Girl Scout Week is celebrated in 2025 from March 9-15, and their beloved cookies are on sale between January and April. What you may not realize, though, is that Girl Scouts do a lot more than sell cookies. In fact, their program dates back over 100 years. If you've ever wanted to know the history behind your favorite cookies and the young ladies who sell them, read on.

What Is Girl Scout Week?

Each year the Girl Scouts celebrate Girl Scout Week beginning with Girl Scout Sunday and ending on the following Saturday, a day known as Girl Scout Sabbath. This year, Girl Scout Sunday is celebrated on Sunday, March 9, 2025. During Girl Scout Week, local troops participate in special activities. The week emphasizes positivity and kindness, with activities ranging from sharing positive messages with friends to community service projects.

Where Does All That Cookie Money Go?

Girl Scouts across the country sell an incredible amount of cookies. Each year, Americans buy roughly 200 million boxes of cookies during the three months they're on sale. With boxes ranging from $5 to $7 depending on location, that's a lot of money.

The proceeds from cookie sales go to the local Girl Scout council with each council determining a percentage the individual troops earn per box. According to the Girl Scout website, “net proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie sales stay local with the originating council and troop to fund Girl Scout activities and impactful girl-led community projects year-round.” Girl Scout troops pool the money from their earnings and fund year-round activities.

More Than Cookies: What Kinds of Things Do Girl Scouts Do?

Thin Mints may be what you think of when you hear the words, “Girl Scouts,” but there is a lot more that goes on in a troop of Girl Scouts each year beyond selling cookies. According to the website, “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”

Girl Scouts earn badges for accomplishments and each troop has the freedom to choose activities they want to participate in. Troops may be involved in community service projects, camping, STEM activities, and a lot more. They also learn how to manage money and a business by selling cookies each spring to fund their activities throughout the year.

Girl Scout USA Chief Revenue Officer Wendy Lou had this to say in a press release about Girl Scout cookies, “Girl Scout Cookie season is about so much more than selling the iconic cookies people know and love. The funds girls earn throughout the season directly power girls' journeys in leadership, entrepreneurship and community building.”

The History of Girls Scouts: Founded by Juliette Gordon Low

In 1908, the first Boy Scout troops were founded in England by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. The program caught on and quickly grew, making its way to America a couple of years later. Around this time, Juliette Gordon Low met with Baden-Powell to discuss her plans of beginning a scouting program for girls. She started the first Girl Scout troop in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia in 1912.

Called Girl Guides, the girls learned many useful skills such as knot tying, cooking, first aid, and map reading. Girls could gain badges for proficiency in each skill. Only a year later, the local Savannah Girl Guides went nationwide and the group was renamed the Girl Scouts.

From there the movement only grew. Low wrote the first Girl Scout handbook, “How Girls Can Help Their Country.” Once World War I broke out, Low guided the girls in her troops to assist the war efforts. Girls were growing gardens, canning food, and selling war bonds.

The First Girl Scout Cookies Were Sold in a Small Oklahoma Town

The first troop to ever sell a Girl Scout cookie was the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma. In 1917, the girls sold cookies and popcorn balls in the cafeteria of the local high school to fund a project of making Christmas bags for Oklahoma soldiers in the war. Little did they know, their cookies would be the first of billions sold over the next 100 years.

With this first troop, a tradition was born. By 1920, homemade Girl Scout cookies were sold throughout the country. The original recipe, published in 1922, included simple ingredients of butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder. The girls would make the cookies at home with the help of their mothers, and sell them wrapped in waxed paper for 25 to 35 cents per dozen.

Eventually, cookie-making was moved out of family kitchens and into factories. In 1939, the first Thin Mints were sold under the name, Cooky-Mints. Today, there are two different cookie factories making all the Girl Scout cookies. While there are a dozen different flavors in 2025, what your local Girl Scout troop is selling can vary based on which bakery they use and their personal preferences.

The 1950s Brought Communist Fears

While today most people view the Girl Scouts as a wholesome, family program, there was a brief time in the 1950s when conservative groups accused them of Communism. This was during the “Red Scare” of the 1950s when fear of Communism ran rampant. The Girl Scouts responded by editing many of their materials to showcase patriotism and emphasize the American flag. Fortunately for the Girl Scouts, they had public sentiment on their side and the anti-Communist campaign against them eventually petered out.

The Latest Girl Scout Cookie Controversy

Today, the Girl Scouts are dealing with a new controversy. Misinformation on social media claimed that the FDA had recalled Girl Scout cookies for containing lead. Snopes debunked the claims stating that a child would need to eat 9,000 cookies to consume harmful levels of naturally occurring heavy metals and pesticides in the cookies.

The Girl Scouts had this to say in a recent press release, “Girl Scout Cookies are made with ingredients that adhere to food safety standards set by the FDA and other relevant authorities.”

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Girl Scouts of America.

The post The Fascinating History Behind This Popular Children’s Club appeared first on Moms Who Think.

There’s nothing quite as special for a grandparent than having a nice day with a grandchild. It’s great to bond with the younger generation and teach them skills and activities you’ve learned over the years. The good news is that there are many different fun activities you can try without breaking the bank. To show you what we mean, we present these budged-friendly grandparent-grandkid outings.

There are many fun activities on this list. Some you can do at home, like drawing a family tree, baking together, or having a movie night. Then there are fun outings that will get you out of the house, like checking out a local farmer’s market or going on a nature walk. Try some or all of these activities with your grandchildren. You won’t regret it!

Draw a Family Tree

The first of the grandparent-grandkid outings that you should consider is creating a family tree. This is an activity that you can do at home, so there won’t be any unnecessary costs. Imagine how fun it will be for a child to learn about his parents and the lives of his grandparents. This can even be a project that the child can show to their friends.

Make a Fort

A great experience for grandchildren and grandparents alike is building a fort. Whether you’re building it in the child’s backyard or as a place to play in the grandparent’s yard, it can be a lot of fun. Grandparents often have a lot of experience with building, so they can provide some great advice. A great way to save money while building a fort is to use materials from around the house, like blankets, pillows, and old furniture.

Go to the Library

A great way to pass some time with grandchildren is to head to the local library. This can often be a totally free adventure and it can be a blast. While at the library, grandparents can show off some of their favorite books and the grandchildren can do the same. You can also rent movies, read old newspapers, go online to child-friendly websites, and more.

Have a Movie Night

Our list of wonderful grandparent-grandkid outings continues with hosting a movie night. This is a great outing that you can have at your home. You can save money on the film by using a streaming service to which you already subscribe. Then you can find sales on popcorn and candy and have snacks during the show. Ask the kids which movie they want to watch and it will be a night they’ll always remember.

Go On a Walk

One of the fun and free activities that your grandchild will love is simply taking a walk. Take a stroll through the park or down the street. This is a great time to bond and ask your grandchild about their day. You can also use this as an opportunity to keep your eyes open for other businesses or eateries you could visit during your next outing.

Plant Flowers or Trees in the Park

You can have a great outing with your grandchild while also helping the planet by going into the park to plant some trees or plants. In addition to being fun, this is a great chance to improve the mental health of your grandchild. When they continue to visit the flower or tree they planted over time and see it grow, and they know they had a part in it, it will help their confidence.

Go on a Picnic

While you’re walking through the park, take a chance to enjoy a lovely picnic. Get a blanket, some food, and maybe a radio for some soft tunes, and you’ll have a great time. You don’t have to go overboard on food. Save money by purchasing some snacks at a dollar store and use a blanket that you already own. Use this time to talk about life, family, or whatever you want.

Build a Birdhouse

A fun activity to do in the garage or the backyard is to build a birdhouse with your grandchild. It doesn’t have to be an extensive project. Putting four walls, a floor, and a roof together will be enough. Then you can have fun painting the house. You can save money by purchasing a pre-made birdhouse kit or find lumber lying around the garage. 

Play Mini Golf

One of the most enjoyable activities a child and grandparent can enjoy together is a rousing game of mini golf. You don’t have to take it too seriously. Go to a course and see how unique each hole is. You can keep score but remember that it’s just for fun. Mini golf courses can sometimes be expensive, so look for a coupon online to save some money.

Go to the Zoo

A nice grandchild-grandparent outing can include going to the zoo. There’s something so exciting about seeing the different exhibits and the exotic animals. You never know what you’re going to see and many zoos get new animals all of the time. Yes, the zoo can be costly, especially if you have multiple grandchildren, but there are often discounted days throughout the year. Check online. They can be a big help.

Go Bowling

If you’re looking for a bit of a thrill, make a date to go bowling. Remember that you’re just there to have fun, so don’t go overboard counting the score. Instead, just have fun together rolling the ball. Bowling costs can add up, so look online for coupons or certain hours where you can get a deal. Sometimes, you can save money by combining bowling with another activity, like the arcade.

Go Fishing

If you enjoy fishing, then taking a fishing trip can be one of the best grandparent-grandkid outings ever. Just imagine going out to the creek, casting your lines, and waiting for fish as you bond with your loved ones. Fishing is typically an inexpensive activity, especially if you already own the poles. Usually, you just have to spend a few dollars on some bait.

Go Swimming at the Pool

Going swimming at the local pool is one of the best ways to beat the heat and have fun with your loved ones. Bring your pool noodles and inflatables and you’ll have a blast for hours. If your subdivision has a local pool, you can often enjoy it for free. Either that or head out to the local creek.

Attend a Farmer’s Market

Another fun and free event is heading to the local farmer’s market when it comes to town. You and your grandchild can walk the aisles, trying samples and enjoying each other’s company. Pick up some candy when you see it and enjoy a sweet treat. Find some affordable ingredients and use them to cook dinner!

Bake Cookies

A fun and tasty way to enjoy a nice day is to bake cookies or other sweet treats together. This is one of the best grandparent-grandkid outings because you can teach your grandchild how to bake, and then afterward, you can enjoy your treats together. You can enjoy this outing for free if you already own the ingredients.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Studio Romantic/Shutterstock.com.

The post The 15 Best Budget-Friendly Ideas for Grandparent-Grandkid Outings appeared first on Moms Who Think.

As far back as I can remember, it was thought that video games were bad for kid’s brains and for their overall health. For many years, I agreed with that assessment. After all, it seemed like video games turned kids into couch potatoes, and many of the games were overly violent. However, while there are some inappropriate games out there, what I discovered was, overall, that playing video games can actually be good for people, both young and old.

This list will showcase many of the reasons why video games can benefit our minds and bodies. For instance, did you know that many games require physical movement to play them? That means your kids get a workout while having a good time. Many video games also encourage kids to learn essential skills like math and problem-solving. It’s true! Check out this list. Chances are that you’ll change your mind, too!

Listen to the Experts

If you used to think that video games were bad, then you need to listen to the experts. According to the Cleveland Clinic, video games increase brain matter. The experts say the games work like a stimulant that increases the gray matter that encourages interconnectivity in your brain. The grey matter also controls your movement and regulates your emotions.

Feelings of Accomplishment

The same experts at the Cleveland Clinic also say that playing video games can help players feel a sense of accomplishment. All games include tasks of some form, and when a player reaches the next level or gets a trophy, it feels great. The player can translate that feeling into the real world and use it to succeed in their job.

Improve Dexterity

Holding a video game controller can be great for a player’s hands and improve dexterity. This is according to a study from the American Psychological Association. They say that people who play video games make fewer mistakes when they’reworking with their hands. Some doctors even recommend that stroke victims play video games to get back control of their hands.

Improve Social Skills

When many people imagine someone playing video games, they imagine them all alone, sitting in the dark. However, the truth is that people who play video games are often better in social situations, typically due to the fact that they play games with other people, even if they’re not with them in the room. They may even be more comfortable than someone who doesn’t play games.

Become a Problem Solver

Just about any video game will help the player with problem-solving abilities. Platforming games require the gamer to jump from place to place to reach an end goal. Role-playing games ask the player to form a group to defeat a common enemy. Granted, players won’t face these same issues in real life, but they’ll know the steps necessary to tackle a problem.

Become More Physically Active

Many people also have the misconception that gamers sit on a couch all day and eat fatty foods. The fact is that new technology like virtual headsets and gaming systems like the Wii require players to move around while playing the game. That means a gamer may be getting more exercise than non-gamers, and that’s a good thing.

Improved Vision

People who thought that video games were bad never realized the benefit that gaming can have on a player’s eyes. Many games, including first-person shooters, require players to see what’s near and far at all times in order to win. According to a study on Live Science, game players can often see objects in cluttered spaces more easily than non-gamers. Just be careful about staring at the TV screen for too long.

Stress Relief

Gaming can also be an incredible stress reliever. If you enjoy playing video games, then you’re likely to feel better whileplaying them. Just about any game can help the player escape reality, if even for an hour or so. That’s why many mental health professionals even recommend games as a form of therapy.

Games Teach Persistence

The great thing about most video games is that they have an ending, and the goal is to get to that ending. It won’t always be easy, and that’s the point. Playing most games requires persistence and that same persistence is necessary in the real world. Many people give up to easily in life, so gaming could be a solution.

Improves Your Memory

There are many games that require memory to succeed. You can play just about any role-playing game, and you’ll be forced to remember which items hurt which enemies. There are also strategy games that require certain moves to succeed. In the real world, it’s necessary to remember facts and information for work, so gaming could help a person succeed.

Games Can Help With Reading Skills

Video games can be great for younger kids who are learning to read. Many open-world games and RPG titles require the player to read in order to make decisions and progress throughout the game, and kids can learn a lot. Granted, video games shouldn’t be the only way that kids learn to read, but they can be a great supplement to books.

Video Games Could Become a Career

The people who always believed that video games were bad have never turned their love of gaming into a career. The video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and there are jobs for graphic artists, writers, voice actors, and more. A child who loves games now could find a very fruitful career in the future.

Games Learn How To Set-Shift

To set-shift means how quickly a person can switch from doing one job to another. So, how quickly can a person properly move from cooking a meal to washing the car. Video games can help people move from task to task more easily and with little confusion. Games can also help with multitasking abilities. 

Games Help With Creativity

Video games can also be a great way to spark creativity. Many games are filled with expansive worlds that seem to go on forever, and they can do wonders for a person’s imagination. Gamers could use the inspiration they get from playing their games to be more creative in the real world.

Games Can Be Educational

I always thought video games were bad until I realized how many educational games there are in the world. There are games that teach players how to read, perform math equations, learn the alphabet, and many other important lessons. Sit your child in front of an educational game for 10-15 minutes, and it could do them a lot of good.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©ronstik/Shutterstock.com.

The post I Always Thought Video Games Were Bad for Kids’ Brains, But These 15 Reasons Made Me Change My Mind appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Helping kids grow into healthy adults means making sure they get into the habit of being active. That doesn't mean that they have to go to a gym and start a formal exercise program. The CDC recommends 60 minutes of activity every day for all kids ages 6-17. Combined with a healthy diet, this can prevent childhood obesity and help kids develop good habits before they reach adulthood.

The problem is not all of us live in climates where it's possible to take kids outside all year round. Not to mention, sometimes it's raining, too hot, too windy, or the air quality isn't conducive to outdoor activities. There are lots of creative ways to get your kids moving, though, that don't require a lot of space, going outside, or owning fancy equipment. Here are some of our favorite ideas to make sure you keep your kid moving all year round!

Online Kids Activity Programs

Remote learning has become a popular tool for allowing kids to keep learning through everything from snow days to a pandemic. Teachers often use Go Noodle for online exercises for elementary school kids so they can get active minutes. The kid-friendly music and motions help them get moving while having fun. There are other sites available as well, including FitKids and NetflexKids. Many of the programs on these sites don't require a lot of space or equipment and can be appropriate for kids as young as kindergarten.

Winter Outdoor Sports

I have one kid who will go out no matter the temperature as long as there is snow. He's the perfect one to take sledding! While sledding itself is passive, he burns lots of energy walking up and down the hill carrying his sled and holding onto his friends' sleds as they speed down the hill together.
My other child loves ice skating. It's an easy activity to teach kids yourself, and you can buy used skates for good prices in colder climates. If they become proficient enough to require lessons, they can choose to learn figure skating, speed skating, or even hockey!

Skiing is also a great option for bigger kids. Go cross-country if you don't have mountains nearby and don't want to spend lots of money on a trip, or try snowboarding for a little more money. Those who live in climates where it's cold more often than not can find places that offer snowshoeing, curling, or broomball for older kids.

Hiking at a Local Park or Forest Preserve

The great thing about hiking is that almost anyone can do it! Find a local forest preserve and start out with a trail that you think your kids can handle. That could be a half mile for first-timers or maybe 2-3 miles if your kids have more stamina. Challenge your kids to keep moving! This is also a great way to enjoy nature and teach your kids about reading maps.

Register for a Kids' Road Race or Triathlon

Local event organizers often think of kids and families when planning their races. If you search for 5ks in your area, you'll often also find a kids' run that goes with it. Many race organizers pick 1 kilometer (which is good for kids ages 4 and up), one mile (which many kids can do at age 6) or 3k (best for ages 8 and up). Encourage your kids to train for a race with you!

The shortest races could require 10 minutes or less of running 2-3 times a week. The promise of a medal at the end could keep kids motivated. You can even find an indoor track or gym to practice or race at in many fitness centers. Many local park districts also offer indoor triathlons during the winter. If your kid can swim across the pool once or twice, they may have enough endurance for these races.

Take Swim Lessons

Swimming is a great activity for building muscle and it's an essential life skill as well. If you live in a climate that's cold enough to have indoor pools, you should be able to find a swim school to take lessons. Once you're signed up, look out for open swim times to attend with your family. Most kids love the pool and will want to spend at least an hour swimming and playing in the water! Swimming is also one of the best ways to stay active when it's too hot.

Play an Active Video Game

Got a Switch or a PS5 at home? Find a video game that encourages off-the-couch activity for your family. Some popular choices include Nintendo Switch Sports and Just Dance. You don't have to count this as screen time and it's fun to do with family or friends!

Make an Indoor or Outdoor Obstacle Course

You don't need much to create an obstacle course inside or outside of your house to keep kids active. Pick up some painter's tape and make shapes on the floor to jump in and out of. Make a tunnel to crawl through using couch cushions or chairs and a sheet. Use a spoon to carry a bouncy ball from one end of the room to the other. If you have stairs in your house, use them as a great way to get heart rates up. You can even divide into teams and challenge your kids to a relay obstacle course race!

Visit a Climbing Gym

The CDC recommends kids do some strength-building activities to stay active. Rock climbing and wall climbing are great ways for kids to lift their own body weight, which is a great alternative to actually lifting weights. Many indoor climbing walls also have other fun weight-bearing activities like high ropes courses or bouldering. These activities may be available indoors or outdoors depending on where you live.

Find an Open Gym

For almost every indoor sport, there's a facility hosting an open gym for kids to try it out. Our kids have tried gymnastics, martial arts, ninja warrior, basketball, volleyball, and more at local park district or YMCA facilities. Kids love trying something new and could find their new favorite sport at an open gym.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Marian Weyo/Shutterstock.com.

The post Creative Ways to Keep Your Kids Active Year-Round appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Raising Cane’s is quickly becoming one of the hottest chicken restaurants in the nation. The chain, which only offers meals that involve chicken fingers, can now be found in 42 different states. In the next couple of years, they plan to open countless new locations so that everyone can get their chicken fix wherever they live. With this kind of growth, it’s no wonder why Raising Cane’s is competing with Chick-fil-A for nationwide chicken dominance.

If you don’t already have a Raising Cane’s restaurant within driving distance, then you may soon be in luck. We have a list of 36 places that either have new Raising Cane’s locations or will be getting them in the future. We’ve listed them by state, so check the list, find where you live, and see if you have a Raising Cane’s in your future.

What is Raising Cane’s?

The popular restaurant Raising Cane’s was first founded in Louisiana in 1996. They specialize in chicken dishes. Many people have their theories about how the chicken restaurant got its name. However, the reality is that the founder named it after his dog, a Labrador retriever named Raising Cane. The whole idea behind the place was to sell strictly chicken fingers. They’ve expanded a bit since then, but the idea is still the same: to provide amazing chicken dishes at a great price.

Popular Menu Items at Raising Cane’s

The excitement about new Raising Cane’s restaurants is likely due to their menu, which is smaller but loaded with goodies. Many people order the famous combos, such as The Box Combo, which comes with chicken fingers, fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, and a drink. Another popular combo is The Sandwich Combo, which has chicken fingers on a bun. You can also get chicken fingers meals for large parties or buy single chicken fingers. No matter what, your meal will involve chicken fingers.

Raising Cane’s Popularity

People are excited about the new Raising Cane locations because they know how great the restaurant is, and they want more. Don’t believe it? Just look at the numbers. The restaurant and owners have won multiple awards, including SCORE Awards and awards from Glassdoor. Though Raising Cane’s is not in the top 10 fast food restaurants when it comes tosales, the chain makes a lot of money year after year. In 2024, they boosted their revenue by $2.3 billion. Needless to say, people are excited about this restaurant and the excitement is not going away.

New in Arizona

In the upcoming years, there will be three Raising Cane’s locations coming to Arizona. Although the exact addresses are uncertain, the new locations will be in Leveen, Phoenix, and San Tan Valley. When the restaurant opens in Leveen, it will be their 32nd location in the Phoenix area.

New in California

There are three Raising Cane’s locations that have recently opened or are opening in the next few years. They will be located in Whittier, Torrance, and Huntington Park. These new restaurants will make California the state with the second-most Raising Cane’s.

New in Connecticut

The first Raising Cane’s is coming to Connecticut. The one new location will be in Enfield. This will be an exciting time for the people in the state. They’ll get a chance to try the famous chicken fingers that people around the nation are so excited about.

New in the District of Columbia

There is one new Raising Cane’s restaurant coming to the District of Columbia, and it will be located in Washington. This location will be inside the famous Union Station. This will likely be an exciting development for the politicians and business professionals who call the place home.

New in Florida

The Sunshine State is getting two new Raising Cane’s locations in the near future. They will be located in Orlando and Kissimmee. With the new additions, Florida will now have 17 restaurants across the state.

New in Georgia

Georgia will be home to one new Raising Cane’s restaurant. The location will be in the bustling metropolis of Woodstock. The train industry has always been important to this area. To recognize that, the new Raising Cane’s will have a train mural painted on the side.

New in Illinois

The people of Illinois will be able to enjoy one more Raising Cane’s location, and it will be in Algonquin. This will be an exciting event because the restaurant will be a part of a larger development in the area that will have tons of new eateries and entertainment options.

