Friday Favorite: Fizzy Refresher

Summer is coming to an end. My oldest goes back to school next week. Next. Week. Whaaaa?

That means that it's time to get back into our school routine (read: wake up early, go to bed at a decent hour, etc). It's also time to cram everything we haven't gotten around to doing this summer into the next 7 days.

With all the schedule changes and running around added to our normal activities, I need a pick me up in the afternoon. I confess I have reached for a Pepsi once or twice... buuuut I've also discovered this little treat I'm going to share with you today.

This post is not sponsored in any way. All opinions are my own. Starbucks and Soda Stream have no idea who I am.

You all know I'm all about the Soda Stream now, well I've also mentioned that I love Starbucks Refreshers. Now I'm combining my two obsessions! A fizzy refresher hits the spot and gives me a subtle caffeine boost in the afternoon. It's very satisfying.

All you do is make a liter of soda water in the Soda Stream. Then add in one packet of your favorite refresher flavor. I only do one packet even though the mixing instructions call for 2 packets per liter. It's less sugar my way and I like the flavor.

This isn't a super sweet drink, but it really hits the spot! I highly recommend giving it a try.

Friday Favorite: Fruit Infuser Water Bottle

Woo! Happy August everyone!

We are back on the blog and ready to share some fun stuff with you all!

Since today's Friday, I have a "favorite" to share with you. I discovered this wonderful infuser water bottle last month!

I posted back in June that I was trying to drink more water. I have also been experimenting with soda water + fruit. This handy water bottle is great for this purpose! There are a lot of infuser water bottles but I picked this one because I liked the straw and I could pick my fav color- orange!

Btw, this post isn't sponsored by anyone- just my humble opinion.

So I've been trying all sorts of fruit combos. When I was taking these pics I was using peaches + blueberries + mint leaves. It was delish.

I love the infuser. It keeps all the fruit together so the straw doesn't mush it around. I can use the same fruit for 2 days (I keep it refrigerated or on ice at all times) and there's no pulp or gross stringy stuff at the bottom of the bottle.

So far, my fav combo is strawberry + raspberry + mint. It is soooo good.

 It's so refreshing to have fruity water on hand. And it makes using soda water for a different flavor easy peasy too!

Let me know if you have a fav fruit + water combo- I'd love to try it!!

How to Season Stoneware

I've mentioned my stoneware collection a few times. It's great for cooking and baking so many things. Cookies are way better on stoneware!

One of the things about stoneware is that it gets better age. In order to make sure your stoneware lasts and has a good non-stick finish, it's important to season it properly the first 2-3 times you use it.

Depending on what you will be using your stoneware for you will need either olive oil if it's mostly cooking savory things or canola/vegetable oil if you'll be using it for baking sweet treats. A good basting brush is nice to have, but you can also use a paper towel.

Simply use the brush or paper towel to apply a very thin layer of oil to the stoneware, you don't want it to think or it will affect the taste of your recipe.

Oil the stoneware like this before placing it in the oven the first 2-3 times you use it until you start to see a darker brown coming through.

Can you tell I use this to bake cookies? A lot.

Once the stoneware starts to turn color you'll know it's ready to go! The more you use it the deeper the brown color will be. I've seen some stoneware that's completely black. I'm in awe of those cooks!

Happy cooking everyone! Enjoy your Easter weekend!

How I Broke My Soda Habit

Soda, pop, coke, whatever you call it- it's not a healthy drink. Don't even get me started on "diet" versions! Regular pop has a lot of sugar (41g in 12 oz of Pepsi), a lot of empty calories (150 in 12 oz), and sodium that no one really needs because we get enough from our food.

Up until recently, I have been a one-pop-a-day drinker. The size of that pop varied depending on how much caffeine I felt like I needed that day ;-) but I have always had to have a pop in the afternoon to keep me going. I was so addicted that if I hadn't had a pop by 3pm I'd start to get a headache. Yikes.

I know better!

