The nights are becoming cooler and that means it's soup season! I have made a collection of hearty and filling soups, chowders, and stews made with real food! No condensed soups, processed foods (that you can't omit or substitute,) just real, delicious food ingredients. If you stumble upon a recipe made with canned condensed …
There is something about a cup of hot chocolate that makes winter and Christmas THAT much better, don't you think? Especially when it is cold outside (which often it isn't in Texas,) a cup of homemade hot cocoa is just comforting. Our two youngest boys really love hot chocolate, so I have made quite a …
Have you ever sat in front of a TV to watch a big football game and just been unimpressed with the sound quality? Things are not quite as exciting if you are sitting at home in front of a dull sounding football game. Sports games come alive with Polk Speakers!
This post was sponsored by Sphero as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Sphero BOLT and Sphero MINI - The STEAM Gifts Tweens Really Want! Our oldest son just turned 10 and that has proven to be the beginning age of a very tricky …
The holiday season is a time for delicious food and family time. The flavors of the season are to be enjoyed and allow creativity in the kitchen. My favorite Christmas flavors are cranberry, mocha, and peppermint, and these beverages all bring a new dimension to the season! My guys all love the delicious drinks of …
How To Prevent Sports-Related Foot Injuries in Young Athletes (guest post from Dr. Charlton Woodly) As the cold sets in students are transitioning into the winter sports season. Basketball, cheerleading, dance, soccer, wrestling. The list goes on and on. Your little athletes have the equipment and uniforms they need for practice and they have the …
I know that we have heard the warnings....cold and flu season is here. Wash your hands, load up on vitamins and supplements, get plenty of sleep, etc. But there are some obvious things that we need to be doing to get rid of the germs in our house. I am not a super germaphobe, but …
Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" arrived in theaters on November 2, just in time for the holiday season ahead. This movie is full of adventure, imagination, color, dancing, and surprises! In this movie, Clara wants a one-of-a-kind key to unlock a box with a precious gift inside. Her journey begins to a mysterious …
Like most women that I know, weight and body image is often on my mind, and has been for years. I lost weight in college doing a low carb diet. I tried again after the birth of our second son and it was simply impossible. My husband lost weight but I was cranky, shaky, and …
My husband and I have been extremely spoiled at Thanksgiving over the years. Both of our moms are exceptional cooks and aunts, uncles, sisters-in-law, etc are there to add their delicious flair to the Thanksgiving meal, as well. There will come a day, however, when I will be in charge of the Thanksgiving meal and …
My kitchen is where I spend most of my day. Making breakfast and lunches, loading and unloading the dishwasher, (sometimes multiple times a day,) cooking, baking, cleaning...the kitchen is my happy place. If you are like me, you want the kitchen to be a warm, comfortable, inviting place that also shows personality and …
November 1st is our oldest's birthday, but it's also the beginning to the holiday season! Soon the lights and tree will be up, presents will be bought, and excitement will swirl around this special time of year. We love all things Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Hallmark Channel movies are a big part of the Christmas …
If I can be 100% honest with you guys right now, family mealtime is ROUGH lately. My kids eat a wide variety of things, and for that I am proud, but the chances that everyone is hungry at the same time and then feeling like eating what I serve is pretty rare. There is at least …
Thank you Maxi-Cosi for sponsoring this post. Keep your little adventurers comfy, safe & stylish with the Maxi-Cosi Magellan™ Max 5-in-1 Convertible Car Seat! Little Siblings Need to be Safe, Too! Why it is Best to Update to Convertible Car Seats For EACH Child Our youngest is almost 5-years-old and my, have things changed since our …
If you know me or my family or have spent anytime on this blog, you know that we are big sports fans. We have three very active boys who love soccer, basketball, playing in the mud, running, biking, football, baseball, climbing, anything and everything that is an activity that combines competition and physicality, our boys …
Our family listens to SO much music throughout the day. Our oldest plays trumpet and is (usually) practicing every day. Our middle son is taking piano lessons and we love to hear that music throughout the house when he practices. But we also listen to music sometimes as we get ready for our day …
Our family has discovered a love of camping and for now, let me just state that it really is glamping because I do not do tent camping, at least...not yet. We like to stay in RVs or cabins, but traveling to a camp ground or lake house is what we love! Going in the Spring or …
We were able to drive a Toyota Tundra CrewMax at no cost, thanks to Toyota. All opinions are mine. Why a Family Fall Getaway to the Lake is Exactly What You Need This Weekend! Life is funny, isn't it? How we get from marriage to kids to full blown school and sports chaos is beyond me. …
Five Things Every Soccer Mom Needs to Stock Up On for the Season! contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Soccer season is in full force! With three boys in soccer, we have practices three nights a week and some weeks, up to 5 games! It is so much fun, but it is …
Fall is such a wonderful time for fun, football, and food! My family really loves watching football games, and I love the football food. I like to shake things up with traditional foods and keep everyone guessing. Last week, I was craving turkey and cranberries, but did not really have time to cook a whole …
Three out of five members of our family are huge peanut butter lovers. The second grader could eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day with no problem! I have always been comparing taste, price, and ingredients of the different peanut butters on the shelf at the store, but I didn't know just …
I have been lucky enough to be a work-at-home mom for about 7+ years now. I always knew I wanted to be able to stay at home with my children, but was not sure how we were going to pull that off. When I became a blogger in 2011, our oldest was 2 and our …
Apple Danish with Crumble Topping We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. There are no better flavors on this earth than the flavors of fall. Whether or not you agree, …
Taco Tuesday. Mexican food. Cheese Enchiladas. Mexican Rice. These are a few of my favorite things! And added to that list are these Instant Pot refried beans! There is just something about a steaming hot plate full of Mexican food. The smells, the flavors...it is SO good!
