Joyin Pool Float Review

For day 3 of my pool floats and toys reviews, I’d like to share an adorable set from Joyin.co!  It’s the 3-Piece Fruity Swim Rings!

I love this set! It’s so colorful and fun! Each of my kids picked a different fruit to float around in. 😂 And they all loved it. 

Pool Candy a Pool Floats Review

Ok, time for another pool float review! If you have a pool or enjoy going to the pool, you’ve probably heard of Pool Candy. You can find their floats in lots of places - like Target! And you can order them on Amazon! I really love the variety they have! And the cuteness of their floats! They really have something for everyone! And they were kind enough to send us several things to review!  So let’s take a look!

The first float we reviewed was their 

Jelly Beans Super Noodle! My husband claimed this immediately. Haha! It’s HUGE! - 72” long! Now whenever we go to the pool, this noodle goes with us. And my husband usually hogs it! 😂😂😂

Logic Of English Foundations Language Arts Program (Level A) - What Do You Need?

Yesterday, I posted an introductory review of the Logic Of English Foundations Program (Levels A and B). This is the program I've chosen to use to teach my kids to read and write,  Its a FANTASTIC program and I cannot wait to get started!  My review included lots of pictures and lots of reasons why I chose the program, but I decided I'd write a separate blog post discussing all of the curriculum necessities and supplemental materials to help anyone else who, like me, is shopping for curriculum and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  There are a couple of ways you can purchase and I'll try to explain them in detail.

Foundations A Curriculum and Reusable Resources

Teaching My Kids To Read And Why I Chose The Logic Of English Language Arts Program

You guys!  I'm REALLY excited about this review! As a homeschooling mom, the curriculum choices I make are VERY IMPORTANT to me.  I spend a lot of time now researching these decisions. Truthfully, I can often become a little obsessive - spending hours upon hours reading articles, evaluating pros and cons.  But that's why, when I find something I believe in - something I believe is exceptional - I have to tell my friends about it!  That's the way I feel about Logic Of English! 

Now, I need to preface this by saying that we haven't officially started Logic Of English yet.  I recently discovered it during my hunt for a good reading curriculum.  I've done a lot of research online, read a lot of articles, done a lot of investigating on their site, and used one of their sample lessons to teach my kids and get a feel for how the program works.  After all of this, I was thoroughly convinced that this was the program for us! I purchased both their Foundations Level A curriculum AND their Rhythm Of Handwriting Cursive curriculum (for my oldest) on my own.  It was after these items arrived and I got them in my hands - and became even more convinced of their awesomeness - that I decided to contact the company and discuss the possibility of a review.  I just needed to share what I'd seen.  Since its very common for kids to complete Levels A and B in one school year, the awesome folks at LOE sent me Foundations Level B so I could do a more complete review!

Honey Sriracha Chicken Tenders with Fresh Mango

It may "feel" like winter right now, but its SPRING!!!  And, after months of casseroles and winter meals, I'm ready to enjoy some lighter fare!  So I went hunting for a fun new chicken dish - and also, a way to use the mangos we had on hand! As usual, Pinterest provided great inspiration!  I played around with a few ideas and came up with these baked chicken tenders that were a HUGE HIT in my house!  Honey Sriracha Chicken Tenders with Fresh Mango!

Sriracha Ranch Chicken Crescents

The other day I posted my recipe for Honey Sriracha Chicken Strips With Fresh Mango. They were a hit in our house and we ate the leftovers the next night! But we still ended up with a few leftover chicken strips. And I hate to waste food! So today I chopped up those leftover strips, mixed in a few simple ingredients, and made a yummy chicken crescent ring for lunch! It was a nice change of pace for me and the kids. (We often get into a “lunch rut.”)

Sriracha Ranch Chicken Ring:

3-5 honey sriracha chicken tenders

5 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup sharp cheddar

1/4 cup pepper jack cheese

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 tablespoons ranch dressing 

1 can crescent rolls

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll crescents on a baking stone or baking sheet.

2.) Chop chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces.

3.) Mix chicken, green onions, cheeses, mayo, and ranch dressing.

4.) Spoon mixture onto crescents and fold top over the top. 

5.) Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-17 minutes. 

Notes:

A.) If you haven’t made the Honey Sriracha Chicken, you can always use plain chicken or even mix some plain diced chicken with a little buffalo sauce for a little “kick!”

B.) I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and pepper jack because I thought it sounded “fun” (and I also had that in hand). But feel free to try your own cheese ideas - cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby jack, pepper jack, Swiss, etc!

Chewy Snickerdoodle Bars

I’m sort of the unofficial baker of our small group at church. I usually let other people cook the food. I’d rather bake up something fun!  I have some “old faithful” recipes that I make over and over again,  but I also love to just get in the kitchen and create something new! As any baking enthusiast knows, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t.  Haha!  Well, today it worked! And I’m SO GLAD! I played around with the traditional “blonde” recipe, made them a little "chewier," and mixed in a little snickerdoodle inspiration and came up with these Chewy Snickerdoodle Bars!  The folks at small group seemed to enjoy them, so I thought I'd share the recipe!

Hawaiian Chicken (Slow Cooker)

With small kids, I'm always looking for simple, quick recipes.  But finding something my kids will eat without grumbling is difficult.  The smallest ones are in that, "I don't like it - even though I haven't tried it" stage.  Ugh.  I can't stand that stage!  Thankfully, this simple slow cooker Hawaiian chicken is a crowd pleaser! 

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Hi guys!  My very favorite type of recipe, as I've mentioned many times before, is anything I can prep ahead and just toss into the slow cooker or the oven at dinner time.  (Is it just me or do everyone else's kids go absolutely crazy right when it's time to make dinner?)  So I thought I'd share one of our favorites: Baked Chicken Fajitas!

This recipe is so easy to make and so delicious!!! And the best part is that I can mix it up during naptime or - even the night before - and just toss it in the oven at dinner time!   I originally found this recipe at budgetbytes.com (through a search on pinterest) and, as with most of my recipes, I played around with the ingredients a bit and found my own groove,  But you can check out the original recipe HERE if you like!

Whip up some rice and beans, a salad, or some guacamole or salsa and chips, or just eat these alone! Any way you do it, you can't go wrong!

BBQ Chicken And Black Bean Quesadillas (Freezer Friendly)

If you're familiar with my blog, you may have already seen my recipe for Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Quesadillas. I'm obsessed with these things - and so are my family.  And it's not just that they are delicious, it's that they are an AWESOME easy meal.  I make bunches at a time (just assembling everything, not baking them), wrap them individually in tin foil, and stick them in the freezer.  Then when I need some dinner help, I pull a few out of the freezer, let them thaw for a few hours in the and bake them for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.  Seriously, it doesn't get much better than that!