Family fun

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Summer is here!!! And, Happy 4th of July to our friends in the USA. Do you have big plans this week? Maybe an outdoor barbecue? How about a trip to the beach? Is there a community parade? Many of our happiest 4ths in the Pies family have been spent at the baseball field! Well, whatever your plans, enjoy them. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy your family. Enjoy freedom!

And, enjoy this party! First we will admire some features from last week and then we will move on to this week’s new party!

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links ♥

Featured Posts

Elegant Independence Table Setting from Thrifting Wonderland

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers from The Kitchen is My Playground

Gluten Free EASY Homemade Fish Sticks from Mommy Hates Cooking

30 Clever Ideas for Pool Noodles from My Life Abundant

Red, White and Blue Pavlova Recipe from Anne’s Entitled Life

Editor’s Pick

Loaded Potato Salad from Cincy Shopper

LEXA 12″ Handmade White Bamboo Wooden Salad Bowl – 130Oz Lightweight Large Wooden Bowls for Food – Bamboo Wooden Fruit Bowl for Kitchen Counter, Wood Bowls for food – Wooden Serving Bowl for Snacks

Let’s say “Thanks” to our wonderful co-hosts!

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.
Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties, please.
Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.
If you are NEW, let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥ Help us find your posts – tell us what number they are.
Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive.
Please SHARE our party and invite others to join. ♥

MEET THE HOSTS

Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
Tara – STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST
Denise – THIS IS MY EVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER

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Ways to Share America’s Solar Eclipse Together

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The solar eclipse in America is an event that truly is “once in a lifetime.” OK. Maybe twice. (2017 and 2024) Unlike any other solar eclipses in history, the two eclipses over the USA are happening 7 years apart!

Prior to this, any location on earth that gets to see a TOTAL solar eclipse in its own skies is unlikely to ever have another one for at least 375 years. I kid you, not. Three hundred and seventy five years! So, this is rare, rare, rare. That is why lot of people are paying close attention with deep curiosity and, possibly, a little bit of fear.*

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links ♥

I live in western New York and we are in the path of totality this time around. The only place on the globe that gets to be in the pathway of totality for both eclipses is Carbondale, Illinois. They are smack dab in the middle of the X that covers the USA. That X is the shadow of the eclipse where everyone get to see it “total.” Those in the USA who are not in the X still can see it but it will be “partial.”

So, let’s think about how to make this amazing once-in-a-lifetime celestial event a party!

Safety First

Looking into a solar eclipse is very dangerous for our eyes. Children and adults, alike, should NEVER look straight into a solar eclipse. There are ways to make it safe to view, including using special certified “eclipse glasses.” More about this: How To Watch A Solar Eclipse Safely.

Plan Ahead

If you will be going to a location where the solar eclipse will be in totality, a lot of other people will, too. Plan for gridlock. Many areas in the country are preparing for thousands of extra cars and vehicles coming for one day’s excitement.

My city estimates a possible 350,000 cars will show up that day. If they all have 2 or more passengers then the roadways are not the only places that will feel the crunch. Restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations will all be taxed with extra population. Urgent care facilities and hospitals could also have more people to care for than usual. Eclipses attract a crowd.

If you are traveling, you will want to be sure to have plenty of drinking water and snacks. Bring your meds, simple first aid supplies, extra cash, jackets, hats, charging cords for your phones, and emergency travel supplies in case you are going a distance. Bring too much and hope you don’t need it.

You may want to bring lawn chairs, as well, and a cooler with some “real food,” too.

Enjoy the Eclipse with Friends and Family!

You can plan to host a little “staycation” if you have an open yard or field. Invite a few people over for a little afternoon potluck picnic with some games for the kids or even an educational story.

I found this Total Solar Eclipse storybook on Amazon that looks cute. It seems to have a fun friendship theme with some scientific information about what an eclipse is and how it happens. For a one-time event, the price is not bad, either.

Or you can find a video that explains it for kids, like this one from NASA Space Place!

Remember to have enough certified solar eclipse glasses for everybody, even your tiniest little ones. Protect their eyes when outdoors or keep the kids in the house!

The Weather

What if the sky is cloudy? You can all view it online. There will be livestreams of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

Total Solar Eclipse: How To Watch Online Livestream for FREE

Got any other fun ideas for the solar eclipse? Share it in the comments below!

