Lemons & Chocolate

August has come and gone and I don't even know how that's possible!  This year is flying by and yet I feel like we're stuck in this crazy corona-filled space.  It's going to be a great day when this pandemic is just a thing kids learn about in history books.  

Pandemic or not you always need chocolate.  I think even more so during pandemics! haha Even if you can't hand back the "lemons" of life, you can always try to find some sweetness, or give some sweetness!  Chocolate is a great option! 

I love this Pound Plus bars at Trader Joe's!  Perfect for all the baking coming up this fall.

Don't have a TJ's near by?  A candy bar from the grocery store could still work perfectly with this tag.

But if you are at Trader Joe's get these Toffee Chips!! Seriously just get them and love every single one!  They are so delicious!

I love the mix of chocolate bars to make a fun gift!  Perfect for ministering sisters, ministering families, teachers, friends, family, everyone, anyone!

TJ's has so many fun chocolate things like these chocolate crisps, chocolate covered potato chips and these yummy peanut butter cups!

Also LOVING these S'mashing S'mores!  Seriously so good, the perfect bite of s'mores without the campfire and all the mess.

I love that you can pair this tag with anything chocolate OR lemon!  Or both!

So many wonderful options!

Like a lemon bar mix and a chocolate candy bar, fun pairing!

Or the best ever chocolate chips, my absolute favorite!  YUM!

Why don't you make it good quality chocolate while we're at it, like some Lindt truffles or chocolate bars.

These Lindt Lindor truffles are so delicious and perfect for snacking.

I loved this little package I made for a graduating senior this last June.  I put lemon candies at the bottom to tie in the lemon and chocolate theme.  Loved the matching colors too, details really do matter!

Or if you're avoiding the stores like me, make a batch of cookies and give a plate of homemade cookies!

This tag seriously has so many options!

If you'd like to print the "When life gives you lemons hand them back..." tag you can find it HERE!

Credits Page

I recommend downloading the printable for best quality.

Shark Week

 I know Shark Week was technically last week, but when you have a shark loving toddler, shark week/day can be any time!  In my hopes to be more of a "fun mom"  I'm trying to celebrate all the moments, little, big and in between.  So when I knew it was Shark Week I knew I had to do something.  

I will be posting mine and Liv's adventures on being a "fun mom" on my original instagram HERE, but I've also decided to create a new account "It's all in the details!", where I will be sharing all the details!  I thought it would be a fun specific place for parties, kid activities, holidays, traditions and more.  I've learned if you focus on the details you elevate any experience or celebration, so that's just what I'm going to do.  

Treats

I had a few extra cupcakes leftover from a baking order (psst did you know I take baking orders?  Check out RuthAnne's Bake Shop HERE and HERE) and decided to jazz them up for the occasion.  Shark gummies, adding my favorite blue food coloring gel to my white chocolate drizzle and, white pearl sprinkles (perfect "bubbles") dressed them up in no time!

I asked Liv if she could look at me with her cupcake and she said "Sorry Mom, I'm just trying to unwrap it."  Haha for a 2 1/2 year old she surprises me all the time with what she says.

Let's keep going with the treats of the day!  The great thing about themed days is that you can think outside the box.  Don't get focus on just one thing, like sharks for example.  I like to think of where you can find sharks, colors, and other things you think of when you think shark.  

Adding on simple things you already make, makes celebrating super easy!

Shark Cupcakes-I had my favorite Bake Shop recipe for my Funfetti Cupcakes.

Shark Pudding Cups-Liv and I made a white chocolate pudding mix (but next time I'll do vanilla), tinted it blue then topped it with a gummy shark and graham cracker crumbs.

Shark Bait-white chocolate popcorn with pretzel sticks, rainbow mini marshmallows, and shark gummies.  Here's how I do my white chocolate popcorn! Blue M&M's and shark sprinkles would've been so cute and delicious in this, but use what you have!!

Ocean water-mixed drinks!  We tried to do the layered look, but I must have gotten it wrong. haha Regardless it was still ocean water, blue and delicious for the girls so that's all that matters! I just got a variety of individual drinks at the grocery store that were blue, clear and white.  I'll post what was our favorites below.

You could even just get one of these drinks and call it ocean water with no mixing.  OR if you want to not worry about that Fizz had a Shark Drink last week.  Whoops hopefully I'll be more on top of it next holiday and give you a better notice.