I've been on this journey to a "healthier me" for a while and I have made so many improvements to my lifestyle over the past year or so. I knew it was time for me to stop my pop habit.

So, I started contemplating alternatives. I knew I still needed the caffeine, but I didn't like the idea of having more coffee- that's more caffeine than I needed in the afternoon. I don't like iced tea- I end up making it too sweet and less sugar is one benefit to letting go of pop. I was also worried because, at this point, I craved pop. Finding an alternative would be difficult. I was ready to make a change, I just needed to find something I loved as much as pop.

After much R&D I have replaced pop with...

Starbucks Via Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade (6g of sugar, 0mg of sodium, and 35 calories for half a packet)

• I only use half a packet in my 16oz cup and I usually fill the cup half full with ice.
• I love the flavor. It's sweet and slightly tart. 
• The caffeine comes from green coffee extract- this is also the stuff found in popular drinks like Plexus.
• Since the powder is added to water- I'm also drinking more water, always a good thing!

I went for a whole week without a single sip of pop and never had an issue! I didn't even crave it. I have one half-packet of refreshers per day (two if I'm super run down) and I'm good to go.

Now that I've broken the habit, I'm determined to keep this up. Just to make sure I don't fall into the pit of deprivation, I do still get pop when I eat out- but that's rare so it's more of a "treat" than a "must have".

Taking on unhealthy habits one at a time is a manageable way to make lifestyle change.

What's an unhealthy habit you wish you could break?

**This is not a sponsored post, just my story**

My Favorite Kitchen Canisters

I know how simple it sounds, but canisters make me happy. 

If you combine my love for baking with my love for containers, you can see how kitchen canisters would be one of my favorite things. That's not strange, right?

I've been on the look out for a canister set recently because I might have shattered one of my old canisters leaving me with an incomplete set. 

This is no easy task. Apparently I'm picky about kitchen canisters- who knew? I thought that finding big glass canisters would be easy but I was wrong. Most plain glass canisters out there are small and can't hold a whole bag of flour. Not ok. 

We don't have The Container Store where I live (so sad) so anytime I pass one- like on a recent trip to Dallas- I stop in and have a look around.

I'm so excited about the canisters I found! I bought glass canisters (or hermetic jars, tomato-tomato?) with air tight lids. These two features are especially important because I live in a humid climate. 

I have 4 canisters: 2 large ones for whole wheat and AP flour; a medium size for sugar; and a smaller size for brown sugar. I also bought a 1/2 cup metal scoop so I can easily measure my flour, sugar, and brown sugar.

I am still debating on adding chalk labels. I really like the clean look they have now. 

These babies have become one of my favorite things in my kitchen. I'm really happy with them. 

Thank goodness for The Container Store!

Happy Friday, friends. 

Sensible Starbucks: Top 5 Sensible Espresso Drinks

Hi, I'm Jessica and I'm a little obsessed with Starbucks. I may or may not have visited there daily after my twins were born 4 years ago. I may or may not have visited twice a day, most days of the week for their first year of life. I may or may not drive 40 minutes to the nearest one and then drive right back home (I used to live in So. Cal, so they were abundant there. Middle of nowhere in MN... not so much.) I may or may not still be obsessed. I'll leave that up to you to decide. :)

It seems coffee is the go-to for us moms. Perhaps it's the caffeine. Perhaps it's the comfort of knowing it's something that is yours and yours alone. Perhaps it's just the "it" thing in mommyhood... or life in general.

Either way you slice it, coffee drinks- specifically the specialty type- can actually be super high in sugar and calories. After I realized how many calories I was using on my winter fav- decaf, skim, white chocolate, peppermint mocha- I decided to do a little investigating to see what drinks were a little lighter on calories.

Every other time I hit Starbucks I try to do a more "sensible" drink. That way I'm still indulging in my favorites, but feeling good knowing I'm making a better choice half of the time. Oh, and I'm not going to Starbucks every day anymore, so that helps too.

