Summertime

Summertime has taken over.  We're checking off things on our Summer List.

Late nights with s'mores.
Bounce house fun.
Hours in the pool.
Friends and family.
Road trip.
Yard sale toys.
Nerf wars from the new playset.
Reading book after book.
Waterfall hikes.
Playground trips with friends.
Exploring town and relaxing at home.
Superhero run.
Visiting animals at the zoo.
Sleepovers.

Less than a month left and we still have so much to do.

It's National Ice Cream Month! Review

In case you haven't heard, July is National Ice Cream Month, which means you have the perfect excuse to indulge in a sweet treat or two. To help you celebrate, Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle, and Reese's, have several new treats in your grocer's freezer section.

Breyers Blasts!
Breyers has several new Blasts! flavors out. Each one features some of the most popular cookies or candy pieces. With so much flavor packed into every scoop, it might be hard to pick a favorite.
Breyers Blast! flavors include:

• OREO Chocolate Cookies
• OREO Cookies & Cream Mint
• Mrs. Fields Mint Fudge Brownie
• Mrs. Fields Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough
• Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Whoppers
• Waffle Cone with HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Chips

Klondike Bars
Klondike bars are always a hit in our house. Not only are they delicious, but with their chocolate coating, they are one of the least messy treats that I can offer my 6-year-old on a hot day.The new Klondike flavors include:

• Mint Chocolate Chip Bar
• What the Fudge? Brownie Sandwich

Reese's
Since Little Man is allergic to nuts, we typically keep our house nut-free. But with this pregnancy, I have craved chocolate and peanut butter together more often than I'd like to admit. So, I keep a stash of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups hidden for after he goes to bed. Now Reese's offers a Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cup. I actually found these in my local grocery store several weeks ago and had to try them. They definitely satisfy my cravings with their slightly salty peanut butter and creamy chocolate coating.


Popsicle
By far one of my son's favorite treats are frozen pops. I'm always amazed at how quickly he can devour them! Popsicle Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome ice pops are no exception. Little Man gave them two thumbs up and loved that there was more than one flavor inside his pop.

The new Popsicle flavors include:

• Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome ice pops
• AirHeads ice pops

With so many new frozen treats, our only problem is finding time to try them all!

Buy It:
Find Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle, and Reese's in your grocer's freezer section

Samples were provided for review. All opinions are our own.

Wordless Wednesday: Goodbye Summer

We were still hanging on to the very last moments of summer. But this week, fall hit from out of nowhere. Hello, fall!

Have you voted for my Big Hit recipe today??!

End of Summer Smoothies with Dole

While I'm loving the sudden onset of fall weather these past few days, I was far from ready to say goodbye to summer. To celebrate the end of the season, we recently hosted an end of the summer party with smoothies from Dole.

Dole offers a variety of frozen fruits including Blackberries, Blueberries, Dark Sweet Cherries, Mango, Pineapple Chunks, Raspberries, Sliced Peaches, Sliced Strawberries, Sliced Strawberries in Sugar Tub, Whole Strawberries, Wild Blueberries, Wildly Nutritious Mixed Berries, Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit, and Wildly Nutritious Tropical Fruit. We picked up a few different varieties so that everyone at our party could design their own smoothie.

So which smoothie creations turned into favorites?

First of all, the Dark Sweet Cherry Smoothie was a hit. We combined vanilla yogurt, Dole's Dark Sweet Cherries, cherry juice, and a little ice in the blender to create a smoothie that was a mix of sweet and tart.
The second favorite was the Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie. We used Dole's Blueberries and Whole Strawberries, plain yogurt, and apple juice. Everyone agreed that it was a delicious combo.

Another smoothie that was quickly devoured was the Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit Smoothie. Using Dole's Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit as the base, we added yogurt, and pineapple juice. The Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit includes pineapple, strawberries, peaches, honeydew, and mangoes. Yum!Saying goodbye to summer is tough, but celebrating definitely made the end of summer a little better.

Dole's frozen fruits are easy to use and good for you. I love that I can easily store a few bags of Dole's frozen fruit in my freezer and have custom smoothies any time throughout the year. Plus, I bet the fruit would taste amazing on top of ice cream sundaes!

Product was provided for us to host a Dole Smoothie party. All opinions are our own. We really do love our smoothie creations!

Wordless Wednesday: On the Rides

Hay

This is the sight I've seen most weekends this summer. Hay. Lots and lots of hay.
I don't mind the work. Its tiring, but I always sleep well when I'm done. I usually sweat a few pounds off too. No heat compares to that of a hay lot. It has to be 100 plus up there, with dust and gunk flying through the air.
What I do mind are the critters we run into. A bale came flying off the chute yesterday, and as I grabbed it to load onto the wagon, my mom started screaming at me to drop it. Not having a clue why she was screaming, I stood there with it. Just staring at her.

After I finally dropped it, and she kicked it off the wagon, I caught glimpse of a snake (well, half a snake) wiggling out the bottom. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach.

Lesson of the day for my 5 year old: Snakes continue to move even without half their body.

And just don't I don't leave you on that note...A little randomness from our day:

Wordless Wednesday: Splash

Summer Pool & Play Set Safety Tips

It seems that as summer hits and the heat increases, so does my little one's energy. I'm constantly getting him out to play just to burn off a little of the extra energy. We went swimming for the first time last week, and I think he is now absolutely in love with our local pool.

With outdoor play and swimming, there comes a risk of accidents. It's been reported that over 200,000 kids children go to the emergency room for play set related injuries each year. Another 4,200 people are taken to the ER for pool or spa related injuries.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a leading product safety testing organization, wants to see people taking the proper precautions this summer. They've offered the following tips on staying safe while playing and swimming.
Before Installing a Play Set:

• Make sure your yard is big enough for the equipment. It should offer good visibility, security, and be free of any obstacles.
• Read and follow the manufacturer's directions. Check weight limits as well.
• Install a protective surface under equipment. Rubber tiles or mulch should extend 6 feet in all directions under the equipment.

Before Going Out to Play:

• Inspect equipment carefully. It should be securely anchored and in good working order. S-hooks should be closed and there should be no protruding bolts.
• Check for gaps a child could get stuck in. Spaces should be less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
• Always supervise children on equipment.
• Watch for obstacles that a child could trip on, such as rocks, tree stumps, or toys.

Home Pool Safety:

• Install a fence. It should be at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
• Cut overhanging tree limbs.
• Keep grates and drain covers secured and in good condition.
• Make sure you know infant and child CPR.

Safety While Swimming:

• Supervise children at ALL times. Use the 10/20 rule. You should scan the pool every 10 seconds and be close enough to reach the water within 20 seconds.
• Always have rescue devices nearby, like UL-listed life preservers.
• Remember floaties and toys are not safety devices.
• Always drain kiddie pools after using.
• Have a phone nearby and keep emergency numbers posted.
• Remove toys from pool when not in use. They could attract children to the unattended pool.

UL and Disney have also produced a safety video featuring Timon and Pumbaa. Watch it with your kids to learn more about staying safe this summer!

Have fun and stay safe this summer!

I wrote this while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Underwriters Laboratories. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Day 2

Crayons in the making:

Powder painting:

Day 1

Summer seems to have arrived in a flash.

We spent the first "official" day of summer vacation playing in the yard. There were water battles. There were races. And there were ball games.

We spent our first day learning more about animals. We learned more about where animals live, and we worked on sorting skills.
We also got crafty and learned a little more about squids.
There were trips to the library, card games, and puzzles. By 7 o'clock, Little Man was out like a light. And I wasn't far behind.

I have a feeling it's going to be an exhausting summer.