Donella Crigger, Author at Glue Sticks and Gumdrops

30+ Delicious Low Carb Side Dishes

10 Fun and Romantic Summer Date Ideas on a Budget

Now that summer is approaching, it’s the perfect time to get out more and have a little fun with your husband or wife. Having regular dates with your spouse won’t only keep things fun, it’ll also deepen your relationship. After all, when we become parents, we often neglect the marital relationship when we should work even harder to make it a priority.

Are you working with a tight budget? Dates don’t always have to put a dent in your bank account. Here are some favorite cheap summer date ideas you and your hubby (or wife) are going to love.

10 Fun and Romantic Summer Date Ideas That Won't Break the Bank

10 of the BEST St Nicholas Day Activities for Kids

10 Ways to Celebrate St. Nicholas Day

Did you know that the modern day Santa Claus has roots in a very old tradition? St. Nick–the real St. Nicholas–lived in the third century A.D. Although he was born to a wealthy family, he used his entire inheritance to help the poor. He also had a great love for children. There are many legends surrounding St. Nick, but he has been celebrated for centuries as someone who followed Christ’s example, giving to the needy all that he had. His feast day is Friday, December 6th, so here are some ways you can celebrate St. Nicholas this week as we enter the Advent season.

10 of the BEST St Nicholas Day Activities for Kids

10 Thanksgiving Traditions Your Family Will Love Year After Year

10 Thanksgiving Traditions to Start With Your Family This Year

pin image for 50 low carb snacks with pork rinds in the background

50 Low Carb Snack Ideas for When You Get the Munchies

Living the low carb lifestyle can be difficult. I’ve tried before with my husband, and I think that most of my problem is that I didn’t try a variety of foods, and I didn’t keep low-carb snacks on hand. Now I have no excuse! I’ve compiled this HUGE list of 50 low carb snacks ideas to help all of us. And the good news is that most of these require very little prep or cooking at all. They’re easy peasy snacks you can whip up in just a few minutes, with a few exceptions. Having these items on hand will also help you make simple low carb meals, too.

pin image for 50 low carb snacks for when you get the munchies

Sports Valentines Printables – Candy Free Valentine’s Day Ideas

Sports Valentine Printables for Soccer, Football, Baseball & Basketball

Dollar Tree is the best place for small, cheap toys, isn’t it? It’s a great place to shop for frugal valentine gifts, too. These little balls were in a package of three for $1, so I decided they’d make great sports valentines to give out in class (or in our case, to our son’s little playmates).

Minion Chore Chart Free Printable

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s so hard to get my son to do his chores. He does find motivation in stickers, though, so chore charts are a great solution for us. And since right now he’s into all things Minion, I created this cute and easy-to-use Minion chore chart. I hope you like it!

Minion Clothespin Craft for Kids

We’re continuing our Minion madness this week with another fun Minion craft for kids! We had so much fun painting the clothespins and playing with these toys after they were dry. You could do this for the evil (purple) minions, too, but we’re fans of the cute little yellow guys.

First Day of School Books for Preschoolers

Encouraging Books About the First Day of Preschool

My little guy starts preschool in the fall. Talk about a nervous mom! Will he play well with other children? Will he like his teachers? Will he he be okay without me? Honestly, I think I’m more anxious than he is. He’s just plain excited. But if your child is nervous or feeling unsure about starting school, reading these books about the first day of preschool can be a huge help. They’re sweet, encouraging and funny stories about those first day jitters.

Minion Smoothie (a.k.a. Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie)

My son has been in love with Minions since we let him watch Despicable Me for the first time a few days go. That was quickly followed by the second movie, Minion shorts and everything else “Minion” that we could find. And, since smoothies are one of our favorite breakfasts, I decided to turn this banana peanut butter smoothie into a fun Minion smoothie!

