Lunchbox Fun for Back-To-School

August 12th, 2013

Back-to-school means it’s time to start thinking about packing your kids lunchbox. Every day. I don’t know about you, but it’s easy to get in a rut of sandwich-fruit-chip/pretzels, but with a little bit of planning and thinking – dare I say it? – outside the box, we can get out of the rut and create a bit of lunchbox fun!

Fun Lunchbox Ideas.MomAdvice.com

With that in mind, I’ve searched the Mom Advice archives for some of my kids favorite lunchbox foods, visited our lunchbox Pinterest Board (lots more ideas there, by the way!) for ideas, and then searched for even more creative and healthy ways to bring a little lunchbox fun to the school year!

16 Fun Ideas for Changing up the Lunchbox Routine

 

From Mom Advice:
Fruit Infused Water :: MomAdvice.com

Fruit-Infused Water {in place of juice boxes!}

Lunchbox Asian Noodles :: MomAdvice.com

Asian Lunchbox Noodles

Granola Bars on MomAdvice.com

Easy Homemade Granola Bars

Chocolate chip cookie bars from MomAdvice.com

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

More fun ideas from others {please be sure to pin from the original source – thanks!}:

Mini blt wraps

Mini BLT Wraps @ The Girl Who Ate Everything

ham & cheese pinwheels

Ham & Cheese Pinwheels @ Jamie Cooks It Up

Mac-n-cheese muffins

Mac & Cheese ‘Muffins’ @ The Daily Meal

Grilled cheese Lunchbox

Grilled Cheese & Vegetable Lunchbox @ Biting The Hand That Feeds You

Salads-in-a-Jar

Salads in a Jar @ Simple Bites

PB&J Dippers

Peanut Butter & Jelly Dippers @ Momables

30 days of lunches

30 Days of No-Repeat Lunches @ Peanut Blossom

pizza pockets

Homemade Pizza Pockets @ Another Lunch

Healthy Gummy Bears

Healthy Fruit Gummy Bears @ Undressed Skeleton

Soft Whole Grain PB Cookie

Soft & Chewy Whole Grain Peanut Butter Cookie @ An Oregon Cottage

And here’s a couple ideas that are sure to gain a smile:

Lunchbox jokes printables

180 Lunchbox Jokes Printable @ 320 Sycamore

Lunch sack printables

Lunch Sack Printable @ Kensie Kate

What are some ways you like to create lunchbox fun? And don’t forget to check out our Lunchbox Love Pinterest Board if you need even more ideas!

 

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Dorm Mini-Fridge Healthy Makeover

August 7th, 2013

Dorm Mini-Fridge Healthy Makeover

When I attended college, I lived on junk & convenience food and I had the inevitable, “Freshman 15,” to prove from my bad eating habits throughout the year. I only wish I knew how great I would have felt and how much better I would have performed if I had stocked my dorm fridge with healthy options.

Today I wanted to share with you some healthy ideas for stocking your dorm mini-fridge for the school year along with an easy no-bake energy bite that you can mix up in a bowl for easy snacks on-the-go when heading to your classes.

Dorm Mini-Fridge Healthy MakeoverHead on over to the Kenmore Blog today to read my ideas for smart back-to-school snacking and grab  my easy no-bake recipe for smart snacking on-the-go!

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Amy’s Notebook 08.07.13

August 7th, 2013

beach-ball-garland-party

Source: Skip To My Lou

 

Wouldn’t it be fun to make these little paper beach balls to turn into a cute garland and placecards and then use them for an end of summer beach-themed party? Very kid-friendly, too.

I’m loving this small home that uses thrifted and unique items to make it one-of-a-kind. Especially the slightly modern vibe – check out the fuzzy pillows!

I think these adorable folded-flower pen toppers would make an awesome welcome back to school teacher gift – but I’d make sure to keep one for myself, too!

