End of another season

I love summer.
I love the laziness of no routine and sleeping in and eating cereal for dinner.
I love hanging out at the pool and reading and catching some vit D.
I love the longer days.
I love the flowers and birds and butterflies.

Then, about two weeks before school starts, I love the idea of going back to a routine, going to bed a little earlier and eating hot soup for dinner.

Nothing says summer like a good smoothies

So many smoothies to choose from! Which will you try first??

Chiquita Banana Smoothie Recipes

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Everybody Has a Favorite Smoothie Recipe

Being Chiquita, we’re understandably partial to banana smoothies. And we’ve collected our favorite banana smoothie recipes in one convenient place. Try one. Or try them all.

Peachy Keen Banana Smoothie Recipe Ripe, juicy peaches and delicious Chiquita Bananas pair up for fresh and fruity smoothie.	Banana Smoothie Recipe You're 5 minutes and a blender away from a healthy, delicious banana smoothie. Make it with yogurt or milk.
Banana Berry Smoothie Recipe Invite a whole bunch of fresh berries to jump in the blender with a Chiquita Banana. Watch the magic happen.	Banana Pineapple Smoothie Recipe Take a little trip to the tropics tomorrow morning. Team up bananas and Chiquita Pineapple Bites™
Banana Split Smoothie Recipe This quick and easy smoothie recipe takes the classic banana split on the go.	Banana Oatmeal Smoothie Recipe Almonds, oatmeal, bananas and yogurt meet up in your blender for a power breakfast.
BananAde Smoothie Recipe Blend lemon, honey, yogurt and a banana for a super smoothie recipe and a big boost of energy to take on any activity.	Protein Power Banana Smoothie Recipe Here’s a simple and delicious way to add protein to fresh fruit and juice.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe Delicious Chiquita Bananas and juicy red strawberries combine in this classic smoothie.	CopaBanana Smoothie Recipe Enjoy a taste of the tropics with this banana and tropical fruit combo.
Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe The perfect pair - Chiquita Bananas and peanut butter – joins with non-fat yogurt and milk for an ultra creamy and delicious smoothie.	Banana Berry Colada Recipe This smoothie recipe offers a tropical taste, perfect for summer!

 

Browse ALL Chiquita Banana Recipes

 

How to Make a Perfect Banana Smoothie

Here's a short course in the proper banana smoothie technique.

• Start with the perfect banana.  For the most intense banana flavor, we recommend a Chiquita at room temperature that is yellow or yellow with brown spots.
• Peel and cut into bite-size chunks for quick blending and consistent texture. This is a smoothie, not a chunky.
• Use fresh ice. If your tap water tastes yucky, make your ice with filtered or bottled water. As soon as the cubes freeze, store them in air-tight plastic bags so they don't take on any unsavory freezer flavors.
• Wash, pat dry and cut up any other fruit ingredients before you add them to the blender.
• Don't overfill the blender unless you enjoy cleaning smoothie recipe off your walls.
• Blend until smooth. Pour and enjoy immediately.

Smoothie Trivia

Smoothies are blended beverages that are often mixed with fresh fruit, crushed or shaved ice, frozen fruit, or other fruit juices. Smoothies usually do not contain ice cream (that’s what milk shakes are for). Smoothies date back to the 1960s when they were offered as healthy alternatives to milk shakes but it wasn't until the 1990s that they began to really catch on. Stephen Kuhnau, founder of Smoothie King, the second largest smoothie franchise in the US, claims to have coined the term “smoothie” in the late 1960s though a company named Waring made a blender in the 1940s that had an accompanying booklet publishing recipes for “smoothees”.

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Summery pictures...

I know I said I was done posting pics from the Mediterranean but I didn't say anything about other summery pictures.

Keeping Summer Sane! W/ Connie Sokol

It's that time again—popsicles, playtime, and perpetually tired moms trying to find the balance between fun and functional. Here are a few tips to do both!

#1. Establish a morning routine. At the end of school, give your children a few days of just sleeping in and doing nada. But then, create a simple list of daily chores or zones that only need deep clean once a week, and a quick tidy the rest of the time. For example, key areas could be the family room, kitchen, entry way, etc. On each child's morning chore list would be this zone, as well as daily chores such as their bedroom and bathroom.
This works wonders because children quickly tidy up the main family areas so the day starts fresh. And, working together helps bonding as well as helps avoid more contention later—after they've worked, they're far more ready to play without fuss.

#2. Create a "Never Bored Board". As a family, brainstorm fun activities to do in the summer, separating ideas by "Inside, Outside, Family Projects, and Rewards!" We do this with a big poster board and tape it to the kitchen cabinet. "Inside" includes things like play dough, easy crafts, simple baking, coloring, drawing, etc. "Outside" includes water balloons, sprinkler attachments (fun water games), sidewalk chalk, sand play. Even include computer games, with fun apps like "Drawsome"—a game that allows two or more people to draw words on iPads while the other person guesses them, wherever they are in the house or car!
To make activities even easier, create a space for a Kids Cabinet where all supplies are stored in an easy to reach place. Children can pull out tubs labeled "Paints" or "Craft supplies" so you don't have to hunt them down each time.

