4th Of July, the Happiest Time of the Year!

So most people would say the Holidays are their most favorite time of the year, and don’t get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, however, I LOVE the 4th of July!! Like my kids have enough festive outfits for a week!!  It just so happens that my birthday is a couple of days before the 4th so it’s always been a fun time for me. So when your birthday and the 4th fall so close together, you get to have some amazing times!! You get friends, family, cookouts, parades and fireworks!! I mean what could be better than FIREWORKS on your birthday??  So what do you love about the 4th of July?

Growing up I was gone a lot on my birthday.  I would be at summer camp, boating and camping with friends and family  or just on water somewhere! Once my parents bought a house on Lake Michigan, I had a whole new appreciation for the lake and how glorious fireworks can be when they are set off over the lake!!  Let me tell you how breathtaking it is to sit on a beach, watch the sunset followed by fireworks!! My friends started coming with me to the lake house where we would create even more lifelong memories.  And once I started having children, it became even more special. I started buying them a little cute outfit and then the grandparents starting buying them outfits and before you knew it, we would end up with a week’s worth of outfits.  My kids don’t exactly grow the fastest so we actually end up being able to wear an outfit for more than 1 year – Bonus!! And my son has a love for all holidays like his momma, so he’s the first one to ask about what his new outfit is going to be.   As my friends started having kids then they would bring them up and my sister and her kids would be there too. We quickly could fill up a house! We had some of the best times at that lake house with everyone there! As I’ve mentioned earlier my oldest is in competitive cheer and dance and now my youngest has started in the sport – what was I thinking?? Their gym participates in a local parade for the 4th and so for the first time this year, both the girls got to be in the parade.  Now, most people don’t actually get to be in a parade, let alone be in a parade every year. My kids haven’t figured out that it’s not a normal thing just to watch parades and not be in them. And since both girls are in the parade, it is now the responsibilty of my son to catch all the candy for the family and share it. I wanted to share with you some fun crafts and food that we’ve done over the years, because what good with this blog be without providing somethings that you can do with your kiddos?  Now the only downfall is that i’ve failed to capture most of things in pictures, so I pulled some images off pinterest of them! Apparently I’m not the only crazy out there that likes to do these things!!

First up, crafts!! So I know in the perfect world, it doesn’t rain during the week of 4th of July, but in reality it does, and when you have like 10 kids in a house, you need something to keep them occupied when its not perfect outside.  One of the easiest crafts we’ve done for years, is to make fireworks with a fork and paint. All you do is dip a plastic fork in patriotic colors and go to town on a piece of construction paper. Kids of all ages can do this craft which is a must when you have multiple age levels plus, it takes little prep time to get this ready for them to do.  Next up is a toilet paper roll rocket firework. This one takes a bit more prep time, but so worth it, especially if you don’t want your kids handling sparklers. Supplies that you need are: cardstock, hot glue, short dowel rods, toilet paper rolls. All you have to do is cover your tp roll with cardstock in your favorite pattern or solid colors in a pattern that you like.. And then make a cone shape out of either red, white or blue.   Place a little bit of hot glue on the end of a dowel rod and attach the cone to the top. Now, here comes the fun part, put the cone/dowel rod down in the tp roll and then have your kids “launch it”! All kids love this and then they often turn it into a race to see how far it’ll go. You can also make firework prints if you cut the end of a tp roll into strips and once, again, just dip in red, white and/or blue and make prints on paper. Most craft stores will have little projects too and if you plan ahead, you can get them when they go on clearance and use them the next year.  

Next up, food!!  Surprisingly, I don’t go over the top with food, i keep it very simple for the week.  There are a few fun things that I do because they are easy and festive. And first up is my birthday cake – its strawberry shortcake.  I know its not traditional at all, but who cares!! My mom, sister or best friends have all taken a turn in making me strawberry shortcake for my birthday each year.  I love this dessert for a couple of reasons 1) it can be prepared ahead of time, 2) it’s super easy to make, 3) can be made to look patriotic in a pinch with some blueberries.  Another treat I like to make are star-shaped Rice Krispie treats. They came out with red, white and blue Rice Krispies not too long ago, so now just make the treats and you don’t have to do anything besides cut them out in star shapes!! I’ve let the kids also decorate them with melted chocolate and sprinkles to add a little bit more festive flair to them.   There are so many red, white and blue desserts out there for the 4th, what are some of you favorites?? I’ve learned over the years, that the more you can prepare ahead of time and keep things simple, the easier going on vacation around the 4th is! Even, if you are staying at home for the 4th and just enjoying family and friends, keeping it simple is the best thing, because you actually get to enjoy the time and not be in the kitchen the whole time.  

Looking forward to next time!! Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!! Until next time, enjoy your kids, smile and keep Anchoring it all!