(Gotta See) Tons of Fun Summer Activities to Keep the Kids Busy

What to do on a hot summer day? How to keep the kids busy and doing things that will develop their talents and their minds and is fun to do?  We've found some great ideas below and I'm certain you will find some activities that your kids will want to do on their summer vacation.  It's all about preparation and organizing....If you do this then your summer can be a memorable one!

Make a SummerTime Activity Jar for this Summer Vacation-It will be both fun and Organized. Easy to put together and a memory maker!  Click HERE to get more details

102 Summer Activities for kids means that you will have so many choices of fun things to do this summer that you might be able to choose. Head on over to Divvy Up Diva get started on your summer fun!

Once you decide what activities you want to do this summer, a chart is a very good idea. Gives the kids something to look forward to, organizes the summer for you--Just a good idea!  Click HERE to go to an earlier post of ours featuring two of these Summer Charts from The Crafting Chicks. Get more information about how to make this chart over at  The Crafting Chicks  They also give you 45 fun activity ideas too. 

These Marshmallow Shooters look like a lot of fun. Especially since it's marshmallows you're shooting. They don't hurt and they taste delicious, especially if they are fresh.  Sure to be a fun afternoon for all!  See how to make these with the photo tutorial.  Head on over to Mom's Crafty Space to get more details.

Lava Lamps are so much fun and now you can make one yourself.  All the directions are over at  S.L. Smith Photography  to get the details.  The kids are going to love this one! 

50, yes, I said 50 summer crafts for kids. With that large of a number you're sure to find something your children would be interested in doing and/or learning. Summer is the perfect time to learn how to knit, crochet, paint, or even bake/cook because you've got the extra time.  Head on over to The Long Thread to see all!

There are some really fun Summer Activities in this post.  You'll find

 Water Games

 Outdoor Games

 Car Games

 Backyard Games

 Crafts 

and Printables  

Fun for all!  Head over to Wonder Time to get all the details

If you live near the Sundance Ski Resort (Utah) then you are in for a lot of fun! (if not, why not plan a trip over)  The skiing is great but the summer activities are fun too.  Click HERE to see all that is available for your Summer Fun!

Speaking of Utah Ski Resorts....Park City has a lot of fun activities too. Make it a day and come and enjoy the beautiful scenery, mountain activities, Outlet shopping and much more.  Click HERE to get more information on what fun you can find at Park City.

How about a Drive-In Movie night? Make a car for everyone out of a cardboard box....let them design the outside. Have your party inside or get a screen and show the movie outside.  The concession stand will be open with lots of fun things to eat  too. Head on over to Parties and Holidays to see how they planned this fun Drive In Movie Night.

Coloring macaroni these fun rainbow colors is very easy......but will supply hours of fun while girls make necklaces using these colorful macaroni pieces.  Great fun for a party or even to send home as a party favor.  Get all the instructions over at My Name is Snickerdoodle

Here are some finger paints that are safe for your kids to eat.....because you know they are going to lick their fingers and possibly eat the pudding rather than paint with it.  Safe, fun and delicious.  Get the recipes over at  Mess for Less

These candy necklaces are sure to be a hit with the kids. Bowls of gummy candy, colored cereal and other fun things.  There's even a free printable label so you can make up a box for each person.  Gotta check it out over at Paper and Cake  The perfect activity for a party too.

A Summer Bucket List sounds like a wonderful idea.  Get input from the whole family as to what they would like to do this summer. At this blog you can read about how they broke the activities down into "All day activities" and "Half day Activities" and " Two Hour Activities"  with different colored cards. Then just  select the activity that will fit in with any other activities you have going on that day.  Lots of great ideas over at  Little Wonders Days  Then we found another "Bucket List" post over at Positively Spendid  They called it their "Family Summer Bucket List"  They have some really fun ideas there so be sure to check out both.

Click on this link "How to make huge bubbles"  to go to a earlier post of ours about how to have FABULOUS fun making BIG bubbles-Even one so large it can surround a child! 

Click HERE to go to out earlier post with a lot more fun ideas for summer activities.

Click HERE to see our newest post about Fun activities for your next Car Trip/Vacation

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100 Cooking Tips from Top Chefs, Homemade Spice Blends and Cooking Mistakes-Gotta See!

As I see it....we all eat every day and may at some point have to cook.  (eating out can get old) so why not learn how to cook?  It's such a great feeling when you've found a recipe you can add to your recipe collection that you love and it tastes delicious.  We've found some things that may just help you get the confidence you need to start cooking again.  Bon Appetit!

