We are ALL about Halloween in our house. We start the Halloween festivities in mid September and carry on with the fun all the way until October 31st! Halloween is my favorite holiday and I am always on the lookout for fun Halloween themed treats and snacks. These Halloween Cinnamon Rolls definitley fit the bill perfectly! Not only are they wicked easy to make, but they are just the cutest snack idea ever! Trust me, your family is going to love them!
Meal planning is something that so many people talk about. It’s something that can save you money and help you cook on a budget, but it seems too intimidating. Sitting down to commit to a particular set of meals every week isn’t that fun nor exciting. While meal planning cuts out the adventure of figuring out what’s for dinner tonight, it’s actually a pretty solid way to start eating healthier and save money on your grocery bill. No matter how you feel about meal planning, you can start doing this, just be following a few simple tips.
Make a List
Start looking up recipes and make a list of various recipes that you want to try to make at some point, and make a list of meal options that your family already loves. Having a list to work off of will help guide you forward in developing a meal plan for your week. Continue reading »
There aren’t many places on this planet that are as magical as Walt Disney World. It’s hard to walk through those gates and not be instantly bit by the joy bug. That being said, there is one thing that really has the potential to dull your Disney sparkle…and that’s rain. With the kids being out of school, many families plan their summer vacations at Walt Disney World and I certainly wouldn’t discourage that.
Summer is a wonderful time to visit the parks! But what isn’t so wonderful is the rain that crashes the party nearly every day. Getting soaked by a mid-day storm does not for happy people make. Never fear! I’m going to share some Disney insider tricks to help you beat the rain at Walt Disney World. I’ve made it through plenty of summer storms and without these tips, my family would have seen many more canceled Disney World days. Continue reading »
I don’t drink a ton of soda, but every now and then I love me an ice cold Dr. Pepper! A while back I heard about Dr. Pepper Baked Beans and initially I didn’t think it sounded good AT ALL. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try it. And boy am I glad I did because they are awesome. They are way better than I expected and I don’t think I can even go back to regular baked beans now.
I have to admit that I cheated a little bit with this recipe because I used canned baked beans. But as far as I’m concerned it was a huge time saver and I used Bush’s Baked Beans, so obviously they were going to be good no matter what! #momhacks, right? Well, you’re welcome because these Dr. Pepper baked beans are going to be your new favorite, too.
If you are heading to the Lincoln, NH area this summer and you’re looking for a fun adventure for the day, check out the Loon Mountain Adventure Center. Whether you want to traverse the Aerial Forest Adventure Park, zipline over the Pemigewasset River, or ride the scenic gondola sky-ride to the summit, there is something for everyone to love at Loon.
Loon offers different packages to fit your needs, so you can do everything or cherry pick the activities that are right for your family. We had a super adventure pass, which included everything, but my sister in law & her family joined us while we were there and they chose to only get gondola ride tickets that day (because her littles needed to get home for naps). Here are some of the fun activities they have at the Loon Mountain Adventure Center. Continue reading »
There were no casinos here in Massachusetts until 2015, so we used to have to drive all the way to Connecticut to play some table games!! Thankfully we have some options here now, including MGM Springfield, which was built last year. But MGM Springfield is SO much more than just a casino. Christian and I spent a weekend there and I am going to tell you why everyone needs to plan a visit there.
I live for food. When I go anywhere, especially for a whole weekend, the first thing I do is investigate my food options. I was so relieved when I saw that MGM Springfield had quite a few eateries. Continue reading »
If I told you that you could drastically cut down on your grocery bill all by shopping for certain things at Trader Joe’s, would you want to know how? I knew you would! Believe it or not, I wasn’t always a Trader Joe’s convert. But a few shops in, I knew I could never go back. I now see why they have a cult following. What I get there is less expensive and higher quality than most other grocery stores. That’s not to say I buy everything there, but there are definitely must-haves on my shopping list that I always pick up at Trader Joe’s.
And that’s not only because of reasons like they have the freshest produce or least expensive flowers, but because they have things you can’t get anywhere else too! On that note, let’s talk about my Trader Joe’s shopping trip must-haves shall we? Continue reading »
New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Cog Railway just celebrated 150 years of doing the impossible on July 3rd of this year. That marks the date that, 150 years ago, cog steam engines successfully reached the summit of Mount Washington, becoming the first mountain-climbing railway in the world. Here we are 150 years later, still being able to take the cog up the mountain!
The train leaves from the Marshfield Base Station where you’ll find a free Cog Railway Museum, a gift shop, the the Peppersass Bar & Restaurant and restrooms. Head downstairs to board on the platform (A, B or C) that’s printed on your tickets. Continue reading »
Now that summer is in full swing here in the Boston area, I wanted to remind you to add seeing the Wicked BIG Bugs at the Franklin Park Zoo to your list of things to do with the kids. If your kids are bug lovers, your family will love this amazing display of gigantic bugs.
While you’re there, you will get a chance to see larger-than-life animatronic insects such as the red-tailed bumblebee, Mexican red knee tarantula, Madagascan sunset moth, meadow grasshopper, emperor scorpion, and a a bunch of others. There is information at each bug so that you and your kids can learn about them, too! Continue reading »
One of my favorite things in the summer time is native corn on the cob. Obviously it’s only warm for about three months here in the Boston area, so corn only grows here in the summer. Therefore, corn on the cob is something we can’t always get here in New England and if we do happen to see it in stores during the winter months, it’s imported from somewhere. Since we can only get fresh corn on the cob for a short time around here, we eat A LOT of it. I mean A LOT – like almost every night all summer long.
