Confession: I am a last-minute mom. I am the mom who gets the birthday gift on the way to the party and wraps it in the car. I am the mom who rushes to drop my kids off at school in my sweats. And for Valentine’s, I am the mom who runs to the store the day before and grabs whatever box of valentines is left over. But, this year, I decided to try something different. I am preparing early and getting some cute, original DIY valentines ready. If you’re looking for something different too, check out these 25 show-stopping DIY valentines!

1. S’mores Valentine– S’mores are no longer just for the summer with these cute Valentines from Overstuffed .

2. I Dig You, Valentine– Real Housemoms‘s Valentines are the perfect hand out for any kids that love playing in the dirt!

3. Paper Airplane Valentines– I have a 5 year old who would go crazy over these valentines from Lia Griffith!

4. Awesome Sauce– The Search for Imperfection‘s printable makes this valentine simple and easy.

5. Gummy Bear Valentine– The gummy bears make this valentine from Six Time Mommy colorful and yummy!

6. Olaf Valentine– Anyone else’s kids crazy for Frozen? My daughter would be obsessed with One Creative Mommy‘s Olaf valentines.

7. Conversation Heart Soap– I used to not like conversation hearts, but these soaps from A Pumpkin and a Princess definitely changed my mind!

8. Valentines Chocolate Box– Our simple valentines chocolate box is perfect for hiding surprises inside, like candy or even a ring? (wink, wink) Find it at This Grandma is Fun!

9. Valentine Donuts– I don’t know about your family, but in ours, there is no greater gift of love than donuts. Share the love with Eighteen25‘s amazing design.

10. Heart Shaped Crayons– Make Valentines colorful with Princess Pinky Girl‘s heart crayons.

11. I “Chews” You– This valentine from Crazy Little Projects is sure to be the hit at any Valentine’s Day party!

12. Pirate Valentine– Short Stop Designs‘s valentines AAAARRR fun treasures for young pirates!

13. You the “Bomb”– Make Life Lovely‘s bath bomb valentines are the perfect way to pamper friends and family.

14. Valentine Pompom Monster–
We love these cute, fuzzy monsters from Practically Functional!

15. You Make My Heart Race– These valentines from Hello, Wonderful are too cute!

16. Fortune Cookie Valentine– We love this original idea from Evermine!

17. You’re One in a “Minion”– I feel like this valentine from The Benson Street was made for me haha. I can’t get enough of the minions!

18. Unicorn Valentine Foam Hearts– This valentine from The DIY Mommy is absolutely magical!

19. Soda Valentine– If you’d like to buy the world a coke, you’ll love this valentine from Bullock’s Buzz.

20. You A-maze Me– We love this fun take on valentines from Lil Luna!

21. Lip Balm Valentine– I don’t know about your family, but my kids looooove lip balm. They would be thrilled to receive Landeelu‘s valentine!

22. Rubber Duck Valentine– Kids will go quackers over Positively Splendid‘s valentines!

23. Valen-slime– Nothing says love like heart-shaped slime! Find this valentine at Kids Activities.

24. Ring Pop Valentine– Question: why has no one ever come up with socially acceptable, edible jewelry for grown-ups? I would love to have a delicious ring that I can slowly eat throughout the day, but that also looks amazing with my outfit. Is that so wrong? Check out this valentine at The Gracious Wife.

25. You Color My World– Add a little color to Valantine’s Day with this valentine from 5 Minutes for Mom!

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July 1 is National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, so I found 16 creative ice cream flavors to try this summer! I’ve got sweet, savory, and everything in between! Today’s the day to be a little adventurous and try a new ice cream flavor!

1. Avocado Mint Chocolate Chip. This is a much healthier alternative as it’s dairy free! And the avocado gives it a nice smooth texture!

2. Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream. This reminds me of the Jelly Belly flavor! And it contains real popcorn!

3. Dr. Pepper Ice Cream. They say this ice cream is so good, you’ll never go back to just drinking Dr. Pepper! Sounds life changing!

4. Lemonade Ice Cream. Now this would be refreshing on a hot summer day!

5. Harry Potter Butterbeer Ice Cream. This ice cream sounds quite magical!

6. Doughnut Ice Cream. I always have to wash down donuts with a glass of milk, so this is the perfect compromise!

7. The Munchies Ice Cream. This ice cream’s got a little bit of everything in it!

8. No Churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream. This ice cream will definitely bring out your inner cookie monster. Plus it’s easy to make!

9. Lavender Rose Ice Cream. I’ve never tried anything rose flavored, but it’s definitely worth a shot!

10. Olive Oil Ice Cream. I’ve actually heard good things about this ice cream! It’s definitely a unique flavor choice.

11. Sea Salt & Honey Ice Cream. Sea salt is great on anything, so I can’t see this going wrong.

12. Maple Bacon Ice Cream. Because bacon makes everything better.

13. Basil Ice Cream. Hmm…. I like basil, but I’m not sure how it would be in the form of ice cream. Guess I’ll just have to try it!

14. Blue Moon Ice Cream. This was invented in Milwaukee, and you can only get it in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan! They say it tastes fruity like Froot Loops or Fruity Pebbles!

