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  • 100 Popular Children’s Books For Kids To Read This Summer

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  Should you click on any of the cute pictures in this post or click on any of the books in my Amazon store widget at the end and make a purchase, I will be paid a certain percentage of your total.

    In case you haven’t heard, my family will be reading 100 books this summer!  And guess what yesterday we challenged you and your family join us. (Click here for more deets!)  It’s no secret that my kids and I love to read, but we want to help other families to love or at least embrace reading as well.  With some help from Moo, I was able to put together a list of 100 popular children’s books that you can read with your kids this summer.  

    This list is also serving as Moo’s and JJ’s summer reading bucket list for the YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge.  Yes, I have my own separate bucket/TBR list.  We hope that you will find some books here that your little ones would like to read even if you don’t join in our challenge. So without further ado, I present to you The List!

    The List

    1. Duck & Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills
    2. Summer of the Sea Serpent (Magic Treehouse series) by Mary Pope Osborne
    3. Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
    4. Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London
    5. Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London

    6. The Berenstain Bears Gone Fishin! by Mike Berenstain
    7. Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by Kimberly & James Dean
    8. Pinkalicious: Fairy House by Victoria Kann
    9. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
    10. Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio
    11. Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson
    12. The Berenstain Bears’ Lemonade Stand by Mike Berenstain
    13. The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin
    14. I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty
    15. The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel by Melissa de la Cruz
    16. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
    17. Hello, Olaf! by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
    18. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby-Powell
    19. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown
    20. The Berenstain Bears at the Aquarium by Jan & Mike Berenstain

    21. Silverlicious by Victoria Kann
    22. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
    23. Happy to Be Nappy by Bell Hooks
    24. Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker by Kathryn Lasky
    25. Keena Ford and the Field Trip Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson
    26. Bintou’s Braids by Sylvianne A. Diouf & Shane Evans
    27. Flossie & the Fox by Patricia C. McKissack
    28. I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
    29. In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor Augusta Savage by Alan Schroeder
    30. Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks

    31. Keep Climbing, Girls by Beah E. Richards
    32. Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora
    33. In the Small, Small Night by Jane Kurtz
    34. The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora
    35. Come On, Rain by Karen
    36. Bravo, Grace by Mary Hoffman
    37. Disney Princess: A Pony for a Princess by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
    38. Pet Fairies to the Rescue! by Daisy Meadows
    39.Pete the Cat Play Ball by James Dean
    40. Little Bill: The Best Way to Play by Bill Cosby

    41. Lego City All Hands on Deck by Marilyn Easton
    42. The Berenstain Bears’ Seashore Treasure by Stan & Jan Berenstain
    43. Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson
    44. Dancing Diva (Sugar Plum Ballerinas series) by Whoopi Goldberg
    45. Ruby and the Booker Boys: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby by Derrick Barnes
    46. Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pickney
    47. Arthur In New York by Marc Brown
    48. Sleeping Beauty by Mary Man-Kong
    49. Lego Hero Factory: The Brain Wars by Catherine Saunders
    50. The Diary of B.B. Brights, Possible Princess by Alice & Caroline Randall

    51. Encore, Grace by Mary Hoffman
    52. White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman
    53. Perfectly Prima (Sugar Plum Ballerinas series) by Whoopi Goldberg
    54. The Berenstain  Bears Play T-Ball by Stan & Jan Berenstain
    55. A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
    56. Trivia Queen, 3rd-Grade Supreme (Ruby and the Booker Boys series) by Derrick Barnes
    57. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
    58. Justice League: I am the Flash by John Sazaklis
    59. Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy
    60. National Geographic Kids: Trains by Amy Shields

    61. Toeshoe Trouble (Sugar Plum Ballerinas) by Whoopi Goldberg

    62. The Berenstain Bear by the Sea by Stan & Jan Berenstain
    63. Say Hello by Rachel Isadora
    64. What’s Cooking, Jamela? by Niki Daly
    65. Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron
    66. A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream by Kristy Dempsey
    67. Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon Flake
    68. The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
    69.The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora
    70. Lego City: Help Is On the Way by Sonia Sander

