Gold Animal Place-Card Holders by The Thinking Closet
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Animal Place-Card Holders (she: Lauren)

ByLauren

Growing up, when my parents hosted company, it was always my job to create place-cards for the dinner table. My favorite set were made using soft clam shells that we spray-painted gold and wrote on with paint-markers. However, in the four years since I’ve gotten hitched and moved out of my parents’ home, I’ve grown lazy on the job. Our household has been painfully lacking in the place-card department…until now, that is!

My inspiration came from the variety of projects I’ve seen out there in blogland involving plastic animals from the Dollar Store covered in spray paint. Do you know the ones? I’ve seen these animals become bookends, wall art, jar tops, even magnets. One day, it just struck me that some gold spray painted plastic animals would be the perfect bearers of place-cards.

Snap Photos. Win Prizes. Love Life. (Instagram July 2013)
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Snap Photos. Win Prizes. Love Life. (Instagram July 2013)

ByMariel

Hello, lovers of life and Instagram! Today, myself and some fellow bloggers, are kicking off something super-duper cool. You know how you’re always snapping pictures for Instagram?? Well, now you can actually win prizes for doing it! If you haven’t joined the Instagram world yet, it’s time! To read about why it’s so great and some Instagram tips, check out this post: All About Instagram.

Now, without further ado, let’s get this party started! Let me introduce you to… ‘Loving Life…’.

Caprese Artichoke Pasta Salad (she: Cathy)
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Caprese Artichoke Pasta Salad (she: Cathy)

Bycathy

Hi, Everyone! It’s Cathy from Lemon Tree Dwelling, back with another delicious idea to share with you today: my Caprese Artichoke Pasta Salad! This salad combines the delicious flavors of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and artichoke hearts in a light, tangy homemade Basil Vinaigrette. The perfect dish for your next summer cookout!

A good friend said to me recently that we’re lucky to live in the Midwest, where the weather is always changing, because it keeps us grateful. So true!! There is nothing we Midwesterners appreciate more than a good summer cookout, because we can only have them 3 months out of the year!

Egg Timer Seeking Game ~ Simple & Fun for Kids! (she: Caz)
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Egg Timer Seeking Game ~ Simple & Fun for Kids! (she: Caz)

ByCaz

Hi, I’m Caz from A Little Learning For Two and I’d like to share a game idea with you that I hope your kids will enjoy as much as mine do! This egg timer seeking game is simple, fun and all you need to play the game is an egg timer.

The idea of this game is very easy; one player leaves the room while the others set the egg timer for 5 minutes (or less) and then hide it somewhere for them to find. The seeker has to find the egg timer before the time counts down and it rings.
For our youngest daughter (4) we use one timer but for our 6 year old we hide several at once and she loves to race around trying to find them before the time runs out and the bell sounds.

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn
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Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

ByMariel

I’ve been on a snack kick lately. It teeters back and forth between unhealthy and healthy. Right now, I’m leaning towards… um, something healthier than an ice cream brownie sundae, with every topping in the world. Every topping. Oh, and whipped cream. So, I actually think I’m doing pretty darn good. Cinnamon Bear Popcorn, definitely the better choice.

Anyway, the ladies at church put together and a cookbook. I love it! It’s been my favorite book because there are so many fabulous cooks in my ward, it’s fun to try out their recipes. You’ll probably be seeing a lot more recipes from there.

Vistaprint Deals & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #39

Vistaprint Deals & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #39

ByRebecca

I’m always on the look out for thoughtful and unique gifts that won’t break the bank as I have six siblings, their spouses, in-laws, good friends, etc. to think about around Christmas and birthdays. After awhile though, I start to run out of ideas. So, a couple of Christmases ago, I came across some deals that Vistaprint was offering and inspiration struck!

That year, my father-in-law received a photo calendar featuring photos of his three grandkids. My sister-in-law’s gift was a personalized t-shirt with caricatures of her, my brother and their cute kids (that I got to create myself)! And my dear friend, who is particularly hard to buy for, was the recipient of coordinating stationary, note cards and sticky notes with their family name and address on them…

(Click ‘Full Article’ to keep reading about the fun things you can do with Vistaprint, to check out my favorite links from last week, AND share your great ideas at this week’s link party! Whoo-hoo!!)

Fruit Cookie Pizza by www.whatscookingwithruthie.com
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Fruit Cookie Pizza (she: Ruthie)

Byruthie

Hi y’all!! It’s Ruthie from Whats Cooking with Ruthie.com here to share another delicious recipe…

Summer is the perfect time of year for berries and they’re the inspiration for this delightful Fruit Cookie Pizza! The crust is a delightful twist on the typical sugar cookie crust… I think this version has a lot more flavor. I seriously couldn’t keep my hands out of it 🙂

3 Reasons to love the Junior Ranger program (she: Allison)
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3 Reasons to love the Junior Ranger program (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

Family travel doesn’t get any better than in the national parks. National parks are the best places to see our nation’s most spectacular scenery and best cultural destinations. National parks offer activities for all ages. National parks are also an incredible bargain. Admission to most parks is $25 per vehicle (or less) for seven days.

The U.S. National Parks are also the home of the Junior Ranger Program, which has been a lot of fun for our family. My children have collected Junior Ranger badges from a dozen national parks, national monuments and national historic sites in several states. We have also found a few state parks that offer their own junior ranger programs.

Giant Cinnamon Rolls (she: Kate)
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Giant Cinnamon Rolls (she: Kate)

Bykate

The mall is trouble for me – not because of the shopping but because I love all the treats there! And the cinnamon rolls at the mall are one of my biggest weaknesses. They smell like buttery, sugary, carby Heaven, and they taste even better.

These cinnamon rolls have all of the gooey, buttery, cinnamon goodness and are topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. So, you get all of the cinnamon roll deliciousness without the hassle of a trip to the mall.

Favorite Things Party for Kids! (she: Veronica)

Favorite Things Party for Kids! (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

If you have kids like mine, they are fresh out of school and already BORED. So, we thought it would be fun to throw a “Favorite Things” party…for KIDS! If you’ve never heard of a Favorite Things party, you are missing out!! They are my FAVORITE parties. Typically they are thrown for adults, but I thought it would be fun to do for kids. If you love it, maybe you’ll be brave enough to throw one for you and YOUR friends. I’m going to share the basic instructions for a “Favorite Things” party and you can adjust it for adults or kids.

What is a Favorite Things Party? In a nutshell, you and your guests bring some of their favorite things, you exchange gifts in a fun way, and everyone goes home with some new favorite things. YIPPEEE!