So you’ve been thinking about getting “The Family Swing Set”.  Got kids.  Got Family.  Why not?  Have you looked into the different ones that are available?  Have you researched quality and construction?  Safety and / or chemical concerns of the materials that are used, perhaps?  How about what this beast is going to look like a few years from now?  What are the maintenance requirements annually?  Will you need a Master’s in Engineering to get the blasted thing up?  Will it take a month?  How hard can it be?  It is a child’s plaything after all… right?

We were quite honestly shocked by the amount of information and the questions that one needs answered in order to make the best choice when it comes to swing sets.  We came through yet again for you though!  Here it is…  Drumroll please…  Without further adieu, the product of months of research and our Favorite Swing Set Company is… Kid’s Creations!!

We chose Kid’s Creations for every reason.  We were surprised though that the highest quality set was also the best price by comparison!  Buying from Kids Creations allows you to purchase directly from the manufacturer, and in turn you save a TON of money!  How’s 50% off sound??  Oooh yeah.  They also won us over for their commitment to being the safest and highest quality swing set on the market.  You can even custom design your own at the same great prices!!!  Most of the elements come pre-assembled too so when you go to build it you’ll be amazed by how quickly it goes up!  (Makes dad look like a real pro-builder too!)  Take a look at these side by side comparisons of some of the materials…

Many of the woods that are used in other swing sets today are either not safe due to chemical treatments or simply will just not hold up to weathering and the test of time.  Kids Creations uses 100% premium Con-Heart Redwood exclusively – the highest grade right from the center of the Redwood tree.  They are the only company in their industry to do so.  Overkill?  We think not.  Less is less, more is more and the BEST IS THE BEST!  Con-Heart Redwood is naturally weather and rot resistant, bug resistant and is virtually splinter free!  In today’s world as parents you just can’t be too safe when it comes to chemical treatments too.  With Kids Creations there simply are none.  NO chemicals at all.  We love that.  The fact that it is rot resistant naturally is a huge plus too.  Unlike many other brands of swing sets, you don’t have to stain or seal it… EVER!  Maintenance free and again, no chemicals – LOVE IT!  They are also committed to buying only wood that has been sustainably forested and take our protecting our environment seriously which as parents we all appreciate.

How’s assembly, you ask?  Well, you could practically land a helicopter on ours, so it took a little bit of time.  We counted it out as about 30 hours total, meaning that if we had 3 guys it would have been ten hours.  Hardest part?  The twisty slide.  Easiest part?  Everything else!!  This is MUCH less of your time (or your favorite contractor’s:)!!!) than competitor’s products would take because so many things are pre-assembled!  The directions that came with our set were absolutely detailed and custom designed as blueprints for our custom set.  When I had a question (twice), I called them and even on the weekend someone was available and helped me resolve my issue immediately!  Excellent customer service… redefined!!!

Are you one of those people who like to customize everything?  Do you look at things always thinking how you would have designed it, or how you would have wished it different?  Do you maybe need to fit an odd shaped space in your yard? Look. No. Further.  As mentioned before, Kids Creations has a system on their website where you can design the absolute swingset of your dreams, yet still carry over that amazing 50% off discount like with the pre-designed sets!!!  (WARNING: This can get addictive… you know… something you sit at the computer with a bowl of popcorn with for wayyy too long style addictive.)  Single tower or double?  Two swings or four?  Did you want the rock climbing wall on the front or off to the side?  Where was the helicopter landing pad supposed to go again??? You get the picture.  You make it what you want.  You are in control.  You are the designer.  You can fit it within your budget.  You’da boss.  It’s all about you.  Give it a try and you’ll see what we’re saying!  Want to see a catalog instead?  CLICK HERE to order your complimentary copy.

SWAG ALERT:  So there you have it.  Kids Creations blew our socks off and now all of you get to have the same experience!  They have generously offered one lucky reader a $500 gift certificate towards the purchase of their very own set too!  Just visit them at www.KidsCreations.com and comment back to us with what you think.  You know how it works and what to do.  This SWAG ALERT will be open until we say so.  Good luck and have fun designing the swing set of your dreams… ahem, of your kids dreams!!!

