Death Wish Coffee Co. Espresso Roast: My New Fav Coffee

Posted on March 30, 2023 by danielleridgway

If you’re looking for an Espresso Roast that’ll give you an extra kick, you’re going to want to check out Death Wish Coffee Co.

For Christmas this year, Josh bought me an espresso machine. I was so excited because I’ve wanted one for a while, but never treated myself to one. So when I opened it up, I instantly wondered what the best type of espresso I could get to make at home.

I’ve tried a few different kinds… but Death Wish’s espresso roast is my absolute favorite.

To be honest, I love the name of the company and the logo is a skull and cross bones. It feels like a bad ass brand and it automatically brings that with their marketing and packaging. When I was in college, I got a secret tattoo that I hid from my parents that’s a skull. Instantly, their brand spoke to my once (it’s still in there somewhere, right?) bad ass soul. Their website constantly makes me smile with their wording, but what completely won me over was actually tasting their brews.

Death Wish Coffee Espresso Blend is a dark roast coffee that is made with a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. The coffee is roasted to a deep, dark perfection with rich notes of cocoa, caramelized sugar and cherries. The result is a rich, intense cup of coffee that is perfect for espresso drinks.

Here are some reasons why Death Wish Coffee Espresso Blend it’s so good:

It is a BOLD coffee with a high caffeine content.
It is a flavorful coffee with notes of cocoa, caramelized sugar, and cherries.
It is a versatile coffee that can be used in a variety of brewing methods, including espresso, drip coffee, and French press.
It gives me a ton of energy.

So far, I’ve made some fun coffee recipes with it for St. Patrick’s Day, like a delicious Lucky Charms cereal milk coffee. You need to try using cereal milk as creamer… so good! I also use it for my daily caramel macchiato. Death Wish‘s blend gives me a bigger boost then going to get my normal order any where else.

Personally, I love the taste, the overall vibe of the brand (you have to check out their socials), and how they have a subscription service so I’m never out of my favorite coffee. Death Wish Coffee Co says their coffee slaps back and I’d have to agree.

Although I’ve been obsessed with making my espresso in the morning because of my fabulous new machine, I’m totally wanting to try their new brew: Dark Spirits. It’s a mint chocolate whiskey brew that ( can only imagine starts the morning off perfectly. I have to get it soon so I can try it out in different cocktails too.

I’ll get back to you when I eventually try it out!

No matter what your go to brew is in the morning, you can find it at Death Wish Coffee Co. Here’s their current blends you’re gonna need:

Columbian Blend
Espresso Roast
Dark Spirits
Blue and Buried
Dark Roast

Let me know when you try out Death Wish Coffee Co and what blend is your favorite.

I did receive this coffee blend from Death Wish Coffee Co. as a gift, but would totally recommend them to all! Since I am a Death Wish Coffee Co Affiliate, if you do purchase labels from my links, I will get a small percentage of the sales.

Hoppy Spring Artwork with Peeps!

Posted on March 20, 2023 by danielleridgway

It’s the first day of spring! To celebrate, we created a piece to showcase all season long. The best part is that kids of any ages can join in on this fun.

For the last year, I’ve been decorating Mila’s room to match the current season or holiday. Instead of buying new things all the time, we’ve been making decor! It makes it so much more personalized and Mila is always super proud of her work.

This Hoppy Easter project was a ton of fun to make. We decided to recreate our family as bunnies on a small canvas, but the opportunities of this project are endless. Last year we made a project with the same concept, but with a year difference they look completely different.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Although we used canvas, you could definitely use paper or cardboard too. We use cardboard for so many crafts and activities. It’s a great way to reuse from leftover boxes.

To set up, lay something down you wouldn’t mind getting paint on. Then lay your canvas on top of that. Again, we use cardboard to catch all the left over paint. If you keep reusing the same cardboard, it looks so cool at the end of a season or year.

The most perfect size paint tray for these Peeps Bunnies are the tops of butter containers. They bunnies fit just right. Pick a color with your little for the bunnies. We decided to do just two colors: purple and blue. The purple represent the girls in our family and the blue the boys. You could also do the person’s favorite color per bunny or whatever colors are in your spring decor.

