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The Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Guide

April 29, 2018

Hey!!!!!! We are just 2 weeks out from Mother’s Day!!!!!

Ladies, share this round up for great gift ideas!!! Hint Hint Hint!!! Guys, pay attention!

I think that a lot of mom’s approach Mother’s Day differently. Some want to spend the day with their kids doing a fun activity. , while others want to get far, far away so they can read a book in peace while they have a mani pedi. Or maybe you kick your family out of your house so you can lay in bed all day.

Whatever you end up doing, just remember it’s you special day.

…

Adventures in Honeybell Orange Picking

March 29, 2018

I grew up going apple picking, so when I moved to Florida 2 years ago, I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t get to experience the joys of getting to pick fresh fruit while living here.

But, Florida has providing me with plenty of great opportunities to get out and pick fresh fruits and vegetables, just not apples. While I miss getting to pick apples, I have enjoyed picking tomatoes, blueberries, and strawberries. Now I can add picking oranges to the list.

We recently went to Dooley Groves, about a 20 minute drive from our house.

Dooley Groves is a family owned grove that was started in the 1960’s. They offer a wide variety of citrus that is available from November to April.

Beside their shop and their you-pick groves, you can order their citrus for home delivery.

I had heard such good things about Dooley Grove from friends that we knew that we needed to check it out. Plus, getting bunches of oranges is so yummy and fun.

We went to pick Honeybell Oranges, which are a hybrid of Duncan Grapefruit and Dancy Tangerines. They are bright in color and densely packed with really sweet juicy meat. Honeybells are in season for a short period of time, which makes them in high demand.

While Hunter was just along for the ride for our picking adventure, he did enjoy the Honeybells when we got home. Man, he loves oranges!!!

Watching this bee buzz around all different flowers was so cool. His legs were packed full of pollen. Off to the hive buddy!

Autumn had a blast at the grove.

She was eager in selecting which Honeybells to pick and to help load them up in our bag. Can’t beat getting to run around in rainboots on a sunny day while picking fruit. Gotta love when 4 year olds dress themselves.

This behemoth is a Ponderosa Lemon. So cool.

Once our bag was full, we headed back to the shop to pay for our Honeybells

Besides selling freshly picked citrus, they sell delicious juice, jams & jellies, and fun Florida centric gifts.

I’m looking forward to going back to pick some Ortaniques. yum!

Dooley Groves

1651 Stephens Rd

Ruskin, FL 33570

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Dear Hunter @ 9 Months

March 8, 2018

March 2018

Dear Hunter,

Can I just say that you are amazing!?

Would that be extremely bias? Probably. But I don’t care.

Dad has been home with us the past few weeks, which certainly wasn’t planned, but has been really enjoyable anyway.

It’s wonderful getting to see the 2 of you together. So happy playing around, being silly, learning. I love seeing how happy you are with Daddy. And I know that he is happy getting to spend this time with you. He loves when you reach up to him for him to pick you up. It’s adorable!

Every since you pulled yourself up on me on Christmas, everyone has been teasing that you would be walking by now. Thankfully, that is not the case, you are happily just crawling around and scooting around by pulling yourself along the sofa and on the cabinets in the kitchen. I’m sure that once you are steady, you will be on the go, so I am enjoying this time a bit more.

In the mean time, we are just loving life. Life with you on our walks, in the pool, at the splash pad, at the library, in the park… we are on the go! You are really great with going with the flow. Even at GG’s while she was recovering from her surgery. You didn’t sleep well at night, but were great during the day, so it all worked out. It always does.

While I am really enjoying this moment in time with you, I am always looking forward to the next month as every day is so great with you.

Love,

Mommy

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

September 6, 2016

Labor Day weekend is over. I am in mourning.

First, I am not ready to get back to work after the 3 day weekend. I’m just not.

Secondly, I just can’t believe its already September.

How is 2016 flying back so quickly?

I already ad my first PSL of the year!!! It was bliss. But let’s be honest, I did feel kinda gross afterwards. My body was like, “what have you done?!?!” So much sugar in a drink! So much fat! Def a treat from my black coldbrews. ha!

Anyway, it feels like everything is speeding by so quickly. I can’t believe it. I am going to have a 3 year old soon. I can’t even think about it. (Nor, can I deal with the fact that Autumn is back in a crib… I’ll save that for another post!) And biggest of all, we’ll have a house soon!!! It makes me so super excited to think about it.

Then I’ll be busy with that and speed will fly by and ugh, I can’t think about it!!

The #1 thing I can’t think about is buying so much stuff for the house.

Actually, that will be loads of fun. But bye-bye money!

My husband has started a mega list of things we need and want for the house from the refrigerator, sofa, storage options in the garage, and the rain barrels we plan to get. It’s all about staying on budget and watching out for sales!

Thankfully, we have been living at my Dad’s since moving down to FL so we are saying loads of money on rent (thanks Dad!) so that is a huge help for us.

As well, I have been doing my best to cut out getting breakfast out. Making quick stops to Starbucks or Dunkin’ or the local deli just kills the budget. $4 here. $7 here. $5 here. It all adds up.

So, these freezer burritos are a big help with saving money and for making the mornings a lot more manageable too. We can toss the burritos in the microwave while getting ready and they are done in just a few minutes, ready to enjoy!

I layered the ingredients on the burrito but I think I will mix everything together and then fill the burritos for a more even bite. But, it all works!

I hope these Freezer Breakfast Burritos will speed up your morning and put a bit of pep into your step with a quick, affordable breakfast.

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Makes 6 burritos

Ingredients

12 ounces of bacon, cut into 1/2″ wide strips
12 eggs, beaten
1/4 Cup diced green onion
15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Cups of shredded Mexican style cheese blend
1 Cup salsa
pickled jalapeno slices, optional
burrito sized tortillas

Process

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
Cook the eggs in a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix in the green onion.
Arrange all the tortillas on a clean work surface.
Evenly add all the fillings to the burritos- egg, bacon, beans, cheese, salsa, and jalapenos.
Form the burritos by folding over the ends and then rolling tightly.
Wrap the burritos in plastic wrap. Arrange on a cookie tray. Place in your freezer. Once frozen, package up the burritos in large plastic zip top bags for storage.
When ready to enjoy, unwrap from the plastic wrap, then wrap in a paper towel and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 2 minutes, flip over. Then microwave for another 2 minutes. Let rest for at least 1 minute prior to enjoying.

2.27-3.1: Weekend Recap

March 2, 2015

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