We’re soaking up every last second of summer before the kids go back to school. This weekend we crossed off one item on our bucket list – a family date night for frozen yogurt! As an added bonus, we snapped an instagram picture so we could enter the #OREOSummerSweepstakes!

It was our first time trying Just the Creme and Just the Cookie frozen yogurt – and it did not disappoint! Our love of OREO cookies goes back generations. Oreo cookies are my Dad’s favorite treat – he gets them for every Father’s Day, birthday, and Christmas! So you better believe we swirled Just the Creme and Just the Cookie together to make a delicious frozen yogurt Oreo Cookie. For good measure we sprinkled more OREO cookie pieces on top.

Now for the fun part, you have two chances to win today! First, you can enter to win the #OREOSummerSweepstakes by sharing a picture of yourself enjoying an OREO treat at any restaurant. It can be a beverage, ice cream cake – you name it! Be sure to use the hashtag and tag it with @OREO. By doing this you will have a chance to win your choice of one of 7 Wonderfilled Adventures in the OREO Summer of Wonder promotion. Adventure choices include Grand Canyon Tour, New York City Landmarks, Rocky Mountain Ski Trip, California Redwood Tour, Iconic Food Festival, Cruise to Alaska, or Las Vegas Getaway.

The next chance to win is to guess where my family is enjoying our OREO frozen yogurt treats! Enter in the widget below so you can have a chance to win a $25 VISA gift card – think of the OREO treats you can buy with that!

OREO + Keep Moving Forward With Me

Which restaurant are you headed to for your OREO treat?

What is left on your summer bucket list?

The post Check off your Summer Bucket List with #OREOSummerSweepstakes appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s the first week of summer and my children are busy creating their summer bucket lists. Lists are filling up with playgrounds, splash pads, and all our favorite Utah places to visit. What is on my list? The yummiest Utah restaurants!

Have you noticed all the dessert restaurants popping up across the Wasatch front? They are calling my name! One that I am excited to try is CrEATe. CrEATe is located in my hometown Sandy, Utah, at 9305 South Village Shop Drive, across from Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby and neighbors with Cafe Rio. 

Open for less than 6 months, they already have an average 5-star rating on Yelp! Starting in June, they are introducing their Organic Shaved Ice, different from ordinary shaved ice because all the syrups are organic with no chemical additives! I can’t wait to try them!

CrEATe is a design it yourself donut and dessert shop. After all, who knows your tasts more than you? They carry donuts, croissant donuts, crepes, brownies, cookies, cheesecake, gourmet drinking chocolate, pie, gelato, and sorbet. You choose your fresh base dessert and they will fill it, frost it, glaze it, mix it, or top it just the way you want it. If you can dream it, crEATe can build it. Are you drooling yet? 

Gelato and sorbet are made fresh in-house with organic sugar and imported Italian ingredients. They use real cream and fresh milk in their cream fillings, real organic maple in their maple glaze, and real raspberry in their raspberry glaze, and their drinking chocolate is made with real Belgium chocolate!

Are you ready to try it for yourself? I’m hooking you up with a MAJOR giveaway below and a special discount code to use on your next visit. 

Special Discount Code: Mention A GAL NEEDS… at check-out and receive a complimentary drink with your dessert purchase! (Soda, coffee, tea, milk, chocolate milk, or bottled water!)

Giveaway: This is a multi-winner giveaway. Prizes will be awarded in the form of vouchers, to be picked up by selected winners at CrEATe Donuts in Sandy, Utah. They are transferable, thereafter. Must be 18+ to participate. One entrant per household. US Only, and Utah specific.
Hosted by: A GAL NEEDS…
Co-Hosted by: My So-Called Chaos

1st Prize – Monthly Dessert for a family of 4 – ARV $240! Choice of Menu Items include: Design-it-yourself donut, donut sundae, croissant donut, Design-it-yourself cookie or cookie sundae, Design-it-yourself brownie or brownie sundae, topped cheesecake, Design-it-yourself cupcake or cupcake sundae, Design-it-yourself crepe, Organic Shaved Ice, & Hot Drinking Chocolate Float. Must present voucher at time of service.

2nd Prize –  Summer Organic Shaved Ice for a family of 4 – ARV $90! During the months of June, July, and August, a family of 4 will receive Organic Shaved Ice twice each month! Must present voucher at time of service!

