Diaper Changing Station On The Go For Busy Moms

Today we’re sharing how to create a simple and easy diaper changing station on the go for busy moms! This post was sponsored by Sam’s Club®, however, the text and opinions are all my own.

Diaper Changing Station On The Go For Busy Moms

I love being busy. I love having places to go, people to see, and things to do. But traveling with a baby means traveling with a lot of stuff. Or does it?

By making my trunk into a diaper changing station (and gear storage for the stroller) I’m able to take less with me when we leave the car. Talk about a mommy survival kit! And stocking my diaper changing station is made easier with the awesome deals Sam’s Club® has on baby essentials. Diapers, wipes, diaper cream, baby wash, and more!

Savings on diapers is huge right now and they not only have Huggies snug & dry but they have their new little movers as well! And since my little mover just started moving, this is a great diaper to have on hand.

Sam's Club Essentials for Mom

And yes, I totally wrote Makers Mark first when I was writing my list. It’s been that kind of a week. But thanks to Sam’s Club, I won’t have to worry about going on a diaper or wipes run for a while. Yay! Not only am I saving money but I’m saving time too. I can  easily stock up on exactly what I need for the kids and my baby every time I go there.

In addition to saving time and money by shopping at Sam’s Club, I also save room in my diaper bag by keeping the kids essentials in the trunk. We have a change of clothes for each child in a wet bag just in case, we have a light jacket for each kid as well, and we have various hats. And when Norah came along I also made a diaper changing station in the back too. Here’s what we have back there: 

Diaper Changing Station On The Go EssentialsDiaper Changing Station On The Go For Busy Moms - what's needed

Diaper Changing Station

What You Need: 

  • Huggies Diapers
  • Member’s Mark Wipes
  • Homemade Diaper Rash Cream (you can also find Desitin at Sam’s Club)
  • Old Changing Pad found in any diaper bag (or a reusable shopping bag)
  • Small trash can/bin

What You Do:

To keep everything together I stack everything in the small compartment to the side of my trunk. If I didn’t have this compartment I’d use a wet bag to hold everything in when I needed it.

By keeping extra diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream in the back alongside a small trash pail from Thirty One, we have a one stop shop any time we need it. That means when we can’t find a diaper changing station in the restroom at a restaurant or we’re at the local park or museum hanging out, I can just step over to the car to change the baby.

My shoulder thanks me. When I don’t have to lug all of this stuff around. In my diaper bag currently are 2 Huggies diapers, 1 small pack of wipes, a onesie, my wallet, and some snacks. That’s a LOT less than what I carried when I had my first child. Oy. I would have brought the kitchen sink if I could have when I had him! And I started making some diaper rash cream to have on hand for the little rashes that come about. It’s super easy to make too!

Diaper Changing Station On The Go with homemade diaper rash cream

Diaper Rash Cream

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 3 drops tea tree oil
  • 3 drops lavender oil

Mix together coconut oil and essential oils well. Place in a container and seal well.

Use a small amount and rub over the affected areas to soothe your child’s skin.

Please note that coconut oil turns from a liquid to a solid state and it’s completely normal! Do not use essential oils directly on the skin.

Diaper Changing Station On The Go For Busy Moms - cushion and pad

Sam’s Club is the perfect place for moms! They carry our favorite brands AND high quality private brands at an equal quality for a lower price. We purchase Huggies diapers and Member’s Mark wipes. They also have baby wash, diaper cream, and more. When you join through this link you start saving –  you get $80 in Instant Savings on baby items like diapers, wipes, formula, etc.* – on top of the every day savings. And for only $45, I feel like I’m already saving money as soon as I sign up. 

Plus with the convenience of SamsClub.com we can spend more time with our family at home and we get free standard shipping on most diapers and wipes! The subscription service lets us set shipping intervals on most baby items we use most when we need them so we don’t have to worry about running out. Talk about a life saver.  And with Club Pickup we can shorten our shopping trips by saving shopping lists online for easy repeat purchases. We complete our order online for pickup and receive a text when the order is ready. You can get details at samsclub.com/pickup

Diaper Changing Station On The Go in the car

Are you a Sam’s Club member? What’s your must-have item every time you go?

*New members must join through this link in order to receive the $80 special savings. This is a special offer that is only available for moms who join through the link.

Sam’s Club provides big savings for growing families, join and get $80 in special savings on baby basics.

This post was sponsored by Sam’s Club, however, the text and opinions are all my own.

The Hake Restaurant and Bar | San Diego Restaurant Week September 20th – 27th 2015

The Hake Restaurant in La Jolla

One thing I absolutely love to do is get out and try new restaurants here in San Diego. There are so many options when it comes to quality, delicious restaurants and it seems like new spots pop up every other week. So what I love to do is explore a bit and try new things. The perfect way to do this is to take advantage of San Diego Restaurant Week.

