family friendly halloween books
|

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Books (she: Mel)

ByMelissa Sunday

Oh hey there! Happy Tuesday! It’s Mel from So Festive!, a blog sharing simple ways to celebrate. Halloween is just around the corner and it’s not too early to start thinking about some simple ways you can celebrate with your family.

I don’t know about you, but we love reading Halloween stories and watching family friendly Halloween movies to get in the Halloween spirit. Today I have a list of books and movies your family may love as much as mine at this time of year.

girls-night-out gift bags
| |

Girls Night Out Gift Bags… Fun & Inexpensive Ideas (she: Mel)

ByMelissa Sunday

Hey! It’s Mel from So Festive {Simple Ways to Celebrate}. Are you all having a great summer? We sure are! Summer is winding down. In fact, where we live, most kids have already started school. After the hustle and bustle of summer ending, you might deserve a little Girls Night Out.

And if you are going to have a Girls Night Out, you might as well put together some favor bags. Because who doesn’t love a fun swag bag?

Check out my fun and inexpensive ideas, and let me know in the comments what you’d include in a Girls Night Out gift bag for your friends.

halloween at southern california theme parks
| | |

Halloween at Southern California Theme Parks (she: Kimberly)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

Hey everyone, it’s Kimberly from PackedwithFun.com, the official blog for Get Away Today. We specialize in Southern California vacations and I love sharing insider travel tips and tricks here on “Or So She Says.” The Southern California theme parks are always fun, but one of my favorite times to visit is during the Halloween season. Now, just to be clear, I love Halloween, but I don’t do scary. I know there are a lot of people that love to be scared to death, and if that’s what you’re looking for, Southern California is the place for you, too. Each September – October, the major theme parks celebrate the holiday and the events range from G-rated fun for the whole family (my personal cup of tea) to good luck going to sleep at night for the next month or so. Since October is a really popular travel month due to U.E.A. and other fall breaks, I wanted to share a brief overview of what you can expect during Halloween at Southern California Theme Parks:

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.

Star Marshmallow Smore Treats by www.whatscookinwithruthie.com
| | |

Star Marshmallow S’mores Treats ~ Perfect for the Fourth of July! (she: Ruthie)

Byruthie

Hi to all my friends at Or so She Says!

It’s Ruthie from What’s Cooking with Ruthie and I’m SO happy to be visiting again today. I’m just so thrilled that summer is finally here. Yippee!! Star Marshmallow S’mores Treats are the perfect way to celebrate. The kids will love to help make them and I can bet that everyone will love to eat them. They’re super easy to make and will be ready in no time at all.

Enjoy!

Super Easy Fourth of July Cupcakes

Super Easy Fourth of July Cupcakes

ByMelissa Sunday

Hey there! It’s Mel from So Festive! So remember how I’m all about simple ways to celebrate? Today I’m sharing an easy Fourth of July flag cake that you can whip up in an hour. Seriously. First, make your favorite kind of cupcakes. Then frost them with your favorite frosting. You can find a delicious homemade frosting recipe here, just omitting the cocoa.

Keep reading to find out how to easily take your patriotic celebrations up a notch! (… a delicious notch!)

Looking for the best books for men? I asked my Facebook gals to tell me what books the men in their lives actually love, and the list is on the blog! #bestbooksformen #booksformen #books #ldsblogger #lds #mormonblogger #mormon www.orsoshesays.com
|

15 Best Books for Men – Real Men, Real Books!

ByMariel

Looking for the best books for men? I asked my Facebook gals to tell me what books the men in their lives actually love, and the list is on the blog! When you’re done checking these out, be sure to follow my Gifts for Men Pinterest board, and check out the Gifts for Men categories tab, where you’ll find all previously shared gifts for men that have been featured on the blog.

Father's Day Gift Ideas
|

Father’s Day Gift Ideas ~ Mariel’s Picks 2014

ByMariel

Hey, hey, hey! Just got back from a fun week in Alaska… just me and the man. It was SO nice. SO pretty. SO relaxing. I’m ready to go back already! I’m working on a couple blog posts, to tell you all about it. But before I do, I better get crackin’ on this Father’s Day business. Eeeek! It totally snuck up on me… like Mother’s Day, my anniversary, 2014, and practically everything, these days.

So, between my husband’s favorite things and a few goodies I found on my own, I present to you some Father’s Day gift ideas… Mariel’s Picks 2014. After you check these out, scroll to the end of the post for links to past gift ideas for men. There’s lots of them!

father's day treat
| | | | | |

Easy Father’s Day Treat {Mustache & Tie Edition} (she: Brooke)

ByBrooke

Hello everyone! How are you all? It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots. Are you in the full-swing of summer vacation mode? We sure are, and I’m loving every minute of it! My four-year-old, and I, are thrilled to have my twins home all day. It’s so fun to plan different activities, or just spend some relaxing playtime at home. I’m just hoping all of our summer vacation weeks go this smoothly!
So, today’s post. I was in my favorite local scrapbook store (Pebbles in My Pocket) a few weeks ago, and they had this adorable Father’s Day treat put together. Mustaches are everywhere these days, aren’t they? And while my husband doesn’t have a mustache, and I don’t know that ties are his favorite, I absolutely loved how they dressed up a simple bag of candy (which my husband does love).

Patriotic Table Runner Tutorial
| | |

Patriotic Table Runner Tutorial (she: Holly)

ByHolly - Bits of Everything

Hi Everyone, I’m Holly from Bits of Everything and I am a new contributor here on ‘Or so she says’. I love doing all kinds projects. Photography, sewing, recipes, printables, crafts, and more. I like trying new things, so you really do get ‘bits of everything’ from me. My favorite hobby right now is quilting, but it changes after a while. I have an amazing husband and three great kids and we are so ready for summer!
I’m so excited to be here today to show you my new Patriotic Table Runner Tutorial. I have table runners for several other holidays, but not a good one for the 4th of July. It was time to fix that. Let’s get making a table runner!

create meaningful photo books
| | | | |

How To Create Meaningful Photo Books (she: Amy)

ByAmy Lee

Last year I gave my dad a photo book for Christmas. This book contains pictures from our annual family summer vacation. And he LOVED it. I mean he literally was over the moon about it. He though it was one of the most meaningful gifts he has ever received.

For me this was a BIG deal, because my dad is hard to shop for. The man has everything he needs and he is really practical. He always tell us not spend money on him with frivolous things. When I saw how much he liked the photobook, I knew I done well 🙂

So for this Father’s Day, perhaps consider helping your kids create meaningful photo books for their dad. There are so many great on-line book making companies out there and they are all so easy to use.