Another Day in Paradise...

So everyone lets their children play out back in water naked, right?? No? Maybe it's just me but lately, as the weather has warmed, I've needed to come up with yet another creative way to keep my kids busy, cool and happy! So it was time to drag out the pirate water table and get going. Being practical, I don't like the idea of them getting their clothes soaked or having to change in and out of swimsuits for sometimes ten minutes of fun so...naked they go! Day after day, I fill the table with clean water, they have their fun, splashing each other and me. Then they dig in the dirt and make a muddy mess and inevitably there are watery, muddy footprints in the house after all is said and done. But they have fun, cool off and share plenty of giggles. Definitely worth the mess!
What do you do to keep your kids busy in the heat?

Cinnamon Rolls: Take Two

Recently I decided a good batch of cinnamon rolls was in order for a yummy Sunday morning breakfast. After looking over several recipes, I decided to make a version by the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. You just can't go wrong with her simple, decadent recipes! I've tried many and have never been disappointed. After realizing the dough would be more time-consuming than I thought, I chose to make the rolls the night before and heat them in the morning, saving us precious time while rushing for church. This recipe yields enough dough for about eight large (and I mean large!) cinnamon rolls, sixteen if you don't halve the recipe like I did. Don't make the same mistake I did by underestimating how much the dough would rise and choose a too-small pan. I had to finagle the rolls in the middle and switch to a larger pan, creating a mess and not-so-pretty rolls but in the end?? They tasted mighty good and I plan to do this again soon. Oh, and my hubby and I couldn't even wait until the morning to try them. We wolfed a couple straight out of the oven! Here's my recipe, adapted only slightly, from Ree's. Next up? I plan to tackle her donuts!

Cinnamon Roll Dough, halved:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup oil
1 pkg. active dry yeast
4 cups flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1/2 tspn. baking powder
1/2 tspn. baking soda
1/2 tbspn. salt
Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
cinnamon
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbspns. milk, more if needed to thin out

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the milk and oil over low heat until just warmed. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let sit for a minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Allow to rise for about an hour, or until doubled. Roll out on a floured surface until about 1/2 inch thick. Spread with the melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. Roll into one large piece and then slice. Place in baking dish and allow to double once again, another hour or so. Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Glaze immediately and serve warm. Enjoy!!

I made this!! Soooo good!

A Note for Mom

Motherhood is hard. Ask any mom and unless they have a live-in nanny, I'm sure they will agree! Between the demands of little ones, chores, errands, cooking and keeping a marriage alive, it can be overwhelming, to say the least. I joke (kind of) that the best part of the day is when my kids are in bed! But then again, the next best part is when they awaken and come snuggle with me in the wee hours of the morning. I live for those moments. I'm sure motherhood has it's own set of challenges as kids grow and move away, but for now I'm in the trenches of the little years. Wake up, eat, get dressed, play, bath, bed. Repeat. And repeat again. Half the time, I feel like I'm stuck in the movie Groundhog's Day with no rest in sight. But then I get a sticky kiss, or a cuddle or an "I love you, Mommy" out of the blue and I suddenly remember why I decided to have kids in the first place. The unconditional love, pride and the fierce protection I have over their little lives are priceless. It's not an easy job, but it's the best one. I now appreciate my own mom in ways I never could have before. How did she handle my tantrums? Keep it all together with five little ones? I can barely deal with two! Thanks Mom, for your never ending love and encouragement and for always being supportive of me, my life and my family, for talking me down from ledges and for being my first responder when things go haywire. Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day YOUR Way!

I don't know about you, but come Mother's Day, I have hopes of flowers and cards, sleeping in and breakfast in bed. The reality? We are still rushing for church, I gotta lend a hand in getting the little ones ready and breakfast is still donuts in the car. Not that I go unappreciated but the day always feels a little too much like every other day. I say I would like to spend the day at the spa, having brunch and going shopping but when it comes down to it, I really want to be with my kids and so we do something they would enjoy too like bowling or Chuck E Cheese's. Yes, my hubby takes the kids on a Target run and is always sure to make me feel special, but I fail to do the same for myself.
This year, I've decided to take Mother's Day back and ditch the guilt of (gasp!) doing something I want to do on a day that is, after all, supposed to be about me! So I've got visions of lunch out (my choice!), a nice romp at the park with the kiddos and then I plan to ditch 'em for a bit and do something completely indulgent. I'm thinking something along the lines of a pedicure or hitting Barnes and Noble to browse and sip on an iced coffee or just going shopping...alone! I think I deserve a day off. How about buying yourself a gift for once? Here are a few things I intend to check out:
- Sandals at Target are on sale for $12!! They are so cute and I'm ready for a pair to slip on for summer!
- Bath and Body Works has a Buy 3, Get 2 Free sale...what a great time to stock up on your favorites!
- Yankee Candle is having a sale too...buy one, get one half off. These are my absolute favorite and while they are a splurge, they are the best!
- Old Navy is having an online sale right now...20% off at checkout with the code ONSAVE20 and free shipping when you spend over $50. I may or may not have taken advantage of this deal at 3 am the other night!!
How about you??? Do your hubby and kids pull out all the stops? Do you feel too guilty to enjoy the day??