For one week only, September 20th – 27th, San Diego Restaurant Week, presented by Your San Diego County Lexus Dealer, will return to the City with a bang! During San Diego Restaurant Week, participating restaurants will CELEBRATE LOCAL by partnering with local distributors, farmers, vintners, brewers, fishermen and MORE in order to bring local produce and Pacific-caught seafood to your plates. You can choose from over 190 participating restaurants who will be showcasing their top dishes on lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus making your taste buds tingle with choices!

The Hake Restaurant - tables and decorThe Hake Restaurant and BarThe Hake Restaurant - drink wine!

The Hake Kitchen + Bar | Ambiance

My husband and I were invited out to try The Hake Kitchen and Bar to check out their San Diego Restaurant Week menu before it launches next week. Since we hadn’t been there before we weren’t sure what to expect. But that’s what Restaurant Week is there for! Nestled between shops and restaurants off Prospect in La Jolla, The Hake Kitchen is in a prime location. It’s the perfect spot to hit up for lunch on the weekends after a morning at the beach, or a great way to end the day for dinner during the week.

Once you walk in, you’re greeted with smiling faces a warm, friendly atmosphere.As soon as I saw the sign above, I knew I was in the right place. There’s seating inside as well as a few limited tables out on the two patios. There’s also a simple curtain divider to make room for small parties on one side of the restaurant. We chose to sit inside near the front patio and the restaurant was more than accomodating when they saw we brought our little one along. High chairs are available

The Hake Restaurant - wine and cocktail menu
The Hake Restaurant - San Diego Restaurant Week Menu 2015

The Hake Kitchen + Bar | Menu

The delicious menu with fresh seasonal ingredients will have you wanting to order more than one thing to try. Ordering a few starters for the table to share is suggested. That way you can have a bite of everything! There’s also a wide variety of signature cocktails, draft and bottled beers, and mezcal flights – something for everyone. Their most popular signature drink, the One Hot Cucumber, is a fiery drink made with jalapeno tequila, cucumber puree, lime, agave nectar, and finished with a chili rim. Definitely one to try!

The Hake Restaurant and Bar - Mandarin MuleThe Hake Restaurant and Bar - Shaved Rib EyeThe Hake Restaurant and Bar - Shrimp Roll
The Hake Kitchen + Bar | Food

I made the most of our visit and started us off with the Shaved Rib Eye. Paired with sauteed shishito peppers and onions and served with delicious hot tortillas and fresh guacamole, this definitely hit the spot. The rib eye was tender and flavorful and the peppers and onions were perfectly cooked. I’d suggest asking for a few extra tortillas so you can enjoy more of the goodness!

After we enjoyed our starter, the main courses arrived. Since we were there for lunch, we went for their shrimp roll and tuna steak sandwich. Now I was surprised by my husband’s choice of the tuna steak sandwich. Not because he doesn’t eat tuna, but because there was also a 10oz hanger steak with chimichurri sauce and truffle fries on the menu and he didn’t order that! But his tuna steak sandwich looked absolutely delicious. The shrimp roll was  filled with large shrimp and fresh veggies tossed in a light dill mayo and served in a toasted brioche roll. The first bite was rather awkward as it was pretty large but it was so worth it! Absolutely delicious. I loved how fresh and flavorful it was.

To end the meal we went a little crazy and each of us ordered a dessert. Now I’m a chocolate person. So when I saw the chocolate hazelnut cake on the menu I knew I wanted to try it. But since Joseph’s allergic to peanuts, he doesn’t really care for any nuts. So he went for the Key Lime Semifreddo. If I had tried the Key Lime Semifreddo, I would have just eaten that. It was SO good! Not at all what I expected. Not that my chocolate hazelnut cake wasn’t good, it was! Absolutely delicious. And it would pair perfectly with a nice espresso. But the key lime semifreddo? To die for! I now know why why it’s won awards!

The Hake Restaurant and Bar - Key Lime Semifreddo The Hake Restaurant and Bar - Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

San Diego Restaurant Week | September 20th – 27th 2015

To make San Diego dining easier for you ALL YEAR ROUND, San Diego Restaurant Week has launched a new website! The new site has added more extensive search features, a recipes section with local restaurantcontributors, a special offers area that will be updated throughout the year and even a place where you can log your favorites to help you track through the variety of options available for you.  The website will now serve as a tool for San Diego foodies 365 days a year for finding specials, deals and promotions at San Diego restaurants!

Dinner will be served as a three-course, prix-fixe menu for just $20, $30, $40 or $50 per person and lunch will be served as a two-course prix-fixe menu for only $10, $15 or $20 per person. This is meal-stealing, people! Saturday will once again be included as well as an additional Sunday, giving you that extra date night or chance to impress the boss!

