Water Wings

My little guy has turned into a great little fish. He loves being in the pool. He refers to it as "My Pool". I put a life jacket outfit and water wings on him so he can float above the water better. For now its just the fun of learning to kick and paddle. His favorite is to splash me when I least expect it and to hold onto my shoulders while I swim, he calls me a Sea Horsey. I have loved swimming as far back as I can remember, not sure who taught me to swim I need to ask my Mom about that one.

I taught my little sister Meg to swim when I was a teenager and she was about 4 years old. ( I brag about this constantly lol)  It was an amazing thing to teach someone to swim and I look forward to next summer when my son is a bit older to show him more of the mechanics of swimming. Since we watched the Olympics and all the swimming events my son now loves the pool even more. He says "paddle paddle kick kick" "Olympics!" when he swims. SO cute! For now we will just float around and be joyful in him finally getting his water wings.

Sacramento: Leatherby's Family Creamery Celebrates 30 Years

On a hot day ice cream is awesome! Its tasty and will cool you off. Recently a local family owned ice cream restaurant Leatherby's celebrated its 30 year Anniversary and the celebration of their 3rd store in the Sacramento Valley area. They hosted a party for ice cream lovers at all 3 stores. We visit one from time to time and decide to go to the Anniversary celebration.

My son got his face painted for free. He wanted a doggie. He sat so still I was impressed.

They had the whole area decorated for a fun party. I loved this ice cream cone with a cherry on top balloon display. I tried to get my son to pose by it but he started to get a bit ninja on it so we had to skip that idea. :)

I love the ice cream parlor feel to Leatherby's. The tiles floors, iron seats and huge ice cream portions. The cute couple sitting behind us made me smile. They looked happy, like they were not only enjoying ice cream but perhaps a fond memory of Leatherby's. My husband and I visited the Arden location one when we lived near that area and had a few dates there. The ice cream is delicious and the brownies were WOW good.

I love that this company is family owned. The servers were all super nice. My son was very distracted by the coin operated toy claw machines feet from us so it was hard to get him to want to be in the moment of ice cream eating. The employees gave him a hat, a free hot dog and sent over the balloon artist that made him a balloon dog. They each worked for a moment by that darn toy claw machine was all he wanted. Next time I will make sure we tell them the other side if the restaurant to avoid the temptation of the claw machine.



Here is a little bit of history about Leatherby's Family Creamery:

“Daddy Dave” Leatherby Sr. and his wife, Sally, opened the first Leatherby’s Family Creamery on Arden Way in 1982 and people from all over Northern California have flocked to the restaurant ever since for our sizable sundaes, great food, and exceptional family atmosphere. Dave and Sally’s son, Alan, is the general manager and part owner of the family creameries. Dave Jr. got the Elk Grove store off the ground in spring 2012. And with 10 children, 30 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and counting, guests are bound to find any number of Leatherby offspring at work in our three restaurants on any given day, whether behind the scenes or serving customers. If they’re not at work, there’s a good chance they’re eating alongside the rest of the crowd in the original creamery on Arden Way.



Leatherby's takes pride in the fact that they make all their ice cream on site, using time-tested family recipes and the highest quality ingredients. They even grow our walnuts and pecans on the family farm north of Sacramento! Their ice cream has been named “Best in Northern California” by the local media each year for nearly 30 years. To top it off, Leatherby’s hand-made ice cream, sauces and toppings are available for purchase from at all three locations to take home in regular and bulk sizes.

If you are a local to Sacramento, Citrus Heights/Roseville, Elk Grove or just love ice cream you can follow Leatherby's on Facebook and Twitter. 

Grilled Bruschetta Burger Recipe with The George Foreman Grill

The older my son gets it seems I have less and less time to do anything! He is a on the move toddler who is constantly doing something. This means I have less free time to do anything so meals need to be quick. Its been a very hot summer here mixed in oddly with rain, not the norm for us. Some days its too hot or raining to go outside to grill. Plus with my son running around in the back yard I find it hard some days to watch the food and him at the same time. I still want grilled food so I needed to find a indoor grilling solution.

