KIND Snacks For Kids: Less Sugar, More Fun For Moms And Kids

low sugar snacks for kids

We are that snack happy family. At any given time, you can find us with fresh-cut fruit, nuts or nutritious packed bars in our purses and cars. For some reason, we are always hungry on-the-go. That snacking mentality was passed along to our kids, and they love snacks just as much as we do. In fact, we often try to avoid those inevitable hangry meltdowns when we’re out and about having fun with healthy snacks. But, it’s hard to find healthy snacks that are easy to pack, low in sugar and something that our kids will actually eat.

With 8 kids between the three of us, we try to avoid sugar high’s as often as possible, otherwise we are like a circus coming to town. And, not a good circus – a loud, meltdown-ridden, whiney one. According to a recent study*, we are not alone. In fact, 64% of parents want to limit the sugar in their children’s snack. When there’s less sugar, it’s more fun (and healthy) for everyone. Well, we’re happy to share that snacking for kids just got a lot more yummy, fun and nutritious with KIND Snacks new granola bar for kids! We packed our KIND Kids Bars for a recent playdate at the park. It was a win/win – our kids loved them (and we have some picky eaters in our crew), and we enjoyed them, too! They are gluten free, so we couldn’t help ourselves. Plus, with 5 grams of sugar or less, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, how could we not eat it? Our kids loved the chewy peanut butter and chocolate flavor best, but ate them all, including the chewy chocolate chip and chewy honey oat!

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids and moms

Whether you’re looking for an easy, low sugar item to pack for lunch or snack at school, or perhaps your kids need that nutritious boost of energy to make it through fun playdates, try KIND Snack bars for kids. They make it in our grocery cart every time we visit the store, and we don’t feel bad about it at all!

snacks for kids

low sugar, yummy granola bar for kids

*This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on July 12, 2018 among a national sample of 1,001 parents with children ages 5-12. Results from the survey have a margin of error +/-3%.

KIND Snacks sent us some delicious bars for this post, free of charge. We’re so happy they did! All opinions are honest, and our own. No other type of compensation was received. Thanks for supporting the companies that support j. sorelle. We ate KIND bars, even before this post.

Back To School DIY Squeeze Coin Purse

retro-vinyl-coin-purse-treat-yourself

This post gave us that nostalgic, warm and fuzzy feeling, because we were reminded of our childhood. We crafted with the retro oval squeeze coin purses our grandparents, aunts and uncles (and even us) used to carry loose change in. It’s a throwback to our past, because we always love a good retro find. Plus, school is (almost) back in session, and these coin purses fit easily in or on backpacks for our kids to bring loose change for yummy bake sales. We also made one funny adult version (visit our Instagram to see what it says here), because we wanted in on the coin purse fun, too.

This project will take less than 30 minutes, and you can customize it any way you like, such as adding a monogram, funny phrases, emojis, etc. It makes great classroom gifts, or cute gifts for friends. We used our Silhouette CAMEO electronic cutting machine for $-related phrases. If you don’t have one, you can always buy permanent vinyl stickers. It’s a one-step project – design and cut vinyl lettering, and then add it to the squeeze coin purse.

Materials:

ka-ching-retro-squeeze-coin-purse

retro-vinyl-coin-purse-treat-yourself

retro-vinyl-coin-purse-treat-yourself

retro-vinyl-coin-purse-treat-yourself

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means j. sorelle receives a small commission from the sale of certain items; however, the price is the same for you, whether it’s an affiliate link or not. 

How To Throw A Backyard Movie Night Under The Stars

DIY outdoor movie night-the-sandlot

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.

the-sandlot-outdoor-movie-night-diy-movie-screen

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!

the sandlot-diy-outdoor-movie-night

the sandlot

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.

lightbox-now-showing-sandlot-popcorn-box-diy-outdoor-movie-night

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.

diy outdoor movie night

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!

now showing-the-sandlot-american-flag-lightbox

the sandlot-diy-outdoor-movie-night-american-flag

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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DIY Wood Box Frame With Colorful Tissue Paper

diy-wood-box-frames-with-tissue-paper-mod-podge-kids-art-project

These wood boxes have been sitting in my garage for 6 months. I had an original plan for them, and honestly I can’t remember if it didn’t work or fell through. Whatever the reason, I’m really glad I had them, because these DIY wood frames with tissue paper were born. My daughter and I spent the afternoon crafting these frames for friends and family, and then we made extra frames to add to the gallery wall in her room. They are such a happy and colorful addition!

The wood box frames are from Oriental Trading. If you haven’t had a chance, enter in the drawing for $250 gift card to Oriental Trading. You can buy these wood box frames, and a whole lot more! Oh my goodness, the things we could buy and the parties we could decorate for $250! Enter here.

Materials:

Directions:

Step 1: Rip or cut tissue paper into lines/shapes. You can go for a “ripped” look, or a more precise “cut” look. For the confetti, buy a package of pre-cut confetti, or use a hole punch to make circles.

wood-box-mod-podge-foam-brush-art-craft-colorful-tissue-paper

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the wood box, and add pieces of tissue paper. Gently press down on the paper so it is “stuck” on the wood box, and try to remove line/bubbles without ripping the paper.

rainbow-tissue-paper

Step 3: Once you have the design you want, add a layer of Mod Podge over the entire wood box and tissue paper. It will appear white, but that’s ok because it will dry clear. Once it’s dry, you can apply another layer of Mod Podge if you want. After you applied the Mod Podge, and it’s completely dry, flip the wood box over and use an X-acto knife to trim the excess tissue paper around the edges.

tissue-paper-confetti-mod-podge-wood-boxes-art-project

tissue-paper-confetti-wood-boxes-art-project

tissue-paper-confetti-wood-boxes-art-project

tissue-paper-wood-box-frame-xacto-knife

Step 4: Once the Mod Podge is completely dry, find the top/center of the box to add the bulldog clip. Make a small dot with a pencil, and then drill with a small drill bit. Align the bulldog clip with the drilled hole, and then use a screwdriver to tighten a screw.

tissue-paper

teal-bulldog-clip-screw-rainbow-frame

Step 5: Clip a 4×4 photo in place. Now, you have a colorful, adorable frame. You can make 12 of them for $17.

diy-wood-box-frames-with-tissue-paper-mod-podge-kids-art-project

diy-wood-box-frames-with-tissue-paper-mod-podge-kids-art-project

diy-wood-box-frames-with-tissue-paper-mod-podge-kids-art-project

diy-wood-box-frames-with-tissue-paper-mod-podge-kids-art-project

Note: This post contains affiliate links. 

$250 Oriental Trading Gift Card Giveaway

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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