What restaurant are you trying during San Diego Restaurant Week?

Last Minute DIY Mummy Maternity Costume

Last Minute DIY Mummy Maternity Costume

This time last year I was pregnant with my third child. And just like with the first two pregnancies, I wanted to do something fun for Halloween. With my first pregnance I was an oven with a bun inside. Pretty cute if I do say so myself! And with my second pregnancy I made a skeleton shirt with a skeleton baby. This pregnancy I wanted to get a little craftier and came up with this mummy mommy costume. It was the perfect way to celebrate the holiday while still staying comfortable.

Since it’s a shirt, I could pair it with my maternity jeans, leggings, or anything else depending on the weather. So when we headed to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party I didn’t have any part of my costume getting in the way. And when I helped out at my son’s school Halloween carnival, I was still able to run around and help the kids out at the various booths.

This costume took me all of 30 mintues to throw together but I’m sure with a little more time (and material) I could have really decked it out. Here’s how you put together this mummy mommy costume:

Last Minute DIY Mummy Maternity Costume

What you’ll need:

  • white t-shirt (long or short sleeved)
  • white tights (or an extra white t-shirt)
  • black felt
  • large sized googly eyes
  • fabric marker
  • hot glue gun

What you do: 

1. Cut tights into long strips.

2. Layer strips over the t-shirt in a random pattern. Make sure the edges are at the seam of either side of the shirt.

3. Cut out a piece of black felt in the form of a football a little larger than the width of the googly eyes.

4. Hot glue googly eyes to the middle of the black felt and set aside.

5. Glue strips onto the shirt by adhering the edges to the seam of the shirt. Overlap edges to create a more layered look.

6. Put t-shirt on and grab the black felt googly eyes. Figure out the best position on your belly to put them and mark the center spot with a fabric marker.

7. Take t-shirt off. Glue black felt googly eyes to the spot you marked.

8. Add more strips if needed and glue in place.

That’s it! Simple. Easy. And cute!

What was your go-to maternity Halloween costume?

Easy One-Pot Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

Feeding the family on weeknights should be easy. This one-pot pot roast recipe is the perfect way to do just that. And while the humans are enjoying the pot roast, I’m serving my dog The Nutro™ Company as part of a sponsored series with Socialstars. #HonestToDog

Easy One-Pot Pot Roast - a simple meal with delicious results

Sometimes the hardest part about dinner for me is coming up with a great rotation of meals that my family loves. Mixing old favorites with new recipes is always a challenge. Especially with my more picky choosy eaters. You know… my husband. I kid. But creating new recipes like this easy one-pot pot roast – even if they’re a spin off of an old favorite – keeps me happy because I’m not serving the same old thing (buttered noodles anyone?) and the family is well fed.

However, the easiest family member to please by far in this house is our dog, Scout. With his old age, I’ve started to see him lose the excitement he once had for his daily meals. So as I spruced up our own dinner menu, I also decided to spruce up his as well. With NUTRO™ Rotations™ I can add variety to his diet without worrying about his stomach. If we’re having Chicken and Rice, so can he. And if he’s enjoying Lamb and Potatoes, we’ll enjoy this delicious pot roast with potatoes. Confession: I’ve only had lamb in a gyro. Maybe I should try a lamb dish next week!

And I knew he’d be interested in the change when I came home to find that he had helped himself to one of the bags of NUTRO™ Rotations™ in the pantry. Yes, he’s a pretty smart dog and was able to open the pantry door to feed himself. Guess he loved the Salmon and Barley. I love Salmon too so I don’t blame him. 

Nutro Rotations - Lamb and Potatoes

Nutro Rotations for Dinner

What I love about dinnertime is that it’s the one time of the day that the whole family is around the table – including Scout. While we can talk about our day and go over what was our favorite part, and our not so favorite part, he can eat along side us or lay down and take a rest while enjoying our company.

And as I try and feed my family the most natural food I can, I’m at ease in knowing that Scout’s getting that same quality food in his natural dog foodReal Meat, poultry or fish is the first ingredient followed along with whole grains and the finest fruits and vegetables. What I’m putting on the table for my husband and kids is what he’ll be enjoying in his dog dish. 

Easy One-Pot Pot Roast - the perfect Sunday dinner on Wednesday

Easy One-Pot Pot Roast

Easy One-Pot Pot Roast

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, whole
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2lb beef pot roast
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven on the stove. Add garlic cloves, onions, and rosemary. Cook until onions are transparent.

Remove onions, garlic, and rosemary from the pot and set aside. Add butter and let melt. Season both sides of roast in salt and pepper and sear on each side in dutch oven, about 3 minutes or until browned.

Remove roast and add carrots and potatoes into the dutch oven. Cook until slightly browned. Then nestle pot roast in carrots and potatoes and top roast with onions, garlic and rosemary.