How to have FUN for the Total Solar Eclipse! #solareclipse2024 #familyfun #tunein Share on X

Enjoy!

Solar Eclipse storybook for kids on Amazon! ad

5 Decades of the Best Family Friendly Shows You All Will Love

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How many evenings are there with absolutely nothing suitable for the whole family to watch together on TV? Too many. Either the quality is not there or something is inappropriate for someone. Personally, I get tired of clicking through the menu. Don’t you?

Rather than depending on the channels on TV, or hoping that the various viewing services will offer what you really want your family to watch, take control. Get some box sets of the greatest, really fun TV shows that you can all enjoy together on those bleak viewing nights!

This blog contains affiliate links. ♥

Here is a list of 5 decades of the best family friendly shows that may help!

When I started this list, I thought back to the shows everyone loved to watch. A few things are dated but each one is still lots of fun. My goodness, we don’t tire of old cowboy movies with John Wayne, do we? Some stories are just timeless.

It seemed to me that the easiest way to categorize them was by decade. The true family-friendly selections were plentiful in the ’60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Sadly, since the turn of the century, they are few and far between So many of the more recent offerings are just not appropriate for young children to watch. That is why, instead of separate decades, I lumped 2000-2018 together.

So where were you when these shows were popular? Many of you may not have even been born! Thanks to re-runs, most will still be familiar. Owning your own DVD sets make it so convenient to fill in evenings with good family entertainment. Instead of clicking the remote in a hopeless quest for something to watch, just pop in a DVD.

Author’s note: the claim “good for the whole family” is open to interpretation. Certainly some shows, like Gilligan’s Island, will appeal to a wider range of ages than, let’s say, Magnum PI. You know your family so pick accordingly! The nice thing about these shows is that pretty much all of them are OK for younger children to be in the room, playing quietly with toys or coloring, if the subject matter doesn’t quite hold their attention. It is all about togetherness.

1960’s

Andy Griffith Show – Sheriff Andy Taylor and his side-kick deputy, Barney Fife live in a world gone by that many of us would like to try on for a size! Gomer Pyle was introduced to the cast in their 3^rd season and that character became the spin-off show “Gomer Pyle USMC”

Beverly Hillbillies – oh, to be that sweet hillbilly, Jed Clampett, who missed his target, shooting the ground instead, and up from the ground came oil – black gold, Texas tea! Instant millionaire! (Which would be a “zillionaire,” today, right?)

Dick VanDyke Show – this tv family features Rob Petrie (Dick VanDyke) and his lovely wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) plus their son Richie. Dad is a television writer for a variety show and there often are “shows within a show” to entertain the audience. Full of laughs.

Get SMART – secret agents were popular heroes in the 1960’s and this witty spoof, central character being Maxwell Smart, is loads of fun.

Gilligan’s Island – a simple 3-hour cruise catapulted into this highly successful sit com starring Bob Denver and Alan Hale Jr. The first few episodes were in black and white but most of the show was in color. Fun for the whole family!

Gomer Pyle USMC – very popular spinoff featuring Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle.

Green Acres – this show was not truly a spin-off but the characters do come from the big city to live in Hooterville, the hometown of the Beverly Hillbillies and their spinoff, Petticoat Junction. All three shows were excellent family fun. This one is particularly unique as the main characters are “city folk” – an attorney and his high-fashion wife, Oliver and Lisa Douglas – played by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.

McHale’s Navy – a World War II comedy starring Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway about a PT boat and the misfit crew that run it.

Petticoat Junction – that “other Hooterville spinoff” — just as fun as the other two!

1970’s

Happy Days – featuring Fonzie and the whole 1950’s – 1960’s vintage Cunningham family. A fun look back at a more carefree time of life hanging out at the malt shop and going to sock hops!

M*A*S*H – starring Alan Alda. One of the longest running sit-coms ever, MASH is set in an American MASH medical unit during the Korean Conflict in the 1950’s. It is a comedy skillfully integrated with the truth of the horrors of war and the emotional battles the participants struggle through.

Mork & Mindy – Mork from the Planet Ork, played by Robin Williams. For many of us, this was our first introduction to this amazing comedian. We laughed till we cried when we first saw Mork, first introduced on a Happy Days episode. He was an immediate favorite!

The Brady Bunch – a blended dream-family whose greatest problems were, well, not much. A lovely departure from reality.

