Staying Healthy with FruitsMax

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and FruitsMax but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #fruitsmax  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO”

I have never ever met a fruit that I didn't like.  You name a fruit, and I'll eat it.  My daughter, however, was born a picky eater, and will not even eat most fruits, which is hard for this fruit-loving mama to believe!  All she'll eat are apples, and the only way to get her to eat any other fruit is by blending it all up and giving it to her in smoothie form- which is great and tastes delicious, but I don't always have time to whip up multiple smoothies throughout the day!

Recently I heard about FruitsMax, and decided to give it a try.  What I liked about FruitsMax is that it's simple- it's made up of 21 different fruits + probiotics.  That's it! And the supplements are chewable, which is great, since my daughter also has a really hard time swallowing vitamins or pills that aren't chewable.

I've been taking FruitsMax, too, because although I could eat fruit for every meal, many days I'm not getting as much fruit as I should be in my diet.  One FruitsMax supplement in the morning, one at night, and I know I'm getting my daily recommended allowance of fruits.  Couldn't be easier!  All of my four kids loved the flavor of FruitsMax, as did I, and we have been taking them every day.

12 essential vitamins, 11 minerals, hundreds of phytonutrients, and a good dose of antioxidants are all part of the reason I've been using FruitsMax.  It's made only from fresh fruits with no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors, and is GMO free.

FruitsMax has an awesome promotion going on now! They're giving the first bottle to customers FREE if you pay for shipping and handling. If you sign up for their monthly newsletter you will also get an additional 15% off- no promo code required!

You can find more information about FruitsMax on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Fruit-Infused Water Recipes with Soma

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Soma, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #givesoma http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I am already thinking about upcoming Christmas parties and get-togethers, the food and drinks that I want to serve, and how I want my table top to look. I'm not a big soda fan, so I plan on serving fruit infused water in different flavors to guests this season. The colors are so pretty, it's a healthy alternative to sugary soda and juice, it's easy and quick to make, and tastes great!

One secret to making fruit-infused water is to start with clean, great-tasting water, which my tap water is not. I live in Southern California, where the tap water tastes absolutely horrible. I stock up on bottled water weekly so that we have enough water in the house, but I always thought that there had to be a better way. I've tried traditional water filters in the past, but after constantly finding little black specks in my water and having the top fall off of the pitcher at the dinner table when pouring, I was done!

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I learned about the new Soma. Just one look and it was love at first sight! I love the modern, clean lines of the Soma, and I wouldn't be embarrassed to have it sitting out during a dinner party- I want to show it off!  

Soma features a hand crafted glass carafe and a 100% biodegradable filter that is made from Malaysian coconut shell carbon, fine silk, and a plant-based filter casing. My tap water truly tastes great after it is filtered in my Soma. One of the best things about this company is that every filter that you buy brings safe, clean drinking water to those in need through their partners at charity: water. You can watch a video here to learn more.

Here are a few delicious recipes for fruit-infused water that you can create using your water from your Soma. I love that there are so many different flavor combinations, and the possibilities are truly endless! Try creating your own unique combinations with your favorite fruit (and herbs, too, if you'd like). All of these recipes are for a glass, so if you're making more for a party, just use more ingredients! Fruit infused water is best after letting the flavors meld together a few hours, or even overnight.

Pomegranate Lime Fruit Infused Water:

1. Add a few teaspoons of pomegranate seeds to the bottom of your glass.  Place a couple thin slices of lime that have been cut in half into the glass.

2. Muddle the pomegranate seeds by using a muddler or wooden spoon to slightly crush the fruit to release the flavors. Be careful not to overdo it.

3. Fill the glass full of ice.

4. Add fresh water from your Soma to the glass, and place in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight).

You'll be surprised at how much more water you drink when it tastes this good! I know I found myself drinking a lot more water, which is great for my body and health.

Orange Berry Fruit Infused Water:

1. Add a few sliced strawberries and quartered thin orange slices to the bottom of your glass.  

2. Muddle the strawberries and orange slices by using a muddler or wooden spoon to slightly crush the fruit to release the flavors. Be careful not to overdo it.

3. Fill the ice full of glass, add fresh water, wait for a few hours, and enjoy!

This flavor was my favorite because I have a sweet-tooth, and this water was nice and sweet and full of flavor.

