Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Popcorn

Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Popcorn

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and it's advertiser. All thoughts, opinions, and recent weight gains are my own. #PopIntoSams #CollectiveBias


You. Guys. You know when I start off my posts super dramatically delicious things are about to happen right? Good. I'm glad we know each other well enough at this point for that phrase to be an automatic indicator of delicious things. 

Derek and I have been having movie nights non-stop lately. Him being done with school is pretty much the greatest thing to ever happen to our marriage. Clearly I'll be singing a different tune when he starts grad school next year, but for now it's all the movie nights and delicious treats over here.

Last weekend when we were picking a few things up at Sam's Club we saw an ACT II demo for a cookies and cream popcorn recipe and it inspired me to go ahead and make this treat on Monday night. You guys, I've never been one to be into the sweet and salty desert trend, but I'm all about this one. The white chocolate and popcorn make for the most delicious flavor combination I think I've ever had! Then you add in the M&Ms and pretzels... and my goodness... let's just not talk about how I ate this entire batch in one sitting. If you're totally into husband/wife at-home movie night dates like me... you need to make this recipe, I promise you'll love it! Plus there's a $2.00 off coupon via Ibotta for ACT II popcorn right now, so why not?

Also, the thing that's great about this recipe is that it's totally adaptable to what you like! You can add nuts, omit pretzels, use dark chocolate instead of white... Oh my goodness... how good would that be?! That's it... I'm going to go and make a dark chocolate version of this right now.





Ingredients:
1 Bag of ACT II Popcorn
11 oz white chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening 
1 cup of chocolate candy pieces
1 cup pretzels

Directions:
Pop your ACT II Popcorn according to the package directions. On a large sheet of wax paper spread across your table lay out the popcorn in a flat layer, and then sprinkle with the M&M's and pretzels. 

In a microwave safe bowl add the shortening and the white chocolate. Microwave in 30 second increments until completely smooth.

Pour the melted white chocolate over the top of the popcorn mixture in an even layer. Wait for the chocolate to set and harden for a few minutes and then transfer to a large bowl. Popcorn will last in a resealable bag for two days... although it probably won't last that long!

Mother's Day Ideas for The Mom Who Does Everything + Giveaway!

Mother's Day Ideas for The Mom Who Does Everything + Giveaway!

We all have those moms in our lives who do everything right? They may not be our actual mom, but they're always giving, always kind, always on the go, doing things for everyone. They're the moms that we all look up to and want to become. This isn't something that I talk a lot about here on the blog, or in general unless we're really close, but I happen to know one mom who is truly amazing.



After I graduated high school I got baptized and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was honestly a complete 180° from the life I had been previously living and me making that change was difficult for a handful of people in my life. At the time I wasn't living with my own parents, but with a friend's family, and after I had gotten baptized I mainly just felt like I didn't fit in with that part of my life anymore. 

I had really amazing friends that I went to church with and two of them were sisters. The summer when I was thinking about getting baptized, I found myself over at their house all the time. They were just the kind of girls that I wanted to be and so I took every opportunity to be around them. After I got baptized and didn't really fit in perfectly with the family I was living with, the mom of these two sisters offered to let me live with them until I saved up enough money to go out to Utah for college the following semester. 

I was honestly floored that she had even offered because they didn't really know me that well. I personally just considered myself the new weird girl at church, but she completely welcomed me into their home, and I'll forever be grateful for that. Their family has become such a major part of my life over the past five years because of those three months that I stayed with them. My friend's mom helped me welcome both of our babies into the world, has let me stay with them every time I'm back home in NY, and most importantly, has helped me grow and cultivate a relationship with Jesus Christ. She's the kind of mom I truly hope to become one day. 

This year for Mother's Day, since she is always doing so much for me, and her own children, and even the women in our church back home, I wanted to do something a little extra special. I've teamed up with Thymes to give her the ultimate relaxation package this Mother's Day. She is constantly on the go, and doing so much for other people, I really wanted to be able to give her the gift of relaxation. 

Thymes is a candle and body fragrance company that strives to create products that are skin-compatible, environmentally friendly, effective and a pleasure to use. They opt for natural, high-quality, plant-based ingredients whenever possible. Thymes uses botanical extracts with healthy-enhancing nutrients, vitamins, and vital antioxidants. They're the perfect gift to give this Mother's Day because they're a high quality product that you can feel good about giving to any mom on your shopping list, and they're sure to have a scent that is perfect of everyone! When you place an order of $25 or more you'll recieve a 15 sample fragrance kit to help you experience the wonderful scents of Thymes.