3rd Prize – Date Night Vouchers (Dessert For 2) For 3 lucky winners – ARV $10 each! Choice of Menu Items include: Design-it-yourself donut, donut sundae, croissant donut, Design-it-yourself cookie or cookie sundae, Design-it-yourself brownie or brownie sundae, topped cheesecake, Design-it-yourself cupcake or cupcake sundae, Design-it-yourself crepe, Organic Shaved Ice, & Hot Drinking Chocolate Float. Must present voucher at time of service.

Enter to win one of these awesome prizes in the Rafflecopter below. Although all entries are optional, your chances of winning are increased by completing as many as you feel comfortable with!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per IP address. All entries will be verified. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be contacted by email; Please add info@agalneeds.com to your whitelist. Winners are responsible for pick-up of their prizes at CrEATe Donuts in Sandy, UT.  This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other
social media platform.

The post Summer Bucket List Giveaway – CrEATe dessert shop in Sandy appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Getting my family outside playing together and enjoying the sunshine is a top priority this summer. Our day at the Get Messy Get Clean Festival at Thanksgiving Point fit the bill perfectly.

Whether my children were creating and popping massive bubbles (you’ve got to see the video HERE) or planting an herb garden in pots they decorated themselves, they loved every minute and begged to stay longer. I had Annie’s cheddar bunnies and Justin’s almond butter packets to snack on, so I was happy to oblige!

What I loved most about the festival was the message that as a family you can get messy and get clean in a way that is healthy for your body, the planet, and even your pets!

Target brought together so many of my favorite brands – Mrs. Meyers, Justin’s, Ella’s Kitchen, KIND, Hyland’s, Annie’s, and Yes To – and introduced me to a few new ones as well – Ecoscraps, Paddy’s Bathroom, Freshpet, and Angie’s. All the brands believe products should be #madetomatter and that is something I can get behind as a mom.

Here are a few of the the things that we learned (or relearned!) at the festival that I am excited to make even more of a priority in our home.

1. Get in the garden. The Ecoscraps play tables made from recycled materials were a huge hit with my three year old. He dug in the tables for at least half an hour while his siblings were at the bounce houses.

Kyler is exactly the same way in our garden at home. Whether he is planting or harvesting, this boy loves to be in the dirt. Added bonus if he finds grasshoppers or roly poly bugs! Here’s my secret if you have picky eaters like me, they are much more likely to eat the fruits/veggies if they have grown them themselves! Plus this study is food for thought, playing in the dirt could help children be smarter – check it out.  Gardening is the perfect skill to teach your little ones.

2. Know what you are eating and where it comes from. This goes hand in hand with the gardening. Help your children make the food choices that are best for their bodies. At our house we adore Annie’s macaroni and cheese. It is a staple!

3. Start ’em young. Kids gravitate toward what they are used to. Start when they are young with habits that are good for their bodies and the environment. For example, my daughter loves eating what we call “Mac and Peas.” I make up a box of Annie’s White Shells and Cheddar and add frozen peas in while the noodles are cooking. She will not eat macaroni and cheese any other way now! Score for veggies!

4. Make it fun. Mary Poppins has it right – a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down! My kids loved the Mrs. Meyers hand-washing stations throughout the festival. Lemon Verbena and Lavender were the favorite hand soap scents from our family. When we are washing up, we like to sing the ABCs. It’s an easy way to know that we are washing long enough (and hopefully thoroughly enough, too!) Combining good-for-you products with sustainable habits and fun activities is a win for the whole family!

5. Do it together. My children watch EVERYTHING I do. And that means that they are often repeating the same actions. If I am out in the garden and enjoying the fresh air, my children are most likely right by my side. Whether it is blowing bubbles or visiting the local animal shelter, do it together and make healthy habits as a family! When my daughter was in kindergarten, we declared the school break our “summer of service.” We had a blast picking up litter on hiking trails and collecting pop cans to recycle.

This year was the first Get Messy Get Clean Festival by Target and I hope that there will be many more! Find out more about the Made to Matter brands here. 

This post is sponsored by the #GetMessyGetClean Festival. All opinions and fun are my own! 

The post Five Ways to Raise a Sustainable Family + #GetMessyGetClean Festival appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Friends – my camping world has been rocked forever. No more run-of-the-mill crumbly cracker S’mores for this foodie. Take a look at the ooey gooey goodness above and meet the new and improved S’More. The S’MOreo!

I seriously crave these now. This new creation got a big ole thumbs up from everyone in our family. Shhh … we may have had them for breakfast our last day camping at Snow Canyon.

Want to modernize this classic, favorite camping treat? Here’s what you need:

Double Stuf Oreos
Small Hershey Bars (melted from sitting in your car … happy coincidence for us)
Jumbo Marshmallows

Roast your marshmallow to a golden brown. Open up a double stuf Oreo and add the melted chocolate. Sandwich in the perfect marshmallow and voila – campfire dessert perfection! I dare you to eat only one.

