Hi everyone! Happy Holidays!

We are leaving in about an hour to catch a plane. We will be on that plane for what will feel like 3,145 hours. Normally such a trip requires Nate and I spending hours the night before getting movies and shows added to the iPads, stressing about storage space and who gets what shows. No longer…

Enter Netflix Downloads!

I am so excited about this new feature from Netflix that I am stopping my packing to spend 5 minutes telling you about it so those of you traveling can also partake. It is that awesome.

So, what is this download feature? Basically there are a bunch of titles on Netflix that you can download to your device to watch offline. Just make sure you have your Netflix app updated, then click on the navigation menu on the left of the screen. You’ll see two magic sections: “My Downloads” and “Available to Download.” Just click to see what is available, download the titles you want, then come back when the device is offline to watch! My kids are all busily choosing things to watch while I pack. It’s so much easier than Nate and I messing with the iPads for hours. Sweet relief! Also, the file sizes are about a quarter of the size of movies and shows that we normally store on the iPad through the regular “TV” app. Which means we’re not filling the devices in 2 seconds and the kids have more to choose from. This plane ride just got a lot shorter. 😉

Thank you, Netflix. Now, back to packing!

Hello, friends. I have a veritable grab bag of things to share with you today, including a recipe, deodorant, Netflix and car talk. Yes, totally random. But also fun! 😉 Let’s start with the food!

Pumpkin Spice Butter Spread + Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Last week LAND O LAKES treated me to a surprise package, complete with a shiny new Chemex coffee maker and everything I needed to make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer using their Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Butter Spread. We are loving the Pumpkin Spice Butter (seriously, I had to cut Cate off…she would have eaten a loaf’s-worth of toast just to consume the butter), so I felt like I needed to tell you about it! Plus, I did in fact make the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and it was delicious. I am now sharing the recipe with you!

Show and Tell, Grab Bag Edition! Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, Deodorant, Netflix Birthday Fun & Car Envy

 

Print

Author: LAND O LAKES

Ingredients

• ½ cup half & half
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons LAND O LAKES Pumpkin Pie Spice Butter Spread

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Microwave, stirring occasionally, 30-45 seconds or until butter spread is melted and sugar is dissolved.
2. Beat with hand mixer for 90 seconds or until mixture is frothy. (Note: I whisked by hand.)
3. Store in refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid up to 1 week. Shake well before each use.

3.4.3177

Native Natural Deodorant

Years ago I wanted to switch to natural deodorant but had a bad experience (read: Hello, Stinky Lady!) and gave up. but the fact I’ve been smearing aluminum on my body every day for over 30 years has always nagged at me. Well, my sister-in-law Cora recently demanded that I try Native deodorant. She was insistent. She pretty much made me buy it. Well, I must admit that I am grateful Cora was so bossy! I LOVE NATIVE. So, so, so, so much. I have the Coconut & Vanilla, Coconut & Shea and Apricot & Peach scents and I love them all. Note: the scents are seasonal, so a few of those flavors aren’t currently available, but there are a bunch of new ones that sound great!

Why do I love Native so much?

• First and foremost, the deodorant actually works. I have less body odor than I did with anti-perspirant and my clothes are picking up less scents, too. Cora (and the website) said that I would need about 2 weeks for my body to adjust and for the deodorant to work well. I started using the deodorant during a heat wave and loved it from Day One. But please, if you try it, give it at least 2 weeks to kick in (in case you are not lucky like I was). Also, if you need to freshen up later in the day, just re-apply and magically things smell better.
• Native’s customer service is amazing. AMAZING. I originally ordered the summer scent pack and did not like the floral scent that came with it. Native made an exchange beyond easy. Plus, even before needing customer service support, I loved their email communications. They do a great job every step of the way
• I really like the scent options they have. The deodorant just plain smells good without being overpowering.
• For those with baking soda allergy, they also have a sensitive version that does not contain baking soda.