Next, have them use the Peeps Bunnies as a stamp. These aren’t too hard for little to grasp and use. I would definitely keep a wipe nearby in case they do get paint on their hand.

Although we didn’t add details to our bunnies, you could add faces which would make them even more cute. We did add grass though at the bottom and ‘Hoppy Spring’ at the top. Here are a few other sayings your sign could have too:

Every bunny is welcome here.
Hoppy Easter
Hanging with my Peeps
Some bunny loves you.
Don’t worry, be hoppy!

I love how are Hoppy Spring sign turned out and can’t wait to share all our crafts and activities we have planned all season long.

If you end up making this sign, please tag me on socials (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok) or comment a picture in the comments. I love seeing everyone’s interpretations. It makes me so happy seeing that we could help inspire you!

Most of all, make sure to treasure all those memories you get to make with your family. That’s the best thing we can do.

Here’s some other fun Easter activities to try with your kiddo this year:

March 5, 2023

Posted on March 6, 2023 by danielleridgway

I didn’t really have a clever title for this post, but this date has been circling in my head since I realized what it meant.

Seven years ago, I had no idea that the little baby inside of me was going to die the next month. I had no idea that I could be a grieving mother. Never in a million years did I ever think my boy would just be gone. I looked forward to being his mom and watching him grow and just having him with me always.

After he was born… I can remember dreading the fifth of every month. It only marked another month without him. In someways it always will, but with time, the reminder of time has lessened.

Until today, when it felt like all the 5ths of the past few years weighed down, heavily, on my chest.

I wish I had the right description word to even try to explain how I feel. There’s just really none that even come close. It hurts and I know it always will. I walk around with this giant Jensen sized hole in my heart. Mila does too. She misses her brother that she never met, but they still have this crazy connection. She says he’s the moon and sometimes I believe her.

He’s like the moon in some ways, always watching over us, there even when we can’t see him, and always the light when there’s darkness around.

The gravity of seven years pushes and pulls me the way the moon does to the tide.

My heart will always be broken from losing him. There will never be a day I don’t think about him. He will always be the best thing that’s ever happened to me and his death, the worst.

I never thought I would make it this far after losing him. The pain, heartache, and knowledge that he’s never coming back is just so much for a person to handle. I knew it’d never ‘get better’ or I’d be completely healed or having another child would make it ok. There is just no way to prepare for knowing your child has died and you have to pretend to be normal every day after that.

In less than a month, he’ll be seven. I wish I could know what he’d want his birthday party to be like or who his friends would be. I’d love to know his favorite activities or if he’d have a cereal obsession like Mila. As much as I complain about the laundry, I wish I could fold his clothes and wash the extra dishes. I wonder what show he’d want me to put on or see if he’d compromise to watch what Mila wanted to watch instead.

Then there’s the even smaller things – like when would he have lost his first tooth and what would his smile look like with teeth missing. How would he walk and what would his footsteps sound like? I want to know everything about him and how he would be now with all our memories, but it’s possible.

This is what March 5, 2023 is like for me. It’s sad and isolating and a lot of me pretending to be what I need to be for the people around me.

As I sit here typing and crying and just imagining, I know I’m doing what I need to be doing as Jensen’s mom. He wouldn’t want me to be sad, but this is part of loving and honoring him. This is what it’s like to be a grieving mother who’s son’s birthday is a month away.

And one more thing… love never dies. No matter how much times has passed and even though that pain is still there, not once have I questioned the love I have for my Jensen.

A piece of my heart is perpetually in 2016.

Mom Tip: Label All Your Kid’s Items

Posted on February 27, 2023 by danielleridgway

If your child is anything like mine, labeling their school, daycare, and after school activity items is a must. Not only are there so many benefits from doing this, I can show you the cutest labels from Name Bubbles.

Mila is the queen of losing her things; I think most four year olds could hold this title. We are constantly searching for shoes, coats, and water bottles. Miraculously, no items have been lost in public. but I have a little secret of how we’re preventing this further.