    71. Minnie’s Pet Salon by Bill Scollon
    72. The Fisherman and His Wife by Rachel Isadora
    73. The Berenstain Bears Go on Vacation by Stan & Jan Berenstain
    74.Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson
    75. VeggieTales: All Is Fair When We Share by Karen Poth
    76. The Invincible Iron Man by Billy Wrecks
    77. What Mess? by Tom Lichtenheld
    78. Fancies Doll in the Universe by Jane O’Connor
    79. So Much! by Trish Cooke
    80. The Night Before Father’s Day by Natasha Wing

    81. Minnie: A Walk in the Park by Gina Gold
    82. A South African Night by Rachel Isadora
    83. Invitation to Ballet: A Celebration of Dance and Degas by Carolyn Vaughan
    84. Sugar Plums to the Rescue by Whoopi Goldberg
    85. Petting Zoo by Gail Tuchman
    86. Alexander, Who’s Not (Do you hear me?  I mean it!) Going to Move by Judith Voirst
    87. The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies by Stan & Jan Berenstain
    88. Fancy Nancy Tea Parties by Jane O’Connor
    89. The Best Father of All by Peter Horn
    90. Plum Fantastic (Sugar Plum Ballerinas series) by Whoopi Goldberg

    91. Minnie: The Case of the Missing Sparkle-izer by Bill Scollon
    92. Father and Son: A Nativity Story by Geraldine McCaughrean
    93. My Daddy is a Giant by Carl Norac
    94. If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
    95. Harry and the Lady Next Door Gene Zion
    96. I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal
    97. Caribbean Dream by Rachel Isadora
    98. ABC Pop! by Rachel Isadora
    99. We March by Shane W. Evans
    100. Over the Green Hills by Rachel Isadora

    Don’t forget to check out my bookstore to grab any the books on this list that caught your eye!  I’ll be back next week to update you guys on our progress.

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    Happy Reading!

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  • The YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge

    Reading.  It’s always been one of my first loves, probably since I came out of the womb.  If you were to ask my mother what things she never saw me without, I have no doubt that her reply would be: “A notebook, a pen and a book.”  Thankfully, my children have inherited my same love and adoration for the written word.  And this summer, we want to help you and your family do the same by asking you to join in The YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge!

    Why Are We Challenging Your Family To Read?

    It’s simple.  Reading is important!  Regardless if you or child like to read or dread it like a visit to the dentist office, reading is a fundamental part of our everyday lives.  We are parents read our children’s homework and school papers, we read road signs when we drive and many of us have to read on our jobs. For these reasons alone, we should show an interest in reading, but the most important reason by far for us to enjoy reading is to help our children become good readers.
    Did you know that in many areas students now have to pass an end-of-the-year reading competency test?  Did you also know that some of those school districts are requiring children who do not or cannot read on or at their current grade level to repeat that same grade an additional year?  The fact of the matter is that schools are now requiring more from students than they did when we were school and definitely more than was required of our parents.  As Moo’s principal put it at her kindergarten graduation, “Parents, you may have noticed that kindergarten is the new first grade.” 
    So depending on the teacher ALONE to teach your child everything he or she needs to know in my opinion would be doing your child (and yourself) a great disservice.  In fact, I’d go as far to say that to do so would be foolish.  We are our children’s first teachers and our job to teach and instruct our children doesn’t stop when they start school.  If nothing else, we need to be partnering with teachers and coming up with specific game plans on how to help our children continue to excel and reach their highest potential.  The key to helping them reach that potential is starting with reading.

    How do you participate in the YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge?

    Well, I’m glad you asked.  It’s really quite easy.  All you and your family have to do is read 100 books in total between now and August 18th.  Now I know you may thinking that 100 books seems like a lot, but it’s not.  Let’s say your daughter reads one book, your son reads two books to you before bed and you finish that juicy crime mystery novel today, that counts as a total of four books read.  See how fast books can add up?!  100 books before the end of summer is totally doable!
    I’ve even decided to help make it easy for you and family to keep up with how many and what books you’ve read.  Below are two printables.  The first is printable is graph with 100 blocks on it.  Simply coloring in a block each time you and family completely finish a book.  Don’t forget that while reading individually is good, reading with your children or encouraging our older children to read with their younger siblings is better.  Plus, who can doesn’t need more family bonding time.  And it’s a great way to witness and keep track of your child’s reading progress.
    Just right click and save/print.