Cucumber Melon Fruit Infused Water:

1. Place some cubed honeydew chunks and halved thin cucumber slices in the bottom of your glass.  

2. Muddle the honeydew and cucumber slices by using a muddler or wooden spoon to slightly crush the fruit to release the flavors. Be careful not to overdo it.

3. Fill the ice full of glass, add fresh water, wait for a few hours, and enjoy!

If you love Soma as much as I do, you can order a Soma carafe + filter for only $49, and you will automatically be enrolled in their fresh filter program, which sends you replacement filters to your home every two months. The cost is $12.99, which is less than 25 cents per day, and shipping is always free. No more guessing when it's time to change the filter!

A new Soma would make a great gift for family, friends, clients- anyone! To give the Soma carafe and filter costs $49, or you can give a Soma carafe + a 12-month filter subscription for only $99. Be sure to follow along with Soma on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to keep up with this great company!

xo, Laura

Homemade Orange Julius Recipe

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to share with you one of my favorite all time recipes... orange julius!  I used to make these at least once a week as a teenager and up through college, and now my kids love this easy, fruity, delicious drink too!

This is the recipe I learned from my mom as a teen.  It is soooooo incredibly easy, takes under 5 minutes to make, and takes ingredients you probably already have sitting at home.  And it tastes so refreshing and delicious, especially on a hot summer day!

Orange Julius Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 can orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup water 
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it- I usually use 1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 10-12 ice cubes

Put all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.  

Told you it was easy!

Enjoy!! 

I hope this becomes one of your family favorites, too!

xo, Laura

Linking up Here:  Craft-O-Maniac, C.R.A.F.T., SNAP!, Ginger Snap Crafts, Tidy Mom, 30 Handmade Days, Whipperberry, Tatertots and Jello, A to Zebra Celebrations

DIY Lemonade Stand from Wood Pallets + World Market's Summer in Paris Sweepstakes

Today I am beyond thrilled to share with you a project that I have worked very long and hard on- an amazing lemonade stand that all started with 3 wood pallets!

This DIY lemonade stand is durable and large, but the great thing about it is the ingenious way that it is built (thanks for the help, honey)!  It is so easy to put together and take apart this stand, and it can be stored in pieces, so that it doesn't take up much room.

I have SO many plans for this stand already!  It's not just a lemonade stand!  It will be a safari base camp outfitting post at my son's jungle safari party (coming soon!), a concessions stand, an Italian soda bar, a ticket booth, a puppet show, and the list goes on and on!

Before I show you how to build this stand, I want to show you what we served...

To make my lemonade stand extra special, I served delicious Lorina Prestige Sparkling Soda that I bought at World Market, and that comes in 3 amazing flavors- lemonade, pink citrus lemonade, and blood orange.  So delicious!  I served the lemonade in these World Market mason jar glasses that I fell in love with, and some yellow striped straws.

And why stop at lemonade?  My stand also included some sweet treats from World Market's French line- because really, who can resist candy?!  Especially when it is served in these beautiful clear glass apothecary jars?  We loved these tasty chewy Eiffel Bon Bons that come in strawberry and green apple- my kids would not stop eating these!  And neither did I ;)  Our candy selection also included the classic lemon drops (my husband's favorites), as well as lemon suckers, and salt water taffy.

Classic French Madeleines were served on this lovely white porcelain cake stand. For more fun food and drink ideas, be sure to check out all the amazing gourmet food and drink items that World Market sells- I love shopping their food aisles!

Speaking of French food, World Market has an fantastic Summer in Paris sweepstakes going on now that you NEED to enter- details are at the end of the post!

At the end of a long busy day, it felt great to sit and relax and sip a refreshing glass of lemonade!!

Now let's get to building!  Here are the directions if you'd like to create your own lemonade stand from wood pallets.  Wood pallets are not all the same size, so I tried to be as specific as possible with the directions without giving EXACT measurements, because your pallets won't be exactly the same dimensions as mine.

This lemonade stand can be adapted to using wood that you many have on hand, cheaper or more expensive wood, etc.  Do what works for you!  You can also leave out some of the supplies if you would like to make this for cheaper.  You don't need to add the wood veneer to the front and sides (although it does make it look more "finished")- you could just leave the pallet exposed.  An awning isn't absolutely necessary, but it sure adds to the cute factor, and provided much needed shade in the heat of the summer.  Just make sure that you follow the directions to build main structure- you wouldn't want to leave out any important pieces support pieces that hold the stand together.