Honestly, I’m still working on helping Mila organize her things at home. She likes to get everything out and then stuff them in bags, THEN put them into her closet. It happens.

It’s a work in progress and I know it’ll get better eventually.

Since she is in preschool, dance, and other sports, we are constantly on the run. One way to keep track of her things is to label them. We have been using Name Bubbles.

They have a ton of different designs to choose from and you can be as detailed on them as you want. I love their clothing labels that irons on them; especially with dance costume and extra clothes at preschool. Believe me, this child love to trade her clothes and wear her friend’s clothes, so this just helps sort them out a little more.

Their custom daycare and school label packs are a must. I put them on Mila’s shoes, water bottle, backpack, lunch box, and her bentgo box. The water bottle ones really come in handy, especially when all the kids have their bottles by each other. It helps the teachers and her remember exactly which bottle she took to school or practice that day. Also, I love that the daycare labels have fun and cute designs for littles and the school labels have more ‘grown up’ designs for older kids.

It also helps in the opposite way too. Sometimes Mila will accidentally pick up someone else’s coat or water bottle and I know it’s not right. Since she knows her heart label is on all her school and practice items, she can look and instantly see it’s not hers. It prevents fights between me and her, which lets the day run more smoothly.

Even though I’ve seen a big difference of Mila not losing things while we’re in public, I wanted to give you all a list of positives about using Name Bubbles labels too.

Teaches children about ownership and responsibility.
Helps child remember which items are theirs.
If an item gets lost, you can recover it easier.
Prevents fighting between kids.
Helps resolve sanitary issues.
Plus, they’re cute!

I can’t wait to pick some new labels out with Mila before she goes to kindergarten. Of course we’ll have to get new labels from Name Bubbles for her new adventure. This is just a start to our labeling addiction.

Do you label your child’s items when they go to school? Let me know in the comments… and some home organization tips for kids too (lol).

I did receive these labels from Name Bubbles as a gift, but would totally recommend them to all! Since I am a Name Bubbles Affiliate, if you do purchase labels from my links, I will get a small percentage of the sales.

An Easy Valentine’s Day DIY with Sticker & Co

Posted on February 2, 2023 by danielleridgway

If you’re looking for an easy, but cute Valentine’s Day gift — look no further than Sticker & Co’s Valentine’s Day collection. They have so many fun stickers that your Valentines would love to receive this year.

One of my favorite things from Sticker & Co was their sticker greeting cards. I actually stuck it on a magnet so I could keep it on the fridge. Our fridge is constantly covered by pictures and artwork. This sticker greeting card was a must needed Valentine’s Day update. Mila saw it instantly and was in love with it.

I’m sure she’ll be using this sticker greeting card as a magnet for all her heart-themed projects this year.

Since all of their stickers were so cute, I had to get some to make gifts.

The easiest gift to make with stickers is to decorate a mug! I feel like everyone needs a good mug and stickers make it even more personable. My favorite one was the “I Love You Sign Language Pink Sticker.” I’ve been teaching Mila a few ASL words and she’ll definitely love her new hug chocolate mug.

There’s a ton of different stickers to decorate mugs, cups, and water bottles too. The one that made me laugh was “You are one hot dog” and “You have a pizza my heart” stickers. They would be absolutely perfect for your partner.

Check all the Stick & Co stickers out, here.

One of the best parts of making a quick Valentine’s Day gift with Sticker & Co is that you’ll get what you need quick; they ship within 1-3 business days. Plus, you can save 20% off site wide when you use the code: SWEETIE.

Let me know in the comments some ideas you have to make with the Sticker & Co’s stickers OR which sticker is your favorite.

*This post inlcudes affiliate links. If you purchase one of these cute stickers or anything from Sticker & Co, I may get small commission.*

DIY Cardboard Christmas Tree Craftivity

Posted on December 7, 2022 by danielleridgway

Happy December, everyone!

Let’s celebrate this month with some fun cardboard crafts that every one can make with their kids at home. By repurposing cardboard and using supplies at home, you can have Christmas fun without breaking the bank.

