No Bake Protein Balls

I found this recipe for No Bake Energy Protein Balls over at The Larson Lingo. I decided to give them a try because we are always trying to add protein to our diet. Witten is normally pretty good, but Kinsley and really Beau & I too are carb junkies. I thought these would be the perfect little snack/treat. They would also be a good on the go snack. I did change up the original recipe a little bit as I got started. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of oatmeal 

3/4 cup of peanut butter (I used Jif Natural)

1/3 cup of honey

1/4 cup of chocolate chips (I used milk, but dark would be good too)

2 tbs chia seeds

1 tbs vanilla

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir with a big mixing spoon.

Place on your cookie sheet (lined with wax paper). I used a cookie dough scoop to make the balls. It makes 12-15. You could roll them into an actual ball once you scoop, but I decided to leave them as is.

Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Store in a airtight container, lined with wax paper in the refrigerator. We really enjoyed these little bites of goodness!!! Witten LOVED them and ate 2 full balls. Kinsley has yet to try them, maybe she'll come around. :) 

Enjoy!

If you are like me, you have your little ones helping in the kitchen A LOT! This is an easy recipe for your kiddos to help with. Mine really enjoyed it, but they enjoy helping with anything in the kitchen! Have fun. Let me know if you try them and how you like them! I would also love to hear your variations of the recipe. 

If you are new to my blog, thanks for stopping by!! Feel free to follow along! 

You can find me on instagram: https://instagram.com/christyd2010/

What's Up Wednesday--April Edition

Happy Wednesday! Today I am starting a new link up on my blog with Mix & Match Family, The Larson Lingo, and Pinterest Told Me To. The last Wednesday of every month, I will do What's Up Wednesday and answer the questions below. Link up, it's fun to see what everyone is up to..... 

What We Are Eating This Week:

Meal planning is one of my favorite things to do. I sit down and make a "menu" for the week and go to the grocery store. If I do this, it holds me accountable and I have all the ingredients for the meals at home (EVEN BETTER). Sometimes I do have to make a small trip to the store for fresh foods (veggies, fruits, etc). 

Sunday: We ended up eating at The Oasis because we were in Austin at dinner time. 

Monday: Today, we were just off and to be honest... exhausted. We all ate different meals at home. It was a hodge podge of foods. 

Tuesday: 

Wednesday: Grilling out! Steak, roasted corn, cucumber salad and baked beans. 

Thursday: Tacos

Friday: Sausage & roasted potatoes

Saturday: Leftovers

What I'm Reading:

I am currently reading both of these. They are both really good so far. I also have about 4-5 magazine subscriptions that I enjoy reading while on the go, waiting, or just whenever. 

These are currently the ones I subscribe to along with Better Homes & Gardens.

This is the next book I plan on starting:

If you are looking for books to read, check here. This is a very small list, I plan on doing another post soon on fiction and other fun books. I am also doing a list of good, fun children's books. I get asked at least once a week about books I read with my kiddos or if I have any new suggestions. I am a book lover, but especially kids books (perhaps it's the teacher in me?)

What I'm Reminiscing About:

It is almost our 5 year anniversary, so I have been reminiscing back to our honeymoon in Maui. We got married on May 15th, but being a teacher we decided to close out the school year before we went on our honeymoon. It was nice, another school year under my belt and then, we were off to Maui for 11 days of pure bliss. We had so many excursions planned and did so many fun things. We didn't leave a whole lot of room for relaxation, but we had a BLAST! <3 Every time I hear Somehwere Over the Rainbow, I still think of walking the beach of Maui, hand in hand, sipping on wine and listening to the live music from the restaurant. Here are just a few shots from our trip.....

Our view every.single.morning for 11 morning! Ahhh! 

Nothing beats a sunset in Maui! Breathtaking. 

On this day, we got up at 2:45 am and drove to the top of Haleakala to see the beautiful sunrise. Totally worth it. This is us at the top of the mountain. 

Parasailing is one of my favorite water activities. This is us going up! It is so peaceful and serene once you get to the highest point. 

Beau + Christy <3 I can't not wait to go back one day with my family, but also maybe to celebrate 10 years! :)

What I'm Loving:

The awesome weather before our scorching summer heat arrives in Texas. We spend most of our days outside on these days. However, today it is in the 50s and rainy... 

