Summer's 8th Birthday

I'm a little late on sharing Summer's birthday party. This past year was pretty low key because we didn't want a "big" party. We just invited a few close friends and it was perfect. The last couple of years Summer has wanted to do a "campout" and sleep in the back yard. I haven't been able to commit to that level of a sleepover just yet so we did a camp-themed party instead. 

It was basic and easy and the kids had fun! 

We decided to do a fun little painting project, painting these little birdhouses that I found at Michaels. They were only .99! And thanks to DecoArt as they provided all of the paint that we used. 

The girls (And poor Tyler, always the only boy!) picked out their paint colors, just adding a small amount to a paper plate. Then using foam brushed they got to paint their birdhouse however they liked. 

After their birdhouses were painted they played a few games outside then came back for campfire cupcakes. Summer found a picture on pinterest that she wanted to recreate so that's just what we did! She was super happy with how they turned out! 

It was a super fun party and Summer had a great time! 
On her actual birthday, she picked to have this strawberry pretzel dessert. I love that she chose this because none of us are big cake eaters! And this is a family favorite! So this is 8 and it looks pretty good! 

The Graduate

I feel like just yesterday I was sharing your birth story. But now, here we are.  You've been preparing for this for the past 12 years. It's finally your year. So many fun things to come such as senior sunrise, homecoming, senior sunset, Prom, end of year bbq, signing the rock, the senior all-nighter, your Navy swear-in at MEPS, your 18th birthday and graduation. This is for you. You're the graduate.

We should have probably known that something was up last fall when you crawled out of bed at 5 am to go watch the sunrise with the rest of the class of 2020 and the clouds didn't let it happen. No senior sunrise? Bummer, but that's okay. So many more events to come.

I will never forget the day the governor announced that classes were cancelled. I was helping in Tyler's class, doing an art project, and his teacher pulled the press conference up on his laptop.  We listened as we were told that after Monday there would be no classes. I remember him and I looking at each other, and saying, What does this mean for all these kids? He also had a senior at the rivalry high school, and what will happen with graduation? What will happen with the Navy swear in? So many unanswered questions.

That next week we navigated into new unchartered waters. Thankfully you had a pretty laid back schedule your senior year, but if I never have to smell the smell of clay in your bedroom again, that will be okay with me. Watching you build your clay statue in your bedroom is something I never thought would happen. But here I am watching Freddy Kreuger come to life.

The day you left for MEPS was one of the longest days of my life. Not hearing from you for over 24 hours had happened before. You've stayed with friends and family plenty of times. But this time was different. Today a life-altering plan was being made and I was not there to see or hear what was happening.  When you came through the door it was such a relief and the moment you told me you got the rate you wanted made me so incredibly proud of you. I really don't know if I have had a prouder moment than that.

Two weeks after MEPS you turned 18. Of course, we had plans for a party that had already been long ago shot down, but that doesn't mean we aren't celebrating! It was just a little bit of a smaller celebration with Bailey and Grandpa.

Now we are down to the last month of the school year. What is going to happen with Graduation? Do we send out announcements? Do we plan a graduation party? Will we be able to celebrate at all? Thankfully we live in the school district that we do because they did everything they could to make sure you and your classmates felt celebrated. Which honestly, isn't easy with 400 students!

A sign was added to our front yard and you waited for 5 hours in line to get free Krispy Kreme donuts:

All the senior's names were added to the field:

You still got to sign the rock:

And have your senior alumni breakfast, sort of....

They made sure that not only did you have an in-person graduation: 

And your friends got to ride along as you did for theirs: 

But one that was broadcasted for friends and family to see as well: 

And if you'd like to watch graduation over again, find it HERE

Finally, after things hadn't really settled down, we decided to just do a graduation party. Because you need to be celebrated. Sure, fewer people came and it wasn't spent hugging and standing in close quarters. But we are thankful for those that came to show you they care and are proud of you.

After all, you are The Graduate.

Oreo Birthday Cake

This past year for Summer's birthday she decided she wanted to pick her cake from Pinterest. An who I am to tell the girl no when I get to try something new?!? So after scouring for an Oreo cake, she found this one and that is how we ended up with an Oreo Birthday Cake.

This birthday cake was amazing! And really fun to make. But first, I want to share where I found it.  QUEENSLEE APPETIT is the blog I got it from! And I think it is safe to say Summer loved it! (And her birthday was in September, so I am super behind on sharing this!)

It really was a process and I made the cakes on the day before and assembled them the day of her birthday.

This was actually the only picture of the inside of the cake! Darn It! It was already dark in my house by the time we ate cake and by the next day it was falling over because it was so heavy! So this is all you've got! But I promise it tasted good!

I'm not really a chocolate cake fan, but since this one had coffee in it, it worked for me! (Yes, I let my 7 year old have coffee cake!)

There is literally no way for me to share this recipe without copying it word for word because I followed her recipe step by step.  So instead, just go to her blog, QueensleeAppetit for the recipe.

Summer thought this cake was amazing, and she's not wrong! She was so proud that I was able to mostly duplicate it! 

This cake was insanely rich and I'll be honest, after the small pieces we ate on her birthday, we only ate a few small bites here and there. And afterwards, I ended up throwing the rest of the cake away because there is just no way we could eat another bite of it because it was just so sweet! Tasted amazing though!

