Dolce & Chianti Has Added Brunch

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DOLCE & CHIANTI, who I wrote about in September, have now added on a Saturday and Sunday brunch. This elegant restaurant, with the Lemon accents everywhere, treated me to a brunch today. With their beautiful front room decorated with a snow white and gold Christmas tree, the atmosphere is perfect for anytime.

Owner Inga Davidian, along with her chef Risson Medina were there to make sure every detail was to perfection. Inga currently owns two restaurants in the Kirkland area of Washington state.

Dolce & Chianti is the most beautifully decorated restaurant I have seen in a long time. Fresh, bright, beautiful blue colors and a taste of “Lemon” throughout. Yes, lemon is everywhere. On the walls, in photos, in bowls, and it brings such a wonderful feel. Look at the photo below, all plates are lemons.

The brunch items I tried included a Blueberry Spinach salad, with plenty of toasted sliced almonds, feta cheese, mint and a maple vinaigrette, and an Italian sausage Frittata with onions, mushrooms, and Mozzarella. There were large portions of the Burrata Avocado Toast with avocado mouse, red onions, cucumber, baby heirlooms, house vinaigrette, greens, and toasted Pine nuts. Not to be outdone, we finished off with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with toasted pine nuts, lemon mint whipped cream, powered sugar, and blueberries. You should not miss this fine place, and as I said before dinner is not to be outdone in any Las Vegas restaurant.

The restaurant was open for only a few months before everyone shut down, but now it is back to life with new dishes. I attended the party, where I got to sample some wonderful bites alongside a terrific band.

Regularly on the menu is Summer Tomato with angel hair, fresh summer tomatoes, basil, and herbs; Seafood with mussels, prawns, Calabrian chili butter, garlic, pasta, and light tomato; Gnocchi al Fungi; Eggplant Parmesan; Veal Milanese and Seared Salmon to name a few. Lemon Ricotta cheesecake Salted Caramel Budino, and Espresso Panna Cotta are delicious finishing touches. They have plenty of shareables, including fresh mussels, Calamari Fritto, Marinated Olives & house pickles, or Jumbo Prawns. With salads and pizza, there is no end to the menu.

A highly praised selection of liquors and wines are at the round bar, and there is evening music Tuesday through Saturday. Located on the West side at 4275 S. Durango, please make reservations. Great place for a wedding dinner. 702-749-6534. #Chianti

Dan and Tom Interview Comedian Jerry Farber

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Dan Glazer

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Dan Glazer and Tom Paris have a short interview with comedian Jerry Farber. Out of Atlanta, Jerry has been a top comedian for many years. He is also known for his philanthropy and is a classically trained pianist.

Sustainable Weddings: 10 Top Methods and Tricks for an Eco-Friendly, Magical Day

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Guest Author

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Sustainability is a vital consideration in 2022. With our impact on the planet becoming increasingly clear, it is crucial to incorporate sustainable practices into every facet of our lives – including major milestones like weddings. Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure your big day has a minimal impact on the environment.

As with all elements of a wedding, it will require careful consideration and planning to make your wedding day eco-friendly. Here are some of our top tips to help you achieve your dream wedding sustainably.

Wear A Vintage Dress

Shopping second hand and vintage can be a great way to reduce the impact your fashion choices have on the environment. Vintage dresses can also create a beautiful wedding aesthetic and can become a treasured family heirloom to pass down to future generations. It is best to look for a dress that suits your requirements and have it altered to fit if you need to.

Choose An Eco-Friendly Venue

When selecting your venue, you should ask questions about the space’s sustainability practices. Include queries about their recycling policies, what they do with food waste, and how energy efficient their business is. You could also ask who their suppliers are. It is best to choose a venue as eco-conscious as you are and use local suppliers.

Avoid A Destination Wedding

Destination weddings can be magical, but the emissions caused by guests traveling long distances to get to the wedding location can be a huge contributor to your wedding’s overall carbon footprint. It is best to have your wedding in a local area, where most guests won’t have to fly or travel too far by car to get to the location. You could also consider hiring coaches to get your guests to the venue and avoid multiple vehicles making the trip.