New in Indiana

There are three new Raising Cane’s restaurants that either recently opened or will open in the future. They’ll be located in the towns of Carmel, Kokomo, and Michigan City. With these new additions, there will officially be nine locations across the state.

New in Maryland

There will be one new Raising Cane’s location that will add to the six restaurants that are already in Maryland. It will be located in Forestville. With the rate at which the company is opening new restaurants, there will likely be more openings in the state in the future. 

New in Massachusetts

There will be one more Raising Cane’s restaurant in Massachusetts, and it will be located in Seekonk. Locals will notice that it will be taking over the old Pier 1 Imports building. The people of the state are sure to love the amazing chicken fingers.

New in New Jersey

The company recently opened three new Raising Cane locations in New Jersey, with one more on the way. The latest restaurants are in Burlington, Cherry Hill, and Marlton. The newest location will be in Deptford, and it should be open any time.

New in New York

The great state of New York will be getting three new Raising Cane’s restaurants. You’ll be able to find them in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. The company has one of its flagship restaurants in the middle of Times Square.

New in Ohio

Ohio is home to two new Raising Cane’s locations. You’ll find them in the cities of Warren and Findlay. The newest location in Findlay was one of the biggest events in recent local history. It was such a big deal that police had to direct traffic when it opened.

New in Pennsylvania

There are two new Raising Cane’s restaurants gracing the state of Pennsylvania. The locations will be in South Fayette and Pleasant Hills. Now, there will be four of these resultants in the state. Like many other grand openings, you can expect lines around the corner.

New in Tennessee

Tennessee has a total of three Raising Cane’s restaurants that have either opened or are opening soon. One of the biggest of these openings will be the new flagship store that is located in downtown Nashville. The other two locations are in Knoxville and Hendersonville.

New in Texas

Currently, the state of Texas has by far the most Raising Cane’s restaurant of all the states of the nation, and they’ll be getting another. The newest restaurant is in El Paso, and there’s a lot of excitement among the locals.

New in Virginia

Raising Cane’s seems to be putting a lot of effort into building their presence in Virginia. The four new locations are evidence of this expansion. The newest restaurants are in Chesapeake, Midlothian, Manassas, and Richmond.

New in Washington

Raising Cain’s has debuted their first restaurant in Washington. The new location in Vancouver opened last year. The opening made it official: Raising Cain’s restaurants are now open in 42 states.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©"Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (48609524093)" by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States is licensed under BY 2.0..

The post 36 Places Set to Get a New Raising Cane’s and People Are Excited appeared first on Moms Who Think.

If you walk into an IKEA store, you’re presented with room after room of amazing products. There are chairs, tables, beds, desks, wall art, kitchen appliances, and more. It can be a lot to soak in. You could go for repeated visits and still not see everything. If you’ve been in that situation, then we’re here to help. We have compiled a list of the eight best things to buy at IKEA.

This list includes eight items and product categories that you should seek out whenever you head to this popular furniture store. There are some great things here, including extensive wardrobe systems, office equipment, bedding, home decor, and, of course, those amazing meatballs! Check out this list and beautify your home with something you see here.

Wardrobe System

First on our list of the best things to buy at IKEA are the several high-quality wardrobe systems that they sell at the store. You have various options, and all of them have various compartments that allow you to store your shirts, pants, shorts, shoes, handbags, belts, and more. There are several different options, but most designers like the two-frame Pax system.

Why You Need A Wardrobe System

You may not have realized that you’re in the market for a wardrobe system, but one trip to IKEA could change your mind. A wardrobe system is great because it creates a place for everything. Instead of putting everything on shelves, you can hang it so that you can find what you need quickly. Plus, a wardrobe system can beautify your closet for an affordable price.

Bookcase

IKEA has many great bookcases that you may feel inclined to purchase for your home. You don’t need to have a home library to look into a bookcase. In fact, a bookcase can beautify many areas of your house, from hallways to loft spaces. The best thing about getting one at IKEA is that you get them for a great price.

Bookcase Options at IKEA

There are several different bookcase options at IKEA that may catch your eye based on the decor in your home and the number of books you own. Many shoppers like the Eket cabinet, which has four components with lots of space. Another great option is the Billy bookcase, which is more like a traditional rectangular unit. There are more than that. Shop around and buy the unit that is best for you.

Office Chair

One of the best things to buy at IKEA is a good office chair. Most stores have a great selection, and chairs are top-of-the-line. They come equipped with a sturdy back to help with posture and a headrest so you can sit comfortably. Most of the office chairs also look very professional, so they’ll look great during your business Zoom calls.

Best IKEA Office Chair

Though there are many fine office chair options at IKEA, many white-collar professionals recommend the Markus office chair. In addition to having a professional appearance, this chair is also very comfortable, so it will work well during those long overtime shifts. Plus, you get a 10-year warranty, so you don’t have to worry about it holding up. The chair is usually around $200, but it’s worth the cost.

Duvet Cover

IKEA is a great store to visit if you’re looking to beautify your bedroom. For instance, this store has a great selection of duvet covers. You will find some very beautiful covers here, and they’re a fraction of the price of many competitors. You can get them in a variety of colors so they match your decor. They’re also super comfortable.

Great IKEA Duvet Covers

One of the best options currently available at IKEA is the Puderviva duvet cover. It comes in a dark blue that will make many bedrooms pop. IKEA also sells duvet cover sets. Their new Angslilja set is awesome, and it includes an amazing cover and several pillowcases. You can get them in a variety of colors. Other great duvet collections include their Bergpalm and Faltgrasmott lines, so check them out.

The Sofa Selection

Bring a truck or large van to IKEA the next time you want to decorate your living room because the store has a huge selection of sofas you’ll love. The selection is great because there’s something for everyone and families of every size. Most sofas are in the mid-price range, and you could spend a few hundred dollars, but they’re great products worth the cost.

Great IKEA Sofa Options

A great sofa is one of the best things to buy at IKEA; luckily, you have many great options. One of the highly-reviewed options is the Uppland sofa. It’s an elegant, full-size couch that can fit several family members. IKEA also has many large and comfortable sectional sofas. Their Finnala sectional is a bit costly, but it’s super soft, and it gives you a chance to stretch out your legs.

The IKEA Refrigerators

You may not immediately think of buying your next refrigerator at IKEA, but you should. The store has many great options. The models in their collection come in a variety of colors. Many of them also have bells and whistles, from built-in water dispensers to display screens that will modernize your kitchen.

Refrigerators at IKEA

There is a refrigerator model for every type of kitchen. If you’re looking for something easy, their Valgrundad and Frysbar models are sleek and simple, but they’re very high-quality machines. For something a bit more fancy, look for the Strainstatus model. It has a built-in water and glass dispenser with a sleek display.

Home Decor

As you walk around any given IKEA store, you’ll walk through mock-ups of potential rooms along with the products you could buy for each one. During your tour, you’re going to see a lot of home decor items, and they’re worth a second look. From decorative accessories to vases, bowls, candlesticks, and clocks, there’s a lot to love. Of course, we have some specific items we recommend…

Great Home Decor Products at IKEA

There are two categories we’d like to highlight here. One is the vases category. There are many from which to choose, but we like the Raffelbjork vase, which offers a unique, clear look. The Hackpoppel decorative bowl is another great piece that will spice up your home. We also like the clock selection at IKEA. A couple of unique options include the Bundtolvan and Stursk clocks. They will tell you the time and elevate your space.

The Meatballs

Finally, before you leave after your shopping spree, stop for lunch. Easily one of the best things to buy at IKEA is the famous meatballs. On your way out, stop by the food court or buy a package of meatballs to make on your own. Either way, you’re in for a great treat.

IKEA Meatball Options

Currently, there are two main types of meatballs available at IKEA. The regular, classic meatballs come in a three-pound package. They’re easily microwaveable and seasoned to perfection. There are also the chicken meatballs. These are amazing, are packed with flavor, and are the healthier option.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©JulezzzAUS/Shutterstock.com.

The post The 8 Hands-Down Best Things to Buy at IKEA appeared first on Moms Who Think.

One of the most well-known names in workout and athleisure wear is Lululemon, a brand that is said to have popularized the athleisure brand and is a market leader in the industry. And while the brand does create durable, quality, and fashionable options for everyday and workout wear, they can be a bit pricey, prompting people to search for more budget-friendly options.

Moms Who Think has compiled a list of eight stylish and budget-friendly Lululemon alternatives you’ll love, and researched why customers love these athleisure brands. If you’re looking for some variety in what you wear to meet your health goals or want to look stylish when you run errands, look no further — we’ve got all the information you need here.

Athleta

Our first alternative for athleisure wear is Athleta.

What People Say About Athleta

Athleta’s prices are slightly lower than Lululemon’s, but the quality stays the same. The company uses sustainable materials and has inclusive sizing ranging from XXS to 3X. The company is part of the Old Navy and Gap chain, offers a loyalty program, and has a mission to empower women and girls. Customers also report that staff are knowledgeable, online orders are convenient and returns are made easy.

Vuori

Our second alternative for athleisure wear is Vuori.

What People Say About Vuori

Customers say that Vuori performs well and offers stylish products worn by celebrities such as Dylan Barbour and Vanessa Hudgens. The company partners with environmentally friendly manufacturers and works to measure and offset carbon emissions by pursuing climate-neutral certification.

Vendors must adhere to their strict Vendor Code of Conduct. They also have an online store and an easy return policy. Some of the well-known Vuori products include their Daily Legging and their Performance Joggers.

Sunzel

Our third alternative for athleisure wear is Vuori.

What People Say About Sunzel

Sunzel is available online through Amazon and is significantly more affordable than most brands. Reviews say the leggings are as comfortable as Lululemon, flattering and soft. Most say they are versatile and high-quality, and they’re opaque rather than see-through.

With the V-shaped waistband, some of the products have an extremely flattering fit, and customers say they stay in place and are durable. Sunzel’s flare leggings crossover yoga pants with tummy control have more than 23,000 reviews and hold steady at 4.3 stars.

Amazon

Our fourth alternative for athleisure wear is Amazon.

What People Say About Amazon

Amazon has its own clothing brand (Amazon Essentials) that’s surprisingly comfortable and durable. Most products are affordable and have high reviews. The only downside is that for many it’s slim pickings for sizes on some items.

Their popular products include the Spacedye Slim Racerback Cropped Tank, Way Home Shorts, and Seamless Legging Set. Their Fleece Jogger Sweatpant is a nice casual option, and with more than 37,000 reviews, it still has a 4.3-star rating.

Girlfriend Collective

Our fifth alternative for athleisure wear is Girlfriend Collective.

What People Say About Girlfriend Collective

Customers say they get great customer service from Girlfriend Collective, which also offers a ReGirlfriend program. This allows you to recycle old Girlfriend Collective pieces, making their model more sustainable.

They have inclusive sizing and a high-quality fit that’s flattering and comfortable without sacrificing style. The company is widely known for being transparent about its production process, sustainability efforts, and materials. You can find detailed information about every product on their website.

Some popular pieces include the Compressive Pocket Legging and The Dylan Tank Bra.

Outdoor Voices

Our sixth alternative for athleisure wear is Outdoor Voices.

What People Say About Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices creates pieces that make it easy to do what type of activity you want, rather than focusing only on extreme athletics. The goal is to be community-focused and simply provide pieces that make you want to “do something.”

The clothes are stylish, and they are focused on inclusive marketing, showcasing normal people doing normal things rather than elite athletes. This places an emphasis on exercise being accessible, and casual movement being fun. The company often hosts events at their “community hubs” to foster connections among customers in the community.

They have products for men, women, and girls, and bestsellers include the MegaFleece Snap Jacket and the CoolForm 7/8 Legging.

FP Movement

Our seventh alternative for athleisure wear is FP Movement.

What People Say About FP Movement

Free People is known for quality and fashion-forward thinking, and the athleisure line is no exception. FP Movement offers trendy prints, colors and cuts that you can also wear as everyday pieces. They use the best-quality materials and breathable, soft fabric.

Customers report that products give a supportive fit for high-impact activities, and there is a wide variety when it comes to what you want to wear. Choose from everything from jumpsuits to class sports bras.

Free People is known for inclusivity and promoting body positivity with their clothing. The company also collaborates with others in the industry to create one-of-a-kind pieces and takes a community-focused approach by engaging with their customers at all levels. Popular products include the My Time Tee and Hit The Slopes Hoodie.

Old Navy

Our eighth alternative for athleisure wear is Old Navy.

What People Say About Old Navy Athleisure

While Old Navy operates under the same umbrella as Athleta, the company offers affordable athleisure wear that’s often more accessible to everyone. The designs mimic high-end brands but come at more than half the price.

Many have moisture-wicking technology to keep you dry when you work out, and most stores have a large selection of exercise wear. While it may not be the highest quality product, you definitely get durability and versatility. For a less expensive option, you can’t go wrong with Old Navy.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©ljubaphoto / Getty Images.

The post 8 Stylish and Budget-Friendly Lululemon Alternatives You’ll Love appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Everyone loves a shopping trip to H&M. The combination of comfortable loungewear, stylish staples, attractive work styles, and even a kids section make it a one-stop shop for almost all your fashion needs. While it’s a great brand, there came a point where I needed to branch out to find another favorite shopping spot to supplement my wardrobe without breaking the bank. Here are eight I found to be just as good (if not better) than the OG H&M, along with some reasons why I like them, and some of the most popular products from each.

Zara

Zara offers a mix of high-quality fashion and basic affordable staples without sacrificing quality. Their designers stay up to date on the latest styles and are known for translating styles quickly from the runway to the sales floor. New collections come quickly, in a matter of weeks, so customers can buy the things they’ve seen in magazines or on celebrities while it’s fresh in their minds.

There are frequent new arrivals, as products and collections are introduced weekly. The new influx of products means you can hit Zara on a Monday, then come back on a Friday to an entirely new selection to choose from.

Fast fashion gets complaints for quality, but Zara tends to have better ratings than other brands. The craftsmanship and durability are better, so you can get trendy pieces that will last. The company also has an extremely efficient supply chain, which means it can react to changes, produce new items, and ship them to stores before your next paycheck hits. Zara is also available in other countries, which makes it convenient for those who want to shop from home rather than hitting a brick-and-mortar store.

Zara Favorite Finds

I’m a fan of any basic staple or layering option for clothing. This basic cotton t-shirt comes in a variety of colors and works with almost any outfit. You can dress it down with jeans or up with a blazer and jewelry.

Many women have a hard time finding a good-fitting blazer that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, but here’s a favorite of ours from Zara. Once again, it is a good staple that can be dressed up or down and is available in extensive sizing.

We also love a good smell from Zara, like this Amber Fusion perfume. It’s cheap but big enough to last and smells fresh and cheerful.

ASOS

If there’s one thing we love more than trendy, affordable new fashions, it’s great customer service and an easy return policy. We found all that at ASOS. Their wide range of products includes accessories, clothing, footwear, and accessories for both men and women. ASOS also has inclusive sizing, including tall and plus-size categories.

ASOS is strictly an online retailer, which means the goods are accessible all around the globe, but you can’t go in and try them on. We see this as a pro and a con, as shopping from the couch is always a pleasure. The products are affordable and budget-friendly but trendy enough that you don’t feel frumpy or out of style. ASOS also offers a wide variety of brands, so you’re not limited in fits, price ranges, and styles. They also frequently discount their items or offer special sales.

While fast fashion has mixed reviews from socially conscious shoppers, ASOS implements sustainability initiatives including products made from environmentally-friendly materials. Combine that with the convenient, robust online shopping experience with extensive reviews, and you’ve got a match made in heaven.

ASOS Favorite Finds

A good workout set is essential, and ASOS has this combination of a V-neck tank with high-waist gym leggings to give you confidence while you get in shape.

We head to ASOS anytime we need something glamorous or fancy without the designer price tag. One particular favorite is this lace overlay body maxi dress that’s alluring and sexy.

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters is also known for its trendy and unique styles, and in our experience, they truly are one of a kind. They have a wide range of categories that also include lifestyle items along with beauty products, home decor, and fashion. Their aesthetic leans toward younger people but anyone can pull an outfit off with confidence.

Urban Outfitters offers exclusive brands and collaborations that are rare for fast fashion brands. This keeps the store relevant and draws in customers looking for specific items. They also have frequent promotions and sales, inclusive sizing, and quality pieces that are affordable.

The website and app are user-friendly, and most report a positive customer experience. Urban also has a unique pop culture appeal with pieces designed to attract Gen Z and Millenials. Combine that with their recent sustainability efforts to make fast fashion more socially conscious, and they’ve got fans in us.

Urban Outfitters Favorite Finds

As we said before, Urban Outfitters is more than a clothing store. It’s a great place to stop when you need a gift, and we like this marshmallow cloud fleece throw blanket in three different colors for anyone in your life.

The store carries popular brands like Ugg, Birkenstock, and other comfortable shoe options, but we love these Mary Jane ballet flats that are great for any outfit and come in three different colors.

Cotton On

Cotton On doesn’t always come up when the topic is fast fashion, but the company carries a variety of comfortable, casual styles at affordable prices. The brand is known for its staples but also offers trendy cuts and prints that spice them up a bit. They have a wide range of products and sizes, and it’s easy to shop for the whole family there with their inclusive sizing.

The store presents a fun, youthful vibe but offers clothing that fits all ages. Their successful marketing and branding make them a popular place to shop, and their efforts to lessen the environmental impact of fast fashion offset the negative impacts of it. Many of their items are made of recycled fabrics and organic cotton, and the company uses more eco-conscious production methods.

Cotton On Favorite Finds

A denim vest goes with practically anything, and the Harley denim halter vest from Cotton On comes in three different colors. Pair it with a skirt for an outfit with friends or with jeans and a cowboy hat for a concert.

Call the ’90s, because overalls are back! They’re a comfortable, easy look that still shows you put some effort into your outfit. Cotton On offers short denim overalls for just under $60 in four different colors.

Gap

The Gap is a classic and a brand that’s stood the test of time. A partner company to Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta, there are different price points that fit customers where they’re at. They use durable materials to make some extremely high-quality basics that customers continue to rave about after decades of wearing them. Gap is also more affordable than other similar stores while still offering some high-end pieces, so they don’t appear to be a discount store.

The clothes are extremely comfortable without being boring, styles are versatile and the company has built up a strong customer base over the years. The consistent branding and family-friendly atmosphere make it the perfect go-to anytime you’re out for a quick shopping trip.

Gap Favorite Finds

If you live in a cold climate, a puffer coat is a MUST for comfort and style. We really like the Big Puff coat from Gap, which comes in sizes XXS-XXL and in regular, tall, and petite.

You can’t go wrong with a simple buttoned cardigan. Pair it over a tank or t-shirt with jeans, or put on a pair of slacks and a button-up shirt for a day in the office. We love this CashSoft cropped cardigan, and we think you should buy one in every color.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©fizkes/Shutterstock.com.

The post H&M Used to Be My Favorite Shopping Spot, But These 8 Fast Fashion Spots Are Better appeared first on Moms Who Think.

When you think of quality workout and athleisure wear, one of the first names to pop up is probably Lululemon. While the brand is a good one that creates durable, fashionable options for exercise and everyday items, some people want a more affordable or diverse choice. We’ve put together a list of eight athleisure companies we like just as much as Lululemon and researched why customers love them. If you’re looking for some variety in what you wear to meet your health goals or run errands, look no further — we’ve got all the information you need here.

Athleta

Our first alternative for athleisure wear is Athleta.

What People Say About Athleta

Athleta’s prices are slightly lower than Lululemon’s, but the quality stays the same. The company uses sustainable materials and has inclusive sizing ranging from XXS to 3X. The company is part of the Old Navy and Gap chain, offers a loyalty program, and has a mission to empower women and girls. Customers also report that staff are knowledgeable, online orders are convenient and returns are made easy.

Vuori

Our second alternative for athleisure wear is Vuori.

What People Say About Vuori

Customers say that Vuori performs well and offers stylish products worn by celebrities such as Dylan Barbour and Vanessa Hudgens. The company partners with environmentally friendly manufacturers and works to measure and offset carbon emissions by pursuing climate-neutral certification. Vendors must adhere to their strict Vendor Code of Conduct. They also have an online store and an easy return policy.

Some of the well-known Vuori products include their Daily Legging and their Performance Joggers.

Sunzel

Our third alternative for athleisure wear is Vuori.

What People Say About Sunzel

Sunzel is available online through Amazon and is significantly more affordable than most brands. Reviews say the leggings are as comfortable as Lululemon, flattering and soft. Most say they are versatile and high-quality, and they’re opaque rather than see-through. With the V-shaped waistband, some of the products have an extremely flattering fit, and customers say they stay in place and are durable.

Sunzel’s flare leggings crossover yoga pants with tummy control have more than 23,000 reviews and hold steady at 4.3 stars.

Amazon

Our fourth alternative for athleisure wear is Amazon.

What People Say About Amazon

Amazon has its own clothing brand (Amazon Essentials) that’s surprisingly comfortable and durable. Most products are affordable and have high reviews. The only downside is that for many it’s slim pickings for sizes on some items. Their popular products include the Spacedye Slim Racerback Cropped Tank, Way Home Shorts, and Seamless Legging Set. Their Fleece Jogger Sweatpant is a nice casual option, and with more than 37,000 reviews, it still has a 4.3-star rating.

Girlfriend Collective

Our fifth alternative for athleisure wear is Girlfriend Collective.

What People Say About Girlfriend Collective

Customers say they get great customer service from Girlfriend Collective, which also offers a ReGirlfriend program. This allows you to recycle old Girlfriend Collective pieces, making their model more sustainable. They have inclusive sizing and a high-quality fit that’s flattering and comfortable without sacrificing style. The company is widely known for being transparent about its production process, sustainability efforts, and materials. You can find detailed information about every product on their website.

Some popular pieces include the Compressive Pocket Legging and The Dylan Tank Bra.

Outdoor Voices

Our sixth alternative for athleisure wear is Outdoor Voices.

What People Say About Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices creates pieces that make it easy to do what type of activity you want, rather than focusing only on extreme athletics. The goal is to be community-focused and simply provide pieces that make you want to “do something.” The clothes are stylish, and they are focused on inclusive marketing, showcasing normal people doing normal things rather than elite athletes. This places an emphasis on exercise being accessible, and casual movement being fun. The company often hosts events at their “community hubs” to foster connections among customers in the community.

They have products for men, women, and girls, and bestsellers include the MegaFleece Snap Jacket and the CoolForm 7/8 Legging.

FP Movement

Our seventh alternative for athleisure wear is FP Movement.

