getting creative with food

Have you noticed that your fridge ends up with a stash of "I want that" items? Now, we do a pretty good job of shopping and watching food waste. HOWEVER, YouTube and Pinterest have now shown us new ways to create recipes with old ingredients. And by we you know I don't mean WE. I mean, she, as in the 15 year old 😉

I am always down to eat some fruits and veggies. I could be better at it, but I make sure we have fresh produce in the fridge and set out healthy snacks when possible. Old school carrot sticks with ranch work instead of chips in my world. A bowl of chopped fruit drizzled in honey is a great sweet treat. The internet has given kids the opportunity to learn more and have more options, including with food.

My kid has started making new recipes/creations. She shredded carrots, zucchini and onion last week, then drizzled them in vinegar and oil with salt. Day 1 was great! Days 2 and 3 were fine. But day 5, we agreed she made too much and it needed to be dealt with.

This was the same case for the chopped cabbage salad, roasted cauliflower, baked squash, and random yogurt concoctions. I love that my kid has kitchen safety. I love that she knows math and measurements. I love that she wants to try new things. However... eyeballing all these recipes makes enough food for a week when we all know that only one or two people are eating most of it. 

She loves the fun drink mixers so lemonade is a constant in my fridge. Instead of using her strawberry syrup (have you read the ingredients in that stuff?!?), I blended lemonade, ice, and real strawberries. She won't drink it, I am sure. I even added a splash of her Poppi. And, she probably won't drink it 🤣 

We are learning. I am grateful she is so self-sufficient. I will continue to work on reading the whole recipe and checking the yield. I often hear, "Yield. What is that?" Yep. Yep. Yep. Learning never stops!

summer break is back!

Summer break is a long awaited experience for this family. My daughter has already been off for TWO weeks! She has already built up tan lines and burn lines, bike rides, day swims at the local pool, night swims and sleepovers at a friend's pool, shopping, and all the things. My only request is that one day a week we do what I want to do and I get a heads up instead of last minute plans. The summer bucket list has been created and tickets have been purchased. We are off to a great start. 

We got a family pool pass to the local pool. She also has a friend who has a trampoline at one house and a pool at the other. Lucky for me, BOTH houses are a bike ride away! Due to the small size of our town, convenience and fun are around every corner. I also don't have to run an Uber business to make it happen.

I, on the other hand, have only been on summer break for one week. I think my body has finally remembered how to pause and relax. I have gone swimming, shopping, to a movie, lots of walking the dog, binging shows, and to-do lists. I agreed to clean something, read something, and craft something daily. The rules are loose, but it keeps me busy and ensures I don't waste this precious gift called break, especially when my high schooler still loves me and wants me around!

Yesterday I spent some time in the basement going through our "garage sale" pile. I looked up local charities and matched what we have with what they need. I now have 6 boxes to distribute throughout Rockford to animals, people, and charities that need our old stuff more. I consider that crafting because it was a creative way to get rid of things and make sure our family is green. 

Other items on the summer list are lots of music. Playlists for swim, craft, bike, or home time are a must. Games every week ensure we use what we have and stay together. Last night we hosted a game night and played the horsey game. Even my daughter participated. Who knew how fun rolling the dice and moving some horses could be?! 

I hope everyone's summer breaks are filled with laughter and memories. I hope you stay safe and have fun. I hope you experience sunrise, sunset, and everything in between with renewed spirit and hope. May your ice always stay cold and you get the best snuggles when the day winds down. And if you play games, may the Playlist rock the house and may you win! 

a Year's worth of fun

Instagram knew the new year was coming and kept blowing up my feed with "12 months of..." ideas. I saw date nights, mother/daughter days, girl's nights in, the list was endless. My family and I do plenty, but I thought this would be a fun little craft for me to give my family something to look forward to. It also guaranteed one on one quality time during stressful or hectic weeks. I called my friend, scheduled a chill day, and packed all the scrap paper and markers. 

We tried to theme out each month depending on if we are camping, traveling, or doing something local. My friend joined in and did some of the same ideas for her daughters, so we can have fun together. They are not all outings or expensive. Some are easy, at home events. Some are nature based or food based. We switched it up. 

I ended up doing a year's worth of activities for my husband, too. I had the time. I had the paper. Why not? One huge sheet of paper folded in an envelope and done. 