DIY Wood Pallet Lemonade Stand:

SUPPLIES:

• 3 Wood pallets
• Wood veneer, bead board, or plywood (3 pieces cut to the size of your pallets- optional)
• Drill
• Screws
• Piece of wood (optional- size of your choice, for frame on front), 
• Chalkboard paint (optional- for frame on front, and the sign on the top)
• 4 long boards (for sides of pallet)
• L-brackets (at least 8)
• Wood board (for top support board- same length as the pallet)
• Wood board (for top sign- same length as the pallet)
• 2 Wood boards (for awning support in front and back- same length as the pallet)
• 2 pieces of old, distressed, thick wood (for counter)
• 4 small pieces of wood (to connect the two counter boards together)
• 2 spade bits (one to fit the head of your counter bolts, and one to fit the body of the bolt)
• 10 bolts (4 for the counter top, 4 for the awning, and 2 for the back), 10 washers, and 10 nuts
• White duck cloth (or other thick fabric- for the awning- optional)
• Painter's tape (optional)
• White, pink, and tan paint
• Paintbrushes
• Grommet kit (extra large grommets)
• 2 Wood boards (braces inside the stand)
• Wood board (top back counter support)

FRONT & SIDES of stand:

1.  You'll need 3 pallets for the structure of the lemonade stand.  There are different grades of pallets, so  try to find the sturdier pallets with thicker wood that is not split.  Remove any nails at the top corners of the pallets where you will be drilling holes (this will make more sense as you read on).

2.  You can leave your wood pallets bare, or you can add some wood veneer, bead board, or plywood to the front of your pallets, like I did.  These range in price and thickness, but I used a $9 piece of wood veneer that was enough to cover the front and one side of my stand.  Cut the wood veneer to fit each of the 3 pallets.  Screw the veneer into place on each pallet.

3.   If you would like a framed chalkboard area on the front of your stand like mine (optional), then cut your desired wood piece into 4 pieces to form the frame, using 45 degree angles.  Screw on the frame to the front of your stand.

4.  Attach the two long boards to each of the front sides of your front pallet using your drill and screws.  This serves two purposes- to cover and hide the pallet underneath, and to help build the framework for the sign and the awning.  Screw in a top support board to the top of the two side boards using L-brackets to attach the three boards together.

5.  Now it's time to add the sign to the top of the stand.  You can choose the size of your sign, it just needs to be long enough to reach both side boards.  Paint the sign in your preferred color- I chose chalkboard paint.  Attach the sign (when dry) to the side boards using L-brackets and screws.  

6.  Attach your awning support board 1/2" between the top sign.  This gap will allow you to slide the awning between the boards so that you can attach it.

COUNTER TOP of stand:

1.  For our counter, we used two old weathered boards that we had on hand and really liked.  This is a great way to use up old wood that you might have, and will lower your cost.  Cut one of the boards so it will fit in between the two side boards of the front of your stand.  We used a larger board for the outside of our counter that was about 6" longer than the other counter board on each side- this gave us more counter space and looked more custom.  Turn the wood upside down on the ground and place centered together, as it will appear on the stand.  Screw your four small pieces of wood onto the bottom of the counter top to connect the two counter boards.  

2.  Now we need to attach the counter top to all three pallets.  Put the pallets in a U-shape, with the veneer facing outward.  You will be drilling four holes in your counter top using a spade bit, so that you can countersink the holes to fit the bolt heads that you selected.  You will want to use very large bolts.  The two front holes are going to go through your counter top and then through the front pallet.  The two back holes are going to go through the side pallets (one hole in each pallet).  Make sure that there aren't any nails where you will be drilling these holes!  If there are, be sure to remove them.  

To countersink the bolt head, you will need to drill two sets of holes.  Start with the larger drill bit, one that will fit the bolt head.  Drill your hole, and stop when the bolt head can fit inside the hole and is flush with the counter top.  Drill a longer, smaller hole with the smaller spade bit, so that it fits the body of your bolt.  This hole will go all the way through the counter top and the pallets, and is what will hold the whole structure together.  Drill all four described holes this way.  Place the bolts inside their holes, and attach and tighten the counter to the pallets using the washers and nuts.  These bolts will not be seen, so it is safer that your bolts are longer rather than shorter.  If the bolts are too short, then you can't attach the whole structure together.  

