My Weekend View: Memorial Day Weekend

Hey there!  I hope everyone had a long, relaxing Memorial Day weekend! Ours was nice and long with gorgeous weather to match - perfect!  Relaxing?? Not so much :)  I had a project list a mile long and we worked hard Saturday and Sunday and then played most of the day Monday.  This was my view most of Saturday and Sunday:

I also did a little patio makeover to get ready for "party season" which is what we call the month of June around here.  My patio now looks fabulous and our favorite feature (coming in just slightly ahead of the water fountain) is our solar lights.  Look at this:

So cool!  Since we didn't have very much fun on Saturday and Sunday, we went crazy on Monday. We headed to the Sacramento Zoo and had a great time there...

Got in some pony rides and then headed over to Fairy Tale Town...

Came home and grilled up a delicious dinner complete with steaks, sausages, hamburgers, stuffed mushrooms and risotto.  What a weekend!  What did you do for Memorial Day weekend?

A Better Start To Your Day With OJ

This post brought to you by Florida Orange Juice. All opinions are 100% mine.

Our mornings can be a little crazy around here.  Bryce has a tendency to wake up WELL before I want to even think about opening my eyes.  He climbs into my bed and then proceeds to play with my face or talk to himself quietly or sometimes he'll bring in some toys and start playing on the bed.  I give up about 20 minutes later and drag myself out of bed.  My husband starts getting ready for work about 10 minutes after that and during that time I'm figuring out what to make for breakfast and what to give to my husband for breakfast and lunch as well.
After I get the kids fed, I straighten up the kitchen, go out to the garden and pick strawberries, pull weeds, and do some watering.  Next I pull out Reece's school clothes and start thinking about morning snacks.  This is generally when I remember that I haven't had breakfast yet and usually pull something out to snack on to tide me over until lunch.  On a good day, I serve my kids a well-rounded breakfast complete with juice or milk.  We try to serve only 100% juice drinks in our house and Florida Orange Juice is definitely a favorite.

If you're looking for an easy and healthy change to your morning routine you should consider adding 8 oz of Florida Orange Juice to your morning routine.  Did you know...
·  One 8‐ounce serving of 100 percent orange juice is a good source of potassium and folate and an excellent source of vitamin C.
·  One serving of 100 percent orange juice is more nutrient dense than many commonly-consumed 100 percent fruit juices. (A refreshing glass of 100 percent orange juice has no added sugars or artificial sweeteners, which may be found in many fruit juice cocktails and sports drinks.)

·  One 8-ounce glass of 100 percent orange juice provides half of the USDA-recommended daily fruit intake for most adults, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Check out Florida Orange Juice on Facebook for tasty recipes and to learn more about the benefits of OJ.  You can also follow Florida Orange Juice on Pinterest!  Here are more ideas on ways to incorporate 8 oz of 100% Florida Orange Juice into your day with some tips from Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD:

·  Jumpstart your morning with a nutritious meal that includes protein, fruit and energizing nutrient-dense carbs.
oThink you don’t have time for a complete breakfast? Blend your favorite fruit with 100 percent Florida orange juice and low-fat yogurt for a convenient, on-the-go smoothie.
oWant to jazz up your weekend breakfast? Substitute 100 percent Florida orange juice for water in your pancake batter to give your meal a zesty, new taste.
·  When looking for a snack, think outside the box before trying to satisfy your cravings from roadside convenience stores or airport kiosks.
oPlan ahead and take a cooler with portable, smart snacks that fit your on-the-go lifestyle like nuts, hummus with veggies, granola bars and 8-ounce cartons of 100 percent orange juice that will help give you the energy and nutrients you need to get through your travel day.
·  Outdoor grilling and dining is a great way for your family and friends to enjoy the warmer weather.
oProtein is a vital part of your daily diet, as it provides nutrients and may help satisfy hunger longer than most fats or carbohydrates.
oChoose leaner cuts of beef, pork, and poultry to grill and pair your protein with other nutrient-rich foods, such as high-fiber fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. Add 100 percent Florida orange juice to marinades for poultry and pork for a refreshing citrus zing and pour a glass of 100 percent orange juice to accompany your meal

Does your family drink orange juice? What is your kid's favorite beverage of choice?