What is your favorite camping treat?

The post Secret Ingredient S’Mores appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Have you ever wondered what a typical day looks like for a blogger?

I am a blogger myself and even I wonder how my favorite bloggers make it work. How do stay at home bloggers maintain the illusive family/work balance? Are there tools, apps, or planners that keep their blogs running smoothly while they are running car pool and dinner? What does blogging look like when you have another full-time job? Is a day different for male bloggers vs. female bloggers? How does the day in a life of a blogger differ depending on the niche you are in – does it make a difference if you are a food blogger or a DIY blogger?

I discovered that there are as many answers to these questions as there are blogs. We each find the routines that gel with our blog and life. This week I am taking a look behind the scenes at dozens of blogs from all different niches. Each day, I will add a new niche so stay tuned.

Today, we are taking a peek into the lives of Food Bloggers.

1. One of my favorite food bloggers to collaborate with is Allison from Cupcake Diaries. With three little taste testers at home, Allison is a busy mama and a blogger whose recipes are all over my pin boards.

Photo Courtesy of CupcakeDiaries.com

Take this sneak peek behind the scenes of the Cupcake Diaries to see some of her blogging tips and tricks. Allison’s food photography is gorgeous and I love the distressed wood background in many of her photos. Click on the link above to see the make-it-work location of that gorgeous wood. Do yourself a favor and pin these Peanut Butter Waffles for later, too.

Photo Courtesy of CupcakeDiaries.com

2. Next up, meet Russell. He’s the writer, designer, photographer and videographer behind Chasing Delicious. Featured as a top ten food blogger of the month by the Huff Post Taste, Russell specializes in from-scratch, all-natural cooking and baking that will make your mouth water.

Photo Courtesy of ChasingDelicious.com

I wouldn’t mind a slice or ten of this Mississippi Mud Cake – which I pinned immediately. Find out how many loads of dishes Russell does a day when creating these masterpieces and what 100 year old appliance he has in his kitchen here or by clicking on his picture above.

Photo Courtesy of ChasingDelicious.com

3. To round out this trio of food bloggers, check out this fun post by Frieda from Frieda Loves Bread. See what happens if you give a blogger a cookie – it is only too true in my case!

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into a day in the life of a food blogger. Check back in each day this week to see a day in the life of 25+ fashion bloggers, craft bloggers, deal bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, and parenting bloggers.

A Day in the Life of a Craft/DIY Blogger

A Day in the Life of a Family Blogger

Who is your favorite craft blogger?

Are you a blogger? I would love to see what your day looks like and add it to the list. Leave your link below.

What food blogger would you like to see behind the scenes?

The post A Day in the Life of a Food Blogger appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

I met the lovely Carissa of Carissamiss.com at Roots Tech earlier this month. Best words to describe her: vibrant, passionate, and full of knowledge. This girl knows her stuff and loves to share it.  Love her DIY fashion style (check out her insta feed!) and her creativity (adore these FREE glitter animal silhouette printables). But that is not what we are going to talk about today. Carissa is guest posting to share with us the meal plan that has changed her life. A lucky reader is going to win that meal plan and daily subscription! Be sure to enter at the end of this post.

Hi everyone, I’m Carissa and I blog at Carissamiss.com. I have had amazing success since starting to eat healthy. My changes have cured my migraines, helped me lose weight, and improved my overall energy. I want to share how easy it is to eat healthy! I’ve worked really hard to put together a meal plan that does all the work for you and pleases the whole family so you don’t have to cook two different meals for every meal. Keep on reading to learn more!

We want to get you excited about eating healthy! Enter to win a What to Eat Daily subscription and access my 30 day meal plan for ONE YEAR! That’s over $100 value! Scroll to enter

I’ve partnered with What to Eat Daily to give you easy access and planning with my menu. Simply CLICK HERE to subscribe and you’ll not only have access to my menu but THOUSANDS of other great recipes.

Here’s a glimpse into what you can expect from my Menu:

Once you SIGN UP you’ll be able to completely customize the menu and switch out days, serving sizes, and swap out individual ingredients if you want. You can easily load your shopping list and then head to the store.

You can see the menu at a glance, get nutrition information for each recipe.

I’m working on getting photos of each recipe uploaded as well. The best part? You get access to the FREE APP that lets you do all your shopping without printing off/writing down and losing lists.

