3 day DIY- NO Dig Deck day 1 of 2 by Stanley "Dirt Monkey" Genadek

3 day DIY- NO Dig Deck day 1 of 2
How to build a floating, no dig composite deck- in just 3 days. DIY style step by step deck building & construction guide, with details on framing, hand rails -everything.

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30 Easy and (Mostly) Healthy Fall Slow Cooker Recipes

Gotta love the slow cooker.  I know at our house it’s such a lifesaver!  From kids’ after-school activities to getting work done around the house, many days there’s little time left for food prep. That’s why I’m using my slow cooker a ton these days.  Here’s a great list of easy and (mostly) healthy fall slow cooker recipes you can make too!

Easy and Timesaving Fall Slow Cooker Recipes

 1.  Crock-pot Lasagna is delicious and makes a ton! This is a good go-to recipe!

 2. Chicken Tortilla Soup. Yum! Perfect for a rainy day!

 3.  Chicken Burrito Bowl.  Looks delicious! The recipe includes brown rice!

 4. Pot Roast Recipe. So easy and inexpensive!

5. Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Tacos. Right around 300 calories per serving.  Looks Amazing!

6. Lemon Crock Pot Chicken. Chicken, veggies and some lemon, yum!

7. Clean Eating Crock Pot Orange Chicken.  This would mean no Chinese Take-out for us anymore!  Imagine the money we would save!

8. Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken.  Only 3 ingredients!

9. Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken. Looks so easy and delicious!

10.  Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe.  Perfect on a chilly fall day!

11. Easy Crockpot Taco Soup. Love that I can pull the ingredients from the pantry for this one without much prep or grocery shopping!

12. Cool Ranch Crockpot Chicken Tacos.  4 ingredients so easy.  And I bet even my picky kids would eat this one!  Hurray!

13.  Pulled Pork. Easy and great for crowds! Love it!

14.  For those counting calories, here’s a whole bunch of Weight Watchers Crock Pot Recipes.  Like over 100.  And it lists the points.  Very cool!

15. Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham.  Loving these 4 ingredient ones!

16.  Tangy Hawaiian Meatballs.  Make your own meatballs or use the frozen kind. Either way, they are divine!

17.  Easy Beef Stew Pot Pies.  Love what the crust is made out of!  So easy!

18.  Cook Ribs the easy way – in the slow cooker! BBQ Pork Ribs. YUM.

19.  Crockpot Salsa Chicken. I love making this one, it’s a favorite at our house!

20.  This recipe is a must for those cold winter months coming soon! Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

21.  Baked Ziti.  Made this the other day. But not in the crockpot… thinking that’s what I’m going to try next time.

22.  Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa. So easy and packed with protein!

23. Honey Teriyaki Chicken.  Easy – only takes 10 mins to prep!  And looks divine!!

24.  Slow Cooker Chili.  Perfect for game day and takes 10 mins to prep!

25.  Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes.  The easiest way to cook your potatoes!

26.  Easy Italian Chicken.  SO Easy.  2 ingredients. I’ve seriously got to try this one!

27.  Garlic Alfredo Chicken. I’m getting hungry.  Add this to my list of must makes!

28.  Chinese Orange Chicken.  LOVE this kind of food, and this is so much cheaper and better for you than takeout!

29. Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.  Healthier than regular buffalo wings!

30.  Best one to end on – my husband’s favorite meal ever – French Dip Sandwiches!

I’m adding many of these fall slow cooker recipes to my weekly menu, what about you?  If you’d like to see even more slow cooker recipes, visit our Slow Cooker Recipes Pinterest Board.

Beauty Hacks Here!

More Kitchen Hacks here! 

The post 30 Easy and (Mostly) Healthy Fall Slow Cooker Recipes appeared first on How Does She.

by Katie via Home And Garden

“Sweet Magnolias:” The Houses in the Small Southern Town of Serenity

Raise your hand if you watched the new series “Sweet Magnolias” on Netflix and wanted to move to the charming Southern town of Serenity, South Carolina. Not only am I ready to pack my bags, but I also decided I need to start hosting Margarita Nights each week with my friends like Maddie, Helen, and […]

The post “Sweet Magnolias:” The Houses in the Small Southern Town of Serenity appeared first on Hooked on Houses.

by hookedonhouses via Home And Garden

In preparing for a 10 hour drive to the Oregon coast, with three kids, I recalled how my friend Christine recently made a 13 hour drive from Boise, ID to Los Angeles, CA in 13 hours and 27 minutes!  I had to know her secrets.  She imparted all her road trip wisdom to me, and in turn, I’m sharing it here.  I also quizzed our awesome Facebook fans about their #1 secrets to making everyone happy on long road trips.