    The second printable is a reading log.  Counting both the white and turquoise spaces, you can record 19 books on each reading log.  So print out two pages for each family member and get to reading!

    Right click to save & print

    Be sure to follow the #100Books hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to keep up with what the YUMMommy family will be reading.  Also, feel free snap pictures of you and your little ones reading and tag them using the hashtag as well!  Stop back by on Wednesday as I’ll be sharing a list of books Moo and JJ will be reading this summer for our family reading challenge. (View the list here)

    What’s on your summer reading list?

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  • Thankful Thursday

    “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
    ~ Maya Angelou

    Happy Thankful Thursday YUMMs!  Seriously, I think Thursday is my favorite day of the week here on the blog.  I like spreading positivity and encouraging you to look for all the silver liners and positive things that have happened in your week.  Life’s way too short to be focused only on the things that didn’t go right.  So let’s do this!
    Summer break is upon us and I’m super excited and thankful.  Now we can get back to doing more activities as a family without having school take a big chunk out of our schedules or Moo feeling like she’s missing out on all the fun.  I’m thinking about planning a mommy-daughter day to give her some one-on-one bonding time with me.  I’m very thankful that she’s ending the school year on a much better note than she started.  Y’all it was rough those first few months, but my Moo has bloomed into a social butterfly.
    I captured the picture above a few days ago.  My little guy and I had a busy day out and about at Target and the Dollar Tree.  When we came home, all he wanted to do was snuggle with me on the couch.  Before I knew it, he was sound asleep.  I live and am thankful for moments like these, where all my kids want is to be close to me.
    Our first family roadtrip is coming up in about two weeks and I’m so thankful for the opportunity for the Mr to finally be able to travel with us!  The kids are excited because it’s been awhile since we’ve been on a trip.  Moo’s already talking about how she wants to just pretty much hang out at the pool at all day.
    I’m also grateful that we’ve started to make a little progress on Moo’s room remodel.  I’m almost finished with her custom Paris Eiffel Tower blanket and we’ve got a few cute prints to go up on her wall.  We’ve also started the decluttering process.  We donated three trashbags and two medium size boxes of stuff to charity.  Be sure to lookout for my upcoming Four Room Challenge series. 
    Lastly I’m thankful that my new Hamilton Beach FlexBrew (affiliate link) coffee machine came today!!  It’s seriously the best of both worlds and Moo is can’t wait to make hot chocolate with it.  I won it from Mama Knows It All.
    What are you giving thanks for this week?

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  • And Then He Was Four

    It happened again!  One of my kiddies dared to get another year older on me.  JJ turned four last month and I have to admit that I am proud of myself.  I held it together beautifully because y’all know that when it comes to my kids, birthdays and holidays, I tend to turn into an emotional sap. 
     Anyways, my little guy had a great birthday and enjoyed celebrating as a family of four.  Honestly, big parties just aren’t going to be our thing.  Neither of my kids are fans of big crowds or loud noises.  Plus there’s something about having that flexibility of allowing the kids to wake up and decide what they want to do for their birthdays as we go throughout the day.
    The first request on JJ’s list of birthday adventures after he had his tummy filled with bacon was to get a new train for his Thomas & Friends collection.  Seriously, he has quite the collection going with three different track sets, two Thomas & Friends flashlights (Thomas & Percy) and more than a handful of the motorized engines.  So we headed off to Walmart because some of their trains are cheaper than Target’s.  And tada… Caitlin and her passenger express  are the newest additions to the family!
    Our next stop was one that everyone enjoyed.  (Moo was not happy that she didn’t get a new toy while we were at Walmart.)  We hit up our favorite library, the ImaginOn, or as the kids refer to it, The Special Place!  Libraries are indeed special places and filled with magical adventures in every book.  So, I’ve kind of adopted their name for the ImaginOn.  I hope they always see the library as their “Special Place.”

