WineforaWedding- A Unique Wedding Gift for Wine Lovers

Looking for a unique wedding or anniversary present for the wine loving couple in your life? Create a personalized, handcrafted WineforaWedding box for them!

While I was provided with a wine box to review, all opinions expressed below are my own.

Summertime is definitely king of the wedding season, but did you know that 15% of all weddings in the United States last year happened in September? (Source: The Knot) That ties it with June as one of the two most popular months of the year for couples to get married! So that means that quite a few of us have upcoming weddings we are planning on attending in the next couple of months, myself included.

My sister is getting married next month to her soul mate that took her one marriage and many years to find. The problem is that in this day and age the traditional wedding gifts just don't make sense. More and more people are getting married later... or many cases, getting remarried. The need for stand mixers, and dish sets, and pots and pans, and linens just isn't there anymore. Many couples getting married now have already formed established households (whether separately or together) and already own all the household necessities. So what is a wedding guest to do when it comes to a gift? Well, if the happy couple happens to be wine lovers, then WineforaWedding just might be the perfect solution for your gift giving needs... ;)

Mint Chocolate Affogato Floats

Skip the fancy coffee shop for your next date night! Make these creamy two ingredient Mint Chocolate Affogato Floats at home for a date night-in instead...

Post Sponsored by Lunchbox. All opinions are 100% my own.

As much as my husband & I have tried making at least two date night-outs happen every month, we haven't always been very successful at that. Mainly because life is life, and it is a known fact that it often gets in the way of even the most well intended plans. 

Most times it is the unpredictability of my husband's job that undermines even our most well thought out date night plans. Anyone else have a husband who works in sales? Namely selling cars? ;) Then I have a feeling that you ladies can definitely feel me on this one. 

Quitting time may be 5:00, but not when he is in the midst of a potential new sale and a decent commission is at stake. Does that mean that he & I just scrap our date night plans when he comes home just a little too late to make a dinner out happen? Nope! We like to keep a few ideas ready in our date night-in arsenal.

Sometimes my husband and I like to go down to the little local coffee shop in town and have a coffee and dessert date. But on evenings that we can't make our usual coffee date out happen, I thought why not bring the fancy coffee shop to our house instead? And it is so easy when I pick up some Breyer's Gelato and a few canned espresso drinks from my local Target. With just two ingredients and a few minutes, my husband & I are lounging on our deck on a summer evening sipping on a couple of creamy and decadent Mint Chocolate Affogato Floats... ;)

10 Essentials for Your Carry-On Bag

Never leave home or board a plane again without these 10 Essentials for Your Carry-On Bag...

This “Flavor Your Adventure” post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. 

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

When I first started blogging around 4 years ago, I never dreamed it would end up being a career for me. And I couldn't have possibly fathomed at the time that my blogging would one day open so many travel opportunity doors for me. In fact, I have flown more times in the past 7 months than I probably have in the last 5 years combined! 

From a fabulous opportunity to visit the Southern Living test kitchens in Birmingham to an amazing foodie adventure in Portland to my most recent trip to take part in the Food & Wine Conference in Orlando, I have experienced my share of great flights, bumpy flights, delayed flights (don't get me started on that one), and lost luggage this past year. I have also learned what I need, want, and don't necessarily need in my carry-on bag.

When you are limited to just two carry-on's and your purse is included in that number, you start getting very particular about what you put in those two bags. And you have to keep in mind that you will have at least limited access to one of those two bags as it will be stowed in an overhead compartment for the duration of the flight. So what are my 10 must-have, don't fly without them essentials for my carry-on bag? Check them out below... :)

3 Ingredient PB&J Ice Cream Sandwiches

You all are going to love this recipe for 3 Ingredient PB&J Ice Cream Sandwiches- a kid approved & easy to make frozen summer treat! 

This recipe post first appeared on the Kroger Inspired Gathering site.

This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.

Summer is in full swing around here (I am not admitting that back to school is getting closer just yet, folks), and I am always trying to come up with fun and often times tasty ways for the kiddos and I to stay cool.  Whether it is running through the sprinkler, heading to the local pool, or making a simple and frosty frozen treat like these 3 Ingredient PB & J Ice Cream Sandwiches. 

Seriously, folks. These ice cream sandwiches are so easy to make and quick that you can even get those "bored" kids of yours in on the ice cream sandwich making fun! :) The method for making these is pretty much assembly line anyways, so you can assign one tasty task to each member of the family (just leave any cutting to the adults). 

Everyone is doing something. Everyone is having fun. And these ice cream sandwiches come together even quicker when everyone is in on the delicious action of making these... 

Big Country- Making Travel Dreams a Reality

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of U.S. Cellular. 

The opinions and text are all mine.

