This raspberry and peach yogurt popsicle recipe is perfect for summer!  A healthy and delicious way to beat the heat – you can even have them for breakfast!

Summer Seasonal Simplicity Series

Welcome back to another week of the summer seasonal simplicity series! Each week my blogging friends and I are sharing a variety of summer ideas to inspire you for the season. From DIY ideas to summer decorating ideas, there’s something for everyone.  This week, we’ve put together our favorite summer recipes for you. You can find all of the recipes at the end of the post – I hope you enjoy them!

Raspberry and Peach Swirl Popsicles

I love the more relaxed, laid-back feeling of summer, and these raspberry and peach yogurt pops definitely fit the vibe! They’re simple to make with only 4 ingredients and are the perfect way to use up some of that fresh summer fruit.

Raspberry and Peach Yogurt Popsicle Recipe

If you’d like to make your own fruit popsicles, this recipe is a great one to start with. Make up a batch and keep them on hand for a quick afternoon snack or breakfast on the go!

How to choose the best popsicle molds

There are many different molds that you can use to make your popsicles – from the more traditional style, to  a variety of fun shapes and designs. When choosing your mold, think about what type of popsicles you’ll be making and how the size of the molds will best fit in your freezer. Some molds need to be laid flat while others stand upright. I love these stainless steel popsicle molds. They’re really easy to unmold and super durable and dishwasher safe. These silicone molds are another option especially if you like to make bigger batches of popsicles or you can even find collapsible molds. If you’re in Canada, the ones that I used were a super affordable plastic option from Superstore.

Popsicle Tips

• To remove the popsicles from the molds, run the molds under warm water for 10-15 seconds. Carefully remove each popsicle. If it still doesn’t come out easily, place them under the warm water for a few more seconds.
• You can adjust the amount of sweetener to your desired taste but remember that the puree will lose some of the flavor/sweetness when it’s frozen. It should ideally have a fairly strong fruit flavor and be more on the sweet side before freezing.
• Feel free to play around with different fruit flavors and combos! I like this combination of raspberry and peach as the raspberries provide a little tartness compared to the sweet peach flavor, but there are so many different combinations that you can try. You can also switch up the juice to infuse a new taste.
• The popsicles can be made ahead and kept frozen for up to one month.

I hope you have a wonderful summer and take some time to relax and enjoy a pop!

Delicious Summer Recipe Ideas

If you’re looking for more simple summer recipes to try, check these ones out! You can get the full recipe by clicking on the links below the images. Enjoy!

Blacked Green Bean & Shrimp Quinoa Salad at The Happy Housie
Basil & Corn Cakes with Tomato and Avocado Salsa at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
Peach Rhubarb Muffins at Dans le Lakehouse

Best Fruit and Honey Parfait Recipe at Grace in My Space
Strawberry Mojitos at Maison de Cinq

Raspberry Lemon Cake at My Sweet Savannah
Raspberry Peach Swirl Popsicles at Clean & Scentsible

More Summer Recipes

You may also like these favorite summer recipes from the blog…

Meringue Berry Trifle

Cucumber and Sweet Corn Pasta Salad

Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs

The post Raspberry and Peach Yogurt Popsicle Recipe appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Check out these pretty summer kitchen decor ideas with a happy pop of orange. Simple tips to brighten up your space for summer!

Summer Seasonal Simplicity Series

Welcome back to another week of the summer seasonal simplicity series! Each week my blogging friends and I are sharing a variety of summer ideas to inspire you for the season. From DIY ideas to delicious summer recipes and pretty outdoor spaces, there’s something for everyone. This week we’re opening up our homes for some beautiful summer home tours. There are lots of simple summer decor tips and ideas for you, so be sure to check out all of the tours at the end of the post. Happy touring!

Summer Home Tour

I started off our summer home tour last week with our summer dining room.  It’s the first room you see when you walk in the house and the first place that I start decorating with each new season.

I went with blues and whites in here with pops of fresh and faux greenery.  It’s one of my favorite color combos!

For our kitchen, however, I thought I would change things up a little bit. While it’s nice sticking with your favorites, sometimes a little change of color is all that’s needed!

Summer Kitchen Decor

Welcome to our summer kitchen! Today I thought I would share some simple styling tips for easy summer kitchen decor. I actually didn’t change up a lot of things, but a few little touches here and there can still make it feel fresh.

Start off fresh.

I find that the change of seasons is always a good reminder to do some of those extra deep cleaning tasks that always get put off. Since you’re moving things around anyways, it’s the perfect time to get into all of those corners and surfaces that are usually covered up. I always start by putting away any old seasonal items that I know I won’t be using and then taking down all of the other items so I can completely wipe down shelves, counters, and other surfaces. Wash down cupboards, dust off the tops of cabinets and give your appliances a little extra love!

