If you know me personally, than you know that almost every story I have leads back to the beach.  Or if it doesn’t start with the beach, I’ll have my story make a sharp curve to head to another story about the beach  ;)   The beach & the ocean are part of my core.  The dear & sweet people at the amazing Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort must have known that I needed some beach therapy, because they provided an amazing room with a view for our family to come & visit.  Apparently, my kids feel the same way about the beach.  They l i v e for it as well…(ahem) as you can see by the very first pic above & video below, they could hardly contain themselves when we arrived on the beach in Sandestin, FL.

For us as a family, our main goal is to be together on vacation.  We do everything together & our goal of vacation destinations is that they are very family focused.  We stay away from places that have possible rif raf,  our personal mindset is that we’ve waited, saved, planned & dreamed of vacation for a year & why waste that one glorious week on a place you may not enjoy?  That is why we really do our homework when planning our vacations.  We want to have those precious family moments together, in a great location, and in a family friendly town.  Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort is everything we wished for & more.  Their property has an “ocean” side & a “bay” side. Both sides of the property host gorgeous golf courses, along with beach/water sports.   On the Bay side, the possibilities are endless as to entertain, play & eat with the entire family. 

I am one hot, hormonal mess during the Summertime.  If you need to find me, look for the coolest house running the A/C nonstop, that also has the highest electric bill on the block & that’s where I’ll be.

I avoid the heat whenever possible.  It’s a thing I have to do to save our marriage.  Because I am known to be grumpy when I’m hot.

So to start up a firepit to have S’mores in the backyard, is not my ideal of “spending quality family time together” in the summertime.  So when I saw this on pinterest for a party idea, I knew I had to try it with the kids.

Because if it worked…I knew I could grin & bear the heat to become mother of the year again for “spending quality family time together.”

Here’s what you’ll need.  A terracotta pot, charcoal, lighter fluid (if needed), lighter, foil to line the pot, s’more stick, and everything you need to make S’mores.  (the important stuff )

 No camping required.   ((Praise, Jesus!))
No firepits required.
No fireplace required.
Just use a terracotta pot!

It’s kinda like Glamping, but at home, with your makeup on & the regular bathrooms just steps away.  Hallelujah!   My kind of S’mores.

 It’s so easy!  And the clean up…just gather up your charcoal ashes once they’re cool in the foil & disgard.  Easy peasy!

And here they are…those happy kids of mine!  Enjoying the Summer night with me their Mama & a big fan right smack in front of us while were eating our S’mores.
Meanwhile, I’m just trying to grin & bear it just to become “Mother of the Year…again.”  ;)

s’more image from here

You know when you taste something for the first time, and it’s sooooo good & you find it hard to express your feelings?

Other than using words like: “MMMMM, oooooo, that’s sooooo good, or OMG!”

Well, that my friends is how good this Mexican Queso HOT Corn is!  I promise you will love it!

First, let me welcome you to our Progressive Summertime dinner party!

This post & recipe is one of many in the progressive dinner that you’ll see listed below.  We also have an amazing giveaway (also at the end of this post) sponsored by KitchenAid, Cost Plus World Market, and the brand spakin’ new Woot Froot!

Here’s what you’ll need to make Mexican Queso HOT Corn:

• 4 corn cobs, husked
• spray oil or some olive oil
• 1/4 cup mayonaise
• 1 cup queso (crumbled Mexican Cheese)
• Ancho Chili Powder, to taste
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Cilantro leaves, to garnish

The unique thing about corn is that you can cook it so many ways.  But my absolute favorite way is to grill it.  However, our grill is not hooked up yet, so I used the next best thing!  An iron skillet!  It did make the house a little smokey, but the flavor was just as good.  Mix your mayo & queso together in a bowl.  If you have to have corn on the cob with butter, you can definitely add some as well.

 Once you are done grilling or making it in the skillet, add your mayo & queso mixture to your corn.

Then sprinkle your Ancho Chili Powder on top of your corn & queso mixture, add a squirt or a lot of lime & I highly recommend the cilantro.  But for those of you who may not know, I am a Cilantro fanatic!   You can never have enough Cilantro!

This I can assure you will be an added side to your weekly meals.  It’s soooo good!

As I mentioned above, this recipe is one of many participating in our Summertime Progressive Dinner.  These recipes listed below are mouthwatering good!  Plus, each & everyone of these bloggers are so amazingly creative.  You will love them all!

Normally, I try to return from vacation with salads & drinking more water in mind.

Well, you can see how that’s working out for me.

This idea popped into my head while we were on the ABC game driving back in stop & go traffic from Florida to Tennessee.

Outside of pouring cereal in bowls, this is the first thing I made since our return.  I couldn’t get it out of my head.

And trust me…they (yes, they because I ate a few…) are really g o o d!

