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While I am a fan of the traditional Aperol Spritz, I thought I could revamp it for an even more summery feel. An Aperol Spritz generally includes Aperol, Prosecco, Club Soda and a squeeze of fresh orange. My initial thought was to just swap out the Prosecco and use Bubbly Rose. But while bingeing the Mayans on Hulu, I saw an ad for the new Mike's Hard Lemonade Seltzer. Bingo. Now we have something to swap out club soda from the traditional recipe. See, who says good things can't come from bingeing TV? The Mikes Hard Lemonade Seltzer comes in a variety pack with four flavors: Strawberry, Lemon, Mango and Pineapple. After again, taking one for the team, I have tried all four flavors in the the Loaded Aperol Lemonade Spritz. You cannot go wrong with any of them in the cocktail. And once the Bubbly Rose is gone, the lemonade is good on its own! Cocktail Ingredients: Aperol Bubbly Rose Mike's Hard Lemonade Seltzer Fresh Citrus Fruit, ie. lemon, lime and/or orange We are from Wisconsin, we don't normally measure out the alcohol. Wisconsin-Style Instructions: Fill your glass with ice. Pour the glass half full with Bubbly Rose. Add a splash of Aperol. Squeeze whatever fruit your are using into your glass. Fill the rest up with Mike's Hard Lemonade Seltzer of your choice! Note...a normal Aperol Spritz has equal parts Aperol and Prosecco. To me, that's too much Aperol and I pick up too much bitterness. But, if you like that flavor, you can definitely do a more generous splash.

If pizza isn't a grilling staple at your house, it needs to be! The thought of having your traditional homemade pizza its dreadful. But, when you switch up how you pizza with these tips, your family will be asking for it weekly! Try one, two or all of the tricks below! Step 1: Change your crust game. Our go to is Naan bread. I generally grab it at Costco. But your local grocery stores will have it too. And, if you're lucky they will carry the garlic version! Step 2: Oil before sauce. It may sound odd, but it's a necessity. You can use regular olive oil, or you can get fancy and try something like Gaby Dalkin's Taste Like Pizza Oil (linked below). To no surprise, this is my favorite: http://bit.ly/GabysPizzaOil Step 3: Garlic. Garlic. Garlic. Always add fresh chopped garlic on top of the oil, before the sauce. Step 4: Cheese. Not only do you need multiple different kinds of cheese, you need to have one "wow" cheese on the pizza. Normally the "wow" is the fresh mozzarella. If you aren't currently using fresh mozzarella, are you even making pizza? But this blog post is about upping the game, so skip the mozzarella. You can use burrata cheese - which is basically mozzarella stuffed with string-y cheese curds and creamy goodness. But, step it up a little more, and use ricotta. How can ricotta be a step up from mozzarella or burrata? Oh, my gosh...give it a whirl and you will immediately know why. Trust me. Step 5: Season the top of your pizza! This step is so simple but probably forgotten a lot. It can seasoned with garlic salt, pepper, red pepper flakes...basically anything. If you want to get fancy - try using this seasoning from, of course, Gaby Dalkin. I use this on a lot more than just pizza...like grilled cheese sandwiches! http://bit.ly/GabysPizzaSeasoning Step 6: Skip the oven and grill your pizza. The key to getting the crust crispy is by cooking it low and slow. When the crust has started to brown, you can crank it up for a few minutes... and then shut it off. Keep the lid down and the remaining cheese will melt perfectly. Step 7: The finale is officially the "can't skip" step. After the pizza is done cooking, and right before you eat it... drizzle it with a Basil Vinaigrette. Now there are tons of recipes for homemade vinaigrette, (check out link below if you wanna take a shot at it) but there are also tons of options in the store. I found this is the refrigerator section at Costco. This vinaigrette is perfect for strawberry, spinach and mozzarella salad. It would go great on chicken parmesan! The options are endless... I think this is the new summer staple in this house. http://bit.ly/HomemadeBasilVinaigrette Alright, these 7 tips will change the way you look at pizza. Like I said on top, you can start with a couple or you can go all in. Either way, your pizza game will never be the same!

