Author Archives: Jenn

Coffee Ice Cream Waffle Sandwiches Recipe

Happy National Coffee Day! I originally planned to make a fun a coffee drink today, but you all know how much I love dessert so we decided to go with a frozen coffee treat instead. We made Coffee Ice Cream Waffle Sandwiches and let me tell you… they are probably one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever tasted. And if you know me, you know I never skip dessert so this is a big deal! We actually made it up ourselves by mixing a few different recipes that we came across on Pinterest. Scroll through this post for the full recipe and watch me make it on today’s episode of “Haute Out The Oven” over on my Instagram stories at @HauteOffTheRack.

ice-cream-sandwhices

Coffee Ice Cream Waffle Sandwiches Recipe:

Ingredients:

1) Coffee flavored ice cream (or you can add cool brew coffee to chocolate or vanilla ice cream) — We used Blue Bunny Chocopolitan!

2) Caramel syrup 

3) Crushed nuts (we used toasted almond crunch)

4) Chocolate melting wafers

5) 2 cans of Cinnamon rolls

6) 2 crushed Hershey Chocolate bars

ice-cream-sandwhich-recipe

What you will need:

1) Mini waffle maker (only $10!)

2) Baking pan 

3) Parchment paper

4) Ice Cream Scoop <—This is the best ice cream scoop by the way!

Directions:

1. This first step is optional, but super fun and I highly recommend it. Pull your coffee flavored ice cream out of the freezer and scoop out into a large mixing bowl. Add all the toppings of your choice into the bowl of ice cream and mix well before returning to the ice cream container and placing back into the freezer to harden again!  If you you’re unable to find coffee flavored ice cream, you can always add a splash of cool brew coffee into your ice cream.

2. Cook cinnamon rolls in mini waffle maker for 2 minutes each & let them cool completely!

3. Heat your chocolate melting wafers & line your baking pan with parchment paper.

4. Pour chocolate melt & chopped nuts into their own bowls that are large enough for dipping the sandwiches into.

5. Put a scoop of ice-cream in between two mini waffles to make your ice cream waffle sandwiches. Dip one side of the sandwich into the chocolate melt followed by the chopped nuts. Place on parchment paper and repeat this step until you’ve made them all. Then, put them in the freezer until the chocolate and ice cream harden again! Serve & Enjoy!

Pro Tip: Try to do step 5 as quickly as possible so your ice cream doesn’t melt too much.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and be sure to tag me at @hauteofftherack & #hauteouttheoven if you post your frozen treats on social media!

mini waffles

Everything You Need for a Beach Vacation with a Baby

Morning everyone, today we would have been gearing up for our next beach trip with friends, but the recent hurricane forced us to cancel our plans. So we’ll just have to reminisce on our last beach vacation at the Hilton Sandestin! We stayed there last month as a family plus my sister who came along to hang out and help us with Beck. We had the most wonderful time laying out on the beach each day with Beck and sitting right along the water in our beach chair set up provided by Hilton Sandestin. I love the fact that they offer *chairs, umbrellas and even towels so that we didn’t have to drag all of that onto the beach ourselves along with a baby.

beach baby essentials

| Shop My Look |

Outfit: ‘Joanna’ Straw Hat | White Heart Sunglasses | Swimsuit (old from Revolve) | Colorful Coverup | Pearl Necklace

We’re used to staying at our family beach condo where we have to do everything ourselves so it was a nice change of pace getting to enjoy all of the amenities at the Hilton Sandestin like their Barefoot’s Beachside Bar & Grill right by the pool. After we finished up on the beach each day, we would sit outside by the pool for lunch at the grill or grab a snack from the Picnix Poolside Market. We also loved getting to enjoy the Hadashi Sushi Bar each night after Beck went to sleep since we had a sitter.

white swim coverup

| Shop My Beach Look |

Outfit: Crochet Beach Coverup | ‘Joanna’ Straw Hat | Pearl Sunglasses | Coin Necklace 

pink swim coverup

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Outfit: Pink Coverup ‘Joanna’ Straw Hat | White Heart Sunglasses | Swimsuit (old from L Space)

We also made sure to hit up the Coffee Shop every morning for Starbucks® coffee and pastries. Out of all the amenities, I would have to say the best was getting a massage at Serenity by the sea spa, which is the Hilton Sandestin spa. Blake and I both got massages and took advantage of the whirlpools, sauna, steam rooms and cozy plush robes.