What People Say About FP Movement

Free People is known for quality and fashion-forward thinking, and the athleisure line is no exception. FP Movement offers trendy prints, colors and cuts that you can also wear as everyday pieces. They use the best-quality materials and breathable, soft fabric. Customers report that products give a supportive fit for high-impact activities, and there is a wide variety when it comes to what you want to wear. Choose from everything from jumpsuits to class sports bras.

Free People is known for inclusivity and promoting body positivity with their clothing. The company also collaborates with others in the industry to create one-of-a-kind pieces and takes a community-focused approach by engaging with their customers at all levels. Popular products include the My Time Tee and Hit The Slopes Hoodie.

Old Navy

Our eighth alternative for athleisure wear is Old Navy.

What People Say About Old Navy Athleisure

While Old Navy operates under the same umbrella as Athleta, the company offers affordable athleisure wear that’s often more accessible to everyone. The designs mimic high-end brands but come at more than half the price. Many have moisture-wicking technology to keep you dry when you work out, and most stores have a large selection of exercise wear. While it may not be the highest quality product, you definitely get durability and versatility. For a less expensive option, you can’t go wrong with Old Navy.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Cast Of Thousands/Shutterstock.com.

The post 8 Athleisure Brands That Are Cheaper and Just as Good as a Lululemon appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Houston is the largest city in Texas by both size and population. Located in the southeastern region of the state, near the Gulf of Mexico, the city has many things to do, from outdoor activities to museums, like the Houston Museum of Natural Science, to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros to the Space Center Houston. But for those looking to score vintage finds, these top Houston thrift shops are not to be missed.

The city is vibrant and lively, with plenty to do each day. It’s packed with incredible thrift shops, each with its own appeal. Some have unique vintage treasures while others harbor high-end handbags and brand-name sneakers. But don't worry, we include some ultra-affordable spots that have can't-miss daily deals. Discover the 10 best thrift stores in Houston and learn a few tips for scoring the best bargains!

The 10 Best Thrift Stores in Houston

1. Family Thrift Center

129 Little York, Houston, TX 77015

The Family Thrift Center is part of a group of several different stores that sell used clothing, household items, books, and toys. They have a special reward program that allows you to save up to 55% every Sunday. Plus, you can earn points through their app.

Every Monday, they offer 20% off for senior citizens. At this thrift shop, there are a lot of name-brand clothes at discount prices. If you’re looking for rare items, this is not the best location for that purpose. However, if you’re looking to save money on awesome used clothing and a variety of other items, it’s worth checking out.

2. The Cottage Shop

811 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

Since 1971, The Cottage Shop has developed quite a reputation in the Montrose area. When you shop here, you’re contributing to The Women’s Home, which is an organization that helps support women and their families via several programs, including residential treatment and transitional housing programs.

This is the type of shop where you’ll find one-of-a-kind items, including jewelry and handbags. Plan your visit wisely because they offer sales on specific items each day of the week, except Wednesdays (their restocking days). On Mondays, they offer 50% off regular shoes and clothing. On Tuesday, you can enjoy 25% off home furnishings and jewelry.

On Thursdays, you not only get 25% off jewelry, but you can also enjoy 25% off shoes, clothing, and handbags. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can enjoy 25% off clothing, home furnishings, shoes, and accessories. They have vintage and boutique sections in the shop where you can score some incredible high-end designer brands as well!

3. St. Christopher’s Resale Shop

650 Blalock Rd., Houston, TX 77080

This faith-based resale shop provides various affordable items to their community, including special sales during the holidays. For example, sometimes they offer a kids’ clothes bag sale which means you can stuff one of the bags they give you with kids’ clothes and take it all home for only $6.00!

They frequently host events throughout the year, highlighting a special sale each time. Not only can you find clothing, but you can also explore items like silverware, dishes, glassware, and even table linens. Be sure to ask about the different colored tags to determine what the discount is per item.

4. Centrl Sply

2315 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, TX 77056

This shop is unique in that it focuses specifically on luxury resale. This is the spot you want to go to when you’re looking for trendy clothes and shoes without ‘brand-new' prices. You can typically find deals like 30% off store-owned shoes, 10% off pre-owned shoes, and 20% off designer vintage and vintage shoes.

You’ll find name brands like Nike, Supreme, and Yeezy. Along with offering a wide range of shoes, you can also find clothing, fitted caps, and unique reworked pieces. This is definitely on the premium side of vintage thrifting but when you’re brand-conscious, it’s good to know where you can head to find an unbeatable selection.

5. The Guild Shop

2009 Dunlavy St., Houston, TX 77006

This thrift shop is faith-based and has been serving the community for over 60 years. They primarily support the elderly, offering clothing, household items, jewelry, rugs, furniture, and even art. There’s a consignment area in the store and inside, it’s a wonderland of unique items. For those who enjoy taking the time to find something unique, this shop is worth visiting.

6. Full Court Classics

610 W. Alabama St., Houston, TX 77006

This store is well-known because they have a buy, sell, and trade policy. Here, you are likely to find some classic brands like Champion, Polo, and Stussy. You can visit the shop for more vintage gear or enjoy their modern items.

They sell T-shirts, bottoms, outerwear, headwear, and accessories. This isn’t the most discounted store on the list, but considering they frequently have special deals, it’s worth checking out to see if you can snag some unique treasures.

7. Leopard Lounge

1639 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

Leopard Lounge is a vintage retail store that you can’t miss. The exterior is bold with a leopard print and a bright sign. It’s where you can find the most beautifully curated selection of vintage in the Montrose area. If you’re looking for clothing that was popular between the 1920s and the 2000s, this is a great spot to peruse.

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or one of your kiddos, you have a great staff to work with. They are knowledgeable about all their items. You can expect to find shoes, clothing, and accessories at this spot.

8. Pavement

1657 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

This resale shop boasts both modern and recycled fashion. Like some of the other shops on this list, they also have a buy, sell, trade policy. They handpick all of their vintage items as well as their modern offerings. You can find shoes, clothing, and purses among other unique picks.

Every so often, they have a $1.00 sale day where you can pick out a few goodies for more than a reasonable price. The store is roomy and offers a wide selection. This is not the stuffy type of thrift store you might envision. There’s plenty of space with racks to walk through. The whole shop is a vibe.

9. Out of the Closet

1435 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

At Out of the Closet, you can find a range of secondhand clothing, home decor, and some vintage items. When you shop at Out of the Closet, you help to support the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Inside, you’ll see that everything is neatly categorized.

You can find jewelry, books, clothing, and a range of accessories. The shop has a funky vibe and if you head toward the back, you can discover several furniture pieces. In keeping with their mission, they also serve as an HIV testing center in several (though not all) of their locations.

10. Value Village Texas

6202 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77081

Value Village Texas is a thrift superstore that is found in different parts of the state. They have several options in Houston. Considering it’s a superstore, you can imagine how spacious these stores are. They have an unbeatable selection and reasonable pricing on all of their items. Every day, the stores are stocked with new items, which means that you’re always going to be surprised by what you find.

They have a color-of-the-day system, so be sure to check what that is so you can enjoy 50% off. Some stores have a $0.99 sale rack that you can check out. There are tons of sales every day, and on Sundays, their white tag items are also 50% off. Sundays get a bit busier than other days, so be sure to arrive early so you can take advantage of those items on the sales floor!

The image featured at the top of this post is ©June Marie Sobrito/Shutterstock.com.

The post Score Vintage Finds at These Top Houston Thrift Shops appeared first on Moms Who Think.

When you think of southern states like Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida, you can’t help but think of football. For college football fans, there’s no better place to be, as the SEC conference is home to some of the most successful, exciting football teams in the country.

There is more to football than just a game, and each school proves that in its own unique way. We’ve looked at eight different SEC schools to see how they celebrate game day, who their mascots are, and what superstitions and traditions they carry over year after year.

University of Alabama Crimson Tide

When it comes to college football, there isn’t a team more synonymous with passion than the University of Alabama. Named the Crimson Tide after the red mud that covered the Birmingham field during early games, Alabama also has a famous chant that fans all over the world recognize in Roll Tide.

It’s hard to imagine what mascot would pair up with the Tide, but interestingly enough, an elephant is the mascot for Alabama. This comes from a story published by the Atlanta Journal in 1930 when a writer saw the eleven players on the field for the first time and was amazed by their size. It’s suggested that a fan yelled that the elephants were coming, and a mascot was born. The elephant made its first debut in the Sugar Bowl in 1979 with the name of Big Al.

The playing field is named after the university’s long-time successful coach Nick Saban, who retired at the end of the 2023 season. The stadium holds over 100,000 people who fill it every week to scream and cheer for the team.

The student paper reports that some students wear their hair the same every game for luck, while others believe the outfit is where the luck is at. Some eat the same nachos during the fourth quarter and many do the same chant before every third down. It’s safe to say that football fans are superstitious and with 18 national championship titles, Alabama fans may be doing something right.

Auburn University Tigers

Auburn University is another Alabama team that inspires passion, spirit, and tradition. As the Tigers since the first football team formed in 1892, their official mascot is Aubie the Tiger. This can be confusing because the team’s battle cry is “War Eagle,” and Auburn fans say they are the tigers who yell “War Eagle” but never the eagles.

Before every game, the team walks to the Jordan-Hare Stadium from the Athletics Complex, a tradition that started in the 60s when community members and kids could walk by and get the team’s autographs. After a Tigers win, the trees at Toomer’s Corner are covered in toilet paper in a prank known as rolling Toomer’s.

One of the best traditions of Auburn football is the pre-game ritual. Before every home game, the crowd of 88,000 gets to witness the majestic beauty of an eagle in flight.

Louisiana State University Tigers

Another member of the SEC with the Tiger mascot, Louisiana State University has bred professional athletes like Joe Burrow, who was drafted first in 2020 by the Cincinnati Bengals. LSU takes its football just as seriously as the neighbors in Alabama. Located in Baton Rouge, the athletes are known as the Lady Tigers, Fighting Tigers, or just simply the Tigers.

The team’s mascot is Mike the Tiger, and it’s said that for every one of Mike’s roars on game day, the team will score a touchdown. Mike is named after the first athletic trainer employed after the mascot was purchased. Students often attempt to take a picture with Mike on graduation day, and when a new mascot is adopted, the school has a special ceremony. LSU’s vet program locates a new tiger and blows white smoke from their building.

LSU students have special reference for jersey numbers 7 and 18 and 7 is given to the best player from the state of Louisiana. Before the games, the band plays the “Pregame Salute” while the coaches, football team, dancers, and flag twirlers march to Tiger Stadium from Victory Hill. The school also paints the crossbar with the word “WIN” and each player hits the bar on their way to the field.

One interesting fact about LSU is that it has five-yard yard lines and H-style goalposts.

Ole Miss Rebels

Known formally as the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss is actually in Oxford. It’s the state’s oldest higher-education public institution and has some serious football fans. One of the most famous traditions to come out of Ole Miss is the “Hotty Toddy” cheer. Most students and fans know the cheer, and it’s recited at every home game when the crowd is asked if they’re ready.

The team also does the Walk of Champions, where the team and coaches walk on a brick sidewalk to Vaught Hemingway Stadium from The Grove. Fans from all over line the path and cheer the team on. The night before a game, fans set up tailgating parties in The Grove with cocktails, fine food, satellite TVs, and oddly enough, chandeliers.

After scoring touchdowns or forcing turnovers, Ole Miss football players dunk on the basketball hoop, whether it’s a home or an away game. When the Ole Miss football team takes the field, all students lock arms with those next to them and sway back and forth, a tradition known as “Locking the Vaught.”

Texas Longhorns

The University of Texas may be situated a bit west of their SEC rivals, but they take their football just as seriously. Those who’ve attended games call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the historic Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The stadium itself is dedicated to United States military veterans and has seen more than 100 seasons of football.

The team’s mascot is Bevo the Longhorn, and he’s featured heavily throughout game days. Fans can line up for the Stadium Stampede when he enters the stadium with the marching band. He spends the game in the south end zone in the right-hand corner, and it’s believed that his presence inspires the team.

Texas has its own street dedicated to the tailgating experience, known as Bevo Boulevard (obviously named after the mascot). The party kicks off hours before the game starts, and the players enter through the area. This gives fans a chance to get some delicious central Texas food and cheer the players on before they hit the field.

During important parts of the game, the school sets off a 1,200-pound artillery cannon from the south end zone. It’s fired at the end of every quarter, score, and kickoff, so don’t sit in the area if you’re naturally jumpy. It’s a Texas tradition performed by real Texas cowboys. The school also has its own version of the wave, where one-half of the student section will randomly yell “Texas” while the other half responds with “Fight.”

Tennessee Volunteers

Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Volunteers play at Neyland Stadium, which seats more than 101,000 people. The team got the mascot from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution when way back in 1902, a writer coined it. The nickname refers to the fact that many soldiers from the state volunteered to fight in the War of Texas Independence and the War of 1812. The school’s physical mascots are Davy Crockett, and Smokey the Bluetick coonhound.

The Tennessee River is located near the stadium, and tailgaters bring over 200 boats to the area to celebrate. Before every game, the school paints a big rock orange and white, and it stands as a place for students to share their feelings, artistic abilities, and thoughts.

Every game day, the Volunteer and Smokey lead the football team to the stadium gates down Peyton Manning Pass in the infamous Vol Walk. The stadium has a checkerboard endzone and during one game each season, the fans alternate orange and white in each section to make the stands match.

After every touchdown, Smokey the mascot runs down the sidelines to pump up fans and increase the energy.

Florida Gators

The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida, and is always one of the powerhouse teams of the SEC. Home to more than 33,000 students, the community rallies behind the university in every sport, but especially in football country.

Albert and Alberta are the team’s mascots. Obviously gators, they wear matching attire and represent American alligators, an animal commonly found in Florida.

Whenever the team’s defense gets to a third down, fans begin rubbing their fingers together in a signal for making money. The words “money down” are shown on the jumbotron while the crowd participates. Like most teams, the Gators perform a game day walk and greet fans on their way to the stadium, known as a Gator Walk.

There is a gator head that sits between the playing field and the locker room and it’s considered sacred. Before any player, staff member, or coach enters the field, tradition says they must touch the gator’s head.

If you attend a Gator game, you may hear the crowd perform the two-bit chant. Supporters yell out “Two Bits! Four Bits! Six Bits! A Dollar! All for the Gators, stand up and holler!” The chant was started spontaneously in 1949 by a fan who wanted to pump the team up after a difficult season. He was a veteran named George Edmonson and bought season tickets for decades after his first game. The school even asked him to lead the crowds in the chant before each game from midfield.

Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs are another extremely powerful SEC team that has won four national championships, most recently in 2021 and 2022. Located in Athens, Georgia, Bulldog Nation in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Sanford Stadium holds more than 92,000 fans and is surrounded by iconic green hedges used to identify the stadium.

Before every game, the fans love to “call the dawgs.” During the kickoff, the fans yell “Go Dawgs, Sic ’em! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!” One goosebump-inspiring tradition the Bulldogs honor is before the game. The Redcoat Band enters the field, leaving one trumpet player in the South Deck. The trumpeter starts the Battle Hymn of the Republic and the complete student sections point their way. After the solo, a highlight reel of Bulldog football is played.

Fans turn on their phone flashlights early in the fourth quarter. They wave four fingers of the opposite hand while swaying their lights in the air. Before the game, tailgating starts early as more than 100,000 set up to party. Every time the team wins a home game, fans rush to the Chapel Bell to ring it and celebrate.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©David Lee/Shutterstock.com.

The post These Southern Universities Have the Rowdiest Football Crowds and the Most School Spirit appeared first on Moms Who Think.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, why not sit down with the kids and make some turkey crafts or follow these 6 easy steps to draw a turkey? As previously mentioned, for tutorials I use my Huion drawing tablet and Photoshop. It makes it easier because you can work in layers. However, if you prefer paper, remember to sketch lightly so you can adjust the lines and erase them.

Did you know that wild North American turkeys are very smart and have better color vision than humans? They're completely different than the commercially raised version. These birds are sly and always on the lookout for a predator, yet much of that caution goes out the window during mating season. While the females are drab-colored and camouflage astonishingly well for such a large bird, the males stand out. They have a fabulous mating display that might even compare to a peacock's.

Supplies

1. Create a Structure

Begin with a few basic shapes. For the body and tail, I used two circles that overlap. Then add space for the head and wings. In full mating display, I think male turkeys look like several overlapping circles. Kind of like when bubbles stick together.

Next, using the basic shapes as your guide, create an outline. Add his snood that hangs down over his beak and his wattles that dangle from his neck. To give you a better idea of how to draw them, find some photos and take a closer look.

• Digital artists: Do this in a new layer. You'll be able to remove the basic shapes easily.
• Paper artists: Sketch right on over the shapes, but do it lightly so you can erase and adjust.

Now it’s time to delete or erase the basic shapes. Then go over your original sketch with your pencil. Now you will have a nice, clean outline to work with. Most of it will still get deleted, erased, or blended into the drawing. 

2. Add Base Colors

Wild turkeys are beautiful. The females are large elegant dull-colored birds, and the males are magnificent. Similar to other male birds and peafowl, turkey toms have spectacular multi-colored feathers. This is how they attract the females and make babies.

Furthermore, keep in mind as you color that they have brightly colored heads, wattles, and snoods. They also puff out their backs and chests while spreading their wing feathers and tail.

• Digital artists: I created a color palette to the left of the drawing. When I'm working with more than a couple of colors, I do something like this in Photoshop. If I forget to do it, I wind up with colors that aren't quite the same as I originally intended. Do it in a separate layer so you can either hide it or delete it when you're through.
• Paper artists: A few notes: First, leave some space in the black sections near the tail. You'll need it in a minute. Second, consider taking a moment to create a color palette for yourself on a separate piece of paper. For each color, create a light, medium, and dark gradient. This way, you'll better understand how each color will behave in different densities. Third, I did not use watercolor pencils in my paper drawing. I feel like some of the sharp details get lost in watercolor.

3. Add Detail

Now we start getting to the fun part and making our turkey look like a turkey and not just a blob. I’m right-handed, so I started with the tail because it’s on the left side. This way I don’t smudge my work. However, if you are left-handed, then you may want to start on the other side. Before adding the crazy color patterns, I color in the solid blocks. Turkeys have creamy-white fringe on their tail and some of the surrounding feathers. If you begin here, the other details are easier.

Take your time adding detail. Next, fill in the patterns on the feathers. They kind of go at angles from the center of each feather. If you look at the feathers on the turkey’s back, they are also puffed up and stick out. We don’t want them to lie flat. Erase your outline in that area and create a ragged edge to the black.

Next, we are going to add black edging to the wings. Leave some open spaces in the color. The most difficult part is getting the wing feather patterns right, so take your time in this step. To do this color along the front edge of each feather, then push your stylus or pencil towards the trailing edge of each feather. It should mostly have a dark brown/solid black leading edge and a broken trailing edge of brown with black and dark brown streaks.

• Digital artists: This is one area where I used several layers. I grouped them according to tail and wings.
• Paper artists: You may want to experiment with the wing and feather details on a separate piece of paper. While it's not the end of the world if you have to start over, it is frustrating. 

4. Add Shape

When it comes to adding shape and detail to black feathers and fur, it’s more difficult than when using light colors. This is because black doesn't reflect light unless it's shiny, and then only if the light is strong enough. Another reason is that we tend to start with lighter colors and add darkness for shadows; black is a shadow.

All of the turkey’s black body feathers fluff out too. In our drawing, the light is coming from the upper right side, hitting those puffed-out black feathers right on the edges.

The final result should show the feather edges sticking out quite a bit and then fading away into the body.

• Digital artists: Create a new layer and add medium gray feather edges in a roughly circular pattern. Blend the edges into the black, giving the impression of edges in the light and the rest in shadow.
• Paper artists: Use a white pencil and create the feather edges. Create a clean outer edge and blend the inside edge into the body.

Now it’s time to add more shading. Keep in mind the light is coming from the upper right side. Wherever one feather is blocking light from hitting another feather, that’s where your shadows will be. Add some shading around the tail, feet, and short feathers. Next, his wattles, head, snood, and right breast also need shading. Take your time with the shading and do little bits at a time. 

5. Highlight Your Turkey

We are finally getting there; let’s add some highlights next. Our turkey is facing the sun above and to the right. Anything exposed to the sun, like the top of his head, feet, and the outer dark park of his tail, will need a small amount of highlighting. Add white to those areas and soften the edges.

• Digital artists: Create a new layer and use white. Draw it in the areas that need highlights, then use a blending brush to take care of the edges.
• Paper artists: Depending on your personal preference, you can use a moldable eraser to pull away the white pencil or colored pencil.

6. Final Notes

Your 6 easy steps to draw a turkey are finally complete. As always, put it aside for a few days and then take another look and see if you’re happy with it or if it needs a few more final touches. If you enjoyed this, you may want to try drawing a wolf next.

The post 6 Easy Steps To Draw A Turkey appeared first on Moms Who Think.

The toughest part about drawing a horse in 6 steps is getting the ratios right. To make this tutorial easier, I have broken the first step down into smaller steps to help you understand.

I love using my Huion HS611 graphics tablet and Adobe Photoshop. Let’s take a look at what supplies you will need for drawing a horse in 6 steps.

I decided to use the buckskin coat color for my horse drawing. The beautiful color can be found in a wide range of breeds, including the Andalusian, the Morgain, the Tennessee Walking Horse, and the American Quarter Horse.

A buckskin horse ranges in color from pale tan to golden brown and always has dark legs, tail, mane, and muzzle. However, some have white on their legs and can also have amber-colored eyes.

1. Provide a Structure for Your Horse Drawing

As with all drawings, your first step is to create a structure. Even a simple drawing like a sunflower needs a framework to lay down details. Horses are more complicated to draw than a sunflower, so I have broken down the first step into several smaller ones. Remember to sketch very lightly because you will adjust and erase markings later.

The Body

Begin with two oval shapes. Make the first one wider from side to side; make the second one smaller and sort of lean against the first oval. The two oval shapes will become your horse's body.

The Head and Neck

Once you are happy, in this step add a big triangle, a circle, and a square. The square will become the mouth, and the circle will be the jaw. Then connect them with two straight lines.

The Legs, Mane, and Tail

It might look like you are just drawing sticks and circles for the legs; however, think of it as a skeleton. The circles are joints, and the sticks are bones. If you want to, you can also add the tail and mane. Using circles as joints and straight lines for the bones helps give you better proportions.

2. Sketch an Outline for Your Horse Drawing

At first, it’s difficult to get the proportions right for drawing a horse, or any other animal, in 6 steps. Be patient, with practice you will get it right. While drawing your horse’s outline, if it starts to look like a giraffe, go back to the previous steps and alter it.