It’s 10:30 Friday night at Chez Bellaziza.   The girls are in bed… and I am still thrilled over the Alice delivery that I received from UPS Santa earlier today.  Yes, I need a life.  I just love great service, saving time and saving money!  (That’s all!  No ‘lack of life’ here!)  I’m all about the premium product side of life, in case you hadn’t figured that one out.  I’m also absolutely the most value-obsessed consumer I know.  Although I can find value in luxury, my happy place is where quality and value intersect (*shout-out to Costco!*)  Without impressive amounts of both, I’m the queen of buyer’s remorse.

So Alice, dear Alice… I just love ya so far.  Here’s what UPS Santa brought me!  (Coincidentally he actually came to the back door, just off of the kitchen, and carried my daliceous goodies right in for me!)  Maybe he saw the “alice” on the box and thought he needed to take his service to the next level.  I toootally get it.

This is my Alice…

Not only did my new friend Alice send what I ordered, but what I forgot to order… in another box… for free.  “Always free shipping”, after all.  I’m in love.

All of my things were lovingly packed in a sea of fun and eco-friendly air filled pouches.  Inspiring.  Sounds like the mother of bubble wrap to me!

Carefully packed.  Full of care.  Care.  Full.  Yayee.

Alice, I love you for taping my fabric softener cap closed.  I love you more for using tape that didn’t leave it sticky.  I will love you most though… every time I hold said cap and think of how it could have been… sticky.

Personalized tape too?  What a diva!  But considerate, none the less.  I love the little tab you left me!

And here’s what Alice brought me… for $56.76.  But there’s more.  Remember?  I forgot…

… this, and it shipped.  Alone.  And that shipping was free…

as were these two handy oversize heavy duty ziplock bags that we will be reusing…

and a whole lotta these.  Should keep Isabella busy for at least a few noisy minutes!

See you soon Alice!  Thanks for saving me two trips to the store and a bunch of dough.  Love it!  BFF’s maybe?

Crista

Want to meet Alice?  CLICK BELOW and get $10 off your first order of $50 or more…

School is about to start and the craziness of summer is coming to an end!  I am ready for school and schedules and routines.  Summer fun can be…well…fun, but it can get exhausting too!  I know my tens of faithful readers (hi, Mom!) are wondering what we’ve been up to, so here ya go!

While Crista was settling into her dream home and having a Springfree Staycation, we did a LOT of traveling.

Somewhere around 3,200 miles worth in a few weeks time.  That’s more are we there yets than I care to reminisce about.  Much fun was had in spite of the bazillion hours we spent in the van.  But with my own travel tips in hand, things went very smoothly!

Once we escaped hell on wheels the van, we visited many family and friends, including my BFF, a.k.a. the beach,

Got more dirty and grumpy than we like to admit…

And had a lovely family photo shoot with our favorite photographer, Grandma.

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about… me and my four boys.  Mother of 3 boys… well, usually I’m only mothering the younger three.  There are those days where the above family portrait ends up looking more like this though…

Look for more insightful posts on being a Mom of Boys really soon!  But first, back to school!!!

Tasha

I just found something that is going to save me time and money on a regular basis!  It’s a lot of fun too:)!  Check out Alice.  It’s a service to help you buy all of the kitchen, bathroom, household, baby, kid and lots of other STUFF that we all have to get regularly but have to go find first, put it in the cart, purchase and then lug it home.  We are now happily ‘lug-free’!  Heck, let UPS do it, right?!?! Oh, it’s ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING at Alice too!  Even for tiny orders:)!!!  Definitley, let UPS do it since it’s easyyyy and only takes 2-3 days!

Saves me MONEY:  The best part (other than saving a ton of time on a regular basis, which I know I mentioned) is the AUTOMATIC COUPONS!!!  Yes, that’s right!  All of those manufacturer’s coupons are automatically found and applied to your order!  Yesterday I placed my first order and bought a pack of Huggies Supreme diapers that retails for $10.99 and usually costs $9.69 from Alice… for only $3.50 after coupons!  Take a peek and notice how MANY of the things I bought had coupons!!

All in all, I bought over $80 worth of things I buy ANYWAY, I got it delivered for free, and AFTER COUPONS I ONLY SPENT $56.76!!!!!!!!(…)!!!

Saves me TIME: Now instead of tromping though the store and forgetting a few things along the way… and buying some more that I don’t really need… I get to pull up my “Shelf” to see what I always buy!

You can even get automatic reminders if you want.  Alice’s organizational features are truly fantastic and I am really looking forward to never running out of anything ever again, and the cumulative savings of both time and money thanks to Alice.

