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When I think back to summers as a kid, one thing I remember is my Dad’s homemade Chewy Chocolate Ice Cream, as he called it. It was a family favorite! It was so rich and creamy and had these big chunks of chocolate fudge mixed in it. And when I say homemade, I mean from scratch and using one of those old-fashioned bucket ice cream makers with ice and rock salt and everything. I decided I wanted my kids to experience grandpa’s homemade chewy chocolate ice cream for themselves, so I got grandpa’s recipe and even borrowed the original ice cream maker to make it ourselves!

Well, we followed grandpa’s recipe and the instructions that came with the ice cream machine and we actually DID make some chocolate ice cream. Now, I must admit, this batch of ice cream we made wasn’t nearly as good as I remembered as a child. I didn’t mix the chocolate pudding part in correctly, so our ice cream was delicious, but it didn’t have the big chunks of chewy chocolate that I so fondly remembered. Now that I’ve made it once, I’ll definitely know what to do differently next time. We still had fun showing the kids how to make homemade ice cream and they thought it was great! I haven’t told them that grandpa makes it much better than we do…some things they just don’t need to know. We’ll just make it again and it will be even better the second time around!

Here’s the recipe, in case you want to try it yourself:

Chewy Chocolate Ice Cream

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 heaping Tablespoons cocoa

2 Tablespoons oil

6 cups whipping cream

4 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large package Chocolate Pudding Mix (not instant)

Milk or cream to make pudding as per directions on box

1. Make pudding as directed on package and place in refrigerator to cool.

2. Add sugar gradually to beaten eggs and beat thoroughly. Add cocoa, oil, salt and vanilla. Mix till sugar is dissolved. Add cream and mix thoroughly. Add cooled pudding in large chunks to cream mixture. Do not mix.

3. Freeze and “ripen” ice cream per ice cream machine instructions.

Makes approximately 5 quarts of ice cream

To make it a little more fun, we set up a little ice cream bar with some of the kids favorite toppings and invited a couple of friends over to enjoy the ice cream with us! I used a pastel and chalkboard color scheme to set up our little ice cream bar and the kids loved it.

As is usually the case with kids and ice cream, they’re bound to get their hands and especially their faces a little messy. To solve that problem, I placed some of my favorite Wet-Nap wipes in a little bowl at the end of our ice cream bar for the kids to easily grab when they were finished eating their ice cream so they could get those hands and faces looking cute and clean again!

Look how great those Wet-Nap wipes work! It cleaned that ice cream right off of their faces! I LOVE Wet-Nap products and store them in my car and purse because I ALWAYS have a little face or hands that need cleaning! I also love that they’re so soft, durable, moisturizing and smell nice.

Right now there’s a coupon for $.55 off any pack of Wet-Nap products that you can download HERE. (While supplies last) Then head to the napkin aisle at your local Walmart and pick some up so you’ll be ready for that next mess. I guarantee you’ll need them sooner than you think!

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Remember this fun popsicle banner I shared over at Design Dazzle’s Summer Camp series a few weeks ago?? Well today a bunch of the camp counselors are participating in a big Summer Camp link party and you’re invited!

The Summer Camp Link party starts today and will run through Saturday June 28th. Feel free to link up any projects, ideas, crafts, etc. that you have created which involve Summer Fun & Kids. We want new ideas as well as ideas from years past…the more the better! We’ll feature some of our favorites throughout the party on our blog.

When you link up to our party, it will show up on ALL the following participating blogs:

 Design Dazzle | Simply Designing | Suzy’s Sitcom | Paisley Petal Events | Kiki & Company | Bloom Designs | The Crafted Sparrow | Pink Cake Plate | Jaco’lyn Murphy | The Scrap Shoppe | a girl and a gluegun | Ginger Snap Crafts | I Dig Pinterest | Daisy Mae Belle | Artzy Creations | Happiness is Homemade | Apples 4 Bookworms | Not Just a Mommy | Love the Day | Hoopla Palooza | Confetti Sunshine | Bombshell Bling | Holy Craft | Party Patisserie

Be sure to visit all of the new and previous Summer Camp ideas as well, by clicking the banner below!

I can’t wait to see your awesome ideas!!

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Hi friends!! Today I’m over at Design Dazzle sharing a fun way to celebrate the start of summer for the kids with an ice cream bar and a cute summer popsicle banner!

Simply download the PDF file and save to your computer, print at home or your local print shop using heavy cardstock, cut out and then hang with ribbon or twine. The banner can hang in your home all summer for a little fun and color and can be used for any summer occasion!

