Motherhood, Travel

Why I’m Happy Wednesday: 45

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I’m in crazy packing mode at the moment as we prepare for our annual month-long trip down south. Our first stop will be Hilton Head, SC where we will meet up with my family and MacKay’s family for the ultimate family vacation. I’ve been going to Hilton Head every summer since I was born, so to be able to carry on that tradition with my own kids is pretty special. Harlan tells me everyday how excited she is and Avery just keeps asking when we are leaving.

I can’t wait to unwind and enjoy the company from the ones that mean the most to me.

That’s what makes me happy.

Now tell me something good. Something that’s made you happy. It can be big, it can be small, just something that has put a smile on your face. You can participate by sharing a photo on Wednesday with the hashtag #WhyImHappyWednesday and tagging me @laurenjimeson or feel free to write it in the comments below. I do read them all and am happy to reply back on your good news! You can also join in the conversation on my Facebook page!

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Life

Summer Seltzer Refreshers

The time has come for us to head down south for the next month! The first stop we will be making is in Hilton Head, South Carolina. We’ve been going every summer for over 30 years, and this year is extra special because MacKay’s family is coming too.

Most of our time is spent outside and enjoying the beautiful landscape that the island has to offer. And a lot of that is the beach. If there’s one thing that I love about a hot summer day at the beach, it’s the refreshing drink I have to cool me down and quench my thirst.

We’re huge fans of seltzer in our house and it’s almost guaranteed that we have a bottle in our refrigerator. We were introduced to Vintage Seltzer when we first moved to Manhattan. MacKay loves their Lemon-Lime flavor, and I love taking their flavors and creating spritzers with them.  Vintage Seltzer is a great option for the entire family. It’s made with natural flavors, has zero calories, is sugar, fat, and gluten free, and has no artificial sweeteners. This summer, Vintage Seltzers has three new flavors, Peach Mango, Blueberry, and Pineapple. While they are delicious on their own, I decided to create special recipes that I could easily make and take with us to the beach while we are on vacation next week!

I made these over the weekend with the kids and all three approved the recipes. We can’t wait to take our Vintage Seltzer with us on vacation so we can have a refreshing drink while lounging by the ocean.

Tropical Oasis Refresher 

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What You’ll Need:

  • Vintage Seltzer Pineapple
  • 1 Cup Fresh Watermelon
  • ½ cup Fresh Cucumber

Directions:

  1. Muddle watermelon and cucumber
  2. Pour muddled watermelon and cucumber into cup with ice
  3. Top off with Vintage Seltzer Pineapple

Peach Perfection

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What You’ll Need:

  • Vintage Seltzer Peach
  • 1 cup sliced peaches
  • 4 mint leaves

Directions:

  1. Muddle peaches and 3 leaves of mint
  2. Pour muddled peaches and mint into glass
  3. Pour Vintage Seltzer Peach over muddled fruit
  4. Garnish with mint leaf and slice of peach

Blueberry Spritzer

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What You’ll Need:

  • Vintage Seltzer Blueberry
  • 1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

Directions:

  1. Muddle blueberries
  2. Pour juice from muddled blueberries in glass with ice
  3. Top with Vintage Seltzer Blueberry

I hope you find these refreshing as we did!

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These flavors are only available until July 31st, so don’t wait to stock up! You can Find Vintage at select locations in the New York metro area and New Jersey. Check out the Vintage Seltzer website to find a location near you. Join the conversation on the new flavors Vintage Facebook and Vintage Twitter.

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Life

Blueberry + Peach Pie

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After picking blueberries earlier this week, Harlan insisted that we make a pie with our earnings. I’ve never been one to pass up a fruit pie, so we went to the store together to gather all of our ingredients.

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This was probably one of the easiest pies that I’ve made. We added peaches because they are in season and we had some in our fruit basket. With a few simple ingredients, we enjoyed a delectable dessert that night! And it was fun knowing that the kids had their hand at making it!

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I decided to have fun with the top of the pie and give them a surprise when I pulled it out o the oven.

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Here’s the recipe if you want to make it on your own.

Ingredients:

  • 4 peaches (peeled and cut into slices)
  • 1 1/2 pints of fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 7 tablespoons of flour
  • -1 egg (beaten)
  • store bought pie crust

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • Mix peaches, blueberries, flour, and sugar
  • Lay out pie crust into a pie baking dish to cover bottom and sides of dish.
  • Pour in peach and blueberry mixture
  • Using a small cookie cutter, cut your favorite shape on other piece of pie crust and assemble on top of pie
  • Lightly brush top of pie with beaten egg
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes
  • Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 25-30 minutes

Enjoy!

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