gifts – Page 6

07/18

How To Throw A Backyard Movie Night Under The Stars

There’s something so nostalgic about watching a movie outside under the stars. It just feels like summer, and we don’t know about you, but it gives us all the feels – happiness, comfort, excitement, relaxation and childhood. We grew up going to Drive-In Movies. Those kinds of theaters seem to be few and far between, but honestly, these days we’re opting for a snuggle in our own backyard to watch a movie under the stars.

Recently we had the neighbor kids over for a DIY backyard movie night. Jessica would have preferred to spend week crafting fun DIY decor, a sign, cute favors – the perfect set up. But, honestly time (and energy) didn’t allow for that this summer, so with a quick text invite, and bring your own blankets (so we had more than enough), the kids had a blast watching a movie under the stars. The weather was perfect, the company was amazing, the popcorn was plentiful and the movie was a classic. Oh summer, please stay forever!! We can’t wait to get another movie night on the calendar. Here’s some tips to throw a fantastic DIY movie night this summer. Again, nothing fancy with our photos – we need an iphone upgrade but until that happens, our 6S will have to “give you an idea” of our memorable movie night.

1. Set Up A Screen
You can go so many different ways to set up a screen. You can build one with PVC pipe, buy a huge screen or a smaller screen, hang or tie screen material, or use sheets. We had a large piece of pegboard (the sheets they sell at Home Depot) for a separate project, so we literally set it up on a large bench, leaned against (in between) 2 trees, spread out two white sheets over it, and used chip bag clips to keep it in place. It worked like a charm! BTW, two sheets worked better than one, but if you have a black sheet, that would work behind one white sheet, too. If you buy the sheet of pegboard or white board from Home Depot, it runs about $20.

2. Be Wise With Your Movie Pick
Pick your movie carefully. We wouldn’t want to go to an outdoor movie night showing a scary movie, or something out of our league. We had a wide array of kids, from ages 5-12, and both boys and girls. Our movie was a classic most kids love, even the girls, and it fit our PG age range. We know it’s one of our faves – The Sandlot. We hosted the movie night around the 4th of July, and baseball is so American to us, it’s all about childhood and summer, and there’s a great firework scene in the movie. It was a hit!

3. Buy or Borrow A Projector
We have an awesome neighbor who let us borrow her projector. If you are lucky like us, ask nicely, and you won’t have to spend any money on the projector. If you want to invest in one (we are considering it after we realized how much fun movie nights are), there are some options here and here. We played the movie from Amazon Prime via our ipad. You will need a cord to connect to an apple device. Also, don’t forget a bluetooth speaker for great movie sound.

4. Serve popcorn and candy
A night at the movies isn’t a night at the movies without popcorn and candy boxes. We filled popcorn bags with popcorn, and more popcorn, and more popcorn. Everyone had their choice of candy, $1 each from Wal-Mart.

5. Blankets, Blankets and More Blankets
We live in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, so it gets chilly at night. Everyone dressed in warm sweatshirts and sweatpants, and brought along a blanket or sleeping bag. We laid down picnic blankets, and the kids snuggled on top. You will need extra blankets for those who may forget, and for those who get extra cold like us! We rearranged some patio furniture in the back of the yard, so some kids got a seat off the ground. Make sure to have lots of extra pillows on hand. The kids wanted more and more pillows as the night went on.

6. Have Bug Repellant On-Hand
Whenever outside camping or hiking (or in this case an outdoor move night), it’s good idea to have bug repellant on-hand. We love doTERRA’s TerraShield. Check for possible sensitivities, and share the bug repellant love.

7. Have A Dance Party Before Showtime
It doesn’t get dark until around 8:40 p.m., and the kids showed up early to the movie showing. To kill time, we had a dance party in the backyard. It was so fun! Kids showed off their amazing moves, and it got everyone laughing and moving before the movie. We used a bluetooth speaker, cell phone and our Spotify account to play some sweet jams.

8. Create An Experience
Like we mentioned, Jessica would have wanted to build a popcorn bar from scratch, create a theatre sign, etc. But since simple was the theme of the night, we used items we had on-hand to add that extra special touch. We set up our lightbox with The Sandlot words on it. We hung outdoor lights on the patio and outside dining table. Not only did it make it not so dark outside, but it also created a special ambiance. If you want to keep it easy and affordable, you can print fake money and have kids “buy” candy and popcorn, and fake tickets would be a nice touch, too. Be resourceful, and decorate with that you have. Keep it easy so you will want to host a movie night again!

Happy summering, y’all. We hope you get outside to watch a movie under the stars.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

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Filed Under: diy, gifts, lifestyle

07/11

$250 Oriental Trading Gift Card Giveaway

Oh my goodness, we have an amazing giveaway with one of our favorite companies, Oriental Trading. When we think about parties, decorations, DIY’s, and crafts, Oriental Trading is top of mind.

Recently, we’ve been playing around with DIY Balloon garlands. It’s been a party of balloons in our house for several weeks now with all the lingering balloons. We get the kids in on the blowing and tying action, so it’s fun for the whole family. Oriental Trading has everything we need for our balloon garlands (tutorial coming soon). It’s a wow-factor for any party, and an affordable one. Get balloon happy like us and check out the awesome selection at Oriental Trading.