DON’T WAIT! I’m offering 20% off for my readers so SIGN UP and get cooking! 

2 lucky winners will get 1 year’s subscription to What to Eat Daily

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Eating healthy with Carissa from Carissamiss.com + $100 Meal Plan Giveaway appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Station Park is Farmington’s hidden gem and I am so excited to give you a little sneak peek into some of my favorite things there. Be sure to enter to win the $300+ prize package from Station Park’s amazing businesses (scroll to the bottom)! If you need a date night with the hubby (hello couples massage!) or you are looking for something fun to do with the kids (ice skating and yummy cobbler!), Station Park is your place.

My first Station Park experience was in November for the dessert restaurant Cobbler Cove’s grand opening. I immediately fell in love with the thousands of twinkle lights, the family friendly activities, and all my dining and entertainment options. I’ve visited several times sense then and it just gets better every time!  I love Station Park so much that I invited 50 Utah bloggers and Instagrammers to experience it for themselves. Here are the top ten reasons to visit Station Park that I shared with them and that I am now excited to share with you!

1. This cobbler! I have to start with this yummy cobbler as that is how we began our evening at Station Park.  Check out the #cobblercove and #stationpark on Instagram to see all the fun we had and their reviews of Cobbler Cove! My favorite is the chocolate cobbler with mixed berries topped with Farr’s vanilla ice cream and an oat crumble. There are 15 flavors to choose from as well as a myriad of tasty toppings and sauces. Next time I am going to try out the pineapple!

Cobbler Cove is brand new to Station Park and has the coziest dining room complete with a couch in front of a fireplace as well as seating that faces out to the beautiful surroundings of Station Park. One of my favorite things about Cobbler Cove is that they try to use local fruit as much as possible – go local! Be sure to check it out on your next visit to Station Park!

2. The fountains. Think Bellagio in Vegas and Disney fountain shows – just as amazing! You can see them anytime, but there are amazing shows on the hour to the music of Van Halen and Adele. Check out this night-time instagram video of the fountains by Like Mother Like Daughter. You need to see the fountains at day and night for the full effect!

3. The family-friendly amenities. With upscale retail, dining and entertainment, a children’s play area, an outdoor winter skating rink, and a world-class show fountain – there is definitely something for everyone. Station Park expertly combines luxe surroundings with family-friendly amenities. Did you know that there are darling wooden toys for children to play with in the lululemon dressing room? That scores them major mommy points in my book! My daughter gets so bored while I am trying on clothes and I love that lululemon came up with a solution! I am sure that my kids will be making full use of the playground this summer while my husband and I trade off shopping, too.

Photo courtesy of Station Park

4. The restaurants. Station Park boasts over 20 restaurants from casual to fine-dining. One that I am excited to try is ParkStone and they are included in our giveaway! Love the location by the fountains and the beautiful indoor/outdoor seating areas. ParkStone, like Cobbler Cove, likes to spotlight local and fresh ingredients. Looking forward to trying their asparagus fries and the spicy egg and bacon burger – yum! For a review of Parkstone check out The Morrell Tale. The pictures look scrumptious!

Photo courtesy of Station Park

5. The community activities. From free Family First Mondays to free exercise classes at lululemon every Saturday morning, there is something going on at Station Park every week. Family First Mondays are filled with activities, entertainment, and discounts that your kids are going to love. For special event dates, be sure to check out the schedule on Station Park’s web-site.

I love that the classes at lululemon are taught by local exercise experts from places like Dance Factory, Crossfit, and Centered City Yoga. Stop by this Saturday at 8 am and check them out for yourself. You can even get a sneak peak of the classes from the videos on their facebook page.

6. The shopping. With over 45 stores, Station Park is a shopper’s dream! One of my favorite stores there is DownEast Basics. Remember all the darling finds I made with Alicia from Chic on a Shoe String? I love this purse and these pants that I discovered Saturday night. I am excited to go back since their new line launched TODAY! Check out their online and in-store specials!

7. The convenience. You will want to shop, stay, and play at this beautiful shopping and entertainment destination right off of I-15 with easy access to Front Runner. Literally five minutes off the freeway. I live in Utah County and I have already been up to Station Park three times since Thanksgiving – worth the drive! Station Park has their own hotel in the works – it is going to make the perfect staycation! Putting it on my bucket list.

Photo courtesy of Station Park

8. The luxe. I love that Station Park is the complete package – a movie theater, a gym, restaurants, shops, and outdoor entertainment. The beauty of Station Park is that they didn’t stop at convenience, location, and selection. Station Park takes it up a notch to provide you with a luxe shopping experience. One of my new favorite places to walk through at Station Park is the concierge area. Isn’t it beautiful?

