Using these Bo Bunny Boardwalk themed pages has been a great experience, the kit I used was from Scrapbook Cove from Debbie Lukacs. These are two great resources for some quality scrapbook supplies. The paper pad is Pacific Cove by Craft Smith a Michael's find.
I used the above layout off of the internet as a guide to make my own similar page. I like the way it turned out, it will be a great addition to out Summer 2015 Memory Album!
Summer is a great time to find new treasures to be enjoyed all year long!
Freebies for husband...
freebies for kiddos for nature study...
freebies for me...
25cent gift for mom for Christmas...
25 cents each books for the girls...
25 cents dollhouse arbor...
25 cents each, 2 LL bean shirts for my daughter...
$3 pair of Adidas warm up pants for my daughter.
I was fortunate enough to pick up this beautiful bathing suit at the Salvation Army for $5. The brand is Maxine Of Hollywood made in the U.S.A. and the fabric is lycra. The quality is awesome.
My daughter wanted me to take the legs in because it was ballooning up when she was in the water, so I did and the fabric was a dream to sew. I highly recommend this brand of bathing suit and looking at the website they had many modest styles.
This summer we had some very close to home mini outings. Just spending some quality time together at a local pond or playground, bringing a few snacks and enjoying a few hours out of the house was good enough for us.
We were blessed with a brand new beautiful play scape at our local park. This one has a great natural woodsy theme!
It is always so rewarding for me to see my older children still helping and actually still playing with their younger siblings! having even older children who have already moved out helps me keep in mind how fast these times go by and how precious each moment with them really is.
Time and life are so precious and I have learned that it doesn't take a lot of money or things to make kids happy, a bit of outdoor space and some good old imagination are what memories are made of!
A blanket, some books, some snacks and some kids make for an afternoon of fun!
My girls are getting older and I am seeing these next five years as some very important bonding times. Just being with them and talking or lending and ear is important for all of us.
Little mini outings are great in spring, summer and fall to build relationships with family. Kids and adults are never to old to spend some time having some good old fashion outdoor playground fun close to home!
I have not always known what to keep on hand for summer survival with the kiddos! making things fun, practical and interesting can be a challenge during the days off. Over the years, I have gained some experience and I have recently utilized some You Tube channels on the subject. It is always nice to see how other moms make it work!
The Practicle:
Here are a few I picked up:
beach towels don't have to be expensive or huge, these are just right and a good quality for under $5 at Wal Mart.
A medium size cooler for about $10 at Family Dollar is great for tossing water bottles and snacks in for a country ride or picnic or sometime at the local park. these will also carry over into the fall soccer season as well. This one has one pocket in the front.
I am not the biggest fan of hand sanitizer but on outings it can be good for a quick wipe up especially for little ones who get there hands into all kinds of things. it is good to use sporadically here and there.( and they come in some really cute designs)
A good quality grouping of containers to put in your to go cooler. I keep 1/2 of these right in the cooler so that I do not have to search for them when needed. These are great because the lids do not detach and they are easy to open and close. Again these were $10 at family Dollar and it comes with 10 containers. I actually want to get another pack of them.
Swimming trunks, bathing suits and beach cover ups are also must haves. I just love to wrap up my little ones in soft terry cloth after an afternoon swim!
This is a hooded cover up and I was thrilled to find these for $4.99 at the Christmas Tree Shops. they also have the cute boy version as well...
I have seen these for $30 or more on different online stores. They are so soft and i threw them in the washer and dryer and they came out great!
I hope these ideas have been helpful and make your summer more functional and easier. When you have simple practical items on hand it makes this time of year more enjoyable!
My kids and husband work hard to get our pool up and running once again! They have all been enjoying going out on these hot summer days and taking a dip!
I think this year has it has gotten the most use because the weather has been consistently hot and muggy.
I have gotten in a few times myself because our lil' boy just loves the water!
I feel so blessed to be able to have a pool for these energetic young people, it is such a joy to see them swimming and cooling off and playing together! These will be the things they talk about when they get older!
It is always fun to play games especially when their are prizes to be won!
A great way to spend some time with the kids, is a simple game of Bingo! pick up some cheap but enticing games at your local Dollar Tree, set them out on a table and let the games begin! I has to try and find things that were good for both boys and girls so snacks, candy, sport drinks, and some pool toys did the trick!
Sometimes after a swim in the pool,a movie or some chores, a couple of rounds of bingo can be a good afternoon filler.
The winner gets a something of their choice and the others get to try again. They usually share some of their winnings with the others so it is always a win win situation! You can also give consolation prizes like one or two gummy bears to the ones who didn't win, that way it is fun for everyone!
Mother is always the caller so there will be no arguing over that issue. I have to be careful because we have a little one who still puts things in his mouth. Keeping track of the balls and chips is a must around here.
This has been a nice way to pass some quality time together this summer! Do you have any family favorites that help to add to your summer fun? Let me know in the comments below!
On our way...
across the tracks...
to the river...
the young fisher boys and girls go!
Casting...
waiting...
reeling...
pretending...
sitting...
as mama watches from a distance!
Picking up used books at tag sales, our local library, and thrift stores is an affordable way to be able to keep some quality reads around the house! Our library usually has a shelf of books for sale and they are about 3 for $1.
I have always found that Klutz Kits really know how to motivate kids! I don't mind paying full price for them but finding them used is even better! This one is like those social media quizzes, ex. What kind of cookie are you?
I think this book will be great for summer since it has a lot of hands on activities that promote keeping the Earth beautiful! Leave books out on end tables or coffee tables instead of on shelves, they will likely get more use that way.
Usborne Books are another great book publishing company. They are well planned out and this one even has internet related links for further learning resources.
Reproductibles are a quick and easy way to print up some fun monthly themed activities for the kids when the kids are bored.
Keeping books in the home encourages self-directed learning and helps kids develop a love for reading as well. Books don't have to be expensive there are many ways to obtain them cheaper than retail price. Try all different types of titles and subjects to see your child's interest grow!
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