If you have a party coming up, want to stock up on school or craft supplies, or you’re hosting an upcoming holiday, enter the giveaway today to win $250. The giveaway starts July 11 at midnight and ends July 25 at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time). Enter below.

$250 Oriental Trading Gift Card Giveaway

After you enter the giveaway, check out some of the other amazing blogs included in the giveaway:
Happy Family Blog
Teacups and Fairytales
Suburban Wife City Life
Little Bits of Everything
Living La Vida Holoka

posted by three j. sisters Leave a Comment
Filed Under: adult, decor, diy, gifts, kid, lifestyle, party

06/01

Reading Must-Have For Kids: DIY Bookmark

Our kids love to read. But, we know those days of reminding them to read over and over again can be frustrating at times. Summer can be especially difficult, and we understand; they spend all year learning in the classroom, and they just want to play. At the same time, it’s important they read. So, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to get our kids reading in the summer.

First, we find good books. No one likes to read a boring book. So, it’s important to pinpoint our child’s interests, and then find books with that subject matter to keep their nose in a book.

Second, make a nook where they are comfortable and feel cozy. This doesn’t have to be an expensive thing. Our kids love their Blankie Tails, and a stuffed animal on the couch when they read. We try to keep the reading environment calm, too.

Third, make crafts related to their books. It’s always fun to read a book with interesting characters, and imaginary worlds. So, we try to incorporate crafts/art with the book they are reading.

Finally, entice them. We haven’t figured out what the reward will be after they read a certain number of books, but kids love a challenge. It can be an ice cream date, or a treat from a store!

Today, we have a project for all the reading we plan to do this summer – DIY confetti bookmarks.

We like our kids to read from actual books. We know the days of a Kindle are in our near future, but before our kids get electronic with their reading, they need bookmarks to keep their spot on a page. One of Jessica’s kids went on a field trip of his dreams this year, so this idea stemmed from his end of year gift to his friends. He developed wallet size photos of his entire class at the field trip, and made DIY bookmarks with the same method we’re showing you today. For my daughter’s class, we added a lot of sparkle and glitter. It’s a party in a book! Gotta love that!

Materials:

Sheet protectors, heavy gauge
confetti, sequins, or photos
yarn
Photo Sleeve Tool Kit

Directions:

Step 1: Cut the size of the bookmark you want with a piece of cardstock.

Step 2: Once the tool is hot (about 10 minutes), set the sheet protector on top of the bookmark and begin to press down with the tool along the edges of the paper bookmark. Don’t press directly onto the bookmark, but make a tight outline of it, along the edges. Remember to leave the top of the bookmark free from any fusing because you need to insert confetti.

Step 3: Now, you should have shapes of bookmarks on the sheet protectors. We were able to make 4 bookmarks per sheet. Next, cut the bookmarks out. Cut close to the edging, but not along the fused “dots.”

Step 4: Fill the bookmark with confetti. Leave the top open for a hole punch and yarn tassel.

Step 5: Fuse the top of the bookmark, and then use a hole punch to punch a hole on the top. For small confetti, you will need a smaller hole punch.

Step 6: Cut yarn, and add a cute and colorful yarn tassel.

Now, all you have to do is find a good book, and read, read, read!

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posted by three j. sisters Leave a Comment
Filed Under: diy, gifts, lifestyle Tagged: book, bookmark, confetti, diy, reading, star, summerr

05/24

DIY Chalkboard Planters For Summer Herbs

It’s planting season again. Our favorite herbs to plant every year are Basil, Mint, Rosemary and Italian Parsley. We are not known for having a green thumb, but we always try and hope for the best each and every summer. Our luck (and planting skills) have better odds every year we try, right?!

This year, we made DIY chalkboard planters. Now, we’re not going to forget what we planted, and if the plant does happen to wilt and die (we are going to do our best to prevent that), we can easily change the name of the herb on the planter. It’s gonna be a good thing for us, and you, too. These planters are fantastic gifts for friends, teachers and neighbors, too!

Find the full tutorial at Momtastic.

Find the complete tutorial at Momtastic.

posted by three j. sisters Leave a Comment
Filed Under: diy, gifts, lifestyle Tagged: diy, Gift, herb, summer

05/11

Supporting Local Makers + LA Antler Co. Necklace Giveaway

We love to shop small and support local makers. We run small businesses, so we know the large amount of work it takes to operate it, and what orders, followers and subscribers mean (emotionally and financially). Not only does it feel good supporting someone’s hard work and dreams, but the product is amazing, too! When we learned about antler necklaces by LA Antler Co, made in our home state of Colorado, we immediately emailed Addie to buy one. The rustic meets chic necklaces are so unique, and a fantastic new accessory for every woman’s jewelry collection.

Jessica and Addie met on a snowy spring day for coffee, and talked life and antlers. We learned that her fiancé has a passion for shed antler hunting. Every single year deer shed their antlers and grow new ones. With a piling amount of antlers in their home, Addie started creating beautiful pieces of art. She designs home accents wrapped with yarn, in addition to the necklaces.

Jessica has a necklace, and loves it! Every time she wears it, she receives many compliments. It’s a good day because LA Antler Co. is GIVING AWAY one necklace on Instagram. You don’t want to miss this – ENTER HERE.