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Links To Kid’s 4th of July Activities

July 1, 2010 2 Comments
If you’re looking for some fun activities and learning exercises to help teach your kid’s about the 4th of July and/or the history of the United States, this post is for you.  This short list of links will provide you with all the worksheets, printables, project ideas, and learning activities you need for your kids of all ages.

Also, check back in a couple of days, because I’ll be posting some links to resources for older kids and more advanced studies!

Conversation Jar at Just Sew Sassy – One of our blog friends and Friday Favorites participants, Staci, linked up this great post last week.  It gives you a tutorial on how to make a conversation jar, to teach your kids about our history and patriotic holidays.

Apples for the teacher has a lot of coloring sheets, worksheets, printables, craft projects, a reading list of kid’s books, and other great stuff for 4th of July.

Kaboose also has some 4th of July printables for you.

Family Fun has a ton of 4th of July crafts, recipes, and printables.

Activity Village has compiled together a lot of information, quizzes, activity sheets, crafts, etc.

Primary Games had a few color sheets that I thought were cute.

Brighthub has a user article that gives some ideas for lesson plans for preschool children.

Twiggle Magazine has some 4th of July recipes and snacks to make with the kids.

-Jerri

Filed Under: Misc Holidays, Patriotic, School/College

Fun Kid’s Fashions for 4th of July

June 29, 2010 2 Comments
Whenever I start to work on holiday-themed posts, I usually spend most of my time on food, crafts, and decor.  But today, I’m focusing on fashion!  Kid’s fashion to be exact!   I looked around and found some really cute and fun kid’s fashion items for the 4th.  Here’s just a few of the things I found. Some of these are items you can purchase online, while others are fun fashion crafts that you can make at home.  And all of them will look great on your little patriot!

Red, White, and Blue and oh-so cute! I found this adorable personalized 4th of July shirt at My Little Pumpkin Designs on etsy.

I thought this bald eagle shirt was just too cute!  Head over to Family Fun for the tutorial.

Another great fashion craft. It’s quite easy and economical to make this 4th of July crown from Family Fun.  How festive!

More 4th of July head gear.  Head over to Celebrations to find out how to make this Firecracker Hat.

I found these adorably sweet flip flops at Associated Content.  Then I followed the link and found them for sale, along with a lot of other cute fashion items at Oh So Cheeky Boutique.

-Jerri

Filed Under: fashion, Misc Holidays, Patriotic

4th of July Flag Treats

June 28, 2010 17 Comments
Photo Credit
I just love new spins on old favorites!  I found these 4th of July Flag Treats on Class Brain.  Wouldn’t these be great to serve to the kids this weekend?  The Class Brain site also has other activities, worksheets, etc for the 4th.
Here’s a list of what you’ll need and the instructions to to make the treats.
What you’ll need:

Crispy rice treats
Airheads® Cherry bars
Airheads® White Mystery bars
Airheads® Blue Raspberry bars
Small kitchen knife or scissors
Small star-shaped cookie cutter (optional)

Directions:
Cut crispy rice treats into rectangles. Cut part of an Airheads® Blue Raspberry bar to make the upper blue corner of the flag. Cut alternating strips of Airheads® Cherry and White Mystery to make the flag’s stripes. Arrange pieces on crispy rice treat. Trim to fit. Using either a star-shaped cookie cutter, or by hand, cut out a star shape from an Airheads® White Mystery bar. Place star on the blue square. And you’re done!

-Jerri
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I’m posting a link to this post at:
It’s So Very Creative & It’s So Very Thrifty hosted by It’s So Very Cheri
Make it for Monday hosted by Cottage Instincts
Made it Mondays hosted by The Persimmon Perch
Making the World Cuter Monday hosted by Making the World Cuter
Make Your Monday hosted by Twice Remembered
Metamorphosis Monday hosted by Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Market Yourself Monday is hosted by Sumos Sweet Stuff
Marketing Mondays and Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
What Your Working with Wednesday is hosted by Me and My Bucket
Show & Tell Wednesday is hosted by Blue Cricket Design
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Week End Review is hosted by Tator Tots & Jello
Star on Saturday is hosted by Craft-Werk
Penny Pinching Party is hosted by The Thrifty Home
Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Romantic Home
Tidy Mom

Filed Under: Misc Holidays, Patriotic, School/College

Spring Gift Guide

May 4, 2010 Leave a Comment
Just in time for Mother’s Day and Graduation, here is my Spring Gift Guide!  I love sharing great products and shops with you guys, and this is a great opportunity to do that.  And it’s also a great way to give back and say thank you to my wonderful sponsors and to other shops that I’ve had some affiliation with.
Unfortunately I only have time to feature one product from each shop, so please visit all these places to see everything they have to offer!  You will not be disappointed!

For moms on the go, check out the coffee cozies available at Ahmelie.  She also has a vast collection of baby blankets, towels, and burpie cloths.  And if the mom in your life likes to sew, Ahmelie has a line of sewing patterns for toys, pin cushions, bags, and clothing!

