St Patrick's Mason Jar Centerpiece DIY

Monday, February 24, 2020

Crafting is not something that comes naturally, but I really love when you can make something that turns out super cute and costs less than what you can get already put together at a store somewhere. Bonus points when the DIY you're working with is so easy its literally fool proof. 

We've never had any fun St Patrick's decorations in the past, and while I'm not about to make my home look like a green explosion, I thought that this little St Patrick's Day mason jar centerpiece would be a fun little touch to make it look like we're somewhat in the holiday spirit over here. 

The supplies for this project were super easy to come by. I already had the mason jars from this Dollar Tree Fall Centerpiece I posted about several months ago, I already had the greenery that I put in them from that previous project as well. I added a can of gold spray paint into my Walmart Grocery Delivery order, and I got the shamrock stickers from the Dollar Tree. Everything is super easy and accessible, and you don't need to chase down supplies from a million stores, my kind of DIY. 

Supplies:

3 Mason Jars (Dollar Tree or Walmart)

Gold Spray Paint (Walmart)

Shamrock Stickers (Amazon)

Greenery (Amazon)

Directions:

Start off by spraying your mason jars evenly with the gold spray paint and allow them to try in a cool dry place. 

One the paint is dry and you're able to handle the jars, place your stickers onto the jars. I did mine in a staggering pattern. Working vertically and starting at the top I did three stickers in one row, and then staggered two stickers in the next row, and then three stickers in the following row, and worked that pattern all around the jar. 

Once you've finished sticking on all of your stickers, add some fun spring time greenery, and add to your favorite little nook in your home!


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

Read more »

Best St Patrick's Day Books

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

This list has some of the Best St Patrick's Day books for your younger readers who love picture books and older kids who love chapter books!

Happy Day 3 of our St Patrick's Day week! I love a good holiday themed book as much as the next parent, and over the years I've collected a few great gems for St Patrick's Day. I think our great collection of St Patty's Day books is why Kyle keeps going around the house saying this is his favorite holiday. Books are such an easy way to celebrate almost any occasion, which is why I make them a part of every holiday in our home. If you're looking for The Best St Patrick's Day Books, consider adding a couple of these to your collection.

Best St Patrick's Day Picture Books:

1. The Story of St Patrick: I love a good, fun, silly book, but I also love to have at least one book that talks about what each holiday is actually about. This book does a great job of telling the story of who St Patrick was, and why we celebrate this day in a great way for young audiences.

2. St Patrick's Day in the Morning: This story is about a boy named Jamie who will do whatever it takes to march in the St. Patrick's Parade. This is a flagship book from my own childhood.

3. The Luckiest St Patrick's Day Ever: This is a fun quick read that we got at the library. It takes you through a town's St Patrick's celebration and parade!

4. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover: Kyle is a huge fan of the, "There Was an Old Lady..." series. We bought this one last year and it's a repeat this time of year!

5. The Night Before St Patrick's Day: I love every holiday book in this series and this one is just as good as the rest! The kids try to make a leprechaun trap, but do they actually get him?

6. How to Catch a Leprechaun: Another fun and lively book about catching leprechauns. My kids love this one, and it's a super fun and quick read.

Best St. Patrick's Day Chapter Books:

These St Patrick's day chapter books are perfect if you're in the market for a St Patrick's Day read-aloud that you can share with your entire family. These chapter books are super fun and have a mix of something that will appeal to all audiences!

1. St. Patrick's Day from the Black Lagoon: This is number 19 in The Black Lagoon series and is a super great read for any 2nd-5th grader in your life. If you have kids that love The Black Lagoon series like Kyle does, this will be a no brainer to grab at your next library day!

2. Calendar Mysteries #3: March Mischief: Kyle loves anything and everything by Ron Roy. He's read both the Capital Mysteries and A to Z Mysteries so far, and we're excited to start this series next. Luckily they have a book just in time for St Patrick's!

3. Leprechaun's Don't Play Basketball: The basketball team is convinced their coach is a leprechaun, but is he really? I guess you'll have to read this to find out ;)

4. Leprechauns and Irish Folklore: This is a Fact Checker book from the Magic Treehouse series. These are fun books that give more non-fiction details into what the other books in the series talk about. We haven't read any of these yet, but it will be super fun to grab a copy of this to read with Kyle next month!

5. Merlin Missions: Leprechaun in Late Winter: Merlin Missions are the more advanced readers of The Magic Treehouse Series. Kyle has read all of these, and this one is one of his very favorites! If you have Jack and Annie lovers in your house, you'll definitely want to snag a copy of this to read soon!