I must admit I thought it was a little funny how excited Cora was about her deodorant. I mean, how can someone be that happy about deodorant. But here I am. On the Native bandwagon and happy to be here. I’m in all the way! Thanks, Cora!

Netflix Birthday Fun!

Did you hear about the new birthday messages for kids on Netflix? They launched the birthday messages just in time for Owen’s birthday last month and he loved them. Owen’s birthday party involved taking eight 5- and 6-year-old boys to the LEGO Ninjago movie, followed up with a dinosaur cake at the park. Having the LEGO Ninjago friends and the Dinotrux friends sending birthday wishes his way totally made Owen’s day!

To find the messages, simply type “birthday” or “birthdays” into your Netflix search bar and all 15 birthday message video options will appear. Definitely a cute way to kick off your little one’s special day!

Why I Wish We Weren’t So Frugal and Had Bought a New Prius

Nate has been driving a Prius for over 3 years and has been very happy with it. When his lease was up this past spring, we decided to be frugal and buy the car he was driving rather than start a new lease with the latest Prius. I was perfectly happy with that decision until 3 months later when Toyota lent us a new 2017 Prius for our east coast trip. I love the new Prius. We shouldn’t have been so responsible after all! What were we thinking? 😉 I am grateful I had the chance to try the Prius out for a month (thanks, Toyota!), but now I totally have Prius envy. Here are a few of the things I loved about the car:

• The car basically drives itself. The radar cruise control works beautifully. I used it ALL THE TIME. For example, when we drove from Cape Cod to New Hampshire, I followed my sister-in-law using cruise control. The system detects the speed of the car in front of you and adjusts accordingly, so Jess was basically doing all the driving. There is also a lane departure alert system, pre-collision and pedestrian detection system, and the car can park itself.
• Even better gas mileage. I got over 50 miles per gallon the entire trip.
• For such a small car, there  is a ton of storage. The back is roomy, and there is a net you can use to store smaller items. The storage was great for short and long trips alike.
• I’ve mentioned this before about Toyota, but I love their remote lock system. It’s just awesome.
• There was also a spot for doing that fancy cordless phone charging. My phone doesn’t have that capability, but I was sure wishing it did! I also like how the middle console is set up better in the new Prius versus previous models.
• The navigation system worked better than my Google maps app on my phone. Impressive! And the car told me what the speed limit was at any given time, which is especially handy on those east coast back roads!
• The one thing I did not love was the SofTex synthetic leather seat material. It is more eco-friendly than other synthetic leather materials and does not use any animal-based material, but if I had to choose I would go with fabric or real leather. I just didn’t love the feel of the seats or how they looked when inevitably sand and other stuff got into the seams.

Phew! I think that’s all I have to share for today. As usual, Show & Tell is for the whole class! Feel free to chime in with your own finds and recent loves in the comments!

Please note: I have a relationship with Netflix as a member of the Stream Team, which means they don’t pay me a dime but do send me cool fun stuff occasionally. Toyota provided me with the Prius for our trip. Land O Lakes provided me with product. I have no official relationship with Native deodorant.

I haven’t done Show and Tell in SO LONG. It’s time.

TV Loves

Okay, so Netflix is keeping us busy lately. Here are a few of our recent favorite discoveries:

• Julie’s Greenroom. Julie Andrews is the best person EVER, amiright? I just discovered that she has a new Jim Henson Company children’s show streaming on Netflix called Julie’s Greenroom. I already know I love it and I haven’t even watched it. Here’s an article from The Guardian that gives a nice summary of the show. My kids are going to be watching this show no matter what.
• The OA. Have you watched The OA yet? WHAT DID YOU THINK?!?!?! I’m not even 100% sure I know what I think about it all, but I do know we blasted through the first season in about half a second. It was crazy and fun and mysterious and that-last-episode-what-the-what?!?!
• The Grinder. This comedy series starring Fred Savage and Rob Lowe originally aired on Fox and is now streaming on Netflix. Nate and I cannot figure out why it was cancelled after one season because it’s hysterical. We’re considering watching all the episodes again because we need more Grinder in our life! (Hey, Netflix, maybe a Season 2? Just sayin’…)
• Hap & Leonard. Netflix recently suggested this show to us and Netflix was right again. This Sundance series is great. We’re only about halfway through the first season but we are totally loving it. Also, OMAR. (If you see the name Omar and know what I’m talking about, then you’ll know you need to watch this show.)

