Archive for summer fun

wfmw – stay-at-home hotel

wfmwbannerkristen

We have decided to take a staycation this year instead of taking a trip. We will be able to do a lot of local activities with the money that would have been spent on gas & lodging. I really want to make some fun memories for my family, so I’ve decided to turn our house into a Ho(me)tel.

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Here are some of the fun ideas I want to try:

~ Towel Origami Our towels might be too thick to do this for each child, so I think I will buy a thin white towel & just leave a different animal on the bathroom sink every morning.

~Fold the ends of the toilet paper into a point (each night)

~ Put a basket of small soaps & shampoo samples in the bathroom

~ Label bedroom doors with hotel numbers

~ Make Do Not Disturb Doorknob Hangers

~ Get breakfast ready the night before with these yummy Bed & Breakfast Recipes

~ Offer a wake-up call to my daughter’s cell phone

~ Check out some DVDs from the library that we haven’t seen, or rent from Redbox

~ Create a mini bar in the bottom drawer of the fridge & stock with small bottles of water & soft drinks

~ Print off menus & flyers for the places we are going & put them in a folder

~ Have stamps & pens on hand – we are going to buy some cheesy tourist postcards from the gift shops & mail them to relatives (especially funny since they all live here too!)

Do you have any more ideas for me? Please share!!

Tune in next week when I share some great staycation ideas for the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Run on over to We Are That Family for tons of great tips!

wfmw – best ever strawberry cake

wfmwbannerkristen

I have a confession to make … we ate this for breakfast this morning! It wouldn’t still be good by the weekend (when we normally have dessert), and it’s got to be healthier than Froot Loops, right?

This my mom’s lovely recipe. The strawberries in the cake make it dense & moist, and the icing is thick like cheesecake. It is so delicious!!!

Best Ever! Strawberry Cake

1 strawberry cake mix

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

10 oz. frozen, sliced strawberries (thawed & drained)

Mix together for 2 minutes on med speed. Pour into a greased and floured 9 X13 pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 mins.

Cool.

Icing

2  8oz pkgs of cream cheese (softened)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (softened)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together until blended. Frost cooled cake.

This is much better made ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours, or even better, overnight.

Run on over to We Are That Family for tons of summer recipes!

free summer art & music program

harmony fine arts button

Harmony Art Mom is offering her Harmony Fine Arts – Summer 2009 Art and Music Appreciation Plans for FREE! It is a six week program focusing on artists and composers.

Be sure to look around her beautiful site while you are there!

passport to adventure

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Show kids how rewarding it can be to spend time in the outdoors by signing them up for REI’s Passport to Adventure.

Print out an adventure journal to document hikes, bike rides, and other fun outdoor activities.

You can then submit the journal for a special prize – binoculars that turn into other cool tools including a compass, signal mirror, magnifying glass and more!

wfmw – search for free attractions

wfmwbannerkristen

This week’s Works-For-Me Wednesday has a fun “Mom, I’m Bored” theme.

I found a really great site for finding all of the FREE activities in your area. You can search the database for museums, parks, concerts, parades, festivals and zoo. Take a look and see what’s happening in your neck of the woods.

Free-Attractions.com

Oh, and if you have a Bass Pro Shop nearby, check out their free Family Summer Camp.

Run on over to We Are That Family for tons of great summer boredom-busters!

Tips I Want To Remember:

Idea Jar

Popsicles in the Garage

Summer Memorization

Sponge Dodge Ball



bass pro summer camp

Our recent move put us about 5 minutes from a Bass Pro Shop, so I was excited to receive a flyer in the mail today for their Family Summer Camp.

bass

summer reading splash

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It’s time for The Old Schoolhouse Second Annual Summer Reading Splash. They have downloadable record sheets, a coloring contest, scavenger hunt, and lots of prizes all summer long.

Hoppy Reading!