Grilled Bloody Mary Salsa, anyone? Um, YES.

white chocolate brownie

Source: Bake or Break

 

Oh, my – these White Chocolate Brownies are making me drool – I just had to include the picture, don’t you agree?

amys_notebook

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

 

Book Review: The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan

August 6th, 2013

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan

The Engagements was a book that I picked up, looking for a quick chick lit escape this summer. What happened instead, was a book that has stuck with me since I put it down and surprised me with its depth and beauty. It was the kind of book that I couldn’t wait for someone else to read and the one that I drove my husband crazy sharing about in the evenings because of the smartly woven plot twists.

Each chapter alternates stories with each story deeply rooted in the engagement ring from the inception of the idea of selling the idea of an engagement ring to women to what this ring signifies to each character in the book.

The stories unfold beginning with Frances Gerety, an advertising copyright who works on the De Beers account and who is the creator of  the, “A Diamond is Forever,” campaign that De Beers is still known for today. She is the one who changes what the diamond ring means to women and, yet, receives very little recognition for her efforts in her career. Fans of Mad Men, in particular, will fall in love with Frances and her struggles to get to the top of her ad agency, much like the beloved Peggy Olson in our favorite television series.

All of the other chapters weave in stories from different decades of what the diamond ring means to the other characters in the book. Evelyn has been married to her husband for 40 years, ever since her husband slipped off her first wedding ring and put his own in its place. Delphine  has seen both the beauty and the awfulness in relationships and finds herself in a love triangle she never expected.  James is a paramedic whose constant struggle to prove to his family and wife that he is good enough when he  feels in his heart he is not,  and the story of Kate who has been with her partner for a decade, but refuses to be married because of her feminist beliefs.

The novel spans nearly a hundred years with these stories and, perhaps, the most surprising thing for me was how utterly enchanted I was with every single story and character. I am guilty of favoring certain characters more than others, yet with this book, every story and every chapter was so great that I enjoyed all of them equally.

Don’t let the slow start on this book discourage you- I promise that it will be worth it to see this one through to the end! This is my favorite book by J. Courtney Sullivan yet and I have a feeling it will be for you too!

MomAdvice Rating- 4 Stars out of 5 Stars

The Engagements

If you are looking for a little reading inspiration, be sure to check our MomAdvice fan page for a weekly check-in on what everyone is reading each week on our Facebook Fan Page. I hope you will swing by on Fridays and share about the books you are working on or request recommendations with one another!

You can also follow me on GoodReads & Instagram for more reading inspiration! Don’t forget to check out our list of 20 Great Beach Reads and our Books section for your summer reading!

Disclosure: The link provided is an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate the books quickly and easily. Feel free to order a book, but we encourage utilizing the library system and buying me a latte instead.  Then we both would be really happy and we could have our own little book club together! Wouldn’t that just be so much more lovely? Happy Reading!

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Homemade Blueberry Pancake Syrup

August 6th, 2013

Homemade Blueberry Pancake Syrup from MomAdvice.com.With blueberry season in full swing, I am always looking for fun ways to use my blueberries. This blueberry pancake syrup couldn’t be easier to whip up or to eat and is a fun way to put those blueberries to work in your kitchen.

It is amazing how sugar, water, a little vanilla, and fresh berries make such an incredible difference on a plain old waffle, but this blueberry pancake syrup proves that simple ingredients can create something outstanding.

The burst of flavor, the happy dance in my mouth, and the smacking of lips at the table make me so incredibly joyful when we eat this syrup over our waffles. The berries coat the waffle perfectly and add a little sweetness to my waffles without a sugary overkill.

This is really and truly a fantastic indulgence that takes about the same amount of time to cook as it does to make up a batch of waffles. Fast and delicious!

blueberry_picking Each year we make an annual trip out to the Blueberry Ranch to pick our berries. This year was extra special because my best friend of 25 years came in town to pick with us. I am the luckiest girl in the world to still have her in my life. It was such a special day doing that with our kids!

