Summer looks a little different this year, and many of us have had to postpone our beach vacations for a season. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own backyard beach party! Get ready to dig out your swimsuit because we’re bringing the beach to you! Here are 23 ideas for a beach staycation! 

1. Beach and Sea Squish Bags– Kids can start to explore the wonders of the ocean with Fantastic Fun and Learning‘s sensory bags.

2. Water Fight Kit– Can’t have a beach day without water and Inner Child Fun‘s water fight kit is just the thing!

3. Butterscotch Crunch Starfish– These yummy starfish look almost real! Try this treat at Hungry Happenings!

4. Mason Jar Aquarium– Make this fun aquarium without all the maintenance at A Little Claireification.

5. Pool Noodle Fishing Game– Here’s a fun easy game from Happy Tot Shelf that is perfect for your littler grandkids!

6. Shark Fruit Salad– Maybe if sharks tried some fruit salad, they wouldn’t be such dangerous predators anymore…. Find this amazing idea at Kid Friendly Things to Do.

7. Marbled Seashell Art– Turn seashells into a work of art with Projects with Kids‘s marbles seashells.

8. Flying Fish Catch– A fun, easy water game from Mrs. Plemon’s Kindergarten  that kids will love!

9. Glitter Fish Painted Rock– Learn how to make these beautiful rocks at I Love Painted Rocks.

10. Sea Glass Candy– Happiness is Homemade ‘s sea glass candy looks almost too real and pretty to eat…. almost….

11. Beach Water Table– Little hands will love exploring the wonders of the ocean with Sugar, Spice, and Glitter‘s fun water table idea!

12. Beach Fruit Dip– This fun fruit dip is a kid favorite! Make it right here at This Grandma is Fun!

13. No-Sew Felt Mermaid Headband– If you have a mermaid for a granddaughter, then you will love Lia Griffith‘s pretty and simple headband!

14. Shark Surfboard Craft– Nothing says the beach like sharks and surfing. Find this craft at Artsy Momma.

15. Clam Cookies– If you’re looking for a treat that is easy but eye-catching, then this is the treat for you! Check it out at Frugal Coupon Living.

16. DIY Slip and Slide– For some natural beach waves in your hair, you’ll have to try All Things Thrifty‘s slip and slide! It’s sure to do the trick!

17. Candy Seashells– Just from the picture, I know I’d be snacking on these gorgeous chocolates all day long. Learn how to make them at The American Patriette.

18. Jellyfish Races– Bring out the family competition with Living Porpoisefully‘s exciting game!

19. Ocean Sand Art– What’s the beach without sand? Make beautiful works of art with The Growing Creatives‘s sand activity.

20. Mermaid Ice Excavation– This activity from Mama. Papa. Bubba. is sure to keep the kids occupied for hours. Perfect for when you need a break!

21. Flip-Flop Sandwiches– These sandwiches from Cutefetti really are the cutest!

22. Water Balloon Volley Ball– A true summer classic, this game from It’s Always Autumn fits right in with a beach staycation!

23. Beach Books– When it’s time for a little bit of quiet, Fantastic Fun and Learning‘s got you covered with this list of beach themed books the kids are sure to love!

Which of these 23 ideas for a beach staycation are you going to try out first?

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If sala-ma-goox, humpf-humpf-a-dumpfer, and fiffer-feffer-feff  hold any meaning to you, you are probably a Dr. Seuss fan. And if you’re a Dr. Seuss fan, then you are probably getting ready to celebrate his birthday on March 2nd. Lucky for you, we put together 21 wubbulous party ideas for Dr. Seuss Day to get your party started! 

1. Red Fish, Blue Fish Handprint Puppets– Read Dr. Seuss stories with these fun puppets from The Resourceful Mama!

2. Truffula Tree Cake Pops– Canadian Family‘s cake pops are so whimsical, just like Dr. Seuss’s stories!

3. Thing One and Thing Two Blow Painting– I Heart Crafty Things

4. Cat in the Hat Mini Top Hat– This hat craft from Party Delights is a perfect costume piece for a Dr. Seuss party.

5. Hop on Pop Balloon Game– Play this balloon game from Toddler Approved for a perfect Dr. Seuss party!

6. Printable Bookmarks– What could be better for a party about books than bookmarks, like these from Simple Every Day Mom?

7. Lorax Coffee Filter Art– A simple, beautiful craft from Little Bins for Little Hands.

8. Green Eggs and Ham Slime– I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am! Unless it’s this slime from Laly Mom.

9. Horton Hears a Who Balloon Card– If you’re a fan of Horton Hears a Who, you’ll love Glued to My Crafts‘s elephant cards!

10. Dr. Seuss Cookies– Deliciously Declassified‘s fun, colorful cookies are sure to be a hit!

11. Cat in the Hat Photo Craft– A keepsake and craft rolled into one! That’s my kind of craft! Find it at I Heart Arts and Crafts.