But first, it’s been forever since I’ve posted on here. I’ve been busy growing my other socials and I’ve neglected actually writing our activities and adventures. My goal is to get back into writing and sharing on here as I did before. If you’ve been missing out or want to see more of our every day things, make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube — we’re on all the things now, lol.

Anyways, let’s get back to the DIY Cardboard Christmas Tree.

This was really easy to make and took minimal prep. It made for a cute and easy decoration that Mila loved to make. Here’s what you need for this activity:

cardboard
paint
Cameron Frank Products Dauber Dawgs
hot glue
scissors

To prep for this activity, all i did was cut my cardboard in the pieces I needed. I did three triangular pieces for the actual tree, a star for the topper, and a rectangle for the trunk. Then, I just painted the tree white and the star golden. You could easily not paint it or paint it whatever color. Do what’s best for you!

Once you have all the pieces cut and the paint is dried, just hot glue the pieces together to make it look like a tree.

Then, have your child use Dauber Dawgs, markers, or stickers to decorate the tree.

I absolutely love the rainbow look Mila made. Her room is decorated for Christmas this year in a rainbow themed; so this craftivity fits right in.

For a closer look in how we made this, check out this video.

Even though this activity is simple, Mila loved being able to create this cardboard tree. She loves to decorate so it made it fun watching her figure out what colors to use and the pattern they were in. Not only was it fun, she got to work on so many skills too!

I think we’ll definitely do this craftivity again in the future and see how her style changes as she gets older. I love making these types of memories and preserving them too.

I’m so thankful for Cameron Frank Products. They gifted Mila and me the Dauber Dawgs which are perfect for crafts and educational activities. It would make a perfect Christmas gift for kids who love to craft. Their boxes even come with activity sheets, which was a huge hit with Mila. You can find the one we had through this link OR others too.

What fun crafts and activities are you doing this holiday season? Let me know in the comments.

Halloween Activity Basket

Posted on September 25, 2022 by danielleridgway

It’s officially spooky season!

We love Halloween in our home and have so much fun with it every year. Last year, I made a Halloween preschool activity box for Mila and decided to make a new one this year! Filled with fun activities, this basket gives her busy tasks to do after school or while dinner is getting made. I love to have fun and engaging activities for Mila when she comes home, but sometimes, I can get busy. This basket will have the same activities in it all month long so she knows what to expect.

Let’s dive inside.

I got most of the items in person at Target, various dollar stores, and Joanns Fabrics. BUT, I searched online to find you all similar items incase you’d like to do this with your child. As with any links I have on here, I might get a small percentage with every purchase.

First, I got this orange basket at the Dollar General. Their baskets are always so good at an even better price. To make it festive, I used The Letter Vee‘s printable with some fun yarn.

I also have some other fun Halloween printables from The Letter Vee. She has a ton listed that are perfect for spooky season, but I put the spooky alphabet sheet for letter recognition and a coloring page. Both are great for a quiet activity. There’s also some blank papers in there for Mila to draw or trace.

Speaking of tracing. I added in some Halloween cookie cutters. She can practice tracing these and cutting them out. I’m excited what she creates with these.

Here’s some fun cookie cutters I found online:

Another fun tracing element I added were Halloween resin letters from Beags and Bubs! We love their resin letters and sensory sets. These particular letters are Halloween themed and we’ll use them all season long. Mila can trace them and also use them with the letter sheet too. They’re a staple in our home to play with.

If you do want to get some resin letters OR sensory kits from Beags and Bubs, use MILA15 to save!

Since Mila absolutely loves to paint and color, I added some wooden crafts from different dollar stores. These are so great for kids to create with. They’re cheap and they always end up so cute. She has a wooden jack-o-lantern and pumpkins. We use these crafts all the time so she’s very familiar how to work with them.

One fun activity that I actually made using The Letter Vee printable was this Halloween matching/memory game. I linked the video of how to make it to the picture. This just sits in a bucket and has been a big hit!

We also added some Halloween books. Most of our Halloween books are on Mila’s reading shelf in our home. She always has access to books and I plan to change these ones out every few days so she can be surprised.

