Cleaning Up Our Picnic Tables with Fabuloso #MiFabuloso #Ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MiFabuloso #CollectiveBias

This is our second spring in Northwest Arkansas and, while I've never been a warm weather girl, I'm determined to get outside and enjoy the abundant sunshine {and humidity---yikes!} that's already started bringing 80º days our way! Last summer, one neighbor gave us this glass top picnic table and another gave us a plastic picnic table for the little kids. After a rainy, muddy winter, they needed some serious cleaning up before we enjoyed our first outside barbecue. We'd never used Fabuloso® multi-purpose cleaner before, so we decided to check out the lavender scent. Michael scrubbed them down and, in just a few minutes, they were sparkling and ready for picnicking!

I found Fabuloso® all-purpose cleaner in the cleaning aids section at Walmart. The price was great for the large quantity of cleaner in the bottle and there were several scents to chose from.

I grabbed a bottle of Lavender and a bottle of Limited Edition Spring in Bloom. These will be great to use when I want to clean my floors, the windows, even my car. I like stocking up on affordable products so I'm ready when I'm surprised by the cleaning urge. Ha!

Once Michael had the tables clean for us, we spread out our table cloth and enjoyed a delicious barbecue supper. See my sparkly table edge? Looking fabulous! I'm really looking forward to lots of picnics outside this spring and summer. I've already had my first tea party!

The kids enjoyed their picnic supper at their new, clean table. They loved how it smelled like lavender and I feel much more comfortable having them eat outside when things are clean. I know "dirt won't hurt", but bird poo is sort of yucky to be dining over...

Have you used any of the Fabuloso® cleaning products? Which big cleaning project in your home would be made easier by multi-purpose Fabuloso®?

Tea and Cake and Strawberries and Peonies

Welcome to the {Not Just} Homemaking Party! A couple weeks ago, Lynzie, Selah, and I were out shopping and came across the sweetest tea shop. You know I just had to go in and I found such pretty things! (Yes, I was sure to tell Jamie all about it when I got home...Mother's Day is coming soon! Turns out, he already knew about it and that's where he's been buying my tea the last year and a half. Ha!!) It was a hard choice, but I decided on this adorable Strawberries & Peonies Tea For One. Isn't it gorgeous?

Inspired, I made a delicious Strawberry Tea Time Torte. Ok, I made two...there are 11 of us, you know... 

This is just the first of many tea parties to come this spring and summer. I'm inspired and ready to relax with beautiful things!

Thanks for linking up with The Homemaking Party!

Strawberry Tea Time Torte #PourMoreFun #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PourMoreFun #CollectiveBias

Last Saturday, Lynzie, Selah, and I went shopping for some fun accessories for Lynzie's Spring Formal coming up this weekend. We stumbled on a tea shop and I just had to go in. I found an adorable peony and strawberries tea-for-one and knew I couldn't leave the shop without it! Inspired, I came home and created this pretty Strawberry Tea Time torte using the new Kool-Aid Easy Mix I'd purchased the day before.

I found three flavors of Kool-Aid Easy Mix at Walmart in the boxed juice and drink mix aisle. Tropical Punch, Grape, and Cherry are some of the best Kool-Aid flavors, and I can't wait to try out this new way of making an old family favorite. The new Kool-Aid Easy Mix is really convenient, as I just add water. Now I can make one glass for myself, or a whole pitcher to share---a refreshing, affordable, summertime treat! 

My torte recipe is a new twist on an old favorite, as well. My family loves it when I make this dessert and, thanks to Kool-Aid Easy Mix, I was able to eliminate a few steps, minutes, and ingredients.

Strawberry Tea Time Torte

16 oz. pound cake mix + ingredients to make the cake

1/2 c. Kool-Aid Easy Mix

2 TB lemon juice

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1/3 c. milk

12 oz. whipped topping

3.4 oz. instant cheesecake pudding mix

strawberries and lemon to garnish

Preheat oven to 350º and spray two 8 or 9 inch pans with nonstick spray.  Prepare cake mix according to the directions on the package and spread evenly into prepared pan.  Bake about 20-22 minutes, until done and cool completely.

Once the cake is cooled, slice the tops off to make each piece flat on top. If your cakes are thick, you can slice them in half, horizontally, for more layers.  

Prick the cake all over with a fork and then brush them evenly with the Kool-Aid Easy Mix. Whisk cream cheese and lemon juice together until smooth, then whisk in milk.  Spoon whipped topping over top of this mix but don't mix in.  Sprinkle with pudding mix and then mix it all up well.

Place one cake piece on a serving plate and spread some filling mixture on top.  You can use a decorating tool to make the edges pretty, if you'd like.  Repeat with each layer.  Garnish with fruit, flowers, or herbs.

Once the cake was cool, this torte took just minutes to put together. It makes a beautiful tea time treat. I'm thinking of making one for my next book club meeting. Kool-Aid Easy Mix made it much easier to make and it tastes great too! How will you enjoy Kool-Aid Easy Mix this summer?