Cool DIY Father’s Day Gifts

June 6th, 2013

Cool-DIY-Father's-Day-Gifts

Father’s Day is only a couple weeks away and whether celebrating my awesome Dad or my husband who is an incredible dad to our kids, I think it’s so meaningful to give handmade gifts, especially if they can be made by kids – or at least with their help. Those seem to be the gifts that are saved and cherished through the years (though hopefully any edible parts of the gift won’t be saved for years!).

Like I did for Mother’s Day (turnabout is fair play!), I’ve combed the Mom Advice archives to bring you some fun and easy gifts for dad that don’t take a lot of money or time and I’m also including two new projects from this year because, well, I love them!

To round out our list of gift ideas, I found a few more sweet and memorable projects from other creative bloggers that you might want to make – just please be sure to pin from the original source I’ve provided if you’d like to add one to a Pinterest board. Thanks!

How_To_Make_A_Candy_Bouquet

Our newest Father’s Day idea: a sweet Candy Bouquet!

Monster_Printables

Fun Mom Advice Monster Printables & Monster Bars

microwave_peanut_brittle

Mom Advice’s Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

DIY_Chalkboard_Cookie_Jars

Our DIY Chalkboard Conversation Bubble Cookie Jars

Dad's movie-basket

A favorite gift for dad: a Movie Basket complete with photo card

sugar_and_spice_nuts

How about Mom Advice’s Sugar and Spice Nut Mix for a sweet dad?

Power-dad-gift-basket

And this Mom Advice classic Power Pack for Super Dad Gift Basket would be a terrific tie-in combined with tickets to see the new superman movie!

scrabble frame

Scrabble Tile Frame @ Zitzman Fam

fathers' day photo collage

Chalkboard Thought Bubbles Photo Collage @ Positively Splendid

instagram photo coasters

Instagram Photo Coasters @ White House Black Shutters

pat-on-the-back-shirt

‘Pat On The Back’ Father’s Day Shirt @ Sugar Bee Crafts

painted golf tees

Painted Golf Tees + Packaging @ Reading Confetti

Father's Day apron

‘Caution’ Man’s Apron @ I Heart Naptime

DIY Tool_Tub_Tote

DIY Too Tub Tote @ Sew 4 Home

Kids handprint craft

Kids Handprint Tracing Craft @ Mom Always Finds Out

fathers_day_footprint

Walk In Your Shoes Art @ JDaniel4sMom

A-Nuts-Bolts-Frame

Nuts-and-Bolts Frame @ B-Inspired Mama

Here’s to a fun Father’s Day!

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Posted in Celebrations, DIY | 3 Comments »

Amy’s Notebook 06.05.13

June 5th, 2013

duct tape beachbag

Source: Spoonful

 

How sweet (and useful!) is this waterproof beach bag? That it’s made out of duct tape and can be done in a couple hours with your kids? Awesome!

Since I’ve got a bit of a monster theme this week, it’s probably not a surprise that I found this Lil’ Monster Birthday party idea adorable!

These easy paper strip monogram art look fun to do and I think would look fantastic over the kid’s beds or dressers.

Hmmm, what do you think about adding bacon to a refried bean-layer dip to make a Smoky 5-layer Dip for your next gathering? Sounds like it might be a way to shake the normal up a bit…

This Strawberry Shortcake Skillet Cobbler not only looks yummy and uses in-season strawberries, but I love that it’s made all at once in a cast iron skillet – sounds like the perfect early summer recipe!

 

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!

 

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How to Make a Candy Bouquet Gift for Father’s Day

June 4th, 2013

How to Make a Candy Bouquet

I don’t mean to brag, but my kids are so blessed to have such an incredible Dad. He is the ultimate go-to guy from helping the kids with their homework, to kicking around the soccer ball, to indulging my daughter in her fancy tea parties, to the ultimate bedtime storyteller.

This Father’s Day we wanted to make a gift that we just knew he would love to show just how special he is to us. Our Dad happens to have a sweet tooth so we decided to make him a candy bouquet that he could place on his desk at work when those sweet tooth cravings strike!

