5 Super Cute Women’s Summer Hairstyles You’ve Got to Try
It’s summer time which means it’s SO hot! I have long hair so in the summer time I’m always trying to find cute ways to get my hair off of my neck. There are a ton of cute hair styles I’ve been seeing around lately. I’ve found 5 that are super doable and so cute. Check these out!
- Dutch Braid Pigtails. As pictured above by Pophaircuts, this is my favorite summer style this year! Check out how to do it here.
- Rope Braid twisted ponytail. This is super easy and yet so cute. It’s one you can add a cute hair tie to as well. Check out the tutorial here.
- Double Twist Low Buns. I love how elegant this hairstyle looks, yet so practical. It can be dressed up or dressed down. Here is a tutorial for this cute hairstyle.
- Twisted Side Braid. Guys, this is my go-to all of the time during the summer. You can wear a hat with this hairstyle as well. Here is the tutorial.
- Fish braid ponytail. You can head here and see a few different ways to do a ponytail. These will for sure be a conversation starter. They are so much cuter than normal ponytails. Give them a try!
Yellowstone Bear World: 8 Tips to Know Before You Go (Money Saving Tips Too!)
Are you planning a trip to Yellowstone Bear World? It’s such a fun adventure for the entire family. If this is your first time or even your second time going, here are a few tips you’ll want to make sure to take advantage of. They will save you money and hopefully help your Bear World experience run smoothly.
- Entrance Fees: If you have a larger group of people, use the Group Rating for 15 or more people. You can do this even if you are in different cars. If you have less than 15 people, you can also do the Car Load rate which is $98.97 online for 7 people. That’s only $14.13 per person instead of the $23.95 if you were just paying individually! Those options will definitely help you save a ton of money. We adjusted with family to fill our cars up to the 7 people to maximize our savings. Also be sure to use the Senior discounts if applicable.
- Wildlife Excursion: Use the Group rating for this if possible. It’s only $45 for up to 7 people which is only $6.42 per person. Otherwise you will be paying $12.95 each.
- If you want to hand feed the baby bears you need to sign up online EARLY. Like weeks or even months in advance. We didn’t realize that until too late. So when you have your dates planned, sign up and get registered because they have limited spots.
- If you don’t want to spend the money to feed the bears in the truck, then make it so you get behind the Wild Life excursion truck on your drive through the park. It’s seriously so cool. You follow the truck and they stop right in front of you. Then you can watch all the bears gather around the truck and watch the people feed them. This way you can stay in your air-conditioned car, see all the bears at once, and not pay extra!
- Drive through the park more than once. This way you will see different animals each time you go. Definitely try and go first thing in the morning when it’s cooler, you’ll see more bears then.
- Bring your own water bottles. There are NO drinking fountains at Bear World. The best thing to do is have a water bottle for each person and you can refill it for free at their cafe. You can get a free water from the cafe, but sometime their line is super long. Having a water bottle would be so nice.
- Bring your own lunch. To save some money, bring your own lunch and eat at their covered pavilions just outside of the building.
- Last but not least, you need to try out their FREE samples of fudge. There are different kinds all of the time, and they are super yummy.
Camping 101: Non Food Items to Bring
I just got back from a 4 day camping trip and oh my goodness, did we have fun! I have camped all my life although we have not done it as often as I would have liked for the last couple of years. As it turns out, it’s easy to forget what you are doing when you take a break from it! I discovered that while I thought I was thoroughly prepared, I was not. I forgot some items that made it difficult to camp with ease.
I guess I should first acknowledge that while I do love to camp, I also like to have some amenities and things to make outdoor life a little bit easier. For example, I like to have a camp stove because cooking over a campfire is sometimes a pain, plus, I was camping in Oregon which means that many places have campfire bans right now anyway. So, back to the lesson at hand, here are the no food items to bring camping that will make your camping trip easier!
Camping 101: Non Food Items to Bring
Paper Towels / Washcloths, etc
I brought nice, fluffy towels for each member of our family. I did not, however, bring paper towels or washcloths of any kind to wash dishes or dry hands. Yeah, that was a real pain for me.
Pots / Pans / Cooking Utensils / Knives
This was actually our second camping trip of the season. Our first one was an absolute disaster and I forgot everything. Yes, this included the pots and pans for cooking with. I didn’t even bring a knife to cut the potatoes and veggies with. Yeah, we ran into town and bought food a lot that trip. It was ridiculous. (I was only about 2 weeks out of surgery though, so I’m blaming that).
