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Have you started thinking about what your kiddos are going to be for Halloween yet? Or are they already telling you what they want to be?
Well here are 27 Easy Homemade Halloween Costume ideas courtesy of Parenting.com to get your brain going on “halloween fun”!
Plus you can make them all yourself!
Check out a few of my favorites:
Today’s great DIY project comes from the wonderful Michelle at Fun on a Dime! Make sure you head over and become a google follower or subscribe to her emails as she posts great projects that won’t break the bank!
Hands & Feet To Keep!
We made these while we were discussing hands and feet, but I think they would make a great present for any mom, dad, or grandparent or great as a keepsake! Super easy to make and the kids had fun decorating them after they dried.
What You Need:
**makes enough for one foot and hand print together or two separate hand/footprints
Directions:
Step 1: Mix ingredients together in a bowl. If the dough is a little dry add water a little at a time. **optional** Mix in food coloring to color the dough.
Step 2: Make a ball of dough, then flatten it to about a one-inch thickness in the shape of a circle. I recommend sticking to the 1 inch thickness. I tried to do less than an inch thick and once the hand/foot prints were finished, it was very thin on the bottom.
Step 3: Place the dough on a baking sheet, if you have not already. Put the baking sheet on a hard surface like a tile floor or pavement. Press the hand and/or foot into the dough to make an imprint. I pressed on every toe and finger and made sure their palm/heel got a good push into the dough.
Step 4: If you want to add a name or a date, the easiest way is to use a toothpick and poke words/date in with many little dots. I tried a few different ways (knifes and dragging the toothpick) and it just kept tearing the dough. (see below picture)
For years…I have wanted to update my bathroom to have more of a classy look and feel. I just didn’t know where to start. Then I found Reflected Design! They specialize in custom frames for existing mirrors. They were just what my bathroom needed. Just a simple face lift for the mirror I already had.
The process was simple. I simply selected the frame style of my choice, supplied my measurements and information about my counter space, and they made my frame to custom fit my space. It arrived quickly and with clear instructions for installation. I simply laid the 4 frame pieces out on the floor. With the supplied wood glue, I glued the edges before screwing them together, then let it dry for 45 minutes before picking it up and taking it into my bathroom. I then proceeded to place it up with the top clips that they provided already on it, and made sure it would fit perfectly. Then I enlisted the help of the hubby and we applied the epoxy glue with the instructions provided. We help the mirror in place for 90 seconds and DONE!
Just take a look at what my vanity looked like before I started the transformation.
BEFORE:
Prepare to be amazed! Drum roll please………..
AFTER:
Isn’t the change amazing? Such a simple project, yet the results are incredible.
I highly recommend anyone who wants to update their already existing mirror to order from Reflected Design.
Check out more of the their before and afters here!
{Opinions expressed in this post are strictly our own. We were not paid for this post. Thanks Reflected Design for providing the sample custom frame for this review. }
Now that you have been shopping like crazy to get the kiddos ready for back to school….how about some fun hair do ideas?
Look no further than She Does Hair!
Check out this adorable tutorial for Four Messy Piggies All In A Row!
Divide the hair in the middle of the head
Part the hair right where the temple starts.
Pull the hair up into a little ponytail being careful to only pull the hair half way through the last time you pull it out.
Repeat until you have four messy ponies (I know I put piggies on the title, it flows much better than ponies)
Curl the ends of the hair.
Fluff hair and spray it.
Add pre-made bows or ribbons for a finishing touch.
Make sure you head over to She Does Hair and become a google follower and thank her for her adorable hair-do’s!!!
I was so excited when I found this wonderful article “42 Stunning Cakes in 10 Ingredients and Less” on parenting.com. So many cute and colorful ideas for your next party.
So if you have a birthday coming up, or even an end of summer b-b-q head on over, pick one out, and get to baking. You are sure to bring in lots of smiles and compliments with one of these on display.
I was super impressed that you can make them all with 10 ingredients or less!
Check out a few of my favorites:
See them all here!
Remember REAL MOMS CAN DO-IT-THEMSELVES!
As the summer is beginning to come to an end, now is the time for all the fruits and veggies you planted in your garden to be picked and devoured. One thing that seems to come in never ending amounts is zucchini. Surely you can’t eat zucchini EVERY night for dinner, so here are two ways you can use this delicious veggie.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
Step 1: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate squares until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.