Here's the link to 100 Greatest Cooking Tips from the pros at Food Network and Top Chefs across the country.  As they say "knowledge is power" and if you've got knowledge about how to be a successful cook then you've really got something! Get tips from Mario Batali, Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, Wolfgang Puck, Nigella Lawson plus many others   So grab a drink/snack and settle in for a great read! Click HERE to go directly to the post

You can really save a lot of money by blending your own spice mixes. Many store bought herb and spice blends can be expensive, and a lot of them contain additives, anti-caking agents or MSG.   It literally can cost only pennies to make your own.  You'll find recipes for the following spice blends:

Taco Seasoning

Curry Powder

Italian Seasoning

Rajin' Cajun Seasoning

Healthy Ranch Dressing Mix

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Seasoned Salt Recipe

Fajita Seasoning

French Onion Soup Mix

Chili Seasoning Mix

Herbs de Provence

Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

Asian 5-spice Seasoning

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Find all the recipes for these spice blends over at  WELLNESS MAMA

We also found another site with MORE Spice Blends that you might be interested in. They share North American Cooking Spice Blends, International Blends and Sweeter Blends.  Head on over to SIMPLE BITES to see these recipes

Tired of high fructose syrup, msg and other  additives in your food? Make it yourself and you'll might be surprised how good they taste. I've been making my own salad dressing for a few years now and I love it. The bottled dressing does not taste good to me any more.   Head on over to FARMERS' ALMANAC to get all these recipes plus one for Chipotle Sauce!

We've all made mistakes while making up a recipe (sometimes even recipes we've made before)  Here is a list of the 10 most common cooking mistakes from  Cooking Light.  Are you guilty of any of these mistakes? If so, find out the correct method here.


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What's on Sale? Get Grocery Sales Cycle Information

Ever wonder when things go on sale at the grocery store?  Well here is your answer. This is a guide to grocery sale cycles for the entire year.  It will help you to know when to stock on on certain grocery items and when to wait until you can get the best deals.  Head on over to "Living Richly on a Budget" to get more important information about saving money and coupons.

Memorial Day: BBQ Sauce, Condiments, Charcoal, Salad Dressing, Potato Chips, Dips, Grilling Meats, Hot Dogs, Hamburger Meat, Marinade, Salad Greens

Paper Products: Plates, Utensils, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen
Cinco De Mayo: Salsa, tortillas
Seasonal Produce: Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado, Beans, Green, Beets, Blackberries, Carrots, Sweet Vidalia Onions, Peas, New Potatoes, Raspberries, Strawberries

 National Dairy Month: Eggs, Milk, Ice Cream, Cheese, Cream Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Whipping Cream, Whipped Cream, Cool Whip

End of June is Fourth or July Sales: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, Condiments, Charcoal, Salad Dressing, Potato Chips, Dips
Seasonal Produce: Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cherries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Honeydew, Nectarines, Peaches, Potatoes, Raspberries, Red Onions, Squash, Summer, Strawberries, Sweet Vidalia Onions, Tomatoes, Watermelon

Hot Cocoa, Coffee, Tea

Baking Sales in Full Swing: Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Coconut, Cake Mixes
Canned foods: Soup, Broth, Vegetables, Fruits, Spaghetti Sauce
Thanksgiving Items: Turkey, Canned Pumpkin, Stovetop Stuffing, Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes, Gravy Mixes, Frozen Pies, Cranberry Sauce, Jello, Marshmallows
Seasonal Produce: Anjou Pears, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Carrots, Celery, Comice Pears, Cranberries, Kiwi, Lemons, Orange, Potato, Squash, Yams
Clearance: After Halloween Sales

What about the other months of the year? They are all documented over at  Living Richly on a Budget , Every month of the year. What do you do with this kind of information?  Well, you definitely use it to your advantage! Stock up on your non-perishable items the months they are on sale and save money and stock your pantry.....You can even get your buy fruits and vegetables on sale and freeze them.  I've heard that in the months of November and December are when your baking supplies, including spices" are the cheapest.  

WHERE DO YOU FIND PRINTABLE COUPONS: Click HERE

EXTREME COUPON BLOGS TO BELONG TO FOLLOW: Click HERE

9 APS TO HELP YOU FIND COUPONS ON THE GO: Click HERE

23 EXTREME COUPONING TIPS: Click HERE

Click HERE to read  "GROCERY STORE TRICKS" and how to AVOID THEM! 

