This is a sponsored post in partnership with Valley Fine Foods. All opinions are my own.

Christmas is a magical time for decorations, gifts, and music but also for the food! You can never have too many Christmas recipes ready to go, so I wanted to make a fun food art recipe that will amaze your kids, but is also easy to create when you are short on time. This is why I used one of our favorite quick meals, Three Bridges Egg Bites, to make this Christmas Reindeer breakfast recipe.

Three Bridges Egg Bites are heated up in 90 seconds in the microwave and come in flavors such as Country-Style Sausage, Uncured Bacon & Cheese, and my new favorite Spinach & Bell Pepper made with egg whites. These Egg Bites include 100% natural ingredients, and plenty of protein so they will fill up your whole family. Because these Egg Bites can be ready so quickly, I needed to make this recipe idea something that could be assembled in a matter of minutes. So with your favorite flavor of Three Bridges Egg Bites, along with ketchup, cheese, olives, and toast, this can be ready right when your family needs it!

Snoopy A Charlie Brown Christmas School Lunch Recipe

What do you consider classic Christmas movies? For our family, one of the top Christmas movies of all-time has to be A Charlie Brown Christmas. From the wonderful holiday story, to Snoopy's Joe Cool attitude, to the carols, you can't help but smile by the end of it all. For these reasons, I had to make a Snoopy Christmas lunch for my kids this week. It's the last week before Christmas break, so I had to sneak in one more special lunch before the new year!

Six Ways to Save Time and Money When Traveling to Amusement Parks With Your Family With Chase Freedom Unlimited!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.

It finally happened! We've been working much of this year at traveling as a family and enjoying family time together on road trips. However, this was all building up to our big goal of the year. We are using the tips that we have been sharing in blog posts, saving the cash back we earned from our Chase Freedom Unlimited card, and are heading to Disneyland in Southern California!

We have wanted to go back for years and with our family travel goal this year it made perfect sense. Not only are we Disney fans but we love going to amusement parks in general, so for our final post celebrating reaching our 2019 goal we are sharing six ways that we saved time and money when taking our family to Disney, or any other amusement park! Enjoy the photos from reaching our family goal and remember that if your family goal includes taking a trip to some of the top theme parks around the country, you will want to save this post, so you can spend more time and money on stuff that matters, and less time waiting in line.

3 Christmas Dessert Recipes to Make In Your Instant Pot, Instant Ace Plus Blender, and Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven

I was sent these appliances to use by Instant Pot, but was not paid for including them in this blog post.

Christmas time can be full of rushing your kids from place to place, and trying to attend endless parties where you always need to bring something to eat. But if we can simplify things Christmas can also be one of the most joyous times of year! That is why we decided to come up with not one but THREE Instant Pot holiday dessert recipes that you can easily make for just your family, or a gathering of friends and coworkers. 

The first recipe is a Christmas Wreath Bundt Cake that we made in our new Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus. What? A cake in an Instant Pot? Is this madness? No this is efficiency! With 48 presets to make a recipe with the push of a button, the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus is not only perfect for appetizers and dinner, but for Christmas cakes as well! This is one of the tastiest and easiest chocolate cakes you will ever make. In addition, we also created holiday themed desserts in the Instant Vortex Plus 10Q Air Fryer Oven and the Instant Ace Plus Blender.  

Dr. Seuss The Grinch Who Stole Christmas School Lunch Recipe Ideas

One of our most cherished Christmas tales is Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! You and your family might be able to relate to this. It is not only fun and imaginative, it also is a classic with a great message. I have done a few other Grinch lunches, but this time around I wanted to try to come up some recipe ideas that were closer to the original story. The problem is that I can't really draw...other than stick figures. But I found out that the details of the Grinch's face are pretty easy to recreate. So if you can't draw like me, this is perfect for you!

What do you think, would your kids like to get this lunch? My kids loved the almonds but the celery was a bit more of a challenge. Keep reading to find out how I made it and what ideas you can use for your own kids' lunches!

