Art Gifts for Kids That They Will Love

2 Replies

There is something about kids and craft projects! They love the hands on, and sometimes messy, aspect of them. So what better present is there than art gifts for kids?!

paint set for art gifts for kids. Great ideas for the creative kids in your life.My posts use affiliate links. See the disclosure page for more information.

For all the creative kid art lovers in your life, I’ve rounded up an excellent list of present ideas for you.

In our house, most birthdays and Christmases involve getting at least one art and craft gift.

The Best Art Gifts for Kids:

How to Draw Books

There is a general how to draw guide like this:

Or pick something based on your child’s interest, like these:

(There are books for every subject, animal, style that you can imagine. We currently have dinosaurs, princesses, and pets.)

Pencils

For the responsible child, get them a set of these colored pencils. They are the best!

If your child is younger, a set of Crayola pencils will work just fine. (This is what my kids still get. When they start being more careful with their materials, I’ll upgrade them!)

Pastels and Charcoals

Kids always have access to crayons and markers and sometimes colored pencils. Expand their collection this year by getting them something new. Pastels or charcoals would be a fun thing to experiment with.

Paints and Accessories

Painting is always exciting. From toddlers to teens – there is something for everything:

Finger Paints for the littles

Set of 18 washable paints or this set of 6 is super cheap as an add on.

Watercolors

Here’s a set of 25 brushes for kids.

Here’s a set of brushes for watercolor and acrylic paints.

Paint tray. This gets used every time the bottles of paint get pulled out.

Modeling Clay

Another fun item to have in your craft closet! Whether to build and reuse like play-dough or build and bake to keep, this will be a project they beg you to do.

Modeling Clay:

White clay that doesn’t dry out

Oven Dry Clay

Paper

Yes, your artist needs more than computer copy paper. 😉

Sketch Book

Watercolor paper for paint, pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel, and acrylic

Craft paper on a roll. My kids love having this.

Construction Paper 

Craft Kits

There is a myriad of options. Search according to what the child’s interest are, but here are a few ideas:




Glue

Of course you need something to stick things together when you build and create. Most people already have glue sticks and basic Elmer’s glue in their house, so try these:

Glue dots

Hot glue gun

Tacky glue

Art and Craft Essentials

Don’t forget all the childhood essentials. These are the items that most of us probably grew up using:

You can also find a variety pack like this with pipe cleaners, pom pom balls, and googly eyes:


What are the essentials in your kids’ craft closets? What are your favorite art gifts for kids?

Be sure to check out these other gift guides for more ideas:

Best Experience Gifts for Kids
Educational Gifts Kids Will be Excited About
The Best Craft and Art Gifts for Kids
Gifts for Kids Who Have Everything
Gifts for Teen Girls
Gifts for Teen Boys
Gifts for Preschool Boy
Gifts for a 2 Year Old
Gifts for Preschoolers
Gifts for a Home Cook
Gifts for a Fitness Lover

sketch book, paint and brushes for art gifts for kids. Great ideas for the creative kids in your life.

paint set for art gifts for kids. Great ideas for the creative kids in your life.

Chicken Veggie Noodle Soup

2 Replies

This chicken veggie noodle soup is a family favorite. Perfect for a fall or winter day. Actually, we’ve on occasion even made it in the summer.

bowl of delicious homemade chicken noodle soup. This chicken veggie noodle soup is healthy, easy, and so good.

Affiliate links are used in my posts. See the disclosure page for more information.

This soup is full of vegetables: carrots, onion, garlic, potatoes, celery, and green beans! This is also the perfect soup to make substitutes on. Don’t like green beans, simply leave them out or replace with corn or any other vegetable.

Chicken veggie noodle soup is the perfect recipe to serve with homemade bread. It has made an appearance at our table several times for company as well.

Even if we don’t have company, I make this recipe in mass. I love having the leftovers to feed my family for a second meal. (Leftovers are one of my favorites ways to spend less time in the kitchen.)

Bring out your stock pot and put chicken veggie noodle soup on the menu this week!

