Charity Bake Sale Success 2016 and Perfect Rice Krispie Treats

I wanted to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone here in our local city who came to support our annual charity bake sale. This is something my good friend and I started 5 years ago as a way to get our kids involved in serving others. It has turned into one of our favorite events of the year and such a great opportunity to help families in our community who need a little help. This year was our best year ever and raised just over $2000 for a family who we love (the handsome young man below and his mother--love you Tongas!). We were so blessed to not have any rain until the minute we were taking down the last table. Our prayers were answered and we all had a great time. Thanks to all those who helped and gave so much. Can't wait until next year!

There are several favorite recipes from our bake sale I want to share with you (check the links below), but today I wanted to document (really for myself) the best rice krispie treat recipe. That seems really silly and simple, but I can't tell you how many times I throw in ingredients and they come out either too sticky or too dry. Who wants a dry, crispy treat? Not me! For my sake, I wanted to document this recipe so I don't have to guess the next time I make up a batch of these treats. The key is to double the butter and marshmallows to make for the perfect crispy treat that's gooey and delicious. Hope you enjoy!

Bake Sale Favorites: Cherry Chocolate Brownies, Butterscotch Bars, Strawberry Brownie Trifles, Pumpkin Bread, Best Mint Brownies, Cinnamon Rolls, Pesto Cheese Rolls, Salted Caramel Bars and MUCH more!

Meal Under $10 for a Family of 7: Simply Cajun Chicken Pasta {on the lighter side}

I am excited to share a recipe with you today that is SUPER simple and one your whole family will love. I am a big fan of Cajun food and Cajun Chicken Pasta is one of my favorite dishes. This dish however can sometimes be filled with heavy cream, lots of cheese and be a little heavy for a weeknight meal. I decided to lighten up my original recipe and use items I already had in my food storage. With Macey's case lot sales continuing until Monday the 29th of September, this is a great week to make this dish for under $10. Nearly everything you need for this dish is on sale, so login to Deals to Meals to see it in our meal planner and have access to all of the best grocery deals in your area. Hope you enjoy!

Simple Carrot Cake Cupcakes {No oil added}

In honor of our bake sale coming up this Thursday (check my Facebook for the address if you want to come), I thought I'd share with you a simple and easy recipe for Carrot Cupcakes. Who doesn't love a good carrot cake? However, a made from scratch cake can be time consuming and hard to make. These simple cupcakes are made from a box mix and would make any event special ;)

Weekend Recap

Hope you had a great weekend! Sorry I've been a little m.i.a. lately. We've had a crazy last week. We finally got our house put back together after our remodel and have flooring again which is lovely. Our new bathroom is put together and we have a toilet and sink (hallelujiah!) and our dishwasher and fridge are set up again. Man, I am sure grateful I wasn't a pioneer. It's amazing how much you take for granted simple luxuries until you don't have them for a week. Our home is finally getting put back together and that is a relief (I'll show pictures soon). Also, we spent the past weekend having one more summer getaway with my family. All four of us sisters went with our families to Goblin Valley and had a blast. We hiked (yes, 8 miles with 18 kids--we were kind of crazy but had fun), ate, played flag football, explored, had a night game of steal the flag, watched a movie outdoors under the starts, ate way too much and had a great time visiting. We then rushed home to see my daughter off to Homecoming. She looked so grown up it made me want to cry. I'm so grateful for her though and her good, and darling group of friends. It gives me hope for the future with amazing youth like her and her friends.

Now, it's off to pick peaches off my tree that are desperately waiting to be canned, plan for my sons birthday party, our annual neighborhood bake sale and keep working on our new blog (I can't wait to show it to you!). Hope you are having a great week too and get a chance to sit back, relax and eat something yummy (yes, many bake sale favorite recipes coming this week).

Having used our outdoor projector, I couldn't help but give another shout out for this favorite product of ours.  Our portable, mini projector is seriously a favorite product that we use at least monthly (if not more often). They are so great to take on vacations and play out door movies, to use in a theater room, to bring and use in hotel rooms, etc. We use ours ALL the time and it makes for a great time no matter where we are. In Goblin Valley we had a riot watching a movie under the stars, eating snacks and being able to cuddle up on the ground for a good show. The kids think it's the best...and so do I. This would make for an awesome Christmas gift if you have someone hard to shop for ;)

Saved over 50% on my groceries: Spent $134 and saved $143.79!

