I remember summers of my childhood being magic – long lazy days in the pool, haunting the aisles of my local library, fun classes and camps and playdates, barbecues and s’mores and ice cream sundaes, and amazing family trips. My parents were both college professors, so we had time as a family in the summer to really travel.
However, Summer can be a bit bittersweet for adults. I’m still working, only now it’s hot and there’s no school. So summer means a lot less laziness and a lot more scrambling to fill in the gaps with childcare. I catch my reading time late at night or when the baby is napping, as usual, and the longer days mean it’s just harder to get the Nuni to bed at a reasonable hour. Vacations are still fun, but they involve a rather massive organizational strategy on my part – packing lists for my family of four start being put together a month in advance.
Even with all the hassles, summertime still carries a bit of that childhood magic. There are still barbecues, and s’mores, and trips to the local library (on Saturday). Now that I have kids, I get to experience childhood summer vicariously through them – the Nuni has gone to Spanish camp and storytelling class and swim lessons and will go to camp at the end of the summer where she’ll build forts and make lanyards and sing songs about bathroom functions. I want her to have the same fond memories of childhood summers to get her through her adult ones, so I work hard to recreate that feeling of indulgence from childhood summers – even if it’s a few minutes of relaxation instead of hours. We plan special outings, and have a few more treats than usual – it is summer, after all.
Fruttare fruit bars – a new line of frozen treats which came to the US this spring, are a great addition to my summer indulgence. They come in two varieties – fruit with milk and fruit with juice – and each variety comes in four different flavors. As part of this program, I tasted the banana with milk, the peach with milk, and the mango flavor with juice. All of them were creamy and full of fruit flavor, and seemed much more indulgent than the 60 calories (for the mango flavor) or the 120 calories (for the milk varieties) would suggest. Because they’re made with real fruit and juice and milk, they’re a great special treat on a hot afternoon or a warm evening to share with the kids (or for the kids to share with each other).
When I sit with my daughter on the deck, sharing a fruit bar and talking about what happened at camp this week, summer hassles seem to fade away. I’m a kid again too, and summer is just a little bit … magic.
If you’d like to try Fruttare, I have a coupons for a free box to give away to up to six readers. Follow the instructions below to enter:
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Yum! I’ve been wanting to try these!
The mango sounds so good as i sit and swelter at this bus stop…
Sounds delish!
I’m fascinated by the “and milk” flavors. Are they creamy?
Yes, they are creamy! Like a fruity pudding pop. The ones in the picture are the mango and the banana and milk.
I’m in! Ivy and I got a sample of one at Publix and we’d love a whole box.
Pick me! Pick me!
I’ve had the mango before and LOVED them — interested in the milk pops, I think my kiddo would love ’em.
These sound great – especially mango!
The mango looks really good! I’m also wondering about the “and milk” flavors.
These sound awesome! I’ll have to see if my grocery store carries them!
Yum! It’s such a hot evening, those pops look really satisfying. The peach with milk sounds especially good.
Those look delicious! I’m always looking for alternatives to freezer pops or ice cream bars for the kiddos in the summer.
Ooh, those look good!
I would love to try these! Actually I wonder if I could substitute one of these guys for breakfast every hot summer morning….
Wow– those look like a great summer treat.
We take advantage of the warm summer weather and the great network of trails in our area to go on family bike rides.