Archive for the ‘Crafts & Celebrations’ Category

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling

Monday, August 27th, 2012

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Looking for an easy steak marinade for your next cookout? These steaks can marinate in a freezer bag while you prepare your side dishes. This recipe elevates any cut of steak so no need to spend money on a filet mignon.

Adding flavor and tenderness to an inexpensive steak is so easy to do with a simple steak marinade.

If I am spending a lot of money on a more expensive cut, like a gorgeous filet mignon, I skip the marinating and allow this cut of meat shine.

The truth is, we don’t often purchase filets though. We, instead, rely heavily on the old, “who has steak on sale this week?” method for selection instead.

One technique that I’ve mastered over the years is thinly cutting my beef to disguise any toughness in texture.

It is why you often see inexpensive cuts, like skirt or flank steak, cut very thin strips for tacos.

Which steak is best for this recipe?

I happened to hit a great sale on NY strip steaks, but normally I would use this recipe on tougher cuts of beef that would benefit from being tenderized.

This recipe is great for cuts of beef like chuck steaks, hanger, skirt, or flank.

Consider any tougher cuts of beef that you might prepare in your slow cooker too.

New York Strip Steaks from Grocery Store

marinated steaks on open grill

Should you marinate a New York strip steak?

I did marinate my New York strip steaks, but this is definitely not necessary! This cut of meat is tender and flavorful without a lot of intervention.

What is the best way to cook New York strip steaks then?

Fancy cuts of meat don’t require a lot.

Since New York strip steaks are so tender, they don’t require anything beyond a pat of butter.

steaks on the grill with vegetables

What cooking method is best for each cut of beef?

I recommend taking a peek at this article on 4 expensive cuts of beef that are big on flavor. This guide should help explain which cooking method is best and help you understand the difference in flavor profiles between different cuts of meat.

For example, how ribeye and New York strip steak differ?

That, and all your burning questions about the difference between filet mignon and top sirloin are worth reading so you can adapt your cooking techniques based around steak sales.

I really think this is an incredible guide for beginner and experienced cooks.

If you use this method to make a medium rare New York strip steak, you will want to cook it to 140 degrees and then allow it to rest before cutting.

Speaking of New York strip steaks, I can’t wait to try this frozen New York strip steak technique in my kitchen soon.

Cooked Filet in Cast Iron Skillet

I don’t want to grill. How do I cook a steak like a restaurant does?

Tired of paying premium prices at your local steakhouse?

One of the best time investments I have made has been learning to make our steak dinners at home.

The trick is starting the steak on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven.

The best part is that everything can be done in ONE cast iron skillet.

Did someone say LESS DISHES?

Count me in!

Once you master this cast iron skillet method, you can enjoy a weekly steak without the guilt.

I can’t recommend my pan seared oven roasted steak recipe enough.

This is my recommendation for that restaurant experience in your own kitchen.

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling finished

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What can I marinade my beef in that isn’t made of plastic?

Consider purchasing one of these reusable glass dishes for your marinades.

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling

Today I wanted to share with you a recipe I tried for a steak marinade.

I am no stranger to marinated steak and the beauty of creating a great steak meal at home. In the past, I have relied on a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil marinade.

I was looking for a fresh marinade recipe and stumbled upon this one.

Honestly, I have never tried a better steak marinade recipe than this one and it is made from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

For the best results, you will want to marinate your steaks for 24 hours.

Simply add steaks to a gallon size bag (I double bag these or use a freezer bag instead) and then add marinade ingredients to the bag. Seal the bag, removing the excess air, and store it in the fridge until it is time to grill.

Now that I have tried this recipe, it is highly likely I will never make my steak any other way again. You won’t believe the flavors in this and none of them overpower the delicious taste of the meat itself.

 

Best Steak Marinade in Existence  
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 6
A flavorful steak marinade that will enhance the flavor of any cut of meat you might find on sale at your local supermarket.
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons dried basil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
  1. Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk well.
  2. Pour marinade over desired type of meat.
  3. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Grill meat as desired.

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Looking for great grilling side recipes? Check out these easy side ideas!

corn on the cob on the grill recipe corn on the cob on the grill

Grilled brussels sprouts grilled brussel sprouts

three cheese grilled potatoes

quinoa salad in a jar quinoa salads in a jar (with spinach & tomatoes)

Happy grilling!

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Back to School ’12

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

It’s back to school day today. We have crammed in a whole summer full of fun.  I am going to miss these two little ones!  I hope! everyone is having a great start to their school year and wanted to share with you a few pictures today!

I was a smart mom this year and we did all of our pictures the day before school so we could really focus on getting ready for our day without any interruptions. It also gave us a good practice run in our uniforms before the big day.

xo,
Amy

How to Make Car S’mores

Friday, August 10th, 2012

Did you know that today is National S’mores Day? Who knew? I thought it would be fun to share with you a fun activity we did this summer that my kids absolutely flipped for. Have you ever ate a car s’more? No? Well, in my opinion, you haven’t lived until you have tried this fun food activity together. I guarantee that your kids will flip for this and I am betting that years from now my kids will be talking about that one time when their crazy mom let them make s’mores in the car.

Today Emily is demonstrating for us one of two ways that you can make your car s’mores. We have tried two different versions and both of them turn out wonderfully. With this version, kids can help assemble foil packets to be placed on a cookie sheet. Simply assemble your s’more ingredients (whatever your favorite ingredients might be)  on a small piece of foil. Once your s’more is full assembled, wrap it up in the foil tightly, and place it on a cookie sheet.

For a simpler version, you can simply line a cookie sheet with foil and plop your s’mores right on them (as demonstrated below).

A really hot summer day, like this one, is the perfect place to cook your s’mores. Slide your cookie sheet onto the dash of your car and shut your car. Set your kitchen timer for 15-20 minutes. I highly recommend sipping some lemonade and enjoying the AC while they are cooking.

Retrieve your cookie sheet and show your kids their perfectly cooked s’mores.

Marvel in the fact that you completely blew their minds with your awesomeness. Remember, these are the stories they will tell their kids someday.

Happy S’mores Day, friends!

I am a part of the Walmart Moms program, and Walmart has provided me with compensation for these posts. My participation is voluntary and opinions are always my own.

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Fun Ways to Celebrate the Olympics

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Are you as excited as I am for the Olympic games to start?

In our family, the Olympics is something to watch and celebrate together through fun crafts and activities.

It is an opportunity to learn about other countries, to admire amazing athletes, and a time of celebration for our country.

The Olympic games are fast approaching and I am so excited to share a few fun ideas for craft and activities you can do to celebrate this exciting time.

Today I wanted to share with you seven fun activities you can try together as a family to make the Olympics extra special for your kids.

 

 

 

Olympic Medal Cookies

What could be sweeter than receiving an Olympic medal?

How about an Olympic Medal filled with a cookie?

AlphaMom offers this sweet little Olympic craft to do with your little ones.

Stumped for a cookie idea?

I highly recommend an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookie for your medal filling!

 

 

Olympic T-Shirts

With a simple painted ring pattern on an inexpensive thrift store shirt, this is a craft that is easy enough to do with kids of all ages.

Kate’s Creative Space offers this fun craft idea to her readers and we think it pairs perfectly with a great t-shirt your probably already own!

 

 

 

 

DIY Olympic Torch

What child doesn’t dream of carrying around their very own Olympic torch?

Hoosier Homemade showcases a fun craft that you can do to create your very own Olympic torch made from some commonly found items at your local craft store.

 

 

Olympics Party Fun

Why not throw a party for your family or for a group of families to celebrate the Olympics?

A Small Snippet has you covered with everything from patriotic foods to great Olympic game ideas to play together, to fun ideas for decorations that don’t cost a lot.

Before heading to your local superstore, check your favorite thrift store for creative games and prop ideas for your very own mini-Olympics.

 

 

Olympic Torches Made From Recyclables

If hitting your craft store for supplies to make an Olympic torch isn’t in your budget, this Olympic Torch from The Idea Room is made from common items you have in your home and recyclables.

These torches are made from a paper plate, a paper towel roll, and red & gold tissue paper.

This is one that even the smallest child can do.

Be sure to lift these high and participate in your own round of fun family Olympic games.

 

 

Olympic Rings Necklace

Even moms can jump in on the Olympic excitement with this cute craft, from Remarkably Domestic, for an Olympic Rings Necklace.

This necklace is made from simple rings covered in Chinese knotting cord to create those Olympic rings everyone loves so much.

This would be a fun craft to do while watching your favorite games this year!

 

 

Discus Throw Frisbee

Are your kids excited about the Discus Throw?

This craft from My Sister’s Suitcase is a fun one for kids of all ages.

Print a design for the front of your Frisbee and then have your child decorate it to their heart’s delight.

What are some ideas you have for celebrating the Olympic games with your family?

 

Don’t miss these other great ideas from MomAdvice.com:

 

 

S’more Toppings Bar Party

 

 

 

4th of July Block Party Tips

 

 

 

Minecraft Costume Ideas

 

 

 

No-Sew, No-Glue, No-Cut Burlap Wreath

 

 

 

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Ice Cream Sundae Bar Party

Monday, July 16th, 2012


This week you will find me over at the Snackpicks site sharing about a food that I am sure we are all passionate about…ice cream. Visit this article for tips and strategies for throwing your very own ice cream party. I am sharing everything from shortcuts to make the party process easier to creating your very own ice cream sundae topping bar.

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Art Gallery Birthday Party

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

A few months ago, my brother sent me a text with this picture. He was having his first art gallery showing in New Orleans and wanted us to get the chance to see what it looked like. I couldn’t wait to show Ethan because it has always been a dream of his to be an artist.

My son’s reaction to the picture was “I wish I could have an art gallery showing…”

It was with that one statement that the vision for his tenth birthday party was created. An Art Gallery Birthday Party was on our party agenda for this year and I started gathering ideas and materials to make this gallery showing special for him.

Today I wanted to show you how we pulled off his own Art Gallery Birthday party. This idea is the perfect party for a budding artist and gives them a chance to show off their work to a captive audience. It also happens to be a very inexpensive theme and gives your child a chance to be creative since they have the opportunity to help in the creating of the party itself.

Once our art gallery theme was decided, Ethan started gathering and working on pieces he would like to debut in his art gallery. I got inexpensive cotton twine and purchased mini clothespins to create the display for his art work. He worked on pieces for the gallery all summer long and then he selected the ones that he wanted to hang for the gallery showing.

I hung three balloons upside down over our kitchen table and placed a penny inside each one to help hold it down and steady over our table. I found that handy tip on Pinterest and it worked like a charm for creating a pretty display over our table.

Over our gallery display, I spray painted large paper mache letters to spell his name. I found them at JoAnn Fabric, on sale, for $1.99 each and then spray painted them in a coat of Krylon Metallic Matte Aluminum Colored Spray Paint (found at Walmart) to finish them.

I mounted the letters over our patio window with a little painter’s tape on the back to hold them into place. The same painter’s tape held our gallery display in place on each side of the window.

For the kitchen table, Ethan created a, “Welcome to a 100% Pure Epic Art Gallery,” sign and then we created these paint drip jars to add jars of flowers to our main table and the food table. The kids loved making these and they added a fun addition to our art theme.

Gallery showings always have fun appetizers and drinks so we wanted to create bite sized food to go along with his epic art theme. I served pulled pork sliders on little Hawaiian rolls, mac & cheese bites (recipe below), spinach balls, sides of potato chips in small coffee filters, and rounded out our menu with a little birthday punch, cheese ball, and a veggie tray.

I made all of the food the day before and had everything in my fridge ready to go for our party day. We had other engagements happening that day so that helped save a lot of time for me on the actual day.

No birthday party is complete without a great birthday cake. My friend, Nancy, made this cute birthday cake banner for us and I mounted it with two skewers I had in my grilling supplies. If you missed the recipe yesterday, this is a Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Almond Frosting. It was a delightful way to end an evening of delicious small bites.

Ethan told me that this was his best birthday party yet, which makes me so happy to hear! We loved giving him the chance to shine and show off his talent to his party guests.  This Art Gallery Party was a great way to kick off his big year of double digits!

Happy 10th Birthday, Ethan!

Mac & Cheese Bites
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 18
Ingredients
  • 12 oz. elbow macaroni noodles
  • 2 cups butter cracker crumbs (such as Ritz)
  • 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 (5.2 oz.) package Boursin garlic herb cheese
  • 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
  3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until just shy of al dente.
  4. Drain well.
  5. Meanwhile, lightly grease standard size muffin pans with cooking spray.
  6. In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, ½ cup of the shredded cheese, and melted butter and mix with a fork until combined.
  7. Spoon a bit of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin well and tamp down with the flat bottom of a glass or other.
  8. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to a large mixing bowl with the remaining shredded cheese, the boursin and cold butter.
  9. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs, milk, and sour cream and whisk to combine. Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the pasta.
  10. Stir in the salt and red pepper flakes and mix until evenly combined.
  11. Divide the macaroni mixture between the prepared muffin wells.
  12. Bake until light golden, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pans at least 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and serve warm.
  13. TO MAKE AHEAD: Follow the directions above, but do not bake the macaroni bites. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. Bake as instructed.


Recipe Source:  The Deen Bros. on Epicurious via Annie’s Eats.

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Chocolate Almond Cake With Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Monday, July 9th, 2012

It has become a birthday tradition in our family to let the birthday girl or boy select their own cake from my modest cookbook collection. When my son spied this Chocolate Almond Cake, he begged for me to make it for his special day. I will be honest and say that Chocolate Almond Cake would have been last on my list of culinary delights at the age of ten, so it surprised me a lot he would select it. Chocolate Almond Cake seemed a rather sophisticated birthday cake choice, but it made me happy to hear that this was the special cake that he wanted and proud of his smart little palate.

Chocolate and almond do make the perfect pairing and the flavors are laced not only through the entire richly moist cake, but it is also throughout the delicate chocolate cream cheese frosting that it is topped with. This cake was a huge hit at our party especially among the chocolate lovers in the group. The cake itself is rich, but the lighter chocolate frosting really pulls the cake together.

I decided to make two of these cakes so we had enough cake for all of our guests and ended up using three of the layers (shown here) for a fuller cake for our family. The last layer that I made was tucked into the freezer for my son & his friends who are coming this week for a birthday get together.

I prefer to make my cakes in a two day process and the best part about this cake is that the flavors seem to meld better if they are allowed a day to set.  I went ahead and wrapped the cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and then covered them in foil.  When the cake is frozen it is much easier to decorate and I have a lot less crumbs to have to work around.  That little tip came courtesy of a Michael’s cake decorating course I took and has served me well over the years of making and decorating special occasion cakes.

I am looking forward to sharing more about his birthday party in the upcoming weeks and hope these ideas will offer some party planning inspiration for your family!

Chocolate Almond Cake With Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: The Cake Mix Doctor
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 package (18.25 ounces) devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 package (8 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (for your frosting)
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9-inch cake round pans by generously greasing them with vegetable shortening and then dusting them with flour. Set your pans aside.
  2. Heat the chopped chocolate and water in a a saucepan over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Set the pan aside to cool for ten minutes.
  3. Place the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, almond extract, and melted chocolate mixture in a large mixing bowl. Blend your cake mixture until thoroughly combined.
  4. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
  5. Bake the cakes for 28-30 minutes.
  6. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for five minutes. Take cakes out of the pans and allow them to cool on the wire rack for thirty minutes.
  7. Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Blend well until combined.
  8. Add cocoa powder, almond extract, and confectioners’ sugar and blend until the frosting is fluffy.
  9. Frost your cake.
  10. Place the cake uncovered in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, approximately 20 minutes.
  11. Cover the cake with waxed paper and store in your refrigerator for up to one week.
  12. To freeze the cake, wrap it in aluminum foil, for up to six months.
  13. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.


Looking for other fun cake choices? Here are a few of our favorites!

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

Blueberry Muffin Cake

Barbie Cake

Classic Orange Chiffon Cake

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Warm Lemon Curd

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Shower Curtain Art Canvas

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

A rainy day yielded the perfect opportunity to break out one of my dollar store activities for our kids. I bought a shower liner ($1) and had the kids decorate the shower curtain with whatever their heart’s delight was. A package of army men ($1) and a package of lizards ($1) added a little three dimensional fun to their art work on the canvas.

I don’t know about you, but my children like to go through a million pieces of paper a day so this was the perfect canvas for their artistic souls. Since we were on a trip, it also was the perfect item to travel with and break out when the weather was bad.

Want to create your own canvas? Visit Filth Wizardry for their cute idea for creating cute & even roadways for kids using markers and a recycled bottle. It helped inspire our family’s art canvas for our family’s summer vacation and was one of the great ideas featured in our 100 Days of Summer list.

Gain some summer inspiration on our Pinterest 100 days of summer (’12) edition where you can get another amazing round-up of 100 ideas to inspire your summer bucket list. 

This list has everything from making homemade butterbeer drinks for those Harry Potter enthusiasts, to making homemade shrinky dinks, to getting back to the basics with great dinner discussions with great family conversation starters.

There is something for everyone on here- boys and girls of all ages and craft levels. The best part is that they are ALL budget-friendly and will cost you very little in supplies.

If you are on Instagram, you can join in on the fun by taking pictures and sharing all of your summer adventures through there. Let’s use the hashtag #100summerdays. My username is momadvice and I am happy to have you follow our adventures and follow along with yours!  

By tagging your photos, it will make it easy to find each other in the group and share the projects we are tackling together. You can add the tags to your caption or you can add them as a comment later. In either scenario, the tag will pull it into our summer group.

Happy summer to each of you!

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4th of July Block Party Tips

Monday, June 25th, 2012

4th of July is near, so this week I have  put together some tips and ideas for planning neighborhood block party.

When I was a child, each year I looked forward to the annual 4th of July block party.

I remember how exciting it was to be out way past my bedtime, eat loads of fun food and play flashlight tag through the neighborhood streets.

In a day and age where we often don’t even know our neighbors, 4th of July activities like block parties are a great way to create or renew friendships and strengthen your neighborhood’s community spirit.

Throwing a block party doesn’t need to be difficult or elaborate, but you will need a plan and ask some neighbors to help.

See below for my five key block party tips.

Invite the Neighborhood

If you have a neighborhood association or committee, you will have the makings of a great guest list.

If not, go door-to-door to request email addresses and names of the family members.

Go green by emailing invites (this will also save you the cost of stamps).

Ask for a small donation to cover the decorations, food and fun.

Publicize your event by putting up posters throughout the neighborhood and talking about it on your neighborhood’s social media pages if they have them.

Apply for a Permit

As soon as you’ve set the date, call your local police or municipal services department to notify them of your block party and see if you need a permit.

It’s best to make this call several weeks before your event.

You’ll also want to ask about roadblocks to keep the area safe.

Ask if your local police can deliver them the day before your block party to make setup easier.

 

 

Keep Decorations Festive & Simple

Decorate food tables with red, white and blue banners, hang tissue paper pom-poms on nearby trees, and fill glass vases or mason jars with red tissue paper and flags.

Make this cupcake pick wreath for your door and add some easy flag bunting!

 

Organize the Food

To keep the food easy and fair, have homes with odd house numbers bring a main dish and have homes with even house numbers bring side dishes or desserts.

Ask each family to bring their own folding tables, chairs, beverages and tableware.