    Moo insisted on dressing herself.  Not bad for a six year old!
    While JJ and the Mr checked out the vending machines, Moo and I checked out this cool sculpture of Cruella de Vil.  Pretty cool interpretation right of the iconic Disney villain, right?!  Let’s hope that no dalmatians were harmed in the making of her coat.  Her earrings and sequined gown were gorgeous!  And that deep plum lipstick is fab as well.

    When we finished our snacks, JJ and Moo put on a puppet show.  Then, JJ proceeded to fall in love with Kermit and refused to put him down the rest of our time at the ImaginOn.  I’m not even sure how we got him to leave Kermit when we left.  There may or may not have been some food bribing involved because my kids have obviously inherited my love language: food!

    The kids enjoyed playing with the big storybook before we left.  Of course, JJ got sidetracked when another group of kids moved on the puppet booth.  He was not happy and kept wanting me to make them leave.  We have to work on his sharing skills a bit.  We ended up staying at the library until it closed and then enjoyed a nice walk in Uptown Charlotte.
    We ended the day with dinner and popsicles (JJ is allergic to cake).  Overall, my little guy had a blast for his birthday.  He’s already gave me a list of the next trains he wants to add to collection for Christmas!
    How you celebrate your kids’ birthdays?

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  • Thankful Thursday

    “There are so many things we can be thankful for and when we realize that, life instantly becomes better.”
    ~ Rubyanne
    Happy Thankful Thursday YUMMs!  Can you guys believe tomorrow is Friday?  I know that Monday was Memorial Day and the kids were out of school, but in way this four day week seems like it was long.  It could be all the late nights I’ve been putting.  I’ve been brainstorming up some new videos and weekly/monthly segments I want to add to my YouTube channel. 
    Speaking of YouTube, I’m thankful to be back filming.  I was a on a little roll before my camera broke.  I’m toying with the idea of doing a day-in-the-life video once school gets out.  This week the kids in Moo’s class seem to be better behaved.  Their teacher told them if everybody behaved they’d get to camp out in tents in the classroom on Friday.
    Now while some of you maybe thinking that a teacher shouldn’t have to bribe her students to behave, I think it was good idea.  Each week they have a different sub-theme.  Since this month’s overall theme was nature, this week they studied about camping in the great outdoors.  She killed two birds with one stone.  Plus, it’s always good to help students end the school year on a good note.  Also, I was glad to hear that nobody picked on Moo’s friend this week.  These kids start bullying early y’all!
    When I made my vision board for the New Year, I put travel related things on there.  I’m thankful to announce that I’ll be taking my first trip next month and repartnering with one of my favorite brands.  I’ll share more information as my trip gets closer.  For now I’ll be going on this trip sans the kiddies unless something changes. 
    This week I’m also giving thanks on clarity as it relates to friendships.  I’ve come to realization that people who only put in the effort to contact you when they need something are NOT friends.  No matter how long you’ve known them or how much of a friend you’ve been to them, they’re still users. And surprisingly I’m okay with cutting ties from these folks.  Life’s just too short and friendship to me is too sacred to be wasting.
    Last but not least I’m grateful that my mommy is still acing her classes with flying colors!!   She’s been maintaining an A+ and we couldn’t be prouder of her. Please keep her in your prayers as finals are coming up soon.
    What are you thankful for this week?  And have you entered my PayPal Cash giveaway yet?

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  • My Dollar Tree & Target Mini Shopping Haul Faves

    Shopping.  It’s one of my favorite pastimes.  I mean who doesn’t like to shop?  And if you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I frequent Target and the Dollar Tree a lot!  So, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite items that I picked up during one of my recent mini shopping hauls.
    Dollar Tree