What We've Been Up To:

We haven't really been up to much other than time with the fam. We went to the Dallas Zoo, The Oasis in Austin, Sweet Berry Farms (the kids LOVED it). We have a few trips coming up in the next month or so. 

What I'm Dreading:

There really isn't anything I am dreading... I guess maybe when I start full blown potty training with Witten. I have been doing it here and there, but haven't been real consistent. I do think once I start head on, he will be easy! So, maybe it won't be bad. Kinsley was very easy, so hopefully he will be too. :)

What I'm Working On:

I have been working on getting my Young Living up and going. I am also working on my blog and getting the house organized. The big thing is my kid's closets.... I have boxes and boxes of clothes! YIKES!

What I'm Looking Forward To:

We have 3 trips coming up before July. 1. Our anniversary trip to Chicago! I can not wait to spend some quality time with my husband and see Chicago. That will be one thing off the bucket list and celebrating us! :) 2. We are going on a trip to Colorado in May with Beau's family. We can't wait!  3. Our annual trip down to Galveston... no it's not any extravagant or gorgeous, but we have so much fun. Our family has been going every year since I was 4 years old. We have the best time! We ride the ferry, spend our days at the beach, fish on the pier at night and so much more. It is SO much fun!!!! 

What I'm Wearing Today:

I am wearing jean capri with my Lauren Conrad shirt from Kohls. I love these shirts, they are light and flowy and definitely SPRING. I have my everyday Tiffany ball earrings on and matching bracelet. I got these as a gift years ago from my husband. I wear these almost every single day. They are so versatile and chic. I love them. 

I love these shirts. I am getting ready to buy (this ) and (this.  I love these because they go with almost anything. You can wear them with  ballet flats, sandals or wedges. Super versatile. 

What I'm Excited About:

Again, our upcoming trips!

Spending a few days here with my husband. 

We come back from Chicago and head out on a road trip two days later to Colorado. The kids can't wait to ride the train. 

In June we are going to Galveston with my family. Some of my favorite memories growing up and now passing them down to our kids. It's a BLAST!

What I'm Watching:

I am not really into tv much. I do watch The Voice and Modern Family. That's about it. :) 

What I'm Listening To:

The kids and I have been listening to the Frozen soundtrack a lot. We also like Uptown Funk lately. We have been dancing and singing in the afternoons when I like to call it, "the witching hours". 

What I'm Annoyed By:

LAUNDRY!!! It is never-ending. I will get it washed, dried and folded. Then, putting it away is the hard part, especially the kids. Sometimes it sits on the bench at the end of our bed or on my dresser for days. UGH.....

What I'm Hoping For:

For a POOL in our backyard one day... I LOVE this one, but of course this is fancy and elaborate. It doesn't have to look quite like this. :) One day my friends, one day. :)

What else is new:

There's not a whole lot of new going on at the moment. 

So... What's Up With You? Comment and let me know what you're up to... :) Don't forget to follow me on instagram: https://instagram.com/christyd2010/

STAY TUNED FOR MY UPCOMING GIVEAWAY! DETAILS COMING SOON. :)

Have a great day!

Sweet Berry Farms & The Oasis in Austin

Happy Tuesday! Our day trip to the strawberry patch was a lot longer than we anticipated, we didn't get home until 2 am. We hit traffic on the way there and storms on the way back. We did have SO.MUCH.FUN though! Grab yourself a cup of coffee, tea or whatever you like and check out pictures from our day of strawberry pickin'. :) 

Beau made breakfast on Sunday morning and we decided to go pick strawberries and have a fun, family day. We wanted to do it last time we were in the Austin area with the kids, but it was closed due to rain. We got a late start and hit some traffic on the way, so by the time we made it to the farm, we only had about two hours. 

Once we were almost to the farm the kids were laughing hysterically because Beau was singing along with Frozen Soundtrack in a funny voice. :)

Here is a pano of the whole farm. So pretty!

Sweet Berry Farms is in Marble Falls, Texas. It's about 3 hours from our home in Fort Worth, but it took us about 4 due to traffic. They have strawberries, potatoes and onions in Mar-mid May. 

