Categories
Family Activities Marriage Our Family

South Haven, Michigan – Things to Do

Things to do

If you follow me on Twitter you already know that my husband and I took a trip to South Haven, Michigan this past weekend. It is my favorite place on earth and as soon as my blog makes me rich (hey, I can dream, right?) I’ll be buying a beautiful home there.

I really do love everything about South Haven. The views of Lake Michigan, the clean beaches, the cute little shops in town, the food (oh, the food!!!!), the activities, and the people. The best part is the Lake Michigan sunsets, though. NOTHING in this world beats a Lake Michigan sunset.

South Haven Sunset
Even cloudy, it is still beautiful

People from all over the country visit South Haven. While we were there we met someone from Alaska and another person from Texas. We are lucky that it is less than a 2-hour drive from us, but if you are farther away than us, I promise you it is worth the trip.

We have begun to compile a list of places in South Haven we love and will return to as often as possible, and also a list of places that we weren’t so fond of. I’m happy to say that the “love” list is much, much longer than the other list.

So, if you are visiting South Haven in the future or even if you are just curious about Michigan’s little gem, this post is for you.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Things to do

Things to do in South Haven, Michigan

  • Watch a sunset over Lake Michigan. I mentioned before that there is NOTHING like a Lake Michigan sunset so, of course, this is at the top of my list. We sit above the beach on a waterproof beach blanket and watch the sunset over the lighthouse. It is so beautiful and so peaceful.South Haven, Michigan
    IMG_7879
  • Swim and hang out at the beach. This should go without saying when you visit a lake town. Get your floaties and boogie boards and head in. Don’t forget to bring a beach chair with you!
  • Try a new restaurant. Every time we go to South Haven we try at least one restaurant that we haven’t tried before. Our favorites are Clementines (for dinner), 3 Blondes Brewing (lunch and drinks), Black River Tavern (dinner and drinks), Golden Brown Bakery (breakfast and coffee), and Chomps Gourmet Hotdogs (lunch).

    We also tried Captain Lou’s, the Idler Riverboat, and Captain Nemo’s (yummy breakfast). Captain Lou’s is is right on the Black River and we got to watch a drawbridge lift up for boats to go through while sitting on their deck. We also tried Venezia Pizza but will probably try Brix Oven next time we go instead. We also want to try Maria’s next time, which is an Italian restaurant that we’ve heard a lot about.

    Clementines South Haven
    Clementines

    Black River Tavern. South Haven, MIBlack River Tavern

  • Go on a boat tour. There are a couple of different options for this. Right on Water St. there is a marina on the black river where they offer boat tours. You can do a daytime one or for $10 more per person, you can do a sunset tour. There is also the Michigan Maritime Museum which offers tours on a “pirate ship”.
  • Wine tasting. There were a couple of wineries I wanted to try but we chose 12 Corners this time. We loved it! My husband usually doesn’t like wine, and he says everything tastes like MD20-20 or something BUT he actually found a couple he liked at 12 Corners!

    It’s right on Pheonix St. and they have a large wine list. The price was $10 for 5 tastes and we got to take the cute stemless wine glasses with us. We also left with a bottle of Beach Cottage Red. Yummmm.

    I’ve been reading about their monthly Wine Club and I’m really thinking about joining… they ship!! I would probably make the trip every 3 months and pick the wine up but they have a bi-monthly shipping option.

  • Beer tasting. So there are quite a few breweries in the South Haven area but we chose 3 Blonds Brewing. I read about them online and had to try it out.

    I normally am not a beer person but I couldn’t pass up on a beer tasting date with my husband. I tasted 3 beers that I LOVED, 1 that I really liked, and the others were IPA’s and apparently, I’m just not a fan (hubby is so disappointed in me). For you IPA lovers, my husband said the IPAs at 3BB are amazing!
    Three Blondes BrewingThree Blondes BrewingHubby @ Three Blondes Brewing

  • Paddleboard or canoe! You can rent these right on South Beach so it’s super easy and convenient.
  • Go shopping. There are SO many cute little shops on Pheonix St. and Quaker St. We always get souvenirs here and quite a few of our favorite restaurants are on the same street.
    South Haven, MI
  • Kal-Haven Hiking Trail. This is a trail that runs from South Haven all the way to Kalamazoo. You can bike or hike. There are so many beautiful stops along the way. I have never completed the trail because I am way too out of shape to hike 32 miles in one direction, but the South Haven part is beautiful.
  • Icecream. Buy your ice cream at South Beach (I recommend the Mackinac Island flavor) and then…
    Ice cream, South Haven
  • Walk to the South Beach Lighthouse. This is our tradition… on our first day, before we even check-in at the place we’re staying, we buy ice cream on South Beach and then walk to the lighthouse while we eat it. It’s so fun and the perfect way to get into relaxation/vacation mode.
    South Haven LighhouseIMG_7747
  • Go see a comedy show or a live band at the Black River Tavern. They have them on Saturday nights and they also have amazing drinks and appetizers. It was the best date night. We had the BEST time ever, laughed so much, and sang along with the band’s songs. Take me back!!
    IMG_7956
    I call this look “beach and booze”

    Things To Do In

You guys, seriously. Please take me back. Our 3 night, 4-day mini-vacation was AMAZING and MUCH needed. We only get away together once a year and while we thought about other places for this past trip (New York City), we couldn’t imagine spending our anniversary trip in any place but South Haven.

Have you ever been to South Haven, Michigan? If so, tell me about your favorite part! If you haven’t been, tell me what you would want to experience the most if you were able to visit. I’d love to hear about it!

**Click here to read about our wedding in South Haven

Categories
Marriage

South Haven Beach Wedding

Chris and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary this past weekend. We got married last year in South Haven, MI and the little town quickly became my favorite place in the world. We were able to have a small beach wedding at a very reasonable price.

As a kid, I dreamed of a big wedding but when the time came and the planning began, I panicked. My anxiety got the best of me and I started stressing out about the wedding before there was even anything to stress about.

I jokingly (kind of) suggested to Chris that we elope. He vetoed that idea because he wanted our parents and our kids, at least, to be at the wedding. BUT he didn’t completely knock the idea of not having a traditionally large wedding.

Researching Low-Key Wedding Options

I began researching some different options and decided that I wanted to get married in a beach wedding on Lake Michigan, no reception or anything. At first, I was worried about what everyone would think but then remembered, our wedding day is supposed to be about US and that would be impossible if I was stressed out and anxious all day.

I found a cute little bed and breakfast in South Haven called Martha’s Vineyard that offered a wedding package… 2-night stay and a private wedding (with a couple other perks as well) and went for it.

In the description on Martha’s Vineyard’s website, it stated that the wedding would be held at the bed and breakfast. I was okay with that but I reaaaallly wanted a beach wedding. I sent an e-mail over to the owner asking if it would be possible. She agreed and made all the arrangements. I literally didn’t have to do anything except bring the marriage license and look nice. Oh and bring the rings, of course.

The Wedding

A handful of our closest family members were able to make it to the wedding. Since we didn’t have a reception, we all went out to eat afterward.

This tiny little low key wedding was SO perfect for us. We have no regrets about our decision.

The wedding was so inexpensive, intimate and personal. Plus, we got to spend the weekend in a beautiful place. Having a 5-month-old baby, I didn’t want to be away for long and definitely didn’t want to travel far so a traditional honeymoon was out of the question, too. The South Haven wedding still gave us the chance to spend relaxing alone time together both before and after the wedding.

We loved it so much we are heading back this coming weekend to celebrate our marriage.

Did you choose to have a big wedding or did you opt for something smaller? If you aren’t married yet, what kind of ceremony do you plan on having? Let me know in the comments!


*If you want to know how we made it through the first year of marriage, consider checking out these posts: 10 Steps to Make Your Marriage Last, How to Keep the Spark Alive *

Categories
Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen for Dramatic Play

My kids have a pretend kitchen that they LOVED when it was new to them. They spent at least an hour every day playing with it. After a couple of weeks, they got kind of bored, though, and I found myself just picking up the play food and dishes off the floor after they were dumped out and not played with.

IMG_3980
This is the first day that we had the pretend kitchen… we hadn’t even gotten the food and dishes in it yet.

I contemplated getting rid of the entire playset but knew I would regret it as soon as it was gone.

The only option was to find ways to make it more fun and exciting for the kids so I began brainstorming some ways to play with it.

It worked! I taught the kids a couple of new ways to use the pretend kitchen playset and they fell in love with it all over again.

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen

*this post contains affiliate links*

  1. Cooking/Following recipes
    I know that most toddlers can’t read but that doesn’t mean they can’t follow directions! Using pictures with just a few words is all they need, and usually, they can figure it out from there. They use the pictures as a guide and eventually, they may start recognizing the words that are included with the picture. Even if they can’t figure out what the recipe is calling for, they can still pretend to create a meal or a treat from a recipe. If they see you do it when you’re cooking real food, they’ll be so excited to be able to do it with their play food. You can create recipes using Canva (if you click the link it’ll take you right to their recipe card template!) or even just Microsoft Word. Keep it short and simple, and don’t forget the pictures! The recipes (I’ve only made 2) I created for them are not even close to as cool as some of the ones I’ve found on Pinterest so I definitely plan on stepping my game up there.Recipe Book by Emily at LaForce Be With You – link
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  2. Grocery shopping/Putting food away
    We don’t have a grocery store set up, but I just take small baskets and sort out some of the food that way and then they come through with their shopping carts and choose which food they would like to “buy”. We use play money for this.. we actually made it ourselves and it looks NOTHING like real money aside from the fact that it is green. You could use monopoly money or anything else you have. After they “buy” their food, they push the shopping cart “home” to the kitchen playset and begin putting it away. When I first had this idea I was worried they wouldn’t want to put it away but turns out they really like to do it! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because when I go grocery shopping they love to help put groceries away.
  3. Restaurant
    This one is their FAVORITE!! We use the play money, a tablet, and a pencil. I sit at the table and they come over to take my order. Then they go and prepare/cook whatever it is I ordered and serve it to me. It’s so much fun. I want to take this a step further and make a menu for them soon. There are a couple menus I’m considering.. the first one you can purchase (this isn’t an affiliate link, however) and the second one could be made at home. If you don’t feel like creating your own you can buy one for pretty cheap on Teachers Pay Teachers (pictured below).6f80c829b3cc3cb46ec0ddad52ef8300Created by Andrea Miller on Teachers Pay Teachers – link920e0ebb14fa0d8877f213a3bc127469Created by ObSEUSSed – Link
  4. Setting the table
    Josie really enjoys this one. I used paper and traced a toy plate, fork, spoon, knife, and cup onto 2 different pieces of paper. I also wrote the word out for what goes where because we are working on recognizing words. When the kids are setting the table they use the paper as a placemat and place everything where it belongs. We usually do it before we play restaurant.IMG_7652
  5. Washing dishes
    This one is fun because they love to “wash” dishes. I’ll admit, this is the one we do the least often because it usually results in them asking for real water in their kitchen playset. I let them do this sometimes. Other times I tell them to just pretend or to pick something new to play.
  6. Pizza shop
    I have a small tote where I store all of their “pizza” pieces. These pieces were all cut out on paper, but plan to re-do them on felt soon. I cut a circle on brown paper for the crust, small red circles for the pepperoni, and a bunch of small yellow pieces for the cheese. You could also include green peppers, mushrooms, ham, pineapple, etc.
  7. “House”
    I’m honestly just not sure what else to call this one… Josie likes to play mommy and feed her baby doll. She puts her baby’s highchair right next to the kitchen and cooks for her, then pretends to feed her the food.Sometimes she sneaks real food for her baby doll

Usually, throughout all of the “cooking” activities, they wear a chef hat and apron that I picked up at Dollar Tree.

You will definitely need play food to go along with the kitchen playset. The pretend kitchen comes with a little, but not enough. I have found the best deals on Amazon.


JaxoJoy 122-Piece Deluxe Pretend Play Food Set Beautiful Toy Food Assortment

This is the kitchen playset that we have. When you click the link below you’ll be able to see lots of other options, as well. There is literally a pretend kitchen for every budget!

Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kids Pretend Kitchen

I love watching them use their imagination and pretend to do real, everyday activities. It is such a good learning opportunity and if you play your cards right, they’ll be working on letter/word recognition, number recognition, and counting. They’ll get practice using writing utensils and speaking/asking questions. The possibilities are endless.

I did have to show my kids the first couple of times they did some of these activities. Now I’m usually able to leave them to it. They either do the activity I showed them or create an entirely new activity. I still play with them sometimes just to reinforce the learning opportunities involved.

If your child has a kitchen playset, what do they like to do with it? We’re always looking for new ideas!

Categories
Big kid fun Family Activities Our Family Printables Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Family Camping Trip – What to Pack

Before this summer I had never taken my kid’s on a family camping trip. Call me a bad mom or whatever, but I was terrified of taking 3 littles camping!

Well, we finally did it and I definitely don’t regret it. I would do some things differently and pack differently, but we will definitely be doing it again SOON.

It was so much fun and the kids loved it, so I took note during the process of things I needed that I didn’t think to pack, things I packed but didn’t need, and things that would have been nice to have.

Now I’m giving you the opportunity to learn from my mistakes!! I’ve put together a list of what you should pack for a family camping trip. I even included a section dedicated to packing for a toddler, a teenager, and a big kid. You’re welcome. 😉

family camping trip, what to pack when camping with kids, camping with toddlers, camping with teenagers

What to Pack for a Camping Trip

Bedding/Misc.

Tent (if needed)
Sleeping Bag/Blanket
Pillow
Sheets if staying in a cabin
Flashlights (flashlight tag anyone?!)
Glowsticks
Backpack
First aid kit
Cell phone & Chargers
Garbage bags
Clorox Wipes
Citronella Candle
A book
Lawn chairs
Beer bottle opener/corkscrew
Cash
Any necessary medication
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Bikes
Games (board/card)
Chairs
Bluetooth Speaker
Kayak/Canoe
Fishing poles

Clothing

Raincoat/jacket
Swimsuit
Tennis shoes
Clothes (2 outfits/day for everyone, more for younger children)

  • Shorts/t-shirts
  • Pants/Long sleeve shirts

Hats
Extra socks
Sweatshirt/sweatpants (in case it gets chilly at night and you want to be comfy)
Underwear (duh)
PJ’s
Flipflops
Extra shoes for everyone

Personal

Shampoo/Conditioner
Soap
Deodorant
Toilet Paper (You never know!)
Toothbrush/paste
Shower Bag
Hand Sanitizer
Lotion
Lip balm
Towels and washcloths
Bag for dirty laundry
Hair ties
Brush/Comb

Cooking

Camping dinners
Pre-prepped breakfast meals
Wine
Beer
Water
Gatorade (if you’re feeling nice)
Coffee/Creamer
Favorite snacks
S’mores ingredients
Condiments
Coolers/Ice
Firewood (Sometimes you have to buy this right at the campground)
Lighter
Plastic utensils
Paper plates
Napkins
Plastic cups
Tablecloths
Paper Towels
Grilling/Fire utensils
Foil
Skewers
Resealable Plastic Bags

Toddler Specifics

Toddler-sized chairs
Blocks
Lots of extra clothes (3 per day if your child is extra messy or the weather isn’t cooperating)
Sand/Beach toys
Life Jackets
Teddy bear/baby doll, favorite blankets
Baby wipes

Big Kid/Teenager Specifics

Football, baseball, volleyball, other sports equipment
Water toys

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

What would you add to this list? Have you ever forgotten something essential on a camping trip? Tell me about it in the comments! 🙂

Categories
Wine Wine Wednesday

Wine Wednesday

I am SO excited about this one!!

I recently wrote a guest post for Elle Goes Global called Wines of the World and in the post I talked about wine from France, Argentina, South Africa, and the United States. Well, the wine I’m writing about today is from Mendoza, Argentina, where the best Argentinan wine comes from.

This Alamos Malbec is amazing. I’ll just start there. I may have accidentally drunk the whole bottle. I take that back, Chris’ brother drank a little, too. 😉

It can be purchased for around $10 at grocery stores. This mama doesn’t have time to go anywhere special to buy her wine. 😉

The first thing I noticed was the dark, intense red color of the wine. The next thing I noticed was that this Malbec is VERY aromatic. I could smell cherry, peppers, and a little blackberry.