    Usually when I’m out shopping, my first stop is always the Dollar Tree.  Why?  That’s the store I usually have a list for.  I know by now what products they sell and follow a few Facebook groups and YouTubers who keep me updated on new product rollouts.  My faves from this trip all happen to be hair products.
    Moo asked is she could stop wearing her hair in braids in all the time and I agreed that she was old enough to start wearing her hair down.  Plus, I felt like how can I help her embrace her natural curls if she nevers gets to show them off?!  My mission was to find some products that we could experiment with and use to help make her hair easier to manage.  Check out the products we found and have been using for the past week below.
    • Lusti Organics Olive Oil Detangling Spray:  Not only does this spray detangle but it also conditions and has amino proteins that help to strengthen the hair. While this spray does have few parabens in it, there other natural ingredients such as sage and rosemary in here as well.  This stuff detangles like a charm on both damp and dry hair.  I’ve already added this my shopping list for my next Dollar Tree trip.
    • Lusti Naturals Argan Oil Curl Wave Twist Shaping Gel:  I picked this gel because I wanted something that would help to define and hold her curls without making them hard as bricks.  Also, Moo has a naturally dry scalp and I knew whatever gel we went with, it would need some sort of oil/moisturizer to avoid over drying and irritating her scalp and hair more.  What like about this gel is that it does define her curls beautifully and helps to eliminate 90% of her frizz.  I would say that this gel has a medium firm hold.  This product definitely works better on mixed texture hair like Moo’s as opposed to coarse hair like mine since I did experience some flaking and zero curl definition.
    • Lusti Naturals Argan Oil Hair Moisturizer:  I like to use the moisturizer after I spray on the detangler, but before I apply the shaping gel.  Two quarter size squirts is usually all that she needs and I work in well with my fingers from root to tip.  In my opinion, I feel that using the moisturizer helps to add a layer of protection between her hair and the shaping while also working with the detangling spray to further condition the hair. If you enjoy Pink Lotion, you’ll probably like this product.
    Target
    I feel like I spend so much time in Target that I should have my own little VIP section.  JJ and I usually hit up the Target closest to us at least three to four days a week.  Before you give me the side eye, let me say that I don’t always purchase things on these trips.  I just like to check out the clearance deals and I’ve been stalking their camera display since my camera has gone to an early grave.   They have a really good Fugi on sale right now, but I’m a Canon girl.  Maybe, if it goes on a double clearance markdown I will pick it up.  
    Anyways, I went to Target for the sole purpose of picking up some socks for Moo.  Her feet have literally been growing like weeds.  She requested socks that were either Frozen/Disney Princess related or purple.   Here’s what I found below.
    On the plus side, I did manage to find socks that were Frozen/Disney Princess themed as well as purple.  On the downside, they only had three pairs in her size.  But they got a new truck in this week and that means I’ll be back tomorrow to pick up at least three more pairs for next school year.  She only has a few more days of school left and during summer break she lives in sandals.
    To see what other things I picked up from my mini shopping trip check my YouTube video below! 
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BRORqHZvlA]
    What your favorite stores to shop?  Any hair product recommendations for kids with curly hair?

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  • Thankful Thursday

    “Take time to be thankful for everything that you have.  You can always have more, but you could also have less.”

    ~ Unknown

    The struggle to improve my photography and video shooting skills has been real y’all.  My camera fell off its tripod during my DIY shoot for my JORD watch and broke.  I haven’t found a budget friendly replacement and last week I started to get down in the dumps about it.  Then, I stumbled across the quote above and remembered that I needed to be thankful that I wasn’t completely camera-less.
    I do own a phone a with a camera.  Although, it’s on its last leg due to kissing the asphalt a few times, in a pinch it gets a decent job done.  However, prayers are greatly appreciated that I as head out this weekend looking for a new replacement that I will find something within my budget.  
    This week Moo came home from school talking about how some of the kids in her class were debating whose parents were the richest based on how much stuff (i.e.- toys, clothes, etc) they had.  It bothered her a bit because the situation kind of turned into some of the kids picking on one of her friends.  Also, I think it made her feel a little conscious of the fact that neither I nor her father rushes out to get her the latest toys, etc. As a parent, I’ve also strived and will continue to strive to instill in my children that material things don’t define who we are.