How to Make a Star Wars Baby Yoda Sandwich Snack From The Mandalorian on Disney+

Who doesn't love Baby Yoda? My kids and I have been watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ and are so excited for every Friday to get here so we can watch a new episode! Growing up, one of my favorite characters was Boba Fett, I was even the famous bounty hunter for Halloween one year. So needless to say I have loved this series.

My kids are off of school this week so I didn't make them a full meal. However, I just had to make a Baby Yoda sandwich (Yes I know it isn't actually Yoda, but until we find out its name Baby Yoda will have to do). Actually, there is more to it than just a sandwich so read below to find out what I used in each part of the Jedi snack! FYI, if you haven't watched The Mandalorian yet, you really should check it out on Disney Plus!

5 Ways to Save Money While Making Healthy School Lunches With Chase Freedom Unlimited

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.

When you're a parent, saving money is always on the forefront of your mind. From sports leagues, to birthday parties, to making school lunches, you are trying to make every cent count. So, when I talk about making healthier choices for our kids' school lunches, money is definitely a factor. Fortunately, healthy lunches and saving money don't have to be an either-or decision. You can do both! After making school lunches for seven years, my family has picked up some tips along the way, and today we wanted to share them with you.

Three Easy Ways That Kids Can Help with the Laundry And One Way That They Absolutely Shouldn't

This is a sponsored post in partnership with The American Cleaning Institute. All opinions are my own.

Is there something in your life that you can always count on being there for you? You know what that is for our family? Laundry. Laundry is always here for us through thick and thin. More specifically laundry is always waiting to be done. Every. Single. Day. Can you relate to that?

The thing about a job, chore, or responsibility that never stops is that sometimes you can miss the important details. For example, with laundry our family tends to lean towards the efficient rather than what sometimes might be best. It can be easier to just get the laundry done myself rather than teaching (and sometimes badgering) the kids to help, but it’s worth the extra effort now for what is best long term.

This is why we put systems in place for our entire family to help with laundry. Our kids make 90% of it so why shouldn't they give back a little, right? We have done this for a few years now and wanted to share our three tips that can get your kids helping with the daunting laundry task and one area where they absolutely should not help. We would love to know your tips as well!

Three Ways Kids Can Help:

Disney Frozen Olaf School Lunch Recipe Idea

With Disney Frozen 2 just about here in theaters I thought it was time to come up with a new Frozen Olaf themed food idea for school lunches, party food, after school snack, or really any reason whatsoever! This might look tricky but just remember when it comes to your doubts about this just Let it Go, give yourself a warm hug, and make this Olaf the snowman recipe for your kids.

This Frozen themed lunch features a snowman sandwich, Christmas veggies, peppermint yogurt pretzels, apple snowflakes, and icy blue grapes. Keep reading to find out how to make it!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker First Order Lunch Recipe

It has been a minute since I made my kids a Star Wars lunch so with our recent family trip to Disneyland and Galaxy's Edge, and the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, I figured it was time. After coming back from Disney, my nine year old son said that Galaxy's Edge was his new favorite land in all of Disney Parks, so I knew he would enjoy this. He even was given a hard time by the Stormtroopers there and was able to get up close to Kylo Ren, so I decided he would appreciate if I featured the First Order in this lunch.

I went with a black, red, and white theme as a nod to the latest movies but also to the color red representing the bad guys in every Star Wars movie. This lunch features a Sith Lord quesadilla and a Stormtrooper hard boiled egg. Don't forget about the pretzel stick lightsabers, they were really easy to put together. Keep reading to find out how I made it all!

Fun Fall Ravioli Tree Food Art Dinner

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Three Bridges. All opinions are my own.

Fall is upon us and nothing helps our family manage the new chill in the air like a nice warm meal. However, it's also never a bad idea to surprise your family by making a meal into easy food art either! We were in the mood for some tasty Three Bridges Ravioli, the leaves have changed outside, and I had a couple extra minutes so I was inspired to make something new for dinner. See how I made it below!