12. Oh, the Places You’ll Go Cupcakes– Celebrate Dr. Seuss Day with these cute cupcakes from Craft Play Learn and you’ll find a fun surprise inside!

13. Dr. Seuss Sensory Play with Kinetic Sand– This activity from The Educator’s Spin On It is perfect for little hands!

14. Finger Puppets– Try storytelling with Fun Family Crafts‘s finger puppets!

15. Tweedle Beetle Bottle– Bring the Tweedle Beetle Puddle Paddle Battle Muddle to life with 30 Minute Crafts‘s bottle craft!

16. Easy Star-bellied Sneetch Shirt– You don’t need Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s machine to get a star on your belly with Organized 31‘s easy diy.

17. Free Printable Dr. Seuss Headbands– Who doesn’t love free printables? Find these cute headbands at Simple Every Day Mom.

18. One Fish, Two Fish Jello Cups– Am I the only one who didn’t know Swedish fish came in different colors? My life has been changed. Check out Cupcake Diaries for this quick, and easy treat!

19. Fox in Socks Dress-Up Costume– Dress to impress with this fun costume from Happy Together!

20. Cat in the Hat Kabobs– No Dr. Seuss party would be complete without a Cat in the Hat snack, and we found the perfect one at Modern Mom Life!

21. Truffula Tree Pencil Craft– Take a little Dr. Seuss with you to school or work with this pencil craft from Chica Circle!

Hope you enjoyed our list! Tell us how it goes with these wubbulous party ideas! 

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One of my favorite memories growing up was sitting on my grandma’s lap and reading a book together. I loved snuggling up on her lap, while she read to me stories about talking bears, fat caterpillars, princesses, and pirates. It was a special time I will always cherish. For all you grandparents out there, I’m sure you understand the importance of simple moments like reading books with your grandchildren. To help those of you who are new to being a grandparent, we’ve compiled this list of 19 Best 1st Year Baby Books to read with your little darlings. Let the memory making commence!

1. Dinosaur Dance– This is such a fun book, perfect for little wigglers!

2. The Wonderful Things You Will Be– Let your little ones dream big with this beautiful book.

3. The Crayons’ Book of Colors– A fun way to introduce babies to color!

4. May I Please Have a Cookie?– It’s never too early to learn how to say “Please,” and “Thank you!”

5. The Crown on Your Head– This beautiful book is a great reminder of how special and priceless every child is.

6. The Secret Life of Squirrels– Did you know that squirrels are really living a double life and that we only see just the surface of what they do during the day? This tell-all book is sure to keep little readers on the edge of their seats!

7. All the World– Stunning illustrations, easy to follow rhymes, and a beautiful message. What’s not to love?

8. Day Dreamers: Journey of Imagination– Let your grandchildren’s imaginations soar with this enchanting book!

9. A Kissing Hand for Chester Racoon– A beautiful and comforting reminder to little ones everywhere that no matter where they go, they are always loved.

10. LMNO Peas– Learn the alphabet with these cute veggies!

11. The Pout-Pout Fish– A fun lesson on choosing to be happy! Also, look at that cute, droopy eyed fish. You know this one will be good.

12. Love Monster– We love the message in this one: a little love goes a long way and can heal any lonely heart!

13. Peck Peck Peck– This one is more interactive, where children put their fingers through the holes.

14. Digger, Dozer, Dumper– For the child obsessed with anything motorized (ahem- my child), they will love this one!

15. King Baby– For anyone who can relate to caring for a baby (you)!

16. Corduroy– A true classic!

17. Together– A cute story about the bond little ones have with their parents (or in this case, grandparents). Sometimes, just being together is enough.

18. Ten Little Toes, Two Small Feet– Get your grandchild wiggling with this fun book!

19. Peanut Butter’s Yummy Numbers– Look at these peanuts. This is going to be fun.

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When my grandchildren visit, we always do lots of fun things but my absolute favorite to do with them is to have them snuggle up and read a book together.  I have compiled a quick list of some of my favorite books to read with grandkids that you might want to check out!

A book that I have recently purchased is “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt.  During my last visit with some of my grandkids, we gathered together and read this book and then did a fun craft with crayons to correlate along with the story!

What would you do if all you wanted to do was to color but your crayons were on strike?  That’s what happens to poor Duncan in this story and it was so fun to read about all of the complaints that each color had.  Poor blue crayon is sick and tired of just coloring water.  What would YOU color with a blue crayon?

And just take a look to see what the purple crayon is upset about:

After reading about all the crayon colors, we then made old fashioned sun catchers!  I remember making these when I was a child and both boys were the perfect age to make these.

Here are the items that you will need to make these:

Crayons, Grater, Waxed Paper, Paper Towels, Iron, Hole Punch, String or twine, Tape

Instructions:

Lay a some paper towels on your working surface.  Then lay a piece of waxed paper on the paper towels.

Peel the wrappers off of the crayons that you will be using.