Pick an inspiration piece.

I always like to start my seasonal decor with some kind of inspiration piece. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – it could be a tea towel, some artwork, or, in my case, some tangerine branches!

I found these at Target and loved the little pop of orange. It’ s not really a color that I’ve used before, but it’s kind of bright and happy – kind of like summer!

Add some artwork.

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I love creating printables! Changing up artwork is one of the easiest ways to add a little seasonal touch to your home. Whether you swap out a piece of art on the wall, or just switch out a photo frame, it only takes a few minutes. To make it even easier, keep the prints in the back of the picture frames and just rotate them around when a new holiday or season hits.

I created these tangerine art printables to go with the tangerine branches that I bought. There are 6 free printables designs available. You can download your favorites HERE.

Organize on trays.

Keeping similar items grouped together on trays makes them appear less cluttered and provides easy access to those items that you use regularly.  You can use anything that you may already have – trays, cake stands, cutting boards.  Not only do the trays catch any drips and messes, but they also make it really easy to remove a  bulk load of items for cleaning the counter underneath.

I always like to switch out our seasonal cookbooks and keep a few of my favorites out on the counter for easy access. It serves as a good reminder to use them and adds a little pop of color too!

Create a seasonal display.

Kitchen counter space can be prime real estate, but it is nice to carve out at least one area that you can create a seasonal vignette. I use this space at the end of our kitchen counter as it’s the least used counter space and kind of out of the way from where we would do our prep work.

I used a mix of functional pieces and decor items in this display. The faux greenery adds a nice pop of color, but can easily be removed when I need to use the items.

In keeping with the tangerine theme, I added some mandarin oranges to the display. You could always use faux fruit too, but this way I’m reminded to eat my fruit!

Dress up the sink.

All you need is a couple of minutes to create a cute and functional sink display.

For our sink display, I used a cake stand for our dish soap and hand soap. I even swapped out the dish and hand soap to a tangerine scent! {this smells SO good!}. The little white jar is actually a fruit fly trap and it works amazing! {you can get the recipe HERE}. You can’t go wrong with a cute AND functional display!

Put together a centerpiece.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but I think a centerpiece just completes the kitchen. If you don’t have anything specific for a centerpiece, simply grouping a few favorite items together onto a tray works great.

White lillies are one of my favorite flowers and I love how long they last. These ones were just from Costco and we’ve had them for almost two weeks.

I hope you enjoyed our summer kitchen decor and are inspired to add a few summer touches around your own home!  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Have a wonderful summer!

More Summer Home Tours

Need more summer decor inspiration? Some of my friends have joined me to share their summer decorating ideas with you. You can visit their full article by clicking on the links below the images.

The Happy Housie / Maison de Cinq / Clean and Scentsible

My Sweet Savannah / She Gave it a Go
Rambling Renovators / Paint Me Pink

Tatertots and Jello / Zevy Joy / Joanna Anastasia

The post Summer Kitchen Decor with Pops of Orange appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Add a fun pop of orange to your summer decor with these tangerine art free summer printables. Five different designs to choose from or mix and match your favorites!

Tangerine Free Summer Printables

I thought I’d try a new pop of color in the kitchen this summer and decided to go with orange. It’s not a color that I’ve used before, but I found these cute faux tangerine branches at Target, so orange it was!

Since I didn’t have anything else orange, I used some oranges for decor and created some tangerine art to go with them. I ended up creating a few different versions as I can never decide on one!

It’s always fun trying a new color for your decor and they do say that orange is the happiest color.

Tips for Decorating with Printables

Printables can be used for so much more than just putting them in a frame.  Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them…

• add them to a clipboard
• use them for a card – Just fold some cardstock in half to form a card and glue the printable to the front.
• use them as place settings – print out 2×3 or 3.5×5 and place over a napkin or place setting
• make them into tags
• make a framed canvas
• transfer them onto wood
• create a chalkboard transfer

Tips for Printing Your Artwork

Whenever I post a new printable, I usually get at least a couple of emails about how to print them. I thought I would answer some of the most common questions here to help you out.  If you have any other ones, just let me know!

HOW DO I DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLES?

To download the printable of your choice, you just need to click on the link and then download the print to your computer. I have all of my printables in Google Drive so if you’re having troubles, try using Google Chrome for your browser.  It seems to do the trick!  If you’re not printing it right away, be sure to save it somewhere that you can find it again.  Having a specific folder specifically for printables works great to keep things organized and you can always find it in subsequent years if you want to print it again.

