Mother's day gift idea

A Mother’s Day Gift Idea …TO your children! (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

Happy April everyone!! It’s Veronica with you again today, and I’m so happy to be back sharing a fun Mother’s Day gift idea with you. Hopefully everyone is recovering from their Easter feasts. 🙂 With Easter over, it’s on to Mother’s Day! I wanted to do a post on Mother’s Day, but wanted to do something a bit different. (If you don’t have children of your own…KEEP READING! There’s something in this for you as well). 🙂 For me, Mother’s Day always brings a whole mixture of feelings and emotions. But, the thing I love most about Mother’s Day is the reminder that I get to be a mom to some of the greatest kids EVER!

This year, I wanted to do something to celebrate THEM on Mother’s Day. Because, let’s face it…without them, I wouldn’t be a mom! This Mother’s Day gift idea is a little different, but I think you’ll like it.

Family Vacation Inspiration

15 Family Vacation Ideas ~ Your Kids Will Love These!

ByMariel

Tis the season for thinking about family vacations. Can you believe summer is so close?? To my kids, summer means ‘no school’ and ‘family vacations!!’ And, that pretty much sums it up. They love getting in on the planning and they look forward to our vacations all year. This year, Dan and I will be skipping out on the kids, and heading to Alaska. So excited! The kids are feeling a little ripped off, but we planned a couple cabin rentals and we’re hoping in the fall, we can take them to see my brother in Connecticut, and tour the Revolutionary War sites, since that’s what we’ve studied in homeschool this year. But, we’ll see.

Do you have anything fun planned? It can be big or small, far away or right in your hometown… what’s important is the FAMILY part. I love those vacations where it’s just US. Just the fam. My kids have to hang out with each other… the husband has to hang out with me… There’s bickering and eye rolling, but despite all that… GOOD MEMORIES.

Swiss Muesli by www.whatscookingwithruthie.com
|

Swiss Muesli with Greek Yogurt and Berries (she: Ruthie)

Byruthie

Hi to all my friends at Or so she says!

It’s Ruthie from Whats Cooking with Ruthie and I’m SO happy to share a healthy, mouth-watering breakfast recipe with y’all today…

I love Swiss Muesli and this recipe has greek yogurt in it which is one of my favorites!

I’m currently enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at a local university and this recipe was given to me from one of my chefs who is from Austria, so you can believe me when I say that this recipe is fabulous 🙂

http://www.skiutah.com/passes/passports

10 Reasons to plan a Black Hills Vacation (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

Hi, it’s Allison from Tips for Family Trips with a fun summer road trip idea for families. We’ve been to Orlando, San Diego, Disneyland, the Oregon Coast and other fun destinations in recent years, but the trip that my children still rave about is our Black Hills vacation in South Dakota. It’s the road trip that rivals Disney World.

The Black Hills offers an unbeatable combination of fun family activities and natural beauty that are equally enjoyable for kids and adults. Here are my Top 10 family attractions in the Black Hills.

shapes matching game

Shape Game for Preschoolers (with Popsicle Sticks)

ByAmy Lee

Hello everyone, it’s Amy from The Connection We Share, and I’m happy to be back with you again!

Lately, I’ve been busy making learning materials for my daughter Elle, one being this shapes matching game.

I have a regular 9-5 and when I’m at work, my in-laws or my husband looks after the kids (yes, I’m very lucky, I know.) They LOVE looking after the kids and they play with them, take them to the park , take them out for lunch and so on but 1 thing I thought they would enjoy is doing some learning activities together.

To make it really easy for my in-laws and husband to teach Elle, I have a box of educational activities all ready to go so when the time is right, they could take out some of these activities and do it with her.

White Chocolate Cheesecake Fruit Dip ~ melted white chocolate, blended with cream cheese and fresh whipped cream, makes an effortless, delicious fruit dip | orsoshesays.com
| | |

White Chocolate Cheesecake Fruit Dip (she: Samantha)

BySamantha

Hi, friends! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home and I’m so glad to be back visiting Or So She Says this month with another fun recipe! I hope that everyone is having a great April and finally enjoying some spring weather. Today I brought by one of my favorite recent creations: a creamy fruit dip that boasts the flavor of white chocolate cheesecake! It’s the perfect accompaniment to fresh berries, apple slices, pineapple wedges, you name it! Although it’s so good you may find yourself bypassing the fruit and sneaking bites with a spoon…hypothetically speaking, of course. 😉
This white chocolate cheesecake fruit dip is a spin-off of one of my favorite springtime dessert recipes that happens to include a layer of white chocolate cream. In the process of perfecting that recipe, I tried different variations of the white chocolate cream, resulting in several leftover batches before deciding on the best version. Delicious as it was, I couldn’t figure out what to do with all of it until it occurred to me that it would make a mouthwatering dip for fruit. So today’s recipe is a happy consequence of those leftovers, slightly adapted to have a thicker, more dip-like consistency.

