Childhood Memories: When things were simpler

Do you remember the time before smart phones and computers? When "playing" meant something other than sitting on the couch doing video games? Remember when you were little and your favorite thing to do as soon the first signs of spring presented themselves was to run outside and play your little heart out until it got dark or your parents called you in for dinner?

Meet my partner in crime circa the 80's, my brother. Luckily he never gets online so he may never know I shared this. But we're pretty cute right?

Back in the 80's our only form of electronic entertainment was our Nintendo which my mom was pretty stringent about of us using. So we spent a LOT of time outdoors riding our bicycles in circles around the driveway and playing on our swing set. We could do those things for hours, all the while telling each other jokes and singing silly made up songs. We used our imaginations a lot.

We never wanted to come inside for dinner and would beg for our favorite quick meals which included macaroni and cheese made by our dad. We always told him he made it the best and would give him little puppy dog faces until he caved. I'm sure my mom loved this, too, since she was out of the cooking job for the night!

Now my husband and I are encouraging our boys to enjoy the same outdoor fun that my brother and I shared in our childhood. As soon as spring blows that first warm breeze we all head outdoors and stay for hours riding bikes, playing in the sandbox, and just running around playing pretend.

And meals? We keep it simple and delicious...

We head straight for the Horizon Organic's Mac & Cheese! We all love the taste and it is so easy to whip up a batch for the entire family. It fuels us all with protein to keep up our outside play, and I love that it is full of organic ingredients. And it's nice for me not to have to come in early to prepare a big meal while everyone else is still playing outside. Win-win!

I love that we are passing our traditions of a simpler time and favorite springtime meals to our boys. Hopefully they will remember these fun times and share them with the next generation!

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This conversation is sponsored by Horizon. The opinions and text are all mine.