Summer Sangria

Nothing says summer like a cold, fruit filled glass of sangria. Mmmmmm There are a thousand recipes out there that add everything from kiwi (blech) to apples, white wine to red, but this one is by far my favorite. Simple, sweet, and so, so good.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1/3 cup orange juice, no pulp
• 1 (750 mL) bottle of red table wine
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 1 lime, sliced into rounds
• 2 cups ginger ale

Directions

• Mix together lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, and triple sec. 
• Float slices of lemon, orange, and lime in the mixture. 
• Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. 
• Add ginger ale shortly before serving. 

Some for the recipe, some for Momma...

I bought this big glass pitcher just for this sangria recipe and I'm not afraid to admit it! It's just too pretty to be poured out of a plastic tub; it's not Kool Aid, people!

As a fun side note, this can also be frozen and made into a slushy! Just let it sit in the fridge over night as directed, then remove the fruit pieces and strain to get all the little pieces out. Then, put into a zip lock bag in the freezer for about 2 hours. The alcohol in it should keep it from freezing solid. Mash it up in the bag and spoon into pretty glasses or bowls. 

I'm making this, along with grilled peaches and ice cream, for a My 31 party I'm hosting tonight. A kid free night with sweets and wine? Sounds fabulous to me. Cheers!

Holy Zucchini

Is your garden spitting out zucchini the size of baseball bats? Oh, just ours? Either way, we've got a LOT of zucchini coming our way and there's only so much we can give away; might as well pull up some recipes!

My favorite zucchini recipe brings me right back to childhood. I remember my Mom making huge batches of zucchini bread to give to friends and neighbors for the holidays; the smell of the spices is the smell of Christmas.

While we do make some bread during the holidays as a tradition, we end up making a ton of it during the summer thanks to our garden. 

Mom's Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup unpeeled zucchini, shredded
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a loaf pan, set aside. 
• Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg. 
• In another bowl, mix egg, zucchini, oil, and lemon zest. 
• Add wet to dry and mix well.
• Pour into greased pan and bake for 55-60 minutes. 
• Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and cool completely before wrapping. 

I really enjoy this recipe because of how flexible it is. You can sub oil for applesauce for a healthier version. You can also add other veggies (shredded carrots) or take out the zucchini and add apples, bananas, blueberries, etc. If you want to make muffins instead of a bread loaf, keep an eye on the oven and cook them for about 30-40 minutes instead. 

Summer in the City: Around Oklahoma

Today's Summer in the City post is brought to you by Haley of Yours Twincerely!

There is so much to do in Oklahoma City and the surrounding cities! Here is a breakdown of our favorite things to do in each place.


Norman, Oklahoma

Andy Alligator's Fun Park & Water Park
A fun adventure for the older kids with many activities such as miniature golf and bowling, softball and baseball batting cages, rock climbing wall, bumper cars, go karts, water slides, a lazy river, and a cafe and pizzeria.

Hey Day Family Fun Center
Another fun adventure for older kids, and even adults, there is a full arcade, laser tag, mini golf, ropes course, and pizza! They are in the process of building a really neat bowling alley that will be called, "The Lanes at Hey Day" as well.

Sam Noble Museum
This is a natural history museum, which has many child friendly exhibits including dinosaur skeletons, prehistoric bugs, Native American history, etc. Not only is it a super fun place to spend a few hours with your family, but its very educational! The museum is located near the University of Oklahoma campus so be sure to take an hour or so to tour camps and campus corner as well. There are several local restaurants such as Hideaway Pizza, Victoria's Pasta Shop, and Cafe Plaid, all of which are delicious! There are also some neat shops around such as 405 Imports, Antique Garden, and Tulips and Tiny Tulips.


Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Zoo
This beautiful zoo has several different attractions including the Centennial Choo Choo, Safari Voyage, water stream, elephant and sea lion presentations, carousel, Explorikeet Adventure, giraffe feeding, stingray bay, and paddle boats

Within the same area you can also visit the Firefighter Museum, Softball Hall of Fame, and Remington Park.

Orr Family Farm
A fun filled family farm with an array of activities, rides, and education information. It's very clean and family friendly. We took our twins at 7 months old and they enjoyed seeing all of the animals and scenery. They also have a fabulous pumpkin patch during the fall and your little one's are able to pick a complimentary mini pumpkin!

