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Mid Week Mellow Bath Recipe: Easiest Bath Ever

Mid-Week Mellow is a weekly feature where I share a brand new bath recipe that I've tried and loved! This week, the bath with only ingredients you have around the house.

It's Wednesday! We've made it halfway through the week, and it's time to reward ourselves with an amazing bath recipe.

You know what? Some weeks, I really want to be luxurious. I want to put individual rose petals in my bath. This is not one of those weeks. When I went to take a bath, there was next to nothing in the house, and I just wanted something replenishing after a long day of work.

Sometimes that happens! And when it does, this is the bath recipe I reach for. It's a simple, three ingredient recipe, but it always relaxes me. It honestly has all the benefits of some of the more in-depth recipes but only uses things I always have in the pantry. The combo of ingredients will help relax sore muscles and make your skin silky soft.

If you want to add a little essential oil to this, you always can. I have a favorite lavender sleep oil that I keep by the bath and will add a few drops in, but use your favorite scent!

Want to do your grocery shopping from the couch? Do you need to stock up on the three essentials for this recipe? Try shopping through Amazon Fresh and they'll bring the groceries right to your door! I recommend it to all my friends! And I use it on a weekly basis. Click this link to get a free trial, on me!

Easiest Bath Ever

1 cup of sea salt or Epson salt

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions: Draw a hot bath. Dissolve salt and baking soda in the bath. Add the olive oil, adding more if desired. You can add oil until you feel the silkiness in the water but not so much that it separates or pools. Add essential oil if desired. Now relax!

And that's all it takes! Such a simple and relaxing bath. I hope you're able to unwind and practice some easy self-care with this lovely little recipe!

Do you have a simple essential bath recipe you enjoy? I'd love to hear it! Please comment, share, and follow me on social media. Have a groovy week mellow girls!

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The Denver Central Market, a review from a local

The Denver Central Market is an eclectic and engaging collection of shops and dining choices that I know you’ll love! Here’s a review and a few must-try items, all hand-picked by me, a Colorado native!

Denver has such a unique, small-town vibe to it while. Yet we've still got diverse food and entertainment options. Last week my hubby and I explored another really cool spot, The Denver Central Market, and I want to share my findings with you!

In the heart of RiNo (River North Art District, for those not in the know) on the corner of 27th and Larimer, The Denver Central Market calls itself a "food hall." It's filled with local vendors selling delicious foods and desserts, plus a really fantastic bar.

If you're a local and you haven't been, you gotta check this out right now! And if you're planning a trip to Denver, I highly recommend coming here. It has a cool vibe, a great location, and gourmet food at a reasonable price.

What we love about food halls, cafeterias, or food courts is that everyone can get what they want. There are several in Denver (Avanti being an honorable mention in the category). I'm sure I'll write about all of them at some point because of my food obsession, but this one just has something special about it. It feels like you've stumbled onto something old and unknown, even though it is very critically acclaimed. There really is something for everyone. I could just chill out here for a few hours. If you want to make a day of it, there's a  lot of very beautiful street art on this block too. You could grab coffee at The Market, then walk around a little, and come back for lunch! Especially if you're visiting Denver on vacation this summer; it would make for a fun day.

We've had several different things from several different places, but my absolute favorite food item was the honey and feta cheese plate from Culture Meat & Cheese. Just look at how gorgeous this is! If you want to treat yourself, take a minute to slow down and completely enjoy this perfect dish. Even the flowers taste amazing. The sweet honey paired with the creamy feta and crunchy nuts is a perfect summertime treat. It's indulgent but still refreshing. I love the combo of feta and honey anywhere I can get it, but this is one of my favorites!

  If you want to set up an indulgent, self care day, you could easily stock up here and take some treats home. The Local Butcher is a really cool spot. Their gourmet, all-beef hotdogs are only $1 each, and are really excellent. We brought some home and smoked them!

My sweet husband also brought me gorgeous chocolates from Temper. They looked like tiny works of art. Chocolate isn't my favorite thing, but these flavors were bomb. They hold up to their beauty, that's for sure. Their flavors rotate so there's always something new (and gorgeous) to sample.

