Life with Dylan

Author: Michelle

  • Take Time to Play in the Sprinklers

    Ever feel like all you do is work, and then more work? Do you watch your children playing and laughing, longing to have the days of childhood back?

    I had what seems like the longest week and realized that summer is almost over. I need to laugh and play with my son like I did when I was a child. Who says you can’t be silly when your 41 years old?

    Today we played in the sprinklers at the Post Office.

    Not planned, just a totally random thing. We went to check the P.O. Box and he noticed that the sprinkler was broken and shooting water all over. I looked at him and said, “You’re already in your swimsuit …”

    Today my son and I laughed.

    Today we rocked out in the car to Taylor Swift on Radio Disney. Music blasting, windows down, singing our hearts out. She wears high heels, I wear sneakers, she’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers …

    Today we played.

    Today I was a child.

    And I loved every minute of it.

    When was the last time you played in the sprinklers?

  • More Fun Activities at The ENC

    I recently had the pleasure of spending some time at The Environmental Nature Center (ENC) with Dylan and learned about some of the exciting events coming up this year.

    You can read about some of the upcoming ENC activities in the article I wrote for the OC Moms over at the Orange County Register.

  • Delightful Raspberry Cupcakes

    Remember that bridal shower I was planning for my sister?
    The one with the beautiful Bridal Shower Invitations from Wedding Paper Divas.   
    Well, her shower was last Saturday and the cupcakes were a huge hit!


    Being that the theme was black and white with a splash of hot pink, I just had to make cupcakes that would stand out and be the center of attention.



    So here goes …


    Vanilla cupcakes with a raspberry Chambord puree filling, vanilla bean buttercream frosting, topped with shaved organic white chocolate and a fresh raspberry. 
    Now if that isn’t a mouthful, I can promise you the cupcakes were! We even served them with a fork.

    perfectly baked cupcakes …

    plus fresh raspberry puree …

    carefully inserted into the cupcakes …

    with shaved organic white chocolate …

    atop beautiful cupcake stands …

    Resulted in delightful raspberry cupcakes for all 25 guests at the bridal shower.


  • Wordless Wednesday – Content with Nature

  • LEGO Club Weekend at @LEGOLAND_CA

    Another week, another visit to LEGOLAND, California! This time was extra special though because it was LEGO Club Weekend; which means lots of fun stuff, a special brick, and a scavenger hunt in Miniland USA for little green creatures, and what else … LEGO’s.

    LEGO Club Weekends are a blast because you never know what is going to be in store for you when you walk through the entrance. The first thing we saw was a black and green table with a crowd of people around it. Better stop by … here they were promoting LEGO Club Magazine (it’s free ya know) and the LEGO Club Weekend Alien Conquest Scavenger Hunt. Even though Dylan already subscribes to the magazine, they still gave him a copy of the latest LEGO Club Magazine and a LEGO Club pin to wear.

    Before hitting the scavenger hunt, we wanted to get our special LEGO Club Weekend Alien Conquest brick, so we headed over to the LEGO Club House located in Fun Town.

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  • Snickerdoodles Recipe Swap

    I don’t know about you, but I love getting new recipes to try out.
    I had the opportunity to work with Kyna over at Great Expectations this week as part of her Quick Recipe of the Week feature. Each Monday, Kyna features a guest blogger and the result is an amazing recipe swap!

    Head over to Great Expections and get my Grandmothers recipe for delicious Snickerdoodles! Who knows, you may find some other recipes to try out like I did.

  • Summer Vacation – Day 3 at @LEGOLAND_CA

    Last day of summer vacation. So far two days and two parks … can we make it three parks in three days?

    Of course we can … how could we drive right past one of Dylan’s favorite places and not stop?

    Besides animals, my son is addicted to all things LEGO … and his face lights up every time we visit LEGOLAND California!

    First stop, The Studio Store, to see what new STAR WARS items might be available. He didn’t even make it into the store before he spotted something he wanted. I foresee a very clean room in his future to earn enough money to buy this one!

    However, he did have enough money to buy a coveted Lego Minifigure. Of course, we had to open it right away to see which one it was.
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  • Home Cookin’ Made Easy

    I have been spending some lazy days by the pool and trying to catch up on my magazine reading over the summer. I recently read a poll in an issue of Redbook Magazine and was a little shocked at the results.

    The poll asked How many nights a week do you cook a meal from scratch?

