Have you all heard of The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod? I first learned about this book when I began Bullet Journaling last year, but it took me this long to get on board, read the book and actually implement what I’ve learned.

About The Miracle Morning Based on the premise that how you start your day largely determines the quality of your day, your work, and your life, The Miracle Morning gives you the ultimate morning ritual and teaches night owls how to beat the snooze button, even if you’ve never been a morning person.

I’ve only been practicing The Miracle Morning for a few weeks now, so I’m no expert, but it really has been transformative for me. I’ve always been somewhat of a morning person, and have known for years that when I wake up before my kids, get ready and have some time to myself, my day is considerably better than when our morning routines coincide.

Over the past few weeks I’ve discovered some tools that have really helped me to succeed with my Miracle Mornings. I thought I’d share those tools with you, so if you try it, you’ll have an upper hand from the get go. But first, let me tell you what my personal Miracle Morning looks like:

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The post The Miracle Morning – Tools Helping Me Succeed appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Well, it’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Snapchat. I know, I know… some of you are still shaking your heads about that fact, aren’t you? If you aren’t on Snapchat though, you are missing out on some really fun ways to see unfiltered glimpses into lives of everyday people! If you still aren’t sold, hop on over to this post I wrote last year about why I really love Snapchat. Then, if you want to see who some of my friends are who make me love Snapchat, check out the rest of this post below.

As many of you know, I do a daily Coffee Talk on Snapchat and it has become one of my absolute favorite ways to engage with readers, friends, family, etc. During coffee talk, we chat about things we might be chatting about if we were actually having coffee together. Each morning, I get to have a virtual coffee date with thousands of you, and it’s one of the best parts of my day each week.

I’d love to have you join me for Coffee Talk! You can do that by downloading snapchat, then by clicking HERE on your mobile device. You can also just take a picture of any of the yellow individual Snapcodes in this post using the camera in Snapchat to easily follow any of us on Snapchat. (Here’s a quick tutorial for how to do that.) In addition if you need another way to add people, you can simply add my user name (dineanddish) as a new friend on Snapchat. It’s that easy! (OK I know it’s really not… let me know if you need help!)

(This list is simply in the order my friends got their snapcodes emailed to me. Also, if we’re friends on Snapchat and you aren’t on this list – I’m sorry! It’s not intentional…it just means you must have missed my request for you to send me your info. Please see the very end of the post so I can get you added ASAP!)

I’ll be updating this post often, so be sure to check back for more friends and foodies to follow on Snapchat!…

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As someone who has been blogging for ten years, I’ve seen the ebb and flow of how blogging has changed over time. Ten years ago there was a small handful of us, supporting and reading and loving each other the best we knew how. As the industry grew, so did our support network, our friends and our responsibilities. What once was simply writing whatever we felt like, cooking, photography and occasional back end website coding turned into a machine of social media, photo props galore, SEO, sharing groups and more. Along with that came an industry we built from the ground up, where bloggers could now earn a generous living working with brands, displaying advertising, traveling, freelancing, etc. The changes in blogging have been good…the opportunity to create a career out of something you’re passionate about is a dream so many people have. I’ve been blessed to do such that.

Along with the growth of blogging as a career has also come some stress and burnout. I have been on the receiving end of multiple conversations over the past with bloggers who are stretched thin, trying to do it all. Their days of working on their passions are being buried under a need to try to keep up with the ever increasing demands of owning their own businesses. Virtual assistants are being hired to help alleviate some of the pressure, but even with that, we’re a motivated bunch who seem to not be able to let things go. We pile on more and more and more until finally, we’re so buried under the responsibilities of running a business that we not longer love what we do….

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Hi Friends!

(Stick with me please…I have a simple action item I need from you!)

I want to chat with you about something that’s been on my mind…

I miss you! I miss connecting with you in ways we used to in the comment section here on Dine & Dish. I miss sharing happy things with you regularly, and I miss providing something more valuable for you to open in your inbox. I want to offer you something in your inbox you look forward to, not a piece of email that you roll your eyes at because it’s “just another blog update email”.  I KNOW how full your inboxes are and how meaningful something of value can be to receive.

So, inspired by my dear friend Bree (who sends my favorite piece of email each week), I’ve decided to start a separate way to communicate with you through email. Taking the place of my Happiness Reports, I’d love to send you a little happy note each Friday to start your weekend. These notes will include carefully curated links of value to things that have made me happy, pretty pictures, small blog updates, and a chance for you and I to connect through email in a way we haven’t before. I want to ENCOURAGE you to hit reply and chat with me as well! We’ve been friends for a long time…I think it’s time we get to know each other a little better, don’t you?…

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The post The NEW Rock Your Happy Newsletter – Your Action Requested appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I was lying in bed last night, my mind wandering to this and that, when I realized that Dine & Dish had an anniversary last month and I totally forgot about it! Yes – Dine & Dish turned NINE in November and like an old married couple, I totally let her special day go by without even a word to celebrate. How rude of me!