Arcadia, Oklahoma

POPS Soda Ranch
A really neat landmark on Route 66, close to Oklahoma City. POPS Soda Ranch has an extravagant set up of glass soda bottles with any and every flavored soda you could ever imagine. The whole family can find a unique soda to enjoy before traveling to your next destination or take some time to enjoy the shake shop or restaurant. Don't forget the family picture in front of the 66 foot soda bottle out front!

Seminole, Oklahoma

Jasmine Moran Children's Museum
This is a great museum for toddlers and young children; there are a lot of learning exhibits including health care, science, grocery shopping, a mechanic shop, teaching, etc. There is also an outdoor train and other play areas.

Haley is a stay at home mama of 15 month old boy/girl twins. She enjoys blogging about the adventures of raising twins, being a "scrunchy" mama, and their favorite family recipes. You can find a variety of things on her blog from pregnancy, 1st birthday party ideas, and tips to exclusively pumping and much more. Check out Haley's blog and social media outlets here!

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Summer in the City: Twin Cities

Today's guest post is from Jenni, a grad student and stay at home Mom to a very busy toddler. She loves cheap wine, good television, and any reason to dress up pretty! Together, Jenni and family have been enjoying all that the Twin Cities have to offer this summer! 

When Jen asked for guest bloggers, I jumped at the chance! Talking about the Twin Cities is one of my favorite subjects (other favorite subjects include: my kid, why I'm in love with Tina Fey, red wine and how awesome it is, and what happened on the latest episode of Scandal).

I'm a stay-at-home-mom, but I would go absolutely batty if I actually had to stay at home all the time. Luckily, Minnesota is more than cold weather and funny accents, dontcha know.

Since you may have already heard about our awesome museums, great theater scene, and really big mall, I figured I'd take you to a couple of my favorite FREE spots in the Twin Cities. All are easy to get to and approved by John John, my 14-month-old sidekick.

Centennial Lakes Park

About ten minutes west of the Mall of America is the tony suburb of Edina. Somehow hidden behind the Whole Foods, West-Elms, and glassy office towers is a 24-acre park and pond! You can rent paddle boats, meander through the shaded walking paths, play a round of miniature golf, watch the ducks, or...

...PLAY IN THE FOUNTAINS! These kid-magnets are located right by the pavilion and are a great way to cool off without having to deal with the hassle of a public pool. The park also has evening outdoor movies, a Thursday farmers market, and a great craft fair every fall.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Sometimes I need a little more Matisse in my life, ya know?

The MIA first opened its doors almost a century ago and has evolved into three floors of paintings,

sculptures, furniture, modern media installations, and all sorts of artsy goodness.

I'm not sure how busy it gets on weekends, but when John John and I visit during the week it is always peaceful. MIA also very kid-friendly; last week we saw a group of second-graders learning about Wassily Kandinsky! It's the type of museum where I can park the stroller and let my little guy toddle around a bit without worrying about disapproving docent glares.

And best of all, admission is FREE. ALWAYS.

Choo Choo Bob's Train Store

I drove past this Saint Paul store hundreds of times before discovering what a gem it is!

The front of the store features two electric trains – and benches for us old people who don't feel the need to stand right next to the action.

This alone is worth the trip and could keep my little man happy for a half hour – but the back of the store is even more fun!

[Said in my best Oprah voice] “There are … TRAIN TABLES!”

There are six train tables in the back with plenty of trains - so even when the inevitable bratty kid is trying to hoard them, you can go to another table and find more!

As an added bonus, one of the BEST ice cream places in the city, Izzy's, is right next door. It makes an effective bargaining tool to get the little ones to leave the store. Trains and ice cream – does life get any better?

Como Zoo and Conservatory

The Como Zoo isn't the best zoo in the Twin Cities – that would be the Minnesota Zoo, hands down. But the Como Zoo is definitely the best FREE zoo, and that counts for something in my book!

John is still more interested in watching the kids instead of the animals, but this is still a great way to spend an hour or two.  I especially like these guys – the Emperor tamarins.