Cook in oven until roast is done, about 30 minutes. Let meat rest for about 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Easy One-Pot Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes - Scout's spot at the table

How do you share the dinner table with your pooch?

For more ideas on how to feed your pooch well, visit The Nutro Company on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

®/™Trademarks of © The Nutro Company 2015

Raising Chickens In San Diego With Kids

Raising Chickens In San Diego With Kids

I’ve become addicted. Addicted to chickens. And it’s only been a little over 6 months since they came into our lives. 

After a bit of research, and watching a few friends hop on the backyard chicken bandwagon, I decided that I wanted chickens too. Since you can have up to 5 hens in San Diego as long as you’re within the city guidelines, I knew I wanted to get a few. I just didn’t know when. So when I received a chicken coop as a birthday present from the kids and husband (all my son’s idea) I was ecstatic.

Sure I just had a baby – Norah was 6 weeks old at the time – but the chickens wouldn’t be too much work, right? The weekend of my 31st birthday we headed out to City Farmer’s Nursery to pick up some chicks. We had called ahead of time and were told they had 3 week old chicks ready to purchase. And as soon as we got there we realized that we had a lot of chicks to choose from. So I let the kids choose what they wanted. Ethan chose a Rhode Island Red he’d later name Red. And Molly chose an Ameraucana she named Flower Rose. A few months later we’d come to find out that Flower Rose was really an Easter Egger but more on that later…

Upcycled Container Gardens - chicks in container

Since the day they were taken home, the kids and I have been ever so joyed at their antics and shennanegans. Joseph however isn’t amused. Maybe it’s because of all of the poop and flies they brought our way? Eh… no big deal when you’re getting fresh eggs!! Of course it took 6 months to get our first egg. And only one chicken is laying so far…But boy do our chickens give us more than just eggs. And raising chickens in San Diego with kids is a learning experience that’ll last a lifetime.  Below are some tips we’ve learned so far! 

Upcycled Container Gardens - growing chicks

Raising Chickens In San Diego With Kids - ChickenTV

Raising Chickens In San Diego With Kids

What Type of Chickens?

First things first… decide on how many chickens you want and what type of chickens you want. There are a lot of different viewpoints on what chickens are best. 5 hens will supply approximately 30 eggs a week which would meet the needs of a typical family of four. Since only my son and I are egg eaters in the morning, we went with two hens for now. But I have plans to expand our flock to four hens in the near future (fair warning… the impulse to add to your flock grows strongly after they start laying).

Different types of chickens will lay a different number of eggs each week. And the color of the eggs depend on the type of chicken you get. Our Rhode Island Red lays brown eggs. But our Easter Egger is going to be a surprise since Easter Eggers are the mutts of the chicken breeds. We don’t know what color she’ll lay (blue, green, etc) until she starts laying. Ameraucanas lay blue eggs while Olive Eggers lay green eggs! You can look up the various breeds on quite a few sites.

We used My Pet Chicken to narrow down what breeds we wanted in our home. As I mentioned before, we chose a Rhode Island Red (RIR) who was supposed to lay 4 times a week and an Ameraucana turned Easter Egger who was supposed to lay 3 times a week. My RIR lays 4 days on, 1 day off. And we’ll find out what the Easter Egger lays once she starts.

Upcycled Container Gardens - baby chicks in container

Bringing Home Chicks

Once you decide on how many chickens and what breed chickens you want, then you need to decide how old you want the chickens to be. Will you be hatching them yourself or buying baby chicks who are a few days to weeks old? Deciding that is dependant on how prepared you are and if you have the equipment needed to take care of babies or just want to jump into full grown hens. 

We chose to purchase 3 week old chicks from a local place because a. we only needed 2 chicks and most places that ship chicks require a minimum of 3 chicks (most places require more to reduce shipping costs) and b. it was fun to have the kids pick out their own birds. When shipping chicks, they need to stay warm so sometimes warmers are added to the package if you don’t order a lot of chicks so they don’t perish during their travels. I didn’t want to have the kids open up a box with the chance of any babies dying so local was easier too! 

Upcycled Container Gardens - chicks

Once we brought them home we couldn’t just put them in the coop and let them be. We kept them inside the house in a little galvanized tub with their food and water along with some pine shavings. Then we covered the tub with some chicken wire and clips to keep them inside. They stayed in there for a few weeks until they were old enough to go in their coop; when their feathers grew out. The kids would take them out daily to let them wander our yard but made sure to stay close to them and watch for any predators (like the red tail hawks in the area). 

Red at 6 Months

Feeding

From the time we took our chicks home until they started laying eggs we fed them Start n’ Grow. Alongside the Start n’ Grow we feed them lots of fun treats. Basically anything we eat, they eat with the exception of chocolate/sweets, avocado and avocado pits, and anything you wouldn’t eat (moldy or rotten). Everything else is fair game.