6. Green Gravy (Cul-de-Sac Kids Series): This story is about a girl named Carly who becomes student of the week and makes the entire class do St Patty's traditions against their will because she's Irish. Her adopted twin brother from Korea doesn't want to join in on the fun though which causes a bit of sibling rivalry which eventually gets resolved.

Do you have books you love reading with your kid's for St Patrick's? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

If you liked this post, Best St Patrick's Day Books, you might also like:

• 13 Easter Picture Books
• 7 Books to Read This Thanksgiving
• 17 Halloween Books for Kids

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along on instagram @thehappyflammily!

Read more »

Easy St Patrick's Bento Box Idea

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

I am not the mom that makes Pinterest worthy, super cute bento box creations for their child's lunches everyday of the week. Up until last week, Kyle primarily bought his lunch at school, but he's actually switched schools in the last week and lunch at the new school is super expensive, so he's now packing a lunch each day. 

Even though I'm making school lunches, I have zero intentions of making it super fancy all the time. But a holiday is a fun excuse to go a little bit extra with a lunch right? This St Patrick's themed bento box is super easy to make, and you can easily recreate it to fit your child's preferences. 

I started it off by tossing in one of these super yummy St Patrick's Rice Krispie Treats, and then made a simple sandwich. The only super extra thing I did was buy these letter cookie cutters, and cut a slice of cheese to make the word "lucky" that I placed on top of the sandwich. 

For the veggies, I just chopped up a few peppers I had on hand, and tossed in some carrots to make a little rainbow in one of the compartments of our bento box. You could easily do this with whatever fruits and veggies you have on hand that your kids would enjoy. 

Finally, I wanted to make a little pot of gold, so I threw in some goldfish and some golden raisins to pull this off. 

Resources:

Bento Box

Letter Cookie Cutters

Do you like to make fun holiday themed meals for your kids lunches? I'm in new lunch making territory over here, so I'd love to hear what fun things you do to make their lunches a little extra special in the comments below!


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

Read more »

St. Patrick's Rice Krispies

Monday, February 17, 2020

I'm super excited to do something a little different on the blog this week. I'm dedicating the entire week to different St Patrick's Day themed posts. Today I'm sharing this fun treat idea, but come back the rest of the week for fun a fun St Patrick's Sensory Activity, book recommendations, a home decor DIY,  and a super easy bento box you can pack your kid's for lunch on St Patrick's Day. 

I've never done anything like this before, and I definitely don't think you need to do every activity that I'm throwing at you this week, but hopefully you can take away something that you love that you want to do with your kids in your home. 

I found this bag of Lucky Charms Marshmallows at the store this weekend, and knew that they needed to be transformed into some rice crispies ASAP. I was originally hoping they would have more of a rainbow effect, but they turned out green with a hint of rainbow which worked out well.

These marshmallows were actually super soft and the kids loved snacking on them too, if you need a fun little treat idea for St Patrick's the marshmallows themselves would be super fun. I think it would also be fun to make normal rice crispy treats, and then stir in some of these crunchy Lucky Charm's marshmallows you can get on Amazon. 

A final variation would be to just make rice crispy treats as normal, and then add green coloring into the marshmallow mixture. Super simple, and no shopping for extra ingredients. 

Ingredients:

1 10 oz bag Lucky Charms Marshmallows

3 tbsp butter

6 cups Rice Krispy Cereal

Directions:

Lightly spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. 

Microwave the marshmallows and the butter together for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Stir the marshmallow mixture into your cereal until well combined, and then press into the baking pan. 

Allow to set for about 10 minutes before serving. 

For best cutting results, spray a knife with cooking spray so that you get clean cuts.



Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

Read more »

Primary.com Clothing Review + Coupon Code!

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Primary Clothing is a great ethical fashion brand for infants and children. Their line of basics and classic styles makes them a great choice for all families.

Last year I said one of my goals was to start purchasing more ethical fashion for our home. I won't get into all of those details here, but click that link if you want to learn more about that decision. Since making that decision we've purchased a lot of clothing second hand, but sometimes when you need to buy a lot of something, or something specific that you can't find used, it's easier to just buy new and get it all in one place. 

The kids had gotten to a point where they had worn through many of the clothes we purchased for them at the beginning of the school year, and Kinsley had out-grown most of her church dresses. Both kids were both down to a couple pairs of pants and so I pulled the trigger and added some new pieces to their closets. 

I'd heard of primary.com several years ago and knew they were an ethical brand, but back then they didn't have a ton of fashion forward pieces. They've really upped their game the last couple years, and they've become my new go-to for purchasing new pieces for our kids. 