The Odd Couple – starring Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau. Their mismatched friendship is full of laughs.

1980’s

Airwolf – action adventure with a really cool souped up helicopter!

ALF – the cutest alien you’ll ever see and hysterically funny, too. Even with his quirky personality, you could find yourself wishing he’d show up at your house!

Knight Rider – starring David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight and his turbo-boosting “talking” car Kitt!

Magnum PI – located in beautiful Hawaii, Magnum PI played by Tom Seleck in the starring role is a skillful detective show the whole family will enjoy.

Moonlighting – Bruce Willis in a television series? Oh yes!

Remington Steele – light-hearted romantic mystery detective series starring Pierce Brosnan.

Simon and Simon – two really cute detective brothers with very different personalities team up to solve mysteries. They even did a cross over episode or two with Magnum PI!

The A-Team – “I love it when a plan comes together!” Col. Hannibal Hayes And your family will love it, too. Mr. T became famous in his role as B.A. Baracus in this series! One of the jokes A Team lovers used to share was that no one ever was hurt in all the gun fights and crashes. They all came out virtually unscathed.

1990’s

Early Edition – this guy wakes up every morning with a newspaper and a cat at his door. The paper predicts the future and he uses the information to come to the rescue.

Family Matters – Stevie Urkel! Need I say more? Great family fun.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air – starring Will Smith. Who doesn’t love this show!

Full House – one of the best! Everybody had somebody that was their favorite on this show. Perhaps it was Danny Tanner, or his best friend, standup comedian, Joey Gladstone. Of course, millions of girls were madly in love with dreamy Jesse with the gorgeous black hair (played by John Stamos.) The adorable children in the show were DJ, Stephanie and Michelle – just so cute!

Home Improvement – starring Tim Allen as “Tim the Toolman Taylor”!

Quantum Leap – Scott Bakula stars as a scientist whose experiment goes wrong, thrusting him into situations every week where he “leaps” into the body of a different person in time to solve their life’s problems before he can “leap” back out again.

2000 – 2018

Castle – bored, successful young mystery writer, Rick Castle, gets himself assigned to a not-so-willing NY City police homicide department as a consultant. He is looking for new material for his books. Castle and the lead homicide detective, the beautiful Kate Beckett, develop a romantic love-hate chemistry that makes this series so much fun.

Chuck – this show is a delight. I have to say it is one of my favorites. A geeky nerd working in the Nerd Herd at the local “Buy More” box store crosses paths with a gorgeous blonde spy. He is sent an email that he should never have. As he opens it, he “absorbs” a flash of every national top secret in the world and becomes a walking computer. Full of comical action and suspense, with a little bit of mild romantic overtones, you will love this innovative comedy.

Last Man Standing – this super popular sitcom is still in production, starring Tim Allen and Nancy Travis. Watch the Baxter family grow up and enjoy the antics of the Outdoor Man [sporting goods store] staff. Regular appearances by Jay Leno!

MONK – the quirky OCD detective Adrian Monk solves puzzling case after case.

Last Man Standing Series Seasons 1-8 #ad

So, what other family-friendly TV shows would you recommend?

5 decades of family-friendly TV shows that you all will love! #familyfun #tips Share on X

Enjoy!

Weather Dreary? Get Ready For Rainy Day Activities

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Summer is here! So you are all stocked up on sunscreen, have the sunglasses and sandals ready, and the grill is just screaming for you to cook up some barbecue but then, ugh, it rains. Though sunny summer days are always the hope, the weather can let us down. But do not despair. There are still a variety of fun activities your family can enjoy. Get ready for rainy day activities!

Rain or Shine Dining

One thing that the family can do no matter what the weather is to enjoy a delicious meal together. Making food together as a family is a great indoor activity and the kids will love it all the more since they had a hand in making it. Assemble some yummy sandwiches and pack your favorite snacks into a basket. Lay a blanket down in the living room for a fun and unique indoor picnic!

Kids and adults like satisfying that sweet tooth so why not make some cookies? Cut them into fun shapes and let the kids decorate them with whatever frostings and sprinkles they like!

And though it may be raining cats and dogs outside, it is still likely to be warm enough that the kids will be screaming for ice cream (and July is National Ice Cream Month – it must be celebrated!) Homemade Ice Cream in a bag is a simple and fun treat that will make the kids feel like little kitchen-chemists!