{NOTE: Google has updated the security settings on Google Chrome so you may occasionally get a notice that you do not have access to a printable. Just email me if this is the case and I will update it.}

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PRINT OUT THE PRINTABLES?

Once you’ve downloaded the printable to your computer, you can choose to either print it at home or send it out to a local or online print shop {Stapes, Costco, London Drugs, Walgreens, etc.}. If you choose to print at home, you can use either a laser or an ink jet printer. The ink jet printers do seem to run through the ink faster than laser printers, so if you’ll be printing a lot, a laser printer may be your best option.

If you’re going to be printing something larger than an 8.5×11 {or just don’t want to use up your ink!} you will need to send it out to a printer.  I like to mark to NOT adjust the colors as I’ve had some funky colors come back when I don’t do this.  Make sure you’ve chosen the correct size for formatting so nothing gets cut off! {see below}

WHY ISN’T THE PRINTABLE PRINTING AT THE RIGHT SIZE?

I often have multiple formatting sizes available for each print {i.e. 4×6, 5×7, etc.}. This just indicates that the ratio of the height and width of the print is compatible with that printing size so nothing will be cut off when you go to print it.  Most home printers, however, will still print it out to fit a standard 8.5×11 piece of paper unless you change the settings on your printer. All printers are a bit different on this so I can’t speak to individual printers, but on our printer, we can change the photo size that we want printed and I just make sure to do this before printing if I’m wanting something other than a 8.5×11.  If you’re trying to print something smaller that just comes in a 8×10 or 8.5×11 size, you can still print it out smaller. You may just need to click on the “fit to page” setting so nothing gets cropped off.

Download Your Free Tangerine Printables

If you’d like to try out some tangerine art in your own home, I have all of the printables available to you to download. Just click on the print and size you would like, download it to your computer, and print it out. Please note that these printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.

TANGERINE BRANCH
5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

TANGERINE DREAMS
5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

VITAMIN C AND SUNSHINE PLEASE
5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

ORANGE IS THE HAPPIEST COLOR
5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

SOAK UP THE SUN
5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

SUMMER DREAMS
5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

I hope you enjoy the printables! I’ll be sharing the rest of our summer kitchen tomorrow so be sure to check back to see everything all put together.

More Free Summer Printables

If you love printables as much as I do, here are some more free summer printables for you to check out…

Summer Picnic Essentials

Bee Printables

Ice Cream Bar Printables

The post Tangerine Art Free Summer Printables appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Get inspired for the season with these pretty summer dining room decor tips. Simple ideas that you can use in your own home.

Summer Home Tours

Today I’m joining Marty from A Stroll Thru Life along with 28 other bloggers to share some summer decor inspiration with you! We will be opening up our homes for you all week long, so be sure to check out all of the links at the end of the post. If you’re coming over from Thrifty and Chic, welcome! Alicia has the best DIY projects and I always love her seasonal decor. Be sure to drop in if you haven’t already!

Summer Dining Room

If you haven’t guessed it already, today I’m going to be showing you around our dining room. We’ve had a very wet and cold spring this year, so I really haven’t really felt too inspired to do a lot of summer decorating. I finally got my butt in gear last weekend though and finished things up. I must say, it always feels good to get things done!

Our dining room is the first room that you come into from our front entry way, so I always like to dress it up for the seasons. Come on in!

Simple Summer Dining Room Decor Tips

Adding some summer decor to your home doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money.  I always think of summer as being a more relaxing season, so I try to keep our home decor in line with that.  I’ve put together a few summer dining room decor tips for you to help get you started with your own space. Hopefully, you find them helpful!

Put together a simple beverage bar.

A beverage bar {or other food bar!} can be a fun way to incorporate some seasonal decor in any space.

You can do a lemonade bar, flavored water bar, or anything you’d like! Add some fresh, seasonal fruit for more flavor and an extra punch of color.

These pieces are all shatterproof so they can be taken outside to the porch without worrying about breaking anything.

This wall ladder with hooks works well to to keep any cups, napkins, and other necessities handy. I added the metal bin  on the bottom for some extra storage as I didn’t end up needing all of the hooks.

Add color with melamine tableware.

Melamine dishes have come a long way over the years! There are so many beautiful and inexpensive designs that you can find and they’re a functional way to add color to your space. The dishes are shatter-proof and chip-resistant so they’re perfect for outdoor dining too.

I picked up these blue and white plates and bowls at Walmart a few years ago and they’re still in great condition. HomeSense {or HomeGoods}, Target, and Marshall’s are also great places to find inexpensive summer tableware.

The melamine platters, serving bowls, etc. are also a great way to get a larger piece for a really great price.