Although the Denver Central Market offers a lot of dessert options, High Point Creamery ice cream is probably the best. My favorite flavor there is their brown sugar and cinnamon. It's not too sweet and the perfect texture, probably because they make all their ice cream from scratch! They have lots of other fun things to try too, like egg creams and ice cream sandwiches.

Then, to finish it all off, we got drinks at Curio. I ordered the Fancy Pants, which has vodka, lime juice, sugar, sparkling wine, and (best of all) pomegranate popping pearls. The pomegranate pearls provide this amazing  burst of fruit flavor in the sweet sparkling wine. It may be one of the best drinks I've ever had; I liked it that much. Let's hope they never take this off the menu. I can't wait to go back and try it again!

All in all, the Denver Central Market is a perfect destination no matter what you want to do this weekend. Even with all our exploring we didn't try half of the shops there! Kids would love the ice cream, adults will love the cocktails. It made for a lovely date, but like I said, I also think it's great if you're visiting and want to eat like a local. Get a taste of the best of Colorado! I hope you all enjoy the Denver Central Market as much as I do!

I'm excited to continue sharing my adventures around Colorado (and other places we've traveled). What's on your summer vacation lists? Any cool spots in Denver you've been to? I'd love to hear, we're always looking for new things to do! Don't forget to share, like, and follow! Thanks for reading, mellow girls!

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I just wrote the definitive guide to meal planning when there’s only two of you. Seriously, this is everything I have learned in my 26 years of cooking. I hope it’s helpful to everyone. Let me know your tips too!

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🍽 #mealplanning for 2, my complete tried and test guide up on the blog! How do you guys meal plan? I wanna hear your tips! #linkinbio | | | | | | #mellowgirl #meal #dinnerideas #dinner #dinnerfortwo #yummy #yum #delicious #organized #iphoneonly #instadaily #happy #instamood #picoftheday #igdaily #bestoftheday #free #nofilter #love #cute #fun #photooftheday #monday #🍽 #freebie #eat #mealplan #cooking (at Brighton, Colorado)

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Meal Planning for Millenials: How I Meal Plan For 2 On A Budget Using A Recipe Box and Amazon Fresh

I meal plan every week, and it's taken me a long time to perfect my system. This isn't your mom's meal planning guide - there's no binder and no calendar and no meals for 8 people. This guide is for twenty-something women like me who want to enjoy cooking for one or two people on a budget.

Meal planning. Who needs it? Well, it turns out I do! I love it! It started when we got married. Suddenly we were eating at home, cooking every night. One week we'd have a banquet, the next week the pantry would be bare. Then just when I thought I had a routine down, I'd be throwing out three pounds of ground beef I never cooked. So I knew I needed a new routine.

But when I started looking up meal planning guides, none of them seemed to be our speed. We're a young, busy couple, so I want fresh food that I can still cook quickly. There's only two of us, and we live in a tiny space, so I can't cook large quantities. I also like things to be pretty (of course!) and I honestly didn't want a huge binder out all the time. But every guide I saw was for a family of 4 or more, with meal prep that takes a full day of the week and an entire extra fridge. It was a fine idea for someone. But it just wasn't us.

I came up with my own plan, and in this mega-guide I want to share it with you. You may want to change it completely, maybe this is just a starting-off point. I personally only meal plan for dinners right now, but you could easily use this for breakfasts and lunches too. I think you'll love it. Meal planning can be awesome stress relief. Plus, it makes cooking fun and dinners delicious!

Also, before we get started I want to mention that I really do love grocery shopping with Amazon Fresh. I literally just ordered my groceries through them an hour ago. It's amazing, and it's a key part of my meal planning each week! I'll talk about it all throughout this, so just know it's a tried and true testimonial. Let's get going!

Start Here

Before you start putting your meal plan kit together, you need to find out why you want to do this. You're going to be putting time into this every single week, so you should structure it around what you want. When I started I wrote down the top three benefits I wanted to get out of meal planning: saving money, eating healthy, and wasting fewer ingredients. That helped me decide how I wanted to meal plan based on my goals.