Keep in mind that horses have rounded necks, so to prevent it from looking like a building block, curve the top line out a tiny bit. Furthermore, add a tiny hump where the neck connects to its back. That’s where its withers should be. By now it's starting to look more like a horse.

3. Remove the Shapes

Now we can remove the shapes we made earlier. Use an eraser and draw another clean outline over your horse sketch. If using a photo, double-check the nostril, eye, and ear. Make sure to draw slowly. Don’t forget to continue to draw lightly; this makes erasing easier. Horse's nostrils are big, and their eyes are almost on top of their heads. Remember not to put the ears too far forward; otherwise, it will look strange.

4. Adding Color to Your Horse Drawing

Adding color takes practice, so don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. I adore buckskin horses. There's something special about the contrast between the tail, dark legs, and mane, and the light-colored body. Wait until the very end, after you have shaded and highlighted almost every other part of the horse, before adding the mane and tail. Buckskin horses can be anything from a pale tan or yellow to a golden brown.

I chose a medium tan for the main coat color and black for the legs. However, if you want to do white legs, you can. The gene that dilutes the dark bay color leaves all the dark points of a bay-colored horse. Some buckskin horses also develop a bit of dappling, where the color has little spots. I think it's cute, so I added those too. While you are in this step, you should color the hooves black too.

Use a blending pencil or blending stump to blend the colors. However, if you don’t have one, you can also use your finger. As previously mentioned, sometimes buckskin horses have white faces or just a blaze, and they can also have white bits on their legs.

If you're using watercolor pencils, this is where I would typically take a paintbrush and very gently dab a little water onto the colors. It will make all the colors pop, and once it's dry, you can draw and blend shadows and highlights over the top using your blending stumps and white gel pens.

5. Creating Shadows

Learning to create shadows can be dreadful; however, there are a couple of great tutorials to learn the basics.

If you remember that light travels in a straight line, you'll realize that it's going to be strongest closer to the light source. This means that if the horse in your drawing is facing the light, the first thing to be “touched” by that light is its face. The horse's face is now blocking other things from getting light, like the bottom part of its jaw and neck, casting a shadow there!

In the illustration below, the purple lines represent the light. It should give you a better idea of how the light is going to work when you're adding shadows. I also included the mane and tail because those things tend to affect how the shadows land. Keep this illustration handy for the highlights in the next step too! Those light rays create all sorts of beautiful effects.

The tricky part with light is that it travels in a straight line, creating shadows where it does not touch the object. Don’t add shadows with a pencil; it might make your drawing look strange. Instead, use the same color that is used for the body and add more. Layer on the shadows, and you should receive the shadows that you are looking for.

Use black if you want to add a dark shadow as if standing in a shining light. However, be sparing with it. Next, you will blend all the shadows until they move in and out of the muscles to show strength. Shadows are darkest when they're furthest from the light; with that said, make those darker and let the shadows trail away as you move into the light.

Horses have big eyes, which follow into having big eye sockets. On top of the eye, draw a couple of curved lines. They should be big near the eye and get smaller towards the ear. Blend those in. You now see how the curve you created in the lines makes a rounded shape to the top of the eye. Underneath its eye, do the same thing.

6. Highlighting Your Horse

Now we’re going to add some highlights. Looking at the image with the purple light rays, they were coming from the top left of the image. Let’s add some highlights to the face, legs, edges of its ears, and hooves. You’ll also add some to the tail and mane. Keep in mind that it is hair and will probably reflect a small amount of light.

Something that's often overlooked in drawings is that “edge” where the light just barely creeps around the edge of the object. Look at the horse's lower neck, chest, and thighs. You'll want a thin line of highlight along those edges.

When you highlight the eyes and hooves, don't blend them in as much as you would the highlights on the horse's body. The highlights on hard or wet surfaces, like eyes and ears, tend to have sharper edges.

And there you have it: drawing a horse in 6 steps. Put your horse drawing aside and take a look at it again in a day or two to see if you want to add any final touches.

The post Drawing a Horse in 6 Steps appeared first on Moms Who Think.

It takes a lot of patience to draw a wolf. They are also super intelligent, and you can see it in the way they look at you. Although their body type is similar to that of a dog, you need to keep in mind that their appearance is scruffy yet beefy. Let’s take a look at the 8 steps to draw a wolf.

Here is a list of supplies that should help you get started.

1. Create a Structure to Build an Outline

First, draw a few shapes lightly to represent the basic body parts. These will be removed later. The rump and body are two big circles, where the body is bigger. Next, make an oval shape for the head because the wolf's fur sticks out around the cheeks. Then draw two triangles for the ears, a slightly slanted square for the snout, and another triangle for the chin.

Next, in a skeleton style add the legs. Four-footed animals have almost the same joints in their legs as we do in our legs and arms. The difference is they are elongated. Some are missing what we call either a thumb or big toe, but animals in the Canidae family have dewclaws — the thumb/big toes. Some have dewclaws that are only attached by skin, while others are fully functional claws. The point was simply that while bodies change appearance, the underlying structure is still recognizable from one mammalian species to the next.

2. Sketch the Outline For Your Wolf

Next, create a rough outline of the wolf using the basic shapes as a guide. If the torso circle doesn’t cover enough ground to give the impression of a strong animal, adjust your outline.

To get a better idea of a wolf's overall appearance and body language, it would be a good idea to look at a few photos. Now that you have your outline, it’s time to remove the basic shapes. If you want, you can redraw the outline a bit darker.

3. Add Base Colors

Wolves' underbody and legs are usually lighter. Their coat is similar to a husky with dense undercoats and thick guard hairs over the top.

A lot of the color you see in a photo comes from the guard hairs, but as the animal moves, guard hairs move, allowing you to see the undercoat. How much of the undercoat you see depends on the body part. For example, the belly is nothing but an undercoat, but the guard hairs on the back and sides are densely packed.

Add different shades of black to the face and saddle areas; also add it to the legs if you like. Take note around the shoulders, where the undercoat lightens up at the edges of the shoulder blades. The wolf's shoulder blades move as the wolf does, causing the guard hairs to lift and allowing you to see lighter undercoat colors.

Blend all the color edges. Make them flow nicely from one to the next. Also, blend the bottom edges of the ear on the far left into the head; if you don't, you'll end up with a very dark ear that doesn't seem to match the other items.

4. Face Details

If you look closely at your wolf drawing, you will see the eyes are yellow but haven’t got any depth yet. Drawing the nose can be quite difficult. With that said, take your time doing the nose.

It may seem premature to add highlights to any part of your wolf drawing; however, taking care of the nose and eyes earlier in the process helps me draw the rest of the wolf more accurately.

Remember that wolf and dog noses are moist, and it's obvious in photos. Start by drawing the nostrils on the wolf's nose by coloring two diagonally placed ovals in black, then highlight the inner and top edges in a curved shape using white or by erasing some of the black with a moldable eraser. Soften the edges of the highlights and then have a good look at it. 

At this point, you'll want to blend the sketch into the body in strategic locations. The best places to start are:

1. Near the base of its ears.
2. The back edge of the far right leg.
3. Along its belly, where it crosses in front of the leg.
4. The lower edge of the tail.

• Digital artists: Create a group of layers for the nose and the eyes and take the time to rename each layer. Your wolf will have at least 10 layers, so grouping them will help you keep everything sorted.
• Paper artists: When you draw the nose, start with a light layer of black, then darken the nostrils gradually. You won't have as much to remove for highlights if you build it up a little bit at a time.

5. Gradually Create Depth

Next, we are going to add the wolf’s shaggy coat on the left. The thick, fluffy undercoats with tough guard hairs help protect them in harsh weather conditions. Their guard hairs are not all the same color; therefore, it helps them to blend into their surroundings. 

I drew some of the guard hairs on the left to give me something to work with. We don’t want them to look like dreadlocks, so draw them in quick, short strokes. 

Build the coat up layer by layer, starting with a mid-tan color. Begin at the tail end of the wolf and gradually build up the coat with a medium brown for the guard hairs; this way the fur looks a bit more natural.

Draw them in the direction of the fur; it doesn't all go in the same direction — there are spots where it grows at a different angle. How much of this you do and how long you draw them will determine how shaggy your wolf's coat looks.

Next, you will spend a little more time adding the black guard hairs. This is because they are the main color.

The final layer of guard hairs is part of the highlighting. The majority of black wolves have silvery-white shimmers in their coat. However, you notice this more where the light hits. With that said, add more silvery-white on the left along the bottom edges of its cheeks towards the back.

• Digital artists: Create a new layer for each guard hair color.
• Paper artists: I use white pencils for these, but you could also use a toothpick with a little Titanium White paint. However, the paint is more difficult to control, so a white pencil is your best bet if you're new to this.

6. Add Shadows To Your Wolf Drawing

Next, we are going to add a few shadows; take care not to smudge the other layers too much. In your wolf drawing, the shadows are deepest, further away from the light. In this case, it's coming from the left, just above and behind the far left shoulder. Softly add darker areas on the right of the snout, legs, and bottom of the eyes.

• Digital artists: Create a new layer for the shadows and set it to “multiply.”
• Paper artists: Adding shadows to fur requires a little care. Try to add it just at the base of the guard hairs, but if you make a mistake, it's okay; just pull out some of the shadows and try again, then redraw a guard hair or two.

7. Highlights

Add a few final highlights — not too much though. Remember, the light is coming from the left. So, add a little along the far left shoulder, snout, and left edge of the paws. Finally, add some long whiskers and a few small ones around the chin. 

• Digital artists: This should be its own layer.
• Paper artists: Using either a white pencil or gel pen, gently add highlights. Remember to go slowly; gel pens can't be reversed.

8. Finalizing Your 8 Steps To Draw a Wolf

As always, take a few days away from your wolf drawing and come back with fresh eyes. You might want to improve it by adding a few extra highlights. If you feel it needs a little bit extra, then go ahead. Make it your work of art and have fun with it.

The post 8 Steps To Draw a Wolf appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Many aspects of Hispanic culture are worth celebrating year-round. However, Hispanic Heritage Month is an entire month of the year dedicated to the rich history of Hispanic and Latino culture. If you’re not familiar with this celebration, you might have wondered what is Hispanic Heritage Month and how is it celebrated? 

Since the late 1980s, Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States once a year. This special month is a time to celebrate the unique history and traditions of Hispanic and Latino culture. Considering there are over 60 million Latino individuals in the United States, this is a significant month for many people.

For those who are Hispanic or Latino, it’s an opportunity to celebrate their own culture. For those who identify with different ethnicities, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the culture of many Americans and other individuals across the world. Keep reading to find out more about Hispanic Heritage Month and ways you can celebrate with your family.

What Is Hispanic Heritage Month?

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of Hispanic and Latino communities. In the United States, the Hispanic population makes up nearly 20% of the overall population. As of 2022, there were 63.6 million Hispanic individuals in the US, which is over 10 million more than there were in 2010.

Those who grew up in Hispanic families know there are many unique traditions and cultural aspects of their ethnicity. While Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to spread awareness about these cultural practices and traditions, it’s also an opportunity for Hispanic and Latino individuals to further connect with their roots.

Additionally, this month of celebration is intended to celebrate the many contributions Hispanic and Latino individuals have made to the culture and communities of the United States. From professional sports to arts and music, there's no doubt that Hispanic culture has had a significant influence on American culture.

When Does Hispanic Heritage Month Start?

Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration dedicated to celebrating the beauty of Hispanic and Latino culture. This celebration takes place between September 15 and October 15 each year.

Hispanic Heritage Month actually began as a week-long celebration known as Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, it was then expanded to a month-long celebration by President Ronald Reagan.

Instead of taking place over one month, Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15. This was intentional to coincide with the dates of the independence days of many countries. For example, the Independence Day of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua is on September 15. Mexico and Chile also have their independence day later in September.

Why Do We Celebrate It?

Not only is the Hispanic population the largest racial or ethnic group in the United States, but it’s also the fastest-growing group. According to data from the US Census, there are over 60 million people in the country who identify as Hispanic.

While the Latino or Hispanic communities in other countries are celebrating their independence in September, Hispanic Heritage Month gives Hispanic Americans a chance to celebrate their culture as well.

This month-long celebration is not only an opportunity for Hispanic Americans to celebrate their traditions but it’s also a way for non-Hispanic individuals to learn about Hispanic culture. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans in the United States as well.

What's the Origin of Hispanic Heritage Month?

When President Lyndon B. Johnson was in office, he was the first to start Hispanic Heritage Week. This celebration, which began in 1968, later became a month-long celebration. When President Ronald Reagan was in office, he expanded Hispanic Heritage Week to an entire month in 1988.

Hispanic Heritage Month was dedicated to the richness of the Hispanic and Latino cultures represented in the United States. People have celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 every year since then.

What's the Difference Between Hispanic and Latino?

When discussing the origins of Hispanic Heritage Month, many people wonder about the difference between Hispanic and Latino communities. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates both communities and many people use the terms interchangeably. However, they don’t actually have the same meaning.

Generally, the term Hispanic refers to those who descend from Spain or other countries where Spanish is the predominant language. The term Latino, on the other hand, describes individuals from Latin America or Caribbean countries. Latino is usually a broader term that encompasses many different ethnicities, even those that don’t speak Spanish.

How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Whether you’re Hispanic or Latino or you’re just looking for a way to celebrate these communities, there are many ways to participate in the celebrations. Here are some ways for you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with your family:

• Find a local event
  There may be local events for Hispanic Heritage Month depending on where you live. If there is a large Hispanic or Latino population in your community, there may be parades, festivals, and other events nearby.
• Cook your favorite Hispanic or Latino food
  What better way to celebrate the many aspects of Hispanic and Latino culture than cooking a favorite dish? Even if you’re not Hispanic or Latino, you can learn more about these cultures by exploring some of their traditional meals or even eating out at a family-owned restaurant in your area that serves these foods.
• Make a craft
  If you have younger kids, one of the best ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is with a craft. You could try something as simple as making a collage of flags from different countries or try a craft unique to your family’s ethnicity.
• Watch a film together
  Another way to celebrate this month is by watching a film that features a favorite Hispanic actor or director. You can also choose something educational such as a documentary that teaches you about Hispanic or Latino culture. Additionally, PBS Kids has a series for Hispanic Heritage Month. Watching this series is a great way for kids to learn about the history and traditions of Hispanic and Latino culture.
• Support Hispanic or Latino-owned businesses in your community
  Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans. One way to celebrate these contributions is to give back to the Hispanic community. You can do this by supporting Hispanic or Latino-owned businesses in your area. During the month, pick a few small businesses in your area to shop at instead of larger stores or restaurants.

While this list is not exhaustive, these are great ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with kids of all ages. Whether you’re Hispanic or Latino yourself and want to teach your kids about your culture or you simply want your kids to learn about the many unique cultures of other Americans, you can make your celebrations both fun and educational.

Hispanic Heritage Month: Final Thoughts

Hispanic Heritage Month takes place every year from September 15 to October 15. During this month-long celebration, there are many events happening across the country. These events are an exciting way to celebrate the history and tradition of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Even if you don’t have any events near you, there are many simple ways to celebrate at home with your family.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©DyrElena/Shutterstock.com.

The post What Is Hispanic Heritage Month, and How Is It Celebrated? appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Election day is right around the corner, and while there’s always a chance that it won’t turn out the way you want it to, it can still be a fun night with your kids. You can take the opportunity that election day offers and teach your children what the election process means and why this process is important. If you are looking for fun ideas to make election night educational for kids, take a look at our list.

Why Should You Teach Your Child About the Election?

Although politics can become pretty heated, it doesn’t have to. Teaching our children about the election and why we have this process is important. Even young children have the capacity to understand simple concepts surrounding the election and why this day is important.

Many concepts come with learning about the election that can be both fun and informative for children of all ages. These activities can teach children about the following:

• Our civic responsibility
• What community means
• How to think critically about subjects
• How to form their own opinions and ideals
• What the election is and how the process works
• What a democracy is and how our country was founded

No matter your child’s age, these activities can be fun and engaging. You can organize a simple family election night or get together with friends and extended family to do these activities. Depending on your child’s age, you can let them stay up to watch the election with you, have snacks and games, and enjoy an overall great night with your family.

If you are ready to make this election night educational and fun for your kids, try one of the activities below.

Hold a Mock Debate

Debates are at the core of political races. They allow the people to hear what each potential president stands for and, more or less, “plead their case.”

Therefore, one way to make election night educational for kids is to host a mock debate with your children. This activity can give them a glimpse into the process. Let your children pick a topic they are passionate about. Depending on their age, it could be something as simple as “Why I should have a later bedtime” or “This is why we should/shouldn’t have a family pet.”

If your child is older, they can choose topics they are passionate about, or that affect their everyday life or the world around them. Then, give your child time to prepare for the debate. Once they are ready, allow them to debate their siblings (or even you!).

Host a Mock Election

Another way to learn more about the election is to host a mock election as a family. Many entertaining mock elections are available online, or you can make up your own.

One idea is to encourage your children to create a “stance” and let family members vote between them. For a few weeks before the vote, they can host their own debates, create a campaign, and learn about the process of an election during this time.

Cast Your (Fake) Votes

Once the voting day arrives, create a polling station and then let family members cast their votes. You can even make it cute or engaging by adding your own decorations.

Create Their Own Political Parties

Learn about political parties with your children by allowing them to create their own.

Depending on their age, discuss what the term political party means. You may also choose to discuss what each political party stands for in the United States.

Then, have your child brainstorm what their political party would look like. What issues would be important to them? How would they present their policies to the public? This is also a great activity to accompany a mock election and a mock vote.

Go Back in Time

Learning about the election is a great time to “go back in time.” Take the time to explore history with your child. Learn about how the electoral process got started. What changes has it undergone over the years?

You can watch documentaries about previous presidents, past election footage, etc. You can also take the time to research how each political party has evolved over time. How have their policies changed? What is most important to them now?

Read Books on the Election Process

Another way to learn more about the election is by reading books. There are many books out there today that are informative while still being age-appropriate. If you are looking for a good book (or two) to read with your child this year on election day, take a look at one of these:

• “V is for Voting” by Kate Farrell
• “Equality’s Call” by Deborah Diesen
• “Vote for Our Future!” by Margaret McNamara
• “Madam President” by Lane Smith
• “If I Ran For President” by Catherine Stier
• “I Want to be President (Sesame Street)” by Michaela Muntean
• “Vote!” by Eileen Christelow
• “Lillian’s Right to Vote” by Jonah Winter

Another fun idea is to have your child create their own story on voting. They can choose an important issue or explore a scenario about a child learning what voting is. Encourage them to use their imagination as they write and learn more about voting.

Make a Campaign Poster

Campaign posters are also an important part of the election process. Create your own campaign poster with your child. It can be a self-portrait or something else entirely.

This is an activity where their imaginations can run wild! Remember the campaign slogan; write it at the top of the campaign poster. Then, display the poster somewhere in your home.

Take Your Kids with You to Vote

If your child is old enough, many voting stations will allow your child to come with you while you are voting. As long as they can stay right by you and be quiet, this experience can be good for them. It will allow your child to observe what happens while voting.

Additionally, you can discuss with your child why exercising your right to vote is a privilege many before us did not have. Discuss how Black Americans were denied this right, and so were women, until specific movements took place. (Of course, depending on your child’s age, you can go deep or keep it as light as possible.)

Let your child know that while we may disagree with some people’s choices regarding political parties and affiliations, a person’s right to vote is their own. Additionally, it’s one that your child should exercise as soon as they are old enough.

Let Them Watch the Election and Record the State Results

If your child is old enough, let them stay up late and watch the election with you. You can create fun red, white, and blue snacks, play a few games, or simply watch the election together.

As each state’s final counts come in, fill in the state results on a blank map. This is a great way to reinforce where each state is (fun if your child is learning their states right now) and record the results.

In Conclusion

As the election draws closer, we can choose to make it an educational night our children and us enjoy, even if we are disappointed with the results. Use this opportunity to learn more about history with your child. Additionally, you can dive deep into the world of elections, learn more about the process as a family, and enjoy an overall great night together. Try one of these fun ideas to make election night educational for kids. (Read how to tactfully discuss political differences with your teen.)

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Tatiana Gordievskaia/Shutterstock.com.

The post 9 Fun Ideas to Make Election Night Educational for Kids appeared first on Moms Who Think.

I love drawing trees; they can be complex to draw, particularly the very large ones with twisted trunks that have a lot of character. Very large trees have been around for hundreds of years; they have seen a lot in their lives. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could talk? We would be able to learn so much from them. Today I am going to teach you 6 steps to draw a tree.

I have included tips for most steps to help digital and paper artists create a beautiful tree. That being said, take your time and enjoy. I’ve chosen to draw a pine tree that has grown on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Its warped trunk and windswept branches are proof of the struggles it has encountered as it grew.

Supplies Needed

1. Sketch an Outline for Your Tree Drawing

First, begin a basic shape. Unlike the dog or unicorn, I didn’t see the need for drawing circles and cylinders. Tree trunks have a few basic rules, but their final forms are shaped by the environment where they grow. Even trees of the same species growing 100 yards apart can vary significantly.

You can see that I did not draw the trunk straight. The reason for this is that the continuous winds that speed over the edge of the cliff have caused the trunk to turn and twist during growth.

To give yourself a place to start, lightly draw a rough outline of the canopy. There won’t be many visible individual needles because it is a pine tree. They often blur together a little bit, even at short distances. Later, we will add careful highlights. Make the outline slightly jagged for now, as if bundles of needles are poking out. It doesn't need to be perfect, as we will be blending or erasing these lines later.

2. Layer the Color into the Tree Trunk

Begin by giving your tree trunk a base color. Because the trunk is twisted, it will take a few colors to make it look right. Begin with a coffee-with-cream color, light tan, and fill the branches and tree trunk with the base color. Then use either a darker tan or layer on more of the same color in streaks of color that follow the curves but do not blend them.

Next, build up some more color, again in streaks. Use a darker brown than the first layer. To give it some shape, you can also add a dash to the lower edges of the branches.

Following the twists and turns, add some darker colors to the trunk. Remember not to blend the trunks' colors together. Keep going until you're happy with it.

• Digital artists: I did all the tree trunk colors in separate layers, then merged them when I was happy with the results. Although it wasn't necessary to merge the layers, building the color this way made it possible to completely remove things I disliked without ruining the rest of the tree drawing.
• Paper artists: It's okay if you only have two shades of brown. Starting with the lightest brown, gently color the whole trunk, then use the same brown with more pressure to add a few darker streaks. Next, gently move on to the darker brown, then add more pressure for a darker stroke. If you add too much, use a moldable eraser to remove some of it.