They’re fun to style for a summer tablescape too!

Display seasonal artwork.

Artwork is an easy way to add color and show off your style. You can find tons of free summer printables around the internet or inexpensive artwork on Etsy or other online sites.

I created this free Summer Picnic Essentials print last year for our kitchen, and this year I used it for our sideboard. There’s a pink version too if you’re looking for something a little brighter.

I also made this Summer Love printable that goes perfectly with my favorite green and blue color scheme.

I haven’t had a chance to post it on the blog yet {even though it’s from last year!}, but I’ll get it up later this week. Be sure to check back for the free download!

Create a centerpiece.

I always have fun putting together quick and easy seasonal centerpieces. I try to keep them relatively simple and like to place them on some kind of tray so we can easily take them on and off the table if needed.

A couple of weeks ago, I made this DIY tropical orchid planter and I’m hoping that it will last throughout the summer. Once the orchid stops blooming, you can easily just replace it or add another focal flower or plant.

So that about wraps things up! I’m the last one on the tour today, but the tour will continue bright and early tomorrow morning with Citrine Living. Tamara has a beautiful home and I love all of her blues! I’m sure you’ll love her style as much as I do.

Thank-you so much for visiting today. I hope you found some of the tips helpful and found some inspiration for your own summer decor. If you’re new here and would like to stay in touch, you can always find me here..

INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST / EMAIL

I hope you have a wonderful summer!

More Summer Home Tours

For more beautiful summer home tours, just click on the links below. I hope you enjoy the tours Monday Home Tours

A Stroll Thru Life / Our Southern Home / Grace In My Space
Hymns & Verses / Southern Hospitality / Chalking Up Success

Tuesday Home Tours

Calypso in the Country / StoneGable / 11 Magnolia Lane
White Arrows Home / RemodelaCasa / Pink Peppermint Design

Wednesday Home Tours

Designing Vibes / Cuckoo4Design / Whispering Pines Homestead
Decor to Adore / Thrifty and Chic / Clean and Scentsible

Thursday Home Tours

Citrine Living / Southern Home and Hospitality / Worthing Court
The Stonybrook House / Southern State of Mind / This is our Bliss

Friday Home Tours

Follow The Yellow Brick Home / Country Road 407 / Quarters One
Shiplap and Shells / Simply2Moms / Pasha Is Home

The post Summer Dining Room Decor Tips appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Create a pretty DIY orchid planter with this simple tutorial. It makes the perfect centerpiece or accent piece for your summer decor!

Summer Seasonal Simplicity Series

Today kicks off the Summer Seasonal Simplicity Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing tons of summer ideas with you to help inspire you for the season! From DIY ideas and summer home tours to delicious summer recipes and pretty outdoor spaces, there’s something for everyone. We’re starting things off today with some simple summer DIY projects, so be sure to check them all out at the end of the post.

Orchid Centerpiece Summer Decor

I always like to include some live greenery in our summer decor, and I love the look and diversity of tropical plants. As an added bonus, they’re pretty easy to care for even in the warmer summer months!  I made a tropical centerpiece for our kitchen table a couple of years ago, and thought I would take it up a notch this year and add in an orchid. I love how it turned out and I think it would make a great addition to any summer decor!

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may make a small commission off items purchased directly through the links provided. Thanks for your support!

DIY Orchid Planter

Materials

• planter or container of your choice. If your container doesn’t have drainage holes, you will also need small rocks to place in the bottom of the container for drainage (these can be purchased at the dollar store).
• orchid
• a variety of tropical plants and/or ferns. Look for different heights, textures, and coloring. I used 5 different plants for mine.
• potting soil
• moss {I like the brighter reindeer moss}
• wood pieces, decorative rocks, or other add-ons for extra texture and interest

Instructions

• If your planter has drainage holes, just place a light layer of soil in the bottom of the planter.  For containers without drainage holes, fill the bottom with small rocks for drainage and then add the soil over top.
• Add the orchid to the center of the planter. Make sure you keep the orchid in its original plastic container. You can always trim the top down a bit if it’s showing through. The original container should have an orchid-friendly potting mix {typically a mix of gravel, plant-dried fibers, bark and other chunky components} that allow for more air flow around the orchid’s roots. Keeping the orchid in the original container will also allow you to water your orchids separately in case they don’t require the same amount of water as your other fillers.
• Add the plants and move them around to get the look you want. Plants are said to have a “face” so move them around to put their best face forward! Start with the largest ones first and then move to the smaller ones. Once you’re happy with it, take them out of their pots and slightly break up the roots before placing them back in your planter.

• Fill in around the plants with more soil. Top with moss, decorative rocks, or other decorative embellishments if desired.