This blog contains affiliate links. ♥

Bust a Move

A fun way to spend time together on a rainy day is to break out the tunes! Move furniture to clear out some space for an indoor dance party. Your kids will love it! If it’s nighttime, turn down the lights and plug in some black lights or strobe lights to really set the dancing mood! If you have a karaoke machine, take turns singing karaoke songs and laugh at each other while trying to be the next star of the house! No karaoke machine? YouTube has a lot of karaoke versions of your favorite songs. With a little searching you still can make a fun karaoke night at no cost!

Summer fun does not have to end just because it is raining! Here are some fun rainy day activities to do with your #kids #familyfun Share on X

Lights, Camera, Action!

Getting together as a family to enjoy a movie or tv show is a great thing to do on a rainy day and the more you make it into a big event, the more fun it will be! Make it a themed movie night. Pick a theme that goes along with a great family-friendly movie. Now, decorate the living room according to that theme and make fun craft that goes along with it . Some great crafts for movie night could be “ticket stubs” from index cards or decorating bags for your popcorn!

Speaking of popcorn, no movie night is complete without a go-to snack. To really shake things up, prepare a variety of fixings and toppings such as flavored seasonings or chocolate drizzle for a real sweet and salty treat!

When choosing what to watch, either break out a classic off the shelf or stream some of your favorite content online. If you are looking for clean content without the need to pre-screen what you are going to watch, Pure Flix offers faithful, inspirational Christian movie and TV options here. They also have a selection of wholesome shows, comedy specials, animated features, educational content and more.

Indoor Camping

Summer and camping go hand in hand but the rain can put a damper on that as well. A fun alternative to camping outside is to set up an indoor camping night with the kids! Pop the tent indoors, set up flameless candles to give the room a campfire glow, and stick glow in the dark stars on the ceiling to bring the summer nighttime atmosphere indoors. If you want to really go all out with setting the stage, move potted plants around your camping space and place some stuffed animals around the room.

Put away the phones and tablets and sit in a circle telling stories as if you were sitting outside in the great outdoors. Play board games and card games under the relaxing sound of the rain outside the window. Of course, camping would be incomplete without some tasty s’mores so be sure to enjoy this camping staple on your rainy camping night! When the fun comes to an end, the kids can get into their sleeping bags and hopefully they awake to a sunny morning to come.

No one looks forward to a gloomy day of rain but family activities such as these can make those days fun and memorable for the whole family!

Do you have any rainy day activities that your family loves?

Enjoy!

Bored With Your Routine? Here Is Something New And Fun To Do!

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Do you ever get in a rut when it comes to planning family outings? We all do from time to time. We know what we like so we keep on doing the same thing over and over again …but that can grow old.

Then, also, families outgrow activities as their little ones grow up. Tastes change and it gets harder to find things to do together. That was why I was so excited to try Painting With a Twist.

MacKenzie is almost 12 years old and lots of the “little kid” dates are, well, for LITTLE KIDS! What can you do together that an almost-teen will enjoy? Thankfully, Kenzie loves art and when I asked if she’d like to go out with me for a painting class and lunch to follow? Wow! She was in! She was so happy and so was I.

Our day at Painting With A Twist was so much fun. When we arrived at our class and checked in, we were directed to help ourselves to an apron and pick the easels where we would sit. Had we been meeting a group of friends, they were ready to reserve several easels so that we could all sit together. Painting With A Twist looks out for your every need.

The particular class we signed up for was a daytime class which only had 6 students. Carly, our instructor, started us out using chalk to draw our basic outline and then we began to paint. There were times that we needed to let the paint dry before we moved on so we took that opportunity to roam around and enjoy the “scenery” as we waited. (You know what they say about paint drying. Well, PWAT is smart. Hairdryers work wonders!)

Someday I would love to bring a group of friends to a class. PWAT can accommodate lots of people at the same time and this location even has more than one room.

The class is all about enjoying art and the experience, not becoming a professional artist. Interestingly enough, when you walk out with your finished product you kind of feel like a pro – and you want to go back again soon to do it again!

art, artwork, family fun, painting lessons, painting class

Our Painting With A Twist instructor, Carly, made us feel right at home. And, as I said, no prior art experience is needed. She walked us through it step by step. The theme picture for our class featured large colorful flowers. Here is what our finished products look like⇒

family fun, mother - daughter, painting class

Each guest is invited to create their masterpiece as they see fit. Some people will want to make theirs as close to the original as possible. Others will go off on their own imaginative tangents. That is what MacKenzie did. She has a style all her own. I took a road much closer to the example we were given.