And the luxe carries over to the stores. I went gaga over these light fixtures at lululemon and Sanctuary Aveda.

9.  The spa. Speaking of luxe, a trip to Station Park wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Sanctuary Aveda. Can I describe you to my dream day? Shop til I drop in the morning with a lunch at ParkStone (remember that amazing hamburger and appetizer!!!). Next, a deep-tissue massage at Sanctuary Aveda followed by a movie at the Cinemark. Top it off with chocolate raspberry cobbler by the fire and I am set!

One feature of the spa that a fellow blogger and I were loving is the membership service. Typically with a membership service you get a monthly massage. At Sanctuary Aveda, you can select from several services including a facial or pedicure. Fun to mix it up a little!

10. The date nights. Doesn’t every thing I mention sound perfect for date nights? Hello Valentines! Spoil your kids with ice staking and a movie in the early afternoon and then come back for a massage and cobbler by the fire at night. One date night that is on my list this year are the cooking classes at Harmon’s. Love the variety that they offer!

Now, for what you have been waiting for! The giveaway!

Whether you are checking out the latest in fashion at DownEast Basics, dining at the ParkStone wood-fire grill, grabbing groceries at Harmon’s, working out with lululemon on Saturday morning, or having a spa day at Sanctuary Aveda, you are going to want to cap off your fun with fresh-baked cobbler from Station Park’s newest dessert restaurant Cobbler Cove! You are going to want to cozy up by their fireplace and enjoy America’s favorite dessert.

One lucky reader is going to be spoiled with some of our favorite things from Station Park!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I organized an event for bloggers and instagrammers for this post. We received complimentary cobbler and hot chocolate to review. Thank you Station Park and Cobbler Cove!

The post Cobbler Cove and My Station Park + $300 Valentines Giveaway appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

This post is sponsored by Intermountain LiVe Well. All opinions are my own. 

My Lily loves to pack and take her own lunch to school. Plus I have two preschoolers at home so healthy and fun lunches are a pretty big deal around here. Last week I had the chance to sit down with dietician Mindy Probst from Intermountain Healthcare and brainstorm healthy school lunch ideas as well as ways to help make sure our children are eating them AND enjoying them. As part of the event we tested out Rubbermaid’s popular Lunchbloxes and built our own healthy lunches.

Let me tell you, since I have been home – that Lunchblox is a hit! My husband and all three of my children want to use it for their lunches! They love the Bento style and that it has a cooling component that will keep their food safe and fresh during the day. Intermountain LiVe Well is giving away 8 of these parent and kid-approved Lunchbloxes on  their facebook page this month. I’ll be talking about that more later, but first let’s check out some fun lunch ideas!

The first step to fun and healthy school lunches is all about the planning! I know my daughter will be much more likely to eat her lunch if she has had a hand in planning it and making it. We made these simple ham and cream cheese roll-ups this week and they were a hit! Lily could easily make them herself and I knew that she would devour them. Hooray for knowing she is getting some protein in at school!

 Intermountain LiVe Well has put together some great printables to help you and your child plan out their lunches. Sometimes it helps them to see that they need a fruit, a vegetable, a protein, etc. It also helps if your little planner to see what is on the menu that week! (Am I the only with a child who likes to know EXACTLY what is going on each week?!?) You can download these printables here. 

Another huge aspect of making sure that your child is eating and enjoying lunches is to make it fun! These Princess Sandwiches and Fruit Cars always disappear in a hurry when we have little friends over. You can find the princess cutter on Amazon.com and they are perfect for cookies, too!

Some of the bloggers I attended the event with have been sharing their fun lunch ideas as well. How darling are these Halloween Mini Pizzas from Just Between Friends?

I also love this healthier version of a Lunchable Bento Style by Mountain Mom and Tots. She will be listing more lunch ideas this week as well! Be sure to check them out!

I hope some of these ideas have inspired you to get creative and healthy with your back to school lunches! Now you just need the perfect container! Intermountain LiVe Well is giving away 8 Rubbermaid Lunchblox containers this month on their facebook page. . Head on over to win! They also have oodles of healthy lunch ideas on their Pinterest board!

You can also check out more healthy lunch ideas on Intermountain LiVeWell’s Pinterest Board

Do your children pack a lunch from home?

What lunches are favorites at your house?

What is one lunch food your family could not live without?

