Family Fun 4th of July ideas

Red, White & Blue Only – Create a neighborhood tradition and organize a potluck that no one will want to miss. Invite all of your family and friends to this casual party and give them each a food assignment. Include all the necessary foods for a successful celebration, and don’t forget to mention that everything must be RED, WHITE and/or BLUE. Foods of any other color will not be permitted, so your guests will have to get creative.

Year after year, people will invent more outrageous recipes. Just seeing what clever dishes everyone comes up with is more fun than actually eating them. Add to the festivities by having a contest for the most original dish, and be sure to take a photo of the patriotic champion with his/her prize-winning recipe in hand.

Annual Photo with Uncle Sam – There is nothing more fun than a silly tradition the whole family can participate in. Here is one for the Fourth of July that encourages creativity and makes for wonderful annual family photos. It’s simple. Every family member must make his/her own Uncle Sam’s Hat and wear it for a group portrait. You can allow everyone the freedom to create anything they want (as long as it is red, white and blue) or you can choose themes for each year: paper hats, glitter hats, flag hats, moving hats, tall hats, symbolic hats, funny hats, etc.).

If the Fourth of July involves several families getting together, each family can design their own “family hat” and make duplicates for the rest of their family members to wear. No matter what, make sure you capture this patriotic pastime on film for everyone to enjoy.

Fourth of July Friendly Gazette – Forget trying to send out a family newsletter in December when you have a hundred other things to do. Everyone will enjoy (and have more time to read) your news during the summer, so why not create a Fourth of July Friendly Gazette and make enough copies to share with your extended family and your friends - even the mailman!

Get the whole family involved, and have everyone help come up with the topics: your summer vacation plans, funny family stories from the year, achievements and disappointments, too. Add pictures, and be sure everyone signs the final edition before you have it copied. Get ready for a Gazette to come your way after your friends see what you have created.

Don't miss more 4th of July traditions
and Fun 4th Recipe Ideas

New Coupons have loaded

Just a reminder that since it's the beginning of the month, the coupons have reloaded on my blog. Print them directly from my side bar or sign up with Coupons.com to receive updated emails...or do both. I do. ;)
There are some great cereal coupons that you can use when Gen. Mills brands go on sale. I also splurged on some Starbucks ice cream....oh yes...coupon + sale = yummy, frugal treat.



Kraft coupons have also reloaded. You must sign up to print them off though. This Kraft Cheese deal is still going on around the country, so print the coupons quickly. They go fast. I have stocked up on FREE cheese for months.

4th of July Traditions

All week long there will be unique July 4th ideas right here. This year, why not start a family tradition to honor your local public servants, who embody the July value of ‘Courage’? Most families have the annual cookie exchange at Christmas time, but why not eliminate some of that cookie baking stress and enjoy sharing treats during the "lazy days of summer." Token of Appreciation / Patriotic Appreciation – Visit your local fire department, police department or any other public service-based organization. Bring them cookies, lunch, or a red, white and blue Fourth of July cake to let them know that you appreciate their hard work. Talk to your children about the service that these men and women provide and how truly blessed we are to live in a country where it is available. Don’t forget to mention that they have to work on holidays when the rest of us are having fun. Your children will learn a valuable lesson and will enjoy visiting a different public service organization each year. A photo of your children standing with the policemen, or sitting in the fire truck will help keep this wonderful memory alive. *************************************************** I Love My Country Because – Before you celebrate the Fourth of July, sit down with your children and discuss the importance of freedom and the truly amazing country we live in. Ask them to share why they believe freedom is so important, and let them know your feelings as well. Create a lasting family tradition, and save their wonderful comments by writing them down on stars cut out of red, white and blue construction paper. The older ones can write on their own stars and even help cut them out. On the top of each star write, “I love my country because…” or ”I am proud to be an American because…” and then leave space for the wonderfully spontaneous answers you will collect over the years. You can use these patriotic declarations to decorate the tablecloth at your Fourth of July barbecue or collage them into your Fourth of July Album with your annual picnic photo. Two years ago, it started pouring as soon as we arrived at the high school stadium where the fireworks were going to be shot off. Our family ended up sitting in our van waiting for the storm to pass. We used the time by sharing examples of people who we each viewed as courageous...one person still living and one person from history. It was such a memorable evening and it made a lasting impact in the hearts of our kids as we shared what true courage was all about. ************************************************************ Don't miss the 4th of July recipe ideas?

4th of July Recipe Ideas

Welcome to my "Wow, it's almost the 4th of July. Where has the summer flown?" edition of Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods.
With fresh fruit in season, it's a wonderful time to celebrate the 4th of July with festive recipe ideas. Things don't have to take a lot of time to be beautiful. I love using my glass ware for
serving fruit throughout the summer.

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I think everyone should make one of these cakes at some time in their life. :) You can make it from scratch or do it with simplicity and use a store bought cake mix.
Just celebrate patriotism with this yummy and fun Patriotic Cake.
Make this simple recipe interactive and educationally fun for little ones. While
you are making the cake, discuss with your family all the things
that make them feel courageous. Take turns placing the "stars"
onto the flag while stating one thing that makes this country
such a wonderful place to live and grow up.
photo credit: Aunt Owwee

INGREDIENTS:
30 - 35 strawberries
1 Sheet Cake 13 x 9 inches
1/2 cups blueberries
1 (12 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare 13 x 9 inch sheet cake. The sheet cake can be from
a package or a cherished family recipe. Remove stems from
strawberries. Top sheet cake with whipped topping. Place
strawberries and blueberries on whipped topping to create a
flag design. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Do you remember my Strawberry Cheesecake Truffle?
If not, you really need to bookmark that recipe. :)
Take the same instructions/recipe and make it perfectly patriotic by adding blueberries instead of the chocolate.

