I Like Things That Are F'n Easy

There are two things you should know about me.

1. I am not a healthy eater.

2. I am a terrible cook.

When the opportunity arose to shop at Fresh & Easy (grocery chain in AZ, NV, and CA), prepare a meal for my family, and write about it, I thought, "Here's my chance to embrace fresh, healthy foods and cook my family a delicious, healthy meal they will rave about for years to come!"

Then I remembered two things about myself.

1. I am not a healthy eater.

2. I am a terrible cook.

Oh. Yeah.

It is one of my goals to be better at making meals for my family: better at planning, better at providing a variety of healthy foods, etc. But a post about how I prepared the perfect fresh summer meal just wasn't "me."

Luckily, upon arriving at my local Fresh & Easy, it was apparent that I could not fail, given the fantastic inventory of fresh and frozen foods available. I mean, this place had everything. From my reliable sleeves of Coca Cola (which, yes, I bought), to perfectly ripe strawberries, fresh&easy brand. The store has its own brand of foods, "fresh&easy" brand, which can be found in every aisle. The majority of the products I bought were fresh&easy brand, and they were all super high-quality.

The kids and I explored every aisle, and since I made the classic mistake of shopping while hungry, we of course ended up with both a chocolate cake AND an apple pie. #pregnant #longhairdontcare

We ended up checking out the ready-to-go meals, of which there was a huge selection. I decided to get cheese tortellini, with breadsticks, and we added some vanilla ice cream to go with our apple pie for dessert.

When I got home, I checked the packages to see how long it would take to prepare our meal. Imagine my surprise when the answer was "11 minutes!"

Ahh, so much more "me!"

The breadsticks cooked in the oven, while the tortellini heated up in the microwave, and less than 15 minutes after I had started, dinner was served!

And we couldn't forget dessert.

Now if that's not "F'n Easy" I don't know what is!

It was great to discover a new place close to home that I had not heard of before! If you happen to live near a Fresh & Easy, I recommend making a visit. And while you're at it, here is a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $20 or more!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Let's Go To The Replay

It's been a busy week on the blog, and there were some fun things a-happening, so I thought we'd do a recap. Read on for giveaways, blog take-overs, blogging tips, and more!



On Monday I posted a giveaway for a free date coupon book from Datevitation. Entries are super low, so go enter- I like your chances!

On Tuesday, the Fairy Hobmother took over my blog! Leave a comment on that post and he may just pay your blog a visit (along with a special gift for you).

On Wednesday I posted my recap of Bloggy Boot Camp Phoenix, along with the best tips that I took away from that event.

Also on Wednesday I shared how you can keep your kids busy and happy this summer, with the BabbaBox! Read the post (sponsored by BabbaCo by Jessica Kim), and then if you like what you see, you can save 15% by signing up for their newsletter, or 10% with the coupon code "SURVIVE."

Thursday was my birthday, and my blog got taken over again, this time by ShapingUpDad! My husband wrote a really sweet post for me, and he was excited to get comments, so go leave one if you want to make him happy.

Yep, so now I'm 29. Only 364 days left of my twenties. I really don't want to be one of those people obsessed with getting older (or staying young), but 30 does seem...scary? I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it! In the meantime, I have to get on my 30 Before 30 list! My best friend gave me a gift certificate to Ulta so that I can complete #25, and my husband got me started on the way for #19 and #27.

I actually spent all 24 hours of my birthday inside the house (along with several hours on either end). I haven't been feeling well (sinus issues, oh and 8 months pregnant), so I spent a lot of my birthday in bed. Getting some rest seemed to help out though, and now Daniel is home for the summer so I should be able to get more!

My due date countdown is 40 days, but at my next appointment I'm going to see about scheduling an induction. The baby is already 6+ pounds, and they seem to be in favor of inducing at 39 weeks, which I'm all for! The show choir kids gave me a surprise baby shower this week, which was so sweet!

One final piece of news: we found a house that would be just perfect for us, and I think we are going to be able to take a look at it on Tuesday. Someone just barely moved out, and we're trying to be first on the list to get in, but we'll see. Send good house vibes our way!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Shaping up... to be a Dad?

Yeah, that's right people. It's me, the 14th most popular tag on the blog, otherwise known as Megan's husband, Daniel. You may have heard of me in posts such as this or this, and today I'm taking over this blog! I'm here to celebrate a very special birthday girl--my wife Megan.

A recent photo of Megan.

I guess I'm the lucky one, because I know Megan better than anybody. Better than herself. So when I tell you that she's awesome, I'm kind of the authority. There are literally (pronounced "lit-trally") thousands of reasons why Megan is the best, but I thought I would share a few of my favorites (in no particular order):

5. She's funny. I remember the first time I thought I had a chance with Megan, and it was when I made a stupid-and-not-entirely-politically-correct joke, and she laughed! She got it! She has such an amazing sense of humor, and can find something to smile about in pretty much any situation. She even makes my family laugh, and humor is almost part of the Tenney religion. To give you an example, our new favorite thing to say when our kids are acting up is to look at each other and wryly proclaim, "Yay, kids." I mean, everything is going haywire and she can grin and make me chuckle And speaking of kids...

4. She's an amazing mom. Seriously, she is so great with our kids. She works hard to make them happy and to make them better people, and I am amazed with the work that she does day after day, just to keep things running around here. I don't know if you know, but for a big chunk of this school year, she was working a full-time job... and a part time job... and running our house... and she'd still apologize when the laundry wasn't done! She's basically Superman, if Superman was a girl. And a mom. And from Maine. And didn't have any powers, except the power of being awesome. Speaking of awesome...

