Homework Burning Party

The girls have been out of school for a few weeks, and the one thing they really look forward to at the end of the school year is their annual homework burning party. They gather up all of their old schoolwork, and literally set fire to it. It's just a fun way to kind of close out the end of the school year.

It has been raining almost every day since they have been out of school, so we have had to delay the tradition a bit this year. Finally, this weekend the girls were able to gather up their papers and watched them go up in flames.

Do your kids have any end of the school year traditions?

Go Hair Free With Veet Infini'Silk

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.  


AFTER USING THE VEET INFINI'SILK FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, PLEASE READ MY FINAL UPDATE HERE!

Even though I live for summer, there are two things that I hate about the warmer months. The first is bug bites, and the second is having to shave every day. Both are pesky nuisances, but I think I have found a remedy for one of those problems. Going hair free without hassle of using razors, creams or waxing is about to get easier than ever. And the best part is, the results are permanent! Introducing Veet Infini'Silk.

Veet has been well known for their hair removal products, such as their creams, wax and bleach. Now they are expanding their product range by moving into the at home IPL (intense pulse light) hair removal industry. The desired result of using the Veet Infini'Silk is to permanently remove hair over time.

The Veet Infini'Silk comes boxed with one unit and a power cord. Simply connect the power cord to the unit, plug it in, and the device is ready to use. There is a power button on the upper part, backside of the device. Start by setting it to the lowest setting (1) then work your way up to the setting that you feel most comfortable using.

Press the end with the light firmly against the area you wish to go hair free on. Squeeze the unit and a light pulse will go off. Slide the unit to the next section and repeat until you have the entire area complete.

I started with level 1 and didn't feel any stinging or burning. Actually, I went all the way to 5 and didn't feel anything at all when the light went off on my leg area. At level 5 I did feel a little warmth when I used it on my underarms, but it was in no way painful or uncomfortable.


I have used the Veet Infini'Silk for 2 treatments so far. Treatments 1-4 are to be done 2 weeks apart, 5-7 should be around 4 weeks apart, and 8+ is as needed, until desired results are achieved.

Typically, you won't see any results until about the 5th treatment. The efficiency of hair removal varies from person to person, according to body area, hair, and how the Infini'Silk is used.

So far, I like that the Veet Infini'Silk is easy to use, light weight, and easy to store when not in use. I also like being able to use it in the comfort of my own home as well. While I haven't seen any results yet, I will be updating the progress of my hair removal over the next few months. I will also be including an update as to where you can purchase your own Veet Infini'Silk, so stay tuned!

*Update! The Veet Infni'Silk website is now live! Click the link to learn more about the IPL treatment, or to purchase your own Infini'Silk today!

Mason Jar Salads and More + Strawberry Walnut Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

I mentioned earlier that my husband has been on a weight loss/healthy body mission. Going to the gym every day at lunch has helped him lose close to 30 pounds this year. Something new that he is doing is packing his lunch to take in every day also. I've had to get creative with dinners lately, learning how to make extra for left overs for him to take in the next day. Some days that just doesn't pan out, and he is left packing a boring sandwich to take in.

Most of you know that I am a cook book junkie, and when I was offered a copy of Mason Jar Salads and More: 50 Layered Lunches to Grab and Go, I knew this was a perfect solution for those days when my husband needs a tasty lunch when left overs aren't an option.

Imagine leaving the house each morning for work with a healthy and delicious lunch in tow—no morning prep required!

Introducing “Mason Jar Salads and More,” a new cookbook that will show you how to create fun and easy layered lunches, snacks and more. This book will inspire endless on-the-go meal possibilities with its 50 recipes and gorgeous full-color photos.

Thanks to the glorious Mason jar and smart layering techniques (dressing on the bottom!), you can make delicious dishes ahead of time and spend no more than 30 seconds grabbing them from the fridge on your way out the door.

Sip on a Mango Smoothie for breakfast, be the envy of your coworkers with Asparagus Risotto for lunch, and enjoy Spicy Hummus and veggies for an afternoon snack… You’ll never be disappointed with your weekday meals again!

