Life Lately

A Lindquist family update for you all! Here's what we've been up to (in pictures).

Mike and Ry had some daddy daughter time walking around the school on a sunny afternoon. She said hi to the neighborhood cat.

On a rainy day this past week, we went to the Bounce Center for some fun with friends. Each time we go Ry gets a little more independent and loves it more and more.

We've also been spending a lot of time at the beach.

Beach days with my crew.

Riley and Mike are that little speck in the middle of this picture. It was low tide, so they were able to wade out to the sand bar and play.

Ry also decided it was a good idea to wear her rain boots inside with her pjs on.

Stylish!

4th of July, we hit up a local parade in a nearby town with some of our friends.

And spend some time walking through a beautiful old New England garden.

Another beach day! I love these two!

Not a lot of pictures, but some wonderful days together.

See you all back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

-A

Pin-spired: Fourth of July Edition

Right now, my Pinterest is filled with lots of 4th of July party inspiration. With the 4th right around the corner, I wanted to share some of my favorite pins to make for an awesome fourth for you and your loved ones. All of these are simple and easy. Easy to pull together last minute.

Table Centerpieces

How awesome and easy is this idea from Amy at She Wears So Many Hats?! Rice and food coloring is all she used to make the red, white and blue colors. The perfect centerpiece for a backyard BBQ.

How genius is this idea from Kim at Today's Creative Life?! All she did was use food coloring to dye the water in two of her vases red and blue and added white flowers. LOVE.

Food Table Decor

This idea is from a post I shared a few weeks ago. Adding the seashells definitely gives it a beach vibe. You could even at flowers and an American flag too to dress it up some more. You can find my post about it HERE.

I also wrote about this idea a few weeks ago to. A patriotic banner always adds some fun to a party. You could do it the way I did and have it behind all of the food on the table leaning against a wall or you could string the banner along the front of the food table as well. It is really simple and inexpensive to make. You can find my tutorial HERE.

Here's another twist on the mason jar and burlap idea from Amanda at Fashionable Hostess. I love the idea of using it to hold straws and eating utensils. So fun!

Dessert

Mmm! How yummy does this Berry Pizza Dessert from Simply, Taralynn look! Here's what I love about this. I love that if you take a slice it doesn't take away from the overall look of the dessert. There are some recipes that you make the American flag on pie but as soon as one person eats it then it doesn't look as nice. This is perfect.

These simple dirt cups from A Daily Dose of Toni are the perfect, simple treat for any get together and probably a great hit with the kids at your party!

And my favorite, angel food cake! I love layering Cool Whip, berries and angel food cake any day, but especially on the 4th of July! Easy to make and SO SO good! Love this recipe from Amy at A Blossoming Life!

So those are some of my most 4th of July Pin-spired pins! I hope you take the time to head over to their sites to check out the recipes and tutorials. They are awesome!

Linking up with  Kathy for Titus 2 Tuesdays!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

-A

Summer Mantle: 4th of July

Today, I wanted to share with you all some DIY Summer mantle inspiration from my home to yours.

Here's how I created this mantle decor for under $20.

I found the vase at Goodwill for $2 (I always check there first before spending money elsewhere when it comes to home decor items. One of the ways I save a lot of money on home decorating!). The flowers & cross are from Dollar Tree, the flag from Joann Fabrics (only $1), and the "L" from Michael's for $4.

The mason jars were given as a gift from some students, but you can find them at most craft supply stores like Joann or Michael's. I found the burlap in the Target dollar section. The seashells are from the many Saturday mornings collecting them with Riley over the past few weeks (I have been decorating with them all over our home). I simply glued the burlap to the jar in the back and wrapped navy blue and red ribbon around the front and tied it in a bow.

The banner was really simple, I will explain how to do this in another blog post next week. For a tutorial on how I created the frame, look HERE.

The ship in a bottle was also a Goodwill find for $0.50! The Willow Tree statue was a gift from my parents when we had Riley. The frame is one we had in the house. I just painted the glass black and used the other side (not the side with paint on it) to write out the saying using a chalkboard marker ($4 at a craft store). What I found when I wrote on the side with paint, is when I went to erase the marker it wouldn't come off without a lot of scrubbing, which then chipped the paint.

So that's our Summer mantle for you! Easy, simple, afforable and fun!

Linking up for Titus 2 Tuesdays & Good Tips Tuesday!

Happy inspiration!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

-A

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Today, I wanted to share some Father's Day gift ideas with you all. It is right around the corner and there are some really great deals going on. 