8_Recipes_For_Blueberry_Season_1

If you have been picking like me, you might be hunting for some ideas for what to do with those berries! Be sure to check out this post for 8 easy recipe for the blueberry season, including a new way to freeze those berries!

blueberry_pancake_syrup_1

Homemade Blueberry Pancake Syrup
Recipe Type: Condiment
Author: Amy Allen Clark
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
An easy blueberry pancake syrup for topping your favorite pancakes or waffles!
Ingredients
  • 1 pint (or two cups) fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup water
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan.
  2. Cook over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
  3. Allow it to cook for 12-15 minutes and give the berries a little smash with your wooden spoon to break them up into the syrup.
  4. This syrup can be served warm or you can serve the syrup cooled.
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Apron Full of Giveaways 08.06.13

August 6th, 2013

octopus apron

Source: Garson Jasper,  $42.00

 

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we are not giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Good luck to each of you!

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Amy’s Notebook 07.31.13

July 31st, 2013

Vintage Door Outdoor Bar

Source: Infarrantly Creative

 

How amazing and cool would this beverage station made out of an old door look at your next outdoor get-together?

I absolutely LOVE this idea and list of 33 ways to ‘craft it forward! My favorite on the list? So many, but #27 is a great one.

It’s fresh basil season and I’m happy to find this list of 10 delicious ways to use a bunch of basil – yum!

This modern house tour is beautiful and inspiring – I’m loving the orange buffet!

Chocolate dipped frozen bananas sound just perfect right about now – especially with a sprinkling of chopped pistachio nuts.

As does this southwestern grilled sweet potato salad – doesn’t it seem like a wonderful change from regular potato salad?

 

amys_notebook

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

 

Book Review: Forever Interrupted

July 30th, 2013

Forever_Interrupted In the summer I am always looking for a good reading escape and I have found that with, “Forever Interrupted,” by Taylor Jenkins. It is a love story that has been forever interrupted when Elsie Porter meets her soul mate, gets married, and finds herself being widowed… all in six short months?

What complicates the story further though is that Elsie’s husband has never told his family about her and his mother is less-than-happy to find out that Ben had a wife that he had never told her about.

It would be an awfully short story though if it ended there and Reid beautifully weaves together the amazing love story of Elsie & Ben from the very beginning while flashing forward as Elsie struggles to move on and finds comfort in one of the most unlikely of people.

I would recommend this one for fans of Emily Giffin, our readers that loved, “Arranged,” as much as I did,  and for those who appreciated the love story of, “One Day.” I found myself both laughing, crying, and sometimes laughing and crying all at the same time.

I bet you read this one in just a couple of short days- it is a hard one to ever put down! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

MomAdvice Rating- 5 Stars out of 5 Stars

Forever_Interrupted_2

If you are looking for a little reading inspiration, be sure to check our MomAdvice fan page for a weekly check-in on what everyone is reading each week on our Facebook Fan Page. I hope you will swing by on Fridays and share about the books you are working on or request recommendations with one another!

You can also follow me on GoodReads & Instagram for more reading inspiration!

Disclosure: The link provided is an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate the books quickly and easily. Feel free to order a book, but we encourage utilizing the library system and buying me a latte instead.  Then we both would be really happy and we could have our own little book club together! Wouldn’t that just be so much more lovely? Happy Reading!

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Apron Full of Giveaways 07.30.13

July 30th, 2013

red_poppies_apron

Source: Dot and Ann,  $32.00

 

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we are not giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Good luck to each of you!

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Crafting With Vinyl: The Best in Record Crafts

July 29th, 2013

Crafting_With_Vinyl_Records

I am so excited to share with you these fun ideas to try when crafting with vinyl records.

Today is all about the best in record crafts and things you can do with old or scratched records.

Did you know records are a mere quarter at our local Goodwill? Record crafts are a fun and frugal craft hobby to try!

 

Crafting With Vinyl: The Best in Record Crafts from MomAdvice.com. Crafting With Vinyl: The Best in Record Crafts from MomAdvice.com.

This winter to celebrate my birthday and the launch of my book, my amazing friends all pitched in for a record player and my first stack of vinyl for my birthday.

Since then, it has been my little weekly hobby while the kids are in school to head to the stacks of records at my store and spend an hour flipping through records to bring home to listen to over our evening meal.

At a mere quarter, it is easy to get a little carried away with my record collecting, but it has proven to be the perfect thrifty hobby for me.

There is nothing more fun than settling in with some of my favorite albums from my youth and hearing them on record, just like when I was a kid.

Records that are scratched can still get a great deal of love in your home and today I wanted to showcase some fun record craft ideas you could create for your home with these budget-friendly wonders!

 

 

Make a Wall Decal

Did you know that you can create, cut, and mold shapes with records to make a wall decal?
Me either, but I am so excited to try this amazing idea for decorating a wall as demonstrated in this easy DIY butterfly craft from Threadsence.
I am already imagining all the possibilities with this craft and think it would be a fun way to dress up a craft room wall or a fun addition to a teen/tween bedroom.

Decorate a Corner With Records

Records come in different sizes and I often see the smaller 7″ records available for purchase at our store.
Don’t overlook the overabundance of these tiny little powerhouses of music because they make the perfect size for tackling smaller crafts.
These tiny records are the perfect size for creating a cute hanging fixture to decorate a room.
I can picture this as a fun mobile in a trendy nursery or as a fun addition to a family game room.(Source Unknown)

Create a Side Table

If there is one thing I love, it is easy crafts and you can’t get any easier than grabbing your hot glue gun and attaching a record to a plant stand for a side table.
This little table would be adorable in any room or the perfect gift for the music lover in your life.
Scratched records make the perfect little resting place for your morning coffee and breathe new life into a tired piece of vinyl.

Craft a Cake Stand

I am all about turning anything that I can find from Goodwill into a cake stand. Remember these adorable board game cake stands I created for a party?
You can attach an inverted candlestick holder or martini glass for an easy stand for these.
These would be adorable at themed parties you are hosting or just a fun way to serve up retro food for an evening with friends.
Check out cake for the full scoop on this fun addition to a party.

Make a Clock

Wall clocks can be expensive, but a necessary addition to many rooms in your home.
That is why I love this easy DIY Vinyl Record Clock idea featured on Apartment Therapy.
Simply choose a record with a label that compliments the color of the room and use a few clock hardware pieces to create your own version for your wall.
Can’t you picture one of these adorable clocks in a dorm or teen/tween bedroom too?
I love it!

Make a Record Bowl

Looking to add a fun fluted bowl to your party table?
Just as was showcased in the wall decal craft that I talked about here, you can also shape and mold records into bowls to adorn your tables at parties.
This easy DIY requires no cutting of records, but simply a heating and shaping of them to create these adorable bowls.
I can picture popcorn, candy, or nuts as fun appetizers for a party.
Check out Prudent Baby for this easy record bowl tutorial.
Don’t forget that you will need a spot to store your new-to-you record collection!
I have fallen in love with this DIY Industrial Storage Cabinet on A Beautiful Mess for an adorable stand and place to display your favorite records.
It looks like the cabinets I have been eyeing online, but is made at a fraction of the price.

My collection has grown so much that I had to find a way to store all of my treasured vinyl in my house.

I found a storage ottoman at Target was the absolute perfect size for my collection and brought it home with me to store all of my new (to me) finds.

It makes hunting for a record much easier than sorting through the stacks in my cabinet and it also is fun for my friends to flip through when they want to grab a record they love.

 

Happy record crafting & hunting, friends!

 

This post contains affiliate links.

 

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

 

DIY Roll-Up Puzzle Mat

 

 

DIY Bar Cart Tutorial

 

 

 

No-Sew DIY Blanket Scarves

 

 

DIY Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Candles

 

 

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