Cookbook Loves

One of my long-time blogging friends Robyn Stone just published a beautiful cookbook and I’m so excited for her! Robyn has been blogging at Add a Pinch for many years (seriously, I’ve known her forever in blog years!) and has published her cookbook of the same name. It’s as beautiful as I anticipated it would be and I can’t wait to dive into the recipes she shares in the book. The premise of her book is easy, fast, fresh Southern classics, which sounds just about perfect to me. A big congratulations to Robyn on the birth of her book baby! I am so happy for her and she deserves the very best! You can pick up Robyn’s book on Amazon.

Local Loves

I need to throw out some local love from here in North County San Diego. If you’re local or vacation in North County San Diego, be sure to check out the recently re-opened shop Seaworthy in Carlsbad Village. My talented friend Ashley now owns the store and is doing beautiful things there.

Thanks to Ashley’s store I just now have discovered SAND+GRIT jewelry, made by a local artisan in Carlsbad. I LOVE HER STUFF SO MUCH. I wear my new triangle necklace and copper cuffs every day. The Seven Earring in 14K Rose Gold is next on my to-buy list. Bonus: SAND+GRIT is high quality and affordable, a great combo. You don’t have to be in Carlsbad to get your hands on this awesome jewelry…just visit their website! (And good luck not buying everything.)

That’s it for me today. As you know, Show and Tell is for the whole class…feel free to share anything you like in the comments! (And, if you watched The OA, seriously, I want to know what you thought!)

Happy Thanksgiving Week! I’m going old-school-This-Week-for-Dinner and doing a weekly menu post filled with all kinds of stuff. Here we go!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

We were originally going to be hosting Thanksgiving here at our home, but plans have changed and now we’re driving to Utah to be with family there. Which means I don’t need to plan a menu for this week because we’ll be traveling. But if YOU have a menu planned for this week, please share it in the comments!

THANKSGIVING!

This November I’ve been feeling a lot of gratitude. Things have also been a little quiet here on the blog, on my podcast and on my social media channels. You see, two weeks ago I was in a car accident. I’m not going to get into details for now, and I am recovering very well. That said, the accident was scary and unexpected. In the end, though, it could have been so much worse and, from the moment the car came to a stop and I knew I was okay, I felt nothing but gratitude throughout the entire experience. That gratitude carried me through. And now, entering the busiest time of year, I’ve not only been forced to slow down, but I’ve also thought a lot about just how lucky and blessed I am. Instead of feeling frustrated by not being able to do more this November I’m just taking it in stride and letting it be a positive experience. Here’s to a holiday season that is less about the busy and more about the gratitude and love.

That is why I haven’t been posting much or sharing any new recipes for Thanksgiving. But that’s okay, I’ve got tons of great Thanksgiving content on the blog already. If you’re looking for assistance for the big feast this week, I have some links you need to peruse!

• Click here to see every post I’ve shared on the blog with the tag Thanksgiving Prep. Clicking this link simply takes you to that blog category, where you can scroll through all the Thanksgiving Prep posts.
• I have tried pretty much every technique out there for cooking turkey with the exception of frying. Last year I finally figured out the formula for the PERFECT TURKEY. Click here for my Perfect Roasted Turkey post.
• Click here for my pie crust tutorial and favorite all-butter pie crust recipe.
• Click here for my Thanksgiving feast menu from 2 years ago. I link to all of my most favorite Thanksgiving recipes in that post, some of which I am sure I we will be cooking up at my sister-in-law’s home this year!