Our chickens eat just about anything we put out but do have their preferences. They have a newfound love of red grapes and raisins but will take longer ot eat the green grapes or dried cranberries (weird, right?). They rush to the door when I have the leftover wax worms from our leopard gecko. And they leap in the air to catch blueberries when we have them. This is all on top of the greens and bugs they get while free-ranging in the back yard.

Once the first chicken started laying, I started to also offer crushed oyster shells. Oyster shells (or egg shells cleaned, dried, and crushed up) can provide much needed calcium for the birds to keep their shells thick.

Chicken Coop

Chicken Coops

Before we got our chicks, as I mentioned, my husband purchased a coop online for my birthday. He knew I wanted 2-3 chickens and made sure that the coop he got had the space for those chickens. It’s suggested that at a minimum you have 4 square feet of space for each chicken in the coop. And 10 square feet of room in their run (unless they’re free ranging in your yard like ours are). Basically they need room to spread out.

When choosing the coop for your birds, make sure you factor in chicken math. You know… when you start with two but end up with 5 because they’re so addicting? Yes. It happens. I promise. So if there’s even an inkling of wanting more chickens, consider getting a larger coop. Or plan to upgrade later. We’re planning on upgrading shortly and expanding our coop.

There are various materials you can use for your coop floor and for the roost and nests. We chose to go with pine shavings in our roost and nest areas and dirt outside. Since we had a bit of a rodent problem trying to get the chicken feed, we put chicken wire on the bottom of our coop and weighed it down with some bricks then covered with dirt.

Eggs from Flower and Red

Easter Egger Egg

Eggs

Depending on the breed, you can get anywhere from 3-6 eggs a week from your chickens. Our Rhode Island Red was told to average about 5 eggs a week and has been producing 6 in 7 days. She lays one egg 4 days in a row and then skips a day, then starts laying again. Since it takes about 25-28 hours for an egg to form, she lays at different times of the day.

When researching the breed you want, consider how many eggs they average in a week and what you are looking for in your chicken. Their egg shell color also varies. Our Rhode Island Red lays brown eggs and our Easter Egger lays light bluish eggs. (While finishing this article, our Easter Egger laid her first egg! Photo above.)

Chicken Butts

Have you considered raising backyard chickens with your kids?

Water Conservation Tips: What Can You Do?

Tracking Pixel

In California right now we’re in a serious drought. That means water conservation is at an all time high. With these few simple water conservation tips, sponsored by Scotts® EveryDrop™, we can reduce water usage and maximize other options. 

Water Conservation Tips What Can You Do

I’ve lived in San Diego all of my life. And for as long as I can remember, we’ve always been in a drought. Water conservation is just something we do. I remember learning about 2 minute showers at 6th Grade Camp. And actually trying to recreate them at home. And we’ve never had a lush green lawn during the summer and fall months unless there was a good rain storm. Brown lawns with a hint of green is just normal.

Adjusting to this way of life may be easy for our family, but for others it can be a hard adjustment. So I’ve compiled a list of everything we’re doing at our home to reduce our water usage and reuse the water that we do use. Keep in mind that we are a family of 5 with multiple pets (including a large pond outside with fish and a turtle). Every water used in this house is considered precious.

Water Conservation Tips: What Can You Do?

rain barrel rebate program san diego

1. Rain Barrels

After the City of San Diego offered rebates for rain barrels, my husband went out and picked up two for our old house. After the first big rain storm both were filled to the brim with water we could use for our lawn, plants, and vegetable garden. Talk about a savings in water. We were stoked! Each rainfall would easily fill our rain barrels and we found that we’d need even MORE room to store all of the rain. So we considered upgrading. Until we decided to move to a new home.

So whe we moved to our new house and found out that the rebate was per residence, and not per family, we jumped at getting a few more rain barrels for the new home as well. And we went up in size. The rain barrels we first got were 2 70 gallon barrels. This time we’re upgrading to 3. Since we have a larger house, we have a larger roof and more water collecting potential. By utilizing the rain we collect to water our plants and edibles, we are saving on using water from our sprinkler system. But first we have to put up rain gutters…

Adding Desert Plants to Your Garden xeriscaping

2. Greywater Reuse

In addition to using the water from our rain barrels, we’re also going to be taking advantage of using the greywater from our washer in the garage to keep our lawns green. With kids, we know we want to have a green space for them to play. And while most of our landscaping is drought resistant plants or edibles (more on those later), having a patch of lawn IS doable in a drought area by utilizing all of the water we have available.

I’ll be posting about our greywater collection system and what we use to collect the water and how we use it to water our grass. We’ll steer clear of using it to water the garden due to the soap residue from our eco-friendly laundry soap.

