4th of July Goodies

Y'all know I couldn't let a holiday pass by without sharing some fun craft, food and decorating ideas!

4th of July is a favorite holiday in our house for so many reasons...

First and most importantly, we have many family members and close friends who have served in the military, protecting our freedom, and we feel it's very important to recognize that. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have their family members return from war, and we want our kids to realize the cost of freedom that some people have paid is very high. We feel it's very important for our children to understand that 4th of July is not just about cookouts and fireworks.

If you'd like to join us in explaining the importance of this holiday to your children, here are some great links:

• Grandparents.com does an excellent job of hitting up all the historic elements of this holiday.

• KidsKonnect.com helps by putting things into language that kids can clearly understand.

• Parents.com  takes a little bit of a different angle by teaching children why America is so great and why we love our country.

• EnchantedLearning  offers a free printable activity book along with lots of other simple 4th of July crafts for all ages.

Another reason I love 4th of July is the food. I love American food (I also love Italian, Mexican, Japanese and Chinese and Thai and... nevermind.) But seriously, who doesn't love a great burger or dog hot off the grill served with crispy chips, cold potato salad or coleslaw... makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

So if you're hosting a get together this 4th, or want to bring a dish to a party you're attending, here are some very easy dishes with lots of patriotic flair:

Simply Kierste knocks it out of the park with these adorable fruit trifles served with lemon cream sauce.

I love the idea of serving this flag-inspired taco-dip as an appetizer with a bucket of cold beer or a big pitcher of fruit-infused iced tea.

A very easy and refreshing side dish would be this blueberry, strawberry & watermelon fruit salad. Add feta cheese for more of a "red, white and blue" theme.

There are tons of 4th of July-themed ice cream desserts if you search Pinterest, but they all look a bit complicated if you ask me. I like this idea... just take store-bought ice cream sandwiches and let them sit on the counter for a few minutes until the ice cream is softened, then dip each side into a shallow dish of red, white & blue sprinkles. Stick em back into the freezer until dessert time, and Voila! 

Of course there are a gazillion adorable decor and craft ideas for the 4th, but these caught my eye this year...

Whenever we break out the sparklers for the kids, they burn through them at a rate of about 2 per minute. I love this idea of opening up all the boxes and setting them out so that the kids can run back and grab another one while you just have to sit in a chair with a lighter ready to assist them. 

How cute is this DIY Sparkler Station from My Sweet Savannah?

I've seen this idea floating around Pinterest and Instagram for a while now and I think I'm going to have to make it next year. It would be adorable on a 4th of July buffet table.

If you've never made tissue paper "poufs" before, please give it a try. It's SO easy, I promise! I've made them several times for different parties and even though they're a cinch to make, they add a huge statement to party decor. Here's a good photo tutorial, but there are tons of  how-to videos on YouTube as well.

Last but not least, if you are looking for a cute hostess gift (beyond a bouquet of white flowers tied with a beautiful red, white & blue wired ribbon), these confetti wine glasses are an adorable idea!

The full step-by-step instructions are available here, but really it's just a regular wine glass (I would recommend non-breakable if you can find them) covered in dots painted with acrylic paint using a Q-tip. How easy is that? 

Whatever you're doing this 4th of July, I hope you stay safe and celebrate our country's freedom surrounded by family & friends. A special thank you to all of the Veterans and current military personnel out there. We are free because of the brave. Thank you.

Hostess Gifts for the 4th of July

Are you traveling for the 4th of July? Perhaps you're attending a BBQ at a friend's house? Maybe you're going away for a couple days with your family? Whatever your plans are, don't forget to thank the people who are hosting you. Especially if you're bringing your entire family like we are!

Our gracious friends have invited us to come stay at their beautiful house on the St. John's River. We are all giddy over here as the excitement is beginning to build.

Menus are being planned. Fireworks are being bought. Bug spray and sunblock are packed and ready to go! (And don't worry, we have a great house/bunny sitter that is going to be taking care of our home while we're gone, just in case anyone was worried about crazy cyber stalkers).

In preparation for this vacation, we wanted to be sure to give our hosts a special "thank you" gift considering they are allowing us to stay in one of their houses, taking us out on their boat every day and doing all sorts of preparation for us that we'll probably never even know about (not to mention the clean up after we leave - yikes). They are just "those" kind of friends. And to say thank you, I created a gift basket with all sorts of fun 4th of July items, along with a few personal things that we know they love.

Here's a breakdown of what's inside:

I'm also preparing my family's favorite meal to share with them one night. We're gonna have a real Italian feast!

I can only hope that this basket conveys just a little bit of our gratitude for all that our friends do for us, and what they mean to us.

So, whether it's a beautiful potted orchid, or a batch of your famous fudge brownies... don't forget to say "thanks" to your hosts this special holiday.

Oh, and don't worry, there's gonna be a big ol' ribbon stuck to the front of that basket... I just didn't have the right shade of "4th of July Red" satin ribbon on hand. Gotta get that tomorrow. :)

P.S. Someone else is already packed and ready to go...