ABC activities
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ABC Activities for Your Pre-Preschooler

ByBrooke

Hello, hello! It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots. How are you all? Finally settling into your school routines? My twins just finished their third week of school, and my preschooler began Thursday, so we’re definitely into the school routine at our house. I do have to say it’s a bit strange not having a little one around all day (although that will be changing in about six weeks when baby boy number four arrives). I miss doing fun and simple educational activities with my youngest. We still do things here and there, but with school and other activities keeping us busy, we don’t have a lot of free time to do some of the activities we used to.
And considering baby number four hasn’t even been born yet, it will be a while before I need to pull out my ABC activites again. But before I put them away for too long, I thought it would be fun to share them with you. Some of these activities date back to my first grade teaching days, and some are ones I’ve discovered recently in this technology-filled world of ours. My boys always loved doing these at home before their preschool years. We only have ever done one year of preschool with our boys because I love doing things like this at home for FREE! I promise if you do just one of these a day (along with reading) with your three-year-old, he/she will be more than ready preschool, and much more. So, let’s get started!

Finding family time during school

Finding Family Time During the School Year (she: Heather)

ByHeather

September already!? School bells have rung and any day now the leaves are going to start changing colors. Heather here, from FamilyVolley.com. I am excited to share with you some tips for finding family time, now that school is back in session.

A new school year means family life gets a little crazy and a lot busy, which means family time can easily go out the window. The question is, how can we focus more on family and less on the hectic lifestyle we are living?

I have eight suggestions for you and your kids that will help you find more quality family time during the school year. Some are simple, like establishing a set bedtime for everyone in the family, eating a meal together regularly, or reading together. Others, like limiting technology time every day as well as weekly extra-curriculars, may be a little more difficult. But I promise it’s worth it!

Kindness Begins With Me

Kindness Begins With Me

ByMariel

Happy Sunday, my friends! I’ve been meaning to do better with my inspirational posts for Sunday. So, here’s my attempt. Hopefully, I can be a little more consistent. Today’s thought is all about kindness. We could all incorporate a little more kindness in our lives, right? Come be inspired, share the love, and get your free printable!

peach syrup
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Peach Syrup… Great for Adding to Drinks! (she: Holly)

ByHolly - Bits of Everything

Hi everyone, it’s Holly from Bits of Everything again. We have had a huge harvest with our garden this year, did you? We have a garden that is about 30 ft by 60 ft, plus an orchard with 9 fruit trees and raspberries and strawberries. I love it all, but it is a lot of work too. My very favorite thing we harvested this year is peaches! 4 of my 9 fruit trees are peaches, all different kinds. One tree gave us over 200 peaches!! Yay! I have bottled peaches, made peach fruit leather, peach pie, peach dessert, and peach jam, and still had some to share with my family and friends! This year I tried one new peach recipe — Peach Syrup.

best use for apples
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The Best Use For Apples (she: Darleen)

ByDarleen

Apple picking, just like other fruit picking, comes early in Georgia–as early as the beginning of August and will last until October. Since I recently used my last canned homemade applesauce, I knew apple picking would have to be a summer activity instead of our traditional fall activity. If you have had a chance to check out my blog, Darling Darleen, you will know we take apple picking very seriously!
I came home with a large variety of apples. We picked about 6 of the 8 varieties. I know I needed to make my picking more precise for the baking and canning I plan to do. So I put together an apple guide of some of the most popular varieties for the next time you go pick. This “Best Use for Apples” chart is a combined guide gathered from Pick Your Own and US Apple Association. It’s easy to print, so take it on your next apple picking adventure! Some helpful recommendations: for baking pies, choose apples that hold their shape and combine varieties of sweet and tart. For juicing, choose an apple that has a balance of sweet and tart like honey crisp. And for sauce–choose a sweeter apple if you prefer a low-sugar applesauce.

mushroom soft tacos
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Mushroom Soft Tacos with Parmesan Cheese (she: Cathy)

Bycathy

Hey, friends! It’s Cathy from Lemon Tree Dwelling….back again to share some yumminess with you! I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I CAN’T BELIEVE summer is over! It seriously flew by….and I must say….now that fall is here I’m not sure I’m exactly ready!
Don’t get me wrong…..I’m definitely excited for the kids to be back in school and for our lives to have a little more structure. I’m excited for them to get to know their new teachers and meet some new friends and get back into all their activities. And I’m more than excited to have a little more time to myself!
But. Back to school means back to a busy schedule. And less time than ever to make (and eat) dinner together as a family! Which is exactly where this recipe for delicious Mushroom Soft Tacos comes in.