Also, because I love you guys, I'm giving away $15 paypal cash for one lucky winner to get to experience Thymes first hand! Just go to their website and tell me which scent you would want to try! Giveaway runs from now until May 11, 2015 at 11:59 pm. Must be a US resident. Enter using the Rafflecopter below.









6 Mother's Day Ideas for the Out of Town Mom

6 Mother's Day Ideas for the Out of Town Mom

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and it's advertiser, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for stopping by and being willing to read sponsored content. The fact that I'm able to stay home and help pay off  the mountains of debt and what not means the world to me. #L2LMom #CollectiveBias

Can you guys believe that Mother's Day is right around the corner? The fact that we're already talking about things happening in May blows my mind. This year needs to slow down! Seeing as how Derek and I live in Georgia, and our moms are in  Idaho and New York, we have to kind of go the extra mile on Mother's Day to make sure they feel special. I can only image how hard it must be on those moms who live thousands of miles away from their kids, and grandchildren.

A couple nights ago I ran to Walmart to pick up everything I would need for Mother's Day gifts this year, and I realized that there were quite a few ways you could make your mom feel special without breaking the bank, but being thoughtful at the same time. I think the biggest thing your mom wants to know on Mother's Day is that you love her, and that you care, so spending loads of money usually isn't necessary. 







1. Get Her Something She Needs: My mom has been using and refilling disposable water bottles for years now. At Christmas I told her that wasn't the healthiest option for her to be doing and so I knew for Mother's Day I would get her a real reuseable water bottle. It's something small that she needs, but she would never go and get one for herself. 

2. Something Just for Her: When I was at Walmart I saw that Coty had some new really pretty scents for spring and decided to grab the Fresh Rose + Peach scent for my mom. It wasn't very expensive, but smelled great, and is a thoughtful gesture for any woman in your life. (side note: the other company Derek had a job offer from was Coty... so it was kind of a "hee hee" moment when buying this last week). 

3. A Sweet Treat: My mom has loved York Peppermint Patties ever since I could remember... give your mom her favorite treat and I'm sure she'll love you, and hate you all at the same time. (My mom will undoubtedly comment that I'm going to make her fat).

4. A Thoughtful Card: In my family if you don't at least get my mom a card on Mother's Day it makes you the a terrible person. Don't be that person that doesn't at least get your mom a card.

5. A Picture of the Grandkids: So I didn't actually do this one because  I just thought of it now as I was writing this... but that probably would have been a good thing to do in hindsight. 

6. Decorate the Box: There isn't much you can do when you have to send a package for Mother's Day, a cardboard box is a cardboard box after all. I bought a cheap roll of washi tape though and decorated the outside of the box with it to make it a little more special for Mother's Day

What do you do for Mother's Day for the out of town women in your life? 

DIY Monogrammed Flower Wall Hanging

DIY Monogrammed Flower Wall Hanging

Em's nursery is finally done! I'll be showing the full reveal over here next week, or the week after sometime, but for right now, I'm going to show you guys this super easy craft I did this last weekend. Em's room was pretty cute without this, but I definitely felt like we needed something to fill the big empty space above the changing table and this wound up being just the right size. Also, I really thought that I was going to be that mom that didn't force all the pink things on her daughter, but there is really 100% no mistaking that a girl lives in this bedroom. I went a little cray on all things pink and flowers. I'm not even mad about it one bit either!

Supplies:
1 Wooden Letter
1 Hot Glue Gun
Hot Glue
Fake Flowers
1 Large Picture Frame
Double Sided Command Tape (for hanging)



Directions:
1. Start by removing all of the flowers from the long stems. They should slide off fairly easily, and I bought mine at Michael's for 75 cents each. Buy about two bouquets of big sized flowers, and two of smaller sized flowers.


2. Cut the leftover stem on the flower as close to the base as you can to help the flower glue down flat onto the wooden letter.


3. Put a glob of glue down onto the wooden letter and press the flower down into it. This picture was taken before I got the idea to cut the stems down. This worked too, but cutting them down provides a much better effect.


4.Use the Bigger flowers first on the majority of the letter, and then go back and fill in all the bare spots with the smaller flowers.


5. When you think you're done, take a step back to make sure there are no more bald spots, and then adjust and fill in spots as needed. 


6. You're done with your work, now admire your handiwork for just a minute. 


7. Take the glass and backing off of your frame so that you have nothing but the frame, Using a small nail, hang it on the wall where you would like. Using a command strip place one side on the back of the letter, and then press the letter with the other sticky side of the command hook exposed into the center of the frame onto the wall. 