Once you finish at the zoo, you can breeze through the beautiful conservatory. It's lovely year-round, but especially refreshing on a freezing day when I'm convinced nothing will ever bloom again.  Boo, winter. Yay, flowers!

Music and Movies in the Park

On almost any night of the summer you will be able to find a free concert in a Minneapolis or Saint Paul park. 

Clap, clap, clap!

We like the Como Lake Pavillion (only a five minute walk from the zoo and conservatory!) because it has easy parking, a lovely lake view, and an attached cafe that serves wine and beer.

I don't even care if the music is any good (although it usually is!) - I just love getting out of the house, giving John John a chance to groove, and enjoying a lovely summer evening.

Here are the schedules for this summer:

Saint Paul Music: http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=1357

Saint Paul Movies: http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=3233

Minneapolis Music and Movies: http://www.mplsmusicandmovies.com/

The Twin Cities has lots more to offer – but my toddler is DONE EATING HIS LUNCH (!) and won't let me write any more. Thanks for letting me pop by – hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

Charlie would lose his mind with all those trains! I love that there are so many cheap or free activities for kids; keep them entertained without breaking the bank. Thank you much, Jenni for your recap of the awesome family activities in the Twin Cities. Check back all this week for more Summer in the City fun!

Summer in the City: Philly Local Style

This guest post is by Dena of bikeMAMAdelphia. Using a really awesome cargo bike called an Urban Arrow, you can find her riding around and enjoying all that Philly has to offer with her family in tow.

Enjoy Philadelphia in the Summer just like us locals. As a mom to two kids under three, I love taking advantage of living in Philadelphia especially in the Summer! 

Spray Grounds to Keep Cool

Sister Cities, is great for all ages an a features a small boat pool with plenty of climbing area for your tiny adventurers and a fountain. Shaded by old trees and an on premise cafe you can have a great picnic outside.

Herron Park, located in South Philly is a hidden treat. This park is full of splash areas and a playground equipment.

​
Where to Eat (that is not a cheesesteak)

Little Baby's Ice Cream

Hands down small batch ice cream at its best with tasty and unique flavors! 

Frankford Hall
Need a full meal and little bit of rest? How about a beer garden? Frankford Hall is an indoor/outdoor restaurant. You can often find my family here munching on pretzels and my kids playing with the ping pong table or stacking blocks (jenja games). 

Where to Play Outside

Smith Playground

Tucked away in Fairmount Park a historical playground that is nothing you have ever seen before. This park includes the latest in playground apparatuses, a mansion built just for children to play and a HUGE historic wooden slide.

Paine's Park

Bring the family by PP to check out Philly's very own skateboard park! (Bonus located near "The Oval", a Summer pop up park on the Parkway filled with food trucks and live entertainment).

Where to Play Inside

North Bowl

Two floors of bowling, beer and tater tots! They even have an old fashioned photo booth.

Where to Rent Bikes and Ride
Want to ride a cargo bike around Philly just like our family? Go rent one at Firth & Wilson! 

Take the bike for a spin on our River trail or our extensive bike lanes. Maybe ride to check out a local Farmer's Market, my two favorites: Saturdays at Rittenhouse Square and Sunday at Headhouse Market.

Aren't her kids just the cutest?! Thank you, Dena for your local perspective on the City of Brotherly Love! For more fun Philly information, check out Dena's blog here! And check back all this week for more Momma approved fun around the country. 

Camp with Kids and the Nuby Flip-It Easy Grip

**While this post is also chock full of tips for bringing kids to camp, it is sponsored by Nuby and contains links to their products and media outlets. The product being reviewed was provided to me by Nuby free of cost. 

All opinions are 100% my own and I do not review products that I don't believe in or use myself.**

No, not camping with kids....camp with kids. As in, summer camp. You know, canoeing, arts and crafts, bug juice - the whole nine yards. Every summer for the past several years, Jeff and I have volunteered at the summer camp he spent time at as a teen. It is a very special place to us both and we love being able to go back there each year. Plus, we don't suck at summer camp as much as we suck at camping.