The post Healthy Back to School Lunch Tips and Ideas + Lunchblox Giveaway! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

I just got back from a week-long visit to my sister, the lovely Cambria from Live to be Inspired. She moved across the country to Pennsylvania and just had her first beautiful baby girl! I was spoiled with dozens of newborn snuggles – in between making meals and doing tiny, adorable laundry, of course.

On the last day of our visit my sister decided that she was up for a road trip. We made the drive to Gettysburg and had just enough time to see the highlights of the historic city. Here are our top five recommendations if you only have a day or a few hours in this amazing place!

1. David Wills House

Many of the museums close between 4-5 pm, but we were able to spend about 45 minutes at the The David Wills House. This was perfect to help us get our bearings of the city! The Civil War refresher course was definitely needed as well. With several interactive exhibits and short films, it easily kept the attention of my five year old nephew. Plus we were able to get maps and brochures to help us navigate the rest of Gettysburg.

Seeing the room Abraham Lincoln slept in and must have pondered the Gettysburg address in was awe-inspiring. There is something uniquely special about learning history in the places where it actually occurred. I could scarcely imagine the more than 50,000 soldiers descending upon this tiny town, much less losing their lives there. The statistics were astounding and the accounts of brother vs. brother, friend vs. friend where heart-wrenching.

2. Gettysburg National Military Park

My father, the history officiando who we had on speed dial during our trip, highly recommends beginning your visit at the National Park Service and Museum for the Gettysburg National Military Park. We arrived after hours so we were out of luck! But if you do have time, the Gettysburg Cyclorama is an excellent way to see the scope of the battle before going out into the fields.

You could truly spend hours walking the paths, but with evening approaching we spent a few quiet moments on the ridge across from the cemetery admiring the beauty of Gettysburg and feeling humbled by what took place there.

3. The Soldiers National Cemetery 

We crossed the road to the Soldiers National Cemetery – something I definitely did not want to miss as part of our evening in Gettysburg. My sister paused at the entrance with her little boy to talk about silence and respect for the soldiers and what took place there. It was a sweet moment to witness. It is important to teach our children facts and dates, but it is just as vital to teach them the morals and feelings that encompassed such events.

As you walk the paths of the cemetery, you truly get a feeling of treading on hallowed ground. The sacrifice of each man buried there became very apparent and embedded in my heart.

4. The Pub & Restaurant

To round out our visit to Gettysburg, our last stop was dinner. As we poured over restaurant recommendations in the area, we all agreed that we wanted to eat somewhere unique to Gettysburg. Hoping to find a place with a touch of history, we discovered The Pub & Restaurant in Historic Lincoln Square. Right across the street from the David Wells House! Our request to eat out on the patio gave us a perfect view of the history-steeped establishments on the square. Be sure to have quarters on hand for the parking meters around the square.

I love dining family style so we selected several appetizers and a pizza to share. The food was as amazing as the surroundings. The fresh baked Italian bread smothered in cheese and flavored with garlic was a favorite as well as the Southwest egg rolls with an avocado dipping sauce that stole the show. The Caprese pizza was just as much a crowd-pleasure with its fresh spinach, house Bruschetta mix, and mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Feast your eyes on the ooey-gooey yumminess!

5. Child-Friendly Gettysburg

Our visit to Gettysburg was relatively child friendly. With more time I would do the junior ranger program for children at the Visitors Center. The interactive programs allow the children to experience for themselves what it was like to be a soldier in the Civil War by handling equipment, documents, and uniforms from the era (in a safe and age-appropriate manner, of course!)

While I was at the David Wills House, I picked selected a board book, The Story of Abraham Lincoln for my children’s souvenir. My children are ages 2-7 years old so it was right on their level of reading and understanding. It is available for purchase at the store or you can order it ahead of time to prepare your children for their visit to Gettysburg. My five year old nephew and I talked about Gettysburg in a simplified manner on the ride there and I think that it helped to pique his curiousity.

My evening in Gettysburg was just enough to whet my appetite for a return visit. While I am grateful for the brief time I had to walk the hallowed paths, I am eager to return to places of such historic significance. There is so much we can learn from our past and pass on to our children!

Have you been to Gettysburg?

What is your favorite historical place that you have visited?

What historical place is on your bucket list to visit?

The post What to see in Gettysburg if you only have a day! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Where did the summer go? This month we are wrapping up our summer adventures with one last trip to Bear Lake (pictured above!) and getting Lily ready to start second grade at her new charter school. With so many exciting things going on, I need fast, healthy, and easy snacks to keep me and the kiddos going! Apples and grapes are always a hit at our house so my littles couldn’t wait to dive into this yummy package from Chiquita Snacking.