Ingredients:

Chicken broth
Chicken (You can use boneless chicken breasts or bone in – personal preference. Of course
you could also use already cooked chicken, or leftover turkey)
Onion
Garlic
Egg noodles
Green beans
Celery
Carrots
Potatoes
Salt, pepper, parsley

Tools:

Stock Pot (this recipe maxes out my 12 quart one)
Ladle
Microplane (completely optional but it makes mincing garlic soooo easy)

Chicken Veggie Noodle Soup

Â

Print
Chicken Veggie Noodle Soup
 
Ingredients
  • 16 cups chicken broth
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 3 cups of sliced carrots
  • 2 cups green beans (frozen is fine)
  • 3 cups cubed potatoes
  • 2 cups sliced celery
  • 1½ pounds boneless chicken breasts (can use bone in too)
  • 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked pepper to taste
  • 3 cups of egg noodles
  • Dried parsley, optional
Instructions
  1. In a large stockpot put stock, onions, garlic, and chicken. When chicken is cooked remove from pot and add remaining ingredients except for the noodles.
  2. Simmer until veggies are tender.
  3. Dice the cooked chicken (or pull meat from bones if using bone in chicken).
  4. When vegetables are tender add noodles and cooked chicken to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook around another 10 minutes or until noodles are done.
  5. Enjoy!

 

What are your favorite soup recipes? I have a few more I want to post for the winter  months. 🙂 Soups are the best!

bowl of delicious homemade chicken noodle soup. Healthy, easy, and so good.

Aldi Finds

Leave a reply

We are back again with another meal plan that uses the produce and meat sales in this week’s Aldi ad. I love shopping at Aldi – the bulk of my purchases come from there and then a will pick up a few items that are on sale at other stores. So an Aldi meal plan is the best!

aldi meal plan

If you struggle with coming up with ideas for what to eat this week, I hope this post gives you some inspiration.

I’m a huge fan of using menu planning as a way to keep grocery costs down (my first point in this post on drastically reducing your grocery budget). No matter how many of these recipes you use, I highly recommend you get your downloadable menu plan template and put it to use. It has saved me so much money over the years:

This week, I’m not only going to include the sample Aldi menu, but I will also share what I’m feeding my family for the next week on my $170 a month grocery budget. This means twice as many ideas.

Aldi Produce and Meat Sales to Check Out (10/17-10/23):

These prices are in my local ad – your prices might vary.

  • Bartlett Pears – 1.79 for 3 pounds
  • Grape tomatoes – .99 per pint
  • Raspberries – 1.49 for 6 ounces
  • 12 ounces chopped organic kale – 2.19
  • Honeycrisp apples – 2.19 for 2 pounds
  • Ground beef – 9.95 for 5 pounds
  • Pork chops – 2.19 a pound
  • Ricotta cheese – 1.49
  • Tortillas – .99

Aldi Meal Plan

Suppers:

Taco Tuesday (using the ground beef and tortillas that are on sale – or make your own)
Skillet Lasagna
Baked Garlic Pork Chops (I’ve never made pork chops, these sound like an amazing first try)
Cheese Pizza (these are the dough and sauce recipes I use)
Pancakes and scrambled eggs (add some bacon or sausage if your budget allows)
Protuguese Chourico and Kale Soup 
Fend for yourself/leftovers/freezer meal

Snack and Side Ideas:

Apples and pears
Carrot and celery sticks
Roasted Kale
Kale Salad

Frugal Lunch Ideas:

Kale Salad (same recipe as above – also uses the grape tomatoes that are on sale)
Pancakes
Sandwiches
Rice Cakes (with peanut butter or meat)
Leftovers
Beans and Rice
Roasted Vegetables
Salad

Frugal Breakfast Ideas:

Oatmeal
Cinnamon apple toast
Southwestern Oven Omelet

$170 per month Menu Plan for this Week:

Okay, and now for my family’s menu for the week. I plan using the method I outline in my menu planning template:

Saturday
Pancakes for lunch
Steak Salad

Sunday
Eggs and hashbrowns for lunch
Small groups for supper (bring sides and desserts)

Monday: Chili

Tuesday: Leftover Chili

Wednesday: Kids eat at church

Thursday: Chili Baked Potatoes

Friday: Pizza night

Breakfasts: Oatmeal, leftover pancakes, eggs

Lunches: Soups from the freezer, PB sandwiches on homemade sourdough, veggies, fruit, salad, deli meat

Snacks: Cuties, pretzels, homemade orange juice Popsicles (my oldest’s request)

What’s on your menu this week?

Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipes You Have to Try

Leave a reply

moist pumpkin bread recipes collage. These are the best.

It’s no secret: I love fall. I also love pumpkin. There something fun about pumpkin recipes (especially moist pumpkin bread recipes) and the super flavorful spices that come along with it: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg. Aren’t those the perfect smells of autumn?

Homemade pumpkin breads are amazing. I like recipes that are moist and flavorful. A dry pumpkin bread is no good. Moist pumpkin bread recipes are the way to go.

Side note, why is moist such a controversial word? If so, my question is what word do you use instead? Damp pumpkin bread recipe just doesn’t sound quite right. 😉 Thankfully, I’m one of those not bothered by the word.

Today, I want to share 10 delectable looking moist pumpkin bread recipes that you have to try! There’s no shame with baking your way through the list to find your new favorite.  In fact, your family might even love you for it.

Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipes You Have to Try

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread – Averie Cooks

Photo from Averie Cooks

This recipe from Averie Cooks is amazing. I’m not exaggerating when I say my kids inhaled this. Something that I love about this recipe is that it doesn’t use any eggs! Perfect if you are vegan or just are out of eggs and don’t want to run to the store. I’d recommend using the mild molasses or cutting back on it slightly.

The Best Pumpkin Bread – The Domestic Rebel

This recipe promises to be moist and fluffy! It also uses dark brown sugar. Yum!

Pumpkin Bread – Bake By An Introvert

Photo from Baked By An Introvert

I love that this recipe uses buttermilk. I’m a huge fan of buttermilk (it makes the best pancakes) so I’m sure this is amazing. This recipes also uses an oil and butter combo.

Moist Pumpkin Bread – Genius Kitchen

A pecan topping? Genius! Sounds like the perfect compliment to a moist pumpkin bread. I can attest that this recipe is also tasty without the topping.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread – Sally’s Baking Addiction

Photo by Sally’s Baking Addiction

Doesn’t the use of orange for the liquid sound perfect?! I can’t wait to give this a try. Plus, how can you go wrong with chocolate?

Delectable Pumpkin Pie Bread Recipe – DIY Candy

Photo by DIY Candy

This recipes uses pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices. Saves you opening about 4 containers right there. Don’t forget you can make your own pumpkin pie spice.

Favorite Fall Pumpkin Bread – Delightful E Made

Photo from Delightful E Made

Erin says that this recipe holds true to the Starbucks’ pumpkin loaf. She also added a tasty looking crumb topping.

Easy Pumpkin Bread – Tastes of Lizzy T

Photo from Tastes of Lizzy T

This recipe uses coconut oil, so of course I am a fan. The recipe also makes two loaves. Perfect to have one for the freezer or to gift one.

Homemade Pumpkin Bread – Six Figures Under

Photo from Six Figures Under

This recipe uses no oil (or applesauce)! I can’t wait to give it a try. I’m a fan of healthy fats, but it’s nice to have a recipe that you don’t have to use expensive coconut oil or butter on.

Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe Mom Life Busy Wife

Photo from Mom Wife Busy Life

An entire can of pumpkin to 1 1/2 cups of flour. Brittany claims that this is a very moist recipe.

Pumpkin Bread – Simply Recipes

Photo from Simply Recipes

With melted butter and orange zest this sounds amazing and looks delicious. Perfect moist pumpkin bread recipe to make this fall.

Moist Pumpkin Bread – Kitchen Nostalgia

Photo from Kitchen Nostalgia

Be sure to read the tips in the introduction to this recipe. She shares how to be sure your pumpkin bread is moist and whether dark or light brown sugar is preferred.

Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe Little House Living

moist pumpkin bread recipes

Photo from Little House Living

This recipe has a secret ingredient! Instead of using oil or butter, Melissa uses sour cream. That means it’s another one that needs to be tried.

There are the 13 moist pumpkin bread recipes you need to try! Which are you going to start with? If you already have a favorite (moist) pumpkin bread recipe, please share it with me. I’ll add it to my “to make” list.

