DIY Citronella Candles
Outdoor time is a staple at my home. We have a large porch, a fire pit, and a pretty mean grill cook (my dad). Needless to say, we have a lot of outdoor parties. But, we also live in the country, so pesky bugs like mosquitoes and flies can be a problem. That’s why we go through citronella candles like candy– we have to buy new ones every few weeks during the summer, and it can be a pain. That’s why I was super excited when I saw this post by Jody at Premeditated Leftovers! She has a tutorial for how to make your own! Check it out:
- 6 cups soy chips
- drops citronella essential oil
- wicks
- pan
-Melt soy wax chips, stirring constantly
-Dip metal disk on wick into melted wax, immediately place on bottom of desired container to fix it in place.
-Stir essential oil into melted wax well, pour wax into pre warmed containers. prop wick up in the center with pencils or sticks. Allow to sit for several hours until set.
Fire Pit Essentials (Campfire Food)
One of the absolute best parts of summer is roasting food over the fire! Give me some s’mores, good music, and great friends, and I’m set. Kids love it too (with LOTS of supervision of course) and it creates lots of lasting memories. My parents built a fire pit at their house a few years ago, and I think it was one of their best decisions ever–here’s a good tutorial if you’re considering your own. If you already have one, or want to go camping this summer, check out my personal list of fire pit delicacies. They have all been tested and approved by yours truly. Warning: I am not a healthy eater – I am Southern and enjoy delicious, bad-for-you food. You can’t cook salad over a fire.
-S’mores with a twist: instead of a graham cracker, use an Oreo.
-Roasted Starburst: try it. It’s lifechanging. The outside gets all crystallized and hard and sugary, and the inside melts. One word of advice that I had to learn the hard way- these are SUPER HOT when you pull them off the fire. Duh, right? But seriously, they are basically molten lava if you don’t let them cool for a minute or two before eating.
-Bacon wrapped hot dog- no further explanation needed.
-Banana boats: (foil) a camp classic. For this one, you need a good bed of hot coals. Cut a banana lengthwise (peel and all) and stuff it to the brim with whatever goodies you like- chocolate chips and marshmallows are the standard, and you will never go wrong with those. Think of it like a loaded baked potato- add whatever you want. Wrap that sucker up in foil and set it on the coals for a few minutes. Perfection!
-Campfire nachos: Put all your nacho dip fixin’s (we made a whole meal of it and did chicken, black beans, taco seasoning, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and olives. You could add peppers, onions, etc if you like) in a foil wrap and cook it for a bit on the coals. When we got it out, we put sour cream and salsa on top and dipped away. Heaven on Earth.
You can basically put any type of food you can imagine in a foil pack or on a stick, and roast it over a fire. Be creative! For some reason, food just tastes better this way 🙂 Just remember to use all fire safety precautions when cooking on an open flame, especially if there are little ones around. Have a good summer, y’all!
Wordless Wednesday: The Perfect Patio
Wordless Wednesday: Pool Noodles + Trampoline Springs = No Pinches!
Wordless Wednesday: Flour + Stencil + Lawn = Awesome!
Wordless Wednesday: Hill Slide
A Handmade Drink Holder
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f you are the creative type and love entertaining in the summer, this is a great little craft for outdoor parties. Make your own drink holder from an old aluminum can, a few pieces of hardware and a little bit of creativity. From Positively Splendid,
We have a big front yard that we are currently outfitting with new chairs, a fire pit, outdoor poofs and other fun items in order to make this space the go-to spot for the whole family. While I was strolling through a local market recently, I stumbled upon the neatest idea for outdoor drink holders and knew they were just the thing for our outdoor seating area! Instead of buying them, I decided to give them the good ol’ DIY try, and here’s how mine turned out!
I. Love. This. So. Much.
A Quiet Woods in Winter Fog
How often do you get up early in the morning and walk around your neighborhood, your yard, or the meadows, hills, or countryside near your home? Perhaps this will inspire you to venture out early one morning during this holiday season. From rlhassociates, Wintertime Fog – Crunch Crunch Crunch,
Tucked between the rows of the green guardians of the hillside
Coal bucket size puffs of snow fall from the evergreens
Keeping us alert to the directions of the winds and
The forest floor underneath our winterized boots
The woods are quiet except for the crunch crunch crunch
Beautiful. It’s time for me to go for a long, quiet walk.
Friday Fun Video: Garage Sale Boredom
We’re having a heat wave here…. it’s supposed to get above 50 degrees this weekend! To celebrate, here’s a video clip of someone blaming the heat and boredom to have some garage sale fun!
By the way, had it been me the actual “standing” up would’ve been funnier to see than the rolling around. Funny? Or sad?