summer Archives - Bare Feet on the Dashboard

22
May
2015

20 Ideas for Summer Fun with Preschool Kids

Summer is here and we are ready to play! Are you looking for fresh ideas to keep your little ones entertained this summer? Here are 20 ideas for summer fun with preschool kids to help you have fun with your family during the hot months ahead. Need ideas for your toddler? You’ll find five fun ideas to entertain your toddler this summer here. I’ve joined with my favorite kid bloggers to share our favorite summer ideas for kids and families, so be sure to hop around to the links at the bottom of this post.

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20
May
2015

Family Fun in DFW: Amazing Jake’s Plano

categories: DFW, family, kids

Summer days are long and hot in Texas, and we are always looking for a way to beat the heat and have fun as a family. Recently we had the opportunity to visit Amazing Jake’s in Plano, and it was a blast for the whole family. Located close to 75/North Central Expressway in Collin Creek Mall, Amazing Jake’s is worth the drive from all over the metroplex. Read on to find what we thought about the entertainment at Amazing Jake’s for toddlers, preschoolers, and adults.

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07
May
2015

Glow in the Dark Fun Indoor Play Ideas- A to Z Rainy Day Activities Series

categories: kids, play

Glow in the dark activities are REALLY fun for kids (and you), but they are SUPER difficult to photograph. I tried, really I did, but nothing worked out. So, I’m sharing a few fun ideas for glow in the dark fun with your kids for those hot or rainy days when you need to play indoors and you’ll have to use your imagination to picture them. Thanks for understanding. These are ideas are simple, but will provide endless fun for your family. Be sure to check out the rest of the A to Z Rainy Day Activities Series at Something 2 Offer for more fun indoor play ideas.

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24
Jun
2014

Festive Fourth of July Wreath ~ Burlap + Tulle + Chevron

categories: crafts, decorating, holiday

Summer is in full swing and Independence Day is right around the corner for those of us in the United States. I created this simple and festive Fourth of July wreath for the holiday using my interchangeable burlap wreath form, ribbon, and tulle. My design could easily be shifted for other holidays or national colors. It was so easy and only took about half an hour from start to finish, since I already had the burlap wreath form created. Read on to find out how to make one for yourself.

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17
Jun
2014

Cloth Diaper Hacks: Use {Almost} Any Cloth Diaper as a Swim Diaper

categories: baby, beach, budget, cloth diaper, green living

Summer is in full swing and we are basically living in the pool. Our Pearl Girl is a total water baby and wants to kick and splash just like her big brother. We have a few specific cloth swim diapers for her to use, but I want to let you in on a little secret I learned with the Bear. Almost ANY cloth diaper can work as a swim diaper. It’s true! We have used Bummis, Bumgenius, and Softbums shells as swim diapers and they all work perfectly.

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22
May
2014

Play Outside: Five Fun Games for Your Backyard Kiddie Pool

categories: kids, play, toddlers

To kick off the summer I’m celebrating Backyard Games Week with a group of fabulous bloggers and sharing our ideas for playing fun games outside with your kids. We love to spend time outside playing our yard, and as soon as it is warm enough we break out two little inflatable kiddie pools. Most of the time the kids splash around and create their own fun, but occasionally I add a game in to the mix to keep them entertained longer. Mama needs time to drink her coffee, right? All of my game ideas are simple and geared towards the 0-3 crowd.

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03
Sep
2013

Family Travel: Our Family Beach Trip

categories: beach, family, florida, toddlers, travel

I am a beach girl at heart, and love it all the more when my family is with me. This year we were blessed to join my parents and siblings in Navarre Beach, Florida for an amazing week. It was crazy and fun and so sweet to be with everyone. Look at these two. Aren’t they the cutest?! My sister and I had babies 6 weeks apart, so this was the first time we got to meet the newbies. There was a lot of baby snuggling happening in that beach house, let me tell you.

We attempted to get a photo of all five grandbabies, but it proved above our pay grade. Luke was NOT having it. At all. Note to self: next time have the baby entertainers stand directly behind me so the kids are not looking to the side.

Then it was time for everybody’s {least} favorite part of the whole week, the group photo. I always end up organizing it because I’m the oldest child and it’s just what I do. My mom bought matching outfits for the kids and the rest of us wore any shade of blue, brown, or white.

We traded photo shoots with our neighbors because I forgot my tripod. This was WAY easier than running back and forth after setting the timer. I need a remote.

We all survived and had a blast. We are pretty low key when we go to the beach, and spend most of our time just enjoying the sand and water rather than tourist activities. We eat fresh seafood we cook ourselves every night and do a lot of laughing and playing. Best week ever.

This one is my favorite because we are all laughing. Caroline’s face (in the middle) is the best.