Primary.com Dresses Review:

We bought Kinsley three dresses from them and they've all been awesome quality. Their fabric is a little thicker meaning that they keep her just a little warmer, and she won't wear through them as quickly. I sized up for length and went with the "6-7" size and they were perfect for her. She's 39 inches tall for reference, and even though the dresses are long and have room to grow with her, they aren't gaping on her either. They're a really great fit. 

Shop: Maroon Dress ($10 with promo code below!), Striped Dress, Pink Shift Dress ($9.60 after code below!)

Primary.com Chino Pants Review:

Chino pants are always my go-to for Kyle. They're great for both school and church and pair well with most of his shirts. These are currently on sale for $10 each, and they are a great fit. They aren't specifically slim cut, but even for Kyle who is really slender, they're not super wide on him. We got him a size 7, and they fit really well, and have an adjustable waist so they don't fall down his bottom. He has three pairs now and I know they'll last him through the end of the school year! 

Shop: Slim Fit Jeans, $10 Chino Pants

Primary.com Leggings Review:

I'm super picky about leggings because of how tall and skinny Kinsley is. Usually leggings that fit her in the length are too wide in the waist. We used to only be able to get her in Target leggings because of this. The primary.com leggings fit her really well. She's in a size five, I love that they have a thick waist band, and the material is thicker than other leggings so I think they'll last a little bit longer with her crawling around in them. 

Shop: Striped Leggings, Star Leggings

Primary.com Tops Review:

I purchased two new shirts for Kinsley, a sweatshirt and a tunic and they both fit great. I ordered her normal size, a five, and it was perfect. I was hesitant because we'd gotten the 6-7 for her dresses that these would be too small, but I'm really glad we didn't go with the bigger size.  They have enough room to grow in until summer, and I love how thick, warm, and soft they are. 

Shop: Pink Stripe Tunic,  Pink Star Tunic

For a brand that I was a little hesitant to purchase from, primary.com has become a new family favorite. I'll definitely be purchasing from them in the future. This post isn't sponsored by primary.com, they don't really know who I am other than the fact that they did give me a promo code to share with you all. If you enter code, AFF20PCT at checkout, you can get 20% off your first order, which makes those boy pants only $8, and the dresses $10 or less!

If you liked this post, Primary.com Clothing Review + Coupon Code, you might also like:

• How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe
• Ethical Fashion and Why We're Converting
• The Mind Shift I've Made with Buying Clothes

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along on instagram @thehappyflammily!

Read more »

Healthy Pizza Bagel Bite Recipe

Monday, February 10, 2020

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MargheritaSnacks #CollectiveBias

Healthy Pizza Bagel Bite Recipe

Does anyone else find it incredibly satisfying to make something from scratch that you'd normally just purchase from the freezer section at the grocery store? Ever since I made my own everything bagels a few weeks ago, I've been playing with a few ideas of how I could make that bagel recipe into other variations, and then had the idea to make these quick and easy homemade pizza bagel bites.

To make the dough for these bagels you will need one cup each of flour and plain non-fat greek yogurt, combined with salt and baking powder. The minimal ingredients means these aren't processed like what you would get from the grocery store, and they have more protein than your typical pizza bagel bites.

Best Toppings for Homemade Pizza Bagel Bites

The star ingredient in this recipe is Margherita® Genoa Salami. These great tasting, high quality sausage products can be found in local delis across the nation, and can be used to create great recipes for all snacking occasions with their superior flavor. Margherita is known for their flavorful, high quality dry sausage products that are perfect for snacking, entertaining, and incorporating into everyday recipes.

When to Make Pizza Bagel Bites

These homemade pizza bagel bites would be perfect for an after school snack, tailgating, or any other event you might be hosting. They can be made from scratch, start to finish in just under 30 minutes, without having to use any super complicated ingredients. The unique spice-forward flavor profile from the Margherita® Genoa Salami makes them a perfect snack that everyone will love. 

Print

Healthy Pizza Bagel Bites

Yield: 10

Author: Paige Flamm

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 28 Min

Healthy pizza bagel bites come together with flour and non-fat plain Greek Yogurt. Your kids will love eating healthy pizza bagel bites after school!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Egg
• Margherita® Genoa Salami
• Pizza Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Next, add in the greek yogurt and stir with a mixing spoon, or with your hands to bring the dough together.
3. Flatten your dough out onto a lightly floured surface, it should be about a 1/2 inch thick. Using a small bowl or a cup, cut out small circles into the dough. Bringing the dough back into a ball and flattening back out as needed to use it all up. I got 12 bagels out of mine.
4. On a parchment lined baking sheet, place all your mini bagels onto the pan. Whisk your egg, and then using a cooking brush, lightly brush the tops of each of the bagel with the egg.
5. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes.
6. Once baked, pull your bagels out, spread a little sauce, cheese, and place a Margherita® Genoa Salami onto each bagel. Broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes until all the cheese is melted, and then serve!

If you liked this post, Healthy Pizza Bagel Bites, you might also like:

• Five Ingredient Everything Bagel Recipe
• Heart Shapped Veggie Pizza
• Margherita Pizza

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects!

Read more »

Heart Shaped Veggie Pizza

Friday, February 7, 2020

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MazolaHeartHealth #CollectiveBias

February is Heart Health Month. When I think about my heart health, and overall health in general, I like to think about small easy changes I can make to improve my health on a daily basis. For instance, our family loves pizza, so we know we can make changes to our recipe to better meet the nutritional needs of our family. A big switch we've made in the last year is using Mazola® Corn Oil. A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.

How to make Pizza Healthier

What better way to celebrate Heart Month, and Valentine's than with a whole wheat, heart shaped, Valentine's veggie pizza? When making our favorite quick and easy pizza recipe, there were several changes we were able to make, in order for our pizza to be a little bit healthier. Three swaps we made were, using Mazola Corn Oil over other cooking oils, using whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, and loading it up with lots of colorful veggies instead of heavier meats that typically go on pizzas. Mazola Corn Oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy* choice for your family. *See Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health. It has a variety of uses include baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing.

Six Ingredient Pizza Dough

This whole wheat veggie pizza recipe is super easy to make. The dough only involves six simple ingredients, and 30 minutes of time from start to finish. This pizza is perfect for an easy lunch or dinner idea, and is packed full of good for you nutrients that will help fuel your body for anything that comes your way.

How to Make A Heart Shaped Veggie Pizza

To make the heart shape, simply roll your dough out into a circle. Press the top of the circle down towards the middle, and then shape the sides of the heart with your hands. Then carefully cut away the dough at the bottom of the circle to make a point.

Yield: 8

Author: Paige Flamm

Print

Heart Shaped Veggie Pizza

Heart shaped veggie pizza is the perfect valentine's dinner idea for kids and families. How to make a pizza heart shaped.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

• 1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Mazola Corn Oil
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt

Pizza Toppings

• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Pizza Sauce
• Red Onion
• Red Bell Pepper
• Jalapenos
• Black Olives
• Spinach
• Mushrooms

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the water, sugar, corn oil, and yeast. Allow to proof for five minutes. Use this time to prep your veggies and toppings.
3. In a large bowl combine your flour and salt, and once your yeast is risen and bubbly, add it to the flour. Mix together with a wooden mixing spoon, or with your hands until the dough forms a nice smooth ball.
4. At this point you can split your dough to make two small pizzas, or one large one. We did one large. Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Lightly spray a baking sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray, and then transfer your pizza dough onto your pan. (If making into a heart shape, use the instructions above!)
5. Pour about 1/2 cup tomato sauce onto your pizza and spread evenly, leaving room around the edges for the crust. Next, add your spinach, before covering it with your mozzarella cheese. Finally, add the rest of your toppings.
6. Bake the pizza in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes on the top oven rack, allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

If you liked this post, Heart Shaped Veggie Pizza, you might also like:

• Homemade Pizza Bagel Bites
• Margherita Pizza
• Pizza Biscuit Casserole

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects!

Read more »

Eggo Breakfast Sandwich

Thursday, February 6, 2020

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #VansFoodsWaffles #VansFoods #CollectiveBias

Something I've been working really hard on over the last few years is being a lot more intentional with my eating, and making good wholesome meals for myself. Over the last year or two I've been really good about coming home after I drop the kids off at school, and making myself a good breakfast before I start working for the day.

A new addition into my breakfast routine has been Van's Organic Waffles. They contain 15g of whole grains, and 4g of protein. I also love that they're dairy, egg, and nut free, which means they're a great option for us to keep on hand when our nephew comes to play, who has allergies to each of those categories. They're also Non-GMO project verified, which is something I look for when purchasing pre-made goods from the store.

Van's also has a wide variety of snacks that my kids love including various crackers and bars. They've been loving the Say Cheese! and Multigrain cracker varieties paired with their lunches, and I love that they're each a multigrain snack with 16g of whole grains per serving, and that the Multigrain variety is made with oats, quinoa, and amaranth! They're great in a lunchbox served with some cheese, turkey, and veggies! 