The best part about this gift though is that it only takes fifteen minutes to create, costs about $20 in supplies, and can be created with your kids in honor of their favorite Dad.

To find out how to make this easy craft, head on over to the Kenmore Blog to get the supplies list and directions for making these sweet candy bouquet gift for Father’s Day.

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Apron Full of Giveaways 06.04.13

June 4th, 2013

pink dot apron

Source: Mallory’s Design,  $29

 

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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A Monster of a Father’s Day Gift: Monster Cookie Bars & Monster Printable Cards For Dad

June 3rd, 2013

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.Father’s Day is just around the corner & today we wanted to share a monster of a Father’s Day gift with a cute spin on the monster theme with easy monster cookie bars and printable monster cards for a special Dad in your life.

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.

This week’s challenge from Walmart was to create an inexpensive Father’s Day gift that would wow your Dad. Well, if your dad is anything like our Dad, he is certainly wowed with homemade treats and funny cards with a great sense of humor. Our idea was to mix up a batch of thick and delicious Monster Cookie Bars made with rolled oats, peanut butter, mini M&M’s (found over in their candy aisle), and chocolate chips.

Monster Cookies can be a bit of a monster to create as a drop cookie because of their monster size. I choose to echo the words of an amazing woman I once heard speak these wise words…

“Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Wise, right?

Bar cookies get a big fist pump from this busy mom and if a celebration requires a cookie, I often rely on these chocolate chip cookie bars to get us through whatever baking requirements are made for those occasions. These Monster Cookie Bars are equally delicious and offer that crusty exterior with that soft interior that makes, in my humble opinion, the perfect cookie.

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.

What Father’s Day would be complete without a card to accompany your sweet gift? We are so excited to debut these adorable Monster cards that you can print out to attach with your Monster Cookie Bars for your favorite Dad. We have included three fun printable cards for Father’s Day and then 1 that could be used for any occasion to accompany your sweet treat. Print these printables out on white card stock  and you will be all set for this Father’s Day!

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.
Printable Monster Cards from MomAdvice.com.

Download Your FREE Monster Card Printables HERE:

Happy Father’s Day From Your Monster FREE printable card

Your Gift is a Monster! FREE printable card

Eat All the Cookies FREE printable card

We Are Your Spawn FREE printable card

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.

I can admit that this family has had Monsters on our brain after getting a sneak peek at the Monsters University movie that is set to hit theaters on June 21st. While our family was at the Disney Social Media Moms conference, we got an exclusive sneak peek at the film. It is FANTASTIC, and dare I say it, even funnier than the first one. I have no doubt that your family will love it!

Our Monster Cookie Bars would really pull together a fun family night out to see this fantastic film and you can find loads of fun Monsters supplies in the party favors aisle of your Walmart store including fun cups, plates, and other party favors for an inexpensive night to enjoy while tackling your summer bucket list or our 100 Days of Summer Pinterest Board.

Now that you have the printables, here is the deliciously easy and tasty recipe for these Monster Cookie Bars. We recommend preparing these in a metal 9×13 pan for best results!

Monster Cookie Bars & Printables from MomAdvice.com.

Monster Cookie Bars
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Adapted from The BakerMama
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 15
Monster cookies made easy in a bar cookie. Be sure to pair these easy cookies with our free Monster printables.
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups creamy peanut buter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini M&M’s (approximately half a bag)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until blended. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until light and fluffy.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Mix in oats until well combined.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips and mini M&M’s
  7. Press dough evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown and set in the middle. Let cool completely in baking dish then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

 Happy Father’s Day to all of our Dad readers (I know you’re out there!) and here’s hoping you get spoiled by a few of your favorite monsters!

Be sure to check back this week for more great Father’s Day gifts on a budget!