When I was growing up, travel wasn't a big part of my childhood. I remember a couple of family vacations to beaches that were within a day's driving distance, but that was about it as far as family travel went. Money was tight and neither of my parents were big on long road trips or flying in planes. The travel bug didn't really bite me until years later into my adulthood. I left the small West Virginia town I had grown up in and moved to a much bigger city. And then once I had overcome my fear of flying (I may have suffered a full-on anxiety attack on my first ever flight), I was hooked. I wanted to go and explore and visit as many cities and states as I could afford to. And when I became a mother, those travel experiences were something that I wanted to share with my children as well. I decided that travel would be a part of their childhoods. Not that we have unlimited expendable income for traveling, but we budget for what it is important to us- and the travels, the road trips, the experiences, and the memories we make together are a priority for us. Now I can't imagine my life or theirs without travel. But I had no idea what I had been missing or what my children would have been missing until I actually got out there and overcame my small town girl fears and started traveling. 

18 Out of the Box Grilling Recipes

From pizza to fondue to desserts, these 18 Out of the Box Grilling Recipes will have you rethinking those usual burgers & hot dogs...

With back to school peeking its head around the corner (my son goes back in less than 3 weeks!), we are all over here clinging on to these summer days as long as we can. Honestly, it just feels weird even uttering the words "back to school" near the end of July. But it is coming, folks. And it seems to come earlier just about every school year. Am I right on this one?

But that doesn't mean that I am ready to give up summer yet! I'm not going to pack away the beach balls and sunscreen and trade them in for back packs and school books just yet. 

Let's keep summer rolling just as long as we can with some lazy pool days, starlit evenings making s'mores around a fire pit, and backyard BBQ's. By now you may be tired of the usual burgers, hot dogs, and barbecued chicken, so let's flip the grilling script for these last few weeks of summer break with these 18 Out of the Box Grilling Recipes... ;)

Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding

Not only is this 5 ingredient Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding an easy to make cool & creamy treat, but it is practically guilt free as well...

As a Blue Diamond Tastemakers blogger, I am sharing with you all this recipe for an easy to make & healthier Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding. This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze Almondmilk.

I have been a long time fan of a good homemade rice pudding. From my first creamy bite of it as a kid, I have been hooked. There is just something comforting about wrapping your hands around a warm bowl of it and digging in. And typically, rice pudding has been a sweet treat that I have always associated with the fall and winter... up until now. ;)

When I got my hands on a carton of Almond Breeze Almondmilk Chocolate and was asked to create an Easy as Breeze recipe for summer, rice pudding was not the first idea that popped into my head at all. In fact, I was thinking a creamy ice pop or maybe a smoothie... but then the wheels started turning. Why not give one of my favorite cold weather desserts a cool and creamy summertime makeover?

I combined together my love for rice pudding and Mexican chocolate in this easy to make stove top (no baking required!) 5 ingredient Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding. In case you may not be familiar with Mexican chocolate, it is basically delicious chocolate with a hint of cinnamon and a little kick of heat from a pinch of cayenne pepper... 

Travel Budgeting Made Easy With Visa® Clear Prepaid

Staying on budget while traveling can be challenging. I am partnering with Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card to stay on budget this travel season. While I was compensated for this post, all opinions below are 100% my own.

My family and I love to travel (I think you all have noticed this by now), but what we have learned from our recent travels is that it is not always cheap. In fact, traveling with a family of four can get downright expensive at times. But we have had to find ways to save money, cut corners, and budget better to get more bang from our buck, and in turn to be able to afford to squeeze in more family trips throughout the year. Our hardest challenge though when traveling is sticking to our budget. I can find all the deals on the internet, but we always seem to go over our allotted travel budget by just a smidgen almost every single time. That smidgen may not seem like a big deal by itself at the time, but those little budget overages can really add up throughout the year. When you are on vacation and away from the reality of home, work, and bills, it is easy to get caught up in the moment and splurge a little too much and a little too often. 

Our biggest travel budgeting weakness? Dining out for sure! 

Banana Pudding Dessert Pizza

A homemade vanilla wafer pizza crust is topped with a banana pudding frosting, banana chips, fresh whipped cream, and a garnish of vanilla wafers in this Banana Pudding Dessert Pizza...

Some of you all may remember the little trip to Birmingham, Alabama I took back in March to tour the Southern Living headquarters and to indulge in some delicious authentic southern food.  That quick southern getaway happened to be sponsored by the good folks at Delta Faucet. 

During our short visit to Birmingham, we visited an amazing southern soul food restaurant called Saw's Juke Joint for dinner. Folks, we were spoiled. From deep fried okra to delicious smoked wings to BBQ pulled pork with all the fixings, we were really treated to a full taste of southern cuisine. But I am pretty sure my favorite part of that entire meal was how it ended- with an amazing deconstructed banana pudding. ;) 

We were served a platter with small bowls filled with homemade banana pudding, banana slices, vanilla wafers, and fresh whipped cream. From there, we could construct our individual banana puddings as we wished. Some of us bloggers created little works of culinary art and showed off our food styling skills. And some of us just layered everything together and dug in! (Ahem... guilty of that here.)