Here’s what you’ll need:
2 puff pastry sheets
Nutella
fried bacon, slightly under cooked – not crunchy
caramel or butterscotch sauce – such as Smuckers
powered sugar – if desired

Preheat your oven to 375*  I bake them in between 15-20 minutes.  But keep an eye out after the first 15 minutes because ovens vary.

Start with layering.  Thaw out your puff pastry per the instructions on the back of the box.  I used parchment paper first & started spreading like you see above.  Nutella first, then add your bacon.  Then you’ll need to roll your puff pastry up.  (Sorry I didn’t get any pictures of this step, like a dummy) & use a knife & carefully cut pinwheels & place on a baking sheet & bake.

Cool slightly & drizzle your favorite sauce topping over your puff & dust with powered sugar.
Don’t drizzle the topping over all of them for storage purposes, unless you plan on eating them all.  ~ Which is easy to do, mind you.

I highly recommend eating these once cooled slightly from the oven with a tall glass of milk.

In the morning.

Noon.

And at night.

They are amazing!
::
::
Linking with:

Tatertots and Jello, Tidy Mom, I Heart Naptime, Tip Junkie, Today’s Creative Blog, 30 Handmade Days, Home Stories A to Z

It’s a beautiful thing, when all the laundry is folded.  To be truthful, it’s a rare thing to be caught up on the laundry even for a day in our house.  Because if we’re being honest here, it’s just for a day that you really are caught up!  I try to remind myself that it’s a never ending job, because otherwise it can be overwhelming!

Here are some other tips I use when doing the laundry:

TIME MANAGEMENT:
I always try to go to bed with both the washer & dryer empty.  Being a family of 5, with young kids, I typically do at least one load a day.  If possible before I start our morning routine, I always throw a load of clothes in the washing machine.  That way when I come back from taking the kids to school, and after all the morning routine is over, I can throw them into the dryer & we are half way done with a load of clothes before you know it.

STAINS:
I have 2 easy secrets that I use ALL the time for stains. I pour actual laundry detergent on the stains, if I can get to them “the day of” but my all time favorite thing I use to get the stains out is a regular bar of soap.  I run cold water over the stain & then take a regular bar of soap & rub the soap against the stain until lots of suds appear.  Then when I can get to do the laundry, I already know that my soiled clothes have been treated & are ready to be washed.

WHITES:
Bleach & the soak cycle are my best friends.  I’m known to soak a load in a mixture of bleach & laundry detergent for a few hours before I run it through the wash & rinse cycle.  It works like a charm every time on those gross grass & dirt stained socks!

FOLDING & PUTTING AWAY:
Folding & putting the clothes away is the hardest part for me!  I don’t know why but I hate to fold & put away clothes.  We have several laundry baskets in our house.  You can find them cheap at the big box stores or at family dollar type of store.  Trust me on this, go & buy yourself some extra baskets!  So on big laundry days, I get all my laundry baskets out & place one by each bedroom door.  Once I do a load of clothes – I place the according clothes for the according bedroom in that particular basket by the door.  I will wait until my laundry is done for the day, before I actually put the clothes away from the baskets.  It saves time & you’re doing everything all at the same time for that particular bedroom.  Then when each laundry basket is empty, I stacked them together to be used again, on another big laundry day.

This is a collaboration between Tide Original Liquid HE and the AOL Lifestyle Curator Network. Compensation was provided by Tide Original Liquid HE via AOL Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Tide Original Liquid HE.

Hello Hello!!!

I’ve got another fun giveaway for you all!  Man, this Summer season is starting off with a big bang!

Who needs some extra cash???

Got some projects lined up for summer?   Or a trip to Grandma’s planned?

Well, then we’ve got just the thing for you!  How about a chance to win an extra $500 in cash???  That sounds really good to me too!  All you have to do is follow the instructions in the rafflecopter box below!  It’s easy entries & you can tweet once a day for extra entries throughout the giveaway!

Good Luck to you all & happy Summer!
xoxo

For our soldiers, emergency responders, our teachers & their families we are so thankful for their service & selfless acts in protecting us, our freedoms & our children.
May we always remember, be grateful & never forget.

Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day surrounded by the ones you love.

What’s your plans this weekend?  Are you throwing a cookout?  Making some homemade ice cream for the first time this year?  Does your plans include some sparklers to celebrate Memorial Day???  Well, then I’ve got just the thing for you!  I’m guest posting over at Tidy Mom’s today & the above Sparkler Holder Printables are free for the taking at Tidy Mom’s!  They are the simplest to make & I must say you will be extremely organized when it’s time for your family to get their spark on!  They’re the perfect {FREE} accessory to add to your Summer holiday gatherings!!!

Wishing you all a lovely & safe holiday weekend!!!
xoxo

A post where I get to tell you about my love for Carter’s and my kids (maybe not in that order ) ~  sponsored by Carter’s.