The girls insisted on taking these pictures. haha

They loved the ocean water!  You can see the different drinks from these two pictures.  Olivia's is brighter and more ocean like.  I added a lot of Sobe to Evie's which was probably completely delicious, but left a murky ocean water look.  Whatever way both girls still loved it!

Activities

There are several FREE printable online.  I love that they can be adapted for any age.  Even though the younger girls went through them fast they still found it fun and different!  We loved the Shark I Spy, Shark Week Fun! Packet and Feeding the Shark.  Find the rest of my inspiration pins HERE.  My printer broke completely in the middle of printing these.  Waaaa :'( There definitely would have been those cute shark headbands too!

Loved that you can use Goldfish to feed the shark, and the girls did too!

You know we had to play Baby Shark several times of course!! Livy has loved this song for a long time.  

The girls screamed, danced and ran around while this song was playing, they were so happy!

OH i forgot two "treats"  I had a sweet friend tell me about the Sharks & Whales Fruit Snacks found at Harmon's here in Utah.  The little toy shark Livy loving calls Sharkie has kept her busy for quite a while.  she loves to play "Shark Attack" with it and one day Sharkie even helped me fold a whole load of laundry! haha  It's a sucker too but don't tell Liv!

We still needed to run off all that sugar so we played Sharks and Minnows.  I would turn around with Shark and say "Fishies, Fishies come out and play!"  The girls would always yell back "OK!" haha then I would randomly yell "SHARK ATTACK"  and chase them while Sharkie was snapping.  They would laugh and scream so loudly, it was adorable.  One time when I said shark attack Evie ran over to Livy and did this! 

They were scared and just needed eachother the little cuties.

We finished the night by watching Little Mermaid.  There's a shark in that you know?  It was such a low key fun night.  I'm already looking forward to the next celebrations I can add some cute details too!

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Gygi

Today is Chocolate Chip Cookie Sunday!  A day I look forward to all week long.  Today I'm sharing Gygi's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.  I've heard about this recipe from lots of friends so I knew I had to add this to the Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt!  

Honestly this cookie recipe tastes similar to my very own chocolate chip cookies that I bake all the time and sell (contact me if you'd like to order!).  BUT these cookies are different with how they freeze, hold, up and the after taste is a little more sugar-y in my opinion.

The dough was incredible!  Much better than Joanna Gaines' recipe last week.

They baked up fluffy and beautiful looking.  

Love when cookies are no fuss and hold their shape even after baking.

Don't you!?

This recipe is a solid choice and easy for beginner bakers too!

I love that Gygi's gives tips and tricks along with their recipe.  Like sizing scoops, whoever really knows how big their scoop is?  Gygi that's who!! And they are sharing all the information with us!

If you try this great recipe let me know!  

And if you have a recipe you want me to put to the test, send it my way!

The inside was full of chocolate and delicious, just how I like it!

Next week I'm putting Handmade Farmhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies to the test!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt-Joanna Gaines'

This week I'm trying Joanna Gaines' chocolate chip cookie recipe.  This recipe has a surprisingly low amount of butter and a surprisingly high amount of brown sugar! haha 

Which made for darker, chewier cookies with a slight but rich molasses, butterscotch like flavor to them.  Joanna even mentioned in her IGTV that she changes up the sugar amount, I'm guessing with granulated sugar and brown sugar depending on how fluffy or chewy her family wants the cookies.  

I'll be honest these cookies surprised me!  I had a good friend tell me how great this recipe was and that I had to add it to the Hunt.  It was on my maybe list already but I knew I had to do it for sure once I got that recommendation.  

I love how nice these cookies LOOK.  Just the usual prep time and directions and they looked like this.

Sometimes I add more chocolate chips after baking for good measure! haha ;)  But you really don't neeeed too.  I saw that Joanna was using THESE chips while making her recipe.

With the full amount of brown sugar these cookies really are chewy and crunchy.  And super delicious!

I had far too many of these and I was so surprised by that.  I thought I'd just have a couple! :/

Check out that cookie though.  Even on the "chewier" side it still has so much height and volume.

The dough was surprisingly crumbly in a way.  I totally thought I messed up the dough but it came together just fine.  I do recommend packing it pretty well in your cookie scoop or rolling it out in a ball really well before baking.

You can even tell that the dough has a golden hue.  Makes for pretty delicious cookies so I'll take it!

I'm thinking about baking up my cookies so far from the Hunt and seeing which one wins the first round, because you know there has to be lots more rounds! :)

Next week I'm going to try Gygi's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.