Our Holly Days

By Holly Sosa

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #31DaysWithRotel #CollectiveBias

For many of us, the month of May conjures up images of a ramen-headed Justin Timberlake and while I can appreciate a good throwback to one of my all-time favorite boy bands, RO*TEL has a different idea in store for May. Inspired by their 31 Days to Fiesta, I created these Mexican Stuffed Peppers filled with flavorful ground beef and RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles.

I started by trimming off the tops of several green peppers and pulling out the inside seeds and veins before setting them aside.

Then I grabbed a large mixing bowl and added some ground beef and a packet of taco seasoning.

Next I added a can of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles.

After the RO*TEL, I added corn, black beans, rice, and plenty of cheddar cheese along with some cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper.

I gave it all a good mix to incorporate all those yummy bold flavors and then set it aside to make some flavored tomato water for my pan.

For the tomato water I simply added tomato sauce, water, cumin, chili powder, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper all to a bowl and whisked them together.

I poured my tomato water into my baking dish.

And then spooned the meat mixture into my peppers one by one until my pan was filled.

I covered the peppers with tinfoil and baked them in a 375F oven for about one hour before removing them and sprinkling them with some more cheese. Then I popped them back into the oven for a few extra minutes to get the cheese nice and melty. Once I pulled them out again, the peppers were perfect!

Loaded with tons of bold flavor and spices, these Mexican Stuffed Peppers are such a crowd pleaser. The peppers soak up all of that flavorful tomato water while the ground beef takes on the bold flavor from the seasonings and RO*TEL; such a simple way to add tons of zesty flavor to any dish, really! I love adding RO*TEL to eggs, meatloaf, and casseroles to banish bland and bring some bold flavor to my food. It’s a staple in my pantry since it fits so seamlessly into my family’s lifestyle.

This May, trade your ramen hair for the bold flavor of RO*TEL by adding it to some of your families favorites to transform an old recipe into a Fiesta for their mouths!

For more fiesta inspiration and bold recipes from bloggers like me, be sure to visit the RO*TEL social hub.

The post Mexican Stuffed Peppers appeared first on Our Holly Days.

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By Holly Sosa

I received a planner to facilitate this post. All thoughts, opinions, and ideas are my own. Thank you to Purple Trail for partnering with me and thank you readers for supporting the brands that support this blog and my family.

It’s planner season! For us planner addicts, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! New releases, fresh paper, an entire notebook of possibility right at our fingertips. This season, I was sent a planner from Purple Trail to play around with and share my thoughts. They offer several options of cover type, calendar formats, additional tabs, and so much more. This is truly the planner for personalization and I’m excited to share my little Purple Trail Planner review with all of you fellow planner addicts.

The first customization they offer is for the cover: hard spiral cover, soft spiral cover or three ring binder. I chose a hard spiral cover only because there were more design options, but now that I’ve had a chance to play with mine, I wish I had tried their binder format instead. The spiral is plenty sturdy and superior to any other planner I’ve tried, but because the pages are so thick (creating a more bulky planner altogether), I worry that with regular use it could wear and tear quickly over a binder.

The first few inside pages did not disappoint. A holiday list and calendars for the current and upcoming years.

Next I got to choose my weekly format (they also offer monthly and daily formats): horizontal weekly, vertical weekly, or vertical hourly. I went with vertical hourly and love the format. However, the weekends are squished together in one column. I prefer having an individual column for each, but if I’m being honest, I haven’t needed the extra space after all.

Also offered are colorful or grey color schemes. I went with color because duh! And I went ahead with an 18 month versus a 12 month just because I wanted to jump right in and test out the planner (I got to choose the starting month!). The tabs are the sturdiest I’ve ever felt in a planner and I think they’d have no trouble standing up to 18 months of use. I love the space at the beginning of each month for tracking birthdays, events, and writing reminders/goals.

The additions were my favorite part about creating this planner. I added in a folder and sticker pack. And I got to add in additional pages/dividers based on my needs like a nutrition and notes section (also offered: password list, bill tracker, address book, puzzles/games, fitness tracker, travel itinerary, and several more).

The planners are also offered in two sizes: 6 by 8 inches or 8.5 by 11 inches. I actually prefer a size in the middle, but went with the smaller size so my planner would be easily tucked into my purse or travel bag. Since I do travel with my planner, next time I’d order the binder format or keep it at a 12 month format since the 18 month spiral is quite bulky.

