Do you want your cat to be the coolest feline on the block? Here’s your chance! If you love Halloween and have a cat, or know someone who has cats, then you’ll love Target’s new spooky product: a Double-decker Cat Haunted Mansion. Let your cat enjoy the season just as much as you do! They can sit inside or on top and even scratch their claws on the floor’s scratch pad of this 5-star reviewed cat house. What will they think of next? (I kinda wish I had a cat just so I could buy this, so fun!)
While you’re at it, grab a pair of these Glitter Wings for your cat so she’ll feel extra festive!
My kids just recently had a taste of their first cookie cake ever. They were amazed and obsessed immediately so when it came time for my daughter’s birthday, she insisted I make her this triple-layer cookie cake we saw over at Life, Love and Sugar. Never one to back down from a challenge I gave it a shot and it was amazing! What a great way to make a girl feel special on her birthday.
Chocolate, Funfetti and Chocolate Chip
We created 3 cookies to make the layers: one Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie, one Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookie and one Chocolate Chip Cookie. I made the recipe as written for the cookies, but chose to create a chocolate whipped cream frosting instead because our family don’t really care for buttercream. It – was – delicious! I used this recipe for the frosting. The only thing I did differently was to add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dark cocoa powder.
Let me tell you, holy cow! This frosting was so light, fluffy and delicious that I could have eaten the whole bowl right there in the kitchen. Thankfully, I didn’t and popped it into the refrigerator for a few hours to help it set up for piping on the cookie layers. I used this Cake Decorating Tool from Wilton to pipe and decorate the cake. I couldn’t find the exact cake stand I have, but I used a Turntable Cake Decorating Stand similar to this one to both frost and serve my cake on. My kids love helping by turning the stand while I frost the cake.
Seriously decadent, impressive looking and actually not that hard to make! Here are some tips from my experience:
I cooked two of the cookies the day before, wrapped them well in plastic wrap and they held up perfectly overnight on my counter.
I did use some skewers that I cut to size to help prop up the cake layers so they didn’t completely squish my frosting. These cookie cakes are very heavy!
Make sure to keep the whipped cream frosting very cold before you start piping and put the cake in the refrigerator right afterwards. The cold will help your frosting keep it’s shape.
Use lots of sprinkles, life is better with sprinkles.
We are certainly enjoying these late summer evenings. Sitting by the fire, the girls doing cartwheels in the yard, I feel pretty lucky right now. I want to take a mental picture of this moment to look back on when we are in the deep part of winter. The actual pictures I took? My cocktail of course. (Thankfully I have thousands of pictures of my girls.)
This night I made a Summer Rosé Spritzer. If you like Rosé or flavored seltzer water, or just prefer a drink that is not too sweet, then this is the cocktail for you! Bubbly and refreshing, it’s a perfect drink to sit back and relax with all summer long.
Summer Rosé Spritzer Recipe – makes 2 servings
6 oz. of your favorite Rosé – I used one can of Simpler Wines Rosé from Trader Joes. I love that the cans offer me a perfect portion.
1 can of your favorite flavored seltzer water. I used a berry flavor.
3 oz. Royal Rose Organic Simple Syrup or any simple syrup you have on hand. Choose a flavor that will complement the seltzer flavor you chose.
Optional: Fruit of your choice
This is such an easy recipe. If you are using fruit, I used strawberries, chop and add them to the bottom of two glasses. Muddle/mash the fruit in the bottom of the glass. Next, fill the glass roughly 1/2 to 2/3 full with ice. Pour 3 oz. of the Rosé, half the can of seltzer water and 1.5 oz of simple syrup into each glass. Stir gently with a spoon and enjoy!
Well, it’s here – the Summer Causebox! I was so excited to get my Summer Causebox and unwrap all the goodies because I loved the Spring box so much, I just knew this one would be a home run. And boy is it. I am in love with all the products this season has to offer. Let’s take a look at what I received! (P.S. – this makes a perfect gift for someone special!)
Summer 2019 Cause Box
There is seriously so much goodness in this box. Just the Caftan and Straw Tote alone would easily add up to $50*, but you get so much more!
* If you purchase the monthly subscription the price is $54.95 per box, if you decide on an annual subscription you save $5 making each box only $49.95 and you get to customize some of the items.
Reduce Insulated Wine Tumbler – Perfect for outdoor parties
Island Aloe Gel – Instant healing for sun-kissed skin (or sunburned)
Straw Tote Bag – Fun summer accessory.
Wet Swim Pouch – Definitely bringing this on my upcoming vacation.
Banded Scrunchies – Everything comes back in style including scrunchies!
I love a good Rose Margarita Recipe, especially during the summer. I always make my own simple syrup mainly because I don’t love all the added ingredients in pre-made, bottled margaritas. Also, I usually only want one drink and don’t want to tempt myself with an almost full bottle every time I open the fridge. So when I found this line of Organic Simple Syrups from Royal Rose I knew I had to try them out.
I was really intrigued by their Rose Simple Syrup and wanted to give it a try. So this weekend I tried out a margarita recipe and boy am I so glad I did. I mixed Royal Rose’s Rose Simple Syrup (say that three times fast), tequila and lime juice. That’s it. It was delicious with a slight floral hint for a little twist on a standard margarita. You can get the Rose Simple Syrup here: Rose Organic Simple Syrup 8 oz.
Right now they are offering 15% off everything with code SYRUP15 at checkout. Check it our here!
Rose Margarita Recipe
Ingredients: 2 oz tequila 2 oz Royal Rose Simple Syrup – Rose Flavor 2 to 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice (depends on how much lime you like- the more lime juice you add, the less you’ll taste the floral rose)
Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour over ice in your favorite glass and enjoy! If you like a sweeter drink you can add a little more simple syrup or a little less lime juice. This was the perfect combination for me. For a little extra fun, muddle in some chopped strawberries or add dried rose petals if you can find them!