BACK of stand:

1.  Attach two side pieces to the back sides of your stand, one board on each side.  Add the back awning support board to the two back side boards using two bolts to connect them.  Bolts are used so that this can easily be taken apart to store. 

AWNING:

1.  An awning is optional, but it keeps the lemonade sellers out of direct sunlight, and adds quaintness to your stand.  My awning was made from duck canvas, which is a utility fabric that doesn't fray as much when cut.  Measure how much material you will need to use for your awning- I used a little over 2 yards of fabric.  Cut your awning to size, measure how large you would like your stripes, and apply painter's tape to your duck cloth to help get nice, crisp even paint lines.  Paint, let dry, and remove tape.  

2.  Drill two holes in your front and back awning support boards where you would like your grommets to go- this will be what holds your awning in place.  The awning will be easy to remove because of the bolts.  Hold up your awning, and draw a small dot where the holes are that you drilled.  Add grommets to those holes by following the directions on the back of your grommet kit.  Add awning to the stand by screwing bolt into grommet holes, and using washers and nuts to secure into place.

BRACES:

1.  Cut two pieces of wood to fit on the inside ground of your lemonade stand, so that the bottom sides of your pallet are secure.  Set one piece of wood in the front inside of your stand, and the other on the back inside to support it.

Top Back COUNTER SUPPORT:

1.  Use a spade bit and drill all the way through a piece of wood the size of your choice.  Make sure there aren't any nails in the back corners of your side pallets. Drill halfway down the back top of the side pallets.  Glue two wood dowels, one on each side, into the holes with wood glue.  Once glue is dry, place the back counter support board over the dowels so that it fits into place.

ALL DONE!  

That was a lot of work, but look at the amazing finished lemonade stand!!  It is easy to put together and take apart, is very strong and durable, is easy to store, and can be used multiple times and for multiple events!  You can make multiple awnings as well to match the different events that you will be using it for.

Now for the fun sweepstakes!  World Market is has teamed up with Lorina French Lemonade to give away an AMAZING prize- a dream trip to Paris!!  Winner will receive a trip for 2 to Paris, a $1,000 World Market gift card, a two day museum pass and river cruise, dinner at the Eiffel Tower, and a case of Lorina French Lemonade!!

I spent a month in Europe back in college and traveled through many cities, but my favorite city hands down was Paris- it is a beautiful romantic city, and I would love for one of my readers to win this trip!  Be sure to enter the Summer in Paris contest here.  The contest ends Friday, August 16th.

Be sure to enter, and good luck!!

I'd love to hear what you think of my lemonade stand!  It took a lot of work and planning, but I LOVE the results!  If you want to build one and have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

xo, Laura

Coconut Limeade Recipe

Before I get to the recipe, I'm so excited to be guest posting over at Paging Supermom today. Be sure sure to stop by and check out my super-tips on how to beat the heat and stay cool this summer!

And don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway at the bottom of this post for a chance to win a $25 giftcard and 75 striped straws!

Have you been melting in this summer heat?  100 degree weather and me don't get along too well, so I have been attempting to keep cool by experimenting with my Brazilian Limeade recipe.

I had some coconut milk in the cupboard that was just begging to be used, so I took out some water from my original recipe and added in some of the coconut milk... and the results were amazing and refreshing!

The best part about this recipe is that, like with the Brazilian Limeade, you don't have to waste time juicing or squeezing the limes!  You simply cut the limes, and pulse them in the blender a couple times, strain the peel and seeds out, and you save yourself time AND limes!  

Coconut Limeade:

• 2-3 medium-large limes (or 5-6 small limes), washed and quartered
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups water (cold preferably)
• 1 cup coconut milk (regular or light is fine)
• 1 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
• ice (I use about 6 ice cubes, but this is to preference)

1.  Add all ingredients to the blender, and pulse for literally 1-2 seconds, about 4 times.  And yes, you are pulsing the peel.  Do NOT mix more than this!  If you mix it too much it becomes really bitter.