Did you know that you can make corn on the cob in your slow cooker? I literally just found it out last year and other than grilling it, make it in the crock pot is the only other way I make it now. Slow Cooker Corn on the Cob is SO good.
The past two weeks of my life have been filled with end of the school year activities. This year there was an exceptionally high number of “events” because my son is a 5th grader and will soon be moving on to the next chapter in his life, middle school. As Nathan moves up to 6th grade, my time as a mom to a kid in elementary school is officially over. And no, I am not ok.
Nathan’s first day of kindergarten, 2012
No more half day hat days. No more Tuesday folders. No more lip-dubs. No more annual Spaghetti Suppers. No more Harvest Big Blasts. No more saving tickets to buy goodies at the school store. All of these things that have been such a big part of my my life and my children’s lives over the last ten years are now gone for good. I always knew this day would come, but I am really having trouble accepting that a school I have genuinely loved being a part of is no longer a part of my life.
Jared’s first day of Kindergarten, 2009
If you’re planning more than a one-day trip at a Walt Disney World theme park, Disney park fatigue is a real possibility for your family. This is especially true if you have any first-timers in your group. As magical as Walt Disney World is, it can be overwhelming. There is so much to see and so much to do. Sometimes it’s hard for guests to know where to start or where to end up. As much as I love going with the flow, if you have an extended Disney World stay on the books, I recommend you go into your trip with at least a cursory plan.
And that’s where I come in. I’m going to share some of my favorite tips for how to beat Disney park fatigue with you, so you can look forward to nothing but happy times on that most magical vacay! Continue reading »
Summer cookout season is now upon us and it’s not a cookout without pasta salad. I have a few different pasta salad varieties that I make, but every now and then I make Greek Pasta Salad. I know it’s not for everyone, but if you like Greek salads, you will love ths Greek Pasta Salad! It’s really easy to make and it’s SO good!
The thing about pasta salads is that they are wicked easy to make so you can whip up a bowl of it in almost no time. The longest part is waiting for the pasta to cool off….but if you use my ice trick (see below), it helps get your pasta salad cooler much faster.
Summer vacation is coming up quick (my kids get out June 19th) and if you are looking for something fun to do with them over their summer break Boundless Adventures Aerial Park might be just what you’re looking for. Located just under an hour from Boston, Boundless Adventures features 9 courses that include over 90 rope bridges, 16 ziplines and 3 leaps of faith. With so much to offer, there is always something new and different to explore there.
There are 4 different types of courses in varying degrees of difficulty at Boundless Adventures (9 courses in total). Each course consists of a number of obstacles developed to test your boundaries. Choose your own adventure based on your height, fitness level and comfort zone. Continue reading »
Hosting a sleepover is a fun way to let your kids have friends over and enjoy childhood. Sleepovers can be super fun at any age, but for parents, they can be quite overwhelming. Having a bunch of kids in your house for a sleepover can be quite stressful. You have to figure out what to feed them, if there are any allergies, and where everyone is going to sleep. There are many parts that go into hosting a sleepover, and today I’m going to show you how to do so without stressing out. Continue reading »
Giant BUGS are invading Franklin Park Zoo! From now through September 2nd, visitors to the Franklin Park Zoo have the chance to encounter some really impressive bugs at Wicked BIG Bugs. See larger-than-life animatronic insects and arachnids including the red-tailed bumblebee, Mexican red knee tarantula, Madagascan sunset moth, meadow grasshopper, emperor scorpion, and a bunch of others during your visit.
I took two of my nephews opening weekend to experience these over-sized bugs for ourselves. We loved that we were able to walk around the area where the Wicked BIG Bugs were and stop at each one to learn a bit about each one and the part they play in healthy ecosystems. Continue reading »
Summer vacation will be here before we know it (my kids get out June 19th) and that means they are going to be looking for snacks all day long while they’re home. I really do try to come up with a few fun ideas here and there so they are not always eating the same snacks over and over again. These Kool-Aid Marshmallow Pops are one of my latest creations and boy were they a hit with the kids. The Kool-Aid is a little sour, which mixes really nicely with the sweetness of the marshmallow.
Every year on Mother’s Day my family goes for a hike at one of our AHmazing state parks called Purgatory Chasm. We’ve done a lot of hikes around New England, but Purgatory Chasm is definitley our favorite! Made up of towering granite walls that run for approximately a quarter of a mile, makes it is the perfect place to spend some quality time with the family!
The thing about Purgatory Chasm is that it’s more than just a hike – it involves a lot of rock climbing. There are trails around the chasm itself, but it’s way more fun to make your way right through the chasm. Continue reading »
Boston may be known for its fine dining options (my mind goes right to the Top of the Hub when I say that), but that doesn’t mean you need to break the bank to have a decent meal when you’re there. In fact, there are plenty of cheap eats around Boston, so you have plenty of dining options. Here are a few of my favorites.
Sapporo Ramen (Cambridge)
Ramen lovers rejoice! Sapporo Ramen brings you a massive bowl of ramen for just over $10, and while the place might be surrounded by several other Asian restaurants, this one is definitely worth visiting! You’ll also get to choose from different options- the bases, the toppings and some side dishes too. Continue reading »
While we’ve had a cold & rainy start to spring here in New England this year, that’s not going to stop Memorial Day and July 4th from coming up quick. Most of us will find ourselves at either a Memorial Day cookout or one for July 4th (or both). Why not make your Memorial Day or 4th of July celebrations extra fun with these Patriotic Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes? They’re wicked easy to whip up and will be a huge hit! Continue reading »
