Edible Springtime Slime

You only need 4 ingredients to make this super fun Edible Springtime Slime! Easy to make & guaranteed to keep the kiddos entertained for at least a couple of hours...

So, today I am sharing a "recipe" with you all that is a little out of my norm for the blog. But hey- what is normal these days anyways? Am I right, you all? I mean, normal is pretty much out the window for the next couple of months (at least), so why not share something a little different with you all this week? ;)

My daughter has been obsessed with making slime for the past couple of years now. Me though? Not so much. I mean, making & having glue based slime in my house has been an absolute pet peeve of mine. I really do hate to be that mom, but UGH. I most definitely am.

My daughter has a knack for getting slime in all the wrong places. My living room sectional? Check! Smeared (and then dried!) onto my kitchen table? Check! In her hair? Check! I could keep going on and on, but I think you all get my drift by now. I don't know how many times I have had to google, "how to get slime out of - fill in the blank".

And let's not talk about the countless containers and ziploc baggies of homemade slime I have randomly found around the house that should have been thrown out weeks ago. Eeeeewwww...

12 Easy-to-Make Kid Friendly Recipes

These 12 Easy-to-Make Kid Friendly Recipes are fun for the kids to make and require very little adult supervision... the perfect boredom busters!

How is everyone hanging in there locked down with their kiddos at home 24/7? ;) Honestly, my life hasn't changed all that much. I mean, I was working at home before all of this went down, so it has more or less been business as usual around here.

Okay, so that is a little bit of a lie. My workload as a blogger, social media manager, and virtual assistant has been about the same since the governor of my state issued a stay-at-home order. But now I have an 8 year old hanging out with me most days doing her online instruction and "crafting" all. the. time. 

I love my daughter to death, but her daily multiple crafting sessions are becoming the bane of my existence, you all. I adore her sense of creativity. I really do. But I could do without her gluing plastic cups to paper plates and getting glue on my sectional and paint on the carpet, and the list goes on & on. As I speak, it looks as if the arts & crafts section at Hobby Lobby or Michael's threw up all over my living room floor.

So, I have been on the hunt to find other things that do not involve glue, glitter, or paint to keep her happy and entertained during these long days at home. Because I honestly don't think my couch can survive too many more crafting mishaps before I have to start furniture shopping online.

3 Easy Dessert "Pizza" Muffins

With 3 different topping combinations to choose from, these Easy Dessert "Pizza" Muffins are the perfect no-bake treat for summertime...

This post is sponsored by Thomas' English Muffins & Megaphone. All opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

Who else happens to be a fan of no-bake recipes for those hot summer days? When the temperatures rise & the humidity is on, the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven to whip up a sweet treat for myself & the kiddos. That's why when Thomas' English Muffins asked me to come up with a perfect for summertime recipe that went beyond the breakfast table, I knew I wanted to create a dessert recipe that was simple & easy and required no baking time whatsoever.

I stopped in at my local Walmart & picked up everything that I would need to make these Easy Dessert "Pizza" Muffins, including my favorite Thomas' Light Multigrain English Muffins. These dessert "pizzas" go from toaster to table in just 20 minutes! Plus with 3 varieties to choose from & make, there is sure to be a perfect dessert muffin for each member of your family.

15 Fun Recipes for a Snow Day

From snowman-themed treats to homemade snow ice cream, make the most out of that next wintry day at home with these 15 Fun Recipes for a Snow Day...

Your cell phone dings, & you get the notification that your kids have been pining for all morning- school is cancelled for the day due to snow!  Yay, a snow day! 

You & your kiddos can just spend the morning snuggled up together with a cozy blanket on the couch & watch movies.  Later on, you all will head outside for a little bit to build a snowman or have a snowball fight. You head back inside after wards with pink cheeks & noses and warm up with mugs of hot cocoa topped with marshmallows. 








Reality check: This will be the snow day that ends up dragging into 2 or 3 or heaven helps us all, 4 or more days at home. 

When you have heard for the umpteenth time about how bored your kids are (even though they probably have a mountain of toys & books to keep them occupied). And building that snowman isn't going to happen with temperatures in the lower 20's. 








Now I am not saying that the snow day in scenario #1 is just a fantasy and can never happen. My kiddos & I have definitely enjoyed a snow day here & there that lived up to these idyllic expectations. 

But in reality, snow days can sometimes make us cranky- both parents & kids alike. 








While I don't possess the formula for a perfect snow day at home with your kids, I do have an arsenal of super fun, snow-themed recipes to share with you all today. Most of these recipes also happen to be kid-friendly making them great boredom busters for little hands...

Strawberry Explosion French Toast Roll-Ups

Packed with not just one but two types of yogurt, these Strawberry Explosion French Toast Roll-Ups are sure to keep the kiddos fueled & focused right up until that lunch bell rings...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt and Danimals® Kids Smoothies. The opinions and text are all mine.

Well, folks... it's that time of the year again! The kiddos are heading back to school soon or maybe have already started back like my youngest has this past week. And while there are definitely crazy busy school mornings where I end up sending my daughter out the door to catch the bus with a breakfast bar in hand, most mornings I try to whip up something that will keep her full & fueled until lunch time.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by incorporating calcium rich yogurt into her back to school breakfasts. Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is packed with protein that stays with my daughter right through until the lunch bell rings.