Check out more of their restaurants, services and amenities here—> Hilton Sandestin

As for what we packed for the beach, check out all of the style boards below.

Everything You Need for a Beach Vacation with a Baby:

doona

The Doona is an absolute must! We have the Nuna and Uppababy strollers and love them, but our friends let us borrow their Doona for our trip and it was a game changer! It made everything so much easier when it came to rolling Beck around the hotel. Plus it was less to pack because it’s car seat and stroller all in one, which is super ideal when it comes to traveling because our car was completely packed.

This beach set up at the Hilton Sandestin was so amazing because we were front row right on the water and we didn’t have to lug our own chairs and umbrella down or even towels either. They even had food and drink service down on the beach too.

beach-baby-packing-list

| Shop Beck’s Beach Essentials |

1. Mam Teether | 2. Baby Sun Hat | 3. Baby Boy Swimsuit | 4. Pacifiers | 5. Baby Carrier | 6. Sunscreen | 7. Beach Towel | 8. Baby Floatie | 9. Sunglasses | 10. Swim Diapers | 11. Beach Bag | 12. Beach Tent (we also love this mini baby tent too) ** wagon

1. Mam Teether | Throw this teether in your cooler with your drinks and pull it out for him to suck or check on at the beach.

2. Baby Sun Hat | I felt so bad that we forgot to pack Beck’s hat this past trip. We ended up just having to keep him under the umbrella the whole time.

3. Baby Boy Swimsuit | We love this swimsuit because it has UPV 50+ built in sun protection!

4. Pacifiers | You never pack enough pacifiers when traveling. They’re essential for making it through long car rides.

5. Baby Carrier | The baby carrier allows you to be hands-free, which is nice when you have tons of other items you have carry down to the beach with you.

6. Sunscreen | We have this baby SPF, but we mostly rely on his swimsuit, hat and tent to provide protection. I’m always nervous that the SPF is going to cause a skin reaction.

7. Beach Towel | The Hilton San Destin provided one for us, but we always have to pack them for our condo.

8. Baby Floatie | This float is great little babies in the pool.

9. Sunglasses | These are the most adorable baby sunglasses. Beck looks so cute in them!

10. Swim Diapers | These are obviously a must if you plan on putting your baby in the water, but just know that they don’t hold wet diapers so don’t keep them in the swim diaper long after you bring them back up to the room or inside. You have to change them back into a regular diaper because pee will just leak right out.

11. Beach Bag | This waterproof bag was perfect for carrying all of the items that we wanted to keep dry down on the beach.

12. Beach Tent (we also love this mini baby tent too) | The large tent fits adults too, but the mini tent is the perfect size for a little baby especially while he’s napping.

Bonus Item: If you can fit a wagon in your car, it’s nice to have to wheel all your stuff down to the beach.

baby-overnight-packing-list

| Shop Beck’s Overnight Bag |

1. Grooming Kit | 2. Honest Baby Wash | 3. Pacifiers | 4. Baby Bath | 5. Magic Merlin | 6. Swaddle Up | 7. Dock-a-tot | 8. Seventh Generation | 9. Boppy Pillow | 10. Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym | 11. YL-Calm | 12. YL-Tummygize | 13. YL-Sleepyize | 14.  YL-Diffuser (we also like this diffuser) | 15. Pack N’ Play  | 16. Blue Colorblock Large Sutton

 2. Honest Baby Wash| We either pack this one or the Seedlings lavender body wash that always use on him at home.

 3. Pacifiers| We love these specific pacifiers for Beck because they in his mouth the best. They’re also great for long car rides and helping him go back to sleep.

 4. Baby Bath | It might seem excessive to pack a bathtub for a baby, but we like to keep his nighttime routine as close to normal as possible. So if we have room, we like to bring it along and we have never regretted packing it because we always use it. Beck loves his bath time!

5. Magic Merlin | The Magic Merlin has worked amazingly for us! We transitioned him out of the swaddle around three months and into the sleep suit and he absolutely loves it and so do we.

6. Swaddle Up | This swaddle is great for nap times, but we actually use the Love to Dream Swaddle UP Transition Bag now, which leaves his arms out.

7. Dock-a-tot | We put the Dock-a-tot on the other bed for Beck to sleep in, but when we stay at our condo, Beck sleeps in the Pack N’ Play.

8. Seventh Generation | It might seem silly to pack your own detergent, but we’ve never used anything else on Beck’s clothes and I would hate for him to have a reaction while traveling so we just put a few of these in a zip lock pack if we’re staying somewhere with a washer and dryer.