Both of us had loads of fun and have our pictures displayed at home. I needed something bright and colorful on the wall in the kids’ bedroom so that is where mine hangs. I love the display of artwork at Painting With A Twist and I plan to go back for another class real soon so that I can start my own “gallery.”

Take a look at the beautiful gallery wall. There must be hundreds of sample pictures there to choose from. You can either enroll in a class for a specific painting that you will do (take a look at their website for your area for the currently scheduled classes) or you can meet with them to select one for a group that you will be bringing in.

Painting With A Twist has daytime classes for all ages. In the evenings, there are adults-only classes so that those who wish to bring in their own adult-beverages for their special night may do so. (Check your local PWAT’s for exact beverage policies on their website.)

art, artwork, family fun, nature, painting class

There are so many kinds of parties you can plan for Painting With A Twist. Here are the themes that I can think of:

- - - - Bachelorette Party
      - Birthday Parties
      - Bridal Party Get Together
      - Church Groups
      - Clubs or Associations
      - Date Night
      - Double-Date Night
      - Engagement Party
      - Evening Out With Your Friends
      - Family Reunion
      - Girl Scouts* (There are PWAT art badges to be earned!)
      - Girls Night Out
      - Graduation Party
      - Interior Decorating Party (Start your own gallery!)
      - Mother/Daughter (or mother/son, daddy/daughter, daddy/son)
      - Teacher Orientation Getting-To-Know-You Party

Did I miss anything? What kind of party would you have?

The date-night plan can include painting a 2-part picture. You paint one half of the image and your date paints the other. Put them next to each other and you have one big work of art! Here are two that they had on display that I particularly liked but there are many, many you can choose from.

Tiger eyes double-painting.

art, artwork, family fun, date night idea

Gray night sky tree double-painting.

Did you know that Painting With A Twist has over 345 locations across the USA? Look here to find the nearest location to you ⇒ Painting With A Twist

What FUN!!!⇒ One of the co-founders of Painting With A Twist was just on the UnderCover Boss TV show! The story with links is on the PWAT website including a photo of her in her disguise!

Just a few more photos of our girls’ day out…

Kenzie hard at work!

“Running out of things to do? Here is something really FUN!”

Click To Tweet

art, artwork, family fun, mother daughter day out

Almost done!

Two other “artists” in our class!

art, artwork, family fun, painting class

My first “work of art!”

You are going to have such a great time at Painting With A Twist! Find a location near you and register for a class today⇒ PAINTING WITH A TWIST

Enjoy!

How To Decorate Ice Cream Cones With A Colorful Ring of Sprinkles

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Decorate ice cream cones with a ring of colorful sprinkles #tips

Do you love ice cream cones as much as I do? They are my favorite summertime treat. I have to say I am not very imaginative when it comes to flavor selections, though. I usually get plain vanilla. Occasionally I add a little excitement and go with chocolate. Are you impressed? LOL!

Fun with ice cream does not necessarily lie in the flavor. You can get adventurous with the CONE, instead. Kids love sprinkles! They love them a lot. Many adults do, too. They are kind of like balloons for food! All the pretty colors light up our lives.

So, we were getting ready to make some ice cream cones and I wanted to decorate their tops with a ring of sprinkles. But how? Sprinkles need something to stick to. The perfect condiment for that job is melting chocolate. It is delicious, designed to go from melted to solid quickly, and perfect edible “glue” for sprinkles to stick to. Take a look ⇓ …pretty!

Decorate ice cream cones with a ring of colorful sprinkles!

So, here’s how you do it⇒

This blog contains affiliate links. ♥

How To Decorate Ice Cream Cones With Sprinkles

Supplies

Ice Cream Cones

Melting Chocolate

Cupcake Pan or Ice Cream Cone Holder

Liners for the pan

Colored Sprinkles

2 bowls (one microwavable)

Instructions

Place the empty cones in an ice cream cone holder or a cupcake pan with liners.*
Bowl #1: Add many sprinkles to this bowl.

Bowl # 2 (microwavable bowl): put a handful of melting chocolate wafers into the microwavable bowl.

Microwave the wafers according to package directions till melted.

One at a time, take a cone from the holder, dip it in the chocolate and then dip it in the sprinkles turning it a little bit so that sprinkles cling all around the edge.

Place that cone back into the holder to cool.
Move on to the next cone till done.

Finally, scoop ice cream into each decorated cone, hand them out to your guests and enjoy!

*Tip: though the silicone liners are pretty, they are a little bit wobbly to use for an ice cream cone holder. The next time I do this, I will use a real ice cream cone holder. These pretty silcone liners are great for baking muffins or cupcakes or even for storage.

Make ice cream cones so special with a colorful ring of sprinkles #icecream #tips #kids Share on X

Enjoy!

Enlist The Ultimate Clean Squad To Make Way For Family Fun

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What is your season? Summer is my time of year. It never seems to be long enough, though, so every moment I can find to be outdoors enjoying the warm weather – and NOT cleaning – the better. Did I say that emphatically enough? N-O-T cleaning!!!! Oh, I clean but it is important to me to get it done and move on.

That is why I was really excited to learn about the “cleaning squad.” Viva® Vantage® Paper Towels teamed up with Clorox® Clean-Up® Cleaner + Bleach cleaning spray makes my summer-loving-heart sing!

Viva Vantage paper towels are really strong and they clean like cloth. Wait till you try them. The texture is #scrubby” (Is that an official texture? Well, now it is!) They do an amazing job. I love that they come in smaller sheets so I can select how much I use. I bought the 6-pack that is actually like getting a 9-pack* – so that was a deal. And I discovered that there is an Ibotta rebate on Viva® Vantage® Paper Towels, too.

*Viva Big Rolls: 40% more Viva per roll*
*Towel area compared to Viva® Regular Roll; Current practice is use of “33% More”

The other part of this dream-team is Clorox® Clean-Up® Cleaner + Bleach. Clorox: 99.9% germ killing strength; It is specially designed to clean and disinfect a variety of stains on a variety of surfaces.

As you can see, I have already used Viva towels and Clorox cleaning spray on my outdoor table to clean up the spilled soil from my planter …and my “melted ice cream cone debacle!” These products also came in so handy at our cookout: grilled barbecued pork chops and yummy sweet corn dripping with melted butter. And don’t forget the birthday cake!

Did I mention that Clorox has specially designed the sprayer with “Smart Tube Technology®” so that you will get every last drop out of the bottle? No more waste! There is an Ibotta rebate on Clorox® Clean-Up®Cleaner + Bleach, too.

Perfect clean-up team for family birthday parties – frosting and ice cream is no match for them.

Wonderful after you have barbecued food on the grill.

Use them for wiping up the greasy drips after corn on the cob teaming with butter.

So I decided that summer is too short to waste on a lot of cleaning. I headed over to Walmart and bought my own “Clean Squad.” I was particularly excited that there were two current Ibotta rebates for the products – sweet!

Viva® Rebate Offer
Walmart + Clorox® Ibotta Rebate Offer

Did you know that you can even save more of your precious summer time and money by shopping Walmart online and stacking the Ibotta rebates to save money. Be sure to go to the bundle page on their website. *For those who are shopping the bundle via Walmart Ibotta rebate offers, they cannot be used in conjunction with the bundle savings.

Wish someone would grocery shop for you? Well, while your are ordering the clean squad products online, order the rest of your groceries at Walmart for pickup. They will even load your car for you. Sounds like a plan to me!

The Great Summer Ice Cream Cone Debacle

So, I got this brilliant idea to make a lot of ice cream cones. I decorated them with colorful sprinkles and headed out to serve them on the deck. Wow, in the hot summer air ice cream melts fast! In seconds, I had a comical mess on my hands. One even toppled over, adding to the silliness. You’ve got to laugh! I grabbed the Viva paper towels and Clorox cleaning spray and moments later, the mess was gone and the ice cream eaten VERY fast!

You can tell that I love being outside. I planted colorful petunias and marigolds in pots to decorate the deck where I often sit to do my work. This particular day was kind of breezy and one of the planters toppled over. No big deal. Viva paper towels came to the rescue, along with a little squirt here and there of Clorox cleaning spra. It was clean in a jiffy.

Make the most of your precious summer and head on over to Walmart — in person or online — for savings on Viva paper towels and Clorox cleaning spray. It will make your summer cleaning easier than ever. Be sure to check out those rebates, too!

Viva® Vantage® Paper Towels
Clorox® Clean-Up®Cleaner + Bleach

Enjoy!

Wow Your Family With A Yummy Sundae Fundae Party!

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

What kind of family fun can you cook up this summer? The best fun can actually be very simple. No need for a special occasion. Pull together a surprise Sundae Fundae Party right at home. I made this oh-so-easy Ice Cream Sundae Cake with a Crunchy Pretzel Crust!

I made this delicious pretzel crust ice cream cake in advance so that I could be ready at a moment’s notice. That way all that needs to be done is to cut the cake into serving size squares and pull out an assortment of yummy toppings. Sundae party in minutes! Make it for an impromptu family get together or even a birthday party, graduation celebration, pool party or when the kids have their friends over. It is perfect anywhere, anytime.

This ice cream cake starts with a crunchy pretzel crust, Blue Bunny® PB ‘N Cones™ Ice Cream and Smucker’s Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping. When party time arrives, I will put out bowls filled with a variety of tasty delicacies to crown our works-of-art plus a can of Reddi-Wip® original whipped topping for the finishing touch!

Crunchy Pretzel Ice Cream Sundae Cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed into small pieces

2/3 cup butter (salted), melted

3 T. sugar

2 46 oz. Blue Bunny® PB ‘N Cones™ Ice Cream

1-2 jars Smucker’s Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping

1 can Reddi-Wip® original whipped topping

Various sundae toppings such as:

- - - - chopped nuts
      - crushed pretzels
      - potato chips
      - sprinkles
      - banana slices
      - cherries

Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Walmart, Smuckers, Reddi-Wip, ice cream sundaes, ice cream cake

Directions

- Using a large springform pan, make the pretzel crust.* (directions below)
- Cool the crust.
- Remove the ice cream from freezer and allow to soften about 15 minutes.
- Put scoops of ice cream onto the pretzel layer for a thick layer of ice cream.
- Smooth the ice cream using the back of a spoon.
- Place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Warm the fudge topping in the microwave 15 – 30 seconds till easily scooped.
- Spoon the fudge topping onto the top of the cake.
- Spread the topping, cover with plastic wrap and place back in the freezer.
- When it is time for your “fundae,” remove the outer part of the pan, set out your toppings and let everyone build their own awesome sundae!

Recipe for Pretzel Layer

- Place the pretzels in a large freezer bag or leave them in their original bag.
- Crush the pretzels in the bag, using a rolling pin on the outside.
- Add sugar to the pretzels and mix through.
- Melt the butter and combine with the crushed pretzels and sugar.
- Spread pretzel mixture in a 10 – 11″ spring form baking pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350°.
- Cool.

For over 80 years, Blue Bunny® has been delighting ice cream loving families with their playful flavors. Their new treats take classic flavors and put a new fun spin on them – like the Blue Bunny® PB ‘N Cones™ flavor used in this recipe! Blue Bunny® Ice Cream is sold at Walmart stores nationwide.

Now you can’t have a decent sundae without Smucker’s topping, can you. I bought my favorite, hot fudge, but they have a wide variety of flavors to choose from. Just go on over to Walmart and take your pick!

Reddi-Wip is a happy ending to any dessert. I have a can in my refrigerator to put on smoothies, pudding, pie and, of course, ice cream SUNDAES! It was so convenient to buy all of the ingredients at Walmart!

“Wow your family with a yummy Sundae Fundae Party!”

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Provide a variety of yummy toppings for each person to create their own fun sundae!

dessert party, family fun, ice cream sundaes, Sundae Fundae

Enjoying “salty ‘n sweet” with crunchy potato chips, creamy Reddi-Wip® and cherry on top!

This sundae is its own kind of banana-split!

fudge sundae, ice cream party, kids, family fun

Ooh, pretty! Love this sundae with salted almonds, whipped topping and sprinkles on top!

Got any creative sundae ideas for us?

Share it in the comments!

Enjoy!

Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. Anything purchased from Amazon through Ducks ‘n a Row will result in a small commission for me. In advance, “thank you!” … Sinea

15 Creative Valentine’s Day Crafts & Recipes For Family Fun

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holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun

Looking for some fun new ideas for your family [or classroom] to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style? Here are 15 fun crafts, recipes, party favors to make that will make Valentine’s Day memorable!