Blackberry Cheesecake Float

You guys! I have an awesome summer drink recipe to share with you that is so easy and literally only requires 2 ingredients!

I have been craving all things blackberry lately. Normally I am not the biggest ice cream eater, but this little pint of blackberry cheesecake ice cream practically fell into my cart and begged to come home with me.

Immediately I knew how I was going to enjoy this treat! In an ice cream float!

Ice cream floats completely change the ice cream game in my book. I cannot resist them and love to try different flavors! They can be as simple as root-beer and vanilla or as complex as you care to make them.
This one is not too wild in terms of the combination, but it is wildly delicious!

To make a Blackberry Cheesecake Float you will need:

2 scoops of blackberry cheesecake ice cream
1 can of Cream Soda {I used Diet A&W}

optional:
graham cracker crumbs
whipped cream

Directions

Add ice cream to a tall glass
Top with cream soda

Optional:
Top with whipped cream and 1 teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs

This was a fantastic flavor for a float for a summer indulgence that took only a moment to prepare and share!


You might also like this Strawberry Shortcake Float recipe.

Easy Xylophone Craft

It is summer, my kids would live in the pool or perched on a swing, with possible breaks for snacks, lemonade and some screen time if given the opportunity. While I am a firm believer in the importance of play, I am a firm believer in learning year round and brushing up on the things that kids already know too.

One afternoon we were talking about instruments and toying with a few drums, triangles, and maracas when I mentioned a xylophone. My son couldn't picture what I was explaining so I decided to make a quick craft with the kids to see if it would refresh his memory without grabbing the ipad to give him a visualization.

This craft took about 4 minutes for my speedy little boy. It would have taken half of that time had I not nudged him to color the sticks completely.

You will need
6 craft sticks
markers
glue



As you can see I placed 2 of the craft sticks at vertical slants almost mimicking a V

I had Roo color 4 of the sticks in whatever colors he liked


Next we placed the sticks horizontally on the vertical sticks, like rungs on a ladder, securing with 2 beads of white glue per stick

By the time we had placed 3 of the 4 sticks on the frame, Roo remembered what a xylophone was. This was easy to make and the kids had fun banging on the craft stick xylophone. I enjoyed that part too because it was quieter than the real deal.

This was also a great way to discuss colors, shapes, ladders and how one might use a ladder as well as how rungs are like steps in a trickier way. I loved that so much conversation happened around one simple project, involving 6 craft sticks!





Don't miss this fun paper sandwich craft for kids!

A Stroll At The Kingwood Center

As a family, we love to visit The Kingwood Center in Mansfield several times a year. My husband and I love the flowers and plants. The kids love the statues and we all love the exercise! It is easy to spend an hour strolling the paths with the kids.

The Kingwood was one of the first places Adam and I visited when we moved to Mansfield, pre-kids. Over the years we moved, but we make a point to visit The Kingwood several times a year with the kids, not only for the experience but also to revisit our roots in a way.

The Kingwood Center is a 47 acre estate that is open to the public. The grounds are compromised of gardens that are breathtaking. Kingwood Center Gardens develops and displays exemplary gardens on the former estate of Charles Kelley King for the pleasure and education of its constituents.  While admission is free there is a parking charge. It is minimal and helps to support the operation of this amazing place in Ohio.

If you visit, plan to stop by the greenhouses. It is easy to get swept away in the fun of the outdoor experience, but the greenhouse offers many gems including a fantastic banana tree. We seem to make a purchase of a plant on each visit.

This is a great place to snap some awesome photos of your family. The flowers are awesome in the spring and summer, in the fall the leaves add a lot to the experience.

Be sure to bring quarters to buy a few handfuls of food for the ducks! If you pay attention you may see the peacocks. They were nesting on eggs on our last month so we really hope to make it back this summer to see babies!

Do you have a favorite public garden? I would love to hear about it!

