Category Archives: Footies

Light Brunch Ideas for the New Year

Lighten Up with These Post-Holiday Brunch Ideas

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s we stuffed ourselves with savory indulgences and sweet treats. January is a time when we like to “get back to basics” and offset the decadence of the holiday season with healthier options.

Healthier, lighter choices are challenging to make in the middle of winter. It’s easier to follow your self-imposed restrictions during the workweek, when you’re distracted and far from your refrigerator. However, the weekends don’t lend themselves to salads.

When it’s blistering cold outside and you’re cozy and warm in your flannel pajamas on a Saturday morning, you want nothing more than a steaming hot cup of coffee and a heavy, hearty brunch.

You don’t have to forgo your leisurely weekend meals in your jammies. Simply swap out your signature French toast casserole for one of these delicious options that are heavy on flavor and light on guilt.

10 Light Brunch Ideas for the New Year

1. Butternut Squash-Kale Hash from Health.com

This sweet and savory Butternut Squash-Kale Hash is ready to enjoy in just over thirty minutes. The mix of superfoods with the low-carb satisfaction of butternut squash is sure to warm you up in the morning. Finishing the dish with a crispy fried egg, with its gooey soft center, also satisfies our craving for a cheesy topping.

Get the recipe on health.com

2. Mixed Berry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal from Julie’s Eats & Treats

The French toast casserole we mentioned earlier? Swap it out for the sweet taste of fresh berries and fragrant vanilla in this Mixed Berry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal. This is a warm, comforting dish that you can feel good about, with your feet up on the couch in your favorite footie pajamas.

Get the recipe on julieseatsandtreats.com

3. Light & Spicy Turkey Sausage Breakfast Burrito from The Creative Bite

This is an absolute favorite! Not only is this Light & Spicy Turkey Sausage Breakfast Burrito a satisfying addition to a weekend brunch, this recipe can be made ahead and frozen for an on-the-go meal during the week. It’s easy to throw together and contains a fraction of the fat of pork sausage.

Get the recipe on thecreativebite.com

4. End-of-Summer Zucchini Mushroom Frittata from Life is But a Dish

Remind yourself of warmer days with this lightened up End-of-Summer Zucchini Mushroom Frittata. Ok… stay with us… we are well aware that we are far from the “end of summer,” but if we’re being honest, all of these veggies are available — and inexpensive! — in your grocery store throughout the year. Topped with salty, savory feta, this frittata will satisfy your deepest darkest brunch cravings.

Get the recipe on lifeisbutadish.com

5. Crustless Vegetable Quiche from Recipe Runner

Everyone loves a good quiche. If you are torn between “brunching out” or “brunching in” and sticking to your New Year’s resolution, this Crustless Vegetable Quiche is the recipe for you. You could easily swap out the spring veggies for vegetables that are more readily available. Regardless of what veggies you choose, ditching the crust means you save yourself countless calories. Calories that can be better spent enjoying a mimosa in your bathrobe

Get the recipe on reciperunner.com

6. Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Apple Hash from Worth Cooking

Sometimes you can’t skip the bacon. Subbing traditional russet potatoes for sweet potatoes means you are going to get more nutritional bang for your buck — which totally cancels out the bacon (we’re basically nutritionists… not). Incorporating apples and sweet potato in this Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Apple Hash definitely does take the edge of the guilt. In the end, isn’t that all that really matters?

Get the recipe on worthcooking.net

Light Egg Dish for the New Year

‘Italian Eggs’ from Cook the Story

7. Italian Eggs (aka ‘Eggs in Purgatory’) from Cook the Story

This recipe for Italian Eggs, better known traditionally as ‘Eggs in Purgatory,’ is light on calories but packed with the robust flavors we crave when we think of Italian cooking. The dish consists of eggs simmered to perfection in a hearty tomato sauce, then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The red pepper flakes give the dish a spicy kick that will warm you up on a cold January morning.

