Instant Pot Sweet Iced Tea Recipe

Use your Instant Pot to make sweet tea that isn't bitter. 

Summer just wasn't summer without my grandmother's iced tea.  She would make a gallon of sweet tea almost every day, so there was always a pitcher in the fridge  When I moved out on my own, I called her for the recipe.

For one gallon, she used 14 tea bags and 3 cups of sugar.  Needless to say, it was strong and sweet.  My husband loves real sweet tea, but he doesn't like bitter tea.

I've heard of the baking soda trick, but he hated it.  Yes, he could taste a quarter of a teaspoon in a gallon of tea.  He wouldn't drink my tea for about three years after I tried that.

I normally make sun tea just because it's easy and low maintenance.  It's not sweet though, and it tastes bitter.  

I've made infused water concentrate in my Instant Pot, so I thought why not use it to make sweet tea?  

Now I don't make tea any other way.  It was so easy because you can let the pressure cooker naturally release, so you don't have to babysit it.  Once you fill up the Instant Pot and turn it on, you can walk away without worrying about turning it off or having it boil over on the stove.

I was pleasantly surprised that making iced tea in the Instant Pot makes a smooth tea.  It's a gentle, smooth tea.  It's perfect for hot summer days.

33 Healthy Popsicles Recipes for Kids and Adults

Summer means popsicles.  My kids will go through some popsicles!  I can barely keep the freezer stocked.  

I don't like buying store bough treats because they are full of dyes and extra sugars.  Caleb can't have food dyes, and I don't like the extra sugar for any of my kids.

Now we make our own frozen treats.  All of these healthy popsicle recipes are easy to make, and you can make them when you have time to enjoy later.

I like to use fresh fruit and even some veggies in my homemade frozen pops.  I know my boys don't eat enough fruits and veggies, unless ketchup counts, so this is a great way to sneak more nutrients into their bodies.  

Why You Should Be Wearing SPF Every Day

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine.

You might be surprised to learn that I don’t add an SPF product to my daily skin care routine in the summer.  That’s because SPF is always in my skin care routine.

I’ve been using SPF on my face every day since I was a teenager.  Now, in my mid to late 30s, my skin looks great.  When I tell someone my age or that I have a child in college, they are in disbelief.  I was lucky to inherit some good genes, but I attribute most of that to wearing sun protection daily.

Homemade Body Powder Recipe With Essential Oils

I always joke that I'm going to move south when the kids are grown, but it hit the 90s today, and I legit thought that I was going to melt.  I couldn't even walk outside.  My hair frizzed, and there was no saving my makeup.  By the time I got home, I felt, well, icky.  Now we are in a mad scramble to get the pool open before we all die from the heat.  

Nothing beats a nice shower after a hot day, but sometimes you just need to freshen up before you can get to a shower.  That's why I make this homemade body powder recipe with essential oils.

Body powders used to be really popular, but they aren't so popular anymore.  I remember walking into Bath and Body Works in the late 90s and getting a tin of body powder.  It was probably in Sun Kissed Raspberry or Cucumber Melon.  

I didn't use them for years after that, but then I started again, especially in the summer.  Body powders are wonderful all year round though.  I like to use them after a sugar scrub or after I put on a body butter because they help make your skin oh so soft.  

DIY Finishing Powder Recipe

It's summer!  It's time for lazy days, swimming, catching fireflies, and outdoor movies.  It's also time for high humidity and temps so high your makeup melts right off.  

Luckily, there is one easy DIY recipe that will help keep your makeup looking flawless.  It naturally absorbs sweat and oil while it gives you a flawless airbrushed look and fills in fine lines and large pores.

If you go to the drugstore or specialty makeup store, expect to spend anywhere from $10 to $40 or more for a finishing powder.  You can make this one for a few pennies, and it works wonderfully.

I had all of the ingredients already, so I didn't even have to spend anything.  If you do have to buy some of the ingredients, you can use them in other recipes, so there's no waste.  

Storebought finishing powders can also have questionable ingredients and preservatives.  Since this recipe doesn't have any water, you don't need a preservative.  I know exactly what's in my DIY finishing powder recipe, and I can control the ingredients.