Check out some of the awesome deals I stocked up on this past week at Smiths. They had some great deals on cheese, peanut butter, rice, eggs, sugar, cream cheese and much more! When grocery shopping, remember to focus on the 'red/great' deals on our website to save you the most money. I only bought items that were red deals and saved over 50% off my total. Now my freezer is filled with cheese at the lowest possible price, my food storage is bulked up with sugar and peanut butter, and I bought everything at rock bottom prices. Now I won't have to buy these items again for several months which will save me BIG money! Visit our website and login to see how easy (and FUN) it is to save time and money ;)

HUGE Case Lot Grocery Deals this week!!

HUGE case lot deals this week at many grocery stores in the western portion of the United States! It is the last week of these amazing grocery deals, so make sure and stock up if they are going on in your area. Stores like Smiths, Harmons, Maceys, Reams and many other stores are having HUGE savings on items you should add to your food storage. Login to Deals to Meals to know which items are worth stock up on and will save you 30%-70% off their regular prices. This is the time to stock up to save money throughout the rest of the year!!

Flashback Friday: Grilled Peaches and Pineapple with Honey Lime Glaze

Before summer comes to an end (insert sobs!), I wanted to remind you of a really healthy, and simple dessert recipe I blogged about a couple years ago. When peaches are ripe, and on sale (yes, like this week--login to Deals to Meals to find out where), it is the perfect time to grill up some fresh fruit in your backyard. Drizzle your fruit with this honey lime glaze to amp up the flavors and make everything delicious. Serve this hot fruit with some vanilla ice cream and you have a dessert that's not only refreshing, but as delicious as it is pretty. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Creamy Summer Garden Soup with Garlic Cheese Biscuits {Red Lobster Copycat Recipe}

Tonight I am going to bed feeling so grateful for so many things. Most importantly I am grateful for so many kind and caring people in my life. The community we live in is unlike anywhere I've ever experienced. I feel like our neighbors are constantly looking to see how they can help and lift their neighbors. I generally like to be on the giving end of service, but today I was so touched to be the recipient of so many kind acts.

We have pretty much ripped portions of every room in our house. We built our home almost 14 years ago, so the flooring in nearly every room was desperate for a change. We also had some painting that needed to be done, tile to be broken out of three rooms, kitchen cabinets to be painted and an entire bathroom that needed to be demolished and re-done. Let's just say our home is in complete chaos. A fun kind of crazy since they are all fun changes, but just crazy. I was so grateful this morning when several dear friends came to save the day. They brought their tools and gloves and stayed here for HOURS helping clean, paint, rip out items and visit with me. I was so touched by their kindness. It's amazing how the smallest acts of service to others can mean so much to the person receiving them. I just wanted to send a big THANK YOU to all of my 'angels' who came to the rescue today. Not to mention, my sweet sister made me the most delicious soup I think I've had in a long time. Not to mention it was healthy, made with all the veggies you might have growing in your garden, and a great meat-less meal your family will love. Not to mention she served this soup with homemade Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits which were heavenly. Good friends, a warm meal and I am counting my many blessings tonight.

If you want to make someones day, make up a double batch of this soup and give it to someone in need. Homemade soup and bread makes everyone feel better, right? Hope you enjoy! :)

*Nearly all of the vegetables and ingredients for this soup are on sale this week (cheese, evaporated milk, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, onions, frozen corn, etc.). You could easily make up a huge batch of this soup for under $10. Login to Deals to Meals to see where all of the best grocery deals are in your area.

Best Curry Chicken Salad and Happy Labor Day!

How was your Labor Day weekend? I hope you had a great time with family and friends. Normally all of our family events are finished come Labor Day but this year we decided to end the summer with a bang and had a last minute reunion up at Bear Lake, Utah. WE had nearly 50 of us there and had such a blast! We swam, we played games, we stayed up too late talking, ate too many smores, laughed, cried, had a riotous flag football game on the beach, at way too much yummy food, watched outdoor movies on our mini projector (that we LOVE!) and had an overall great weekend. I am still working on my vacation meal planning ebook, but until that's done, I wanted to share with you a recipe that goes with our family everywhere we go.

Our family are huge fans of chicken salad sandwiches. There is something about them that we all love! We eat them for lunch, or for a simple dinner. They are filling, full of amazing flavor and are simple to prepare because you don't need any condiments or other aspects to the sandwich. Make the filing ahead of time and then all you need to pack is bread. It's lovely!

