Saturday, May 31, 2014

My Favorite Things Saturdays 5/31

Every Saturday I like to wrap up my week with some of My Favorite Things. Please grab a button and join me!

    Posts you may have missed this week:

    http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/smores-popcorn-squares-recipe.html

    http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/15-free-summer-kids-activities.html


    http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/bucket-list-for-summer.html


    My favorites from around the web:
    http://coconutxoxo.blogspot.com/2013/06/repurpose-kids-tent-into-sandbox.html
    http://melaniemitro.blogspot.com/2014/04/21-day-fix-pork-carnitas-recipe.html
    https://chachingonashoestring.com/2014/05/14/best-road-trip-games-for-kids/
    Repurpose A Kids Tent Into A Sandbox
    21 Day Fix Clean Eating Pork Carnitas Recipe
    9 Awesome Road Trip Games and Activities for Kids!



    Featured from last weeks LinkUp:
    If you are featured, don't forget to grab a button from the bottom of this post!





    This week's LinkUp:
    • Please follow the co-hosts
    • Add your post below (Anything you like: Craft, contest, family adventure, recipe, etc.) 
    • Please ONLY share NEW posts or seasonally appropriate posts (Goes with current season or holiday).
    • I pin all links on Pinterest, so try to use a Pinterest friendly photo. ;)
    • Don't forget to sign up for your weekly reminder e-mail Here!
    • Grab a button
    • Check out a few others posts.
    • Come back next week to see who was featured!




    Thursday, May 29, 2014

    Yummy S’Mores Popcorn Squares

    The following is a guest post from Elizabeth L. at Orville Redenbacher’s



    I can remember a trip when I was young and my friends and I all sat around a campfire and roasted marshmallows.  Even when the marshmallow got a little burnt, it would still taste pretty good!  We passed around graham crackers and pieces of chocolate once everyone had their marshmallows ready, and we made s’mores.  S’mores are one of those quintessential summer desserts, but, since you won’t always have a campfire at your disposal, these S’Mores Popcorn Squares allow you to enjoy the flavors of summer without having to head off on a camping trip!  These squares incorporate popcorn, graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate to make for a fun, nostalgic snack.

    Ingredients
    • 1 bag (2.7 oz each) Orville Redenbacher’s® Smart Pop!® Kettle Korn Microwave Popcorn
    • 12 graham cracker squares, broken into bite-size pieces (12 squares = about 3 oz)
    • 5 cups miniature marshmallows (5 cups = about 8 oz)
    • 1 cup milk chocolate morsels (1 cup = 6 oz)
    • PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

    Directions
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove all unpopped kernels. Place popped corn, graham crackers and marshmallows in large bowl; set aside.
    2. Melt chocolate morsels in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Pour over popcorn mixture. Mix thoroughly with spoon sprayed with cooking spray. Transfer to 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
    3. Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven. Press down firmly on popcorn mixture with back of large spoon sprayed with cooking spray, re-spraying spoon as necessary. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until completely cooled. Cut into 18 squares to serve. Store in tightly sealed container up to 3 days.
    This is a guest post by Elizabeth L. on behalf of Orville Redenbacher’s. Visit http://www.orville.com to find more delicious popcorn recipes.


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    Wednesday, May 28, 2014

    15+ Free or Almost Free Summer Activities for Kids




    1. Summer Movies
    Lots of movie theaters offer $1 or even free movies in the mornings during the summer.  Every Theater is different, so you will need to just search you local theater for more information. When we go I take a couple of quite toys for Little Lady because she's still too young to sit through a full length movie. The nice thing about going to these showings is almost every other mother there has a toddler, so it's not a big deal if someone has to make a potty trip in the middle of the movie or is more interested in dancing to the music than sitting still. One of the national chains, Regal, has a lots of options this summer. Or check out Fandango for more option. You can usually spot the free movies by their early showing times and they are usually movies that are on DVD by now.

    2. Playground
    What kid dosen't like to play on a playground? You can go to a local park, school, church, or even McDonald's. Sunscreen and bug-spray will be about your only expense.

    3. Picnic at Park
    Pack a picnic before you go to the park/playground and you can have a whole day of fun. You can make it as simple as PB&J sandwiches or grill out. Some parks have grills already there you'll just need to bring the charcoal and food.

    4. Bowling
    Bubee played his first game of bowling when he was 3. They had a special rack for him to push his bowlingball down. While you may not want to bowl every single day this summer, kidsbowlfree.com dose offer you that option with one free game per child per day. AMF offers 3 free kid's games every day and you can purchase a summer pass for up to 4 adults to bowl all summer.

    5. Local Library Activities
    Most Public Libraries have fun story times, craft projects and other community activities. 

    6. Go to a National Park
    Did you know that August 25th is National Park Service Birthday and you can go for free? If you don't want to wait till then, you can still visit the 268 National Parks that are free every day of the year!

    7. Geocaching
    Geocaching became pretty popular a few years back. My brother and I have actually placed a couple of Geoches  around our local area. It's a lot of fun. If you don't know what Geocaching is, per the official website: Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. There's nothing like the rush of finding a hidden treasure!

    8. Take a Workshop
    Lots of retail stores offer free classes and camps. When you're at checkout keep an eye open for flyers or as the sales associate. Some of the larger retailers are:
    • Lowes - Build and Grow clinics are lots of fun! Each child gets to build a wooden project and gets a free apron, goggles. patch and more!
    • Home Depot - The first Saturday of each month Home Depot offers a FREE hands-on workshops; designed for children ages 5 - 12. All kid get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin.
    • Ace Hardware - A lot of the Ace Hardware stores offer a monthly kid's club similar to other hardware stores. You will need to contact your local store directly as each one varies.
    • Bass Pro Shop - offers Family Workshops all summer.
    • Pottery Barn Kids - Curious George, Spider-Man and Captain America are all scheduled to make appearances this summer. There's also a weekly story time to enjoy. Check out your local store's events.
    • Apple Store -At Apple Camp, kids ages 8-12 learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. This free workshop, held at the Apple Store, spans three days and ends with campers debuting their masterpieces at the Apple Camp Film Festival.
    • Microsoft Store - Registration is open for free weekly in-store camps. Camps are broken up into two age groups for Jr. Designers (recommended for ages 8-10) and Designers (recommended for ages 11-13), so choose the camp that fits your student’s interest and sign up today.
    • Michael's Craft Store - Let your kids explore their creativity while you shop! Just $2 per child ages 3 and up. All supplies included.
    9. Try a New Restaurant
    By the third day of summer my kids are kind of tiered of simple lunches (PB&J anyone?). I just don't have the funds to eat out very often. However with kidsmealdeals.com and mykidseatfree.com I can take the kiddos out for just the cost of my meal!

    10. Volunteer
    Not to get on a soap box, but some kids these days need to be reminded the world dose not revolve around them. My kids included!  That being said, volunteering is a great way for families to spend time together, give back to the community, and grow together! It can also be surprisingly fun. The kids like animals? Try volunteering at an animal shelter. VolunteerMatch.org can fit your family with the perfect place to volunteer.

    11. Go to a Museum
    Bank of America offers free admission to over 150 museums.  Also if you just Google "Free Museums" there are a lot of links to local museums (Chicago, LA, and NYC have a lot) that offer free days.

    12. Have a Book Adventure
    Bookadventure.com  is an amazing program. Book Adventure is a fun, free way to motivate your child to read! Kids in grades K-8 can search for books, read them offline, come back to quiz on what they’ve read, and earn prizes for their reading success.

    13. Earn a Free Book
    With Barns and Nobles Summer Reading Program kids can  earn a free book just by reading any 8 books.

    14. Vacation Bible School
    Most churches offer VBS every summer. A week long program where kids can enjoy crafts, Bible stories, songs, and make new friends. Check with your local church. 

    15. Go to the Mall
    Yes, this can be a free activity too. If you have young ones, put them in a stroller and enjoy an air conditioned walk with fun scenery. Some malls have indoor playgrounds or even monthly kid's events.  Simon Malls offer Kidgits Club.

    16. Swim
    What summer would be complete without swimming? Depending on where you live there are all sorts of option. We personally spend $15 each year on a pass from Recreation.gov that gives us access to lots of day use areas at our local lake. If you're lucky enough to live near the coast then I'm sure you spend plenty of time at the beach. If you're more inland and not near a lake, then check with your local goverment for public pools or even check with your friends to see who has a pool membership. So whether it's Ocean, Lake, or Pool, swimming is always a fun way to spend the summer.

    What fun activities will you be doing with your kids this summer?


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    Featured on:
    Fabulously Frugal Thursday Linky Party #73

    Tuesday, May 27, 2014

    Printable Summer Bucket List

    Here is this year's Summer Bucket List in a printable form. If you are printing it off for personal use, you are more than welcome to crop the watermark off the bottom. If you wish to share the file, I ask that you leave the watermark on. Enjoy!!




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    Sunday, May 25, 2014

    Summer Bucket List 2014


    Wow! Spring really flew by this year. Little Lady finished up her first year of Pre-K. Bubee graduated Kindergarten (Now I have to decided whether he's going to public school or home next year). I have to admit I am SO GLAD summer is here!!! We completed over half of our spring bucket list this year, so there's not too many transfers. But I am so happy to have this years Summer Bucket List ready!!