As a busy mom, I love that Chiquita Bites are:

• Washed and ready to eat
• 30–80 calories
• A half-cup of fruit or vegetables per serving
• A great source of nutrition

They come in  single-serve bags, multipacks, and family packs – whatever size suits your family best! They are perfect for grabbing from the fridge when you are on your way to a dance lesson or – better yet – when it is your time to bring team treats for sports!

My family enjoyed eating them as is, but it was fun searching the Chiquita site for yummy and creative recipes! My little ones love it when their snacks are fun! We made these simple fruit cars for a birthday get together with cousins. They were a hit!

Apple Cars – healthy, easy and fun snacks!

We served the apple cars along with princess wands made from the grapes! Pair that with crown-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and you have happy kiddos!

To go along with the apple cars, I made our favorite fruit dip! Every time I serve it to company, I always get asked multiple times for the recipe. People are shocked when I tell them it is only two easy ingredients – honey greek yogurt and peanut butter! You can substitute any nut butter as well as different flavors of greek yogurt to change the taste. It is a protein-packed snack dip that I can feel good about my kids indulging in. Perfect to serve with the apple and grapes!

I am excited to try a few more of the recipes from the Chiquita web-site for our after school snacks! Don’t these look delicious?

Love that back to school snacks just got a little easier and healthier at our house! The Chiquita Snacking company loves making life easier for moms! T

What is a favorite after school snack at your house?

How do you get ready to go back to school?

I received this product for free from the manufacturer. I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the manufacturer of the product.

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My weekend in Austin, Texas converted me to all things barbeque. The tastes, the smells, the experience – I loved it. Since I returned to Utah, I’ve been looking for similar barbeque restaurants to satisfy my craving. Just my luck, Five Star BBQ is a quick drive from my home and I was so excited to try it out with my blogger friends earlier this year.

When I try a new place, I am so unsure of what I want to get! I am loyal to my favorite dishes at my regular restaurants. My blogger buddies and I decided to share a burly sampler and I am so glad we did. Love trying a little bit of everything. From the ribs to the creamed corn to the coleslaw, I definitely filled my BBQ craving.

The star of the night – crisp, fresh coleslaw. Growing up I hated coleslaw – could not stand it. I’ve learned to accept it as an adult. I tried the coleslaw simply because the other bloggers ordered it, but then I wanted it ALL TO MYSELF! I’ve been back to 5 Star BBQ since and the coleslaw is the first thing I order – it is that good! The selection of meats were tasty as well -I was just won over by the coleslaw!

One of my favorite things about 5 Star BBQ is this little fridge of sauces. In my opinion, the sauce can make or break the meat. The wide selection of sauces ensured that I was able to find just the right one for my ribs.

Now, Utah County BBQ fans are in luck because 5 Star BBQ has added evening hours on the weekends. Since I first visited 5 Star BBQ, I have already been back plus directed several of my out-of-town and local friends there. You will definitely want to try it out if you are a BBQ fan!

Connect with them on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss out on any of their specials!

What are your favorite BBQ foods?

The post Places to eat in Utah County – Five Star BBQ appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Just wrapped an incredibly inspiring weekend at a blog conference in Salt Lake City. I stayed at my mom’s house to lessen the commute and got to enjoy some great breakfast chats with her over this yummy dish – Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries. We are both a few weeks into the The Fast Metabolism Diet (see how I lost 5 lbs in a week!). During Phase 1 grains and fruits are important – making this breakfast the perfect way to start your day! Quinoa definitely makes an appearance in our dinner and snack menu plans. Quinoa and Parmesan Cheese-Stuffed Tomatoes – yes, please! But I have yet to try quinoa for breakfast so I was intrigued when my mom shared this dish with me.

The dish is so simple to make!

Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Quinoa Rice & Shine Hot Cereal

1 cup of rinsed blueberries
Stevia
Cinnamon

Prepare according to the box instructions. Just add water – it’s super simple! Mix with fresh blueberries and top with sprinkles of cinnamon and Stevia. Enjoy!

I love recipes like this for Phase 1 of Haylie Pomeroy’s Fast Metabolism Diet. The quinoa adds a slightly nutty taste and the protein keeps you full for much longer.

You can find the Quinoa Rice and Shine at Harmon’s or also on Amazon.com at the link below. Love free shipping and you get 5 percent off when you add it to your subscribe and save order!

I am still loving this book and the results I am seeing from it! I took a mini-break while I was at the blogging conference, but now I am back on board!

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. I love getting my groceries delivered right to my order so I am happy to share!

