On the Go First Aid Kit

I've been wanting to make a first aid kit for my car for months.

It seemed like such a handy thing to have on to go wherever we go.

With Summer quickly approaching I knew I'd need to stock up on all the first aid essentials for little accidents here and there.  I found the cutest First Aid Kit pouch in The Dollar Spot last week.  It was only $3 and came in a few different patterns.  It zips closed and would easily fit in any mom bag or car console.

These are my first aid kit essentials:

Bandaids of various sizes
Sunscreen
Bug Spray
Wet Wipes
Clorox wipes
Neosporin spray
Hand sanitizer

I picked up the travel size of most of those things and filled my kit.  Look at all these cute compartments.  I was impressed!

Now I'm all set for the bumps and scrapes that are bound to happen as we're playing outside more.

Is there anything I forgot to include??

Mongolian Beef & Veggies

I've been looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables into my menu every week.  Our meals are getting more colorful and delicious.  We've been grilling, making salads, stir fry recipes and trying to eat healthier.

I have a DELICIOUS recipe to share with you today.  This Mongolian Beef & Veggies was the best dinner I've made in a while.  The sauce is a little more flavorful than regular BBQ sauce, but not spicy.  I will definitely be making this again.

It was very easy to pull together.  I wish there would have been enough for leftovers, but we basically licked all of the pans clean.

Mongolian Beef & Veggies Ingredients
for 2 people

1 lb ground beef (could easily swap for ground turkey)
1/3 jar PF Changs Monogolian Style BBQ Sauce
1/4 c water
1 bag of Boil in a Bag white rice
All the veggies!!  I did a small handful of each veggie.
Carrots
Edamame
Yellow and Purple onions
Sweet Peppers
Celery
Green Beans
Olive oil
Soy Sauce

Directions:
Chop all the veggies.  Saute with olive oil and soy sauce until they get some good color on them.  Boil the rice as directed.  Drain.

Brown the meat.  Drain.  Add in water and Mongolian BBQ sauce.  Stir and let simmer.  Serve!

Disclaimer: I didn't serve this to my kids.  I made a yummy dinner for us and they ate some of their favorite things for dinner.  We all enjoyed dinner and that's the important part.  I'm also not a very adventurous eater.  Kevin picked this sauce up at the store one day because he thought it sounded fun to try.  He was right.  It was really tasty, but I never would have picked it up on my own.

It's time to link up with my favorite Welcome Wednesday ladies!
Be sure to join us with some fun posts from the week.

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place / Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter 

Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook

Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Faceobok / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Mauri at The American Patriette /  Facebook /  Pinterest / Instagram

Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World /  Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

An InLinkz Link-up

5 Years Old

Happy Tuesday!  Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  It's been HOT in Indiana.  We spent the weekend with family celebrating Olive's birthday.  She had the best time and is loving her new toys.  Watch for some unicorn filled birthday posts coming later this week.

Today at 4:47pm Olive turns 5.

We can hardly believe it.  Life has changed so much since she joined her family. 

Back in 2013 I was teaching 3rd grade and we were living in Salt Lake City.  Olive has been the most portable baby ever.  She's lived in UT, AR, MS and two homes in IN.  She's traveled a ton and loved it all.  She's smart, funny and is interested in so many things.

We're excited to keep celebrating her this week.

Here are a few fun facts about OLIVE KATE:

1. It took her years to grow hair. She barely had any hair when she was two and now it's so thick that I have a hard time washing it.  She's very opinionated about her hairstyles - two buns, two barrettes or one bow.  I just fix her hair like she asks every morning.  She also picks out her own clothes every day.

2. She doesn't like carbonated drinks, LOVES to eat olives and salty snacks.  Her favorite sandwich is a ketchup and mustard sandwich.

3. Olive loves to learn.  She's curious about everything.  She has a great imagination and she's always asking questions.  I can't wait to see what she learns in Kindergarten.

4. Almost every day she asks me if she can perform on a stage one day.  She has strong opinions about everything.

5. She has an amazing memory.  She remembers people's names, places we go and information with ease.


Birthday Interview:

I'm good at:
My bike, my tricycle and painting.

Favorite food:
Green olives and black olives.

Favorite outfit:
Dresses and night gowns.

Favorite thing to do:
I like having a birthday.

Least favorite thing to do:
I really don't like when I break things.

College:
I don't know.  Maybe Notre Dame?

Highlight of your day:
Playing with Bun Bun my bunny.

Favorite color:
Pink and purple and blue

Favorite game:
Emoji Memory

Favorite movie/show:
Inspector Gadget, Spirit, Boss Baby and Despicable Me.

Favorite vacation:
Florida because it has a beach and a pool.

Best friend:
Maddie.

Favorite song:
Proud to be an American.

I want to learn more about:
Making necklaces.

What I grow up I want to be:
 I don't really know yet.  Maybe a dentist for kids?

Happy Birthday, Olive!!

May JOY

Happy Friday!  Hope you've had a great week.  It's been a busy one at our house.  Lots of end of the school year things being wrapped up and birthday prep for Olive who turns 5 on the 29th.  We've been working hard on our landscaping, home projects and wish it would rain a little.  We haven't had rain in weeks!!  Send some our way if you're tired of all the rain you're getting.

May was full of HIGHS (wrapping up a great school year) and LOWS (injuring my toe).

The things that have brought us JOY this month are:

SWING
We got a new swing for the backyard and the kids are obsessed.  It was a great deal at Sams and I think they'd sit there for hours if I'd push them.  I love that it came with everything you needed to hang it and it seems really durable.

STRAWBERRY PIE

I made my first strawberry pie of the season for a BBQ with some friends.  We grilled out, made lots of fresh sides and the pie was the perfect dessert.  I'm looking forward to making many more this summer!

FLORAL PLATES
I've mentioned before, but it's worth mentioning again... I LOVE PAPER PLATES FROM SAMS.  You get a giant stack of cute plates for $6.98.  I have these floral plates in circle and oval.  Christmas plates and a few others.  They're so sturdy and nice.

LITTLE BOYS
Fletcher likes to hold my hand when we sit and watch a movie.  My kids are currently loving Magic School Bus, Spirit, Boss Baby and Minions.

HYDRANGEAS
Our house in Mississippi had the prettiest blue hydrangeas in the backyard.  I've always wanted to plant some at our current house so this was the year.  My MIL and I found these gorgeous pink ones and had to buy three.  Two for the backyard and one out front.  They're beautiful!!

WORK DAY
My parents came up for a work day and we got tons done.  Shutters hung.  House numbers up.  Inside projects.  Outside projects and lots of visiting in between.  The kids were not super helpful, but they were excited to see their Mimi & Papaw.

SEEDS
I rarely pick up a packet of seeds to plant.  I usually just skip a few steps ahead and buy the plants.  However, I thought the kids would enjoy planting seeds so we gave it a go.  Hope they sprout!

LOVE OR HATE
These two are either bffs or enemies.  No in between.  They've been wresting, fighting, biting, snuggling and loving like crazy.  Here's to hoping they have more sweet times this summer.

GOODBYE PRE K

Olive had her last day of school and we went to DQ to celebrate.  The kids loved it and are excited for Summer break.

First day of school vs Last day of school!  She's grown up so much!!

Hope you have a great three day weekend!!  See you back here on Tuesday :)


In case you missed it on Polka-Dotty Place:

Monday: Zoodles
Tuesday: Up, Up and Away to K
Wednesday: Fresh Cucumber Salad

Linking up with my favorite ladies for our monthly joy link up.
Be sure to join us with a post about all the things that bring you joy.

Linking up with My Glittery Heart

HighFiveforFriday, FiveonFriday, and Momfessionals

An InLinkz Link-up

Fresh Cucumber Salad

I have a really delicious, easy recipe to share with you today.

It's perfect for all those Summer BBQs you'll be hosting or attending.  This salad is so good with anything you grill.  It's packed with flavor, light, cold and really refreshing.

It's only 4 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to whip up.

FRESH CUCUMBER SALAD:
Ingredients:

English Cucumbers (the long skinny ones that are individually wrapped)
Purple onion
Feta cheese
Kraft Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

Peel and slice the cucumber up into small bites.  I usually cut up 1/3 a cucumber per person and a onion to taste.  Chop the onion into little pieces.  Stir together.  Pour enough dressing over the mixture to coat and sprinkle feta cheese on top.  This recipe is best served fresh and does not store well in the fridge for very long.  So chop this up right before you need it and enjoy!!

What's your go to Summer side dish??

We love this salad, spinach salads, fruit salad, corn on the cob, grilled romaine lettuce and grilled veggies this time of year.

It's time to link up with my favorite Welcome Wednesday ladies.
Be sure to join us with some current posts.

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place / Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter 

Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook

Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Faceobok / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Mauri at The American Patriette /  Facebook /  Pinterest / Instagram

Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World /  Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

An InLinkz Link-up

Up Up and Away to K

Olive is wrapping up her school year this week and we've got mixed emotions about it. 

She has LOVED PreK.

She has really thrived and enjoyed herself this year.

I knew she would.

I know she's ready for kindergarten.  Her teachers have confirmed it and it's fun to see her getting excited about this next, big milestone.

It just feels so grown up.  Full day school.  All new friends.  All new surroundings.  I know she'll love it, but we all feel a little anxious excitement about all the changes that will come our way this August.

My mom and MIL drove up the morning of her PreK program.  Have I mentioned lately how nice it is to live just two hours from your family??  They come up regularly and we head down there often.  Olive felt like a star having both of her grandmas in town for her big day.  She waved excessively and was so proud.  The feeling was mutual.

She did great.  Sang her little heart out and smiled the whole morning long.

I'm really thankful for her teachers, her school and we've got big plans to keep in touch with her cute PreK friends this summer.

Fletcher was SO excited to come to her program.  She's been singing her songs at home for week so he happily did his best to sing along and wave like a crazy man.

I didn't realize they'd announce their names one by one and have them walk across the stage.  I totally teared up and fast forwarded to her high school graduation for a split second.  Can't believe how fast she's growing up!!

I'm thankful for friends that have a direct shot of your kiddo to send you sweet pictures.  We weren't that close so it was really nice to get some sweet pictures.

Olive with her Nanny & Mimi.

Ms. Nancy was so sweet to Olive all year long.  Olive found her at the picnic and asked if I would take their picture together so she could remember her forever.  You bet!

Olive and her best buddy

A couple days after her program, we headed to her Kindergarten Round Up.  She had the best time, did all of her pre assessments for school and left really excited to be going to kindergarten.

Way to go, Olive!!  We're so proud of you!!  Kindergarten or bust :)

PS If you've got a performance, recital or graduation to attend for one of your favorite little kids, I have a great gift idea for you.  My mom made Olive a Dum-Dum sucker bouquet and she LOVED it!  She was so excited about it and the other kids kept eyeing her sucker bouquet.  You could customize it to their school colors or for their favorite flavors.  It was a big hit!!

Zoodles

Have you ever tried Zoodles?  They're zucchini noodles.

I was skeptical that they'd be delicious because I really love regular pasta.


I was extra skeptical when people claimed they really felt like they were eating pasta.

I picked up a pack of freshly spiralized zucchini noodles when I saw them marked down at my local grocery store.  I figured it was work the $2 gamble.

The package claims they can be eaten raw or cooked.  I opted to cook them.  I don't think I've ever eaten raw zucchini.

One of my very favorite meals is vegetable lo mein.  I love the noodles and the veggies.  I chopped tons of veggies, added in some soy sauce and olive oil.

Ingredients:

snow peas
carrots
red, yellow and orange sweet peppers
onions
edamame
celery
green beans
zoodles
soy sauce
olive oil

Directions:
Saute the veggies in olive oil and soy sauce until they get some good color on them.  Add in the zoodles at the very end for 3 or 4 minutes.  Serve.

The zoodles were SO GOOD!!  This was the perfect lunch that reheated great the next day.

They definitely gave a noodley feel to the dish, but they don't taste just like pasta.  They were delicious and definitely a healthy substitute that tastes good with other veggies.  I'd highly recommend giving them a try.  I have yet to spiralize my own zucchini.  I am extra motivated to give that a try now that I know they're tasty.

Have you ever tried zoodles before?  What other veggies to you spiralize?

The Best Parts

We've had a busy week!  Lots of fun things with just a few not so fun things sprinkled in - root canal, foot still in a boot and end of the school year business.

The best parts of our week were:

Road Trip.
The kids and I went on a super quick road trip to visit family.  They did great in the car and we had a fun time.  Neither of them have been getting car sick lately thanks to a few things we've been doing differently and it's be so nice!!  We got to celebrate my nephew turning 10.  He was the first grandchild on my side so it was extra exciting when he was born.  Can't believe how fast time has flown!

Baby Shower.
These two girls are very soon going to both have little brothers.  Scarlett's little brother should be here in the next couple of weeks.  They love playing together!

The shower was red, white and blue themed and it felt so summery!  Bring on all the summer BBQs.

 Jacque & baby boy :)

I am getting to see my mom three times in one week for Mother's Day :)

Mother's Day
We zoomed back home in time for Mother's Day.  Brunch at Dennys, flower shopping, yard work and Kevin grilled my favorite foods.

 

We picked out a mix of pinks, whites and greens for my backyard flower pots.  It was fun to pick a new variety and have Olive help me.

Grocery Shopping.
This guy smiles at all the ladies at Meijer and gets cookies while we shop.  He is mostly a great helper and wraps up our shopping with a horse ride or two.

94
Our neighbor turned 94 this week so we baked him cupcakes and delivered them to his door.  He and his wife were thrilled.  I just love these Wilton number cupcake silicon pans.

Everyday Holy
I'm so excited about Everyday Holy: Finding A Big God in the Little Moments by Melanie Shankle.  It's gotten great reviews and I love the idea of a book with 100 devotions in it.  It's a beautiful hardback book with a powerful message.  I'm excited to open the book each day.  The devotions are filled with stories that are easy for women to relate to, include Bible stories/passages/characters and inspire you to find God all around you.  Shankle is funny, clever, relatable and easy to read.  Her devotions get you thinking and are easy to apply to your life.  This devotion would be the perfect one to keep at your desk, bedside or in your car to read when you have a free minute.  I bet you'll want to read more than one day at a time if you're like me.  I'd highly recommend this devotion if you're looking for ways to pause and notice what God is doing all around you.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review of it.

Dr Fletcher
Fletcher has been super concerned about my foot.  When I was wrapping it up he said Awwww Poor Mom! and then gave it a check up.

Olive & Fletcher
I'm not the only one who gets excited about Target deliveries to our door.  I only ordered a few things and they came in a giant box.  The kids turned it into a boat and played with it for days.

Open gym is always the highlight of their week.  They are dare devils so it keeps me on my toes!

In case you missed it on Polka-Dotty Place:

Monday: 100 Day Decluttering UPDATE
Tuesday: #OhOlive 5 Year Old Wish List
Wednesday: End of Year Teacher Gift Ideas

Hope you have a great weekend!

Linking up with My Glittery Heart

HighFiveforFriday, FiveonFriday, and Momfessionals