Purple Trail planners offer a wide variety that’s helpful for the needs of most anyone. Since they’re easily customized, it’s a cinch to build a planner that works for anyone. The price point gets a little higher the more personalizations are added and as it’s seen here, mine was over $70. If you’re a dedicated paper planner user, it’s worth it. But if you’re just venturing out into the planner world, you probably wouldn’t feel comfortable paying that. Overall, I’d recommend this planner to fellow planner addicts. It’s been super fun and I’ve enjoyed playing with the format.

Visit Purple Trail to create your own personalized planner or to utilize their design services for stationery, invitations, and more.

The post Purple Trail Planner Review appeared first on Our Holly Days.

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By Holly Sosa

I received a set of Chalkola markers to facilitate this post. All thoughts, opinions, and ideas are my own.

With five kids at home during the summer, I have to keep things running as smoothly as I can around these parts. As rural desert dwellers, we have limited choices of places to visit and we have to keep our outside play to a minimum (thanks to the desert heat). A lover of organization and schedules, I tap into those strengths to help ensure my children aren’t just entertained during summer break, but also engaged, active, and studious. Creating a summer schedule for kids plays a big part in keeping everyone occupied without taking away too much of the lazy summer days they look forward to during the school year. Over the years, I’ve developed a schedule and system that keep all five of my kiddos happy and healthy during the long desert summer days.

It all starts with a chalkboard. I bought a medium sized board. I flipped it over and used some super glue to attach several strong magnet to the back. This allows me to display our summer schedule on the fridge for the kids to have easy reference to.

I mapped out our daily schedule and a list of must-do activities on a piece of paper before arranging them into time periods. This is where I took into account my family’s personal needs. For instance, all five kiddos can’t shower at one time period or we’ll run out of hot water. My solution was to give the girls time in the morning and the boys time in the evening. I also create a list of activities for us to complete each year, a sort of summer bucket list, and the kids love to do them when dad is home, so I arranged our activity of the day to be done after he returns home from work each day.

Using my favorite chalk markers from Chalkola (seriously, I’m a pen/marker addict and I’ve tried them ALL), I copied over the schedule I had created to my chalk board. I love how smooth they write and how vibrant the colors come through. We love rainbows around here (read: mama loves rainbows) and I love being able to write our schedules (yes, I create a school year one too!) in the colorful hues. These markers from Chalkola can also be used on metal, mason jars, glass, mugs, or even as dry erase markers. They’re super fun; especially for moms and teachers since they’re so versatile. Here is a (affiliate) link to the exact set I use.

I may have five kiddos home during the summer, but I believe that creating these summer schedules for kids is helpful for families with any number of children. The key is making it flexible enough to accommodate summer spontaneity, but also adding some structure to the kiddos so you can still get through your own to do list each day.

Order your own set of Chalkola markers on Amazon. Also be sure to follow @ourhollydays on Instagram where I’ll be sharing all of our summer adventures and activities here in the High Desert.

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By Holly Sosa

I was compensated by World Vision for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own.

The World Vision Global 6K for Water was just a few days ago and we loved participating through our own family walk on May 6th to participate in this cause close to our hearts.

If your family was unable to participate in the World Vision Global 6K for Water this year, child sponsorship is a great alternative to allow you and your family to be actively involved in bringing solutions and stability to underdeveloped and poverty stricken communities.

Through World Vision my family has grown in many ways. We sponsor a boy named Dennis through the organization. Dennis lives in Bolivia and shares a birthday with my late son, Liam. Liam (and his brother, Collin) both share Dennis’ Bolivian heritage which makes us feel closer to Dennis. We exchange letters, mail him packages, and share our lives with him. Dennis has given my children perspective and compassion for others who don’t share the benefits of living in a developed country. World Vision has given my family the opportunity to love others whom we wouldn’t normally have the access to.

Sponsoring Dennis is a personal and long-term way for us to get involved with World Vision and share our love with a child in need. Our sponsorship allows us to have a one-on-one relationship with Dennis (and his family and community) while pooling the gifts of all sponsors who support children in the same community where World Vision can provide long-term resources for lasting change.