A few weeks ago, we spent a weekend at camp to help with the Counselors-in-Training group and to test how how the kids would do at camp. It actually went really well! The CIT weekend is much different from a regular week at camp - its all us, all the time training and doing activities. If we can do that with the kids in tow, a real week of camp where there are structured activities, pool time, etc. that we aren't running will be a breeze! In theory!

With camp coming up soon, I've started putting together a list of what we'll need to bring with us to survive the week. All I can say is, I'm glad we have a van...

Clothes, clothes, and extra clothes
In addition to summery outfits, don't forget long pants and shirts for camp fires and a rain coat for those random summer storms. Also, bringing both sneakers and sandals give you options for different activities and incase a pair gets wet/dirty. We plan to pack clothes in quart size zip top bags like we did for our Disney trip - it made things so much easier.

Linens
I'm still on the fence about buying Charlie a sleeping bag, but regardless, we all need to bring bedding of some sort and towels for bathing. We'll be bringing the Pack and Play for Ginny and a bed rail for Charlie to sleep in a bunk.

Pool/River Gear
Bathing suits, rash guards, hats, water shoes, sunglasses, Puddle Jumper, pool toys, towels, swim diapers, and don't forget the bug spray and sunblock! The Environmental Working Group has a great list of safe and effective bug spray and sunblock products for kids.

Meds and Toiletries
We bring a mini version of our medicine tackle box when we travel, especially with how sick these kids get. For camp, we also include bug bite stick, tweezers for ticks, extra bandaids, and aloe.

Other Helpful Things
Bringing fun outside toys like chalk, bubbles, a kite, butterfly net, etc. are awesome, but don't forget some inside toys and books for rainy days. We're also bringing a pop up hamper to contain the ridiculous amount of laundry we'll be making and our fold up Easy Go Wagon to help transport the kids around camp with their stuff for the day's activities.

Summer Essentials
Sunblock is the #1 summer essential, but staying hydrated is a close second. We try to keep filled water bottles available to the kids all summer, but especially while outside. We got the chance to try out the Nuby Flip-It Easy Grip cup and Charlie loves it!

Aside from coming in cool color combinations, it was easy for him to open and close, but not to unscrew and pour all over the place. The draw makes it easy to drink from and flips out of the way when not in use so it doesn't get dirty; very important at camp.

My favorite part is that the opening of the bottle was wide enough to put full size ice cubes in; perfect for the hot summer weather! As a bonus, we were able to put a carabiner on the loop on the top to hook to the wagon so it never got lost. I seriously love this cup.

Though I'm not super jazzed about packing it all, we're really excited to be heading back to camp this summer. Its such a fun place and we really enjoy spending time there with the campers. I can't wait!

You can pick up the Nuby Flip-It Easy Grip from Buy Baby Direct, Diapers.com, Amazon, WalMart, TJ Maxx, DD's Discounts, and Baby Depot at Burlington.

Check out Nuby's social media sites for coupons and info about their other awesome products!

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We Suck at Camping

This past weekend, I turned 30 and celebrated by making a bucket list of 30 things I'd like to accomplish this year. Number 8 was camping, so why not kick off the year with that?!

I can't remember the last time I went camping...like real camping. I grew up in Girl Scouts and we went tent camping once in a blue moon, but most of the time we were in a cabin or tentalo (half tent, half cabin). The times we went actual tent camping, however, I remember having a lot of fun!

How's this for a throw back? Brownies in about 3rd grade, maybe?

So aside from Girl Scouts (and popping up our 2 person tent in the living room), this past weekend was really the first time I've been camping in a long, long time. You know what? It was a blast!

Jeff and I registered for camping gear for our wedding and received several awesome pieces for our collection. We thought, what a fun activity to do together?! Aaaaaand we unboxed them this weekend. Whoops. 

We found a campground in our area that had camp sites with a fire ring, picnic table, water spout, and electric for $40 a night and they assigned us one shaded under trees about 50 yards from a bathroom. Perfect! With Grandma watching the kids, it was an awesome get away for the two of us. 

Hey, at least we got the tent up, right?

As with all things, however, we learned several things that we need to do next time we camp. Several painfully obvious things that I'm going to chalk up to rushing out of the house that morning...

