The time has come to mark the end of another school year, and for our family, this means the end of kindergarten. I know I’ll probably say this every year at this time, but where did the time go?! Looking back on this photo of Miss A in September is a reminder of how much changes from the beginning of the school year and how far they come, how much they grow. I created this First Day of Kindergarten printable in the Fall (check out our goofy photo that followed the one above on Instagram here) and have since created a full set of first day/ last day of school printables for preschool through Grade 7, so if you want to get the coveted first day/ last day photos you can quickly print them off and pop them in a frame.
These school printables are perfect to capture special memories of your kids at the beginning and end of each school year to look back on in years to come. I think it’s safe to say I’m going to be pretty teary-eyed when we snap this year’s end of kindergarten photo, but I’m sure I’ll say that every year from here on out lol. Next up: Grade 1!
If you print these off to use with your kids I’d love to see the photos! Tag @ourhappyplace on Instagram if you share them on social media. These signs will fit a standard sheet of 8.5″ * 11″ piece of paper, but feel free to scale them if you want to make them bigger/ smaller. Find a preview of how the file will look (I used the preschool version) below.
See below to print your First/ Last Day of School printables!
What are your favourite ways to remember the beginning/ end of the school year and other milestones with your kids?
Who’s ready for another Summertime treat that’s quick and easy to whip up? My second recipe with Nora’s non-dairy ice cream is an allergy-friendly take on a classic: gluten-free, dairy-free cookies n cream ice cream! Over the years our family has looked for an option that’s allergy- friendly with no luck, so having the chance to work with Nora’s on this recipe was the perfect opportunity to create our own version of this favourite flavour.
Just because something is allergy-friendly doesn’t mean it’s not delicious!
For this cookies n cream ice cream recipe, I picked up a pack of dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free cookies, which were the perfect addition to Nora’s plant-based ice cream that’s made with cashews. Use your favourite non-dairy milk and you’re set! See below for the recipe and click here for another yummy recipe with Nora’s.
Ingredients
1 pint Nora’s non- dairy Vanilla Bean ice cream
3 allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookies
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened cashew milk for this recipe)
Directions
1.Bring the ice cream out of the freezer and allow to soften for a few minutes. While you’re waiting, use a rolling pin to crush the cookies
2.When softened, scoop the ice cream into a blender, followed by the crushed cookies. If needed, add 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk.
3. Blend mixture until the crushed cookies are combined. Pour the mixture back into the pint container or another freezer- safe container and freeze. When ready, serve and enjoy!
I hope your family loves this cookies n cream ice cream as much as mine!
About Nora’s
Nora’s Non-Dairy ice cream is mixed up in small batches in Vancouver, BC. Available in 4 delicious flavours made with simple, whole foods ingredients. Visit Nora’s Non-Dairy online for a list of retailers + find them on Instagram for updates on new retailers, upcoming events, etc.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Check out OHP’s Recipes page for lots more (including gluten + dairy free)!
Like this recipe? Save it for later!
Disclosure: I received product to create this recipe. All opinions are my own.
What is on your Summer bucket list? Do you have favourite traditions or do you want to try something new? Maybe a bit of both? With school winding down in a couple of weeks it’s the perfect time to start thinking about what adventures you want to get up to, and I’ve got something fun in today’s post to help your family kickstart their Summer planning!
Get ready for Summer with this printable!
If you’re trying to think of ideas to have fun this Summer, this bucketlist printable is perfect. I’ve filled in some ideas, plus left room for you to think of your own; there’s also a completely blank page if you want room for extra ideas. Just scroll down to click and print your own!
But that’s not all I’ve got for you in today’s post…
I’m excited to be giving away a prize pack from Cultus Lake Waterpark and Adventure Park! When it comes to favourite Summer traditions, this would definitely be one of mine. As a kid I love going to Cultus Lake Waterpark, there are so many fun slides, plus they’ve added to it over the years, making it bigger and better than when I was a kid. I’m excited to be taking the kids this year for the first time, plus checking out the Adventure Park with them as well. Plus I get to treat another family to some Summer fun as well! One lucky BC family will win a 4-pack of any height tickets to both Cultus Lake Waterpark and Adventure Park (a $250 value!).
Enter to win below!
The main entry is on this Facebook post, so please go there first to enter then come back here for all the bonus entries, good luck everyone!
Click + print below for this Summer Bucketlist Printable!
Now that we’re headed into the warmer time of year, heavy cooking and turning on the oven for meals is becoming less of a thing. It’s time to make room for lighter dishes and a hearty salad is a perfect option for Summer. Pasta salad is a big hit in my house and it’s even better when made with homemade dressing, so I thought to finish up my 3-part recipe series with reebee this Mediterranean pasta salad would be perfect- and just in time for Summer entertaining.
This Mediterranean pasta salad is great as a side dish or as a meal on its own, perfect for Summer
Thanks to reebee, you can find everything you need for this recipe at the lowest price, just click on the links below to see the best prices on the ingredients in your area.
Great to serve at a BBQ, pack up for a day at the beach, picnic, and afternoons at the spray park, this Mediterranean pasta salad is light and filling. It takes a few minutes to make, and the dressing is well worth skipping buying the stuff from the store.
Find everything you need for this recipe (+ more!) for the best price thanks to reebee!
All you have to do is download the app and enter your location to receive current and upcoming flyers from a variety of stores for your area. To show you how it works, simply click on the items in the ingredient list below and reebee will do the rest, showing you what ingredients are on sale and where to find the best prices this week. Savings at your fingertips!
