not everything needs a theme

The art of themed foods is not quite in my wheel well. I love food. I love to eat it, enjoy it, take pictures of it. BUT themed foods and foods I have to make into other things??? I am out. 

I see these cute videos on my Facebook reels of people twisting cinnamon rolls into Easter bunnies. There are donuts assembled together to look like snowmen. Don't even get me started on charcuterie boards. I can eat meat and cheese in rows and stacks. Don't waste your time making it pretty on my account! 

We needed a green food for a St. Patrick's Day themed potluck. Someone already took cookies. Pinwheels with spinach/herb tortillas was taken, so I took fruit. Lots of fruit is green! However... in March in the midwest fresh fruit isn't always fresh or reasonably priced. This ended up being more frustrating than I thought. 

Green grapes were astronomical. It annoyed me to get purple, but purple it was. Honey dew and pears were nowhere to be found. I only had to feed so many, so I wasn't about to hit a specialty food store. Our local Aldi was going to do it. 

Kiwi, green apples, and watermelon worked. The grapes were included just because. In the future, I will stick with a salad 🤣 Also, in the future, please be mindful of themes! Goodness gracious. Eating should be easy!!! 

the mom car

You might be a mom if you have some interesting contraptions in your backseat. We got our trusty Jeep car organizer from a garage sale. It holds all the fun for a short drive or a cross country extravaganza. And it has adjustable snaps so I can't even feel it while I drive. Even though she's much older now, I feel confident knowing books, drawing, and other activities are a fingertip away. This helps prevent the dreaded screen addiction and car sickness from too much screen time.

We got the gray bucket at Goodwill. It was too cute to pass up. It has now become a snack bin for any day of the week or any purpose. Drinks and snacks go on one side and garbage goes on the other. It can be wiped out or washed if needed. No, we are no longer in the juice box phase. However, we go to her gym a lot and snacks are always welcome for anyone stuck in the backseat or needing something extra before practice.

She's already 12. We are closer to teens than toddlers. Yet, I keep finding better solutions and better ideas for life simple problems. The newest Taylor Swift song keeps rolling through my head. It's me, HI, I'm the problem it's (NOT) me :) No one goes bored or hungry in my car and I have all the snack stains to prove it...

you can learn a lot from dip n dots!

It started with a trip to the new Beloit Snappers stadium to see a special showing of Sandlot. This particular night was HOT. It was also a kick off for mother-daughter weekend. Because of this, I was in a don't-care/whatever happens kind of mood. When it's hot, I am not messing around. We get hydrated and I just want to be comfortable. 

So my daughter asked for Dip n Dots and I said yes. Mind you, I NEVER say yes to Dip n Dots. They're messy and there's usually an ice cream place close by, so I usually say no. She ate them and thanked me and we carried on. On the walk back to the car she said, "Thank you for spoiling me. I know I am not supposed to say I'm spoiled, but I am." 

I asked her why she thinks she's spoiled (uh, maybe the vacations, all the fun, all the activities?!?!). She said it's because I let her get Dip n Dots... So... Let me get this straight. The way to this kid's heart is through treats and desserts? Done ;) And all this time we've been planning trips and fun!

Seriously, though. She recognized that I got her something out of the ordinary and appreciated it. That is fantastic! Then it got even better because it turned into a slight math lesson which just makes me happy. She was even able to learn a little.

Dip n Dots at Great America cost much more than Dip n Dots at other places. They were almost twice as much. When she saw this, she pointed it out. She said that we could have gotten 2 more Dip n Dots at the ball park for the price of one somewhere else. So, huge thanks to Dip n Dots for making me look like the cool mom who spoils her kid and for helping us throw in a mini math lesson :)

new snack spots are the best!

Not sure how we have totally missed out on this delectable little snack spot. We had dinner at a Mexican place and then walked over to check out the confectionary. I was like a kid in a candy shop in there! Forgive the pun ;) We have been broadening our horizons and trying new spots for food, gifts, and fun.

We got "exhausted parent" flavored ice cream. That consisted of boozy flavored ice cream with large chocolate chunks. They let us mix another fun flavor with chunks of candy in it into the pint. And, of course, the Beloit Mix puffcorn. It was ALL so good! 

The popcorn, ice cream, and fudge treats are all made on site daily. If we must continue to eat tasty treats to help our community, we will. Someone has to help make sure that all the fun stores stay open and thriving. And notice the empty bag. Time for a new flavor!

sometimes excess is necessary

We like to have a good appetizer night at this house. There are so many good options to choose from now that Costco is so close by. The possibilities are endless! 

This morning started with a good cry-it-out movie. That led to, "Can I have cheese sticks for breakfast?" Because when we cry, we need comfort foods, right? The cheese sticks turned into an appetizer platter and we waited for the movie to end and called it brunch. Voila. 

It's not healthy, but it's delicious. It's also fun. Thanks to the air fryer and toaster oven it is easy. This means that she can do it herself with light supervision. I win. 

Notice the complete absence of fruits and (real) vegetables. Not even worried about it. Rumor has it that we will be playing in the snow later and when we come in all cold from the snow we will need a nutritious snack. Enter fruit slices with peanut butter! If starting our day with meatballs at 11am and tears in our eyes makes us happy, then so be it! Happy snow day everybody!