January: plan a resale shopping day and do lunch. Husband: Let your wife take you to dinner (we have some giftcards to use).

February: watch the movie Valentines Day and bake heart shaped cookies. Husband: go see a comedian at the Metrocentre. And so on and so forth. Picnics, Souptober, a day at the beach, and so much more will be coming. 

I love all the New Year's challenges so much more than resolutions. They give us something to focus on for growth and happiness. Resolutions make me feel committed and then disappointed if I fail or forget. I even added directions to the envelope: Open on the first of the month. Then we discuss together and put it on the calendar so the plan is legit. Here is to a Year's worth of fun!!!

the TJ Maxx challenge

I wanted a slow and lazy weekend last weekend. By Sunday, I was up and moving and ready to do something. My child sent me a YouTube link of the TJ Maxx mother-daughter challenge. I figured that would be a fun, easy outing for us to try. Lucky for me, TJ Maxx is near Michael's and 5 Below so I knew it would be a good area to hit up. 

When we got there, we each grabbed shopping carts. We agreed to a 20 minute limit. We had to find things for one another and see if we liked those items. She sent me the list because I knew I would forget. In a major store, something cozy was easy. The rest of it, I got creative.

For something cozy, I found lime green Grinch sweatpants. For something that smells good, I wanted to avoid candles. I grabbed a bag of Stroopwaffles. Something that reminds you of each other was a thinker. I grabbed a jar of dill pickles since my kid is currently obsessed. And finally, for something to wear, I grabbed a bright red sweater that said "Merry". I was uncertain of that one. I mean, I thought it was cute.

She grabbed me fuzzy Grinch socks for something cozy. She grabbed Lindor chocolates for something that smells good. For something that reminds her of me, she grabbed Christmas dish towels. Apparently, I always complain people mess up my hand towels... Finally, for something to wear, she grabbed fuzzy Grinch pj pants.

We laughed about all the items and then most of it got put back. We did buy the stroopwaffles. Those things are SO good! I would highly recommend a duo or trio doing this. It was fun. It got us thinking. I may even try to convince my husband to do this with me. 

you don't have to go far for fun

There are so many good cities to explore in the midwest. I absolutely love Galena, IL. If you need nature, then I suggest Devil's Lake, WI. That is one of my other favorite places. They're both fun, peaceful, and have lots to do.

If you want big city fun, then you will not be without choices in the midwest. Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities are just a few good choices for Illinois folks. Wisconsin has Madison, Milwaukee, Lake Geneva, and so much more. You just never know what you will find around each corner. You can find choices around every turn.

Milwaukee is one of my favorites! We recently took a boat tour around Lake Michigan, which is something I have never done. I grew up near those views and they are still wonderful to see. The art museum, children's museum, Summerfest, Harley Davidson museum, Miller brewery tour, and restaurants are just a few of the millions of choices for anyone to enjoy. It is a city of choices, for sure. 

We have seen concerts, ballets, comedians, and performers in Milwaukee. Gambling and the state fair are more options. And you have to catch a game at Miller Park! Yes, I said Miller Park. It will never be anything else for this girl! 

There are so many fun museums and options for kids, too. We love the children's museum and aquarium. The lake front is so much fun. The dining and hotel options are endless. I try to see as many places as I can. 

The world is a big place and there is so much to explore! I want to go everywhere, see everything, and squeeze it all in. I love nature, cities, adventure, tourism and all the things. However, if I want to stay close to home and have endless opportunities for fun, then Milwaukee it is! 

mixing and matching experiences...

There are many occasions we experience in a big group. There are also experiences that are better suited for smaller groups. It kind of depends on a personal preference. One year we had a sleepover with all the friend groups: cousins, camping, sports, school, and OH BOY. It went great, fortunately, but it very easily may not have. 

We like to hang out with friends and do things, but just like matching an outfit, you have to match the friend to the event. We found out last year one of my daughter's friends doesn't know how to swim, so she doesn't get invited to the pool with us. And rightfully so! They do tons of other things together to have fun! Those girls paint and make slime EVERY time they're together. And other kids? They hate slime, so we bake, shop or watch movies. It's just a simple matching game of fun. 

Today we decided at the very last minute to have some water fun. I gave a list of suggestions on who to invite and my kid flat out said, "No. I just want to invite E. She loves water and we have had so much fun this summer. Please don't invite anyone else. I want her all to myself." Uh, perfect!!! And guess what?

