cranberries and strawberries, and glazed almond butter, maple syrup, and cacao dough that yields a rich, chocolatey perfection!

Although these don’t taste exactly like traditional butter and sugar based brownies, they are nonetheless chewy, rich, full of chocolate and a great way to satisfy that sugar craving. Perfect for the upcoming Valentine’s Day week ahead!

Keep in mind, this recipe is nuttier than my family tree and equally full of dates, so it isn’t exactly frugal. But it lasts quite a while and can be served in small portions.

You can get away substituting many of the ingredients and toppings based on what you have at home. You may not need to go out and buy a ton of stuff. Because shopping your pantry first is a must in my book!

You can also check out this recipe in action here:

And now that you’re looking to satisfy that sugar craving with something a little healthier, give this recipe a try:

Yum

Vegan Strawberry Pistachio Brownies

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Yield: 16-24 brownies, depending on size.

Serving Size: 1 brownie.

Calories per serving: 80

Fat per serving: 8

Vegan Strawberry Pistachio Brownies

A rich, chocolate, gluten-free brownies. Perfect to satisfy your Valentine's Day date-night-in plans or for any time of year!

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts nuts
6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons organic pure maple syrup
1/2 cup organic raw cocoa butter, tempered
2 1/2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
4 tablespoons raw almond butter
1/2 cup dried organic cranberries
1/2 cups dried organic strawberries

Instructions

In a high-quality food processor, add your nuts, and dried fruit. Blitz the ingredients together until well chopped but not minced. Remove from food processor. Set aside.
Add the dates, tempered cocoa butter, cocoa powder, almond butter, and maple syrup to your food processor.
Blend until a smooth dough forms and the mixture no longer sticks to he sides of your device.If you find that the mixture is too dry, you can add a date or two more. If you find the mixture too sticky, blitz up a couple more nuts and add it to the fruit-nut mixture, until you are able to touch the dough without it sticking to your fingers.
Add the dough to your fruit-nut mixture. Fold together evenly.
Spoon the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or pan and press it into a large square about 1/2 an inch thick completely around.
Place your pan of brownies in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm and set.
Cut the brownie into 16-25 pieces. Remember, these are rich and a little goes a long way!
These brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks, and last about a month in the fridge, and up to a year frozen. If frozen, thaw for one hour before eating.

Notes

Share, pin, and enjoy!

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Why I’m loving Nature’s Miracle Enzyme Cleaner at Home

I’ve often said that a house becomes a home when a cat resides there. Which is very true in my world as I am the adoptive pet guardian to two amazing, lovable, precocious cats, Boo Radley, and Mr. Darcy. And on most days, I love them to pieces.

Okay, so I love them every day. But some days its harder than others. Especially when you are dealing with a cat that believes he owns the house and can relieve themselves of any and all bodily fluids as they please indoors. Days you have to remind yourself how much you actually love their furry little faces.

As a multi-pet household, we’ve tried most of the leading products out there to get rid of pet stains and odors, and have finally settled on a few that we feel work best for us. Products designed to help remove cat or dog urine smells from carpets, clean common surfaces, and to remove stains from hardwood floors and tiles.

I’ve also found that avoiding products intended to cover up animal smell only exasperate the problem. Because most animals sense of smell is much greater than our own and just because you don’t smell it, that doesn’t mean they can’t. Which often leads to the habitual act of marking corners and areas within homes. And in order to solve these issues, pet owners need to start by eliminating the odor completely. How is this best done? With enzyme cleaners.

Why enzyme cleaners? They are the best, easiest, and safest way to completely remove pet odors from your home. As enzymes are biological molecules, specifically proteins, that accelerate chemical reactions and dissipate protein-rich messes in their tracks by way of binding to protein molecules on a molecular level. To catalyze the chemical reaction that breaks pet stains and their scent tractors including ammonia and carbon dioxide. Leaving nothing behind on the surfaces of your home, including carpet and floor.

Enzymatic cleaners work great on any biological mess including urine, feces, blood, vomit, and the like. And my cleaner of choice? Natures Miracle Advanced Severe Mess Enzymatic Stain and Odor Remover deeply clean to remove the odor of cat urine and other messes. This bacteria-based formula produces cleaning enzymes when it comes in contact with bio-based messes including urine, diarrhea, vomit, and blood. The enzymatic cleaner will continue working as long as the food source is present.

Nature’sMiracle is safe to use on carpets, hard floors, furniture, fabrics and more, when used as directed. Contains a light fresh scent and works on even the toughest pet odors in our home, including cat messes including urine, diarrhea, and vomit. Natures Miracle Advanced Severe Mess Enzymatic Stain and Odor Remover are affordably priced under $11.00. I purchase our products from Chewy.com. This allows us to make sure all of our pet stain and odor removing products can be easily kept on-hand and shipped right to our door quickly and easily.

This allows me to maintain a clean, manageable home that’s also healthy for my cats and dogs too! Friends, I encourage you to check out this awesome enzyme product for yourself this season from Chewy.com. Now I want to ask, are you currently Nature’s Miracle user or do you currently use other enzymatic cleaning products at home? Share your favorite products and cleaning tips in the comments below!

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5 Simple Ways to Become a More Generous Person in 2019

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

There are very few people who are opposed to the idea of charity. As humans, we are hard-wired to help others and confront needs when we see them. Unfortunately, there are also very few people who are content with the level of generosity in their lives.

As most people I know wish they were able to give more. And while there are a number of reasons, often the best solution may be the simplest. So if you are looking for better ways to be more charitable in 2019 here are five ways to get started,

5 Simple Ways to Become a More Generous Person

Consider the benefits of generosity. Generous people report being happier, healthier, and more satisfied with life than those who don’t give regularly. And one of the main reasons for this is that generosity produces an inner sense that we are capable of actively addressing the needs of those around us. Leading to a sense of personal responsibility in making our communities safer, healthier and more unified. While generosity is typically seen as non-self-serving, the personal benefits that can be derived from a life geared toward stewardship can benefit each of us in immeasurable ways. And is indeed one of the most important steps that we can take in getting started leading a more generous life.

Embrace gratitude. One way to ingratiate charity into your year is to adopt a personal attitude of gratitude at home. Which can start as simply as creating a list of what you are most appreciative of in your life which may show you ways that you can afford to give back to others in the reflection of your personal blessings at home? As the most important step you can take to become more generous is to spend more time thinking about what you already possess and less time thinking about what you don’t. Once you start intentionally thinking that way, you may be more apt to share your life with others.

Give first. When you receive your next paycheck, make your first expense an act of giving. Often times, we wait to see how much we have left over before we determine how much we can give. The problem with this formula is that most of the time after we start spending, nothing left over. This is coupled with the idea that the habit of spending all of it is too deeply ingrained in our lives. To counteract that cycle, give first. Every payday, write a check for $10 to your local homeless shelter. You just may be surprised how you won’t even miss it.

Fund a cause based on your passions. There are countless charities and causes that need your support. With many being in-line with your most compelling passions. No matter if your cause of choice is anchored to the environment, poverty, or religion, there is a way for you affordably give back. Spend time thinking of causes you care about and then commit to giving regularly to those charities. Perhaps as an automatic withdraw or contribution from your paycheck each cycle.

Intentionally decide to change your investments. Oh sure, a lot can be said for changing our spending habits. An equal measure can be stated for changing how we invest particularly in how we invest in businesses charity-minded firms that predicate their business plans towards charity. This allows investors to he intentionality that emerges in your life will help you discover the need for generosity. Such as Matt Redhawk whose firm has found success in multiple fields and allowed Parker the opportunity to give back. His priority is to help families to become self-sufficient and to take control of their own destinies.

Which shows that generosity rarely happens by chance. Instead, it is an intentional decision that we make in our lives. But it does not need to be as difficult as many people think. Sometimes, starting with the simple steps is the best step that we can take. So, friends, I’d like to ask you what simple steps have you incorporated into your life to foster generosity? Please leave your thoughts below.

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5 Tips For Better Litter Box Cleaning Sessions at Home With Glade

This post has been sponsored by Chewy.com. All opinions are mine alone.

If you’re anything like me, a house only becomes a home when a cat resides there. While the benefits of owning a cat, the companionship, the empathy-building nature of a pet and owner relationship, as well as the various studied conducted over the past few decades, which state that pet ownership in general, and cat ownership in particular, can improve your quality of life. These are only some of the reasons I have loved being an adoptive cat owner.

If this wasn’t enough reason to consider owning a cat, for me, there is still one even greater reason. I love that cats. Particularly my cats, Boo Radley, and Shadow. They are the most loving, thoughtful friends a gal could have. I also love that generally speaking, my cats required little training to use their litter box, as they have an innate desire to dig and bury their waste, making cats clean, conscientious, fastidious pets. So, if you love a clean, tidy home, team pride may be for you.

For you see, unlike other pet training scenarios, the challenge for cat owners is not to train a cat to use a waste removal system, but to see that the behavior continues. You see, once a cat develops undesirable litter box habits, the problem can be very difficult to resolve. So, here are a few suggestions to help you have successful litter box cleaning sessions at home.

Making sure your cat knows where their box is located is vital to a successful litter box routine. Ideally, a litter box should be placed in a semi-private covered area, removed from high-traffic zones, but not so isolated that it isn’t cleaned regularly. Also be sure to avoid placing the box next to food and water feeding stations.

All wastes, both solid and wet clumps, should be scooped out of your litter box daily. The entire box should be emptied, washed with warm water, and mild soap and enzyme cleaners weekly. Be sure to avoid strong-smelling cleaners when cleaning your litter boxes, as this may discourage your cat from using their litter box. Once cleaned, litter boxes should be refilled completely at least once a week. A two-inch layer of litter in the box works well for our cats. A tip? Keeping your litter close to your litter box, along with a small handled brush and dustpan set, along with a litter box scoop by each litter box makes for easy, simple litter box cleaning!

Many cats will refuse to use a litter box already in use from another cat. As a general rule, each home should have one box per cat, plus one. For example, a household of three cats should contain four litter boxes. In our home, we have three litter boxes, one in our kitchen, one in our storage room, and one in our hall bathroom to accommodate our cat’s litter box routines.

Your cat’s health can also cause litterbox issues. Everything from Colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, urinary tract infections, and diabetes can all contribute to inappropriate, outside-the-box elimination for cats. If your cat refuses to use their litter box it’s always advisable to check with your veterinarian to determine if a physical ailment is causing the litter issue.

Just like with people, stressful situations can cause distress for your pets. In cats, stress often manifests itself in litter box rejection issues. Instances including moving to a new home, the adoption and inclusion of a new pet, changes in routine, rearranged placements of new furniture, and even moving your litter boxes to a new location, even a few feet away, can cause litter box rejection and inappropriate urination. To avoid stress spraying, maintain a constant location for your litter box and cleaning schedule as well. Also keeping a minimal, low-distraction litter box station will keep your cats stress to a minimum while using their boxes each day.

Cats can be picky. Some cats will use nearly any litter. Others will refuse to use pelletized litters. Trial and error is the key to lasting litter training success.

From personal experience, I suggest trying several varieties of cat litter to find the best fit for your pet. We literally inundate our cats with their litter. One of our favorite tips for litter continuity is to leave your litter packaging about your home, to allow your pets to become acquainted with the scent of the litter.

Once you have found a litter that seems to be accepted by your cat, don’t switch to another kind. Even if it may seem more convenient for you. Litter brand continuity is uber important to cats. For us, we chose Tidy Cats® Tough Odor Solutions Glade Winter Pine Clumping Cat Litter. I like to think that Boo Radley likes this brand as well. Whenever I bring his litter home he always likes to check out the new jug for himself as well. He’s a brand loyal cat!

We find that Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade is a low-maintenance, high-quality, affordable cat litter solution. We also love that it can be conveniently found at my local Kroger grocery store.

Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade on Chewy.com, with it’s guaranteed TidyLock™ Protection which helps to lock away odors that can lead to Stank Face. You know, the super stinky litter box odors that can make even the most dignified person’s face look like a petrified tree! Luckily, Tidy Cats’ wide range of products, so every cat owner can find the best litter for their cat’s needs, which means that you’ll never have to make another Stank Face again.

So now, as a family, we can save time with Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade, as this litter helps control those stinky litter box odors while helping you save time and money by purchasing the litter online through Chewy. Where you can purchase this awesome litter in a 20-pounds, two-jug pack delivered conveniently to your home. Perfect for cold winter days ahead.

We love that that this litter is pleasantly scented with Glade scents, as one of our boxes is located in our kitchen, as so many scented litters are rejected by cats, this makes the Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade a winner in my book!

Friends, I cannot say enough great things about the Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade and recommend you pick up a container on your next trip to Kroger stores this season. Your nose and cats will thank you!

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Reduce Wastefulness To Save Your Back Pocket And The Planet

In today’s world, nearly everybody is talking about the future of the environment. You might feel relatively powerless as an individual, but that’s untrue. Change is always driven by collectives of individuals. And taking sustainable action benefits you as well as the environment. By reducing wastefulness, you can start to save money. Environmentalism is a fiscally responsible approach to life. Let’s talk about some ways in which you could start reducing your wastefulness to save your back pocket and the planet.

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Save money on household utilities.

Saving money on household utilities is a smart way to reduce your monthly bills and do something responsible for the planet. You could start by reducing your water usage. Simply turning off taps whilst brushing your teeth or washing your hands could make all the difference. 3-minute shower limits would help too. As for energy usage, you could insulate your walls and windows to trap heat. Your house would be just as warm but you wouldn’t have to wastefully generate so much energy to make that so. You might also want to get help from a solar company to set up your household with solar panels. That’s a great way to save your back pocket and the planet. The point is that you can still use your household utilities, but you should think of smarter ways to do so in a financial and environmental sense.

Think about the food you eat.

You can make a huge impact on your back pocket and the planet by thinking about the food you eat. You might want to start growing your own fruit and vegetables to not only save money at the grocery store but also avoid buying into plastic packaging (plastic is very damaging to the environment, as we’ll discuss later in the article). A plant-based diet is much better for your health and the environment than a meat-based diet, and it’s much cheaper. The meat and dairy industry depletes massive amounts of resources for its continuation. Try eating more organic whole foods as opposed to processed foods. You’ll save your back pocket, your health, and the planet.

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Reduce and reuse before you recycle.

In this society, most people focus on recycling rather than reducing and reusing. And it’s important to recycle wherever possible, of course. If the material can be used again rather than ending up on top of a landfill then that’s better for the environment. But the main problem lies in the initial generation of those goods. If you want to save money and the environment then you should focus on reducing consumption and reusing things before recycling. Take the earlier advice on board. You might buy plastic bottles because you tell yourself that it’s recyclable, but the truth is that a lot of this plastic ends up in landfills and the ocean. If you really want to save money and make a difference then ditch plastic. Control your spending. Stop consuming things excessively. In turn, you’ll save your back pocket and the planet.

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Why You Should Try Diamond CBD Oil At Home

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond CBD Oil. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

As someone who lives with chronic pain I know first-hand how insulin-resistant PCOS symptoms, severe food allergies, and chronic migraines can interfere with my ability to work, care for my family and pets, and live my life to the fullest. For these reasons and more I became interested in trying Diamond Oil products online.

Keeping in mind, I was initially hesitant. I held many common misconceptions regarding CBD Oil products. I was curious about the forums but was seeking pain relief and not an otherworldly experience. Coupled with not liking products that cause drowsiness or lethargy because I strive to I live as healthy as I can.

Before going on, I encourage you to take a few minutes to learn more about CDB products. Including understanding that CBD is an abbreviation for cannabidiol, a prominent naturally occurring cannabinoid component found in cannabis that comprises up to 40% of the plant. Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid devoid of psychoactive effect. After THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD is by far the most studied natural cannabinoid.

It’s also worth noting that CBD oil is legal in all 50 states. The FDA considers hemp and hemp-derived extracts to be food-based products. As such, there are no legal restrictions on their importation, production, sale or consumption in the United States, as well as most of the industrialized world.

Now, why do I love these products? Diamond CDB Oil products are some of the highest quality products in their respective markets. And it is worth mentioning that, as consumers, one should be careful of cheap CBD oil, because many leading products may contain toxic solvents and carcinogens including propane, hexane, or butane extracts. Poisonous solvents which can be hazardous to your overall health at home.

While many CDB Oil companies use ethanol in their extraction process, the best companies, including Diamond CDB Oils, use supercritical CO2 extraction for everything, including flavored CBD oil collections. It maintains the purity of the CBD oil throughout the entire process. Which allows CDB Oil products to retain all of their naturally occurring and beneficial hemp molecules. Delivering consumers an all-around more superior product with each purchase.

I also love that Diamond CBD Oil is perfect for those women on the go. As they come in a wide variety of products that address various pain management concerns for women of all walks of life. Particularly the Relax Extreme CBD Oil 1000X which allows users to easily get your CBD wherever you go. Simply place a few drops under your tongue and you’re set. As well as the Relax Extreme CBD Oil when you need extreme relaxation, which can be used as Oral Drops, CBD tincture, topically or as vape liquid.

These products can also be used as a massage or facial serum, would be a perfect choice for you. I love using it at night as a facial moisturizer as it provides me with all the calming benefits of Diamond CBD Oil and CBD Creams.

If you prefer to use food as medicine, adding Diamond CBD Oil Drops to your morning smoothie may be the perfect choice for you as a mid-morning pick-me-up.

For those looking for a quick, on-the-go CBD treatment, consider using diamond CBD Oil as it is the perfect way for beginners to get the healthful benefits of the oils with a refreshing taste with each and every spray.

And if you’re like me and need daily high-intensity support for pain management at home, consider trying the Diamond CBD Oil products. They are a great way to naturally help ease pain symptoms and all you to get back to all the things you need to do at home or on-the-go each day!

Friends, I encourage you all to try out these products for yourself. To find your ideal product, dose, and ideal this season! Now I want to ask, have you tried Diamond CBD oils at home? Or are you considering doing so this season? Let me know about your experiences below!

Learn more about Diamond CBD Oils:

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Nicole

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

5 Simple Ways to Become a More Generous Person

This post has been sponsored by Chewy.com. All opinions are mine alone.

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