Since poverty is complex and rarely solved by one intervention, World Vision helps with each community’s specific needs such as clean water, schools, teacher training, agricultural training, immunizations, and more. These solutions help the community to become self-sufficient, which is the ultimate goal.

Child sponsorship is a special way to get involved and help children and communities in need that also creates a personal relationship, allowing you to directly see the impact your sponsorship is making.

Child sponsorship is a simple process that allows you to find a child you want to help through a preferred country, age, or even birthday. After you find a child, you’ll receive a letter in 6-12 weeks from that child that will be the start of a one on one relationship. Your monthly gift helps your sponsored child and their entire community which translates into long term resources for everyone! The local staff ensures your donations go the extra mile. Since the children cannot receive direct cash benefits, staff create sustainable plans to help keep your child’s community out of poverty, even after World Vision has moved on to help friends in other areas. You can stay connected with your child through hand written letters and even through the World Vision website where you can track the community’s progress, get regular updates, and even send additional gifts (like livestock!).

Every $1 donated equals $1.30 in impact thanks to grants and product donations. What better way to ensure your money is maximized to help these children and their communities?!

You can find and sponsor a child, or get more information here at the Sponsor a Child portion of the World Vision website.

The post A Boy Named Dennis appeared first on Our Holly Days.

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By Holly Sosa

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

Mother’s Day is all about family. I shop for my mother’s card each and every year, carefully opening several to read the inside before settling on the perfect card. This year while shopping for mom’s special card at Walmart, I picked up this amazing card from PS Hello and the inside had me giggling because it reminded me of a few close mom friends of mine. Our group consists of four of us and we’ve lovingly dubbed ourselves Majestic Mess. We text and video chat daily, sharing our struggles, triumphs, and even bodily functions (believe it or not, ha!). These women and I are bonded in motherhood and have come to love each other as deeply as sisters. They’re my family. They’re my tribe.

The fun card, while hilariously calling out a love of spirits also sends a message of how grateful I am to be mothering alongside them in life. I’ve come to build relationships with these girls where I can be truly transparent, share my transgressions, confess my shortfalls, and not feel judged. Instead, their love wraps me up and helps me to be a batter wife and mother. My Majestic Mess gals are truly a blessing in my life.

This Mother’s Day I wanted to celebrate our bond and friendship, so I decided to create some relaxing Hibiscus Oatmeal Bath Tea for my ladies in opes it would encourage them to slow down, relax, and take some time for themselves. This simple DIY makes a perfect Mother’s Day gift, birthday gift, or just because gift.

YOU’LL NEED

• dried hibiscus and tea leaves
• oats
• epsom salt
• mason jar
• cheesecloth

I start by adding a couple tablespoons of epsom salt to a small mason jar.

Next I add about a quarter of a cup of oats.

And then about a third a cup of dried hibiscus and tea leaves.

I layer them in my jar, close the lid, and give it all a good shake to combine.

The fragrant bath tea is filled with relaxing elements for my friends to soothe aching muscles, relieve dry or itchy skin, and the hibiscus will help to chill them out after a long day of mommin’. To use the Hibiscus Oatmeal Bath Tea, they’ll simply add a few spoonfuls to a cheesecloth and tie it shut using floss or twine. Then they can just drop it right into the warm bath water.

I wrapped up the sealed jar in tissue paper and sweetly designed bags from American Greetings to make it extra special for my three friends. I loved choosing bags that reflected each of their personalities and the aisle was filled with plenty of beautiful gift wrapping options, cards, and even small gifts. The PS Hello section is always filled with plenty of fun options for all of life’s celebrations year round. When you use the Ibotta app, you can earn $2 when you buy two cards!

See how American Greetings can help you make Mother’s Day extra special for your own tribe or mother.

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By Holly Sosa

If you’re a mom, crackers are probably a staple in your home. I know for me, my pantry is always stocked with a few boxes of my kiddos favorite RITZ Crackers. They’re delicious all on their own, but we have loads of fun dreaming up different ways to top them off before enjoying them together. Never one to shy from a challenge, I created four to share with you in hopes to inspire your next event or family snack time.

Unicorn RITZ

Inspired by the recent #unicorntoast trend on Instagram, I took to creating colored cream cheese using fruits in a variety of colors. For red, I used strawberry jam mixed with cream cheese. For orange, apricots. For yellow, pineapple. And for purple, blueberries. This one is so easy and a great way for smaller kiddos to have fun helping you in the kitchen while learning colors.

