Candy Cane Pie with Stonyfield Yogurt (Recipe) This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt. All recipes and opinions are my own. We're right at one week away from Christmas and the spirit is flowing in our home. Cookies have been made (and mostly already eaten) and the candy canes are taunting us to create something yummy. What better way to use candy canes than in a festive candy cane pie! This is a very simple recipe and one that doesn't require too much planning or prep time. The only ingredients are Stonyfield Organic Greek yogurt (vanilla bean of course), cream cheese, whipped cream, and a pie crust! Oh, and don't forget the candy canes!! For a smooth consistency I used my electric mixer (referral link to Amazon for the mixer I use) to mix the whipped cream, cream cheese and yogurt. I added a few drops of peppermint extract to make the peppermint flavor more noticeable. Once the mixture is creamy and blended then you can stir in the crushed candy canes. Then you s ... [ Read More ]
10 Reasons to Shop at Westfield Mall’s this Holiday
It's starting to feel like Christmas (finally)!!!! This post is sponsored by Westfield Malls; all opinions are my own and may not reflect those of Westfield Mall. It always take me awhile to get in the holiday spirit; mostly because I'm in the retail world and Black Friday drains all of the life out of me. To be completely honest....it turns me into a bit of a grinch! I spend several weeks getting ready for the Black Friday weekend planning cool promotions and sales for work. It's exhausting and there are several days with scattered sleep which just makes me a big lump of grump! It usually takes me a good 1-2 weeks to get out of my grinchy mood and back into the spirit of Christmas. Usually about a week after Black Friday I start finding my way online window shopping and planning out a few gift ideas for the kids. As easy as online shopping has become, I still enjoy a good trip to the mall and stores to do my Christmas shopping. There's just something about it that puts ... [ Read More ]
Warm Gifts to Give (or Keep) with prAna
Happy Holidays and thank you for visiting Back to Calley blog. This post is sponsored by prAna in exchange for the outfit shown here. All opinions are my own. Use coupon code CMWL17 at prAna to save 15% off through 12/20/17 plus free shipping through 12/15/17. #giftedprAna It's getting chilly around the country this week and it's FINALLY starting to feel like the holidays are coming here in Florida. Our cold front is almost here and I'm excited to pull out my sweaters; for a few days at least. I've seen rumors or white stuff (snow) in colder parts around the US too. What's on your shopping list? Who do you still have to shop for? If you're shopping for an outdoor lover or someone who is athletic they may like some of the items you can find with prAna. They have some super comfortable athletic apparel that is perfect for the yogi or runner. I'm a huge fan of their Kara Jean (shown above in Indigo) for everyday wear. I love that they are long enough to wear cuffed or ... [ Read More ]
Girl Scouts Rock – A Painted Rock Challenge
Welcome to the home of the original painted rock challenges! The very first time I painted on rocks was about a year ago with my daughter's Brownie troop. We were working on a project for World Thinking Day and all of the girls painted Girl Scout themed rocks and hid them around our town. Each rock had information on the back that would lead the finder to the Girl Scout website to learn about Thinking Day. It was also where my addiction to painting on rocks began! This would be a fun project that Troop Leaders could incorporate into some badge lessons. Brownie leaders can look at the Painting and the Outdoor Art Creator badges. Some of the words on the list would be fun to introduce new girls to Girl Scouting traditions and history. You could also incorporate rock hiding (kindness rocks) into a community service project. Be creative and have fun! Let the girls help decide what to do with their rocks once they are painted. Have a fun idea you want to share, leave a comment to ... [ Read More ]
Minecraft Painted Rock Challenge
My kids are addicted to playing Minecraft! This mini-painted rock challenge was created with them in mind and with their help. The words featured on this mini-challenge are things that they may encounter while playing Minecraft. If your kids love Minecraft as much as mine do, this might be a fun way for them to enjoy the game offline! If you want to learn how to play Minecraft with them, you may benefit from my Minecraft 101 for Moms blog post from a few years ago. My daughter's 7th birthday party was a Stampy Cat/Minecraft Birthday themed party and I have some fun party ideas in an old blog post also. I told you my kids love Minecraft!! Please feel free to share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. If you’re posting your rock paintings online, I’d love to follow along and see what you create. Just use the #PaintedRockChallenge hashtag. Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? The Painted Rock Challenge group is a fun place to share your rock ... [ Read More ]