What I came away with, was the top 25, absolute best secrets to road trip success.  Here they are, just in time for your summer travels!

25 Secrets to Road Trip Success!

#1: Surprise Gifts to open on the way

“We just did a 20 hour drive with our four kids (ages 5, 3, 2, and 2mo).  Best tip I have is to hit up the dollar store before you leave and wrap each gift individually.  Every hour, the kids got a new “gift.”  If they misbehaved, it got pushed back 15 minutes.” —Facebook follower TJ

Gift ideas include: activity books, the Boogie Board (LCD writing tablet), pipe cleaners, rubics cube, lip gloss, band aids, silly putty,  little flash lights, stickers, books, glow sticks for night driving, toys they haven’t see for a while, easter eggs full of tiny toys or treats, new toothbrush, crayons and coloring books, puppets, shaped hole punches and paper, disposable cameras, etc.

 Puppets are a huge hit to break up the time.  Also, these

Another highly successful activity was this Melissa & Doug

#2: Creative Containers for snacks, etc.

 “The best tip I found was to have empty wipe containers for each kid.  Before you leave, fill each one with snacks that you can refill along the way.”–Facebook follower Lauren H.

For babies, you can also cut up squares of fabric and stuff them in an empty wipe container.  Babies love pulling each square out and then doing it all over again!

Other creative container ideas: tackle box full of snacks, soap boxes with suction cups kids can stick to the window, tool boxes, or treat boxes.

DIY Kids Travel Pack

#3: The travel tray

“We use this tray on every trip.  We LOVE them!”–Christine G.

The #4: Red Box movies

If you have portable DVD players or a car DVD player, Red box movies are great because they’re new, and you can return/get them wherever you happen to be!#5: Bring something active for breaks.

#5: Bring something active for breaks.

“I like to pack a couple of jump ropes, frisbies, balls, etc. to get the sillies out at rest stops.”–Facebook follower Shannon P.

Other active objects to bring: sidewalk chalk, scooters, running shoes for a quick jog or hike.

#6: Road trip scavenger hunts

“We ‘scavenger hunt’ [on trips], particularly for all 51 license plates (don’t forget Washington DC).”–Facebook follower Sarah J.

Scavenger hunt ideas: 

Road trip bingo, printable scavenger hunts, the ABC game (looking for words on road signs that begin with each letter of the alphabet).

#7: Have a reacher in the car

Having a

#8: Car appropriate snacks

“[The best snack are] cuties oranges.  They are food, drink, activity, and air freshener all in one delicious little package!  Even a two year old can peel one.“–FB follower Melissa J.

Other great snack ideas: popcorn, apple slices, pre-made sandwiches or wraps, string cheese, homemade trail mix, these healthy snack ideas, special treats like Pirate’s Booty or lollypops.  Check out hundreds of more great travel snack ideas here on Pinterest

#9: Audio books

Utilize your local library and grab a few books on tape.  Family favorites include The Magic Treehouse Series, Charlotte’s Web, Harry Potter, Summer of the Monkeys, and The Chronicles of Narnia.  For adults, try The Book Thief, The Help, or Ender’s Game.  Here’s a nice list of voter favorite audio books you may enjoy. You can even get a FREE audio book download here.

#10: Have a “Quest for the best…”

 One of our all time favorite things to do on any road trip is to begin a Quest For The Best.  At the start of the trip, we decide which food item we are going to search for throughout our journey.  Once we tried to find the best oatmeal raisin cookie.  So at each rest stop or grocery store we stopped at, we bought an oatmeal raisin cookie.  On a notepad, we keep track of where we bought the cookie, the brand, its pros and cons, and a rating from 1-10.

Have your own quest for the best: glazed donut, sub sandwich, pickle, jerky, ice cream cone, corn dog, etc.  Have fun with it!

