Popcorn Candle DIY
I have been experimenting with natural supplies to create stunning additions to my decor. This super simple candle holder is perfect for adding something naturally lovely to your home this fall on even the tightest budget!
All you need is a bag of popcorn kernels and a LED tealight and a clear glass candle holder.
Simply fill the candleholder with popcorn kernels then add a battery operated tea light!
I made a short facebook video to show you how lovely this is. I love the simple touch of natural beauty this easy project offers. You could also wrap a simple burlap ribbon around the candleholder also to add another sweet touch to the finished product.
12+ Fall Mason Jar Crafts
Fall Leaf Mason Jar Luminaries by Create Craft Love
Fall Pine Cone Mason Jars by Pillar Box Blue
Fall Mason Jars by Crafts by Amanda
Hanging Fall Mason Jars by Live Laugh Rowe
Fall Leaf Mason Jar Candle Holders by Creative Homemaking
Fall Mason Jar Centerpiece by DIY Beautify
Plaid Painted Mason Jars by Daily DIY Life
Mason Jar Centerpiece with Burlap Rosettes by Oh My Creative
Fall Themed Mason Jars by My Turn For Us
Glittery Pumpkin Mason Jars by The Best Ideas for Kids
Scarecrow Mason Jars by Easy Peasy Fun
Fall Harvest Corn Mason Jar by Thrifty Jinxy
12+ Tree Crafts for Kids
Puzzle Piece Tree
Torn Paper Trees
Autumn Splatter Trees
Leaf Stamped Trees
Dish Brush Trees
Twig Paintings
Pumpkin Seed Tree Art
Hand-print Fall Tree Project
Fingerprint Autumn Trees
Autumn Button Branch
Fall Tree Sun-catchers
Tree Silhouette Place-mats
Summer Skin Care Favorites
Best Toys of Summer
6 Family Friendly Day Trips
If you've just purchased one of the Columbus houses for sale, or you've lived in the city for a while and are looking for something a little different, you'll have access to a wide range of opportunities for family-friendly day tripping.
Columbus is centrally located between Ohio's two other major cities, Cincinnati and Cleveland, and there is a long list of historic towns, parks, and many other fun destinations within easy reach to explore.
Downtown Mansfield, the Carousel District
The kids will love visiting Mansfield, with its downtown area known as the Carousel District. Located just an hour from Columbus, it's home to the Richland Carousel Park which made history when in 1991 it opened America's first new hand-carved carousel in 60 years. It was inspired by G.A. Dentzel, one of the most highly acclaimed carvers of the early 20th century and includes 52 creatures including horses, chariots, and a menagerie of others, like a mythical hippocampus.
Mansfield is also home to a fantastic children's museum, an immersive attraction aimed at kids aged two through 10, with dozens of exhibits, including a dinosaur dig where the kids can play paleontologist as they discover bones from prehistoric creatures, a doctor's office where they can perform exams and take X-rays, and a petting farm where they can ride a horse, feed pigs and milk cows while.
Hocking Hills State Park
An hour southeast of Columbus you'll find Hocking Hills State Park, home to unusual rock, caves, a spectacular waterfall, and all sorts of hiking trails. A walk in autumn brings the chance to stroll through brilliant fall colors. Zipline rides, kayaking, and rock climbing are all possibilities here too, but the highlight may be Ash Cave, which forms a huge recess in the rock that you can walk into.
Amish Country
There are more than 330,000 Amish in America, and Ohio is home to its own Amish Country, made up of several towns, with the largest Millersburg, about an hour and 40-minute drive from Columbus. You'll be in a place that feels foreign; in fact, in many of the communities, people speak Pennsylvania Dutch as their first language. The Amish live without cars and most modern technology - you can see them getting around in horse-drawn carriages and purchase some of their magnificent handcrafted items downtown.
Cuyahoga National Park
Less than two hours north of Columbus is the state's only national park. Stretching from Cleveland to Akron, this huge park is a magnificent area of natural beauty following the course of the Cuyahoga River with walking and biking trails, caves, and waterfalls. A 2.2-mile trek, perfect for miles, will take you around the Virginia Kendall Ledges, passing through the forest dotted with mossy cliffs, caves, and huge limestone boulders. There are several notable waterfalls too, but the most impressive is 65-foot-tall Brandywine Falls, easily accessed via a wooden boardwalk.