Do you have a favorite beach? Where?

09
Jun
2013

Five Easy Ways to Entertain Toddlers in the Summer

categories: cloth diaper, frugal, giveaway, toddlers

Summer is officially here and our regular week day events during the school year have slowed down or stopped completely until September and we are constantly looking for ways to keep the Bear entertained. Today I’m breaking down my favorite toddler entertaining ideas for you that are all free or super cheap ways to beat the heat and keep that kiddo happy.

#1 Fill up a Kiddie Pool in your yard. We actually have 2, one from Amazon and one from a consignment sale and he LOVES them. He will splash and play for hours in both of them. Give a toddler a hose and a few buckets and he will be happy all day. At the end of the day we take his buckets and water the plants and trees with whatever is left in the pools, so nothing goes to waste.

#2 Visit you neighborhood pool. Our city has 5 neighborhood pools and membership is super cheap ($60 for the whole family for all 5 pools all summer). We visit a different pool every few days and swim our hearts out. The Bear has a great little Puddlejumper life jacket and is already jumping off the wall into the water. We love it and he always eats and sleeps well after a big swim. As a former pool rat (shout out to my Leawood pool peeps) there is no better summer getaway than the neighborhood pool. We use cloth swim diapers in both our backyard and our neighborhood pool. You can read all about swim diapers here and shop for them here.

#3 Go to Story Time at the Library. Air conditioning + free = awesome. Our local library has story times for every age group as well as one for the whole family. We signed up for the toddler class and are so excited to have an air conditioned, fun, educational, and FREE place to get out of the sun all summer long.

#4 Find a free Splash Park in your area. We are so lucky to have several free splash parks near our house and will be spending lots of time there this summer when the playground equipment is too hot to touch. Check out your city’s Parks and Recreation website to find splash parks in your area. They typically have several water elements and a soft pad underneath for kids to run on barefoot.

#5 Mall walk and play at the indoor playground. Several of our local malls have great indoor, air conditioned play spaces perfect for toddlers. We pack up the fam and a picnic lunch and head to the mall in the morning to mall walk like champs getting a little exercise for mama and then hit the mall play ground to get a work out for the Bear. Everybody wins and nobody sweats.

How do you entertain yourself and/or your kids in the summer?

08
Feb
2013

Frugal Friday: Reusable Swim Diapers for Your Wee One

categories: baby, cloth diaper, frugal, kids

If you are anything like us, you are so over this whole winter thing and ready for summer. Our new neighborhood has 5 community pools we can use for the whole summer for $60! So excited… For this week’s Frugal Friday edition I’m sharing one of my favorite summer money savers, the reusable swim diaper. No, I’m not talking about reusing the Little Swimmers or Splashers. That would be nasty and impossible. I’m talking about using cloth swim diapers that are made to be worn all summer long. We’ve actually used the same Bummis swim diaper the last two summers because of the wide weight range. It will probably work again this year. I also have 2 teeny tiny i-play swim diapers lined up for Mini Bear to wear. Yay for water babies!

How much can you really save by using cloth swim diapers? About 90%. I did a little research, and the cheapest I could find disposable swim diapers for was $11.13 for an 18 count pack of diapers ($.62 each). For the price of one pack of disposables (or less) you can buy a reusable swim diaper that will last all summer. You can find a ton of sales right now on many great brands like Bummis, i play, Imse Vimse, My Swim Baby, and Apple Cheeks. If you are at the pool or beach all summer going through one pack of disposables per week you could spend as much as $156 per kid on swim diapers. Yikes.

How do cloth swim diapers work? Just like disposable swim diapers. They hold in the poop and let out the pee. Once they are soiled you just rinse them out (like you would a swim suit) after dumping the solids in the toilet, then hang them up to dry for tomorrow. Easy.

Why should I think about swim diapers right now? They are on sale!!! Buying off season is a fabulous way to save even more money on seasonal items.

If you are interested in shopping for reusable swim diapers, I’d love for you to use my affiliate links below to find deals at Kelly’s Closet and Amazon. If not, check out your local cloth diaper shop where swim diapers are probably in the off season sale section right now. Thanks!
– Swim Diapers from several brands starting at $9.95
Amazon links are below to my two favorite brands of swim diapers.

Do you use cloth or disposable swim diapers? On a scale from one to “get me to a beach before I hurt someone”, how ready are you for summer? I’m at a strong 8 right now.

23
Jan
2013

Summer Flashback: On the Road from Buena Vista to Vail

categories: colorado, family, toddlers, travel

As a hazy shade of winter makes me sleepy and cold temperatures keep us indoors, I think wistfully back to our summer adventure. Here are a few instagram pics from one leg of the trip.

As