This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine. Get your home ready for this holiday season by adding in some new Home Decor from Dollar General. Where you can get quality home goods at a great price! Years ago, I fell in love with this super fun old dresser that was re-painted and distressed in a pretty milky blue … [Read more...]
What’s Inside My Stitch Fix Box?
Winter is coming...no, scratch that, winter is here! And that means it's time to for another installment of 'What's Inside My Stitch Fix Box' where I tell you all about the goodies I received in my latest Stitch Fix box. Another cold winter means...a new fix!!! Amiright?!! For some reason January always seems like the perfect time to get some happy mail. You know how … [Read more...]
The Best Potato Chip Cookies Recipe
*We love Mo Willems books and are so excited to be sponsored by Disney-Hyperion for the #ReadMo Ambassador program! These Potato Chip Cookies have seemingly mismatched ingredients for your normal run of the mill cookie but they totally work together to create a deliciously tasty cookie your family will love! Potato Chips + Cookies = ? My first thought when I heard about … [Read more...]
Agnes & Dora Clothing: Free Shipping Code
Check out the newest fashions from Agnes & Dora. Comfortable and fashionable clothing for women of all sizes! I'm so excited to introduce you to a new-to-me clothing line I think you are gonna love! I was introduced to Agnes & Dora by my good friend, Tiffany who is currently a rep for them. As a mom to 3 kids hovering right around my kids ages, we have known … [Read more...]
Minion Reindeer Oreo Balls
*This post is in partnership with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and, as always, all ideas are my 100% my own. These Minion Reindeer Oreo Balls are the perfect holiday treat to make while watching Despicable Me 3 Special Edition in stores on DVD and Blu-Ray, perfect for this holiday season! I am so excited that it is finally December! Because in our family that … [Read more...]
Fall Bucket List Free Printable
While the leaves are changing and the weather is getting chilly you can print out this super cute Fall Bucket List to check off activities together with your kids!I think it's safe to say that over the last few years my favorite season has become fall! I just love the chill in the air and the change of clothes from tank tops, shorts, and sandals to flannels, jeans, and … [Read more...]
3 Ingredient Cookie Butter Cookies
*We love Mo Willems books and are so excited to be sponsored by Disney-Hyperion for the #ReadMo Ambassador program! These 3 Ingredient Cookie Butter Cookies are super easy to make and so delicious that you will want to share them with all your friends! Have you ever met someone and wanted to get to know them more but felt scared to talk to them? Well, we had a moment … [Read more...]
Favorite Things Giveaway 2017
I am thrilled to bring you the 5th annual Favorite Things Giveaway! There are 30 big time, amazing prizes...which by the way, also work as awesome ideas for your holiday shopping as a gift guide! Scroll below to see the prizes, and hop to each site to enter their giveaway for a chance to win! Here are the items that are MY favorites that I'm giving away to one lucky winner … [Read more...]
Spicy Ginger Lemonade with Organic Stevia in the Raw
*This post is sponsored by Organic Stevia In The Raw® and SheKnows Media. Who says lemonade is just for drinking in the summer heat? You can enjoy this Spicy Ginger Lemonade instead of plain water for an every day thirst quencher! One of my health goals this year has been to increase my water intake. I used to be a big water drinker in high school and college but I've … [Read more...]
Piggie Stained Glass Tissue Paper Art
*We love Mo Willems books and are so excited to be sponsored by Disney-Hyperion for the #ReadMo Ambassador program! This super cute Piggie Stained Glass Tissue Paper Art, from the famed Elephant & Piggie series from Mo Willems, is the perfect craft for kids of any age! Now that Oliver is in kindergarten, it is so fun to see all the cute artwork he brings home … [Read more...]
Food and Fun at Chuck E. Cheese’s
You will be so excited to see the new menu items at Chuck E. Cheese's! Food and Fun at Chuck E. Cheese's all the while the kids run around playing games and tiring themselves out! Chuck E. Cheese's is one of those rare kid places that I actually enjoy bringing my kids too. I think it's because at ages 10, 9, 7, and 5, they can all still be entertained there...yep, all … [Read more...]
Making Memories with HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Hershey Company. All opinions are 100% mine. This is a sponsored post created with The Hershey Company The other night as I was getting the kids ready for bed, my littles wanted to look at a few photo books I made about our previous summer adventures and our summer bucket lists from the past four years. I started to … [Read more...]
Elephant and Piggie Party PLUS Giveaway!
Giveaway closed!!! *We love Elephant & Piggie at my house, and we're so excited to partner with Disney-Hyperion on a sponsored post to celebrate 10 years of the series! This Elephant and Piggie Party loaded with themed food, decorations, and delicious treats is sure to be a hit with little ones of any age! If you are looking for a super fun way to get your … [Read more...]
Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels
These spicy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels are perfect for summer weather and make a great appetizer or quick meal!We are big fans of quick snacks and meals in our house because we are typically on the run after school, and one of our favorites just happens to be these super-easy to make (and eat) Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels. They make great grab-and- go eats since they are … [Read more...]
Chuck E. Cheese’s 40th Anniversary World-Record Breaking Party
We are so excited to share that Chuck E. Cheese’s 40th Anniversary World-Record Breaking Party is being held this Friday, May 19! If you have followed my blog at all in the past few years, you know that my kids love Chuck E. Cheese's. Thanks to a large amount of video games, basketball and football shooting drill-style games, and games of skill, my kids could spend … [Read more...]
The Best Gluten Free Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These soft and chewy Gluten Free Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies make a great on-the-go breakfast option and an even better healthy snack or dessert that has just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth! … [Read more...]
SING Movie Easter Basket
* This post is in partnership with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. All ideas and content are 100% my own. One of my kids' favorite things to do over out last winter break was to go and see SING in the movie theater. Let me tell you, this movie did not disappoint! It was full of great music just perfect for dancing in your seat at the movies (and in the car on the … [Read more...]
Spark the Season: Johnsonville and Brian Urlacher at the Chicago Polar Plunge
This past Sunday I had the great opportunity to be a part of the 17th Annual Polar Plunge in Chicago benefitting Chicago's Special Olympics. If you have never heard about this amazing event, well let me fill you in! People from all over raise money for the Chicago Special Olympics and then plunge into the freezing water of Lake Michigan in just a bathing suit or in a crazy … [Read more...]
HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Made Simple
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Hershey Company. All opinions are 100% mine. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days at the beginning of December getting to travel to Hershey, PA with a bunch of other wonderful bloggers to visit the home of HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate and learn all about the history of Milton Hershey and how The Hershey Company … [Read more...]
Chuck E. Cheese’s Birthday Party Experience
A couple of weeks ago we had a "Half Birthday" celebration for my two girlies at Chuck E. Cheese's. I know, half birthday, right?! My girls have summer birthdays and with vacations and camps and everything else going on in the summer it's hard to figure out a good weekend to do a party, let alone two (or three if you count Oliver's birthday!) So sometime in the winter, … [Read more...]
The Powerpuff Girls Paper Plate Masks
*This post is in partnership with Hulu. All opinions and creations are 100% my own, as always! You guys! This has to be one of the cutest Kids Crafts I've done in a while. Do you remember the cute girl-centered super hero cartoon, The Powerpuff Girls? Well, classic episodes of The Powerpuff Girls are now streaming on HULU and to welcome them to the land of streaming all … [Read more...]
Disney Beauty and the Beast Live Action Toys
OMGoodness!! Who here is excited about the new Beauty and the Beast live action movie coming out in March? Me! Me! Me!!!! I have always loved the story-line to this movie and, personally, cannot wait to see the new release starring Emma Watson as the strong and fearless Belle. I love that Belle was always more interested in reading books, learning, and looking for … [Read more...]
Balloon Animal Love Notes
You guys! I am so excited to share this super cute Valentine's Day idea with you today! This is such fun way to tell your kids or your significant other you love them and you are thinking of them on Valentine's Day (or any day of the year!!!) If you love silly animal puns you are going to love these Balloon Animal Love Notes! They are just so cute and those little faces on … [Read more...]
LEGO Batman Signal
*This post is sponsored by Warner Bros. Pictures. All ideas are 100% my own, as always! Oh man, you guys this may just be one of our most favorite Lego projects my kids and I have done yet. Over Christmas break I decided to bring a big bin of LEGOS downstairs and put it in our family room so the kids would see it and create more and man has it worked like a charm! This … [Read more...]
Refresh Your Home for the New Year
With my kids back in school for a week now, I have been in major cleaning and decluttering mode. There is just something about starting the New Year off right with less clutter and cleaner spaces. And doing it without all those little hands...well, I can get SO MUCH DONE! I know that sometimes organizing your home can seem like such a big task, so much so that your body … [Read more...]
What’s Inside My Stitch Fix Box?
What makes a new year more fun than trying on new clothes, am I right? It's been a while since I last ordered a box from Stitch Fix and well, I had to rectify that stat! I know I love being a nosey nellie and seeing what other people get in their boxes so today I thought I'd share What's Inside My Stitch Fix Box so you could all see the variety of clothes I was sent, what … [Read more...]
Easy Paper Plate Dream Catcher Tutorial
*I partnered with Disney's The BFG for this post, all ideas are 100% my own though, as always! Winter break is coming up in a week and a half for us, how about you? Is yours sooner or a bit closer to Christmas? No matter what, you have at least 2 weeks to somehow entertain your children and I have just the thing you can do to keep them busy and entertained! This Easy … [Read more...]