And that dreamy deconstructed banana pudding provided the inspiration for the tasty twist on a classic southern dessert that I am sharing with you all today- a Banana Pudding Dessert Pizza! A homemade vanilla wafer pizza crust is topped with a banana pudding frosting, banana chips, fresh whipped cream, and a garnish of vanilla wafers... 

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

This rich and flavorful Slow Cooker French Onion Soup simmers away all day in your slow cooker...

Okay, I know what you all are thinking- Soup?? A slow cooker soup?? But it is JULY, lady! 

Yes, I am aware that we are all smack dab in the middle of the summer heat here. I get that soup isn't normally a go-to dinner idea for the month of July. And yes, I will totally be curling up with a bowl of this rich and delicious Slow Cooker French Onion Soup when the temperatures start to drop and the snow starts to fall (far away from now in like December-ish or something). But who says that soup just has to be a fall/winter thing anyways? I have always been one to rebel a little against the conventional, so today I am sharing a slow cooker soup recipe with you all. ;)

I break out my slow cooker a lot during the summer months. Why? Because I hate turning on my stove or oven when it is hot outside! Even with the air conditioning going, my kitchen still heats up to an almost Hades-like temperature. So, I get out my slow cooker & make roasts, and pulled pork, and chicken for cubing and shredding for recipes, and taco meat, and yes, even soups. 

Strangely, french onion soup happens to be one of my husband's favorite soups. I say strangely because he pretty much hates onions on anything. But french onion soup? He loves. Granted, he only eats the broth, croutons, and cheese and leaves a huge mess of onions in the bottom of his bowl... ;)

This Slow Cooker French Onion Soup requires a little extra prep in the beginning, but the little bit of sauteing and caramelizing this recipe requires is well worth it for the rich, amazing flavor it gives this classic soup...

20 Slow Cooker Recipes to Beat the Heat

Keep that stove and oven off and your kitchen cool this summer with these 20 Slow Cooker Recipes to Beat the Heat...

As the summer heat rises and the humidity increases, I find myself breaking out my slow cooker more and more often. Why? Because using my slow cooker for our summer dinners means my oven and stove are staying off more often, and as a result my kitchen is staying cooler. Even with the air conditioning blasting, my kitchen always heats up when the oven is on. 

I happen to be of the frame mind that you can never have too many tasty slow cooker recipes. ;) So, I asked some of my favorite food bloggers to send me over their best slow cooker recipes to share with you all...

Exploring Shenandoah Valley's Culinary Trail

From breweries & wineries to wood fired pizzas & a creamery, this is how you Explore Shenandoah Valley's Culinary Trail in Virginia...

I traveled to Harrisonburg, Virginia as part of a Trekaroo campaign with Go Blue Ridge Travel. While I was provided compensation for this post, all opinions are my very own.

My family and I recently spent two fabulous fun and food packed days in the lovely Harrisonburg area of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Other than driving through Harrisonburg on our way down south, this was our first time really spending time in the area and I can say one thing for sure, folks- we fell in love with it! Like it has made our short list of possible places we would like to move to in around two years from now when my son graduates high school. Yep, Harrisonburg and its surrounding beauty made that much of an impression on us. ;)

As you all are about to find out, I wasn't kidding when I say that our weekend exploring the culinary trail of Shenandoah Valley was packed with fun and food... lots of delicious local foods. To break it down and make it easier to share everything with you all, I am breaking our whole trip down into categories- Hands-On Local Food Experiences, Local Eats & Restaurants, Family Friendly Fun, and lastly I will gush about the lovely Massanutten Resort that we had the pleasure of staying at for 3 nights...

Pina Colada Macaroons

Baking up a batch of these moist & delicious Pina Colada Macaroons is a sure-fire way to cure a case of the beach blues...

Pardon me, friends... But I happen to be going through a little bit of beach withdrawal this week. My family and I traveled to the Outer Banks with 9 other members of our family last week to take up residence in a 3 story beach house complete with a pool and hot tub for a full 7 days. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you may have caught some of my photos from our little trip to the beach. ;)

We spent lots of time on the beach (no shark sightings or attacks for us, thank goodness!) and just hanging out together relaxing in our big ole beach house. We may have also enjoyed a frosty cocktail or two. 

Frozen pina coladas, to be exact. Once I saw that our beach house kitchen was equipped with a blender, I headed to the next little town over to seek out a liquor store. I picked up some white rum and a bottle of pina colada mix and got right to whirling away frozen and fruity concoctions for the ladies of the family. I blended up a few traditional pina coladas, and then spying the fresh fruit we had on hand I decided to make a few strawberry and banana ones as well. 

While I am glad to be home and back to the the familiar, I am missing the beach. The salty breezes, the seashell hunting, and those frosty pina coladas...