Strawberry Cheesecake RITZ

Enjoy miniature versions of your favorite dessert by topping your RITZ Crackers with a dollop of cream cheese and top it all off with some strawberry pie filling.

Jalapeño Popper Toppers

Enjoy zesty flavor by combining cream cheese with shredded Mexican cheese and top ping it off with a thin slice of jalapeño pepper.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper RITZ

Take the classic Jalapeño Popper Topper one step further by wrapping it up in a slice of bacon and baking it until crispy. You’ll never eat one without the crispy addition of a RITZitz Ccracker after you try it this way.

Using RITZ Crackers and cream cheese, both sweet and savory toppers are easy to pull together and can help me with all of my entertaining needs. Save $1 on cream cheese (8 oz. or larger, selected varieties) when you buy 2 (two) boxes of RITZ Crackers (10.3 oz. or larger, selected varieties) at your local Albertson’s Companies store and you can recreate any of today’s recipes shared here or dream up your own!

Find additional recipes and Ritz topper inspiration here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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By Holly Sosa

Living in Southern California, spring brings with it baskets full of strawberries. And once the sweet berries are ripe enough, my kiddos devour them by the bowls full. From strawberry jam to a simple bowl of berries diced up over oatmeal, my family enjoys all the strawberry has to offer. When Bob’s Red Mill asked me to share one of my favorite springtime recipes in partnership with them, I knew I’d feature these deliciously sweet berries. One of our favorite desserts are my Strawberry Shortcake Bars and I make quite the spectacle out of them by refusing to whip them up in any other months than April or May. After all, that’s peak strawberry season and as far as I’m concerned that’s when the best strawberries are harvested. See how serious we Californians take our sweet fruit?

To make these delicious bars, I start off with a full cup of butter, a dash of vanilla, and some sugar.

Once it’s all creamed together, I slowly add in my Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour. Their All-Purpose Flour is unbleached, unbromated, enriched baking flour milled from high quality North American wheat. Bob’s Red Mill offers a variety of premium baking flours like Paleo Baking Flour or Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (both of which can be substituted in this recipe), making them ideal for spring baking.

The dough that forms is flaky, but easy to mold. I transfer the dough to a prepared (greased or oiled) baking pan and press it into the bottom of the pan, ensuring it covers the entire surface.

Next I bake it at 350F for thirty minutes; then I remove it and let it cool completely before moving on to the topping.

For the topping, I simply added a brick of room temperature cream cheese to a cup of melted white chocolate chips to my mixer bowl and combined them together.

I spread the delicious topping all over the bottom layer in the pan.

Finally, I cover the whole thing with plenty of strawberries that I had previously washed and chopped up.

These positively delectable Strawberry Shortcake Bars are a whole-family-pleaser. Husband, kiddos, and even mama all enjoy this tasty dessert. It’s simple to whip up the day before a spring barbecue or event and features one of springs best harvests with plenty of juicy strawberries over a bed of moist cake and fluffy topping.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for partnering with me. And thank you readers for supporting the brands that support this blog and my family.

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By Holly Sosa

I was compensated by World Vision for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own.

World Vision has long been a part of my family. For a little over a year, we’ve sponsored a child with the same ethnicity and age as Collin’s older brother, Liam, who passed away shortly after birth. This connection makes our bond all the more meaningful for our family. We believe in World Vision and their initiatives, which is why when it came time to sign up for the World Vision Global 6K for Water, we were thrilled to join in and bring awareness to the extreme need for clean water to developing countries.

Almost 1,000 children under the age of five (that’s nearly Evelyn’s age – my youngest) die every day from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and improper hygiene. In Ethiopia alone, nearly 40 million people lack clean water sources and an estimated 70 million live without adequate sanitation. Every day, people (mostly women and children who carry the burden of finding and carrying water each day) around the world walk an average of 3.7 miles, or 6 kilometers, in search of water, and the water they do find is often contaminated with life-threatening diseases.

World Vision is dedicated to helping solve this crisis and provides a new person with clean water every 30 seconds as part of their full solution to end poverty. In 2015, World Vision provided access to clean water to 2.3 million people, and the organization’s goal is to provide clean water and sanitation to one new person every 10 seconds by 2020. World Vision provides people with safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education to decrease illnesses, improve health and lessen the burden on women and children.

