The Greatest List of Summer – Must Reads

Summer is here and I have teamed up with some other great bloggers to bring you your one stop list of great summer ideas.  We have recipes and fun activities to do at home and visit.

RECIPES

Easy Peasy Pinwheels | A Boy and His Mom

Link: https://aboyandhismom.com/recipe/pinwheels/

With summer parties and BBQs in full swing, here’s an easy recipe that the other guests will not only enjoy but ask you to bring again.

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Quick and Easy Freezer Pops | Happily Ever Hauser

Link: http://www.happilyeverhauser.com/2017/06/10/freezer-pop-party-favors/

Summer is here!! This means celebrations, birthday parties, BBQs and more! Here’s a quick and easy party favor idea to add to your next summer gathering!

 

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Summer Italian Treat: Affogato | Viva la Dolce

Link: http://www.vivaladolce.com/2017/06/summer-italian-treat-affogato.html?m=1

The summer is here and that means sunshine and lots of gelato (ice cream)! Check out this delicious recipe for an Italian twist on the classic summer treat!

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Summer Crab Salad Recipe | Ordinary Stephanie

Link: http://ordinarystephanie.com/summer-crab-salad-recipe/

Summer is here and the temperatures are already rising!! If you are looking for a yummy and fresh salad recipe check out this one out! After all, who wants to turn on the oven or stove on these hot summer days? Enjoy!

 

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Summer Activities

Disneyland Time-Saving Tips from a Local Mom | Mom and Carrot

Link: https://momandcarrot.com/disneyland-time-saving-secrets-from-a-local-mom/

Are you heading to the Disneyland resort this summer? Here are great tips from a local mom for seeing the resort when you are short on time, including how to beat food lines and how to go through security check-points quicker. This post will help you see more and do more on your next trip!

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Minimalistic Beach Days | Live Love Learn Gracefully

Link: http://livelovelearngracefully.com/minimalistic-beach-days/

Whether you live at the beach or visit one throughout the summer, beach days are a blast on hot summer days! If you add kids to the mix, you’ll more than likely be taking everything but the kitchen sink with you! Here are some tips and my top 5 favorite things to take to the beach!

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Disney Summer Play Days | New Adventures in Mommyhood

Link https://newadventuresinmommyhood.wordpress.com/

The summer is a great time to take on new adventures and try some new activities; specially as the kiddos start to get restless.

Did you know that the Disney Store offers a free annual summer long weekly event?

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5 Things to Research Before You Head Out This Summer | A Life with a Little

Link: http://www.alifewithalittle.com/2017/06/19/5_things_research_summer_activities/

This summer means fun in the sun, barbecues and hot dogs, cool drinks, exploring with the kids, and enjoying some much needed relaxation. But before you get out in the sun, check out this list of 5 things you should research BEFORE you head out on your summer plans! Here are 5 things you might not think to research about the places you’ll go, so give it a look and see what you need to think about before the kids drag you out of the house!

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Fun Activities At Home

#PayFunForward Summer Fun – Surprise Packs | Travels With Tots

Link: https://travelswithtotsblog.com/2017/06/12/payfunforward-summer-fun-surprise-packs/

Summer is finally here and it’s a great time to spread some cheer around your neighborhood! Here’s how we did it and how you can, too!

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Summer Activities for Kids at Home | Jesus and Wine

Link: http://jesusandwine.com/summer-activities-to-do-at-home/

Summer is officially here, and we’re celebrating by listing 10 different summer activities you can do with your kids at home this summer! The best part? They’re inexpensive, involve little prep work, and they’re great for kids of any age! Keep your kids entertained and enjoying summer with these fun activities!

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Top 5 Best Water & Sensory Tables of 2017 | Little Bit of Learning

Link: http://www.littlebitoflearning.com/top-5-best-water-sensory-tables-2017/

It’s hard to stay cool during the summer and keep your kids actively engaged in play. That’s why I love these water tables! Your porch will be the hit this summer with these engaging water tables plus some ideas for great sensory add-ons!

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Easy, Peasy Pinwheels For Your Next Party

The summer weather is finally here and outdoor parties and gatherings are now in full swing.  Looking for something that you can bring to these events that is not only easy but will wow the other guests?  These easy, peasy  pinwheels are the perfect choice.

The best part is you can change up the ingredients to suit certain dietary restrictions or tastes.  Whether you want a spicy kick or something more suited for kids, the possibilities are endless.

