Banana Bread Split {Re-Post}

My boys and I are off to Idaho again this morning to spend time with grandma and grandpa.  So, just a quick post today.  It's actually a re-post of something I did way back in January.   

I'm always making sour cream banana bread in the summer because my bananas go brown so quickly.  Well, this is the dessert version of the bread.   All you need is banana bread, banana split ice cream, and caramel sauce.  Yummy ingredients call for a yummy dessert!
Click here for more details on the recipe.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you found a little something worth your time!

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Berry Summer Salad

My husband took me to Zupas on my birthday.  I always get their Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup and their Nuts About Berries Salad.  I love fruit in salads!  This version isn't exactly like Nuts About Berries, but I love it just as much, or maybe even more.

I love how easily this salad comes together.  I always have the toppings on hand, so it's easy to just throw them in.  

As I mentioned here (with the no-bake berry cheesecake), we love eating berries at our house.  Fresh berries this time of year make meals so enjoyable!  For this salad you can use any combination of berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries) or just one type of berry would work.  Really, whatever berry/berries you have in your fridge, throw in.  Same goes for the nuts.  I like to use almonds, but whatever you have can be used.

I like this Baby Spring Mix at Smith's.  It's reasonably priced, easy to use, and is just the right size for our family's meals during the week.  I can usually make salad 3 nights a week with this one package.

Simple Truth Organic Baby Spring Mix

My other favorite is this Simply Dressed Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing by Marzetti.  These dressings were on sale one week, so I bought a few and now I'm hooked.  They are a bit small, and pricey, but I've found them on sale a lot.  I also found a coupon here you can print off.  

Marzetti also has a Balsamic Dressing that is my other favorite!  I'll have a post soon on my favorite salad with that dressing.

Simply Dressed Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing by Marzetti

There's nothing like a good fresh salad in the summertime (at least I think so).  

What's your favorite way to spin a salad? 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Gardening {Pinterest Board, Painting, & Photographs}

I missed my post yesterday because our Internet was down.  My in-laws had a hundred year old tree blown down over the weekend (picture here), and a few wires were damaged in the process.  Amazing how your life can come to a stand still with no Internet.  It was actually very nice!  But it's also nice to have it all fixed.  On with the posts.

Today it's all about gardens.

I love summer for many reasons, but gardening has to be at the top of my list.  I think you're either a gardener, or you're not.  I guess you can grow to love it, but if it's in you, it's hard to get rid of.  Lucky for me, my parents and my husband's parents raised us on gardening.  I'm so glad it's in me!  There are so many fulfilling benefits that come from having your own garden. 

The Summer Foal By Robert Duncan

This is one of my very favorite paintings my father-in-law has done.  It's a painting of many of my family members in my in-law's garden.  It's a work of art (the garden and the painting!). 

This is a picture of my husband and boys snail hunting last year in my in-law's garden.  The sails have returned this year.  Anyone have any amazing tips for getting rid of them?  My boys were picking them out for a nickel a piece, but they've grown a bit weary of that job.  I can't say I blame them!

And here's my youngest enjoying the cosmos in the garden.  He's at the age that everything about the garden is fascinating.   I'm right there with him.

What's growing in your garden?

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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A Person's A Person... {Printable @ Or So She Says}

How was your 4th of July weekend?  Ours was full of fun family time and lots of fireworks.  Hopefully yours was enjoyable as well.

Well, it's the second Monday of the month, so  you know what that means.  I'm over at Or So She Says today with a little note on parenting and a printable.  You can check out the entire post and print out the quote by clicking here. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Happy Birthday {To Me}

 I could really do without the getting older part, but other than that birthdays are still kind of exciting for me.  Maybe it's because my birthday's the day after the 4th of July, and there's lots of celebrating going on, or maybe it's because I have a wonderful husband, boys, family members, and friends who make me feel so loved.  

I love birthdays just for that reason- celebrating and making someone feel extra special on his/her day!  Here are a few birthday printables I posted when it was my mom's birthday (click on the link to download the birthday quotes).  Come to think of it, she's the reason I love birthdays so much.  She always made our birthdays so fun and special when we were growing up.  Thanks, mom!

I also did a whole post on birthday traditions back in January.  Click here to see my favorite birthday books, birthday chairs, birthday hats, and much more!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you found a little something worth your time.

Happy 4th of July (& Printable)

Happy 4th of July to you!  Hope you're enjoying family time, eating well, staying cool, looking forward to fireworks later, and remembering the tremendous blessing it is to live in America!

"Our great modern Republic.  May those who seek the blessings of its institutions and the protection of its flag remember the obligations they impose."

-Ulysses S. Grant

Click to Print

Here's this week's printable for you.  Enjoy!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Patriotic Ornament

I was at Dollar Tree several weeks ago when I ran across these  blue bouncy balls.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but I loved the color, and with the 4th of July coming up I knew I'd use them for something.

I had some red glittered vinyl on hand, so I decided to use the vinyl for stars.  I used my Cricut to cut out different sizes of stars, and then adhered them to the ball.  So easy!  The hardest part was getting the stars arranged on the ball so the different sizes were evenly spaced and distributed.

These patriotic ornaments would look darling hanging from a porch, trees, mantle, anywhere your festivities are taking place.  I used white embroidery floss to hang my ball.  I did try to hot glue the floss to the ball, but it didn't hold (probably because it's been so hot!).  I decided to use super glue, and that worked.  I glued the embroidery floss in the hole where you blow the ball up.

So there, you have it.  A simple, inexpensive way to add a touch of red and blue to your 4th of July gathering.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

Linking up to these parties & Savvy Southern Style.