Next, you'll have some shopping to do. You'll need a recipe box (mine is an adorable present from Rifle Paper Co.), lots and lots of recipe cards, sticky notes, and a notebook to use for your grocery lists (or download the Amazon app, which is how I do it now). Pull out all your favorite cookbooks, pull up your favorite recipe blogs or the recipes you've saved when watching Food Network, and get ready for lots of writing. We're going to make a meal planning kit!

Setting Up Shop

Now you have to write out all of your recipes. But, you're going to modify them. This is important: write each recipe for only one serving. It takes a little math but it's so worth it, especially for a two-person household. When you do your grocery list and cooking, you'll just multiply the recipe for the number of people eating. So if I want to make tacos for 2 I can, but if I want tacos on Tuesday and then I want to use the meat the next night for nachos, I can make it for 4. If we're having a giant taco party with all our friends, I just multiply by 12.

Honestly, this may be a project that takes you a few days. When I started I re-wrote recipes from several of my favorite cookbooks and my own handwritten recipes. The key here is you want all your choices in one place. Don't think you can spend time searching for your recipe and writing it out the week-of. You need this done ahead of time.

If it's easier, you can copy or type and print the recipes, but I like the pretty handwritten recipe cards. They remind my of the heirloom recipes I have from my mother and grandmother. When I meal plan that makes it just that much nicer. Y'all know my motto: everything in your life should promote joy. So make this recipe box another element that make you happy.

As you can see in the photo, I organize my meal-planning recipes in two categories in my recipe box. First I separate them by type of food: chicken, beef, other (pork, turkey, or vegetarian), and sides (which includes salads and breads). Then each of those categories gets separated by time to cook: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or over an hour. This will come into play when we actually start meal planning, but for now organize your recipe cards accordingly.

Time to plan

Now you actually get to start your meal plan for the week! For me, I make this an event. I love to cook so much, and I make my meal planning afternoon (on Friday) an event. I watch a new episode of the Kitchen, I pour myself a drink, and I start. At this point you should only need your prepared box of recipes and your grocery-list (either Amazon or a notebook), but honestly that's never how it goes for me. I always end up with at least one or two recipes I found on Pinterest or Food Network that I want to write out and add to the box. This way, my recipe stash is always growing! I love that!

So, how do you actually make a meal plan? First, look at your calendar. What's going on this week? I usually plan on 5 meals per week. That leaves 2 nights for leftovers or going out or eating at a friend's house. But think about more than that too. You need to know the nights you'll be busy and want dinner ready in 2 minutes, what days you'll feel like indulging in something a little more fancy, all of it. This is why we organize our cards by time to cook. You can filter out things you know you won't have time for that way.

It's so important to select recipes that utilize groceries you already have on hand or things you can buy in bulk. It will help you save money. For example, this week I have ground beef left over in my freezer, some Parmesan cheese in the fridge, and a box of pasta in the pantry. These are leftovers from 3 different recipes, but I've got Pasta Bolognese on my meal plan to combine them all! All I had to buy was a can of tomato paste and a carrot, making the meal a grand total of $1.50 out of my budget this week.

Pick out your five recipes, or four, or seven - whatever feels right for you. It may take a few weeks to figure out how many you'll actually cook. Also pick out your sides, your salads, your breads. Remember, you want to have everything for the meal ready to go when it's time to cook.

Then you just make your grocery list! Like I said, I do all my shopping through Amazon Fresh, so as I select recipes I just add the groceries to my cart. You can also hand-write your grocery list. If you do this, I highly recommend organizing it based on aisle.

Another note on the grocery shopping - always, always have a Plan B on your list. I know I said I plan for 5 meals, but honestly I throw in a 6th every week. Sometimes its a simple as a frozen pizza. But if dinner is burnt or the meat hasn't defrosted or we just didn't have the time, I know there will be something fast to cook no matter what.

Once I've done my shopping, I post all my recipes in the kitchen. This way, we can see them throughout the week, and they're easy to grab. Plus, let's be honest, our schedule is ever-changing. Maybe I thought I wanted to cook dinner in 15 minutes on Tuesday, but then at the last minute I was just totally craving something that takes 30 minutes. I can shuffle my recipes around any time I want - they're all waiting right there! Yummy!