The post Free Printable Summer Popsicle Banner appeared first on Paper Crush.

Well, it’s Friday and the last day of our fun Summer Fiesta Party Hop. I really hope you’ve enjoyed the fabulous ideas that have been shared this week so we’ll leave you with 2 final projects – tissue paper flowers and fun games for your party.

Here’s how to make the tissue paper flowers:

You will need:

• 4 pieces of tissue paper (makes 2 flowers)
• Scissors
• Twist tie
• Cutting mat (not needed, but helpful)
• Ruler (not needed, but helpful)
• Plant stakes or wood dowels

First cut your tissue paper in half across the width of your paper so you can make 2 small flowers.

Next, fold your tissue paper in approximately 1″ folds the entire length of your tissue paper.

Use your twist tie to secure the center of your folded tissue paper.

Cut the ends of your paper into a point. You could also make a rounded tip for a different look.

Carefully pull your tissue paper layers up toward the center one layer at a time. Be gentle with the paper, as it does tear easily. The good thing is that if it tears, you won’t really see it anyway once it’s all fluffed out!

Fluff both sides of the flower if you want a full flower to use as a centerpiece. Or only fluff one side if you want it to lay flat, like we did as chair back decoration for the Summer Fiesta.

Add a stem to your flower by inserting your stick or dowel into the center of your flower.

Make a bunch to use as a table centerpiece or place them on chair backs for party decor!

Paging Supermom shows you how to make a Hit the Can game to provide your guests with a fun Summer Fiesta party activity.

Thanks so much everyone for following along our Summer Fiesta party hop – I hope you are inspired to host your own backyard fiesta using some of the wonderful ideas that have been shared this week!

A special thanks again to our sponsor, Balloon Time. We’d love for you to follow Balloon Time here: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest for more fun party ideas!

The post The Party Hop – Summer Fiesta – Tissue Paper Flowers Tutorial & Games appeared first on Paper Crush.

I’m just loving all the fun and creative ideas that have been shared so far in our Summer Fiesta party hop, and today is no exception! Today we’re sharing cute placecards, fabulous favors & fun fringe party cups. Remember to click on the link below each photo to be taken to the blog with the DIY instructions for each project.

Chelsey from Bright & Bold shares how to make this fun pinata placecard!

These festive salsa party favors from Lindi at Love The Day are just the cutest!

See Vanessa Craft created these fun fringe party cups!

The post The Party Hop – Summer Fiesta – Placecards, Favors & Tableware appeared first on Paper Crush.

Welcome back to our Summer Fiesta Party Hop! Are you having fun yet? I know I am! Today we have some more decor – balloon flags & succulent centerpieces along with some fun fringe drink stirs!

Visit Brittany at One Charming Party for the how-to on these fun balloon flags!

Aimee from The Elephant of Surprise shows us how to make these fabulous succulent centerpieces!

These DIY Fringe Drink Stirs from Kojo Designs make those drinks just a little more fun!

Come back tomorrow for even more great ideas!

The post The Party Hop – Summer Fiesta – More Decor & Tabletop Ideas appeared first on Paper Crush.

So, are you excited to see more of our Summer Fiesta Party Hop after the sneak peek yesterday? We’ve got lots of fun ideas to share this week! Today we have invitations, decor & more!

Visit Dawn at Not Just A Mommy to get the 411 on this DIY Taco Invitation!

Sara from Confetti Sunshine is showing us how to create a Balloon Party Bar – how fun is that?!

You can’t have a Summer Fiesta without papel picado, so visit Paula at Frog Prince Paperie to get the DIY papel picado instructions!

The post The Party Hop – Summer Fiesta – Invitations, Decor & More! appeared first on Paper Crush.

I’ve got a fun week planned for you all! I was so excited to participate in another “Party Hop” with some other fabulous party bloggers – remember our Handmade Holiday Party Hop??? Well, the theme for this party hop is a Summer Fiesta – how fun is that?! Can’t you just picture a fabulous outdoor fiesta-themed party under some twinkling lights with a bunch of friends? Just like the rest of you, I can’t wait for those nice, warm summer nights!

So today we’re sharing the beautiful photos of the Summer Fiesta we created, complete with papel picado, tissue flowers, balloon flags, a fun balloon bar, cute place settings and even some games! Sara from Confetti Sunshine is the mastermind behind this fun project and took the fabulous photos. Check out the goodness in the pictures below and then be sure to come back each day this week for the DIY tutorials on how to create everything we made for our fun Summer Fiesta!

A huge thanks for Balloon Time for sponsoring our fabulous Summer Fiesta!

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