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The Summer Fun Can’t Wait

As much as we try to enjoy the moments with our children, sometimes all we can do it survive them. Now that most kids have started Summer vacation, we’ll be trying to figure out how to fill the days up, rather than the usual trying to slim them down. Finally, it’s time for some Summer fun! During the school year, days turn into weeks, which turn into months, and time just gets lost. The constant shuffling, carpooling, and racing to get the kids fed, then off to school, picked up from school, fed, off to their after-school activities, fed, homework done, baths done, and then off to bed, can make it impossible to just have some spontaneous fun. If I could, I’d eat every meal outside with the kids, on the lawn, under the tree, just basking in their laughter and rejoicing about the “longer days” and the ability to slow down enough to enjoy my kids’ company. I kicked our Summer fun off a few days earlier and started getting crafty with candy! Our no-cook candy garden dishes were perfect and so easy.  For a little extra fun, I even made some candy necklaces. Just a little further down, I’ll show you exactly how I made them!

By the end of Summer, I might be pulling my hair out just counting the hours until school starts again. For now, I couldn’t be happier about the break! How about you? I bet it would be even better if you got to start your Summer fun with a big win.

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The Candy Garden & Candy Necklaces

Remember when I made the super delicious SNICKERS® parfaits and DIY lollipops? You probably guessed then that M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, Skittles®, and Life Savers® Hard Candy are some of my favorite treats. Aside from the delicious taste, I just love the all the color! I definitely needed to stock up to kick the Summer off right, so I stopped by Walmart (which I live even closer to now) and hit the candy aisle.

How To Make Them For YOUR Next Summer Fun Experience

• Preheat the oven to 275
• Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Align your favorite Life Savers® on top of the parchment paper, into desired shape. (for the necklaces, I just did straight lines.) For the accent rocks for the garden, I heated single non touching Life Savers®.
• Heat the Life Savers® in the over for 7-9 minutes. The candy should be soft with a glossy look, but not melted out of shape.
• Quickly remove them from the oven, then place a single  Skittles® over the hole of the Life Savers®. You have to work quickly because the candy hardens quickly. Using your thumb, firmly press down on the center of the Skittles® forcing it to break flat. (For easier pressing of the Skittles® you can heat them for 1-2 minutes, if you choose.)
• Cool finished treats for 2-3 minutes.
• To make the Skittles® flowers, simple flatten the Skittles® as described above and insert a toothpick. Stand them in an upright position into a mini-dish of loose Skittles®.
• To bind the plastic beads to the finished necklace candy, heat some single Life Savers® as described above, then quickly mold it over the plastic beads and to the back of the Life Savers® necklace piece. Remember, you must work quickly. 

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 How are you kick starting your Summer fun? Share with us in the comments!

By:  Alicia Gonzalez