My husband never thinks of a salad as filling, but looking over the recipes, I knew putting a few of them together for him to try would make him change his mind in a hurry! The Mixed Greens with White Beans sounded like a great way for him to add protein after his workouts. The BLT Panzanella looked like a great combination of flavors he loves. And the Guacamole salad was one I knew he would like because he really enjoys snacking on avocados.

There is a section in the front of the book that explains how to properly layer the salads to keep the ingredients tasting their best while they are being stored. Also, there are great tips on how to reheat your food in the jars. Even better, the book is filled with beautiful color photos of the salads.

Jason has also been waking up early to eat breakfast before leaving for work. Sometimes I don't wake up early enough to make him a hot meal, but there was a breakfast section in the book that gave me some great ideas for breakfast smoothies that he can make the night before, then grab on his way out the door in the morning. This basic oats and fruit almond milk smoothie was a great base for one of my new favorite breakfast smoothies. It combines 1 cup of rolled oats, 1 1/2 cups plain almond milk, honey, and berry or nuts for topping.

I have taken this recipe a step further and combined frozen strawberries and a handful of walnuts into the mix for a hearty breakfast smoothie to eat on the go.

Strawberry Walnut Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 cup of plain almond milk (or any milk of your choosing)

2 tbsp honey

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup walnuts.

Directions:

Combine the rolled oats and milk into a mason jar. Seal, then refrigerate over night.

In the morning, pour contents of the mason jar into a blender. Add in the honey, berries and walnuts. Blend until combined.

Serve immediately.

Mason Jar Salads and More not only has some fabulous recipes to spice up lunch time, but it provides inspiration to create even more salads your family will enjoy!

More about the book:

Author- Julie Mirabella

144 pages

ISBN Number-  978-1-61243-289-2

Published by Ulysses Press, May 2014

Mason Jar Salads and More can be purchased at Amazon, as well as most major book sellers nationwide.

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. 

Wordless Wednesday~ Snake Charmer

The fox charming the snake. 

Trix Mail

Allison found a postcard cut-out on the back of her box of Trix cereal. If you wrote the rabbit a birthday greeting, he would send you a surprise in the mail.

This got Allison so excited, and she immediately mailed the card off. Then immediately started checking the mail every day wondering where her surprise was. It says 6 to 8 weeks, and after 2 she was already getting irritated that it hadn't arrived. Patience is not her strong suit. 

Honestly, it only took about 4 weeks, which seemed pretty quick to me.

What was the surprise gift? A ball, flip book, and color changing spoon. What fun!

Do you like getting toys from your cereal boxes?

SteamMachine Plus By Homeright Keeps The Home Sparkling Clean!

I am a lot little OCD about having a clean home. And in a house with 3 stinky dogs, 2 messy kids, and 1 even messier husband, I have my work cut out for me. I want to get my house in sparkling condition, but I don't have a lot of time to spend on getting it that way. HomeRight and I have been like BFF's when it comes to getting my home clean, and keeping it that way.

I have been using the HomeRight steam machine for the past year to help me tackle nasty grime around my home, but when I learned they now make a multi-purpose steam mop, I was giddy with excitement!

The SteamMachine Plus Multi-Purpose Steam Mop from HomeRight is ideal for quick, daily, chemical-free cleaning. This multi-purpose steam mop heats up quickly and is great for quick daily floor cleaning. The SteamMachine Plus features a detachable hand-held steamer. The included 6 attachments are ideal for cleaning and disinfecting stovetops, ovens, grills, countertops and bathrooms. The 205 degree temperature steam at nozzle kills 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria including e-coli, salmonella, and staph. The handle folds down for easy storage and also features on-demand steam trigger on handle, plus a cord wrap on the handle. The floor mop and pad features a swivel triangular mop head for added maneuverability. Use the SteamMachine Plus to disinfect your hard floor surfaces; such as laminate, hardwood, tile, stone, vinyl and linoleum. 

I have mostly hard flooring in my home, and it gets mopped daily. It is such a chore, one that I really hate doing every day. Over the past 5 years, I have tried  many mops, hoping to find one that will make the task a lot easier. I thought my current mop was doing a good job, until I tried the new SteamMachine Plus mop.