2.  Place a strainer over your pitcher or a bowl, and dump the beverage through the strainer to remove any seeds and the remaining lime peels.  Use a spoon to push down on the peels to remove the juice.  Discard the peels and seeds. Stir and serve!

Make sure to drink this soon after making, I'd say within an hour.  If you let it sit for too long, it starts to taste bitter.

For another refreshing drink, try this strawberry limeade... it's soooo good!  And if you're grilling this summer, this coconut macadamia mango crusted mahi mahi, grilled rosemary pita bread or some grilled corn, would be delicious with this as well!

And have you entered my birthday giveaway yet?

I'm excited to be giving away a $25 gift card to your choice of one of a few of my favorite places!! The winner can choose one $25 gift card from Nordstrom, The Cheesecake Factory, Michaels, M.A.C. Cosmetics, or Amazon.  

AND, the winner will also receive 3 sets of 25 striped straws in red, yellow, and blue, for a total of 75 striped straws!  I LOVE using these straws at all of my parties and when entertaining- they look especially adorable in mason jars!

Be sure to enter to win below!  

Leave a comment for an easy entry, and follow Make Life Lovely for additional entries (optional).  The contest will end on Monday, July 8th at 12 am.  The winner will be randomly chosen and announced here on the blog on Tuesday, July 9th, and will have 48 hours to email me to claim their prize.  

Be sure to check back on Tuesday, July 9th so see if you are the winner!  If the prize is not claimed, a new winner will be chosen.  This contest is only open to U.S. residents and is void where prohibited.  Must be 18 or older to enter.  Good luck!!!

<a Rafflecopter giveaway

xo, Laura

If you liked this idea, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Linking Up Here: Tatertots and Jello, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lil' Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, SNAP!, The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Tidy Mom, 30 Handmade Days, See Vanessa Craft, Whipperberry

Surf and Turf Dinner Party + Rosemary Potato & Yogurt Dipping Sauce Recipe

One of my favorite things to do during the summertime is to entertain family and friends.  I love to play hostess and put together dinner parties and get togethers.  I have so much fun picking out the perfect dishes and dinnerware, decorations, and food for the party.

Recently I made a delicious surf and turf meal for my family and parents.  I used lots of fresh, natural ingredients, many of them freshly picked from the garden.  I knew I wanted the dinner to have a nautical theme, so I went to World Market and found the perfect dinnerware and entertaining pieces to use!  

I fell in love with so many items from their outdoor entertaining and outdoor dining collections, and found a way to incorporate many of them into my nautical surf and turf meal.  Be sure to check out their fun outdoor entertainment and outdoor dining items to find just the right products for your summer entertaining!

You might already know I have a slight obsession with anchors (and anything nautical, really), so World Market was THE place for me to shop for my dinner!

The anchor and crab Seascape Plates (pictured above) screamed out my name, so I bought a set of 8, as well as three of the matching anchor and crab Seascape Platters.

One of my favorite little nautical details was this Seahorse Spreader.  So cute!  And of course I had to have the matching Seahorse Servers, too, to serve with the Caesar salad.  You might also recognize the Lagoon dinnerware from my Coconut Macadamia Mango Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe.  I used the large Lagoon Platter for serving the garlic bread, and I used the large Lagoon Serving Bowl to serve the Caesar Salad in. I love the light aqua color, and the way that it almost looks like sea glass... beautiful!

Since no party is complete without World Market's delicious Italian Sodas, I picked up five different flavors for our dinner.  So refreshing!  I served them in the Galvanized Party Tub, which was the perfect size to hold all of our drinks.  I also picked up the Black Metal Party Tub Stand, which held the party tub really well so that I didn't have to use up my valuable table space for the drinks.

I've been looking for a few years (literally) now for the perfect drink dispenser for my parties, and I finally found this beautiful glass drink dispenser at World Market for only $19.99!  I bought two, and am absolutely in love with them. They have a few different styles of dispensers there, so be sure to check them out!  The hardest part will be deciding which one to buy!

To add to the nautical theme of my surf and turf dinner party, I included a net onto the table and used it as a runner.  On top of that, I used my DIY American Flag Garland that I made out of burlap and some spray paint. 