Get Cookin’ Giveaway!! ~ Win Fab Must-Haves for Spring Cooking!

Get Cookin’ Giveaway!! ~ Win Fab Must-Haves for Spring Cooking!

ByMariel

To celebrate the birthday of my cute blogger friend, Carrian of Sweet Basil, she’s hosting fabulous giveaways this week, one of which I’m happy to be a part of! Let’s waste no time and get right to it. This giveaway is all about spring cooking, so how about some must-have kitchen items, like a new set of pots and pans, Wusthof knife set, and microplane grater?!? Awesome!

Mojito Trifles (Non-Alcoholic) | Baking a Moment

Non-Alcoholic Mojito Trifles (she: Allie)

ByAllie

Hello again, friends! It’s Allie here, from Baking a Moment. Has it warmed up yet, in your neck of the woods? I’m happy to say, Spring has finally sprung here in the Philadelphia area. Yay! It’s about time 😛 Today is balmy and bright, and I just returned from a leisurely morning spent at the little league fields. Bliss!

How was your weekend? I hope you got in lots of relaxation, and good food, and maybe even a cocktail/mocktail or two. Today’s dessert recipe is super-simple, and incorporates all the sweet and citrusy flavor of a mojito. It’s perfect for a backyard barbecue. It’s basically just angel food cake, cubed up and drenched in a minty simple syrup. Just sprinkle with more fresh mint, add a few dollops of lime curd, and top it off with swirls of whipped cream. Lime zest and a sprig of mint make it pretty and amp up the mojito mojo.

washi tape toppers
| |

2-Minute Washi Tape Toppers (she: Mel)

ByMelissa Sunday

Hello there, Or So She Says readers! My name is Melissa, but you can me Mel. I blog over at So Festive!, a blog featuring all sorts of simple ideas to make your holidays, parties, and life more festive. I’m super excited to be a new holidays and party contributor here. My entire goal is to share real ideas for real people and inspire you to make life more festive. Because life is to be enjoyed, right? I’ll show you how, simply. I certainly don’t have an endless budget, nor do I always have the time to run to the store to get a last-minute supply. And heaven knows half of my festive ideas come about 15 minutes before the party starts. So I have to improvise. You’d be surprised at how many things you can do with the stuff you already have. My post for today is all about that: using up something you probably have in your craft drawer. Or room. (Whatever type of person you are.) Today’s idea takes just a few minutes, and I think you’ll love it.

Starting Today ~ April 2014 Inspiration
|

Starting Today ~ April 2014 Inspiration

ByMariel

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that the hardest part is ‘getting started.’ Isn’t that so true?!? Whether you’re going on a diet, wanting to exercise more, tackle a big project, or draw closer to God… the hardest part is getting started. It really does get easier from there. Something that I’ve learned in life is that it doesn’t matter if you fail, what matters is that you keep trying. We are expected to fail, we are imperfect. It doesn’t make you any less than anyone else. It makes you human. But, by actively trying, we prove that we are anxious for a better life, we exhibit gratitude, we become worthy of His assistance, and we attain blessings. Starting over, trying harder… it’s worth it.

‘Because of Him’ & Photo Challenge ~ April 2014 Inspiration
|

‘Because of Him’ & Photo Challenge ~ April 2014 Inspiration

ByMariel

Hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday, my friends. With Easter upon us and swarms of bunny crafts, Easter egg ideas, and savory ham recipes surrounding us, I think it’s always nice to take some time and come back to what Easter is all about: Jesus Christ. I know it’s definitely something I need to do. When I stop and remember Him, what He did for me and why He did it for me, it put the rest of my life in perspective… My troubles seem manageable, I feel humbled, a greater desire to serve others, and comforted, knowing that there is a plan for me and that I, individually, am loved by God. I want those feelings every day. I NEED those feelings every day!

overnight chocolate waffles
| |

Overnight Chocolate Waffles with Strawberry Syrup (she: Jana)

ByJana

Hey there Or So She Says readers! It’s Jana from Double the Deliciousness. I’m so excited to bring you one of my favorite, easy and amazingly delicious breakfast recipes today. Overnight Chocolate Waffles….yes, you read that right! And to top that off (literally) I have some delightful freshly made strawberry syrup. Chocolate and strawberry; a match made in heaven.

These are so great for busy mornings, or lazy mornings in my case…I’m so NOT a morning person! I’d way rather stay up an extra 10 minutes to make the batter and then sleep in an extra 10 minutes! In the morning heat up your waffle iron and cook away. The strawberry syrup can be made ahead of time as well, and can also be frozen. So when you find some strawberries on sale, stock up and make a whole bunch of strawberry syrup to freeze. Trust me, you’ll want a lot! These would also be a great Easter morning breakfast. One your whole family will love!