This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubDishCloth #CollectiveBias

To me, summer is all about lazy days in the sun and spending lots of time with family and friends. We seem to always have company around or passing through town and it is a good idea (and much less stressful) if we keep our kitchen clean and prepared for guests. That means making it sparkle, decorating for the season and always having some sort of baked treat – like one of my favorites, S’mores Rice Crisps!

(more…)

The holiday weekend is FINALLY here! I am so happy to have Ryan home and family coming later this weekend! We have lots of fun things happening. The parade, BBQs, lots of pool time and family time and I am so excited to get my hands of my favorite twins! My kids have not been a huge fan of the pool this summer, but I am hoping to change that this weekend. Hopefully with a little encouragement and motivation (and peer-pressure) they will enjoy it. When I went to Public to grab a few things for the weekend, I picked up a delicious Suddenly Salad Pasta that I know will make everyone happy.

(more…)

Earlier this week, before I went on “partial bed rest” we went swimming and grilled out and enjoyed the perfect summer afternoon! One of my favorite things about summertime is spending it outdoors in the pool or enjoying time with friends and family and good food. We love to grill year round, but there is something about a BBQ or grilled chicken in the summer that makes me excited. This week, we made some Texas Caviar as the perfect appetizer for our pool day and we have been enjoying it all throughout the week. I love Texas Caviar because it is delicious and healthy! Win-win!

(more…)

Our household is a big fan of snack mixes and trail mixes because we spend half of our life in the car (and I know I don’t know alf of it yet) and these make-ahead snacks are so easy to pack and go! I love experimenting and making different mixes using different things and I try to be healthy when I can. I love using dried fruits and often times chocolate, but I since General Mills cereals have gone Gluten Free, I was inspired to make a gluten free sweet snack mix!

(more…)

I have always loved to spend most of my time outdoors. We grew up in a house (that my family and I are currently living in) that has a huge back porch across the back of the house. We love to sit out there and swing year round and enjoy the beauty of God’s nature and the hilariously terrible golf swings of the golfers behind our year to hit their golf balls into our pool all too often (which is far right to where they should be hitting them). It started getting unseasonably warm in March this year. Some years it snows in April and others it is already in the 90’s. I feel like it has been summer here for a month now, and we have loved enjoying time outside watching the kids play. Today during snack time/ play time, I made a delicious batch of frozen pink lemonade. I was in the mood for something different than my usual water or sweet tea, so I got in the kitchen and went to work.

(more…)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EffortlessPies #CollectiveBias

I have two toddlers in the house and things can be a little crazy and hectic sometimes. Especially when we are cooped up in the house for an extended period of time. I learned very quickly after my son was born that having a daily routine makes all the difference. Once my daughter was born, that routine became our lifestyle. My kids are not the same people when they have missed a nap or go to bed two hours later than their bedtime. So, we do everything we can to stick to our routine so that everyone is happy and healthy.

(more…)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SilkSipToSpoon #CollectiveBias

I am a huge fan of brunch. In fact, lately my kids have been waking up earlier and that means we eat earlier, so lunch has felt more like brunch around our house. I also helped with a baby shower a couple of weeks ago that was a brunch and the ladies seemed to love it! The only thing missing from the menu were some delicious mocha frappes. They are, after all, my favorite coffee drink!

(more…)

One thing I look forward to during the winter months are all of the soups and stew recipes especially if they are made in the crock-pot! I am a huge fan of dump soups because they are so easy, quick and really delicious. Our weather here in Alabama has been totally insane these last couple of weeks. We have had temperatures in the 70’s and lows 30’s depending on the day. Because of this, my family has been sick off and on and it seems like we can’t all stay well at the same time. Because I was craving Italian food and not feeling my best last night, I decided to make an easy minestrone soup in the crock-pot.

(more…)

Happy Friday, friends! I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for the weekend, but first, let’s talk breakfast. I love trying to put a fun spin on breakfast because for me, it is the least exciting meal of the day. The one I look forward to the least. In fact, I have to force myself to eat a little something because I am just not a big breakfast person. I love breakfast foods, but I am not all that hungry when I wake up in the mornings. Putting a little twist on breakfast makes it more enjoyable for me. That’s where this yogurt parfait recipe comes in…

(more…)

Hi! I’m Annie from All Things Big and Small, where I share parenting tips & tricks, DIY home decor and organization, and my favorite ways to be a healthy mama. I am a 29 year old stay-at-home mom of two (3 year old and 9 month old) from the midwest, where we are DIYing our way to our dream home, while raising our kids and our two great danes. Each week, I try to share my favorite ways to decorate on a budget, to parent without losing your mind, and to organize your life so you can squeeze in some time for yourself! Life is crazy with little kids and I try to share ways to make it a little less hectic! Recently, I shared my favorite way to organize our grocery shopping and menu planning (with free downloadable and editable documents!) and how to make some DIY decorative clipboards for under $4.

I know you all are huge fans of Logan’s amazing recipes and her fitness posts (as am I), so I wanted to share my favorite kid friendly healthy recipes. Now, I have to say I am not an amazing cook but I do cook a lot! I would much rather bake; but alas, my kids cannot survive on cookies 😉 For anyone interested in healthy snacks for sweet lovers, make sure to check out healthy snacks for busy moms (like these protein pancakes below)!

Over the years, I have found some great recipes and tweaked them. So these are all of our adapted favorites and are perfect for busy families. My kids certainly aren’t perfect (and come dinner time I often want to pull my hair out😉 but, my one rule is that everyone needs to eat the same meal, and that the kids eat real food (even my nine month old!). Most of these recipes are gluten free but you can obviously use regular pasta in them instead if you would like! If you would like to see more of our meal plans, and download editable blank ones click here.

• Cook’s Illustrated adapted Skillet Quinoa Pasta with Sausage and Spinach (easy and under 25 minutes) the quinoa tastes just like regular pasta!
• Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard and Butternut Squash (a great way to stretch your meat and incorporate veggies)
• Quinoa Pasta with Pesto adapted from The Barefoot Contessa (simple, and easy substitution when you just need a quick lunch!) And if you feel up for it, just roast some veggies and toss them in it!
• White Bean Soup with Kale from GOOP (great for baby led weaning!)
• Israeli Couscous with Swiss Chard and Sausage (under 30 minute meal!)*not gluten free

Thank you so much Logan for having me today! It was such a treat to be featured! If you are interested in learning more about me, make sure to check out my blog, All Things Big and Small, where I share tips on motherhood, DIY, decor, and organization all with a side of humor!