Fun

DIY Speckled Tee Shirt

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MembersMarkDetergent #CollectiveBias

When kids grow way too fast, it's impossible to keep up with buying tee shirts to reflect the latest trends. Get this easy, on-trend speckled look with this DIY tee shirt, then keep it clean with the affordable Member's Mark Laundry Detergent. #MembersMarkDetergent [ad]

Have you seen the speckled tees that are appearing everywhere? It seems like I can’t go into a store without seeing the adorable tee shirts that look a little bit like robin’s eggs. Here’s the deal, though. I cannot justify spending that much money on the latest on-trend tee shirt when my son will outgrow it or the trend will die within weeks. As a frugal mom, I really like to make sure that I can give my son something cute and on-trend to wear while still sticking to a budget. I trust Member’s Mark® Ultimate Clean Fresh Clean Detergent from Sam’s Club to keep his clothes clean until he outgrows them, but to make sure his style always stays fresh, too, I also have a great DIY tutorial for you to get your kids these cute speckled shirts without breaking the bank!

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Easy Tissue Paper Canvas Art

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This easy tissue paper canvas art tutorial may contain affiliate links.

This tissue paper canvas art is so easy! Looking for the perfect mermaid scale artwork or easy craft project for you or your teen? This one takes less than an hour to make, is beautiful, and even makes a perfect gift! | DIY canvas art | tissue paper craft | easy craft for adults | easy teen craft |

I am all for an easy project that makes my home look beautiful, and if you’ve been reading for awhile, you know I love a great revolving door of fun artwork on my walls. So when it came time to replace the artwork on one wall in particular, I wanted to go in a totally different direction than the art that was previously there! This delightful canvas art reminds me of mermaid scales, but depending on the color, shape, and positioning of your tissue paper, you can make it anything you’d like.

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Easy DIY Cloud Dough (Only 2 Ingredients!)

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This recipe for easy DIY cloud dough may contain affiliate links.

This cloud dough is so easy to make-- only 2 ingredients and less than 5 minutes of effort for a great sensory toy your kids will love. Plus, since it's safe to eat, it's okay if little fingers take a little nibble, too! DIY cloud dough | moon dough | sensory bin filler |

One of my favorite things to do is play with cloud dough or other sensory play toys with my son. Play dough, cloud dough, moon sand, kinetic sand, there are so many great options. But this cloud dough is easy to make, really affordable, and only requires 2 ingredients. One of my favorite things about it, though, is that it is 100% edible, so if your child accidentally eats some, it’s okay. (It won’t taste great, but it is safe-to-eat). Here’s how to make it!

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Essential Ways to Use Your Smartphone This Summer

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This post about smartphone ideas for summer has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerIsForSavings #CollectiveBias #WFM1

During the summer, it pays to stay connected. Here are some of my favorite ways to make it the BEST SUMMER EVER by using my smartphone. #WalmartFamilyMobile #WFM1 #SummerIsForSavings [ad]

No matter how much you might wish summer was for slowing down, in my experience, summer is just one insanely busy season for families. From soccer tryouts to summer vacations, it can be hard to unwind and to stay connected. But the thing is, I’ve learned a few ways to avoid summer stress by staying connected with my smartphone. Syncing schedules, sharing summer memories, and treating your ears to your favorite summer tunes are all great ways to use your smartphone for the best summer ever, and with Walmart Family Mobile, the data you need doesn’t have to break the bank, either.

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Gulf Coast-Inspired Easy Shrimp Tacos

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This easy shrimp taco recipe has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoftsoapTouch #OurCaringHands #CollectiveBias

Be ready for summer with these easy Gulf Coast style Shrimp Tacos! They're so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Feel the Gulf Island flavor-- shrimp, taco shells, and plenty of flavor. #OurCaringHands [ad]

The clock is ticking, y’all. I am just weeks away from the event that I look forward to all year long. I’d say I’m practically packed, but we all know I’ll end up doing that the night before I leave. I’m talking about summer vacation, and for me, oh, it’s so much more than just a little break. See, for almost two decades now, summer vacation has meant something a little bit different for my family. It hasn’t just meant beach, and sand, and the sun, but it’s meant a whole lot of family time.

Every summer, we make the trek down to the Gulf Coast, to a tiny island called Dauphin Island, Alabama. If you’re a long-time reader, you’ve probably even seen me talk about it every summer for the past several years. This year we will be driving about 16 hours like we do every summer. Why? To enjoy the beach with our family, who live in another state.

To save money, we split condo costs. We also make sure to cook and eat meals family-style in the condo, rather than going out to eat a lot. That doesn’t mean we never visit local restaurants…. We totally do! There are so many great options for Gulf Coast flavor. Restaurants there serve up fried fish platters, po’boys, and of course, delicious shrimp tacos.