Enter Your Pasta Recipe to Win Great Prizes From Three Bridges!

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling With Your Family With Chase Freedom Unlimited

This post was made in collaboration with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.

About six months ago, we decided to start spending more time together traveling as a family. From day trips to flying across the country, we have loved intentionally growing together while exploring the world around us. Of course, we have found some hidden gems and made our share of mistakes along the way. If you're planning your next family trip, here are five mistakes that we think are vital to avoid when you’re traveling with kids.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington Quesadilla School Lunch Recipe

There's nothing we like better this time of year than watching The Nightmare Before Christmas as a family. Of course, it's also a great Christmas movie. What do you think? Is it a Halloween or Christmas movie? Either way it transcends the seasons and that's why I had to make another Jack Skellington lunch for my kids! This one features a Jack quesadilla and even an Oogie Boogie apple. Read below to find out how to make it.

Make Ahead Mason Jar Breakfast Burrito Bowl Recipe

This post has been sponsored by Old El Paso and General Mills. I received product and compensation but all opinions are my own.

Homework isn't quite done. Lunches aren't packed. Kids are only wearing half of their school clothes. No one can find their backpacks. Is this a familiar scene for you? It is pretty much a regular school day occurrence at our house. This is why breakfast recipes like these Make Ahead Mason Jar Breakfast Burrito Bowls are indispensable. You put everything together the night before (or a couple nights before) and store them in Mason jars in the fridge. Then in only 10 minutes in the morning you have a warm and hearty breakfast, featuring Old El Paso Soft Tortilla Mini Bowls, that your kids will be excited for.

One of the best parts of these burrito bowls is that you can customize them to your kids' liking. Does one child like avocado and bacon with their eggs? No problem. Will your youngest only eat eggs and cheese? This recipe has you covered. It is versatile enough to satisfy even the pickiest eater. Not only that, but our kids devour them while sitting at the table or while walking on their way to the bus stop. The Old El Paso Soft Tortilla Mini Bowls are the perfect size for kids to load their own tortilla and eat them without any utensils. Read below to find out how to make them!

Save Family Time with These Incredible Instant Pot Family Dinners!

Disclosure: We received these Instant Family products for free, but made our own decision to write the blog post so that we could share our recipes.

Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus Perfect Pulled Pork

-3 lbs. boneless pork roast
-2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
-3 Teaspoons Paprika
-1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
-2 Teaspoons onion powder
-2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
-1 Teaspoon Cumin
-1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne (optional)
-2 Tablespoons Oil
-1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
-1 1/2 cups Chicken or Beef Broth
-3-5 cloves of Garlic
-1 onion cut in 5 large pieces

Halloween Creepy Zombie and Mummy Wraps Lunch

Halloween is coming, but I needed something quick and easy to make for my kids' lunches because this weekend has been craaaazzzzzyyyy! I was already making burritos for something else, so I decided to just go with some wraps. Ok they are creepy monsters in the shape of a wrap, but they won't bite you as you are biting them...maybe.

Vampires, Horses, and Churros: Things to do When You Visit Santa Cruz, California With Chase Freedom Unlimited

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.

My wife and I have been having so much fun fulfilling this year's goal of traveling with our whole family more, but sometimes you have to just get away as a couple for a day to spend time without kids. We love our kids, but we also love those rare moments when we can leave the children with their grandparents and head out of town for twenty-four hours. Recently, we were given one of those moments and took full advantage of it by grabbing our Chase Freedom Unlimited card and steering our car towards the beach, child-free meals, and a day long date!

Every summer, my family packs up and drives out west to spend time with our extended family and friends in Northern California. You can read about our trip in a previous blog post, but it is basically a whirlwind of quality time spent with loved ones. Usually our wedding anniversary also falls during this trip. So far, our family has been meeting our goal by traveling together, but on our most recent trip we had the opportunity to spend one night away from home as a couple...and it was glorious!