#11: Print out a map of your trip

“We print [the kids] out a map and highlight certain cities.  When you get to those cities, let them know where are are.  That way, you can document the trip together and they can see how much further.”–FB follower Paula D.

#12: Cookie sheets

 “We use cookie sheets to hold coloring books, magnets, play dough, etc.  They’re also great for holding snacks like carrot sticks, apple slices, and cheese.”–FB follower Janell H.

“I bring dollar store cookie sheets and make car tracks so they can drive their cars on them.  They are also good for eating on because it’s a little tray.”–FB follower Stephanie B.

#13: Clothes pins for good behavior

“For behavior, [I like] having a clothes pin for each child, clipped to the visor with their name on it.  If they are good, the clip stays and they get a treat at the next stop.  If not, their clip comes down and no treat.”–FB follower Anika B.

“We drove 6600 miles last summer with four kids, ages 2-8.  With rewarding good behavior, they earned stars [stickers], then for every so many stars, they’d earn a new little toy.”–FB follower Megan F.

#14: Solve the “Are we there yet?” problem

“I have used travel tickets, which is great for kids 4+.  Divide the trip into portions.  Each kid starts the trip with as many tickets as hours (16 hours equals 16 tickets).  Each hour, ask them to give you a ticket.  When they ask how much longer, you can say…how many tickets do you have left?  Works like a charm!”–FB follower Leron B.

#15: Creative conversations

 “Enjoy [the drive]!  You get to talk about lots of things you don’t normally get to talk about because you’re all in a small space.  It’s a way for us to connect again.”–FB follower Kim H.

“Talk about the outrageous house you would build if you won the lottery (i.e. a bowling alley, kids bar with soda and juice fountains, etc.).  Then have them draw out their ideas.  My boys can do this for HOURS!”–FB follower Carrison B.

Our family dinner questions would be great to take along on a road trip!  Plus, you can download them for FREE!

#16: Travel games

 “We drive from NY to Florida every year (24 hours) with four kids.  Our secret is car games!  Geography, I’m going on a picnic, improv games, The Next Line, 20 Questions, etc.”–FB follower Blake V.

More road trip travel games HERE and HERE.

#17: Backpacks for each child

 Have a backpack for each person in the car to keep their personal belongings in so they are not scattered all over the car.  They can keep their snacks, books, new toys, etc. in one convenient place.

#18: Engage their brains with creative activities.

 Although the dvd player can be a lifesaver, you’d be amazed at how long kids can stay engaged doing creative and constructive activities that actually engage their brains.

“We love to make pipe cleaner creations.  We also keep a set of dry erase markers in the car for drawing on whiteboards, or even on the windows!”–FB follower Amy L.

Rest the dvd and try: pipe cleaners and beads or Cheerios, Color Wonder books, Aqua Doodle, dry erase boards, hole punches, lacing cards, blank note cards kids can write to family or friends, magnetic puzzles on cookie sheets, stickers

#19: Safety first

 Always have emergency info about your destination: local doctors and hospitals, dentists in your network, or a person you can contact in case of emergency.  In your car have insurance information or road-side service information handy.

Other safety supplies to have on hand: sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, a basic first aid kit, medication your family may need, an emergency road trip kit (like the one below).

#20: Keep organized and clean

 Have plenty of plastic grocery bags handy for garbage or possible throw-up.  Use dollar store plastic containers for snacks or supplies.  The ones with lids are especially helpful.  Just have a few handy, and you’re guaranteed to use them!

#21: Road trip binders

 If you have plenty of time in advance to plan for your trip, road trip binders, like these ones from Pinterest, are adorable and keeps kids busy for hours!

#22: Take turns playing DJ

“We take turns playing DJ.  Everyone gets a turn picking a song on my phone.” –FB follower Kristen S.

#23: Buy yourself some time.

 “Don’t give kids anything until they absolutely need it.  You can get quite far without the kids needing anything.  Stretch every leg of the trip.”–FB follower Janell H.

“We make snacks last longer by giving them things that take longer to eat.  We like separate baggies of cheese, crackers, and summer sausage so they have to put it together as we go.”–FB follower Emily K.

Snacks that take time: Cheerio or Fruit Loop necklaces, Twizzler Pull and Peels (who doesn’t love to play with their food!), cuties oranges, etc.

