Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

10 Fun Things About Carnival Cruises

Last month we took our family on a Carnival cruise. February was the perfect month to go this year with all the snow and cold weather we experienced. My husband and I booked this cruise about 6 months ago, but we didn't tell our kids. It was a long six months, and we almost spilled the beans so many times. But the end surprise was so much fun to share with them. We actually waited until the morning that we were leaving to tell them. We woke them up early for a "family" meeting where we let them know they weren't going to school because of our trip. The look on their faces was priceless. We have never seen them get ready so quickly on a school morning 🙂

I wanted to find a fun way to share some of the pictures I took that week with you, so today I am putting them into our top 10 things we enjoyed the most about Carnival cruising.

1. Carnival Cruises are affordable. Vacations with 5 people tend to get pricey when you start figuring in lodging, food, travel expenses, clothing, and so many more things. We love that a cruise includes most of those expenses in one flat fee. You do still have your travel expenses getting there and buying whatever clothes you may need, but the cruise itself is very doable.

If you book one of the older ships, you can also have 5 people in one cabin. Yes, that is tight, but totally doable as well. Even with our kids getting older, we still had plenty of room. The only thing you need a cabin for on a cruise is sleeping and showering. Why spend more money on a bigger cabin that you are not going to be in? [Read more...]

Sesame Ginger Chicken

We just finished up signing our youngest up for soccer and baseball, and our daughter is looking at running track and also has a volleyball camp in a few weeks. That means meal time is about to become interesting in our house.

Track practice is right after school until dinner time. Soccer and baseball usually starts right after dinner. That means dinner needs to be fast and easy, so that everyone can enjoy a hot meal before heading to the next activity. With Spring quickly coming and practices going on the calendar, I am on the look out for new and easy dinner ideas for our family.

[Read more...]

Irish Cream Chocolate Coconut Cookies

These Irish Cream Chocolate Coconut Cookies have soft chocolate centers and delicious toasted coconut on the outside.

Chocolate cookies with toasted coconut on them.

Do you like to celebrate different food holidays? As a food blogger, I tend to really watch for "national holidays" so I can make more fun food. If you google it, you will find just about every day has something delicious they are celebrating.

This time of year everything is showing up in green, mint, or rainbow. It is fun to create different seasonal foods that still work the rest of the year. Just change out the colors, and these cookies will work for any holiday.

Today I am joining with a group of blog friends to bring you St. Patrick's Day treats made using different Pillsbury products. Make sure you keep reading all the way through to find the links to all these amazing recipes.

[Read more...]

Chocolate Lucky Charms Popcorn

Chocolate Lucky Charms Popcorn is fun to make and eat on movie nights. When combined with cereal, marshmallows, and candies, chocolate-covered popcorn becomes a charming treat.

If you love this cereal, then you have got to try these Lucky Charms cookies as well!

Chocolate popcorn mixed with Lucky Charms in a green square container.

We have a new person in our house. His name is "I didn't do it". Sometimes, he even says, "It wasn't me".

All three kids have come to rely on him when something has happened that no one wants to claim. The problem is that "I didn't do it" and "It wasn't me" have been used so much lately that now everyone loses out when he shows up.

Losing technology is a great way to motivate "I didn't do it" to leave.

[Read more...]

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Chocolate Pudding Cookies will satisfy all those chocolate longings in a hurry. Rich chocolate cookies with a fun candy crunch are the perfect way to enjoy the weekend.

Chocolate Crunch Pudding Cookies - these rich chocolate cookies have plenty of crunch from the candy mixed in

It has been a while since I have made pudding cookies.

Last summer and the year before that, I couldn't make enough different flavors, and then I just stopped. Boy, am I glad I found my way back to them! They are so soft and delicious!

Really you can use any flavor of pudding, but this past weekend I was in a chocolate kind of a mood. I was remembering these Chocolate Reese's Pudding Cookies and decided to create another flavor based on those.

[Read more...]

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Use the ripe bananas on your counter to make this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake. Mini chocolate chips make this soft and fluffy cake so good.

And the Best Honey Peanut Butter Frosting makes it absolutely irresistible! Make it and watch it disappear!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake - this delicious banana cake will disappear before you know it

I always have bananas on the counter or in my freezer. That's nothing new around here. So when I started thinking about an easy dessert to share at the party, I knew it would involve bananas. In fact, I had just frozen a bunch of bananas before we went on vacation, so I knew I had plenty on hand to work with.

This cake is a version of the Best Banana Cake. Last year, I was on the phone with my sister, and she wanted to use up her ripe bananas. I sent her that banana cake recipe right away. As she started mixing the ingredients, she realized she didn't have a few of them, so she called me back.

With just a few substitutions and a different frosting, we put together a whole new cake. One that definitely needed chocolate chips. After all, chocolate and peanut butter are meant to be.

[Read more...]

Cherry Jello Salad

This Cherry Jello Salad is a sweet side dish to add to your dinner menu. It can put together quickly in the morning and then is ready for dinner later.

Why is it that the kids are extra loud and sing songy on the morning after you stay up really late the night before?

I have been trying to be better about getting to bed earlier. I am quite the night owl and would much rather stay up late at night working on projects. Getting up early is for the birds in my opinion.

Of course the other night, I stayed up way too late doing who knows what. The next day the kids were louder than normal and were singing about everything under the sun.

Now don't get me wrong. I am thankful they were happy and cheerful...but my head and ears just want quietness until I fully wake up. Thank goodness there was no snow delay that morning. [Read more...]

Hot Chocolate Popcorn Balls

Marshmallows and hot chocolate are a fun addition to popcorn balls. These Hot Chocolate Popcorn Balls are easy to put together and would be perfect for any Valentine's party this week.

We like to make fun treats from time to time around here. Not that you are surprised by that fact at all because most of the fun treats get shared with you too. But sometimes those fun treats get made and and eaten before they ever make it here.

These popcorn balls were a treat I made for my kids last year. I have been wanting to make them again, so I could share them, but before I knew it a whole year had passed.

[Read more...]

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Can't decide if you want cheesecake or brownies for dessert? These Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies are two desserts in one. Fudgy brownies swirled with red velvet cheesecake will have everyone reaching for another square when you serve them for dessert.

You knew one more crazy dessert had to be coming before Valentine's Day right?

And what is crazier than cheesecake brownies? Not too much! In the spirit of love week, I added some red velvet cake mix to the cheesecake. So if you think about it, this is really three desserts all rolled into one amazing treat! Brownies, cheesecake, AND cake batter? Hold me back!!!

The only way this day could get better is if I had a batch of these Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies...

[Read more...]

Glazed Triple Berry Rolls

These Glazed Triple Berry Rolls and Valentine's party ideas were inspired and sponsored by Pillsbury.

Something that I have been wanting to do again with my kids is a tea party. But since they really don't like tea, we have to call it a hot chocolate party.

With all the snow that we have been having lately, hot chocolate is a staple around here. The kids go out in the snow and play...I stay inside and make sure the mugs and marshmallows are ready for when they need to get warmed up. [Read more...]

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