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Forget gold coins, real leprechauns want gold bars, like these Pot of Gold Trail Mix Bars. Time to get away from the hearts and flowers from Valentine’s Day, up next is St. Patrick’s Day.   Annie loves rice crispy treats.  She got ahold of Ned’s one day when he wasn’t looking and it’s been her favorite treat ever since.  So that is the base for this treat.  Plus, throw in some of her other favorites (chocolate, pretzels and raisins) and you get a loaded, adorable, golden bar of deliciousness good enough for all the leprechauns in the land. Pot of Gold …

Happy Valentine’s Day!  In honor of this day we made a pink strawberry banana smoothie and cupcakes. So good! Becoming a mom is such a cool thing because it truly changes your perspective on love.  This used to be the holiday I looked forward to with romantic love for Ned, drawing his name in hearts on my notebook.  It is still that of course, but now there’s a whole new level and kind of love to celebrate.  I love crafting with the kids.  There are so many great seasonal crafts out there from super creative moms and I find myself …

Most of the time my kids mocktails are cold drinks, but on days like today when it’s 21 degrees out I just have to pull out this cheery White Chocolate mocktail.  I love how festive it is, but it can also just be a nice winter drink too by changing the color of the sprinkles. Maybe even white for a snowy day.  It’s the perfect drink for when you are doing your last minute online shopping. It’s like a hot chocolate, only it’s made with melted white chocolate instead of instant cocoa powder.  The best part about white chocolate as opposed …

It’s this time of year that you never know when someone will stop by for a quick hello.  Once the house is cleaned up and ready, I like to prepare a homemade dessert.  Simplicity is the key, which is why I love this Apple Crisp Dessert. It’s so simple, easy to make and delicious — just the right amount of tangy and sweet.  It’s a great excuse to pull out the KitchenAid mixer.  Plus, this apple crisp reminds me of my mom.  She used to bake this when I was growing up. Now it’s such a sweet reminder of childhood …

My house is never cleaner than when I find out someone is coming to visit.  Given enough time, I tackle all of the usual tasks like dusting and vacuuming at least twice, in addition to many less common tasks like dusting the fans, washing the baseboards, breaking down the boxes in the basement, planting new flowers in the garden, reupholstering furniture and maybe even refinishing the bathtub.  That’s nothing…you should see me when I’m nesting!  When notice is short, I resort to speed cleaning.   I actually like it when people come to visit because of the extra motivation. The house …

This was the second year I’ve hosted Thanksgiving in our house.  Last year it was just my in-laws.  This year my mom was able to join us from Colorado, so I really wanted everything to be perfect.  So I planned out the day so I could focus on the cooking, while setting up fun activities for Annie with my mom and husband.  Everybody wins.  We started the day watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Then we pulled out this fun sensory bin that I put together the day before. What is a Sensory Bin? A sensory bin is an interactive …

Our two-year-old used to be such a good eater. She would eat anything we gave her in the purée stage. Even after that she stayed a pretty good eater for a while. But for the last six months or so she’s grown more and more picky. I’m always looking for creative ways to get her some protein and honestly some calories. So we tried these peanut butter m&m oat balls that I upgraded to create a fun seasonal version. She loves them!  I love that they are easy to make and are flexible. You can do M&Ms or raisins, or …

It is finally fall and I am so excited.  This is my favorite time of year.  The heat of summer is fading away into crisp morning air and the leaves are starting to turn colors.  One of the things I love most about fall is how it presents in so many of my senses: seeing the beautiful, natural colors; hearing the rustling of the leaves; feeling the cool air through my cable knit sweater; smelling the warm mulled spices; and the taste of this pumpkin bread.   I thought I’d share with you the Pumpkin Bread recipe that our family uses.  …

One of my favorite things is to give each season dimension.  Decorating for the season is visual.  Lighting a candle is olfactory.  Giving a season a sense of taste helps you perceive the season internally, making it seem more real.  I think that’s why I always rush out to get a pumpkin spice latte as soon as they arrive in Starbucks and why our family loves this Apple Cider Mocktail. The back half of the year is my favorite.  Don’t get me wrong, the bright, light, and sweet flavors of spring and summer are great, but when autumn hits I’m …