If you have your Thanksgiving feast planned, please share that in the comments! Links to recipes always welcome!

GILMORE GIRLS IS ALMOST HERE!

Forget the accident, I think the new Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life episodes airing on Netflix the day after Thanksgiving is why I am feeling truly grateful this year. Just kidding! (Mostly.)

Netflix sent me an adorable package filled with goodies to help us enjoy the new episodes. I’m still not sure if I’m going to bingewatch or spread out the new episodes, but the mailer got me and my girls watching old episodes together this weekend and it’s been so much fun. Nate is still flummoxed by the fact I can watch Gilmore Girls over and over and over again. (To be honest, I’m a little flummoxed by it myself.) Psst…I have an inside source who has already seen the new episodes. This little birdie didn’t give me any details (it’s a good birdie) but she did say that the new episodes are SO GOOD. Are you as excited as I am?!?!?! WOOHOO!!!!

And with that I am DONE. I kind of love today’s post. I don’t have to plan a weekly menu (I know, ironic). THANKSGIVING! And GIMORE GIRLS! As I mentioned before, if you have a weekly menu and/or Thanksgiving plan to share in the comments, please do. And, of course, any and all discussion of the Gilmore Girls is welcome! Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Happy Friday! I have a few things to share with you today for Show and Tell.

Costco Seriously DOES Have the Best Plastic Wrap

People have been telling me for years to get the Kirkland plastic wrap at Costco. There is no good reason why I haven’t, I just never did. Well, this week there was a guy on the end of the aisle at Costco sampling plastic wrap. The kids were not super excited about those samples but I was! It meant I finally remembered to buy the darn stuff. And, good news, you don’t have to buy it in a truck-sized box anymore, it comes in two smaller boxes that actually fit in your kitchen drawer or cabinet. So, why do I love it? It sticks to itself and glass beautifully. AND that little slider cutter things is the best thing ever in the history of the world.

Finally Acandescent Lightbulbs

This week I tried out a new kind of lightbulb, which I was pretty excited about. (I think you know you’re old when lightbulbs become exciting.) Here’s the deal: I really don’t like LED and fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs. I will admit that both kinds of lights have improved significantly over the years, with more size and shape options as well as LEDs that come in different light temperatures, from warm to cool. But I have yet to find a non-incandescent bulb that I really love and find that my LED and CFL lights both offer a more “harsh” light, even when the temperature is warmer. Finally Light Bulb Company contacted me to see if I would like to try out their acandescent bulbs. I was totally game because of my mixed feelings about LED and CFL lights.

Finally uses what they call acandescent technology, based on a decades-old induction technology. The result is a lightbulb that is the same shape and size as a traditional bulb that offers a warm, soft white light. The best part for me is that the light is omnidirectional, meaning you don’t get those same harsh shadows that often come with LEDs and CFLs. And the level of warmth with these lightbulbs is perfect. Warm but not yellow, they give off a great soft white light.

So, do we like the bulbs? Yes we do! We put them in one of the bedrooms and in all our lamps in the living room and have been very happy with them. Knowing that incandescent lights will be gone in a few years, it’s nice to have another lighting option to choose from. A few notes:

• Finally’s acandescent lightbulbs are significantly more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, about the same as CFLs. LEDs are still the most efficient, but Finally comes pretty close.
• Finally bulbs do contain mercury (you will see this on the label), but it’s the same amount as you find in a can of tuna, so very minimal. The bulbs are landfill safe and do not need to be disposed of the same way you would have to dispose of a CFL, which has more mercury levels.
• The “omnidirectionality” (i.e. not as harsh or shadowy) and soft white color of the light from these bulbs is great.

If you are interested, you can buy Finally Light Bulbs on their website, on Amazon or at Staples stores.

