This post is sponsored by prAna and Stonyfield Yogurt If there's one thing that I've learned over the last 40+ years, it's that all you need to be in life is YOU. As a child I always wanted to be just like the other girls, those popular girls. I wanted to have the perfect hair, the perfect clothes, and the perfect friends. What I didn't realize at the time was that I'm not who I wanted to be when I was little.... ...I'm better! I look back over the profile pictures on Facebook of those girls I wanted to be like, and I realize that I'm more than happy with who I've become and who I've always been. I don't want to be "just like them" any longer and I wouldn't want to be anyone else but me. Oh, how I wish I had learned that 30 years ago. This was me today after a full day at work, after homework was done, and after dinner was in our bellies. This is how I looked at 8am this morning when I left to take the kids to school and the only difference right now is that I've ... [ Read More ]
Surviving Back to School
I've been dreading this day for a few weeks now, my kids are going back to school today! I have completely enjoyed our laid back summer with no bedtimes, no schedules, no routines, and no car lines. This summer was a little different than usual with my husband traveling more for business, but we managed to find our special moments and embrace them. Just last weekend we were sitting on Sanibel Island listening to the waves crash into the shore and now I'm dreading the stack of papers I'll have to fill out tonight after they get home from school. Preparing for back to school wasn't too dreadful, our school requires uniforms which makes clothes shopping very easy. It wasn't terribly painful on the bank account this year thanks to a big bag of hand-me-downs for my oldest. He should be set for the next 1-2 years even when he hits his growth spurt. The school supply list this year wasn't too bad either. I had quite the chuckle over some of the items on the middle school list though; ... [ Read More ]
Stonyfield Southwestern Taco Dip featuring Late July Tortilla Chips
Post sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt as a part of their Stonyfield YoGetters Blogger Program. We usually have a house full of friends for the 4th of July holiday, but this year is going to be very quiet. The hubs is working this year over the 4th and my daughter decided to go spend the weekend with my parents. That leaves my son and I to find our own excitement. I have absolutely no idea what we're going to do yet. We may invite a few friends over for an impromptu pool party before we head out to watch fireworks. There are so many fabulous places to watch the fireworks in Pinellas County, but we may stay close to home and head up to Tarpon Springs and watch the fireworks at Sunset Beach. You can find a list of all the local fireworks by county or city at Bay News 9, Fourth of July Fireworks schedule. Before our friends stop by, I made up a tasty treat to kick off the celebrations. I'm a sucker for a good taco dip and there are a million different ways to make it. I often ... [ Read More ]
Remember When…
This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt. Keep reading to enter to win a YoBaby prize pack. When did my kids grow up? I'm a mom of an almost 12 year old and a 6 year old. They are hardly babies any longer; even if they do still like to cuddle with mommy. I decided to pull out the baby book from my youngest's first year and reminisce over all the "firsts." You know, the first time they roll over, the first time they crawl, the first time the stand up and of course the first time they walk. I remember the days when they would try any food (or toys, noses, and anything that would fit in their mouth) you put in front of them. Both of my kids were fond of yogurt as babies and I love that my kids have been able to grow up as YoBabies, YoKids and now big kids who enjoy their yogurt. YoBaby contains organic whole milk, real fruit and nothing artificial. It was a great first food by itself or mixed with other ingredients. I love mixing a little fresh banana and avocado ... [ Read More ]
Avocado, Lime, Banana, Coconut Yogurt Push Pops
Last week while shopping we found these adorable push pop molds and for $1.99 I couldn't resist. They sat hidden below the sink for a week until I decided what to put in them. As I mentioned in my Avocado, Lime, Banana Smoothie recipe, I have a love affair with all things avocado! We decided to spike the recipe we used yesterday with some shredded coconut for a little texture. While I bought a bag of shredded coconut for this recipe; my daughter actually convinced me to buy a real coconut for her. Have you ever tried to crack a coconut? It's not as easy as it looks but thanks to a video I found on YouTube I learned a trick. After I attempted and only got a drop or two of coconut milk, my husband proceeded to crack it open using a hammer just like in the video. (How to crack open a coconut video) We had fun showing her what was inside, sipping the milk, and munching on the meat. Well worth the $2.00 I spent to show her where stuff comes from. Back to the push pops! ... [ Read More ]
Stonyfield Strawberry Pancake Muffins Recipe
What's for breakfast? How about some strawberry pancake muffins make with Stonyfield organic greek yogurt. You can make up a batch on the weekend and have them for the kids during the week to grab on their way out. I actually had to giggle when I found out it was National Pancake Week because my family knows that the only type of pancakes I am good at making are the frozen kind. I really don't know what is wrong with me, I can cook almost anything except pancakes! I usually end up burning them, making them too fluffy, too cakey, to thin and runny, or flat. I decided for this project I was going to do something I rarely mess up on - cupcakes or muffins! Pancake muffins!! It's strawberry season here in Florida so I added some fresh chopped strawberries to the batter. You could add any of your favorite ingredients including chopped nuts, bananas, chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc. 5.0 from 1 reviews Stonyfield Strawberry Pancake Muffins Recipe Print ... [ Read More ]
Homemade Chicken Nuggets by Weelicious Lunches (Review & Giveaway)
What's in a chicken nugget? I don't even want to look at the ingredients of processed nuggets to see if there is anything that I can pronounce but I doubt there are many natural ingredients listed. In an effort to find a healthier alternative I found Weelicious Lunches. Easy, healthy, and fun lunch ideas for every age! Once kids walk out the door for school, all bets are off. Will your son toss the nutritious food you've included and jump right to the treats? Will your daughter trade her sandwich for her best friend's prepackaged meal? Determined to improve what kids eat both at school and on the go, weelicious.com founder Catherine McCord offers innovative solutions for quick, delicious, easy-to-make, kid-friendly lunch box meals that little ones and their older siblings won't be tempted to swap. Filled with lots of great menu planning ideas; tips, tricks, and reusable product suggestions to make lunch fun; inspiring color photographs, advice on dealing with food allergies and ... [ Read More ]
There’s Snow and Stonyfield Smoothies in Utah (and on the Moon)
I have you confused with the title don't I? Snowing? Smoothies? Utah? The Moon? What happened after my trip to Blissdom last month? I teased you with it a few weeks ago but (as time always does) time slipped away from me. When I boarded my flight from Dallas, instead of heading home to Tampa I flew to Utah! My husband and the kids were boarding a plane around the same time to meet me out there for our Spring Break. (Read all the way to the bottom to find out how to win some Stonyfield Smoothies!) I know, normal people go to the beach for Spring Break! We've always wanted to take the kids to see snow. My son last saw snow at the age of 1 when we were still living in Georgia and our daughter has never seen snow. Both my husband and I were raised in Georgia and only saw the occasional dusting and ice storm. So we finally packed the kids and set out on our very first family snow skiing adventure. Here's a quick glimpse at some of our favorite moments in the ... [ Read More ]