Lemon Shake-Up

Who’s loving summer?  Yeah, me too!

Who thinks it’s been ridiculously hot.  Yeah, me too.

Who is always on the lookout for a refreshing drink that’s easy to make?  Yeah, me too.

Today I want to share with you one of Nate and I’s summer favorites.  The Lemon Shake-Up.

I had not experienced the wonders of the Lemon Shake-Up until I met Nate.  That husband of mine is good for so many things.

Is your mouth watering now and you’re wondering how to make this delicious concoction? Well, you’re in luck.  I will share our super secret recipe with you. Don’t let the simple ingredients fool you. So good.  And very low calorie!

Here’s what you’ll need…

Lemon Shake-Up Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1/4 cup Splenda or sugar
• 14 oz water
• 1/2 lemon
• ice

The secret ingredient is the water. Bahaha.

1. Squeeze lemon juice into a container with a lid.  (You will be shaking it later.)  Use a utensil to muddle the lemon in the bottom of the container. Muddle is a fancy word for mush.  Nate taught me that.  It’s important to get all of that juicy goodness out.

2. Add water and ice.

3. Add Splenda (or sugar)

4. Shake!!  Make sure your lid is on tight!  Singing that “Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture” song is optional.

5.  Check with the dog to make sure it’s ready.

6. Enjoy!

What’s your go-to summer drink?  Who’s sweating to death? Who else thinks muddle is a funny word?

Double Shower Curtain

If you’ve been reading awhile, you know that I’ve struggled finding the right shower curtain for our guest bathroom.  The room is long and narrow with high ceilings.  There is also a shortage of cute shower curtains in the world.

I think I solved my design dilemma. I went with a double shower curtain and I like it.  If you don’t, please keep your opinions to yourself or I will virtually slap you.

Wait, let’s start over.  Good morning/afternoon/evening.  Welcome to Décor and the Dog!  I just updated my guest bathroom!

(Also don’t tell me to rip up my cheap linoleum floor (previous comment).  It’s tile.  It was installed 3 years ago.  It photographs more tan than it appears in person.  It wouldn’t be my first choice today but life goes on.)

Wait, what.  Again…good morning/afternoon/evening…

The rug is the Olin runner from Crate and Barrel. The shower curtains are actually just plain ol’ curtains.  They are the Target Home Farrah Fretwork Window Panels in black.  The curtain rod is the Zenith Double Tension Shower Rod from Bed Bath and Beyond. 

The curtain rod was not easy to install.  You were supposed to be able to twist and install.  We’re still unsure how you twist with two rods.  The rods kept moving and lacked tension.  Luckily the curtain rod had the option to screw it into the wall.  And that’s what Nate did…while I Instagrammed (a verb) him.

When I originally saw the double shower curtain idea on Pinterest, I was confused as to how you showered without getting water all over the floor.  There’s a gap in your shower curtain.

Where does the liner go?   A double rod!  That’s genius!  Sometimes it’s hard having a doctorate…

Ike thinks the double shower curtain is for easy dog access.

Guess he’s right!

This room is by no means done.  We need to figure something out with that giant mirror.  Overall I’m happy with the decisions we made when building our house.  I’m not so happy with our builder grade mirror decision.  I’d love to rip it down but that’s not exactly an inexpensive/easy fix.  We’ll see.  I think we have some plans for some moldings in here as well.  Maybe new light fixtures?  And of course art…and some color!  But we’re making progress!

Was anyone else previously confused by the double shower curtain? Who feels virtually threatened by this post?  Who thinks I have a problem with black and white bathrooms?  Yeah, me too.  It’s a sickness.

Michelob ULTRA Light Cider Review

Can you believe it’s already the end of June? Yeah, me neither.

The husband and I have decided that we need to start enjoying this summer before it slips away from us. Part of our problem is that we both have a bad habit of wishing away the work days. There are still a few good hours after 5:00 PM that we need to take advantage of.

One easy way to enjoy those after 5:00 PM hours is cooking something on the grill with a cold beverage in hand.

We recently had the opportunity to try Michelob ULTRA light cider.



The husband is a beer dude but I’m picky when it comes to alcoholic beverages. They must taste yummy. Unfortunately tasting yummy usually means loaded with calories. No bueno. The Michelob ULTRA light cider has only 120 calories which is one-third fewer calories than traditional ciders. This drink is naturally sweetened and made from hand-picked apples. Fancy. It tasted like a green apple hard candy. It had a crisp, light, and refreshing taste. And can you believe that it’s gluten free? There are a few good things left in life for you gluten free readers.



I like my drinks very cold. I’m not as bad as my mother who puts ice in her white wine but I’m getting close. Michelob ULTRA cider can be enjoyed from the bottle or over a glass of ice.



I usually think of ciders as being a fall drink but the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is quite refreshing on a hot summer evening. It’s a great substitute for white wine, champagne or heavier ciders.
We are looking forward to many more nights of grilling and ice cold beverages ahead.

Want to know more about Michelob ULTRA Light Cider? Visit the sponsor's site.

Also be sure to check out the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on Blogher.com!

Which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Light Cider? We think Chicken Hobo or Parmesan Crusted Steak followed by some Bocce seems about right!