Summer Grilling with Kikkoman

Summer is synonymous with grilling. A good time to get outside and cook while enjoying fun activities with family and friends. And even better when you experiment with new flavors. Flavors with Asian influence - such as Kikkoman! 

*Disclaimer: I was sent promotional products to share with my party friends from Kikkoman, via House Party. Everything said here is my own opinion and was not otherwise endorsed or scripted by my sponsors.*

This summer has been hot. And maybe grilling isn't as much fun unless you are getting together with family and friends. But it is the perfect time to begin trying something new. I had never tried grilling with Kikkoman until we had this party. But since I love the flavors that Kikkoman brings, I was excited to be chosen as a host and give it a try.  Kikkoman sauces have always added a burst of flavor that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

 (I'm smiling, can you see it?)

I just love shopping!

First thing on the list is to check out their products. Our local stores keep them in what they call the Asian section. I always keep soy and teriyaki sauces on hand. One of my favorite recipes is Korean beef. My husband and oldest son also love to share in this flavorful meal. 

My party pack had an amazing pair of grilling tongs to use. They made cooking our burgers super easy. I was happy to share all these great recipe books and coupons with my guests as well as friends and family. Still have a bunch of the shirts....

We made them slider size. The soy sauce and brown sugar made them irresistible. 

My Mother-in-law said she enjoyed the extra depth from the Kikkoman soy sauce in the burgers. My husband loved the perfect match they made to our cookout. My sister-in-law said they took the burgers up a notch. It was the perfect way to spice up the grill. My boys actually told me they were "perfect" while my toddler chowed down an entire patty by herself. She only likes beef if I have cooked it Asian style, which means I have to make it with soy or teriyaki sauce. 

Overall, I think we all love Kikkoman sauces. They are a household name here! 

Our end thought was that it would be perfect for a themed luau party! We can't wait to try it again. Have you ever used their products? Notice the smoothness? The extra kick in flavor they add? What is your favorite recipe?

M&M's Were Made For Summer Parties!

I love M&M's, don't you? The perfect little treat. Either by themselves or with things. They go great in trail mixes. You can bake them into cookies and brownies. There are so many flavors to choose from. I remember growing up with only 2 - regular or peanuts. In addition to the multiple flavors, however, they also have themes. Right now, you should be noticing that M&M's, Skittles and Snickers bags are sporting red, white and blue. These can be used for fun events like your Independence Day parties! (4th of July for you millenials) 

*Disclaimer: I was sent products and promotional materials as well as a gift card to purchase M&M's from Walmart via my association with House Party. I was not otherwise endorsed or told what to say. All opinions are my own.*

During the summer, the kids are out of school. You probably have vacations or parties planned. Time to spend with family and friends. For us, we are visiting my in-laws. Grilling out and enjoying the time we have with them. What better way to accentuate good foods than to add a marvelous, yet fun, dessert? 

We decided to do just that. We made a patriotic themed rice crispy treat with the Red, White and Blue M&M's! This dish did not last long at all. And it showed off how well M&M's go with summer!

I love using and sharing M&M's. We keep them stocked in my Star Wars dispenser. Priceless gadget for keeping the kids limited and teaching just how unfair life can be with portions...

Are you an M&M's fan??

While planning this party, I found this cute game idea that I think would be fun later. What do you think? How else do you use these delightful treats?

Why Label Daddy is the Company I Go to for All My Labeling Needs!

Label Daddy is here, and just in time! Summer is around the corner. Camps, camping trips, summer vacations, and then you can't forget the back to school that comes after. All these things have something in common. Can you guess what it is? After my quick disclaimer, I can tell you what. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed for this review. The words written herein are my own and were not given to me to spout to you.*

Labels keep our family organized!

Now! The fun part! Label Daddy has amazing labels. They are perfect for putting onto things that we take with us and our children to public places. Like all those things I listed above! You don't want your items being confused for someone else's. You don't want lost things never finding their way home, right? So how do we let people know? We label them! And we use Label Daddy labels to do just that in our home. Why?