There’s no doubt, being a mother is hard work.  You have your good days & your bad days.  There’s days when the wild antics of 3 kids can roll off my back like a bouncing ball, and then there are days when they drive me nuts.  The thing about being a Mom and having kids, even if you mess up, you get to start fresh the next day!  Your kids will always be your number one fans.  You can mess up, you can forget important things, you can send them to school with their socks turned inside out because you failed to wash more…and they’ll forgive you.  They are yours & I am theirs.  Forever.

You’re in their hearts & in their thoughts.  You are their caregiver & their comforter.  There’s no other job like it.

 Carter’s knows & respects the work Moms have to do, they feel Moms should be celebrated EVERY day.  In celebration of Moms everywhere, Carter’s is hosting 100,000 Ways to Celebrate Moms  Sweepstakes.

Here’s how YOU can enter:

Tell Carter’s why you love being a Mom and share a photo of you with your little (or big) ones for a chance to win!
To enter the Sweepstakes >>> go here!
 “Like” Carter’s on Facebook then enter for your chance to win $100,000, plus outfit your children for an entire year in the cutest Carter’s kids or baby clothes with a $5,000 gift card.
One grand prize winner: $100,000 plus a $5,000 Carter’s gift card
        Ten second prize winners: $1,000 Visa gift cards (total $10,000)
        Ninety third prize winners:  $100 Carter’s gift cards (total $9,000)
        You could also be one of 250 instant winners and win a Carter’s gift card valued at $10-$50.

 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Carter’s 100,000 Ways To Celebrate Moms Sweepstakes ends 6/3/13. Mothers, 18+, 50 US/DC/PR only. Go to www.facebook.com/carters for Official Rules/details and alternative method of entry instructions.

>>> Our local Carter’s store is my favorite place to shop for the twins!  To find a Carter’s store near you click here.

Carter’s is also offering a chance to win a $50 gift card here on Nest of Posies!  To enter use the rafflecopter box below!
Good Luck!

*This post & the Sweepstakes are sponsored by Carter’s, but all opinions are my own.  Please see below for additional disclosure.

Carter’s partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote Carter’s “100,000 Ways to Celebrate Moms” Sweepstakes. As part of the program, I received product or gift cards.  Carter’s believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words, and therefore did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products I used. Carter’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaway in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

If you like reality TV, you’ll love this show!  It’s based in the South, as in Hot-lanta, with a group of rich, young moms, trying to keep up with their appearances, their Elizabeth Arden make-up,  who’s wearing what, & their social calendar!   All while raising their little ones & trying to stay married.  All of them of course having some issues with their lives, while judging all the others & their friends.  It’s she said vs. she said.   Some people might call it their guilty pleasure.  Here’s a sneak peek into the series of Pretty Wicked Moms:

When I thought about that, knowing it was something I would never talk about on my own, I almost declined.  But the truth is, we’ve ALL have experienced it.  Some more than others, some might feel they experience this all the time.  Being honest with the subject & all of you…it has certainly happened to me!

When I had my oldest, I was very eager to try to do all the things that the “first time mommy” does with their one & only child.  We did the playdates, we joined some mommy circles, we joined a little gym, we would meet other mommies at the park for lunch – etc.  All of that was pretty much a great experience at the time.  Being social & having playdates, I thought I was doing all the right things that I was “supposed” to be doing.  Fast forward about a year & a half later…I was pregnant with the twins.  For the record, I had a great pregnancy with the twins.  I carried them full term.  But I knew I needed to reduce my schedule & back out of many things that I had normally done with my oldest.  THAT’S when some of the judging started for me.  I knew in my heart I was doing what I needed to be doing for my pregnancy & for our family, but that didn’t make the questions  of  “What about Graham (my oldest)…what are you doing for him?” comments any easier.  Also, I had to decline many party invitations & events.  As we all know those 1st birthdays & all the other birthday parties are so important when you’re the actual mother of the said birthday child.  But the thing is, when you aren’t the said parent of the birthday child,  you realize you need to prioritize & pick & choose the outings you do take when you’re carrying twins.  It all became a social backlash on me & the decisions I was supposedly making for Graham.  I heard many times, “You’ve gotta make your mind up now, that you can keep doing all of this(?) for Graham’s sake.”  ”Graham will suffer from all these great experiences as a child, if you keep him away from social gatherings.”  Now of course, looking back at those comments, I can say those “friends” were just people.  They really didn’t matter.  But those comments sure did at the time!

Now truth be told, I don’t have a “full” social calendar, I’m a pretty simple mom, now.  Ever since the pregnancy of the twins, I have shied away from many invites.  My husband travels with his job.  He is typically home just 2 nights out of the week & I don’t have family close by.  So that leaves me, myself & I to run our household, take care of the kids, meals & all the other inbetweens.

So this is what it looked like when we would go out in the early days: