We just got back from our first official road trip of 2018...and Luke's official first road trip of all time.  Happy to report, he was a TOTAL champ and goes down as best-road-tripping-baby.  My kids love to receive titles of 'best' and 'worst' on their baby selves.  Liv goes down as worst road-tripping baby, with Max being a close second.  Poor Zack, I can hardly remember anything that far back, but he definitely goes down for best baby hair...that I can remember.

Leading up to this particular trip, I was sick as could be for 2-3 days, which made packing and getting out the door a bit of struggle.  In my down time though, I did manage to compile a solid road trip play list that I'm sure we'll turn into a poolside playlist as well.

Not going to lie, nearly HALF of all my vacation preparations entail making the car ride/travel  part of the experience a good one.  Good food? check. Good car games? check.  Good movies? check? Good book on tape? check. Good music? check, double check.

Last year, my playlist was nearly all old-school country.  I'm talking Garth Brooks, Dixie Chicks and Tim McGraw.  It still makes me happy when my kids can pick out a Garth Brooks classic and sing every single word.  Those are skills worth having if you ask me.

This year, it's more top 40, with a few good classics thrown in for good measure.  

Wait by Maroon 5
These Days by Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen
Ask Me How I Know by Garth Brooks
Highway Don't Care by Tim McGraw
Malibu by Miley Cyrus
Meant to Be by Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
Greatest Love Story by LANCO
Growing Up by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ed Sheeran
Meanwhile Back at Mamas by Tim McGraw
Good Old Days by Macklemore feat. Kesha
Baby Let's Lay Down & Dance by Garth Brooks
Closer by The Chainsmokers feat Halsey
Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer
Body Like a Back Road by Sam Hunt
Snapback by Old Dominion
​Finesse by Bruno Mars & Cardi B

Tell me what you're listening to this summer and where you're going while you're listening.  A good play list deserves a good adventure.

As the weather starts to warm up, my dinners begin to get easier & easier for two reasons.  First, I'd rather spend my long evenings sitting by the pool, not cooking away in the kitchen.  Second, turning on the oven in the summer makes me want to curl up into the fetal position.

The only perhaps difficult thing about this dish is that it calls for bacon.  Major cringe if you don't like your house smelling like bacon, but in all honesty, bacon usually smells pretty darn good.  I figured out a better way to cook an entire package of bacon at once.  While it still requires popping oil, it doesn't require two batches and it cooks up in half the time.  Sounds great, right?  Instead of laying each piece out flat in your frying pan, simply use kitchen shears to chop the raw bacon.  I did it in about 2 inch sections.  The bacon pieces will overlap, but don't worry about that.  As it gets warmed up, they will separate.  Simply use a wooden spoon to stir occasionally and thongs to remove from the pan.  If you're like me, you'll tackle this in the morning when you're still feeling fresh.

In the evening, you'll simply throw it all together.  I never measure on this recipe, so feel free to adjust accordingly to your families needs.  Here's what you'll need.

1 pkg of your favorite pasta -- I always buy mine from Costco, the shape doesn't matter much
1/4 C olive oil
1 bag spinach
1 pkg mushrooms
1 pkg bacon
1/2 C Parmesan cheese 
garlic
pinenuts

Begin with boiling water, then cook pasta.  Drain and leave pasta in colander.  Using the same pot, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom.  Then add garlic -- be generous!  Let brown for about 2 minutes, stirring.  Then add spinach and mushrooms.  Let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add pasta back into pot and stir together.  Add 1/4 C olive oil, cheese and bacon.  Stir and let warm together, about 3 minutes.  

Serve top with more parmesan cheese and pine nuts...enjoy!

If you make it be sure to tag me, I love seeing you creating your own version of family dinners.  If you not in the mood for pasta try some of my favorite tacos or our favorite summer salad!

I posted on IG stories earlier in the week about an email I sent to my husband with the subject line: Things You Can Buy Me.  What can I say, I've been on a spending fast since April 21st and it's been so so good!  That being said, it's also Mother's Day this weekend and my birthday 10 days later.  Guess you could say,  I like to set people up for success.  Here's links to all/most of the things I sent him.  Loved this tee I found...remember my post about that little game I play?  Ha!  Figure spending fast or not, I probably need to own this, right?  Holding strong until my birthday, so feel free to shop for me and Happy Weekend!

Guys! It's finally the weekend!  This week was a busy one with, no joke, 7 different kid appointments of some sort.  Not sure how everything landed this week and not the week school was closed because teachers were on strike, but it's behind us now.  More importantly, when I saw this laundry room pop up on my IG feed, I stopped in my tracks.  I'm not certain anything could make me be better at doing laundry, but I'd be willing to give this room a shot.  More of my favorite laundry room ideas, here.

Gathered up all the Open Houses happening this weekend in the Gilbert/Mesa area.  I only included those areas because those seem to be the most sought after, but if you're looking in other areas in the Valley, let me know & I'll get you a list.  If you're in the market to buy, a word to the wise: act quick.  Things are moving FAST, especially under that $400k price point.  You'll want to be totally pre-qualified from your lender before you even start looking.  For those  thinking about selling, well, I wouldn't hesitate.  Buying or selling, I'd love to help you make moving a bit easier, fill out the form below to get started.