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Dinosaur Tacos for Family Dinner Night!

This post has been sponsored by Old El Paso and General Mills. I received product and compensation but all opinions are my own.

Whether it's National Taco Day, a Tuesday night, or pretty much any other day of the week, my family is ready to consumer as many tacos as possible! We thought we would shake things up a bit by "boldly" going prehistoric with our dinner. We found these Old El Paso Bold Bold Nacho Cheese Stand 'N Stuff Taco Shells on Amazon and my kids absolutely loved the cheesy flavor! Since we had the taco shells, I was inspired to build some dinosaur themed tacos using a Stegosaurus as my model. We also tried our hand at making slow cooker beef barbacoa, which is now our go-to taco filling. These free standing food art tacos are easy to create and so fun to build at home with your family!

Your Children Can Learn to Cook at Home with the Young Chefs' Club from America's Test Kitchen Kids!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with the Young Chefs' Club and America's Test Kitchen Kids. All opinions are my own.

Ever since my daughter was little she has wanted to be in the kitchen making stuff for others to eat. For awhile she even had a dream of having a YouTube channel showing people how to bake different dessert creations. Fast forward a few years and she has moved on from the YouTube idea, but not from cooking. In fact, her younger brothers love being in the kitchen as well. Whether it is with my wife, their grandma, or me, they almost always ask to help out. This is why I was so excited for them to try out the new Young Chefs' Club from America's Test Kitchen Kids!

The Young Chefs' Club is a monthly subscription box that comes in the mail, but it is designed specifically for kids to learn all about how to cook. But as we have experienced, it is really much more than that!

Each month kids aged five and up can receive a box filled with kid-tested and kid-approved recipes, super fun hands-on experiments, and other special surprises! No food comes with the box, but you get a detailed shopping list of everything you will need. In fact, this actually also comes through email before you receive the box in case you want to be prepared.

Disney Mickey Mouse Ears Halloween Food Art Lunch

It's that time of year again and we love to celebrate autumn and Halloween at our house. Better yet, we made this lunch for my boys to help give them a hint of the surprise that we revealed later in the evening...that we are going to Disneyland! Next month we are heading to the happiest place on earth for the Oogie Boogie Bash.

Of course I had to create a fun Disney lunch to celebrate and what better way to do that than with some Mickey Mouse ears sandwiches and a poison apple? I just had to throw some Jack Skellington Nightmare Before Christmas ears in there as well!

We finished the surprise by reading them a Disney story for bedtime. on the last page we included a note that told them to go to the door for a package. They ran to the door and grabbed a big box. Inside were Disney balloons and they had to guess what it all meant. They were shocked when we told them that their guess of going to Disneyland was correct. Not only that, but we are meeting some of our extended family there. We can't wait! In the meantime, keep reading for the ingredients to inspire you to make your own lunch.

How to Make a VSCO Girl TikTok lunch

Do you have a VSCO Girl living at your house? There are a few sure ways to find out. Is your middle school or high school aged girl walking around constantly wearing oversized t-shirts or hoodies along with short-shorts and a puka shell necklace? Do you hear excited chatterings that sound like SKSKSK coming from their room? Are they always on TikTok and mutter exclamations like, "And I Oop!" Is it impossible for them to leave the house without a scrunchie and Hydro Flask water bottle while wearing Crocs, Vans, or Birkenstocks? Does your daughter have a sudden urge to save the turtles?

If these things are true of the girl living in your house, then you officially have a VSCO Girl in your family. Don't worry though, this trend seems to be fairly harmless, unless they try to talk you into buying them a Jeep and a Fjallraven's Kranken backpack! But let's be honest. We all had our teenage trend didn't we? Mine was Doc Martens, flannel, long hair, and Seattle grunge music.