 10. Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym | This play gym is probably Beck’s favorite toy and it’s so easy to pack so we alway bring it when we leave town or go to a friend’s house for a long time.

11. YL-Calm | 12. YL-Tummygize | 13. YL-Sleepyize | 14.  YL-Diffuser (we also like this diffuser) | <— We always make sure to pack Beck’s oils especially since they’re apart of his night time routine.

 15. Pack N’ Play  | We actually keep our Pack n’ Play at the condo, but it folds up really small and compact for convenience while traveling. It also comes with a removable changing station and turns into the perfect contained play area when they can sit up.

| Shop Beck’s Baby Bag |

1. Baby Bibs | 2. Onesies | 3.Soothie (we use these pacifiers now) | 4. Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment | 5. Baby Boys’ Organic Cotton Socks | 6. Burp Cloths | 7. Baby Wipes  | 8. Swaddle Blankets | 9. On The Go Gray Bag Dispenser| 10. Dr. Brown’s BPA Natural Flow Bottle | 11. Soundspa On-The-Go | 12. Colorblock Large Sutton | 13. Tote Savvy | 14. Nuna MIXX™ Stroller | 15. Nuna PIPA™ Car Seat | 16. Baby Backseat Mirror for Car

1. Baby Bibs | Bibs will save him some clothes especially if you don’t have access to a washer and dryer while you’re traveling.

2. Onesies | You can never pack enough onesies for changes throughout the day when it comes to spit up and diaper exlposions.

3. Soothie | Pacifiers are a must for long road trips. We don’t use the pacifier too often at home. We usually only use it around nap time if he’s fussy. He tends to get a little fussy after sitting in his carseat for a long time too.

4. Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment | I never go anywhere without aquaphor for myself so I do the same for Beck because we can use it soothe diaper rash, scratches from his nails and dry skin on his face.

6. Burp Cloths | We keep burp clothes all over our house for surprise spit ups from Beck so the same goes for traveling. We keep some in his diaper bag and on his carseat so he never has to sit uncomfortable with spit up on his clothes and same for our clothes too.

8. Swaddle Blankets | We love these breathable Newton baby blankets because they’re super lightweight.

9. On The Go Gray Bag Dispenser | This little bag dispenser is a life saver when it comes to dirty diapers on-the-go. They’re easily accessible on the side of the diaper bag and they’re lavender scented too to help conceal the smell.

10. Dr. Brown’s BPA Natural Flow Bottle | I still exclusively breastfeed, but this time brought a bottle for him in the car as backup when we can’t stop in traffic and he’s screaming crying. Also, we still use slow flow nipples on bottles when we give him one so that he won’t get lazy with breastfeeding since bottles are so much easier.  Just a tip—  from personal experience, we hold him upright while we feed him bottles to slow the flow even more and prevent him spitting it all up after he’s done.

11. Soundspa On-The-Go | He sleeps with a sound machine at home so we packed it for him to sleep at night at the condo, but it’s also nice to have attached to his carseat to calm him and sleep easier in the car for long rides.

12. Colorblock Large Sutton & Tote Savvy | I own both the tote savvy and the large sutton, but we’ve mostly been using our Happ diaper backpack.

14. Nuna MIXX™ Stroller & Nuna PIPA™ Car Seat | We love the safety features on this carseat. Plus it’s super lightweight.

16. Baby Backseat Mirror for Car | I love having this mirror in our backseat so I can easily check on him using the rearview mirror. He also likes to look at himself in the mirror too.

beach cover up

hate heart sunglasses

| Shop My Look |

Outfit: ‘Joanna’ Straw Hat | White Heart Sunglasses | Swimsuit (old from Revolve) | Colorful Coverup | Pearl Necklace

tiare hawaii dress

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Outfit: Naia Dress Kaia Hoop Earrings in Vintage Gold |

The whole reason I got this @tiare_hawaii maxi dress is because it reminded me of the perfect beach sunset and I thought it would look amaze for our family photo!

family beach picture

How to Get The Perfect Family Beach Photo (when you don’t have a professional photographer!):