I don’t know a single mom out there who doesn’t love a good handbag!  Nancy’s Bags Etc. has colorful, chic, fun, and stylish bags to help you or your favorite mom make a bold fashion statement this spring! 
Isn’t this lovely? Along with her adorable baby items and household products BassWoodStitchery has several cute shawls, ponchos, and slippers for the ladies.

This Rustic Butterfly necklace is one of many unique pieces in the Tree Candy jewelry line at Rock Candy Vintage – A lovely shop stocked with handmade jewelry and vintage clothing!

If you want to get Mom something sweet, try these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles from Millie’s Place.  And while you’re looking for something to munch on, you can check out some of the lovely hand stitched items up for sale!
If you want to make Mom smile with some stunning jewelry, check out My Handmade Crafts. This piece is called Romancing Spring. Beautiful! And I think you’ll love her other pieces as well!
I love antiques! (probably because my mom loves antiques!)  And I especially love pitchers like the one featured here.  If you’re mom likes antiques too, check out Mom’s Antiques N Things for some unique one of a kind gift items!

Don’t you love these Light Rose Copper Earrings?  You’ll find these and more beautiful jewelry, beads, gemstones, and more at Tamsy Trends. You can also get Free Shipping for Mother’s Day!

Charm bracelets are always a favorite of mine, and this one is so enchanting! If you like this Secret Romance Princess Charm Bracelet, check out Burning Moon for this and more jewelry, beads, hair clips, etc! 
The Little Black Dress Bracelet is the latest listing in my shop! You can purchase bracelets, earrings, and keychains at, Simply Sweet Creations, and I’m now featuring a 10-25% sale on select items for Mother’s Day, and Super Deals at 50% off! 

I hope everyone finds something great for their Mom this year!

-Jerri
Filed Under: Misc Holidays, shopping, Sponsors

Berry Cheesecake

June 28, 2009 15 Comments
Next week I’ll be back with some of my own creations, but till then I have another great recipe from Taste of Home. It is a very scrumptious, delectable berry cheesecake. This is a perfect summertime treat complete with festive coloring for your 4th of July party.

Recipe for Berry Cheesecake:

Ingredients:

8 sheets phyllo dough (14 inches x 9 inches)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup strawberry jelly

1 cup whipped topping

Sliced fresh strawberries and additional blueberries, optional

Directions: Place one phyllo sheet in a greased 9-in. pie plate; brush with butter. Repeat seven times; trim edges. Bake at 425° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (center will puff up). Cool on a wire rack. For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into crust. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cover edges with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake 23-27 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled. In a small bowl, beat jelly until smooth; spread over filling. Spread with whipped topping. Garnish with strawberries and additional blueberries if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

-Jerri






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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.

Making A Happy Home Monday is hosted by As For Me and My House….

Make Something Monday is hosted by Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom and Diana Rambles.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.

I Am Blissfully Domestic is hosted by Blissfully Domestic.

Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.

Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.

Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family

Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

Filed Under: desserts, Misc Holidays, Patriotic, Recipe of the Week

Patriotic Cupakes

June 22, 2009 10 Comments
This week’s recipe comes from Taste of Home. Their website is full of great recipes for all occasions, and they have great magazines that are very affordable.

These Patriotic cupcakes would be perfect for your Fourth of July party or picnic, and you could use different colors of food coloring for other occasions as well. It’s very easy and fun recipe that all you cupcakes fans should love.

Recipe for Patriotic Cupcakes:
Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1/2 teaspoon blue food coloring
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
Red, white and blue sprinkles
Directions: Prepare cake batter according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine 1-1/3 cups batter and blue food coloring. In another bowl, combine 1-1/3 cups batter and red food coloring. Leave remaining batter plain. Fill paper-lined muffin cups with 2 tablespoons red batter, 2 tablespoons plain batter and 2 tablespoons blue batter. Bake at 350° for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with vanilla frosting; decorate with sprinkles. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

-Jerri



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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Making A Happy Home Monday is hosted by As For Me and My House….
Make Something Monday is hosted by Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom and Diana Rambles.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
I Am Blissfully Domestic is hosted by Blissfully Domestic.
Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.
Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

Filed Under: cupcakes, Misc Holidays, Patriotic, Recipe of the Week

Great Gifts for Mom

May 5, 2009 2 Comments
I’m always happy to see my site stats and follower numbers going up, and it’s so wonderful to read everyone’s lovely comments every week. Thank you so much for coming by each week and reading.
I’m also lucky to have picked up some great sponsors in the last few months. These ladies are an inspiration to bloggers and mompreneurs everywhere. And as a way of saying thank you and Happy Mother’s Day to them, I decided to feature some of their great products in a “Great Gifts for Mom” post.
Please join me in supporting our sponsors by going by their shops this Mother’s Day!

