Summer Planning and a Pick Me Up Smoothie Recipe

Summer is right around the corner and I am really looking forward to it! This is our last summer before Sweet P starts kindergarten and I feel like it is sort of the end of an era. So I want to soak up every minute of it and try to be intentional. While I am excited to hang with the boys all summer I do know how EXHAUSTING it can be.  So I am also sharing my go to Pick Me Up Smoothie recipe with Dunkin’ Donuts® coffee that helps get me through the day.

In order to keep things really fun and fresh this summer I have come up with a plan. Each week I am going to focus on a particular theme with activities, recipes, outings,  books, snacks, clothes, crafts, sensory play…(you get the drift) all focused on said theme. Now, I realize this may feel like a “Pinterest Mom” (you know the type?!?!) thing to do, but I DISAGREE!!!!!

Here’s why you don’t have to be a Pinterest Mom to do this. You probably already have all of this stuff around your house. All it takes is you spending a few minutes of planning and thinking outside the box to present it to your kids in new intentional ways. Just spend a few minutes today jotting some theme ideas down and you would be amazed at how many things you will come up with.

With 7 weeks of summer (excluding vacation weeks) I have come up with 7 different theme ideas.  Of course, with two boys these are all boy focused but just think about things your kiddos would enjoy!

1. Little Explorers
2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
3. Under the Sea & Pirates
4. On the Farm
5. Safari
6. Happy Campers
7. Summer Olympics

Again, I am not planning to spend much money, if any at all, to execute this.  I am not going to make myself crazy. I am not going to over schedule our days. Nor am I going to pretend I have it together. But I do hope that by bringing in a fun new theme each week it will help us think outside of the box and give our summer a little more structure and routine. Give our day some intention, and create some fun new memories in the process.

For example, for our Under the Sea/Pirate week, I plan on finding a large cardboard box and making a pirate ship for them to play in. (what it is about kids and cardboard boxes?!) We will eat Pirate Booty and maybe talk like a pirate. I will throw some “treasure” in their baths at night and maybe wear eye patches at breakfast. For the Happy Campers week, we will pitch a tent in the backyard and do s’mores and rock our cowboy boots and bandannas. The Little Explorers week we will hit up our river park and dig for worms and do science experiments. Summer Olympics means we will set up obstacle course, go to a Braves game and play all-the-sports.

Free. Free. Free.

Does all of this sound tiring? No worries, I have a delicious recipe to share also. I have become quite addicted to these and they are the perfect punch of energy for me in the morning. Or afternoon. #justsaying #mamastired #alwayssotired

PICK ME UP SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS:

1. Cup of Dunkin Donut’s Coffee ( brewed with K-cup on the Keurig)
2. Two Bananas
3. Vanilla Greek Yogurt (or plain)
4. Scoop of Almond Butter
5. Dash of Vanilla Extract

I get my Dunkin’ Donut’s Coffee K-cups at Publix- and you can take advantage of $1.00 off any ONE (1) Dunkin’ Donuts varieties now through 5/6/17 at your local Publix, while supplies last. For mine, I used the Original Breakfast blend, but there are lots of Dunkin’ Donuts  varieties, flavors and forms(K-Cup or Grounds)

OK, my mouth is officially watering now so I better go whip one of these up!

I’d love to hear if you have any ideas for how you keep your summers fresh and intentional. Oh, and any other fun coffee recipes to keep you running ALL SUMMER LONG.

xoxo-

Heather

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®  and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #DunkinDonutsPublix  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”