Trash Bags / Plastic Storage Bags
Things are going to get dirty or wet or both and you don’t want to just toss them in your duffel bag or in your car, right? Make sure to bring along plastic trash bags as well as smaller plastic bags to store these things in until you get home.
Soap
For the love of all things, don’t forget to bring soap. While I did remember hand soap and body soap. I totally forgot to bring dish soap or laundry soap. Why laundry soap, you ask? Well, I have a toddler that wet the bed while we were camping and that sleeping bag simply needed to be washed. We couldn’t wait 3 more days. Luckily the campground we stayed in had a laundromat, but I had to scrounge around my car until I found enough quarters to pay for the soap in the dispenser.
Camping 101: How to Stay Safe in Nature
Are you heading out camping soon? Will this be your first camping trip? Are you a little concerned about staying safe while out in nature? Camping is a ton of fun and you can have an amazing time out there, you do need to prepare yourself to stay safe too though, because yes, things can happen and you need to be prepared for that.
These tips will help you to learn how to stay safe in nature. Have fun, my friends! I hope this camping trip is the best one ever!
Camping 101: How to Stay Safe in Nature
Bring a First Aid Kit
We all know how important first aid kits are, right? This is especially true when out in nature without a medicine cabinet or store nearby. Make sure you have a full first aid kit than can help with any ouchies that happen while out in nature. This should include bandages, alcohol wipes, allergy medicine, pain relief, etc.
Bring Bear Spray
If you are really out there camping in nature, a can of bear spray can go a long way toward making you feel safer out there. It seems like I am reading more and more about bear attacks or close encounters these days, so I’m always prepared with spray, even if I think my camping destination is not at risk of a bear sighting.
Sunscreen
I have gotten the worst sunburns of my life while camping. Even if you have lots of trees around you, you will be in the sun more than normal. You don’t want to come home in pain and burnt to a crisp, do you? BRING THE SUNSCREEN.
Watch the Weather Reports
You don’t want to get caught up in a storm that could hurt you or leave you stranded. Pay very close attention to the weather as it leads up to your trip. If the weather is going to be bad, consider cancelling. I know it’s a bummer to cancel vacations, but it’s a bigger bummer to be injured on vacation.
5 of Our Favorite Meals to Take Camping!
This year seems to be the year everyone is getting away and going camping. And for good reason, with the current situation it’s the best way to get away from the city, relax with the people that really matter and eat yummy food! We’ve had a trailer the last couple of years so I wanted to share some of our favorite meals we take camping! I promise they’ll have you drooling!
1. Dutch Oven Pull-Apart Pizza – this is one I tried for the first time our last camping trip and it was a big hit! It’s simple, get Rhodes frozen rolls, pepperoni, cheese and any other toppings you want for your pizza. I cut each of the rolls in half and placed them on the bottom of my dutch oven. Then I sprinkled on our toppings (pepperoni, olives and peppers) leaving the cheese for last. When cooking, place more of your coals on top so you don’t burn the bottom of your dough. Then once they’re done you can dish them out and serve with marinara sauce for dipping!
2. Campfire Hot Dogs with Crescent Rolls (pictured above)- this is a frugal and easy meal to take camping! All you need is your hotdogs, crescent rolls and a fire. First I patted down the hotdogs to make sure they were nice and dry (it will help the dough to stick). Then we wrapped crescent rolls around each of them and cooked them over the fire! Super simple and so yummy! We served with a size of watermelon and beans.
3. Hawaiian Sandwiches – This was a quick lunch we served up with some chips! All I did was take a bag of the Hawaiian Rolls and sliced them in half the long way (horizontal). I spread our mayo and mustard on each side, placed our meat and cheese and put the top back on. Then sliced them to make mini sandwiches for everyone. You could easily make these ahead of time and place back in the package the rolls came in. This will not only save you time but space in your cooler.
4. Pancakes – this is another one you can make ahead of time. I love the containers that have all the dry ingredient inside and you just add your water to the container it comes in. It is also simple enough you can do for cheaper from scratch as well.
