Welcome to our Messy Mommies Newsletter!
Thanks for being a part of our Messy squad!!
Vol. 3 April, 2022
As we write this, the skies are cloudy and the weather forecast calls for rain, rain and more rain (there also may be a few snowflakes in the mix)! With the hope that April Showers bring May flowers, we are using this time to plan and make this the best spring season.
We kicked off spring with a lovely get-together last week hosted by our wonderful niece, Molly. Thank you, Molly!
Molly has inspired some great family get-togethers over the winter, and this latest gathering did not disappoint. While there was a fun twist to this Spring Tea, some elements of an English High tea were celebrated! We definitely had an abundance of scones, tea sandwiches and cake, but we filled our teacups with bubbly! You can find the recipes for our scones and tea sandwiches on our instagram as well as on our blog. However, if you are looking for an easy way to bring your family or girl friends together for tea, you can order tea takeout at Vanille Patisserie located in Chicago or make a reservation at Pekoe and Bean in Tinley Park for a full tea experience. And if you aren’t sure about drinking tea with your pinky up or down, you may be interested in knowing that etiquette expert Emily Post was "adamantly opposed" to crooking one's pinky, because she thought "it was improper and rude." So there you have it!
If you find yourself waiting in anticipation for spring daffodils and tulips to make their appearance, you may also be thinking about what plants and flowers you want to plant once the weather warms up. My dad always advised me to plant after Mother’s day in the Chicagoland area due to the chance of a freeze through mid-May. While I do follow his advice, that doesn’t stop me from planning what I will get for our garden containers. My all time favorite flower is the gardenia. The blooms from the gardenia bush are so aromatic and it is such an easy flowering plant to care for. I also love that the flower symbolizes hope and the start of something new. Show us your favorite flowers on Facebook and Instagram!
I so look forward to the day in May when I head to Gethsemane Garden Center to select some of my favorite plants and flowers for our garden containers! We have been going to this iconic Chicago garden center for years and their flowers are gorgeous! Meg likes to zip over to The Fields on Caton Farm which is ranked as one of the most memorable garden centers in the Midwest. In the meantime, I’m planning a few outdoor excursions! You may find inspiration for not only your garden, but maybe for starting something new. Below are a few of the places that are off the beaten path but promise to be a great spring adventure.
Allerton Park and Retreat Center located in Monticello, Illinois. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Chicago and is considered one of the seven wonders of Illinois. It was donated to the University of Illinois in 1946. This destination is on the top of my list for areas to visit this spring. Not only are there beautiful gardens, but it includes 100 acres of woodland and prairie areas, a mansion and reflection pond, a 10-acre meadow, formal sculpture gardens, hiking trails, a cafe and several lodging facilities.
Looking for a little inspiration for your garden? Consider making a reservation to attend The Garfield Park Conservatory’s 2022 Spring Flower Show, “Knock Knock.” Beautiful blooming flowers, including tulips, hydrangeas, daffodils, and hyacinth, will be featured this year. Doors from the Rebuilding Exchange will hang among the blooms. There will also be an abundance of knock knock jokes throughout the Show House. The Spring Flower Show runs through May 8, 2022. We love that there will be jokes! Our friends over at @brueck_creative shared this joke: “Why did the bunny not have her library card renewed? Because she turned in her books a hare late!” Check out @brueck_creative for super cute placemats, gift tags and more on Instagram and Etsy!
And while this has nothing to do with gardening, it may inspire starting something new. A visit to The Forge in Lemont, Illinois provides ample opportunity for outdoor fun. One of the Messy Mommy kids went ice skating with her friends on the coldest day of the year this January. Laser tag was also enjoyed and highly recommended by this group of teens. They all had a great time and staff members at The Forge were super helpful and friendly. If you aren’t into laser tag but want to enjoy the outdoors, check out Easter Saturday at the Forge. From zip lines, to aerial rope climbing, to axe throwing, to running and biking trails, and so much more - this adventure park looks like fun for the whole family!
Mark your Calendars
April 22nd Jelly Bean Day - According to Jelly Belly, a popular jelly bean manufacturer, the most popular jelly bean flavors include cherry and buttered popcorn. If the Easter Bunny didn’t bring you any jelly beans, today is the day to go out and treat yourself!
April 28th Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day - If you’ve been working remotely due to the pandemic, your kids have probably learned a lot about your job! If you are finally able to be back at your workplace, this may be a great time to take your daughter or son to work with you.
