This weekend we are headed to our family mountain house with our girls, their godparents and family to relax and celebrate Charlotte's 3rd birthday. We have a lot planned and it includes... relaxing; and lots of it. The guys have been going non-stop on the farm over the past few weeks now and they are in need of a break and some undivided family time. So, off to the mountains we go!

Our girls truly love it there and it has come a long way over the past four years since my father-in-law purchased it. I remember the weekend trips where we would sleep on mattresses in the middle of construction dust, drywall debris, etc. The girls used to sit on 5-gallon buckets to eat soup from the crockpot in front of the wood stove, we would wash dishes what little dishes we used in bathroom sinks and take water bottle showers in the bathrooms. It's made us truly appreciate how far it's come and what we have now. 

For this week's 'Friday Top Five' I wanted to share a few favorites things & recipes for our weekends at the mountains --

[1]
 Yeti Roadie 20
First of all, the newest member of our Yeti arsenal, the Roadie cooler — it'll set you back about two Benjamins but it's totally worth it. It holds hold's up to 14 cans with recommended 2:1 ice-to-contents ratio. It's easy to throw on the back of the ATV and head down to the creek for an afternoon of fishing and skipping rocks with the kids. It has a no sweat design and rotomolded construction.
**It's a great gift idea, wink, wink.

[2.]
Grilled Shrimp Boil Packets
I'm always looking for foil packet ideas for on the grill. I definitely use the kitchen now that one has been installed but there's honestly nothing like a meal off of a charcoal grill at the mountains. Plus we let the charcoals simmer after dinner and then the girls roast their marshmallows for smores, or more like they eat the marshmallow (get all sticky) and leave the chocolate and graham cracker behind...this I will never understand.
Buffalo Chicken Cheese Ball
Another recipe that I'm going to try out this weekend is this cheese ball, I really wanted us to have buffalo chicken dip to snack on but it's going to be a warm weekend and I thought the idea of this would be more convenient and appetizing.

The Voting Game

We (mostly I) love a good game, card game, board game, marbles, you name it. Aaron usually has to be cohorts into playing but doesn't put up too much of a fight when someone whips out Cards Against Humanity. This past winter I saw a game advertised on Amazon, it said if you like CAH then you are sure to enjoy this one also. It works really well if you know the people you are playing with REALLY WELL. Haha! "Each round, vote anonymously for the player that is described by the question. The votes are tallied and the true nature of your friendships is revealed."

[4.]

Mimosa Margaritas

So, while you're playing The Voting Game, CAH or anything really you can pass around a tasty adult beverage. I haven't tried this recipe yet but I never met a margarita that I didn't like; this recipe will make enough for a pitcher in the fridge for no fuss easy access.

[5.]
Bug Catching Kit & Bug Spray Recipe

And for the kids- a bug catching kit! They will spend hours doing this and the mountains is an incredible place to find lots of BUGS. Especially ladybugs, worms, and this time of year lightening bugs; there's a ton! And for the bugs that can't be caught and solely like to bite the legs and arms of your little dears, I whip up and take along a spray bottle of bug repellant oils.

DIY Bug Spray:
 2 oz witch hazel
2 oz distilled water
8 drops lavender
8 drops geranium
8 drops spearmint
[tips]
shake the bug spray before you use it and avoid spraying on face
avoid touching eyes and mouth if you have bug spray on your fingers
for young kids under 2, spray onto their clothes (not on their skin)

Have a wonderful weekend!
xo- Tiffany

July is 'National Anti-Boredom Month' - well, when you have kids at home during the summer and not in school boredom can be a very real reality. Especially on those rainy days when outdoor activities aren't an option and that stack of books and puzzles just don't cut it. For days like that we love to get out our Kiwi Crate box! Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription service that offers kid’s educational projects, crafts, and activities on different themes. You can get a subscription for as low as $16.95 per month for the box — including shipping. A box will include up to 2-3 projects, all the materials to complete those projects, plus hands-on learning activities and more. They offer monthly crate subscriptions for various ages: Koala Crate is for ages 3-4, Kiwi Crate is for ages 4-8, Tinker Crate is for ages 8-14+, and Doodle Crate is for ages 9-16+. They also now offer the Cricket Crate for 0-2, it’s on my 'must-try' list for Naomi. 

Our first box was titled “Reptiles”. This crate had all of the supplies to make a stuffed snake friend, color-changing chameleon and a turtle box. Each box comes equipped with a ‘Grown Up Assistant’ instruction booklet that is super easy to follow. 

Also, it included their ‘Imagine!’ magazine for kids in the theme of reptiles. The magazine then has various sections for kids to explore:

• Read – Let’s Find a Reptile

• Move – Act like a Reptile

• Read – Discover Reptiles

• Play – Hatching Mixup

• Make – DIY Slithering Snake

I truly couldn't believe all that we got for the price! The magazine, the projects, the activities and extra information from the Kiwi Crate website which is fabulous. Plus, Kiwi Crate does a great job with communication. I knew when the box was on its way and then received a follow-up email asking for feedback. I think this is a stellar subscription for kids, even the tiniest of tots.

Get a $10 credit by using the link below and also for a limited time score 40% off of the first box by using the Flag40 code! 

Kiwi Crate Box

No commitment, switch lines anytime. 

You can also pause or cancel at any time in your account settings! 

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