Enjoying Summer Before it Ends

I've been MIA for a few days {not posting or visiting} mostly because we are doing exactly what the title of this post says...enjoying summer before it ends! Last week we played on the slip n slide, went swimming, and visited the splash pad any time it wasn't raining:) This week are busy having a blast at VBS! We have meet the teacher night in exactly one week and then next Wednesday the boys start school. Our summer is almost over, so we are going to enjoy it until it ends...we may even squeeze in our more trip to beach this weekend!

What kinds of fun things are you doing with your kiddos this summer?

National Hot Dog Day....Maybe

At the beginning of each month in the summer my boys get a calendar of children's activities from our church. Our children's director always includes fun facts and even more fun holidays, along with the normal church activities that are going on.

Earlier this week I notice that July 21st was labelled as National Hot Dog Day....so we made plans to go to our favorite drive in to celebrate. After a little research, I found out that depending on which website you visit you could actually celebrate National Hot Dog Day on more than a few different days:) One website said July 19th, a few said July 21st, but the majority said that it was actually tomorrow Saturday July 23rd. I don't know which is right, but since we had already made plans, we ate and celebrated National Hot Dog Day yesterday {July 21st}...and maybe we'll have another hot dog tomorrow {Saturday, July23rd} just for the fun of it:)

So if you are looking for something fun to do this with your kiddos weekend, why not celebrate National Hot Dog Day...at least one website says that it's tomorrow:)

Guest Judge at The CSI Project

{Just in case you missed it}

This week I have the honor of being the Guest Judge over at The CSI Project.

Click over and read the {way too flattering} introduction post the girls at The CSI Project put together for me. The theme this week is Beachy Vingettes and Projects! So I will be spending the next two days checking out all the awesome beach inspired projects that are linked up. Head over to The CSI Project and link up a few of your own beachy projects and check out all the other amazing ideas that have already been linked up.
If you need a little bit of Beachy inspiration click over and check out this week's three guest tutorials including a Beachy Mantel {by Paula from Sweet Pea}, a Nautical Mantel {by Patty from Our Adventures in Big Ole Texas}, and some Poolside Patio Decor {by Wendy from Craft Goodies}.

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Day Equals Inside Play

Cupcake Waffles

I've had a cake mix in my pantry calling my name for weeks now! I had planned to make this fun creation weeks ago...you know when I was on my waffle kick...but I got distracted by kids, crafts, trips, and the 4th of July. The last few times I've opened my pantry all I could think about was that darn box of cake mix! So I finally got around to making my fun treat yesterday, and let me tell you it was totally worth the wait! So instead of keeping you in suspense any longer, I will tell you how you can make this yummy treat I call Cupcake Waffles:)

 Drool worthy right?!? The beauty is that they are really {no I mean REALLY} easy to make!

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Start with your favorite box of cake mix. I chose Funfetti cake mix simply because I thought the kiddos would like that best...what kid doesn't love sprinkles in their cake:) Make your cake mix according to the directions on the package.

 Warm up your waffle iron, spray it with non stick cooking spray, and them put your cake batter on the waffle iron. I used my trusty Pampered Chef scoop {the large size} that I normally use for cupcakes and I put three {plus just a little more} scoops.

 Cook your cupcake waffles on medium heat. You want them to cook through without getting too crispy on the outside. We are going for the texture of a cupcake but in the shape of a waffle:)

 Remove the waffle from your waffle iron and separate it into sections. Let it cool slightly.

 Put two sections of waffle on a plate and put a {smallish} scoop of ice cream on one of the sections...

 ...sandwich the two waffle pieces together...

 ...then top your cupcake waffle creation off with the icing of your choice. Again I chose Funfetti icing just because sprinkles makes everything more fun:)

And that is how you can have yummy {ice cream filled} cupcake waffles without ever turning on your oven!