5. Cobbler – You can’t go camping with out making cobbler. There so many different ways to do this and different flavors. We’ve done apple and peaches which are both amazing. Our favorite way to make cobbler though is with 7-up. If you haven’t make this before you’re going to be in heaven. All you need is 1 box of cake mix (we like yellow but you can use white or even spice if you want), 1 stick of butter and a large can of peaches (or any other fruit you’d like). You’ll dump your fruit on the bottom, sprinkle your cake mix over top and layer your butter across the cake mix in slices. That’s it! Remember when cooking in the dutch oven to add more heat to the top so you don’t burn the bottom of your cobbler.
Websites to Use When Looking to Save Money on a Vacation
Okay, y’all. I don’t know about you, but I am ready, ready, ready to go on a vacation. I am a big ol’ cheapskate though and I want to do it as cheap as possible! The following are my favorite websites to go to when looking to save money on a vacation.
Vacations can be intimidating, especially when talking about the cost, but they don’t have to be! These websites will help!
Websites to Use When Looking to Save Money on a Vacation
Expedia
I have used expedia countless times before to schedule hotels, flights and vacation packages. It’s often the same as other travel sites such as Orbitz, but sometimes cheaper.
Kayak
I haven’t been to nearly enough places in my life which is why when it comes to vacation, I am very open to the destinations! That’s why I absolutely love to check out the Kayak Explore option. This page brings up the cheapest flights to various cities from your closest airport within whatever date/time period you select.
I have found round trip tickets to Las Vegas for $60, Billings Montana for $62 and clear across the country for $150! I even found round trip tickets to Mexico for $175. If you are flexible in your dates, you’ll be amazed at how much you can save using this site.
Google Flights
Google Flights offers the same explore option as Kayak, but I have found differing prices on each website before though, so when I’m in vacation planning mode I tend to use both websites to search.
Groupon
Groupon is such a great place to find vacation deals! Like seriously! I am in the process of finding deals on a Vegas vacation and spotted a hotel for $18 per night. Even with the resort fee, we are looking at less than $150 for a 3 night stay. Sounds good to me!
Easy & Yummy Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Recipe
YUM! I’m seeing the strawberries on sale, which means it’s time to make this yummy Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Recipe. It’s the perfect summer dessert that the whole family will enjoy.
Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Recipe
Picture and recipe by Six Sisters Stuff
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 3 ounce box strawberry flavored Jell-o
- 1/2 cup cold water
Frosting
- 1 8 ounce tub Cool-Whip non-dairy whipped topping
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 1 pound strawberries diced
Instructions
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Make cake as directed on the back of the box for a 9×13″ pan.
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Let the cake cool for 20 minutes and “poke” the cake with a large fork (I space my pokes about 1/2″ apart and do it until the entire surface of the cake is covered).
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Mix together the boiling water and Jell-o until the Jell-o is completely dissolved. Pour in the cold water and mix well then pour over the cake.
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Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours.
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Combine the Cool-Whip, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth (I have found that it’s easiest to use an electric mixer, but you don’t have to). Spread on top of cake.
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Top with strawberries and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Top Tips for Drinking Enough Water Each Day
Summer is in full swing and it is hot out there! Are you drinking enough water? Some people seem to do great about drinking water all day every day and then sometimes, some of us simply forget. Drinking enough water is vital for our health though, so it is important to know how to stay hydrated.
If you are the type that struggles to drink enough water, these top tips for drinking enough water each day are going to help keep you hydrated and feeling your best.
Top Tips for Drinking Enough Water Each Day
Add Some Fruit To It – Fruit flavored water might just be the key to getting you to drink more of it. Adding some fresh fruit to your water not only enhances the flavor, but it also adds to your vitamin intake. It’s a win win!
Eat Your Water – Okay, that sounds weird, but seriously. Eating food with a high water content is a great way to increase your water intake. These foods include lettuce, watermelon, celery, cucumbers and more.
Get a Great Water Bottle – A great water bottle that keeps your water cold and is easy to carry will do wonders for keeping your water intake up. I recommend a Hydroflask, it keeps water ice cold for hours.
Make it Part of Your Schedule – Drink a glass of water with each meal, or when you brush your teeth or after you workout. Doing this every day as part of your routine helps create a habit.
Get a Partner – Get a friend or family member to join you on a water drinking challenge. Having someone challenging you can help provide motivation to drink up.
Do you drink enough water each day? Do you have any tips for increasing your water intake for those that struggle with this?