If you're not feeling "sensible" every time you visit Starbucks, I don't blame you! It's so goooood! Maybe just talk yourself into a smaller size- seems sensible enough for me. ;)

Friday Favorite: Christmas Gifts

Who's still on a Christmas high? *raises hand*

We have our last family Christmas dinner and gift exchange tonight. I love that our holiday lasts a little longer :)

I got some great goodies this year- I must have been good this year ;)

I wanted to share with you all my 2 favorite gifts that I received as a way of making everyone's holiday cheer last a bit longer!

First up, this nifty little gadget:

It's a Topper Chopper! How great is that? Now, I know that there are other ways to chop toppings for hot chocolate, ice cream, brownies, whatever, but this thing makes it a breeze! Seriously, you can put together a hot chocolate bar in 5 minutes. And it's fun.

It can even transform to be a dispenser. So cute.

I whipped up some candy cane sprinkles and some mint M&M bits for our Christmas hot chocolate!

Secondly, I'm super excited about getting PW's holiday cookbook!! Jess got one, too!

I'm already planning to make her New Year's Eve party recipes.  Whether or not I have a party... we'll see.

What was your favorite gift?

Happy Friday!!

Friday Favorite: Kraft Paper Table Runner

Who doesn't love kraft paper? There are lots of uses for this wonderful roll of creative possibilities, a quick Pinterest search will give you ideas for days.

Today, I'm sharing my favorite way to use kraft paper! It's also a mommy machine secret because it pulls double duty- kiddo distracter and makes for easy clean up!

I keep a piece of kraft paper on my dining table {almost} all the time.  It is great to keep the kids busy when they feel like sitting down and coloring regardless of what time of day it is. It also comes in handy at meal time. I will brush crumbs off, but if we have a messy meal (like spaghetti), I can simply fold up the paper, toss it, and my table is clean! Usually, one piece of paper lasts us a few days- as long as you don't mind a few water rings, small smudges, and lots of doodles.

I like to write things on the paper to give us something to talk about at dinner too. Here, I've written "what is one thing that made you laugh today?" as a prompt. While we are eating dinner we will all answer the question!

This can easily be adapted for holiday dinners and parties- use holiday specific questions like "what is one thing you are thankful for?" and you can even write questions by each plate and the person sitting at that spot has to ask the question and answer first!

There are endless possibilities with kraft paper, but this is my "friday favorite" and one of the best mommy machine secrets in my arsenal, too.

{Friday Favorite} Bouncing Woolies + GIVEAWAY!

This post is not a sponsored post, however the giveaway is sponsored and provided by Bouncing Woolies. All opinions are my own.

I am so excited to share this product with you all! I met the owner of Bouncing Woolies when our kids were in swim lessons this summer- good times. She shared with me the product information and I knew I had to try them out! A few months ago I bought 4 BW's and I've been bouncing ever since!

I really can't believe it took me so long to find Bouncing Woolies. Since buying them for myself, I have recommended them to so many of my friends and there is a good chance some BWs will be showing up in some Christmas stockings this year!

They make great gifts for new moms, any mom really... actually, they are great gifts for anyone who has to do laundry! College students would love them because they replace expensive fabric softener or dryer sheets and they dry clothes faster.

Here's why I love them:

They are great for my family's skin sensitivity.
I bought 4 Bare Naturals Wool Dryer Balls and left them unscented. I don't have to worry about scents, dyes, or other irritants that could aggravate Little Man's eczema!

I know a lot of moms who use BWs when they dry their cloth diapers because they are safe for baby's sensitive skin.

They make our laundry fluffy.
You leave the BW's in the dryer and can completely forget about using fabric softener or dryer sheets. You won't miss those products at all! Clothes, towels, and sheets come out fluffy every time. Now that dry winter air is setting in, I have noticed a little static cling, but not as bad as drying clothes with nothing in the dryer.

photo courtesy of bouncing woolies

You now how people recommend throwing tennis balls in the dryer with comforters? With BW's you don't have to do that! They really help to keep bulky items from balling up.