Here are two videos showing a sticky dot on my floor, and how each mop handled the task.

  

You can see that I had to go over the same spot many times with my current mop, and barely made a dent in getting it off the floor. With just a quick swipe of the HomeRight SteamMachine Plus, it was gone without any effort!

I swept and mopped my kitchen as normal with my regular mop. I thought I had done a good job getting all the dirt off the floor. I then immediately went over it again with the SteamMachine Plus. Look at all the dirt that was left behind! Gross!

It can even be used to steam stains off carpet. My kids spilled tea on carpet in our spare room. Since it is not a room I go in often, I didn't notice it, and the stain really set in. I used the SteamMachine Plus for two minutes on the stain, and while it didn't completely remove it, it did lighten it considerably. With more effort, I am sure I can get it all the way out. I was so impressed with the results of getting the stain out with steam alone, and no harsh chemicals!

Not only does the HomeRight SteamMachine Plus work as a mop, with the push of a button it converts to a handheld steamer with 6 attachments, to let you tackle tough jobs around the home.  

I like to use the squeegee to blast away tough soap scum in the shower.

The long adaptor is great at getting the grime that gets lodged into the sink crevices.

The other attachments do a great job on cleaning grout lines, scraping baked on food off of kitchen appliances, blasting dirt out of hard to reach spots, and you can even use it to steam garments! 

When it comes to getting my house clean, the HomeRight SteamMachine Plus is nothing short of amazing! The mop is currently available to purchase on the HomeRight website for $124.99. 

If you would like to learn more about the HomeRight SteamMachine Plus, or any of HomeRight's other fabulous products, be sure to visit their website.

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

Malt-O-Meal ~ Great Tasting And Money Saving!

We are a cereal family. We will eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even for snacking. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that a lot of our grocery budget is spent in the breakfast aisle. With the rising cost of groceries, like most families, we are always looking for ways to get more for our dollar at the grocery store. In a recent study from the Brookings Institution, it was revealed that 1/3 of households are spending every last dime of each paycheck. So, finding simple ways to save on groceries is more important than ever!

Malt-O-Meal is paving the way for great tasting cereals for budget conscious families. Part of the MOM Brands®, Malt-O-Meal is committed to finding better ways to make a better breakfast at a better price.

Ounce for ounce, Malt-O-Meal bagged cereals cost less than leading boxed brands, and have actually saved consumers nearly $1.5 billion in cereal purchases since 2007, without compromising quality.

In a recent national taste test conducted by MOM Brands, consumers preferred the taste of four Malt-O-Meal cereal varieties over similar, more expensive Post® Cereal brands.

Malt-O-Meal Oat Blenders With Honey & Almonds were preferred over Post Honey Bunches® of Oats with Almonds.

Malt-O-Meal Cocoa Dyno-Bites® were preferred over Post Cocoa Pebbles®.

Malt-O-Meal Fruity Dyno-Bites® were preferred over Post Fruity Pebbles®.

Malt-O-Meal Honey Buzzers® were preferred over Post Honeycomb® cereal.

In the Mahoney family taste test, my results showed that my family definitely preferred the taste of Malt-O-Meal Oat Blenders With Honey & Almonds and Malt-O-Meal Golden Puffs over the equivalent of their boxed counterparts. Allison has always been a huge fan of Honey Smacks, so if Malt-O-Meal Golden Puffs gets her seal of approval, then it's a winner in my book too! My husband is one who doesn't care too much how a cereal tastes, but if it saves him money at the store, in the cart it goes. He really did love the taste of the Malt-O-Meal Oat Blenders With Honey & Almonds, and eats it almost daily now.

There are currently over 28 delicious flavor varieties of Malt-O-Meal cereals, so there is something for almost every taste bud. If you don't love them (that's probably a stretch, since they are delicious!) Malt-O-Meal will refund your money. You have nothing to lose, except dollars off your grocery bill, by giving them a try!

If you would like to learn more about the Malt-O-Meal cereals and MOM Brands, visit www.Malt-O-Meal.com. Additionally, if you would like to stay up to date on new products and promotions, be sure to like/follow along on Facebook and Twitter!