This year I wanted to make two different chicken salad recipes just to switch things up a little ;) I made our original Herbed Chicken Salad and then came up with this curry version. We all couldn't decide which one we loved more. If you are a big curry fan, you will love this recipe! Add some golden raisins and you will be in chicken salad heaven. Whether you're going on a trip, or just want a quick recipe for dinner or lunch, you're going to love our Curry Chicken Salad recipe. Enjoy :)

Favorite Breakfast Smoothie: Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shakes

It seems as my kids get older and life gets busier, I don't have time to make the warm, homemade breakfasts I used to make when my children were little. With five kids in four different schools, all starting at different times, our mornings get a little hectic. However, I have found a solution to our crazy-breakfast rush and it is smoothies. I have always been a fan of smoothies and with a Blendtec (which I LOVE--have I mentioned that before) I can make large batches of smoothies that feed my whole family (saving on time which is crucial in the morning). I'm excited to share with you my favorite morning smoothie to help fill the kids up and start our day on the right foot--and who doesn't want chocolate and peanut butter in the morning?!?! Hope you enjoy ;)

*Most of these items I buy at Costco. Login to Deals to Meals to see the coupon deals at Costco this month.

Ultimate Taco Nachos

Nearly every Sunday after my family gets home from church we have 'Nacho Sunday'. We love nachos because they are a quick snack our whole family loves. Not to mention they are totally yummy and it's so fun to add all sorts of different toppings. The other Sunday we had a fun time making these Ultimate Nachos. They are covered with everything delicious and makes for an easy, one dish meal for a busy night. Who doesn't love that? Kind of a random meal, but fun for kids and adults alike ;)

*All of the items you need for these nachos are all on sale this week, so login to Deals to Meals to save some money on groceries!

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

In case you have some extra zucchini's in your garden, here's a delicious recipe for Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread for you. Who doesn't love zucchini bread? Combine zucchini with three different kinds of chocolate and you have me sold! Hope you love this bread as much as we did. Have a great last few weeks of summer!

Here's some more zucchini recipes to tempt your appetite!

Flashback Friday: Buffalo Chicken Pizza and Thai Chicken Pizza {Favorite Pizza Dough Recipes}

Last weekend we had the best time making homemade pizzas with my extended family. We experimented with lots of different flavors and combinations and were in LOVE with these two gourmet pizzas. The first pizza we used our favorite quick pizza crust recipe and topped it with grilled chicken, ranch dressing, fresh tomatoes, green onions, crumbled blue cheese, lots of mozzarella cheese and Buffalo sauce. It was amazing!!

On the second pizza we topped the crust with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, added grilled chicken, green onions, diced bell peppers, chopped cilantro and lots of mozzarella cheese. This Thai pizza was a hit and the sweet and spicy flavor was unforgettable. My mouth is still watering thinking about these pizzas. If you want to have a fun, family activity, whip up a batch of homemade pizza dough and have fun playing with new toppings and flavors. Hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy ;)

*Btw, there are TONS of great deals on produce and meat this week, so login to Deals to Meals to find where to get your pizza toppings at the best price.

Southwestern Shredded Pork Stuffed Bell Peppers

Do you ever get stumped on what to use your leftover in? The other day we had tons of smoked, pulled pork that my neighbor gave to us. It was amazing on a sandwich with barbecue sauce, but last night I wanted to try a little something different. We're trying to eat a few less carbs, so I decided to come up with a stuffed bell pepper recipe that was healthy, easy and something my family would eat. These bell peppers were stuffed with a cheesy, southwestern combination of fabulous flavors that went so perfectly with the sweet pepper flavor. I drizzled these peppers with a creamy cilantro dressing that made the whole thing a perfect 10 in my book! If you are looking for a new, and flavorful way to use up your leftover pork or chicken, this recipe is a keeper ;) Hope you love!

Cheesy Tomato Avocado Pesto Paninis {Meal Under $10 for Family of 7}

Ready for one of the most simple, healthy, delicious sandwiches you've ever had? You are going to love this meatless meal you can make in less than 15 minutes. Not to mention, it uses fresh tomatoes and basil from your garden so it's fresh and summer-licious. We made these for a quick dinner the other night and they were a hit with the whole family. For my hubby and teenage son I added a few slices of deli turkey to give their's a little more protein. For the rest of us, we loved the fresh vegetables melted in between layers of cheese and pesto. Oh, it was lovely! Can't wait for you to try them ;) Enjoy!

*Login to Deals to Meals to see where all of these ingredients are on sale in your area: tomatoes, avocados, cheese and bread are all on sale for great prices this week.