3. Layering Color Into Your Tree Canopy

Draw the darkest shadows first. Use a relatively dark brownish-green color for the lower sections of the canopy. Make sure to leave a lot of holes for lighter colors. To create the pine needles, use a zigzag motion that makes sharp points that stick out from the clumps.

Next, use a medium green to do the main areas of the canopy. Make sure to leave lots of jagged little holes. These will be filled in with a lighter green. You can also add a smudgy clump of needles on the far side of the tree. They're farther away, so if you were looking at the real thing, you wouldn't see as much detail. Now you can remove or blend any outlines into the drawing. 

Now we will add highlights as we go along. I found this to be the best way to get a beautiful tree canopy with various colors and depths. In this drawing, the sun is coming in from the left, about two-thirds up the page. Remember this! More of the lighter colors will be on that side of the page, while the darker shades are dominant on the opposite side, lower on the page.

The highlighted needles are receiving the most light, making them look brighter. Then, use a lighter green and make clumps of needles in most areas that you previously left without color. Leave some open space; you can always add more if you like, but it's difficult to remove things if you find you've done too much.

• Digital artists: Make sure you're creating new layers for the tree canopy. It will help if you find that you don't like something you did. To achieve the texture, I used a charcoal pencil brush in Photoshop for most of this drawing; it gave me the slightly cleaner edges I wanted and the texture of the tree.
• Paper artists: Take your time. Starting with the darkest shades but leaving space for the lighter color shades is the easiest way to get the detail at an appropriate level. I know artists who start with the lighter stuff and go in the other direction. I think it depends on the individual doing the drawing and the media they're using. Experiment until you're comfortable. At this point, when you're happy with the drawing, you can use watercolor brushes to wet the color very slightly to make it stand out.

4. Add a Little More Shading

I felt my tree trunk needed more shadows and remembered trees cast a shadow on the ground. The shadows on the tree trunk were gently blended, so I didn't mess up the detail I worked so hard to create. The shadows on the tree trunk were cast through the canopy, so they are filtered and softer-edged. The shadow on the ground is just a distorted silhouette of the tree. I also added just a touch on the lower edges of the branches.

• Digital artists: Create a layer on top of the tree trunk but below the canopy. Set it to “Multiply” for these shadows.
• Paper artists: For the shadows on the tree trunk and branches, use a blending stump with a fair amount of graphite embedded into it. For the shadow on the ground, use a soft pencil like a 4B.

5. Highlighting Your Tree Drawing

By adding highlights along the tops of the branches and some more on the canopy nearest the light. This will really make it stand out. We don’t need to add much because of the method we used earlier. Now stand back and take a look at it.

If you feel it needs more highlights, then add some more white. The trunk and branches need the most. Notice the tops of the branches and the front of the tree trunk; there are a few highlights in each area where the light is brightest. Add a little white to the tree drawing in those areas and gently blend the edges.

• Digital artists: As always, create a new layer for the highlights.
• Paper artists: White gel pens are great here, but you could also use a moldable eraser and gently pull away the color if you have not already used water on the page.

6. Finalizing Your 6 Steps to Draw a Tree

If you feel your tree needs a background, now is the time to add it. I felt my cliff-dwelling tree needed an ocean view. Think about what you want to add — tiny sailboats or rocks will help give the impression of distance. Have some fun with it. It’s your work of art.

When you're satisfied, let it sit for a day or two. Then look at it again and see if there is anything you want to add. I hope enjoyed this tutorial on the 6 steps to draw a tree.

• Digital artists: I wanted to do something with this, so I created four new layers behind the tree in Photoshop. Leaving them set at “normal,” I filled in the ground, water, clouds, and sky.
• Paper artists: Ideally, you'd want to have the background at least started before you start the tree. I would draw the tree outline, then lay down the basic colors for the background behind and around it. Color in the blues of the sky and ocean where the canopy is open.

The post 6 Steps to Draw a Tree appeared first on Moms Who Think.

I have always enjoyed fantasy books with unicorns, so I decided on the modern Western concept of an enchanting horse with a horn. I used Photoshop with my Huion HS611 graphics tablet for all 6 steps to draw a unicorn. It is an affordable tablet and works well. Unicorns have a long history, and artists enjoy writing stories and drawing them. Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to draw a unicorn.

Supply List

As artists, we all have a personal preference for the types of materials we like to use. Below is a list of supplies I prefer.

1. Use Basic Shapes to Create a Structure

In this drawing, the unicorn is moving towards you at an angle. It’s changing direction in a half-trot, half-hop sort of way. The neck triangle is more upright than out to the side, and the circles are close together, with a larger size difference between the chest and rump circles.

Next, add the horn, legs, head, ears, and muzzle. The stick-figure legs are a rough illustration of the major joints in the unicorn's legs. To help you picture the joints, draw a circle at each spot on the legs where a joint exists. It will make the proportions easier to judge.

• Digital artists: Create a separate layer for the body and another for the legs. That way, if you need to adjust something, it's easier.
• Paper artists: Draw lightly so you can easily erase them later. These aren't going to be permanent.

2. Sketch the Unicorn Outline

Now it’s time to use the basic shapes you drew to help sketch a rough outline. First, round the neck's top line and the whithers (where the shoulder blades show) at the base of the neck. On the unicorn drawing's legs, draw the areas between the joint circles smaller than the joints because joints tend to be more prominent. Remember to include the mane and tail.

By now you should have something that looks like a unicorn.

Next, you're going to create a clean outline by erasing all the underlying structures and basic shapes. Here I added a little bit of muscle and tendon definition; however, you can always wait to do that until after you add color.

• Digital artists: Create two new layers when you sketch the outline. The first one is for the first outline sketch. It's usually fairly rough, and it's easier to clean it up if you do the final outline in a new layer. When you're happy with your outline, simply turn the layers with basic shapes off so they're no longer visible.
• Paper artists: When you sketch the outline, expect mistakes. Draw very lightly, so it's easy to erase and fix things you don't like. Once you are happy with your outline, remove the basic shapes.

3. Add Color

When drawing a mythical animal, you can be as creative as you like. Just be mindful because when you add shadows and highlights, you may need to adjust the shadow colors a little.

Here I added a couple of different layers of color to the tail and mane. It's kind of an ivory base with some darker strands for depth. Next, I added a light layer of gunmetal gray to the yellow to give the bronze-gold color to the hooves.

• Digital artists: Create three new layers: one for the body, another for the mane and tail, and one more for the hooves and the horn.
• Paper artists: Build up the mane and tail gradually. It won't look right if you are too heavy-handed.

4. Creating Shape With Shadows

Next, we are going to create shadows to make a three-dimensional shape. It is important to remember where your light source is coming from. Drawings that do not have highlights or shading look two-dimensional and flat. We want the unicorn to look as though it could trot off the page.

In this drawing, the light is coming from above, just in front of the right shoulder. The light is quite bright, so the shadows under the mane, tail, and hind legs have harder edges. Additionally, add a small amount of shading around the joints and muscles in the legs and chest.

Shadows under the hind legs and tail with a hard edge don't need much blending. However, others need to be blended, like those around the front of the chest and inside of the unicorn drawing's ear. You can always blend them in more but start with less.

Other areas that need shading are:

• Inside the ear
• Mane and tail
• The base of the mane along the top of its neck
• The area behind the eyes
• Horn and hooves

If the shadows don’t look dark enough, then slowly add a little more at a time. However, if you have added too much, then you can erase it digitally or with a moldable putty-type eraser.

• Digital artists: Create a new layer for the shadows and set it to multiply. This makes the layer transparent and adds color to the layers behind it.
• Paper artists: For drawings with more delicate base colors like this one, it’s best to use a blending stump with only a little bit of graphite already embedded in it for shadows. This allows you to build up the shading slowly without blowing out any details you already have in your drawing. If you need a darker shadow, use a very sharp, very soft graphite pencil (like 6B) and gently draw the shadow. Blow off any excess graphite. If you brush it off, it may smudge.

5. Highlights

It can be difficult to add highlights to a white animal. If your animal has a snowwhite base, then it’s best to have less shading for highlights. That's why I decided on ivory instead of pure white. It's much easier to highlight and looks white enough to pass as white.

The unicorn needs highlights in several areas:

• Tops of the leg joints.
• The top of the mane, where the sun hits it.
• On the hooves, horns, and upper 1/3 of the eye.
• Leading side of the legs.
• Forehead, muzzle, and tips of ears
• The lower end of the tail, where the hair is bending upwards a little.
• On the top of the mane, where the sun hits it.
• The upper portion of either side of the chest.

Most of the highlights are softer, so blend the edges a little. However, the horn and hooves are hard and shiny. To make them look shiny, don't blend the highlights; just draw them lightly in curved lines. It’s your work of art, so if you feel it needs more highlights, feel free to add some more.

Before moving on to the next step, put your drawing aside and take another look at it in a day or two with fresh eyes.

• Digital artists: Highlights also need their own layer. It's easier to correct problems when you have everything separated.
• Paper artists: Use your moldable eraser to pull the color out of areas where you want highlights. However, highlights on the horn and hooves may be better done with a white pencil or white gel pen. Start with small amounts and increase gradually until it looks right.

6. Completing Your Unicorn Drawing

Now that you have returned to your 6 steps to draw a unicorn picture with fresh eyes, you will be able to see if there are any final touches you want to add, such as extra or less highlights and shadows. As a final touch, you could add a shadow to the ground underneath the unicorn.

Well done, and enjoy your work of art! Remember to keep practicing. Vincent Van Gogh and many others spent years improving their skills. If you enjoyed drawing this unicorn you may want to try drawing a dragon next time.

The post 6 Steps to Draw a Unicorn appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Today’s kids are often viewed as lazy or addicted to electronics. Regardless of your thoughts on that claim, it’s arguably true that when boomers were kids, they were much more active and creative, often using their imagination to entertain themselves. Let’s take a walk down Memory Lane and take a gander at the various activities that occupied this generation’s time when they were growing up. Many of these things would be simply foreign to today’s kids, don’t you think? One is even illegal in nine American states.

Board Games

Long before there were video games, kids enjoyed playing board games. Granted this type of entertainment had been around since the early 1800s, by the mid-1950s, games like Sorry, Clue, Monopoly and Chutes and Ladders were found in homes all over the U.S.

Penny Candy Stores

Penny candy stores have been around since the late 1800s, but they enjoyed their peak in the mid-1900s as boomers would stop by after school to grab a piece of licorice or Bazooka bubble gum. These stores began to rapidly decline in popularity in the 1980s.

Drive-in Movies

Drive-in movies were the creation of Richard Hollingshead, who opened the first drive-in theater on June 6, 1933, in Camden, New Jersey. This novel concept for a fun night out enjoyed its popularity through the 1950s and ’60s.

Telephone Party Lines

Party lines were an affordable option for telephone service that provided one phone line to multiple homes, or “parties.” They gained in popularity when there was a shortage of actual lines and people to install them during World War II.

TV Dinners

TV dinners first became available in 1953 by C.A. Swanson & Sons. They were inspired by the fast, efficient meals served on airplanes at the time. They could be quickly heated in the oven and enjoyed in front of the television, another phenomenon that was gaining popularity in the mid-20th century.

Climbing Trees

When baby boomers were children, they were often outside from the time they got home from school till it was time to wash up for dinner. One popular activity to enjoy during outdoor time was climbing trees, which you don’t see children do much anymore.

Studying With Encyclopedias

The mid-1900s brought the rise in popularity of having a home set of encyclopedias. Key players in this phenomenon were Funk & Wagnalls and the World Book encyclopedias. These were often purchased from door-to-door sales people and offered the convenience of at-home homework research instead of going to the library.

Writing to Pen Pals

There were various programs in the mid-20th century that connected kids with other children all over the world. International pen pals, and Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls pen pal programs were wildly popular as kids would exchange hand-written letters and anxiously await a response.

Playing Marbles

Marbles was a top-notch activity for kids in the schoolyards. Kids would play games like rolly hole and try to play for keepsies.

Delivering a Paper Route

Towns all over the country received both a morning and an evening newspaper, and it was the job of many boomers to deliver these chronicles to their neighbors.

Roller Skating

Back in the 1950s, kids took to the streets on their roller skates. Most often with metal wheels, this mode of transportation provided hours of entertainment and exercise. And you’d never see a kid in a helmet or with elbow and knee pads.

Learning Yo-Yo

Boomers likely think fondly of their youth and the various activities it included, such as yo-yo. Kids took yo-yo classes and even competed in the activity. Moves like “walk the dog,” “around the world” and “rock the baby” each required a hard focus and incredible agility.

Shooting a Slingshot

You don’t see many slingshots among today’s children, but when boomers were growing up, they were a wildly popular form of entertainment with the boys. They’d shoot everything from aluminum cans to small game and even perhaps a little sister. Today, having a slingshot intended to be used as a weapon is illegal in nine states, including California, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Washington, and Minnesota.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Hulton Archive/ via Getty Images.

The post This Popular Boomer Childhood Activity is Now Illegal in 9 States appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Butterflies can be quite difficult to draw. They have pretty colorful wings attached to a tiny body. Then these little wonderful insects have thin legs that look like twigs joined to a small sausage. In this guide, we will look at 8 steps to drawing a butterfly and a flower for it to perch on.

I created it in Photoshop and drew it with my Huion HS611 graphics tablet; however, all the steps work great on paper too.

Let's take a look at what tools you will need.

1. Create a Foundation

With any drawing, the layout is important. First, begin with the body line, then draw a circle about 2/3 of the way up, an oval below it, and a small circle at the top.

Sketch a body shape around the circles. Be sure to press lightly, as most of this will be blended or erased. Drawing something that you are going to erase may seem odd; however, think of it as a bookmark. Instead, these basic circles and lines help as guidelines for the object you are creating.

2. Make a Rough Draft

Next, lightly draw a body around the shapes you have made. Then add its tongue, antennae, and legs. Now that you have a rough idea, add the wings; these are usually triangle-shaped. Certain butterflies have lobes underneath the wings. If you like, add curved edges and round the corners.

3. Add Pattern Details

First, you will need to draft a pattern inside the wings to give you something to work with. You can always change the pattern later if you don’t like it. Remember, this is art. Make it your own.

Butterfly wings are really fascinating when they come out of their cocoon; they are soft and wrapped around themselves. Then, for approximately an hour, they flutter to pump fluids into their wings to unfold them. Once they are fully formed and flying, you are able to see the veins, and they will spend their lives circulating fluids through their bodies. Keep in mind that while drawing, you will be adding highlights and shadows to them later.

For a final touch to your sketch, add a flower. There are a few petals behind my butterfly; however, don’t outline them completely.

4. Clean Up the Outline

Now your butterfly is starting to look like something special. Erase all the small circles and the body line from the first step. Redraw the outline and rub out any messy lines. Leave just enough lines for you to add details and color. Then give your flower a stem.

5. Color Your Butterfly

It’s best to start with the background first. I’ve tried to begin with the forefront first; however, it always seems to leave pencil or brushstroke behind. As a result, I always start with objects that are further away, then fill in the ones towards the front afterward. I like purple, so I decided to color the petals purple with a golden center. As you can see, the petals have small wrinkles that become deeper. For those, I used a darker purple.

• Digital artists: Of course, if you're working in Photoshop, that's not a problem. Just add another layer behind the butterfly for any background you would like to create.
• Paper artists: Color the background (flower) up to the very edge of the butterfly outline.

By coloring your butterfly next, it will be easier to get clean edges. I “smudged” specific areas because nothing in nature is perfect. The colors on the top of the wings are a little bit brighter than at the bottom.

• Digital artists: You'll need several different layers. For the flower, create four — one for each color. The butterfly only needs two.

Here's the layer order; from top to bottom, they're numbered:

1. Butterfly — yellow
2. Butterfly — black
3. Flower center's spots — brown
4. Flower center's color — yellow/gold
5. Flower petals — purple
6. Flower stem — green

• Paper artists: First begin with the yellow, then add the black around the edges. On the lower right wing, I blurred some of the yellow markings into the black area around them. It's probably easier to spot yellow and black together, then use a clean blending stump to blend them gently. Practice on a small piece of paper first to get the look you want.

6. Adding a Few Shadows

Adding shadows opposite to where the light would hit helps create a sense of shape. The hardest part of drawing is thinking about where the light source is coming from.

Shading Your Flower

The flower stem won't take long. Add some darker green to the bottom edge and blend it up from the bottom to the top. Then, let it fade toward the top edge of the stem to give it a rounded shape.

Begin with the center of the flower. Use a darker shade of the color you used for the center. In my drawing, the light is coming from the top left, just above the flower petals. So, the shadows will be deeper on the opposite side. Curve the shadow around the crown of the center to give it a rounded look. Then softly blend the edges.

Now, move on to the flower petals and do the same thing. Use a darker shade of the petal's color and add it to the areas in shadow. Gently blend the shadows along the lines where the creases in the petals appear.

Shading Your Butterfly

The butterfly is a little trickier, but perhaps more delicate is a better phrase. For the body, use a darker shade of the same color. Start by adding a little bit of shading around the area where its legs attach; they are usually a little fuzzy. Imagine an arm of sorts wearing a fuzzy jacket; it's slightly rounded and has a real shape, even though it's tiny. Add shading to the area right behind its eye and under its “chin.” Then, do the same thing around the creases in its abdomen and along the edges. Blend those shadows.

Do any shadows on the wings last. These are flat with a few veins that stick out. On the lower edge of the veins, add shading and then blend softly.

The direction of shading is often just as important as the shading itself. It can make or break the visual appearance because even if you don't exactly know what's wrong, the brain knows something doesn’t seem right.

• Digital artists: Create a new layer for the shadows, and set it to multiply. If you want to separate the shadows for the butterfly and the flower, that's fine; just create an extra layer set to multiply.
• Paper artists: Begin at the top left and work toward the bottom right. If you're left-handed, then begin at the top right. It will help you not smudge anything you want to stay clean.

Once you are happy with your color and shading, take a damp paintbrush and wet the colors to make them brighter.

7. Add Highlights to Your Butterfly Drawing

Isn’t it exciting you're almost done! Cleaning up the edges and adding highlights will make a drawing look a lot nicer. To complete your drawing, add selective highlights to the 8 steps to drawing a butterfly picture. Remember the light is coming from the top left corner.

Flower Highlights

If the light is coming from the upper left, you'll want to have a few highlights along a sliver of the petals' edges and in the creases of the petals next to the shadows you already placed. On the lower right area of the flower, add highlights to the outer one-quarter or so of the petal. Shape the highlights just as you would a shadow.

The center of the flower will have a small highlight too, but most flower centers don't reflect a lot of light. So make this subtle.

Remember to add a small bit of light along the top side of the stem!

Butterfly Highlights

Start with the eyes and legs. The eyes are round orbs, so you'll need to shape the highlights the same way you did in the shadows of the flower center. Add a little thin band of light along the top edges of the legs; then, soften the edges a little bit.

Now for the wings. Place a little highlight along the left edges of the wings and the upper side of its veins. As with the others, soften the edges of the highlights, but don't blend it in completely.

• Digital artists: In a new layer, use white in the areas that need highlights. Leave it at normal, and soften the edges a little.
• Paper Artists: On the off chance you're not using watercolor pencils, you can use a moldable eraser to lift graphite or colored pencil off the page. If you're using watercolor pencils, use a white gel pen and dot the highlights in, smudging them gently before it dries.

This last step is pretty easy but also vital.

Put your butterfly drawing down. Really! Leave it aside for a day or two, then come back to it. You may see a few things to add or adjust, or you may realize that it's stunning just the way it is.

One of the hardest things to do as an artist is to stop adding and adjusting things. It's also vital. I hope you had fun learning these 8 steps to drawing a butterfly.

The post 8 Steps to Drawing a Butterfly appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Whether you’re a new or experienced parent, you’re likely familiar with many of the most popular baby brands. Despite the vast number of baby brands and stores out there, it’s not uncommon for parents to have their favorites. You might have even enjoyed shopping in brick-and-mortar baby stores like Babies R Us when your kids were little. 

Although there’s no shortage of baby brands in the world, it seems like some of the places that sold popular baby items have all of a sudden disappeared. It’s surprising for many parents to find out which brands and stores have gone out of business.

With the rise of online shopping, many brick-and-mortar stores have struggled to keep up and encourage people to shop in person. This has led to numerous stores going out of business, even ones that sold some of our favorite baby items. Check out these 3 best-selling baby brands and stores that mysteriously vanished.

Buy Buy Baby

Buy Buy Baby was one of the most popular retail chains for baby products. This store was owned by the same company as Bed Bath & Beyond. Buy Buy Baby opened their first baby retail store in 1996 in Maryland and it was one of the major competitors of Babies R’ Us. As Bed Bath & Beyond struggled to stay afloat, the fate of Buy Buy Baby was unclear.

Buy Buy Baby Says Goodbye

In early 2023, a handful of Buy Buy Baby stores closed, but that wasn’t the end of the struggle. A few months later, the parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond finally filed for bankruptcy, announcing that the remaining Buy Buy Baby locations would be closing as well. With over 100 stores across the country still open, the last Buy Buy Baby was closed in July of 2023.

Buy Buy Baby Makes a Comeback

If you’re a fan of Buy Buy Baby, there is good news. Although the stores closed their doors back in 2023, the company acquired a new owner recently and there will be some new stores opening in the US. There are currently 11 stores open, which isn’t much compared to the 120 stores that closed, but rumor has it that more stores will open in the future. You can also purchase baby products from Buy Buy Baby online.

Gymboree

Gymboree was a common baby brand and store that many millennials remember from the 1980s and 90s. The first Gymboree location opened in the 1970s and this brand later became a part of The Children’s Place. At one point, there were nearly 400 Gymboree locations nationwide as well as over 150 Gymboree outlets.

Gymboree Goes Bankrupt

After filing for bankruptcy multiple times in a little over a year, all the brick-and-mortar Gymboree stores were closed down, including the Gymboree outlets and their related brand, Crazy 8. All of a sudden after nearly fifty years in business, the Gymboree brand was no longer. This was a disappointment for parents across the country.

Gymboree Opens Inside of The Children’s Place

Although the closing of all Gymboree locations was a sad event for parents everywhere, it didn’t last long. Less than a year later, The Children’s Place ended up purchasing the brand and even though no brick-and-mortar Gymboree stores were opened, a Gymboree section was added to some of The Children’s Place stores. Gymboree items were added to 200 locations of The Children’s Place and parents can also shop for Gymboree items online.

Babies “R” Us

Babies “R” Us, a brand of Toys “R” Us, was a favorite place for many parents to shop for their little ones. The first location opened in 1996 and the brand was purchased by Toys “R” Us in 1997. Like many of the other popular baby retail chains, they had everything you needed for your baby. From toys and strollers to clothes and nursery furniture, there was no shortage of baby items at these brick-and-mortar stores.

Babies “R” Us Goes Under

To the horror of those who grew up as Toys “R” Us kids, the popular toy chain went out of business in 2018, taking Babies “R” Us with it. Babies “R” Us, also known as the “Baby Superstore” had some stores that only sold baby products and some that were merged with Toys “R” Us. By the summer of 2018, all the Babies “R” Us stores had closed.

Babies “R” Us Returns

Despite the disappearance of “The Baby Superstore” in 2018, the story for Babies “R” Us isn’t over yet. Kohl’s announced earlier this year that they’re adding Babies “R” Us to their stores. Inside the Babies “R” Us section of Kohl’s, there will be many of the favorite baby items parents love such as baby furniture, accessories, clothing, and other baby gadgets.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Igisheva Maria/Shutterstock.com.

The post 3 Best-Selling Baby Brands That Mysteriously Vanished From the Market appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Marian McQuade began an initiative in 1970 to create a special day in celebration of all grandparents. She established a statewide Grandparents Day campaign by reaching out to political, civic, faith, and business leaders. Congress passed the resolution in 1978, and President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation stating that National Grandparents Day would always be celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day. This is an opportunity for children to learn guidance, wisdom, and strength from older people. In addition, it allows great-grandparents and grandparents to show their love for their grandchildren. Let’s take a look at 10 fun and creative ways to celebrate Grandparents Day.

10. Share Family Recipes

Sharing is caring! Everyone grows up remembering the taste and smell of something delicious they ate at a family meal. Sharing meals is a wonderful way for families to bond. When saving family recipes, you’re not just saving the meal itself; you’re saving and cherishing the laughter and moments of being together. This Pumpkin Pie is one of my family favorites and can be served as a side dish with almost any meal or as a dessert with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is so simple to make and only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Pumpkin Pie

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• Author:Kay Keene
• Total Time:55 minutes
• Yield:12 pieces

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Ingredients

UnitsUSM

• 1cup sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 cup depending on your sweet tooth)
• 150g melted butter or 120ml oil (using butter makes this recipe fluffier)
• 3 eggs
• 5ml salt
• 1cup of self-raising flour
• 3cups grated pumpkin or butternut

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Instructions

1. First, mix the sugar and butter together, then add the eggs and salt.
2. Then sift the flour and add the grated pumpkin to the egg mixture.
3. Using a wooden spoon, mix until well combined. Then pour the mixture into a greased 2 x 6 x 10.1-inch glass dish. Using the back of the spoon, smooth out the top layer to make it even.
4. Bake at 350°F uncovered for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Do not over-brown; finally, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. It can be served warm or cool.

Notes

Leftover pumpkin pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat from frozen, let it thaw first, then pop it in the oven on medium heat for a few minutes.

• Prep Time:10 minutes
• Cook Time:45 minutes
• Method:Oven bake

9. Have a Family Photo Shoot

Photos are always memorable. Choose a designated location and tell grandma and grandpa to dress up in their finest outfits and meet you there. Have the photographer ready to take pictures of them once they arrive. Ask other family members to join too, and take pictures of all the different generations together. Furthermore, set up a photo booth and take some fun props along that everyone can use. Props are relatively affordable online, and there is a vast variety to choose from. You could also consider having the photo shoot at the park, taking along some beverages and snacks, and enjoying a picnic.

8. Host a Grandparents Night

Build a strong family relationship and get everyone involved. Host the evening by making them a special card, listening to their favorite music, and eating their favorite foods. Create a questionnaire. This is a perfect opportunity to learn about what their life was like when they were young. Here are 20 questions to ask your grandparents and learn more about them.

1. When were you born?
2. Where did you and Grandma or Grandpa get married?
3. How old were you when you got married?
4. What was your favorite food growing up?
5. Do you still like that food, or do you have a different favorite food now?
6. What’s your favorite color?
7. How did you meet Grandma or Grandpa?
8. What was your first job?
9. Did you have any pets?
10. What’s your favorite song?
11. Where were you born?
12. Did you have a favorite toy when you were a kid?
13. Where have you traveled to, and what did you enjoy about it?
14. Did you ever get in trouble as a child? If so, what did you do?
15. What was your first car?
16. Did you have a favorite subject in school? If so, what was it, and why did you like it?
17. Would you rather fly like a bird or breathe like a fish underwater, and why?
18. If you could be an animal, what would it be and why?
19. Would you rather play in the snow or the sand?
20. If you had to eat the same food every day, what would it be?

7. Plan a Family Trip

Grandparents don’t often go out much, so why not surprise the family with a trip to the zoo or a national park? There are 63 national parks in the United States, and all of them have something special and memorable to offer for all ages. There is plenty of beautiful wildlife to see and gorgeous trails to take a walk on while viewing stunning waterfalls and more.

6. Create a Craft Photo Frame

A fun and creative way to celebrate Grandparents Day is to get the kids and grandparents together to make a few crafts together. This creates a special bonding experience while being creative together and coming up with fun, unique ideas. Let grandma and grandpa take their special craft gift home. Use vibrant colors to make this frame a dear keepsake. Find a favorite photo that you want to place in the frame. Additionally, you could take a photo of them making this craft together and then place it in the frame once it is dry.

Material Needed:

• Rolling pin
• Air-dry clay
• Paintbrushes
• Cookie cutters
• Glue
• Acrylic paint
• Photo
• Optional clear adhesive sealant

Instructions:

1. First, roll out the clay to the desired size, shape, and thickness.
2. Use the cookie cutters to cut out your choice of shapes.
3. Next, to create an impression, press the photo on the clay.
4. Let the clay for the frame and shapes dry completely.
5. Once dry, using the acrylic paint, paint the frame and shapes.
6. Finally, when the paint is dry, attach the photo with glue and then glue on the shapes. For added shine and protection, apply the clear adhesive to the photo first.

5. Create a Delicious Feast

Everyone loves to be spoiled with a scrumptious meal. Why not invite the grandparents over and get the kids to help prepare a lovely meal for all to enjoy? To make it extra special, get the kids to ask the grandparents some of the questions we mentioned earlier. We have put together four delightful recipes for you to try and add to your feast to celebrate Grandparents Day. Serve with your choice of vegetables or a crisp green salad.

Roasted Stuffed Mushrooms

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• Author:Kay Keene
• Total Time:50 minutes
• Yield:4

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Ingredients

UnitsMUS

• Olive oil spray
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 8 large flat mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 200g punnet of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large bunch of spinach, finely chopped
• 120g baby rocket leaves
• 250g low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 30g sunbeam seed mix

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Instructions

1. First, trim the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Over medium heat, heat a non-stick frying pan and spray with oil.
2. Then, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes while stirring. Next, add the diced mushroom stems and cook for a further 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Put the spinach in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave it aside for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Squeeze out the excess water.
4. Place the spinach in a bowl, add the seeds, ricotta cheese, lemon rind, onion mixture, and season with pepper.
5. Next, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Place the mushrooms on the tray with the cut side facing up.
6. Then, divide the mixture between the 8 mushrooms. Cover with tin foil, and roast for 15 minutes. Next, remove the tin foil and roast for another 8–10 minutes until tender.
7. Finally, in a bowl, combine the tomato, vinegar, and rocket. Before serving, divide the salad and mushrooms between plates.

• Prep Time:15 minutes
• Cook Time:35 minutes
• Method:Oven bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size:1
• Calories:232
• Sugar:6.7g
• Sodium:14.2mg
• Fat:11.9g
• Carbohydrates:18.9g
• Protein:17.7g

Olive, Herb, and Parmesan Loaf

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• Author:Kay Keene
• Total Time:1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield:4-6

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Description

The smell of this savory Mediterranean loaf is irresistible. It is loaded with pimento peppers, herbs, olives, and cheese and will make your mouth water. It will complement any meal, whether a roast dish or a delectable soup. It can be stored in the fridge for 2 days or frozen for 1 month. However, I guarantee that there won’t be any leftovers.

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Ingredients

UnitsMUS

• Butter for greasing or spray and cook
• 75g stuffed olives
• 75g pimentos
• 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• 125g grated parmesan
• 350g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 eggs beaten
• 300ml buttermilk or 150ml buttermilk and 150ml plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Eggwash (made with 1 egg and a dash of cold water, beaten)
• For the topping, sea salt, sprigs of thyme, and a few slices of pimento

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the loaf pan with butter or spray and cook. Next, slice the olives and the pimentos. Remove the thyme leaves from the stalks, chop the chives into small pieces, and grate the parmesan.
2. Next, sift the mustard, salt, pepper, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and flour in a bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, or yogurt with olive oil in another bowl.
4. Then mix the pimentos, olives, cheese, and herbs into the flour. Make a well in the center, add the buttermilk mixture, and stir it together.
5. Scape the mixture into the loaf pan. Smooth the top and paint with eggwash. Decorate with sprigs of thyme, pimento, and sea salt.
6. Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
7. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Any stuffed olives will do; however, lemon-stuffed olives give this loaf a pleasantly different flavor. Additionally, you can substitute the pimentos for sundried tomatoes and add a couple of slices of pepperoncini. This recipe can be easily customized to suit your taste buds.

• Prep Time:30 minutes
• Cook Time:45 minutes
• Method:Oven bake

Braised Chicken Legs With Grapes and Fennel

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• Author:Kay Keene
• Total Time:1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield:4

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Ingredients

UnitsUSM

• 4 chicken legs (drumstick and thigh) patted dry
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 4 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4cup honey
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 2 medium fennel bulbs plus 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fronds
• 1cup unsalted chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons Calabrian chile paste or chopped chiles
• 2cups of red or green grapes (stems removed)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Next, season the chicken legs with 3 teaspoons of salt.
3. Over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Cook the chicken thighs for about 5 minutes until golden brown, then turn and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. In the meantime, chop the fennel into slices. Place it in a bowl with half of the grapes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss until well combined.
6. Next, reduce the heat and add the chili, honey, chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the remaining grapes. Top with the fennel mixture.
7. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy!

• Method:Oven bake

Sticky Toffee Pudding

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• Author:Kay Keene
• Total Time:1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield:4

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Ingredients

UnitsMUS

For the pudding:

• 175g stoned dates
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 50g walnuts
• 125g softened butter
• 125g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125g self-raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For the sauce:

• 25g walnuts
• 75g light muscovado sugar
• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons of rum or brandy

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Instructions

1. First, preheat the oven to 375°F. Chop the dates and place them in a heatproof bowl; add 150ml of boiling water; and add the bicarbonate soda. Next, chop the walnuts and set them aside.
2. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. (Note: dark muscovado sugar does not cream together as well as caster sugar.) A few lumps are okay.
3. Next, add the flour and cloves and fold into the mixture. Then, add the dates and the water, as well as the walnuts. Stir until well combined.
4. Put the pudding bowls in a shallow ovenproof dish, then divide the mixture between the molds. Fill the dish halfway with boiling water. Then place it in the oven for 40 minutes until springy to the touch.
5. When cooked, allow it to stand for 10 minutes, then remove it from the molds. Then, to make the sauce, finely chop the walnuts and place them in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Heat gently while stirring until combined. Spoon the sauce over the puddings when ready to serve.

Notes

Equipment:

• 6 silicone pudding molds
• 1 ovenproof baking dish or roasting pan

These puddings can be frozen for up to two months and reheated on low heat or in the microwave. The sauce lasts for 2 weeks in the fridge.

• Prep Time:20 minutes
• Cook Time:45 minutes
• Category:Dessert
• Method:Oven bake

4. Spoil Them With Chores

Another great, fun, and creative way to celebrate Grandparents Day is to spoil them with chores. As people get older, doing chores like mowing the lawn, raking, and cleaning the house becomes more difficult. Why not gather your siblings, head over to the grandparents, and tidy up the yard? You could weed the garden, put up some flower baskets, and trim the trees. Don’t forget to take some cookies with you to enjoy after all your hard work. 

3. Watch a Movie Together 

Old people have a lot of time once they retire. Find out what movies your grandparents like to watch and plan a movie night together. A classic movie can bring back a lot of memories and help stimulate the mind. It’s a great opportunity for them to talk about their pastime in a positive light.

2. Write a Letter or Poem

Grandparents love to receive personalized gifts. Encourage the children to write a letter or poem expressing their love for them. If the kids are too small to write, they could even draw or color in a picture.

1. Perform a Play

Finally, why not put a play on for your grandparents? Use some funny outfits and props. They will love this idea and the effort that has gone into preparing it. Everyone can have fun and participate together.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©pikselstock/Shutterstock.com.

The post 10 Fun and Creative Ways to Celebrate Grandparents Day appeared first on Moms Who Think.

If you love nature, spending time with family, and traveling, then do yourself a favor and check out one of the thousands of national parks that are sprinkled across our great nation. There are many fun experiences to have, from visiting famous parks, like Yosemite National Park, to the hidden gems, such as Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and Channel Islands National Park, California. If you plan to visit several of these locations, then it may be wise to invest in a national parks pass.

If you’re new to this concept, then we’re here to help. We will tell you everything you need to know about the national parks pass, including what it is, why you need it, and how to get one. We’ll also dive deep into the many different park passes you can get, including the senior, military, educator pass, and more. Keep in mind that the details of the park pass may change over time. We hope this guide will help and that you’ll have a blast when you visit your next national park.

Why You Should Visit National Parks

If you haven’t considered getting a national parks pass or visiting a national park in general we urge you to reconsider. There are many perks to visiting the countless national parks in our country. In most cases, visiting will allow you a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature, which is great for your mental and physical health. Witnessing the vastness of a national park is also a great way to put the world and your problems into perspective and feel at peace. Plus, if you go with your family, you can go hiking, see animals, and make memories that you’ll remember forever. Make it a point to visit at least one national park during your lifetime. Better yet, go over the year!

What Is A National Park Pass?

There are various types of national park passes, and we’ll show you the many options. However, the main idea of the park pass is that, depending on the one you get, you can go into a national park and enjoy your time often without paying additional fees. There are three typical types of passes:

• Standard Pass: You can visit one national park for 1-7 days.
• Annual Pass: Visit one park or a group of parks and get access for a year.
• Passes for Special Groups: Military, seniors, People with disabilities.

With some differences, the passes basically allow you to get into the park either once or several times so you can enjoy the splendor of the natural world.

How To Get A National Park Pass

Where you get your national park pass depends on how you like to shop. If you want to go online, you can get an annual pass and America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series by going online to the USGS National Store. If you’d rather get your pass in person, you can do that too. Where you go will depend on where you live. In many cases, you can get the pass at the national park itself. It’s best to call ahead to ensure they have them. Some parks that will have the pass include Adams National Historical Park, Acadia National Park, and Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, among others.

Pass Options: Annual Pass

Children under 16 are usually admitted free to most national parks. However, if you’re over 16, you can purchase the annual pass. This annual pass provides access to 2,000 national parks, which are managed by Federal agencies that help to preserve their beauty. When you buy the pass, you’re not just paying for parking because 100% of the proceeds go to the continued preservation of the park.

Your national park pass can be used at parks that are managed by the:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• USDA Forest Service
• National Park Service
• US Army Corps of Engineers

Pass Options: Senior Pass

Senior citizens get a special deal for their national park pass. For about a quarter of the price of the standard annual pass, seniors get an annual pass they can use all year. The pass can be used at all of the same places as the standard annual pass. There is also a Senior Lifetime Pass that can be purchased so visitors can continue to go to parks for the foreseeable future.

To qualify for the senior pass, you must be a U.S. citizen that is 62 years old or older. When you go to purchase your pass online, you will go through an age verification process which is quick and painless. Note that the pass is not transferable if the senior passes away.

Pass Options: Military Pass

One of the reasons why we, as Americans are allowed to travel so freely and enjoy these national parks to our leisure is because of the efforts of the men and women in the U.S. military. Because of that, military members are provided with free park passes. These are open to current members of the Air Force, U.S. Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, National Guard, and Space Force. It’s also available to current military members, cadets, and soldiers who are not currently deployed. To get the pass, proof of service must be provided. There’s also a Military Lifetime Pass that is provided to military veterans and Gold Star families.

Pass Options: Access Pass

Committed to the idea that everyone should be able to enjoy the beauty of national parks regardless of their situation, the association also provides the access pass. This is a free pass that allows a lifetime of park visits to citizens who have been deemed by a medical professional to have a permanent disability. There is not an age limit for this lifetime pass and it allows access to over 2,000 recreation sites. To gain access to the pass, the applicant must show a statement provided by a licensed physician. Disability includes mental, sensory, and physical conditions.

4th Grade Pass

In an attempt to get youngsters excited about the wonder of our national parks, there is now the 4th-grade national park pass. For an entire year, kids in 4th grade and their families get access to the 2,000 national parks. The pass is available for kids and educators, so if teachers want to bring their class, they can for a minimal cost. Just know that you’ll need to bring your physical pass when you visit. Electronic copies will not be accepted. In fact, at some parks, the ranger may exchange your paper pass for a plastic one that doubles as a keepsake.

Pass Options: Volunteer Pass

People who work hard to give back to their community may receive an extra award via a national park volunteer pass. This pass is awarded to volunteers who have completed at least 250 hours of service for federal agencies. As a reward, they get a free annual pass to the 2,000+ national parks within our country. This allows the volunteer to bring along three other adults who also get in for free. It’s a nice little treat for people who give their time in order to make the world a better place.

Free Admission Days

While a national park pass may be appealing to you if you want to visit a national park without the fees, you should be comforted knowing that there are pre-set days throughout the year when you can get in for free. While the free admission dates can differ by year, they are generally as follows:

• January 15 – Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• April 20 – The first day of National Park Week
• June 19 – Juneteenth National Independence Day
• August 4 – The Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• September 28 – National Public Lands Day
• November 11 – Veterans Day

Your Money Goes To A Good Cause

Whether you buy a national park pass or pay the fee once you arrive at the park, know that your money is being well-spent. Your cash goes to many different initiatives in these parks. Some of it goes to enhance the visitor experience by building new restrooms, cleaning different areas, and fixing damage. Your money also helps to improve the safety of the park by repairing, docks, railings, and accessibility features. Finally, your money helps them to preserve nature and animals in the park. So, your money helps the next visitors to enjoy their trip just as much as you did.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©haveseen / iStock via Getty Images.

The post What is a National Parks Pass? How to Get One and What It Provides appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Dragons are hard to draw. Let's learn how to draw a dragon in 6 easy steps. Learning to draw a dragon means you must become comfortable going off the beaten path because they have no real-world equivalent. Instead, there are many types of dragons, all of which are rooted in the mythology of a given culture. For example, dragons of the east are more serpentine or lizard-like and don't always have wings. However, they generally have lots of horns. On the other hand, dragons of the west look like a T-Rex, a crocodile, and a bat mixed up in a genetics lab.

It's a good idea to research the various forms to come up with one that you like. For example, I tend to like the western dragons a little more because they remind me of those in books like The Hobbit.

You'll need a few supplies and a lot of patience; however, when you're done, I hope you've created something you love.

If you're using Photoshop or another art app on your computer, I strongly recommend also using a graphics tablet. The drawing stylus they include is much more natural than drawing with your mouse. For my computer illustrations, I use the Huion HS611. It's fairly reasonably priced and allows you to draw more easily.

Supplies

1. Lay the Dragon Drawing Foundation

Start by lightly sketching a few basic shapes— a large circle for the body, and a smaller one for the rump. Then, add a triangle for the head.

I modified the shapes we used for the horse and the unicorn for the snout. Instead of one square with two lines connecting to the head, I drew two of them to represent an open mouth.

Yes, I know, I use these for every drawing tutorial I've done but it's because they work. There was a time when I would do anything to avoid using them because I thought it was silly. After all, if I were a good enough artist, why should I need them?

It's simple: You use them because they make you a better artist.

Next, add legs, a tail, and wings.

The circles represent joints that you would see in the animal. The tail is like a snake because you won't see the joints; it just curves around.

A note about the wings: Wings are hard to draw; I based these on the idea of a bat's wings. They're modified arms with elongated fingers. You could just as easily base your dragon's wings on that of a bird, but the principle is the same.

Digital artists: Create a couple of layers. One layer is for the body, and another for the legs, tail, and wings.

Paper artists: Sketch lightly! You'll have to erase or blend these into the final outline.

2. Create a Rough Outline

It's time to sketch that outline. Take your time! You do not have to include all the horns on the dragon. They're purely optional and if they cause frustration, skip them. Remember that this is your creation, not mine or anyone else's.

Your rough sketch doesn't have to include much detail. I have more detail in mine because I had a relatively clear idea of what I wanted, and I sometimes get carried away in the earlier stages of a drawing. However, if you have any doubt about how the finished product needs to look, leave out finer details until later in the process.

Now, take a few moments to redraw the outline and remove all the messy basic shapes. Pay attention to the wingtips with the claws — again, it's okay to leave extras out — and add only as much detail as you're comfortable adding because you still need to color and shade this fantastic beast.

Add the belly scales because I can't imagine a dragon without some reptilian belly scales.

A note on preferences: If you want to leave your dragon as a sketch, feel free to do so. There's no reason to color it in if you enjoy how it looks as a sketch. Skip the color steps and go to the shading and highlights.

Digital artists: Use multiple layers. For my drawing, I used a layer each for the head, body, legs, and wings. It allows you to remove things you don't like without reworking the whole thing.

Paper artists: Again, sketch lightly if you're using paper.

3. What Color Dragon Do You Want?

I had a hard time deciding between a green or a blue dragon. Maybe purple. In the end, red won the day. This dragon became dark red because I thought it looked good with the green; I had already colored the eye. When I started this, I got a little ahead of myself and colored the eye green, even though, in reality, it probably should have waited.

My impatience aside, the green looks pretty good, and while you're at it, color the mouth pale pink. Then, make its tongue a little darker, and add a hint of pink to the edges of the eye where the tear ducts would be located.

Start your coloring gently, then layer on more color until you're satisfied with it. As you work, you can leave some areas, like the top of its head and tail, or maybe its knees, a little lighter than the underside of its belly or legs. It may make highlighting easier later. Also, be careful around the horns and claws. You don't want to color over them accidentally and have to fix them later.

Dragon wings are often depicted as being bat-like. Bat wings are made from skin stretched out between their elongated fingers. It makes them thin and somewhat transparent, although they'd be much larger and presumably thicker-skinned in a dragon. Keeping that in mind, even if it were the same basic color as the body, dragon wings might have a bit of transparency or perhaps a slight color shift. It's just more diluted when they're folded.

Color carefully around the bones, and blend the two colors at the base of the wings. If you blend the darker color up toward the lighter color, it'll look like it's stretching out.

Take your time with the horns because they're small and easy to color too far outside the lines. Pick a color you enjoy because you're in charge of its final appearance when you draw a mythical creature. Be creative, and have fun!

Digital artists: Each color needs to have its own layer. Save yourself the hassle of redoing things if you decide you don't like the way it looks.

Paper artists: Begin gently, and add color as you feel it needs more. Don't get too hung up on perfection; remember that sometimes, less is more.

4. Shading Your Dragon Drawing

To shade your dragon drawing properly, keep the light source in mind. In this case, it's coming from the top left of the dragon. Shadows are the flip side of light; more accurately, they're the absence of light. They only exist where enough light exists to cast shadows. The stronger the light source, the deeper the shadows, so decide now how dark the shadows in your drawing will become.

Think about real-world animals and how their muscles shape their bodies. Muscles pull but don't push. For example, the biceps pull the forearm (or foreleg) inwards, while the triceps pull it out. This is why a push-up works one set of muscles, and a pull-up works an entirely different group of muscles. Consider this when you add shading to the legs.

Take a look at a few different animals or even people in active poses and ask yourself these questions:

• What are their muscles doing?
• How does that affect the shape?
• How do the shadows and light look?

Now that you have a clearer mental picture of where the shading belongs, it's time to get to work. If it's difficult to picture the light, draw diagonal lines from the light in the direction that it's heading. Either do it in a separate layer or light enough that you can erase it easily.

Add shadows to the space under and behind its legs, lower and back sides of its tail, and under its chin where the light is casting a shadow from its huge, toothy mouth. Soften the edges of the shadows, and use a blending stump or Photoshop blender tool to drag the edges up and around a little to create the shape you want to see.

Create sharper-edged shadows around the edges of the horns, claws, teeth, and belly scales. They're harder surfaces, so the shadows need to indicate the hardness by not blending in as much.

Digital artists: Create a new layer for the shadows, and set it to multiply. As you add shadows, they'll build and darken the color behind the layer without completely obliterating it.

Paper artists: Instead of black, try a darker shade or heavier layer of whatever color it is. Sometimes, it looks more natural than a standard black shadow. However, black is probably the right color to use if it's a very deep shadow. Then, make any shadows that touch the ground black/gray.

5. Creating Highlights that Make Your Dragon Drawing Pop

Highlights are where the light is strongest, and the parts of your dragon drawing closest to the light will have stronger highlights. Why didn't we do the highlight portion first? I suppose you could, but I've always done it this way, and it works. I've done the highlights first in a few drawings and always seem to have to re-apply them because something got messed up. It may be just me, but I figure it pays to do things in a way that gives me confidence that it will work. I don't have the patience to do otherwise.

Now, let's get to work on those highlights. Remember, they're strongest in places where the light touches first, so that gives the top of its head, leading edges of wings, horns on its forehead, and, to a slightly lesser degree, the chest the brightest highlights.

Soften the edges where it's either a softer highlight, like on its hide or wings. Don't soften them as much on hard surfaces.

Other highlighted areas:

• Nostril edges
• Thin highlight edge along the far edges of its snout
• Claws
• Front edges of its legs

Digital artists: Just as we did for the other steps, create a new layer for the highlights. It's hard to fix things if you haven't created layers when you discover a mistake. You can use either white or lighter shades of the colors you used for your dragon drawing.

Paper artists: Get ready to use your moldable eraser, gel pen, or white pencil. Start by using the moldable eraser to lift away the color in areas that need highlights. Then, on the horns and claws, use your white pencil or gel pen to add more pronounced, hard-edged highlights.

6. Finishing Your Masterpiece

Before you do anything else, stop! If you've been working on this dragon for a few hours or days, your eyes need a break. You'll miss details that you would otherwise spot unless you take a break. So, walk away from it for at least a day.

After you've let it sit for a day or two, open the file or pull the drawing out again. You may see something that doesn't look quite right or that looks a little flat. If so, take a moment to address it.

In mine, I realized that I had neglected the fold in the skin right behind its rump where the tail starts, so I added a few short vertical lines to that spot. I also added a ground shadow and background color.

Now, step back from your dragon drawing and look at it from a distance. If you're on a computer, zoom out. Do you see anything else that needs to be adjusted?

And there you have it how to draw a dragon in 6 easy steps.

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For most parents, keeping their children entertained can prove more difficult every day. From trying to keep them calm throughout an hour-long church service to ensuring they’re entertained during a long doctor’s appointment, it can be frustrating when your bag of tricks runs empty.

Fret not, because we’re here to help you keep your kiddos entertained for hours by filling back up that bag of tricks—literally. That’s right, these activities are compact enough to fit into one bag that you can bring anywhere. So, the next time the little ones are bouncing off the walls, have them choose their favorite thing straight out of your bag of tricks.

Coloring Books and Pages

Coloring books and printable pages are first on the list—and probably the most popular—. Depending on your child’s age, coloring books can provide hours of activity, allowing you to complete your tasks uninterrupted.

Fidget Toys

For kids who have trouble sitting still, fidget spinners and toys are a great way to keep them busy and help calm them down. Plus, these nifty tools are small enough to add to your activity bag or purse.

Mad Libs

Let your kids’ imaginations run wild with a kid-friendly Mad Libs book. Not only will they be thoroughly entertained, but it will allow them to continue learning while playing. Help them plug in nouns, adjectives, and verbs to create fun stories.

Road Trip Bingo

While it may require getting involved, road trip bingo is perfect for those long road trips. Print out various pages and have them stay focused on what they see around them. And if they win, have small prizes readily available!

Books

Depending on their age, keep various books in your activities bag ready for your kiddos. Have them go with you to the bookstore or library to pick out their favorite reads. Be sure to switch them out with other books so they have something new to read when needed.

Magnetic Puzzles

Puzzles can tend to get messy, so having a few magnetic puzzles in tow is a great way to keep your kids busy and their minds engaged. When they’ve completed the puzzle, swap it out for a different one. Just use these sparingly to avoid switching them out often.

Card Games

Get all of your kids involved in this activity. Keep a couple of small boxes of card games in your activity bag and teach your children how to play them. It will keep them entertained and allow them to spend quality time with their siblings.

Sticker Books

Sticker books take up virtually no space but provide hours of fun. Instead of coloring, have your child decorate a sticker book with colorful and fun stickers to create a creative picture.

Building Blocks

Building blocks are typically not recommended for places like planes, churches, or other areas where they can lose the pieces. However, they are perfect for places like doctor’s offices to keep them plenty occupied.

Window Decals

If you’re looking for fun activities on planes or in a car, window decals are great for entertaining the kiddos. They can easily stick and unstick these on windows without making a mess.

Mini Board Games

Larger board games can take up a lot of space and get messy, so smaller board games were invented. These fun games are fantastic for road trips or doctor’s offices, keeping the kiddos occupied.

Sensory Bags

Finally, sensory bags are a creative way to keep your children occupied, especially the younger ones. You can create these at home and get your little ones involved by helping you fill different Ziploc bags with sand, hair gel, rice, or other textures. Just be sure the bag won’t easily break, or double-bag it to make it extra secure.

Other Tips For Activity Bags

• Be sure to take stock of what you have in your bag every month or so (depending on how often you use it). Switch out or replace anything that’s often used to keep things interesting.
• Instead of throwing these items in your bag, add an organizer to keep everything in its place.
• Take it a step further and keep each activity in its own separate category. For instance, items for doctor’s offices go in one compartment, while road trip activities go in another.
• Break out your label maker to quickly locate every activity.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Antonio_Diaz.

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Dogs are referred to as man's best friend. They have so many different expressions. One minute they are zooting around like mad things, and the next minute they are focused on something else. They even have facial expressions, showing signs of when they are looking to cause trouble. Dogs are special like that, and most of all, they also show you unconditional love. Let's take a look at how to draw a dog in 7 easy steps.

Supply List

In Photoshop you'll find a picture of this cute dog and I created it using the Huion HS611 drawing tablet, which is my favorite. However, the same methods can be applied to paint, pencil, and watercolor. Here’s a supply list I have put together for paper media:

1. Start by Creating a Structure

The first step is to start with a structure. Draw your circles for the body, rump, and head. Next, create a diamond shape for its nose. Remember to draw these shapes lightly; otherwise, these structural shapes will be difficult to get rid of when you don't need them anymore. Take your time creating your foundation.

Add the Tail, Legs, and Ears

Next, draw straight lines that connect through small circles for the legs. These lines will act as the big bones in the leg. Take your time when drawing the legs. These tiny circles will help place the joint properly. Keep in mind that all four-legged animals have hips, wrists, knees, and elbows just like we do. They're just slightly different to ours. Next, add the ears and a tail swish.

2. Sketch an Outline

It's time to add the outline next, as your dog drawing has its bones and body ready. Remember to sketch lightly, because you are going to erase a lot. Control your pencil by using small strokes. Next, you're going to connect the nose and head shapes to give it a brow line. When you draw around the tail and legs, make sure to draw enough space so you can see it has muscle and flesh. Then, to create a silhouette of the dog, you're going to connect the rump and torso circles.

3. Rub Out the Inner Circles

This part isn't difficult, but do it carefully. Rub out all the circles and leg lines. You can see that my line is a bit messy on the back sides of the legs and tail. This is because dogs usually have fur that sticks out in those areas.

4. Add Color

Now, decide what color you want your dog to be. I wouldn't recommend black for your first drawing because black animals are difficult to draw or photograph correctly. But go ahead and choose any other color. First, you're going to fill in the outline and blend it. The back legs, bottom edge of the tail, and stomach shouldn't stay completely in the lines.

In the direction that the dog's fur grows, gently blend the colors if you are making a spotted dog. Next, add a small amount of pink to the center of the ear, then blend slightly from the outside of the ear towards the center. Now it's time to add the dewclaws. Most dogs have dewclaws on their front legs. These usually help the dog when it runs fast. Using a different color, add spots on the muzzle where the whiskers go.

Paper Artists: Start with lighter colors first if your dog has a multi-color coat. It's much easier to color over it with darker colors than to remove color. To blend the coat colors use a pencil or blending stump then drag them over the edge of the lines where the fur sticks out.

Digital Artists: Create a new layer for the color and place it below the outline.

5. Add Shadows to Shape

Shading is not always easy to do. First, think about the colors being used. Here are some guidelines.

• Is the shadow falling over a blue wing? Draw the shadow in a deeper blue.
• What if a brown dog's leg is in shadow? Use a deeper brown.

Think about the effect you're trying to create. If it's night and the only light is from a streetlamp 80 feet away, then your shadows will be an inky black.

However, this dog is outside on a bright day. So the light is coming from the front and slightly above. It could be cloudy, so there aren't too many hard-edged shadows. Always remember to think about the light. To figure out where to place shadows, ask yourself, where is the light coming from? What area is it hitting first? Once you know, start adding your shadows.

Dogs usually have muscular bodies. Sometimes, they get a little bit chubby because we often give them snacks. A dog that's in good shape has a strong chest and shoulders. The stomach doesn't hang low and goes up in the hind legs. Blend these types of shodows from the darkest edge towards the light source to feather them out and give your object shape.

Paper Artists: Sometime between the time you add the color and finish the shadows, use a damp paintbrush to dab at the colors. The watercolor pencils you're using actually need that step, or they will look very faded.

Digital Artists: Create a layer for the shadows, set it to “Multiply,” and place it above the color layer.

6. Highlight the Details

It might seem as though adding highlights should come before that shadow. After all, don't you have to know where the light is in order to create the shadows? While it's true that you have to understand where the light is coming from, adding highlights to an unshaded drawing is almost a distraction from the drawing itself. So, I do the highlights after the shading.

Keep the light source in mind when you add highlights. Add white to the areas closest to the light source. They’ll generally be opposite the shadowed areas, and the closer you are to the light, the brighter the highlight. If it helps, draw very faint lines from the light source diagonally, as you see in the previous step.

So, blend the highlights in a way that will help give shape to your dog drawing. Add highlights to the following areas:

• The top edge of the tail
• Forehead, nose, and top of the muzzle
• Front and tips of ears
• On the rump and up to about the center of the back
• Front of legs, tops of paws.
• Front of the chest

Some highlights are very thin and subtle. That's why I wait until the end to do highlights. They'd be destroyed by the shadows when I blended them into everything else.

Paper Artists: To add highlights, use a white gel pen. If you're comfortable with acrylic paint, you could also use white acrylic for highlights. Water it down just a bit, and add it layer by layer.

Digital Artists: Create a new layer on top of everything for the highlights. Use white, and gently blend as appropriate.

7. Completing Your Dog Drawing

Before you add any extra touches, take a break and have a cup of coffee. It's easy to overdo the highlights and shadows, when you have been staring at the same thing for a long time. Next, take a closer look and decide if you want to add fur to the tail and legs. To do that, you can just use a pencil and draw fine lines. Maybe next, you should add some whiskers to the chin and muzzle. Draw fine lines; don't make them too long though dogs whiskers are shorter than cats.

Last but not least take a look at the eye. Does it need a little more highlighting? It might, and an eye without a highlight does not look alive. You would be amazed at how much of a difference that makes.

Paper Artists: Be gentle; you probably don't need very much.

Digital Artists: Do the whiskers and additional fur in a new layer between the color and the shadow layers.

Finally, there you have it how to draw a dog in 7 easy steps.

The post How to Draw a Dog In 7 Easy Steps appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Learning how to draw a sunflower is pretty easy, and it may be one of my very favorite flowers. Sunflowers are rustic, beautiful, and symbolic of summer – my favorite season of the year. Their seeds feed the birds and us; they're also really tough, often blooming profusely with only a few spare drops of rain in the midst of a drought.

Drawing requires some patience, decent tools, and practice. I use Photoshop heavily for art, but I also use more traditional paper, pencil, and paint. This sunflower was created in Photoshop using a Huion HS611 drawing tablet – I love this tablet because it's affordable and has solid construction. If you prefer using paper, I've got a supply list for you too. I mainly linked to entry-level sets because it'll save you a bit of money.

As far as which brand of paper, markers, or pencils — you don't have to spend a lot of money, and when you're just getting started. In fact, I don't recommend it. Simply get an affordable set of drawing tools and experiment.

1. Give Yourself Some Structure

All art has structure. If you freehand everything without starting with something, you don't always end up with the result you're after. In this case, I started my sunflower drawing with two concentric circles* and the stem with a couple of leaves.

Draw lightly; you'll be erasing some of this later.

* My grandmother, an award-winning artist and art teacher, always stressed that all things in nature are made up of a few basic shapes: ball, cone, cylinder, and cube. If you practice those, and shading, everything else will follow in time.

2. Sketch the Petals

The petals in your sunflower drawing don't have to be perfect. In fact, that's one of the really unique things about nature. Not everything is mathematically “perfect.” There are irregularities. A petal out of place, a freckle on one cheek and not the other, an ear with a weird bend in it… It's the “out of place” things that make art more natural.

Start with the four cardinal directions — north, south, east, and west — and sketch petals there. Then start filling in the spaces between those until you're relatively satisfied. Remember that you can always make changes later!

3. Erase Your Circle Outline and the Center of the Petals

Remember how I said to draw lightly? That's so you can cleanly erase lines that you no longer need.

1. Start by erasing the inside edge of the petals. Simply erase them until you reach the edge of the inner circle. This will become the area where the seeds will be located.
2. Next, erase the inner circle.
3. Finally, erase the outer circle.

4. Clean up the Petals in Your Sunflower Drawing

Oftentimes, people don't realize how much erasing happens when we're drawing. That's why sketches have to be so light. Artists don't magically get to a great set of lines without sketching first.

For this part of my sunflower drawing, I added points to the ends of the petals and made them a little more symmetrical. I even added more petals to the edges (between the original petals) to give the flower more depth. Some sunflower varieties have more rounded petals, and some have an almost scalloped edge. I prefer the points because they remind me of wild sunflowers out in the fields.

Then I erased the old lines.

5. Add a Little Color to Your Sunflower Drawing!

Sunflowers aren't all one color. They are multiple shades of yellows, oranges, and browns. Depending on the variety, you may even decide to create a red sunflower drawing! For my drawing, I went for the classic sunshine-yellow sunflower. They're one of my favorites because they herald the hottest part of the summer and stubbornly stand up to even drought in 105-degree weather.

Blendable water-based markers are wonderful for this. You can also get brush-tip pens that come with a blending pen. I highly recommend trying a few brands out.

The sunflower's brown center has three shades of brown that I blended together. The outer edges and the very center of a sunflower are often darker than the area in between, so I used colors that reflect this fact.

The petals are also completed in varying shades of yellow-orange. Closer to the center, they're a little darker orange, and some of the petals hidden in the back are darker too. It gives the whole sunflower drawing more depth, and we haven't even added highlights yet.

If you're doing this digitally, I used a Photoshop cartooning brush and a standard dry media blender. Experiment with colors until you have something you like. The “undo” button is my favorite invention after the graphics tablet itself.

6. Add a Few Details to Your Sunflower Drawing

Sunflower petals have wonderful character. They have differences in colors from the base to the tip and vein-like lines that run lengthwise. Take some orange-brown and lightly draw in a few of these veins in most of the petals.

Then, add the seeds to the center. They usually look like little circles until you get really, really close, so circles work great. I used black for those.

7. Add Some Shapely Shadows to Your Sunflower Drawing

Shadows provide shape.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this over the years. Whether it's drawing or photography, the saying holds true. People often think that light is what gives shape to things, but it's not. It's the shadows cast by the objects when the light hits them that give them shape. So I suppose that lights and shadows give shape may be more accurate. Regardless, as you add shadows, keep in mind the origin of your light source. Where's it coming from? The shadows fall on the opposite side of the light source. You'll need to add highlights in the next step.

If you're using brush pens, use the gray pen and blending pen to blend in a very small amount of gray. You can always add ink, but removing it is nearly impossible.

For digital artists, first set the layer where you'll paint the shadows to “Multiply,” so you can see the details through the layer. Then, paint and blend the shadows.

8. Now Make That Sunflower Drawing Pop

Sunflowers are relatively simple to draw, but making them pop is the hard part. In the last step, we added shadows to give a feeling of some shape. Now we'll add highlights.

You'll need to add highlights to the tips of the petals on the upper right side, a little bit to the right edges of the sunflower's leaves, and the right side of the stem. In the sunflower's center, add some to the top right and lower left.

Then, add some brighter yellow to the middle of the petal, where it bends away from the center. To the place where it attaches to the flower, add a darker orange and blend.

In Photoshop, I opened another layer for highlights and used white, then blended it in. I left the layer set as normal because white does not show up in a layer set to multiply. Once I added the highlights, I went back to the color layer for the petals and added yellows and darker oranges as appropriate.

For brush pens, make sure you have your white pen handy. These things are terrific for adding highlights, and if you use your finger to gently “smush” it a little, the ink will blend. You'll also need a darker orange and brighter yellow.

Supplies

In the table at the beginning of this article, I explained the type of art supplies I was going to use for this project and why I prefer to work with them. For your convenience, here's a list of affordable, high-quality products, all of which you can easily purchase at Amazon.

The post How to Draw a Sunflower in 8 Easy Steps appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Cats are their own creatures, aren't they? You can't really shape their behavior the way you can a dog. They just have to be met on their own terms, for who they are. Their bodies fit their personalities — they have free-floating shoulders that are only connected by muscles and tendons. And then there's their spine — I'm not even sure how they get into some of the positions they do without making a trip to the chiropractor their next stop.

Regardless, keep all these things in mind when you start working on your cat drawing. I decided to draw a cat in the midst of a galloping stride to make the drawing a little more interesting.

If you want to learn how to draw animals, it's important to understand how their bodies function; maybe not the intestines, but definitely how the muscles and joints move together. Study lots of photos of the animal in different positions. A great resource is Animals in Motion, by Eadweard Muybridge. The photo plates are old and not always the cleanest, but this book is invaluable to me as an artist. It was published in the late 1800s, during the early days of photography. At the time, it was a groundbreaking approach to photographing moving objects.

Supply List

I created this cat drawing in Photoshop, using my trusty Huion HS611 graphics tablet. However, you could easily do the same drawing on paper with a few supplies.

1. Give Your Cat Drawing Structure

Start with two circles. If you followed the horse drawing, these will be different. Make them roughly the same size, but the rump could be just a smidge larger if you want. Spread the circles apart a little more, because when a cat runs, its entire body lengthens. They have far more cushioning and flexibility in their vertebra, which allows them to get a longer stride length than a dog of the same size could achieve.

Digital Artists: I did steps 1-3 in separate layers. I like the control it gives me, but you could easily do them in one layer.

Add the Legs, Tail, and Head

Next, draw short, straight lines to represent the legs, neck, and head. Four-legged animals have knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists just like humans do, they're just elongated. Most of them walk and run on their toes. Where each of these joints meets, draw a small circle. it helps give you a little bulk for the joint.

Add a candy cane shape for the tail, a line for the neck, and for the head, a short line at an angle. Cats' heads are smaller and more angular than, say, a dog's, so unless I'm drawing a portrait of a cat with its face in full detail, I often don't draw a circle for the head.

I find this step helps to get the ratios right. Unless I want a cat that just looks wrong, that is.

2. Create an Outline for Your Cat Drawing

It's time to sketch a rough outline. As with the other steps, draw lightly – a 2H pencil works well. It's a hard enough graphite that you won't have a dark line unless you press really hard. Don't worry if it isn't perfect, you can always make adjustments.

In my sketch, the cat's back left foot is turned slightly inwards, so that you see the bottom. A cat's extreme flexibility means that they use every bit of stride length they can, but they also run erratically.

3. Clean Up Your Cat Drawing

After you have an outline that pleases you, clean it all up. Gently erase the circles and other structural items like the skeletal sticks. When you clean up the outline, you can erase the old one after redrawing the outline over the top, or just clean up the lines. It's your choice, but I frequently draw a new outline over the top of the sketch before erasing the original rough sketch.

Remember that even short-haired cats are fuzzy. They don't have any hard edges around the backs of their legs, belly, and tail. At some point, you'll need to erase some of your outlines in those areas.