Moscow Mules rank right up there with Margaritas for me. One, for obvious reasons, they are delicious. Two, they are super versatile. The traditional mule is Vodka, Lime Juice and Ginger Beer. So here's a perfect twist.... Cocktail Ingredients: Handful of blackberries Vodka Angry Ginger Beer 1 Lime How to: First, get muddling... Put your handful of black berries in the bottom of your glass and muddle away. Fresh or frozen will work. I used frozen because they double as little bits of icy goodness. Fill up your glass with ice. Add whatever amount of vodka you find appropriate. Add your freshly squeezed lime juice. Fill the remainder with your Angry Ginger Beer. Twist: I wish our local liquor store had jalapeño liqueur. I would have used that with diet ginger beer to get the same affect with less sugar. Another thought as I type this, you could do regular ginger beer with a splash of jalapeño juice. Oh man, I just talked myself into trying this another way!

I can't even begin to describe these bars.. maybe something like creamy cheesecake stuffed into buttery flaky goodness? Ingredients: 2 packages of refrigerated crescent rolls 2 packages of softened cream cheese 1 cup white sugar (I know, I know, just do it) 1 tablespoon of vanilla 1 stick of melted butter 3/4 cups cinnamon sugar combo (I use between 1/8 cup and 1/4 cup cinnamon with the rest sugar) How to Bake the creamy cheesecake stuffed into buttery flake goodness: Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan. Layer one package of the crescent rolls on the bottom of the pan. Pinch together any seams that may have been broken when stretching them to fit the pan. Set aside. Next, beat the cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla together. Once combined, spread the creamy, dreamy goodness onto of the crescent rolls. Lastly, unroll the other package of crescent rolls onto a clean surface. Stretch it out until you think it will match the 9x13. Move onto of creamy, dreamy goodness and again, pinch any seals that may have broken. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes and let cool completely. Doubtful, but if you have extra bars, you can store them in the fridge. I will tell you right now, they are delicious the next day!

Here's my unprofessional opinion formed by loving personal growth... You don't have to love every part of your self, but you cannot hate any part of yourself either. So what does this mean? It means, you can no longer allow your body and your thoughts about your body, to dictate your life. You need to start showing up everyday of your life for you. As you. As you are. How do you get to this point? It's baby steps that you take every single day. And, over time those baby steps will amount to you showing up without thinking twice about how you look. Your body will no longer dictate how you feel, it will no longer interfere with joy. What does it look like when our body dictates pieces or the entirety of our life? And how do you take baby steps to start showing up as you? Let's talk about a few… First up, pictures. Why do we take pictures? Because the moment is worth remembering, right? How many times have you told someone "no" to a picture? Or, how many times do you ask to see the picture? And, if you don't like the picture…ask for a retake, or even worse delete it? I mean, if you were checking to see if your eyes are open that's one thing, but I am willing to bet you were looking at your body. Is the value of how we perceive our body or the fear of how others may perceive it, really greater than some of our most cherished moments? Baby steps: Always say yes to a picture, especially with your kids, family and friends. Can you image losing out on memories with these people? Oh wait, aren't these the people in all of our pictures? Seriously take the picture. Next step, stop asking to see what it looks like. You are you and no picture is going to change that. Sad proof: 20 years from now, Lyncoln will get to look back at this super cute picture of herself…without mom's head. Why? Who knows, I probably told whoever took the picture not to get my face. Never. Ever. Again. Bonus note… thanks to social media, our world is filled with filters. Stop using them to change the way you look. We all have pores, we all have wrinkles, we all have uneven skin tones… why? Well, because we are human. Baby step: skip the filter if you're using it to alter your appearance. If you're using it for fun, have fun... but make sure you are being honest with yourself. Next up, clothing. When I thought about this for the first time, my mind was blown… How many times have you put something on that you like, but end up taking it off because you don't think you look good in it? Now… before I make this mind blowing point, I have to double clarify, we are talking about you taking something off that you really like! Get ready for the mind blowing part. You aren't actually taking it off because you don't think you look good in it, but rather because you think other people are going to think you don't look good in it. So really, you're taking it off to beat other people to the punch… that they probably aren't even going to make. Baby steps: Wear the shorts, wear the stripes, wear the dress, wear the tank top. Wear whatever the freak you want. When you stop caring about what others *may* think, you can start loving life more. Fun Fact: The size of your clothing is the least interesting part about you. Let that sink in for a moment. Next up, Exercising First ask yourself, why do you exercise? Is it to lose weight? Is it to tone something up? Living your life motivated by changing what you look like isn't loving yourself. Will the chase ever end? When you lose the weight, will you be done? When you tone up your stomach, is that the end? Or will the chase continue? How about we start looking at exercise as an avenue to feel great. You owe your mind and internal body more respect than you owe your appearance. Baby steps: Move your body everyday knowing it's greatest impact wont be seen. Sure, your body may change over time, but the real accomplishments cannot be physically seen. And, when your body needs a break, give it the break without shaming yourself. Fun Fact: Working out don't earn you food or drinks. But do you know what does? Living your life freely. Lastly, for now... food. With the desire to change your body, food is always front and center. The diet culture in our world is real. And the one thing you need to know about it, it's toxic. Our life is already dictated by so many things, and food should not be one of them. Two words, intuitive eating. You are the expert of your body and how it feels. Intuitive eating isn't an invitation to eat cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's an invitation to forget the millions of diet guidelines that control the world while also not giving power to the food police around us. Baby steps: Stop going to war with food. Being the expert of your body allows you to feed your body food that you know will make you feel good. And that includes, intentionally eating your favorite piece of cake and your nephew's birthday party. Or, enjoying the margarita when you're celebrating with your girlfriend. Both of these, without shame. It also means, eating whole foods because you feel the power they give your body when fed to it regularly. Changing little habits everyday will eventually lead you to peace with food. Bonus Note: Save your money and stop buying into these "Down 10 Pounds in a week" pill, drinks or cleanses. Your life isn't determined by the weight of your body. Wow, these four points are only the tip of the iceberg yet they feel like a lot. Whether you're in the beginning stages of your self-love journey or somewhere in the middle… remember the journey is filled with baby steps. You cannot get to the top of the mountain in one day. And even when you become a self-loving goddess, there will be days where you have to remind yourself to be kind…. So the take away…. your body is just the vehicle used to live your life. You are the driver of the vehicle… it's up to you to choose where the vehicle goes. Stop driving your Bugatti like it's a 1990 Geo Prizm Hatchback and stop driving it on the same boring roads😘