THIS MONTH’S
RECIPE
This is one of our favorite cake recipes! We just enjoyed this at our tea - Molly did an outstanding job making this show stopper! This would be the perfect dessert for your Easter or Mother’s Day celebrations!
Blueberry-Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake plans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, butter paper and dust pans with flour. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Put fresh blueberries in a large bowl, add one tablespoon of flour mixture and toss to coat. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.
Stir together whole milk, vanilla and grated lemon peel in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture in three additions each, just until blended. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter equally among prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks 10 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Mix in lemon peel and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
Transfer one cake layer to a cake plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over the cake layer. Top with another cake layer, spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with a third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
While you are working on Easter and Mother’s Day menus, keep Messy Mommy Treva Jones in mind! Treva can help you spice up your recipes with wonderful Tastefully Simple products! Message Treva on Facebook or Instagram to place an order!
THIS MONTH’S
INSPIRATION
The weather is warming up and we plan to spend more time outside! Maybe you are like us, and plan to focus on fitness walks or maybe even run a 5K! Let’s get motivated and update our playlists! We were inspired by the music honored on last week’s Grammy Awards Show and have a few ideas for an upbeat playlist. Three time Grammy winner Olivia Rodrigo is definitely one to listen to! Her debut song, Drivers License, is a power ballad that will add some pep to your step and maybe bring back some memories of when you first got your driver's license or had your first crush!
One of my all time favorite Grammy Award winners is Sheryl Crow, winner of nine Grammy Awards! Several of her songs appear on my current workout playlists, but If I had to pick my ‘walk-on song’ for this spring season, Soak Up the Sun tops my list! Best line….”For every time I feel lame, I’m looking up!”
Meg’s ‘walk-on song’ would be Firework by Katy Perry and loves the lines, “If you only knew what the future holds, After a hurricane comes a rainbow, Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed, So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road.”
What’s your ‘walk-on song’?! E-mail us your ‘walk-on song’ and we’ll create a Messy Mommies ‘walk-on’ song playlist! We can’t wait to see what songs baseball players pick as they take the field this season!
Thanks for reading our Messy Newsletter and for being a part of our Messy Mommies squad!
XOXO, The Messy Mommies
Thanks for being a part of our Messy squad!!
Vol. 3 April, 2022
As we write this, the skies are cloudy and the weather forecast calls for rain, rain and more rain (there also may be a few snowflakes in the mix)! With the hope that April Showers bring May flowers, we are using this time to plan and make this the best spring season.
We kicked off spring with a lovely get-together last week hosted by our wonderful niece, Molly. Thank you, Molly!
Molly has inspired some great family get-togethers over the winter, and this latest gathering did not disappoint. While there was a fun twist to this Spring Tea, some elements of an English High tea were celebrated! We definitely had an abundance of scones, tea sandwiches and cake, but we filled our teacups with bubbly! You can find the recipes for our scones and tea sandwiches on our instagram as well as on our blog. However, if you are looking for an easy way to bring your family or girl friends together for tea, you can order tea takeout at Vanille Patisserie located in Chicago or make a reservation at Pekoe and Bean in Tinley Park for a full tea experience. And if you aren’t sure about drinking tea with your pinky up or down, you may be interested in knowing that etiquette expert Emily Post was "adamantly opposed" to crooking one's pinky, because she thought "it was improper and rude." So there you have it!
If you find yourself waiting in anticipation for spring daffodils and tulips to make their appearance, you may also be thinking about what plants and flowers you want to plant once the weather warms up. My dad always advised me to plant after Mother’s day in the Chicagoland area due to the chance of a freeze through mid-May. While I do follow his advice, that doesn’t stop me from planning what I will get for our garden containers. My all time favorite flower is the gardenia. The blooms from the gardenia bush are so aromatic and it is such an easy flowering plant to care for. I also love that the flower symbolizes hope and the start of something new. Show us your favorite flowers on Facebook and Instagram!
I so look forward to the day in May when I head to Gethsemane Garden Center to select some of my favorite plants and flowers for our garden containers! We have been going to this iconic Chicago garden center for years and their flowers are gorgeous! Meg likes to zip over to The Fields on Caton Farm which is ranked as one of the most memorable garden centers in the Midwest. In the meantime, I’m planning a few outdoor excursions! You may find inspiration for not only your garden, but maybe for starting something new. Below are a few of the places that are off the beaten path but promise to be a great spring adventure.
