It’s been a LONG time coming, but now that our dream backyard is fully complete, we have been hosting some really fun parties! My husband loves to grill and so creating a beautiful and functional outdoor kitchen was something we’ve been wanting to do for way too long! RTA Outdoor Living is an amazing company and working with them was basically seamless! They partner you with a designer to help you create the perfect outdoor kitchen for your backyard. Our RTA designer came up with some ideas we hadn’t even thought of and was able to educate us on all the products they offer. The design tool is really fun to work with, and as you can see, the renderings were so spot on and really gave us an inside look into what the outdoor kitchen could be. We chose to go with the Coyote grill and the Solo pizza oven which has been a blast!

I’d have to say the best part about my husband being a master griller is I don’t have to cook in the kitchen! Kacy has gotten really creative with what he’s been grilling and I have to admit, I feel like I’m winning!! Again, because mama don’t have to cook!

Thank you, RTA from one happy family! Check them out Here!

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Working with Caesarstone for our kitchen countertops was a total dream! Our designer, Cynthia of Soda Pop Design Inc. loves their stone and when she introduced me to Caesarstone, I was instantly sold! We knew we wanted chic, white countertops and when we saw the final design (Cynthia had chosen Empira white) it’s like she had read my mind. The waterfall edge!!!! Omigoodness, it’s even more stunning in person! The veins in the stone are so unique. Some of them trail off on their own, and other veins clump into their own beautiful designs. CaesarStone slabs truly look like a piece of art. And bonus— they are easy to clean, maintain and are very durable! Thank you Cynthia and CaesarStone for making my dream kitchen come to true! ⭑⭑

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A few weeks ago I went to my first challah bake — a fundraiser for Lennox’s school. We made the dough in preparation to bake it at home. So fun getting together with some school moms, drinking a little vino and learning something new. The next morning after letting the “dough rise”, ha that makes me feel like a profesh baker Lennox and I rolled out the dough into three pieces and then braided it — such a fun experience with him! Our Verona range could not have baked the challah more perfectly! It was delish! The EZ Glide racks make it so easy to get whatever you’re baking or cooking in the range out QUICKLY and EASILY! Our old oven racks used to stick making it really difficult to remove a piping pan etc..! We put it on the ventilated cooking setting and the challah came out a perfect golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside! I added the recipe we used below, but cannot take credit for it! You can check out this awesome range HERE!

Challah Recipe
1 1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Generous 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
2 tsp table salt
4 1/4 cups high quality flour (bread flour preferred)

Mix all ingredients together in order listed above. This works in the bread machine on the dough cycle, or by hand. If kneading by hand, be sure to knead for 5 minutes!

After rising (overnight, or in the dough cycle, or around 90 minutes if doing it by hand) divide dough in half.

Lightly flour the work station/ strands. Divide each half into 4 strands and roll each piece into a snakey shape, then braid the strands together in a round challah shape.

Repeat with the other half.

Place on a lined cookie sheet or loaf pan. Let rise for another 20-30 minutes, egg wash, then bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until golden.

Makes 2 loaves. NOTE: If making one large challah it needs 40 min in the oven.

Cut! Eat! Enjoy!

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Now the question is, what are we going to bake today?

Hmmmm…

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While we were researching play-sets and what would fit best in our yard, we kept going back to Woodplay. We love how customizable they are and it’s so fun to be able to switch out the different types of swings. My personal favorite is the hammock, and Lennox’s is the saucer swing. I love watching him and his friends play for hours on end! Their little imaginations run wild and I’ve seen this amazing structure be a magical castle, a hospital , a cabin in the woods and on and on… When we were customizing the actual structure and choosing accessories, Lennox had three must haves on his list— a curly slide, a trapeze bar and a megaphone! We just ordered the spotlight and will be surprising him with it for Christmas!

I always dreamed of a backyard where we could have space for Lennox to run around and play and have all of his friends over. We lived in a townhouse for so many years and simply did not have that kind of space. Feeling so incredibly grateful to be able to look out the window and see our son having such a wonderful time, being active and using his imagination! If you happen to be looking for a play structure this one is number one on our list! We chose the Woodplay 5′ PLAYHOUSE COMBO 2 which I’ve linked HERE

And definitely check out Swingsets.com for the different play-sets they offer along with many other fun outdoor activities for you and your family!

