Picking the Perfect Watermelon

I LOVE LOVE LOVE watermelon. It's the perfect summer time snack. I could eat a whole one by myself. Seriously. I love a good watermelon. But there's nothing worse than getting a craving for some and buying one cutting it up and then having it taste horrible.  I have looked around, researched websites and blogs and found the best tips I could find and they have worked wonders. I have not been disappointed when I follow these 4 easy steps. Just thought I would share the love!

4 Easy Steps to Picking Watermelon

1. Look for a yellow spot somewhere on the watermelon. Usually on the bottom. Not white, yellow. This is where the watermelon was laying in the sun.  If it is white, it is not ripe yet. Sources say, sorry I can't remember where I was to find this out, that watermelon does not continue to ripen after it is picked.  Unlike cantaloupe and some other fruit.

2. Pick a symmetrical one, either perfectly round or oval, but same one both sides.  Also check it for cracks, or bruises.

3. Thump it. It should sound hollow.  I thump a few of them with my head down right on them. I know I look crazy, but it's so worth it to me to get a good one.  If it sounds too low I don't pick that one. If it sounds to high pitched I don't get that one. I get the one that's pitch is somewhere in the middle. It should also look lighter weight than it actually is.  If you pick it up and think, wow this is a lot heavier than it looks, it's probably a good one.

4. Look for bee stings. My mother-in-law told me this an I thought she was crazy. But I have picked 6 watermelons with bee stings and 1 without in the last month and all 6 were fantastic, and the 1 was just ok. So I'm totally sold on the bee stings. (along with the other 3 steps)  Bee stings look like little brown spots on the watermelon. I thought they were just dirt when I first saw them, but it doesn't rub off.  They kind of look like the watermelon has been scuffed up a bit.  Bee stings mean that the bees were attracted to it because it's sweet.  Sometimes there is a little bit of an amber colored goo on the outside, but not often, that is just some of the nectar.

(Please take all of these steps with a grain of salt. I am no expert. This is just what I do when I'm choosing my perfect watermelon. Also the things that I have found online to help me.)

Enjoy your watermelon! And the rest of your summer, what is left anyway... :D

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July Journeys

Kansas for the 4th of July.

Brock taking a little dip in the pool. He was so funny this year. Very timid about cold water.

Especially here at the splash pad. I'm a mean mom and made him go in the water... muha ha ha!

One of the weekends Darrik came home we went to a drive in movie and saw Toy Story 3. Now one of Brock's favorites. We watch it, or part of it, just about every day.

We brought Dominos pizza. Yum! My favorite.

Me sweet little cheese ball.

Makell and Garrett joined us for the show.

The next day we went and got some ice cream. I was liking mine and Brock's on the way home so they wouldn't melt all over and I looked back and this was the face Brock was making. I died laughing. He wanted a lick. I love this kid.

Brock got me in the face with this ice cream... nice, just in time for the picture, ha ha ha.

He also got ice cream on my arm. When I saw it and pointed it out to him, he wanted to help clean it up... with his tongue. ha ha ha!!!

Love.

Girls Night Out!!! Some friends of mine from our old ward got together for dinner and bowling. We had a blast just hanging out with the girls. We ate at Zupas and got free dessert. Yum!

Then had a crazy adventure at the bowling alley. 

I photoshopped this picture to include all of us at the bowling alley... don't look closely, but Danielle is missing an arm. ha ha ha

 

We bowled different ways, through our legs, backwards, eyes closed, with our opposite arm, pushing the ball with our feet. It was so funny.

I took Brock to the the car show around the 4th of July.  To say that he loved it would be an understatement.  He was elated the whole time. Smiling, running, pointing, laughing. It was so cute. He really LOVES cars.

 

We also went to a parade for the 4th.  Brock was fine before it started, just sitting and waiting.

 

When the cop cars and ambulances came by he screamed so loud and took off running in the opposite direction.  He was terrified. It was so sad.

Shrek was in the parade. Brock thought that was pretty cool.

Also in July we had a big BBQ with our friends the Thurgoods.  These little boys are a month apart in age.  They went swimming in their swim diapers and had a blast.  We tried to get them to smile, but they just wanted to eat their brownies. 

 

Girls Night with my High School Friends.  We all went to Anisha's for dinner, we all pitched in for pizza and brought sides and then watched a movie. It was lots of fun. We missed Stefani though.

 

Here Brock is again, stuck in his high chair. Poor kid. He has since learned how to take the front off and get out.

 

We had a 24th of July BBQ at my parents house and had lots of yummy food.  After the BBQ we played the whip cream game.  You squirt whip cream on your hand and then hit your hand to get the whip cream to flip up in the air, then you try to catch it in your mouth.  We had a blast.

 

Tired Brock fell asleep in his car seat. The funny thing about this for me is that he is crossing his legs.  So cute.