15 Easter Bunny Approved Desserts

From no-bake creations to easy treats the kids can help with to bunny shaped confections, you are sure to find the perfect sweet treat for Easter in these 15 Easter Bunny Approved Desserts...

Spring has finally arrived here in my part of the world, and we are starting to gear up for Easter. The youngest already has her Easter dress picked out. The kiddos' Easter baskets are starting to come together (yes, even the 18 year old gets a visit from the Easter Bunny each year). The daffodils are blooming, the world is turning green, and I am ready to whip up some of my favorite springtime treats. 

I think that Easter & spring just brings out something whimsical and fun in my baking and recipe creations. From pretty pastels to classic Peeps and malted milk eggs, Easter has to be one of my favorite holidays (other than Christmas... and maybe Thanksgiving ;) ) to bake for. 

This year, I hopped around to a few of my favorite food blogs to find some new Easter dessert recipe inspiration for this year. And boy did I find some fun ones, you all! I would like to think that the Easter Bunny would personally approve of each and every one of these. 

From no-bake creations to easy treats the kids can help with to bunny shaped confections, you are sure to find the perfect sweet treat for Easter in these 15 Easter Bunny Approved Desserts...

10 Kid Approved Valentine Treats

From cute to easy to just plain sweet, you are sure to find the perfect dessert to say "I love you" to your kiddos in this collection of 10 Kid Approved Valentine Treats...

Is it just me or does Valentine's Day take on a whole other meaning after you have kids? Pre-kids, it was all about the roses, and a fancy dinner out, followed by champagne by candlelight (not that you still can't do all of those things after you have kids, but it is definitely a bit more challenging to coordinate the romantic theatrics. ;) ). 

Post-kids, you find yourself elbow deep in perforated Valentines for the classroom party while simultaneously trying to wrap a shoe box in red cardstock. If that isn't true love, then I don't know what it is, folks.

When the Valentines are all finally addressed and the last heart shaped sticker has been attached to that shoe box, I like to turn my attention to making a sweet treat for Valentine's Day for the kiddos. Sometimes I whip up a little something that is perfect for sharing with the whole family, and sometimes I like to make an easy dessert that my daughter can help me with. 

Grands! Snowmen Cinnamon Rolls

Transform your favorite refrigerated cinnamon rolls into fun and easy to make edible snowmen with these Grands! Snowmen Cinnamon Rolls...

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by General Mills through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Pillsbury™ Grands! Cinnamon Rolls, all opinions are my own.

For years, Pillsbury™ Grands! Cinnamon Rolls has been a go-to of ours for lazy weekend mornings, snow days from school, and holiday breakfasts. They are so simple to make (the kiddos often help), they get on the breakfast table quick, and my entire family loves them. They have become a family breakfast tradition, and often-times they are the quickest way to get my late riser of a son out of bed earlier on the weekend. ;)

Typically I don't mess too much with a good thing, but we do like to change things up just a little here & there. My youngest (who is now 4 years old) loves to "help" her mama in the kitchen. 

So on one Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, I thought why not turn our favorite Pillsbury™ Grands! Cinnamon Rolls into some fun Grands! Snowmen Cinnamon Rolls that Little Miss could help me decorate once they were done baking? 

The results were not only delicious, but they also totally left my daughter tickled pink! :) She was so proud to present our very well decorated snowmen shaped cinnamon rolls to her sleepy head daddy and brother...

10 Secretly Healthy Mac & Cheese Recipes

Easily sneak in more whole grains & veggies into your family's diet with these 10 Secretly Healthy Mac & Cheese Recipes...

It's that time of the year when we find ourselves making resolutions & goals to try to eat better, healthier in the new year. I know most of us (myself included) start out with really good intentions for the first few weeks of a brand new year, and then we get sidetracked. Most often than not, it is my family that is my #1 distraction from healthier eating. 

And while I am the primary cook in the home, if my family refuses to eat what I make then it goes to waste. My almost 4 year old is pretty good about trying new foods & eating her veggies, but my husband and teenage son are a whole other beast. 

My husband turns up his nose at just about anything green other than iceberg lettuce in a bowl covered with shredded cheese & croutons and drowning in Ranch dressing. And my teenager can detect even the slightest bit of whole grains in a recipe & instantly becomes repulsed. 

I cannot even begin to tell you why that is (I LOVE whole grain pasta myself!), but instead of wasting my breath & time trying to convince my son & husband why they should be eating healthier I have decided to just be sneaky with it. What they don't know can't hurt them, right? ;) In fact, it can only do the opposite- help them!

Hidden veggies and sneaking in whole grains has become my regular thing when cooking for my family. Whether ground in, pureed and mixed in, and or super finely chopped & shredded, I squeeze in the good stuff whenever & wherever I can. And it usually goes more or less undetected. 

One of my family's favorite dishes is macaroni and cheese. I mean, who doesn't like a creamy, cheesy mac & cheese? So I went on a quest to search some of my favorite food blogs for the best secretly healthy mac & recipes I could find. :) 

From fun edible cups made from macaroni cheese to creamy mac & cheese dishes packed with veggies (some hidden, some not), you are sure to find a homemade macaroni & cheese recipe in this collection that your entire family will love...