Hand Print Fish Puppets

One of my favorite things about being a mom is to watch the pleasure my kids get from simple items. Last spring my husband cut out a photo of Colonel Sanders and glued it to a craft stick. He casually laid the Colonel on the table for the kids to discover at breakfast. They went wild over this! 

Last night after the kids were tucked into bed, inspiration hit me and I got busy crafting up something fun for them.  I hoped that the idea would inspire them to want to get crafty with me after seeing how fun these little puppets could be!

These are so easy to make. This is maybe a 3 minute project that will bring hours of entertainment. While entertainment is important, there are subtle and vital things happening when your kids engage in imaginative play. 

Benefits of Pretend Play

Pretend play allows the expression of both positive and negative feelings, and the modulation of affect, the ability to integrate emotion with cognition (Jent, Niec, & Baker, 2011; Seja, & Russ, 1999; Slade and Wolf, 1999).  Pretend play, fosters language development, thinking skills, and helps to develop emotional and social skills in children ages 2 thru 7. The creativity unleashed thru dramatic play has long-term benefits too. From problem-solving thru imaginary situations to the ability to express feelings.

Isn't it incredible to think that so many things can come from playing with a handmade puppet!?  Well, let's get to it and make one so the play time can begin!

Supplies needed

handprint cut out on colorful paper

small paper triangle

small paper heart

white school glue

a googly eye

craft stick

Directions

To begin, trace a hand and cut it out on colorful paper. 

I applied a little glue to affix the eye.

I also cut out a small triangle from another colorful paper and an oddly shaped heart for lips.

I applied a small amount of glue in the middle of the handprint for the small triangle.

I applied a small dot of glue for the heart paper for lips.

Next, add a little glue on the top of the craft stick and affixed it to the back of the handprint, in the middle of the handprint.

Allow the glue to dry and you have a fun fish puppet.

What Did the Kids Think?

The craft was well received with Harper, who took both of the fish puppets that I made and dashed off to play with them before her brother could see them. I chalked that up as a success.

Once Roo got a peek at the fish puppets he said, "Mom can you trace my hand?" That was all it took and the construction paper came out for handprint tracing.  After lunch today we are going to make a few of these together for an afternoon of crafting and puppet play!

Puppet play is a lot of fun for kids, but there is something almost magical about creating a puppet of your own design and bringing it to life via imaginative play. This project required the most simple of supplies and it can be completed in a matter of moments. There is no reason not to give it a shot with your kids! The benefits of simple projects like this that create an invitation to play are abundant, the mess from such a project is minimal and you likely already have these items on hand, or you could improvise with any paper or cardboard, tape and a straw if not!

Berry Vanilla Parfaits {Easy Patriotic Parfaits}

This easy recipe requires no baking and is a perfect sweet treat with berries, sponge cake and ice cream. So easy to assemble anyone can make this scrumptious dessert that combines 5 simple ingredients.

Unless you spend time in my company on holidays, you wouldn't know this secret fact me. On a holiday, I take a nap! I feel drained after all of the preparations usually and my husband is home on every holiday known to mankind, {hooray!} so there is an able bodied adult to keep our little ones happy.

On Memorial Day, I really wanted to have a nap. I shooed the family out the door for a round of frisbee golf and the house was quiet. As I looked around, I realized it was now or never. I attacked the closets, the massive amount of blankets and the aftermath of a what feels like a constant toy tornado with a vengeance. I folded laundry, sorted out items we no longer need for donation and tidied up my office/studio.

As I smiled and surveyed my impromptu cleaning spree I realized I had not made dessert, and my family had let me know several times they wanted cake. Luckily I had 3 slices of sponge cake left over from a recipe I made a few days prior and a few other simple ingredients on hand.

Ingredients

1 pint of strawberries, cleaned, destemmed sliced

1 pint of blackberries, cleaned

1/4 cup of white sugar

Vanilla Bean ice cream

3 x 2" thick slices of sponge cake, cut into 1" cubes

1/4 cup of water

Directions

Add your strawberry slices and blackberries together in a bowl

Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Gently stir.

