The Ultimate Summer { #fourthofJuly } Roundup.

from beach totes and sunglasses to picnic treats and beach games, I gotcha covered.

My must have summer {4th of July} Picks!






These colorful Wow Rackets are just the thing for outdoor fun! They make a   booming  noise whenever they hit the included ball or birdie, they're just the thing for noisy, far-flung fun.

 

This  Cherry Red Retro Cooler  is not only  obviously  awesome and unique but will be the envy of all of your guests. 

My  l.o.v.e. / obsession for all things retro and vintage means this picnic basket  stole my heart. Reminiscent of 1950's popular originals and updated with a fresh fruit design. Its chic retro appeal is the perfect companion for picnics or other outdoor events, with solid wood handles that fold down for easy carrying, plenty of storage space and a durable metal construction. 

Did I mention it's under $15?!!

You can't officially have a lazy summer day without a hammock. Don't have trees to hang one from? Me neither.  No worries, this beautiful hammock swings on a gorgeously crafted Cypress wood stand.


snooze  worthy. 

Escape to your favorite summer getaway with  this Sand Dollar Bracelet, handmade from sand gathered from your choice of one of 1,800 picturesque world beaches.  I love the clean, simpleness  of this bracelet. 

And how about some FREEBIES?  I thought so. 

Printable 4th of July Ice Cream Cone Wrappers.

and




this collection of free Fourth of July Fonts.

this DIY no Sew Beach Tote.    loveliness that even I can create!

Fashion. 

As far as fashion goes, I'd like to say I'm comfortably stylish when I'm not wearing hospital acquired scrubs or {mommy required} yoga pants.  Maxi skirts, tank tops, chunky jewelry involving and centering around turquoise and other stones and thin, not to loose sweaters are my go to weekend outfits.

Like this 

and this

and also this

I'm Currently Coveting these Tom Ford Sunglasses which have been spotted on   (like I care)  Jennifer Aniston, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron (girl crush), Brad Pitt and Anjelina Jolie.

   I just think they're   Ho   capitol  T.

and last but not least....  the food, glorious food.

Summer foods have always been a favorite of mine, I think probably because they involve a lot of Popsicles, fruit and Popsicles. All of which I prefer to eat by the pool or on a beach chair with a floppy hat.





P.S. Big floppy hats and sunglasses required.

Picnic  Worthy Garden Pasta Salad  and  Fresh Fruit Kabobs.

Cute factor.  Hand Made Wooden Utensils and Patriotic Paper Straws.

This set of 4 Stars and Stripes Napkins to add a bit of retro flare to your picnic table. and an  oversized, monogramed picnic blanket to snuggle on.

Lastly,


The splurge worthy, in the name of  Patriotism.... of course.  Strawberry-Blueberry Cheesecake Trifles. and these cute  Fire Works Cookies (with easy tutorial).



















































and so, so  much more.............



wishing you a very relaxing summer my friends!

Just for Fun Friday.

Happy Friday everyone! Despite the kids being sick and trying to drag me down with them for the last couple of weeks I am keeping my spirits high and focusing on the changing of the season. I love Fall and we are ready for some cooler weather here in Phoenix for sure. It's a little depressing that it never really cools down enough to adorn all of the cute cold weather styles that I love like tall boots, cute coats and lovely scarves unless I go at at night which doesn't happen very often these days, kids crampin my style..... the darlings. But a girl can dream can't she?

I am also itching to visit some where that is bursting with autumn color and feeling, some place where there are front porches with pumpkins and potted plants, lawns with orange, yellow and red leaves scattered about and apples and pears that haven't traveled across the country to reach us out here in the desert.


I can't wait to go Trick-or-Treating this year with the kids {assuming they aren't sick}. We found a cute little neighborhood nearby that is built from mid-west architecture in mind with all of the for-mentioned things I mentioned and cobblestone streets, beautiful lush landscaping and a very festive and small town feel. This is very exciting for us since most all of the houses here in Phoenix are stucco 'cookie cutter' homes and small, rocky front yards with no personality.

What are you most excited for about Fall?

Where do you live and what do you enjoy about it?

xo

just for fun Friday......

head scarf tutorial

leaf

old church renovated into a home 

I should have been a gypsy

color pallet

boots

pirate boat

What a Vacation Adventure...OH MY!

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Our Magma Boat Grill for Marine Stay Healthy Cooking