Safe drinking water, improved sanitation, good hygiene, and good water resource management can lead to a reduction in child mortality, cut transmission of malaria, improve public health, and reduce extreme poverty, which is why World Vision targets these specific issues in their initiatives. Combining water, sanitation and hygiene solutions together can cut preventable child deaths by up to 57 percent, reduce chronic malnutrition by 40 percent, reduce school absenteeism among girls by 50 percent, and obtain an 8:1 economic return in target communities. World Vision believes fiercely that the global water and sanitation crisis can be solved within our lifetime, but it starts with awareness.

Friends, I ask you to share this post with your family and friends. Sign up for the World Vision Global 6K for Water with me and help to bring awareness to these seemingly simplistic problem that can be solved in our lifetimes with help from organizations like World Vision. Let’s talk about these problems and stand behind World Vision with support.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TEAM WORLD VISION, BE SURE TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT WORLD VISION ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, OR INSTAGRAM FOR MORE WAYS TO GIVE.

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By Holly Sosa

I was compensated by World Vision for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own.

This May I’ll be walking in the World Vision Global 6K for Water organized by Team World Vision. As part of the team, we are passionate people who will walk, run, or race to help children get clean drinking water. The Team World Vision’s water projects and initiatives work in harmony with World Vision’s other work in areas of development, such as healthcare, education, food, and economic development. This approach helps to solve the root causes of poverty rather than providing temporary help. On May 6th, Team World Vision members will walk, run, or race a full 6K (3.7 miles) to illustrate the average distance that people in the developing world (often young girls and women) walk for water each day. This walk is often dangerous and the water is typically contaminated with life-threatening diseases. The urgency is real and the need is great, which is why this walk is important. There are four ways you can help now before the race.

Register for the 6K

To register, a fee of $50 supports these programs and secures your spot in the walk. You’ll also receive a World Vision Global 6K shirt, a race bib with a photo of a child in need of a sponsor, and a race medal. Join a local host site to walk with other Global 6K for Water participants near you.

Become a host site

Work together with your church, school, community center, team, or club to register as a host site (it’s free!) and spread the word. Set a goal of just ten people or even up to one hundred people! World Vision will help and equip you with all of the materials, signage, and race day support to ensure a successful outcome.

Create a virtual team

Invite your family and friends from across the country to join your team and participate. You can work together, even from far apart! You’ll each be walking or running from your own neighborhoods, but together you can increase your impact.

Do it from home

Walk or run the Global 6K for Water right at home on your block. You could even do it right from your home gym or on the treadmill at your local gym. Make it a family event and walk together after school with your kiddos (thank to donors, the registration fee for kids 15 and under is only $25).

Team World Vision was founded in 2006 and since then they have helped to raise $30 million for World Vision’s work around the world to support water programs in these developing areas. Walk with me this May and help to get your community involved. Be a part of bringing clean water to children who need it most.

For additional information on Team World Vision, be sure to visit their website. You can also visit World Vision on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for more ways to give.

The post The World Vision Global 6K for Water appeared first on Our Holly Days.

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By Holly Sosa

This week, in my LuLaRoe VIP Group, I’m featuring the Monroe Kimono and I couldn’t resist sharing this lovely piece with all of you beauties, too! The Monroe is a kimono with fringe at the bottom and has a boho chic feel to it. It comes in sizes small and large, which fit a wide variety of body types and sizes (I’m a size 16 and can wear both easily). With warmer weather finally here, it’s the perfect addition to a spring/summer wardrobe. In fact, I can’t wait to wear mine as a swimsuit cover up on the beach and at the pool.

Last week, I styled my Monroe with a pair of distressed jeans and a striped tank. Monroe is easy to slip on over any outfit or dress for instant boho chic.

As a desert dweller, I have a deep love for the Monroe because it’s a light cover up that doesn’t add bulk or weight to my looks. It’s light and airy so I stay comfortable while also looking feminine.

This week only, I’ll be offering free shipping on all Monroes in my VIP group. They are $48 each plus tax, but shipping will be free making this the perfect time to snatch one up before the summer weather gets here!

Join my LuLaRoe VIP Group through our Facebook page for weekly giveaways, shopping, style tips, and more.

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