    Photobucket Image courtesy of mareesme

    The results were as follows:

    • 6 or 7 nights – 10%
    • 4 or 5 nights – 44%
    • 1 to 3 nights – 20%
    • Never – 26%
    Am  I the only one shocked by this? I realize that schedules can be hectic and so many options are available to make cooking a convenience, but what happened to the Joy of Cooking? (no pun intended) I’m not saying that every night you need to make homemade biscuits and soup or a four-course meal, but does everything we serve our family need to be pre-packaged?
    Salad in a bag, spaghetti sauce in a jar, frozen lasagna, pizza delivery, and the list goes on. 
    Take the time to cook with your family and make cooking fun. It doesn’t take much time and it’s easy!

    Grate the cheese from a block of cheddar. Chop the lettuce from a full head of lettuce. Cook the chicken and shred it in a pan with some seasonings or taco sauce. Place all the fixings for some wonderful tacos on a sectioned platter and you have a home cooked meal that was easy to make.

    This entire meal only took me 30 minutes to make! Each person got to pick what they wanted on their taco and because we prepared the ingredients and cooked dinner together (rather than buy it pre-made) dinner became fun. I knew exactly what I was feeding my child … No hidden ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce.
    How many nights do you cook from scratch?

  • How Do You Fight Germs On The Go?

    There is no denying that germs are everywhere … and if you have children, then you know how quickly germs can spread. Some people call me crazy, but I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere I go and have even been known to use it after I wash my hands in a public restroom. Yes, I said after I wash my hands! Just imagine how many people have used the doorknob or faucet without washing their hands. Eewww!

    About 5 years ago I found a wonderful new product that I will admit is a must have in my purse, desk, kitchen and car. No more liquid messy hand sanitizers for me that sting and burn when I have a cut on my hand. Meet CleanWell. And say goodbye to germs naturally. CleanWell All Natural Hand Sanitizer is nothing short of amazing! Simple to use and no mess. Even a child can use this …

    Kids touch everything in sight and don’t thin twice about picking up something like popcorn and eating it without cleaning their hands. Today, at Legoland, my son kept holding the metal rails and sliding his hands along them as we stood in line for the rides. Then he asked for some popcorn … was he crazy? I said, “You know what to do.” He quickly reached into my purse and grabbed the CleanWell. Two sprays, a few rubs of his hands, and he was ready to start munching on his popcorn. No bad taste, no stickiness, and no waiting for his hands to dry.

    CleanWell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer has been proven to kill 99.99% of germs naturally.

    • Alcohol free
    • Safe for kids
    • Leaves hands soft
    • Citrus Herb scent
    • 4x more uses per oz. than alcohol gel

    Back to school with CleanWell

    With the school year starting in a few weeks, I know the germs are going to be everywhere … but my son is prepared with his CleanWell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer in his backpack.

    Is CleanWell on your Back-to-School shopping list?

    Are your kids protected from germs when you’re not around?


    LifewithDylan.com is a Registered Affiliate of CleanWell Products. All opinions are of my own.

  • Icicles in August?

    Well, sure … if you’re talking about the delicious Icicles Gourmet Frozen Yogurt! For those you not familiar with Icicles, they are the go-to place for kids of all ages in my neighborhood. The other night I decided to surprise Dylan with a trip to Icicles after dinner and thought, “hey, I could write a blog post about this”

    So here it is …

    So many decisions … which flavor will he choose?

    They had tons of new flavors … Georgia Peach, Peanut Butter, Red Velvet, Raspberry, and of course the classics like Cake Batter, Euro Tart, Chocolate and Vanilla. Dylan went with a mixture of Vanilla and Red Velvet.

    Now that he had his frozen yogurt it was time to select a topping. Oh my, so many decisions!

    Fresh Fruit
    Granola, Peanuts …
    Nerds, Gummies …

    Chocolate Chips, Cookies, and of course Rainbow Sprinkles!

    And for those with a real sweet tooth, they have these!

    I went with a combination of the new Georgia Peach and Cake Batter (plain, no toppings) and we got a cup of Peanut Butter topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups as a surprise for Grandma and Grandpa.

    I love that you can get as much or as little as you want. How much you spend depends on how much frozen yogurt is in your cup. The self-serve is great for saving money and kids love making their own! Only $.39 an ounce.

    I love using my prepaid gift cards too! Dylan won an Icicles gift card last year at school and today we used it to pay for our treats! Oh, did I mention they also have a Loyalty Card? Each time you buy a cup of Icicles Frozen Yogurt they stamp your card. After you buy 9 cups, the 10th cup is free!

    Woo-hoo! Our next cup is Free!

    Snow in August … in Southern California … NO, but Icicles in August … Always!