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or the equivalent of finely diced fresh herbs)
Directions
1. To get things started, boil a pot of water and get your pasta cooking. While that’s on the go prep your veggies and set aside.
2. When the pasta is ready, drain and allow to cool. You can speed this up by rinsing under cold water. Put pasta into a large mixing bowl and add your veggies and olives. Toss until everything is combined.
3. To make the dressing: In a mason jar combine all of the dressing ingredients and shake well (if you want to, you can make the dressing a little bit ahead of time to help the flavours develop). Add in the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. Garnish with the crumbled feta or put it on the side for people to add themselves.
Like this recipe? Check out my other recipes with reebee:
Reebee puts finding the best price for everything your family needs right at your fingertips. Simply download the app and enter your area to find the best prices on everything from groceries to appliances, seasonal items, and more. reebeefeatures flyers from favourite stores including Costco, Superstore, Walmart, Canadian Tire, just to name a few.
Features include:
Search option to help you quickly find exactly what you’re looking for and compare prices
Shopping list- stay organized and create lists within the app to keep track of what you need
Sync Reebee across devices for seamless use for everyone in the family
The warm weather is here and with it all the adventuring! I recently asked on the blog’s Facebook page what everyone’s go-tos are for heading out for the day to the beach, etc in the Summer and I loved all the responses I received. Whether you’re packing up for a day at the beach, the park, or a day trip, it helps to be prepared and have as much ready to go as possible and who better to ask than other parents for ideas? I try to keep things like sunscreen, wipes, and towels at the ready, with grab-and-go snacks and water bottles close at hand to make getting the day started as easy as possible, and these were popular choices in the responses. Over the years I’ve learned that it’s worth it to be organized, and there’s a difference between what really needs to come along vs added bonuses that can come along if there’s room (and if we remember them 😉 ).
See below for ideas to make Summer adventures more fun & organized!
This year, after years of thinking about it, I finally bought a folding wagon to help get everything where we need it to go. Every time I’d see someone with one I’d kick myself for not buying one- especially after many trips to various places carrying everything like a pack mule, arms loaded up with various bags, floaties, snack bags, etc. In the few months we’ve had it, it’s already getting a lot of use and has been well worth the money (I bought mine at Costco, but I’m linking to a similar one in this post). It’s been a lifesaver on more than one occasion, and it’s compact when folded, making it easy for storage and transport. Once you get to your destination just pop it open and load it up! This is definitely something I recommend to make the back and forth from the car a lot easier. Plus if a kid or two gets tired, they can go along for a ride (these also make great portable nap stations!).
Save time: Keep a bag packed with basics like sunscreen and other essentials to grab and go
One thing I’ve learned since becoming a Mom is that being organized and ready ahead of time is a lifesaver. In the Summer I keep a beach bag ready by our front door packed with things like a mini first aid kit (because you know, kids…), sunscreen, towels, hand sanitizer, and wipes. This is usually the bag I also toss my keys, wallet, and phone into once we get where we’re going, but if you prefer to have a separate bag let’s face it, the cute options are endless (I reaaaaally love this cute one on Amazon or something like this one for a washable option). Mom hack: last Summer I picked up a few hooded towels for about $15 each at Winners and my kids love them. They’re great year-round (think swimming lessons) and perfect for when they want to warm up but not get changed out of their swimsuits. This is the one I bought Liam, but there are plenty of cute options on Amazon like this flamingo hooded towel.
A good picnic blanket or oversize beach towel is a staple for so many Summer activities, plus a good beach/ camping chair so you’re not always sitting on the ground. There are so many pretty options like this one that are washable, but for little ones, this is my favourite. We were given one as a baby shower gift and it gets used all Summer long. I love it because it’s wipable (think: spilled drinks, baby spit up, etc) and washable for more messy adventures; we’ve had ours for 5 years and it’s still going strong.
When it comes to heading out for the day who can go anywhere without snacks?
No matter where we’re going I like to pack a cooler bag full of snacks and drinks to keep the kids happy, and let’s face it, there’s nothing better than a cold drink on a hot beach day (I like to use metal water bottles instead of plastic if I can similar to these S’well bottles to keep drinks cold). And we all know coolers help keep other beverages ice cold for the grown-ups too, if you know what I mean. 😉 I’ll try and prep/ organize as much as I can the night before so all I have to do in the morning is add an ice pack and grab things that need to be kept cool out of the fridge, plus maybe fill a few extra water bottles just in case.
For UV and sun protection, an umbrella or pop-up sun canopy are great to create shade, especially if you’ve got little ones with delicate skin. When it comes to sunscreen, I’ve been trying out a variety of natural ones for the past few Summers and have found these work just as well as the regular ones. Some are harder to rub in/ don’t absorb as well, but other than that I don’t find there’s a difference in coverage (if you’re looking online, both Well.ca and Amazon have a great selection).
And speaking of sunscreen, does anyone else like to pack theirs in a bag in case of leaks? I’m trying to step away from my old go-to Ziploc bags for a more eco- friendly option, and there seem to be plenty of options out there. A good waterproof bag is perfect to keep things like keys, sunglasses, and cell phones protected from water and sand, but also great for products like sunscreen when you need something leak- proof.
What do you think of this list? What did I miss? What would you add? Happy Summer adventuring!
For another fun Summer post, check out this roundup of pool floaties here!
Like these ideas? Save them for later!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a portion from qualifying sales, which help me continue to manage OHP and create more content
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