southern california hotel pools
|

Best Southern California Hotel Pools (she: Kim)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

Hey Everyone, it’s Kimberly Fidler over at Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. It is the middle of summer and I have swimming on the brain. I know I’m not the only one who selects my hotel around the pool. Southern California has some incredible pools, and at Get Away Today, we tour all of our hotels. To make your pool hotel picking a little easier for your next vacation, I’ve narrowed down what I think are the best Southern California hotel pools:

children's book and activity
| | | | |

Children’s Book and Activity… A House Is a House for Me (she: Brooke)

ByBrooke

Hey, Or So She Says readers! It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots. How was your 4th of July weekend? Fun, and festive, I hope!
I’m sure if you’re not sick of hearing it by now, you might be soon, but I pulled this children’s book and activity from my first grade teaching files. I’ve been wanting to share it for quite some time, and finally have gotten around to it. It’s the perfect activity for a lazy (or bored) summer day, and you can actually add to it all summer long!
This is the book you’ll need. It’s called A House is a House for Me (click here to listen to it on YouTube). Have you heard of it? If not, it’s one you need to add to your collection as soon as possible. It talks about all of the different houses in our world. A hill is a house for an ant, a web is a home for a spider, the sea is a house for a whale, a husk is a home for a corn cob, etc. So many clever ideas in this book! It makes your children (and you!) realize how many things house things in our world.

Blackberry Cobbler… The Perfect Summery Dessert (she: Maria)
|

Blackberry Cobbler… The Perfect Summery Dessert (she: Maria)

ByMaria

Hello, dear friends! This is Maria from Shopgirl visiting again, and I have another recipe to share with you today! Since summer is officially here, it’s time for all those delicious summer desserts! Nothing says summer dessert to me like baking with fresh fruit. I look forward to ripe, juicy berries and wonderfully fragrant peaches all year! This blackberry cobbler is a great choice for a quick and easy, but utterly delicious summer dessert. You are definitely going to want to make this, because it is like summer in a bite (especially topped with a big scoop of ice-cream, of course).

bike parade
|

Fourth of July Bike Parade (she: Darleen)

ByDarleen

Happy Fourth of July! Do you have any exciting plans tomorrow? There is something extra special about festivities that happen around the Fourth of July. Well, this is Darleen from Darling Darleen, and at our house we go all out on this patriotic holiday. I make sure we are all donned in red, white and blue outfits…of course! When we lived in the Northeast we spent many 4th of July holidays in Boston and on the beaches in Cape Cod, attending the parade and fireworks show. Since living in the South, we’ve picked up a tradition that many of the neighborhoods do, which are bike parades! This was new to us, but we love the idea.
We love this because you can take your party on the go–whether hitting up your town’s annual parade or having a festive picnic at the park. Visit the dollar store or your local craft store just a few days prior to the 4th or better yet TODAY. They usually mark down holiday party items a couple days before the actual day. Pick up paper pinwheels, streamers, garland, flag picks and the inexpensive what-is-this-used-for items. Chances are most of it will look pretty darn good on an 8-year-old’s bike.

Sour Berry Fizz from Gina @ Kleinworth & Co. www.kleinworthco.com
| | |

Sour Berry Fizz … the Perfect Poolside Drink (she: Gina)

ByGina Kleinworth

Hi all! It’s Gina from Kleinworth & Co. Hope you all are having a wonderful summer so far. For many years we lived in the desert of Nevada & endured countless scorching summers. During that time we learned a thing or two about how to cool off when the temps keep creeping higher. When it gets hot I like to whip up something quick in the kitchen & then go find some shade to cool down. One of my favorites is this Sour Berry Fizz. Just a couple ingredients & 60 seconds in the blender & then kick your feet up & relax by the pool.
This was one drink we really loved to enjoy out on the back patio while having some pool time. I would whip up a double batch & keep the pitcher out with us by the pool for easy refills while we splashed the afternoon away.

t-shirt-beach-bag
|

T-Shirt Beach Bag DIY… a No-Cost Summer Carryall (she: Anne)

ByAnne

Hey everyone. It’s Anne from Circus Berry here to share a quick DIY that is perfectly suited for your summer.