We first started to put the crayons in a sharpener to create some shavings.  This turned out to be way too labor intensive and too much work for little hands.

We then moved to using a grater which worked much better. I was a little worried that the crayons were going to ruin the grater, but we washed it with warm water and then ran it through the dishwasher and it cleaned up beautifully!

Position your crayon shavings on your waxed paper.  It’s best to leave some room between your shavings and not make them super thick.   As they get ironed, the crayons will melt and spread and if they are too thick, you won’t be able to see the sun shine through them.  Older brother made his a little too thick with his blue crayons.

Place another piece of waxed paper on top of your shavings and then lay some paper towels on top of that so that nothing can get melted onto the iron.  On a low setting, iron over your crayon shavings until they have all melted.

After this has cooled, cut into the desired shape.  We chose plain old squares.  Then punch a hole in one corner and run some string or twine through.

Hang or tape up in a bright window and enjoy the colors!

I loved this book and think it’s worth getting.  Going along with Amazon’s recommendation, the youngest age that I think would enjoy this book is 3.  Any younger than that then the subject matter will probably be a little over their heads.  Get your copy today and then have some kind of crayon fun with YOUR grandkids!

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How can The Book with No Pictures be a favorite?

Just read it in your silliest voice to find out.

What! Cried Granny  is one of my grandkids all time favorite.

Do YOU have everything you need for your grandkids to spend the night?

In Frank and Ernest, they run a diner for a day.  What do you think “Nervous Pudding” is?

How can things go wrong when you have Chickens to the Rescue?

There is also Pigs to the Rescue, Cows to the Rescue and Duck to the Rescue.

Kids LOVE anticipating the tickle that’s coming with the book Tickle Monster.

You can also purchase the Tickle Mitts that go along with this story.

Classics never fail.  I remember reading Are You My Mother? when I was a little girl.

What do you name a dog that has bad breath?  Hally Tosis of course.

My grandkids are entranced when I read this book, Dog Breath.

You thought you knew the story of the Three Little Pigs.  You thought wrong.

Here’s The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs.

Winning a Caldecott Honor Award, kids love the wacky stories in

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Are you having a Grover’s Bad Awful Day?

Your kids will love hearing what happens to Grover in this Sesame Street book.

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There’s just something about the change in the weather to cooler temperatures and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot that makes me take a step back and look at the world around me with fresh eyes.  I think that’s why I love this quote from F. Scott Fitzergerald’s The Great Gatsby so much:

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

I thought it was the perfect sentiment to share alongside a fall vignette.  So….we turned it into a printable that is perfectly sized for an 8×10 frame!

I had fun finding some touches of fall to put around my framed quote.  I shopped my house and one of my favorite grocery stores to put together this little Autumn display.

The vase is a favorite find from Target last spring.  I love the little yellow sculpted flower–it reminds me of a chrysanthemum or dahlia!  Since the printable is so literary, I had to have some books nearby.  I pick up vintage Reader’s Digest Condensed books whenever I find them at thrift shops, because the covers have such pretty colors and patterns.  I drew a pile of pumpkins on my chalkboard.  Since fall foliage isn’t very spectacular in my area, I keep a few of these fabric leaves on hand to use in my Fall decor every year.  The flowers and gourds came from Trader Joe’s.  (In case you haven’t heard, they have incredible prices on fresh flowers!)

See those teeny-tiny pumpkins?  They actually come on branches, and they are known as pumpkin trees.  They are a type of ornamental eggplant.  Who knew?  I think they are adorable, and so fun to decorate with throughout the harvest season.  I think they are sold by many florists, but you can definitely find them at Trader Joe’s, this time of year.

Ready to add a touch of fall to your home?  Click the button below to download the FREE Fall printable pictured above.

 This awesome post has been shared with: Skip to My Lou and Home Stories A to Z

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We’ve made a FREE printable for you that is perfect for adding to your Fall decor this year.  Simply download the PDF file below and print it out on your computer or send it off to your local copy store.  This one is black and white, so no color printing is necessary.  If you’d like, you could add a little seasonal color by printing it onto ivory, tan, or orange paper.  It’s perfectly sized to fit into an 8×10 frame.

Life Starts Again in the Fall Printable

Click on the highlighted words right above this to download or print the PDF file for your own use.  I had a lot of fun creating pretty Autumn vignettes around mine.

After taking that picture, I did a little rearranging and added one of my favorite things into the vignette, this sweet wooden fox.  What is it about foxes that make them so perfect for Fall decorating?

Those adorably tiny pumpkins actually came off of the branch of a pumpkin tree.  Have you heard of those?  You can read more about them and find out where to get a few of your own if you click back here.

Have a wonderful time getting your house ready for the crisp, cool days of Fall!

Just in case you missed it up above, you can click on the highlighted text below to download the PDF file for the printable:

Life Starts Again in the Fall Printable

Click HERE to view and print August’s free printable.

This awesome post has been shared with: Skip to My Lou and Home Stories A to Z

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