Rancho Las Palmas: A Review

The time had come for the Beebe family to get away and last weekend we did. My hubby works really hard, so hard that we often sacrifice time as a family for the sake of his projects. But when the time comes to play? We play hard! Since before we were married, Palm Springs has been our stomping grounds, the trip we made a couple times a year. It's close enough to be super convenient and easy on the wallet but far enough away to feel like we are actually escaping. We've tried many different hotels and resorts over the years but now that we have kids, we have different considerations to make. We have to make sure there is fun, food and plenty of entertainment. Normally, a dip in the pool, dinner out and a movie does the trick. But when I stumbled upon the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, I knew I'd hit the jackpot! For just $209 per night (depending on the time of year..), we were treated to an oasis in the desert. 

Upon arrival, where we were greeted by the valet and given early check-in, we headed to our room. Surrounded by lush grounds, our Spanish style room felt hidden away despite being tucked amid 444 guest rooms. Our room had a beautiful view of the golf course and was complete with bathrobes, a mini bar and luxurious toiletries. We dropped our stuff off, changed into swimsuits and headed out to the pool where our reserved cabana was waiting for us. Being that we were only staying a night, we wanted to splurge on the cabana and enjoy all the pool area had to offer. There was a splash pad for kids, a lazy river, a beach area for digging in the sand and water slides. Needless to say, we planned to be there all day so the cabana ended up being worth it. It was complete with lounge chairs, a table and a server who kept us stocked with water, fruit and towels. We stayed the whole day, ordering lunch from the Splash Grill and heading out only when our kids were good and tired. 

Next up? Dinner. We headed across the street to The River, a  shopping center with plenty of food options and a movie theater. We settled for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory then headed over to Ben & Jerry's for dessert. The kids crashed by eight and mommy and daddy were able to enjoy a little tv and leftovers before calling it a night. The next day, after our kids slept in from the long day before, we took the short stroll down to the Palms Cafe for a couple coffee drinks and pastries before heading back to the pool. Although checkout was noon, we could have stayed at the pool all day again if we wanted. We chose to spend just a couple more hours in the sun before taking off. Lunch at Mic and Moe's, a diner-style restaurant with offerings such as burgers, pastrami and hot dogs, and we were on our way. This trip not only recharged our batteries and allowed for precious time together as a family, but gave my hubby and me some time to relax while the kids played. For the first time since having kids, we were able to just sit and watch them dig in the sand and play. We will go back the next chance we get...I'm already checking out rates for next month!

May Day

Happy May!! I've been looking forward to this month for a while for two reasons: Mother's Day and my 10-year anniversary with my hubby!! Both are causes to celebrate and I can't wait to. They say "April showers bring May flowers" so we'll see if that's true. I am looking forward to some blue skies, warm days, swimming with my kids and having a fun summer to come! It's my last before my little one heads off to school so follow me as I spend this month offering new ideas to keep the kids busy, fun recipes to try and a few tips and tricks to staying fashionable in the warm weather to come!

Alfredo Sauce: OG Style

Nothing says comfort like a big bowl of pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken, except of course, done homemade, Olive Garden style. For years, even since before we were married, my hubby and I would splurge on Olive Garden's warm bread sticks, crisp green salad and their to-die-for chicken fettuccine alfredo. Not one to let a recipe allude me, I got on the case right away to make a copycat version at home. It took a few failures in order to get it right but once I did, I had a hard time going back to plain old bottled alfredo. And my hubby eagerly awaits the days I make it for dinner, literally licking the bowl clean...sad, but true. It's a little time-consuming but once you got it down, it's easy-peasy. The secret?? Cream cheese. At first, I thought it just seemed gross but nothing else will give the sauce that rich and creamy taste and texture. It only takes a couple of ounces mixed in the sauce to make it over the top delicious! You'll not only have an amazing result at home, but you'll save money too!! For the price of one serving at Olive Garden, you'll make four at home!  If you've yet to try this dish homemade, I strongly urge you to. You'll never want to go back to bottled!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pound pasta, any kind (preferably fettuccine)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint heavy whipping cream (NO substitutions!!)
2 oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (fresh or canned..any kind will do..)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, for garnish

Bring water to boil for pasta. Meanwhile, brown the chicken in the olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan on medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about ten minutes. Put chicken aside and get pasta cooking. In same pan melt butter, cream cheese and heavy whipping cream on low heat until fully melted and creamy. Then, turn the heat up to a low simmer (do not boil!) and add the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Let simmer about ten minutes or until thick and creamy. Add the chicken back into the sauce to heat and serve immediately over pasta. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!!


Melting butter/cream cheese...                 The sauce...                             And the finished product!