My Patio Makeover! #SummerWithSears #SearsPatio #CBias

June is a busy month at our house.  We do A LOT of entertaining and celebrating with 3 birthdays, Father's Day, and graduation/end-of-school parties.  Then we head into July and start off with a bang (hehe!) with 4th of July and more birthdays.  We have a lovely paver patio with a patio cover (courtesy of my Dad!) and that's where guests take refuge to cool off during the hot days of summer.  We have a mister system that runs the perimeter of the patio cover and when we turn it on - heaven!

Each year, I look forward to sprucing up the area and making it as comfortable and relaxing as I can for my guests and also for my family on a day to day basis.  This weekend I decided to take advantage of some of the amazing deals going on at Sears right now and do a mini patio makeover.  I'm always pleased with the selection at Sears and especially love their amazing sales.  

Before I headed out for the store I checked out the Sears Online Catalog and also my Sears Local Ad to see what was available and what was on SALE!  You know I love to get a deal!

Lots of great fountain options - I just love the red one!  I think a fountain is so nice to have on a patio.  Makes for such a relaxing atmosphere!

I got some great ideas and then headed out.  (I left the kids at home for stress-free shopping :) )You can check out my entire shopping trip here on Google+ and see even more great products that Sears is offering.    

I was so excited when I got to Sears.  There were so many gorgeous patio items to choose from.  I saw my fountain right off and couldn't believe what a great deal I was getting!

I love all the solar powered options that Sears has.  I selected the dragonfly lights and could hardly wait to get them set up at home.  

I made all my selections and then found someone to help my with my haul to the checkout.  It is so easy to use Shop Your Way Rewards because all they need is your phone number and then you're good to go!  I also LOVE the e-receipt option.  I just have my receipt emailed to me and then I have it on record if I need it. I loaded up the care and headed home to see what I could do with my patio space.  

This is how my patio looked yesterday:

Taking A Timeout Thursday {No.31}

I realize that this is being posted kind of late - sorry about that!  I was working on a project all day yesterday with my father-in-law and then we had Reece's Open House last night so life happened ;)
We had a fun-filled weekend.  Took the boys to Discovery Kingdom for the first time this season and enjoyed ourselves immensely.  

We had to leave a little early to go to Reece's T-Ball game.  I think this picture is hilarious.  This is Bryce playing Where's My Water on the Nook.  I love how he crossed his legs.  Cracks me up!

 Here's Reece hitting a home run...just kidding!  But look at the follow through!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've all been working on this week!  Make sure to check out these features - AMAZING!  And...

Please remember to visit a few other posts while you are here and leave a comment - everyone loves comments!

Here are this week's features...

The Top Three:

Button Magnets by Christine at The DIY Dreamer
These adorable button magnets are definitely as "cute as a button"!  What a fun little gift for a friend!

Top Ten Tips for Saving Money by Michelle at Simplify, Live, Love 

If you're looking for ways to save money - look no further!  Michelle has some awesome and practical ways for YOU to save money now.

 DIY Sensory Table by Nicole at Mama of Many Blessings
Kids can learn so much at a sensory table and now you can make one for yourself!

and my personal favorite is...

Say Good-bye to Stains with Shout® Trigger

This post brought to you by Triad Retail Media. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a Mom of two young boys, I deal with my fair share of stains.  Well actually I feel like I deal with MORE than my fair share of stains :)  I know for a fact that my kids don't do well in white or any light colored clothes and I just hate feeling like I can't buy them certain clothes because I'm worried about stains.  I've been known to wait until the very last second to get Reece and Bryce dressed because I don't want them to get their clothes dirty before we leave.  When Reece got his Yankees T-Ball uniform this year, I think my pounding heart was audible to those around me.  What were those people thinking?  White pants for 5 year olds?  Aaaaggghh!  That was definitely this Mom's worst nightmare!  My husband of course thought they were the cutest things ever, and they are, it's just that the pants are W.H.I.T.E.!  