  1. Designate a specific time during your trip so everyone is prepared & you can even coordinate outfits! I suggest sunset because the light is best then. Or take a more candid approach & snap one while you’re already hanging out on the beach. Pro tip: take the photo as soon as you get settled instead of waiting & forgetting. Plus, this way, you can enjoy the rest of your time by being present in the moment.
  2. Make it easy for the “photographer” by lining up the exact angle you want & showing them where to stand. Pick a spot where the light is shining on you instead of behind you or beside you to prevent harsh shadows. If the person has time, have them snap one & check it before taking anymore to make sure you like it.
  3. Don’t spend any longer than 5ish minutes trying to get the “perfect” photo or you’ll just end up with a bunch awkward forced smiles by the end. Instead, have your friend/family member snap as many as they can within a few minutes using different angles as you change up poses.
  4. If you ask a stranger to take your photo, kindly request that they just snap a FEW pictures as opposed to just one. Pro tip: practice taking the photo on your family first to make sure everything looks good before asking a stranger to take it!
  5. If you’re having trouble getting your family to cooperate (aka distracted kids or annoyed husband), just ask everyone to laugh & smile at each other to capture a sweet family moment instead. Pro tip: It helps if you actually whisper something funny!

P.S. In case you’re wondering, my sister took this photo of us & she has zero photography skills so anyone can do it! Also, these are just a few of my tips, but I have a ton more if you’re interested in me doing a blog post on it! Just comment below to let me know!

family beach photos

**Disclosure: Outdoor seating has been adjusted to provide the required six feet of distance between tables, and indoor service is operating at just 50% capacity, as mandated by the Florida Governor’s Executive Order.

A huge thank you to the Hilton Sandestin for having us. We had the most amazing family beach trip.

The Benefits of Walmart+

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a nice weekend! What if I told you I found a way that could put more time back in your day while also helping you save money? I’m sure most of you would say, “Sign me up!”  Right? Well, you’re in luck because I’ve actually found a way– Walmart+. It’s a new membership program that brings together in-store and online benefits to help save Walmart customers more money. The benefits include:  The benefits include: Free unlimited delivery (your order must be at least $35 and other restrictions may apply), mobile scan & go, and member prices on fuel! You can sign up starting today and you better believe I was among the first people to sign up so I can spend more time with Beck at home and less time embarrassing myself with the stroller and grocery cart in the parking lot! 

louisiana blogger

walmart benefits

Walmart+ members may receive free unlimited delivery from stores, member prices on fuel REMOVE: discounts and access to tools that make shopping faster for families, which is exactly what I need these days. The idea of having to grocery shop in-store with a five month old makes me want to hide under a table so you better believe that I will be among the first people to sign up for the program. Speaking of being among the first, everyone will be allowed to sign up on September 18, 2020. Membership costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month and includes a 15-day free trial period. 

haute off the rack

louisiana-home-blogger

Check out all of the perks of the Walmart+ membership below:

  • Free unlimited delivery: Same everyday low prices you love as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from tech and toys to household essentials and groceries. Your order must be at least $35 and other restrictions may apply. This service was previously known as Delivery Unlimited – a subscription service that allowed customers to place an unlimited number of deliveries for a low, flat yearly or monthly fee. Current subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members.
  • Mobile scan & go: Unlock mobile scan & go in the Walmart app — a fast way to shop in-store. Using the Walmart app, customers can scan their items as they shop and pay at self-checkout using Walmart Pay for a quick, easy, touch-free payment experience.
  • Member Prices on Fuel: Fill up and save! 5 cents a gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express fuel stations.

walmart+

haute off the rack blog

You can check out some of the items I always have delivered to my house from Walmart in the image below! If you know me at all, you know I always have to get Cool Ranch Doritos. In fact that was the first thing I ate in the delivery room after I gave birth to Beck! Also, Walmart carries our absolute favorite coffee creamer. We’ve been using it for the past four years now.

walmart groceries

| Shop My Walmart Grocery Cart |

Bananas | Almond Coffee Creamer | Vanilla Almond Milk | Cage Free Eggs | Honest Apple Juice | Community Coffee | Cool Ranch Doritos | Honey Nut Cheerios | Wheat Bread | Peanut Butter

This week was my 30th birthday and I truly couldn’t think of a better gift to myself during this time of my life– more time back in my day and more money back in my pocket! Honestly though, it’s the perfect gift for anyone during this interesting time. Treat yourself and sign up for Walmart+ today!

