Ice Cream For Summer!

I've been giving various frozen treats a try. Partially from participating in review opportunities. That and it is just sooooo HOT here! Triple degree weather has us trying to stay cool as often as we can. 

*Disclaimer - Some of these products I received for free in exchange for trying them out. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Ripple Street has been having some bloggers work with Halo Top and Bomb Pops to promote new flavors for summer. I received coupons to get free products and some to give discounts to others. 

First up! 

Halo Top is generally out of our price range. However! That being said, we like it as a special treat for just my husband and I. We get one pint for the 2 of us to share on home date night after the kids go to bed. 

The first flavor we tried was the Strawberry. It was definitely creamier than I expected.

And if I remember correctly, no dyes! (Yes, I'm anti-artificial colors). So those are my pros on that flavor. I was a little sad that the flavoring wasn't stronger though. I love strawberry! So there is the con.

We couldn't have just one flavor though. After all, I needed to know if all the varieties were light on taste in order to be better with creaminess. So we grabbed Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. This was a winner! There were many chunks of chocolate chips and cookie dough throughout. When you add Halo Top's signature creamier texture, it is perfection! My husband and I enjoyed it while watching Mythbusters together. And yes, we finished the entire container in that one sitting... Don't judge me! 

Other thoughts....

There are other things to appreciate about this brand, however. Take their sense of humor, for instance. I love being able to smile while indulging in a snack. And their lids hide a great smile-inducing saying that gets me every time.

But wait, that's not all! 

Let us not forget the Bomb Pops we had. Okay, so big sadness is the dyes in these. We won't be buying them very often (if at all). However! The children did really like the Nerds flavor ones that we bought.

They are the perfect size for a quick treat. Which is nice for us as we are super busy with moving. We also brought some to a friends house for our daughters to share while they had a play date. They were quite the hit. 

So these are the two kinds of frozen desserts we have had in recent times. I'm excited to give some others a try as we endeavor to stay cooled. Here's a way you can help me with that! Leave me a comment below on what your favorite is so I can look for and try. Thanks for reading!

Play Monster Party Fun! Discount Included

Our family loves to play games. Cards, video and board games. If can be played together, we are all in! One of my favorite game companies, Play Monster, sent us a couple new ones for our collection. Check out the fun we had and get your discount below!

*Disclaimer: I was sent these games in exchange for hosting a party and writing a review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I was sent two games to test out with family and friends. Farkle and Five Crowns. I had never played either one, but was told at least one, if not both, were a lot of fun. 

Farkle

Farkle was the first one my kids wanted to try with me. It is a game of chance with the dice. Super simple to play, but does have us questioning our decision making on risk-taking skills! 

You can get the Farkle game from PlayMonster for $9.99.

Five Crowns

Then we have Five Crowns. I have to say, this one took us for a loop and the kids said it was more difficult at first. The rules are bit more complicated. However, I think it has potential to be lots of fun once you get into the rhythm with it. 

I did like that the points list are posted on the rule manual and the box. The more you have it to check with, the easier it can be to determine if you have a winning hand. I was also thankful that they included the QR code that linked to an instruction video. It was still complicated, however. So watch it a couple times and listen carefully. I'm pretty sure we were not playing it right the first time.

Five Crowns is $12.99 on the PlayMonster website. 

I'm always down for trying a new game with my family. These two were more of a challenge, but that can be a good thing! I will say that I look forward to seeing what others think of this game as we play with other family and friends. Each perspective can be fun while it adds to the experience. Which game would you most like to try? Leave me a comment below! 

Want to get your own? 

How about with a discount? They have graciously allowed me to share this discount code with you, my readers. Use the code TRYAZON25 at checkout to receive 25% off your entire order! But don't wait too long. This code will expire on June 30, 2022.

It Is Not a Failure, But a Training Experience For Future Success!

My children and I did a fun project in our homeschool. It was called the Family Interview, by Wondermom Wannabe. I had them do it while we were still participating in a homeschool co-op I was coordinating for. My son decided to direct one of the questions to me. It was, "What is something few people know about you?" That was actually tough for me. I don't hide much, if anything. I'm a very open person. More so than even my husband would like at times. After thinking for a while, my answer was this, "I'm afraid of being a failure at anything." Of course, later on, I came to the thought that I could have told him I know how to weld. Most people don't know that one! But he had shared what I had told him in our class. It truly is something that I strive to never deal with. Failure. 

If I compare myself to others, I know I will most likely feel as though I have failed in a lot of ways. I think the ONLY thing I could say I'm more successful in than most, would be in how I've raised my children. But I digress. 

An email I get every Friday, called the Friday Connect, comes from my husbands home church back in Colorado. I often receive encouragement from it. This past week, I got something relevant to a situation I have recently gone through. 

First the message...

This encouragement covers something that I struggle with. 

"Disappointment is tied directly to our expectations. When we project unrealistic expectations upon others, it’s inevitable that people will let us down, churches will let us down, spouses will let us down, and disappointment will surround us. Be careful what you expect from others. Let your expectations be rooted in your relationship with Jesus. He came to be a servant, the servant of all! Imagine that, the Son of God, choosing to serve.  Are we greater than Jesus? No way. Friend, the solution to your current frustration may simply be a readjustment of your expectations.  Go back to the cross of Christ and die there, again, and again and again. When you choose to die to yourself so that you live to Jesus, disappointments disappear!"

Then the application...

I was asked to start a homeschool group by the pastor of our local church. Originally, I wasn't the only one asked. But the other lady dropped out almost immediately as she said it was destined to fail. My hopeful personality thought it wouldn't be able to fail. It was hosted by the church. Everyone acted excited. We even had someone donate to the fund for supplies on the very first day of starting! No. This was going to work. With my determination, I knew I could do it. 

But like the text above says, "When we project unrealistic expectations upon others, it's inevitable that people will let us down..." While I wouldn't say that my expectations were unrealistic, they were overly hopeful, and unaligned to what others expected from this endeavor. My expectations for the group itself may have been unrealistic though. I had thought that the others who would be joining us would be like me as far as being a homeschooling Mom. I had grown up as a homeschooler. All our friends were homeschoolers. I knew the ropes. I knew the styles. I wasn't expecting what I was met with. Parents who were nothing like us in the homeschooling department. Scratch that - Most of them are nothing like us. Whether it is how we parent. How we teach. Or even in what we believe, in some cases. Many days, I felt so overwhelmed. Everything was in my court. And everything moved quickly. 

So when the beginning of the end came around, my husband had to be talked into allowing me to continue. After all, I could do this. I had been put in charge of a Battalion of children, ages 11-18 for a boot camp in the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. I am the oldest of 10 kids. And my 4 kids are often the best-behaved kids you will see wherever we go. No way would I let this fail!

But fail it did. 

I couldn't see this as anything but negative, especially in my part. I must have failed. I must not be doing something right. As I talked to people involved, I came to see that most of those participating were waiting for the group to die or had already decided to bail as soon as I gave up. I felt even worse as this realization hit. I felt as though I was the only one who enjoyed these classes, as far as the adults were concerned. So I must have failed! Or did I? I had a close friend who was part of this adventure talk to me when things fell apart. Her heart was broken for me. I wasn't seeing how any of this could be good. But she had a word of encouragement for me through it all. 

Instead of seeing this as my fault, my shortcoming, or that my expectations for this working out were too high, she said that I should see this as a training by God. For something else in the future. I learned what others are like. People who aren't as dedicated. I learned how to lay stronger boundaries. How to not get run over by everyone else as I try to positively impact children's lives. It was your classic, take the test and learn the lesson afterwards thing. Isn't that what life is truly like, though? 

Taking the next steps.

I miss teaching the class. I miss the kids. But now, I'm devoting myself to my own kids. And who knows, maybe one day soon I will be a part of a new co-op. But even if I don't, I will teach my kids with my enthusiasm. With the passion I have for learning together with them. We have been doing a lot on our own already. 