If You Haven’t Watched Stranger Things Yet, Let’s Use Halloween As Your Excuse To Do So NOW

Have you watched Stranger Things on Netflix? If the answer to that question is “No” then let’s just use Halloween as an excuse for you to remedy that situation RIGHT NOW. And while I’m glad I’ve already watched it, I’m a little jealous of you Stranger Things virgins out there. Because it is SO MUCH FUN the first time you watch it. It’s the best thing every in the history of the world (besides the Costco plastic wrap slider cutter thing, of course).

As usual, Show and Tell is for the whole class! If you have something you would like to share, please do so in the comments!

Happy Friday!

For this week’s Show and Tell I have two things to share. First, my new car that’s not really my car but I wish it was. Second, NETFLIX. Oh man, Netflix, you are too good these days. Stranger Things has me hooked. But more on that in a moment…

Okay, so the car! We are currently on our annual visit-the-family-all-over-the-northeast trip and Toyota lent us a Highlander for our adventures. I am loving this car and do not mind one bit having to drive it mile after mile after mile. So far my two favorite things (besides the smooth ride) are the fact that the car tells me what the speed limit is at any given time, which is especially helpful on these windy east coast roads with constantly changing speed limits, as well as the remote lock feature. You just have to touch the handle of the car to lock and unlock the car – it is so handy not having to dig my keys out of my purse that literally eats things. Anyway, the Highlander is a sweet ride and works great packing 5 kids in the back for our summer adventuring with the cousins. Big thanks to Toyota for the perfect car for our family vacation!

Okay, so Netflix. People. If you don’t have Netflix yet, get on that. It just gets better and better all the time. Here are a few shows I’m especially loving and/or excited about.

Stranger Things

Are you kidding me, this show is AWESOME. It’s fun and well done and the characters rule and the 80s throwback feel is perfection and everything about it is the best. This show is also scary in the best kind of way. I am not surprised that Stephen King loves it as much as I do. (I still have two more episodes to watch, so no spoilers!)

Beat Bugs

Apparently Beat Bugs, a cartoon for kids featuring Beatles music sung by current artists, is ridiculously adorable and fun, and it comes out next week. Can’t wait to show it to my kids! Fun fact: the creators of Beat Bugs are also going to be releasing a yet-to-be-named Motown-themed show as well. I might even be more excited for Motown than Beatles music. Fun stuff, and excited to have my kids get to know all of this great, classic music.

Gilmore girls: A Year in the Life

We have an air date! I repeat, we have an air date! Gilmore girls: A Year in the Life will be available on November 25. That is going to be the best day ever. Thanksgiving leftovers and 6 hours of new Gilmore girls shows to watch. I CAN’T WAIT.

That’s it for today! Happy driving and watching!

I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team, which means they send me cool stuff from time to time. For the record, I would be addicted to Netflix in spite of said cool stuff.

Hi friends! Long time no talk! I’ve been completely absent this week. No podcasts. No recipes. NOTHING. In case you can’t tell, I am thoroughly enjoying Spring Break! Part of our week off involved camping at Joshua Tree National Park, which was AMAZING. I have a post in the works with the ultimate car camping checklist that I can’t wait to share. Also, if you want to see pictures from the trip, visit my Instagram account. Seriously, Joshua Tree, you are beyond beautiful.

OKAY, so anyway. The reason we are here today is because KIMMY IS COMING BACK IN ONE WEEK! That’s right, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 2 arrives on April 15! Nate and I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the second season pretty much since we blasted through season 1 in a matter of days (hours?). If you haven’t watched Season 1 yet, well, you have a week to get caught up, which will be easy peasy. Trust me, this show is SOOOOOO FUNNNNNNYYYYY and endearing and funny and did I mention FUNNY?

In related Netflix news, season 2 of Happy Valley was recently released. I’m already done watching it and the second season was just as good as the first. If you haven’t seen Happy Valley yet, well, it is nothing at all like Kimmy Schmidt…you’ve been warned! Happy Valley is a British murder mystery type show that is so good. It’s kind of like Fargo…different, of course, but similar in its disturbingness (new word alert!), amazing character development and high quality writing and production. (Also…if you haven’t watched the FX series Fargo yet, GET ON THAT.)