#24: Wear comfortable clothing (and a change of clothes).

“Wear flip flops so that getting out of the car doesn’t take forever (and because my kids always lose their shoes and socks).  Also, have a change of clothes for everyone accessible because someone is going to get messy and uncomfortable!”–FB follower Leigh V.

#25: It’s all about the journey…not just the destination.

Remember, some of the best memories made on family trips are of the journey, not just the destination.  Plan interesting and purposeful stops.  Or be spontaneous and go see the world’s biggest ball of yarn, even if it’s 15 miles off track.

Try to relax and take it easy.  Enjoy the ride.

Happy and safe travels!

 

 

The post 25 Secrets To Road Trip Success! appeared first on How Does She.

by Nicolette via Home And Garden

Introduction to Climbing gear, ropes and knots for tree work by Stanley "Dirt Monkey" Genadek

Introduction to Climbing gear, ropes and knots for tree work
Tree climbing for beginners-We go up close and personal with climbing gear, Knots & ropes for tree work. We show you how to make a blakes hitch knot then go to the top of the tree and show you how we use them.

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Back to School Wardrobe Essentials

*** This post is sponsored by Walmart and RewardStyle! We’re ready for back to school!***

We all know this school year may look a little different, but my kiddos still need new shoes and Fall clothes. Home, online, or “real” school all of us want our kids looking sharp, and comfortable without breaking the bank. I have 6 kids and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grabbed something for them at Walmart. They have popular styles, at incredibly budget friendly price points. PLUS, the quality is spot on. I love not having to leave my house to shop and having things show up at my door in 2 days! I wanted to show you a few pieces that me and my kids loved. Hopefully, you love them too!

Casual high Top sneakers – My boys live in athletic shoes, but often, I need something just a bit dressier. These are the perfect combination of athletic and “nice”. They look fantastic with jeans, or dressed up a bit with some khaki pants. We owned last years version of this shoe, and my son loved them!

Ruffle Sleeve A-line Dress – I saw this dress in person in the store and the print is beautiful, and the quality is great. This is a great dress to transition into Fall. 

Boys Athletic Tricot Set  – Bring on ALLLL the sporty clothes! Layers are the recipes for success and I love that this set will carry them from warm weather to even chillier temperatures. My boys live in this style!

Button Down Shirt (with UPF 50) – This light weight shirt is perfect for the sunny days outside! It has UPF 50! Pair with casual shorts or a nice pair of jeans and you have a versatile wardrobe staple!

Boys Slim Knit colored jeans – These are for the kiddo who maybe doesn’t like a stiffer jean material. They’re soft, and add a pop of color!

Slip on Sneakers – My girls own these and wear them constantly. They go with just about every outfit and look just like a pair I own! 

Girls Long Cardigan – This is a staple in any wardrobe of any girl – young or old! Grab them a cardigan for all the layering those chilly mornings as the air gets a chill in the air. Even on cool summer nights!

Floral pullover Sweatshirt   Be kind. If I could pick one theme for my family (especially right now), this would be it. This pullover is great quality!

Mermaid scale backpack and lunchbox  – Tell me this isn’t the most fun backpack you’ve ever seen!!! Mermaid scales! It even comes with a matching lunchbox!

Boys Slim Straight jeans – Up to size 18 and under $10? You can’t go wrong with this classic pair. MY son won’t wear skinny jeans, but the slim fits always look sharp!

 

Happy Shopping and enjoy this back to school time as much as you can! Sure there are a lot of stresses and unknowns, but we’ll get through it together!

 

 

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by Andrea via Home And Garden

Just Peachy- Canning peaches for beginners

I learned from the best! 

As a child I remember canning everything with my mother and grandmother.  Tomatoes, pears, peaches, salsa, apples and so much more.  It is such a special memory for me that I decided it was time to start this tradition with my own children.  The problem was I have never canned without my mom and I had no clue what I was even doing.  I read a little on Pinterest and I talked to my mom on the phone and got some tips but I am not going to lie; it was a lot harder then I remembered as a little girl.