Layer 3 or 4 cake cubes into a pretty glass or parfait bowl

Add 2 small scoops of ice cream {I used a cookie dough scoop for the perfect size}

Spoon berries and a little of the sugar water/ juice mixture over the cake cubes and ice cream

Add 2 more cake cubes to the glass

Serve immediately as the cake will get saturated with the liquid for a delicious flavor infusion

Repeat until the ingredients are depleted.

This recipe will serve 6.

This was the perfect easy patriotic parfait to make for Memorial Day. I will definitely be serving this to guests on the 4th of July and Labor Day as well! Actually, strike that, this is going to be one of those easy recipes for the hot summer months that I add into my rotation without a doubt!

What is your favorite no bake dessert recipe to serve in the summer months?

You might also enjoy this Fruity Waffle Recipe made with Gerber Baby Food.

How To Remove Cat Urine From Carpet

There is nothing quite like the smell of cat pee on your carpet to really put a damper on the day. While we don't want to admit it, life with pets leads to a few messes here and there. Cat pee can be such a hard odor to get rid of, especially on carpet! It also seems that once your cat has an accident on the carpet, that spot is going to become a frequent place for future accidents if not treated.

My cat has had several accidents over the years. I have tried several methods to remove the odors and the germs! From specialty products sold in pet stores to natural remedies. I have had a variety of results as you can imagine. It seems that the products that work the best require the most work. Then one day, I had an idea and I tried it... Luckily it worked! I can't wait to share this easy DIY solution to pet odors that not only kills bacteria and germs but also has a pleasant smell!

Best of all- this is a DIY solution for pet odors like cat pee that will only cost you $2 to create. You may already have all of the supplies on hand for a frugal and fast fix to pet accidents!

The first step to take when your pet has an accident is to clean up as much of the urine as possible with paper towels. Blot it up as soon as possible until your paper towel is dry after blotting! This will make the job so much easier.

If you have a newspaper around lay it on top of the area where the accident occurred. The newspaper will absorb some of the odor.

Affiliate links are used!

Next, you need an empty spray bottle and mouthwash.

Pour mouthwash into your clean and empty spray bottle.

Simply spray this over the area that the accident occurred. Spray the area down until it is damp.

And there you have it. A simple DIY Cat Urine Remover that is super easy to make and use. The mouthwash will kill bacteria and leave a pleasant smell. As you can see I used mint, because that is what my local Dollar Tree had in stock.

How do you deal with the mess and smell when an accident happens? 

Millstone Creek Park : Topping the List of Best Ohio Playgrounds

We really love to go to the park and play! My family has a once a week standing date for the park. When my son gets out of school we go to the park and play! Mr. Sweet Silly Sara meets us there when he is off of work. It is probably my kids favorite day of the week. Not only do we love to enjoy the parks in our town, but we also love to get out and look for the best parks and playgrounds that Ohio has to offer.

In August we had to make a trip to Lancaster, Ohio. That is a long drive with young kids. On our way back we made a detour to Westerville, Ohio to Millstone Creek Park. Our kids were so glad to get out, stretch their legs and play with other kids!

This is the most awesome park we have experienced with the kids. As we arrived, we enjoyed a short walk over a boardwalk. My kids were delighted to hear a bullfrog and see it hop into the water. As we arrived at the playground my kids were ready to run!

Harp loves Millstone Creek Park!

 My son really loved the park. He was a blur then entire time we were there. Constant motion! I promise he was there, but no great photos of Roo were taken.

Harp was ready to climb!

 One of the things I loved about this park was there were so many things for kids of all ages and all abilities to do. This is one of the playgrounds that are accessible and fun for kids with special needs such as wheelchairs. Knowing that this area was designed with all kids in mind really sets it apart from others!

The park had a nice sculpture to view and a great slide; that kind of went down a hill into an area of tall grass. This was fun for my adventure seeker son!

My sweet little Harper adored this park. There were so many things for her to do, explore and discover. To see her having so much fun was contagious. My mood immediately lifted upon the first sound of her giggles.