I am not kidding…my vacation was full of adventure, storms, bears, and a few bumps and bruises…YIKES…but OH…did I have a BLAST.  Well…the last week in June and into the July 4^th weekend…a vacation on the water seemed absolutely perfect…escape the heat, enjoy swimming in beautiful Lake Shasta, and take in the majestic Glacier and surroundings.  We would stay on our boat, bring our Stay Healthy Foods, and try our new addition...a marine Grill to enjoy our fabulous foods.  I am a planner, so list in hand, creating the budget and down to every morsel we would stock in our cooler.  The excitement and anticipation of a week escape into the beauty of nature was over the top YAHOO…ready to GO!  My hubby paid attention to the weather forecast and attended to the mechanics of the boat and truck…thank goodness.  Let me tell you and can you believe this….drum roll…THUNDER STORMS were on the way…a tarp was packed with bungee cords just in case we had to batten down the hatches.  We were hoping for the forecast to change the closer the trip came…we both were not going to let anything like a forecast change our plans….Full Steam Ahead.  I pre-cooked Stay Healthy Omega Muffins, Whole Wheat Pasta with sundried tomatoes, basil, spice and olive oil, & boiled eggs.  I also included raw nuts, fruits, peanut and almond butter, plenty of veggies, fruits, yogurt, spinach salad, lean meats, graham crackers for a treat, & plenty of water.  We also purchased a small aged beef to break in the new Magma Grill.  It was truly one of those feel like a kid can’t sleep because we are leaving for someplace magical vacations.  The drive was fabulous…no clouds, great conversation, and we arrived at Lake Shasta ready to start our week of living on the boat.  Food on board, water, and us….life could not have been any better.  We launched the boat and found our cove for the night…now you have to imagine close quarters on a boat…and I look back now on how funny all this is…first thing… needing to drop anchor hubby quickly moves from the wheel to the front of the boat, but in the process foot connects with my jaw…YIKES…startled to feel a big foot in my face…but an ice is nice made it feel so much better.  Moving on to 4am...the forecast came true and the rain began to demand our “no stitch on” attention…there we were in the middle of the night, tarp in hand, bungee cords everywhere, balancing on the top of the boat  to batten down our home away from home. 

Tarp On, Thermals On...Ready to Weather the Storm

We could not get done fast enough and now in our thermals...YES…thermals and sweatshirts the end of June on beautiful Lake Shasta completely shut into our 24 foot boat.  We were very thankful for our prepared food because the new grill was now going to have to wait until the storm blew over.  We rocked, we talked, we ate, we napped and had truly quality time in our little shelter….this is where you know a relationship is a healthy one…teamwork and laughter through a crisis which turned out not to be…really.  It was still our vacation and we were going to make the best of what nature brought our way...and we did.  I was bummed that I could not be physically active as planned the first few days…but it was what it was…so there Darla.   So… foot in face, raging storm, playing balance without a stitch on in the middle of the night on top of a boat, tarp on, bungee cords securing our shelter and shut in this rocking tiny house….it could make for a funny movie…don’t you think.  Our adventure started on a Monday and the storm broke on Wednesday…we were able to un-tarp and poke our heads outside….IT WAS ON.  I brought my resistance bands and was able to do a little workout and swim like crazy. 

Mt Shasta after the Storm...BEAUTIFUL

It was like the Wizard of Oz going from black and white to color…all of a sudden everything was no longer grey but green and lush.  The water gleamed like emeralds and felt so refreshing!  Hubby and I grilled lean turkey burgers and corn, gourmet chicken sausages, thin bagels, and although quite horrible…boiled water for instant coffee…it grew on me.  We saw a black bear along the water and a brown bear during our tour of the Caverns.  Wildlife was everywhere and the beauty of the trees was breathtaking.  Now…imagine…we made the most of our Thursday because Friday was the drive back home.  Were we disappointed because things did not happen as we wanted them to….NO…it was an adventure…it was a journey….we worked together as a team and still had fun through every bump in the water.                                             

Grilled Aged Beef & Asparagus

Greek Yogurt Parfait!

     

Turkey Burger!!!

Thermals, Tarp, Instant Coffee, US...PRICELESS

We were thankful for things like our ready to go Stay Healthy food, our tarp that provided our shelter, and the warmth our thermals and cozy boat provided. Also, being a fit couple gave us the ability to be agile to batten down our hatches.  Life is a journey and this vacation is one that has so many fun stories that will be told over and over again….fabulous memories!  I hope you enjoyed the videos and images of my fabulous Shasta Vacation Adventure;)

Spinach Salad

Fabulous Shares from Our Shasta Adventure Vacation:

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What the Heck am I Supposed to Do with these Kids All Summer Anyway?

It's only been two weeks since school let out for the summer and I'm already going bonkers. Bonkers I tell you.  We live in the desert and it's already 100+ degrees outside. That's hot. {if anyone says 'but it's a dry heat' I'll scream} The parks, bike trails and golf courses are all deserted and dusty. The animals in the zoo have retreated to their respective caves. And here at my house we have our very own zoo of sorts going on front and center. The kids are already acting like caged, wild animals. I'm pretending I don't hear the tantrums and fighting as we speak.

So, what the heck am I supposed to do with 4 extremely energetic kids all summer long anyway? We can swim and read and play X-Box but then what about the other 15 & 1/2 hours of the day? Crafts are great. My kids love crafts. They keep them busy for longer than any other thing. I used to hate them due to the mess and the fact that I seemed to do 99% of the work and would often be sitting there all by myself finishing a craft intended for the kids amusement. Here is a fun list of very doable crafts I've found on the blessed internet. I hope you visit each site for the directions and for more creative ideas.

Check back in a few days because we made something very, very cool here at our house that the boys are still crazy about after a whole entire week! Wow.

Home Made Puffy Paint from Sandy Toes and Popsicles

Make a Puppet Theatre

picture from Cool Spaces for Kids

Head to your local Library.

Sign up for a summer reading program and go to fun classes.

Going to the Library will be even more fun with this cute book bag.

sewing pattern from Shiny Happy World

My boys love doing this.

picture from Martha Stewart

Beat the Heat! Have a Water Party!

Simple and Cute Sponge Ball tutorial from One Charming Party