{Gluten Free} Pineapple UpsideDown Cake

Earlier this week I was at a lunch play date and the host (aka. a wonderful BFF) absolutely spoiled us with the perfect, summery dessert! And to boot, she made it gluten free!! (This is when you KNOW its true love, when she never lets me go without the amazing yumminess!!)

I could hardly wait for an excuse to recreate this divine little cake, so I didn't! I made it the following evening for dessert! What a hit! Its moist, perfect, delicious and so crazy easy to make. Its the perfect potluck dessert, too... just be prepared for the invitations to come rolling in once you share this with your friends!

Summer Lovin' - What We've Been Up To

It's been quiet around here (and by here I mean the blog, not our house!). This summer is sailing by, and with only a couple of weeks left until school, we are trying to squeeze in as much fun as we can! I can't believe I started out the summer feeling nervous overwhelmed completely terrified about being alone all day with these four high-energy rug-rats... one of whom spends a good part of his days attached to me. I definitely can't believe how awesome its been. Now, don't get me wrong, there are days when its all I can do to remember to eat/drink something in between feedings, diaper changes, spills, endless mountains of laundry and dishes, and driving the boys around to their activities, etc. etc. All things considered, I think it has gone pretty well!

Without much further ramblings, I'd like to share a little bit of what we've been up to over the past 6 weeks....

Outdoor Furniture Re-Do

Last weekend I completed a project that I had started last summer. Well, I suppose I didn't really start it. I picked up a set of outdoor furniture for $20 with great aspirations of doing a makeover and creating a gorgeous set for around our fire pit... and for probably 96 reasons I ended up putting it off and then eventually forgetting about it until summer was long over and I was no longer motivated to do it seeing as we couldn't enjoy it with the snow that was looming. I'm sorry for mentioning that dreaded word, by the way.

So for the past few weeks we have been staring at this ugly furniture and I've been hoping to sneak in the makeover... and I finally did it this weekend!  I have to say that the finished product is even better than I had imagined it! I have a sore back as most of this was done with a little baby wrapped to me. He certainly prefers to be held, and so that was pretty much the only way to complete this project. I can't say I mind, he's super cuddly... only my back is paying for it a bit because of the bending, etc. required to paint the furniture.

Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

Yesterday I stopped at a roadside stand for more fresh strawberries. I seriously can't get enough! I thought I would share this basic & delicious idea today. Its a perfect summery dessert for breakfast enjoying alone while the kids play outside entertaining! Other than baking the cake, the rest only takes minutes to throw together. Looks seasonal, tastes delightful!

10 DIY Popsicle Recipes {Perfect Pins}

Its been really hot so far this summer & I'm not complaining! I'm just looking for ideas to create frozen treats for cooling down. I love how easy these recipes are to make, and I love them as an alternative to brand treats that are probably packed full of things I'd rather not talk about. I'm not saying we don't enjoy a good freezie from time to time, but its nice to have these homemade, fruit-filled popsicles on hand for the kiddos!

Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam

Strawberry season is here (well I guess its almost over)! We took our little men and went picking last week. We also brought the neighbour kids. Can I just suggest that you do this when you're planning to go picking? I didn't have to do anything! I just gave all the little people little baskets and set them loose in to the patch. They were competing to see who could fill their basket faster and that worked out quite well! They had a blast and I got 8 litres of fresh strawberries in under 45 minutes.

It didn't look like a lot at the time but when we got home and I got to washing them I quickly decided that we couldn't possibly eat all of the berries before they went bad. So we started jammin'. Hahaha... I really find myself entertaining at times. (Sidenote, its hard to type entertaining. Or is that just me? My fingers got all messed up both times there. Try it.)

Bright Flower Cupcakes

Some of the most fun parts about being a Mom are the silliest. I love making treats to send to school. I love how happy it makes the boys. I love when they tell me things like, "You're the best Mom ever because you make the best cupcakes!". Like really, this is truly true in their little hearts. You're score on the scale of Mom-Awesomeness immediately jumps if you make the best cupcakes.

The last class celebration was Easter, and I decided to make a double batch of these cute cupcakes and send some for both of their classes... (what else do you spend the night doing when 39 weeks pregnant?)

Happy New Year!

Today I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect on 2013.  A lot of wonderful things happened last year!  Here's a quick look at a photo recap:

New Year's Eve fun last year.

Birthday Celebration Recap: 25 Again

This past weekend was so much fun.  We got a lot in in three short days, and we were sad when we had to get back to reality!  We spent much of the weekend celebrating my birthday with family and friends.  I turned *cough* 25 *cough* (again, this is the third time).  I am happy to share all the events of the weekend in hopes to relive some of it. 

TGIF Link Party - I'm Co-Hosting!

Welcome to the TGIF Link Party at 
Living Better Together and I Want Crazy!

Meet Your Hosts!


Rebecca from Living Better Together

Kat from I Want Crazy 

I'm also excited to introduce our fabulous co-host for this week:

Kristen from 3 Monkeys' Mommy

Brooke from Start at Home.

If you are interested in co-hosting, email Rebecca at fickrj5@gmail.com. Share this party with your friends, and don't forget to make some new ones while you're here! We all love making new friends, don't we?

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Features:

Most Viewed 

500 in 30 by VMG206.

I think it's obvious why this was the most viewed this week, it's a great and super helpful article! Megin brings us a great step by step on how to grow our fan base using Pinterest! Even Pinterest pros will find the advice helpful!

Rebecca's Favorites:

Loaded Eggplant Rounds by Dizzy Busy and Hungry!

I'm afraid me and Thing 2 would have to agree, I've never been one for eggplant, but these look awesome! However, I think she has tricked us both into wanting this delicious dish, honestly, if you add bacon to anything I'll probably love it! I love this unique and healthy twist on traditional loaded potato skins. 

Farm Table Face Lift by The Chick n' Coop.

I'm really loving all things farm related, and this table makeover is just too cute! It's amazing when a little bit of paint can transform something old and beat into something fresh and beautiful! 

Kat's Favorites!

Wall Entry Reveal from Place Of My Taste. 

I love projects that are not big but make a huge impact, like this one. The colors are fantastic and I am in love with the wall organizer. The entire reveal came together so well. 

Banana Caramel Ice Box Cake by Kleinworth & Co. 

I'm tempted not to say anything because the photo speaks for itself, but how can your mouth not water when you look at it! This layered cake of greatness just looks so delicious!

Grab a feature button!

<center> <a href=”http://www.livingbettertogether.com/“><img border=”0″ src=”<a href="http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/fickrj5/media/TGIF_featured_zpsbe37ee90.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y405/fickrj5/TGIF_featured_zpsbe37ee90.png" border="0" alt=" photo TGIF_featured_zpsbe37ee90.png"/></a></a></center>
A big thanks to Anyonita over at Anyonita Nibbles for creating our party buttons! ____________________________________________________________________
Link up your recipes, projects, tips and tricks, etc. Each week we'll be featuring some great posts from the previous week, so be sure to check back to see if you were featured and to link up again! 
The party will run from 8:00 pm EST on Thursdays until 8:00 pm EST on Sunday.
Rules:

1. Please follow your hosts and co-hosts in some way! Let us know you did and we'll follow back!

2. If you'd like, grab the party button and tell your friends!

<center> <a href=”http://www.livingbettertogether.com/“><img border=”0″ src=”<a href="<a href="http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/fickrj5/media/TGIF_zps40a588c0.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y405/fickrj5/TGIF_zps40a588c0.png" border="0" alt=" photo TGIF_zps40a588c0.png"/></a></a></a></a></center>

3. No Giveaways or Etsy Shops, please.

4. Please link to a specific post, not your homepage.

5. Get inspired! Visit other links! Spread the word! It is a party after all!

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Thank God it's Friday! Get ready to party!

We'll be pinning all of your links to our TGIF Link Party Board on Pinterest to share with our followers!