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

I feel like pickles are one of those foods that people either love or hate. I don't hear people say often that "pickles are okay". Do you? Everyone in my family loves them! And when I was pregnant with Tyler I ate hamburger dill chips like they were going out of style. I would take a tupperware container of them to work with me and eat them all day long.

And I will eat them in any form. Dill, sweet, bread and butter, relish.... I love pickles!



I made this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad for the first time last year after going to a bbq and wanting to bring something different from my ordinary salad choices.

It was a total hit and I ended up making it many more times over the summer because we just couldn't get enough of it!



You guys already know that things that are easy to make are my jam! And this one is no exception. It is one of those salads that you toss everything in a bowl, mix and stick in the fridge to chill.



Now we haven't had it all winter long and I know as the weather warms up more and we start to bbq more often I will be making this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad again.

• 8 oz. dry pasta (about 3 cups)


• 3/4 c. sliced pickles


• 2/3 c. cheddar cheese , diced


• 3 Tbsp chopped onion


• 2 Tbsp fresh dill


• 1/2 c. pickle juice

Dressing:

• 2/3 c. mayonnaise


• 1/3 c. sour cream


• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper


• 4 Tbsp pickle juice


• salt & pepper to taste

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water.


2. Pour a 1/2 cup of pickle juice over the cold pasta, mix and set aside.


3. After a few minutes drain juice from pasta.


4. Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl then add to pasta, mixing well.


5. Refrigerate at least one hour to chill before serving.

What is your favorite way to eat pickles? Or do you like them at all?

Ranch Pasta Salad

It may only be February, but I am dreaming of sunny days full of hot hot sunshine. Anyone else?

Winter hasn't been near as bad as past years, but I will take the heat over cold any day of the week. And because our summers fly by, I am making plans already to fill my days with lounging at the lake, relaxing in the back yard with a cold drink and lots and lots of play dates with kids screaming with laughter as they slide down the slip n slide.

One thing we do a couple times a year is have back yard bbq's with our family and friends. And I am always looking for the perfect BBQ food! Pasta salads are always a must and this BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad is definitely a favorite.

Originally I found a recipe for BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad over on Spicy Southern Kitchen, but after I couldn't find the same dressing I had to change things up a bit.



And because I had never had the original dressing, I wasn't missing out! This dressing was delicious!!



It really couldn't have been easier to make! Which are another favorite things of mine! Quick and easy pasta salads are awesome!!



This is all of the ingredients mixed together except for the pasta and corn chips.

• 16 oz pasta, cooked per package direction - I used elbow and sprial because that is what I had!


• 1 cup of Southwestern Ranch Dressing


• ⅓ cup sour cream


• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 cup canned corn, drained


• ½ red bell pepper, diced


• ½ small red onion, finely diced


• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


• 1 cup corn chips

1. Place cooked pasta in a large bowl.


2. Stir together dressing and sour cream and pour over pasta. Mix together


3. Add all remaining ingredients, except corn chips, and stir to combine.


4. Refrigerate until ready to serve and sprinkle corn chips on top just before serving.

I wish I had gotten a better picture of this when I originally made it! Because this picture doesn't really do it justice!  Maybe next time!

What is your go-to pasta salad?

Favorite Things {SIC Cup Edition}

This post has been compensated by IHelpMoms.com and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

I love coming across awesome products. And these SIC cups from SIC - Seriously Ice Cold - are amazing. I have had my SIC cups for just a couple of weeks and I am obsessed. Zach asked if he could have one of them and I haven't let him yet because I can't decide which one I am willing to part with.



Anyone else out there like me with a cup obsession? If you do, try these SIC cups, you will not regret it and you'll immediately have a new favorite cup. One of my favorite things about them is how long they keep things warm or cold. The last few weeks of soccer have been pretty brutal with how cold it was during practice and games. I loved that I poured hot tea into them before I leave the house and long after I get home my tea is still hot!



Since I most always have a cup of ice water near me I love that my 30 oz tumbler will keep ice for 24 hours! Luckily I haven't had a reason to need ice in a cup for 24 hours yet, but I am thinking ahead to summer days at the lake with my ice cold cup of water while I am playing in the hot sun. (Yes, I know it is only November and I am dreaming of the hot sun... It is the only thing that will get me through the cold winter that is ahead of me! Guys, it is 18 degrees outside as I type this, so let a girl dream!)

These are the three that I have:



A 27 oz SIC Bottle, a 12 oz wine/coffee/cocktail cup and the 30 oz tumbler. Any guesses which is my favorite?

Check out my Instagram page where I will be sharing which cup is my favorite!



And how fun are these colors? Salmon, Seafoam blue and white. I love everything about them and I'm drooling over all the other fun colors!



Feel free to check them out the SIC cups in the Ihelpmoms Holiday Gift Guide as well ---> HERE



A few of my favorite things about the SIC cups:

• They stay super hot or super cold for ridiculous amount of hours! (24 hours ice cold is awesome!)


• There are a ton of fun colors like salmon, orange, lemon and sea foam blue.


• They fit in your cup holders - even the bigger cups!


• Lifetime warranty - Do I even need to say more?


• These cups don't sweat!

Something else that I thought was cool is that these cups are powder coated, not painted. Which makes them less likely to scratch or chip. And the surface is perfect for putting a decal on.... I'm already trying to decide what I want to put on it!



Right now you can get a 15% discount on your own SIC cups by using code: ihelpmoms

So now that you have the code, which cup do you want to get? Leave me a comment below!