25 Old Fashioned Summer Activites
Timeless classics that always are fun during summer...
Funny Bones: How Humor Helps Your Kids
“Keeping it light” as you parent will benefit the kids and you...
Horsing around in Yellowstone
The famous national park offers views most families only see in picture books ...
Giddy Up For Steeplechase
Your family can enjoy a day of equestrian delights...
The 5 S's
Simplify Soothing Your Baby...
Summer Fun with Shrek at Gaylord Opryland
DreamWorks Animation characters spring to life...
Dinner 2 Night
Serves 12. Recipe courtesy of Annice Brewer at allrecipes.com.
Ingredients
2 cups cubed cooked roast beef
4 cups tomato juice
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups water
3 large red potatoes, diced
2 cups frozen lima beans
1 large onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
Directions
In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf before serving.
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Don't Miss Events
Monday, May 14Sounds Baseball Cheer for the Nashville Sounds when they challenge the Reno Aces. Greer Stadium, 524 Chestnut St., Nashville; 7:05 p.m.; $12 in advance, $14 game day; 690-4487 or nashvillesounds.com.Tuesday, May 15Sounds Baseball Cheer for the Nashville Sounds when they challenge the Reno Aces. Greer Stadium, 524 Chestnut St., Nashville; 11:05 a.m.; $12 in advance, $14 game day; 690-4487 or nashvillesounds.com.Tuesdays for Tots: Precious Puppets Preschoolers and parents can learn about the art of puppet making while making a puppet of their own. Cheekwood, 1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; free with gate admission ($12 adults, $5 ages 3 and older); 356-8000 or cheekwood.org.Wednesday, May 16Snack Attack! Kids can make microwave mug cakes. Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, 502 S.E. Broad St., Murfreesboro; 3:30 p.m.; $6; 890-2300 or discoverycenteronline.org.Thursday, May 17Franklin Rodeo Professional cowboys and cowgirls compete in bronco riding, roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and bull riding. Proceeds benefit charities in Williamson County. Williamson County Ag Expo Center, 4215 Long Lane, Franklin; Thu - Sat 7 - 10 p.m.; $15 adults, $8 ages 12 and younger; 591-7959 or franklinrodeo.com.Friday, May 18FREE Cannonsburgh Outdoor Concert Series All ages can enjoy an evening of free music outside. Cannonsburgh Village, 312 S. Front St., Murfreesboro; 7 p.m.; 890-0355.FREE CoolSprings Festival of the Arts This three-day festival combines arts and crafts, music and books. CoolSprings Galleria, 1800 Galleria Blvd., Franklin; Fri - Sat 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sun 12 - 5 p.m.; ifota.us.Franklin Rodeo Please see Thursday, May 17 listing.Saturday, May 19FREE 71st Annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival Celebrate spring’s fruit with a variety of activities, contests, live entertainment and more. Downtown Portland; 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 325-9032 or portlandsofc.com.FREE Community Outreach: Introduction to Thumbpick Guitar Ages 13 - 19 can learn to play guitar like Chet Atkins through a hands-on workshop with guitars provided. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Fifth Ave. S., Nashville; 1 p.m.; 416-2001 or countrymusichalloffame.org.FREE CoolSprings Festival of the Arts Please see Friday, May 18 listing.Franklin Rodeo Please see Thursday, May 17 listing.FREE Free Day in May Families can enjoy free admission today at the following Rutherford County attractions: Bradley Academy, Cannonsburgh Village, Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, The Heritage Center, Oaklands Historic House Museum, Sam Davis Home and Stones River National Battlefield. For more info, call 893-6565 or visit rutherfordchamber.org.Tennessee Renaissance Festival Medieval magic takes over the grounds of Castle Gwynn during the annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival taking place every Saturday and Sunday this month as well as Memorial Day. Remaining weekend themes are Pirate Invasion weekend (May 19 - 20) and Royal Jousting Tournament weekend (May 26 - 28). The festival is located at 2124 New Castle Road, Arrington-Triune. Hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is $20 adults, $7 ages 6 - 12, free ages 5 and younger. Weekend passes are $35 adults, $12 kids. Call 395-9950 or visit tnrenfest.com.Sunday, May 20FREE Artful Tales: Davy Crockett and the Frozen Dawn This interactive family program includes a tale about Tennessee hero Davy Crockett followed by a craft project. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway, Nashville; 2 - 3 p.m.; 244-3340 or fristcenter.org.FREE Author Signing John Carter Cash reads and signs his new children’s book, Cat in the Rhinestone Suit. Fairytales Bookstore and More, 114-B S. 11th St., Nashville; 4 p.m.; 915-1960 or fairytalesbookstore.com.FREE CoolSprings Festival of the Arts Please see Friday, May 18 listing.Tennessee Renaissance Festival Please see Saturday, May 19 listing.