Also, Alice makes shopping Green and Organic very easy!  They carry lots of great brands like Earth’s Best, Gerber Organic, Tom’s, Kashi, Seventh Generation and MORE!

Want to try Alice and save $10 off of your first order?  CLICK HERE, sign up to shop and never run out of anything again!  It’s SO simple and trust us it’s going to be one of your Favorite Things just like it is ours:).

I’ll see ya there!  Look for me online at Alice as Bellaziza in the “Neighborhood” and we can chat or tell me what you think in the comments of this post:)!  For now, back to shopping….

Crista

Have you ever been somewhere outdoors with your kids and been just mesmorized by your surroundings… only to see that they weren’t quite so thrilled?  Yeah.  About that.  What happened to beauty being enough?  Nature itself just being enough?  The ’simple things’?  Where are they you ask?  They left with he latest update to your kid’s iPod.  Sad but true, kids are jaded now more than ever and it’s showing.

This past weekend I took Isabella and Camilla out to a family friend’s home.  Miss Anna.

Miss Anna has the most beautiful property with gardens, and orchards, and it seems to go on forever and ever until you walk right up to the riverbank!  Just lovely.  There’s even a magic forest!  That’s where the fairies live, you know.  Miss Anna says that they like it if you’re quiet and that sometimes they leave little treasures lying around. Isabella?  Quiet?  Um, yeah.

So it really is such a magical place, as you can see.  The ‘fairies’ were there not long before we got there too!  Aaaah, how fortunate:)!  They left behind a delicate trail of pink silk rose petals that led us to the back of the forest.  How much fun, right?  This is where the need for me to write about this here on BFT comes in.

In spite of the glory, Isabella was bored.  All of this beauty and magic in the air… and my three year old was BORED!  I was cast more as the camera-in-hand mommy waiting for her in her big dress to burst into laughter and skip around soaking in the rose petals.  No, she was more concerned with a few pesky mosquitos and “mushy grass”.

I started getting excited and showing her what a magical thing it was… and OOH!  THERE”S ANOTHER PETAL!!!  LOOK ISABELLA!!!  It took a little coaxing, but soon enough she started to get it.  “Look Mommy!  There’s another one!” but with a suddenly scowled “You go get it” attached.   So I went to get it and then a few petals later she was in the groove, picking up petals and putting them into her bag.  She got it.  It took a little bit of teaching on my part and learning on hers… but she got it.

Am I wrong to have thought that her imagination would take flight and she would have just loved the experience?  Didn’t I love things like that as a kid?  I think I did.  Regardless, I want my girls to enjoy nature and simplicity and non-commercial things, etc.  Thank you Wonder Pets and Yo Gabba Gabba, but things like this should be considered more fun by the three year old set, in my humble opinion, with or without DJ Lance.  I’m really happy that in the end she was running around smiling with excitement, and picking up the pink petals on her own.  The first part of things got me thinking though.  I had to teach her how to enjoy something overwhelmingly… simple and beautiful.

In conclusion, there will be a lot more teaching going on in this area at Chez Bellaziza.  We are going to get really good at this:).  I welcome your comments and suggestions.  As Miss Anna commented laughingly, “Boy, she really is a city girl!”  I want Isabella to be savvy and smart, but also contented in quiet reflection and able to enjoy beauty.  In measure, ok?  I know she’s still three.

Crista

PS – Love the dress?  Me too!  Gap Outlet.  Linen.  Fully lined.  Clearance section 12.99 mark down from 29.99.  SCORE!

Fashion Tip: Buy dresses big because long hemlines make great photo ops!  This is a 7/8 on a 3 year old.  Hey, sometimes it works!  The straps were fully adjustable so we shortened them up easily and *poof!* instant mini haute couture.  Seems more Simonetta than Gap for sure!

We looooove to snack here.  There’s always something crunchy and sweet not far from reach from carrots to Crunch bars…oops, let that cat outta the bag!  It’s great to be healthy, but sometimes you just want that great flavor… you know, the one that’s NOT usually in the “healthy picks” aisle.  Sometimes you just want that chocolate chip cookie!  Or maybe some cheese puffs?  I know we do.  This is precisely I was SOOOO happy to find our newest Favorite Thing, Snikiddy!!!