Olentangy Indian Caverns
For those who have an interest in Native American history and perhaps want to teach their kids more about it too, the Olentangy Indian Caverns are less than a 30-minute drive north of Columbus. The natural cave system was once used by the native Huron people as their shelter. The caverns stretch over three floors and provided a safe haven during war, as they're hard to see from above ground. Guided tours can take you underground to explore them. Other attractions can be enjoyed here too, including mini-golf, a petting zoo, treasure hunt maze, and gem mining.
Springfield
Just 45 minutes from Columbus, Springfield is home to a fun farmer's market, a unique rock garden, and a child-friendly art museum. At Young's Jersey Dairy, you can visit a petting zoo, hit the batting cage, play mini-golf and enjoy famously delicious ice cream cones. On a warm day, Buck Creek State Park hosts a large lake for watersports like swimming, water skiing, fishing, and boating.
Summer Slim Down Guide
Easy Ways to Improve Your Family's Diet in the New Year
hard to find time to cook at all, and it’s always tempting to stick to the same meals that you know
everyone enjoys and you can prepare quickly. But this isn’t always good for your diet.
your diet. It can also increase fussiness, and the chances of your children at some point, developing an
unhealthy relationship with food. If you are worried about your family's eating habits, making
improvements doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, there are plenty of easy ways to make positive
changes. Here’s a look at some of them.
are often filled with salt, sugar and preservatives. They are rarely as healthy as you’d like. Cooking
meals from scratch means that you know what you are eating, your diet is free from processed foods
and preservatives, and that you’ve got an easy way to add some extra vegetables and nutrients.
pickled okra and other fresh foods that you might not have tried before. Look online for new meal ideas,
and if you see something new, whether an ingredient, meal or snack, while you shop, give it a go.
Introducing new foods and flavors doesn’t have to mean changing your whole diet, it can be adding bits
here and then when you see something that appeals to you.
relationships with food. Commit to eating meals together as much as possible, leaving phones and other
devices in another room. If possible, eat around a table, without other distractions. Cooking as a family,
and getting your kids involved in the process can also help.
busy, it’s all too tempting to reach for a quick snack, instead of preparing something fresh. But, these
snacks are often unhealthy and filled with sugar. Keep ready chopped crudités, fruit salads, yogurts
and other healthy snacks prepared and ready to grab.
All of us have different habits. If you want to improve your family's diet, you need to first look at what is wrong with it. Do you eat together? Do you rush breakfast? Do you eat on the go a lot? Is there too much salt or sugar in your diet? Do you eat chips most days? Look at your diet, and write a list of things that you could do to improve — focusing on small, sustainable changes, and fun experiments with new things.
Gifts for Foodies
Give the gift of flavor with an assortment of tasty K Pops sauces. Foodies will love the range that these sauces can bring to sandwiches and assorted dishes in the kitchen. I loved the Honey Glaze sauce which complimented stir fry wonderfully. Find it online for about $9 a bottle.
Protein Puffs by Shrewd Food make a great way to snack without adding lots of carbs to the diet. Available in flavor from savor cheddar or nacho cheese or pepperoni pizza, to sweet cookies and cream, any foodie will dig these protein packed puffs for guilt free snacking.
I love the gift of healthier treats during the holidays when it is so easy to overindulge at your every whim. Burl Barley Granola offers some good for you granola that taste amazing. Gift a few bags of this made with barley goodness now to make turning over a new leaf easier at the first of the year or to add a crunchy bit of cheer to any holiday moment. Find it at select health food stores or online.
My favorite gifts are always the ones I can eat. Passion Pickles by Cin Chili are a great snack, or hostess gift this holiday season. Available in 2 varieties; Ghost Pepper and Habanero, these offer the ideal blend of crisp, sweet and heat. Add them to a relish tray, or just snack on them right out of the jar. Find them online for $6.
Foodies love to snack, so offer them something new to satisfy the palette this holiday season. Moziacs are popped chips that are made with so much more than potato. Each bite has bits of veggies in it for a wholesome snack that satisies. I love how these look like stained glass windows. Order online from Moziacs or Amazon.
Going to an event and want to spread a little cheer without straining your budget? Grab a dozen of these perfect for fall and winter flavors from Pure Ice. I love the Crisp Apple as a booze free option to toast this year. Find it at major retailers like Walmart, Kroger or Target.
Appetizers are always worth celebrating. This 8 pack of simply adorable plates from the Corelle Celebrations line features simple messages in cute script like "enjoy", "love", "share" and "gather". These make a perfect addition to the holiday table. Gift them to your favorite foodie for $30. Find them online.
