Bring The Joys of Cracker Barrel Into Your Home!

As many of you know, I grew up in the south and lived there for 17 years. Due to this, it's made me no stranger to classic Southern fare like mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings, biscuits, and of course sweet tea.  Now that I live in New England, there's not many restaurants that cater towards southern cuisine around.  There's just something so comforting about digging into a plate of something warm and delicious that reminds you of childhood.

Cracker Barrel is an American chain of a combined restaurant and gift store that has a Southern country theme.  You'll enjoy bringing the whole family to this eatery where you can make your belly happy with such menu choices as grilled pork chops, hickory smoked country ham, rainbow trout, or even roast beef.  There's something for everyone including sandwiches, salads, soups, and even breakfast all day! Don't forget the delicious sides like mac and cheese, buttermilk biscuits, fried okra, country green beans, fried apples, and so much more.  You can't leave without finishing the meal with a sweet treat such as fruit cobbler with ice cream, a slice of pie, or even double chocolate fudge coca-cola cake!

As much as I love Cracker Barrel's restaurant, I am equally fond of their country store.  We just got back from a 3 week road trip and I was lucky to be able to stop at two different Cracker Barrel's for lunch and dinner.  There's always something uncommon and interesting to see in the store.  You'll love the housewares, unique food and candy options, as well as clothing and toys.  It's next to impossible to walk into the store without buying something.  I found an adorable dress for Scarlett that I bought and there were plenty of other things I had to control myself from buying!

Since I don't live close to a Cracker Barrel I don't get to go too frequently.  Luckily, you can bring the convenience of their store into your home with their online shop.  Anyone's kitchen would be thrilled to receive a Cracker Barrel Large Breakfast Basket as well as a cast iron skillet.

The basket contains CB's famous natural syrup, buttermilk pancake mix, apple butter, fried apples, a bag of coffee, and strawberry preserves.  Not only would this be a fabulous gift for yourself, but for a loved one too.  You can never go wrong with pancakes, syrup, and coffee anytime of day.  Fried apples are a treat that I don't have very often, so it was exciting to have them featured in the basket.   The apple butter and strawberry preserves on toast would be perfect on toast any day.  Don't forget to pair your breakfast with a fabulous cup of coffee!

I've heard wonderful things about cast iron skillets but surprisingly have never owned one. The one I received is on the smaller side which is perfect since it doesn't take up much room.  I got to work making Cracker Barrel's pancakes.  I have not tried their pancakes in the restaurant previously, so it was exciting to have the opportunity to do so at home. Breakfast for dinner was on the agenda and it was a great choice if you ask me.

Using the cast iron pan for cooking made the pancakes turn out wonderfully fluffy and golden brown. I'm not always the best at making pancakes perfectly round, but they came out round and beautiful tonight!

I served our pancake dinner with bacon, strawberries, and fried apples.  Of course you can't forget a generous drizzle of Cracker Barrel's fabulous syrup which was fantastic.  The pancakes tasted very similar to their biscuits which I wish I could have on a daily basis.  I loved how fluffy and light they were.  Since they were so quick to make, I certainly will keep the pancake mix in mind on busy nights when I have no time to cook a big meal.  Breakfast for dinner is always a hit in my household.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner and my husband Jay gave the coffee two thumbs up too. I'm looking forward to sampling the strawberry preserves and apple butter in the very near future.

If you need to buy a friend or a loved one a gift, the large breakfast basket would be a fantastic choice.  Who knows, maybe they'll even invite you over for breakfast?

*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Cracker Barrel for providing a product sample in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 

Reinforce Learning At Home With Highlights Workbooks!

Since Scarlett started preschool in September 2016, she's learned far beyond the basics of colors, shapes, and numbers.  My tiny tot knows about the weather, plants and animals, and much more.  It's always interesting to see what's on the school's weekly agenda for the children to be taught.  Scarlett loves school and shocks me with what she knows that I had no clue about!