Looks like I have your whole weekend worked out for you. Kimmy Schmidt catch up, Happy Valley and perhaps even Fargo. You’re welcome.

I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team, which means they send me cool stuff from time to time. For the record, I would be addicted to Netflix in spite of said cool stuff.

Happy Friday! Today I have just a couple things to share for Show and Tell today.

First, here are some articles I wrote for Cool Mom Eats. (The fries are awesome, by the way.)

• How to make homemade freezer French fries
• The best stir fry recipes for kids and parents too

And, a few quick Netflix shoutouts! Happy Valley has a second season (woohoo!) and it will be on Netflix on March 16. And DAREDEVIL. Season 2 is almost here, coming March 18! We can’t wait!

That’s it! Short and sweet! Have a great weekend and, as always, if you have something to share please leave it in the comments!

I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team, which means they send me cool stuff from time to time. For the record, I would be addicted to Netflix in spite of said cool stuff.

Happy Friday! It’s been a few weeks since the last Show and Tell and it’s fun to be back. I love sharing links!

First, Netflix. There are two shows we must discuss.

#1: The Great British Baking Show. Over the last few months I’ve frequently seen articles about how everyone loves The Great British Baking Show on PBS, and yet I resisted. It’s like when the Harry Potter books came out, I didn’t buy into the hype. In fact, I fought the hype. But when I finally gave in, well, I realized it wasn’t hype because Harry Potter is the greatest thing of all time. My experience with The Great British Baking Show has been similar. While nothing can be like Harry Potter, I will admit that this PBS baking show from Britain is 100% completely lovable and addictive and lives up to the hype. The first season is on Netflix, so Nate and I turned it on while wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. We were hooked after the first episode. It’s a great show. My only question is, why so much sponge cake, British people? There is so much sponge cake on this show. Copious amounts of sponge cake. As the saying goes, if you like sponge cake, you’ll love The Great British Baking Show. (You’ll still love the show even if you don’t like sponge cake, by the way.)

#2: Making a Murderer. Like Serial, Making a Murderer has taken the world by storm. If you haven’t watched it yet, prepare to not only be addicted but angered and perplexed and sad ALL THE TIME. I know, that doesn’t make it seem like I’m trying to get you to watch it, but I am. Really. Watch it. Just make sure you’re ready to stay up late and be a zombie for about a week.

As for food links, I have two for you this week:

• 5 Easy, Healthy Food Substitutions at Cool Mom Eats
• 3-Ingredient Cocktail Party Recipes at Cool Mom Eats

That’s it for today! And remember, Show and Tell is for the whole class! Share your own stuff in the comments. Especially if that stuff involves theories about Making a Murderer!!!

I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team, which means they send me cool stuff from time to time. For the record, I would be addicted to Netflix in spite of said cool stuff.

Happy Friday! We are finally home from our travels and back into a normal groove. It was a fabulous trip and we wouldn’t change a thing, but it is nice to be back in our own house again. I’m especially grateful for my down pillows. 😉

I have just one thing to share today. Let’s start with a hint: Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high…

READING RAINBOW IS ON NETFLIX! Nate and I discovered this last night and the first thing I did with the kids this morning was put an episode on. Reading Rainbow is a show that I’ve always been sad my kids didn’t have to watch – it ended right before Cate was born. PBS aired episodes until 2009, but I didn’t figure it out until it was too late and our DVR series recording never produced a thing!

My kids are watching the show as I type and all three of them are mesmerized, from age 3 to age 10! And, as a parent, I think the show is even better than I remember it. I love its slower pace, how the show is educational while still fun, and that it’s filled with books, of course! I just wish that Netflix was going to air all 21 seasons (right now they have a selection of episodes on service).

Also, in case you were wondering, I DO still have every word of the song memorized. Impressive, eh? (Okay, I think probably all of us do.)

Happy Watching and Reading!