Let your favorite foodie go green with these compostable utensils. No more guilt over throwing out single use plastics with a few of these from Twenty Fifty Fork. Get 4 boxes of 12 for under $50 online from Twenty Fifty Fork.
Shopping for an adventurous eater? These mini kicker cricket snacks are the way to go. in favors like cotton candy and Italian Lasagna, who could resist trying one? Get a few tubes from EntoLife online for about $6 each.
Gummy Burgers make for a fun gift for foodies of all ages. These massive gummy burgers are made with an assortment of other gummy candies. Get these from Wicked Uncle Gifts for under $7 to add a sweet fruity smile to someone you loves face this holiday season.
Foodies like to be precise with their favorite recipes. This battery free kitchen scale helps them to find the perfect amount of seasonings, spices, veggies and more without dealing with dead batteries. Find this model from Elessi for under $26. Get it from amazon for a green approach to precision in the kitchen.
Whipping up a batch of chili has never been easier with this chili cook off winning spice blend. Add this to your ingredients and take the wow factor up a notch with this mix from Cin Chili. Get it online for under $6.
Encourage celebration this holiday season with a fragrant, fruity and floral extra dry rose by Mionetto. This is a beautiful rose that has the ideal blend of fragrance and flavor. Find it at retailers for about $15 a bottle.
Give a gift worthy of toasting this holiday season with another fab for any foodie offering from Mionetto. The DOC Processo is bubbly, brilliant and pairs beautifully with so many dishes. Find it retailers for about $15 a bottle. You will be delighted by the wonderful quality of this brand.
Anya's Real Fruit Licorice are a really tasty and healthy snack to gift a foodie this year. These are chewy yet soft, packed with real fruit and a hit with kids young and old. Get it online at the Anya's site in 20 packs for $36
The Chocolate Chip of the Month Club is the ideal gift for any chocolate chip cookie fan. Send a box of comfort with a delectable twist right to their door. Prices start at $12 a month and feature great flavors and the cookies are HUGE! Order from the Chocolate Chip of the Month Club website.
Offer a little assortment to someone you love that loves chili flakes on their food or in their recipes. This trip from The Chili Lab has 3 different chili flake blends that are sure to tickle the tastebuds. Find this trip for under $25 at the Chili Lab site.
Give the foodie in your life a special flavor for all their foods with this beautiful hand harvested french sea salt. Available in 4 flavors, this is truly a unique gift! Get all 4 online for $48 from Louis Sel.
If you need a gift for a Italian food fan, then this all occasion collection from Cookies Con Amore is the way to go. Featuring delectable treats like a jelly filled cookie and biscotti, this gift box has something for everyone. Get it for under $20 for a flavorful gift with global flair.
Wouldn't everyone be happy to score some dough on Christmas? With Eastern Standard Provisions Pretzels you can give the gift of some incredible pretzels, pretzel rolls and delectable salts for those goodies, which technically all come from dough, so your favorite foodie will delight in their gift! Order online, and let me know which offering you found irresistible!
The holidays are definitely a time of over indulgence, so why not try to balance things out with Mom's Best Granola? They have some tasty flavor options and granola is always a good snack. Visit the site for info on where to find your favorite flavors in stores for under $5 a bag.
If you want a simple gift for a foodie that you can feel good about, knowing it is going to be snacked away in no time, check out these really good cheese puffs from Barbara's. They are about $2.50 a bag and are quite addictive! Use the store locator on the Barbara's website to find near you.
A true foodie has a fondness for fresh, so wrapping up a box of Food Vacbags for the holidays is like giving the gift of fresh for months to come. Get a 100' roll of food storage bags that work with all vacuum sealers for about $24 online from the Food Vacbags website.
Need a gift that keeps on giving? Why not order a 6 month subscription to Bean Box? Your favorite foodie can get 4 sampler bags of excellent coffee for $19 a month. This is the best way to spread holiday cheer all year long for coffee lovers. Order online and explore the blends.
Give a of legal drinking age chick in your life a cocktail that is perfect for popping open to share. Two Chicks makes some really delicious options that get the conversation flowing! Find your favorite flavor and where to buy near you online.
If you need a little something for someone who loves craft salts, the salts from Mason's Market are the way to go. Starting at about $9 a tin, they have some awesome flavors and several grains. These are a welcome to any pantry and the tins are perfect for easy storage. Order online for adding some flavor and variety to dishes and dinners.
Find more awesome Christmas ideas here
Reader faves include:
Mickey Mouse Gift Tag Ornaments