The Autumn season is considered “soup season” all over the world. Simply put, making soup is a great way to warm your body during cooler months, a great way to cook indoors, and a great way to use your final summer vegetable harvests. 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

There’s no denying the warmth that travels through your body when even smelling one of your favorite Autumn soups. The unique scents swirling through the kitchen as you cook an old Minnesota recipe for Wild Rice Soup, the hints of cumin and chili powder lingering while cooking a good West Coast Chicken Tortilla soup, soup is an incredible experience. Memories, happiness, hope. 

Cooking soup for your family as a mom can range from warming cans of Campbell’s to pouring hours of your time and energy into a from-scratch recipe, and everything in between. No matter what kind of soup you prepare for your family, it is an act of love and care. 

Growing up in church, soup also held a special meaning in our church community. Does anyone else remember “soup suppers” during Lent and Advent service seasons? Perhaps your church still offers some sort of soup supper. Say what you want about Lutherans, but come hungry to a Lutheran soup supper. You’re gonna want to try each and every soup offered and you will enjoy spending time with other believers over a good bowl of soup.

Ok, so, we are moms, right? We have a bazillion things we are in charge of, right? Right. So let me help us all out a bit by compiling an easy-to-access soup resource. In this post, you will discover soup tips and tricks for moms as well as some wonderful soup recipes. Some are my favorites, some were suggested to me by other local moms here in Illinois. 

Enjoy!

Tips and tricks for moms:

• If you enjoy cooking, spend time on the recipes that excite you. If you don’t enjoy cooking, buy prepared soup and don’t feel guilty about it. 
• Feel confident switching up ingredients to better suit your family. My husband doesn’t like onions, so I try to find other ingredients to substitute. With soups, I usually choose a nice bell pepper from the garden to use instead of onion, or I cut the amount of onion in the recipe in half. Celery is another option to use instead of onions without losing the “crunch” factor.
• Are you out of an ingredient for the recipe you want to cook? No worries! Pick up your phone and do a quick Google search for a substitute. Did you forget sour cream? Search for “sour cream substitute” and take your pick. The internet is full of amazing substitution options. Work smarter, not harder.
• Create a topping tray to serve with your soup. Find a fun serving tray or plate and fill it with croutons, different kinds of crackers, tortilla strips, nuts and seeds, cheese, or anything you would like to top your soup with. Let your kids pick and top their own soup with what they want. 
• Chop, measure, and prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time and let your kids help add ingredients when the time is right. Kids of all ages enjoy being involved in your activities and it’s never too early to teach cooking!

Autumn Soup Recipes:

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

My husband and his family are from the great state of Minnesota, so this soup recipe is representing their heritage. Turkey and wild rice are both important resources given to us largely by Minnesota. This thick and creamy soup will warm your bones and stick to your ribs. Get the recipe here.

King Ranch Soup

Texas’s King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. This hearty Tex-Mex soup is full of flavor and nutrition the whole family will enjoy. Add black beans for extra flavor and fiber and offer tortilla strips to top the soup in addition to the corn tortillas inside the soup. Get the recipe here.

Andersons Split Pea Soup

Growing up in California, our family loves stopping at a Pea Soup Anderson’s travel restaurant. The good news about this Split Pea Soup recipe is that you can make it or buy it already prepared…sometimes from Amazon! Both options are delicious, especially topping with seasoned croutons or Saltine crackers. Get the recipe here.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

You know that incredible smell while cooking French Onion Soup? Well, get ready for a blast of that smell that would make Yankee Candle proud. This Instant Pot version of a family favorite recipe will make your soup cooking time a little easier. Use fresh thyme (from your garden if you have it) for a unique flavor. Get the recipe here.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Mini Pies

My kids are two and four, so soup eating is usually a fairly dramatic and sometimes traumatic situation at our house. Not all kids are good at eating soup. This recipe helps solve that problem while making Broccoli Cheddar Soup fast and easy to eat for everyone. Get the recipe here.

Pesto Chicken Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is a well-loved soup and this recipe uses highly nutritious dark green kale leaves which pairs pleasantly with the basil in the pesto. Using prepared cheese tortellini keeps this recipe in the “totally doable” category for most moms, but homemade tortellini would probably be delicious and fun to try making with your kids. Get the recipe here.