Mini Fruit Tarts

Mini Fruit Tarts

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and it's advertiser. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #PutItOnARitz #CollectiveBias

With spring here, and summer right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about all the yummy fruity desserts that we all love! My favorite part about summer is definitely being able to go to local farms and orchards and pick our own fruit, and then come home and turn them into the yummiest of creations. Unfortunately it's not quite summer yet, so instead of heading out to the farm, I went to Walmart this weekend to do some grocery shopping and saw a RITZ® demo where they were making some yummy little fruit tarts just like these.

These would be such a perfect treat for them summer. I feel like we always get invited to go to dinner somewhere last minute, and these are a great quick and easy treat to whip up minutes before you have to be anywhere. The best part is that we usually have all the ingredients on hand so I know I'll be able to contribute more to the meal than just a can of green beans and brown rice. 

One of my favorite summer date nights is when my husband and I go out for dessert once the kids are in bed with a sitter at home. Nine times out of ten you can usually find me eating one of those delicious fruit tarts from the bakery. These little cracker tarts remind me of that, and are super easy to make, so I can just relive those summer date nights whenever I want. 



Ritz Snackify Challenge Instagram Contest







Ingredients:
Whipped Topping
Strawberries, sliced
Kiwis, sliced

Directions: 
Start off by washing and slicing your fruit as needed. Then simply layer the ingredients together on your RITZ® cracker. Serve immediately to avoid the cracker getting soggy. 

How I Get My Toddler to Eat Fruits and Veggies

How I Get My Toddler to Eat Fruits and Veggies

I'm pretty passionate about making sure Jay gets his five servings of fruits and veggies in a day. I realize this sounds crazy coming form me because I hardly ever do, but it's important to me that my children get all the nutrients that they need, and that they grow up to be a lot more well rounded than me. 

Jay is two, and does know what cookies, ice cream, and chocolate are, so to say he has opinions about what he would rather eat is an understatement. During most meals you can find me behind the corner in the kitchen praying that he'll eat his fruits and vegetables, and the rest of his food for that matter. I wish that was an over exaggeration but it's not. I can frequently be found praying for Jay to eat his food. It's probably my most prayed prayer actually. 

Some days are awesome and He eats everything put in front of him and there aren't any issues. Those days however, are far and few between. So most days I have to pull out a few tricks to get him to eat healthfully. Some of these may seem nontraditional, unorthodox, and straight up gross, but whatever gets the veggies down right? If you're struggling with getting your kids to eat veggies, maybe these will help.


1. Bananas in the cereal: Jay loves eating Multigrain Cheerios for pretty much every meal of the day. While I usually only let him eat them for breakfast, I can usually slice a banana in there and he'll eat it all up. Sometimes he'll push aside the bananas and it turns into a fail, but even then, sometimes he's just so hungry that he'll eat the banana after all the cereal is gone. 9 times out of 10, the banana is gone when he's done eating. 

2. Fruit Pouches: I know it's 10 times better to get your kid to eat the actual fruit or veggies than from a pouch, but sometimes seeing something in a fun package can get them to eat it, and most pouches count as 1 1/2-2 full complete servings of fruit and veggies. Unfortunately for us Jay woke up one morning and decided he was never going to drink a pouch again, but if your kid is still into them, I say go for it. Ps. him not eating pouches anymore was one of the saddest days of my life. 

3. Green Beans: Jay loves eating green beans and we actually have a rule in our house that if he watches a show on the TV he has to sit with some green beans and eat them. I know someone is going to email me saying you should never let you kid eat and watch TV at the same time, but whatevs. Green beans are like popcorn to this kid. Also, he loves dipping them in BBQ sauce at the dinner table, and I never stop him. 

4. V8 V-Fusion Juice: I know there are also people who are going to email me saying that you should never give you kid juice, but this stuff is liquid gold in my opinion and Jay drinks it everyday. It's a juiced blend of fruits and vegetables, and one eight ounce glass counts as two servings of fruit and vegetables. So if all else fails for the day I know I can count on him getting two of his five servings. 

Jay happens to have a lot of sensory issues with a lot of fruits and veggies, the crunchy things like apples, carrots, celery, etc... are too hard for him still, and he's actually getting a lot better with them, but on days when those normal methods are all too much for him, I'm glad to know we have these four little tricks to help him get the nutrients he needs!

Let me know what your favorite ways are to get your kids to eat their fruits and veggies! I'm always up for more tactics!

20 Things to do in Atlanta with Kids

20 Things to do in Atlanta with Kids

Some of my favorite posts to write are bucket list, or activity type posts. Last year I wrote about our spring break bucket list, 10 ways to survive a summer pregnancy with a toddler, 11 summer activities in Raleigh-Durham, NC, and even in the early days of blogging I wrote our end of summer bucket list when we were in Utah and first married.

