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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* We’re sharing our favorite links from last week’s party at the beginning of today’s party.  Check them out and then keep scrolling down for the link party.  Happy Weekend!

Thanks for participating in the Best Recipes and DIY Projects Party last week!  We’re thrilled to share some of our favorite links from last week’s link party with you.

This week, we spotted some seafood dishes at the link party that looked like they would pair perfectly with some of our favorite summer salads.  These entrees are just the type of thing we love to eat outside on the deck.

Double Shrimp Pasta from Cooking with Curls

Fish Tacos with Mango Chipotle Salsa from Jen’s Random Scraps

Garlic Shrimp with Chili Pesto Pasta from Simply Stacie

Salmon Burger Sliders from Sweet and Savory

Seafood Tortellini Salad from Three Kids and a Fish

Now, let’s get this party started!

 Happy Weekend, everyone! We’re delighted that you came to our party. The link-up is live and ready for you to share your recipes, DIY projects and crafts, just make sure you follow these guidelines:

1. When you link up, you are giving us permission to feature your project and pictures on our blogs and social media with a link back to you.
2. We’ll feature our favorite projects from this weekend’s party at the beginning of next week’s link party.
3. Weekly favorites will also be pinned to our Link Party Favorites Board on Pinterest!
4. Add a text link back to the host blog.
5. You can link up any post you’ve created during this past week.
6. We’re excited about your handmade items, but this link party is limited to blog posts only. Please don’t linkup your Etsy shop.
7. Share the love and comment on two or more of the other projects that are linked up. We all love comments!

This party starts every Friday at 5 P.M. MST, and keeps going until the following Tuesday evening. Feel free to invite others to join in the fun!

Thanks for participating! Your Hosts,

Ruthie from Cooking With Ruthie, Jeni from Bakerette, Mandy from Mandy’s Recipe Box, Dan and Chris from Live Dan 330, and Deb, Tracy, and Sherri from Made From Pinterest

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WHALE, look no further!  We COD send you elsewhere for some Valentine ideas, but this seemed like the perfect oppor-TUNA-ty to share a free printable with you!

All these fish puns?  Well, they are on PORPOISE because these Valentines are REELy fishy.

We crafted them from vintage French postcards, found at The Graphics Fairy.  We think they are hilarious!

If you like them, too, then click below to download the PDF file for these FREE printable Valentines!  After all, we’re sure that SALMON you know would love to get one.

Click this button to get your free printable Valentines!

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Valentine’s Day isn’t too far away, so we’ve come up with a very quirky–and very FREE–printable you can use to make your own “o-FISH-al” greetings for the day of love!

Scroll down to download the PDF file below and print it out at home or send it off to your local copy store and let them print it for you.  We recommend printing them on cardstock.

The free file contains a page of four fishy valentines that you can cut out and attach to your favorite “fish food”.  We suggest Swedish Fish or Goldfish Crackers.  Did you know there are princess goldfish that are pinkish purple?  (Perfect for Valentine’s Day!)

Notice that these cards only have a space for “from”, not “to.”  That’s because of a busy mom tip we’ve got for you: simplify your life by having kids write their own name in the “from” spot.  Don’t worry about writing the names of everyone in their class on the Valentines when they are handing them out to the entire class!  It is much less stressful for the kids and makes the distribution go so much faster in the classroom!

Click on the image below to download and save the file for this printable thank-you postcard template.

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

Free Printable Fish Valentines

The post January FREE Printable appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Super Saturday #60 was another weekend full of inspiring ideas!  If you are looking for some new dishes to include in your family’s menu, look no further!  We spotted some really delicious entree recipes in the linkup.  Here are our answers to the question, “What’s for dinner?”

Crispy Quinoa Patties with Dill Greek Yogurt Dip from Natural Chow

Pan Seared Salmon with Mustard Sauce from Upstate Ramblings

Chicken Caprese Quesadillas from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Creamy Tuna Dip and Spread from Day 2 Day Supermom

Spinach Feta Omelet from Practical Stewardship

Honey Garlic Chicken with Coconut Crust from Food Faith Fitness

Corn Chowder from Three Kids and a Fish

Healthy Turkey Meatball Subs from Simply Fresh Dinners

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells from I Dig Pinterest

Scrod Picatta from A New York Foodie

 Thanks again for sharing your projects and recipes with us during Super Saturday #60!  We hope you were as inspired by these featured links as we were.   Please come back  for our next Super Saturday Link Party, starting at 7 P.M. EST on Friday night!  And keep an eye on your social media over the weekend, too.  We like to showcase links that catch our eye during the party via Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  You might see your links featured there!

These amazing recipes have been shared with: Living Well Spending Less

The post What’s For Dinner? 10 Ideas appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I do not like green eggs and ham.

That is the reaction I felt like I got when I first started serving fish to my kids.

I do not like it, Sam I Am.

They would take one look and wrinkle their noses. The decision was made way before it got anywhere near their mouths. I was never a big fan of forcing my kids to eat things they do not like. Or “think” they do not like. I was a very picky eater growing up. I know how all the coercion tactics work. And how they felt. And how my stubborn tastebuds rebelled. I once had to eat cold tacos for breakfast, because I was not allowed to have anything else, ever, until I finished my dinner. Tacos? Who doesn’t like tacos? Apparently 6 year old me didn’t.