TA DA! Beautiful!
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups gated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup coconut
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
Step 1: In a large bowl mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and zucchini. (I decided to do 1 cup sugar and 1 cup splenda to help cut down on the calories in case I end up eating both loaves. 
)
Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix together flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the zucchini batter and mix well.
Another action shot!
Waiting…and snacking…
WA LA! Nice and browned!
Let cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing. Finish cooling on cooling racks. Eat and enjoy!
Did you grow a garden?
Do you have any great garden fresh recipes you would like to share with us?
If you try these recipes we would love to hear how they turned out!
Summer and Bubbles! How fun!
Courtesy of familycrafts.about.com
Image credit
If your daughter is like my Ava girl, then you have tons of hair bows, clips, barrettes, accessories and no place to put them! I recently saw a super cute bow holder in a local boutique and thought “I could do that!”. So…I did! I went to my local craft store and bought an upper case letter “A”, some fun ribbon, and headed home to create a bow holder for my girl! It was super easy, fun for Ava, and now we have a place for all of her darling hair accessories!
1st Step: Gather all your supplies: wooden letter, ribbon {two strands about 24 inches long}, hot glue gun, paint {various colors}, paint brush or sponge brush.
2nd Step: Paint it up! Choose any color and paint away! Or you can make it an activity for your little one and have them paint their letter, even embellish it with sequins, feathers, glitter, pom poms, anything their heart desires! So fun! A great little activity to do indoors on a hot summer day! {allow paint to dry}
3rd Step: Cut ribbon into two strings, both about 24 inches long. Then glue to the BACK of the wooden letter.
4th Step: Cut any slits in the ribbon for bows & headbands that might need some help staying put!
5th Step: Hang & Enjoy! 
Seriously, so simple, so cute, & so affordable! Ava loves her bow holder and we keep ours in the bathroom. In the morning while she brushes her teeth, we fix her hair and then at night when she is brushing her teeth we put the bow or barrette back on the holder! It works out so well for us and keeps all her hair accessories nice and in one place! This would also make a great handmade gift for a mama expecting a little girl!
![Amanda%20[1]](http://www.realmomsrealviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Amanda2011.png)
With the hot summer sun out what better way to have the kids cool off than with a homemade POPSICLE!
Super yummy and guess what super easy to make yourself. You can save a lot of money by purchasing Popsicle molds and reusing them over and over. We simply use our favorite 100% juice, fill, and freeze. It’s that easy.
Yummy Popsicle’s all summer long. The kids are sure to LOVE them!
You could make a big bunch of them and place them in a fun tin with ice for a yummy cooling off summer party!
There are so many fun molds out there to choose from, just check out these ones:
Tovolo Yellow Groovy Pop Molds
Tovolo Green Shooting Star Ice Pop Molds
You also have to see this fun book.
What a great summer party hostess gift! Simply pair this book with a pop mold set.
Pops!: Icy Treats for Everyone
Have fun eating all those delicious popsicles!!!
Today we are going to show you how to make your own sidewalk chalk. What a fun summer activity you can create with the kiddos and they will definitely love playing with it too!
How Does She? (Alison) is super creative and will show you how to do it below, and make sure you run over to her site and leave her a comment thanking her for this great tutorial!
What you will need:
I found the Plaster of Paris from Lowe’s after searching all of the craft stores. It was around $7
Kind of a weird present huh?
I also gave them the cute cookie cutters, but that didn’t work so don’t worry about that part!
Mix a little of this and that! Water with Plaster of Paris. Creating a thick goo like the consistency of Peanut Butter.
Telling them they were mixing a magic potion sent beams of excitement through their souls! They could hardly contain themselves for the unveiling of the final product! ( Yes, my daughter was still in her pajamas)
Mix and add food coloring. I’ve heard tempera paint powder works too, but I couldn’t find any for the life of me! I used what I had!
You know the heart molds from the melted crayon post last February? Well, I wanted to use them again. I like to make sure I get good use out of things I buy:)
Let them dry for a few hours and then pop them out! We tried to get a little artsy and add green and darker blue to the chalk.
A dream come true with the magic potion…
AHHH…
so perfect
so little
so cute
Because…REAL MOMS DO-IT-THEMSELVES and have tons of fun doing it!
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