love note printables
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Love Note Printables for National Love Note Day (she: Anne)

ByAnne

Hello there and Happy September! It’s Anne from Circus Berry. We have entered one of my favorite months of the year…the one that kicks off fall, all things pumpkin-and apple-flavored, MY BIRTHDAY, and…National Love Note Day. That’s right! September 26th is National Love Note Day.

The timing of this special little day is perfect. In the midst of back-to-school, back-to-lessons, practices, and rehearsals, tight schedules, (and for this household, the chaos of a keeping up with a newborn plus two other lively, sassy kids) we may all forget to take a moment remind our loved ones how much we love them, or what we love about them. And aren’t those little gestures important too?
Today, I am sharing some perfect, open-ended love note printables for you to use with your loved ones. Use them all in one day, across days, on one family member, or with the whole family. Take a moment to share what you love. Put a smile on someone’s face with a little surprise note!

Candle Cozy- Upcycle Old Sweaters (she: Maria)
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Candle Cozy- Upcycle Old Sweaters (she: Maria)

ByMaria

Hello Everyone! Happy September! This is Maria stopping by from Shopgirl again, and I am so excited that fall is finally on its way! As fun as the summer was, I’m ready for some cooler weather already. And even though it’s not officially fall quite yet, it is September, and in my mind, that means it’s time to start all those fall crafts. I have a fun & simple one to share with you today. I love burning candles, especially in the fall, because I love how they instantly cozy up a space, and I wanted to share one of my candle projects with you today, using a recycled old sweater. See, this is why I never throw things away… you just never know when you might need them!!! For a craft project, of course! So here’s how you can make a candle cozy for candle jars this fall:

Whatchamacallit Chewy Cereal Bars
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Whatchamacallit Cereal Bars ~ Knock-Off

ByMariel

Dudes. We’re in trouble. These babies are addicting. My kids came home from cooking class with plates full of these. After taking just one bite, we headed straight to the neighbors to give away an entire plate. The last thing I needed was to scarf 3 plates of Whatchamacallit Cereal Bars, 2 was enough. So, I think most of us have tried peanut butter bars, as well as caramel bars… Whatchamacallit combines the two, and you have to try them!

I have a special place in my heart for the actual Whatchamacallit candy bars. When I was little, my family went to Hershey World. While touring the factory, an employee pulled me and a few siblings aside and asked if we would be part of a special experiment…

Cherry Pie Ice Box Cake from Gina @ kleinworthco.com
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Cherry Pie Ice Box Cake (she: Gina)

ByGina Kleinworth

Hello my OSSS friends! It’s Gina from Kleinworth & Co. Can you believe it’s nearing September?! Seems like we just started summer & now we are talking fall. Well anyhow, I’m back today to share this simple & quick dessert that will become a new favorite. This time of year schedules are fuller than ever & I don’t think anyone has time to spend all day in the kitchen making treats. I’m sure you have noticed by now- I like desserts that whip up fast & yet still bring all the ooohhs & aahhhhs from everyone. This Cherry Pie Ice Box Cake certainly does just that.

olaf beach ball game
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Olaf Beach Ball Game and Printable (she: Adelle)

ByAdelle Belnap

Hey Everyone, it’s Adelle from over at PackedwithFun.com, the official blog for Get Away Today, where I get to share fun ways to keep vacation magic alive at home. School has started and depending on where you live, fall may already be in the air. Although I love the change of the seasons, every once in a while I start to feel a little like Olaf and wish to bring back summer!

A few months ago I put together this Olaf beach ball game and printable that is perfect for those days when your kids long for some summer fun. My kids have had so much fun with it, that I wanted to share it with you!
You can play any basketball-type game at your party with the Olaf hoop. We bought a 24 pack of 6-inch beach balls for less than $10 at the party store. We used them as decorations for our Frozen themed party, in the Olaf Ball Game and then gave them to the kids to take home as a party favor! We of course held onto a few beach balls and the Olaf inspired summer fun continues on at our house year round.