And lastly, show your American pride with this downloadable collection of craft projects to decorate, wear and entertain on the 4th of July. Find the perfect July 4th recipes to complete your celebrations.

It's 67 pages full of great ideas.
Sign up for FaveCraft's craft and recipe newletter and download this wonderful Recipe E-book. It has so many fun ideas.


So what do you do for the 4th of July? Do you have any special foods that "work for you" every year?

As always, please follow the simple guidelines or post will be deleted.
1. Include your post showing us your Tasty Tuesday recipe or ideas.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link your post back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as a courtesy to me so everyone will know where to find more recipe inspiration.

Yard Sale Saturday Scores

Since I had the most surreal bedlam moment, which I will share at the end, my yard sale time was cut short this past Saturday. That didn't matter since I am at the point where I MUST get rid of things as soon as I bring new items home. It's not doing my organizational attempts any good when I have 25 "paint projects" in the queue.
The beauty of the treasures I bought this week is that I know exactly what I am going to do with them, and only one of the purchases takes up any room in my attic.

I love it when I can show you that patience on the treasure hunt is a virtue. I stated a few posts ago that I had been on the lookout for a glass cake plate, but hadn't found one in months....GUESS WHAT? And for a mere $2.
I am so excited. I have already used it to serve our hot pancakes, and even our cold cut cucumbers. Now, I am still searching for a perfectly plain crystal one without any design...I'll find it....someday. :)

I couldn't pass up this gorgeous piece of pottery for $1. I gasped when I saw the price. I googled the maker (Cal. orici 997 ), hoping it was valuable, but my search didn't reveal anything.
This green is just beautiful and since my kitchen opens up into the great room, the platter complements my green walls.
This leather tote is going to be filled with goodies for my niece as she goes away to college. It's much larger than it looks, and as a graduation present, I am filling it with lots of toiletries and treats.
Do you remember the first time you had to buy deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste in college? We all appreciated our parents a lot more on that day, didn't we? $0.50 for the tote.
As I was chatting with the lady who sold me the tote, she told me what great memories she had of using this flower holder to make dirt cake. WHAT? DIRT CAKE? My daughter JUST requested dirt cake for her birthday and I would never have thought of buying a really cute planter like this until the night before. I would have had to spend probably $6, and this cost me just $0.50 for the holder and the scooper.
I love to buy additional decorations for the upcoming holidays. This was another $0.50 find from the same lady. Yes, she was clearing out. It's wood and is a great size. The individual planks blow in the wind, and creates a neat effect.
A mug to hold the 4th of July silverware - $0.50, and a wallet to hold the $0.50. ;)
And the best find of the whole day...something totally practical that will save me TONS of money. A gentleman sold hundreds of quality paper plates and napkins. Won't these be wonderful for the 4th...

Fall chili served up in these bowls and Christmas cookies given as gifts on these plates?
You don't think I would have passed up on these with the huge family that I have, do you? :)
My husband was thrilled at the quality of the deal, it's the fact I am trying to clean out the attic that is the issue. :)
In the next few months I am going to do a few weeks of my Frugal Fashionista series and focus on clothes for teens, children, and even the older generation (yes, my mom agreed to model).
It will take one of my sons a bit of warming up to the idea. He wouldn't turn around to show me this great $1 Claiborne (for men) Vneck shirt and Liz Claiborne khakis.
The irony of this picture is that he knows I HATE it when he drinks out of the carton...it's not allowed..but I let him and he smirked the whole time I took this picture. Isn't it a sharp outfit?
Do your remember the sleeveless hot pink dress that I showed you this past Frugal Fashionista? Remember the point I made about the fact that outfits completely come together over a period of time. ONE DAY later, I found this purse. If you don't remember just how unbelievable of a find this is, take a look - seriously! It's the last picture. They look like the exact same fabric.


Isn't that such fun? I just LOVE yard sale-ing. It's definitely the only entertainment that I need.

I have my parents waiting for me in the other room, but I wanted to get this post linked up to Rhoda's.

The bedlam moment that I occurred as I was getting ready to go yard sale-ing? My dog was barking at 6:15am and I just thought she had to go to the bathroom. I groggily went downstairs to let her out, and as I opened the door, a HUGE mangy stray dog rushed in my house, along with my other outside dog and they began fighting in my kitchen. This stray dog had been sprayed by a skunk. I was scared to death that he could be rabid, and I knew I needed to get them out. I pushed them out with a stick. They were still fighting and now I saw that there was another dog outside.

(Since I am typing this in "real time," my family keeps yelling for me to come. I am being rude....so the story will continue...it's all good. Hours later, the owners were found for the strays, the fighting had stopped and all the dogs made nice. I, on the other hand, had an adrenaline rush going for the next four hours.)
I called my sis to tell her about my bedlam moment and we were just laughing so hard saying, "Can you believe this is really our life? Do you think anyone would truly believe all our bedlam? I can't believe this happened to me...only me."
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I'm adding this to my sweet blog friend, Heather's, "What makes me Smile" party. Yard sale-ing always makes me smile and choosing to laugh at my bedlam moments really makes me smile.
While you're there, check out her gorgeous tassles...those will definitely make you smile. :)