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How To Make Your Playset Last for Decades

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We hope you enjoy this tutorial on how to make your Play Set last for decades. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RoofedItMyself #CollectiveBias

When you invest in a playset, you want it to last-- that's not an investment to take lightly. With the right care, you can make your backyard play set last decades, through your kids AND grandchildren! Here's how to help make your playset last with some TLC and GAF Shingles. #RoofedItMyself [ad]

When buying a playset for your backyard, it’s honestly a pretty significant investment. I know that in our family, we really value outdoor, active, imaginative play, but honestly? Play sets can be a little bit spendy. That said, we’ve found some great ways to help make ours last over the years. A playset that was once my little brother’s playset is now my son’s because we’ve taken time each year to prepare it for the spring and summer season of play and make sure that it has what it needs to truly last. Little investments over time in maintaining your playset can make it a great destination for play for years to come, making your yard the prime spot for the neighborhood kids to gather. Read more

DIY Play Dough Soap for Bathtime (with Only 3 Ingredients!)

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This DIY play dough soap tutorial has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #allessentials #allsulfatefree #CollectiveBias

This DIY Play Dough Soap is messy play that gets kids clean! It's homemade play dough made with soap, is tub-safe, and doesn't stain skin. Plus, it has only 3 ingredients you probably already have: sulfate free body wash, cornstarch, and water! Your kids will want bath time, ALL the time! Get your kids clean with this DIY soap recipe, then get your clothes clean with Sulfate-Free All Detergent. [ad] #allEssentials #allSulfateFree

Anyone who has been around the blog for awhile knows that I’ve got some favorite ways to keep things clean… like a favorite laundry soap that gets my clothes clean, and a favorite dish towel that gets my dishes clean. But I have found my all-time favorite way to get my kiddo clean, and that’s with a little bit of good, old-fashioned messy play. That’s right. I’m getting him messy to get him clean! The secret is something that’s one part sensory activity, one part bathtime hero: DIY Play Dough Soap. The best part? It’s only got 3 ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

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Starbucks Cup Inspired DIY Spring Paintings

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This post on Starbucks Cup-inspired DIY spring paintings may contain affiliate links.

If you're obsessed with those super pretty spring Starbucks cups, you're going to love these beautiful spring paintings inspired by the designs! Plus, they're so easy to make that you can whip them up while watching your favorite TV show. | DIY Painting Idea |

I’m low-key obsessed with the spring cups that Starbucks has had in their stores all spring. Those bright, vibrant colors make me smile every time I see them, and the hand-drawn style of the doodles are so whimsical and fun. I may or may not have been swinging by to grab some coffee on the regular just because those cups are too cute. But since they’re limited edition, I totally wanted to re-create the look on canvases that I could display every spring! These DIY spring paintings are so easy to make, too, so you can snag this style for yourself.

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DIY No-Sew Felt Tacos for Imaginary Play

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This post about no-sew felt tacos may contain affiliate links. This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Dragons Love Tacos, it’s authors, or it’s publishing house.

If you or your kids love Dragons Love Tacos, or it's sequel, you'll love these fun taco felt food ideas! DIY No-Sew Felt Tacos are perfect for mixing and matching, and they're perfect for play kitchens. If your child loves imaginative play, make these for a fraction of the cost of buying them from big name companies... and make exactly the taco flavor you'll want for your playroom. Perfect for kids who love to play cooking, and great for future chefs.

Psssst… let me clue you in on a secret. Dragons. Love. TACOS. Seriously, if you want to hang out with a dragon, you should probably have some tacos for the party. Maybe even a BOATLOAD of tacos. It’s something that Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri explore in their book, Dragons Love Tacos, and then they explore the complete lack of tacos on earth in the sequel, appropriately titled Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel. When reading aloud to my kiddo, it helps his comprehension to have something to play with while we read. The kiddo and I have bought felt foods in the past, but I’ve found out just how easy it is to make DIY no-sew felt tacos at home (and, like the name implies, you totally don’t have to be a master crafter or great at sewing to make these).

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Easy DIY Chalk for Tons of Sidewalk Chalk Fun All Summer Long

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This DIY chalk recipe may contain affiliate links.

DIY Chalk is so easy to make-- it's the perfect way to prepare for summer. Simply make your own sidewalk chalk with a few easy-to-find ingredients for a bucketful of chalk that will last you all summer long! This homemade chalk recipe is also perfect for giving fun-shaped chalk pieces as party favors or gifts to friends! You can make your own chalk in any color you can imagine. Perfect kids DIY.

As a child, I remember many, many hours spent playing with chalk. There was just something fun about creating artwork for hours. I spent so many hours getting my hands and knees and elbows multicolor from sprawling on the driveway to draw. My kiddo is a big fan of chalk art, and all of his friends love it, too, so we’ve been going through a ton of it lately. I decided it was time to get creative to bring forward the most pigmented, best chalk for our money (and guess what? It’s easy to make, AND more affordable than buying boxes of chalk).

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