 

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Posted in Celebrations, Desserts, DIY, Freebies, Gifts, Kid Eats, Kids Crafts, My Work, Printables | 9 Comments »

Amy’s Notebook 05.29.13 {Summer Edition}

May 29th, 2013

Welcome to the Summer Edition of my weekly notebook! I know that once summer hits you all want to spend time with the kids and not as much on the computer (me, too!), so during June, July, & August the Notebook posts will be short and sweet with one or two photos and a handful of links.

Oh, but the links will still be the same quality that I always look for, just with a summer mentality! I’ll look for ideas that are quick, fun, memorable, involve the kids (or not!) and that will help to inspire you over the summer to cook seasonally, craft, and do projects that may actually get something checked off that to-do list!

apple-blueberry-pie-cake

Source: Serious Eats

 

Like this yummy looking treat that would make a special summer breakfast. Since I’ve already got blueberries on the brain (Blueberry Sangria Lemonade, anyone?), it’s no wonder I want to try Apple Blueberry Pie-Cake!

We’re so excited to be grilling again – how about a grilled Thai Sweet & Spicy Shrimp Pizza? Yum.

kidwash water play

Source: Apartment Therapy

 

Hopefully, we’ll all be enjoying warmer weather soon and having some fun and creative kid water-play ideas will come in handy – like this awesome ‘carkidwash!’

Making a simple princess bed for our girls might just inspire some magical summer nights.

I’m loving these tips for adding color to your rooms for summer – my favorite is the yellow bedroom and huge painting, wow!

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!

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Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

May 28th, 2013

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

In the summer I am always looking for fun summer cocktails to share with my girlfriends and this blueberry sangria lemonade is the perfect summer drink to share with a good friend. You won’t believe how easy this blueberry sangria lemonade is to create and just how easy it is to drink…well, you might believe that last part of the sentence. This drink just screams summer, backyard fun, and begs to be enjoyed poolside.

Each month Walmart is challenging me to create a recipe using one of their produce items. Last month I tackled strawberries with a fun baked strawberry doughnut recipe and this month it is all about the blueberries with this easy blueberry sangria lemonade recipe.

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Blueberries are one of our favorite summer fruits and we love to enjoy our summer bounty all year long. A few years ago I started freezing my berries in a different way using the Cook’s Illustrated method for freezing my berries and I can’t rave enough about how much better my frozen berries taste. You should definitely add this to your summer to-do list this year.

As we await our annual berry picking season, I wanted to offer some advice for selecting the perfect berries at the supermarket. Be sure to select  a package of firm, plump berries with an indigo blue color and a silvery white frost. Avoid any with a green or red tint, which indicates under ripe berries. You will want to make sure there are no juice stains at the bottom of the carton or moldy or crushed berries buried inside of the cartons as well when selecting those berries.

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Now that you have the perfect berries, you can start incorporating them in this easy sangria. All of the ingredients can be found at your local Walmart store. I recommend mixing this one up the night before your gathering to really allow the flavors to incorporate together and for the best flavor.

You don’t have to splurge on the wine on this one, but make sure that you buy one that you would enjoy drinking. I love the budget-friendly and always delicious, Barefoot Chardonnay for this recipe because it fits sweetly in my budget and really tastes great for an affordable wine.

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

If you grow mint in your garden, this is another fun drink to add a little mint to for fresh flavor. And don’t forget, that mint can be put to good use in our Perfect Mojito recipe too in those long and hot summer months!

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade
Recipe Type: Drink
Author: Amy Clark
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
These blueberry sangrias scream summertime. Let the flavors meld together overnight for a truly delicious drink!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 (12-ounce) can frozen concentrated pink lemonade
  • 1 bottle (750ml) Chardonnay, (I love Barefoot Chardonnay for this)
  • 3 cups lemon lime soda
  • 1/2 cup Brandy
  • Fresh mint for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld together.
  2. Serve chilled.

Looking for more great blueberry recipes? Be sure to try these eight ideas for blueberry recipes!

