Summer reading extravaganza!!!!

It's no secret that we are BIG READERS at our house!

Tempe learned to read last year in kindergarten and I didn't want her to lose enthusiasm over the summer, so I made sure that reading was a big part of every day. We made time for reading (both silent and together) every day, we had some fun reading charts and incentives, and we did our mom-and-me summer book club again with some friends in the neighborhood!

We kicked the summer off with a Ramona party and a few days ago we celebrated the end of summer with an ice cream extravaganza!

 

Breyers sent me an assortment of their yummy new toppings to try and I was so excited to use them for this party. Hot fudge, chocolate sauce, and caramel come in squeeze pouches that make topping ice cream (or cheesecake) really easy. Mixed berry, strawberry, and cherry toppings are the perfect mix of tart and sweet, and rainbow and chocolate sprinkles add fun to any food!

Thanks Breyers for making our sundae bar a success!!

Along with Bookworms, we've been doing a couple of really fun reading programs. I keep all of our reading charts taped to the inside of the playroom door. One is just a generic fill-in-the-balloon chart and one is this really great reading Bingo chart. I think this is such a great idea! The chart is filled with fun ways to read ("under the kitchen table", "with a snowcone", etc). My kids (Tempe especially) had so much fun this summer finding new places and ways to read! We haven't quite filled the whole card out yet, but we're close!

"Read in the bathtub--no water, just pillows!" was Tempe's favorite Bingo square!
Another thing we did this summer was the Barnes and Noble reading program. You read any eight books and then you turn in your completed chart and get to pick a FREE book! We spent the afternoon filling out our charts and picking our books yesterday. I thought the book selection would be things like licensed character drivel, but they actually had a pretty good selection.

Tempe ended up with a Calendar Mysteries book that she can't put down ("Dad, do you ever feel like you just have to get back to your book and you just have to find out what happens?!")

Helena chose a book called "Remarkable" that I haven't heard of, but it's next on our list after we finish Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
It has been a fun summer full of books and I will miss my kiddos on Monday when school starts again!

It's a grand old flag...

{happy 4th of July!}

Our family normally goes to Idaho to celebrate Independence Day with extended family, but this year we are headed up for a wedding a week later. We didn't want to make two trips, so we decided to stay home for the 4th. It was strange celebrating here! I invited my husband's two brothers and their families over for dinner and sparklers. I really, really tried to limit myself to just making dinner, but you know I can't pass up a chance to have a party!

For dinner, I made Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, Memphis-style coleslaw, Boston baked beans, Nebraska corn on the cob, New York cheesecake, fruit kabobs, and cherry pie. Our party theme was supposed to be "A Tour of the States" or something like that. I also printed off an unlabeled map of the United States and the adults had to fill them in. It took me three tries to find Michigan... I was also going to have a matching game with fun/interesting facts about each state and make really cute invitations using an outline of the country, but like I said, I was trying to limit myself!

This table was a perfect example of how easy it is to find serving pieces and decorations at a thrift store. Everything on this table (except the red and blue bowls with the coleslaw and baked beans) are from my local thrift store. The sandwiches (already assembled) are in a big blue roasting pan (which I can reuse, score!)

This ugly little house display shelf is currently my proudest D.I. find! It was perfect as a mini cheesecake display for our "homespun" 4th of July table.

I took a red berry wreath that I got at D.I. a year or two ago and put it around the cherry pie dish. Super easy way to dress up any pie! Can I say how much I love how it looks? Wreaths are so easy to find at thrift stores (at least in Utah) or to make for any occasion. I also got that cute little red dish at D.I. Oh, how I wish there had been more of them!

Uncle Sean lighting super sparklers from his fairly recent wedding for cousins Maddy and Libby and Helena and Tempe.

Helena was so scared of the very loud illegal firework that Sean shot off. She insisted on sitting behind Dad and covering her ears before he lit the second one--then she was sad that there weren't any more!

{S'more Goodbye Party}

A good friend and her family are moving to Ohio in a few weeks, so a few friends and I planned a surprise goodbye party. The plan was to have a table set up outside with all the fixings, paper lanterns strung in the trees, and a few firepits going so everyone could mingle and make s'mores at their leisure.

Unfortunately, it was pouring rain and only about 50 degrees on party day, so we had to move everything inside. We yelled "Surprise!" when the family of honor came in, made s'mores in the oven, and enjoyed a fun evening reminiscing over the last two years.

I think this is the cutest invitation I have ever made. My witty husband came up with the s'mores saying--isn't he funny?

Our last-minute indoor s'mores setup.
We had regular, strawberry, and toasted coconut marsmallows. Our toppings were regular, dark, and caramel filled chocolate bars, peanut butter, strawberry slices, and banana slices. We also had ice cream and indoor s'mores cookies: Golden Grahams marshmallow-chocolate squares.

The top frame says "There is no distance too far between friends; for friendship gives wings to the heart." I gave it to my friend for a souvenier of the party. I was going to print out our neighborhood map and have everyone sign next to their house as a souvenier, but I just didn't get a chance to print it. Now I wish I had found time because I think it would have been a great gift for them!

The bottom frame says "Go ahead--have S'more!" and has a long list of different flavor combinations to try. My personal favorite was the Elvis: a regular marshmallow with dark chocolate, peanut butter, and banana slices. Yum!

Don't all those marshmallows just make you smile?

This was such a fun, easy party to throw. Besides opening packages, there is absolutely no preparation involved in making s'mores and it's even easier to do in the oven than it is over a fire! We pre-heated the oven to 350, filled a cookie sheet with s'mores, and baked them for about 5 minutes.

We'll miss the Zimmermans, but we are excited for them to move on to new things!