NEW Favorite Things Giveaway and Mimi Cafe's Copycat Honey Bran Muffin Recipe

Happy Monday everyone! I'm excited to share with you another one of my favorite things and products I would be sad to live without. This giveaway and post is all about muffins. Anyone who follows my blog knows I am a HUGE fan of muffins. I make them on a weekly basis for my kids and I love that they are a healthier snack than many prepackaged items. I always fill my muffins up with bran, wheat, flax seed and other whole grains to help my kids stay full longer. Now, if you are like me and you make a lot of muffins, sometimes it can get frustrating to always run out of muffin wrappers. I hate having to run to a store for one or two things because I always end up spending more than I want to when I shop. So, I have found that buying my muffin wrappers on line is the best and cheapest solution. I now keep hundreds of muffin wrappers in my pantry so I never run out and can make muffins to my hearts content.

Another favorite product is the Excellante 24 Muffin Tin pan. There is never a time I only make 12 muffins or cupcakes. With a large family I am always cooking at least 24 muffins at a time. I LOVE this 24 muffin tin that can cook all of your muffins or cupcakes at one time. No more having to wait for two batches to cook. Get them all cooked and cooling together to save you time.

So, for this weeks giveaway, we will be giving away two packages of the 500 count muffin wrappers as well as our favorite Farberware 12 Muffin Tin. We will ship these to your home on September 1st and can't wait to see who wins. Hope you love these products as much as we do!

500 Count Muffin Wrappers {Only $6.49 for 500!}

Farberware 12 Muffin Tin {Currently 52% off--a great time to buy!}

Excellante 24 Muffin Tin  {Pan is on sale for 32% off--ONLY $12.88}

Now...onto a delicious muffin recipe since we're talking about muffins. Who doesn't LOVE the bran muffins sold at Mimi's Cafe? If you haven't had them, you are missing out. They are amazing! They are extremely moist because the muffins are lined in this sweet glaze that makes them to die for. If you are a muffin fanatic like I am, I can't wait for you to try these! They are bordernline dessert, but oh-so worth every calorie!! Enjoy :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Super Thick Peanut Butter Oreo Brownies

 My brother in law came into town the other week, who is obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate like my husband. I knew I needed to come up with a new peanut butter treat to make there stay a little extra special. So, I decided to mix our three loves: Oreos, peanut butter and chocolate. What's not to love about that combo? The results were phenomenal! These bars were thick, chewy, gooey and everything I want in a dessert. The big pieces of Oreo cookie were a really fun addition to these bars. If you love peanut butter like we do, you will want to make these the next time you've got a craving for peanut butter. Not to mention, peanut butter is on sale this week for a great price, so login to Deals to Meals and stock up while it's on sale!

Winner of Favorite Things Giveaway!

Congratulations to Andrea Smith who won our Amazon gift card to go towards her Camp Chef Double Burner Camping Stove! Thank you to all who entered and shared our giveaway on your social media sites. Watch for another amazing Favorite Things Giveaway coming up on Monday! In the mean time, head over to Amazon to check out some of our past favorite things--and take advantage of the great sale prices!

Asian Shredded Pork Slaw Sandwiches

I am always looking for new ways to use pork. I love that it's always on sale for a great deal and I can feed my large family for cheap. This week pork is on sale again for a great price, so I wanted to come up with a recipe that is new and fun. I am super excited to share this recipe with you. This sandwich is super easy to make and is a healthy, delicious Asian recipe your family will love. I love the sweet and tangy sauce on the pork, along with the crisp and fresh coleslaw on top. Give this recipe a try--you're going to love it!

To find out where pork is on sale this week, login to Deals to Meals and see all of the best deals in your area.

Flashback Friday: BLT Barbecue Chicken Salad

On our meal planner this week on Deals to Meals you will see one of my favorite summer salad recipes. We had this last week and we couldn't get enough! We were literally licking the bowl clean. I love everything about the combination of this salad--salty, crispy bacon, bed of crisp lettuce greens, grilled chicken smothered in barbecue sauce, crunchy croutons, shredded cheese and drizzled with a cool, ranch dressing. Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! This salad is like a BLT in a salad--only kicked up a notch. I can't wait for you to try this salad recipe this summer. You are going to love it!

Not to mention, every ingredient for this salad is on sale this week. There are great deals this week on chicken, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, salad dressing, eggs, cheese, etc. Make this meal for well under $10 by logging into Deals to Meals and checking out the best grocery deals in your area.