May- blackberries and peaches

October-pumpkins

I love their website because it gives you updates about whether it's a good day to visit the farm, etc. It also gives you any and all information you would want to know. You should visit, it makes for a fun day! 

 We made it! The kids were so excited to get their baskets and start picking. 

 They had rows and rows of strawberries. They also had red potatoes and onions. 

You buy a basket for .50 each. They mark it and you can reuse it if you come back. We bought one for each one, so they could carry their own baskets(this is important at ages 4 & 2). They were 2.82/lb. They also sell homemade strawberry popsicles, jams, honey, etc. They have a train, sand art, animals (goats, horses and a donkey) to pet/feed. They have several picnic tables in the shade, if you want to bring a picnic. We got a late start, so we didn't bring one, but I will next time for sure. 

They could not wait to get out in the strawberries and start picking. Strawberries are one of Kinsley's very favorite fruits. Witten doesn't care much for them, I guess he just wanted to pick. :)

Their first strawberries!

 We were told to dig deep and of course, pick the reddest ones!

  My kiddos and me! Love these two kids and all the memories we make together. 

I love fun, adventures with my family!

After we picked berries, we had to get a family shot. :)

They got stickers that read: "I picked Strawberries!"

The homemade strawberry popsicles were so good. 

 They loved playing on the tractors!

We decided that for dinner we would drive to Austin to eat dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. It was about an hour away from the farm. 

 Normally there are a bunch of colored umbrellas, but they take them down once the sun sets. Today was a cloudy day with some rain. 

 The view from our table is Lake Travis, so pretty! Normally, you see the sunset, but it was cloudy. Bummer....

 At sunset they ring a bell and the kids got chosen to ring it on this day! They were excited and even more excited that they got a little stuffed puppy. :)

I mean the view is amazing. What's not to love? Good food, live music, sunset on the water. This is a must do if you are in the Austin area!

They were having so much fun at dinner. They kept laughing and laughing, but wouldn't tell us why. Apparently, they were having a good time. I always love hearing them laugh together!

This is a place we have been without the kids and it's always been one of our very favorite things to do while in Austin. The last time we had been here, we were expecting Witten! It was fun bringing the kids to one of our favorite restaurants. :)

There was a little spaceship outside the restaurant. They loved getting inside of it. 

On our way home, there were storms, hail, tornados all around us. We stopped in West until the storms passed. This was the radar while we were stopped in West. Scary stuff! 

Then, I see this on my brother in law's Facebook. :) 

We had planned to stop in West, but Beau was having me look at the radar, so we could time where we were gonna stop. I was freaking out and so I kept messaging Anthony and Holly about it. Thankful they stayed up late to help keep us out of the scary weather. We should have gotten home in about 3 hours, but due to weather it took 5!! 

We were stopped about an hour. So, we decided to snack on kolaches from Czech Stop in West. This is another must do if you're passing through the city of West. There will be several different bakeries, none compare to the Czech Stop. I have been coming here since I was first introduced to it in 96. My favorite is the cream cheese and hot chubby with cheese. YUM!

Our strawberries, washed. It was so fun and the kids talked about it all day on Monday. We all had a great time!

 If you are ever in the area of Marble Falls/Austin, you must do Sweet Berry Farms and eat at The Oasis! You will be glad you did. 

Also, I will be starting a new linkup with 3 of my VERY favorite blogs:  The Larson Lingo, Pinterest Told Me To and Mix & Match Family on Wednesday, so don't forget to check it out! 

If you have been wanting to try Young Living Essential Oils, now is the time! My family and I love these oils and even my skeptical husband has been asking for them for certain things. Try them, you will love them! If you order a premium starter kit by April 30th, I will throw in a 15 ml bottle of orange oil and a reference guide. 

Also, as of today the Little Ones Essential Oils are available for individual sale. This is awesome, they are for your littles. They are already diluted and come with rollers for easy application. 

If you are interested, email me at christydyer10@gmail.com.

Follow me on instagram: https://instagram.com/christyd2010/

Stay tuned for a fun giveaway I am going to give! Details soon. 

Have the best day!