Cheerios Conversations and Craft

My daughter will soon be entering Pre-K.  My baby is growing up so fast.  I really enjoy the wonderful conversations I have with her.  She is a little person with an old soul.  Saturday mornings, she and I sleep in.  The boys wake up and are out and about.  Lil Bit and I are cuddling under the covers for as long as possible.  When we do wake up, we come downstairs to grab some breakfast.

My daughter knows what she wants and what she likes.  She tells it like it is, just like her daddy.  I let her pick what she wants to eat for breakfast.  Who wants to battle that early in the morning with a four year old?  Saturdays are supposed to be fun times and that's exactly how I want to keep them.  After a long week, I prefer not to have to cook breakfast on Saturday mornings.  So when the little goes into the pantry and is choosing cereal for breakfast, it's a win for both of us.

Her current favorite cereal just happens to be one of my favorites too.  Honey Nut Cheerios is made with whole grain oats, and real honey.  Honey Nut Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios, and Regular Cheerios are now all gluten free.  There are no artificial flavors or artificial colors.

Today's conversation is movie inspired.  We love to watch movies together.  My daughter has been going to the movies since she was in diapers.  Some of my friends have asked what do we to make my daughter sit still at the movies.  No secrets here, so I tell them: 

-We always make her comfortable.
-We bring her a blanket because sometimes movie theaters get a little chilly.
-We pick an aisle seat in case we have to get up.
-We use the potty right before the movie starts.

But my best advise is to bring their favorite snack.  My daughter loves to crunch on Honey Nut Cheerios.  This is a healthy snack option and perfect for the kiddos. 

It can also be a great piece of jewelry.  What?  Yes, and a perfect craft. 

Honey Nut Cheerios Snack Necklace

Supplies Needed:

-Cheerios
-String or Ribbon

You put the cereal through the string.  Fill it up as much or as little as the kiddo wants.  Then you get to wear it.  Snack on the go for later. 

This necklace is ready for our next trip to the movie theater.  What are we going to go see?  The Secret Life of Pets hits movie theaters on July 8.  In the month of July, in specially marked General Mills cereals; Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix, Cocoa Puffs, and Lucky Charms, you can collect all 6 characters from the movie.

We go through a lot of boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios, and right now schools out and it is Summer. 

Need a coupon before you hit the store to get your cereal?  Click here for a digital coupon good on any Honey Nut Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios, and Regular Cheerios.

Welch’s Fruit Snacks Fourth of July Challenge

Cooking with my kids is always fun.  My mom never really had time to show me how to cook because she was always working.  Especially on holidays, my stepdad and her were always working.  I get it, someone had to pay the bills and put food on the table.  But I did not get to share the kitchen with my mom for special moments or cook special holiday dishes, I kinda miss out.

Thanks to Welch's for sending me these boxes of fruit snacks and fruit 'n yogurt snacks to be able to participate in the Welch's fruit snack 4th of July challenge.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

What is the challenge?  To create a 4th of July dish with Welch's fruit snacks and fruit 'n yogurt snacks.

Challenge accept.  My daughter and I were ready for the challenge.  I was so excited to try this with my daughter who is only four.  She loves to help me in the kitchen.  I like my kids to help in the kitchen and I do try and show them how to make whatever meal I am making.  The preschooler was excited because we were making little pies.

Fruit Explosion 4th of July Mini Pies-No Baking, kid friendly

Ingredients-

1 box-Welch's fruit snacks
1 box-Welch's fruit 'n yogurt snacks
1 container-cool whip
1 can-condensed milk
6 count-graham cracker mini pies

I decided to use the graham cracker mini pies that are ready to use, but you can choose to make your own pie crust.  My daughter likes things that are little.  She says they are kid sized, just for her.  In a bowl, mix the container of cool whip and 1/4 can of condensed milk.  You can leave the condensed milk out if you like.  It thickens the cool whip but does sweeten just little but more.  I used a smaller bowl.  It looks like a small glass but it is the perfect size for the daughter's hands if she needs to hold it when mixing ingredients.  I also open the can of condensed milk and I added the milk. 

Once that is mixed together well, your kid can start adding a layer of cool whip to the pie crusts.  She did two table spoons.  She was pretty much doing it all herself from this step on.

The next layer is 1 single serving bag of the Welch's fruit 'n yogurt snacks. 

Top that with another layer of cool whip mix.  Mom may need to even out the layer afterwards.

Two more should do the trick.  Then you will decorate the top of your pie with the Welch's berries and cherries fruit snacks.  We used 1 single serving bag.  You may want to use more, depending on your child's design. 

Finally, let chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve for your 4th of July party.  This is very easy for kids to do on their own. 

My daughter had a great time.  This is was super easy and she helped prep for our 4th of July get-2-gether.  This time she was not the helper.  I was her assistant.

Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator

I hate the smell of wet laundry.  You know when you happen to toss a load in the washer and you forget about it.  Then you when you find it, you dry it.  But it has a smell.  Or when you rush to wash your clothes and you don't have time to dry it all the way. 

