Teacher Tuesday - Bonus Questions

  It's been a looooong time since I've shared a Teacher Tuesday post and so today I thought I'd reshare a little bit about how I handle "bonus" points on tests since we're reaching the time of the year where everyone can use a little bonus ;)

Smoking Turkey Birthday Dinner

 

Y'all know I LOVE a theme and as my kids have gotten older and moved away from themed birthday parties I've turned themed birthday dinners into our family tradition.  Sometimes the theme revolves around the meal, sometimes around something they love and sometimes it's just FUN.  

This year when discussing Luke's birthday dinner he said his one and only request was smoked turkey.  As he repeatedly said smoked turkey someone said "what about smoking turkeys?" and thus, a theme was born.  The plan was to have his dinner a couple of days after his actual birthday, but then schedules opened up and we ended up bumping it to the day before his birthday and so Amazon Prime and I got to work STAT.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! Erika and I are so excited that lots of y'all are linking up with us every week.  Make sure that you're grabbing our graphic, linking back to us and sharing your own Friday Favorites post ;)

My FAVORITE part of the week has been celebrating this sweet boy's birthday! Luke turned 17 on Tuesday and, honestly, I feel like I'm still processing ;) We had a fun family birthday dinner (I'll share details next week) and he has plans with friends this weekend and I'm just over here wondering how this happened...

Must See TV - Part 1

 I feel like I'm often on the hunt for a good TV show to watch and so today I'm sharing a few things either Dave and I have watched or we've watched as a family in case you're looking for something good too!

I watched this Gabby Petito documentary on Netflix and was immediately hooked.  I remember hearing about the story but didn't really know about the case and the way that they used so much of the footage that she had shot with her camera and drone made the whole thing a bit surreal.  

Huli huli chicken

 I made this huli huli chicken recipe last week and OH MY WORD it was SO SO SO GOOD!  Dave and I joked that it was giving "mall chicken" from back in the day when you'd go get that bourbon chicken at the food court but SO MUCH BETTER!  Dave and I ate ours over sticky jasmine rice and the kids made sliders with Hawaiian rolls. It was super flavorful, super easy and the leftovers reheated beautifully.  This will for sure be on repeat and I hope you love it too!

Easter Egg Craft

 Today I'm resharing a fun and easy easter egg craft in case you're looking for some inspiration for a festive project at your house ;)

2024 PNW Trip - ALL the posts

As we inch closer to summer I'm getting a LOT of questions about our trip to Washington last summer.  I decided to do what I've done in years past and make this post a "landing page" where all of my recap posts for that trip can live together.  We LOVED our time in the PNW and I love sharing all the details (even the tiny ones!) here on the blog so that y'all have them if you're wanting to hit up any of the same spots which means I usually have several super lengthy (and photo-heavy) posts.  I've linked each of the posts below with a few details about what each post entails and then went ahead and linked the same style of posts for our NYC and San Diego/Disneyland trips as well.  I have a big Colorado post coming soon - but that's several summers of trips I'm trying to compile - so give me some time ;) 

I really hope that y'all find this helpful and if you end up going to the PNW and using any of these tips I'd love to hear all about it!

 Seattle Part 1

Travel info, hotel details, Mariner's game

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! Erika and I are so excited that lots of y'all are linking up with us every week.  Make sure that you're grabbing our graphic, linking back to us and sharing your own Friday Favorites post ;)

Short and sweet this week because this week has been a doozy. The week coming off of a long break is NEVER easy and add to that some crazy weather, a sinus infection and a headache that I legit think I had for 72 hours - I'm for sure ready for the weekend.

BUT I do have a few FAVORITES including this State runner-up in the TAPPS Math competition ;) He went to Waco on Tuesday with the rest of the academic team with zero expectations of placing and ended up coming in second - how cool is that?!?!

BEST Burgers Ever!

  Today I'm sharing our recipe for burger patties just in time for Spring grilling.  I've shared these a couple of times because they're simple, full of flavor and WAY BETTER than a grocery store patty.  I've been making them this way for years and always get requests for the recipe and/or to bring them when we hang out and grill with friends.

Here's what you'll need to make 16-18 burger patties

(you can easily cut this recipe in half but we're often making them for a crowd OR I'll make a bunch of patties and then freeze them (more on that in a minute) but feel free to adjust!)

- 6 lbs 80/20 ground beef 

(it HAS to be 80/20.  Now is not the time for 96/4 lean beef... trust me)

- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

- 4 eggs

What's Up Wednesday

     Today I'm linking up with  Shay and  Sheaffer to talk a little bit about what's been going on around here!

I CAN NOT QUIT THESE!!!

I grabbed this big bag at Costco and we're all obsessed.  They're exactly as described.... the best bite over and over again!

Easter Basket Gift Guide: Younger Kids

If I could make a career out of creating Easter baskets for younger kids I absolutely would ;). It's one of the sweetest and most fun things and I LOVE getting to make posts like these because sharing ideas is the next best thing to actually shopping. hahaha

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This pocket microscope would absolutely have been in all three of my kids easter baskets when they were younger.  Think about how much fun it would be on a walk, at the park, etc.  It's under $20 and is probably my top item on this list. 

Rain boots are a toddler essential for Spring puddle splashing, creek adventuring and everyday wear. This yellow color is classic and could be passed down for younger siblings as well.  My kids all wore Hunters that lasted FOREVER but this price point can't be beat and the little handles at the top would be perfect for them putting them on by themselves.

This animal habitats around the world book comes with TONS of stickers and the illustrations are darling.

A paper roll dispenser and chunkies were staples our house for years.  We used the paper for EVERYTHING and the chunkies are some of the best art supplies we have.

These goggles are the BEST because the strap is easy to adjust and doesn't hurt their little heads when you adjust them.  They stay on easily and my kids got a new pair yearly for years.

These jammies are some of my faves and come in shirt/pant sets or the zip-ups.

Again, it wouldn't be Easter without a Jellycat and this little lamb is precious.

You KNOW I love a puzzle and this one couldn't be cuter.

This digital tic-tac-toe would be the perfect thing to toss in your bag when you're headed to a doctor's appointment or dinner.  It has great reviews as well.

Happy Tuesday and happy shopping, friends!

Easter Touches

 One of my little projects over Spring Break was to get a few Easter things out and add a few little spring touches.