LauraMorey

Simple Treat: Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

June 6, 2015 / Cooking With The Kids, Simple Recipes, Simple Video / 0 comment

Summertime has the kids home, ready to raid the pantry for snacks. You want to give them something that will be good for them, but when they are craving something sweet, what do you do? Try these simple, frozen treats you can feel good about – the kids can even make these treats themselves! Plus, it is a nice snack for those adults who have a sweet tooth – only about 25 calories per bite!

Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

Ingredients:

Three ripe (but not too ripe!) bananas
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
1.5 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet.

Slice the bananas into ½ inch slices.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and oil. Place in microwave and heat on full (HIGH) power for 30 seconds. Stir. Place back in microwave for 10-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is just smooth. (FYI – Don’t over cook, or the chocolate will harden and look grainy.)

Dip the banana slices in the chocolate, making sure to cover entire slice in chocolate.

Place slices on wax paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for six hours or overnight until slices are thoroughly frozen.

Enjoy!!

Simple Style AND Sun Protection From Cabana Life

June 3, 2015 / Simple Ideas, Simple Savings, Simple Style / 0 comment

The heat and sun of summer is upon us, and you know, you’ve got to protect your skin! Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of meeting Melissa Papock, owner of CabanaLife.com, a line of SPF 50+ clothing and beachwear. A fantastic person and a wonderful clothing line!

Melissa’s journey to a sun safety clothing line is unique – she was a merchandising expert in New York, working for top fashion and beauty magazines. But then, at age 26, she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

After fighting the big “C” she began her quest to find, and ultimately CREATE, a stylish line of sun protective clothing. It is adorable, preppy and colorful!

Being the great person she is, Melissa is offering a Friends & Family Discount for SimpleSolutionsDiva.com readers – 25% OFF your on-line order!! Simply plug in the code CABANA25 at checkout! So take advantage of this terrific deal and protect your skin (and your children’s!).

Nitty Gritty Basics For The Dorm Room

May 30, 2015 / Back To School, Heading Off To College, Simple Ideas, Simple Video / 0 comment

What do you pack for your first time in college? The Diva shares some simple basics for the dorm room that are “mom recommended” for college freshmen! Use this as a starting point for your student, taking into consideration their wants and likes!

This video is part of the series, “Heading Off To College” — simple tips & helpful hints to make it easier to send your students off to college!

Simple Graduation Gift

May 28, 2015 / Heading Off To College, Simple Project / 0 comment

As high school seniors graduate, they get to look forward to many new adventures; on those adventures, memories are made! Give the new graduate in your life a simple gift: A Memory Box to save all those new memories!

The Memory Box is for saving things like ticket stubs from concerts, events, and movies that have meaning to your new graduate.

This is a VERY simple project – the hardest part is finding the right shadow box – a top-loading shadow box that will allow the owner to just drop in their ticket stubs into the box. (I’ve made it easy for you by providing a link at the end of this post to where I found my box.)

I found a great quote on memories and dreams that I thought would work well, and printed it on paper. Cutting the paper to fit the inside/back of the shadow box, I glued the quote on the inside, then replaced the back on the shadow box. Simple as that!

Here is a link to one of the shadow boxes on Michaels.com/ShadowBox.

Create A College Emergency Kit

May 23, 2015 / Back To School, Heading Off To College, Simple Ideas, Simple Video / 0 comment

You get that dreaded call from your college freshman, “Mom, I’m sick! My head hurts!” (or stomach, or ears, etc.). What can you do? Send them off to college with an emergency kit, full of items they can use to combat some of the simplest, (yet most annoying) of health problems!

The Diva shows you how to assemble a kit, with Mom-Recommended items that might help your student help themselves!

Note: Items in the kit are suggestions – choose items that are appropriate for your student. If you know they have allergies, add in allergy medicine you know works for them. You know they get a sour stomach during mid-terms? Pack in some tummy meds that you know work.

This video is part of the “Heading Off To College” series, featuring simple tips and helpful hints to make it easier to send your students off to college!

Using Technology In The Garden

May 18, 2015 / Simple Garden / 0 comment

We are bringing technology outside today! What do you do if you have pest problems in the garden or need to identify a plant? Want to design your garden before you plant? Or even what kind of bird just visited your bird feeder? Here are a few top websites and apps to help you in your garden!