Obviously, turning 9 means a lot more to me than my lack of acknowledgement shows. Friends… NINE years of blogging is a big thing and I am so thankful to you all for sharing in this journey with me for so long! I had no idea when I started Dine & Dish 9 years ago that it would turn into what it has today. Who knew back then that blogs would grow in popularity, numbers, and be more common place than not? I certainly didn’t. In fact,  nine years ago, when I would mention writing a blog, I’d often be met with blank stares… no one knew what blogging was. Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter were non-existent. It was an entirely different online world back then than it is now.

I’ll be honest, parts of me mourn those days – the good old days – but other parts of me are incredibly appreciative of the opportunities sent my way because blogging has become more mainstream. It’s one of those things where I fondly look back on the old days, but also lovingly look ahead to the future of blogging. A lot of exciting things are happening in this space for a lot of people.

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The post Thank You for 9 Years! {Orange Drop Cookies Recipe} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I’m not good at this… the whole dealing with the loss of a friend thing. I’m just not. I tend to avoid life and immerse myself in everything but confronting the fact that a friend has died.

This past week, the blogging community has rallied together to remember a dear friend of ours, Joan Hayes. Joan was the southern voice and tremendous talent behind the blog Chocolate, Chocolate and More. Last Thursday evening, word began to circulate that Joan had been complaining of a stomach ache, laid down on her couch and simply never woke up. It seemed inconceivable to me that my vivacious and full of life friend could just be gone. I had chatted with her just a few days prior and she was her normal, cheerful, joking self.

photo courtesy of Shanna Schad

It turns out that Joan had suffered a heart attack. Friends, if you don’t click on any links in this post but one, make it be this. The signs of a heart attack in women are so much different than they are in men. Please read this to educate yourself so hopefully you’ll be aware of the signs of a heart attack if the situation arises. …

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The post Remembering a Friend {Boozy Chocolate Milkshake Recipe} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Friends, I know what you’re thinking… no my teenager hasn’t taken over my blog. It’s me, Kristen (dineanddish on Snapchat), the 42 year old mom of 4 here professing my love for Snapchat. Yes, that snapchat… the app that we have been banning from our kids phones and questioning why anyone would want to use an app where the images and chats disappear into thin air after viewed.

Let me start by asking you to just give me a chance to explain. Trust me, I was just like you not too many months ago. I assumed that Snapchat was simply for kids to send inappropriate pictures to each other – which may have been the case back then. But Snapchat has changed for the better with the introduction of Snapchat Stories. Snapchat Stories has opened up a whole new world to would be snapchat users. If you are into memory keeping through photos and videos in an incredibly simple format, you will love Snapchat.

If you will just bear with me, I’ll tell you 5 Things I love about Snapchat and why I think you’ll love it too!…

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The post 5 Reasons I Love Snapchat (And Think You Will Too) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

“I’m a food and travel blogger/photographer”.

That’s my short answer when people ask what I do for a living.  I’m typically met with curious faces, a plethora of questions, and a lot of misconceptions. The assumptions about what I do for a living or what a typical day looks like for me are pretty funny…I don’t stay in my pajamas all day. I don’t go around and write nasty reviews of restaurants. I love food but don’t believe I’m obsessed with food (I rarely watch The Food Network or read food related books and magazines). Since I cook a ton and have four kids, I’m about the last person who can give a lot of great restaurant recommendations in the city I live in.

I’m BLESSED to be a blogger. I’ve grown Dine & Dish since 2006 and have had some incredible experiences. My job is not hard…fighting cancer is hard. Blogging? It’s not hard. Does it challenge me? Yes! I’m running my own multi faceted business, which provides a ton of daily challenges. Can it be frustrating? Like any job, it definitely can. But overall the best way to describe my career is as a blessing. I’ve been able to stay home and take care of my kids, doing something fun and fulfilling, while bringing in an income that helps support our family. I have the best of both worlds.

I’ll admit that lately, mostly in this past year, I’ve taken my job for granted. I haven’t felt burnt out, necessarily, but I needed to step away and re-shift my priorities. I mean, Leah starts kindergarten in 2 weeks (!!!) and my oldest is starting his last year of middle school. Add to that my mom being in the hospital all summer and my sister-in-laws breast cancer diagnosis, it seemed that my personal life was changing, and with that the need to refocus became crystal clear. …

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