Eggo Breakfast Sandwich

To make these waffles into a complete meal, I love making them into Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Sandwiches. I get plenty of whole grains and protein from the waffles, and additional protein from the eggs and bacon, while also getting healthy fats from the avocado. When paired with a little side of fruit they make for the perfect breakfast that hits all the important food groups.

Yield: 1

Author: Paige Flamm

Print

Want a fun breakfast sandwich made from Ego waffles? Look no further than this Ego breakfast sandwich made with Vans Organic Waffles.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

• 2 Van's Organic Waffles
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Slices Bacon
• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese, or 1 slice cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare your eggs as desired. I whisked mine into a bowl and then cooked them in pan like an omelet, sprinkling these cheese into the middle and folding it over onto itself until it was cooked all the way through.
2. On a microwave safe plate lined with paper towels, cook your bacon for one minute per slice. I used two slices of bacon, so I cooked them both together on one plate for two minutes.
3. Toast your Van's Organic Waffles according to the package instructions.
4. While you're waiting for your waffles, slice your avocado.
5. Once your waffles are done, assemble your sandwich, serve with a side of fruit, and enjoy!

If you liked this post, Eggo Breakfast Sandwich, you might also like:

• Three Breakfast Waffle Ideas for Kids
• Breakfast Waffles Three Different Ways
• Pumpkin French Toast

Read more »

5 Food Rules Post Eating Disorder

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

We all have stories that we surround ourselves with in terms of the foods we will and will not eat. As someone who spent a large part of their life struggling with an eating disorder, the stories I've told myself throughout my life have been both bogus, and disturbing. I consider myself mostly recovered from that part of my life, and now live by several rules that a previous version of myself would likely never allow.

1) Full fat dairy, always. I believe in full fat dairy for several reasons. One, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Huston conducted a research study in which they found no correlation between consuming full fat dairy products and an increase risk of heart attack or stroke. Two, it just tastes better (that's opinion not science). Third, low-fat dairy products go through extra processing that full-fat dairy doesn't and is often loaded with sugar to compensate for taste, or worse, pumped full of zero calorie artificial sweeteners that don't do anything great for our bodies (coming from someone who loves Coke Zero, but I do realize it's doing nothing good for me...) And lastly, many vegetables contain vitamins A, D, E, and K, which need fat to metabolize and provide benefit for our bodies. Consuming these vegetables with full fat dairy and salad dressings helps your body to absorb these nutrients. 

2) Taste trumps everything. I believe in health and the benefits that certain foods can have for my body, but I can also gladly admit that whole wheat pasta and tortillas do not taste good, and I will pick the white options of those every time. That being said, I love whole wheat bread, these bran muffins that will change your life, and plenty of other healthy things, but I don't let health get in the way of taste. Food needs to be enjoyed, and wasting time eating food that does not taste good is not a priority to me. 

3) I believe organic is best, although I don't always choose it. We've made a big shift in our home this year to purchase more organic foods in an attempt to reduce the amount of artificial chemicals that we're consuming. That being said, buying all organic isn't always financially practical, or the organic options simply don't taste good (I'm looking at you cardboard tasting cereal). One thing we've really tried to do though is purchase strictly organic when it comes to meat and dairy products. If there is room in the budget we'll add more into our grocery purchases. This is what works for us right now. 

4) Carbs aren't bad. The keto diet is everything right now, and it just seems so bizarre to me. I know how it works and I get why people do it, but as an endurance runner, I need carbs to perform. 60% of my daily intake right now are carbohydrates, and I don't intend to change that anytime soon. Food is fuel, and if your fuel works for you thats great. I love carbs, they fuel me, and I hope we live a long and happy life together. 

5) Food is not good or bad. I don't believe that there are good foods and bad foods. Each food does different things for our bodies, and some are more nutritionally valuable than others, but I don't put labels on things, especially around our kids. I never tell my kids that something is "bad for them", and never tell them that their vegetables are "good for them." Do I tell my kids that eating their vegetables will help them grow big? Yes. Do I tell them eating their chicken will help them grow muscles? Yes. But I don't use labels of "good" and "bad" because I find that they can be damaging, especially for young children. I also don't withhold treats from my kids. Do I make them eat their more nutritionally dense food first? Yes. But nothing in our home is "off limits", and I want my children to grow up having a healthy relationship with all foods. 

Do you have food rules that you live by? Do any of my "rules" seem outlandish to you? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

Read more »