Summer slow cooker meal plan!

I am so excited, I got me a brand new slow cooker, look how pretty it is:

LOVE IT! I sure did love my old one, but it has served me well and it was time for it to go, it was all cracked on the bottom and I just knew one day my dinner was going to come busting through the bottom. So we saved up our air miles and got this one for free!! This slow cooker is super smart, it can tell when your food is done and turns itself to "warm" so your food doesn't over cook and mushy, I love it and I am so excited to use it! So I started to look for some summer slow cooker meals, perfect for the days when you don't want to heat up the house! But who wants to eat soups and stews in the summer? Not me, so I went searching for meals in the slow cooker that actually go with summer time, and I found some interesting ones, so I will give them a try. Here is our meal plan for the next 2 weeks, including some summer slow cooker meals: 

This meal plan only has 10 meals cause we plan to be out and about for a few nights so we won't need home meals, also we never made the chicken ranch tacos from the last meal plan, so they are being carried over to this meal plan. The Balsamic chicken, the Mexican Haystacks, the ribs and the King ranch chicken over potatoes are all summer slow cooker recipes that we will be trying! Almost everyone of these meals is a new (to us) recipe, found on www.pinterest.com and I am so excited to try them all! just because it's summer doesn't mean you have to stop using your slow cooker! Keep reading my blog to see more summer slow cooker meals over the next few weeks, if you would like any of these recipes, just shoot me a message! Happy cooking! 

20 Cheap or free Summer activities!!

We all love summer, chillin' outside is everyone's favorite pastime in the summer, but the expenses can add up quick and summer or not, there are always bills to pay, so I thought I would help y'all out and give you a list of cheap or free summer activities! There is so much fun to be had out there and it doesn't have to cost a thing, the best things in life are free, and with family or friends by your side, you can't go wrong!!

1- Fly a kite, if you don't have one, you can easily make one, http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/lets-go-fly-a-kite/ making one might even be more fun!
2- Go on a nature walk, walk around your community you might be surprised what you see, flowers, butterflies, birds etc, bring your camera catch a few pretty shots, let the kiddo's take pics too, see the world through their eyes.
3- Go to a Parade, most people have a parade near by, parades are always free, they are fun for the young and old, bring your lawn chair and get some free candy to boot! Fun for all!
4- Have a Picnic! This is the same meal you would have had at home, so it is still free, grab a blanket and eat outside, you would be surprised how much better food tastes outside, everyone loves a picnic!
5- Blowing bubbles, we make our own out of dish soap, 1/2 cup blue dawn dish soap in a 2 liter bottle, top with cold water and you have enough bubbles to last all summer, you can buy some bubble wands or make your own out of pipe cleaners!

6- Celebrate the first day of Summer or any old day with a bonfire! Roasting marshmallows on a fire is wonderful way to spend the evening! Throw in some family and friends and you have got yourself a wonderful summer night! 

7- Go fishing, well you will need a license depending on your age etc, but they are usually pretty cheap and in the end you get dinner! (hopefully) There is so much fun to be had out at the lake with your line in the water, beauty! 

8- Visit your local splash park, or turn on your sprinkler, on a hot day, water is water, and we love it. Find a puddle lol! Most splash parks are free and so nice on a hot summer day! 

9- Harvest food and fruit from your community, if you live in the Country ask around find out where some local free food is growing and bring some home, yum! If you are out in the city, find a farmers market and get some delicious food, fresh off the farm! 

10- Go on a bike ride! Take the family or friends out for a ride! Everyone gets some exercise and a change of view too! 

11- Take pictures, take lots of picture, these are the moments, you don't want to forget them! 

12- Go to baseball or football game,  there are a lot of schools that have free ball games you can attend, take in a local game and cheer on the home team!

13- Watch fireworks, fireworks are always free and a great way to spend a summer night, get out and enjoy!

14- Plant a garden or flowers, for the price of a few seeds you can have entertainment all summer long, watching the seeds sprout and harvesting your fruits or veggies is tons of fun and about as organic as you can get! 

15- Catch butterflies, examine them, look up their breed, they are so beautiful and fun to catch, they have nets at the dollar store, 1$ for an afternoon of fun sounds good to me! 

16- Pick wild flowers, there are wild flowers growing all over this beautiful country of ours, go on a nice country drive, look for wildlife and for flowers, some  wild flowers are not to be picked, make sure you check that out for your area.

17- Send a post card to a loved one, post cards are inexpensive, grab one and send it out, you are sure to put a smile on someones face! 

18- Bird watching, head out to your local park and check out all the pretty birds we have here, bring some bird seed or bread and really make a birds day! 

19-  Set up an entertainment swap, gather some old books, board games and dvds, that you and your family no longer want and swap them with your friend and neighbor for their unwanted entertainment! This is a great way to try out new things and it doesn't have to cost you a thing!

20- Organize a garage sale or sell your stuff online, take the extra cash and go for ice cream! Or better yet, make your own ice cream! 

I sure hope this list inspires you to get out there and have some fun this summer, fun doesn't have to cost you a thing!! Enjoy! 

Your new summer meal plan!

Hi there everyone, with summer quickly upon us, our meal plans change, here is our summer meal plan for the next 2 weeks!

I love trying new recipe's there are a few new ones on this menu plan, you never know when you will find your families new favorite by trying something new! I spent sometime this week looking for summer slow cooker recipe's, cause I love my slow cooker all year, but I don't want to eat heavy soups etc in the summer, I found a lot of great recipes and my new fancy slow cooker is on it's way to me know, I am so excited to try out these new summer slow cooker ideas, much nicer then heating up your whole house on those hot days! Thinking ahead! Thanks for reading my blog and as always please feel free to leave me a comment asking for any recipe you might want to try!