The Best Ways to Make Money from Clothes You No Longer Wear
Are you trying to minimize the clutter in your home? A great place to start is with your closets and dressers. Most of us are hanging on to clothing that we are never going to wear again and let me tell you, a cleaned out closet feels amazing, while an overcrowded closet can be overwhelming and frustrating.
So let’s get rid of those clothes! Chances are you spent a lot of money on these clothes over the years though, so I know that you are wondering about the best ways to make money from clothes you no longer wear. That’s why I have put together this list for you! I have personally used all of these avenues to make money off of clothes that I no longer wear. I hope you will find success with them as well!
The Best Ways to Make Money from Clothes You No Longer Wear
In order to sell clothing, it needs to be in great shape and in fashion. Retro clothing is often a good seller too. Lower end brands don’t tend to sell well unless you are selling in a lot. If your clothing is in bad repair, you need to toss it. If it is a lower end brand, donate. If your stuff is a good brand and in good shape, check out these places to sell.
Ebay is a great way to sell all sorts of things, starting with clothing! I have sold countless clothing items on Ebay with great success.
I have had the most success selling on Mercari. I love this app, it makes the selling process incredibly easy!
Poshmark is a great app for selling clothing because that is literally all you can sell! It tends to be a little better for higher end clothing, but that’s a great way to make some money on your top brand fashion.
OfferUp is a great app used to sell locally. I have used it to sell clothes, furniture, video games and more.
You are always on FB anyway, right? You may as well make some money while you are there! This is great for local sales and not having to ship items.
National Sugar Cookie Day is Tomorrow July 9th! Celebrate with Our Favorite Recipe!
Did you know tomorrow is National Sugar Cookie Day? Why not celebrate this fun holiday with your kids and bake a batch of sugar cookies! I have the perfect recipe that you can roll and cut into any shape you please!
You’ll find this recipe goes a long way when you make the full thing so if it’s just my cute little family I’ll half it and it will make a good 50 sugar cookies still. As for the frosting I make the full recipe so we can have some of every color we need to decorate with. Then I pull out our sprinkles and we go to town.
Sugar Cookies (Cut Out)
2 eggs
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
Mix eggs, butter and sugar. Add sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda together in separate bowl; then add the wet ingredients. (I find I have to refrigerate them for at least an hour before trying to roll them out and cut with cookie cutters. You can refrigerate for longer if needed) Bake at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes (DO NOT over bake – you’ll start to see the bottom go brown when they’re ready to come out of the oven)
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 stick butter (1/2cup), softened
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
Cream sugar and butter. Add cream cheese and shortening, mix well. Stir in vanilla. Beat 10 minutes (can add drops of milk if desired but I don’t usually).
I hope you enjoy making sugar cookies tomorrow with your family!
4 Tools That Make Keeping Your House Clean Much Easier
Are you struggling to stay on top of the endless chore that is keeping your house clean? I feel your pain. With 3 kids, 2 of them busy teens and a hyper toddler, plus work, I’m lucky to do any house work at all. I have found some things make it much easier to keep the housework done and my stress levels down.
These 4 tools that make keeping your house clean much easier are easy to find at Amazon and trust me when I say that it will become much, much easier for you to keep up on your housework with them on hand.
4 Tools That Make Keeping Your House Clean Much Easier
Okay, serious question here. Does it actually get any easier than keeping your floors clean with a robot vacuum? Set it and forget it. (Just make sure you don’t use one if your pet isn’t potty trained. I have seen way too many unfortunate YouTube videos for that.)
Next to the robot vacuum, the next best thing is to have a quality vacuum. I didn’t notice the importance of this until I actually had a quality vacuum. I own a shark and it’s been amazing. I’ve had it for 3 years now and it still vacuums like it did on day 1.
High Quality Microfiber Cloths
High Quality Microfiber is a magical cleaning tool One that you probably had no idea was even a thing. I had heard all about the benefits of microfiber, but kept buying cheap cleaning wipes and couldn’t figure out what they were talking about. About 6 months ago, a friend invited me to order a Norwex cloth and I fell in love with the cleaning abilities it had. I have found that other higher end clothes clean as well as those do too.
If you have even marginally tall ceilings you need to get yourself a telescoping duster. Trust me, it’ll save your life. Okay, that may be dramatic, but hey…you won’t have to balance yourself on a chair or ladder to try and reach those spots.
Easy Fresh Salsa Recipe- Perfect for Your 4th of July BBQ
The 4th of July is on Sunday! 
