Summer Pool Necessities & DIY Essential Oil Bug Spray

This post is in partnership with Stonyfield Organic. As always, all opinions are my own.

Happy first day of summer!
Bring on the pool parties, picnics, beach vacations and more!

Speaking of pool parties, we finally got our pool up and running over the weekend.
When we opened it in April we were quite surprised to find it almost completely empty!
Our liner had a couple of holes, causing the water to slowly leak over the winter, but it's
fixed now and I love our new liner. It's so pretty!

Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt

This post is in partnership with Stonyfield and Once Upon a Farm.
As always, all opinions are my own.

No I'm not pregnant (ha ha) and no I'm going to be a Grandma any time soon, but
I am a good friend who likes to keep snacks on hand for my girlfriends that do have
babies, toddlers and small children. I'm a cool friend like that :)

Mini Strawberry Bread Loaves for Holiday Gifting

This post is in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions and text are my own.

I love surprising neighbors, friends, my favorite Sheetz Convenience Store girls and
our mailman with special treats from time to time. Baking is my love language and
there's nothing better than sharing that love with others. I've been known to leave treats
inside of our mailbox, at my neighbors front door and inside of their vehicles for them
to find the next morning. I'm sneaky like that!

Salad in a Jar with Creamy Balsamic Yogurt Dressing

Now that summer is almost here and the weather is nice, our weekends are packed with
pool time, graduation parties, picnics and more. I just love this time of year!

Grilling and salads become the norm for dinner because who wants to be in the kitchen
when it's nice outside - not me! I also pack salad in my lunch for work much more during
the summer months too.

10 Organic Items I Buy Every Week At Walmart

A few years ago my husband and I made the decision to buy organic food as much as
reasonably possible. We made this decision in order to try to lower our exposure to
dangerous pesticides and cancer causing hormones. We concentrate on choosing organic
fruit and vegetables, especially the dirty dozen, yogurt, juice and poultry.

Yogurt, Fruit & Muffin Parfait

Most of the time when I make muffins for my family I make them from scratch.
I usually have all of the ingredients on hand anyway, so why not.
But sometimes I'm out of one key ingredient, and thats when I'm happy I keep muffin
mix on hand.  As you all know, I am a huge fan of Bob's Red Mill products, and although
we don't have to use gluten-free products, I love Bob's Gluten-Free Muffin Mix.

Sprouted Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Last summer I had the best pancakes of my life in a cozy farm kitchen located in Vermont.
Julie, from Green Wind Farm made them for us while we were on the Stonyfield Farm Tour
and I haven't stopped thinking about them since!

Yogurt Stuffed Pears

I've been on a quest to add a variety of fruits and vegetables to my diet this year.
It's easy to get stuck in a rut buying the same things over and over, so when these Anjou
pears caught my eye, I decided to add them to our cart.  Last month I tried dragon fruit
for the first time in a smoothie and loved it!

Paying It Forward

Via

During this season of giving, I am thankful for my loving and supportive family and all
that they do for our community!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

Mini Chocolate Candy Coated Donuts

It's Halloween week!  Time to break out all of the candy!
While I've never really been a fan of dressing up in costume for Halloween, I am
a fan of making sweet treats and handing them out to friends and neighbors.

Stonyfield Farm Tour

Earlier this month I was given the opportunity to travel to Vermont to be a part of the 2016
Stonyfield Farm Tour.  This was my first visit to the state of Vermont and the weekend was
one that I will never forget!  My love for the Stonyfield brand has never been stronger and
I am proud to partner with such a wonderful, caring company!

Almond Butter Yogurt Crunch Parfaits

As I write this post, I am on my way to Vermont.  I still can't believe that I am one of ten
bloggers chosen to attend the 2016 Stonyfield Farm Tour!  We will be touring organic
farms in and around Stowe, VT to learn about organic farming and why it is so important.
Growing up on a farm, it will be interesting to see how organic farms differ from the
traditional farms in my area of Virginia. I am so excited for this trip and I can not wait
to share it with all of you!  I will be posting lots of photos on Instagram and Facebook,
so follow along and join the fun!

Stuffed Baby Red Potatoes {Appetizer}

My parent's garden is going strong this summer and we are enjoying all of the fresh
garden goodness! Over the weekend I dug some baby red potatoes and picked a few
zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes.  I also went home with a beautiful bouquet of zinnias!
I just love summer!!

Healthy Strawberry Shortcake and a prAna Giveaway!

This post is in partnership with prAna and Stonyfield.  
As always, all opinions are 100% my own.  

Ahh summer.  My favorite time of year!
I know summer doesn't technically arrive for a couple more weeks, but hey it's June,
so that's good enough for me!

These beautiful warm days have me craving light, refreshing treats and soft, comfortable
clothing.  As soon as I get home from work, I trade my dress clothes for t-shirts, shorts
and flip flops! They feel so much better!

A few months ago I shared my love of prAna, a stylish and sustainable line of clothing
and accessories you can wear every day.  I have partnered with Stonyfield and prAna
again to share my latest favorite top, a healthy sweet treat and a fabulous giveaway!

Chocolate Trail Mix Protein Smoothie Bowl

Now that the weather has finally warmed up a here in Virginia, I'm ready to start making
smoothies again.  Mason jar smoothies are great when I'm on the go, but smoothie bowls
are nice when I want to sit down, relax and enjoy some smoothie goodness with a little
added crunch.

Trail mix is one of my favorite snacks, so I thought why not combine all of the goodness
of trail mix with a chocolate smoothie.  Two of my favorite snacks in one!

Frozen Yogurt Bark {Easy Healthy Snack}

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Divine Chocolate.

As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

After dinner I'm always in the mood for a little something sweet, but I don't want to eat 

anything too high in calories or fat.  Sometimes I will have a small piece of chocolate or

a cup of yogurt, but then I thought why not combine the two into a frozen treat that I

can grab whenever I want.  Frozen yogurt bark provides the sweetness I'm craving without

any guilt!

Make Ahead Pomegranate Blueberry Smoothies

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Ball Canning.
As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Here in the south we have been drinking sweet tea and lemonade out of Ball Canning
jars forever, so I was super excited when I heard that Stonyfield and Ball Canning
were partnering together this month.  Everything tastes better in a canning jar!

#JustBeYou {Stonyfield and prAna}

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield Organic and prAna.
As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Life is busy.
Careers, laundry, yard work, cleaning and being a wife and mom can be exhausting!
Not to mention meal planning and cooking.  For some reason my family expects me
to feed them every day.  Geez!

I love my family and my job, but I need some me time to keep me sane.
As soon as I get home from work I change into some comfy clothes, have a quick
snack and hit the neighborhood for a walk.  When I come back home I'm ready to
make dinner and take on whatever the evening brings.

My husband and I love Stonyfield Oh My Yog organic yogurt and we keep our fridge
stocked with them anytime we need a healthy, quick snack.  I love every flavor!

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield Organic and Wayfair.
As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I can't believe it's the second week of August already!
Summer is flying by!
Between our little deck containers, my parents huge garden at the farm
and visits to our local farmer's market our fridge is bursting at the seams
with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dinner is so easy during the summer.