The Best Chili

I personally believe there are so many good ways to make chili that there is no “best”. This “Best Chili Recipe” has never let me down being the best at that moment. Are you someone who thinks beans have no place in chili? That’s okay, my husband thinks that way. Skip the beans and add a bit more meat or thickener instead! Get the recipe here.

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup

Made popular by Olive Garden restaurants, this soup is a favorite in many homes. Making this soup in the crockpot frees up some time and energy for other parts of mom life and fills your home with the smell of autumn soup all day long. Get the recipe here.

Beef, Tomato, and Acini Di Pepe Soup

Acini Di Pepe is a really fun small shape of pasta used in this hearty and healthy Italian autumn soup recipe. The beef and many nutritious vegetables in this soup will make your family feel incredible and full. Any small-shaped pasta can be used in this recipe, I plan to try using Farro next time. Get the recipe here.

Spicy Sausage Corn Chowder

Much like chili, chowder is in an essential soup category all on its own. This sausage and corn chowder is a creamy concoction using starchy veggies and spicy Italian sausage. For families who don’t enjoy spicy foods, regular sausage can be substituted. For families who want more spice, consider adding a poblano pepper and an Anaheim chili pepper. Get the recipe here.

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Yesssssssss, another chili recipe, and another crockpot recipe! This creamy chili uses lighter-colored ingredients for a completely different taste and texture than red chili. Substitute one can of chilies for a fresh Anaheim Chili Pepper or two. Remove chili pepper seeds to minimize the heat of the spice level, leave the seeds for more heated spice. Get the recipe here.

Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

Imagine enjoying the tastes of cabbage rolls without having to do ALL of the work required for those rolls. This recipe solves that problem for us. Make Cabbage Roll Soup! This soup cooks for 8-10 hours so plan to make this recipe on a day you will be home all day. Experiment with using different kinds of fresh basil in this soup. I plan to use Thai Basil next time! Get the recipe here.

Ina Garten’s Easy Tomato Soup

Some Autumn and Winter days seem to encourage eating tomato soup. Do you know what I mean? This easy tomato soup recipe pairs perfectly with a good grilled cheese sandwich and a cozy blanket on the couch in sweatpants. Use fresh garden tomatoes for a unique flavor and additional health benefits. Get the recipe here.

Soup mood is a real thing.

Some days we moms wake up craving soup. Some days we already have plans to make soup. Some days we look forward to cooking soup all day for our families. Some days we struggle to find the can opener for a quick can of soup. I hope and pray you all get to enjoy some good soup this Autumn. 

Until next time, my friends.

XOXO

Amy

What is Trunk or Treat?

Happy Halloween season from Mom Fuel! 

Trunk or Treat events are a swiftly growing trend for safe and fun alternatives to trick or treating. Perhaps your neighborhood isn’t well lit or you are unsure of your neighbors. Maybe you really just don’t want to traipse around your neighborhood reminding your kids to say “thank you” to neighbors all night.  Maybe you are trick-or-treating the night of Halloween, but want to attend your community Trunk or Treat event as well to show off your family’s incredible costumes. 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

During a Trunk or Treat event, a group of people decorates the trunk of their car. Some people have themes that call for decorating their WHOLE car, while some ideas only require decorations truly in the trunk of your car. Everyone in the group parks together in a parking lot and the kids walk from car to car, collecting candy. I have personally seen this trend in churches, neighborhoods, schools, and other community organizations.

So you and your family have signed up to participate in a Trunk or Treat event. You get to decorate your trunk, dress your kids up, hand out candy from your trunk, and so much more. Now what?

Trunk or Treat Tips and Tricks for Moms

Pick A Theme: Your theme will shape your entire experience. Pick a theme your whole family will get excited about and enjoy. If you can’t think of a theme, use one from this post to spark your creativity.

Find Your Costumes: Coordinate your costumes to match your car’s decoration theme. For example, decorate your car as a zoo and dress each family member as their favorite zoo animal. The possibilities are endless!

Add An Activity: Some of us love to be “extra”. This step is for you. Add a game or activity to your trunk so kids can earn a prize.

Themed Prizes: Pick up candy NOW for the best selection. If you don’t want to hand out the usual candy, find something else to hand out at your car that goes with your theme. If you decorate your car with a Disney theme, hand out character stickers or Disney birthday goodie bag toys. Have some fun with it!