Use Local Suppliers

It is crucial to shop locally when choosing caterers, cake makers, florists, and other essential wedding services. Not only will this help out local businesses, but it will also reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding. You could consider looking for various suppliers within a set radius of your home to ensure that the distance traveled is minimal.

Go Digital With Invites

Invites are an integral part of any wedding. You can reduce the amount of waste paper and other materials associated with your wedding by choosing to send your invites digitally. There are plenty of options for a classy, chic and high-quality digital wedding invite. Check out some of the beautiful event invitation options from Greenvelope for some fantastic inspiration.

Make The Wedding Breakfast Vegan

The wedding meal is another crucial element of the day. As more and more people go vegan for eco-conscious reasons, you could consider making your wedding breakfast a vegan one. There are so many incredible recipes to suit any taste, making vegan cuisine the perfect eco-friendly choice for your wedding. You should contact several caterers who offer vegan options and do some taste testing to find the right fit.

Switch Out The Confetti

Instead of traditional confetti, choose a biodegradable alternative to avoid adding harmful waste to the environment around your venue. Some excellent options include birdseed, flower petals, and rice. You should do some research to find the perfect choice. For instance, you could look for flower petals that match the blooms in your bouquet to create the ideal matching aesthetic.

Ask For Charity Donations Instead Of Gifts

While gifts can be a great way to get you started in married life, the emissions caused by the production and delivery of gifts can be significant. As most people live together before getting married nowadays, many of the traditional gifts are no longer as useful as they were for past generations.

You could ask instead for donations to a favorite charity. This can cut down on emissions related to your wedding and help raise money for a good cause. For additional eco points, you could choose a local environmental charity.

Pick Seasonal Flowers

When selecting the flowers for your wedding, it can be beneficial to consider the blooms that will be in season when your wedding takes place. You could even plan your wedding date based on when the flowers you want will be available.

Choosing flowers that are not in season means that they will have to be grown in artificial conditions, which can hugely impact the environment. You should select flower suppliers that source local blooms to cut down on the emissions from the transportation of the flowers.

Choose Ethical Makeup Brands

When selecting your makeup look for the big day, it can be beneficial to choose brands known for being ethical and sustainable. The beauty industry is a major contributor to pollution globally, so finding brands that are actively working to reduce their contribution to climate change is crucial. You should research the brands available and determine what steps they take to be sustainable, what materials they use and whether they are zero-waste companies.

Image by Vu Toan from Pixabay

Silverton Casino Has Pop Up Event Xmas Theme

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Shelley Stepanek

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It’s time to deck the halls! I went to the Silverton Casino last night, way south of the Las Vegas strip for a great holiday-themed Bad Elf pop-up bar at Shady Grove Lounge.

There was Santa of course, his bad elf, a guitar player, plenty of great appetizers and of course the Airstream bowling alley located right in the Shady Grove Lounge. Great Xmas and holiday-themed drinks to try.

Love this hotel, always something happening including the giant Mermaid pool. The room was decorated as the North Pole with a warm fireplace. Lots of photo ops here and plenty of free parking.

Our Precious Pets Part 2

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Shelley Stepanek

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Pets make our lives better.

*Top photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash

Our Precious Pets

By

Shelley Stepanek

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Our pets, our hearts.

*Top photo by Andrew S on Unsplash

Tips for Navigating a Difficult Divorce

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Ainsley Lawrence

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Divorce is never easy. Even when things are amicable, it’s still a stressful experience. When things are difficult, however, it can be overwhelming.

There are plenty of factors that can play into a difficult divorce, from the reason the marriage is ending to finances, and especially children. It’s important to know when you’re ready for a divorce, because it can often be a long, drawn-out process.

You might never be fully prepared to go through a contentious divorce. But, there are things you can do to navigate the waters and make things easier on yourself.

Make Sure It’s the Right Time

As of 2018, about 40% of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. That’s not exactly an encouraging statistic, but no one gets married assuming they’ll fall into that category. Unfortunately, divorce has become a relatively easy process when there are no kids involved, so it’s not uncommon for people to divorce more frequently and get remarried several times.