    Tweet:
    I’m grateful to have had this teachable moment and to reassure her that being rich in life goes beyond how big your house is, the number of zeros in your bank account or in her case the number of Barbie dolls in her toy box.  She felt better by the end of our talk and said that she remembered that people are more important than things. Here’s to hoping that as she gets older the peer pressure from her classmates to keep up with Joneses increases, she will continue to remember that.  I’m also hoping that more parents will work on teaching their children that it’s not okay to shame others because they don’t have as much as you do!
    This weekend my little guy turned FOUR!!  Please tell my heart to slow down y’all.  I managed to keep it together on his actual birthday, but there may or may not have been a tear shed the night before his birthday.  While having kids has made me stronger and tougher in certain situations, when it comes to sentimental occasions like birthdays, I have turned into even more a sap.  I’m even more grateful that we got to celebrate his birthday as a family and that the Mr didn’t have to work!
    Lastly, thank God again for honest neighbors.  My UPS man is officially on my bad side.  He’s been delivering all of my packages to someone else in a completely different apartment building and that poor lady has been trekking down three flights of stairs, down the sidewalk and up another couple flights of stairs to drop off my packages.  The first time I thought she’d made a lucky guess at which apartment to bring the package to because I’d expected there to be an error with the my printed mailing address. 
    Nope, my address was correct.  This week, I got a really package and she was so out of breath that she had to pause outside our door to catch it as she explained that our UPS man had once again left my package at her place.  As expected my address was 100% correct.  I felt bad that she had to cart that heavy box down and up all those stairs in this heat we’ve been having.  At this point, I’m seriously wondering why he keeps doing this and what happened to the UPS lady we had before he started doing this route?  
    Not sure if I can find out which warehouse he works at and contact the manager, but the we’ll look into email from corporate isn’t going to do this time. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for the reminder that we still have honest people in this often times crazy world.  I give thanks to God for this good samaritan in our neighborhood.  Also, thank you to everyone who’s been entering my current PayPal Cash giveaway!
    Let me know in the comments what you’re thankful for this week!

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  • Honey Glazed & Italian Breaded Baked Pork Chops

    I have to admit the Mr and I don’t get out for date nights much.  Thus, we have become more of the date night in sort of couple.  My husband gets to show off his awesome movie picking skills.  I get to show off my superb cooking skills by transforming an average week night meal into a date night worthy feast.  This week I made Honey Glazed & Italian Breaded Baked Pork Chops using Progresso Bread Crumbs.  Check out the recipe below.

    Ingredients
    4 pork chops
    1/2 cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs
    1/4 cup honey
    salt (optional)
    pepper (optional)

    Directions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and gather ingredients.
    2. Using a sauce brush, cover both sides of each pork chops with a light coating of honey.  You can season with salt and pepper before brushing with honey if desired.
    3. Pour bread crumbs into a shallow dish.  Place pork chops on top of bread crumbs and shake lightly using a back and forth motion.  Flip and shake again to bread other side.  Repeat until both sides are evenly breaded.
    4. Place breaded pork chops on to a foil lined pan (easy clean up).  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Flip halfway through cooking progress.
    5. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
    See how the honey caramelized with the bread crumbs in certain spots?  Yummy goodness I y’all.!
    See how easy and simple it is to transform plain baked pork chops by adding two additional ingredients?  It’s amazing the taste difference the Progresso Italian bread crumbs and honey make.  If you’re interested in trying this recipe out be sure to print out this $1.00 off TWO Progresso Bread Crumbs products at Publix.  The coupon is available for printing until May 31st and expires June 30, 2015.  
    Need more incentive to try out this recipe?  How about entering this $15 PayPal giveaway?  Yep, you could win a chance for me to pay for your date night in meal!  Just use the Rafflecopter widget below.  This giveaway is open to US residents 18 & under.  Good luck!