Allerton Park and Retreat Center located in Monticello, Illinois. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Chicago and is considered one of the seven wonders of Illinois. It was donated to the University of Illinois in 1946. This destination is on the top of my list for areas to visit this spring. Not only are there beautiful gardens, but it includes 100 acres of woodland and prairie areas, a mansion and reflection pond, a 10-acre meadow, formal sculpture gardens, hiking trails, a cafe and several lodging facilities.
Looking for a little inspiration for your garden? Consider making a reservation to attend The Garfield Park Conservatory’s 2022 Spring Flower Show, “Knock Knock.” Beautiful blooming flowers, including tulips, hydrangeas, daffodils, and hyacinth, will be featured this year. Doors from the Rebuilding Exchange will hang among the blooms. There will also be an abundance of knock knock jokes throughout the Show House. The Spring Flower Show runs through May 8, 2022. We love that there will be jokes! Our friends over at @brueck_creative shared this joke: “Why did the bunny not have her library card renewed? Because she turned in her books a hare late!” Check out @brueck_creative for super cute placemats, gift tags and more on Instagram and Etsy!
And while this has nothing to do with gardening, it may inspire starting something new. A visit to The Forge in Lemont, Illinois provides ample opportunity for outdoor fun. One of the Messy Mommy kids went ice skating with her friends on the coldest day of the year this January. Laser tag was also enjoyed and highly recommended by this group of teens. They all had a great time and staff members at The Forge were super helpful and friendly. If you aren’t into laser tag but want to enjoy the outdoors, check out Easter Saturday at the Forge. From zip lines, to aerial rope climbing, to axe throwing, to running and biking trails, and so much more - this adventure park looks like fun for the whole family!
Mark your Calendars
April 22nd Jelly Bean Day - According to Jelly Belly, a popular jelly bean manufacturer, the most popular jelly bean flavors include cherry and buttered popcorn. If the Easter Bunny didn’t bring you any jelly beans, today is the day to go out and treat yourself!
April 28th Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day - If you’ve been working remotely due to the pandemic, your kids have probably learned a lot about your job! If you are finally able to be back at your workplace, this may be a great time to take your daughter or son to work with you.
THIS MONTH’S
RECIPE
This is one of our favorite cake recipes! We just enjoyed this at our tea - Molly did an outstanding job making this show stopper! This would be the perfect dessert for your Easter or Mother’s Day celebrations!
Blueberry-Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake plans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, butter paper and dust pans with flour. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Put fresh blueberries in a large bowl, add one tablespoon of flour mixture and toss to coat. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.
Stir together whole milk, vanilla and grated lemon peel in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture in three additions each, just until blended. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter equally among prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks 10 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Mix in lemon peel and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
Transfer one cake layer to a cake plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over the cake layer. Top with another cake layer, spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with a third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
While you are working on Easter and Mother’s Day menus, keep Messy Mommy Treva Jones in mind! Treva can help you spice up your recipes with wonderful Tastefully Simple products! Message Treva on Facebook or Instagram to place an order!
THIS MONTH’S
INSPIRATION
The weather is warming up and we plan to spend more time outside! Maybe you are like us, and plan to focus on fitness walks or maybe even run a 5K! Let’s get motivated and update our playlists! We were inspired by the music honored on last week’s Grammy Awards Show and have a few ideas for an upbeat playlist. Three time Grammy winner Olivia Rodrigo is definitely one to listen to! Her debut song, Drivers License, is a power ballad that will add some pep to your step and maybe bring back some memories of when you first got your driver's license or had your first crush!
One of my all time favorite Grammy Award winners is Sheryl Crow, winner of nine Grammy Awards! Several of her songs appear on my current workout playlists, but If I had to pick my ‘walk-on song’ for this spring season, Soak Up the Sun tops my list! Best line….”For every time I feel lame, I’m looking up!”
Meg’s ‘walk-on song’ would be Firework by Katy Perry and loves the lines, “If you only knew what the future holds, After a hurricane comes a rainbow, Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed, So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road.”
What’s your ‘walk-on song’?! E-mail us your ‘walk-on song’ and we’ll create a Messy Mommies ‘walk-on’ song playlist! We can’t wait to see what songs baseball players pick as they take the field this season!
Thanks for reading our Messy Newsletter and for being a part of our Messy Mommies squad!
XOXO, The Messy Mommies
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