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Mornings! Right? Very few of us pull into our office parking lot looking as happy as this girl pictured above. It’s understandable: There are so many things that happen to us between waking up and walking into our office. A lot of these things are out of our control (the torrential downpour that came out of nowhere, the inexplicable traffic you hit on the highway, your toddler’s meltdown over his socks being orange).

Luckily, though, there are a few things you can control. One of those things? How enjoyable your morning commute happens to be! Try these tips for a better getting-to-work experience.

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Welcome to a column from The Financial Diet, one of our very favorite sites, dedicated to money and everything it touches. One of the best ways to take charge of your financial life is through food and cooking. This column from TFD founders Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage will help you be better with money, thanks to the kitchen. A version of this post originally appeared on The Financial Diet.

I think it’s probably no secret by now that I hate minimalism. I hate it as the incredibly tedious piece of personal performance art it has come to be in our society, but I also hate it as an aesthetic: your white-on-white-on-white life and meticulously crafted wardrobe of only the most wispy products Everlane and Aritzia have to offer are, frankly, a saltine cracker’s idea of what a Cool Girl would wear.

In terms of its visual merits, or as a capital-S Style, the hyper-curated minimalism really only conveys one thing: “I wanted to take the very safest route to chic, cut away every possible misstep or risk. I saw the French Girl Chic articles and I was like … that’s pretty damn homogenous, but smoking tests poorly in focus groups and those occasional striped shirts are too bold. Time to reduce my look even further until literally every item I purchase tells people ‘I could get something more interesting, but I have enough money to choose not to.'”

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You know the drill: You resolve to eat healthy, you look up recipes, you head to the store and farmers market to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. You tell anyone who will listen that you’re going to start eating more fresh produce.

Then, life happens. You work late one night or someone drags you out for happy hour and the fresh foods you were planning on turning into a salad are in your fridge, wilting. You get mad at yourself, not only for not sticking to your resolution to eat healthy, but also because you’ve let good, nutritious, and expensive foods go to waste.

It happens. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

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Even for the neatest eater, a meal outside almost always leads to some sort of mess. Sticky hands, a blob of ketchup on your thigh (hey, at least it missed your shorts!), corn on the cob guts all over your face — it’s all possible!

Sometimes, napkins just aren’t enough and you need a good old-fashioned hand (or thigh) washing. Of course, during a picnic, the nearest sink could be football fields away. And during a backyard cookout, guests will have to open doors and traipse through the house in order to wash their hands.

That’s why I always keep these on hand.

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Step away from the stove. Don’t even think about turning on the oven right now. And, while you’re at it, leave your slow cooker where it is, too. Hot summer days call for simple dinners that skip the heat, come together with no fuss, and put your farmers market haul or CSA delivery to work. From salads and sandwiches to chilled soups and summer rolls, these 10 no-cook vegetarian dinners are no sweat!

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As long as your freezer is working at its optimal level, keeping food consistently at 0°F, the food inside will be safe to eat indefinitely. There’s no safety concern with anything that’s been properly frozen. The real issue is just how much you’ll actually enjoy it, as some foods might not have the taste or texture you prefer when eating something a year later.

Not willing to risk eating leathery meat? We don’t blame you. Luckily, there are plenty of official guidelines that can help you figure out if something’s been in the freezer for too long. Just make sure you label your groceries before you stash ’em away, so you can count up the months.

Related: The Most Important Tool for an Organized Freezer

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If there ever was a perfect time to treat yourself to a dark chocolate-studded muffin for breakfast, it’s while sour cherries are making their much-awaited appearance at the farmers market. Sour cherry season is fleeting — blink and you just might miss it. So, when you spot them at the farmers market pick up a basket without hesitation, then preheat the oven and pull out the mixing bowls as soon as you get home because you’re making these nutty, chocolate, sour cherry-filled muffins.

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The next time a serious chocolate craving hits, this is the recipe you’ll want in your back pocket. It’s the least fussy cake you can make — the batter mixes up in one bowl, and it bakes in a sheet pan — but it totally delivers on rich, chocolatey goodness you’re after. Just make sure you have plenty of cold milk on hand to wash it all down.

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Choosing an Airbnb can be an arduous task — and I should know. I stayed in Airbnbs for an entire year. Along the way, I learned a lot about vacation rentals, but the most important thing I learned was this: The kitchen is the heart of any home, even when it’s not your permanent home.

So, how can you make sure that you get not only the right vacation rental for you, but also one that has a great (or at least a viable) kitchen? Here’s my food-lover’s checklist for choosing an Airbnb.

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