Those girls are having a blast, laughing and enjoying. Everyone helped with sunscreen and snacks. No one is fighting for attention. No one got the bad seat in the car or is being ignored. My kid is wise beyond her years! 

Yes, groups are fun. Big or small, having fun with friends is fun. But on the water is different. Now we have to think about safety and sun, too. My kid knows when she wants to go all out or just pay one friend attention for the day. And no one's feelings are hurt. No one is disregarded. She just sees them on separate days for separate events and spreads out the fun!

I love this. I really do. It spreads things around. Summer never gets stale. I can slowly take in the moments instead of getting anxious, doing head counts, and scolding my kid for ignoring others. I am not constantly cleaning up after large groups or preparing gobs of food for larger groups. 

Summer equals fun. Summer equals memories. Summer equals experiences. Summer equals laughter. And if you try to cram it all in, then sometimes you get overtired kids who are overstimulated and overwhelmed. No thank you 😀

letting your kid be themselves is the best way to go

We just spent a fantastic week together having the best kind of family fun. When you're in public, in large crowds or in close contact with others, you notice things. My kid is polite and well spoken. She is learning social etiquette and general life rules. She is also a teenager...

She has the best of intentions, but sometimes she says the wrong thing or does something embarrassing in public. Don't we all, though? That's a parent's job. We lead by example. We demonstrate. We guide and make corrections. Otherwise, how will they know? 

This whole week, my kid was aware of being on her phone in lines or in public. If we were checking out, she was ready and didn't make people wait. She paid attention and took it all in. She observed and asked questions. 

And, she rushed ahead or got bored and let us ALL know 😂. She did cartwheels through the parking lot. She country line danced while she waited for her pancakes in line. She was simply herself. Unapologetically her. And I love it. 

She is polite and gracious. She lets her freak flag fly and runs to her own drummer. She isn't interested in how the other girls are doing it. She just wants to be herself. THAT is all that matters to me. And we are so proud of her for it! 

when your kid wants to try new things, you go all in!

Both of my kids have always been very consistent in their habits, hobbies and beliefs. Not much seems to shock me any more. However... My kid came home last week and said she's making some changes. Just like that. Straight to the point. She had a plan and a back up plan already laid out. 

She wants to start a fresh path. She wants to try something new. She has new ideas. I love this! In the past, we have always mentioned camps, tryouts or activities that she always wrinkles her nose up to.

What does this mean? Summer camp! Or two! A trip to Target! Some choreographing of open gym times. New things are fun to think about and plan for.

I hope wherever this kid's plan takes her, she embraces it. I hope she thrives. I hope she makes new friends and memories. I am proud of her doing a reboot all on her own. We always encourage trying new things. 

Here's to having a high schooler. Here's to having a kid who can make her own plans. Here's to the future. Here's to growth, fun and adventure. Here's to my wallet, sanity and parenting to last and be the best! 🤣

teen baskets are better!

When your kid is getting older, but not too old for an Easter basket you get to have some fun! I shopped at our small local shops that we both love for some small fillers. I rounded it all out with a trip to the Dollar Tree. That store has everything! I just needed candy and anything I missed.

It was fun walking our downtown with a coffee and a smile. We love to support local. I got stickers at the local bookstore Inkwell books. I found a cute flower pillow from a vendor shop, Frosted Farmhouse. I grabbed a dip mix from our absolute favorite store, Ric Rac Embellishment. Then over to DeeDee's coffee shop for a gift card. If that doesn't scream teen basket, I don't know what does!

The Dollar Tree was easy. Watermelon Sour Patch kids and chocolate covered pretzels were obvious choices. They are her favorite! Since she doesn't really eat a ton of candy, I got cookies and cream chocolates and a box of fruit snacks for filling the eggs. It took me longer to find funny socks than it did to do anything else.

I bet I picked up every food themed sock they had. I landed on Pop Tarts and Sprite since I know she loves the color blue and those foods. Even though the magic of the day is gone, my work has gotten SO much easier! Shopping for quality items instead of trinkets is always more fun.

I don't have to color eggs any more. No more bunny visits and pictures. No more pinning her down to do her hair for church. It's just a fun basket, I hide the eggs and church. No more obligations, just fun. And I love it!