I loved this drink, my husband loved this drink and we will definitely be having more margaritas by the fire in the summer nights to come.
Father’s Day will be here before you know it, so get your gift now! We’ve assembled some of our favorite Father’s Day gift ideas below to help make it easier on a mom who already has a million and two things on her to-do list. Let’s check this one off your list today!
For Dad’s who love technology (and have an iphone) – Apple Watch Series 4 – Although the most expensive item on our list, this watch can do so much including take calls, text, track workouts and more.
For Dad’s who love technology (and have an Android phone) – Samsung Galaxy Watch – With a charge that can last for days, this is a watch that will be his personal assistant. Like the Apple Watch, he can take calls, text, track health, workouts and more.
For the sentimental Dad – Snapfish Woodblock Desk Calendar, on sale through 6/4 for 60% off with code 60M2019 making this calendar just under $10! This calendar is the perfect addition to any Dad’s office or desk, especially when personalized with priceless family pictures.
For Dad’s who love their team – Custom MLB T-Shirt – Give them a shirt you know they’ll love with their own name on the back!
For the Dad who loves his morning coffee – Whiskey & Rum Barrel Aged Coffee Whole Bean Box Set – A special dad deserves special coffee. This gift box has three different samples of coffee you won’t find in your everyday grocery store.
For the Dad who loves being outdoors – Landmann 28347 Big Sky Fire Pit – We’ve reviewed this fire pit before on this blog, I got it for my husband a few years ago for Father’s Day and it was a big hit. Make sure to coat with high-temp rustoleum and it’ll last for years of s’mores and campfire memories.
Hi all! Welp, this spring is not going as planned. Here in Chicagoland we have had a horrible spring: low temps, late season snow, then rain all the time. It has been a rough start to what is supposed to be a better weather season than winter. Usually, at this point into the spring, our family has enjoyed many nights by the fire before the mosquitoes get too bad in the thick of summer.
Our entire family loves spending time around the fire pit. We all take a break from screens and just enjoy each others company telling stories and making s’mores. This weekend we also want to try an outdoor movie, I’ll let you know how that goes!
A few years back we were in the market for a new fire pit. Our old pit did not stand the test of time, it was really pretty with mosaic tile around the outside but the tile started cracking and falling apart after the first season of use. So, as I always do, I researched online for a new fire pit that we could use for years to come and landed on this beauty – the Landmann Big Sky Fire Pit.
Disregard the weird fake-looking fire, I’m not sure why my phone took this picture like that.
I ended up getting it for Father’s Day for the hubby from my girls. It comes in a few styles and the girls both picked the one with the animal cut-outs on the sides.
Boy, have we loved this thing. Let me give you the details on how we help make it last because if you don’t take care of it, it will rust.
First, as some reviewers suggested, we sprayed the entire pit with High Heat Rustoleum right after we assembled.
Then we added sand and a layer of fire safe bricks.
I also always cover it. I don’t want it to rust or to gather water from the rain and then have to scoop out ashy water. This is the cover we bought for it, it’s a bit big but does the job and has held up through 2 summers and winters with lots of rain and snow.
Finally, I thought I would also tell you about these amazing Lighter Cubes we use from Weber. These make starting a fire so, so easy. I literally only need one or two cubes. I place them underneath some of the wood then light them with a lighter, they light fast and easily.
I couldn’t stop drooling over Carolyn’s Cast Iron Pizza Recipe and knew I had to try it. We are obsessed with pizza in our house. Every Friday night is Pizza & Movie Night. It is an open invitation for family and friends to drop by for some pizza, a beer and a family friendly movie. Last Friday we watched “Get a Clue” the 90’s movie based on the book “The Westing Game”. It was VERY 90’s!
We tried our own “easy” version and were blown away by how much it tasted like a brick oven pizza! Carolyn has always been more skilled in the culinary arts – my cooking skills are fairly basic and I am so proud that I didn’t screw this up! We followed her directions, placed the topped pizza onto a piping hot cast iron skillet for a minute, then put it under the broiler set on high. All I can say is wow, this is how I am making pizza from now on. Crispy on the bottom, bubbly on the top, and delicious.
This is our Easy East Coast Version which doesn’t really have a recipe. We rolled pre-made pizza dough from Portland Pie Company, spread pizza sauce from Bove’s, a Vermont company, on top and then added our favorite mix of pepperoni and black olives. Be creative with your toppings, use what you love! We used our Old Mountain cast iron skillet purchased at Reny’s, if you are not from Maine you can also find them on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Wdq6F7.
And that’s it! Simple, fast and super delicious.
Needed to include this picture of my new ‘Vintage 1979’ stemless wine glass; a present from Carolyn and Jennifer for my 40th birthday. Gift ideas for milestone birthdays post coming soon!
My go-to baby shower gift for a new mom is 75% practical items (for baby) and 25% indulgence items (for mom).
For this particular gift, I started with a collapsible laundry basket because, let’s be honest, there will be lots of laundry to do after the baby arrives! I filled the bottom with different sized diapers and a few packages of wipes. Then, I added some super-cute bibs, pacifiers and a little something for the mom post-baby. To complete the bathtub look, I laid some large bubble wrap (get it – “bubbles”) over everything and topped it all with rubber duck toys!
As an added bonus for the mom, I filled a stemless wine glass with some martini slushies from Costco along with a package of Champagne Gummy Bears for a bit of fun.
Last minute shopping? No problem, we rounded up some great Mother’s Day items that are all Amazon Prime eligible and sure to get to that special mom in time.
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