Cocktail Confessions: Peach Raspberry Margarita Recipe

Okay, remember that yummy Frozen Peach Raspberry Sweet Tea we made last week? Well...I decided to give it a little twist. It was so mouthwatering that I thought it would also make a great base for a cocktail. Mr. Cute agreed, and we staged a little taste testing to come up with the best combo.

Rough job, right?

After trying a few different combinations we landed on an out of this world recipe for a Peach Raspberry Margarita. Originally we thought vodka would make for a great addition, but it just didn't have the "bite" we were looking for to differentiate it from the base drink. Adding a little tequila to transform the drink into a margarita? A whole new level of yummy.

It's super easy to make, and when hosting a summer gathering it is easy to make both the original recipe and the alcoholic version little extra effort.

HOW TO MAKE PEACH RASPBERRY MARGARITAS

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

- 4 cups of Sweet Tea
- 10 oz of tequila
- 6 oz of triple sec
- 1 cups of raspberry juice
- 1 cup of peaches, sliced
- 1 cup of ice cubes
- 1/3 cup of raspberries
- Optional for garnish: granulated sugar

Directions
1: Place peaches and ice cubes and blend until diced.
2: Add sweet tea, raspberry juice, and raspberries. Blend until smooth.
3: Add tequila and triple sec. Blend until well mixed.
4: Pour into pitcher.
5: Optional: Rub rim of margarita glasses with peach slice and then dip rim into saucer with sugar.
6: Garnish with fresh peach slices and raspberries.
7: Serve and enjoy immediately.

It's seriously so yummy this might be one of my new go-to drinks for the summer. I'd have to break up a little bit from my true summer love - the poptail - but this Peach Raspberry Margarita is a close favorite.

What are some of your favorite margarita recipes? Are you all about the original? Frozen? Or like a good fruity alternative? Share with us! 

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Favorite Shorts for Summer

Hooray for Summer Break!  It is officially here and we couldn't be happier about it.  We're turing off our early morning alarms and breaking out our favorite summer wardrobe pieces.  If we aren't in our swimsuits, you can find us wearing shorts.  While we love some good white pants, it's rare that you'll find us in them this time of year because it is so darn hot!  We pretty much live in our shorts and wanted to share our favorite shorts for summer with y'all today! 

JEAN SHORTS

We once swore we would never wear jean shorts. Something about being UGA fans and completely associating jean shorts with Florida fans.  (And we mean that in the most loving way because some of our best friends are FL fans!).  Times have changed though and now we LOVE our denim shorts.  

shorts//top//bag//watch

We tried lots of pairs, but these are, by far, our favorites.  Worth the price tag, in our opinion.  We both own these and find them very true to size, super comfortable, and with just the right amount of distressing for our liking.  

ELASTIC WAISTBAND SHORTS

Elastic waist band.  Need we say more?  These shorts are seriously the most comfortable things we own.  Super soft, so pretty and stylish with the stripes, but so comfortable that you forget you aren't wearing pajamas. 

shorts//top//watch

These also come in a few solid colors, and are on super sale right now (under $20!!!). 

SCALLOPED SHORTS

We've always had a thing for scallop styles and these solid scallop shorts are some of our favorites!  We love the simple solid colors, but the scalloped hem just gives it a little something extra! 

shorts//top//sandals//watch//earrings

These scalloped styles are also currently on sale and under $20!!! 

shorts//shoes//bag

Shorts//Bag

FUN PATTERNED SHORTS

When we want to mix things up a bit we go with fun patterned shorts and our first choice is always Lilly Pulitzer.  We just love the bright colors and fun patterns. Plus, we know we will love the fit and always get tons of compliments on them.  

SOLID COLORED SHORTS

Last, but certainly not least of our shorts favorites, are just classic solid chino shorts.  They are almost always from JCrew. They have so many fun colors and we know the sizing is always going to be consistent.  They can be dressed up or dressed down and are just the perfect summer shorts. 

shorts//top//sandals 

shorts//watch//belt//sunglasses

What are some of your favorite shorts for summer?  Any styles you love more than others?  Let us know in the comments!  

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Books to Get Boys Reading

Okay this is totally one of those posts where I give you a little something and I hope you give me a little something. I need some major suggestions on books that help get boys to enjoy reading. More specifically - Cute reading. We've found a few books here and there that he seems into, and I'll share those, but I am up for any and all suggestions you guys have got!

