DIY

15 Front Porch Design Ideas for Fall

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment

The fall seems to be the perfect time to start decorating your front porch for all the holidays to come. If you're running dry on some ideas for great decorations, check below for some awesome front porch design ideas we found! 15 Front Porch Design Ideas for Fall Frugal Mom, Eh? | Repurpose old wood and place your own designs on it to match your other fall décor! Just 2 Sisters | Have your kids assist in decorating by helping them make a sign with your house number as well as carving some early pumpkins specifically with fall décor in mind. Just Us Four | Use cornstalks, gourds, and lanterns to spruce up the porch without being extravagant! Designs of Homes | Here’s a cheap fall porch...

15 Apple Pie Variation Recipes for the Fall

by Karen | Dessert Recipes, DIY, Fall, Pie Recipes, Recipes, Thanksgiving | 0 Comments

It is apple picking time and that means I will have plenty to bake with! Apple pie is great for every part of the year but we often see it more around the fall than anything. It's great for a Thanksgiving dessert and I don't know many people who don't love it. There are plenty of ways to make an apple pie. Check below for a few variations we enjoyed! 15 Apple Pie Recipes Dutch Apple Pie | Cincy Shopper - This apple pie recipe is for the classic Dutch version which never fails to be a hit for any vent. Apple Pie Dumplings | Spend with Pennies - These dumplings are not your normal every day dumplings. Underneath these dumplings is that thick apple pie filling. Extremely good. Apple...

20 Dessert Recipes Perfect for Summer

by Karen | Dessert Recipes, DIY, Recipes, Summer | 2 Comments

I don't know very many people who don't absolutely swoon over great desserts. Summer is all about bright colors cold drinks, and ice cream. It's only fitting that the perfect summer desserts fit in to one of those famous summer categories. Check below for 20 dessert recipes that scream, "It's summer!" 20 Dessert Recipes Perfect for Summer Fruit Pizza | Mrs. Happy Homemaker - This fruit pizza is absolutely adorable and not only taste great but is healthy for you! Very Berry Cheesecake Salad | The Recipe Critic - If you don't like the crust on a cheesecake, try this dip with whatever type of cracker you would like! No-Bake Summer Berry Cheesecake | The Chew - Baking in the summer can...

8 Coloring Tips to Use Gel Pens Effectively

by Karen M | Crafts, General, Tips | 0 Comments

Gel pens are difficult to control but can make your art vibrant and beautiful. Check out this article for some tips and tricks for using gel pens. You can get really creative with gel pens because of their vibrant colors. However, if you do not know how to use them, things can get messy quickly. Gel pens are very different from your typical coloring tools, such as crayons or watercolors. But once you get the hang of it, you can make some beautiful pieces of artwork. They are kind of similar to color pencils since they work on the same principles but are more difficult to control. We will take a look at some creative coloring tips and techniques for using gel pens to improve your artwork....

3 Basic Tips To Help You Set Up The Best Family Aquarium

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Tips | 0 Comments

Having an aquarium at home can help to create a relaxing environment in your own living room and can even keep you stress-free. In fact, interacting with fish in an aquarium was proven to be potentially beneficial to human well-being, according to The U.S National Library of Medicine. A family aquarium also offers other benefits since it is a fun project for the family and kids as they get to learn about marine life and also learn how to take care of a pet fish. However, setting up a family aquarium can be a bit challenging especially if you have no idea how to set one or haven’t done enough research on it. Here are 3 basic tips to help you set up the best family aquarium. Choosing A Fish...

12 Back to School Lunch Ideas

by Karen | DIY, Kid Stuff, Lunch Recipes, Recipes, Summer | 0 Comments

I know some of you are getting ready to send your kids back to school. Whether it's all week in school or hybrid they will most likely need to take lunch to school. Some schools are making the kids eat in their classrooms. So if you have to make lunches this year here are some creative school lunch ideas to make it fun for the kids. These are 12 of my favorite school lunch ideas. 12 Back to School Lunch Ideas Turkey Wraps | The Simmsworks Family – Ditch the traditional sandwich! Send your kid to school with a healthy tortilla wrap! Baked Corn Dog Muffins | Lick the Bowl Good – These are not just for Super Bowl Sunday! These little hot dog treats are perfect for a cute lunch! Peanut...

13 Quick Beef Dinners for a Busy Week

by Karen Mendes | Beef Recipes, Dinner, DIY, Kid Stuff, Recipes | 0 Comments

This is a busy time of year for families and who feels like going out to eat on busy evenings!? I have a stash of quick beef dinners that I use this time of year and a lot of them contain beef for a few reasons. First of all, beef is affordable and almost always on sale, my family will eat beef so that's a plus and it's so easy to make. I like to buy a few pounds of beef at a time and brown it all ahead of time then freeze in one-pound bags. Then I can pull it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge in the morning and by the time I'm ready to cook dinner, it's thawed and ready to go. Then I can add it to my favorite recipes. You can substitute ground chicken or turkey for most...