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Apron Full of Giveaways 05.28.13

May 28th, 2013

coffee cup apron

Source: Mya Fashion,  $47

 

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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Chicken Gyros

May 27th, 2013

Homemade Chicken Gyros

I think there are few things in the world as yummy as a gyro. I have been making homemade gyros for years now, but was so excited to try a healthier spin with a chicken gyro this time. And what could be yummier than a chicken gyro? I say, nothing.

This chicken meat is so tender thanks to the acidic blend of lemon and red wine vinegar that helps to tenderize the meat in just one hour. With the addition of a little Greek yogurt to the marinade and a shake of dried oregano, the meat is moist and flavorful with just a few sweetly simple ingredients.

If you are looking to save money and control the quality of ingredients in this dish, you can make everything from the pitas to the tzatziki (recipe below).

If you are looking to save time, you can buy everything from the pitas to the tzatziki.

I will not judge you either way!

Serve these delicious chicken gyros with some fresh veggies and hummus for an easy summer side dish that everyone will love. I also recommend double or triple batching this meat because these gyros magically disappear pretty quickly. At least they did in our house!

If you are looking for another fun spin on gyros, be sure to check out these Grilled Ground Beef Gyros for the summer, or visit my Get Grilling Pinterest board for many more great ideas for outdoor grilling. I also highly recommend this easy tutorial for getting your grill clean while you sleep!

Happy grilling, friends!

Homemade Chicken Gyros

Chicken Gyros
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Author: Amy Clark
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Give these easy chicken gyros a spin for a fun weeknight meal that your whole family will love.
Ingredients
  • 16 oz. Greek yogurt
  • 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
  • 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • For the chicken: 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 heaping tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1¼ lbs. chicken tenderloins
  • Toppings: Pita bread
  • Fresh tomato slices
  • Red onion slices (optional)
Instructions
  1. To make the tzatziki sauce,shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together your Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
  2. To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. You want to avoid marinating longer than this due to the acidic nature of this marinade.
  3. Grill your chicken strips on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked completely through. Set aside for five minutes.
  4. Heat pitas for 15-20 seconds in the microwave to warm.
  5. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.
Adapted from Annie’s Eats

 

 

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100 Days of Summer Pinterest Board- 2013 Edition!

May 22nd, 2013

100 Days of Summer 2013

Summer is just around the corner and I am so excited to share with you that I have gathered another 100 Days of Summer activities for you to do with your kids in the summer months. These are 100 activities that are all low to no cost, screen-free, and a fun way to build truly memorable moments with your kids in the summer months.

I had the best time creating our very first 100 days of summer activities board for our family to do and share with you and then last year’s 100 Days of Summer was another huge hit. It was so huge that I just knew I had to repeat it all again this year for you.

100 Days of Summer 2013

I am looking forward to tackling our own summer list and will be documenting our projects through mobile pictures.You can catch me on Instagram, where I am documenting our summer. Just search for the username momadvice and you will find me there. Just as a side note, I try to always answer all the comments on my pictures if I can. If you have questions about projects we are doing or just want to say hello, I will do my best to respond!

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 again like we did last year.

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.

I still will be sharing our apron full of giveaways and our notebook of inspiration each week. I will also have fresh content through my freelance writing jobs this summer with Kenmore, Goodwill, Jack’s Pizza, & Walmart that will keep our site fully loaded with great ideas for your summer.

For the rest of my entries, I will be sharing what we are working on from our summer list through mobile pictures and quick notes on what fun activities we are doing at our house. I am hoping it will be an inspiration to you to get out and enjoy the summer with your children. I can’t say we will tackle a hundred activities, but I will be awfully proud if we do one cool activity a week.

100 Days of Summer 2013

This year’s list is AMAZING and my favorite so far from making chevron friendship bracelets, to building race tracks, to painting techniques on rain days, to creating popsicle light sabers. There really is something for EVERY age group this year.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for inspiration for your meal planning, home, reading, wardrobe and more! I am one happy little pinner!

Happy summer to each of you!

xo,
Amy

 

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Posted in Announcements, Celebrations, DIY, Family, Frugal, Kid Eats, Kids Crafts, Money & Finance | 3 Comments »

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