P.S. If you are a pumpkin hater, I’m so sorry! Just pin this post to help someone else out. 🙂 Pumpkin season will be over soon enough. 😉

P.P.S. If you are looking for a healthy oat flour (gluten free) pumpkin muffin with chocolate chips and cranberries, be sure to check out this one of mine!

picture of 4 moist pumpkin bread recipes. Have to try these! Collage of moist pumpkin bread recipes. These you have to try!

Thanksgiving Checklist and Planner

Leave a reply

miniature pumpkins and pinecones. This thanksgiving checklist will make hosting the big dinner a breeze!

In the United States, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Being organized means less stress so it’s time to make a plan! After all, none of us need more stress. 🙂 Use this Thanksgiving Checklist and Thanksgiving planner printable that’s in our resource library to simplify your life (and make sure you aren’t forgetting anything).

If this is your first year to host Thanksgiving or if you are a seasoned pro, I hope that planning ahead makes it the best year yet.

Thanksgiving Checklist

Location

Are you hosting but don’t have space? Most people don’t mind squeezing in. If it’s nice, set up a table outside. Put a kids table up in a bedroom. Be creative. If using your house isn’t an option, check with your church and see if they would let you use a gathering area with a kitchen.

Guests

Who are you having over? Make a list of everyone you invite and make note of how many will be coming from each family.

You also need to decide if you will be asking everyone to bring at least one dish. (They will likely offer, so you might as well make it easier on yourself!). Be sure to write down what food/beverage each guest will be bringing.

Thanksgiving Menu

When you plan the menu be sure to consider these categories:

Appetizers (Ideas: Veggie or fruit platter, cheese and crackers, dip)
Sides and Salads (Ideas: mashed potatoes, green beans, lettuce salad, cranberry salad, rolls, sweet potatoes)
Main Dish/Meat (Ideas: Turkey or ham)
Desserts (Ideas: ice cream, pies, whipped cream, cookies, tart)
Drinks (Ideas: water, tea, lemonade, cider, coffee etc)

Shopping List

Once you have your menu made and know what other people are bringing, you can make yourself a shopping list. If you aren’t using glass dishes don’t forget to add paper plates & napkins and plastic silverware and cups to the list. A bag of ice too.

Buy or Borrow

Are there items you need to make hosting go a little more smoothly? Beverage containers, extra chairs, platters etc. You might have friends who would let you use their folding table so you don’t have to buy one.

Activities

What are your plans for the day? Spending time eating and visiting? Do you want to have any games available? Activities for the kids? There is no right choice, but just think it through.

Other Meals

Your family will probably want to eat something for breakfast and the second supper/lunch (whichever you aren’t having Thanksgiving dinner at). Maybe have some easy fend for your self breakfast options available.  Do you want to plan on leftovers of the lunch feast for supper? Turkey sandwiches? Just have a plan so you won’t get frustrated when your kids come to you hungry.

To Clean

Make a list of what needs to happen before company arrives at your house. Running the vacuum, cleaning the bathroom, and mopping the kitchen are givens, but what other areas do you need to be sure to tackle?

Now that your brainstorming and organizing is done, it’s time to get detailed. Break your lists and need to dos down by timeline.

What needs to happen

A month before the event: Invite guests, choose a location, and plan your menu.

Two weeks before: Plan games & your shopping list. Purchase non perishables.

One week before: Start those cleaning tasks that you can do in advance. Finish grocery shopping. Round up what your are borrowing from friends. Thaw the turkey sometime after the point!

2 days before: Clean (bathrooms, pick up the toys and clutter, mop etc)

Day before: Start the cooking (make your desserts, salads and cold dishes, prep the relish tray etc) You could even put out tableware and set tables.

Thanksgiving Day: Put the turkey in the oven, make all of the hot dishes, put drinks out. Finish any last minutes items and enjoy the day with your guests.

When you have everything written down and planned out into bite sized tasks, hosting thanksgiving dinner won’t seem so intimidating.

I have a free Thanksgiving planner printable to help you put all of these things organized on paper.  Sign up for the resource library and download them today!

printables from the thanksgiving checklist

printables from our thanksgiving planner printable. Get this Thanksgiving checklist today and make hosting the big day a breeze!