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Get Crafty
 Here's a special Mother's Day craft for kids that is simple and easy to do. All you need is a few things and a little creativity.
What You NeedConstruction PaperPlain White Copy Paper (or White Construction Paper)Hole PunchScissorsCrayons/MarkersGlueRibbon
What You Do
Take a piece of your favorite colored construction paper and fold it in half.
Take several sheets of white paper and fold them in half together.
Stick the folded white paper inside the folded construction paper going the same direction.
Punch two holes on the folded side of your stack of paper.
Cut a piece of ribbon and thread it through the back of the paper and tie in a bow on the front.
Write the title of your book (I used "My Mom Is ...") on a different color piece of paper from what the cover is, cut it out and glue it to the front.
If you use "My Mom Is ...", now have your child think about what his mother is to him and have him write it down or draw pictures on the inside blank sheets of white paper.
This gift is something very sentimentle and Mom is sure to treasure it forever.
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Hot Products
There's a bag out there that is stain-free, wipes clean and you can even get the wrinkles out by just setting it in the sun! It's the Large Glitter Tote by Sarahjanes. It's made out of Mexican oilcloth and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns — with a fashionable glitter bottom and three interior pockets. Durable enough to carry nearly all your beach necessities or pack for a day out at the park.
It's a large tote, but not too excessive. I love the fact that you can just wipe it clean. My kids spill stuff all the time and I am continuosly tossing my favorite bags in the wash to get them clean. Well, not any more. This bag is so slick that nothing will stick! So, don't throw it in the wash. I love the oilcloth and can't wait to see more from Sarahjanes.
You can even have it monogrammed for an extra $7.
But, don't stop there. You can get oilcloth products in checkbook covers, cosmetic bags, diaper clutch, chalk oilcloth table cloth, aprons and more. Sarahjanes also offers products made out of minkee, a super soft fabric, too!
Large Glitter Tote$30sarah-janes.com
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Get Crafty
Here's a craft for kids to help bring in the season.
Here's What You Need:
Construction Paper in each rainbow color – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, & Purple
Fishing line Cotton balls Ribbon Glue & glue stick Tape Scissors Math compass to make your circles (or make your own using a pencil and string, or trace bowls/glasses to form circles)
What you do:
1. Draw a large circle on red construction paper using your compass, or alternate circle making tool.
2. Form a smaller circle on orange paper (the radius is 1.5 cm smaller than the radius of larger circle). Continue to form smaller circles on your yellow, green, and blue paper.
3. Cut out circles. Glue orange circle onto center of red circle, yellow circle onto orange, green onto yellow, and blue onto green.
4. Fold stacked and glued circle in half. Cut out center of blue circle, if desired. Open circle, and cut in half along fold line.
5. Cut out rain drops from blue paper (we used 10), and cut and equal number of pieces of fishing line in various lengths. Tape or tie one raindrop (pierce a hole in each raindrop with a thumbtack, thread the fishing line through, and tie the end) to each piece of fishing line.
6. Tape ends of fishing line along the bottom of the backside of one half of your rainbow.
7. Glue the backsides of your rainbow halves together.
8. Spread a bit of liquid glue along the bottom of one side of your rainbow. Gently pull apart a few cotton balls (we used four per side), and glue along the bottom of your rainbow to form clouds. Repeat on opposite side or your rainbow.