    • Make Chocolate Bowls
    • Go White Water Rafting
    • Canning
    • Go to the Zoo
    • Make a Fairy Garden
    • Go to the Farmer's Market
    • Eat Dirt (Pudding)
    • Watch Fireworks
    • Make our own Sidewalk Chalk
    • Go to a Baseball Game
    • Mail Pen-pals
    • Make an "I'm Bored" Box
    • Play with Bubbles
    • Swim
    • Make Homemade Ice Cream
    • Celebrate Birthdays
    • Read Some Books
    • Water Fight
    • Enjoy a Dollar Movie
    • Catch Fireflys
    • Go to Stone Mountain
    • Build a Sandcastle
    • Bar-B-Q
    • Have a Media Free Day
    • Try a Gourmet S'more
    • Make a Kiddie Car Wash
    • Go Back to School 

    We have 4 birthdays, 3 weddings, and our 12th anniversary to celebrate this summer, so I'm not too sure how much will get checked off our list, but I'm ready for lots of Fun in the Sun! What's on your summer bucket list?

    Saturday, May 24, 2014

    My Favorite Things Saturdays 5/24

    Every Saturday I like to wrap up my week with some of My Favorite Things. Please grab a button and join me! This week:

      Posts you may have missed this week:

      http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/two-ingredient-sugar-scrub-mary-kay-satin-hands-copycat-recipe.html

      http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/homemade-hand-print-garden-gift-for-mom.html

      http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/simple-teacher-appreciation-gift.html

      http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/another-successful-camping-trip.html

      http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/05/ideas-for-memorial-day.html


      My favorites from around the web:
      http://thedesignfiles.net/2012/11/interview-chelsea-bagan-of-trophy-wife-nail-art/
      http://thriftyniftymommy.com/2014/05/homemade-pizza-recipe-easy-delicious-youll-make-every-week.html
      http://sunlitspaces.com/2013/02/27/best-jewelry-storage-ideas-ever/
      Watermelon Nails DIY
      Homemade Pizza Recipe
      9 DIY Jewelry Storage Ideas



      Featured from last weeks LinkUp:
      If you are featured, don't forget to grab a button from the bottom of this post!





       


      This week's LinkUp:
      • Please follow the co-hosts
      • Add your post below (Anything you like: Craft, contest, family adventure, recipe, etc.) 
      • Please ONLY share NEW posts or seasonally appropriate posts (Goes with current season or holiday).
      • I pin all links on Pinterest, so try to use a Pinterest friendly photo. ;)
      • Don't forget to sign up for your weekly reminder e-mail Here!
      • Grab a button
      • Check out a few others posts.
      • Come back next week to see who was featured!




      Friday, May 23, 2014

      Easy 2 Ingredient Sugar Scrub


      This past Christmas I tried my hand at a sugar scrub for the first time. It was an amazing success! I like that the first recipe only had 3 simple ingredients, but while playing around with my Mary Kay Satin Hands, I got curious... I found this wonderful TWO ingredient recipe.

      Mix the two ingredients and transfer to jars. If you make a big batch, make sure to stir the bowl before you dip out each jar since the ingredients settle quickly.

       Not including the cost of your jars, an 8oz batch of this Copycat Recipe cost you about $2.
      It is perfect for gifts anytime of the year. And by using different scented dish soaps you can have almost any 'flavor' you want!


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      Thursday, May 22, 2014

      Handprint Garden Gift


      This past week was my wonderful MIL's birthday. We wanted to make a wonderful gift for her, so we made this Handprint Garden tote. It features Little Lady's feet, Rosey Posey and Bubee's hands, and Chris and my thumbprints.

      • Bag, apron or other media type.
      • Acrylic paint (Depending on your media you may need a different type of paint)
      • Fabric or other permanent markers
      • Sponge
      • Paper plate
      • Paint brushes

      1. Plan out your basic layout.
      2. Use the sponge to liberally apply paint to the bottom of your child's feet. "Stamp" the butterfly wings with the big toe on the outside of each wing (The left foot should be the right wing and the right foot should be the left wing).

      3. Put a little paint in the palm of your child's hand and use the sponge to spread around. Cover the hand liberally.

      4. "Stamp" a flower with your child's hand. Use different colors to make a colorful garden.

      5. Using yellow paint, add a thumbprint for each bee.

      6. Use a paint brush to add stems, leaves, and grass.

      7. Use the permanent markers to add details: Butterfly body and antenna; Bee stripes, wings, eye, and flight path; Dates or names.


      This project is great for Grandparent's day, Mother's Day, Teacher appreciation, birthdays or Christmas. It can also be done on a bag, apron, tee-shirt, canvas, or other medias. The possibilities are almost endless!


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      The above post(s) may contain affiliated links, product placements, etc. This is how I can afford to buy the supplies to bring you new activites. Thanks for your support!
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