Two years ago one of my friends asked me if I was interested in buying some boxes of peaches.  Her father-in-law was selling them in Utah and they brought a lot of boxes down to Las Vegas.  Of course I wanted some, thinking I was going to become a peach pro.  I was dreaming of peach pie, peach jam, canned peaches, and peach pie filling. Basically I wanted to be Forest Gump, but with peaches not shrimp.  I was going to take the peach world by storm.

That was definitely not what happened.

The peaches actually got in the way of my busy schedule that they almost went bad.  So, on a day off from work, my 4 year old daughter and I went to work.  We canned about 8 jars of peaches and it almost killed me.  It was the most horrible thing I had ever done.  But when my husband got home from work he was so impressed with all my hard work he felt bad that he missed out, and promised me he would help me the next time I got more peaches.

Here we are a year later.  We are more prepared and I am NOT doing this alone.

 All hands on deck.

Time to get our peach on.

Note: If you are experienced at canning peaches, this post is not for you.  No offense.  I am a beginner myself and I don’t think you want a lesson from a beginner.

 I don’t like long recipes.  And most of the time I won’t read the directions to put things together because I am a little lazy; so this is going to be very simple.

 List of items you will need:

1. Peaches
2. Sugar or honey (depending on how healthy you want to be)
3. Cinnamon
4. rubber gloves (optional)
5. 21 quart canner
6. Canner lid
7. Tongs
8. Mason Jars
9. Jar lifter
10. Wire canning rack
11. Canning funnel( optional)

I got everything at Walmart for a great deal.  You can also go to canningsupply.com or amazon!

I say optional because I never use a funnel but I use rubber gloves so I don’t have to wash my hands a million times when I get interrupted.

1.. Wash the jars and rings in the dishwasher. Put 2-3 inches of water in a saucepan and put the lids in the water.  Let them simmer while you are putting the peaches in the jars.

2. Wash your peaches and then put them in a pot of boiling water for 30-60 seconds.

3. After you are done blanching them put the peaches in a ice water bath to keep them from cooking.

I  clean out my sink really good and fill it up with ice cold water and when the peaches are ready I dump them into the sink and I use the other side of the sink for garbage.

4. After sitting in the ice bath the peaches skin slips right off.  If it doesn’t fall right off the peaches might not be ripe enough.

 

I loved peeling the peaches as a child.  My girls actually were working so fast I had to tell them to slow down because I couldn’t cut the peaches up quick enough.

5. I like to quarter or half my peaches.  Then I fill the jars up.

It gets pretty messy so be prepared.

6. We don’t like a lot of sugar in our peaches.  Last year I did honey in some jars and cinnamon and very little sugar in the others.  My family actually loved the cinnamon better.

Put 9-11 cups of water in a pot and add 1 – 2.5 cups of sugar.  I only did 1 cup of sugar.  Then I added 1- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.

Bring it to a boil.  Try the mixture and make sure it tastes good.

Fill the jars with the mixture.  Leave a 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar.

7.  To get the air bubbles out, place a butter knife down the side of the jars.

8.. Wipe off the mouth of your jars with a wet paper towel or cloth and place the lid on the jar.  Screw the ring on.  Not too tight.

9. Place your bottles in the canner on the rack.  The water in the canner can be warm but not too hot or boiling because a jar could break.  The jars should be covered with about a inch of water.

10. Start the timer as soon as the water starts to boil and cover the canner with the lid.  I turn the burner down to a gentle boil once the timer starts.

11. Let the jars process for about 30-40 minutes.  (Depending on where you live)

12. When the timer goes off I take my jars out slowly and put them on a old beach towel or dish towel. Place them about one inch apart and let them stand for about 24 hours.

  After 24 hours remove the rings and push down on the top of the lids.  If the lid makes a popping noise and is not concave then it did not seal.  Don’t stress because you can eat the ones that didn’t seal or refrigerate them.

 We canned one box of peaches and this how many jars we filled.  Not too Shabby.  We love to eat them on homemade crepes and waffles.

Worth it!

Canning is a lot of work and it took us about 7 hours with 4 helpers. But this year it was a lot more fun and faster with my family helping me.

Please tell me all your canning secrets and tips I’m still learning.

What is your favorite fruits and veggies to can?

Enjoy!

Still drowning in peaches? Try out more of our favorite, “peachy” ideas!

The post Just Peachy- Canning peaches for beginners appeared first on How Does She.

by Ashley via Home And Garden