Easy Morning breakFEAST
As much as my children love going to school every day, they do not love waking up in the mornings. And I have to admit that I am not much of a morning person either...maybe it's genetic? So one of my favorite things to do (not in the morning!) is make breakfast ahead of time and freeze it for later. This way when my kids (and I) finally wake up on early school mornings, we … [Read more...]
Honest Kids now at Subway!!!
It's crazy how busy our schedule has become since the start of school. In the last few weeks we have recently added in two new sports into our routine in addition to our usual activities that started in September. Our rule has always been that each child can do one sport and one extra like boy scouts, girl scouts, etc. depending on age, but we had a few fun opportunities … [Read more...]
Amazing Uses for Washing Soda
If you have never made your own cleaning products, today you are in for a treat: I'm going to share a few of my favorite recipes with you! I have shared a few easy and natural DIYs in the past like my favorite deodorant recipe here or my favorite air freshener here but I have not written about some of our favorite detergents and such yet... until today! We make a lot of … [Read more...]
Easy French Dip Sliders Recipe
This post brought to you by Sargento® Cheese. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Smashed Peas and Carrots. All this fall weather has my body craving warm and cozy foods...does that happen to you? I feel like I am constantly making or baking something up in the kitchen, hmmm, maybe that's just to keep my house warm now that the weather has cooled down a … [Read more...]
Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Zoodles Recipe
One of my favorite quick and easy sauces to use in my home is my easy homemade Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. It's so flavorful with the tartness of the lemon and the zest of the garlic. I don't like to use too much butter because I feel like it makes the sauce feel heavy and too oily, but just a little bit softens the sauce just so and allows it to stick to your noodles just … [Read more...]
FujiFilm Instax Easy Holiday Gift Tags
With the holidays coming up I am forever looking for fun ways to spruce up my gifts. I think I may be the world's worst gift wrapper because I just can't get down how to make those sharp edges without ripping the paper and how the heck do I always make one end of the gift look puffier than the other, ugh!! I feel like I always need to up my game in the "make it cute … [Read more...]
Halloween Spider Cupcakes
*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Oh man, it's my favorite time of year again! The cooler weather is on its way and the Halloween and fall stuff is in full bloom in all the stores! I can't help but stalk these aisles once September hits and pick up some fun things to craft or bake … [Read more...]
End of Summer breakFEAST Party + Giveaway!
*Giveaway is now closed!* *As a participant of the Hungry Jack Ambassador program, I’ve received compensation for my time and product samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own. My kids and I wanted to throw a little get together with their friends to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. A little 'Good Bye to Summer and Hello to the … [Read more...]
Elephant & Piggie Like Reading PLUS Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pizookie Recipe
You guys!!! Remember in this post here where I was so bummed that Mo Willems had finished his last book in the Elephant & Piggie series. Such a sad day in our house...sigh. Well, I have the best news for you today....I am so excited to share with you that Mo Willems has created a new beginner-reader series called, Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Hooray!!! In this … [Read more...]
First Day of School Easy Balloon Arch
Well, it's getting to be about that time...time for the First Day of School, eeep! We still have a week of summer vacation left and we are savoring every last minute of it. I swear summer goes by faster and faster every year...sigh. Have you kids gone back yet? If not, let me share with you a fun idea for those super cute Back To School photos that everyone loves taking on … [Read more...]
Summer Snacking Ideas with Jif
One of the best parts of summer is that we can relax a bit on our 'eat 'em quick, hurry out the door' school routine and we can slow down a bit more and enjoy hanging out most mornings. Part of actually getting to enjoy our breakfast is being creative with making it! Presentation is half the experience of eating anyways, right? My kids love when we design a fun meal which … [Read more...]
Back to School Style with Kohl’s + Carter’s Kids
*This post is sponsored by Kohl's and I was compensated for my work. All opinions and ideas are solely that of Smashed Peas and Carrots. Ahhh! I know I said I was going to try to enjoy the last bits of summer in my last post but I couldn't help be enticed by some of the cute Back to School clothes that are on sale right now!! The kids and I were at Kohl's recently and … [Read more...]
Blog Tour: Acorn Valley by Patty Young
Hello friends!! Today I am the next stop on the Acorn Valley Blog Tour! If you haven't heard yet, Patty Young of Modkid patterns fame has created a brand new line of beautiful and oh-so-soft flannels that are available for purchase (and to win in the giveaway below!!) as of right now! I know it's summer and flannels aren't always the first thing you think about sewing with … [Read more...]
30 Days of Sundresses: The Bellevue Dress
Today I am participating in the the fun summer series, 30 Days of Sundresses, hosted by MellySews. And exactly as the titles states, you will find a whole month's worth of beautiful sundresses to inspire you to create your own this summer! If you remember, I created this beauty for the series last year...one of the most comfortable dresses I own :-) Well, not only does my … [Read more...]
