Labor Day Food Ideas

Since the last holiday of the summer is just around the corner and you may be starting to make plans I thought I would share a few ideas that I have come across.

• Yummy Recipes- http://hoosierhomemade.com/labor-day-cook-out-idea/
• Fun Hamburger and Fruit Bar Idea- http://swanky-chic-fete.blogspot.com/2011/04/cute-as-button-pink-and-gray-birthday.html
• Flag Ideas- http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/06/flag-day/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TastyKitchenBlog+%28Tasty+Kitchen+Blog%29
• Love these strawberries- made them for 4th of July- http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2011/07/easy-red-white-blue-strawberries.html
• http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Labor-Day-Recipes
  

Organizing Printables

I love printable organizing tools.  Here are a couple of website that might help you with this.

• Deisgnfinch.  She has list lots of free printables to help you get organized.  http://www.designfinch.com/2011/07/31/sunday-planning/
• Clean Mama- She has created so many list for cleaning, organizing but they do cost money.  Here is her blog but to see her printables you have to click on the link to her store which is hosted on Esty.  http://cleanmama.blogspot.com/
• Organizing Your Way Out has over 100 Free Printables!  http://printables.yourway.net/
• Everything Mom- More printables besides it seems you have to register for this one.  http://www.everythingmom.com/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=140
• Everything Etsy- http://www.everythingetsy.com/2011/07/101-pretty-printables-free/
• IShare- http://www.ishareprintables.com/
• MBC Scrapbooking-http://mbcscrapbooking.blogspot.com/2011/07/household-organizing-printables.html
• Meal Planning- http://733blog.blogspot.com/2010/09/another-freebie-from-closed-shop.html

First Day Of School Pictures

Well the first day of school is only 23 days away.  I really can't believe how fast summer has went by.  Well my little man will be starting 1st grade and I started last year by taking a picture of him on the 1st day of Kindergarten and the last day of Kindergarten.

First Day of Kindergarten

Last Day of Kindergarten

For the last day I remembered to make a sign for him to hold so we would always remember.  So I want it to be a little cuter so I added some color and a border.  Simple but better than black letters on a white piece of paper.


Here is what I have come up with for Bryson and Keelin, since she will be in 3 year old preschool.

 To make them I opened a word document.
My page set up is landscape
I think made a box with the box drawing tool.  Once I had the box I doubled clicked on the box.  A menu comes up where you can change the outline border and color.  So I did the dots and changed the color.
I clicked okay
Then I drew a text box in the dotted box.  I choose the font "Chalkboard Bold"
Then type the words you would like to say.  Highlight the text and then change the color and size to what looks good to you.
Next doubled the the outline part of your text box and a menu box will come up.  There you will select under Line - Color - No fill.
Then print away.  Make sure on your screen it looks spaced evenly before you print.

You can always get more creative but I was going for simplicity!

Camping Checklist

This weekend we are off to our first camping experience of the summer and the first for Keelin.  I think the last time we went was about 3 or 4 years ago because Bryson was tiny.  We are excited to go with so many amazing people from our church family.

I am sitting here thinking of what I need to pack so here is my camping checklist that I thought I would share.  Some stuff I will not be taking on this camping trip since it is only for two nights but this is a list I will keep for future trips too. 

We will be eating lots of PB&J, cereal, snacks and we do a potluck on Saturday night.


CAMPING CHECKLIST

Calendar For Managing Meals For Family and Friends

When we had a babies it was such a blessing to get meals from our friends and families.  I love to help provide meals when others have their babies too because of how it made life feel easier in a crazy time.  Well in the process of trying to organize it all between who is making a meal, on what day and what they are bringing and where do the people live, it can be an overwhelming task.

Through the last couple months several and with friends having babies, the meal organizers have used some websites that I think are so amazing.  These websites can be used for those even recovering from surgery or just anyone who is needing meals and a group of people may be providing for them.

Here they are:

http://www.foodtidings.com/

http://mealbaby.com/

Vacation Christmas Ornaments

I was at a neighbors house many years ago before we were married and I was looking at her Christmas tree.  She was the type of lady who had everything very uniform and all looking the same.  Her house was straight from Pottery Barn (so cute).  But as I was sitting there looking at her tree there was all sorts of ornaments and some I could see writing on.  I asked her what they were all about.  She then explained that whenever they went on a family vacation they would get an ornament from the vacation spot and then at Christmas as they were setting up the tree they would reminisce about the vacation and what they did.

When I got married, Shawn and I started collecting ornaments where ever we went and we still do to this day.  We try to get an ornament that represents what we did on that vacation.  We love Christmas time and the time we spend laughing together just remembering our fun get a ways that we had. 

Maybe you can start this simple tradition in your family!!!

(I want to post pictures but that takes me going downstairs to pull out my christmas decorations!)

Slow Melt Popsicles

I know this may seem like a silly post but I have to write one.  I LOVE Popsicles but I don't like them when they are dripping down the front of my child's shirt, melting as soon as you walk outside and most of all HUGE for little kids. 

I came across a great box of Popsicles called Slow Melts.  They are tiny and don't melt fast at all.  Look for them in the store if you have little ones because they will make having a Popsicle enjoyable!