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

Pizza Transit

Sometimes I think my husband really lucked out with me, because I am a cheap date. I'll take gas station nachos and a Slurpee over fine dining any day. He got even luckier, since that cheap date trait has passed on to our daughter. We take the girls out for a special birthday dinner every year. We asked Mariah what she wanted this year, and Jason was disgusted when she said Little Caesars. To him, a proper birthday dinner does not involve a $5 pizza from Little Caesars. So, we compromised. She got pizza, but we decided to try a new to us pizza joint that we heard a lot of good things about called Pizza Transit, which is located in Niles, Michigan.

When we walked in, my inner nerd was screaming with excitement. The whole interior was decorated with an 80's theme!

And then my inner child was screaming even louder when I realized our table was made out of chalkboard paint! They even provided a canister of chalk!

That excitement turned into relief. The service was S-L-O-W, so we ended up coloring the heck out of our table.

Allison even found some chalk paint painted on the walls, and left her review.

The pizza was just O.K. served hot. The girls only ate 1/2 a slice each, but gobbled it up cold the next day.

Even though she isn't a Star Wars fan, we always tease her about being one. We made her pose with Darth Vader on the way out.

Overall, it was a fun experience. I wasn't thrilled with how long it took to get our food since there was only 1 server, and the pizza wasn't stellar, but I'd probably go back again some day. 

What pizza parlor do you think has the best pizza?

Wordless Wednesday ~ We Are Done!

Today marks the last day that we will ever have a child in elementary school. This is Allison's last photo as an elementary student. It is so bittersweet!

The Fault In Our Stars Cake

I got this brilliant idea in my head that I wanted to make Mariah's birthday cake this year. Since she loves The Fault In Our Stars, it would only be logical that would be the cake's theme. Now, I love messing around with polymer clay. After browsing around on Pinterest and Googling how to work with fondant (something I have NEVER done before!), I figured it couldn't be much different than working with the clay. Yeah, I don't care what those tutorials tell you, it is different! Rolling out that fondant and shaping it was such a pain in the ass, by the end I wanted to chuck the whole ball of it out the window. The fault doesn't lie in the stars. It lies in my inability to cake decorate.

Since I had already committed to making the cake, wasted too much time in trying to figure out what I was doing, she got it served to her on her birthday anyway. I think she was probably trying to be nice when she said she liked it ;)

I swore- never again! Of course, Allison loved it and demanded a Frozen themed cake for her birthday. I hope she forgets by December!

Easy & Delicious Summer Desserts With Beach House Baking Recipes!

This is the time of year when I am on the hunt for simple, yet delicious desserts. Summertime draws family and friends together for cookouts, parties, and beach trips. What's a gathering without sharing tasty treats with our loved ones? I don't like to show up to an event empty handed, but I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the summer, especially when I can be enjoying the outdoors! I like recipes that can be made with minimal effort, but taste great. Beach House Baking, An Endless Summer of Delicious Desserts has everything that I am looking for, all wrapped up in one gorgeous cookbook!

Offering up over 100 easy to prepare, made from scratch dessert recipes, you'll have enough time to enjoy the outdoors and indulge in sweet treats all summer long. Chef Lei Shishak shares her most popular recipes from her celebrated Sugar Blossom Bake Shop, located in San Clement, California. You'll find recipes to tickle your taste buds, including cupcakes, cookies, pies, ice cream sandwiches, frozen pops, beverages, and more.

Flipping through the book, I was mesmerized by the full page, color photographs. The dessert pictures had my mouth watering, and the beach scenes had me dreaming of lazy days, soaking in the sun.

 Some of you know, I can not stand the taste of a roasted marshmallow, but I LOVE the chocolate/marshmallow/graham combination of s'mores. When I came across these S'mores Cupcakes, I was excited to give it a try!

 Ingredients:

Graham Crust

1 1/8 cups graham crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

S'more Batter

1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 ounces semi sweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup boiling water
207 mini marshmallows

Granache

3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
powdered sugar for garnish

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 23 paper liners.

2- Combine the graham crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter with your hands. Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each cupcake liner. Pat down with the back of an ice cream scoop handle.

3- Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4- In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Scrape bowl well. Mix in the melted chocolate on low speed. Add the dry ingredients and yogurt. Mix for 1 minute on low speed. Pour in the boiling water all at once and mix just until combined. Scrape the bowl well to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Batter will be runny.

5- Immediately pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling them halfway. Batter will rise up considerably when baked. Top each cupcake with nine mini marshmallow in rows of 3 by 3. Bake in the center of the oven for 17 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pan, and place on wire rack to cool completely while you make the ganache. 

6- To make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Whisk the cream into the schocolate until smooth and silky.

7- Drizzle each cupcake with warm ganache and top with powdered sugar before serving.


This is just one of many yummy desserts you will find in the book. Also available, you'll get recipes for Chocolate Pillow Pie, Pecan Tartlets, Bourbon Fudge Brownies, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more!

More about Beach House Baking, An Endless Summer of Delicious Desserts:

Hardcover
By Chef Lei Shishak
Photography by Chau Vuong

ISBN Number 978-1-62873-768-4

Pages- 216 printed on smooth glossy paper

MSRP $24.95 US

Distributed by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc

Beach House Baking was released May, 2014. If you would like to purchase a copy, you can find the hardcover on Skyhorse Publishing's Website for $24.95. The Kindle copy is available at Amazon for $11.99.

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

Young, Old, or In Between, There's Fun For Everyone At Cedar Point! #BloggingAtCP

Yesterday I posted up about all the fun the thrill seekers could find on the rides at Cedar Point. Many folks commented on how scary the rides look, but today I want to tell you about all the fun those who don't want to brave the daring rides can have. You don't have to be a daredevil to enjoy a visit to the park. Young, old, or in between, there really is something for everyone at Cedar Point!

Camp Snoopy is a great place for families to hang out, explore, and have fun!

Here you will find many rides that are suitable for all ages! The Peanuts theme is so fun!

Right around the corner from Camp Snoopy, hop on the old time cars and go for a little spin. I let Allison take the wheel so I could just sit and relax for a bit.

If you aren't all that into the rides, that's alright! There are many attractions that are cool to explore!

Dinosaurs Alive is a wonderful exhibit.

Here you will get to explore the world of animatronic dinosaurs. Offering up over 40 different scientifically accurate dinosaurs, you will get a feel for how big these creatures really were. 

At some of the stops, there were devices that let the user push a button to control the dinosaur's movements. 

The whole exhibit took us about 30 minutes to get through, but could have been prolonged if the kids would have let me stop to read the information boards at each dino. This exhibit is an additional fee, running around $2.50 per person for the entrance, but I think it is totally worth it. Getting up close and personal with life like dinosaurs was an adventure all on its own!

We also took a walk through the Town Hall Museum. 

Here we were able to spot some really neat antiques. The kids loved the carousel, but I enjoyed looking at the old barber shop and pharmacy items they had on display! There is no admission fee to browse the museum.

If you are into carnival and arcade games, Cedar Point has plenty!

After walking the park, you do tend to get hungry. There are 37 different dining options, all with fantastic food! Not only do they have their own little fun food stops, like Charlie Brown's Cookout, but you can get national favorites like Auntie Anne's, Panda Express, and world famous Pink's Hot Dogs!

We were treated to a buffet style lunch during our stay, and it was fabulous!

We also made a few pit stops for ice cream throughout our 2 day stay.

There is so much to do, see, and explore at Cedar Point. We stayed for 2 full days, and I think we could have packed more activities in if time permitted. I would like to suggest getting the Fast Lane wristbands if you want to have time to ride all the rides and explore the attractions.

The bands do run around $70 each, but will get you front of the line access on most of the rides, where wait time is 15 minutes or less. We didn't get them on the first day, but did on day 2, and we had so much more fun since we didn't have to wait very long for the rides we wanted to go on.

If you are looking to take the family on an adventure this summer, I highly recommend going to Cedar Point! 

Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, OH. 

If you would like to learn more about all of the fun rides at Cedar Point, be sure to visit the website, as well as stay up to date on current happenings by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

*Disclosure- I received complimentary passes to the park, lunch, and tickets to Dinosaur's Alive in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts expressed here are strictly my own and have not been influenced by promotional items.