This post is in partnership with Walmart, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

Have Your Cake & Eat It Too | Episode 3

Happy Friday everyone, today I’m sharing my third episode of “Have Your Cake and Eat it Too” on my Instagram stories at @HauteOffTheRack. “Have Your Cake and Eat It Too” is a new spinoff series from my silly “Haute Out The Oven” show. In this new show, my mom and I attempt to bake a cake together while also working out at the same time as our cake bakes in the oven so we can still have our cake and eat it too.

birthday cake recipe

I’m about 4.5 months postpartum now and since my mom is a certified personal trainer on the side, we thought this would be a fun way to work towards getting back in shape and have you follow along with the journey. I hope you enjoy the series and attempt to make some of these recipes yourself. I also hope it inspires you to stay active and healthy especially if you recently had a baby and you’re now ready to get back to making your healthy a priority again as I know it can take a backseat when you’re more focused on taking care of your new baby. Last episode we made the delicious and refreshing Lemon Blueberry Cake and this time we’re making a Funfetti birthday cake in honor of my 30th birthday on Monday.

women's leggings

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Jenn’s Look: Airlift High Waist Leggings (I’m wearing the cropped version sz S) | Undertow Tank (wearing sz S/also available here) | Air Max 270 Premium Sneaker | Ray-Ban Sunglasses | Ryder Hoop Earrings in Vintage Gold

Mom’s Look: Studio Crop Lite LeggingsAlo Cover Tank Air Max 270 Premium Sneaker | Ray-Ban Sunglasses

Beck’s Stroller: Nuna MIXX Stroller (We keep this stroller at mom’s house for walks! We also have the Nuna MIXX Next stroller at our house that we love!)

Check out first fail and attempt cake in the photo below!

haute off the rack

We attempted to recreate the Funfetti cake from Lola that we had at my family party and the first time we failed terribly. I actually shared all of the outtakes on my IG stories. This time we finally got it right! Be sure to watch the IG stories for the workout routines that you can do while your cake bakes in the oven!

You can check out the cake recipe from our first two episode here—> Have Your Cake & Eat It Too Episode 1 | Have Your Cake & Eat It Too Episode 2 

I have all of the videos saved under my highlights under my bio on my Instagram: @hauteofftherack

funfetti birthday cake

Funfetti Cake Recipe:

We used 2 boxes so be sure to double the recipe

1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Substitutions:
Eggs: use ¼ cup of greek yogurt
Oil: use ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1. Set oven to 350 coat bottom of pan with no-stick cooking spray or shortening and a flour dusting

2. Beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs in your bowl with mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into pan(s)

3. Bake at 350 & follow the bake times below. When toothpick is inserted in the center & comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool 10-15 minutes before removing from pan. Cool cake completely before frosting!

Pan size: 13×9 → bake time 34-38 minutes

Pan size: two 8-inch rounds → bake time 34-38 minutes

Pan size: two 9-inch rounds → bake time 29-33 minutes

Icing Recipe (double the recipe for extra frosting):

1 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

5 to 6 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream

1 pack of cream cheese

STEP 1 | BEAT shortening, vanilla and in large bowl with mixer on high speed until fluffy.

STEP 2 | ADD powdered sugar. Beat on low speed, gradually adding milk, until evenly blended.

STEP 3 | ADD cream cheese and beat on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

| Shop Cake Accessories |

1. KitchenAid Mixer | 2. Cake Sign | 3. Number Balloons | 4. Cooling Racks | 5. Icing Cake Knife Set | 6. Round Pan | 7. Cake Decorating Kit | 8. Cake Leveler | 9. Icing Decorating Kit | 10. KitchenAid Stand Mixer | 11. Cake Mix | 12. Sprinkles

nomi high chair

| Shop Our Looks |

Jenn’s Look: Cami BodysuitL’Academie Firesuite DusterParker Vintage Cut Off Short

Mom’s Look: Studio Crop Lite LeggingsSplits Ribbed Tank

Beck’s High Chair: High Chair Stand & 0-6 month bouncer | We love this Nomi high chair because provides Beck with a soft and cozy spot at the table or by the island when we’re eating dinner. The raised height is ideal for “talking”, playing, feeding and keeping good eye contact with your baby. The Nomi Baby is also easy to move around the house and is seamlessly adjusted between almost horizontal & more upright positions to match the changing needs of your baby. Plus it converts into a big boy high chair with a tray when he’s ready!

Kitchen Details: Kitchenaid MixerRiviera Counter Stools | Light Fixtures | MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Enamel 3 Qt. Casserole

This is the Lola Funfetti Cake from my 30th birthday family party that we were trying to recreate. My actual birthday isn’t until Monday, September 14.

birthday cake