Painted Rock Challenge – December 2017
Not trying to rush the month, but it is a very busy time of year for all of us. I have the December challenge ready for you to get started on in your own time. If you want to paint ahead of time, go ahead! Remember, there are no rules in these challenges as long as you have fun! I am skipping the Christmas mini-challenge since most of the words are already on this challenge list. If I skipped a theme that you want to paint, go for it! This month's challenge should be fairly kid-friendly too. It is very "Christmas" based since that's what our family celebrates this time of year. For my friends and rockers who celebrate Hanukkah and other winter holidays please feel free to adjust the list as needed. Please feel free to share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. If you’re posting your rock paintings online, I’d love to follow along and see what you create. Just use the #PaintedRockChallenge hashtag. Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? T ... [ Read More ]
Zapzapmath App Review & Giveaway
This post is sponsored by Zapzapmath App. Third grade math is hitting us hard here! Over the past few weeks my daughter's class has been working on multiplication and now division. They are still mastering their multiplication facts and she's not as fast as she needs to be. I know that all of this will come with practice and patience; but it's a struggle! I've been downloading app after app to help her master her facts. The team at Zapzapmath app contacted me recently and asked if we'd like to give their math app a test drive! The app is free to download and works on iPhone or Droid; but also on your computer and Chromebook. The premium subscription is $9.95 for a year and will unlock the entire grades worth of activities and games. Bai tried both the standard app and the premium app on my iPhone this afternoon and I can tell that the premium version is more beneficial since it covers a wider range of math skills. The standard version for 3rd grade math allows your child ... [ Read More ]
Painted Math Rocks Flash Cards & Florida Prepaid Open Enrollement
This post is sponsored by Florida Prepaid College Foundation as part of their Starting is Believing Blogger Campaign. This content includes my own opinions and may not represent those of Florida Prepaid. This is a great idea for those tiny little rocks left at the bottom of your bag that are too small for regular paintings. Replace boring flash cards with fun painted rocks to help your little one with their math and numbers. For the smaller toddlers you can leave out the math symbols and use them to help with number recognition. For your younger elementary children adding and subtraction facts can be practiced. My daughter is in 3rd grade and practicing their multiplication facts and starting to work on division. You may want to have a few sets of numbers as the problems get harder. For my Florida rock painting friends (or for anyone with family members in the state of Florida) have you started saving for your child's (or grandchildren's) college yet? It's open enrollment ... [ Read More ]
Painted Rock Thanksgiving Mini-Challenge Ideas
This month I've decided to start some smaller mini-challenges with specific themes for holidays and special events. The first of those is our Thanksgiving Mini-Challenge. It's bound to make you hungry for that Thanksgiving feast that's coming up in a few weeks. Perhaps it will give you some rocks to help you decorate for the season. Painted Rock Thanksgiving Mini-Challenge Ideas: Turkey Cornucopia Feast Maize Cranberry Squash Pilgrim Wishbone Harvest Pumpkin Family Pie Leaves Indians Thanksful Acorn Feel free to do these in any order that you like, or add/omit items from the list. Remember there are no rules in rock painting, just have fun! Deluxe Thanksgiving Challenge: Can you fit all of these ideas on ONE rock? Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? The Painted Rock Challenge group is a fun place to share your rocks and get inspired by other rockers. New to Rock Painting? Start here: Painted Rocks – How to Get Sta ... [ Read More ]
Step By Step Guide to Painting Rocks
I'm sure by now you've heard about Kindness Rocks and seen some of the fun painted rocks that people are finding around your community. It's a movement that started about a year ago and has spread across the country. People paint rocks, hide them in your local community, and bring a smile to someone's day when they find one hiding. While I'm sure you've seen some amazing and talented artists pictures of painted rocks; painted rocks can be fun for anyone regardless of skill level. If you're wanting to give painted rocks a try here are a few things you'll want to know before you get started. Supplies Needed: Smooth rocks and stones! Any size or shape! I find my rocks at Lowes but you can find them anywhere. Acrylic paint, paint pens, markers, pens, etc. Water based paints work best; just avoid tempera or poster paint. Paint brushes. I like a good nylon bristle brush personally, but you can use whatever you have! Palette or paper plate to mix paints on. Hair ... [ Read More ]