Orchid Planter Care Tips

• Most orchids require bright, indirect light, so choose filler plants that like the same lighting conditions.
• Place your orchid planter in or near a bright window {ideally facing east or west}. Avoid suddenly moving the plant’s location.
• When you’re choosing your orchids, look for rich, green healthy leaves and at least a few buds that still need to open.
• Orchids do not require a lot of water so DO NOT OVER WATER! Approximately 1/4 cup of water every week is generally all they need, although they may require a little more or less depending on the temperature. Before watering, press a finger down into the potting soil and only water if it is dry to touch.
• Keep the orchid in the original plastic container when planting so you can water them separately from the tropical plants.
• When your orchid leaves drop, you can simply remove the orchid container and replace with a new one {or add another tropical plant or focal flower}. You can repot the old orchid too if you like. If you continue to water it and give it light, it will bloom again after being dormant for several months. It may not look healthy, but it’s just in its natural dormant state. I’m not typically patient enough for this but it will work!
• Orchids typically like temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and a humid environment.

I hope you give this simple planter a try! I’d love to see what you create. If you’d like to see more of our summer dining room tour you can find it HERE.

More Summer DIY Ideas

For more beautiful summer DIY ideas, check out these posts from my blogging friends. Just click on the link below the photos to go directly to the posts!

DIY Faux Clay Textured Vase at The Happy Housie
DIY Outdoor Foot Washing Station at Grace in My Space
How to Make Beach Glass at Dans Le Lakehouse
Summer Estate Sale Stool Makeover at Confessions of a Serial DIYer

DIY Tapestry at My Sweet Savannah
DIY Patriotic Door Basket at She Gave it a Go
Two Easy Patriotic Pillow Covers at Tatertots and Jello
DIY Orchid Planter at Clean & Scentsible

Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Summer Picnic Essentials

Summer Hutch Styling

The post DIY Orchid Planter appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

This double chocolate zucchini bread is so moist and rich, it will soon become a family favorite. Have it for breakfast, a tasty snack, or a simple dessert to get your chocolate fix!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Our friends gave us a bunch of extra zucchinis from their garden and I’ve been having lots of fun using then up. I’m not fond of cooked zucchini, but I sure love it for baking. It adds moisture and a little extra texture. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in a few extra nutrients!

This double chocolate zucchini bread is one of my favorite ways to use zucchini. It’s so moist and delicious, I’m sure it will be one of your favorites too!

Why bake with zucchini?

In addition to adding some extra nutrients to your baking, zucchini adds a wonderful texture and moisture – similar to adding apple sauce or bananas. Zucchini has a mild flavor so it’s hidden easily and pairs amazingly well with chocolate.

Do I need to peel zucchini?

Nope! The zucchini skin is edible so there’s no need for peeling. Not only is it easier to leave the skin on, but it also adds color, flavor, and extra nutrients to your baking. Just wash your zucchini prior to using and you’re good to go!

How do I shred zucchini?

Grating

If you’re using a box grater, cut off the ends of the zucchini and just rub it against the side of the grater. While the box grater takes a little bit of extra time, it’s quicker to clean up than a food processor so it’s great for shredding if you don’t need a lot.

Food Processor

I usually use the food processor if I’m doing multiple batches. While it’s much quicker to shred the zucchini, it’s a little bit of a longer process to clean up the food processor, so it’s only really worth it for me if I have a lot to shred. When using the food processor, the zucchini tends to be a bit jucier, so I use a paper towel to blot up the excess moisture.

How much zucchini do I need?

One medium zucchini is equal to approximately 1 cup of shredded zucchini. Typically, grocery store zucchinis are smaller than home-grown zucchini so you’ll likely get more out of your harvested zucchini.

Tips for making the best chocolate zucchini bread.

• Don’t overmix the batter. Quick breads don’t need a lot of stirring, so just try to just barely mix the ingredients together. Overmixing can cause your loaf to sink in the middle or become too dense.
• Make sure your baking soda is fresh – it should be used within 6-9 months. If it’s been on the shelf longer than this time, save it for your cleaning and purchase a new box for baking.

I hope you enjoy this chocolate zucchini bread as much as we do!

More Quick Bread Recipes

For more quick bread recipes, check out these posts…

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

The post Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Check out this collection of the BEST s’mores recipes!  There are so many fun ways to get that delicious s’mores taste!

The Best S’mores Recipes

S’mores season is here!  There is nothing quite like a good campfire and a perfectly toasted, melt-in-your-mouth s’more to go with it.  Ohhh…I can almost taste it! Of course, just because you don’t have a campfire, doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on that amazing s’mores taste!  Check out these awesome s’mores recipes for some fun variations of the traditional s’mores!  I bet you’ll want to try them all!

Fudgy S’mores Brownie Pie from Avery Cooks.

S’mores Milkshake from Bombshell Bling.

S’mores French Toast from Spicy Southern Kitchen.

Easy S’mores Trail Mix from Clean and Scentsible.

S’mores Donuts from Buns in My Oven.

S’mores Birthday Cake from A Subtle Revelry.

DIY S’mores Bar Recipes from Clean and Scentsible.

Skillet Smores Brownies from Satori Design For Living.

Reverse S’more Bites from Clean and Scentsible

Ritz Peanut Butter Cups S’mores Bars from Kevin and Amanda.


S’mores Cookies from Tidy Mom

Oreo S’mores Brownies from Yellow Bliss Road.


S’mores in a Jar from Clean and Scentsible

No Bake S’mores Cheesecake from Life with the Crust Cut Off.

S’mores Ice Cream Cake from Crazy Little Projects

Grilled S’mores Pizza from Clean and Scentsible

S’mores Dip from The Recipe Critic


Chocolate S’mores Popsicles from The Crafted Sparrow.

S’mores Cake from Baked By Blair.

Frosty S’mores Cups from Easy Baked.

S’mores Hot Chocolate from The Minimalist Baker.


S’mores Box from Clean and Scentsible. Mix and match cookies and fillings for a custom s’mores treat!

Create a S’mores Bar

If you love s’mores as much as we do, you can even create your own s’mores bar at home with these cute free s’mores printables. Just print out the s’mores labels and add them to mason jars or other storage containers for a fun and accessible treat.  We have a firetable on our back patio that’s perfect for a quick marshmallow roasting, but this DIY s’mores maker would be easy to create too!

Now doesn’t that make you want to get up and make some s’mores?  Do you have your own favorite? I’m always open for s’more ideas!!

The post The Best S’mores Recipes appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Celebrate summer with this cute ‘Summer Picnic Essentials’ free summer printable. Perfect for your summer decor or summer party styling.

Summer Picnic Essentials Free Summer Printables

I love a good summer picnic! Delicious food, a pretty set-up, and a relaxing time to visit with family and friends make it one of those favorite summer activities. To celebrate the season, I created this cute “Summer Picnic Essentials” free printable for you. It works perfectly for your summer decor or for some summer party styling. I hope you enjoy it!

You may have already seen the large 11×14 printable hanging in our kitchen. Since I couldn’t get a great photo of it in there though, I thought I’d style it in our dining room. This pink version was inspired by those beautiful red and pink tones from summer watermelon, raspberries, and strawberries.

I also have a smaller, blue version of the printable in the beverage corner of our dining room if you’re more of a blueberry person.

This is the 5x 7 size that I trimmed down slightly to fit this clip frame.

This printable would work great for a summer BBQ or party buffet table. Or use it for some cute party invitations!

Download Summer Picnic Essentials

This printable comes in two colors – blue and red/pink. There are also three different formatting sizes for you to choose from. Just click on the link that you would like and save it to your computer for printing. Please note that these printables are FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.

Red/Pink Summer Picnic Essentials

DOWNLOAD 5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

Blue Summer Picnic Essentials

DOWNLOAD 5×7 / 8×10 / 11×14

I hope you have fun with these printables. I’d love to see what you create with them!

More Free Summer Printables

For more free summer printables, check out these posts…

Bee Decor Printables

Free S’more Printables and Labels

Daydreams and Ice Creams Printable

The post Summer Picnic Essentials Free Printables appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

Create your own backyard retreat with these beautiful backyard patio design ideas. Easy tips to help you design and style your outdoor spaces.

Summer Seasonal Simplicity Series

Welcome back to the last week of Krista’s Seasonal Simplicity Summer series! Each week, my blogging friends and I have been sharing our favorite summer ideas to help you celebrate summer in style. This week it’s all about those outdoor spaces. From patios and decks to backyard designs, we’ve got you covered! You can find everyone’s gorgeous outdoor inspiration at the end of the post, so be sure to visit around. If you missed the previous weeks, you can check them out here…

• free summer printables
• dining room summer home tour
• DIY popsicle stick picnic table place card holders

Our Backyard Patio

Welcome to our backyard patio! We did a big patio makeover a few years ago  and we’ve definitely taken advantage of having the extra outdoor space during the summer months. Our patio is east facing, so these clubhouse chairs are the perfect spot to catch the morning sun before it gets too hot.

The other benefit to having an east facing patio is that it’s in the shade by the later afternoon and cools off just in time for dinner on the patio!