9. Punch a hole in the top of your rainbow, and thread a string through to hang.
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Hot Products
 Grab a paper towel with ease and make less of a mess in the process! CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser is one of the best things a busy parent would want for their kitchen. I know several times that I have come to the kitchen sink to grab a paper towel and get whatever it is covering my hands all over the roll as I try to hold it and rip one off. Not any more! The CLEANCut is your personal hands-free paper towel dispenser that allows you to keep your mess to yourself. All you do is hold your hand up in front of the sensors to dispense the right amount of paper towels that you need. Then, wave your hand in front of the sensor to cut the paper towel. Two different sensors to provide you the most precise paper towel dispensing for any brand of paper towels, even perforated ones! No more unrolling paper towels or risk dropping them on the floor and unrolling toward your child who thinks it is now a ribbon he can pick up and run with!Installing it to the bottom of your kitchen cabinets also reduces clutter on the countertop. However, you must be sure to have someone with you when you install it. I seemed to have quite a bit of difficulty installing on my own. But, you will be so happy with it, so it's worth the effort.CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel DispenserStainless steel: $159.95White: $139.95Black: $139.95cleancutdispenser.com
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Hot Products
We've seen towels like this, but having a hooded blanket is a bonus!
I know my daughter loves to just snuggle in her hooded towel after her bath. I typically have to peel it off her to get her dressed. We all know that something covering your head adds extra warmth to your body, right? So, why not have a blanket that does just that! Introducing the Comfy Critters Huggable Hooded Blanket!
Now, after her bath, she doesn't have to throw her covers up over her head, she can just use a Comy Critter blanket to keep her warm. These cozy little blankets are made of super soft chenille fleece. And, they really are super soft! They are also big enough to cover your child being 47" W x 36 " H. They are easy to fold up and they fold right into the hood, creating a super soft character to rest your head on, too. There are no zippers to poke at you and the clasp is made of the same fabric and attaches with velcro. You definitely need one for each child, as they will all want to snuggle up to one.
There are a variety of animals to choose from like Seymour the Shark (seen here), Unity the Unicorn and more. They even have Easter characters like a bunny, lamb and chick — which would make a great addition to Easter Baskets.
Comfy Crittersmycomfycritters.com
$19.99
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Hot Products
 Looking for something to cook in that is Earth friendly? With Earth Day coming up, you can celebrate with the purchase of the FridgeX Food Storage Collection by Ceramcor, which are all-natural silicone containers that are perfect for those who cook a lot. This six-piece round silicone storage set includes a 16 oz with cover, a two quart with cover and a one quart with cover. Aside from the coolest feature of being able to collapse and nest within each other for easy storage, they can also be used to bake in (up to 430˚ F) and then store the remaining food in the refrigerator. They are also non-stick, so you don't have to worry about scrubbing them clean after each use.I used mine to heat up my favorite cheese dip. I was a little skeptical at first and terrified that I would have one heaping mess to clean up in the microwave, but it held true to its feature. Once done, I tossed them in the dishwasher for cleaning, and once dry, they easily collapsed and took up little room in my cabinet.Another cool feature, but one that can be a little bothersome at the same time, is that the lids don't "click" in place. The lid simply rests on top. Now, I don't know if this is a genuine feature, but if you press the center knob on the lid down, it pushes all the air out creating a seal-tight lid. I even picked the bowl up from the knob on the lid and the bottom didn't fall out (I didn't test this with heavier food, though). BUT, if you barely lift up on the edge, the lid comes off. So, if you are sliding something else in the fridge right next to it and it hits the lid, the lid will fall off. You just have to push it back on. FridgeX Food Storage Collection by Ceramcor; ceramcor.com$49.99
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Hot Products
Potty training can be tough, but with the right potty it can be a bit easier. The Arm & Hammer 3-in-1 Potty Seat is a potty seat, trainer seat and step stool in one, conveniently sized little potty. The handles will give him extra security as he goes, too. Once your little one is ready to move on up to the big potty, this portable potty turns into a sturdy step stool for him to easily reach the big-boy potty or even the sink. The potty seat is removable, too, so it can be placed on top of the big potty. Don't worry, its prongs that hold it in place on the potty seat will go through the seat of your toilet bowl to keep it still so he doesn't slip off — although, the bigger the toilet the more likely is will scoot around just a little.Built into the side of the potty is a spot to hold Arm & Hammer disposable/flushable wipes. So, no need to have a box of wiped being kicked around while they go potty. Also, for extra freshness, the lid has a spot designed to hold a replaceable Arm & Hammer Snap-in Deodorizing Disc. Both the deodorizing discs and flushable wipes refills are sold separately.Arm & Hammer 3-in-1 Potty Seatby Munchkinmunchkin.com$29.99Available at Target, Toys R Us and online.
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