In either case, make sure you've got something that looks like a cat.

4. Color Your Cat Drawing

Orange cats are so much fun. That color just screams attitude. Honestly, it doesn't matter what color you choose, just choose something you like. Your first cat drawing probably shouldn't be black, however. Don't get me wrong, I love black cats, but they're really hard to draw well. For the record, they and black dogs are really hard to draw or photograph. The black fur makes getting the light just right nearly impossible, and at the same time, vital. There aren't a lot of shadows to work with because the entire animal's body is a shadow.

Give the cat some funny markings, or don't. They have so many fun patterns in their coats that unless you're drawing something specific like a tabby, you can have fun with it.

Paper artists: If you're using black for shadows, go ahead and dab the color with a damp paintbrush. Let it dry before moving on. However, if you're using darker shades of your color, wait before doing this.

Digital artists: Create a new layer for this step and each of the following steps. Place the color layer below the outline.

5. Creating Shape in Your Cat Drawing

This is when it starts looking like more than just a doodle with an accidental ink sploosh on it. Adding shadows to your cat drawing will give it the shape it needs in order to look more alive. At this point, you can still add more color blotches if you like.

Remember your light source!! For this one, I have the light coming from above and slightly to the right of the cat. The shadows will be the deepest farthest away from there – around the tail, belly right in front of the back legs. There are smaller shadows under the chin and the edges of its legs as well as inside and behind the ears.

Take a look at its eye. The combination of color and shadow in an eye is more complex than you would think. The iris is often more than one color, and in a cat's eye, it's very large. Cat's eyes are also large, and if you look at one from the side, it's almost as if the iris doesn't reach the front of the eye – it's just clear. Add shadow just along the bottom third of it, and round the shadows a little to give it shape.

Create your shadows with either a black pencil or a darker shade of the cat's color. However, with colored pencils, you can often create deeper colors by going over it more with the same color. In color drawings, I like to use a darker shade or more of the color unless the shadows are really dark. If you think about it, shadows in daylight aren't pitch-black, they're often the same color just darker. So, that's how I draw.

Blend the shadows, pulling from the darkest edge towards the light source. It helps it feather out a bit.

Paper artists: If you haven't already, dab the colors in your cat drawing with a damp paintbrush.

Digital artists: Set the shadows layer to “Multiply” and place it on top of the color layer.

6. Highlighting Details in Your Cat Drawing

Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin, one can't exist without the other.

In your cat drawing, add a touch of white to the areas opposite the shadows. You'll need to add highlights to the nose, top 1/3 or so of the eye, leading edges of the legs and feet, tail, and ears.

Paper artists: If you're using a gel pen, do this one area at a time, in very small amounts. Use your finger to blend just a little as you go.

Digital artists: Create a layer for highlights and place it on top of all other layers.

7. Add the Finishing Touches to Your Cat Drawing

Before you do this, give your drawing a day or so away from your eyes. When we work on the same thing for too long, one or two things can happen: The first is that we miss things that need to be addressed, and the second is that we don't see how good it actually is.

Once you have a fresh pair of eyes, as the saying goes, pull out your cat drawing.

Look for things like whiskers. Did you add them? Cats have long whiskers they use to determine whether they can fit into tiny spaces.

What about the pads on the toes of that back foot? Add four little dots.

In mine, the nose also needed attention. I added a little more shading to it.

After this, set it down again, walk away, then come back and appreciate your hard work.

The post How To Draw A Cat in 7 Easy Steps appeared first on Moms Who Think.

There’s nothing like the crackle of a campfire under a star-studded sky. Before you set out on your family camping trip, however, you’ll want to make sure that you have the right equipment for a cozy and comfortable getaway! The first thing to consider is your tent. Family tents come in all shapes and sizes, and they can have an array of special features. Here are a few things to consider when buying a tent for family camping:

Tent Features

When selecting a tent for a family camping trip, take size, structure, features and more into consideration.

Clostnature Lightweight Backpacking Tent

The Clostnature Lightweight Backpacking Tent is a 1- to 4-person waterproof tent made out of weather-resistant polyester. Its floor has additional protection in the form of a PU5000 coating that wicks away moisture without sacrificing comfort and breathability.

Other benefits of the Clostnature Tent include an easy freestanding set-up, an emergency repair kit, and vestibules for pets or equipment storage on either side of the tent.

Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3-Person Tent With Footprint

Perfect for the small family, the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King is a three-person tent that’s light, durable, waterproof and easy to both pitch and carry. Its waterproofing comes in the form of taped seams around the rainfly and a bathtub-style floor that will keep moisture out. As a bonus, it also includes a footprint to provide another layer of protection between the ground and your body!

TETON Sports Waterproof Bell Tent

Made from canvas and waterproof, the TETON Sports Waterproof Bell Tent is more expensive than your usual poly-blend tents, but it’s also more stylish. Its bell shape gives it a unique design that’ll be the envy of other campers.

There’s more to the TETON than looks, however, including a spacious interior, removable floor, and collection of electronic access ports. Its waterproofing is also top notch thanks to a built-in weather skirt. Additionally, bell-shaped tents are known to be better at resisting mold and mildew, so you’ve got extra protection there.

Caddis Rapid 6 Tent

The Caddis Rapid 6 Tent is a three-season waterproof tent that can be used for most of the year. Whether you’re camping under cherry blossoms or trekking across scattered leaves in mountain passes, it’s a tent that will shelter you from wind and rain. Its floor and rainfly are made of waterproof polyester taffeta; its canopy is part polyester and part mesh to increase ventilation. On non-rainy days, there’s a power port that can provide access for an extension cord.

Coleman Cabin Tent With Instant Setup

Available in four, six, and 10-person sizes, the Coleman Cabin Tent will have more than enough room for a large family. The largest can fit four queen-sized air mattresses or almost a dozen sleeping bags!

Other cool features of the tent include waterproof materials, an optional room divider, and “dark room” technology that blocks 90 percent of sunlight during the day. As promised by the name, it’s also quickly and easily pitched.

Eureka Northern Breeze 10 Screenhouse

Though it’s called a “screenhouse,” the Eureka Northern Breeze 10 Screenhouse is basically a really big tent. It offers 100 square feet of shelter that doesn’t include the awnings extending from the front door and adding coverage outside of the main tent.

Another great thing about the screenhouse is its waterproof and sunproof fabric that rates UPF 50. If you’re worried about the little ones in the sun, this tent could provide some extra protection.

CAMPROS 8-Person Family Tent

Eight people can sleep like babies in the CAMPROS Family Tent. Not only is it nice and roomy, but it also boasts excellent ventilation in the form of polyurethane materials and mesh doors, windows, and tent tops. The breeze can come in, but the bugs can’t!

Another fun fact about the CAMPROS: When you zip up the rainfly, it can be used as a projector screen. You can have family movie night right there in the woods.

Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6-Person Tent

If you’re looking for a freestanding tent that doesn’t skimp on floor space, you might like the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6-Person Tent. It can fit either six humans or several humans and a pet or two! It’s also made to last thanks to a strong combination frame made with both steel and fiberglass. It’ll provide support, stability, and durability for your family during your camping trip, so you won’t have to worry about a flimsy tent giving you any grief during what’s supposed to be a fun time.

CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent

The CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent is a beast of a camping tent, but despite its size, it’s surprisingly agile. It lives up to the “instant” part of its name by having pre-attached poles that just need to be unfolded and locked into place. It also comes with several room dividers if you want to partition off the central space, and there are even separate doors built into the walls so that no one will disturb anyone else as they come and go. If mom’s an early riser or the kids are late sleepers, this tent could be ideal.

CORE 12-Person Extra Large Straight Wall Cabin Tent

Stretching 16 feet across, the CORE Straight Wall Cabin Tent is a truly massive tent. Not only does it come with rooms, but they’re arranged hotel-style in a straight line with multiple entry points, so everyone can have their own space. This could be a great tent for families with teenagers who value their privacy! Otherwise, everyone can collectively enjoy the extravagance of this camping, hiking, and backpacking tent.

UNP 10-Person Family Tent

The UNP 10-Person Family Tent is a tent that can serve your family for years to come. Whether you’re camping, attending a festival, or just stargazing in the backyard, its double-layered walls will protect you from all kinds of inclement weather. As a bonus, it can be assembled in as little as five minutes, so even the kids can learn how to do it!

As for its design, it’s another horizontal tent with rooms separated via privacy curtain. It’s available in several colors if you’re feeling stylish.

Dome Tent Ozark Trail 10-Person Family Camping Tent

With three separate rooms, the Dome Tent Ozark Trail Tent is a polyethylene dome tent that offers privacy as well as luxury. It takes a bit of effort to set up, but the end result will be a large, luxurious camping space that has all of the comforts of home, including an e-port for your electronics. You might also appreciate the storage pockets, removable rainfly, and cross-ventilating walls. You can even remove the dividers if you get tired of separate rooms and want to snuggle everyone together!

The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia.

The post Family Camping Tents: What to Look For, What to Buy appeared first on Moms Who Think.

Once school’s out and the regular activities start to wind down for summer, it’s time for a more leisurely lifestyle — if only for a few months. Make the most of your time together over the next few months by enjoying some activities you’ve never considered. From painting rocks to roller skating, here are 51 super-fun family bonding opportunities that will make this one the best summer ever!

Catch fireflies

We’ll start with the obvious. This classic summer pastime is fun for the whole family. Fireflies typically emerge in late May and early June depending on where you live. Save jars throughout the year so you can share with friends and neighbors who join in the fun. Poke holes in the lid, add some grass, and enjoy them for a while before bedtime. Bonus points for setting them free before you turn in.

Have a picnic

Whether you pack a cooler or you have a proper picnic basket, this classic warm-weather activity is one children love. Make some sandwiches, and pack some chips, fresh fruit and some drinks, and you have the makings for the perfect picnic. Don’t forget the blanket!

Take a bike ride

If your littles are too little to ride their own bike, grab a trailer to tow behind you or add a baby seat to your bike. For those who are able to ride, load up the bikes, and head to a greenway or empty parking lot to ensure you can all ride safely without fear of cars. And don’t forget helmets for all!

Camp out in your backyard

Everyone should camp in a tent at least once in their lives. If your family hasn’t yet taken a camping trip, consider camping out in your backyard. Pitch a tent, build a fire, roast s’mores and fall asleep to the sounds of crickets. It’s the ideal summer bucket list item. Plus, if anyone gets scared or can’t sleep, you’re steps from their bed.

Make homemade ice cream

There’s nothing like a cold ice cream cone to cool you off on a hot summer’s day. The only thing better is if it’s ice cream you made at home. A few simple ingredients are all you need to whip up this tasty treat. Do a quick online search for “homemade ice cream recipes” and see where it takes you.

Create a mural with sidewalk chalk

You don’t need to be Picasso to enjoy flexing some artistic fun. Grab a big box of sidewalk chalk and let everyone loose to create their own work of art. If you want to get fancy, though, grab some painter’s tape and make a pattern. Have the kids color in the blank spaces and see what sort of magic mural you can create!

Play in the sprinkler

This classic summer activity is one the whole family can enjoy. Plus, you’ll simultaneously water the lawn while you’re having fun. Two-for-one! Get on your bathing suits and fire up the hose. It’s time for everyone to get wet!

Go berry picking

Depending on where you live, there is likely some sort of berry in season — especially in the early summer months. Do a search for “berry picking near me” online, and find a local farm that invites people to come berry pick. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries — they’re all up for grabs. Bonus points for whipping up a fresh pie with the kids when you get home.

Visit a local landmark you’ve never been to

The odds are likely high that there is a park, museum or other family-friendly attraction in your town you’ve yet to visit. Pick the place and set the date, and then mark that destination off your bucket list.

Create squirt gun-painted t-shirts

Grab the smocks and rally the troops. This activity is definitely outdoors only, but oh-so-fun. Grab some squirt guns, paint and t-shirts from your local dollar store, and hang up a tarp. Fill the guns with paint, hang the tee on a hanger in front of the tarp, and let the kids take aim. See what sort of creative masterpiece they create, and they’ll enjoy wearing it all summer long!

Have movie night

Whether you pile up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn or you have an outdoor projector and a white sheet, movie night is always a fun respite after a day of playing in the summer sun. Find a movie no one in your family has seen yet, and after dinner and bath, go ahead and press play.

Read a book as a family

Select a popular title that no one has read before, and settle in to knock out a chapter a night. Not only is it providing some family togetherness, but it’s also keeping brains engaged during the summer break. Plus it’s fun to discuss the book over dinner. Bonus points for taking turns who reads each chapter.

Get wet in a nearby waterfall

If you want a break from the pool but still want to get wet, head to a nearby waterfall. A quick search for “waterfalls near me” will likely bring back some options, depending on where you live. It may be a short hike, so wear appropriate shoes, and pack a backpack with bug spray, sunscreen, towels and snacks, and off you go.

Take a staycation

Kids overwhelmingly seem to enjoy spending the night anywhere other than home. Book an overnight stay at a local hotel or Airbnb, and enjoy the gift of a change of scene. Bring some board games or cards, and disconnect … together!

Throw a backyard BBQ

Plan what is perhaps the ultimate summertime experience: a backyard BBQ. Have the kids help plan the menu, create the guest list and decorate. Invite your nearest and dearest to enjoy some burgers and dogs and perhaps some cornhole and Slip N Slide fun.

Visit a waterpark

There is perhaps no other more summery activity than spending a day at the waterpark. Whether it’s an all-out water amusement park complete with a lazy river or it’s simply a wave pool and a waterslide or two, this one is guaranteed to be a hit with the family. Pack your towels and sunscreen and plan to grab lunch at the snack bar. This one will no doubt rank highly on your family fun list.

Take a day trip

Get out the map and draw a 1- to 2-hour radius. Identify a town or two where you’ve never been. Do some research to find out what goes on there, and then load up the car and head in that direction. You may find some interesting shops on a historic downtown Main Street, or perhaps you’ll stumble upon the perfect playground at the city park.

Visit your local zoo

What kid doesn’t love a trip to the zoo? Before you go, look online and see if there are any new exhibits to explore. Map out your route once there, and depending on the size of the zoo, make a list of must-see animals in case you don’t have time to take it all in. Bonus points for making an animal scavenger hunt list to keep little ones engaged.

Have a craft day

Break out all of your craft supplies and perhaps fill in some blanks with a quick trip to your local craft store. Once you have everything out and organized, let everyone grab what appeals to them and get to work creating. Remove any boundaries and let imaginations run wild.

Fly a kite

When the warm summer winds whip up, swing by your local toy store and grab a kite. Then take to an open field and enjoy the wonders of this age-old activity.

Cook something

Whether you want to just whip up a batch of cookies or you want to create a complete menu for the family to make together, there is perhaps no more meaningful activity than time spent in the kitchen. Little ones love to stir and pour, while older kids can keep their math skills sharp by measuring and calculating cook times. Get out the cookbooks and see what sounds tasty.

Build a fort

It’s a well-known and documented fact: kids love forts of any kind. So raid your linen closet and get out all the sheets and blankets you have, and turn the living room or playroom into one big fort. The only problem here is they may never want to take it down. Bonus points for sleeping in the fort overnight.

Visit a farm

Do a quick online search and identify a nearby farm that invites visitors to come pet the animals and experience the property. Many farms also offer summer day camp experiences, so this is a great activity to determine if that sort of summer camp is the right fit for your child.

Go roller skating

Lace up your skates and take to the wooden rink for this age-old activity everyone loves. Many roller rinks have devices that help beginners learn to find their balance on wheels. And once they’ve got the hang of it, they’ll be skating circles around you.

Visit a state or national park

Every state has a state park, and some states are lucky enough to have national parks too. Get out in your neck of the woods and explore your nearest state park. Pack a picnic to enjoy during a break from hiking. Visit the park’s website before you go to determine what sort of wildlife or natural features you may see while there.

Play a new board game

Every family has their favorites, but branch out and try a new board game. Whether you purchase one at the local toy store or you borrow one at a friend’s suggestion, this is a fun way to broaden your family entertainment horizons. And while there are plenty of classics, like Life or Monopoly, there are always new options popping up as well.

Visit a new-to-you playground

You likely have your favorite neighborhood playground, but this summer, make a point of visiting a different playground your family has never experienced. You may find new types of play equipment and make new friends too!

Have a puppet show

The joy of make-believe is never more present than when playing with puppets. Whether you have a cardboard box with cut-out window or your kids simply crouch behind the couch to perform, you’ll no doubt delight in the storylines that unfold. Bonus points for making your own puppets out of socks or construction paper and popsicle sticks.

Have a dance party

Every kid loves to get their wiggles out. Put on some groovy tunes and you have an instant dance party. This is also a fun way to introduce different types of music from different eras. See which types of tunes resonate most with your children.

Paint pottery

This bucket list item could go one of two ways. You can either hit up a local paint-your-own pottery place, where your child can pick out the item they want to paint. In places like this, you paint the item and then leave it with the business to fire, and then you pick it up a week or two later. Another more affordable option is purchasing some plain ceramic pots at a local garden center, and breaking out the paints and paint brushes at home. Either way, you’ll have a personalized keepsake to enjoy at home.

Set up a lemonade stand

It’s a childhood rite of passage. Set up a card table and some chairs in front of your home, and have your kids create a sign announcing their new business. Then gather the supplies you’ll need to provide a refreshing cup of lemonade to each paying customer. Young entrepreneurs will revel in the profits of their hard work.

Create an obstacle course

With the rise in interest in shows like “American Ninja Warrior,” kids are more interested than ever in re-creating similar obstacle courses at home. Set up the ultimate obstacle course for your family — indoors or out (both?) — and then show the kids how to successfully complete it. Invite some neighborhood kids for a little friendly competition. And for the ultra-competitive family, time each child and dole out awards for first, second and third place.

Paint (and plant) rocks

This is a pay-it-forward-type activity that just brings a bit of joy to others’ lives. Gather some rocks — either from a gravel lot or purchase some smoother stones from a garden center or craft store — and some paints. Paint each rock with a fun picture or friendly phrase. When they’re all dry, plant the rocks around your neighborhood for others to discover. It’s the easiest way to anonymously brighten someone’s day!

Create and bury a time capsule

Commemorate this summer for eternity by creating a time capsule with your family. Have each member gather an item or two that is meaningful to them or that represents this particular time in their lives. Store the items in a box or other sturdy container, and then bury the time capsule on your property. Mark the spot where it’s buried or otherwise document its location so they can come back and dig it up in 20, 30, 40 or more years and share its contents with their children.

Visit a botanical garden

Enjoy a colorful experience in nature when you visit your local botanical garden. Explore all that’s in bloom and discuss the various qualities of the plants and flowers you discover.

Build a bird feeder

You don’t have to be a master carpenter to create a comfortable feeder for our avian friends. The tried-and-true success of a pinecone with peanut butter and birdseed can be the perfect way to invite some birds into your yard.

Race go-karts

If you have a child with a need for speed, this one is going to fast become their favorite summer memory. Find a place near you with a child-appropriate track and both single- and double-seater karts so younger ones can ride with an adult.

Attend a sports game

Whether it’s a minor-league baseball game or a local rugby team taking to the field, an afternoon or evening taking in a local sporting event is a sure bet. It’s also a fun way to introduce kids to sports they may not be aware of. Ultimate Frisbee, we’re looking at you!

Take it to the river

A river adventure is always a fun way to spend a summer day. Depending on their ages, kids can enjoy the water via inner tube, kayak or canoe. And don’t forget life vests and bug spray!

Climb trees

The pinnacle of childhood memory-making, scaling a tree and enjoying a snack or some idle chit-chat is the way to go. Explore a park and look for low-hanging limbs that support the weight of your child. For younger ones, make sure you’re nearby to catch them if they fall.

Play a classic game of tag

A perfect activity once the sun has started to set and the heat lets up, every kid loves a game of tag — or a variation thereof, such as freeze tag. An adult should volunteer to be “it” first to set the stage for a fun and fair game. But after you count to 10, all bets are off!

Do some yoga

Grab some blankets, towels or yoga mats, and spread out on the lawn. Then look up some kids yoga videos on YouTube to show on your laptop, or share some of your own yoga moves. Kids enjoy the movement and parents may get a moment of zen out of it too!

Visit a local splashpad

For another fun way to cool off, look up your local splash pad destinations. These are great options for little ones who can’t yet swim or those who are cautious about pools, lakes and oceans. Bring a towel and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Make friendship bracelets

Commemorate this special summer by making friendship bracelets for each other. Whether you do intricate thread-woven types or simply thread some beads onto a piece of lanyard, these will be treasured trinkets for a lifetime.

Make homemade popsicles

Buy or make some juice in any flavor you please. Pour the juice into some plastic cups, top with plastic wrap, and poke popsicle sticks through. (Or make it even easier and purchase some plastic popsicle molds.) Pop them into the freezer, and voila! Custom-made popsicles to cool off with!

Build a fairy garden

There are ready-made fairy garden kids at big-box crafter stores. But you can also make your own with parts and pieces found around the house. Either way, this fun activity brings a bit of whimsy as kids love miniatures — and watching plants grow. It’s an all-around win!

Make a windchime

Every time the wind blows, you’ll be reminded of this fun activity. Plus this can be as basic or advanced as your kids’ capabilities allow.Here’s a great beginner-level option that uses only a few items and requires very little oversight. The sky is truly the limit in terms of materials, so get super creative!

Create and keep a nature journal

Either buy some small notebooks or grab a stack of paper and fold it in half to make small booklets to use as nature journals. In them, you save pretty plants and flowers you discover while out in nature. Draw pictures of birds and bugs you spot, or write a journal entry describing the sounds of nature.

Make a bug hotel

Create a fun and stylish place for bugs to take up residence. This can be in a stack of cinder blocks, in a large cardboard box or any other object that you choose. Gather sticks to build “bug beds” and put down some leaf “carpeting.” Options are endless!

Go horseback riding

Do a quick online search to find local options for horseback riding. Then check to make sure your children are the right age to enjoy this activity safely. Assuming so, get everyone dressed in long pants, and get ready for a fun ride on one of the most beautiful animals around. Make sure to wear helmets!

Make a scrapbook

And finally, after knocking out all of these fun, family-friendly bucket list items, you’ll want to create a scrapbook that captures each of the moments you enjoyed as a family. Everyone can make their own, or you can make one big one as a family with everyone contributing in their own way. Looking back on a summer well spent is the perfect way to wrap it up!

The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Choreograph.

The post The Ultimate Summer Bucket List: Your Family’s Guide to the Best Summer Ever appeared first on Moms Who Think.