Show Your Pride: Have fun with your ideas and tap into your family’s unique interests. Do you all love board games? Do you love the Minnesota Vikings as we do? Find a theme that pulls your family together and enjoy the memories you make together.

Trunk or Treat Themes

Animals Trunk or Treat Ideas

Circus – Decorate your car like a circus including real peanuts or peanut-shaped candies. Dress your family as circus animals or carnival characters.  

Zoo – Decorate your car as your favorite zoo (St. Louis Zoo is our absolute favorite) and dress family members as zoo animals or zoo workers.

Safari – Decorate your car to look like a safari jeep and dress your family as safari explorers and/or animals.

Sharks – Baby Shark is STILL popular. And there are so many Baby Shark decorations and costumes that are easy to find. Pinkfong offers Halloween-themed remixes that can be played from your car.

Children’s Stories Trunk or Treat Ideas

Toy Story – Decorate your trunk as Andy’s room and dress your family up as the Toy Story characters. Offer Toy Story party favors as prizes.

Aladdin – Lay a magic carpet out front and decorate your trunk to look like the cave of wonders with candy and prizes inside to grab. Dress your family as their favorite character from Aladdin.

Magic School Bus – Decorate your car as the Magic School Bus and dress your family as the characters from the beloved show. Hand out science-themed prizes and candy.

Wizard of Oz – Decorate your car to look like The Emerald City and throw a yellow brick road down in front. Dress your family as their favorite character from The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy can hand out candy and prizes from a picnic basket!

Food and Drink Trunk or Treat Ideas

Candy Land – Decorate your car as a dandy Candy Land and dress your family up as Candy Land characters or game pieces. Hand out the types of candy included on the game board. 

Gingerbread House – Decorate your car to look like an old-fashioned gingerbread house and dress your family up as gingerbread people. Give out a bag of gumdrops with a note that says “ Not my gumdrop button!”

Bubble Gum – Decorate your car to look like a bubblegum dispenser. Fill your trunk with balloons and cover it with clear cellophane. Dress your family in shirts representing their favorite brand of bubblegum. 

Picnic – Set up a picnic blanket in your trunk and set up either real or toy picnic accessories. Dress your adult family members as picnickers and dress the kids as picnic foods. 

Scary Trunk or Treat Ideas

Graveyard – Decorate your car to look like a graveyard with creepy trees, grass, and dirt. Dress your family as gravestones with funny punny names on them – much like Disneyland uses to decorate their Haunted Mansion attraction. 

Ghosts – Either add ghosts to the graveyard setup or decorate your car as a haunted house. Dress your family up as ghosts, either cute ghosts or scary ghosts.

Cursed Treasure Chest – Decorate your car to look like a giant treasure chest and fill your trunk with candy and prizes. Dress your family up as pirates guarding their precious treasure. 

Witches Dungeon – Need some inspiration? Channel the Sanderson Sister’s lair. Decorate your car to look like a witch’s lair. Dress your family as witches from your favorite book or movie. 

Family Memories Trunk or Treat Ideas

Camping – Decorate your car to be a campsite and dress your family as campers. Roast (safely) marshmallows in front of your trunk and hand out S’mores ingredients. 

Sports Team – Does your family love a sport or team together? Decorate your car to look like a field, court, arena, or whatever your favorite sport or team play on. Dress each family member in a jersey representing the team(s) you love!

Hunting – Does your family hunt together? Decorate your car to look like your favorite hunting environment. Dress in your best hunting gear and hand out orange candy. Please do not use real guns at a trunk or treat event.

Location Theme – Take everyone on a trip to your favorite location. Decorate your car to represent your favorite family vacation. Dress your family up for the activities you did together on that vacation. 

Attending a Trunk or Treat event is a great way to celebrate Halloween as a family and celebrate with your community. 

Remember…you are a mom and therefore already responsible for a lot of things. If you are invited to a Trunk or Treat event and do not want to attend, that is absolutely fine. No guilt. If you are invited and want to attend but don’t have much time or energy, keep it simple. No guilt. If you are invited, RSVP “heck yes” immediately, and want to spend time and energy on your trunk, great! No guilt. Do it, have fun with it, and enjoy yourself. 