Linking up with Nomday Monday!

What are your favorite healthy breakfast recipes?

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The Quinoa Chips from Simply 7 Snacks did not disappoint! They made an appearance at our Sunday family dinner with extended family and disappeared quickly – especially the barbeque chips! Since that night my four-year-old son has begged me to buy more of his favorite chips. Quite a compliment coming from my somewhat selective little eater. He even went so far as to save the bag and give it to me so that I knew what kind to get. That little man, who is now the biggest fan of barbeque quinoa chips, is in the middle of the picture below.

Those three little people are so important to me and as a mom I want to know what what I am giving them is healthy. We definitely love our sweets, too, but I feel so much better knowing what is going into their tummies. What I love about the Simply 7 Quinoa Chips is that they are:

Gluten Free Certified
Non-GMO Project Verified  
No Trans Fat
No Artificial Colors or Flavors
No Preservatives
Vegetarian
Vegan
Kosher

All the fun and crunchiness of chips without the preservatives! Plus I love that they are getting more quinoa into their diet. We are adding these chips to our summer staples for all of our barbeques and family gatherings. The quinoa chips come in all my favorite flavors – barbeque, sea salt, cheddar, and sour cream with onion.

Be sure to check Simply 7 Snacks out at their web-site and social media sites!

Simply 7 

Facebook

Twitter

G+

You can buy on their web-site or in bulk from Amazon.com

Now for the fun part – enter to win Quinoa Chips of your own!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simply 7 provided me Quinoa Chips to review.

What are your favorite snack foods?

What flavor of quinoa chips would you like to try?

Here’s what some other bloggers think about the chips, too!

LINKY FOR REVIEWS!!!!!

Linking up to Nom Day Monday!

The post Getting ready for healthy summer snacking with Quinoa Chips! #giveaway appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

I received a KLUTCHmom box to review for this post. I was not compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links for the products I love! All opinions are mine.

As a mom, I am always looking for simple, easy ways to keep my little family healthy. Thank goodness for the Internet! I’m a big fan of on-line shopping. Should I have something shipped to my door or should I take my three little crazies to the store with me? Doorstep, please!

Lately I’ve been loving subscription companies like Kiwi Crate, Citrus Lane, and KLUTCHclub. This month I  had fun checking out the KLUTCHmom Box – love that it meets my mommy needs! Each month KLUTCHmom (don’t worry, they have boxes for just men and women, too!) sends out boxes full of supplements, nutritional bars, healthy snacks and beverages, personal care products, fitness DVDs or online memberships, and gift cards for fitness apparel and accessories that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Each box guarantees at least $50 worth of value for less than $18 per month. Love me a bargain that comes straight to my doorstep!

My box included:

• Queasy Pop Kids! – Will be trying these out as soon as the kiddos get sick … hopefully not any time soon!
• Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap. The soap came with a recipe so that I could make my own laundry soap – way cool!
• Doc Holder – This is perfect for in my shower! Keeps my razor out of the reach of little hands. Love it!
• Ola! Vanilla Almond 100% Natural Handbaked Granola. My breakfast typically consists of greek yogurt + granola + fruit. This granola was delicious. Loved the full size almonds. Yum!

• Smarty Pants Gummy Vitamins for Kids (2) – Both my six year old and my three year old love these vitamins and were begging for more. 
• Smarty Pants Gummy Vitamins for Adults (2) My husband and I were a fan of the taste of these vitamins.
• 3 months free unlimited access to Yoga Vibes – I haven’t tried this yet, but I love yoga so I can’t wait! It is a $60 value.
• Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bar – This was our favorite item from the box!
• Just Chill Tropical Drink. This refreshing drink helped me survive my gigantic coupon shopping trip Saturday morning!
• 

The star of the box for my family was the Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bar. My three year old has a refined (aka picky) palate and sometime it is tricky encouraging him to try new things. I dread buying an entire package of something at the store only to discover that no one in the family really likes the taste of it. Cortland loved the whole wheat fig bars! You better believe they were on my shopping list and I picked up another box of them at Smith’s  last week. Cort has already finished off that box and we will definitely get more! Healthy snack score! Sorry, no pictures because my little buddy scarfed them down too fast!

The KLUTCHmom box was a perfect fit for my family. There was something for everyone and we have a need for every item in the box. We found some new favorite projects that we are very excited about!

Be sure to KLUTCHclub out on facebook and twitter, too!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

What are your favorite fitness products?
Do you have any fun monthly subscriptions?

The post Family friendly fitness & foods! KLUTCHmom Review appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.