Many years ago when my husband and I lived in a duplex we had a tiny little garden and a outdoor George Foreman Grill. We would make grilled veggies and chicken for fajitas. They were so good!! Now living in our home we have a much bigger garden that always has a bounty of fruits and veggies for us to eat. The hot summer days have grown many tomatoes and basil leaves. I have so many I was needing ideas on how to use them before they went bad.

I was excited to have the chance to review a George Foreman Removable-Plate Grill and enter The George Foreman Grill: Show Us Your Grill Skill Recipe Contest. This was a great solution for my desire to grill indoors. Plus I was able to be creative in my cooking.


I decided I would make a Grilled Bruschetta Burger for my entry into the contest. I used fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden to make the bruschetta mixture.


Recipe Grilled Bruschetta Burger:

Serves 4

1lb Lean Ground Beef
3 large Tomatoes
6 fresh Basil Leaves
4 Sting Cheese Sticks
4 Sourdough Bread Rolls
1 teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Pepper

Plug in The George Foreman Grill and wait until the grill is hot. While waiting for the grill to warm slice the tomatoes into thin slices and sprinkle with pepper and olive oil. Place tomato slices on the grill and close the lid. Grill for 3 minutes. Take of tomatoes and set aside. Shape ground beef into 4  patties and place on the grill and close the lid. Grill for 15-20 minutes depending on how you like your meat. While your meat is grilling chop up the basil leaves and tomatoes. Mix together in a small bowl. Grate the 4 string cheese sticks into a separate bowl. ( I find the sting cheese sticks make it easier to control portions of cheese.) Cut sourdough bread rolls in half and brush with olive oil. (you can toast your bread in the oven or toaster id desired) When the meal is done grilling spoon Bruschetta mix onto bottom side of the bread. Place the grilled meat on top of the mixture and add the cheese. ENJOY!

I will be entering my recipe in the The George Foreman Grill: Show Us Your Grill Skill Recipe Contest. Wish me Luck! :)

Grilled Bruschetta Burger Recipe with The George Foreman Grill

* I was sent The George Foreman Grill from Family Review Network for this post. I will be entering my recipe in a contest as well.

Frugal Friday: Shopping

Kids Beach Socks $4.54

You can stock up for next year or like my family in CA still enjoy the summer heat Target for Pool and Swim Clearance.  They have cute kids Water Beach Socks for $4.54 and toddlers $3.48.

Willow Espresso set $20

Need a gift for someone or a home item to spruce up your home for a low price? Check Umbra Deals Section. A Willow Espresso Set 50% off only $20.

Denim Jacket Infant Boys $6.99

Shopping for Infants? Name brand clothing for a great price in the Cookies Kids clearance section. Infant 0-9mo Boys Denim Jacket by Rocawear 75% off for $6.99

Women's Plus Size tank top $6.99

Old Navy Plus Size Clearance section has many summer items at great prices. I saw a cute ribbed knit tank top orange and pink stripped for $6.99.

What great deals have you found this Friday?

Umbra Home Accesories Review

~by Patricia

I always get excited when I discover an online shop that I really like. With so many places to spend your money online today, I like knowing another blogger likes their merchandise.
umbra sells modern, well designed products for the home at affordable prices. From clocks to bath accessories, Umbra has something for everyone. And even Oprah likes them!

For my review I was sent this super sleekly designed Avocado Dish Rack. I love kitchen items, so this is something I really wanted. Most dish racks are unattractive, but not this one. Sitting in the sink or on the counter, I love it's look and color. It has a stainless steel band around it that keeps dishes in place. It is also BPA free, which is something I look for in products whenever available.

This is one dish rack that you will want to leave out to be seen. It comes in two colors, this great avocado green, or a cheerful bright red.

I was also sent this cute little Octopus Ring Holder. It is made of metal and has a chrome finish. It's a great place to keep your ring collection, and can hold lots of them. It's a sweet little gift for any occasion. The prices at Umbra are affordable enough to get a gift for someone and a little something for yourself. They have a great Sale Section as well.

umbra has many categories of their products to shop from, and most of their items are very affordable. Great design at a great price. Visit their website at umbra.com to see their entire line of products. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Umbra is hosting an annual back-to-school contest is now on! Enter to win an iPad using your email address. Enter here... ---> http://www.umbra.com/
ustore/sweepstakes.store



*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free the items mentioned in this post for my review.