It should be known that I take these lists that I write quite seriously. This is definitely quite the lengthy and adventurous list, but considering we're going to be here in Atlanta for at least 5 years, that gives us quite a while to get through this. Although, this list is more geared toward age appropriateness for our kids now, so as we're here longer, other things like Six Flags, and stuff will be getting added. Just note that I do plan on getting through everything on this list, and it will be written about excessively over here.



1. Georgia Aquarium- We went to the aquarium when we went to the Outer Banks a couple years ago and Jay loved it. I can only imagine seeing his reaction at almost three, and everything on a much larger scale! Kids under 3 are free, $29.95 until age 12, and then $31.95 for an adult ticket. Definitely a pricier outing, but would be fun for a birthday.

2. Atlanta Zoo- Another pricier outing, but Atlant's zoo has one of the largest panda bear exhibits in the country and is supposed to be amazing. Kids under 3 are free, then $17.99 until age 11, and $22.99 for ages 12+

3. Atlanta Children's Museum- This is basically a dream come true for any young child. They have tons of activities and exhibits geared towards kids of all ages, and ticket prices are $12.95 for ages 1-100, kids under 1 are free.

4. Kennesaw Mountain- Since leaving Utah, we haven't been able to do too much hiking. But this hike is pretty much nothing compared to what we're used to and should be pretty easy on the kids. The total distance is about a mile, and it should yield some great views at the top!

5. World of Coca Cola- This is one of those super touristy things, but you have to do it at least once right? Kids under two are free, $12 for ages 3-12, and $16 for an adult ticket. Sugar rush from taste testing too many sodas? Priceless.

6. Wild Animal Safari- This is basically a drive through zoo from the comfort of your own car. There's a five mile trail that you drive through and you can see tons of different exotic animals. Children under 3 are free and prices range from $18-$20 per person depending on age after that.

7. Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History- This place is a toddlers dream. Kids under 3 are free and an adult ticket is $7. There are tons of toy trains and exhibits geared toward kids 3-6 and would make for an awesome and inexpensive toddler day out!

8. Global Winter Wonderland- Open only during the holiday season, this is supposed to be a spectacular display of Christmas lights, activities, and games. Pricing information isn't currently available online, but we're excited to go this year!

9. Atlanta Braves Game- self explaintory right? But we're cheap so we'll be up in the nose bleed section for $16/seat.

10. Skyview Atlanta- Basically a ginormous Ferris wheel that allows you to see all of Atlanta! Adult tickets 13+ are $13.50, ages 3-12 are $8.50, and 3 are free.

11. World's Largest Peanut- ... Because, why not?

12. Marietta Square- I've already been to the playground here with Jay and Em once, but there is a farmers market on the weekend, and so many fun restaurants and shops, that It's definitely a place we'll visit again and again.

13. Marietta Museum of History- At $7/ticket and kids under 5 are free, you really can't go wrong. Plus they have an entire aviation exhibit... so you know we'll be all over that.

14. Morgan Falls Overlook Park- Family-oriented park featuring expansive playgrounds, walking trails, picnic areas, and rivers.

15. Little River Trail- A fun little park and trail for a weekend walk/picnic. Reviews say that strollers aren't the greatest, so bring that baby carrier!

16. Sprayground at Riverside Park- Just your typical massive splash pad that we'll be hitting up again, and again this summer. Admission is $2/person.

17. Legoland Discovery Center- Children under 2 are free, and $15 for everyone else. They have tons of exhibits and lots of toddler story times. I'm sure Jay will be all about this when we go!

18. Centenial Olympic Park- Home of the Atlanta Olympic Games, I would just feel like a terrible person if we didn't come here at least 50 times. That's the Lake Placid, NY in me talking isn't it?

19. The Waffle House Museum- Because who wouldn't want to eat at the very first Waffle House, and see waffle memorabilia from the last 60 years.

20. Southeastern Railway Museum- Tickets range from Free-$8 and it basically sounds like another toddler train heaven... so we'll be checking this out for sure.


What things have you done in Atlanta that we need to check out? We love adding things to our never ending lists!

Strawberry Pecan Salad

Strawberry Pecan Salad

On Easter we were lucky enough to have a family from church invite us over for dinner. We were in charge of bringing a salad, drink and dessert. Pot luck holiday dinners, I've decided, are the best. I wanted to bring a salad that was different than your typical lettuce, tomato, carrots and croutons, and then when I was watching Nikki Phillipi's Youtube Channel last week I saw this salad and knew it would be perfect for Easter dinner. Although I'm a sucker for pretty much anything with feta so I might be a little bit bias. You could even turn this into a full meal instead of a side by adding some grilled chicken to it as well! 