The title says it all. You will not want to share these with anyone, not the cutest most adorable child nor the sweetest old lady. Here's the catch, you can just up the game of your usual tried and true Rice Krispie treat recipe. The simple trick? Wait for your butter to turn into brown butter. How do you do that you ask? Just cook it a little longer... stir it on medium heat until it has a nutty aroma. Mix in your marshmallows and the rest is history. My Tried and True Rice Krispie Treat Ratio: 1 and half sticks of butter Almost two full bags of regular size marshmallows Sprinkle of Salt Dash of Vanilla 8 and 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies

Yet another recipe for the Win. And, an even bigger win... McKinley and Dakota liked it! This is easy to tailor to your liking, amp up the avocado or the cucumber. Mix it how you like it! Mix in left over grilled chicken or top it with salmon for a full meal! Ingredients: 2 medium English cucumbers, seeded and sliced 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped 2 tablespoons capers, drained 2 heaping tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 2 heaping tablespoons fresh parsley leaved, chopped 2 heaping tablespoons of fresh chives, finely sliced (dried works perfectly too) 2 fresh garlic clove, finely grated or minced 2 small fresh limes, juiced 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil sea salt and black pepper to taste Best salt to top it with is Maldon Sea Salt! What do to: Seriously? Chop it all accordingly and mix together carefully. My left overs are going on day three and still looks great (thanks to the lime juice).

That title is a little misleading and here's why. I started the MyBillie Razor subscription last summer. Key reasons why they keep arriving on my door step... well just that, they are delivered! But besides that, I don't have to shave as frequently for some magical reason and the shave is unbelievably close. I get four blades delivered every two months for $9.50 and I am not kidding when I tell you, this 2 months is perfect with 4 blades. A new stock arrived just in time for the Jankowski's to take on Pensacola. Super thankful I won't have to spend every vacation morning shaving my legs. Want to give it a whirl, use this link to get a deal! http://fbuy.me/rsfm4

