As of last week, when Kelly turned 13, I officially have 2 teenagers in the house! Everyone tells me that teenagers are tough…but so far my experience has been uniquely positive and I sure hope it stays that way!…

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This is going to be one of those blog posts that really has absolutely nothing to do with the recipe, and for that I apologize. I wanted to talk about one thing, but I also wanted to share a recipe for French Silk Pie, and couldn’t figure out a way to get the two of them to make any sense together. So, you’ll just have to get a French Silk Pie recipe with a dose of nothing related to it.

Our family saw the movie McFarland USA over the weekend and LOVED it. If you haven’t seen it, I implore you to take yourself, your family, anyone you know to see it. It is a fantastic family movie with an incredible message about making a difference. …

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Now, more than ever, it’s time for us to Reclaim the Kitchen. 

When I was a kid, eating out was a special and very rare affair. We ate together as a family most nights, created the meal together and cleaned up after dinner together. My siblings and I were involved in sports and other activities, but family mealtime – at home – was always a priority for my parents. We adjusted our schedules to make sure that eating out rarely happened and that we were all together as a family each night for dinner.

Did you know in 1900, as a society, we ate 98% of our meals in our homes? Today, it’s less than 50%. Times have certainly changed! This is why we believe it’s time to reclaim the kitchen. I’ve partnered with Wolf to help families put down the remote, avoid the drive-thru, and get back into their kitchens to cook and enjoy meals together. Watch this short video to learn what reclaiming the kitchen is all about.

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How many of you have mini-me’s in your children? You know, maybe not a payback child, per se, but one where you seem to know their every move before it happens because you pretty much were the same person as a child.

Kelly is that kid for me. It’s crazy how much my life as a child and her life now are alike. I have always noticed it, but notice it more now that she is entering the age I was when I moved to the town where I met my best and oldest childhood friends. Watching her grow is like getting to replay my own childhood all over again.

One of my best friends from childhood and I had a special language we spoke. Kelly and one of her best friends speak a special language, with an accent and everything. One of my best friends from childhood and I used to dance with the vacuum, and play school or house every chance we could get… Kelly and one of her best friends are the same.

I love re-living these memories through her and her friends. And each time I do, I want nothing more than to reach out to my friends and reminisce. “Remember that time…?” “Hey, do you remember how we used to…” and on and on.

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I am the youngest of 5 kids, which I thought until recently made me a little more sensitive to Leah’s plight as the baby of the family. Let’s face it…we all know that many times the family baby is the one treated a tad more special and given a little more leniency.

I’m here to tell you that it’s because by the time the baby of the family comes around, the parents are simply tired and worn out. So yes, I say yes to Leah way more often than I may have Jacob because it’s just easier. I would have freaked out if Jacob didn’t have 3 healthy square meals a day… and may or may not turn a blind eye when Leah grabs a bag of chips out of the pantry for breakfast. Sometimes it’s just easier.

The hard part about being the baby of the family is that often times, traditions, celebrations, and more are way less than they were for the first or even subsequent children. For example, we went every single year to breakfast with Santa when Jacob was younger. Leah, in her precious 5 years, has had breakfast with Santa one time. All together now…”poor baby of the family”….

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Maybe it’s because the oldest “kid” on our block left us for college this year…

Or that my son no longer wants to dress up for Halloween…

Or that our group of “kids” at our annual Halloween “Boo in the Bubble” neighborhood party is dwindling more and more each year…

But I’m feeling so wistful lately.

The neighborhood is growing up.

I see our neighborhood changing form…

In the lower voices that emit from our basement where the kids hangout.

In the increase in number of cars in the driveways, because those babies we once knew are driving now!

In the homecoming dresses, the dates being had, in the fewer bubbles being blown and driveways being covered with chalk, replaced by makeup, sports and cell phones….

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Did you know that the month of June is National Dairy Month? As big fans of all things dairy, the Dine & Dish family has a few things up our 2013 Summer Bucket List sleeves to celebrate National Dairy Month.

But first,  you know what we’ve got to do? We’ve got to get on the ball with getting into a little bit of a routine. Not a big one, but moving past sleeping in, skipping breakfast and having random meals at random times of the day.

I’ve hinted around before that feeding my kids 3 square meals a day when they are home for the summer is hard for me… it’s a challenge to be creative enough to figure out what to feed them all during the summer! I know that might sound silly, but it takes a lot of thought and energy to come up with meals that everyone will like when I’d/we’d rather be outside soaking up the sun. …

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This is the final post of a four part series on health and staying well, sponsored by PediaCare®. 

When my kids get sick, they go down hard and fast… there is no easing into it. One day they’re fine, the next they are down for the count.

I’ll admit, I love having my kids home, even when they are sick. It gives us a chance to slow down and chill together for a bit. When my friends at PediaCare® asked me to share what my favorite sick day activities are, I’ll be honest… I take extra advantage of the rest and relaxation and snuggle time. When the sick one isn’t sleeping, reading, playing board games, watching movies and just spending the sick day enjoying not having the normal hustle and bustle of our lives is what we enjoy most. …

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