Deep Dish Peanut Butter Cup Skillet Brownie Recipe

My oldest son will be turning 12 in a few days and honestly, it's completely surreal how fast these years have passed!

This year, he has decided against a cake. Instead, he asked me to make brownies that taste like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, While I've seen a few boxed versions around, they weren't quiet what he was looking for. He wanted big chunks of Reese's Mini's inside of the batter. and for the brownie itself to taste like a giant peanut butter cup. 

I couldn't leave the recipe up to chance on his big day, so I decided to do a dry-run this past week. What I came up with was a Deep Dish Peanut Butter Cup Skillet Brownie. that seriously tastes out of this world! I can't wait to make these again for him in a few days for his Birthday! 

Do you love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups too? Grab my recipe below, to make your own Deep Dish Peanut Butter Cup Skillet Brownie.

Letting Go: How To Give Your Child More Independence And Keep Them Safe

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wearsafe. All opinions are 100% mine.

Motherhood is an ever-changing landscape.  Children need us to be available in such vastly different ways as they grow, and as parents, our role evolves almost daily.  It's a wheel of change that's in constant motion, my friends.

While motherhood is ever-changing, there is one thing that remains steadfast in this parenting journey; the innate desire to protect and keep our kids safe. Honestly, it's a far easier task when they're little, isn't it? We can hold their hands tightly in our grasp, and keep a watchful eye. But with each passing birthday, as they crave more and more independence, they seem to let go just a bit more. So how do we strike a balance and allow them some much-wanted freedom, while still keeping them safe?

Read on for more on what we're doing in our home to confidently loosen the reigns a bit, while still making sure that our children stay safe.

Mini Caramel Apple Dump Cakes Recipe

Fall is in the air, and you know what that means? Baking, and apples and pumpkin spice (oh my!)

We stayed close to home this past weekend, so I decided to take some time and bake something simple with the kids for dessert on Saturday. We married some of our favorite flavors of the season in these super simple {and super delicious} Mini Caramel Apple Dump Cakes.

Have you ever made a dump cake? It's so simple, my 9 year old could throw one together - and the results are always crowed pleasing. The crisp buttery rich tops of these Mini Caramel Apple Dump cakes, give-way to the delicious gooey caramel apple filling - just YUM!

I divided our Caramel Apple Dump Cake ingredients into 4 adorable 5" copper tart baking dishes, to make personal size Mini Caramel Apple Dump Cakes. However, if you don't have small baking dishes, you can easily combine all of the ingredients listed below, and make one large Caramel Apple Dump Cake. I served them up warm with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream - drizzled with some of the remaining caramel sauce. Everyone absolutely LOVED them.

Grab the recipe along with quick and simple instructions for making your own Mini Caramel Apple Dump Cakes, below

Postpartum Fashion + Personal Care Essentials

Postpartum: that in-between phase where nothing seems to fit. Having had four children now, I know this phase well. 

Your maternity clothing is too large and your pre-pregnancy clothing is still out of the question. Not to mention - what's going on with your hair and skin? What's a girl to do? While postpartum body changes, hair-loss and skin changes are normal, they're certainly no fun. Plus, there are some fab fashions and beauty remedies on the market - so no need to suffer through, moms! 

Read on for my top postpartum fashion and personal care essentials picks, for Fall.

Halloween Yogurt Covered Pretzels Recipe

Have you seen some of the cute Halloween themed covered pretzels tutorials that are floating around on Pinterest and Facebook? After seeing a tutorial in my timeline, I considered grabbing all of the supplies from the craft store to make some with the kids. But then I thought about all of the unhealthy ingredients in candy wafers {hydrogenated oil and artificial flavors particularly} and I set out to make a healthier alternative.

We made these adorable {delicious} yogurt covered pumpkin and mummy themed Halloween pretzels last night and they were definitely a big hit -the kids loved them!

Grab the super simple recipe and instructions to make your own Halloween Pumpkin and Mummy Yogurt Covered Pretzels, below.

Get Out And Explore! Fall Leaf Stamping Toddler Activity

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprout Organic Foods . All opinions are 100% mine.

Hi friends, how have you been? While the heat has lingered here these past few weeks, we know the inevitable change of seasons is just around the corner. So in the meantime, we are soaking in the sunshine and enjoying as much time as possible outside.

Our two year old is definitely an outdoors man; he enjoys all things nature related. He's also a big fan of painting. I decided to incorporate his two loves into a fun fall leaf stamping activity this past week, and I must say, it was a hit!

First, we took a long walk around the neighborhood and collected an assortment of leaves. 

Read on for a full supply list and our step by step tutorial / imagery, on how to do this fun fall leaf stamping toddler activity.

DIY Beaded Safety Pin Bracelets - Fun Tween Craft Idea

My tween daughter is super into jewelry making these days. She's getting pretty good at it too! This past weekend, we made a fun twist on an old camp favorite; DIY Beaded Safety Pin Bracelets. I remember making a slightly different version of these bracelets at summer camp when I was younger. It's so fun to see my daughter enjoying some of the same crafts and activities that I did as a child!

These DIY beaded safety pin bracelets are super easy to make, and only require a simple list of supplies. Read on for the supply list and our step by step tutorial / imagery.

The Best Phone Features To Help Busy Moms Stay Organized

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZTE Grand X Max 2. All opinions are 100% mine.

Working from home, while also attempting to juggle the busy school schedules that our older 2 children keep, definitely has it's challenges. I've managed to maintain fairly well by syncing all of our calendars in my phone. It's simple enough, and the phone alerts me the day before of all of the activities and appointments we have the next day.  Honestly, there are days when I don't know what I'd do without my phone! I've been on the lookout the past few months for a new phone, with a great camera (most of my pictures are taken with my phone these days), plus all of the features that I need to maintain my blog, and the ability to stream video content for the kids, of course. Pretty tall order, right? Fortunately, I've found everything that I'm looking for in the ZTE Grand X Max 2 phablet.

Read on for more on why I love this feature-packed device, and why I think it's absolutely perfect for helping busy moms stay organized.

5 Minute Beauty Routine - Perfect For Busy Moms As The Kids Head Back To School

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

It seems cliche to usher out each season with a declaration of shock, at the speed at which time has passed. However, that simply seems be something that goes hand-in-hand with motherhood. There comes a point where time seems to move forward at light-speed, and we all find ourselves wishing for more time, or for super powers to make time stand still. For me, it happened when my older children entered school a few years back. Schedules became less flexible and certainly more full; for most of the year - the routine is fairly set. 

This year, as my older children return to class, I'll also be adjusting to daily life with a toddler and a newborn {while continuing to work and maintain a household}. Did I mention that we're also moving? The days ahead will definitely be busy, friends. While I feel like I'm prepared, honestly, only time will tell.

After navigating the transition of adding a new member to our family four times now, I've gleaned more than a few valuable tips along the way. Out of all of these tidbits that I've picked up, there's one thing that I've come to know as an absolute necessity during this season of life; self-care. It's much easier to take care of everyone else, when you take care of yourself. I'm going to be real here. Mothering young children doesn't allow large wide-open gaps "me time," for most. But 5 minutes a day? That's totally doable!

For me, 5 minutes to maintain my appearance is more than reasonable. I don't get all glamed up everyday, to crawl around on the floor with a toddler. However, I do take time to wash my face well, exfoliate, moisturize, and put on a bit of makeup. I start my day feeling good about myself, which in-turn generates  positive energy, and ultimately that's better for my entire household. This is such a simple treat that we can all afford ourselves, as busy moms.

Read on for my simple 5 minute beauty routine and my simple recipe for homemade moisturizing white lavender citrus body scrub.