I have been stuggling all season trying to keep those pants nice and bright white and was thrilled when I had the opportunity to try out Shout® Trigger.  I need all the help I can get with my boys!  I knew immediately that I wanted to try Shout® Trigger on Reece's Yankee pants.  It is so easy to use - just spray with the convenient trigger dispenser and let the stain-fighting ingredients and enzymes quickly penetrate to break up and remove that stain.  The triple-acting formula clings, penetrates, and lifts away stains

Here is a before and after shot of Reece's T-Ball pants:

Here's a close-up of the where the grass stain was on the right - totally gone!

Now I'm going to let you all in on a little secret - I'm probably worse than my boys are at getting stains on my clothes.  I know!  Here I am 32 years old, and I still spill stuff on myself ALL THE TIME!  I tell my husband that it's just part of my charm ;)  Since I occassionally like to buy nice clothes for myself, I love knowing that if I do happen to spill a little ketchup on my shirt that Shout® Trigger has got my back, and my front, and my pants, and, well you get the idea.  Shout® Trigger is safe for all colorfast washables and works in all temperatures of water.  I love that I don't have to spend tons of time worrying about or dealing with stains anymore - I've got enough things to do!  Thanks Shout® Trigger for taking care of the messy stuff :)

Shout® Trigger is available at Walmart and other fabulous retailers.

Dr. Seuss Ice Cream Party! #IceCreamTreat

Ice Cream parties are always a huge hit with our family and friends.  I think they are so much fun to host and the possibilities are endless!  I recently hosted an ice cream party for some of Reece's classmates after school.  Hooper Humperdink WAS invited but unfortunately was unable to attend :( We had considered Wacky Wednesday for the party but settled for plain old Thursday instead.  A couple of days before the party I headed over to Smart & Final to do some shopping.  I took the boys so they could help me pick out which flavors of First Street Ice Cream to have at the party.

There was a nice selection and we ended up with Vanilla, Strawberry, Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip and Moose Tracks.  We also picked up some Vanilla Ice Cream Cups - you know the ones with the little wooden spoons?  So perfect for the kiddos!  The ice cream was a great price too!  Reece thought it would be a great idea to pick up one of these giant tubs of ice cream but I was able to talk him down to the standard half gallon size ;)  The ice cream was delicious and received rave reviews!  My favorite was the Moose Tracks - soooo good!

You can check out my entire, fun-filled shopping trip at Smart & Final here on Google+.   We picked up some red and white balloons and streamers to decorate the house.  I had totally forgotten how tired your cheeks get when blowing up 50 balloons!!  Reece really wanted to help with that but...well, let's just say I didn't want "wet" balloons :)  I put the balloons on top of the kitchen cabinets and all around the house.  The red and white streamers really made this ice cream party a true party! I placed Dr. Seuss books all around the kitchen counters and on the table too.  Yes, we do own this many Dr. Seuss books :)  More, actually.

Perfect Biscuits Every Time! {Recipe}

We enjoy biscuits A LOT in our home...mostly because we can cover them in delicious sausage gravy ;)  There is nothing quite like a warm, buttery, flaky biscuit straight from the oven that you can slather with butter and jelly, make into a breakfast sandwich, or enjoy with sausage gravy.  I used to buy the mixes (and I'm sure I will pick up a box in the future again) but this recipe is so easy to make and doesn't even require buttermilk - which I never seem to have.  This recipe has never failed me and after much tweaking it is my go-to biscuit recipe.  The biscuits rise up nice and fluffy and the lots of butter ensures a tender, delicious biscuit each and every time.  

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbls sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4  tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup COLD butter
1 egg
1 cup milk



Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

The secret to excellent biscuits is COLD BUTTER.  Really cold.  Many times the biscuit dough gets worked so much that the butter softens before the biscuits even go in the oven.  Try cutting the butter into small pieces and stick back in the fridge pulling out only when ready to incorporate into the dough.