Snikiddy has the absolute BEST line of snacky yet healthful foods that kids and adults alike will absolutely crave!  Do you like the sound of Chocolate Chip Bites?  Nacho Cheese Puffs?  How about Chocolate Chocolate Bites?  Oooh yeah – chocolate ON CHOCOLATE and our absolute Favorite!!  Not only that, but have you ever tasted or seen flavors like Mac’n Cheese and Grilled Cheese on your average bag of cheese puffs?  We thought not.  The best part of Snikiddy is that not only is everything really delicious, it’s all natural and quite healthful to boot!  (*Oooh, Aaah!*)

The Snikiddy founders, Mary and Janet, are actually mother and daughter!  Their secret to true tastiness is in the ingredients that they choose.  The pick the absolute highest quality, freshest and most healthful ingredients out there and that is what goes into each bag and boxfull of goodness.  Great job girls and thanks from us and all of the loyal Snikiddy fans!  Yummo!  (Rachael Ray loves Snikiddy too so we can say her little “yummo” here as many times as we want.  Yummo-yummo-yummo!  Ok just try Snikiddy and you’ll understand.  It’s even available in snack packs, and easy to throw in those lunchboxes so stock up for back to school now!

Crista

SWAG ALERT:  We will be swagging FIVE lucky readers with a big box full of Snikiddy treats valued at over $60 each!  That’s a lot of crunchy goodness, but we’re sure you’ll know just to do with it!!

To enter, go to www.Snikiddy.com and take a look around.  Then come back here and comment on this post telling us what you think of their products, company and/or website!  You know how it works and what to do .  This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until we say so!  Good luck and happy snacking!

Our many congratulations to Brianna of WI who is the winner of the Micralite Toro Stroller!!!  We know there were a ton of entries for this one and we thank you for your comments and feedback on behalf of all of our wonderful friends at Scandinavian Child and Micralite!!!

Stay tuned for more Favorite Things and chances to win them!  We’ll be posting the rest of our Favorite Things for your Summer Staycation as well as Back to School soon so do check back often!

Looking for some snacks to stock up on for the kids heading back to school?  When you hear the word “nutritious”, you usually do not immediately think, “delicious”.  But Nana’s Cookie Company totally changed my mind on that thought!  Nana’s Cookies are baked with all natural ingredients and what I love the most is what you WON’T find!!  No Dairy, No Refined Sugars, No Eggs, No Cholesterol, No Trans Fats, No Hydrogenated Oils, No Preservatives, and No GMO’s. (And they’re also vegan and kosher!)  This “crunchy-granola-health-nut” Mommy is happy about that!  I work so hard to make sure that my kids eat healthy and it’s truly delightful to find treats that I don’t have to feel guilty about giving to my boys!

My wheat and dairy free boy loved the No Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (”You mean, I can have a cookie…out of a package?!”)  And I was handing out cookie bars left and right after I read that they are full of Omegas AND have 5 grams of fiber each! Now that’s nutritious!

But Nana’s Cookie Company did not forget about delicious, oh no!  The cookies were moist, soft and fresh…just like I made them myself that day!  Very impressive for an avid baker like myself!  And Nana has impressed celebrities too!  In fact, Jim Carry’s fave is Nana Banana and Jenny McCarthy swears by them for her autistic son who is on a special Gluten-Free diet!

Making good choices is what a healthy and fabulous lifestyle is all about.   Nana’s Cookie Company can help you make treat time nutritious, delicious and fabulous!

Spending your hard-earned dough on a vacation this year?  How about a Springfree Staycation instead?!?!

Springfree Trampolines are the absolute safest trampolines available and they’re the MOST fun too!  By removing the springs and replacing them with flexible fiberglass rods, Springfree Trampolines eliminate 80% of common accidents!  Pretty ingenious if you ask me.  The complete enclosure is also a great feature, protecting you as you jump and allowing you to safely soar!  It completely eliminates a bad mood too.  How can anyone help but break into smiles and laughter while jumping… and jumping… and jumping?!?!

What’s the cost for a vacation these days?  How long does it last?  How far will your money take you?  In this economy it seems everyone’s adopted at least a little frugality!  We think giving your family a Springfree Staycation instead is the way to go!  It will far outlast any vacation plans and promote great habits like family exercise, activity and interactivity long term!  The “Get out from behind that television set!!!”, right??  I know that in our family nothing compares to the fun that we have while bouncing on ours:).  The giggles and grins are unmatched and our Springfree Trampoline really has added SO much to our life.

There really are some pretty amazing health benefits too!  Did you know that “rebounding” (another more serious name for bouncing on a trampoline) is one of the absolute best things you can do for your health???  Take a look at these health benefits of rebounding and then tell me how your last budget trip to Disney did any of it…haha!  We saw you there with the mouse-shaped ice cream sandwich…:)!