*Don't forget to enter to win an Amazon Gift Card! Only one more day to enter. 

Homemade Dole Pineapple Whips--only 4 ingredients and perfect summer treat!

Before summer has come and gone I am super excited to share with you this recipe for a 'mock' recipe for Pineapple Dole Whips. For those of you who have been to Disneyland and can't get enough of their Pineapple Whips, this recipe is pretty darn close. My family and I have been making these for a month now and LOVE them! They are so refreshing and tropical. I love pineapple and coconut anyway, so this combination is totally up my alley. If you like less coconut flavor, you can always use less coconut milk and add more pineapple juice. I love coconut equally as much though, so I like the recipe just the way it is. For this size of recipe you will want to use a large blender (like my FAVE Blendtec) or half the recipe in a normal blender to make sure it will all fit. Hope you are having a great summer!! Enjoy ;)

*Don't forget to enter to win an Amazon Gift Card! Only three more days to enter. 

Nectarine Infused Waffles and Nectarine Chicken Kabobs with CousCous--two amazing recipes!

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I am still working day and night on our new blog and it's seeming to take all of my free time to blog. Thanks for being patient with me ;) I can't wait to show you all we have going on with our new blog!

In the mean time I wanted to share a couple recipes I've been making and loving this past week. First off, if you haven't made it to your local Sprouts this past week, they have Nectarines for only $0.33/lb. I bought several bags to snack on and use in cooking. One of my favorite recipes to use nectarines is for our Nectarine Chicken Kabobs with CousCous. It has such an abundance of delicious flavor and is perfect for summer.

The other recipe I've made is for Nectarine Infused Waffles with Butter Syrup. I was too busy last night to make dinner, so I threw together these waffles and they were SO good! We all devoured them and loved the fresh nectarines in the waffles, as well as on top. Of course we had to serve it with our favorite Butter Syrup which took these over the top. If you have any peaches or nectarines lying around, these two recipes are ones I know you will love!!

Flashback Friday: Beach Street Chicken Lemon Linguine

I mentioned on Instagram earlier this week one of my all-time favorite meals. In case there is someone out there who hasn't tried this recipe, you are missing out. Don't wait another week to give this recipe a try. It is such an unusual pasta dish with different flavors like Cajun, soy sauce, lemon and a sweetness from some brown sugar. At first you might look at this recipe and think it is kind of strange. However, it is AMAZING! The flavors all come together so perfectly unlike any pasta dish you've ever had.  Hope you love it!

*Don't forget to login to Deals to Meals to find out where you can get chicken and pasta on sale this week. Both are on sale for great deals. In fact, some stores have chicken as low as $1.29/lb. How great is that?!

New Favorite Things Giveaway: Camp Chef Burner Range--Enter to win Amazon Gift Card

It's another awesome week of giveaways! We are loving sharing our favorite things each Monday with you on our blog. We have heard from so many of you who have purchased some of these products and are loving them. The Brookstone Pocket Projector has been a huge hit and I am grateful so many of you have loved this product like we do. It is seriously the BEST gift for any man in your life. That's a favorite for sure around our home ;)

Thanks to all of you who entered to win (and shared on social media) about last week's Favorite Things Giveaway. Congratulations to Lisa Brown who was the winner of our Amazon Gift Card! Don't forget to enter to win another gift card this week. I am excited to share another amazing product that our family LOVES. Our family loves to go camping. Not only because the mountains here in Utah are spectacular, but because it's an inexpensive activity we can do with our entire family. We bring all of our food from home, so other than the gas money and the camping site fee, it's super cheap. We have also found another way to save money is by booking group camp sites. If you get several families to come up, it can save you over 50% off your fee. This past week we went with friends and family and had 6 families who shared a $110/night group fee. That made it only $18 a night instead of the $50 fee for a single campsite. There was plenty of space for everyone and we were thrilled we get two nights for less than the one regular fee.

Flashback Friday: 13 Favorite Peanut Butter Recipes & JIF Peanut Butter on sale for only $.99!!!

For those of you who live near a Kroger, Smiths or other Associated Kroger Stores, this is the week to stock up on Peanut Butter!! Who doesn't love JIF peanut butter and Smucker's Jam? This week these stores are offering these two items for only $0.99 each (check your local ads, some stores have them for $1.49 which is still a good deal). This is over 60% off the regular price, so it's the best time to stock up. Login to our website to see what specials your local grocery stores are offering.

