Mom Summer Exchange

Hellooooooooooooooo long-lost friends!

I realize it's been almost an entire month without a post and believe me when I say that life has been crazy busy. I feel like I have always been as transparent as I can be on the blog and genuinely strive for complete honesty. That being said, I apologize as I will not be sharing the reason for the hiatus - although, I hope to chat about it one day. If things continue to improve, I think a few blog posts could be in the future. :) I appreciate any prayers you send our way!

Enough about me and my sketchiness. Today's post focuses on the fun swap I participated in earlier this month.

I am a relatively new reader of My Glittery Heart and was thrilled when Heather announced the Mom Summer Exchange she was hosting. Being the adventurous person that I am (can you read the sarcasm?) I filled out the form and was soon matched with Jenna from Tractors and Glam, which was excellent since I had never read her blog. 

After a few emails, we learned a bit more about each other and got to work!

When I opened up the package, I had a little note explaining that she picked some of her favorite things. This cute card also reminded me that I need to have some fun stationary on hand at all times. 

The first item I was immediately drawn to because I have wanted it for weeks and weeks and weeks!

I was in dire need of a bright, summer polish and she nailed it! 

Appropriately titled Watermelon by essie, I immediately used it and even painted E's toes for the first time. It also made me chuckle as my last post was How To Cut A Watermelon...Easily.

Keeping with the watermelon theme, a package of Sour Patch candy was included. 

I love these and reminisced about the years I worked at Limited Too (that store now known as Justice). It's where I met one of my BFF (DJ) and we would snack on the sweet and sour "fruit" during our shift. 

She also included another beauty item that I am looking forward to trying. 

The peel-off part slightly frightens me, but the packaging just screams "refreshing!" 

The mask and the polish were tucked away in the next surprise:

How funny and fitting is this water bottle?! Some days I have this attitude when my alarm goes off because...adulting is hard. 

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my obsession with chapstick, which is why this next gift was perfect.

SPF is incredibly important (especially on your smoocher) and this will be used for pool days, outdoor runs, and future football games - if it makes it that long!

Speaking of lazy days by the water, the last surprise is ideal for the season. 

I love the anchor, play on words, and size of the bag. Plus, it's plastic and I envision it holding allllll the things when the heat forces us towards water. 

This may have been my first swap, but I am eagerly anticipating the next one! Who doesn't love surprise packages in the mail?!?

Although I enjoyed getting something delivered that wasn't from Amazon, hehe, it is true that it is better to give than to receive. 

I had so much fun picking out items - hop on over to Tractors and Glam to see what I sent!

*Linking up with Lindsay's Sweet World and My Glittery Heart

Oops...I'm a slacker and couldn't finish the post. 

I'll be back soon! 

How to Cut A Watermelon...Easily

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

Normally after a long weekend I would be sharing all of our weekending details with you - and believe me, ours was busy, busy, busy! However, today's post discusses a wonderful strategy that is sure to be useful during the upcoming months.

One thing I love about summer is the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available in the grocery stores, farmer's markets, and sometimes in our own backyard. Summer eating can be so easy and simple, yet healthy at the same time.

One of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice is to host or attend a BBQ with friends. I love socializing over a crisp cocktail while trying different dishes that were lovingly prepared (or bought - I've been there too). Sometimes life gets in the way and you find yourself scrambling to bring something yummy that doesn't require a million ingredients or take hours of your time.

When I find myself in a situation described as above, I have the perfect solution - cut up a watermelon!

Watermelon is a healthy snack, perfect for those with specific eating requirements, it's sweet enough for kiddos to devour, and to me it just screams "SUMMER!" Add it to a salad or use it to inspire an adult beverage - the possibilities are practically endless.

In the past I've always stayed away from this fruit because I am HORRIBLE with a knife and felt that I was wasting so much of the melon whenever I attempted to cut one up. That changed when I learned to carve the flesh in a grid like pattern....and for some reason that reminded me of Dexter. Yikes.

Take your watermelon and use a knife to cut horizontal and vertical rows across the flesh. The more "lines" you slice, the smaller the pieces will be. Be sure to cut all the way through until you hit the rind.

Once your melon has been cut, simply pull the pieces out. As you get closer to the rind, you may need to slice them off if you did not cut all the way down.

This method is so easy and eliminates the hassle of eliminating the rind. It's also a relatively clean process - the juice sits in the melon and doesn't leak over your counters, floors, children....

I do not have a melon baller so I have no idea if this is a quicker process, but assume that it is. If you do not have a melon baller or have a fear of knives, use an ice cream scoop to carve that melon up!

Once all the pieces have been plucked, enjoy a piece (or five) for yourself.

If you choose to douse a few with vodka or tequila and store them in the freezer for a rainy day, I won't tell as long as you invite me over! Haha.

Have you tried this a different way? Do tell. E has been wanting to "cook" with me lately and I love that this is something we can do together.

Cheers to a short work week!

*Linking up with Lindsay's Sweet World