dishing up creative goodness
My kids are finally at that age where they get what Thanksgiving is all about and get excited about joining with family to celebrate what we’re thankful for.
But they also love getting in the festive spirit and making some turkey inspired treats.
Here are a few of our favorite turkey treats for kids to make that are simple and easy to do. [Read more…]
Every year for Halloween I host a party for my playgroup. Something fun, easy, and entertaining for the kids. We enjoy painting pumpkins, creating snack bags, and having a great time while all in costume.
But one of our favorite parts about this get together is the fact that we all come together and bring delicious goodies for everyone to sample. This year I decided to try out some festive rice crispy treats after my husband made a batch and left about 1/2 the pan in the fridge.
So I got out my candy melts and started playing around to create these adorable sweet treats otherwise known as candy corn rice crispy treats. I’m sure the kids will love them! [Read more…]
Since my kids were old enough to speak I lost the power to choose what they dressed up as for Halloween. But the one thing I do have say about is the safety of the costumes they choose.
I have a few guidelines for their costumes and since they’re still fairly young I haven’t had too much of a problem getting them to go along with what I say. These Halloween safety tips have helped me with easing my mind about the fact that my kids are out after dark.
And I think that they also help the kids realize how important it is to be aware of where they are and how visible they are to others out as well.
When choosing a Halloween costume try and make sure that there are some bright components to the outfit. Whether you add reflective tape to the costume after it’s on or you purchase a brightly colored outfit, having something visible to others in the dark can help make sure people know that your kid is there.
Halloween is always a fun night out with the kids, but it’s important to stay safe as well! Stride Rite has shoes that incorporate today’s latest light up technology so they are visible at night as your child runs from house to house. Or you can string on some glow sticks onto your kids shoes!
When walking the neighborhood let your kids use flashlights to lead the way. Not only will this help their visibility and help with trips and falls but it’s also super fun!
A child’s visibility is greatly reduced when they are wearing a mask. So if you have a small child, consider costumes without masks to help make their evening as enjoyable as possible.
Make sure to talk to your children before you head off to trick-or-treat. Let them know the plan for the evening, where you’ll be going, and what the rules are. By making sure the kids know what’s going on everyone will have a great time!
Since my daughter chose to be a butterfly this week (and designed her own costume!) we were very excite to receive these adorable Disney Wish Lights Ariel shoes. They match her costume perfectly!
Plus I know that these shoes will last a lot longer than just a few weeks even with all of the running around and jumping she does. Stride Rite shoes are our go-to shoe brand and have been since the kids first started walking.
Along with the Wish Lights shoes my daughter will be wearing, my son will be wearing his favorite green Saucony shoes with his lizard costume. Comfortable, flexible, and durable! Everything we need in a children’s shoe brand.
I don’t know what it is about slow cooker pulled pork but it’s one of my absolute favorites to make! From root beer pulled pork, to coke pulled pork, to regular old spiced up pulled pork like this one, a pulled pork sandwich is definitely comfort food in my home.
And if you don’t have time to make homemade buns, simply grab some slider buns from the grocery store and enjoy some mini pulled pork sliders like these. Don’t forget the dill pickles on top though. They definitely add something to this delicious meal.
This meal is perfect for the family or for parties when you have lots of people over. And the leftovers (if there are any) can easily be incorporated into other dishes throughout the week. [Read more…]
On day 2 in Boston we decided to explore the city a bit more and took advantage of our City Passes. First stop was the Boston Museum of Science where we explored the various exhibits they had on display, played in the kids Discovery Center, and watched an electrifying lightning show.
The kids absolutely loved the experience and asked to go again almost every other day we were in Boston. This is a must visit museum if you have kids. From gears to dinosaurs to bugs and more, there’s something for everyone. [Read more…]
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and in this house that only means one thing… trying out Thanksgiving recipes!
Our family Thanksgiving dinners are great in that everyone pitches in and makes a dish or two to bring. That way no one has the burden of the whole Thanksgiving meal.
Most of the time my brother in law or father in law prepares the turkey (depending on who is hosting), I make a few sides, my mother in law brings the rolls and salad and each of us brings a variety of desserts.
So this year I figured I’d round up a few dishes that are sure to be perfect for your thanksgiving meal. And if you aren’t preparing the whole meal yourself you can pick and choose what recipes you want to try out this year! [Read more…]
When we asked my daughter what she wanted to be for Halloween a few months back she quickly answered that she wanted to be a butterfly.
When we asked again a few weeks later, you know… just to be sure, she still confirmed that she wanted to be a butterfly. So I got to searching different designs, patterns, fabrics, etc. and scouring Pinterest.
Then she took it upon herself to figure out her own costume. And it cost us $5 out of pocket. That $5? Was for the wings. Everything else she dragged out of her closet.
And she LOVES how it turned out. Don’t you? Now to get started on my son’s dinosaur costume… That’ll probably take more time. [Read more…]
For major holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving we always go all out with our meals. And that includes the dinner rolls. No store bought rolls for our family. But that also means that we keep it simple with the ingredients and the process.
So with Thanksgiving right around the corner I thought I’d share my favorite no-knead dinner rolls recipe!
These no-knead dinner rolls are not only easy to make but take hardly any prep time at all! Plus you can keep them in the fridge overnight and bake them up right before dinnertime so they’re fresh from the oven when you need them. [Read more…]
While in New England the one thing my mother in law and I knew we wanted to do was to find the perfect lobster roll. Now I knew nothing of lobster rolls before but the one thing I did know is that you can probably find the best lobster roll in Maine.
So on our first full day in Boston after exploring Concord we hit the road and headed north.
To get to Maine from Massachusetts we drove a short while in New Hampshire. I didn’t notice a big difference between the scenery in Boston and the scenery in our short drive through New Hampshire but my mother in law remembers a lot more concrete vs. greenery in New Hampshire.
I’ll take her word for it! [Read more…]
Ah… New England! I had never been to New England and was excited to experience it in the fall. This past week we headed out together with the kids and my mother in law to Boston. To see the colors of the leaves change before our eyes and feel that crispness in the air was absolutely amazing.
The first full day we spent in Boston was quite the experience. And half the time we weren’t even in Boston! We left early in the morning for a quick drive and a little exploration.
The plan was to see if Minuteman Park was open. But with the government shutdown we knew there’d be a chance that we weren’t going to do that. And… we were right. We were greeted with signs at every parking lot entrance letting us know what was going on. [Read more…]
She enjoys sharing her family life in San Diego and features everything from delectable recipes to sharing DIY tips around the home and garden, what she's crafting and more.