Shark Toilet Paper Roll Craft

With shark week coming up, I knew that the kiddo would have a blast making a shark to play with. He’s all about ocean animals lately, so it was a big hit. And the best part is that it’s super easy to make one yourself. Here’s how we made our shark toilet paper roll craft.

Homemade Blueberry Strawberry Popsicles

Can you believe it’s July already? With the temperatures getting even higher this month, we’re looking for more delicious ways to cool down. These blueberry-strawberry popsicles were so fruity and yummy that I can’t wait to make another batch. Whip some up today!

8 Ways to Teach Your Child to Love Reading

Does your child seem to hate reading? It’s not an uncommon problem, and when storytime is a constant struggle, you may be tempted to throw in the towel on reading. Don’t give up even if you and your child are struggling to get through just a few minutes of reading every day.

Teach your child to love reading with these 8 tips.

Cat Paper Bag Puppet

If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I love paper bag puppets. We made one for Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. They’re fun any time of year, though! Since we have two cats, we decided to make cat paper bag puppets this time.

5 Tips for Dealing With Pet Hair

We have pets… Three of them, to be exact. Two cats and one enormous dog. And I’ve gotta be honest, pet hair can be a real problem if you let it get out of control. Here are five tips for dealing with pet hair that we’ve used to battle the constant shedding in our home.

Strawberry Orange Popsicles

What’s better than a popsicle on a hot summer day? I love popsicles made with real fruit. They may not be healthy, per se, but at least I know I’m getting in some vitamins and calcium while I indulge in my frozen treat. I hope you like these Strawberry Orange Popsicles as much as we do!

Water Sensory Play With Colored Ice

We’re trying to save money this summer by using the air conditioner less, so finding cool-down activities is at the top of our to-do list everyday. A few days ago, we headed out to the deck with a bin filled with water, a few of kiddo’s bath boats and some toy fish. However, our water sensory play activity quickly turned into a science lesson!

Ice Painting Activity

It was so hot last week. If you knew me, you’d quickly realize I’m not a hot weather gal. At all. So I do what I can to stay cool. The kiddo, on the other hand, loves being outside no matter what the weather. So in an effort to keep him happy and outside (and me happy and cool), we’ve been doing lots of fun ice and water play. Here’s one of our ice painting activities… He really loved it!

Creamsicle Slushie

This creamsicle slushie is the perfect summer drink! It’s fruity, creamy and really hits the spot when you’re craving something cold.

3-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

It’s in the 80s here, and we didn’t have any ice cream. Gasp! I decided to take matters into my own hands and make some myself. Technically, this banana ice cream isn’t real ice cream. It’s mashed bananas, marshmallows and a splash of milk. But if you love bananas, you’ll love this frozen treat.

25 Wraps You Need to Make Right Now

Wraps are the perfect summertime meal. They’re super easy to make, and they don’t make much of a mess. Plus, wraps make a nice change from the usual sandwiches. If you’re looking for some next-level wrap recipes, take a few of these for a spin. You’re sure to find one that you love!

Peanut Butter and Banana Bites: A Healthy Kid-Friendly Snack

I try to put together easy, healthy snacks for the kiddo whenever I can. Thankfully, he loves bananas, and like his dad, he loves peanut butter, too. To be honest, I’m not much of a fan of PB (it gave me wicked morning sickness when I was pregnant), but even I enjoy these yummy and healthy peanut butter and banana bites as a snack. They’re so easy to put together!

16 Fun Kids’ Books About Dads

When I was a kid, there was no one cooler than my dad. He knew everything and could do anything. I still think he’s pretty great, and I want my son to feel the same way about his dad. Here are some of our favorite kids’ books about fathers and their children.

Free to Be a Boy Mom

I love being a boy mom. My son is playful, outdoorsy and full of creative ideas. Along with those wonderful traits come a lot of dirt and stains, as you might imagine. But I don’t worry about how dirty his clothes get when he’s digging in the mud or splashing in puddles thanks to all free clear.