I found this easy banana pudding recipe here and I had to share it. It was extremely simple and quick to make, and it tasted SO good!
Pieology Review
As you will be able to tell in one of the pictures below, our first visit to Pieology was a few months ago. However, we went back recently to try it again, get a few more pictures, and taste their "breadsticks" (more on the quotations to come). I will say, our second experience was very similar to our first. So my review will be based on both, but I will specify if there were any differences as I go.
DIY Disney Picture Frames
On our last Disney trip, one of the crafts we did before our trip was paint Disney pictures frames. This is extremely inexpensive (maybe $2 a frame), and it is super easy! We did Mickey and Minnie Mouse but feel free to change things up!
Outdoor Decor
Unfortunately, I waited until it was blazing hot outside to really start working on my outdoor décor. But everything seems to be holding up pretty good so far, so hopefully this heat won't kill all my pretty pink plants that I am about to show you. I am not a green thumb by any means, but with it being warmer outside, we tend to grill more and have company over. I just couldn't let our surrounding porch areas continue with the winter lifelessness that they had. So below are some fairly inexpensive spruces that I did to liven up our outdoor areas!
BBQ Sauce
This is a simple BBQ Sauce that can be used for almost anything. It is easy to make and most of the ingredients can be found on hand without making a special trip to the grocery store!
Ikea Pictures Frames
So we made our first trip to Ikea around a year ago and we loved it! It can definitely be overwhelming at first, but our second trip in April was much easier. The first time we went, I bought a really cute picture frame that held 3 pictures. I had a great idea of how to display one of our wedding shots using it. I wanted to frame a series of pictures from when Brad first saw me in my wedding dress. Because there were so many shots from that moment, I went with these three shots:
Surf Hut - Destin, FL
Surf Hut is about a year old in Destin, FL. It is your typical shrimp basket restaurant. We have been there twice. This review is of our second trip. The waits can get long, so arrive early or plan on having appetizers at the bar area.
Tostadas
Tostadas is a really quick and easy recipe, and it is a nice alternative to typical cook at home Mexican food like tacos and fajitas.
Indoor Summer Decor
So I know what you are thinking...I am doing a post about our indoor summer decor a month before summer ends. Well it's been a pretty busy summer in the Payne Household! Our decor is also perfect for Labor Day (and Memorial Day and July 4th!).
Disney Souvenir
If you have stayed at Disney World in the last few years, they send a nice little picture and a thank you for visiting. We have received both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. It is a sketch picture and at the bottom it says "Payne Family Vacation 2015". It is super cute, and we have so many that I felt we should do something with at least one of them. This idea has been floating around Pinterest, so I decided to recreate it. See below!
Spicy Parmesan Zucchini
We love zucchini, so when I went to the beach a few weeks ago I had to get some at the farmer's market. The recipe below is perfect for fresh zucchini, but it could probably work for frozen zucchini if it is nice and thawed.
My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets and Gizmos!
Brad and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We love to cook, and cooking involves having some great gadgets and gizmos to help. Below are some of my favorite things to have in the kitchen:
Hot Dogin Review
Hot Dogin is a somewhat new restaurant in Madison, AL. I say somewhat new because it was originally opened as a food cart across the street. They did have an open space inside of a building with seating and such, but you would order your food outside at the food cart. We noticed that they finally opened a full service restaurant inside one of the shopping centers around town, so we decided to give it a try.
Shepard's Pie
I never had Shepard's Pie until Brad and I met. I tried it at a restaurant once and decided to attempt to make it. Below is my version of this nice casserole.
Bathroom Storage
Do you have a bathroom counter with very little space? This post is perfect for you! Our guest bathroom has very little counter space, but we wanted to display some travel toiletries for our guests. I wanted to do this in a cute way that didn't take up too much space. Luckily I found this cute idea on Pinterest. I found a fairly inexpensive plate stand from TJ Maxx. It holds three plates. Then I went to Kohl's and purchased two salad/dessert plates and one bowl. The bowl and plates matched the color theming in the guest bathroom (red/gold). They were white plates with red trim. I put a plate on the bottom and top racks. Then the middle rack I put the bowl. The top rack held some liquid soap and lotion from Bath and Body Works. The middle bowl holds things like individual sample packets of shampoo, face soap, and face lotion. The bottom bowl has a bar of soap and toothbrushes.
Our Netflix Shows During Summer TV Break
During the summer there tends to be nothing on TV. Sometimes this can be nice, but some nights can be pretty boring with nothing to watch. Below are a few of the shows we are watching on Netflix this summer:
Fruit Display
Last weekend we had a family gathering at my in-law's new house in Memphis. Aunt Beth had a cute fruit display that she gave me permission to share! See below:
Trip Countdown Activity Idea
Going on a trip soon? Below is something we did to countdown to our most recent Disney trip. You can really do this for any upcoming trip to try and get everyone in the family excited!
Mini Taco Appetizers
We recently made these mini taco appetizers for family when they came to visit. They are super easy and quick to make, and they are delicious!
China Cabinet Makeover
With our recent floor remodel, it gave me the opportunity to makeover our china cabinet.