• Bring a flashlight or lantern. Yes, we actually forgot this. Thank goodness for cell phones. 
• Bring bug spray. Yes, we actually forgot this too. 
• If you have an outlet, pitch your tent close enough to use it over night for a light or to charge your phone. 
• Shower shoes. Duh.
• Put a mat outside the tent to wipe off your shoes on your way in. Or heck, take off your shoes completely. 
• Blow up your air mattress before quiet hours. Sorry everyone!!!
• Bring firewood so you're not left sneaking through the woods looking for enough kindling to roast marshmallows.
• Check the weather before you go. We chose the one and only 50* weekend in June to go camping and didn't bring warm clothes. Brrrrrr!

Basically, imagine us wandering around in the dark, totally not dressed for the weather, holding cell phones above our heads while trying to gather up tiny twigs on the ground for a fire. Yup. Feel free to laugh - we did. 

So to say we were total camping yuppy newbs is an understatement. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and we truly can't wait to do it again with the kids. To improve upon our camping planning skills, I've turned to my good friend Pinterest. Follow along as we try not to suck at camping next time!

Follow Jen (All Four Love)'s board Camping with Kids on Pinterest.

Wordless Wednesday: Loving the Sun!

Call for Guest Bloggers!

This summer, I would like to put together a series called, "Summer in the City" to showcase the family activities in some of the larger destination cities/areas around the country. I am only familiar with a few and I know there are some awesome bloggers out there!

It does not necessarily need to be a city you live in; it could be a city you frequent, grew up in, vacation to, or live nearby. The post can focus on any aspect(s) of the city or area as long as it includes information (and of course pictures!) about how families can have fun there.

If you're interested and have an idea for a city or have any questions, please let me know! You can email me here. Posts will go up the end of June and be shared via my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts.

Wordless Wednesday: First Time Eating Watermelon

Getting Ready for Summer

One of the perks of Jeff being a teacher is that he's off all summer long. Its a great opportunity for us to save on daycare costs since the kids drop down to 2 days a week (to hold our spot and so they can see their friends), but it means that he's home with them the other 3 days of the week for 10 weeks. That's a lot of time to fill! It was so much easier when it was just one tiny guy...

Now, I understand parents that stay home full time have mastered this whole keeping kids occupied thing, but Jeff hasn't exactly done that. His seasonal stay at home Dad status is redefined every year as the kids grow. To keep everyone busy (and happy) we're getting our selves ready with indoor and outdoor activities for them to do together without breaking the bank.

We are fortunate to have a gated patio for the kids to safely play. Along with the community garden and park nearby, this is where they'll spend most of their time. At the end of last summer, we stocked up on our favorite go to activities (bubbles and chalk) when everything went on clearance. I really love this idea for stick bubbles since they work super well, but get spilled all the time!



Charlie has been really into playing t-ball and soccer lately too, so having those things around will surely be a big hit. I'm still in the market for a pop up soccer net - hopefully Craig's List comes through for me on this one because I definitely don't want to spend $30 for one at WalMart.

We still have our Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Waterpark which has been a big hit since we got it a few years ago and with the addition of our Step2 Fold and Play Jr. Slide and baby pool, our garden to work in, and a bunch of indoor ideas, we're set!

Here is our list of summer supplies and ideas thus far.

Outdoors

• Bubbles
• Chalk for drawing and games
• Baby pool and water table
• Pool toys, buckets and cups for pouring water, water balloons
• Kid sized tools for gardening
• Nature scavenger hunt
• Soccer
• T-ball
• Bike riding
• Catching (and releasing!) bugs
• Fishing
• "Camping" in the evening with the play pop tent
• Tie dye

Indoors

• Blanket fort building supplies (flat sheets, clothes pins, etc.)
• Play Doh, crayons, paint, and other art/craft supplies
• Board games
• Ball pit
• Legos, puzzles, and tanagrams
• Reading and making up stories
• Movies (don't lie, this is important to have in your indoor arsenal)
• Baking
• Inside scavenger hunt
• Games, making music, singing songs

Follow my "Stuck Inside Activities" and "Summer" Pinterest boards to keep an eye on the fun stuff I'm pinning and planning for the summer!


Follow Jen's board Stuck Inside Activities on Pinterest.


Follow Jen's board Summer! on Pinterest.