Pumpkin season is in full swing. I know I’m late to the party because Pumpkin Spice Lattes came back forever ago, it seems like, but we just got our pumpkins carved this weekend… so cut me some slack. It took Ketchup and me forever to agree on a good pumpkin design– he wanted me to carve Josh Dun’s face on a pumpkin (for those who don’t know, it’s the drummer from Twenty One Pilots, and Ketchup is obsessed). Finally, I talked him down and we agreed on the Twenty One Pilots logo instead– simple, straight lines, easier to do. You know what’s even easier than carving straight lines on a pumpkin, though? Making these bite-sized pumpkin pie egg rolls. Trust me.
Cheese-Stuffed Barbecue Meat Bombs
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AD #Tailgreatness #CollectiveBias
Tailgating season is now in full swing, and I have to admit, I’m really excited. You see, here in Kansas City tailgating generally means barbecue, and y’all know how much I love barbecue. But one recipe that’s been a recent favorite when I tailgate is this: sausage and beef, blended together and stuffed with cheese, coated in barbecue sauce, and cooked in the slow cooker until they’re ready to enjoy. I can’t imagine a tailgate without them. Made with spicy sausage, they’re even worth the heartburn (which, luckily, I have a solution for).
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix (for coffee or cocoa)
I pride myself on always being on time. Even if it means leaving my house incredibly early and sitting outside a place for half an hour because I arrived too soon, I pride myself on being on time. It’s just something that was instilled in me from a young age, and it’s important to me. But sometimes things don’t go as planned… and that’s when it’s time to just totally forget everything else that’s bringing me down and Crush It.
Updating your Coffee Bar for Fall Entertaining
This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review. #StarbucksCaffeLatte #MyStarbucksatHome #CollectiveBias
Now that fall is in full swing, it’s time to recognize the fact that Thanksgiving is approaching pretty rapidly. I know, I can hardly believe it either, but now that Zack and I have our Halloween costumes squared away, it’s pretty easy to think that guests will be arriving soon for the various fall and winter holidays… That’s why I couldn’t put it off any longer– it was time to update my coffee bar to prepare for fall guests.
The Best Apple Recipes, Tips, and More!
Apples are easily my favorite thing about the fall season… growing up, fall was always the season for hot apple cider from a local cider mill, cider donuts, and just spending time with family. Not long ago, I shared one of my favorite recipes so you could make apple cider donuts at home! Today, though, I’d like to share this collection of apple themed posts from other bloggers around the web! From beauty to food to activities, these are all written by members of the Social Fabric community. I know you’re going to love them, and I hope you have a great season creating many amazing fall memories with your family.
No-Bake Energy Bites
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CarnationBreakfastEssentials #CollectiveBias #sponsored
I have to admit… I really like any excuse to eat cookies for breakfast. Who doesn’t? When my mom was young, she’d sometimes make a batch of no-bake cookies to enjoy for breakfast, and I have to say, it’s not a bad idea… after all, oatmeal, peanut butter, they’re a decent start to getting what you need out of the morning. With a few tweaks, I think I’ve perfected that idea… and trust me, these are an incredibly delicious Energy Bite option that tastes just like cookies for breakfast. You don’t even need to turn on your stove or oven.
Where I Find TOTALLY FREE Educational Apps for Our Homeschool
One thing I love about homeschooling is the flexibility… homeschooling can happen anywhere at any time. So, if the kiddo is really big on a certain topic, we can center experiments, books, math problems, and more around that specific topic… the flexibility works really well for us. Another thing that I love is how additional tools, like educational apps, can really supplement the learning process!
It’s a fact of life that technology is now a major part of education– even public schools are embracing the use of apps as an educational support, and it’s something we’ve embraced in our homeschool as well.
But apps get expensive. I think the worst part is when I pay money for an app, only to find out it’s only partially accessible because much of the app is locked away behind in-app purchases, meaning I have to pay more and more, or ultimately find a cheaper app to fill it’s place. I dream of a world where the entire app costs one price, without a ton of in-app purchases… and that world is actually starting to exist with Amazon Underground.
If you haven’t heard of it, and you homeschool, Amazon Underground is a MUST-HAVE. It works with Android smartphones, but also Amazon Fire tablets.
With over 300 educational apps, you just download and go… and in-app purchases on the apps that have the “actually free” sash on Amazon Underground? THEY ARE FREE.
We’ve got a lot of favorites– most of the Dr. Panda series, for example, is available on Amazon Underground, meaning we can play to our hearts’ content.
For us, Amazon Underground means the freedom for Zack to explore apps that are educational and still interesting… lately, he’s been fascinated with maps, so we can use Actually Free Amazon Underground Apps like GeoFlight USA, a fun geography quiz. When his interests were all about dinosaurs last week, he could play Caillou the Dinosaur Hunter. Because his interests change so fast, I’m not trying to buy educational apps to keep up. Now, I can be assured that it’s just free.
But you know, life isn’t always spent on school, so luckily there are a ton of great apps that Zack and I both love for leisure, too. One of my personal favorites is Fish Out of Water… I’m a little bit obsessed with those fish! The game there has in-app purchases where you can purchase crystals to do different things… and check out what happens if you push the button to buy more– it says it’s FREE (even for that $15 pack!), and that Amazon Underground is buying the in-app purchase for me. A few seconds later, and the crystals magically appear (and my bank account stays completely intact!)
Outside of homeschooling, we’re also loving the new Frozen Free Fall Icy Shot game! It’s a twist on the popular Frozen Free Fall app, and with over 100 enchanting levels– and I can’t get enough of it. It’s got all of my favorites– Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and even some Snowgies (aren’t they so mischevious?!), and it’s got that classically fun “take aim and shoot” gameplay that I loved with the first Frozen Free Fall. Snag that app totally free right here!
What is your favorite educational app? Let me know in the comments below, then learn more about Amazon Underground and get some totally free apps on your Android Smartphone here!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Homemade Apple Cider Donuts
There are a few things that just say fall to me… barbecue for tailgating, regardless of which sport you support, corn mazes, and of course, apple cider donuts. A hot apple cider donut, freshly fried, with a warm cup of apple cider, is just something that screams autumn to me. I couldn’t resist making them at home.
Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken
Growing up, there was only one option when you wanted Chinese food… the menu may have had a ton of great choices, but if it wasn’t Springfield Cashew Chicken, was it even really worth ordering Chinese food? You see, traditional Cashew Chicken is a Chinese-American dish that’s stir fried in a wok, but Springfield-style Cashew Chicken combined classic American food– fried chicken– with this popular dish, and allowed a totally new recipe to take shape… and trust me, you must try it.
DIY No-Sew Cow Masks
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HorizonLunch #CollectiveBias
When it comes to imaginary play, you can never get enough of it. My son’s favorite forms of this kind of play are the times when he gets to be an animal…. So, I love to give him opportunities to make costumes for these fun personalities he’s developed when he acts out his animal characters’ ideas. This cow mask is super simple, no-sew, and a perfect craft to make at play dates and more.They also cost less than 50 cents to make, making them the perfect craft to do together!