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It’s been along time since I’ve written a blog post and I can’t think of a better topic than being outside, splashing in a pool with Lennox and enjoying the beginning of summer! There’s just something about water! Do you agree?! Although our yard does not currently have a pool built in the ground, we are definitely enjoying our awesome Hyvigor pool to keep us cool and enjoying our summer together. I’m not a big fan of getting splashed! But since it will be in the 80’s/90’s this week, I am making an exception!

Best part– Hyvigor is giving my friends a special discount to keep you cool this summer, too!

Go to Amazon and get 15% Off your own Hyvigor Inflatable Swimming Pool with thiese codes!

This pool is 95x56x22 inches and perfect for a family of three! 
https://amzn.to/2SqhjzA — 15% Code: CZ49BFED

This pool is 120x72x22 inches and perfect for a family of four plus a furry friend
https://amzn.to/357h1jZ — 15% Code:  8TIK9SP9

You can also visit the Website and get 30% Off With Code: Hyvigor30 
https://www.hyvigor.com/  —

HAPPY SUMMER FRIENDS!! STAY COOL! SUMMER,

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I’ve been wanting to go home to Arizona for months now. I want to hug my parents and all of our family and friends that we haven’t seen in way too long…It’s strange how planning a road trip looks so differently these days. It used to be that we would do the proper maintenance on our car to ensure everything was in tip top shape, and now, after making sure our car is good to go, we have to worry about testing for Covid-19 and make sure we as a family are healthy too. On top of all the stresses that quarantine and the coronavirus has caused, I feel comfort in knowing that some things never change. 

Kelley Blue Book has been there for our family over the years (and over 90 years as the most trusted third-party automotive brand!) to support us with car maintenance, any estimated repair costs and even possible recalls on our vehicles

The Kelley Blue Book Auto Repair Guide helps to keep our cars in working order and helps us prepare for road trips like ones to Arizona by eliminating any added stress. Kelley Blue Book has a Fair Repair Range Estimator which helps to give us an idea if the prices we are being quoted are indeed fair based on dealer averages. They also provide the ability to make any service appointments on the KBB.com website. They make it so easy, especially at a time when we all have to alter our ways of life.

Before you take that next family trip, you should totally check out Kelley Blue Book‘s Auto Repair Guide to make sure your car is in tiptop shape! I’m so glad we did! Onward and upward!

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I’m also trying to keep grocery store visits to a minimum, so I definitely stock up more than I used to. As a result, I’ve had to be strategic about organizing my fridge to make sure we eat everything we buy. Our Bosch refrigerator is a dream because it’s not only built for custom organization, it also ensures that our produce stays at its freshest with their new four-point FarmFresh System. For example, VitaFreshPro balances both temperature and humidity levels based on the setting I select. All I do is choose whether I’m storing fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, etc., and the fridge does the rest of the work for me! The FreshProtect Filter absorbs natural ethylene from produce to slow down ripening, so I can buy more fresh produce and enjoy it for longer. And, MultiAirFlow + AirFresh Filter keep everything perfectly cool and smelling great all the time, so no more baking soda needed! I swear, I can have produce in what I now call “the freshness drawer” for over two weeks and it’s as if I bought it that same day. I bought an enormous bag of kale and it literally lasted almost two weeks. It was almost an experiment for me. I would eat a little bit of kale every couple of days, taste it for freshness, and it was always delicious! Truly magical and mom approved

Lennox and I have also really started enjoying cooking meals together. Whether it’s a simple PB&J for lunch or Taco Tuesday for dinner, he can easily access the produce drawer and help me pick ingredients for the meal we’ve chosen. He also takes the liberty of going to the drawer every time he wants some fruit!  Sneaky! He ends up asking, but it’s the perfect height for him to open and dig around, so ya can’t blame the kid! Something that has helped me get creative with meal planning is the Home Connect app, which is connected to our fridge and has plenty of recipes, plus cooking tips and tricks. I love using it for recipe inspiration so I’m not always cooking the exact same thing! I have to say, I’ve definitely added a few new recipes to my repertoire recently and it’s continuously growing!

As someone who loves to cook for and take care of my family, it’s comforting to know that my fridge is keeping everything at peak freshness and at the ready so we can whip up healthy and nutritious meals together at any moment. Here are a few of my favorite snapshots of us in the kitchen the past couple months!

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