#3. Choose one Family Project a week. This project can be whatever is most exciting or vital to your family: clean out the garage, yard work, painting the deck railings, etc. Involve the family and split it into doable chunks. We do Yard Work I, II, and III—sort of like a horror series, which it often feels like. But Phase I is de-cluttering the yard and eliminating garbage, messes, unused bikes, etc. Then Phase II is weeding and clearing brush and tree branches. Phase III is making it pretty—planting, trimming, caring for the grass. This helps us take it in small steps to decrease the whining (by some) and still enjoy working as a family.
The most important thing is to include rewards after projects or especially working hard. Rewards can be as simple as popsicles, to bigger ones like a trip to the nearby park or a water slide.
Keeping summer fun and functional means parents and children both can enjoy a sane and somewhat productive summer!

Summer of Sunsets *le sigh*

We had so many beautiful sunsets this summer! My hubby laughed every time he saw one. "Better get your camera!" he shouted.


Can you really blame me for taking so many beautiful pictures?
What a great reminder of the amazing summer of '11 we had!

I refuse to believe summer is over

Going to my happy place now...

http://blog.kertgartner.com/Downloads/Images/Cinemagraph/PatriciaBeachCinemagraph.gif

Summer self portraits-'Nuff said

Summer Park Adventure Continues

Even though this park isn't part of our 'official' adventure, we like it!

HERITAGE PARK has a pavilion, a nice, cool stream running through it (most kids come in their swimsuits), playground and lots and lots of grass and shade.

We're trying to go every week. Wanna come? Let me know and I'll tell you when we're going again. There's usually 4-5 other mom's and their kids too.

Kiwanis Park Adventure

I had no idea how big this park was! I never really explored it. Only used it to get to the 'G' trail or park and hike to the waterfall (one time I hiked ALL the way around!).

Right now there is a pavilion with 7 or so tables and 3 fire pits and random trails.

Hubby is pres of Kiwanis and they want to improve the park. They now have a master plan and it's amazing! They want to add a playground, amphitheater, benches and a picnic area. Plus, their thinking of paving a walking trail and possibly one for horses and their riders.

Yes! It's that big.

Hubby took us around with map in hand, pointing out improvements.

And can you say Eagle Projects?? Hundreds of possibilities. Just sayin'.

Then Smiles wanted to hike to the waterfall but I only had sandals on so we walked to the pond and enjoyed throwing rocks in.

Summer Adventuring

Looking at the Lovell calendar shows many, many summer days with just Dimples, Smiles and me.

I don't have to ask what they want to do--go to the pool!

Then I thought it would be fun to find all the parks in PG. I looked up how many we have and found 11!

We've decided to chronicle our PG park adventure on this blog.

Nephi might come along too!

If you want to join in our adventures, let me know!

What are you doing this summer?

Summer Boredom Breakers Idea List

Try a new idea every week to help combat, “Mom! I’m bored!”.

This summer find an activity to do together.

And don’t forget to take pictures!

Summer idea list:

1. Learn about stars. Lay out a blanket in the backyard at night and go stargazing.

2. Make homemade ice cream.

3. Make sock puppets and put on a puppet show.

4. Sleep outside in a tent or on the trampoline

5. Go to the local parks and document your visits with a picture in front of the park sign.

6. Plant and care for sunflower seeds. Harvest the seeds in the fall.

7. Read a book together.

8. Learn about manners and try them out at family dinner.

9. Run through the sprinklers.

10. Make silhouettes of each other.

11. Learn about knights and medieval times. Make cardboard shields and swords and have a tournament.

12. Make lemonade from scratch and have lemonade stand.

13. Go to your local library and find something to check out other than books or movies.

14. Go on a nature scavenger hunt.

15. Make a volcano out of mud, vinegar and baking soda.

16. Learn about the insects in your yard and go on an insect hunt.

17. Make chocolate chip cookies.

18. Learn about the birds you can see outside your windows.

19. Visit your local National Park.

20. Scrapbook your summer together!

This is a link to the article with more links to help with any of the above ideas.
P.S. The advertising on this link wasn't very family friendly, so beware...
Read more: http://socyberty.com/advice/20-summer-ideas-to-beat-boredom/#ixzz0oaXZ449D

Dubrovnik, Croatia; Laundry Hung Outside Dries Better When It's Not Raining

Our first tour off ship was in Croatia; Old Town, Dubrovnik to be exact.
Dubrovnik has been around for over 900 years and sits in the Adriatic Sea.




We choose to walk the wall that surrounds the Old Town.
It was hot and I am sooo out of shape, but of course, it was worth it (you knew I would say that, right?).


There are two ways into Old Town. We were dropped off at the busiest one. And no. They do not taken USD. Only kuna (the local currency) or Euro thankyouverymuch.



It took us about 4 hours to walk the wall and explore the little town.































Anyone else worried about where this cannon is pointed??




Can you see all the cable dishes? Ancient and modern collide...












I bought the cutest bracelet in Dubrovnik:
(That is totally NOT my hairy arm! It's a llama leg...riiigghht!)


For $60?! Kuna 60.00 which amounted to roughly $15.









After we explored the Old Town, we headed back to our ship. Near the dock were vendors so we bought a bunch of stuff for Christmas gifts (Can't tell! One might be for you!).

Red.
That is the color I would use to describe Dubrovnik.
Red tile houses, red laundry and war.










In 1991, Dubrovnik was attacked. Croatian War of Independence last 4 years. In Croatia the war is referred to as the Homeland War was against Yugoslavia and the Serbs.
Garth and I walked the streets and took pictures of the buildings damaged in the war; there is no damage now. Here is a link to a video of the beginning of the war if you want to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmt4GfdQDc&NR=1




Here is a map in case you don't know where the Adriatic Sea and Croatia are located because I sure didn't!






If you want to read a short article (and see more pictures) here is a link: Dubrovnik, Croatia