Here’s some Halloween books that we love. If there’s some of the ones that you love and we’re missing, comment the titles below!:

How to Catch a Monster
How to Catch a Witch
Eek Halloween
Ghost Afraid of the Dark
Pumpkin Jack
I Spy with My Little Eye Halloween
Hocus Pocus (This is a new title for Hocus Pocus 2)
Room on the Broom
Gustav the Shy Ghost
Gilbert the Ghost

Okay — that’s a TON of books, but they’re all so good. We have a lot more at home, but I had to limit myself to this amount for right here. Again, if you have a book we need to read for Halloween, please comment below.

On to the next item in the basket. STICKERS!

Mila is no different and loves stickers. I added a Halloween sticker book and some from the dollar store too. These will provide so much fun for her. She can use the wooden pumpkins or paper to stick them too.

I love this sticker book option from Amazon!

The rest of the items are ones you can find any where, and again, are staples in our home.

Play doh
Googly eyes (you NEED these for Halloween crafts)
Halloween cat stuffed animal
Markers
Bubble wand
Temporary Tattoos

Here’s a closer look at everything inside this Halloween basket. It’s linked to an Instagram post where you can hear the sound with it too.

We love how everything turned out and I can’t wait for Mila to enjoy this all October long. I’ll make sure to share all the fun Halloween Activities we do the next few weeks. You won’t want to miss it!

What was your favorite item in the Halloween Basket?

7 Fall Trends for Preschool Girls

Posted on September 10, 2022 by danielleridgway

Fall is almost here and with that comes the cute and comfy styles too!

Since I have a little fashionista, I’m always planning her outfits and on the look out for fun fall trends. We like to have fun with style and let Mila’s personality and voice show through her clothes. With her help, we want to bring you these 7 fall trends your preschooler will love.

Denim Pieces

Does denim ever truly go out of style? I think not.

Finding fun denim pieces, besides jeans is a fun way to spice up your little’s wardrobe. Mila loves her denim jackets, rompers, dresses, and shirts. I also love denim with pops of fall colors like mustard and rust!

Here’s some fun denim pieces that Mila and I love:

Retro Vibes

Is it me or is retro in? We love the fun 70’s colors and looks that have been so popular lately. They’re fun to pair throughout the year, but with the fall trends — they’re perfect. No matter if it’s a top with retro wording or bell bottom jeans, the past’s trends are in now too!

One shop that I LOVE for retro pieces is Bailey’s Blossoms! They have adorable pieces and sales all the time!

Pops of Color

When I think of fall, I think of navy, rust, and orange. They’re colors that go with so many things and are just perfect. BUT I have also been loving the pinks and soft hues added in the mix of these as well. Fashion should be fun and kids love pops of colors!

I know Mila’s wardrobe has a lot of neutrals, but I love to see her in a ton of different colors. Here’s a few outfits we’ve loved because of their fall inspired colors:

Statement Pieces

I love outfits that make you say, “woah.” A statement piece is something that does just that. No matter if it’s a fun pair of pants, the cutest sweater you’ve ever seen, or a jumpsuit that’s so beautiful, these are perfect to have in your little’s wardrobe. I think these are fun pieces that I get to gift Mila every so often, but they’re always her favorites.

One shop that I’ve been OBSESSED with lately is Elemental Threads Co. They have fun statement pieces that I’m always looking at on my phone… oops.

Here are some other pieces we love too:

https://zuli.ly/sl/n/t/rfmxhttps://zuli.ly/sl/n/t/rfmx

Matching Sets

Matching sets are always so cute and quick to pick out.

If your child is in a ton of different activities besides preschool, matching sets are a great way for them to be comfy all day and take them straight to where they need to be after school. Mila loves wearing her matching sets from Little Poppy Bow Co. They come with matching bows too.

When we go to dance, we can slip a leotard on under these or just have her dance in this too.

Pair with a cute pair of tennis shoes with some accessories and your little will be set.