Unfortunately, an east facing patio is also hard to photograph as the light is really only even first thing in the morning when the sun first comes up. Since I’m never up that early, you’ll have to put up with some color variations with the photos.

Backyard Patio Design Ideas

Today I thought I’d share some backyard patio design ideas with you to help you create your own space. It may take a little time {and money!}, but it can be a great investment for your home and family.

Invest in good quality patio furniture.

Furniture choices can often be one of the most difficult {and most expensive!} decisions for your outdoor space. I like to pick the larger items first and then “fill in” additional furniture pieces where there is space {and need}. If you have a small patio space, look for furniture that serves more than one function or can easily be stored away when not needed. Pick materials that will wear well in your particular climate and do your research on what maintenance and winter storage is required. We went with resin furniture (with a rust-proof frame) since it holds up well in the rain for our west coast weather.

We’ve had our patio furniture for five or six summers now and it’s still going strong. The cushions wash up really easily and have held their hue really well due to their lighter color. Almost everything was purchased from the Canvas line at Canadian Tire. Since it’s so old, I don’t have any specific product links for you, but I know they still have similar furniture pieces with their current lines.

I love the round table design for the patio as it creates more flow throughout the space. It fits 6 people comfortably and you could probably fit 8 if you had different chairs. Since our table is concrete, I do usually paint the top of it once every year or two, but other than that, it’s been very low maintenance.

Define your zones.

Before you start the actual design process, take a few minutes to visualize what you would like to use the space for.  Do you envision yourself eating outside on a regular basis?  Are you looking to create more of a quiet retreat or a place to read a book?  Or do you want a great entertainment space to enjoy with your friends and family?  Maybe it’s even all of the above!  Write down everything that you would like to use your space for and use that as a springboard for your patio design.  If everything will not fit on the patio itself, consider creating other “rooms” elsewhere in your backyard.

Create some shade.

Even if you’re a sun lover, you’ll still likely want a covered space to take shade. Use patio umbrellas, pergolas, arbors, trellises or shrubs to provide at least a little shady space on your patio to get out of the sun. If you have the room {and budget} for it, a partially covered patio is definitely worth the investment. It’s perfect for a cool spot to relax or a dry spot to go if it starts to rain.

We actually use our covered area all year long for BBQing, and it also provides some quick storage for our patio cushions on the uncovered deck when we have rainy days. Having this covered space has made our patio so much more functional for us.

Make it cozy.

Make everything comfortable and cozy with throw pillows and comfy blankets. You can store blankets rolled up in a basket for when those cooler nights hit or use them to throw down on the grass for a picnic blanket. I also like to keep a throw blanket down where the cat likes to sleep as it’s much easier to wash the blanket than it is to take off the sofa covers.

If your fabrics are going to be out in the sun for any longer length of time, be sure to get a good outdoor fabric or spray them with a fabric UV protectant.

Add a fire pit or fire table.

One of my favorite things about our patio is our fire table. It’s a great place to relax with friends and perfect for those family s’more nights!  While I do enjoy a good campfire in the summer, I love the ease of the propane fire table and not having to worry about summer fire bans.

Bring on the plants and flowers.

Flowers and plants are the perfect way to add a little life to your patio – especially in the summer! I’m definitely not the best gardener out there, but I really enjoy all of my patio planters. There are so many different flower and plant options to choose from these days – it can really customize your space. While I do love all of the colorful summer flowers, I’ve been hooked on white flowers for the past few years and stuck with the same color scheme again this year.

My biggest advice with the plants and flowers is to not go too crazy. The flowers especially can be a lot of work and a few well taken care of flowers looks a whole lot better than a bunch of dead ones! Plants are generally a lot less work and can look really pretty too, so add a few in with your flowers. You can even add in some faux options to decrease your workload! Be sure to always check the sun and soil conditions when choosing your plants and flowers to make sure that you choose the best location for them.

You can find my tips on how to care for hanging baskets and planters HERE.

Light it up.

I’m always a big fan of pretty lights, and summertime is no exception! Whether you’re needing more ambient lighting or a more functional light source, there are so many ways to make your outdoor space glow. String lights, pathway lights, lanterns, solar lights, twinkle lights, outdoor candles – I love them all! We’re still actually working on adding more lighting to the covered space and our stairs, so I’ll be sure to share all of our lighting choices when we’re done.

Add a little each year.

Backyard patios are definitely an investment, so don’t worry if you can’t get everything you want right off the bat. Taking your time with the design also allows you to live in the space a little to see what you really love and need. Each year we’ve been adding a few more little details to our backyard space, and this year my husband finally got the hot tub that he has been wanting since we first got married.