Bright Multi Swarovski Bracelet from Our 2 Peas In A Pod

Bottle Cap Digital Collage Sheet from Little T Studio

Moonbeam Pendant from Lavender Cottage

Felt Vegetable Patterns from Umecrafts

Mom’s Favorite Babycakes from Five Star Sweets

-Jerri


Filed Under: Misc Holidays, Sponsors

Recipe of the Week: Pistachio Dessert Salad

March 16, 2009 24 Comments
pistachio dessert salad In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day I wanted to post a green colored recipe. My mom used to make this Pistachio Dessert Salad every year at Christmas. Actually she called it Congealed Salad or Pistachio Salad. As a kid I always called it “that green stuff.” Actually I still call it that, but I think Pistachio Dessert Salad sounds a little more inviting.

 

In some cookbooks it’s also listed as Watergate Salad. In case your curious about this name origin I looked it up (proving once again that I’m one of the biggest nerds on the planet), and I found an article at Life123.com. It said that pistachio pudding was introduced by Kraft in 1976, and customers began making Pistachio Pineapple Delight. Then a Chicago food reporter named it Watergate Salad in her column. So there you go.

 

Today I’m sharing the recipe that I use and some variations on the recipe.

Recipe for Pistachio Dessert Salad:

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 (3 3/4 oz.) pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix
1 to 1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

 

Directions: Combine pudding mix and Cool Whip. Add other ingredients and mix well. Chill 1 hour before serving.
Tips & Suggestions:

 

-This is a very easy recipe to customize for different occasions or for your own tastes. Here are some examples and suggestions:
  • Add a splash of color and flavor by mixing in OR topping with Maraschino cherries.
  • Substitute a can of fruit cocktail for the pineapple. Or if you like a lot of fruit, mix in the fruit cocktail in addition to the pineapple.
  • Another great item to subsitute or add to the mix is mandarin oranges.
-You can also change the recipe completely by using a different flavor of pudding or jello mix.
  • My mom makes a red/pink version of this using cherry or strawberry jello and Maraschino cherries.
  • If you want a green salad, but you don’t like pistachio, you can use lime gelatin instead.
  • Another version I’ve heard of uses orange jello, mandarin oranges, and/or pineapple.

Personally I love this pistachio version. What do you guys think?

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Please visit the following sites for more great recipes & other ideas:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Making A Happy Home Monday is hosted by As For Me and My House….
Kitchen Tip Tuesdays is hosted by Tammy’s Recipes
Make Something Monday is hosted by Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Forever Wherever.
I Am Blissfully Domestic is hosted by Blissfully Domestic.


-Jerri


Filed Under: desserts, Misc Holidays, Recipe of the Week

Help the Troops this Election Day

November 4, 2008 1 Comment

On this election day, I’ve chosen to write a post about a non-partisan cause that anyone and everyone can get behind. With all the campaign rhetoric and the talk of the “economic crisis” we seem to have forgotten that our soldiers have been fighting for our freedom overseas, and since Veteran’s Day is coming up, as well as the holiday season, I think it’s a perfect time to highlight some charitable organizations that help our men and women overseas.

So for today’s post I’d like to tell you about the 2008 Thanksgiving Thank You Project. This is a project to help our wounded veterans. All you have to do is visit the website and put your name & other information in the form to send a Thank You/Get Well card to a wounded Veteran. You also have the option of writing a personal message to the veteran. This only takes a minute or two of your time, and it will give the card a much more personal sentiment. You also have an option of giving a donation to the wounded veterans, but this is not required. Please take a moment to go here and send a card to our wounded troops. It’s the least we can do for our wounded vets.

I also encourage you to take a look at Operation Homefront. This organization does a lot to help military members and their families. They provide assistance in emergencies and they provide financial assistance, furniture & appliances, baby items, car donations/repairs, and other items and services for those in need. Their organization also has adopt-a-family opportunities & programs to send holiday gift baskets to military families. You can also visit Ecarepackage, which is a part of Operation Homefront. At this website you can learn about how you can sponsor a military member or family.

Also, check out The Wounded Warrior Project, which works to raise awareness of the needs of severely wounded vets and works to provide aid and services to these vets.

Hope you’re all having a good election day, and I hope you all consider giving to one of these great charities this holiday season. Thanks!

Filed Under: Causes/Charities, Misc Holidays, Patriotic

Recipe of the Week: Red, White, & Blue Shortcake

July 3, 2008 1 Comment

For this week’s recipe, I’ve chosen a simple, yet lovely shortcake recipe from Betty Crocker. Doesn’t it look fabulous? And even though it’s a 4th of July recipe, I think this one is definitely fit to stick around for the entire summer!

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, sliced (6 cups)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 2/3cups Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup whipping (heavy) cream
2 tablespoons granulated or powdered sugar
1. Mix strawberries and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Let stand 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 425ºF. Mix Bisquick mix, milk, cherries, 6 tablespoons sugar and the butter until soft dough forms.
3. Gently smooth dough into ball on surface sprinkled lightly with Bisquick mix. Knead 10 times. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 3-inch star-shaped or round cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Stir blueberries into strawberries. Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Split shortcakes in half. Fill and top with berries and whipped cream.

Filed Under: desserts, Misc Holidays, Patriotic, Recipe of the Week
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