Design Your Garden – On Line Garden Planner

This website allows you to create a layout of your garden, or to use a pre-designed garden layout. They have a free, limited 15 day trial available (you can design, you just can’t save the plans), or you can purchase the full version for $34.00. They also have an app available for iPad for $9.99. (iPad app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garden-designer/id521621059)

Website: http://www.smallblueprinter.com/garden/planner.html

Identify That Plant or Garden Problem – Garden Compass App

This app is like having a gardener in your pocket! They have garden experts in all regions of the country. You have a problem or need to identify a plant, you simply take a photo and it is sent to one of their garden experts. Within 24 hours, you receive an answer to your question. They have a library of more than 6,000 plants to reference. Right now, the App is free and can be used on iPad, iPod Touch, or your iPhone. When you download the app, you are given 6 credits for free, allowing you to send in 2 different photo inquiries. Additional credits (10 credits) are available to purchase for cost $6.99.

http://www.gardencompass.com

Identify That Bird – WhatBird.com

Humans aren’t the only ones who like to visit Florida! Birds like to visit our state on their migratory paths! WhatBird.com is a great, free site to identify the unique, and the run-of-the-mill, birds you see in your yard! You can identify the birds by color, body shape, bill shape and even by their sound! They also have an app called iBird for the iPhone and iPad – which is currently on sale for $14.99.

http://identify.whatbird.com/mwg/20/0/1/10/vals.aspx#Values

Thank you to WTLV-TV’s First Coast Living for inviting me on to share these websites!

Make a Three-Tiered Herb Garden In Just 20 Minutes

May 16, 2015 / Simple Garden, Simple Video, Spring Fever! / 0 comment

Yes, in 20 minutes you really CAN make a three tiered herb garden. It is simple and, if you use clay pots, pretty cost effective!

Supplies Needed:

Five Clay Pots of various sizes – I used a 15″, 12″, 8.5″ (two of them), and a 6.5″ pot.
Garen Soil – I used Miracle Grow Potting Soil with moisture control.
Plant Food – I used Osmocote for Flowers and Vegetables.
Stones for Drainage

Directions:

Check out the easy to follow the directions in the video!

How Easy Is It To Make Your Own Artwork?

May 9, 2015 / Kids Activities, Putting Pinterest To The Test, Simple Decor, Simple Project, Simple Video / 0 comment

Today’s video is part of the “Putting Pinterest To The Test” Video Series! The Diva tests a pin that says it is easy to make your own, beautiful wall art – as easy as having some acrylic paints, a canvas and some masking tape. How easy is it? Do you need an art degree, or at least a little creativity?

Additionally, the Diva was a little wary that the masking tape might not create a good seal on the canvas, so she tested masking tape versus Frogtape Multi-surface painting tape.

To make your own wall art, you need will the following:

A white art canvas
Various Acrylic Paints (The Diva used Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set)
Variety of paint brushes and sponges
FrogTape Multi-Surface Painting Tape (Or you can use masking tape, but the lines will not be as crisp as Frogtape)
Old newspaper or drop cloth to protect your work surface

Check the video for directions and helpful tips!

What do you think of our artwork?

Artwork created by the Diva's daughter! — Artwork created by the Diva’s daughter!

Simple Painting Tips To Make The Job Easier!

May 2, 2015 / Simple Decor, Simple Video / 0 comment

With just a few simple tips from the Diva, you can make your next painting project a whole lot easier!

Make Your Morning Smoothie, The Simple Way

April 25, 2015 / Back To School, Cooking With The Kids, Simple Kitchen Tips, Simple Recipes, Simple Video / 0 comment

My family loves a good smoothie for breakfast, but sometimes the morning rush leaves us without enough time to assemble the smoothie! Check out the simple video tip above for a simple solution to that time problem!

My smoothie packets all assembled and ready to use in the morning!

Frozen Smoothie Packet Recipes:

Smoothie Flavor Combos – You are only limited by your imagination!

Our current favorite recipe includes banana, mango, pineapple, spinach, and coconut greek yogurt (mixed with apple juice)! My oldest says, “It is better than ice cream, and healthier, too!”

Other favorites include:

The Superfood Smoothie – strawberry, blueberry, chia seeds and apple juice or almond milk.

The Tropical – Mango, Pineapple, Coconut Yogurt mixed with organic acai juice.

Strawberry & Banana – mixed with vanilla yogurt and almond milk.

Another great tip when preparing your frozen smoothie packets: If you want to include yogurt in your smoothie, use an ice cube tray and make yogurt ice cubes. They make it easier to assemble your smoothie packets!