I Want S'More of This Gorgeous Holiday Weekend!

I hope you are all enjoying your 4th of July weekend! I am so ecstatic that this year's holiday fell on a Friday so I didn't have to break up the holiday weekend by going back into work for a day before continuing the weekend festivities. Although the actual holiday has passed, there's no need to stop your fun and summery activities! 

One of my favorite summer things to do is sit by a fire--be it a bonfire, a small "city fire" or a small fire in the belly of the chiminea on our deck--and listen to the crackle of the fire, music on Pandora, have a glass of wine, or, my absolute favorite--roast marshmallows. 

For those who do not have access to some sort of fire (and do not feel like making a mess in your house over the kitchen stove) I found a fun alternative to actually roasting marshmallows--S'Mores Trail Mix!  

When I see something on Pinterest I like, I must have to be convinced that it's a good thing before I try it because I see it in my Pinterest feed about twenty times before I decide to pin it and try it. This recipe is no exception. I'd made it once before to have around the house and decided I'd make some to take to my aunt's for our family 4th of July get together.

All you need is:

• Bag of mini marshmallows
• Bag of chocolate chips (make sure you don't buy semi-sweet chips like I did the first time I made this...can you say "dah"??)
• Box of Golden Grahams cereal

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and package it however you like! (Just make sure you package it in an air-tight/sealed package or the marshmallows will harden.) 

I opted for little plastic containers (not the fanciest, but very practical) simply because I knew we'd be outside and I knew these packages would be handled by many small children. (Glass containers were fancier, but not the best idea for being handled by little ones.)

Also, feel free to add or subtract any ingredients. I just went with the classic recipe as it was the quickest!

Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, friends. Soak up some sunshine and take in time with your loved ones!

Cheers,

Samara

Five on Friday

I don't know what your week was like, but mine was full of deadlines and other stressors. 

I seriously just finished some nonsense assignment that our prof threw at us at the last minute. I think the assignment was created to buy him time to finish creating the final exam he was supposed to have ready by now, but I digress.

Who is ready to say "Goodbye work week, hello weekEND"? Raise your hand high for this week's Five on Friday!

1. Favorite Month

May has always been one of my favorite months. Not just because it's my birthday month, but because my two favorite seasons in Michigan are spring and fall, so basically any of the spring and fall months are good in my books. However, May contains my birthday and now, Mother's Day and our wedding anniversary. (OK, May always contained Mother's Day, but I can now enjoy it as a mother.)

2. Ice Cream Teether

Jackson is officially teething. He has been drooling and eating his fists for weeks (months, even), but wasn't teething. We'd bought a few different kinds of teethers and he hadn't really cared for them. I show up to daycare one day to pick him up and see him happily lying there, sucking on and swinging this cute teether. The handles are small and the chew area is large so babies can independently soothe themselves. His daycare always knows best with this kind of stuff. So, of course, we promptly ordered some of these teethers to have at home.

3. Low-Fat Dessert

Some time ago, I posted a low-fat strawberry dessert recipe. Well, my husband walked in tonight with these crêpes, so I had to switch up the recipe. Oh my. It was delicious!! And even fewer Weight Watchers points than the dessert shells in the previous recipe. ONE Weight Watcher point, people! 

4. Jackson Is On A Roll

So, unless you are a SAHM (stay-at-home mom), you probably miss many "firsts". And honestly, even SAHM's can be a victim of this as you are not sitting, staring at your baby for hours on end each day. But, when we miss a first because it happened while the baby was at daycare, it's still a first for us because it's the first time we're seeing it and doesn't bother me at all like I thought it might. 

I felt no loss in excitement tonight when my husband and I patiently watched our crabby son (to be fair, this was during the "witching hour" (the couple hour timeframe before bed) ever so slowly roll from his stomach to his back while on his colorful baby "gym". 

I'd privately thought that maybe I didn't have enough of a goofy parent factor within me to get excited about this milestone, but nope, I proved that I am a full-fledged nerd in this regard. I happily clapped and gave my excited praises through a big, stupid smile that seemed permanently stuck to my face. What a night! Mom is so proud of you, Jackson!

5. Approaching Two Years 

It's true what they say, that after a certain age, life just barrels ahead and the years seem to add up in the blink of an eye. The time goes even faster when your'e, ahem, older AND in love. 

It's hard to believe that I met my Thomas four years ago and that we are now approaching our second wedding anniversary. (Official date is May 5th, but we are celebrating tomorrow evening.) Last year, I was newly pregnant and nauseous around the clock. As a result, we had a very laid-back wedding anniversary out of town. We plan on staying in town this year and having an evening out.

I am such a fortunate lady to have someone at my side who is truly my best friend. I can't imagine traveling this road called life with anyone else but my T-Mo.

Cheers,

Samara

On-The-Go Oatmeal

In the spirit of getting back in shape and eating healthier, I've dragged out my old go-to oatmeal recipe. 

I'm not sure where it originated from, but my health conscious aunt passed it onto me about seven years ago and I've loved it ever since. It's an extremely easy recipe that you can throw together the night before and have for breakfast the next morning. Healthy, packed with protein and delicious. Here you go, lovelies!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup Silk Vanilla soy milk

A tablespoon (or two) of raisins*

A tablespoon of sliced almonds*

*The raisins can be substituted for a fruit, i.e. blueberries, sliced strawberries, etc.

The almonds can be substituted for chopped peanuts, walnuts, etc.

The raisins and almonds are a rough estimate. I just eyeball it. 

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a small plastic container. Do not mix or stir ingredients. Place lid on container and refrigerate overnight. 
• In the a.m., mix ingredients thoroughly. 

You don't have to refrigerate the oatmeal overnight, but allowing the oats time to soak up the soy milk will make it taste better. 

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Samara