This park was spacious, super clean and really quite lovely. The sound of happy children playing was thick in the air and there was no way to avoid the contagious feeling of a great summer day.

The entire family loved the option of taking the boardwalk or hopping over some stones in a creek to reach the playground. My husband and I had a blast playing this electronic game together. It was a fun way to get moving ourselves while showing our kids you are never to old to play!

Millstone Creek Park was fantastic. It very well may be the best park in Ohio. It is certainly on the top of our list of Best Ohio Playgrounds!

30 Days to Move: Day 11 Get Serious About Junk

Okay, this series started with good intentions but obviously, I couldn't keep up in the midst of a move! (Smart idea, bad timing or bad time management... you be the judge.)

On Day 11, I got serious about what I considered junk and what I felt was worth the trouble of packing and moving. I went through our house (everything that wasn't packed and destined to be kept) and started tossing junk into one of two huge boxes.

What is junk?

By my definition junk consists of:

Shoes I haven't worn in at least a year

Clothes that are outgrown or worse for wear

Toys the dogs never play with because they are well... junk!

Toys the kids have outgrown

Kitchen gadgets I never use

Excess plastic bowls with lids

Magazines I will never read due to time

While I was sorting this junk, I made one box the to donate box. This was the box of things someone could use but I felt had no real value.

The second box was yard sale items.

Yes, I know moving is crazy, but having a yard sale is genius when moving. You will reduce the amount of junk you either have to haul to Goodwill or pack and move. Plus, if you do it right you will make a ton of cash and can buy new stuff for your new home!

Traveling With Kids : A Day at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

I visited the location in this article as a guest of the Columbus Zoo.

On our first week of summer we traveled to Columbus, Ohio with the kids to experience one of the many fantastic offerings the city has for families. We got a chance to get our walk on, enjoy the sun and see so many breath taking animals all in one spot!

Where was this? If you are following me on Instagram you might have guessed that we visited the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium! If you are not following me there, you should be! I am getting more active there and sharing lots of my adventures!

We visited the Columbus Zoo on a perfect June day. As soon as we arrived and decided on a path, we were able to take in the sights of the Black Rhino enjoying his morning munch.

The mom in me swooned over the swans with the eggs in their nest.

My son and I loved the Camels!

The sheer number of exhibits and animals at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium makes it well worth the trip to the city,

 The elephants were lovely!

The flamingos made a great group to photograph!

We have visited the Columbus Zoo numerous times over the years. I am never disappointed and I am always very impressed with the continuous effort to make this one of the best places for families to visit for a zoo experience!

This guy stole my daughters heart and attention. She was amazed with him!


I wanted to share a few tips with you to make your next trip to the Columbus Zoo even more enjoyable, if you are traveling with the kids.

Make sure your children wear comfortable shoes. There is a lot of walking and this is a good thing! Kids will get plenty of activity and hopefully sleep wonderfully that night, but folks, do you really want to be carrying a 20+ pound child for several miles?

If your kids are not accustomed to walking very far, take them on a few walks around the block as preparation for the Zoo. 

Pack a few drinks and snacks for the kids to sustain them in between meals and exhibits!

Sunscreen! Enough said!

Bring a pack of travel Baby Wipes. Even if the kids are a bit older these are so handy for freshening up in the summer!

Make sure your phones and cameras are ready for lots of great photo ops!

Grab a map, if the kids are really little, like mine are, decide what exhibits are most important to see and aim for those first, seeing what you can on the way. You never know how much a small child can take in terms of walking in the summer sun.

Take advantage of the play areas for the kids. Give them a break and a chance to let loose. You can rest on a bench and bask in the sound of happy children at play for a little while!


Have you ever visited the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium? If not what is your favorite Zoo?

A Car Show With the Kids

My little boy likes Super Heroes, trains, dinosaurs, sports and of course CARS! Anything with wheels is a hit with Roo!