Highlights launched a new initiative in 2017 that goes beyond its unmistakable brand of "fun with a purpose" to help kids develop specific skills for school success.  Make learning fun through puzzles, activities and games for your little ones.  The new line, Highlights Learning, is headlined by a series of "Big Fun Workbooks" that introduce, reinforce, and strengthen skills in reading, writing, and early math for kids in Pre-K, Kindergarten and first grades.  

Highlights Learning is expanding its collection with Learn on The Go Practice Pads.  These small and compact pads feature beautifully colored high quality paper and are perfect for impromptu moments of bite-sized learning. They are ideal for throwing in a tote bag for traveling while in the car or on a plane, and make ideal birthday gifts as well as stocking stuffers.  If you're looking for an alternative to a mobile device while waiting at a restaurant or a waiting room, Highlights has you covered. 

Scarlett received a few practice pads for tracing objects, numbers, letters, and shapes.  She also received a Big Fun Kindergarten workbook which will come in handy sooner rather than later.  I loved the compact size of the practice pads and how they can truly be brought anywhere.  The colors and pictures inside are bright and vivid, truly drawing littles in. 

Whether your child is in preschool or not, workbooks are a wonderful resource to keep at home to reinforce what is taught at school.  Any of these titles would make ideal educational gifts for children for truly any occasion.  It's never too late or too early to learn!

Scarlett can identify letters but has a lot of trouble writing most of them.  The tracing practice pads are ideal for challenging her to give her the brain-boost she needs with writing uppercase and lowercase letters.  We've worked with tracing pads in the past and Scarlett can sometimes get frustrated if she can't perfect the letters instantly.  With workbooks her attention span is hit or miss, but we always try to do a few pages a night whether in a physical workbook or online learning game. I know it will pay off in the end.

The objects practice pad is unique as it offers a multitude of activities like mazes, connecting objects to their matches, and other hand-eye coordination games.  Scarlett enjoys this one the most because to her it's all fun but fun disguised through learning!

I'm saving the kindergarten activity book for a while because she still has one more year of preschool before going to kindergarten.  I know the work will be a little too advanced for her currently if we tried to do it.  The book has over 250 pages that build skills and confidence through puzzles and early learning activities. Children will partake in the alphabet, sight words,  writing, reading, numbers, matching, sorting, patterns and more.  There's truly something valuable on each and every page.

Since the practice pads are small and compact, we'll definitely be taking them on the plane to Grandma's house in December when we fly there.  A bonus that these books offer is the bonding and one-on-one time with a child which is priceless! 

I'm looking forward to seeing how Scarlett's learning progresses as she uses these books over time.  I can't wait to see when she's able to write letters on her own.  It's priceless to see children's reactions when they are able to accomplish a new skill.

*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Highlights for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own.  

Boppy Has Everything for New and Expecting Moms

I recently found out I'm expecting my second child which is extremely exciting! What's not exciting is how uncomfortable I am at night.  It seems like I can't get comfortable and my stomach already seems very heavy.  In my last pregnancy with Scarlett, I went many weeks without a pregnancy pillow but I need one a lot sooner this time around.  There's nothing like having total body support to give your body the restful sleep it craves.

Boppy is your one-stop shop for everything baby and pregnancy related.  Whether you're expecting your tiny bundle of joy, or have just given birth, there's a product that will fit you or baby's needs. Choose from nursing pillows and nursing covers to pregnancy pillows and newborn loungers.  You'll also find baby carriers and a lot of accessories to keep baby happy all the time.  Keep the brand in mind for baby shower gifts that will surely come in handy.

If you're looking for a fabulous pregnancy pillow, Boppy offers many including a pregnancy wedge, support pillows, side sleeper pillows, and more.  Since I was looking for complete body support, I opted for the Multi-Use Slipcovered Total Body Pillow. This one piece pillow offers head-to-toe body support that will make you so happy.  Whether you want to sleep in bed or prop yourself up on the couch to watch TV, the body pillow will support you however way you'd like.

