Easy Holiday Cookies

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While our Mimi was visiting we did a little baking and one of the things we made were these amazingly delicious 5 ingredient cookies. Since we were making them for Easter we added Easter M&M's, but they could very easily be customized for any holiday or season.

All you need is a few easy ingredients to bake these delicious cookies! 

• 1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2C Vegetable Oil
• 1 Bag of M&M Eggs (or any other holiday/seasonal candy)
• 1/2 Bag of White Chocolate Chips (these are optional)

• Put about half the bag of candy into a separate Ziploc bag  and using a utensil, crush the candy.
• Mix the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until gooey and all combined.
• Then add in the crushed candy & white chocolate chips and combine.
• Place dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & bake for about 8 minutes at 350º. 
• Pull cookies out and add a few more whole candies on top. And bake an additional 2 minutes.
• Let them sit and cool for about 10 minutes & enjoy!

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A Spring Visit with Mimi

We had a little surprise visitor during the kids' spring break last week; Mimi came for a few days! We were able to spend Easter together and went on a few adventures to show her around.

One of our fun stops was at Ferjulian's Farm (we actually visited twice)! Our first visit was a beautiful sunny day and we picked out some flowers from their greenhouse, and walked around admiring their amazing field of tulips. Our second visit was on their first day of the tulip-picking season. We enjoyed picking our own beautiful tulips, ate some amazing homemade donuts, and enjoyed some delicious coffee from a local coffee truck (LittleTown Coffee Co.). The kids and I will definitely be making another trip, before the season ends, to pick again.

We also surprised Mimi with a visit to Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. Little Women is a favorite of Mom and mine and it was just a very sweet and special visit. We definitely plan to go back to Concord (kid-free). The downtown was darling and has a variety of amazing little shops.

We also had a lot of time around the house just soaking up each other's company - playing games, watching movies, dyeing eggs, and baking.

We can't wait for another visit in a few short months!

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Piggy Paint at Target

**I received these products free from Influenster and Piggy Paint in exchange for my honest review.

One thing that is always a must-have in our house is nail polish! And I am so happy to have discovered Piggy Paint polish for myself and the girls.

It's the perfect nail polish for kids because it has none of the harsh chemicals found in regular nail polish, so it's non-toxic and virtually odorless; it is also vegan & cruelty-free. I love that it is a company created by a mom for her daughters, and in my home state of Arkansas. 

The girls love all of the variety of colors with glitter and the new scented line! There are also fun new neon colors that can glow under a black light! And the best part may just be that you can now shop Piggy Paint at Target! So head to you nearest Target to stock up, just in time for Easter! 

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Bunny Mix Recipe

*this post contains affiliate links.

With Easter right around the corner I wanted to make a fun little treat for teachers and neighbors!

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Orville Redenbacher's Simply Salted Popcorn
• 1 Bag of Easter M&M's
• 1 Box of Annie's Bunny Grahams
• 1 Bag of Tollhouse White Chocolate Morsels
• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

• Melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate morsels according to package
• Combine popcorn, M&M's, bunny grahams, and the melted chocolate. 
• Stir until coated. 
• Spread mixture onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzle with the other 1/2 of melted white chocolate and sprinkles (optional). 
• Once cooled, break apart and divide into decorative party bags, jars, or containers. 

Such a delicious holiday treat that is great to serve out of a bowl for a party or put into Mason jars for friends!

And have fun trying not to eat it all.

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For the Dino-Lovin' Kiddo

**affiliate links are included in this post. product pictures are clickable links.

After having four kids, I find it so fascinating how they are all so different and all have their own unique interests. One of our littles is unlike the others and has a strong fascination with dinosaurs. It's completely new territory for me and I'm always looking for new products and toys to keep her attention and entertained, so I  thought I'd share some in case you find yourself cruising the dinosaur aisles looking for something similar. 

Definitely have a few of these items coming to an Easter basket soon!

 

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Family Roadtrip to Arkansas

After moving to Massachusetts a year ago, we finally made our way back down to Arkansas. It's no less than a two-day drive, especially with four kids and a dog (yes, we took Jet). We obviously went to see our families, but there was another reason too...my cousin's wedding! She had asked the kids to be a part of her special day, and how could we say no to that?! With all of our dresses, tuxes, and suites in tow, we hit the road!

The wedding was an absolute dream and the kids loved every second of the excitement. It was so heartwarming being with all of our family and watching the kids interact with everyone. I  could honestly post a million pictures because they were all so damn cute, but you can check out our instagram for that. We danced the night away and said farewell to the newlyweds.

The rest of our time in Arkansas was spent soaking up as much family time as possible. We literally went from sun up to sundown every day, trying to cram in as many people as we could. And we still weren't able to see everyone we wanted to (don't worry I'm already scheming up another trip sometime this year). 

Sadly, we had to say farewell to Arkansas and start the journey back home to Massachusetts, but the fun didn't stop there. We had to make a stop off in Pennsylvania to visit Sean's family. Not many people realize he's from PA because he lived in Arkansas for so long, and obviously that's where we met. But so much of his family is still there and many I had never met; even after us being together for 20+ years. It was so fun to see his hometown and the schools he grew up in until high school. We're already planning a visit back and are hopefully going to have some visitors this summer. 

Our trip was too fast but I'm so thankful for the time we had. There's nothing like going "home".

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Teaching My Kids Drug Safety with LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back

This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DrugTakeBackMA​

Keeping my children safe and teaching them safe practices when it comes to prescription medications is very important to me as a mother. I, of course, keep all medications in safe storage and away from my children, but teaching them how to properly dispose of medications is just as important. The kids and I recently visited a LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back™​​ kiosk here in Massachusetts, where we disposed of our unused and outdated prescription medications. The program is such a practical and convenient tool for my family.

I don't think many families know the correct way to dispose of prescription medications, or why it is so important. People may flush them down the toilet, pour them down the drain, or throw them into the trash. But unfortunately disposing of medications in these ways can result in damage to our environment, drug diversion, or the medications and drugs being abused by others. 

In an effort to reduce the risk of these issues and bring awareness to the massive opioid crisis that is hurting families across our country, LifeInCheck has created an amazing program for the families of Massachusetts. LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back™ program provides consumers with a safe option to discard their unused or outdated prescription medications in secure kiosks across the United States. The kiosks provided by LifeInCheck make disposing of unused or expired prescription medications safe and easy. Locating a LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back™  kiosk is fast and convenient. 
Keeping my children safe is one of our top priorities. Not only do we keep medications away from our children, but with LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back™,​ we have been able to dispose of unwanted and expired medications. I would be devastated if these unused medications got into the wrong hands, and risking something like this happening because we didn't dispose of unused medications is not a risk I am willing to take. 
The closest kiosk to our home was only about 5 minutes away. Once we arrived at the store we quickly found the kiosk near the pharmacy, we checked to make sure our medications were acceptable (only Benzodiazepines and opioids in Massachusetts ), and then we dropped our medications into the receptacle. Doing this with them opened up some great conversations about drug safety.

 We go through all of our medications twice a year and dispose of any unused or expired medications using the LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back™ program and kiosks. I'm excited to be able to include my family in this process. I think it will teach them some valuable lessons, as well as, how they should handle and be responsible for medications as they get older.

Make sure to visit the LifeInCheck website, enter your zip code, and find a LifeInCheck kiosk near you so you can dispose of any expired or unwanted medications safely for you and your family's peace of mind!

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Road Trips with Kids

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One thing we are not, in this family, is shy of a good road trip. 

We love a good road trip adventure, and we've driven our fair share of the country, with and without kids. 

Our longest trip to date is definitely when we drove the 24 hours from Arkansas to Massachusetts last year, and we're going to be doing it again before too long. 

These are few of my must haves when we travel long distances –– magna doodles (multiples because you know sharing is difficult), tablets, new movies, coloring (Color Wonder is perfect for mess-free coloring), hand fidgets, some school workbooks, & lap desks to make it all doable! 

And, of course, don't forget the pillows and blankets for long naps. Hopefully. 

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Fall In New Hampshire

One of our most favorite parts of New England, has quickly become fall in New Hampshire. 

It's honestly unlike anything I've ever seen and can literally bring tears to your eyes. 

We visited twice during the fall of 2021 and were able to experience so much of the fun and beauty. Some of our favorite areas include (but are not limited to):

Jackson

North Conway

Bethlehem

Franconia

Woodstock (Kancamgus Hwy)

Bartlett (Bear Notch Pass)

One of our favorite things to do, and the best way to enjoy the beauty of the area, is hike. Get off the main road and really see what the area has to offer. We saw some amazing waterfalls and rivers.

Glen Ellis Falls

Ripley Falls

The Davis Path (Suspension Bridge over the Saco River)

The Flume Gorge

Another great way to see the area is by train or sky. It's a great way to get a better vantage point and have some new experiences. 

North Conway Scenic Railroad

The Mount Washington Cog Railway

Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

Mount Washington Auto Road

And you know we can't forget about some of the amazing restaurants.

Rek'lis Brewing Company (our FAVORITE)

Peach's Restaurant

Tuckerman's Restaurant and Tavern

The Sunrise Shack

Red Fox Bar and Grille

Cabin Fever Restaurant

If you haven't already, you definitely need to put New Hampshire on your calendar the first weekend in October!

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