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  • Thankful Thursday

    “There is always, always, ALWAYS something to be thankful for.”
    ~ Unknown
    I started this week off giving thanks for my little guy feeling somewhat better.  His cough has cleared up ton. He’s back to his cheerful self.  I’m also grateful that we have health insurance.  Paying for doctor visits and prescriptions out of pocket with no assistance or discount can be pricey.
    Mother’s Day was almost a week ago. Since I’ve been tending to JJ and working a few other projects I haven’t had the chance to be present around the blog this week.  I said all that to say Happy Belated Mother’s Day!  This Mother’s Day I wanted to be surrounded by my family and to have a whole day of being able to curl up with my books.  Sunday, I got to do just that.  I wrapped up reading half of Christina Lauren’s Beautiful series and started on A. N. Roquelaure’s (Anne Rice) The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty as well as Oprah Winfrey’s This I Know For Sure.  
    The Mr. took over breakfast duty.  Moo and JJ played quietly in the living room together.  No complaints here about my Mother’s Day except for the Mr having had to go in to work.  Otherwise, it was nice and peaceful.

    Thankfully, my mom was finally able to find a handyman to do a few odd ends around her house.  That process in and of itself was a small pain in her bottom.  I come from a super small town that 95% of people have never heard of.  And if you need major repairs you often times end up a creek because the closest major cities and towns are at 1 to 4 hours away.  Then you’re not only worried about the cost of the repair, but how much they’re going to charge for you traveling so far out.

    Anyways, she called me all excited that she had found someone with a dependable crew and reasonable rates.  They’ve already made some repairs and she’s pleased with their services and have been recommending them to others in the area who were looking for a good handyman as well.  I’m grateful she can rest easy and stop stressing/worrying over these issues now that they are being taken care of.

    Lastly, I want to ask you guys to keep the YUMMommy family in prayer.  My husband is stepping out on faith to do something that will result in HUGE changes for our family.  While I’m excited, I’m nervous as well.  However, I trust God to lead us and guide us.  He wouldn’t have opened this door if there wasn’t a reason.  So, I’ve been praying that He makes those reasons clear in order for us to make the right choices for our family.

    What are you thankful for today?

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  • Thankful Thursday

    “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

    ~ Unknown
    When I stumbled across this week’s Thankful Thursday quote it really resonated within me.  For me and my family, thank you is a phrase that you will hear pretty often around here, especially from Moo.  She’s very good at remembering to say thank you when someone does something for her like holding her door or opening her soy yogurt.  I feel like her heart so full of gratitude.
    I’d like to take credit for that and I kind of can, but I know a lot of her kindness and overall awesomeness is just how God made her.  Although, I do my best to set great examples, I know that there are just somethings that God really gifted her with before she even came into the world.  She’s taught me the importance of letting people know that I am grateful.  Whether it’s being grateful for simply having them in my life or being grateful for something they did for me, it’s very important to say thank you and express our gratitude.

    With that said this week I’m giving thanks for awesome pediatricians.  Whenever one of the kids are sick, they always manage to squeeze them in to be seen the same day when I call.  They are very familiar with the fact that a common cold is never just a common cold for Moo and JJ.  I love how they take the time to explain what the issue is, how the kids may have gotten it and ways that we can prevent them from catching it again.  They also know that I get a bit of anxiety when my kids get sick and they do a great job of reassuring me.

    Today is National Mom’s Night Out and I’m grateful for the opportunity to hang out with some of my favorite bloggers and friends.  A special thanks to Kate from My Mommy Brain for hosting the event!  She’s so sweet, soft spoken and just has this bubbly personality that is contagious.  Definitely, drop by her blog and check out her copy cat recipe posts because she is a master at replicating restaurant dishes!

    A photo posted by K. E M (@yummommies) on May 2, 2015 at 11:49am PDT

    I’m thankful that this week the Mr got to take the weekend off.  This does not happen very often.  We had a blast enjoying one of our favorite parks.  We played soccer with the kids.   Once the kids went to sleep we got to have the evenings to ourselves to reconnect as a couple.

    Lastly, I’m grateful to have my voice back today.  I woke up Wednesday morning with a swollen, itchy throat and no voice thanks to severe allergies.  Moo thought it was hilarious that I had to pretty much use hand gestures to communicate.  Pretty sure I looked like a mad woman with my hands flapping everywhere.  Thanks to resting my voice and some home remedies I was able to get the swelling down and can talk today!!

    What are you giving thanks for this week?
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