This is Cute's last week of first grade and all year we have been on the struggle bus when it comes to encouraging him to read. Don't get me wrong. He loves books and stories, and being read to. But when it comes to reading himself? He has other more important things he feels he has to do.

If school were based on Lego building skills, ability to score soccer goals, solve multiplication problems, drawing ninjas with friends, or running the fastest during P.E. he would be an ace student. He excels in all other subjects, and I know he'll get there at some point. Reading is life skill you just need, kind of like tying your shoes (and that's a subject we'll save for another day), but he just feels zero desire to take any part in it.

So in the spirit of the "summer slide" I was hoping to get a little insight into what books you might suggest to keep him motivated. I have stumbled upon a few these last few months that seem to keep him interested and a few he gets excited about. So maybe this can be a bench mark for suggestions too?

I can't be the only mom on the struggle reading bus! So share any and all - you never know who it might help!

BOOKS THAT BOYS LOVE

(Or at least my little boy!)

Captain Underpants Series - Underwear and potty talk. Need I say more? This is full of potty style humor and has tons of illustrations to put a visual to the story. It makes Cute literally laugh out loud. We even watched the Captain Underpants movie as a reward after he finished the first one. Do I like potty talk? No. But do I like my son being interested in reading? Absolutely. Plus it's such a huge series, I'm not the only parent hearing all about giant potty people or Booger Boy. (Seriously, those are things.)

Dog Man Series - This series is written by the same author as the Captain Underpants books, so a similar type of humor, but with less actual potty talk. It follows a police officer who is half dog/half man and his crime fighting adventures. The pages are filled with comic style photos and Cute loves the flip-o-ramas included.  So far this seems to be the series he's gotten the most excited about, and he's already excited about the Lord of the Fleas that comes out this August. 

The Bad Guys Series - This series is fun! This follows the notorious "bad characters" of various tales (think Big Bad Wolf), and changes it up a bit. The bad guys all team up together to do good deeds, and each story follows their mishaps along the way. Cute has a few books in this series he grabbed from the book fair and even though there are less photos he still enjoys reading them a ton. 

Inspector Flytrap Series - This one we recently grabbed while running errands. It's a mystery series where the main character is a Venus Flytrap. It seems funny, but Cute hasn't sat down to read it through it's entirety. It has a few pictures in it, and tons of silliness so hoping he ends up liking this short series too. 

Mighty Marvel Chapter Books - We've had these for awhile, and while some of the words are tough it's a super hero book and in some boys' world that's all they need to motivate them. Cute loves look at these over and over and his teacher let him keep one in his desk all year to read whenever he liked. 

Magic Tree House Series - Several people have suggested these to me, and my mom purchased a few of them for Cute. I know there are tons of books in this series, and while Cute likes these being read to him, he hasn't been consistent quite yet on reading them on his own. There aren't as many photos as there are in other series so that could be the drawback? 

The Stink Series - Cute owns one book in this series, and he reads through it often, but when asked he doesn't seem interested in looking at another. The book series is based on Judy Moody's little brother, and follows him on some silly adventures. A super funny little series!

Pedro Series - Cute originally grabbed two of the books in this series because one is about being in first grade, and one is about soccer - two of his main interests this year. The book series is cute and kind of showcases the main character, Pedro, in some scenarios that make him uncomfortable and shares how he handles them. Filled with great messages for this age group! 

Okay, that's all I have in my boy book arsenal. What are some of your suggestions? 

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Frozen Peach Raspberry Sweet Tea Recipe

The official start to Summer is just days away, and we could not be more excited! We are so ready for eight weeks packed full of lounging at the pool, frolicking on the beach, sleeping in late, playing in the yard until it's dark (or way past dark), skiing behind the boat, and grilling out with friends. Occasionally we might have to throw some work in here or there, a sibling battle will probably occur, and we will hear "I'm bored!" approximately 5,498 times, but the sweet summertime memories we will make will far outweigh those few moments.

Summer is by far my favorite time of year to entertain. There's just something about this time of year that makes entertaining so much fun. In the south summer wouldn't be complete without at least a dozen cookouts thrown in. From impromptu steak on the grill nights with neighbors to over the top backyard soirees with friends and family to celebrate a holiday - I love it all! I sit back in my favorite adirondack chair with my favorite Milo's Sweet Tea to cool me off, and smile knowing these are the best days.

Because I love hosting people in my home this time of year I make sure to have a few staples always on hand, and have a few quick go-to recipes in my back pocket that I can whip up with in minutes. I love hosting. I do not love spending my entire time in my kitchen cooking the perfect meal. I love being able to wow people with my mad kitchen skills, and making it all look effortless because, well, I've made it effortless.

Southern host tip #1: Always always have sweet tea on hand. Always. As any good southern host knows, no event is worth mentioning unless sweet tea is involved - especially in the summer!  And it better be made to perfection or people will be speaking about it for decades.

I always make sure I have a large stash of Milo's Tea on hand. Milo's Tea is the absolute best tasting and remember my whole commitment to effortless entertaining? They are the experts in tea making and who am I to come in and try replicate perfection?

Milo'sTea comes in a variety of different flavors (all natural sweetened with pure cane sugar, no calorie, and unsweet) - so there is a little something for everyone! My personal favorite to drink and use in recipes is Milo's All Natural because it is sweetened with pure cane sugar.

I'm not the only huge fan of Milo's Tea. It's award winning taste has been savored for generations.  Milo’s Tea was created in the famous Milo's restaurant founded in 1946 by Milo and Bea Carlton after Milo returned from serving his country in World War II.  The teas are all naturally brewed with no colors, acids, additives or preservatives to keep in line with Milo and Bea's vision for using high quality ingredients to never sacrifice on taste. Today, Milo's Tea is still a family owned company located in Bessemer, Alabama. So quite literally every sip provides a little south in your mouth. 

I found Milo’s at my local Target in the refrigerated juice section but they are available in lots of retailers. Find a store near you by using the store locator.

Now, while I know better than to mess with making own sweet tea, I have become an expert on utilizing that delicious tea in a variety of ways. Because it's a staple in our house, I love using sweet tea as a base to make other drinks. This Frozen Peach Raspberry Sweet Tea is my favorite! Georgia is the peach state after all and what kind of hometown girl would we be if we didn't marry the peach and delicious sweet tea an occasion or two? The Frozen Peach Raspberry Sweet Tea is one of my biggest crowd pleasers and it literally takes five minutes to make. 

With a few shortcut tricks I've learned along the way, I've narrowed down the Frozen Peach Raspberry Sweet Tea recipe to just a few quick steps so that it making it doesn't take time away from your guests. Because trust me, you will be requested to refill that pitcher several times once everyone's had a sip or thirty. 

HOW TO MAKE FROZEN PEACH RASPBERRY TEA

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

- 4 cups of Milo's All Natural Sweet Tea or Milo's No Calorie Tea (both result in the same delicious taste!)
- 1 cups of raspberry juice
- 1 cup of peaches, sliced
- 1 cup of ice cubes
- 1/3 cup of raspberries

Note: I like to use frozen peaches because the recipe will end up with a frozen texture anyway, and it saves a lot of time and effort. Less time slicing is more time sipping!

Directions
1: Place peaches and ice cubes and blend until diced.
2: Add sweet tea, raspberry juice, and raspberries. Blend until smooth.
3: Pour into pitcher.
4: Garnish with fresh peach slices and raspberries.
5: Serve and enjoy immediately.

Do you have a drink you make with tea? What is your favorite? Share with us! We are always looking to try a new one out with our guests. 

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Milo's Tea Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #MakeItWithMilos  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Friday Favorites: Summer Ready

Today we are have a little mental celebration because it's Friday! A special Friday though because this is the Friday that tells us we have one. more. week!!! One more week until Summer!! And we are sooooo Summer ready! 

I've been counting down this date since last July. That's when our crazy school system goes back to school. I might cry big ugly tears over that fact each year. 

This week I hit my wall. I am so done. Done to the point that I ordered a pizza last night just so I could have something to put in the lunch boxes. Because among all the 597 school activities going on right now the grocery store just didn't happen, and my kids devoured everything in sight by Wednesday. 

Don't judge. It was better than the frozen waffles option. 

But the official countdown is on. One. More. Week!!!

Now onto the super fun part - Friday Favorites! I haven't done a Friday Favorites in a while, and I have some super fun finds lately. Amidst all those 597 activities I mentioned I've apparently been stress shopping. So life might be chaotic, and I've resorted to late night food delivery as survival, but at least I look cute. 

It's not quite summer yet, but here it totally feels like summer. The temps have reached above 90 degrees, the humidity is doing crazy things to my hair, and the kids don't understand why it's still daylight when they have to go to bed. 

We are still in the trenches of the end of the school year, but my favorite moments lately are the peeks at summer I've gotten. We've already done tons of splashing in the pool...

We've played in the backyard after dinner time...

Water guns squirting counts as a bath right? Kidding. Sort of. 

We've eaten approximately 3,029 popsicles already...

Some are at least healthy popsicles though. So I have that going for me.

Summer moments are just my favorite. 

Since it feels like summer I've also broken out my summer staple - all the seersucker. 

The seersucker dress I wore to Carrie Beth's Derby Party a few weeks ago has been my go-to during awards season too. 

(By awards season I mean seeing my kids get their classroom superlatives. Glad to have cleared up any confusion. I didn't want all of our readers to get confused. The three of you good? Awesome.)

My favorite part about the dress (besides the fact that it has pockets, and dresses with pockets are awesome!) is the tiny details it has. I love the tiny fringe around the arm openings!

Another seersucker favorite on repeat lately is this fun loose fitting tank. I'm in love with the crochet hem.

| Shorts | Sandals |

Online it looks a little boxy, but on it fits great. 

Apparently when I stress shop, shoes just happen to pop themselves in my cart. I have two new pairs of sandals that will be worn all summer long. They are so comfy! 

First, is this rose gold sandal. 

| White tee | Jean Shorts |

Now they look like the Birkenstock pair. They feel like the Birkenstock pair. But they are about half the price. I know Carrie Beth has shared an even cheaper version that she loves (she even named them one of her favorite finds of 2017!), but I couldn't find them in my size. A neighbor told me about these and they are perfect. I went to try on the Birkenstock  counterpart and for some reason most Birkenstocks are really wide on my foot. Or maybe that is just how they feel/look to me?? Call me crazy. But I saw this pair on my neighbor who was kind enough to let me try on hers and it was a perfect fit! I wear a 6.5 and they were TTS for me. 

Between the two of us we have all three versions - texting her now that we need to do a comparison at some point for you guys!

The second pair of shoes I purchased were these hot pink sandals. 

I apologize now because you will be seeing a lot of these this summer. They sandals come in a ton of colors, but pink will get me every time. I love how they fit and feel so much I might grab another color or two. I found them slightly on sale here, here, and here.  I ordered half a size up based on the reviews and they fit perfect. 

Did you see the super cute pink tassel earrings above too? Those are also a new favorite! 

They are so fun, and so light weight. I've gotten tons of compliments on them the few times I've worn them.

They come in a ton of fun colors and currently have an automatic coupon for 5% off. 

And since you guys know we are all over the one piece swimsuit trend right now, I might have woken up early to add another one to my poolside line-up for the summer. 

You know I love me some Lilly Pulitzer, and this morning they released some of their new swimsuit designs to kick off their summer roll out. I am swooning over it all! 

I put one in my cart and will share the details once I get it, but how cute are all of these?!

The whole summer line is actually super cute, and right now they are are doing a huge gifts with purchase promotion. 

This next favorite will be a year round favorite of mine. Carrie Beth shared this little hair secret with me when I saw how voluminous her hair has been lately. 

She told me about this root boost and I gave it a whirl. Because as they say here in the South, "The bigger the hair, the closer to God."

| White Lace Top |

I love it! I sent her this pic after I did my hair the first time using it, and was so impressed. (Excuse the lack of makeup or clean bathroom. We can't have everything.) If you want a little extra volume in your life, I'd put this on your radar. A little goes a long way, and I'm super impressed with the hold and volume - especially having longer hair. 

This favorite is for all you fellow Disney lovers. I popped into Target to grab some end of the year school gifts and saw their new Disney line. 

I am swooning over how cute everything is! Luckily for Mr. Cute (and his Amex) this didn't come out before our trip because their is such super cute attire for the whole family! Carrie Beth just missed it to for her trip this past weekend. 

It's all so adorable, and I love when some of the Disney stuff is subtle. The Junk Food line is so fun, and I loved the "Living The Dream" tee. 

There are tons of items for gifts and housewares too. 

This little sleeveless hooded dress was another one of my favorites. 

And this tote with the bow slides is to die for. 

They even had make up from L'Oreal and some super cute nail polish sets. There's a little Disney magic for everyone and everything. Just the way Disney likes it. 

That wraps up my favorites for the week. Now off to a super fun weekend. We're headed back to The Battery Atlanta to see our favorite baseball team throw up another W - Go Braves! We are so excited! 

Happy weekend friends! 

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