Easy Air Fryer Shrimp and Fish Mini Burrito Bowls

This post has been sponsored by Old El Paso and General Mills. I received product and compensation but all opinions are my own.

Is your family always on the go like mine is? We sometimes struggle with quick and easy ideas to make a dinner each week for our busy family. During the school year we are always going from sports practices, to band events, to homework sessions, and dinners are usually the last to be planned. That's why I was happy to find these Old El Paso Soft Tortilla Mini Bowls to combine with our easy air fryer shrimp and fish bowls! Even though life can get hectic, bringing family together over a meal shouldn't be. Because of their size, these mini soft tortilla bowls fit perfectly in my kids' small hands and are easy for them to load up with their favorite fillings.

We are finally sharing our super easy air fryer shrimp and fish recipe because it pairs perfectly with these Old El Paso Soft Tortilla Mini Bowls. If you have used an air fryer, you know it helps to quickly make your favorite food, which means dinner is easier and faster for busy families! These shrimp and fish fillets can be sprinkled with Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix and a drizzle of olive oil, spread in the air fryer, then cook until the timer goes off. They take less than ten minutes to cook and it couldn't be simpler! Read below to find out the details and then head to my Amazon store to pick up your Old El Paso Soft Tortilla Mini Bowls!

How to Make a Hamilton Musical Food Art School Lunch

I'm just going to start by being honest here. I don't know much about Hamilton, the musical that has taken the world by storm. I'm not really into musicals and have only seen a handful of shows in the theatre. I am aware the the soundtrack is supposed to be great and it is based on historical events. With that being said I also know that my daughter is addicted, and I mean ADDICTED, to the music and the thought of going to see this show makes her giddy with delight. That is enough for me to make her a Hamilton food art lunch for school.

Easy Egg Bites Bird's Nest Breakfast

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Valley Fine Foods. All opinions are my own.

Breakfast time in our house can be crazy! On the weekdays we are scrambling to pack backpacks and make sure that shoes match before the kids head to school. On weekends we are gathering cleats and knee pads and heading to sports. It's hard to find time to make a hot breakfast, much less a fun shaped food art one. Because of Three Bridges Egg Bites, we were able to change that! Keep reading to find out how you can make these Easy Egg Bites Bird's Nest Breakfast.

LEGO Angry Unikitty Lunch Recipe

If your kids are like mine, they are deep into LEGO and obsessed with The LEGO Movie...both parts one and two. It's because of their everlasting love of the building bricks that mine were begging me for another LEGO lunch. It's been awhile since I made the last one so I figured it was time, and I chose Unikitty. She is a unicorn-cat hybrid!

How to Make a Bird Themed School Lunch Featuring Walnut Chicken Salad and Chocolate Bird's Nests

This is a sponsored post in partnership with California Walnuts. All opinions are my own.

"If only the best birds sang, the forest would be silent." - Henry Van Dyke

There's something so silly, inspiring, and fun about birds! Growing up we had chickens, but we also had a couple of parakeets. We ended up putting the parakeets in the chicken coop and you know what happened? They became best friends with the chickens and even started to act like them. That is until the parakeets found a way out and flew away together. Oh well. Bird shaped food is a fun addition to any lunchbox. This bird sandwich is filled with tasty chicken salad featuring toasted California Walnuts!

Super Mario School Lunch Recipe

My kids have really been into Super Mario lately. From playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on our NES Classic, to Mario Kart on our Nintendo Switch, to Super Mario Maker 2 on their DS, they have loved Mario for a long time and seemingly can't get enough of him!

Because of this, and school starting, it was time to make them another Super Mario lunch. One of my most popular blog posts is showing how to make a Nintendo themed birthday party, so I guess I'm not alone in our family's addiction to these video game characters. If your family is into Nintendo and Mario like mine, is keep reading to see how to make your own Mario Bros. themed lunch for your kids' lunchboxes!

Back-to-School Letters and Numbers Lunch

This is a sponsored post in partnership with California Walnuts. All opinions are my own.

