Summer Fun Activities!

We are fast approaching the end of summer vacation around here. School starts in less than a month. Boo! I gathered up a few easy and fun activities and crafts to do with the kids. I need some inspiration on how to make this last month count!  

Gold Glitter Slime. So rad!

These Marshmallow shooters are smart and cheap!

Since all our flowers are dying from the heat I thought these accordion style ones would be fun!

These flying fish are inexpensive and really easy to make! 

There are some really intense versions of these on pinterest but this is a good basic one I think! Kiddie car wash! Throw that bad boy on a dry patch of grass and let the kids go to town!

This is RAD! DIY solar smores. This might be my favorite one so far.

My kids are to the age where they don't eat play-dough but this would be fun for them anyway! Incredible Edible Playdough. I love this! Plus play-dough keeps my kids entertained for hours.

Magic Potion! These use dry ice so adult supervisions is definitely required but look how cool!

Who doesn't love bubbles? Everyone does. And these ones don't pop! Well really they are harder to pop. They even say they bounce.

Late summer nights will shortly be coming to an end around here. So I want to enjoy them. I love this idea for Glow in the Dark Ring Toss. My kids would get a kick out of it!

Then off to bed in their glow in the dark party teepee! 

 Anything I am missing? How are you trying to stretch out the last bit of summer?

Swimsuit Cover Up-Victoria's shhhh....A knock off tutorial

We do a lot a swimming in the summer.  Enough to necessitate a cover up for sure.  Did you know that Vicky's secret charges 50 bucks for one like this??  It cost me less than $10 and I didn't even need a sewing machine?! 

Here's the easy tutorial:

You will need:

enough knit fabric to go around your body 1.5 times

a needle and thread to match your fabric

scissors

something to make the round of the arm pits 

(I used a dessert plate)

elastic 

(we used hair elastics) 

What to do:

open the fabric and then fold it into quarters

Cut 3 strips off the end that will be braided together for the straps.

 Using the elastics to secure the strips of fabric braid the piece into a nice long braid.

 See,,,just like this...

 Fold the fabric in half (pin together if you need to) and then cut both thicknesses to provide an  armpit hole for each side (the top corners)

Open up a hole in your braid and pull a little bit of the corner of your knit piece into the braid. 

Fold the little pulled through corner over the strands of the braid and stitch down with your needle and matching tread. Cut off excess after it is stitched down securely.

 Measure the length of the braid over the shoulder for size, cut and secure with a knot or the elastic so the braid doesn't come undone and then sew and repeat the steps above on the back side as well. Now repeat for the other side. 

To wear, wrap around the back and slide the "arm holes" across to opposite shoulders. 

PS... Thanks Gabs for "showing me love"!! You are a doll and a half! I love your happy happy face!! and your sweet willingness to help!

PSS... We cut about 4 inches off the bottom of the cover up after the pictures were taken. 

You are invited to Free Summer Movies in The Park or should I say Parks?

We are really excited to finally be able to give the wonderful phenomenon of 

Free Movies in the Park 

a try this summer! 

Where and when you ask???

 Here is a Google Calendar Link with all the dates times and places for your viewing pleasure!! 

(this is for our readers in the great state of Utah but I am betting those of you from other locations in our country will be able to find something similar where you live)

Click here to view the calendar
(if you click on the desired movie link it will bring up the address and he my hubs even included a map. Yes. Yes. He really loves me!!)

There are tons of dates all summer long and a plethora of places and different movie titles my friends. 
Some even include free popcorn while supplies last! 
Go create memories and make the most of these summer nights!!
I know we will be!!!

PS a big thanks go to the dear sweet hubby for using his master charting talents and desires for compiling and creating the calendar.  He Com.pleats.Me. Sniff. :) love you babe!

How to do a low country boil

I have wanted to try a boil for a long time and finally was able to make it happen with the help of my most wonderful and supportive hubby! 

What is a low country boil you ask?? Well...It is a southern party dish served in the summer months (in the winter you will see oyster roasts instead)where you throw shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and seasonings onto boil in a big 'ol stock pot at different intervals. It is also versatile enough that you can serve 2 or 200 just by adjusting the amounts of the ingredients and the best part of all?? It is traditional to dump the drained pot onto a paper covered table and let everyone dig in! F.U.N! (and clean up is a cinch!)    

 I think you are going to love giving this a try! 

My family really enjoyed it!

  

Low Country Boil-Serves 8

3 lemons quartered

1 onion quartered

4 cloves of garlic(more or less to taste)

2 Tbs old bay seasoning

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

2lbs red potatoes quartered

2lbs smoked sausage cut in about 3 inch chunks

3 ears of corn cut in thirds

2 lbs of shrimp

Fill a large stock pot half way with water and turn heat to high. Add lemons, onion and seasonings. Once you have reached a rolling boil add potatoes, turn heat to med high and let boil for 15 mins. Add sausage and let boil for 5 minutes, Add corn and let cook 7 minutes and finally add shrimp and let cook for 3 or until they are fully pink. Drain. Dump on paper lined table and dig in!!