Laundry dries faster!
Less drying time=saving money. Who doesn't love that? Even with just 4 BW's I have noticed a difference in drying time. The more BWs you add the faster laundry dries.

If you don't have to worry about sensitive skin issues, you can add all natural scents to your BWs and they have some super fun color combos too! Their website has some great stuff- check it out here.

I love my BWs so much that I asked the owner if she would do a giveaway because I want one of our readers to get to try these out asap! So, if you "like" Bouncing Woolies and CLMM on Facebook using the Rafflecopter entry form below, you will be entered to win a set of

2 FUNKTastic Wool Dryer Balls!

You can even chose what scent you want added!

photo courtesy of bouncing woolies

The giveaway ends on November 15th at 12:00am and the winner will be chosen at random and notified my email! We will announce the winner on Facebook so enter and cross your fingers 'cause you're going to want to win!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Favorite: Laptop Lunches Bento-Ware

*This post is not sponsored by Laptop Lunches. I just really love their lunch box!

I'm so excited to share with you one of my favorite things regarding school lunches- the Laptop Lunch Box! I ordered this last year hoping it would last through little dude's preschool years... and maybe even beyond. I'm pretty sure it will last us a few more years- it's sturdy and easy to clean, which keeps it in great condition!

I love this expandable pocket on the side. 

It's perfect for a thermos, juice box, or other beverage container.

The handle is easy for little hands to grasp. 

The "Bento Boxes" that go inside are awesome! They have a ton of different size and color options. They're dishwasher safe, too, which is always a plus in my book. 

You can configure them is so many different ways too- I love options! 

On the right-hand side there's a space for silverware and a napkin. 

It's handy and the perfect size. 

The front zipper compartment is great, too. 

I use it to send along snacks, since Little Dude gets a morning snack at school. 

It can also be used to hold lunch money or anything that doesn't fit inside the box. 

Oh, and act like that dirty spot doesn't exist. Oops.! 

The lunch box is a little pricier than those you can find at Target or Walmart, but I guarantee you'll get more time out of this one and it's worth the investment! 

Do you have a favorite lunch box? We'd love to hear about it! 

Friday Favorite: Little Green Pouch + Naturally Flavored Applesauce

*This is not a sponsored post.

My kids love squeezable applesauce. I mean LOVE it. My son can go through an entire box of 4 within a 20 minute time frame- no joke! My husband wasn't thrilled about this because that meant I had to go by more and buying 6 boxes a week adds up. So, he came up with his own idea to suck up applesauce through a syringe we had laying around for Speedy's meds, and insert it back into the applesauce squeezers... that way we're re-using them, right?

I wasn't as excited about this idea for a few reasons. For one thing, I don't want to spend 20 minutes filling up a squeezer with applesauce via a syringe. Or small funnel. Or anything that is going to require too much of my time. Secondly, let's just talk about the bacteria and germs that form inside those packages. Eww. Obviously, A made sure to wash them out, but because of their design, you really can't wash them out completely.

After a week or so of this crazy technique, I found Little Green Pouch.  Re-useable, dishwasher safe, and super easy to fill... it was the perfect solution to this applesauce obsession phase! We also filled them with yogurt, pudding, and flavored applesauce.

Want to know another Mommy Machine Secret? I buy organic, unsweetened applesauce and flavor it myself! It's easy, you're adding a little nutrition, and there's no extra junk involved. Win-Win-Win.

Here's how I do it:

Combine 1 cup of sliced fruit with 1/4 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer by cooking over medium-low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until your fruit is soft. Let cool for a few minutes and then blend! I use an immersion blender, but you could use a regular blender.

Add your fruit sauce to the applesauce, a small amount at a time, until it fits your taste. There's lots of room for sampling with this recipe. :)

The combinations are endless and I really think a few veggies could work their way into one of our flavors someday soon!

If you have some Little Green Pouches, add the flavored applesauce to your pouches and keep stored in the refrigerator for the upcoming week of school lunches or snacks. Otherwise, you can store the applesauce in it's original container or in another airtight container.

What flavor do you want to try?

Friday Favorite: Adaptable Teacher's Planner

In keeping with our Erin Condren "theme" this week, I wanted to show you all what my mom has done with her Erin Condren Teacher Planner. My mom works as a Curriculum Resource Instructor, she teaches kids but doesn't have her own classroom so her schedule is a bit untraditional (when you think about it, a lot of school staff have this same situation).

When it comes time to find a school-year planner she usually has to settle for making her own using a printable of some sort or making a lot of changes and "substitutions" to a traditional planner. She has had little luck in the past finding something that accommodates her scheduling needs and matches her fun and colorful personality.

Recently, a bunch of teacher's at her school bought their own Erin Condren Teacher Planner. My mom saw it and fell in love with the colorful design and awesome layout, so she bought one too. All of the sections were useable to her- she did have to change some of the headings to better meet her needs, but this required much less customization than previous planners she has used.

I think it is so great to take something you love and enhance it to better fit your life! Anytime you can find something that works for you and makes you feel happy just to look at it, you will probably use it more often! Don't you think?

Here's an overview of how my mom uses her EC Teacher Planner:

Colorful and functional. Gotta love that! The tabs make is easy to flip to the section you want. My mom also added the pen holder option so a writing utensil is always handy! Unlike me, she doesn't mind if her days are planned in ink. ;-)

In this picture below, you can see how she used labels and fun font to change the Classroom Volunteers section to be Important Numbers. Even with cell phones, you never know when you will need to remember someone's extension!

The absentee log wasn't necessary for my mom, but look how easy it transforms into a project tracker/to do list! With my mom's job, there are always ongoing projects so this section comes in handy.

The two page monthly spread is awesome! My mom decorated with some Suzie Zoo stickers :-) Check out how much room there is to write in those spaces.

 Here's the weekly planner. No changes needed here! All of that space is great for keeping up with meetings, special events, to do lists, etc. The columns at the top let you section your days into categories like "before school", "morning", "lunch", "plan", "after school" etc.

 This section is followed by a student checklist to keep track of kiddo's assignments, my mom works with students so that section was perfect as is.

The clear page protectors and pencil pocket make finding pens and the school's calendar easy peasy.

We both agree that the quotes are great! My mom has already decided that each month she is going to use the quote from the planner in her email signature. A great way to spread the joy.

We hope you've enjoyed EC week! As you've heard us say before, these posts are in no way sponsored. Everything is all us, and my mom!

Are you obsessed with Erin Condren? Tell us what your favorite product is and how you use it! Obsessed with another organizational/planner product- tell us so we can check it out too!

Party Pinatas: Sugarless Stuffers

My Little Man just turned 5. Don't even get me started on how crazy that is.

He wanted a dinosaur party which was easy enough. I don't do "Pinterest party's", it stresses me out too much to try to pull off cute decor and themed activities as well as all the food... I digress. I took Little Man to the party supply store and we picked out plates, napkins and a Pinata. Done.

I love pinata's. I think they are so fun and it cracks me up to watch the kiddos try to break it open. One thing that I don't do, however, is stuff it with only candy. I like a 20/80, candy to trinkets ratio.

Here's why:
1. Partys are all about the sweet stuff- cake and ice cream! I don't want too much candy to cause sugar overload.
2. This replaces the traditional goodie bag. Anything you would put in a goodie bag will more than likely fit into the pinata!
3. You only have to stuff one thing, not lots of little bags :-)

For Little Man's party, I found these little dinosaurs at the dollar store. Add in some suckers and, boom, you've got a par-tay.

Anything will work and you can stick with the theme of your party, here are some ideas:
Little animals
Bouncy Balls
Little bubble containers (like the wedding favors)
Crayons
Beaded necklaces
Gold coins (think: pirate treasure)

Look in the party favor section, usually anything that you can stuff into a goodie bag will do. Rawr!