There is nothing worse than pulling a workout shirt, towel or blanket out of the dryer and as you are folding it, you smell something nasty.  Some odors are just too powerful for regular laundry detergent to handle.  And, while there are laundry additives on the market that can make your laundry smell like flowers or a fresh breeze, who wants to just cover up stink when you can use a product that will actually eliminate it? 

Thanks to Febreze for sending me this kit to try at home.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience. 

The new Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator is the first laundry additive that works with your detergent to target and cling onto odor molecules in the wash and flush them down the drain with the dirty water.   Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator can annihilate tough laundry odors like mildew, sweat, smoke, pet smells and more?

We are gym rats and that gym clothes can stank.  Yes, stank.  We needed something strong to get the stank out of our clothes.  Just imagine how stinky this clothes would get if the stinch did not get out every time.  It would only get worst. 

My husband and I are both happy for the extra help that Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator has given us with our laundry.

2016 Comicpalooza Recap

Comicpalooza is a place where everyone is accepted.  A place where you can be who ever you want to be.  Calling all nerds to....Texas largest comic and pop culture event here in Houston. 

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Creative Media and Comicpalooza.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

This year did not disappoint.  There was so much to see and do.  Do you want to know why I like Comicpalooza? 

1)  Cosplay-I love to see the costumes, experience the characters, and recreation of some of our favorite cartoons.

 
2)  Learning and Discovering-There are so many different things to see like:

 Discovering what pocket pets are...and no, they are not squirrels.

 Learning about alligators, awareness and safety.

Have you ever touch ectoplasm?

3)  Meet and Greets-You can talk to your favorites, get close and personal, and even have photo ops.

4)  Behind the scenes-You can see what is behind the lense of movies, special props, and effects.

5)  Family friendly event-This is an event that we all enjoy. 

We had a wonderful time with our kids.  They get to express their originality.  They get to be around artist, and makers.  It is always a crowd pleaser.  We got to stay out of the heat, rain, and kept us all entertained.

Thirsty Thursday-Don Julio Farm to Shaker Dinner

When you hear the word tequila, what do you think about?  shots, shots, shots, shots....right? 

Thanks to Don Julio for inviting my husband and I for dinner.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

The word Don kinda translates to the word Sir.  But it is a title in Hispanic culture that is earned not just given.  Don Julio Gonzalez's passion is what created this tequila.  It has now become the high end, best of the best, to locals and around the world. 

We were invited to come and experience Don Julio's tequila.  Yes, I said experience.  Not a dance club passing out shots but a behind the scenes learning experience about what makes Don Julio tequila great!

From left to right-

Blanco-

Color:           Clear
Nose:            Crisp agave aromas blended with hints of citrus notes - lemon, lime and grapefruit
Taste:            Light, sweet, agave flavor
Finish:          Clean and dry with a touch of black pepper and grassy undertones
Best Served: Mixed drink

Reposado-

Color:           Straw-like color
Nose:            An inviting aroma of mellow lemon citrus notes and spice layers with touches of ripe stone fruit
Taste:            Incredibly soft and elegant hints of dark chocolate, vanilla and light cinnamon
Finish:          Silky, warm finish with an essence of dried fruit, nuts and a touch of caramel apple
Best Served: Neat

Añejo-

Color:            Light amber
Nose:             A fresh blend of lime, grapefruit and mandarin citrus aromas with a rich touch of caramel
Taste:            Full-bodied and complex with expressions of cooked agave, wild honey and oak-infused butterscotch
Finish:          Bright and lightly spiced finish with the essence of wild honey
Best Served: On the rocks

70-

Color:	Clear
Nose:	Crisp with traditional hints of Añejo
Taste:	Smooth in character with highlights of vanilla, honey and toasted oak
Finish:	Lingering hints of oak followed by a clean, warm finish
Best Served:	On the rocks

After we learned a little more about the different types of Don Julio tequilas, dinner was served.  Each entrée was paired up with a drink for the tasting.

We got a behind the scenes with the Chef Jean-Philippe Gaston before dinner even started.  We learned about the local ingredients and flavor that were to be used for our dinner.

Tequila Don Julio Agua Chile paired with Abejita

 Tequila Don Julio Asado de Churrasco y Chimichurri paired with Añejo Martinez

Brigadeiros y Platanos Calados paired with Tequila Don Julio 1942

The food was very delicious.  The drinks were good too.  The pairings, I would not have ever tried.  When I thought of tequila, I thought of shots not tasty cocktails like I was served.  Great creations by Mixologist Omar Villacencio.  Before dinner, Omar demonstrated how to create El Macho, El Diablo, and La Ultima Palabra (The Last Word).

My favorite drink of the night was the Abejita.  It was sweet and tasty.  I could drink this all night.  Even my husband liked it.  His favorite drink of the night was El Macho.  It was a beautiful creation. 

It was a night of delicious food, tasty drinks, and a great time along with good company.  Salud!

Wordless Wednesday-Comicpalooza 2016 Cosplay Favorites