Get the recipe from cookthestory.com

8. Avocado Toast with Turkey and Egg from The Lemon Bowl

You can’t brunch without avocado toast, or so we’re told. This Avocado Toast with Turkey and Egg is a deeply satisfying healthy breakfast-lunch-or-dinner dish. Hearty multigrain toast, topped with creamy avocado and a decadent runny fried egg will keep your fatty breakfast cravings under control. Additionally, the extra-lean protein punch of sliced turkey will keep your hunger in check until your next meal.

Get the recipe from thelemonbowl.com

Fuzzy Duck Slippers from Aroma Home

Did someone say fuzzy slippers? ‘Duck Slippers’ by Aroma Home.

9. Bacon and Asparagus Frittata from The Roasted Root

Put on your warmest, fuzziest slippers because this Bacon and Asparagus Frittata is classic lightened-up comfort food. With only four ingredients (!!!) you can prep this dish in just ten minutes. Ideal for a lazy Saturday morning. This recipe calls for four slices of thick cut bacon, which infuse each of the frittata’s 6+ servings with the savory bacon goodness you’re craving. Top with avocado, because why not?

Get the recipe from theroastedroot.com

10. Whipped Yogurt with Spiced Berry Compote from The Worktop

We’ve rounded out this brunch list with a sweet finish in the form of a Whipped Yogurt with Spiced Berry Compote. A yogurt parfait is something that we think of during the summer months, but the cinnamon, anise, and vanilla of this spiced berry compote warm up this sweet dish with the flavors of winter.

Get the recipe from theworktop.com

For more ideas on how to live your best life in the New Year, visit The Pajama Company on our blog or check us out on Facebook.

Best Christmas Cookie Recipes of 2017

Must-Try Cookie Recipes for the Holiday Season

In December, the warm smell of freshly baked cookies — rich vanilla and butter — is as iconic as the smell of balsam. Baking and decorating cookies with loved ones is a long-standing holiday tradition in many households, as is indulging in pure buttery bliss in matching family pajamas on Christmas Eve. Fill your home with the scent of holiday joy this year with one of these popular cookie recipes from 2017.

Best Christmas Cookies to Enjoy in Pajamas

Enjoy Christmas cookies in matching family pajamas this holiday season.

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Quick Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

Quick Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

The pressure of finding the perfect gifts, being “Santa’s Little Helper,” attending a dozen social events, and entertaining family can add up quickly. It takes one Saturday afternoon at the mall in December to make anyone want to pull their hair out from holiday stress. But how do we manage? We can’t drop everything and camp out under the covers in our pajamas until January (though obviously we recommend this approach over any other).

Here are some quick, practical tips for lightening your load and getting ahead of holiday stress this winter.

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2017 Holiday Gift Guide from the Pajama Company

Ultimate Holiday Gift-Giving Strategy: The ‘2-Stop Shop’

It feels like Labor Day was only yesterday and yet somehow we’ve managed to fast forward through Halloween, blast past Thanksgiving, and Christmas is just around the corner?! Begin the annual lies: “I’m going to get my Christmas shopping done early this year” and “I’ll have the gifts wrapped by the end of November…” Sound familiar?

These are the lies we tell ourselves until mid-December when we end up on an aimless 10-hour Saturday mall run, buying whatever wrapping paper is left at Rite Aid, and giving at least six people on our list Starbucks gift cards. Hey, we’ve all been there. That’s why we’ve decided to help you out with a new strategy: The ‘2-Stop Shop.’

One part Cyber Monday and one part last-minute drugstore run, this strategy is designed to personalize the bejeezus out of your Cyber Monday haul for easy, thoughtful, personalized gifts for everyone on your list.

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New Family Holiday Traditions, Matching Pajamas

New Ideas for Fun Family Traditions

As the days get shorter and the colors of fall give way to frost, our lives become wrapped in tradition. It begins with Halloween: trick-or-treating, neighborhood Halloween parties, themed family costumes, or just stealing all the peanut butter cups out of your kid’s candy stash… no matter how big or how small, the shift from fall to winter signals a shift into a season filled with traditions and memories that will last a lifetime.

There are popular traditions that you share with others, such as the turkey you might be cutting into in the coming days, and then there are ones that are unique to you and your family. Young families have the special and unique opportunity to start traditions with their families and choose what their children will remember from their childhood about this special season — and might pass on to their own.

Here are a few ideas for new traditions you might like to start with your family this holiday season.

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Funny Family Holiday Photo Ideas

12 Funny Family Holiday Photo Ideas

With the holiday season just around the corner, we know that many of you have family holiday portraits scheduled in the coming days. When you are planning your family portrait this holiday season, consider some outside-the-box options.

Each year we receive dozens in the mail that, frankly, all look the same — and into the trash they go!  Ditch the matching sweaters and have some fun this winter with pictures that are guaranteed to bring holiday joy.

Matching Family Flapjack Pajamas

Matching family pajamas from Lazy One.

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Pajama Halloween Costume Ideas

6 Pajama-Themed Halloween Costume Ideas

When it comes to Halloween, there are those people who meticulously plan their costume a year in advance — finding the perfect props and carefully sewing, stitching, or gluing their masterpiece together — and then there are the rest of us. Halloween is less than a week away and we’re willing to bet you don’t have a costume either.

Rather than be the party pooper who shows up to the Halloween bash as themselves, look no further than your pajama drawer. By utilizing your pajamas in these six simple costume ideas, you will be warm, comfortable, and at least a hundred dollars richer for not having ordered a last-minute costume online.

Unlike an inflatable T-Rex or a garden gnome, you can wear your pajamas again and again. Here are costume ideas for the rest of us.

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Fall Reading List, Best Autumn Novels to Read in Your Pajamas

Fall Reading List: Curl Up in your PJs with These Wistful Novels

The crisp fall weather inspires us to put on our warmest pajamas, curl up on the couch, and snuggle up with a soft blanket and a good book. Here we have listed our favorite fall reads across all genres. But what exactly constitutes a ‘fall read’?

When autumn sets in, the days get shorter and colder, making many people miss the carefree sun-filled days of summer. ‘Wistful’ is a word that is often used to describe books that give us a feeling of slight melancholy, usually brought on by nostalgia. Fall reminds us of childhood, school years, and signals that the holidays are just around the corner. Not all novels that remind us of fall take place in autumn. ‘Fall,’ in a feeling, is a mood that defines each of these moody classics.

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Fall Sleepover Ideas

How to Throw a ‘Pumpkin Spice’ Themed Slumber Party

Three words: pumpkin spice everything. After an absolutely gorgeous summer, fall has finally arrived on the East Coast and temperatures are slowly starting to drop. With school back in session it’s the perfect time for a cozy slumber party, whether you’re in middle school or you’re in college. What better way to celebrate the season than in your favorite pajamas surrounded by all things pumpkin spice?

Not only is pumpkin spice the caffeinated beverage of choice for many this time of year, it creeps into our soaps, candles, and pastries too. The scent makes you feel like you’re hovering over a warm apple pie. To capture this feeling of warmth and comfort we’ve assembled a list of our coziest slumber party must-haves for the perfect fall pajama gathering.

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Back to College with These Dorm-Ready Pajama Looks

8 Classic Pajama Looks for Anywhere on Campus

Long after you graduate from college, you will feel nostalgic excitement when you spot a soon-to-be college freshman roaming the aisles of a department store, cart packed full of storage bins, towels, and twin sheets. When you leave the comforts of home, your dorm room becomes a cave of comfort.

After a few months, the dorm itself becomes more like home: packed with friends and familiar faces, sharing takeout in the lounge, watching a favorite movie with a roommate, late night study sessions. Students develop different routines and schedules and the dorm becomes a buzzing hub of activity, just as a house is for families.

A person’s idea of home revolves around one key element: comfort. One of the classic comforts of home is your ability to wear pajamas anywhere you go. Check out our PJ “Look Book” below for ideas on how to stay cozy, calm, and comfortable anywhere on campus.

