Favorite Fridays: Our 4 Favorite things about the 4th!

Friends: At Kimes Ranch we consider our friends our family. As I once heard it well put “Friends are family that you choose”.  We are strong believers in this and very grateful to have the close knit group of friends that we do. Dinner at the Ranch is never a small affair and rarely a planned formal occasion.  More like a come one come all bring what you want mentality.  We respect our friends so much that we jokingly make reference to our “group parenting”.  We are so often together that we do not hesitate to feed, cloth, or keep each other’s little ones in line.  The 4th is just another great excuse to take time to enjoy these great friendships and the friendships that our children have with each other as well.

S’mores: My obsession with this tasty treats may have gotten a little out of hand. It all started about 4 or 5 years ago when Luna bar came out with S’more flavor.  Once I discovered that there was a somewhat healthy way for me to indulge in the best flavor ever that was the only Luna bar I would eat. Instead of getting tired of it my obsession grew, I got over the Luna bar phase and graduated to full-blown s’more bliss.  Obsessively pinning everything to do with s’mores (http://www.pinterest.com/KimesRanch/more-smores/)I have also upped my game from the traditional graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate. My new favorite is graham crackers with Rolos for chocolate and toasted coconut marshmallows … Heaven!! Beyond this I have found the holy grail of s’more love. For those who would like to exert the least amount of effort but achieve greatness….. Hershey s’more cupcake mix by Betty Crocker.  They are chocolate cupcakes with a marshmallow center and graham cracker on the bottom.  In our circle they are referred to as the magic cupcakes, they have brought with them much bliss.. and sadness. (do not ever be seen eating the last one)

Fireworks: When I was a kid growing up my father had this wonderful obsession with Disneyland.  At times I think he enjoyed going more than we did… so much so that we went 15 times and 3 times to Disney World. (and no we did not live anywhere near California or Florida)If you have ever been you know that they have an amazing fireworks show every night at around 10. It signified the end of the night after an exhausting day of sun, candy and fun.  Since then fireworks always have this magic nostalgic effect on me.  

Pride: We all know the meaning of Independence Day and what it stands for. We wear red, white and blue, hang flags on our homes and pay homage to our great nation.  There is no other day throughout the year that makes you proclaim your pride like today.  So here is what we are proud of: 
We make American made jeans. Everyday we work to create more jobs for Americans. Everyday we put on a pair of those jeans and pay homage to our country. Everyday we are proud to be American!!!

Happy 4th!