Garden Veggie Recipes

February 13, 2015 by

Garden Veggie Recipes

With spring right around the corner I’m starting to plan out what I want to plant. But for now I’m enjoying my winter crop. These garden veggie recipes help me stick with delicious and healthy ways to incorporate my garden crops into meals for my family.

With an abundance of broccoli, kale, spinach, etc I’m finding that I need more and more ideas to branch out and try something new. And once spring hits I know I’ll be looking for more delicious recipes to try with my spring harvest.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Norah’s Birth: A Breech Birth Story

February 11, 2015 by

Norah napping with Daddy

Baby Norah is here! Our beautiful third baby arrived right on her due date last Thursday, February 5th.

I would have never imagined that each of my births would be so completely different from one another. While I haven’t shared my first born’s birth story on here, I did share my second birth. I’m sure I’ll write out my son’s birth story 6 years later but today I’m writing about my beautiful Norah and how she chose to come into this world. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baby, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

5 Tips for Making Date Night a Priority

February 9, 2015 by

5 Tips for Making Date Night a Priority

Are you a couple who keeps pushing date night further and further into the calendar? It’s important for couples to have that time alone. Instead of putting it on the backburner, use these tips to make date night a priority.

Date night doesn’t have to take a back seat and these tips are living proof! Take the time to make your spouse feel wanted and loved by taking them out on a date at least once a month. There’s proof that shows that couples who take the time to date their mate, have a better chance at staying married.

Whether your job, the kids, or time has taken over your date night, reclaim the fun that you once had with your spouse by making date night a priority! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Date Night, Date Night Ideas, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Great Tips for Gardening With Kids

February 4, 2015 by

Gardening with Kids

We’re starting to plan what we’re going to plant in our raised bed for spring right now and can’t wait to get our hands dirty. One of the best parts about gardening, for me, is the fact that the kids get involved in every step from planning, planting, and growing.

Over the years of gardening with them I’ve come to find that gardening with kids isn’t as hard as it sounds. In fact, it can be quite fun! The bonding we do over our garden has deepend our relationship and has acted as a teaching tool for life lessons.

Below are some great tips for gardening with kids that you can use if you’re just starting or have been gardening with your kids for a while.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: eco-friendly, Life, Outdoor Crafts and Activities, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Bugs and Kisses Valentines with Customized Ribbon

January 30, 2015 by

Bugs and Kisses Valentines

My son is obsessed with bugs. So much so that he tells everyone that he’s going to be an entomologist when he grows up. And he’s serious. I totally believe it.

When we were deciding what to make or Valentine’s Day to pass out to his classmates he said he wanted to include gummy worms. They’re one of his favorite treats and pair perfectly with Hershey’s Kisses for our bugs and kisses valentines.

As soon as we had our idea it was so simple to put our valentines together.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Holidays, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , ,

Snack Pack Pudding Valentine Printables

January 27, 2015 by

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Snack Pack. All opinions are 100% mine.

Snack Pack Pudding Valentine Printables

We’re always on the search for great snacks for the kids to bring in their lunches to school or to enjoy as an after-school snack. I try to steer clear of products with a lot of preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. Luckily we’ve found the perfect snack in Snack Pack pudding cups.

Not only do they come in a range of flavors that both the kids and I love, they also are made with real nonfat milk and fortified with as much calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk*. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Holidays, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day

DOH You Want to be my Valentine – Play Dough Valentine Printable

January 21, 2015 by

DOH You Want to be my Valentine - Play Dough Valentine Printable

Valentine’s Day is going to be here next month and as always I wanted to create something special for my kids to hand out at school this year. I’m not a huge fan of my preschooler giving out candy for Valentine’s Day because I know kids will be getting a lot of that already.

This year I decided to go with one of my daughter’s favorites – colorful play dough. Play dough is perfect for boys and girls and can provides hours of enjoyment. To go along with this play dough is a custom made Valentine Card “DOH you want to be my Valentine?” You can use the printable linked below or simply use your Cricut machine to design one yourself so you don’t have to do any cutting.

I designed this  printable through the Cricut design space and was able to get the perfect size hole sliced into my design for my play dough to fit perfectly. I made the machine do all of the hard work.  How awesome is that? If you have a Cricut machine and want to recreate it, it’s really simple. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Holidays, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Things to Do On Valentine’s Day For Your Kids

January 19, 2015 by

5 Things to Do On Valentine's Day For Your Kids

Valentine’s Day is a fun time for couples to show their love for each other. However, when you have kids, it can be a little tricky to teach them about what Valentine’s Day means without all the gushy mushy stuff.

I thought I’d take some time to talk about some fun things you can do for your kids this Valentine’s Day to make it extra special for them!

With a new baby due any day now (we’re about 2.5 weeks away from the due date) I wanted to think ahead and figure out easy ways to make this holiday special for the older ones.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Holidays, Parenting, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , ,

San Diego Restaurant Week 2015 | The Grant Grill Review

January 16, 2015 by

San Diego Restaurant Week 2015 - The Grant Grill at US Grant

It’s my favorite time of year! San Diego Restaurant Week 2015 arrives on Sunday, January 18th and will run through January 24th. I cannot wait to indulge and enjoy a new restaurant or two during this celebration of San Diego’s food scene.

My husband and I were invited to try the Grant Grill this past Saturday and I have to say that this is probably one of my new favorite restaurants in Downtown San Diego.

Not only does the menu change around daily, but for restaurant week you aren’t limited to a specific restaurant week menu! For $50 a person, you will be able to choose a starter, entree, and dessert of your choice from their regular menu.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Date Night Ideas, Restaurants, Reviews, San Diego, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

January 12, 2015 by

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

 As I quickly approach my due date (less than 4 weeks away!) I’ve started to look for quick and easy meals and snacks to make once baby gets here. With two other kids, both in school, this will be the first time I’ll have to be somewhere in the mornings to actually be wiht all three kids once my husband has to return back to work.

One of my go-to breakfasts for myself and the kids are smoothies. Not only are they quick to make, I can make sure that I pack in enough protein, fruits, and sometimes veggies to start the day off right.

Since I’ll be nursing, I knew I also wanted to incorporate oatmeal in the mix as well so I added some quick oats to my favorite peanut butter banana smoothie recipe to create the perfect smoothie to get me going. 

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

The best part about this smoothie is that I always have all of the ingredients on hand.

Now normally when I’m trying to lose weight I’d include a fat free greek yogurt and 1% milk but because I’m not focused on losing weight, I stick with the full fat versions for the calories.

I do, however, save some calories with the inclusion of powdered peanut butter but regular peanut butter can easily be used as well.

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
  • 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
  • 1/2 to 1 banana (sliced)
  • 1-2 Sweet n'Low packets
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  1. In a blender, add in all of the ingredients.
  2. Blend until banana slices are well combined with the other ingredients.
  3. Pour into glasses and serve!

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

Since I’ve skipped the sugar in a flavored yogurt I add in a packet or two of Sweet’N Low to the blender to add a bit of sweetness without the added calories.

A guilt free drink that’s the perfect way to start any day whether you’re a busy mom with a newborn or simply trying to watch the waistline.

What’s your go-to quick and easy breakfast for busy mornings?

Filed Under: Drinks & Refreshments, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,


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