Ingredients:
(1) 8oz Bag Baby Spinach
3/4 Cup Sliced Pecans
2/3 Cup Feta
7 Large Strawberries, diced
Balsamic Vinaigrette (for topping)

Directions:
Wash and dry all your produce, and prep the other ingredients as needed. In a large bowl toss in all of the spinach, and the top with strawberries, feta, and pecans. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve and then top with the dressing as desired.  

Baby Items I Always Buy in Bulk

Baby Items I Always Buy in Bulk

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SamsClubMag #CollectiveBias

Now that I have two kids I feel like I'm always being hyper aware about how much screen time my kids are having, how much we're getting outside, are we running around and burning off enough energy, are we eating the right things, are we saving enough money... the list goes on and on. I'm sure it's like the for most parents. I was reading Healthy Living Magazine the other day and it said that running around is not only great, but theraputic for kids. It can even boost their immune system. Anyone who knows Jay's track record with being sick, knows that we can use all the immune boosting we can get over here. 


One of the things I love about our new house is that we don't have our TV in the main living space. We keep all of the toys and everything in the living room which means that Jay is able to spend most of the day running up and down the stairs from his room to the living room, and that the amount of screen time we've all been getting has gone down drastically. 


Another awesome thing about where we live is that it puts us about two minutes away from Sam's Club which means I can stock up on all the baby things we need. Now that we live in a house, and being home is actually fun since we have more things to do, I love stocking up on everything I need at Sam's Club so that I only have to leave the house once every two months for diapers instead of every week. Which means less time in the car and store, and more time running around the house, and neighborhood.


A couple years ago when we first had Jay I made an elaborate spread sheet comparing all the major warehouse stores in terms of membership fees, and then the price of diapers, wipes, and formula, and Sam's Club was the overall winner in every category! It also helps that it's always been the closest store to us every time we've moved somewhere.  




This last Friday I ran to Sam's Club to pick up all the diapers, wipes, and formula that we would need for the next couple months, and the fact that I'm not going to have to run back to the store for any of that until June is the best feeling ever. Also, the OCD side of me loves getting to come home and spend a good fifteen minutes organizing all of it in the hall closet upstairs too. Because we can stock up on so many things all at once, for such great prices, it means that we can spend more time together as a family, doing the things we love, instead of constantly having to leave and run errands all the time.  



Do you use a wholesale membership? Do you shop at Sam's Club? What baby products do you make sure to stock up on? Be sure to check out Healthy Living Magazine for more lifestyle tips for staying healthy! 

Grilled Ham & Cheese with Chipotle Infused Gouda + GIVEAWAY!

Grilled Ham & Cheese with Chipotle Infused Gouda + GIVEAWAY!

Easter is right around the corner which only means one thing... Easter dinner leftovers are right around the other corner. I really can't think of a better way to eat your leftover Easter ham than with this sandwich right here. I had it today for lunch and it was definitely the best thing that I've eaten for lunch in the last year. 

The other day when I was at the store I saw that Arla Dofino had this new chipotle flavored Gouda and I had to try it. I mean, I love a good normal smoked Gouda, but anything with a spicy chipotle kick is right up my alley. I think that my favorite part about this sandwich is that it's a classic lunch that I grew up eating, but with more sophisticated flavors like the chipotle, and caramelized onions... my mouth is watering all over again. Also, can we talk about this bread for a second? It's delicious. Probably the best bread I've had since we left Utah and can't get Grandma Sycamore's anymore. If you're in the market for an amazing bread, go for the Eureka Graniac bread. You won't be disappointed.

Because I love you, and I love grilled cheese, and because National Grilled Cheese Day is April 12th, I'm going to be self hosting a $15 paypal cash giveaway so that you can experience the deliciousness of Arla Dofino cheese and Eureka bread! To enter, use the rafflecopter below. Giveaway will run through April 20th at 11:49pm and is open to all US residents ages 18+. 





Ingredients:(Yields 1 sandwich)
4 thinly sliced pieces of smoked ham
3 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp caramelized onions

Directions:
Caramelize your onions by sauteing them on medium low heat in olive oil for thirty minutes. When onions are done, butter one side of each slice of bread. Put the butter side down in a pan on medium low heat, and then quickly layer the cheese, ham, parsley, and onions. Cook for two minutes, or until first side is golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for two minutes. If needed cover the pan to help the cheese melt.