While we were strolling around at a little community event in Galion, Ohio my son was delighted to see a car show! He strolled among hot rods, classics and styles we had never heard of!

Holy Smokes! It is the Bat Mobile!

                                                     My guys went into a trance ...

                                        Even I had to admit this was quite a sight of a car.

                                     These are the kinds of cars that little boys dream of.

Imagine the delight of both of my kids when we found the Mystery Machine! We are just starting our interest in Scooby Doo so this was.... Ah-Mazing!

Then we ran into a really great Micro-Bus. My husband was wide eyed and tye dye dreaming for a few minutes over this one.

I loved that seeing this in our little town. It was like a mobile part of history that we got to show our kids. They are little, but someday I will show them these pictures and maybe trigger their memories of this day when they want to learn about the 60's!

Isn't it amazing how out of the blue you can find things like this in the smallest towns? While I am not a "car person" I love sharing in experiences that my kids are interested in and experiencing the magic and joy of it through their eyes.

When was the last time you took your kids to something like a car show? Did they enjoy the experience of seeing so many cool cars?

30 Days to Move : Day 9

Well, the dream house... wasn't the dream house after all. There was just no way to make it work financially. I didn't get too discouraged. Remember I had a plan to fall on... campground living.

I half joked there.

Well the search continued. Houses were scooped out and promptly passed on when the insides were viewed, or the neighbors were sighted. House hunting proved to exhausting.

So, tossing in the towel for a day I have to admit. I wallowed in misery. I cried. I ate cookies.

That day feeling especially helpless and hopeless I prayed long and hard for God to shove me and I would do the work to get there.

So, on Day #9 of 30... Here are some more tidbits on what not to do:

Don't give up.
Keep Looking! Neighbors be damned, if you need a house, don't give up.

Don't cry.

Don't Wallow in Misery.

Don't turn to cookies.

Instead:

Keep sorting, packing and eliminating things that you really don't want, need or use. This stuff should not be moved to your new house.

Keep your attitude positive. There are houses!

30 Days to Move : Day 8 The Dream House

On Day 8 I found my packing mojo again. I started stuffing things into boxes at the speed of pack! Just seeing the pile of boxes grow bigger motivated me to keep going!

And behold, a call came in! We had a second viewing at a house, that like all others, I got a crush on from photos. I looked again and again. I was ready to make an offer on this house. Forget renting it. I wanted it NOW.

Funny how this works out.  Feast or famine and all.

As we are headed over to look at the "dream house" a call comes about viewing a third house. We make an appointment, options are good!

As we look at the Dream House, my heart pitter patters. I see my family growing up here. Oh, this house. This charming old house with modern updates. Be still my heart.

The catch? It was way out of budget. However, that heart was willing to do what it had to do to get this house... for 20 minutes we discussed dropping this, selling that, blah blah... it was going to happen.

I shared photos of the house with tons of friends, I gushed. I really had a crush on this space!

This made me ready to start packing with purpose. This was the house....

30 Days to Move: Day 7

By Day 7 I had a viewing! The house was cute, but bland. White and gray everything. But, it had lots of closets. As we walked through I liked it... a lot. 

We approached the subject of pets. He said "People with dogs won't be my first choice... but go ahead and fill this out. Let's meet Sunday morning to discuss." Huzzah. A Prospect. 

As we drove away, the mixed emotions played in. The location was not prime. It had no fence, neighbored a car wash and was on Main Street. With Kids and Dogs, this was an issue.

We talked about installing a fence with his okay. End of discussion. Or was it.

We had no more prospects in order so we saw the application out and went back Sunday. The guy wasn't there... he was at Sam's Club. He forgot... 

Not one to waste time, we scouted out several other houses. In no time, we found 2 lovely possibilities and one so so option.

The game continued.

As this was one full week in, we were starting to worry... just a little. 

I continued searching and Adam networked.

As the day continued on, I gave up on packing... I really got discouraged. My stress levels were high. I basically had a mini relapse of Day 6.