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This post was sponsored by Hood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

So I totally need to share my story about Hood Sour Cream.

Actually, I have tons of stories about them because we’re located in Massachusetts and they’re a local brand, but Hood is our go-to brand for milk, cream, sour cream, etc. Years ago, before we moved east and started a family, Cassidy showed me this amazing bed and breakfast in Calistoga, California. Unfortunately the owner tragically passed away when Scarlet was a toddler (although baby Scarlet DID get to meet B&B owner Scarlett) but everything she made with food was like magic. She was the one who taught me that dipping strawberries in sour cream and sugar is glorious. There’s something about all of those flavors together that works perfectly.

Macerated Berries and Vanilla Cream Over Waffles:

Now, as you guessed it, this recipe calls for a Vanilla Cream that uses Hood Sour Cream. Hood Sour Cream is our pick, because it’s made with high quality ingredients. So whether it’s a holiday or every day of daily life, you can serve the best when sharing meals with loved ones.

What You Need:

6 cups mixed berries (we used raspberries, blueberries, and black raspberries)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup organic sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 pint Hood Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Hood Sour Cream
1/4 cup organic powdered sugar, or sweetener of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What You Do:

1 – First, place your berries in a large bowl and stir them until they’re well mixed.

2 – Then, remove about 1/2 of the berries, place them in a separate smaller bowl, and add orange juice and sugar.

3 – And then use a fork to smash berries and mix the orange juice and sugar in.

4 – Pour your macerated berries over the berries in the larger bowl and stir well.

5 – Then you let them sit on the counter (safely from pets) for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6 – Meanwhile, place your heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla into a mixing bowl or mixer.

7 – Whether you’re hand mixing or using a stand mixer, mix until the cream mixture thickens and gets peaks.

8 – Make your best homemade (or frozen) waffles recipe and top them with cream, and then with berry mixture.

*You can also enjoy this cream and macerated berries mixture over scones, cake, pancakes, whatever!

And that’s that! Glorious! Did you know that Hood Sour Cream is made with real Hood Milk and Hood Cream, and it comes from farmers who pledge not to use artificial growth hormones (rBST)? Also, as you’ll find, it comes in tub containers as well as easy to use squeeze bottles with convenient and flexible packaging. It’s perfect for tacos, potatoes, waffles (of course), and more!

Hood Sour Cream Squeeze:

I love having the squeeze bottle for my summer baking. What recipes can you imagine creating? We also use Hood’s Sour Cream Squeeze Bottle on a daily basis! It’s perfect for adding to tacos or potatoes or whatever else we make. We pretty much always have a reason to use it, and using it in recipes is a-ok! I’d love to hear in the comments what magic you’re making!

Make sure to visit hood.com/recipes to discover more delicious recipes!

So, have you ever made Macerated Berries for a recipe?

#ad Macerated Berries and Vanilla Cream makes the best weekend brunch! Use berries, sugar, vanilla, cream, waffles, and @HpHood Sour Cream. #TouchOfHood #IC

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This post has been sponsored by The Honest Company. All opinions are my own.

Ah, the elusive bedtime routine – am I right?

We had a pretty good routine when we had one kid. We’d give her a bath, sing her a song (my husband would sing her classic rock songs), and then we’d sit in the rocker for a bit – swaying and heading to dreamland. Then we had another baby and all bets were off for a while. I’d say things have gotten easier over the years, and they HAVE, but there have been some real sleep differences lately. For one, no one has a normal schedule anymore since the school year was cut short. For another, we have a new puppy who does not sleep through the night. And for another, we’re having yet another baby so we’ll be doing our routine differently again, I’m sure.

For now, I’m happy to share the wisdom I’ve learned.

A Bedtime Routine for Multiple Children:

Getting one good night of sleep helps ensure a better tomorrow. This grows. Getting ONE good night of sleep isn’t enough though – it’s about finding ways for you all to get good nights of sleep consistently. We have routines with the kids – like essential oils, bath time, family reading time, storytelling, and even deep breathing. These are crucial ways to get our kids to sleep, and often us, too! However, then it requires getting up (yes, out of your kids’ beds), and either being able to go to sleep or feeling like you need to still wind down from the day. If it’s about learning how to wind down and sleep better as a family, then it needs to start with you, then your family.

As parents, we have a lot of choices with the products available, and sometimes we have to choose between products that work and products that are good for our families. That’s why I love The Honest Company®. Their Truly Calming Shampoo + Body Wash while it washes away the dirt from the day! I love it for the whole family, and knowing we’ll use it on the baby as well comforts me.

Truly Calming Shampoo + Body Wash:

You can find Honest’s Truly Calming Shampoo + Body Wash on Costco.com. In fact, this two-pack is exclusive for Costco Members, which we are.
We love that it calms and cleanses hair and skin without overdrying. And I love the way my kids smell after bath – when I scoop them in their towels (or at least the little one).
As you probably know, it’s formulated to be safe for babies but is great for the whole family. And yes, I have totally used it and I will again and again!
Truly Calming Shampoo + Body Wash is made with a blend of lavender essential oils and chamomile and is perfectly gentle for baby’s skin.
It’s dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic, and has multiple usage occasions. For example, you can use it as a shampoo AND a body wash, and you can use it on family members of all ages.
And of course, it’s perfect for bedtime, so we use it in our bedtime routine!

A bedtime routine for more than one kid:

1 – Have some sort of meal plan in place so that you’ll have more wiggle room with bedtime. We’ve gotten to points of not knowing what’s for dinner and then making four dinners for four people when everyone is already cranky. Then it pushes up against bedtime.

2 – Be consistent. Have a consistent routine and have your kids go to bed roughly the same time every night, and most importantly through the week. Weekends and summer nights and vacations and holidays will disrupt sleep but having a routine for “regular life” will ease some of the stresses of bedtime.

3 – Do something lightly active after dinner, if it’s warmer weather. We like to go on after dinner hikes. It’s a great way to burn off the energy of the day and then start winding down as the sun goes down.

4 – Keep the older kid(s) busy if they stay up later. Scarlet will do her timed reading or piano practice while I’m working on getting Des to bed.

5 – Bathtime! If you have littles, bathe them at the same time. Scarlet does showers these days, but she will shower while Des takes a bath, or right before or after it. Then I like to comb her hair and both kids put on fuzzy bathrobes.

6 – The kids will brush their teeth, wash their faces, and get in pajamas at the same time.

7 – Storytime. I was never very good at reading to the kids but don’t worry – their dad and grandparents did and do. When I do take storytime, I usually take some from my own life because for some reason, the kids find me endlessly fascinating!

8 – Have older kids help put younger kids to bed. Even if they go to bed around the same time, it’s so rewarding to make them feel like the “big kid” and to help read to the younger kid, or tuck him/her in, etc. And sometimes you’ll really need that help!

And those are some of our favorite tried and true tips. It will all change when baby gets here, but we feel ready. And I can’t wait for baby’s first bath with Truly Calming Shampoo + Body Wash!