Keeping it Cool

Ahhh...nothing feels nicer than a cool beverage on a hot day. My go-to cool beverage is water, but sometimes I crave something unique or flavorful. I like to make fruit-infused water when that urge comes around. Orange/blueberry, cucumber/lemon, or strawberry/peach are a few of my favorites. Cutting up fresh fruit and leaving them to sit in a closed container in the fridge creates the most refreshing H2O.

I also get into iced tea creations in the summer time. I'll grab two different kids of teas from our massive tea stash and let them soak in a pitcher for a few hours. It's a way of using what we already have to create something new. They are teas that I wouldn't drink solo, or hot, like Tazo Passion (Corey buys it for himself), but when I add two bags of Passion to two bags of Bigelow Green Tea, they make an iced drink worth savoring. I'll sit on the porch and watch the kids play sippin' my summertime glass of awesomeness.

But, there are some things that I can't do at home, like make bubbles, or squeeze a coconut, that require Fun Dollars. So today after swim lessons (Carrick was feeling better) we went to Natural Grocers for some "treats". Coconut water and Pelligrino came home with me to fill the gap in my summertime beverage bar. With Pelligrino (it also works with other sparkling waters) I like to squeeze lime and lemon juice into my glass. Sometimes I like to add one of the Passion tea bags and float raspberries in a champagne glass with my bubbly water. It's a non-alcoholic alternative to champagne when trying not to dehydrate in the desert and summer heat.

I'm saving the coconut water for this weekend. We plan on taking a Father's Day weekend day trip to Williams to see the train show. I want a non-water drink for the road, so my can of coconut water will hold that spot for me. I also bought four more Luna Bars to carry around in my tote bag. One will be for the Summer Kid's Movie tomorrow. I don't want to spend $7.00 on popcorn this week. A Vanilla Almond Luna bar will serve me just fine. I will also have snacks for the road ( just for me) on our trip. The kids have peanuts, cashews, raisins and bananas from our grocery trip this week that will serve as their road trip snacks.

I did share some Fun Dollars with Carrick today. He wanted a Cliff brand fruit rope for his "treat" after swim lessons. Since he passed his level 3 swim test today, I decided we could celebrate. He also picked out one for Lily. Always thinking of little sister. He didn't even beg me for her leftovers after she tossed half her fruit rope on the seat. He handed it to me and requested that I "wrap it up". It's still sitting on my counter top in a ziploc baggy.

Snacks and drinks at Natural Grocers- $10.00

Balance this pay cycle- $66.00

Happy Spending!