If you're a parent back-to-school time means back-to-lunch time. This means it's not only time to go shopping for school supplies, it's time to start thinking about meal prep! Did you know that 45% of Americans don't plan what they are going to eat for lunch at all? This is the year that you can change that and "Choose Lunch" with the whole family. What better way to start than with this letters and numbers school lunch complete with a pencil shaped California Walnuts chewy trail bar!

A Candied Walnut Eating Squirrel School Lunch Recipe

This is a sponsored post in partnership with California Walnuts. All opinions are my own.

Over 50 years ago, my wife's grandfather bought land in Northern California and over time built it up to be a working cattle ranch. My wife has enough memories there to fill up her own blog! My kids also grew up going there and one of their favorite memories at the ranch is gathering walnuts with their grandma and eating her famous walnut pie. Well, I might not be up for baking or serving walnut pie for school lunches, but I did the next best thing and created this candied squirrel school lunch with California Walnuts!

The thing that I love about walnuts is that when you are feeling drained in the middle of the day, a few of them in your lunch can really boost your energy (or your kid's energy) to help you finish your afternoon strong. This lunch can help with that. While I made my own candied walnuts as a nod to my mother-in-law's walnut pie, you can also substitute homemade toasted walnuts instead to use less sugar.

How to Snack Healthier on a Family Road Trip

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.

My kids, wife, and I just finished an epic family road trip traveling from Oklahoma to northern California. We hit the road to visit family and friends. My wife and kids headed out before me and then I joined them a few weeks later. We drove all around the state that we used to call home, and then headed back across the country to the state we where we now live. We laughed and relaxed, enjoyed being around our loved ones, and put many miles on our minivan.

One of our goals for this year is to travel more together and make memories that we will talk about for many years to come. Thanks to Chase Freedom Unlimited, we are fulfilling our goal on a regular basis. Recently I have shared with you about how the cash back rewards are helping us to share experiences that we otherwise wouldn't be able to have. Here are a few of those memories we made!

Watermelon Pizza Recipe: Our Healthy New Summer Snack!

This post is made in collaboration with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions are my own.

If you're a parent, you know summertime is packed with hot weather, fun activities, and kids always asking for more snacks! This summer, our family goal has been taking trips making memories together, as well as coming up with new summer lunch ideas, so I thought it was time to try out an easy healthy snack recipe that my whole family would love. Seasonal fruit is a great place to start, so my first step was taking a trip to the grocery store to see what was available.

How to Make a Teddy Bear Back-to-School Lunch!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with ALDI. All opinions are my own.

It's just about time to go back to school which of course means it's also time to start making school lunches again. But don't fear, I always have your back and I want to help you start the school year off on a fun and healthy note. Today, with the help of ALDI, I'm going to show you how to make a teddy bear back-to-school lunch for your kids.

Every kid loves a teddy bear sandwich and this one comes with lots of love because of the sides of heart shaped strawberries, baby carrots, and hummus. If you want your children to eat more veggies, I always recommend including a dip. There are many flavors of hummus at ALDI so the trick is to find your kid's favorite before they take it to school for lunch. Then you won't have to worry about them coming back with it after the school day is done.

In fact, ALDI is one of our family's favorite stores because they have such great quality groceries, and lunchboxes, at fantastic prices. So it has never been easier to pack your kids healthy lunches for school. To make this recipe, first head to ALDI to check out their back-to-school essentials, then make my easy lunch recipe below! These amazing lunchboxes are available starting July 31st for a limited time only.

A Party For The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! Book by Mo Willems!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Disney Books. All opinions are my own.

My family are huge fans of The Pigeon Books series by Mo Willems, and you know that we love back-to-school time too. So when we found out that Mo Willems' new book, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!, was coming out ahead of the new school year, we had to celebrate. We came up with ideas like The Pigeon cupcakes and The Pigeon lunch box notes. If you want some back-to-school ideas for your young family, then keep reading!