Can you believe it is July already? We are in the thick of summer which means there are all new things to cart around to summer camp, the beach, the pool, and the park. For my kids, a day at summer camp means they need a towel, bathing suit, sunscreen, hat, shoes, and sunglasses to go back and forth from school/camp to home, everyday. I was thinking of an easy way to get these necessities back and forth everyday–something easy to carry, easy to wash if needed, and cost free. With one visit to my stash of old tees, the solution was easy indeed.

trampoline water park

Trampoline Water Park… A Cool Way to Beat the Heat! (she: Jamie)

ByJamie S.

Hi, it’s Jamie, stopping by from Prepared Housewives to tell you about our trampoline water park project that will make you a super-hero in your kid’s eyes 😉

It’s hot, really hot (at least in Texas)! Which means sending the kids out to play only lasts a few minutes before they need drinks, Popsicles, & Band-Aids for their boo-boos.

I would love to fill our days with outings and fun trips to Disney, but the fact is bills need paid and laundry needs done.
Luckily, my husband saved my sanity by deciding to turn our trampoline into our own personal water park. He still won’t admit he stole the idea from Pinterest, but it doesn’t matter – it has entertained our kids, the neighborhood kids, and even some adults for hours.

It’s super simple, and with just a little PVC pipe you can survive the heat and save your sanity too..

Skinny Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip - a delicious and perfectly good for you summer snack! www.orsoshesays.com #greekyogurtdiprecipe #greekyogurtdip #greekyogurt #yogurtdip #yogurt #dip #familyrecipe #easyrecipe #appetizer #recipe #ldsblogger #lds #mormonblogger #mormon #familyideas
|

Greek Yogurt Dip Recipe – Perfect for Summer Produce!

Bycathy

Hey there, Or So She Says friends! It’s Cathy from Lemon Tree Dwelling, here today to share a fabulous SKINNY summer recipe with you! It’s that time of year…..bathing suit time….which, around here, is always a little bit daunting. This year it is especially daunting, because I just had a BABY!!
Made with plain Greek yogurt, Greek seasoning, minced garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper, this dip is naturally fat free, full of protein, and perfect for dipping your favorite summer veggies. It would be extra delicious with a sprinkle of feta cheese….but that sorta takes away the “skinny”. Either way, it has become my favorite new way to eat veggies…during bathing suit season, post-baby, or anytime!

Disneyland's Bengal Barbecue Recipes roundup on www.orsoshesays.com #Disneyland #Disneylandrecipe #recipes #BBQ
| |

Disneyland’s Bengal Barbecue Recipe Round-up

ByAdelle Belnap

Hey Everyone, it’s Adelle from Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. Summer is the season for two of my favorite things: Disneyland vacations and barbecue. My combined love for the two inspired me to re-create the recipes for one of my family’s most craved meals at Disneyland – Bengal Barbecue. My kids love the skewers because they are yummy and fun to eat. I love them for the same reasons, but also because they’re one of the more affordable meal options inside the park. At $4 a skewer, it can’t be beat… unless you make them at home!

Our Alaskan Cruise Review

Our Alaskan Cruise 2014 ~ Grand Princess

ByMariel

Have you been to Alaska?? I’m so happy to say that I FINALLY have! Alaska has always been one of those places I’ve longed to go, but had to weigh it against a warm (and cheaper) vacation on the beach. But, after a series of beach vacations, the looming hot Utah summer, and a not-quite-swimsuit-ready body, it was a great time for a change… somewhere I had never been before. So, for our 14 year anniversary (yay!), Dan and I packed our bags and took off on an Alaskan cruise. We just got back last week. It was soooo awesome. I bet you didn’t even know I was gone, right? The OSSS behind-the-scenes team rocks it, I tell ya!

Dan and I try to do a non-kid vacation at least once a year. Sometimes it ends up being less often, but that’s definitely our goal. Thank heavens we have fantastic mothers who are so sweet to take care of our babies, while we’re gone. It’s such a nice break and soooo good for us.

chore chart printable
| |

Chore Chart Printable for Your Kids (she: Sharon)

Bysharon

Now that summer is here, I’ve decided that it is time to organize my kids’ chores. I was inspired to make this chore chart printable after seeing some fancy ones online. For those ones you had to buy and cut sheet metal, make semi-complicated magnets, buy a frame, and also find a place to hang the frames. So, I thought of a much simpler solution (and you only have to buy one inexpensive thing), and I made THIS free download that you can use on your fridge, or any other magnetic surface.