Since I have trouble sleeping at night, I was most interested in using the pillow in bed.  It's hard for me to sleep on my side and I find that my side hurts after a while.  I'm not comfortable on my stomach, and as your stomach grows it's not safe to sleep on your back either because of the weight. Sounds challenging, huh?

As soon as the total body pillow arrived, I was ready to use it for bed that night.  I had a pregnancy pillow with Scarlett and it was a lot longer and wider, so I was happy to see that this one was more compact and will take up less room in my bed.  The stylish neutral pattern will fit in with any room or bed decor easily.  The soft and inviting pillow was calling my name and I couldn't resist trying it. What I found was that I was most comfortable with the pillow underneath my stomach and my legs between the pillow to get the most support.  As my stomach grows I know I'll need that support more than ever.  I was very thankful to have a very restful night's sleep without all the tossing and turning I normally have.  The pillow is extremely comfortable with a firm softness to it.  The cover comes off for easy washing in the washing machine.

When I relax on the couch during the day, I like to have the pillow half on my back and half on my stomach.  It alleviates some of my back pain and offers the support that I need.  I'm very thankful for this pillow and will certainly be using it throughout my pregnancy.

Boppy also sent a Newborn Lounger in the Hello Baby pattern.  I chose this adorable pattern since I don't know the gender yet and I'll be able to use it for both a both or a girl.  This newborn pillow has a recessed interior which provides the ideal place for baby to coo and kick in comfort.  Mothers everywhere will appreciate a safe place to set your tiny bundle of joy down for a hands-free moment. The pillow is soft and comfortable with a bright and vivid pattern.

I know the Newborn Lounger will come in handy once my baby is born.  I envision using it in our playroom or family room to put baby down safely while I make a bottle or quickly help Scarlett with something.  It won't be too long before I get to use it, and I can't wait!

If you're looking for quality baby items to add to your registry or to gift a new mom, Boppy is a perfect choice!

*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Boppy for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 

Big News!

Fun Winter Activities for Kids

With winter in full swing here in New England, it feels like warm temps are light years away. It can be difficult to keep young kids entertained when you have to stay inside, but don't let the weather bring you down. You can have just as much winter fun indoors too!

Here are some fun activities that I came up with to keep kids busy when it's cold outside.

1. Throw a Dance Party.

Turn up your favorite jams and get those moves going! Your child will enjoy getting their energy out and being silly with you. Who doesn't love singing and dancing along to their favorite music either?

2. Make Play Dough

There are so many easy-to-make play dough recipes online. You can find one using basic kitchen ingredients that is non-toxic. The best part about these recipes is that you can make them in your own kitchen while staying warm. Break out the cookie cutters and make play-dough dinosaurs, hearts, stars, and so much more.

3. Create Mini Movies on Your iPhone

If you have a budding actor or actress on your hands, they'll really enjoy this one. Have them act out improvised scenes and film it. They'll love seeing themselves on the "big screen". Maybe you can even let them film you? Your little one will get a kick out of filming you!

4. Bake Cupcakes.

Every child loves cupcakes. Bake classic chocolate or vanilla cupcakes and let them decorate the sweet treats. Set out bowls of sprinkles, chocolate chips, sugar pearls and frosting. They'll absolutely love having the opportunity to decorate their own cupcake. They'll love getting to eat their creation almost as much as making it.

5. Boardgames.

Candyland is always a kid's favorite game. If you have a child who's old enough to not put small game pieces in their mouth, why not play a board game with them? Monopoly provides hours of fun and so does Mouse Trap. Your little one will love spending time and making memories with you.

6. Design T-Shirts.

Every child loves arts and crafts. Buy some plain white t-shirts from the craft store along with craft markers, pens, and paints. Have them draw and design to their hearts content. Glittery stars, hearts, and flowers will come to life on the shirt and look wonderful. Your child will be so proud to show off their apparel creation to everyone!