To get you excited to stock up on peanut butter I wanted to share with you some of my favorite peanut butter dessert recipes. Who doesn't want a little sweet treat this time of year? I know I do! And if it has peanut butter and chocolate in it, I'm in heaven! Enjoy 13 of my favorite pb and chocolate recipes. Enjoy and let's all get out and stock up on some peanut butter and save some $$!

Cherry Peach Cobbler with Brown Sugar Crumble and Summer Happenings

One of my favorite parts about summer is all of the fresh fruit that goes on sale. I love that fresh peaches, apricots, cherries, watermelon and cantaloupe are all on sale this week. I am a huge fan of cobblers and wanted to use some of the fruits on sale to come up with a new, delicious recipe I could share with you. I needed a quick dessert the other night for a family event so I used the peaches and cherries I bought at the store this past week. I had never used fresh cherries in a cobbler before,  but I loved their juicy, sweet flavor they added. I am sure you could use apricots instead of peaches as well, you might need to add a little apricot nectar to loosen them up though. No matter what fruits you choose to use in this recipe, this brown sugar crumble is heaven!! I hope you are having a great week and give this recipe a try ;)

*Looking for fresh produce on sale? Login to Deals to Meals to see where the best sales are in your area.

For those here in Utah, you've got to check out the Payson-Nebo Loop. It was breathtaking and such a beautiful place to camp and hike. Can't believe I had never been there before!

Summer fun here on the home front ;)

Meal Under $10: Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

Want a simple, weeknight meal you can make for under $10? Don't settle for a boring pot roast with little flavor. With a few simple ingredients, you can take a beef roast from boring to incredible! I love using this shredded beef for simple tacos, burritos or I use it in my enchiladas. This meat is so tender and amazing that I could really just eat it by the plateful. This meat does call for one of my favorite Mexican seasonings that you might not have--but you'll want it. It's the McCormick Mojito Lime Seasoning. You can buy it at a grocery store in a small packet for $2-$3, but I buy it online in a 26 oz. size because it is so delicious on all of my favorite Mexican dishes.

The best part about this recipe is nearly all of the ingredients are on sale at your local grocery stores. Beef roasts are on sale for great prices, which make this meal super inexpensive and a great solution to your weeknight menu plan. Plus, if you cook up a large roast you can use the extras for later meals or freeze for another night. Enjoy!

*Don't forget to enter to win the Amazon Gift Card on our past post. And check out our favorite Product of the Week ;)

Our Favorite Things Giveaway: Sevylor Fish Hunter 6 Man Raft

Congratulations to Eraka B. who was the winner of our $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. We are excited to be giving away an another $25 gift card this week and highlighting another one of our favorite products. This is something we'll be doing every Monday and hope to get you excited and share some of our favorite services and products our family has grown to love. We are a big family and love to be active and have a lot of fun together. We have a huge extended family that we live near by and love to spend time with as well. So, we have tested, used up, worn out and loved many products we would love to share with you. If you ever need a good gift idea, Fathers Day/Mother's Day or Christmas idea, I'm hoping these list of items will help you in that search. I am not a very good gift giver and sometimes it's hard to think of things my family would use, that won't end up in a good will pile in a few months.

I am thrilled to share this new product with you. If you follow me on Instagram you know we use our Sevylor Raft ALL the time. About three years ago my family wanted to ride down a local river and looked into renting a raft and company to shuttle us up and back. We found out it would cost over $250 for our family to go rafting just one time. With several teenagers and little kids who love adventure, we decided to look into investing in a raft of our own. At the time we had no idea how much we would love this raft and how fun it would be! We have since used this raft 5-6 times a year and it has been amazing quality and completely dependable. My husband did hours of research to find the best raft for the price and this Sevylor Fish Hunter 6 Man Raft was the winner. Since we purchased our own raft, several of our family members have purchased them as well--and loved them!

These rafts would be the perfect Christmas or summer gift for your whole family. With one month left of summer, it's not too late to purchase one, get it shipped to you by Wednesday and be out on a river or lake by this weekend. We love going rafting because other than gas to get us to a river, the rest of the event is free. We pack a lunch or dinner, raft down the river and are back home without spending a lot of money. Here is a list of 25 of the best river rafting destinations in the U.S. to get you excited ;)

Sevylor Super Caravelle 6 Man Raft

Sevylor Fish Hunter 4 Man Raft

Pair Paddle Boat Oars

Now, enter to win $25 to go towards your purchase of this raft, or one of your favorite products. Follow the instructions below and check back Monday to find out who the winner is ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway