Friday Favorites - Summer Edition

We made it!  About Wednesday I wasn't sure if I was going to last until Friday-ha!  But It's Friday and May and MAY DAY!  We are here for it!  The kids always front load the week so we can have 'Fun Fridays'

First favorite would of course be May Day, but since we've been spending so much time outside, I thought I would share some of our favorite summer items

+ This spiral apple cutter - we use it non stop {like daily!}

+ We don't use this as much {lazy mom} but when we do, the kids day is MADE!  It's the most fun way to make homemade ice cream!

+ The only way to do water balloons!

+ Our favorite life jackets {under $50} & helmets.

+ We love this sunscreen for the face and this one for everywhere else.

+ We don't have these yet, but I'm super excited to have the kids try these goggles -- especially Jordyn!

+ Favorite floaties for kids and adults!

+ My father-in-law got this shuffleboard set and we've been playing it nonstop {he just painted the lines on his driveway}. We also love Jenga & have started a tradition where anyone that visits our house signs a block!  And croquet will always hold a special place in my heart! All perfect for entertaining because you can easily chat while playing.  Also, all can be played with one hand if need be ;)

Also, if anyone has a sprinkler recommendation that isn't junk, I would love it hear it.  Our trampoline died  from a windstorm this spring, so I would love to replace that with one of these!  However, Adam and I aren't agreeing yet.  One of us wants to bury it in the ground with drainage.  Do you guys have any experience with this?  The other just wants to get a swingset/monkey bars for the kids.  

Splashpad 2018

Greenway Park & Cowells Common

Summer Bucket List 2017

1.  Pitch a tent in the backyard (or go on a real camping trip)
2.  Go fishing (pack a picnic lunch)
3.  Enjoy a day on the boat
4.  Tube down the river
5.  Host a seafood boil
6.  Feed the ducks
7.  Spend an afternoon at the Iowa State Fair
8.  Take family photos
9.  Ride a ferris wheel at Summerfest
10. Play in the splash pads downtown
11. Host an outdoor movie
12. Make s'mores at the lake
13. Maid-Rites and chocolate shakes at the park
14. Go to the pool
15. Make fresh-squeezed lemonade
16. Paint rocks
17. Make a Strawberry shortcake
18. Lay in the grass and watch the airplanes take off
19. Eat ice cream for dinner
20. Sing to the guitar by a campfire
21. Make homemade Popsicles
22. Go to a drive in
23. Take the kids strawberry picking
24. Go for a walk in our pajamas - explore outside with flashlights
25. Read books in the hammock
26. Spend an evening listening to live music at Jasper Winery
27. Donuts and a morning at the park
28. Grab lunch at the Food Trucks downtown
29. Catch lightening bugs
30. Moscow Mules and a fire on the patio
31. A nature scavenger hunt
32. Watch the sun set from the Jeep
33. Take a family bike ride on the High Tressel Trail
34. A picnic, a park, and parchment paper wrapped sandwiches
35. Swimming lessons
36. Grab TropicalSno
37. Make homemade ice cream
38. Plant flowers
39. Make a deck fort
40. Surprise Daddy with a picnic lunch
41. Fresh flowers for the house
42. Make dirt cups 
43. Take the kids school supply shopping
44. Try tennis
45. Splash in puddles in our rain boots
46. Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning
47. Grill pizza with friends
48. Take the kids to a waterpark
49. Share a bottle of wine on the patio while playing cribbage
50. Run through the sprinklers in the yard
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2016 Summer Bucket List
2015 Summer Bucket List
2014 Summer Bucket List
2013 Summer Bucket List

Splash Pad | Volume 3 {downtown dsm}

This could be known as the summer of splash pads since so many different ones!  It was a warm summer, and the kids are at the ages they love to run and play, so splash pads are perfect!  You can go if you have 30 minutes or 3 hours, plus they're free!

Des Moines recently added a beautiful one at Cowles Commons downtown.  We went there three or four times.  This was a Tuesday night while Adam and Mark were practicing and the kids didn't want to be quiet ;)