Next week, the boys will start back to school and the sleeping in will have to end. Ahhhh summer, how I will miss you! The boys will both eat lunch at noon, I think, which means breakfast will be of utmost importance! It is so important to have a filling breakfast to get them to …
Important Things to Remember on the First Day of School was brought to you by Toyota USA. All opinions are mine. This month and next, most kids are headed back to school. It is an exciting time for some, but it also can come with a lot of stress! Are you a laid back parent …
This post was brought to you by Epic Waters in Grand Prairie. All opinions are mine. We recently made our first trip to Epic Waters in Grand Prairie, Texas and all five of us had a day of fun! Despite being in August, we went on a very gloomy day. Of course there was no …
Our family loves fruit juice, so while shopping at Target for back-to-school the other day, I had a great idea! A non-alcoholic, family friendly spritzer made with R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Tart Cherry® Juice or Organic Just Cranberry® Juice, both found in the juice aisle at Target. We really love non-alcoholic drinks with tart cherry juice! …
Our boys ALL love the water. We have spent countless hours swimming in various pools, playing in our backyard splash pad, and at water parks! I was not always such of a fan of the water, but over the years, I have come to really enjoy the time that we spend together, no matter where …
Tissue Paper Apple Craft for Kids - Perfect for Back to School or Fall! My favorite season is almost here! No, not back-to-school...I really, really don't like back-to-school. I could possibly have leftover anxiety from when I taught kindergarten, or possibly as a student myself. My school aged kids are way excited about going back …
I do not like to call my kids picky, but sometimes it is difficult to get them to eat what I put on the table for them. If it is a fresh, delicious meal that they love to eat, then of course they will devour it, but if I try to feed them leftovers or …
Six Flags Over Texas has always been a favorite destination for both my husband and me because, being from Texas, it was THE place to go as a kid. We live fairly close, so we were thrilled when we were given the opportunity to visit as a family. This post was sponsored by Six Flags Over Texas, but …
I can think of a myriad of reasons that I prefer using my Instant Pot over any other cooking device. The oven and stove heat up the house and take longer to cook things, the cleanup is always worse with bigger appliances, and well, the Instant Pot is SO easy to use! Take this Instant …
I remember our first trip to Disney World in 2015, we stumbled upon a place selling churros. It was then that I realized my husband's love of churros that began many years ago, and the boys loved them too, of course! After that, we would occasionally get churros at Costco, but it's not exactly …
Getting outdoors is always fun for our family. We love to explore, enjoy the sunshine, and roam the wide open spaces. We have been camping, or "glamping," rather, in an RV, but have yet to take the whole family on a camping trip that involves all of us sleeping overnight in a tent. My thinking …
Throw a Backyard BBQ for kids and don't stress about the mess! Anyone who has been around children knows that they are typically very messy. My husband and I have worked hard at teaching them manners, how to be clean, how to use napkins, etc, but there are some instances where cleanliness is not an …
With three young boys, outside time is essential. Our yard has been so many things, from soccer field, to badminton court, to a splash pad, and much more. We have backyard chickens, a garden, and lots of vegetation that we need to keep healthy. When looking for an organic fertilizer for our yard, garden, trees, …
Have you ever been to a Fogo de Chão restaurant? We were recently invited to experience the newest Fogo de Chão in Uptown Dallas, Texas. We had a terrific night and received a complimentary meal in exchange for our thoughts and opinions on our experience. I had not been to Fogo de Chão since my husband and …
My husband, Ben, is a self proclaimed sandwich lover. I have honestly never met anyone who loves sandwiches as much as he does. He has had aspirations, in fact, to open up a sandwich shop, because he knows exactly what it takes to make *the* perfect sandwich. So, it was a bit daunting to make …
Did you know that The Incredibles came out in 2004? I really had no clue it was that long ago! I did not have kids then, but my boys have watched the movie quite a few times over the years. It is definitely one of our favorites to watch. The boys love the action, the humor, …