NERD ALERT: Backstreet Boys In a World Like This Tour 2013 > After Party

I'm excited to share these photos from the party after the concert, where my friend and I BOTH got photos with Kevin, Howie & Nick!  We did the VIP package for the party, so we also got professional photos done... But in hindsight, we got individual photos on our own cameras/phones, and that didn't require paying the extra $$.  Live and learn.  So next time (and there WILL BE a next time!), I wouldn't put out the extra $ for the group shot. Its fabulous, but probably not worth the extra $.

July Vacation!

It's been a quiet few days on the blog... We've been on a quick vacation to visit hubby's family near Sherbrooke, Quebec. It was an intense 7 ish hour drive with the three boys but we made it and we all survived!  We only had to stop for one barf in the car, which was thankfully caught by the mandatory travel blanket & pillow.  A couple of baby wipes and a plastic bag later, we were back on the road.  I blame my hubby's need to fill the kids with TimBits while on the road.... but you know.

Celebration: Canada's Birthday

This past weekend marked Canada's birthday.  We celebrated Canada Day with a great bunch of friends in our back yard with a BBQ/potluck party.  We enjoyed the afternoon immensely & I really enjoyed the prep too!

The Perfect Potluck DIY

The afternoon before our party, Sarah (Becoming Martha) sent me a link to these super cute & super efficient party DIYs that I think will be a staple in any future get togethers that include a meal.  These little bundles include your cutlery, napkin & plate, all tied together with a little ribbon for ease of the buffet style meal.  This is PERFECT!  I especially enjoyed it when trying to make the kids' plates... there was no fumbling with the stuff in my hands while trying to load the plates.

Party Beverage Tags

I wanted to do something cute to label people's drinks for our party last weekend.  We were hosting a lot of kids and was anticipating a lot of wasted drinks & inadvertent germ sharing.  I again went searching on Pinterest and found some cute ideas.  The problem was I didn't have a few important supplies for creating most of the ideas I liked.  For that reason, I left it to the last minute.  

A Twist on Hand Print T-Shirts

Inspired by last year's Canada Flag t-shirts that we made, I was looking for ideas for something different that could be done using the boys' hand prints.  I couldn't find anything I loved... And then it hit me.  FIREWORKS!  Hand print fireworks!  Yep.  So we did it.


Supplies

various colours of fabric paint
white t-shirts
kids
patience (haha... lots of this one)


See the tutorial here for instruction.

I did each colour separately and washed hands in between.  It was easy with the older boys, a little more tricky with the 14 month old.  Somehow I managed to get his done without any crying or paint-eating.

DIY Centrepieces (in a Pinch)

Yesterday's Canada Day Party was so much fun!  I can't wait to share all the details & decor, but for tonight I'll have to settle for this quick DIY.

I was pretty on-the-ball for this party, and I had everything ready ahead of time.  I had a list and plans and felt pretty good going into the set up phase.  My good friend & neighbour Sarah from Becoming Martha came over to help both on Friday night when we tidied up loose ends - and had a lesson on Cricut use - and on Saturday to set everything up.  We were almost finished when we realized that there were no plans for table centrepeices!  What?!  So a bit of panic mode ensued as Monday was the holiday and there weren't any stores a) close enough & b) open.  What to do?!

Foodie Friday: Cheesy Tomato & Zucchini

Here's a great simple side that goes with pretty much anything you're serving.  And the very best part:  its only 3 ingredients!  Yep.  3. That's it.  And they are all in the title of this post.


Cheesy Tomato & Zucchini

2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3/4 c. shredded cheese

Canada Day Party Planning: Door Decor

With just one week until the par-tay, I'm getting super excited!  I've been searching for ideas for games & activities for the kiddos.  I've been looking around for food ideas to compliment our theme.  Its fun & I'm trying new things.


I sat on the couch with a wreath-form (thanks to my bloggy buddy Sarah for lending it to me), two balls of yarn & some straight pins and created a beautiful little wreath. 

Date Night: Easy Pretty Nails

Tonight is DATE NIGHT!  Can you say EXCITING?  Since being back to work I feel like I only spend time with the hubby when we meet in the doorway coming & going!  

Tonight we are headed out for a pizza buffet (where they have gluten-free crust, what what!?).  I couldn't be more excited!  It will be so nice to head out just the two of us!