Fall Craft Idea for Kids: Hand and Foot Turkey Craft

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Kid Stuff | 3 Comments

My friend Courtney from The Mod Mommy has some fun fall crafts she has been doing with her children that I thought you may like. The kids will be home for a few days over the Thanksgiving holiday so I thought these might be something fun to do with them while they are home! This is super fun to make and good for kids of all ages. Even the older ones may like making this cute turkey. And if you make them before Thanksgiving you may be able to use them for decorations around your dinner table. Check out this cute Hand and Foot Turkey Craft and a few others she has shared. Thanks to the Mod Mommy for sharing these fun crafts with us. Full instructions here. Photo credit The Mod...

Fall Activities for Kids

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Fall, Kid Stuff, Thanksgiving | 0 Comments

Fall can be such a fun time of year. Keep your kids learning while still having fun by trying one of these 15 fall activities perfect for this time of the year! 15 Fall Activities for Kids Pumpkin Seed Puzzles | I Can Teach My Child - Put those pumpkin seeds to use by making puzzles out of them! Kid’s Handprint Fall Tree Craft | Crafty Morning - Kid's love working with their hands. Let them get messy while making this fall tree picture! Scavenger Hunt | East Coast Mommy - Get the kids up and outside for fall activities by putting together a scavenger hunt that's fall themed! Nature Walk | Nurture Store - Keep the kids active outside by going on a nature walk! Help them learn different...

Fall Craft Idea for Kids: Pinecone Birdfeeder

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Kid Stuff | 3 Comments

My friend Courtney from The Mod Mommy has some fun fall crafts she has been doing with her children that I thought you may like. The kids will be home for a few days over the Thanksgiving holiday so I thought these might be something fun to do with them while they are home! This craft is so easy you could probably do it today without even needing to get in your car for the supplies. All you need is a 4 ingredients and the kids will love making it - Pinecone Bird Feeder. Check back tomorrow for another fun craft from Courtney at The Mod Mommy! Full instructions here. Photo credit The Mod Mommy.

Check out these Halloween Games for Kids & Adults

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Fall, Halloween, Kid Stuff | 0 Comments

Halloween parties can be super fun especially if you have games that will keep everyone's attention. Check out these 15 Halloween games we found perfect for your child's party that the kids and adults will love! 15 Halloween Games Pumpkin Toss Game | Better Homes and Gardens - See who can get the most points by tossing pumpkins! Poke a Pumpkin | Project Denneler - Let kids get a pleasant surprise when they poke a pumpkin and see what's inside! Pumpkin Bowling | A Girl and a Glue Gun - This is a fun and simple game to set up and play. Use Halloween themed items for bowling pins, grab a pumpkin, and you're set to go! Pumpkin Chuckin’ | B-Inspired Mama - This is a classic Halloween...

Halloween Joke Lunch Box Notes

by Karen Mendes | DIY, Halloween | 5 Comments

Halloween Lunch Box Notes What's more fun right now then some Halloween Lunch Box Notes for the kids. Even if they aren't currently going to school due to the pandemic, you can still put one with their lunch each day. My kids love it when I leave lunch box notes for them. It's usually something like "have a great day" or "I love you so much". And sometimes a "to my favorite 2nd grader". Simple, I know. But they love them. But it's Halloween so I need to step it up a notch! Next week, I'm going to print out this fun Printable Halloween Joke Lunch Box Notes or Tags because I know they will love them. But that is not all I'm going to do with them. We bought some Halloween Pencils...

Using Fresh Herbs In A Variety of Ways

by Karen Mendes | DIY | 2 Comments

Using Fresh Herbs In A Variety of Ways Herbs are a simple addition to your home garden and can easily turn the simplest meal into a gourmet delight! Herbs can change the flavors of your recipes in many different ways. Every time you add a different herb to a bread, stew, soup or vegetable dish if completely changes the taste. If you haven’t used fresh herbs before remember less is more! Start off slowly and adjust a little at a time until it is just right. Use Fresh Herbs with Cooking Oregano - sauces Basil – tomatoes Parsley – a super food Rosemary – lamb Chives – butter or cream cheese Mint – infuse water or a cocktail Cilantro – think Mexican Of course, none of them are limited to...

13 Breakfast Ideas Perfect for Back to School Time!

by Karen | Breakfast Recipes, DIY, Kid Stuff, Lunch Recipes, Recipes, Summer | 0 Comments

This week we are getting ready to go back to school. While the kids pack their back packs, I'm planning our meals. Once school starts, the craziness of the day gets in the way and I can't think straight. This week I'll be sharing lots of meal ideas to help make back to school run smoothly in your house. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when the kids are in school. I make sure they have full bellies when they leave the house. I like to come up with breakfast ides to surprise them and cook some of their favorites. Especially when school is back in session. If they have a good breakfast, they'll be in a good mood heading to school. Check out these breakfast...

13 Quick Back to School Pasta Dishes!

by Karen | DIY, Kid Stuff, Lunch Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Recipes, Summer | 0 Comments

13 Back to School Pasta Dishes We are Italian therefore pasta is one of our food groups! I love pasta no matter how you cook it or what you put on it. Pasta can be a budget friendly item on your menu and also can turn into some quick dinners. Below are a list of my favorite quick pasta dishes that will be super helpful for back to school nights. Sausage Pepper Fettuccini Skillet | Let the Baking Begin – This slightly spicy meal in a skillet is super healthy and packs good flavor all while being super quick to make! Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini | Cooking Classy – This quick pasta dish is extremely good and so creamy. If you want to go meatless, this dish is perfect for you or you can...

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