I took this photo in Israel. The Sea of Galilee was incredibly calm. Yet, you could hardly see too far ahead. The clouds blocked our views. Life is like that. At least to me. We often can't see the plans too far ahead. And it can be incredibly frustrating. But there is beauty in that. Less stress is my favorite part about that. Giving everything to God and taking it one day at a time instead.

We have also been considering the other options that this family may have. Options that will lead to changes for us all. We wouldn't have been looking so hard if that last straw hadn't broken this camels back. But since it did, we are excited about a new chapter that may start very soon! I will keep moving forward. Not dwelling on what may be perceived as a failure.

 

Israel Favorites: Architecture Beauty

One thing I love, no matter where I go, is seeing variations in architecture. I prefer older buildings as they often have far more character than that of the newer ones. Styles change over the years. Now, most use glass or metal. Once upon a time, they relied on carved stones. Fascinates me every time. In Israel, they will reuse buildings that are hundreds of years old. Strip them down to the bones and give them a modern update. But you still see the old arches and rounded windows. They still cling to those older styles. I really did enjoy walking about the towns and seeing so many of these buildings. Glass can be nice and shiny, but it is cold. Metal heats up in the sun. And we learned that over there, metal is a symbol of war. So they won't use it for buildings. They stick with wood and stone. I can appreciate that. So here are just a few of the places that caught my eye and tickled my fancy, if you will. Enjoy!

This ancient synagogue was built next to the site of Peter's home. It is now a part of a holy site that the Catholics have turned into a tourist destination as well as built a church over Peter's home. The stones still show intricate carving. It would have stood 2 stories high, however, the upper floor has long since fallen away. It was rather massive. Where I'm standing in this photo is actually off to the side of the main room. 

This floor was covered by a mosaic that looks as though it was made with childish drawings. The story goes that a town was poor, yet wanted to spruce up their synagogue. So they hired someone who was not yet a master at the art of mosaics. This guy was cheap, but also not very good at what he did.

You want to see something amazing? Sometimes you need to look up. Some of these remains included ancient Roman archways. Talk about being master builders, they could put stones in arches that fit like a glove and required no glue-like substance to hold them together.

I saw this, but can't remember exactly what it was. I believe it to be another church as the city, no, all of Israel, has many. Towers and spires have always had a special place in my heart when it comes to buildings. Domed roofs and rounded arch windows were dreams for my future home. No castle in my future that I know of, but I love to check them and cathedrals out when I get the chance.

Have I told you how cold I was in Israel? Always triple check the weather before you go. Don't assume it will be as your friends from the tour say it usually is. Weather has been crazy worldwide, and Israel was no different. The weather was nothing like they normally get. So when we first started the tour, I was wearing 3-4 layers of clothing! And still freezing! But I did enjoy the view on this mount that looks towards the Temple Mount.

Can't tell you what this was or where, but I loved the shape. All in stone, but given character nonetheless.

Not all the places we visited with buildings were above ground. Like this one that was excavated underground near the Temple Mount's Western Wall.

So many places have religious signs and symbols. From the Byzantine to the Crusaders to the Christians and Catholics. They mark places throughout the trip.

Driving along a highway, we passed this one. It was 4 tower-like buildings connected by bridgeways!

I think this idea should be standard in apartments in America! Retractable awnings over the balconies.

This unusual building is a part of the museum that is dedicated to the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is meant to look like the top of the jar that the scrolls were found in.

This was when we visited the Temple Mount. Quite the ornate design, though not nearly so colorful as the mosque up there.

This was a mosque, I believe. What you see in the photo is what they build in their mosques to show which direction to pray in. Towards Mecca.

Not everything was so beautiful as the carvings and arches, however. There are a great deal of ruins to be seen. Take this area, for instance. It was devastated by earthquake. So much so, that the entire city was abandoned. Still, the main road is distinguishable and there are still pillars that stand along it. It marks where the ancient trade road would have been, to bring wealth to the city.

It was mesmerizing! So many pretty places to visit, so little time to do so.