PS traditionally newspaper is used to cover the table but I used kraft paper. (I guess I was a little nervous about the ink even though I know it can't really harm us) 

Autograph Pillowcases...A Last day of school idea

Looking for a way to help your kids remember their friends over the summer? How about for years to come? Here is an idea....We made autograph pillow cases.  The girls (Gabby and Sarah who are the only children in our house still in school) will take these cute creations to school with them armed with two of their favorite colors and let their friends autograph their pillowcase. We used the super cheap pillowcases and a fabric marker and sharpies as well and let them design their own. We have used heat transfer vinyl before but they seem to prefer making their own. Crafty kids? Go figure....:) 

ENJOY!

Emily
PS please forgive the pictures...something was crazy with our camera which may or may not be operator error. :)

Two thumbs up, slap your Mama Ribs-A Fathers Day Dinner Idea

We baked these up for our "after church meal" Sunday and they were unbelievably good! My kids were thanking me over and over again for the awesome deliciousness.  It is going to make a wonderful Fathers Day meal too! 

What dad wouldn't enjoy a marvelous rib dinner? 

INGREDIENTS
1 rack of pork ribs (ours was about 5 lbs of spareribs) It needs to be able to fit on a broiler pan)
1 box chicken broth (32Oz)
Rub mixture
improved BBQ sauce 

Preheat oven to 250, Fill the bottom of a broiler pan with the chicken broth and replace the slotted top. Place the ribs on the slotted top.  Sprinkle rub mixture all over the ribs and rub in. (rub recipe below) Seal the ribs air tight in the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 hours. Once they are out turn on the broiler to high and spoon and spread the improved BBQ sauce (sauce instructions below) over the ribs.  Place them back in the oven or out on the grill to broil just barely long enough for the sauce to start to caramelize. Serve and ENJOY!

PS Don't have 12 hours? Raise the temp to 300 and you could go 3-4 hours and be good. Although the longer the better of course. :)

Jason's RUB
1/2 C Brown sugar
2 TBS Salt
1 TBS Smoked Salt
1/2 TBS chili Powder
1/2 TBS onion powder
1/2 TBS garlic powder 
Mix all in an air tight container. Store extra for future needs. 

IMPROVED BBQ SAUCE
Just simply add brown sugar and honey to taste to your favorite BBQ sauce. (we used sweet baby ray's this time) This makes it really easy to caramelize. This also code for watch it closely so it doesn't get over done which can happen rapidly.

Be on the look out for the potato salad recipe and the country baked beans recipe and also how to make your own smoked salt!! 

LOVES!!

Emily
  

Our Summer "Bucket List"

We are SO excited for the summer to finally be here! If there is anything that makes me happy it is spending time with my family! I am lucky enough to have a full range of ages and stages in my house too.  My oldest Alexis is 21 and married to her great husband James, then I have 19 year old Lindsay and 16 year old Christian (hes got 2 older sisters, 2 younger sisters, and is the only boy. Woah. He definitely is learning how to be a mighty woman whisperer)next is my 13 year old Gabby and 6 year old Sarah. Last night we sat down with Dad and decided on a bucket list for the summer.  It was fun to hear what they were hoping to get out of the summer. Obviously there's a good chance we will not be able to cross all of these off the list in one summer but they are posted on the fridge ready for us to start giving it our best shot. WOOT! Here we go...

1. visit a farmers market

2. go for a hike

3. go to Lagoon (amusement park)

4. the museum of curiosity

5. try a drive in movie

6. play laser tag

7. go cart racing

8. bowling

9. pizza party and movie night

10. blow bubbles

11. have a shaving cream fight

12. make a water blob

13. eat smores

14. go camping

15. have a picnic

16. Geocacheing adventure

17. gun shooting (daddy's dept)

18. visit a trampoline place

19. build our firepit up

20. sidewalk art day with chalk and paints etc

21. play with a slip and slide

22. go to raging waters

23. Have a sleepover at the ranch

24. Visit our condo

25. see the Manti pageant

26. grow a garden

27. go to the alpine slide

28. go fishing

29. fireworks

30. visit the aquarium

31. ride a Ferris wheel 

32. make homemade ice-cream or Popsicles

33. build a fort 

34. visit antelope island

35. read a chapter book together

36. eat snow cones

37. go to Taylorsville Dayzz (a local fair)

38. have a scavenger hunt

39. sleep out on the trampoline

40. Sleeping in??? PLEASE! :)

  So there you have it...Our list!

Wish us luck!

 What do you do for your summer fun? 

I'd love to hear!

LOVES!!

Emily