Recipe: Skinny Creamy Garlic Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash
Are you kids big pasta eaters? Mine would eat it every day if we let them...it's crazy how much they love it. But, knowing that it's mainly empty carbs I am hesitant to feed it to them much. Instead I have replaced much of our pasta with zucchini noodles (which we affectionately call zoodles!) and spaghetti squash. Now, while neither of them "tastes" like spaghetti does, … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day Weekend Getaway or How to Relax on Vacation with Children
Ahhhh! This picture is me with my four littles on Mother's Day this year. Do you see my face? So relaxed. So happy. And if you can believe it this is after spending the whole weekend with my kids in a hotel in downtown Chicago... and with my husband working back at home half the time while we were there! Relaxing on vacation with four little kids is totally possible. Let … [Read more...]
Mo Willems #Thankorama Cupcake Gift Idea PLUS Giveaway!
You guys!! Have I ever told you how much we love Mo Willems and his smart and creative books? You might remember the fun Pigeon Party we did here just for reference! ;-) We love him so much in our home that every time we go to the library we have at least one of his books in our pile. Who can say no to those silly pictures and that clever word bubble story telling? Not … [Read more...]
Jalapeño Cuban Sliders Recipe
*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of King's Hawaiian. The opinions and text are all mine. I don't know what it is about 'mini' things but give me anything in it's tinier form and I am in love. Like for one, take mini sandwiches, aka 'the slider'. They are adorable! And because they have all the taste and flavor or a regular sized sandwich except … [Read more...]
Easy Tips for Gardening with Kids: Miracle-Gro Gro-ables
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro Gro-ables. All opinions are 100% mine. Hooray for Spring and (finally in Chicago after much back and forth!) Spring-like weather! One of our family's favorite things to do this time of year is PLANT OUR GARDEN! We hem and haw the first few months of the year about what we want to grow…we always grow salad … [Read more...]
Chicken & Apple Sausage and Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Aidells®. The opinions and text are all mine. It's kinda hard to believe that in about one month our crazy afternoon schedules full of kids activities will slow down and there will be a bit of reprieve in the hustle and bustle when school ends. Now don't get me wrong, I love having my kids in sports and … [Read more...]
Curious George Inspired Paper Plate Monkey Craft
Oh my goodness, Spring in Chicago is Killing. Me. Slowly. It's been so cold and dreary and snowy and just awful lately. I can't even. Every few days we will get this tease of beautiful weather…blue skies, the actual sun, and we can leave the coat at home (!!!) but it only lasts for a short short while before we are back to the same old cold, boooo! With all the yucky wet … [Read more...]
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar Recipe
Last week the kids' had Spring Break and we headed out east to visit my family as well as a few other quick day trips. If you follow me over on Instagram or Facebook you might have seen a few of the fun things we did :-) Clif and I got away for a little day date in Washington DC to see the Cherry Blossoms and then we took the kids on a hike to historical Harper's Ferry. … [Read more...]
Washi Tape & Wooden Bead Clothespin Photo Wreath Tutorial
The other weekend, my little girlies and I had ourselves a Girl's Day Out. I love finding an afternoon or evening where just us girls can get away and bond and it is even better when we can get a whole day away from those roundhouse kicking boys in our house, lol. It is something so special that we all look forward to and we do all sorts of things. It could be dinner and a … [Read more...]
Family Movie Night Easter Basket Idea
With Easter coming up right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create a "Family Easter Basket" that would be something fun the whole family could enjoy over Easter weekend. It would also be such a cute gift idea for a friend's family or your nieces and nephews in the coming weeks instead of gifting individual baskets :-) I found the latest Open Season movie, … [Read more...]
How We Do Family Game Night
As much as our family is always on the go, go, go, we also like to take it nice and slow every so often and just be in our home, just the 6 of us…and our dog, lol, so make that 7! Family time is super important to us because it allows us to spend some time with our children without devices, phone calls, and text messages so we try really hard to make it a point to do … [Read more...]
Time Saving Meals for Busy Families
Today I am over at SheKnows talking all about my family and our busy after school lives. Oy! There is a lot of things to cram into those after school hours, isn't there?! :-) I'm also sharing a whole bunch of time saving tips for making meals for busy families. If that is you (haha, you know it is!) then you can read more of my tips HERE. … [Read more...]
Read 2 Me Tonight Challenge
One thing I've learned having four kids is that bedtime can be hard. Like, really hard. It's the end of the day and we are all tired. Getting everyone ready can be such a challenge. There's finding everyone's pj's, getting them on, getting everyone to the bathroom, brushing teeth, bedtime stories, saying prayers, tucking in, filling diffusers, adjusting the lights…phew! … [Read more...]
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