None of the tactics really made me a more adventurous eater. That just came with time. I am not so picky now! You can tell by all the food posts, I love food!

A few tactics that did work on my kids was “Just try one bite for every year old you are.”. 3 years = 3 bites. How about this one? Divide the offending food into two equal portions and they get to choose which portion to eat. Reverse psychology by giving a false sense of control over their food destiny?

While these tactics didn’t necessarily win them over to a new recipe, it did get them to try new foods without it being an overly negative experience.One of my best tactics is to make healthy food that really tastes great. You can read more about one of my most successful tips get kids to eat healthy food and get a great recipe in Coconut Peanut Chicken Satay Stir Fry.

This fish marinade is flavorful without being overpowering. It is great on any mild white fish, as well as shrimp and…. Chicken. The real trick for the pickiest and most reluctant fish eaters is this fish marinade is also great on chicken! Once kids get used to the flavor of the marinade on chicken, the switch to fish is easier, because they are familiar with the taste. This recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen is simply good food and her site is full of great fish recipes! This one is now a regular in our dinner rotation.

This pin rocks!

Print

Fish Hater Marinade

Got picky eaters? This Fish Marinade will win over the most reluctant of fish eaters. But if they are really obstinate...it is good on chicken too!

Ingredients

• This marinade is good on halibut tilapia, or mahi-mahi (Any mild white fish, really.), shrimp, and chicken. Chicken can be marinated for longer.
• One piece per person

Marinade Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning optional, but good I found it with the spices
• 2 T garlic minced crushed or pureed
• 1 T dried basil - for this recipe I like dried better than fresh

Instructions

• If using frozen fish, thaw completely. Combine marinade ingredients. Put fish in ziploc bag and pour marinade over. This marinade makes enough for 4-6 pieces of fish. I keep leftover marinade in the fridge, it lasts for two weeks. Or make a smaller batch for less fish.
• Marinade for 2-3 hours, longer for chicken.
• When ready to grill, heat grill to high to preheat and take the fish out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Oil grates with grill spray or using a paper towel dipped in oil and rubbed over grates using tongs.
• Reduce heat to medium-high and cook each piece of fish about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness, turning over halfway through. To test for doneness, it should feel firm to the touch, but not hard and flake easily.
• This may also be cooked using the broiler. All the same rules apply :).

How about a little something for dessert?

Two Two Easy Peach Cobbler

Mini Apple Pie Cookies

We’re sharing this post with:

Living Well Spending Less

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When I cook a nice meal, what I want out of my family is an end of the cooking show reaction. At the end of the show the host and their guests taste the recipe of the day and ooh, and aah, over the taste, texture, flavor, moistness; every exquisite detail is described. What I get most often when I ask how my family likes a new recipe is, “It’s good. I like it.” I’t’s good? Good? LIKE? I press for more detail. “On a scale of 1-10, where would you rate this?” By now they are annoyed and evasive. “I already said, it’s good.” Ugh! Good is such a generic term, I don’t know what to make of it.It is the start of a new year, and your kids, like mine, are probably not back in school yet either, so we are all still eating holiday food. But come Monday morning, we are all going to step on that scale and let out a shriek over what we have done to ourselves. I know, you are probably totally irritated with me for mentioning it before Monday. But, trust me, I am trying to do you a favor. I am giving you time to go grocery shopping and be prepared to make this for dinner Monday night. The shift from holiday eating to more healthy eating, can taste a little, well…bleh. Baked Parmesan Tilapia to the rescue. For once, I got my end of the cooking show reaction! Hubby said he definitely wanted this again. Daughter said, this is fish? In fact, the fam said I did not make enough, and everybody had their own large filet! We like it with Garlic Parmesan Roasted Squash  or Oven Roasted Cauliflower.I found this pin when I was looking for recipes to use up some tilapia I bought on sale. But when I went to print out the recipe, it suddenly struck me that it seemed like the fish in the pic was sitting in a pool of melted butter. All that fat was going to defeat my healthy goals, so I read through the comments and found that several people substituted greek yogurt for the butter and mayonnaise. Perfect. With the cheese, seasonings and spring onions, we didn’t miss out on flavor at all this way. This recipe from Mama’s Supper Club is a keeper! Here’s to eating healthfully, and feeling like you aren’t.

This fish Rocks!

Print

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

Ingredients

• 2 lbs tilapia fillets orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 7 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• black pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, lay fillets in single layer.
• Brush top with juice.
• In bowl combine cheese, greek yogurt, onions and seasonings.
• Mix well with fork.
• Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.
• Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use.
• Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook.

Notes

This fish can also be made in a broiler.
Broil 3 to 4 minutes or until almost done.
Add cheese and broil another 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.

We are happy to link this post to these great blogs: Lamberts Lately  – Living Well, Spending Less – Live, Laugh, Rowe – 52 Mantels – A Glimpse Inside – What’s Cooking Love

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