3. She is hot. I know I'm supposed to say "beautiful" or "gorgeous" or something classy like that. But no, she's straight up hot. She would probably kill me if I linked to the post of her in her purple bikini, so I won't. But I will tell you the post is called "Shredding It" and there's a search bar to the right... Go on, find it, I'll wait here. Did you find it? I know, right? Find some of the other pictures of Megan on the blog here. I know what you're thinking, that girl is crazy hot. I know, because I'm thinking it too! I could elaborate, but I'm afraid it might push this blog post into PG-13 territory. But speaking of thinking...

2. She's smart. This is perhaps the most attractive thing about Megan. I've said it to her before, and I'll say it again: she is the smartest person I've ever met. I say with humility that I have been blessed with an active mind, and the ability to think. But if there's one person that can consistently best me intellectually, it's Megan. If there's something she doesn't know or doesn't understand, it's just because she's chosen not to put the time into it (and instead put the time into being a great mom--see #4) and not because of any lack of brainpower. I'm so proud of everything that she's accomplished, and I know that there is so much left for her to do in her life. Which brings me to...

1. She's mine. Megan, I love you more than anyone or anything in the world. We've had good days and bad days, but I'd take our worst day together over the best day possible with anyone else. You're the only girl I've truly loved, and I count every day with you a blessing and a treasure. I am in awe of who you are and what you do. The rest of our lives, or the next wave. I love you.

And so, my fellow Shaper-Uppers (or are you Kiddle McGriddles? I can't remember) feel free to stop by the comments, share something you like about Megan, or just wish her a Happy Birthday! Until next time...

-Daniel

There IS a Cure for the Summertime Blues!

This article is sponsored by BabbaCo by Jessica Kim.

When I was 8 or 9, I remember a day during the summer that was one of the best days of my life. In the mid-morning we went to a cook-out (that's New Englandese for BBQ) at our relatives' house, and on the spot decided we'd all go to the local theme park afterward (yep, this one, where I later met my husband). After a day of food, rides, and general summer fun, we arrived home and checked the mail. Lo and behold, we had received our monthly subscription of a kids' activity box and had even more fun completing the crafts and activities while my mom made dinner.

I remember thinking that that day was perfect, and considering how I still remember it now, it must have been pretty epic!

Flash forward 20 years, and subscription boxes are becoming super popular. They are available for beauty products, "green" products, clothing, accessories, etc. They are also available for children! *Cue angels singing*

Summer days are long. And, living in Phoenix, summer is not our ideal "outdoor" time, because it is so hot. And that results in bored kids hanging around the house, and too much iPad time!

There are lots of ways to cure boredom with games, toys, and a little creativity, but why not get a little help? *Cue BabbaBox!*

The BabbaBox is about so much more than just arts & crafts.  Each month includes a different combination of hands on projects, books, games, sensory activities, kid-friendly science, imaginative play and more.  And everything included is designed by BabbaCo’s early childhood experts to develop important critical thinking skills – of course while having a ton of fun in the process.

BabbaBox is offering a "Summer Survival Pack" which includes three boxes, to be sent in June, July, and August. The themes are so adorable!

June: Deep Sea
Take a voyage to the bottom of the sea, enjoy a colorful book about some of our favorite creatures, make and plan an adorable fishing game, plus so many oceany activities.

July: Camouflage Animals
Where’d who go? Not only is camouflage on animals totally cool, but it also services a purpose – to help protect them. This month we will learn about all the amazing kinds of camouflage, play a little hide and seek ourselves and other well disguised fun!

August: Pirate Treasure
Bring your sea legs! This will be aarugably our most fun theme yet, as we set out on an adventure, pirate-style. We will sing songs, meet famous pirates through an amazing book and become experts in life on the high seas!

I know my own kids would LOVE the treasures to be found inside these boxes, especially the Pirate one. Even Vanessa will put on a bandanna and say, "I'm a pirate! Arrgh!"

Want to know possibly my favorite part about the BabbaBox? Most of the activities are ones that can be done by the kids on their own. Not that I don't like spending time with my kids (because I'd be in real trouble if that were the case!), but sometimes they need to entertain themselves. This will especially be the case this summer, as I'll be having a baby, and we'll be moving!

The BabbaBox is designed by parents who understand that different situations call for different solutions.  While sitting down and spending an hour doing a project with your kids is fun, the reality is sometimes you are juggling dinner and need something they can do relatively independently. 

Each BabbaBox includes solutions specifically designed for four different occasions that are part of all parents’ routines: TV Free Mornings, Sanity Saving Weeknight Activities, Purposeful Weekend Plan, and Story Time.

I've been considering signing up for a subscription box...and I may have found just the right one! I know we'll need some help getting through the hot hot days of summer, and it looks like BabbaBox is the "box" for the job!

There are several options for participating in the BabbaBox Summer Survival Pack:

• Digital ($41.97)
• BabbaBox ($56.97)
• Premium Summer Survival Pack ($119.97)- includes extra activities and materials!

Use the coupon code “SURVIVE” at checkout to save 10% on any Summer Survival Pack, or sign up for their newsletter to unlock a coupon for 15% off!

Who knows? Maybe your BabbaBox will be part of the "perfect" day that your little ones will remember when they are grown and have kids of their own!