I love the color that it added to the table, and it matched perfectly with another favorite World Market find- the American Flag Pillow, perfect for the Fourth of July!  I picked up two of these adorable pillows. 

For our surf and turf dinner, I decided to go with shrimp and lobster tail and top sirloin steak. Yummmm!! We grilled the shrimp and steak, and boiled the lobster tail.

The meat and seafood tasted absolutely perfect! To go with main dishes, my mom and I made some delicious salads.

I made a Caesar salad, and my mom went out to the garden and picked fresh tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, and dill to make a tomato basil salad and a cucumber onion salad.  The salads tasted so fresh since the ingredients came straight from the garden!

One of my favorite side dishes I created for this meal were the Rosemary Potatoes with a Creamy Caper and Dill Dipping Sauce.  I love that I can smother my potatoes in a tangy, creamy dipping sauce without feeling guilty, since this sauce is made with a Greek yogurt base (instead of heavy mayonnaise) and various herbs and spices.  No guilt at all!

The many different flavors in the sauce all fuse into one, and are amazing with the potatoes, but could also easily be used as a sauce for the shrimp, lobster, or steak.  Here's the recipe so you can try making your own!

Rosemary Potatoes with a Creamy Caper & Dill Dipping Sauce:

For the potatoes:

• Red potatoes
• Olive oil
• Fresh rosemary, chopped 
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• Diced onions (optional)

For the dipping sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
• 1 Tbsp. capers, chopped (I used canned)
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 Tbsp. red onion, chopped
• Sea salt, to taste

Mix up the dipping sauce first so that the flavors can meld together while the potatoes are cooking. 

If you aren't familiar with capers, they are a small round edible flower bud used in pickling and flavoring fish, seafood, salads, etc.  I bought a small jar of capers, as well as my white pepper, at World Market.  Their white pepper tastes great and is very strong, and is the perfect color to blend right into the creamy caper and dill yogurt dipping sauce.

Add all of the ingredients to the Greek yogurt, and stir well to mix in all of the ingredients thoroughly. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Now on to the potatoes!  Wash and slice each potato to about a 1/4" thickness.  Place in baking pan and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil.  Add the chopped rosemary, sea salt, pepper, and diced onions (if using), and stir to mix.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Halfway through cooking, carefully add another 1/4 cup of olive oil to the potatoes. 

After 20 minutes, pull out a potato slice with a fork, and test for doneness.  If the potato is cooked, then you may either:

1. Remove the potatoes from the oven (and keep warm until ready to serve)  or 

2. Place them in a grilling basket for about 10 minutes away from direct heat on your grill.  This will allow the potatoes to have a slightly smoky, grilled flavor.  If you do the grilling option, make sure that the potatoes are away from direct heat, and be sure to check them regularly!  We also added a few large sprigs of rosemary and some large slices of red onion for extra flavor and color. 

To serve the dipping sauce, I used these lovely large natural baking shells that I bought from World Market.  They come all clean and ready for food to be placed, or even baked, inside of them.  The shells were the perfect size for individual portions of the sauce, and fit in perfectly with my nautical theme!

Good food, a loving family, great weather, and World Market!! The perfect combination for an amazing summer dinner party!

Oh, and a few books and someone to read them to you is crucial, too.  Just ask my daughter ;)

I hope you enjoyed all the fun details of our delicious summer dinner!  If you are doing any entertaining this summer, be sure to visit World Market (in store or on-line) and see all of the amazing entertaining items they sell.  

Cost Plus World Market has partnered up with Southwest Airlines to offer four Great Summer Getaways!  Enter for a chance to win a trip for 4 anywhere Southwest Airlines flies!

There are 4 weekly Grand Prize Packages that include airfare for 4 on Southwest Airlines, hotel accommodations, AND a $500 World Market Gift Card!  You can also earn bonus entries for liking their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr brand pages for more chances to win.

Be sure to enter the sweepstakes here!  And good luck!!  Wouldn't that be so cool if one of my readers won?  Fingers crossed for you!

Are you doing any entertaining this summer?  Any fun vacations planned?  I'd love to hear about it!

If you haven't already, I'd love for you to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

I am a member of the World Market Trendsetter Tribe, and I was compensated for this post.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Linking Up Here:  Sugar Bee Crafts, Lolly Jane, SNAP!, Lil' Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths