My Favourite Summer Items & One Pan Sausage Pasta

Summer is Nature’s finest gift to humans.

Nit Op

Today is Amazon Prime Day! If you are looking for summer gifts or  any must have items to make your summer a little easier and a whole lot more fun, look no further! These are my TOP 10 Summer items for 2023! Remember to please use my affiliated Amazon links or the Amazon Search Bar at the top of my page! Every time you purchase something using my links, I get a small commission! Thank you again for your continued support 💛.


We love to play with my Sis’s extra large outdoor Jenga Game. It stacks to over 4 feet and includes a heavy-duty carry bag. It is hours of fun at the beach, in the backyard or at the cabin!


Last summer we went to My Sis and BIL’s campsite and they had this Double Camping Chair next to the fire. It is SO comfortable and it is exactly the right chair for a cozy fireside date with your Honey or the perfect spot to make s’mores with your Little One!

A few years ago my Uncle bought the Kids Giant Bubble Wands and they were the BIGGEST hit! In fact, they still get used every summer! Whenever we have kids over they ALWAYS want to make giant bubbles. This is a fun outdoor activity that will keep the Kids entertained for hours!
I have had a JBL Portable Bluetooth Speaker for years. It goes everywhere with me. I take it outside when we have guests over, I bring it out to the garden when I’m doing yard work, and it sits on the curb when we are washing the vehicles. This speaker is bluetooth and has incredible sound. 
I’m sure I’ve mentioned my AMAZING Neck Fan in previous posts but I NEED to tell you about it again. This fan has been a lifesaver for me this summer. My Sis bought it for me and I use it, every day. EVERY. DAY. It easily gets plugged in and recharged at the end of the day, has 3 settings, is super quiet and provides a welcome cool breeze during the heat waves that have been hitting all summer so far. This fan is not only an ABSOLUTE must have for MS patients or anyone else that suffers from heat sensitivities but it’s perfect for anybody that is spending any amount of time outside in the blistering, hot sun!
Have you ever played Bocce? It is a super fun game that is kind of like lawn bowling. My family has played it… well, ever since I can remember! You can get a beautiful Bocce Ball Set at Amazon and be the hit of your next BBQ!
While cleaning out the garage this past spring we bought some organizational items that really made our garage the way we wanted it. Organized in zones. For the bike zone we bought this amazing Wall Mounted Bike Rack. It holds all 5 of our bikes!

We bought this StoreYourBoard BLAT Tool Storage Rack for all our shovels and lawn care items. It is a heavy-duty, solid steel, wall mount organizer that can hold up to a max. of 200 lbs.

I bought this Backpack for Ninja this past Christmas. It is a great 35L lightweight hiking bag that folds up easily for storage. It has been great for a light pack on bike rides and during our afternoons geocaching.

You probably aren’t thinking about a chill in the air right now, but it’s coming! The days are already getting shorter and those evenings will start to cool down. My Dad bought Ninja this outdoor waterproof infrared patio heater with a remote control for Xmas last year and we used it to extend our patio season this past spring! It is the perfect amount of heat to allow you to keep your patio/balcony’s square footage all year long!

Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #336: Free Falling HERE! We get together after a week of family visiting the Valley. Topics: day drinking, Watermelon cocktail, shopping trip, Bob’s cookies, wine village, pool day, summer tunes, & great albums.


This was a dinner I made a while ago. I haven’t shared it because I have a LOT of pasta recipes and I was thinking about doing a post with some of my favourites that I have been saving to share with you. BUT, yesterday was Ninja’s birthday and this is one of his favourite sausage and pasta dishes, so here you are! This recipe is so easy it shouldn’t even be called a recipe! This meal comes together in under 20 minutes and only uses 1 pan! No wonder Ninja likes it so much… No dishes!!! 😂

One Pan Sausage Pasta
Adapted from Dinners, Dishes & Desserts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package smoked Polish/Ukrainian Sausage, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
10 drops Tabasco Sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
8 oz pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
green onions, sliced

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, swirling to coat.


Add sausage and onions to the pan, cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be soft and the sausage starting to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.


Mix in tomatoes, pasta, Tobasco Sauce, chicken stock and milk. Stir, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked.





Stir in cheese until melted.


Garnish with green onions to serve.


The first week of summer was a busy one! After a hot Canada Day I took a rest and tried my best to stay cool. The heat is a real kicker! Aunty C took the kids to see Transformers, and I took HBear and SBean to Kelowna to get some much-needed summer items! Ninja and I went out with my SIL out for cocktails and appies at Kin & Folk and then the whole family got together on Saturday for a pool party and my In Law’s! Our BIL’s parents are in town visiting from New Brunswick, it was a nice visit and we also celebrated SweetPea and Ninja’s birthdays! Too much fun, too much sun and too much wine 😂 meant a full day of recovery for me, but Ninja and his Sister and Uncle S, took all the cousins to Westside Daze! It was almost 40°C in a dusty field but they had a ton of fun! We ended our week celebrating Ninja. We went out for dinner with Ninja’s Parents and Sister for the first time in years! Happy Birthday Ninja, I don’t know what we would do without you! You are thoughtful, considerate, sexy, my favourite sous chef, and my bestest friend. I love you 😘 ❤️.





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