The taste was very cherry forward with hints of cocoa, and a soft spice on the finish. That is honestly all I could come up with when I was drinking it because the cherry is VERY powerful.

I think it would pair really well with barbequed foods.

Overall, it was a well balanced, medium-bodied wine with strong tannins. I’d rate it a 4.5 out 5, so for the price, it is a MUST TRY.

Have you tried this wine or a different Malbec before? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

Categories
Home Organization Toys

What to do When You’re Drowning in Toys

It’s safe to say that most kids have too many toys. Between Christmas, birthdays, and other random gifts during the year, it is so easy to acquire TOO MANY toys.

It happened to us without me even realizing it until it was too late. The big kids had toys, of course, (they were 6 and 9 when Sylas was born), but those toys were easier to contain in bedrooms because the kids didn’t require CONSTANT supervision and there were only 2 of them.

When Sylas was a newborn, we had only a couple toys because he didn’t really play yet. When he started moving that all changed. Grandma was buying him every toy she saw, Christmas came and he was spoiled by every person on both sides of the family, and then 5 months later was his birthday.

All of a sudden we had toys EVERYWHERE. Josie was born not long after that and within a year, we had even MORE toys because she’s a girl and needed her own stuff (at least that’s what everyone said).

Then we had Liam so add even more toys at Christmas and another birthday into the mix. Plus random pickups and hand me downs and we were literally drowning.

There were toys EVERYWHERE. Upstairs, downstairs, in the car, in the hallway, EVERYWHERE. I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t keep up with the cleaning up, organizing, etc.

It was time to get it under control.

What to do When You Are Drowning In Toys

    1. Get rid of toys that aren’t played with or are missing pieces. I started with the toys that my kids never touched. I didn’t ask them what they WANTED to get rid of because their answer probably would have been “nothing”. Instead, when they weren’t paying attention I started getting rid of things that they just didn’t play with or that was broken/missing pieces. We donated some, threw away others (happy meal toys, broken toys, remote control cars with missing parts, puzzles with missing pieces, etc.). This actually cleared out a ton of the junk.
    2. Use baskets or clear plastic totes to organize and store all toys. Yep, all of them. Amazon has a ton of different sizes to choose from but I mostly use the plastic totes pictured below, which come in a pack of 12. I also have several that are a little bigger, which I also found on amazon. I believe you can also find some small totes at dollar tree or dollar general.Label them and store them in an easy to access place. I put toys that have a lot of pieces that go together or follow a specific theme (Mr. Potato Head, horses, animals, balls, etc.) in the clear plastic totes and I label the front. I want to put pictures on them soon, too. I store larger toys in baskets. One holds all musical instruments.

  1. Choose toys to leave out, but only choose enough that each toy has a “home” and won’t get mixed in with other toys. Everything should have a home. You can’t expect the toys to be organized and put away if there is no designated “area” for them. This has been the hardest part for me because we don’t have a ton of space for storing toys. I still want a cube organizer (pictured below) to have a couple more things out but we use a toy organizer with 12 bins (also pictured below). It works really well for us and the toys we have because the kids can easily see what toys they can play with and can pull the whole bin down when they want to play.

    We choose 12 different “themes”, one theme for each bin (Ex. balls, blocks, PJ masks, Paw Patrol, Mr. Potato Head, horses, animals, technology, hot wheels, magnatiles, music, puzzles, etc.).We also use our entertainment center to store toys. I know this is kind of ridiculous but they get into it anyway so why not. LOL. In there we store a handful of books, a couple puzzles, and a couple other toys that won’t fit in a bin.

  2. Decide where (out of sight) you are going to store some (or most) toys. We use our hall linen closet. I hate it but we don’t have much storage so it works for us. You just need a place that has shelves.I put all of the totes and baskets of toys in the closet, even the empty containers from the toys that are out are neatly stored here. Make sure it is easy to see what is in there so you can switch toys out regularly and put toys back in their labeled container.
  3. Set a schedule for rotation. Each week or month, let the kids help choose what toys should be brought out and what ones should be put away for a while. Not only will this help lessen the toy clutter in your home, but it will also help your kids appreciate their toys more.
  4. For bigger toys (toy kitchens, etc.) place all small pieces out of reach and designate times to play with it. Usually, I want these kinds of toys readily available to the kids but there are certain times when I’m busy (usually getting ready to leave the house) that Liam dumps all the pieces on the floor and wanders away. This leads to the pieces getting scattered all throughout the house and it usually happens during our busiest times of day. What works for us is to leave the smaller pieces (the play food) out of sight and out of reach when you aren’t able to pay as close attention or don’t have the time to help clean up the pieces.

Kids thrive on simplicity so don’t feel bad that your child doesn’t have EVERY toy they own accessible at one time. That’s overwhelming for everyone involved and leads to toys being forgotten, damaged, or lost and also leads to having a house cluttered with toys because nothing has a “home”.

What are some ways you’ve tried to combat toy clutter in your home? What worked and what didn’t? Let me know in the comments!

 

Categories
Big kid fun Craft Family Activities Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

6 Easy and Fun 4th of July Crafts and Activities for Kids

4th of July, July 4th, Independence Day, Family cook out, Memorial Day, Patriotic Craft

I like to make holidays memorable for my kids. One way I do it is by doing holiday-themed crafts and activities in the days leading up to the holiday. My kids love it, I get keepsakes, and it offers an opportunity to discuss what the holiday means. 4th of July activities and crafts make the holiday more fun and exciting. Plus, there are plenty of ideas to choose from.

The 4th of July is always busy for us. We have a cookout the day of the holiday and another party the weekend after. It’s hard to talk about the meaning of the holiday with so much going on. Luckily, our craft time gives us that needed time to connect. 

4th of July Activities and Crafts

This year we’ve done two crafts already, including:

4th of July Ripped Paper Wreath Kids Craft

4th of July, July 4th, Independence Day, Family cook out, Memorial Day, Patriotic Craft
4th of July Activities and Crafts

These ripped paper wreaths were fun and easy. We used white paper, cut it into a circle (or close enough), and cut a round hole in the middle. Then, the kids ripped blue and red paper to glue on. I cut out stars to put on at the end. We hung the finished wreaths on the kids’ bedroom doors.

Handprint Firework Craft

Handprint Fireworks

This one is my favorite one we have made so far this year. It’s so cute, and I love handprint keepsakes. I painted their hands red before helping them put their hand flat on white paper. Then, using blue and red paint (separately so it doesn’t turn purple), they used their fingers to make the “fireworks” part. Super simple.

Other 4th of July Crafts and Activities

There are three other crafts I want to do with them before the 4th of July and one scavenger hunt.

Kids Blowers Patriotic Craft Idea

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These patriotic kids blowers from Natural Beach Living are so cute. The kids can use them during fireworks displays to add more festivity.

Footprint Rocket Pop

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I love this Footprint Rocket Pop craft from Tippytoe Crafts. It’s another keepsake for Mama and a craft the kids will love. It could be a general summertime craft, but with the red, white, and blue, it gives me patriotic vibes.

Painted Rocks

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We want to paint some rocks like these Painted Rocks for the 4th of July created by Thrifty Nifty Things. I don’t know if this is popular everywhere, but where I’m from, people paint rocks and hide them for others to find. When you find a rock, you’re supposed to post a picture on the dedicated Facebook site and say where you found it. Then, you re-hide it in a new location. I want to paint them this weekend and hide them in the couple of days before the 4th of July. My kids LOVE hiding and finding rocks around town, so it’s perfect for them.

4th of July Scavenger Hunt

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I fell in love with this 4th of July Scavenger Hunt Printable from Women With Intention on Pinterest. I’m bummed that the link didn’t work, and the website no longer exists, so I can’t download it directly from who created it. Later tonight I’ll make a scavenger hunt printable to use at home on the 4th of July and maybe a second one for the larger party the weekend after.

Recap: 4th of July Activities and Crafts

How do you teach your kids about holidays? Are you doing any fun crafts or activities with them for the 4th of July? Tell me about it in the comments!

Categories
Marriage

11 Ways to Keep the Spark Alive in Your Marriage

As time goes by, the spark you and your partner had in the beginning may fade. Life gets so busy and repetitive that we sometimes forget to make time to keep the spark alive. It really doesn’t take that much time, though, and can be so beneficial to your relationship.

Whether you and your spouse have already lost the spark or if you are just afraid of it happening, here are 11 ways to keep the spark alive or bring the spark back.

I promise it’s easier than it sounds so just read these and try to implement them in your daily lives.

How to Keep the Spark Alive

*This post contains affiliate links*

How to Keep the Spark Alive (or get it back)

Show them love, all day. 

This starts in the morning. Smile and kiss them (yes, even with morning breath) as soon as you wake up next to them in the morning. Let them know you’re happy to wake up next to them. Do things like this throughout the day.

Hug, hold hands, and kiss often: How to Keep the Spark Alive

These are simple actions that can make so much of a difference. You’ll feel more connected to your spouse when you hold hands, kiss, or hug. Do it in the car, while sitting on the couch, when you walk past each other in the hallway, and any other time your hands are free or you can lean in for a little kiss. Do it whenever there is an opportunity. If you do, that spark is sure to stay (or come back).

Do little things for each other. 

Make the coffee if you get to the kitchen first. Send a cute text message to tell your spouse you are thinking of them if you’re away all day. Take over with the kids if they’ve had them all day. Make dinner. Get them a drink. It’s easy to be thoughtful.

Tell them when they look hot! 

Letting your spouse know that you’re still attracted to them is definitely an easy way to help keep that spark alive (or bring it back).

Don’t wear sweatpants every day.

I know, I know .. we all want to. Think back, though, did you wear them all the time at the beginning of the relationship? I know I didn’t! When my husband fell in love with me I dressed cute in things that flattered me, wore makeup, and did my hair. Now, obviously I don’t do these things EVERYDAY but I do make sure I do it often.

Cuddle. 

Even if it’s just for 2 minutes in between the kids asking for something. Even that short amount of time lets your partner know you’re wanting to spend time and love on them, and it’s also a nice reminder to you of how much you need that.

Ask about their day – How to Keep the Spark Alive

It lets them know you care. Listen to how their day went and ask more questions as necessary. If they’ve had a rough day ask if there is anything you can do to make it better. Be that person for them.

Random touches. 

When you walk past your partner in the kitchen, touch them when you do. Even if it’s just a slight rub on their arm or a hand around their waste. Again, these little things are necessary.

Sex. 

This one is obvious but so important. Your spouse needs to connect with you on this deeper, more intimate level.

Appreciate your spouse – How to Keep the Spark Alive

Tell them how lucky you are to have them, or thank them for doing the dishes.

Laugh together.

Watch a comedian, play a funny game, or watch funny YouTube videos together. Nothing can lighten up a relationship like a good laugh.

I know this was only supposed to be 11 ways to keep the spark alive, but I’m giving you a BONUS suggestion. 

Learn your spouse’s love language. 

We all have different love languages and it’s so much easier to give your spouse the love they NEED when you know what their love language is. I’ve read this book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts several times now and I learn something new every time. My husband’s love language is definitely physical touch while I need Words of Affirmation. Check out the book, you won’t be sorry.

Final Thoughts on How to Keep the Spark Alive

Now you don’t have to do all 11 (or 12, I suppose) ideas every single day, just when you get a chance and try to do them more often than not. Don’t let a day go by where your spouse isn’t 100% certain you’re still crazy about them. My husband is the type of person who needs physical touch to feel connected so things like holding hands, kissing, and hugging are so important to him. I’m a talker so I need him to ask/answer questions and just talk to me. Everyone is different so make sure you are aware of what your partner needs when trying to keep the spark alive.

Are there any tips that I missed? What is your favorite tip that I gave? Tell me what you think in the comments! 🙂

How to Keep the Spark Alive
Categories
Holiday Recipe

7+ 4th of July Barbeque Ideas For Your Family Friendly Festive Celebrations

How many of you will be barbequing for the 4th of July or at least attending a barbeque? If you’re a guest to a 4th of July barbeque, you can’t show up empty-handed and if you’re hosting a barbeque, you have to provide lots of yummy food.

If you’re like us, you’ll be doing both. On the actual 4th of July we’ll be having a barbeque at home, but the weekend after the 4th of July, my extended family has a HUGE party to celebrate. I’ve been compiling recipes and ideas to make it the best 4th of July yet.

Before you get cooking on any of these, however, make sure that you have everything you need to really host the perfect BBQ! That means getting your grill out nice and early to make sure it’s in good condition, calling the Ashland propane delivery service if you are out of gas, cleaning the BBQ so it’s ready for these delicious meals, and making sure you have enough yard furniture to host everyone. As long as you have all that in place, you can start prepping for these amazing meals!

4th of July barbecue 1. Hotdog Bar and Festive Printables

Jamielyn at I Heart Naptime went above and beyond with this one!! Not only did she give an AMAZING idea for the hot dog topping bar, but she also created some super cute, festive printables.

4th of July barbecue 2. BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Just looking at these BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites is making my mouth water. They seem pretty easy to prepare and cook, too. Kristyn at Lil Luna nailed it here! I’m sure if you brought these as a passing dish to a barbeque, you would be the favorite guest. 😉

3. Easy Festive Twizzlers

These were shared on Room to Inspire back in 2011 but they are still so cute!! Super simple to throw together, too. The kids at the barbeque will love them and I know quite a few adults who would enjoy them, too.

4. American Flag Fruit Tray

I love how cute this fruit platter is that was shared on Passion For Savings. It’s so simple, practical, and obviously delicious. I’ve seen other versions of this “flag” platter with white cheese instead of white chocolate covered pretzels and other red fruit (watermelon, raspberries, etc.) instead of strawberries. It’s another easy passing dish that people will love.

4th of July barbecue 5. American Flag Veggie Tray

Another platter of food created to look similar to the American flag. You can’t forget the veggies at a barbeque! Amy at Living Locurto created this one, and it is so cute! If you go to her post, she has included a recipe for the dill dip that she used. Sounds so good and I am DEFINITELY taking this as a passing dish this 4th of July.

6. Loaded Baked Potato Salad

How good does this potato salad look?! Denay at Confetti and Bliss shared the recipe for this Loaded Baked Potato Salad on her blog and I can’t wait to try it! I don’t think I have ever tried a BAKED potato salad, so I’m curious about the difference. I might not even wait until the 4th of July to make it. Yummmm.

7. Baked Beans

These baked beans from Taste of Home look sooo good! The recipe calls for ground beef and I can’t remember ever having baked beans with ground beef in it, but I’m willing to give it a shot! The reviews on this are good so I can’t wait!

Other 4th of July Barbeque Ideas

Some other yummy ideas for a 4th of July barbeque are hamburgers (you could even do a hamburger bar similar to the hotdog bar I shared above), corn on the cob, steaks, bell peppers and dip, grilled Brussel sprouts, bean dip and tortilla chips, or you could make a yummy alcoholic (or non-alcoholic but why?) drink to share.

The big party my extended family throws has hundreds of people attend so my brothers and my dad roast a pig … they have to start it the day before the party and cook it forever. I’m not sure how long, at least 24 hours I think. Then they make it into pulled pork. People LOVE it. They also grill hotdogs for the ones who don’t like pulled pork, and of course, there are TONS of sides.

I hope some of these ideas help with your planning! Which one is your favorite? Do you have a favorite barbeque dish that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

4th of July barbecue

Categories
Guest Post Wine

Wines of the World

I wrote a guest post about wines of the world for Elle’s blog Elle Goes Global.

Wines of the World
When you are drinking wine at the end of a long day, do you ever think about where it was made? I do! Every single time, I want to know where the wine came from. Every country is different and that means their wine is going to be different, as well.

If you love wine as much as I do and plan on traveling anytime in the future, wine tasting will be on your itinerary no matter where you plan on traveling to. Wine is produced all over the world and every country has unique wine. The differing climates have a huge impact on how the wine will taste, offering a wide range when it comes to the taste and the smell of wine.

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To read the rest of the post and learn about wines from South Africa, France, Argentina, and the United States check out the post Wines of The World on Elle’s blog! It was so much fun to write so be sure to check it out!

winesoftheworld