15. Cinnamon and Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream. Since it has oatmeal in it that means I can eat it for breakfast, right??

16. Key Lime Ice Cream Switch to key lime ice cream this summer so you don’t have to heat up your oven cooking pies!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of ice cream to try this summer. And National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day is the perfect excuse to try some new flavors!

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As the summer heats up, we start running out of ideas for creatives ways to keep the kids fed and entertained. Here are 16 fun and healthy kids snacks to get you through the rest of the summer!

1. Apple Cookies are an easy snack that will satisfy your kids’ sweet tooth without spoiling their appetite!

2. Teddy Bear Toast. This toast is adorable and kids can make it themselves! Now that is the perfect snack.

3. Peanut Butter Snails. They’re cute and healthy!

4. DIY “Go Gurt”  These are filled with healthy fruit and they’re refreshing on a hot summer day! To make these, you need these zipzicle bags.

5. Chocolate Dipped Almond Butter Banana Bites

6. Cucumber Bites. This is a great way to get your kids to eat more veggies!

7. No Bake Monster Cookie Energy Bites. The M&M’s will entice them, but little do they know these cookies are packed with plenty of healthy ingredients!

8. Backyard Bug Snacks. Adorable and healthy. What more could you ask for in a snack?

9. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls. This is probably the only sushi the kids will actually eat. It’s a fun twist on a classic PB&J!

10. Strawberry Mice. Look how cute these mice are!

11. Strawberry Banana Popsicles. These only contain three ingredients, so they are wayyyyy healthier than store bought popsicles! You’ll also need popsicle molds as well!

12. Whole wheat goldfish crackers.

13. Healthy Fishbowl Treats. I see this as a healthier version of a frosted sugar cookie. Yum!

14. Cheese and Apple Pirate Ships

This recipe is from a post about having a Peter Pan themed party, but this snack would be fun for any occasion!

For the next two recipes, you’ll need wooden skewers.

15. Lunchbox Kabobs are perfect for when they get tired of sandwiches!

16. Grape Poppers: As fun to make as they are to eat!

These snacks look so good that I might want some for myself! Happy summer snacking!

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Hey there! We’re Molly and Chelsea and we’re the baking and cooking duo behind Bests and Bites! We’ve been besties for 23 years and loving connecting over a good piece of cheesecake, a cheesy dip or sipping on our favorite refreshments. Our fave things include health and fitness, baking, and pool days!

First things first, the red white and blue in this glass makes us want to PARTY. Like really celebrate America’s birthday!

Breakfast party? Snack party? Picnic party? All of the above.

We used to think the Fourth of July food spread was limited to only festive fruit-topped desserts, and okay fine we’ll take a bomb popsicle while we’re at it, but we’ve recently discovered (by way of this parfait) you can celebrate all day long!

This recipe is perfect for this holiday because strawberries and blueberries are in season and so naturally sweet and ripe. Not to mention they won’t hurt your wallet to get a carton or two.

They give this parfait so much substance and a sweet bite that perfectly complements the yogurt.

Now, let’s get down to the star of this recipe: the vanilla almond granola.

Say helloooo to your favorite snacking, breakfasting, and crunchy-sprinkled-topping! The granola itself is mildly sweet from honey, vanilla and maple syrup, slightly nutty from the slivered almonds, and whole-wheatty from the oats and whole wheat flour.

It’s just the right combination of semi-soft and crunchy. The centers still have a softness that makes is easy to carry on a conversation over the table, but just the right crunch that adds the perfect texture to the soft and creamy yogurt.

A fun tip about these parfaits. If you’ve got big breakfast plans like banana pancakes or french toast, these also make for the best snack or recipe for a picnic! You could even set up a create your own parfait bar and set out all the yummy ingredients and let your friends and family go crazy with their toppings and layers.

We have good ideas sometimes.

Another fun tip. Make the granola a week before and have it ready. Then these parfaits only take 5 MINUTES to make.

So everybody say hello the next big thing in breakfast and Fourth of July history, because you’re about to fall in love!

Print

Red, White and Blue Patriotic Parfaits

Servings 2 large parfaits

Ingredients

• For the granola:
• 6 cups rolled oats not the quick instant oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts I used walnuts
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup honey
• 1 cup coconut oil melted
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• For the parfait:
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup strawberries sliced

Instructions

• For the granola:
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• In a very large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, pecans, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, and sugar if using. Stir to combine.
• Whisk the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and the honey together. Pour over the oats mixture and stir until the mixture is well combined and is completely coated. Pour into a large baking sheet in a single layer. It will be a thick layer, which is okay, you want it to create large clusters.
• Bake for 20 minutes, stir and bake for another 10 minutes. Stiry again and bake for a final 5 minutes and remove from the oven.
• Do not stir right away. The granola will will become more clumpy as it dries.
• When granola is completely cooled, layer 1/4 cup of blueberries in the bottom of a glass. Add 1/4 cup of yogurt on top, then add 1/4 cup granola. Add 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and blueberries, another 1/4 cup of yogurt and another 1/4 cup of granola on top. Garnish with more blueberries and strawberries and serve immediately.

Some of our other favorite breakfast recipes:

Coffee Cake Crumble Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Berry Almond Smoothie Bowl

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