We put in a paver pad for the hot tub in the spring and add a little paving stone walkway lined with solar lights. I love the look of the lights and it marks out the pathways nicely at night.

I hope you enjoyed the tour and you find the tips and ideas helpful. If you have any questions, just let me know. Happy Summer my friends!

More Summer Outdoor Space Tours

For more summer outdoor space inspiration, check out all of these beautiful ideas from my blogging friends. Just click the links below the photos to tour around. Enjoy!

Sharing Wednesday….

The Happy Housie // Joanna Anastasia // Cassie Bustamante // The Tattered Pew

Life is Better At Home // Tatertots and Jello // Finding Silver Pennies // Lemon Thistle

A Pretty Life // Dans le Lakehouse // Clean & Scentsible // Willow Street Interiors

Sharing Tuesday…

Inspiration for Moms // She Gave it a Go // Grace in My Space // Deeply Southern Home

Life is a Party // Nina Hendrick // Happy Happy Nester // Craftberry Bush

Maison de Cinq // Hallstrom Home // House by Hoff // My Sweet Savannah

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These cute strawberry shortcake kabobs are quick and easy to make for the perfect summer dessert!  Eat them alone or top with whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs

These strawberry shortcake kabobs make a fun summertime dessert or snack idea. They’re simple to make and you can easily customize the sweetness to your particular taste. They’re perfect for summer parties, BBQs, or picnics. Eat them alone for a quick mess-free snack, or place them on a plate and top with whipped cream or other toppings.

Canada Day Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Ideas

With Canada Day approaching, I thought these strawberry shortcake kabobs would make the perfect treat to add to any Canada Day plans. While these strawberry shortcake kabobs might not be a classic Canadian recipe, their pretty red and white color make them perfect for a Canada Day BBQ or picnic. To make them even more “Canadian” drizzle some maple syrup over them or add a little into your whipped cream if you’re making it from scratch. Red and white sprinkles are always fun too!

I also thought it would be fun to make larger shortcakes using a maple leaf cookie cutter. I’ve put a few recipe modifications below the kabob recipe if you’d like to give these a try.

Strawberry Shortcake Kabob Recipe

These strawberry shortcake kabobs are quick and easy to make using refrigerated biscuit dough. They’re perfect for summer BBQs or Canada Day gatherings and lots of fun to eat!

Modifications to Make the Maple Leaf Strawberry Shortcakes

If you’re making the maple leaf strawberry shortcakes instead of the kabobs, there are just a few little changes to make to the recipe above:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll each biscuit into approximately a 10cm circle. Using a maple leaf cookie cutter, cut out one maple leaf from each round. My cookie cutter was approximately 8cm.
• Bake at 350F for approximately 10 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet, ensuring the bottoms do not burn. DO NOT turn over midway.
• For the strawberries, chop into smaller pieces than with the kabobs. For a sweeter touch, add 1-3 tsp. granulated sugar and stir together in a medium bowl. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to assemble.
• To serve, place a maple leaf shortcake in the bottom of a bowl or on a plate. Add extra strawberries, whipped cream, a drizzle of maple syrup or any other topping of your choice. Pierce with a skewer and Oh Canada dessert topper.

Canada Day Treat Toppers

These Canada Day treat toppers can be used in a variety of ways to add a bit of Canadian flare to your Canada Day decor. They just take a few minutes to put together, but look oh so cute!

To make the treat toppers:

• Download and print out the “Oh Canada” tags.
• Trim them down with a paper cutter to your desired height.
• Fold them over a skewer stick, straw, or other thin item, and secure with double sided tape or glue.
• Using scissors, snip a little ‘v’ at the end of each tag.

DOWNLOAD ‘OH CANADA” TREAT TOPPERS

Canada Day Reflection

With the heartbreaking news about the remains of the 215 Indigenous children at the residential school in Kamloops, Canada Day will definitely have a different feel this year. I hope that it can be a time to come together as a country to educate and learn about the mistakes of our past. While there are many things about being a Canadian that I’m grateful for, I do recognize and acknowledge that there are many shameful parts of our history {and current practices!} – especially when it comes to colonization and treatment of Indigenous people. There is still a long way to go in regards to reconciliation, but hopefully we can start by using Canada Day as a time of reflection and support for our Indigenous communities.

More Canada Day Treats

If you’re looking for more Canada Day treat ideas, check out these delicious ideas before you go. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them all!

The Best Recipe for Strawberry Trifle from BAKED by Blair

Butter Tart Cake from Caked by Katie

Salted Caramel Nanaimo Bars from Ai Made It For You

And if you love strawberry shortcake, you should also try this chocolate chip strawberry shortcake recipe.

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