It looks much better and takes up much less space than the usual trampoline.  It’s easy to set up, and have you ever found yourself wishing you had a rubber room to put the kids in??  HA!  That in and of itself… and it can help take off the baby weight… and keep the kids happy and busy… and, well, you get the point.  All of this is what make it yet another of our Favorite Things!!!

To win your very own Springfree Staycation (Model SF40 valued at $949!!) simply visit www.SpringfreeTrampoline.com and leave your comment on this post letting them know what you think about their products, company, or their website!!  You know how it works and what to do .  This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until we say so!  Good luck!

Also, check out what our BFF’s over at MommiesWithStyle.com , Popshopology.com and CarAndCaboodle.com said about Springfree Trampolines too!

PS – Don’t forget the new “RETWEET” button just below to get an EXTRA ENTRY!!!

Time for chapter two of our Teutonia Experience. Get ready to customize customize customize!

The biggest thing that Teutonia touts is the ability to completely customize your stroller. Which, as we talked about before, is a great benefit for those of us who like to be totally unique. It’s also beneficial for those of us who know exactly what we want, and want exactly that. There are several ways to do this, the main ones being to go to the Teutonia website or to find a dealer and ordering through them.

You’ll start by choosing a chassis. There are three options. All of them are made from aluminum, have full independent wheel suspension, and adjustable handles.

• The T-100, at under 20 lbs., is the lightest option. It still offers the smooth, comfortable ride that all Teutonias are known for.
• If you’re looking for a sportier stroller, the T-200 will be the one for you. It’s under 22 lbs. with the wheels.
• At a whopping 26 lbs. with the wheels, the T-300 is the most luxurious and versatile model. Because we always bring you the best of the best, we’ve chosen to review the T-300.

After you’ve decided on a chassis, you’ll pick out the wheels, which are both tubeless, and maintenance free (no need for a pump! The tires contain an air-filled chamber, and don’t get flats). Choosing between the Explore 50 and Metro 60 seems to be purely up to your own taste. Both offer a smooth ride and stylish looks. We went for the Explore 50, for a more traditional look.

Choosing our fabric certainly proved to be a difficult task. At first, we were leaning towards the Jasper Brown. Then we thought that the Venetian Red was nice. But when it came down to it, we decided that the Peridot Green would look the nicest with aluminum of the chassis. You can also get accent and designer fabrics to give your stroller that extra bit of customization. We’ll review the t-reversible seat insert, but won’t be reviewing any additional fabric accents. For seating, we’ll be reviewing both the t-stroller (toddler) seat and the t-tario 32 infant car seat (for those of you considering that as well).

Congrats to Mom2Maya and Tina R. the winners of our Hudson Threads giveaway!!

Many thanks to Hudson Threads, our generous sponsor too!  Can’t wait to see your new collection!!!

THIS JUST IN:  Nature’s Baby Organics are now available at Target!!!  Oohh!  Aaahh!  (I know.)  CLICK HERE for a list of local stores where it’s stocked and ready to go.

We recently tried their Shampoo / Body Wash and Conditioner / Detangler in Vanilla Tangerine scent.  It’s absolutely delicious, leaving your cuties smelling like an orange creamsicle!  They’ll love that:)!  The BEST past of Nature’s Baby Organics is how safe it is for your kids though.  So gentle and still so luxurious!  It’s perfect for babies and up, and is especially good for children with allergies.

Another thing that we just LOVE about Nature’s Baby Organics is the fact that it was started by a fellow mom!  Adena’s Story is one that will inspire all of you mompreneurs out there, so do take a minute to read about how she made her ideas become reality!!

Not able to get out and see the world with the little ones in tow?  Don’t sweat it!  Have a summer ahead of you with busy bodies to keep…busy?!  Not a problem!  Little Passports is a fun way to keep your kids busy and teach them about the world beyond your backyard!

My boys can’t get enough if this!  They carry the little suitcase around and fill it with all kids of treasures and they love the world map that comes with the first month Explorer Kit.  What I love most about Little Passports?!  It’s not a one time toy!

Each month the characters, Sofia and Sam, travel to a new country on their magical scooter and share their experiences with your child.  Your child will receive a personalized package via postal mail that includes an adventure letter, fun souvenirs, activities and access to the online Boarding Zone full of games and activities!!  How FUN is that?!  I think this is a perfect gift for birthdays too!  At only$10.95 per month, it’s really cheap fun!  Think about it, you can’t take an adventure to Japan for $10.95!  There are so many opportunities for fun and learning and great family time!