I once convinced Josh that we needed the paper even though I sure didn't plan on reading it! How ridiculous right? NO! The taste section is worth every penny. But, now that he is onto my tricks, we no longer get the paper. But, good news, Grandma Boots still get it! So when I visit Grandma, every now and then I snag the taste section from her paper! And shout out to when she sees a good recipe and saves it for me - like when it was all about rhubarb!! So here's a winning recipe from the taste section a couple years ago! Ingredients: 1 (15.25-ox) box strawberry cake mix 1 large egg 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water 4 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt Sprinkles (optional - and a no thank you from me) Directions: Mix strawberry cake mix, egg, vegetable oil and water in a large bowl. Stir until combined, but do not over stir. Note, the batter will be super thick. Transfer to a 8x8 pan - unless you fancy like me, then transfer 1 large scoop to each Brownie Pan section. Tap pan to flatten out batter and get any bubbles out. Bake at 325 until. a tooth pick comes out clean (about 25 minutes for a pan 8x8 pan and 12 for fancy Brownie Pan). While brownies are baking, mix together cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Mix electric hand mixer until light and smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat slowly. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high until fluffy. You can either spread the frosting all over the cooled brownies, or you can pipe it on using a frosting bag. Enjoy! Oh wait, if you're interested in a fun pan... check out Pampered Chef's Brownie Pan http://bit.ly/MustHaveBrowniePan

My girlfriend introduced me to Clean Food Crush...and thanks to her, my grocery list is never ending. You probably thinking oh great, never ending grocery list... not interested. When I say never ending, its because I am wishing I could makeeverything she has posted in her life time right now. So first up, this is my twist on her Apple Bacon Sandwich. Both ways are simple, I just added the turkey and honey mustard. I was also debating adding a little mayo and lettuce, more aligned with a Bacon Lettuce... Apple (BLA - by the way, I am making that a thing now that I have typed it out). Last thing on this apple post, but it needs to be said... and I am Cringing as I type this. There used to be a point in time where my diet didn't "allow" apples because they were too high in carbs. Holy Moly. We are talking about freaking Apples! I am so thankful that the toxic diet culture is no longer a part of my life✌🏼 #eatwhatmakesyoufeelgood Clean Food Crush Insta: https://www.instagram.com/cleanfoodcrush/ Clean Food Crush Apple Bacon Sandwich Recipe: http://bit.ly/AppleBaconSandwiches

When the pandemic hit, my bras went out the window along with every other freedom. And, seriously, don't gasp... I know I am not the only one. So, while we start to taste freedom again (praise be), I've upped my bra game. And these are the two that are worth mentioning! First up. Beyond Yoga. I could live in this thing. They are extremely comfortable. It's the perfect everyday, running errands or sleeping on the couch type of bra. And because it's cropped, say hello to high waisted leggings and a comfy cardigan (my everyday go to). Check 'em out here 👉🏼http://bit.ly/BeyondYogaBra Pro tip: Never pay full price! They change colors every season. Which means... you can get last seasons colors half off! Don't see them half price on the Beyond Yoga site, check out www.yogaoutlet.com Second...Handful Bras. I have a couple of each of these styles. The Adjustable is perfect for everyday. The best part it cinches down the middle so you don't get the uni-boob look. The Y-Back Bra is my go to for cardio and high intensity work outs. Check 'em out here 👉🏼http://bit.ly/HandfulBra

I saw a meme the other day that said something along the lines of don't let the perfectly behaved first born trick you into having another. Because your second born will be a no limit solider, who likes to slap, swear and doesn't sleep. This. is. Dakota. I am the youngest child and my husband is the oldest, so neither of us know anything about being a middle child. Kota, while being the sweetest little girl with the biggest heart, also doesn't give a sh*t about anything. Her vocabulary and logic is unbelievable. I know parents always say this about their child, but I am not that parent, I swear. If she was an adult, I wouldn't mess with her. While I am not anxious for time to fly by... I know she will do big things in her life. I mean, she will either be a CEO of her own company or she will be leading her own gang in prison. Either way, she will be a success. If you want to see Kota in action, check out my Facebook page (linked on the bottom of the home page) for some great videos. Oh... and the picture? Josh and I love making the girls watch movies from when we kids. The Little Rascals, Home Alone, The Goonies... and of course, Dennis the Menace. The uncanny resemblance comes after Dakota cut her hair not once, not twice but three times within a few weeks.