3. Desert Scaping | Drought Resistant Plants

Even though we want to have a patch of green lawn for our kids, the rest of our landscape – except the edibles – are drought resistant plants. I was able to get some great ideas on what plants to use in our design on one of my many visits to City Farmer’s Nursery. I highly suggest heading to a local nursery to talk to them about your options.

I love that I can still have a beautiful landscape while saving on our use of water. Plus I’d rather be using the water we do use on our edibles or the lawn so choosing plants native to Southern California was important. And there are quite a lot of plants that are native to this area to use in our yards. The added bonus? Because they’re so used to this climate, they take less care. Most of the plants, once they have been established, can survive by just waiting for the little rainfall that comes and some pruning a few times a year.

Water Conservation Tips What Can You Do - Scotts EveryDrop Water Maximizer

4. Water Maximizer

When we do water our lawn, we want to make sure that each drop of water we put in it is used efficiently. Especially because we’re limited to watering only two days a week and 5 minutes per station based on the new Mandatory Water Use Restrictions in the City of San Diego.

By using Scotts® EveryDrop™ in our yard we can do just that. EveryDrop™ is a unique blend of wetting agents designed to help move water into the soil, consistently and evenly. This helps to reduce wasteful runoff and pooling. Whether relying on rain, sprinklers or hoses from our greywater, EveryDrop™ helps to make the most of available water. 

Well-fed lawns and plants are more efficient at using available water so make sure to feed your plants and edibles with fertilizer to maximize their potential.

5. Plant Edibles Instead

While other plants may look better, planting edibles instead means that your using that rainwater you are collecting to feed your family, not just water some random plants in your yard to keep them green and looking pretty. By planting edibles in your yard, you can create a beautiful landscape while providing a food source. Plus, gardening with kids can make their backyard (or front yard!) into a learning experience that’s fun!

You’d be surprised at how pretty some edibles are. I have two planters out front filled with various lettuces because they’re so pretty. And you’d be surprised at just how pretty an artichoke is when it turns into a flower and goes to seed. Gorgeous!

Green Work of Art in the Garden

How do you conserve water?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® EveryDrop™.

Bite Size Raspberry Tarts

RaspberryTarts

We are finally back in the swing of things as school started this week and we’re starting to create our new schedule. With this comes a tad bit more time during the day without all three kids at home as I work. So I’ve had some time while the baby sleeps to actually have some fun and bake a bit more. Using the same basic tart dough as the strawbery cream tarts and lemon blueberry tarts, I made some raspberry tarts for a fun weekday dessert to enjoy after dinner.

What I love about this recipe is how easy it is to throw together. And how many variations of a similar recipe can be made. Next time I’m planning on adding a little cocoa to the cream for these to pair the raspberry with some chocolate. With a little chocolate drizzle over these, they’d be perfect for my next girls night in paired with some delicious wine!

Raspberry Tarts with basic tart dough

Bite Size Raspberry Tarts

  • Basic Tart Recipe, baked and cooled
  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • fresh raspberries, washed and dried
  • Mint for garnish (optional)

In a mixing bowl on high speed, whisk whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff. Add additional sugar if desired.

Spoon into prepared tart shells and top with raspberry and mint garnish.

Serve immediately

Makes 24

Raspberry Tarts with mint garnish

Learning with Minecraft: Tips For Incorporating STEM Lessons In Everyday Life

I am part of the Microsoft Blogger Program and receive incentives from Microsoft to blog about its products.

Learning with Minecraft Tips For Incorporating STEM Lessons In Everyday Life

As I have mentioned previously, my son has quite the obsession with Minecraft right now. It all started with a few mentions of Minecraft 1-2 years ago from his cousin. He wasn’t too interested back then but learned the basics about what it actually was. We went over to one of his friend’s houses for a birthday party before the start fo summer and the kids ended up playing Minecraft after swimming for a few hours. It was then he started begging for us to download Minecraft for him to play at home.

We don’t have an updated gaming console that he could purchase a Minecraft game for so I decided to download the Minecraft Pocket Edition on our tablet to try it out. I wasn’t quite ready to give him access to our PC just yet and testing the game out on the tablet seemed like the safest idea. No connection to the internet and he got a taste for what Minecraft was all about.

Then we were invited for a pool party at the same friend’s house and again they played Minecraft. He realized that the Minecraft he was playing was severely lacking in the options the PC version provided. So I did a little more research on the game and decided he was ready to move up. And luckily a whole new version of  Minecraft was on its way called Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta.

Learning with Minecraft Tips For Incorporating STEM Lessons - Engineering

So I bit the bullet when it came out on July 29th and downloaded it onto our Surface Pro 3. Since he was used to playing the Pocket Edition on a tablet, having the full game on the Surface Pro 3 made things easy to transition. He knew exactly what he was doing and in tablet mode could easily maneuver throughout the game with ease.