The Back-to-College Pajama Look Book

Women's Pajama Pants for Back-to-College

Boxercraft Black Stripe Lux Jogger

1. The “I’m Running Late for Class” Look. The line for the shower was six people deep and you finally got your turn — there was even hot water this time! Now you’re sprinting back to your dorm room in your bathrobe pick out a stylish outfit and do your hair with the 10 minutes you have left to get to class… or pull on the pajamas that are already on your bed, throw on a hoodie, and head out the door? No brainer.

Women's Onesie for Back-to-College

Big Feet Pajamas Adult Navy Plush Hooded One Piece Footy

2. The “It’s Too Cold for Jeans” Look. It’s a winter wonderland! And by winter wonderland we mean sleet and freezing rain sloshing around in a frosty snow globe. Your class is across campus and life is good underneath your fluffy, warm down comforter. The thought of pulling on a pair of cold, stiff jeans isn’t the motivation you need to leave your cocoon. Taking a hot shower and zipping yourself into a pair of flannel one-piece footie PJs that feel more like a sleeping bag than actual clothes? That’ll do the trick.

Unisex Back-to-College Pajama Pants

Boxercraft Red and Black Plaid Flannel Pajama Pant

3. The “But It’s Raining” Look. Wet, cold, foggy: gross. You’re already going to have to navigate puddles and maneuver an umbrella when it’s raining sideways. Throw a jacket over these cozy flannel pants, slip on some dry rain boots, and you’re ready to swim to Organic Chemistry.

Dorm Life College Women's Boxers

Boxercraft Fushia Dot Flannel Bitty Boxer

4. The “We Don’t Have A/C in Our Dorm and It’s 96 Degrees Outside” Look. If you’re sharing a hot tin can with 300 other co-ed sardines it can get a little stale and stuffy by springtime. After you’ve spent the night sweating next to your desk fan, it might be time to cool off in some breezy boxers in the fresh morning air.

Comfy Slippers for Dorm Life, Back to College

Fuzzy Friends “Tiger” Slippers from Aroma Home

5. Finals Footwear. What day is it? Is it still nighttime? Where are the coffee filters? All questions you find yourself asking during dreaded finals week. This is not the week for real clothes. Or showering. Or sleeping. Or socializing. No finals week zombie walk is complete without a pair of comforting, fuzzy slippers. Slip these on, grab a slice of cold pizza, and knock out that test.

Plush Women's Robe for Back-to-College

PJ Salvage “Stars” Women’s Plush Robe in Aqua

6. The “That Party Was Epic But I Need 10 More Hours of Sleep” Look. The party is over and you’re feeling less than peppy in the AM. You don’t want to leave bed, but the cafeteria stops serving bacon at 11. Compromise: a bathrobe is essentially a comforter you can wear. Win, win.

Back-to-College Extra Wide Leg Pajama Pants

Boxercraft Women’s Navy Stripe Margo Loungepant

7. The “We Can’t Afford to Go Out Tonight” Look. When your budget looks like it’s about to be blown, it’s time to rally the troops for a binge-worthy Netflix marathon. Order a pizza and get comfortable in a pair of super soft, extra wide-leg pajama pants. It’ll feel like you’re watching TV in bed, even though you’re surrounded by ten of your closest, brokest friends.

Unisex Sushi Pajama Pants for Back to College

The Cat’s Pajamas Women’s “Sushi” Cotton Pajama Pant in White

8. The “It’s Been a Rough Week” Look. Pajamas, above all, are a security blanket. Whether it’s a breakup, roommate drama, or stress from balancing school and life with your new internship, sometimes we just need to hibernate on the weekend. Make yourself a cup of hot chocolate (or noodles), turn on a Law and Order marathon, and shut off your phone. Put on a pair of PJs in the most fun, outrageous pattern you can find. You’ll be feeling like yourself again by Monday.

Embrace every pajama-filled, pizza-laden, coffee-saturated, sleep-deprived moment of your college experience — and good luck to the class of 2021! For the latest in dorm fashion, visit us at dorm ready.