All you need is your favorite brand of tortilla shells, spreadable cream cheese, veggies (or fruit) and you are ready to go.   I tend to go with a flavored cream cheese to add even more flavor but plain is fine as well.

The possibilities are endless with this recipe.  In this particular recipe, I am showing my version of a spicy veggie pinwheel.

Eash Peasy Pinwheels

These pinwheels are super easy to make and can be made so many different ways to suit the tastes of any group.

• 4 each Tortilla shells (I used the larger size ones)
• 1 package spreadable cream cheese (jalapeno flavor )
• 1 unit red pepper (finely chopped)
• 1 unit green pepper (finely chopped)
• 2 each green oions (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup black olives (finely chopped)

1. You can use basically any flavor cream cheese you wish and any combination of veggies/fruit to suit your taste. These are the ingredients for my spicy veggie version.
   
2. Put all the chopped up veggies in a medium size bowl and add cream cheese. Mix well.
   
3. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on each of the tortilla, leaving some space at the edge so it doesn’t spill out when rolled.
   
4. Roll up each tortilla as tightly as possible without the ingredients spilling out. (Will resemble a cigar).
   
5. Wrap each rolled up tortilla in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
   
6. Just prior to using, cut up each tortilla into bite sized pinwheels. Voila, ready to serve.
   

Meals made easy with Hello Fresh

Disclosure:  Although items is this post were provided to me, all comments, opinions and photos are my own.  This post may also contain affiliate links.

Most parents will agree that making healthy meals after a long day at work can sometimes feel like more work than the 8 hour day they just put in.  Some meals may be easier than others to pull together but let’s be honest, we can’t rely on grilled cheese and soup every night now can we?  Once in a while having everything pulled together for me so all I have to do is assemble and cook makes meal time a real pleasure.

I have seen advertisements for several different meal delivery services and the concept to me was something I knew I wanted to try.  Luckily, Hello Fresh is now available in Canada and I couldn’t wait to give it a go.   Having meals delivered to my door with all the ingredients in their own little box ready for me to prepare sounded amazing after a hard day at work.

Hello Fresh has several different plans available based on your family size and dietary needs.  And each week there are different menus for you to try.  That is one of the key features that I loved about them.  I love trying new recipes to add to our rotation but hate buying all the different ingredients that we don’t normally use unless I know it’s going to be a winner.  This way you can try new meal ideas without a ton of leftovers that you will never use again sitting in your cupboards.  And you’re not locked into having deliveries every week, you can put your account on hold whenever you need/want to.

Because it is just my son and I, we got the Pronto Box and each box made the perfect size meals to feed the both of us.  I really liked the portion size as it was just enough to make us both feel full but not overstuffed. I have a bad habit of making too much food and it going to waste.  The produce and meat were as fresh as if I had picked up from the grocery store myself that day.

The 3 meals that we enjoyed were the BBQ Sausage Skewers, Dukkah Steak and  Honey Sesame Chicken.  I can’t even say which one was my favorite because I loved each one of them.  My son tried the sausage skewers and the sesame chicken and he says the chicken was his favorite.

The one thing that I really liked is that each of the meals came with a detailed recipe card so that I can recreate these meals again using our own ingredients.  

This service was everything I had hoped it would be.  I plan to order again in the coming weeks and especially come the fall when we’re back to school and dinner time can be a little more hectic.

If you want to try this service, use the code ABOYANDHISMOM at checkout and for $30 off the first and second box ($60 total) that you order.

Summer Loving with PinkBlush

Disclosure:  Although items in this post were provided to me, all comments, opinions and photos are my own.

Finally the warm weather is here and we can start to enjoy wearing cute summer dresses.  Looking to add more to your closet, then PinkBlush is the answer to this dilemma.  With so many cute and easy to wear styles, it was really hard to choose what I wanted,  I wanted them all.  I have shopped PinkBlush before and loved the dress that I got, so I was excited to add more to my collection.

My first choice was this chambray lace up sleeveless dress.  The fabric is super soft and who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?  It’s perfect for a casual summer day but could easily be dressed up for an evening out on a patio or summer party.  I am someone who gets chilly quite easily and this dress can easily get me through a cooler day/evening with a cute little cardigan added to the outfit.

What I love about PinkBlush is that most of their items are so versatile.  The majority of their items are designed for women everyday and as maternity clothes, so a women can feel stylish at any point in her life. They are cut to be flattering and make you feel good in what your are wearing.  I wish I had known about them back when I had my son years ago.