One thing I love about Minecraft is that it’s a gateway into programming and engineering. From choosing what color your character’s hair is, to creating new worlds and lands by building up their villages and empires, kids are getting a hands on learning experience through gaming. And my son is eating it up!

At first I was worried he’d become “addicted” to the game and always want to play it. And in the beginning he did go a little crazy. He’d constantly ask me to log him in to play (safety first, right?). But then we roped him in and let him know that he only had a certain time he could play each day. After that was up, he could earn more time by doing a few math problems. But then after that he was done until the next day. So in addition to STEM learning, he’s also learning to utilize his time playing wisely.

Learning with Minecraft Tips For Incorporating STEM Lessons - Technology

We’ve kept him offline and for the most part he sticks with the creative mode. This means that he’s not interacting with others online yet. And he has all of the building materials he needs. He doesn’t need to search for them. At age 6 I’m not quite ready for him to be playing a game online without me being right next to him. But he’ll be ready to take on bigger responsibilities in the near future. And this is a great way to start teaching him about the online world.

As I learn more and more about Minecraft and how it can be utilized to spark inspiration in children and get them thinking about STEM topics, I consider the other possibilities of using Minecraft as a teaching tool. I even saw a Minecraft Programming class offered this summer that I would have loved to sign my son up for. I’m still considering tracking down the info again and seeing if they’ll offer an after school class or two for his school. What a great way to get kids interested in these subjects, right?

Has your child caught the Minecraft bug? Do you think it’s a positive way to increase opportunity for STEM learning?

Just like the first release of Minecraft, Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta will develop and evolve over time with the help of our feedback. Players who already have the PC edition of Minecraft can download the Windows 10 beta version free. Others can download “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” at a discounted price of $10 throughout the beta period. 

Players who download “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” during the beta phase will still have the game when it comes out of beta, and receive all future updates to the game at no additional cost. Download Minecraft beta or Minecraft Windows 10 Edition at the Windows 10 Store today.

AD: Date Night At Home with BBQ Asian Cornish Hens + Rice Cooker Fried Rice

This shop featuring BBQ Asian Cornish Hens and a recipe for Rice Cooker Fried Rice has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JuicyGrilledCornish #CollectiveBias

Date Night At Home BBQ Asian Cornish Game Hens + Rice Cooker Fried Rice

With a 6 month old at home (who refuses to take a bottle now) it’s a little hard to get out for date night. But that doesn’t stop my husband and I from spending time together. Instead of heading out for a date night together at a nice restaurant, I try and find delicious, simple meals I can make at home that we can enjoy after the kids go to bed.

Now we don’t let the kids starve, we make them something fun like hot dogs or mac and cheese from the box. They consider that a treat and are happy to eat dinner without us. Once we sucker them into their beds, it’s our time!

Now since it’s summer and I’m already using the stove for the kids meal, I don’t want to have to wait a while to get our meal going. So while the husband is putting the older two to bed, I get the barbecue ready and my rice cooker going. By using something other than the oven to make our dinner, we don’t have to worry about the heat.

Date Night At Home BBQ Asian Cornish Game Hens with Kikkoman

I have to admit. I’ve never considered making cornish hens for dinner. But after seeing them at our local Walmart in the freezer section, I figured I’d give it a shot and try them out. And since Tyson Cornish Hens are All Natural with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, added hormones or steroids, they fit perfectly with our family.

Paired with the Kikkoman stir-fry sauce as a glaze and I’d have a deliciously tasty main course! Kikkoman’s full line of sauces and marinades are perfect for the grilling season. Next time I want to try the sweet & sour sauce! 

Now for the side dish. Since I was going with an Asian themed meat dish I knew I wanted to make some fried rice. But didn’t have any time (or cooked rice) to do so. So in the rice cooker everything went! And it turned out surprisingly well. No sauteeing or cooking ahead. I could make fried rice without having to have leftovers on hand in the fridge to do so. The only thing I had to do was scramble an egg before I put everything in the rice cooker.

Date Night At Home Rice Cooker Fried Rice with KikkomanDate Night At Home Rice Cooker Fried Rice

Rice Cooker Fried Rice

  • 2 cups brown rice
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 eggs, scrambled
  • 1/2 cup Kikkoman® Soy Sauce
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Wash rice thoroughly in a mesh strainer until water is clear. Add to rice cooker.

On top of the rice add frozen vegetables, garlic, ginger, onion powder and scrambled eggs. Top with Kikkoman Soy Sauce and stir to combine.

Add chicken broth and set rice cooker to the brown rice setting OR quick setting if you have a Zojirushi rice cooker.