Here’s some styles we love:

Jackets

When coming out of summer, kids get colder a little more easily. To combat this, we love pairing outfits with jackets. Our two favorite go to’s are: demin and leather! But I’m totally wanting to buy her a little varisty jacket. They’re so adorable!

Here’s some that we’re loving:

Accessories

Any little girls LOVES accessories.

Mila has to have at least one bracelet on every time we leave the house… seriously. We also like to switch it up and use a scrunchie as a useable bracelet too. She also adds sunglasses, necklaces, and bows (of course).

For these, I let her choose any accessories she’d like. This is where she can really have fun. Here are some shops we love:

Little Poppy Bow Co. – We get their monthly bow subscription box. They also have clips, headbands, necklaces and bracelets too.
Sloane and Daisy – These are Mila and my’s FAVORITE bracelets. They have fun holiday inspired ones for kids and moms! We also love their buttons for jean jackets and rings too.
Dash+Roo – Although Dash+Roo has a lot of fun home decor, they have the cutest DIY sunglasses option that would be perfect for all year long!

What was your favorite trend for preschool girls? Let me know in the comments.

*If you buy from any linked product, I will get a small commission since I am an Amazon and Zulily affiliate.

DIY Fall Bucket List

Posted on September 1, 2022 by danielleridgway

Happy September everyone!

We’re starting off the month with a fun little DIY that littles can help with too.

Ever since Mila was little, I’ve loved making bucket lists. It’s fun to brainstorm all the fun things you’d like to do for a certain time of year or theme. Since we’re in the “ber” months, I figured we should just start fresh with a fall bucket list. Mila helped come up with different things to add on the list and colored in some of the pumpkins too!

All I did was letter “fall bucket list” and free draw some pumpkins. It didn’t take too long and it was fun to watch Mila create too.

Since she enjoyed coloring in the pumpkins, I thought it’d be fun to color in each pumpkin when we do the activity! This was we can watch our pumpkin patch come to life while we make all the fall memories.

To make this DIY bucket list, we used:

Here’s all the activities we listed for our Fall Bucket List:

Go to a pumpkin patch
Go on a hayride
Jump into a leaf pile
Drink apple cider
Decorate the house
Make caramel apples
Drink PSL
Make a pot of chili
Go apple picking
Go on a fall hike
Bake a pie and eat it
Go through a corn maze
Watch the new Hocus Pocus
Go to a football game
Attend a fall festival
Have a spooky movie night
Make smores
Help with and eat Thanksgiving dinner
Make a gratitude project
Buy fall candles
Carve/paint pumpkins
Go trick or treating
Make memories
Make fall cookies

What fall activities would you add to this list or on your own? Let me know in the comments.

Blueberry Crumble Recipe

Posted on July 6, 2022 by danielleridgway

Want to be the talk of your backyard bbq? Make and bring this Blueberry Crumble Recipe. It’s easy to throw together and tastes delicious too!

We recently went blueberry pickings, which I have to blog about. Since then, I have a ton of blueberries, but not a ton of different recipes. When talking about what to make, I knew I had to try a crumble.

Believe me… I’m happy I did!

This dessert was so easy to make and tasted so fresh. We picked them one day and made this the next. It was amazing.

I have a feeling this will be another staple dessert I bring to parties in the future.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Blueberry Crumble:

2 cups of blueberries
sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup quick cook oats
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon

First, preheat your oven to 375 F.

While it’s heating up, spray your crumble pan with cooking spray or spread water. Then, add the layer of blueberries at the bottom. Sprinkle sugar on top of the blueberries.

We used red colored sugar for ours!

Then, mix the crumble topping (sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and butter) in a bowl. When it’s all combined, spread on top of the sugared blueberries. To give it some extra flair, you can sprinkle some extra cinnamon sugar on top.

When the oven is preheated, place the blueberry crumble in for 25-30 minutes.

We took ours out at the 25 minute mark and added festive sprinkles. Then baked for an extra five minutes.

Serve this delicious dish warm with whipped cream or ice cream!

What’s your favorite food item to bring to a cookout?

Grey Skies & Rainbow Highs

the stories and adventures of our little family: full of love and loss.