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Party Decorations: Pretty and Inexpensive!

Have you used crepe paper or tissue paper as a party decoration before? I'm sure you have. But have you ever used  multiple colors as a backdrop, or dyed it to get a specific color or made a pretty flower to use as a table runner or a centerpiece? All these fun things are shown below.

Crepe  paper is so affordable, only $1 a roll.  The rolls at Hobby Lobby are $1 and you get more per roll. How easy is this. Just unroll the crepe paper for a lovely backdrop in the shade your heart desires Martha Stewart

I love this crepe paper idea. If you can't find the perfect crepe paper color just dye a white roll the perfect color. (Maybe you could dye each side a different color?) See how it's done over at  Dandee

Such a pretty crepe paper flower. The instructions make it look easy. Don't confuse this with the tissue paper pompoms, it's different and definitely cuter!  Head on over to   It's In The Details 

These tissue paper flowers are different than the ones you've seen before. You don't fold the tissue paper to make these.  They are easier (in my opinion) to make.  Head on over to FISKARS to see the way these are made. Perfect for a table runner at your next party

Tips & Tricks--Homemade Natural Cleaners for your Home

Here's some homemade recipes for cleaning around the house.  Get rid of the chemical cleaners you've got. These recipes will definitely save you money. Do you know how great Baking Soda and Vinegar are at cleaning around the house?  You can trade in most of your other cleaners for one of these. Get a huge bag of Baking Soda at Costco really cheap, and a gallon of Vinegar too. Come on, Give it a Try. I think you'll be pleased.

Yeah, this is what I'm talking about!  I counted 36 different homemade cleaners using the above natural and wonderful ingredients above.  Take all the chemicals out of your home by making some of these up. Here are just a few:
Spray surfaces, All purpose liquid cleaner, abrasive cleaner, refrigerator cleaner, oven cleaner, microwave cleaner, dishwasher detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, wood floor cleaner, stain remover, air freshener, laundry  and lots more! YOUNG HOUSE LOVE

I definitely think this one is worth a try. The gal on this site said it "works better" than Febreze and you only need  2 ingredients plus water. FAKE IT FRUAL

All you need is three ingredients plus water to make your homemade Windex. Definitely worth a try.  FAKE IT FRUGAL

In reading about these homemade cleaning recipes....I see that the main ingredient in them is water....We're paying a lot of money for water! Get this recipe too.  FAKE IT FRUGAL

White Vinegar is the most amazing thing!  Cleans lots of things including your dishes and dishwsher. Use instead of Jet Dry  Get all the Details at  FAKE IT FRUGAL Vinegar can be stored indefinitely in a closed container. Did you know that vinegar has  been around for 10,000 years. Get more facts about vinegar at  THE VINEGAR INSTITUTE

I've found the Bar Keepers Friend to be the best cleaner for my aluminum and stainless steel pots and pans-it really takes off the baked on food but doesn't harm them. They say it also works in the bathroom and garage. Click here to get a coupon for it and more ways to use it to clean your home.  BAR KEEPERS FRIEND

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HomeMade Recipes: Drumsticks, Nutella, NutterButters, Peanut Butter Cups, Strawberry Jam & Taco Seasoning

Nothing's better than making your favorite treats at home. They taste fresh and you eliminate things that you don't want in your food ( preservatives and artificial flavors etc) Fresh is better!  I hope you see something that you'd like to try...the drumsticks are very tempting to me!

Oh Yum!  This recipe for homemade Drumsticks looks so easy!  DELIGHTFULLY TACKY

Are you a Nutella fan? Use this homemade Nutella recipe and stop buying it at the store. THE FAMILY KITCHEN

If you like Nutter Butter cookies then you'll want to try this recipe. Homemade and Fresh from your kitchen (instead of the grocery store)   COOKIES & CUPS

This is so easy to make and you've probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. Only need 6 ingredients. A packet of this seasoning costs almost $2.00 and you can make it for only pennies!  ANNIE'S EATS

Chocolate and peanut butter.....Make your own, Save money and have this fun treat around the house...not just for special occasions!  CUPCAKES AND CASHMERE

Here's a recipe for No Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam.  Canning is such a great thing, especially when it is Freezer Jam. (Is it really canning when all you do is put it in a jar and then the freezer?)    $5 DINNERS