 

 

 

Plan the Fun

Plan a few fun activities for the younger guests. A bike decorating contest is always a hit and fun for all ages.

Plus, you only have to provide the decorating materials.

Another great activity is a neighborhood scavenger hunt, which families could do together.

You could even offer a few prizes to those who complete the hunt.

4th of July Block Party Menu Suggestions

 

 

You will definitely want to make this easy and delicious red, white & blueberry trifle!

 

Look at these adorable Fourth of July Cut-Outs from Kellog!

 

Need a super easy no-cook contribution?

This fun flag fruit dessert tray is a perfect potluck dish!

 

 

Look at this yummy Patriotic Pesto Pasta Salad!

 

 

Want to use your grill for your 4th of July treats? It’s the perfect time of year for grilled corn!

 

I hope you have a wonderful 4th with your friends & family!

 

Don’t miss these other great ideas from MomAdvice.com:

 

Fruit-Infused Water Recipes

 

 

Mint Watermelon Berry Fruit Salad via MomAdvice.com

Watermelon Berry Mint Fruit Salad

 

 

Rose Strawberry Wine Pops

 

 

 

Roasted Corn Salsa

 

 

 

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Instagram Summer Inspiration: 100 days of summer, week 1

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

Happy summer to all of our friends on MomAdvice. Our summer officially started on Thursday and we couldn’t wait to get the party started. I met the kids down at the bus stop with silly glasses that I found at the Dollar Store to let them know that the only thing we had our summer agenda was FUN. They giggled all the way home at their mother’s silliness, but it was the perfect way to start our summer.

We kicked off our summer with my husband’s big 5K race. He had been training for months to get ready for it and we wanted to show our support for him and how hard he has worked. We worked hard on signs that we could hold up at the finish line for him. In his words, “I was the only one who had someone holding signs for them.” It was such a fun way to be a part of his big race day with him and the kids were so proud of their dad.

We did swim lessons on our last week of school which was either extremely genius or the worst idea ever since it was the craziest week of our school schedule. At the beginning of the week, Ethan was barely getting in the pool. At the end of the week…well, this happened. He was terrified of the deep end and we had been trying to get him to go off the diving board for years. I was shaking so hard when this moment happened, but he did it.  Then he did it again and again. I still can’t believe it!  It was a fantastic way to kick off the summer.

On the last day of school they happened to have a concert at our local park. We were so proud of both of our kids who both finished the year out with the highest honors and grades this year that we wanted to treat them to an evening of celebration.

We headed to Moe’s Southwest Grill, their favorite taco spot, and loaded our picnic basket with great food and a blanket to sit on. We enjoyed the outdoor concert together and it was such a fun way to finish out their year.

Of course, summer is never complete without our summer list! This was the first year that we let the kids do the whole thing on their own. We made some helpful activity suggestions, but let them take the lead this year.

I am just as excited as them to start tackling all of these fun activities with them.

Each of the kids have also gotten a doodle pad and composition book  to begin documenting their summer. I found these at the dollar store and they already have so much to write about. I loved adding this activity to our summer and can’t wait for them to get to show their teachers next year what a great summer they had!

If you are on Instagram, you can join in on the fun by taking pictures and sharing all of your summer adventures through there. Let’s use the hashtag #100summerdays. My username is momadvice and I am happy to have you follow our adventures and follow along with yours!  

By tagging your photos, it will make it easy to find each other in the group and share the projects we are tackling together. You can add the tags to your caption or you can add them as a comment later. In either scenario, the tag will pull it into our summer group.

Gain some summer inspiration on our Pinterest 100 days of summer (’12) edition where you can get another amazing round-up of 100 ideas to inspire your summer bucket list. 

This list has everything from making homemade butterbeer drinks for those Harry Potter enthusiasts, to making homemade shrinky dinks, to getting back to the basics with great dinner discussions with great family conversation starters.

There is something for everyone on here- boys and girls of all ages and craft levels. The best part is that they are ALL budget-friendly and will cost you very little in supplies.

Happy summer to each of you!

xo,
Amy

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