• They are washable! I have washed my labeled containers after being used in my daughters classroom. I have washed blankets that the kids took on an over night trip with the labels on them. And nothing has messed them up! 
• They go on super easy, but can be removed just as easily. No sticky residue left behind.
• I love the designs! We have had various kinds over the years. And they keep adding more. My oldest son was thrilled when I got the Emoji ones for him. And my daughter has the princess ones.
• Ordering is simple. I can place a label order in less than 5 minutes. The hardest part is choosing which background to use! 

I use these on all my kids school supplies. I label my storage bins to clue me in on whose stuff is in which tote. But I found a new use. Sometimes I have to leave my baby in the nursery. And after the last time, I have decided that I need to label her cups... 

They had put a paper sticker on the cup. That was almost 2 weeks ago and I am still cleaning off residue. Definitely need something better. And that is exactly where Label Daddy labels come in. Their labels have survived my dish washer with flying colors. I also labeled my plastic food storage containers when I sent them with my kids to class. 

These labels are dishwasher safe! 

 

I ordered this set for my baby girls' things. The Medium All-Purpose ones will work on anything.

Personalized for your specific needs.  

I was a little disappointed this time around, however. Twice have I washed and dried her cup before attaching the label only to have them start peeling off in less than 24 hours. Hoping it is only because of the cup. I've used their labels for my older kids' lunchboxes, backpacks, school folders - all without a single problem. 

They have so many new options to choose from. And so many discounts offered regularly. If you are not on their mailing list, I suggest you get on it.  They will send emails of new savings and products.
Labels are not all. Label Daddy has expanded their product lines. They now have personalized fleece blankets, towels, laundry bags, wall decals, key finders, write on labels and even journals!

And the best part? You can save 25% off! 

Save 25% on Label Daddy labels for Summer Camp (or anything else you know of!) - Use code USFAMILY25 Best deal! http://www.usfamily25.labeldaddy.com

What do you need labels or personalized products for? Let me know in the comments below.  

A Love For Places Abandoned Has Begun

My husband and I have many common interests. Many of them revolve around being curious. We like to explore. And find interesting places. My husband and his siblings went into a place to look around as kids. It was abandoned and mostly a dump, but the fun was in just looking around it and imagining what it might have been before. The people that had been there before left in a rush. Food was rotting in the fridge and trash was everywhere. Why did they leave so fast? How long ago? 
As a kid, my PawPaw and I went for a walk in an area where there was a house that was going to be torn down. It was condemned and full of junk. At least to the outsiders eye. We peeked inside and he reached in to pull out a tiny, shot glass-sized, crystal wine glass. To this day, it is counted as a treasure among my belongings. Who knows what else we might have been able to find, but he was always saying that safety comes first for our adventures. I respected him for that. We talked about reasons that it might have been left in such disrepair. The biggest one being that an elderly person might have been there and died, leaving it behind with no family to care or claim.

 Let the exploration commence! 

Fast forward, and now we live in a brand new neighborhood. A neighborhood built on the border of a church. As far as we can tell, it looks like they built the church after purchasing event grounds. There is a large amphitheater there. The first time we checked it out there were seats and you could climb onto the stage. They have since made changes to it. It is slowly deteriorating along with the other buildings around it, like the concession stands.

Just starting here, we have come to want to see more places like it. This is why I went looking around online. There are places everywhere. And it is called urban exploration. There are even abandoned military bunkers, missile silos - places that are just no longer needed by the governments. We won't trespass on the properties that forbid such, but there are places that you can see without dangers or guards. Like an abandoned arcade shaped as a spaceship...

I started a Pinterest board of some amazing sights to see one day. 

Some of these places have great potential. Potential to be reused. Given a new purpose. Like old malls or apartment buildings. Can you imagine if they were renovated and devoted to the homeless population? After all, they are not being used. Why not? Well, aside from people being greedy.... 

If you could go anywhere, abandoned or not, where would it be? Let me know in the comments below!