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This weekend, my husband and I and a couple of our kids are going camping. Our family has always enjoyed camping in the great outdoors! It is a great way to get out of the Phoenix heat! Later this month, I am going to our church's girl's camp again, so camping is really on my mind.
With summer here and parent's looking for ways to entertain kids, Backyard Camping can be a great way to do something fun without having to spend money on gas, but still helping the kids spend time out of doors. Plus, there is the added benefit of being close to a clean bathroom! Camping in the heat of the city, you ask? Well, that can be a problem in some places, (like Phoenix), but there are some ways to help with that! So, for this Fun Friday, here are our best ideas for a fun Backyard Camping Night!
Set up, Timing and Preparation:
Food Suggestions:
If you live where it is cool enough in the evening to actually have a fire pit fire, you can do a variety of things:
Adrian at the s'mores bar at their wedding reception. It would be great to do in the backyard when it is too hot for a campfire. We just put stones in metal planters and nestled the Sterno in them, then people could roast their marshmallows on skewers we provided.
If you live in Phoenix, or somewhere else where it is too hot for a fire at night, you can do this:
Ways to Be Cool:
Camp Out Activities:
There are so many fun things to do when camping, whether you are in the woods or on a backyard camp out. Here are a few of our favorites:
Backyard camping is an activity the whole family can enjoy together, or just let the kids sleep on their own after the night's activities! Mom and Dad are right inside if they get scared! So is the bathroom! (Make sure they use it before they settle down for the night!) The memories you make with them will last a lifetime!
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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!
Summer is here and coping with kids and heat sometimes requires some creative thinking and helpful gadgets! Every so often, in our day to day lives we come across gadgets that we realize we are relying on almost everyday and really don't want to do without. I was thinking about what those gadgets are for me right now and I asked the girls what their favorite gadgets are as well. Here is a list of things you may come to find will make your life easier!
Back when we were doing Friday Faves, we did a similar post. It is funny to look back and see how the list has changed. Of course, we aren't limiting ourselves to just kitchen gadgets this time.
PIttsburgh 7/8" Spring Clamp Set: My husband and I were in Harbor Freight and I saw these little clamps. I knew they would be perfect for all of the summer snack bags, etc, that I need to close up. If you have a Harbor Freight near you, they were only $1.99 there, for a set of 6. They close tightly and are so cute!
 
Oster Bread Maker: Alicia loves this bread maker. She says that it mixes up the perfect pizza dough for her every time!
 
Kitchen Aid Food Processor: Along with her bread machine, Alicia loves her food processor. She says she makes tomato sauce in her food processor with canned whole tomatoes, garlic, onions and spices. Then she keeps it in a container in her fridge and uses it throughout the week! Perfect for the pizza sauce! (I love my food processor too, which is this one.)
 
OXO Salad Spinner: Salads are a big part of the menu in the summer months. This gadget, the salad spinner, comes in handy when you want your oil based dressings to stick to the salad. Lindsey loves it. (They are pretty fun to spin! Get your kids involved!)
Pampered Chef Ice Cream Scoop: Another thing that gets used a lot in the summer is the ice cream scoop. I just purchased the Pampered Chef scoop this year. I don't know how I lived with any other scoop. It cuts through had ice cream really easily and makes nice scoops. It is easy to grip and has a great look as the cherry on top. It may seem pricey for an ice cream scoop, but I am not regretting it!
 
Air Fryer: Lindsey loves her air fryer! Especially since her husband likes to cook in it, too! It is a great way to have fried food without the oil and extra fat in your diet. You can even bake a cake in it, so no heating up the oven and your kitchen!
 
Himalayan Rock Salt Night Light: Like I said, we aren't just sticking to kitchen gadgets! Maddy loves her salt night light so much that she got one for me! These night lights glow beautifully and they are natural air purifiers! Even though it gets dark later in the summer, Maddy works late much of the time and this beautiful light is welcoming when she gets home.
What gadgets are you loving right now? Let us know in the comments! Some of these could even make nice Father's Day gifts! ( A little set of clamps, or the air fryer? How about the ice cream scoop along with his favorite flavor of ice cream?) We would love to see your ideas.
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. But, all opinions expressed are my own.
It is one thing to just sit as a family and randomly watch a movie together with some people interested and others not so much. But, planning a special family movie night makes it a special time when memories are created.
It can be easy and inexpensive to plan a movie night. A lot of stuff can be found at DollarTree! If you get everyone involved it is even more fun. When we go to the movie theater, we all have our favorite treats that we like to get. Personally, I love a box of Junior Mints. Some people love Milk Duds or Mike and Ike's. Popcorn is a must! You can pop it in advance and bag it in some cute bags or get reusable plastic popcorn containers like these that you can use for every Family Movie Night. If you don't want to go with sodas, you can always whip up some smoothies or other juices as a special treat.
Make sure everyone is comfortable by breaking out the cushions, pillows and blankets. Be extra sure everyone goes to the bathroom and has all of the treats that they need before you dim the lights just like in a real movie theater! Turn off your phones and electronics and really get into the show! Remember if you have younger children, start the event early enough so that they are able to enjoy the whole movie.
Everyone has different ages to appeal to when it comes to a movie night. If it becomes a weekly or monthly event at your house, and you have younger children, let them take turns choosing the movie and make sure everyone knows that there is no complaining because their turn will come and it puts a real damper on the party if people complain. (This reminds me of when Maddy was in Jr. High and was really into the Twilight Series. When she got the first movie, she really wanted us all to watch it together. We did. After she went to bed that night, my husband confided in me that he thought it was the worst movie he had ever seen! Ha Ha! But he never would have told her that. She knows now, but she has moved on so...).
On the other hand, if you have teenagers, be sure they know the boundaries of what can be chosen, especially if they have younger siblings. At our house that would mean no extreme scariness or horror. Mom and Dad have to approve all choices, ratings, subject matter, etc. But come on, there are a lot of really good family movies out there that everyone can enjoy! Here are some of our choices:
Well, I hope we've given you some ideas for movies that you may not have thought of! If you have a movie that is always a hit at your house, let us know. We're always up for a good movie! I hope you'll incorporate Family Movie Night into your family's list of fun activities to enjoy together, and have a blast doing it!
Have a great weekend! |
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to ten and counting! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, and my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! 
Click this link and visit 3WinksDesignShop on Etsy. Find our Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book, our For the Love of PIe e-book and more of our creations!
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