This means a lot of you guys will be having parties and BBQs. This Fresh Salsa is the perfect side dish to bring to your get togethers. It’s super easy and always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
1 Can Corn
1 Can Black Beans
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch Cilantro
4 Tomatos Chopped
2 Avacodos Chopped
Dry Packet of Italian Salad Dressing (I used the Good Seasons brand)
Chips to serve
Directions
Make the Dry Italian Salad Dressing according to direction on packet (let chill for 1-2 hours if possible)
Add all ingredients into a big bowl and mix together
Pour in Italian Dressing and mix until well combined
Serve with chips and enjoy!
4 Easy & Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes (Great Summer Snack!)
We love smoothies around here, but I often get in a rut of just throwing things in. It’s nice to switch it up and have a different recipes some days. Plus, one easy way to eat healthier at breakfast is to have a healthy breakfast smoothie. It’s easy and can be an on the go breakfast option as well. Here are 5 recipes that are the perfect breakfast choice.
- Blueberry Pie Smoothie by Buildyourbite.com
- Oatmeal Berry Breakfast Smoothie by northsouthblonde.com
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie by Like Mother Like Daughter
- Peach Carrot Smoothie by Primavara Kitchen
You could buy the ingredients and have one every day of the week. You might just get your family hooked too. Enjoy!
Tips When Exploring Capitol Reef National Park with Kids
Recently we returned from Capitol Reef National park. It was so fun. We’ve been there for many years and we never get tired of it. National Parks are so fun to explore, but when you are visiting with children it takes a bit more work. Here are a few tips when exploring Capitol Reef National park with kids.
- Check out the Visitors Center & Get your Junior Ranger Packet. This is so fun for the kids. All you need to do is grab a booklet for each of your kiddos and do the activities. Then when you are done, take it back in and get your badge! These are good things for the kids to learn too.
- Determine abilities of your group. If you are hiking with young kids then start with some shorter walks, hikes. If you have older kids then for sure do the bigger hikes. That may sound pretty obvious, but when we are on adventures I feel like sometimes we try to over do it. Then everyone is mad at each other and it ends badly. So do what your group can actually do and enjoy it!
- Pack sunscreen, water and food enough for the day. When we head into the park we tend to stay longer than expected. Because of this reason, we pack more food than we think we will use. More times than not, we end up eating most of it because we stayed longer and explored more. Be over prepared and you will be grateful.
- Explore the Fremont Culture Petroglyphs. This is something my kids love to look at each year. They are pretty incredible. Check them out here.
- Stay in a place where the kids can enjoy. We love staying at Thousand Lakes RV Park. We stay in the small cabins. This park has a nice grassy area for the kids to run around in and a pool to swim in. It’s views are amazing as well. We love having bon fires and enjoying nature.
Camping 101: What Food to Bring
If you are getting ready to head out on your first camping trip, but you aren’t quite sure what food to bring with you. You are in luck! I have done a lot of camping over the years and I am pretty well versed in camping food! Truth be told, I love camping food. Sure it isn’t the same as a good home cooked meal, or a 5 star restaurant, but it has its own thing to it. So good!
This list of what food to bring while camping contains a great list of camping food basics that will serve you well when you are roughing it.
What Food to Bring Camping With You
Camping can be a simple, minimalist type vacation, with minimalist food, but definitely put some time and focus into the food you bring. Good food = happy campers!
Oil
Whether you have a grill or you are cooking in cast iron over the fire, you are going to need some oil for cooking. We always bring olive oil with us and we make sure to have butter in the cooler.
Water
Don’t get dehydrated. BRING WATER. Always bring water. Don’t count on your campground having good drinkable water and never drink from a river, stream or lake.
Potatoes
Potatoes are super easy to cook over a fire or on the grill. They are pretty versatile too. You can cook them whole and enjoy a baked potato, or you can cut them up and make fried potatoes.
Salt and Pepper
You may not be able to bring your entire spice cabinet, but you still want to add some flavor to your food. Be sure and buy a small salt/pepper set to keep in your camping gear.
Hot Dogs/Sausages
Hot Dogs and Brats are easy peasy to roast over the fire or cook on the grill. That makes them a very good camping food basic.
S’Mores
You absolutely positively 100% cannot forget to bring stuff for S’mores. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it is the best camping food you can make, right?