ONE

Black & Decker Auto-Leveling Laser

An awesome gift for that dad who is constantly hanging and re-hanging frames, shelves, etc. It can be such a headache to get them up on the walls and this would definitely ease some of that headache (I probably should've gotten this for Mike years ago! lol). It's only $26.99 (half off) and free shipping with Prime makes this an amazing deal! Definitely a practical, useful gift for the men in your life! 

TWO

A Personalized Office Mousepad from Shutterfly

What a simple, thoughtful gift! I love that it is something different than a framed picture and it is something special to put in their office. They are only $5 right now (half priced!). This is a GREAT deal. Plus FREE SHIPPING over $39.

#getmelike10 #youwontbesorry

THREE

Tidy Grill BBQ Grill Mat (2-Pack)

This is great gift for anyone who likes to grill. These mats holds anything you want to put on the grill (perfect for camping!). It is thin enough so you still get the grill lines, but less mess and healthier. 

PTFE Non-Stick PFOA-Free & approved by FDA, LFGB & SGS and dishwasher safe. $16 (Orig. $25), plus FREE SHIPPING with Amazon Prime.

#ughyesplease #AMAZING

FOUR

Franklin Sports Bocce Set

I love the idea of giving a Father's Day gift that they can get some great use out of and something they can create memories with. It's perfect for a cookout and it comes with a portable bag, so it is perfect to take on family vacations too. It is definitely something they will use a ton and it's only $40.00!

#loveit #bocceforlife

FIVE

Money Clip from Things Remembered

We gave my dad this gift for Christmas one year and he cried. Although the picture says "Brian's Mad Money" (really? lol), you can personalize it. For my dad, we had it engraved to say "Family makes us wealthy". It was the perfect sentiment and a constant reminder everyday how blessed we all are. A very sentimental, touching gift.

Linking up with Cheryl for Monday Funday and Huckleberry Love for Much Ado about Monday!

P.S. This post contains a few affiliate links - which means that if you click on a link and purchase an item I may receive a small commission. Thank you!

See you all back here tomorrow where I'll be sharing some Summer mantle inspiration with you all!

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

-A

Friday Favorites: Mother's Day Edition!

Friday Favorites today, ladies!

This week I'm going to share gift ideas for the special mamas in your life! All under $50!

Tote Bag

Striped Canvas Tote

//Target//

Woven Straw Tote

//Target//

They are the perfect gift for any practical mama that she will use a lot. I like the idea of a tote bag because she can bring it to the beach, to the park, etc and be able to pack a lot of stuff in them. A very functional and practical gift!

Each are on a BOGO 50% off sale right now, so pick up two. Maybe one for your mom & one for your mother-in-law. Or maybe a best friend or a treat to yourself!

Tree of Life Charm Bracelet

//Alex & Ani on Amazon//

I can not say enough good things about Alex & Ani bracelets. They are the perfect sentimental gift for Mother's Day. Best of all you can order it on Amazon with free one day shipping with Amazon Prime! They have a wide selection of Alex and Ani bracelets to browse. I chose the Tree of Life one because I thought it was the perfect symbol for a special mama.

Shutterfly Calendar

This is an amazing personalized gift for Mother's Day. You can include so many wonderful pictures and it's a gift they get to use all year. Shutterfly is running a promo right now where all wall calendars are 40% through May 12th. And if you spend $39 or more (pay for economy), you get upgraded to expedited shipping with the code UPGRADE.

Gift Cards

Honestly, I love a gift card for a gift! I think the stigma with gift cards is that they aren't thoughtful or personal. For me, I would rather give someone a gift card so they can get what they really want then to spend wasted effort on something they don't really like. I know that I love a good gift card! If you want to make it more personal, why not give her a spa gift card and tell her you'd like to find a day where the two of you can go a spend some quality time together.

A Mother's Love Pendant Necklace

This is another great sentimental gift. It comes in different lengths, but I personally like is at an 18' length (so a bit long) that way she can layer it with other necklaces. This necklace falls under free one day shipping right now on Amazon with Prime so scoop it up before they are gone!

That's is my Mother's Day round up of Friday Favorites! Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Linking up with Andrea, Erika & Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites!

 I am linking up with Darci, April, Natasha and Christina for Five on Friday!

P.S. This post contains a few affiliate links - which means that if you click on a link and purchase an item I may receive a small commission. Thank you!

-A