We travel…alot.  Our longest trip has been 15 hours long.  Our usual is 13 hours and a 5 hour car ride is like cake to us.  We have to drive frequently to visit family, so it has been something our kids have been doing since they were newborns.  So I thought I might have some advice to share on the matter…because I AM so full of wisdom and all…

I have read many other Mommy ideas on how to travel with kids…and the whole, “Oh you can totally drive on long car rides with your kids and NOT need a DVD player” idea?  NOT buying it!  I highly, highly suggest having as many electronic-mind-numbing devices as possible.  DVD players and TVs (multiple screens suggested), video game systems, handheld game systems, plug-n-play games…you catch my drift.  Plug them and shut them up…that’s my car driving philosophy! 

Ok, ok, I’m not a total electronic freak, they do get tired of that stuff after, oh, 8 or so hours.  So I always be sure to check out a few new books at the library, as well as read along cds.  The boys love listening to the stories and I love how it makes them fall asleep!  (Which reminds me, we always pack special travel pillows and blankets!)  I also always buy each of them a new coloring book with a new box of crayons…and they love that!

Speaking of NEW things…you can also buy a couple of small new toys, dvds or travel games and hide them under your seat.  So when they do start going all ape crazy on you…pull out something new and they will be distracted for awhile!

FOOD…don’t leave home without it!  I like to pack lots of snacks for my always-starving-boys.  And I don’t bring the regular old stuff, either.  I make “special” traveling trail mix which is basically cheerios, raisins, nuts and m&ms…add candy to anything and they think it’s a real treat!  I’ll also buy some pre-packaged snack bags which they get a real kick out of because I never buy that kind of snacks for every day.  Are you seeing the trend…make everything special and turn the car ride into part of the vacation!

OK, last bit of advice.  Here’s what we do for meals while traveling…  We don’t eat much fast food on a regular basis, and when we do, we don’t get kid’s meals every time.   My kids get SO excited about stopping for kid’s meals.  (Yes, they are very deprived easily pleased children.)  We’ll make sure to stop at a fast food joint with a play land.  While one of us orders the food, the other takes the kids to the bathroom and then to the play land to run off their energy.  We give them a good 15 minutes and keep them moving the whole time!  Then we get back in the van and eat our meals as we drive.  This gives the kids nothing better to do than eat their food and then they play with their new toy that came in the kids meal…this kills like an hour!!  If there is no play place, find a grassy area and just let them run wild, race each other, stretch.  In fact, at bathroom breaks, everyone has to do 15 jumping-jacks before they are allowed back in our van!  And if your kids are used to getting kids meals often and it’s not thrilling to them…take a break from them for a couple of months before your trip, by the time you go they’ll be excited about them again!

One last thing you must not forget to pack for your travels…a sense of humor.  Oh, and benadryl.

Tasha

I am still washing dirt crusted clothes from our four day camping trip with the boys and all I can think about is the s’mores we devoured every night.  You know, that ooey, gooey wonderful mess that personifies camping?  Well, I can’t just do plain ol’ anything, so we kicked s’mores up a few notches this weekend!  I thought I’d pass it along since the season of warm outdoor fun is upon us!

So here is what we did!  Forget the Hershey’s bar, although we enjoyed the classic s’more as well, we tried changing up the chocolate a bit!  My favorite, using a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup instead of the Hershey’s bar…OMG…I can’t even tell you how YUM that was!  (wipes drool from chin)  Then, I tried the fun size of several other candy bars like Caramello, Snickers and Butterfinger… yeah, I tried several, so sue me!

Another fun thing to try?  Think outside of the box, the graham cracker box, that is!  Instead of buying the traditional graham cracker base, try using a cookie!  Chocolate chip, peanut butter, mix it up!  You won’t disappoint a Smores fan, I promise!  Also, we used fudge coated graham cookies like these and it was equally as yummy as the classic Smore with less to buy and pack up for the camping trip because the graham cracker and chocolate are all in one!

Lastly, if you are not the camping type, (I barely am, mostly I am forced to because I live in the world of all boys!) you can makes Smores at home using this recipe from the Food Network!  You can use my Smores Gone Wild tips with that recipe too!!

Enjoy!    Tasha