And now you're ready for the week! I swear this little meal plan routine has saved me so much stress, and it's really added some fun to our meals throughout the week!

Now, as promised: a link to a free trial of Amazon Fresh! I absolutely love Amazon Fresh. They'll deliver the groceries right to your door, you get to select your own delivery time (usually that day or the next, but up to a week in advance), and they have great quality merchandise. You can even buy from your local vendors in your city, which is so cool! I know you enjoy it. It saves time and money, and it's so convenient. Check it out today!

So what tips do you have for meal planning? Did you try anything off this list and either love it or hate it? I can't wait to hear from you! Comment, share, and like! Have a great week!

[mellowgirlblog-blog]

Exploring this Friday in the City. Do something that makes you smile this weekend! 💙 | | | | | | #mellowgirl #bookshelf #bookstagram #relax #calming #explore #city #bookish #chill #iphoneonly #instadaily #happy #instamood #picoftheday #igdaily #bestoftheday #free #nofilter #love #cute #fun #market #read #bibliophile #freebie #coffee #bath #denver (at The Denver Central Market)

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I’m back! After a little break, I’m back on the blog with an idea for a trip to England... without stepping out your front door. Take an Earl Grey Tea bath and read the best book set in England that I’ve read (this week).

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I just finished this beautiful book and I can’t stop talking about it. It was so sweet and joyful. Read it, read my blog post on it at mellowgirlblog.com, or please someone who has read it talk about it with me?!??!

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Warm drinks and cozy blankets. #Wednesday self-care, at its best. 💙☺️ | | | | | | #mellowgirl #tea #flowers #relax #selfcare #blanket #recipe #teacup #chill #selflove #instadaily #happy #read #picoftheday #igdaily #bestoftheday #free #nofilter #love #freebies #fun #retro #happy #goodmorning #drink #freebie (at Brighton, Colorado)

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A few of my favorite things. On the blog you can get links to read all three of these and more for free! 📚 Perfect way to beat mid week blues. | | | | | | #mellowgirl #bookshelf #bookstagram #relax #calming #book #shelfie #bookish #chill #iphoneonly #instadaily #happy #instamood #picoftheday #igdaily #bestoftheday #free #nofilter #love #cute #fun #books #read #bibliophile #freebie #selfcare #selflove #booklr (at Brighton, Colorado)

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Hey! What a good idea, what’s everyone reading today?

Bookish Question

I seem to be gaining more followers and I’d like to get to know people, so I may start posting some bookish questions. Here’s an easy one to start:

What are you currently reading?

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Books are so beautiful. 💙📚📖 | | | | | | #mellowgirl #bookstagram #relax #selfcare #selflove #shelfie #bookish #chill #bookworm #booklr #happy #read #picoftheday #kindle #bestoftheday #free #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookclub #freebies #fun #bibliophile #bookish #books #📚 (at Brighton, Colorado)

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Happy #selfcaresunday! How are you chilling out today? I’m thinking some fresh flowers ☺️ | | | | | | #mellowgirl #bookstagram #relax #selfcare #shelfie #flowers #chill #flowerstagram #spring #happy #read #photooftheday #bestoftheday #free #library #bookclub #freebies #fun #bookish # #freebie #selflove #🌷 #🌹 #🌸 (at Brighton, Colorado)

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Splurge Just A Little This Weekend : #SelfCareSunday

It's #SelfCareSunday again, and time to splurge on yourself! A defense of why you should, and some inexpensive ways to treat yourself, all ahead.

Yay! It's my favorite day again, #SelfCareSunday. The perfect day for little indulgences and treats and relaxation and all things good... you get the point! You've made it through a rough week, and you're gearing up to start another one, so why not take time to splurge on yourself?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the big things (being amazing, hard-workin', positivity-filled chicks, for example) that we forget how important a little thing can be in our day. So stop and think : What could you do today to splurge on yourself? What little thing would change your day from ordinary to happy? I bet it wouldn't take much. There's no reason you shouldn't get a gift for yourself!

One self-care indulgence I love this time of year? Fresh flowers. A vase of flowers is inexpensive, cheerful, and can last all week. Go pick out your favorites. You can even use some of the flower petals in your bath to really feel luxurious!

Which leads us to our next splurge, of course. You knew it was coming. How about a hot bath? You could get a fancy bath bomb or new essential oils to indulge in tonight. Check out my list of bath essentials for some ideas.

Another tiny splurge available at your local grocery store? Balloons! It may seem silly and childish... but that's kind of the point! Be silly, and indulge in something fun and bright and beautiful! I know it will warm your house all day, and make you smile.

Of course, another great splurge for self-care is reading. Sunday is a perfect day to indulge in a good book. Make some time just for you; create a little book nook in your bed or on your couch. Or if it's sunny where you are, sit outside to read. Want a new novel? Just download one for free! Try Kindle Unlimited! I read almost everything through Kindle Unlimited now. You can click the link for a 30 day free trial! The books can be read for free on a Kindle, but if you don't have one yet you can download the free app and read eBooks on your mobile device.

And the perfect go-to to end a Sunday night? Indulge in a drink! Take a little time and make yourself something with your favorite ingredients. Later this week I'll be posting a drink recipe, but you can find a lot of cool ones on the Highball App. Or if you don't want to work at it, just open a bottle of wine as you slip into the bath!

So whatever your little splurge today, I hope you have a beautiful #SelfCareSunday, and the start to a perfect week!

Did you like this post? Please show me some love! Follow, share, and subscribe! Leave me a comment - I wanna get to know you guys so bad! Have a mellow week girls.

"You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

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Easy Fruit Face Masks and a review of a favorite YouTuber are on my #blog today! #linkinbio #🍓 | | | | | | #mellowgirl #facemask #relax #calming #fruit #chill #love #happy #instamood #unwind #bathtime #selflove #bestoftheday #bath #lush #nofilter #beautiful #thursday #cute #fun #smile #youtube #blogger #lemon #mint #beauty #motivation #free (at Brighton, Colorado)

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My #shelfie of a few of Jane Austen’s books. Which is your favorite? Read them all free, and read my reviews, on MellowGirlBlog.com! #📚 | | | | | | #mellowgirl #bookstagram #relax #selfcare #freebies #bookish #chill #bookworm #booklr #happy #read #photooftheday #kindle #bestoftheday #free #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookclub #freebies #fun #austen #janeausten #bibliophile #bookphotography #selflove #bookshelf (at Brighton, Colorado)

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Check This Out : Best Fruits For Face Masks

In my "Check This Out" series I spotlight one of my fellow amazing bloggers so that you can enjoy their content too! This time is WhippedGreenGirl and her awesome skin care.

Hey hey, it's another new feature on Mellow Girl! We've really grown a lot lately, haven't we?

Because I see so many amazing women online sharing amazing things, I really want to share that with you guys! That's why I'm going to start featuring some of my favorite fellow-bloggers. These are all cool women who support self-care or relaxation ideas. I wanted to start with one I've really been enjoying, WhippedGreenGirl.com!

Angie over at WhippedGreenGirl is all about natural skincare, which is something you all know I love! She has great DIY skincare tips and ideas, plus a lot of cool reviews of skincare products. I've been enjoying a bunch of her YouTube videos. However, my favorite is definitely this one - Best Fruits For Face Masks.

So you want a quick and easy face mask for your chill night tonight? I tried her  face mask recipe at the end of this video for you. She was right, it felt wonderful! This has started a trend on my spa days. Such a quick self-care idea; you just add honey and blended fruit together for a fresh facial. I also tried adding banana to another face mask I was making (as she recommends in the video), and my skin loved it. It's an easy idea, and like she says, who doesn't have some bananas or cucumbers laying around in search of a purpose?

Check the video out above. I know you'll love her skincare tips! Plus check out her website for more great skincare recipes!

Side note : If you want to get some fresh, spring-y fruit for this face mask, try shopping through Amazon Fresh and they'll bring the groceries right to your door! That's how I stocked up to try this. Click this link to get a free trial, on me!

What do you think of our new feature? How did your face mask work out? If you enjoyed this post, please like and share! Follow me on social media for more like this, or subscribe to my newsletter and get my guide to free self-care! Stay mellow girls!

“Ah!  There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” – Jane Austen