Still, it’s a big deal. If you’re considering it, you’re likely already having problems with your marriage. But, it’s important to know if you’re truly ready. Asking yourself some difficult questions about your marriage and relationship can be the first step in the process. Some clear signs that can help you determine if the marriage is over include:

Loss of respect in your relationship
Loss of attraction and intimacy
Deception about finances
A significant change in habits
Lack of empathy

Filing for divorce is easy, on paper, but can be the hardest thing you ever have to do in your head and your heart. Make sure you’re ready, and that the marriage is truly over before you make such a big decision.

Know How to Handle Your Finances and Assets

One of the ugliest aspects of a divorce is splitting things up. It can feel like a life you’ve built together with someone is being torn into pieces and divvied up in a courtroom. When it comes to dividing assets, it’s important to know what to expect so you aren’t surprised by what you might gain or lose.

The best way to go about dividing your belongings is to work out an agreement with your former spouse. You might determine who gets what by considering factors like:

Financial situations
Who uses each item the most
Who needs each item the most
Splitting multiple items evenly

Couples that can navigate these waters on their own can expedite the divorce process so it doesn’t seem so long and ugly.

Unfortunately, if you’re not able to work out an agreement, you may have to hire an attorney to help you get what you deserve. That can get expensive very quickly. So much so, that you may need to divide your assets quickly — including the marital home — so you can sell it fast for cash to pay your lawyer. Know the value of your home before you decide to “split” it, so you can ensure you’re getting a fair share when it sells.

Consider What’s Best for Your Kids

When children are involved in a divorce, things become much more complicated. You have to remember that you aren’t the only one dealing with this separation — they are, too.

While your children aren’t property, the best thing you can do is to create a schedule and agreement with your former spouse when it comes to spending time with them. You should consider things like where the kids want to live, whether they would have to change schools, who is staying in the marital home, and who has more availability.

If you cannot come up with an agreement, a court will likely require a “standard” one that may be fair on paper, but not necessarily what’s best for the kids in your situation. Trying to be amicable and agreeable to a discussion is your best option.

No matter what schedule you decide on, being a good co-parent should be your top priority. Call a truce with your ex when it comes to your children, and agree to focus on what’s best for them while putting your own feelings aside. Some quick co-parenting tips that will make things easier on everyone include:

Never badmouth your ex to your kids
Only speak to your ex about the kids, not about personal matters
Never make your children “choose” between you or your ex
Don’t use your children to fill your need for companionship

Navigating a difficult divorce doesn’t have to overwhelm you. Plan and prepare as much as possible, and do what you can to reach agreements with your ex. The less time you have to spend in court, the less stressful things will be. Most importantly, though, make sure to take care of yourself throughout the divorce process. Making your physical and mental health a top priority will make it easier to manage stress and not get overwhelmed by the situation.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

4 Things We Can Do to Say, “Thank You” to Our First Responders

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Guest Author

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Saying thank you to our first responders is the least we can do. Their hard work and determination are inspiring and something that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Statistics show that there are currently over 25 million first responders in the United States alone. Here’s what you can do to show your appreciation.

Write A Letter

Writing a letter of appreciation can be a personalized and touching gift. Taking time to put pen to paper can show any first responder, whether that be a nurse, firefighter or paramedic, just how much you were deeply touched by their work. You are showing them that you value the job they do. Think carefully about how you word your card. Use words that express gratitude, kindness, and pride. Look for inspirational quotes online that resonate with you and include them in your message. Ask family members or close friends to include their own message to make the letter even more special.

Offer Incentives

By offering incentive schemes for first responders, you are showing them how much you value the work that they do. Take a look at some incentive schemes that already exist and promote them to any first responder you know. Find incentives that will help them throughout their everyday lives. For example, take a look at these home loans for nurses by The Home Loan Expert. The aim is to help first responders ease the financial burden of buying a house by taking away the cost of appraisals and loan check-ups. Finding time to complete important life decisions like this can be difficult for first responders. Offering incentive schemes like this can help to make a difference.