*makes 6-8 servings

Date Night At Home BBQ Asian Cornish Game Hens with Kikkoman Stir Fry glazeDate Night At Home BBQ Asian Cornish Game Hens on the grill

How to Barbecue Cornish Hens

Barbecuing the hens was easier than I thought! With very few ingredients, and a hot grill, I was able to make two delicious birds in about an hour. Here’s how:

1. Heat up the grill. Make sure the charcoals are white hot before cooking.

2. Take the Tyson® Cornish Hens and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place on grill breast side down. Cook for 30 minutes.

4. Turn over breast side up and glaze with Kikkoman Stir Fry sauce.

5. Cook an additional 20 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees and juices run clear with no blood.

Serve the chicken with the rice cooker fried rice and enjoy a delicious date night meal together with your significant other!

BBQ Asian Cornish Game Hens + Rice Cooker Fried Rice - perfect for date night

How do you make time for your significant other?

Kikkoman sauces at Walmart

You can find Tyson cornish hens in the freezer section of your local Walmart. And right around the corner from the hens, you can find the Kikkoman products in the Asian food aisle or, like in my store, next to the refridgerated meat section.

Back to School Healthy Checklist

As we head back to school, I wanted to share this back to school healthy checklist, sponsored by Kinsa, as a way to keep everyone healthy over the first few weeks back in the classroom.

Back to School Healthy Checklist
I feel as if sickness has been coming through a revolving door this summer. We all get better and then WHAM! something else hits. From colds, to ear aches, and runny noses, our family has been hit with it all. And now that I’m sending the kids back to school next week, I need to make sure I’m doing everything I can to stop the cycle in this house.

We’ve been working on trying to keep our home sickness free and I’ve come up with a checklist for the kids so that they’re reminded of what to do to stay relatively healthy. Since the first weeks of school mean exposure to a whole new lot of kids, an a whir of germs, we want to be in tip top shape when we return. And that doesn’t just mean staving off illness, it also means doing routine check ups that may help prevent illness.

Back to School Healthy Checklist - what to do

Back to School Healthy Checklist

  • Wash, wash, wash your hands! Keep reminding your kids to wash their hands frequently throughout the day. I have my kids hum happy birthday two times when they’re washing (similar to how they brush their teeth) so that they wash long enough. Make sure your child’s immunizations are up-to-date. I’ve found that a lot of classrooms have hand sanitizer that they use but since my daughter has eczema, hand sanitizer burns her. 
  • Medications and Allergies need to be mentioned to your child’s school. If medications are needed during the day, make sure the school has what they need (with prescription/note from doctor if needed) and that they know of any allergies or conditions that your child may have. We had to make sure my son’s inhaler was ready to go for the new year! You might also want to mention any allergies to the room mom, if you have one, just in case.
  • Keep emergency contacts up to date! Make sure that the school has the correct emergency contact information for your child. A contact may have moved or changed phone numbers over the summer.
  • The most important meal of the day! Plan to give your child a delicous and healthy breakfast before leaving in the morning, such as oatmeal (made in a rice cooker!), smoothies, yogurt with fruit or scrambled eggs.  This will provide much-needed energy for the day. A great make-ahead option for busy mornings are these delicious egg cups!
  • Buy your child a comfortable, ergonomic backpack with thick straps. You don’t want the stress of a large load of books to hurt their shoulders or back. 
  • Make sure that your child’s shoes fit properly so that they get the support and comfort they need for all-day wear. With kids growing so quickly, make sure your child knows that they should speak up if their shoes are getting tight or their feet are hurting. My son grew 1.5 shoe sizes over the summer! Talk about a growth spurt. 
  • Has your child had a vision screening? This will ensure that he/she can see the board in class and will help with writing and reading.
  • Schedule a dental checkup to ensure that your child’s teeth are in good condition to start the new school year.
  • Concerns about hearing or speech? In the first few weeks of school you can bring your concerns to the teacher to see if they observe anything in the classroom. Or have your child’s doctor observe and make recommendations. 

And the #1 way to keep everyone healthy: Keep your child home when they’re sick! Let them rest and recover so that they feel 100% and the illness doesn’t spread. A sick kid won’t be as alert and ready to learn. They’ll be much more comfortable resting at home.

Kinsa Thermometer

But sometimes illness is inevitable. And having the right tools in the medicine cabinet is important. And Kinsa has those tools.  Kinsa has built something truly revolutionary for parents – the first smartphone-enabled thermometer designed for your peace of mind. Kinsa automatically remembers fever, symptoms, medications and notes for each child or family member, and helps you take action when fever and symptoms are cause for concern. Users can also join groups for their child’s school to see the “health weather” of the school and know what symptoms and illnesses are circulating.

And even better? They’re giving back to the community in a huge way. With their new FLUency program, Kinsa is choosing 100 deserving schools this fall and providing all families in each school with free Kinsa stick thermometers ($30 value). To nominate your school email fluency@kinsahealth.com. You can learn more by watching this video here.

 How do you keep the kids healthy during the school year?



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