Things that have made my summer (and most of them I didn't even plan!)

1. This trampoline:



Okay, this one I planned. When it arrived, I truly think I squealed louder than my kids. And clapped my hands, jumping up and down. I didn't even know then the, literally, hours my kids (and all the neighbors) would spend on this thing. There is NO downside. Exercise, entertainment, sleeping quarters...this trampoline has it all. Best money I've spent all year.

2.This activity (all Emma's idea).



Have your oldest, most responsible kid get all of your bikes, trikes, wagons, and scooters out of the garage. Have her call all of the neighbor kids over. Give her a bottle of dish soap (you'll never see a drop of it again, but it will be worth it.) Give her a hose and allow her to "clean" every piece of your equipment in your garage. Everyone was busy, wet and happy for at least an hour and your stuff looked shiny and new when they were done. Ingenious.

3. This drink


Meghann, my best food friend ever, gave me this mix for my birthday. It was amazing, especially after I figured out how to crush the ice to a molecular consistency. We ate the whole can in 4 days and then I called Meghann and she said it cost $16 at Williams-Sonoma and I really wished I hadn't given any of that liquid gold to my kids.

I have since spent every night perfecting Ilene's frozen hot chocolate recipe, to try to get it the closer to the Serendipity one. (Sorry, Ilene, yours was yummy, but too chocolatety for Ryan). This is what I've come up with:

Jessica's frozen hot chocolate

2.5 T. cocoa powder

3.5 T. good hot chocolate mix (love the LDS Cannery's mix)

1 T. Quik

6 T. sugar

1 T. malted milk powder (I don't even like malt flavoring, but it is essential in this recipe)

1/2 c. cream

1/2 c. milk

3 c. ice

Mix everything but the ice in a blender. Add ice. Blend, stir with spoon, blend again. Get that ice completely and totally pulverized. Serve in two tall glasses.

(But, for a splurge sometime, really....get the Serendipity brand).

4. This vest.


I made Seth put this on this morning, just for your viewing pleasure, beloved blog audience, and he will now ask me ALL DAY LONG when we are going swimming, no matter how many times I tell him we aren't. So I hope you are appreciative.

So I went to Target in California to get a swim vest for Seth. (side note: Ryan is opposed to floaty swim-aids. As a former swim teacher, he thinks it gets in the way of learning to swim...but since I have a million children now, I cannot be on top of Seth-with-no-life-saving-device.) This was the only one they had, so I bought it.

It is the best thing ever. It isn't super-floaty, so they have to do a lot of the work themselves. Seth kicks his legs, uses his arms, and can get anywhere in the pool, but is perfectly safe. I've never seen this type of vest before, but I love it.


So there. You have one month of summer left. Use these ideas and thank me later.