Food

 Our family moved from Las Vegas to Lincoln, Nebraska and for the first time in our family’s history we have a backyard that is perfect for entertaining in. That’s a HUGE deal in my books. I love to entertain and there is nothing better than a good ole’ backyard barbecue, full of family and friends to share in all the summer fun.

I’m also a details girl. You know those extra special touches that take your backyard barbecue and transforms it into a real event. Nothing over the top, just those extra special touches that tells your guest that you really took the time to make sure this was a special occasion.

One thing that I like to do when throwing a backyard party is to hand out glow sticks to all the kiddos when the sun starts to set. You’d be surprised how this will take your gathering to a whole new level. It’s so funny to see how even he adults love to get in on all the glow stick fun as well.

What takes this whole idea up a notch, is the fun printable glow stick holder that you can display for your guests, that really jazzes up the idea. They are super simple to make.

All you have to do is download the printable from the box below, and print them on card stock. Cut out the separate cards and make one slits right above the “You Will Light Up the Night” box, and one right below. Then all you have to do is carefully (be careful, it is easy to activate the glow stick bracelets) slide your glow stick bracelets or necklaces through the slits, make sure you also include the connector piece, secure them with a little tape on the back and voila, your finished. You can also use this printable for sparklers as well, either one will look super cute!

I also have some super cute printable party cones that coordinate with this printable.  They are perfect for serving chips, pretzels, veggie sticks… You name it, they will look fabulous in this treat cup.

All you need to do is click here to visit WhipperBerry to download the treat cone printable.

 I have all kinds of fun summer ideas for the family like these Summer Sponge Bombs that your kiddos are sure to love…

They are also super easy to make and will help you rise up to Rock Star status in your kiddos eyes!

+ This 4th of July Banners post brought to you by ME… WhipperBerry +

 As we get ready for our 4th of July celebrations, I thought I would put together some free printable 4th of July banners to use for your Independence Day celebrations.

I’m LOVING the new foil trend in the creative world right now. Have you seen the Minc Foil Applicator from Heidi Swapp?

I’m loving creating all kinds of goodies with this machine. All you have to do is print something, ANYTHING, on a laser printer, run it through the machine and voilá… You have a beautiful foiled decor piece. If you don’t have a laser printer, don’t worry. You can print your printable at an office supply store and bring it home and run it through the Minc. With that said… I thought I would design some fun banners to use with your Minc. If you don’t have a Minc, I’ve got you covered too. You can print the printable banner in color as well and skip the foiling process all together.

Along with the banner, I foiled some pre-printed pinwheels that Heidi Swapp also sells at Hobby Lobby or other stores that carry the Minc, you can even order them online.

The fun thing with the foil is, it comes in several different colors. I’m planning a red, white, blue & gold theme for my 4th of July celebration and you can get red, blue & gold foil to dress up all of your decor for your gatherings.

I kind of consider myself a minimalist decorator for parties. I don’t generally go over the top. I do try and have one or two key focal points to make the occasion special, but I don’t go crazy. A banner like this makes a simple enough statement that you don’t really need a whole lot of extras to make your occasion extra special.

To create your own banner, you can download this free printable. If you are planning on foiling it, you need to make sure it’s printed on a laser printer.

Click HERE to download the black & white files for foiling

Click HERE to download the color files

Now, keep in mind… This is an unsolicited, unpaid post. I just truly love working with the Minc Foil Applicator. I’ve got you covered if you aren’t into foiling at all.  I understand that it adds an extra step and extra expense to a project, for me it’s worth it! I was not given a Minc machine, I purchased it myself and purchased all of the foil and pinwheels myself as well.  I just love creating with this fun machine!

Here’s another little secret… If you have a Silhouette, these banners cut really easily with the Silhouette PixScan Mat. Just thought I would share. I’m not sure if Cricut has a print and cut option, Maybe we can ask Amy in the comments! 😉

If you don’t have a Silhouette or Cricut… Don’t you fear! This cuts just as easy with a simple paper cutter or even scissors.

Here are some fun recipes & other printables from WhipperBerry that you can use at your 4th of July gathering…

Chia Pudding with Berries

Here’s a fun, healthy dessert that our family loves that will look amazing on any red, white & blue table.

Printable Drink Signs

I’ve got you covered her for Water, Lemonade, Root Beer, Punch & Sweet Tea.

Homemade Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream

This sweet treat takes the cake with the little salty bits of pretzel inside… delish!

For more WhipperBerry fun, follow along on Instagram!