Collect Donations

Consider collecting donations for your local hospital or fire station. Hold a local fundraiser and ask people to get involved. Think about different activities that you can do to encourage people to donate. For example, hold a bake sale, sponsored walk or local quiz night. Ask around your local area to see who will get involved and help you set up the fundraiser. Set your budget and plan everything from the activities down to the catering so the event runs smoothly. Promote your event around the area to drum up interest and get as many people involved as possible. Personally deliver your donations to your local hospital or fire station.

Send A Gift

Try to look for gift inspiration online and choose something that will be of use to them in their job role. Choosing something practical like a pair of shoes or hand cream will be appreciated. Consider the fact that first responder teams can be big. To provide a gift for a lot of people you can make something. For example, bake a cake. Ask nurses, firefighters or paramedics down at their local headquarters what their favorite cake flavors are. Use this to inspire you.

Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

Single Parent Veterans: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in 2022

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Guest Author

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A lot of things can be made more challenging by being a single parent. You have to rely on yourself to get things done and ensure your kids are happy and healthy. Being a veteran can present its own challenges, so it is crucial to find ways to thrive as a single parent and veteran.

Fortunately, there is help out there. You are not alone, and there are many parents, veteran and civilian, like you out there. Read on for some of the ways you and your kids can thrive in 2022.

Take Care Of Your Mental Health

Ensure you manage any mental health concerns you have. Talk to your family doctor if you are worried. Find a therapist with experience working with veterans and see them regularly. Find a family therapist for you and your kids, particularly if they are struggling with your separation from their other parent.

Exercise Together

Ensure you and your kids get plenty of exercise. Make exercise time a chance to bond. Go for walks and hikes, play sports together, and encourage fitness interests in your kids.

Eliminate Stressors In Your Daily Life

Identify things that cause you stress and work to eliminate them from your life. Plan your time to ensure you don’t overwork yourself. Make changes when needed to ensure your life is as stress-free as possible.

Make Your Home Base Permanent

Buying a property can give kids much-needed stability. Consider VA loans that allow veterans to purchase properties without a down payment. Choose a suitable house with space for your children to grow. Find out whether you qualify and learn more about a VA loan application from the experts at Hero Loan.

Take Vacations For Lasting Memories

Take trips as a family and spend time bonding. Consider a camping trip or staycation to a nearby National Park. Let your kids have a say on where you go.

Build Up Your Emergency Savings

Save at least six months’ salary for your emergency fund. Continue adding to it whenever you can. Keep savings separate from your main account and use high-yield savings account to get the most out of the high-interest.

Continue Your Education

Continue your professional development to become more employable. Ask your employer if they can fund additional training and education. Look for opportunities and free online courses.

Take Time For Yourself

Take time to yourself when you can. Ask trusted loved ones to care for your kids and spend an afternoon to yourself. Do something you enjoy and avoid chores or errands.

Cook Healthy Meals

Cook healthy meals as a family. Teach your children about balanced diets and encourage them to try different foods. If you have a picky child, taking them grocery shopping, as letting them pick food themselves can help.

Find Excellent Childcare

Review the childcare options in your local area. Look for experienced, qualified childcare providers. Find out which friends and family are willing to babysit when needed. Vet anyone you leave your kids with thoroughly.

Photo by Randy Rooibaatjie on Unsplash

Santa’s Experience–for the Christmas Lovers!

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Shelley Stepanek

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What a fun time we had last night in west Las Vegas, laughing over the kids getting their pictures taken. Over two dozen photo-ops in a professionally designed walkthrough experience that is 100% family-friendly, but also meant for Christmas lovers of all ages! Plus, all guests get the chance to have their photos taken with Santa!

The experience and displays feature Christmas Trees, Frosty Snowmen, Gingerbread Men, Santa’s Reindeer, Holiday Gifts, Elf Helpers, Holiday Trains, Santa Claus himself, and much more! Fun for the whole family–and walk the rest of the famous Tivoli Village stores and restaurants. Plenty of free parking and thousands of lights.

Open daily through January 2nd, 2022 from 6- 10 p.m.

This is a timed-entry event! You will be able to select a 30min. slot.

Standard Adult Entry – $20.00

Standard Child’s Ticket (12 y/o and under) – $10.00

Family Pass (For up to 5 guests) – $50.00

Location: Tivoli Village

Dates: November 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022 – OPEN DAILY!