Happy Halloween from Mom Fuel!

The 2020 holiday season has come and gone and I bet it was unlike any other holiday season we’ve experienced. This pandemic isn’t getting any easier to deal with, and the new year isn’t waiting for us. While there is no substitute for spending time with family members, we moms need to get a little bit creative while you strengthen relationships during a pandemic in this new year. Again. More.

Oh, momma, I know that is the last thing you want to hear. I know you’re exhausted and fresh out of creative and magical ideas. I know you just want this pandemic to be over and to return to the “normal” chaos of motherhood. You are not alone in any of that. We’ve created this list of ideas for you to help you connect with family and friends in some fun and safe ways while the world continues to heal from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Send Mail

Technology is a wonderful blessing these days, but there is still some magic attached to good old fashioned snail mail. Mailing a card or letter is a great way to connect with your people in this pandemic-arific season. It’s no longer considered antiquated to type up a long family update to send to your friends and family members. 

Since visiting in-person has been restricted lately, your friends and family will be happy to read about what you have been doing. Include caring messages in your mail encouraging connection. For family members not on social media, think about including some photos in your letters or cards. You don’t need perfectly posed family portraits (although those are wonderful, too!). Your family members want to see your real life.

Cook and Craft

One of my favorite things to do with my own mom during the holiday season is to make homemade English toffee. This year we live over a thousand miles apart with heavy travel restrictions, so we made toffee together virtually. Choose a recipe to make with a friend or family member, schedule a FaceTime call, and prop your FaceTime device up to chat while cooking or baking in your own homes. Choose a kid-friendly recipe and invite your kids to join in, we all need to strengthen relationships.

If you enjoy doing crafts with your kids and extended family members, order a craft kit like this for each household. Schedule a date and time for a FaceTime call or Zoom meeting with your parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, or anyone you want to craft with. Prop up your device and assemble your crafts together while having some great conversations. Keep these crafts as a memory of a wild season of life.

Worship Together

Many churches have had to make the difficult decision to hold their worship services online only this year. Some areas of the country are able to hold church in person but have continued putting time and energy into their online presence. If you have fond memories of attending church with your family, you may be struggling with online church. That is understandable! This is hard! Online church will never offer the same experience as being in a decorated sanctuary smelling of old wood and burning candles. You may miss your worship band and seeing familiar faces. I wish we could somehow replicate the sights, sounds, and smells of a church online.

The good news is this: no matter where or how we are able to get to church, Jesus is still with us. He still came to this earth as a human baby, only to die on the cross later to save our butts. Let’s celebrate and worship in the ways we still can.

Worshipping together is a great way to strengthen relationships during a pandemic. Choose an online church service for you and your extended family to attend together. Watch the service and enjoy the gift of worship. Sing together, pray together, learn together, and reflect together. Remember to thank your church leadership for making an online service available, it’s hard work!

Read and Remember

Reading books together does not have to be lost during the pandemic. Schedule a virtual meeting with your friends or family members and choose a book to read together virtually. Pick one of your favorite childhood books, or choose a new book to read for the first time together. Have a grandparent, aunt or uncle read a book to your kids virtually. Make everyone a cup of hot cocoa and invite the family members on the other end of your device to do the same. Have each family member talk about their favorite childhood memories after reading your book. 

If you are wanting to connect with adult friends and family members, consider starting a digital book club with everyone. Pick a book, a place to meet virtually, and a time to meet. For a small group, perhaps start a text message group. For larger groups consider creating a Facebook group for all of the members to join. Here is a list of my favorite faith-based books to read with groups or on your own. With the world full of so much chaos and so many unknowns, it’s always a good idea to cling to Jesus, our constant source of truth.

Experience Entertainment

Before the pandemic, you may have been used to strengthening your relationships by making or listening to music together,  watching movies together, or playing games together. We may not be able to do these things in-person quite yet, but with a dash of creativity, you can make new memories of experiencing entertainment together virtually. 

Plan a Virtual Hymn Sing

Pick a place to meet online, date, and time, and get together virtually to sing songs together. For smaller groups, schedule a FaceTime meeting and sing together on your electronic devices. For larger groups, host a Facebook live video on your personal page or in a private group and invite others to comment to stay involved. Create a list of songs to sing together virtually and enjoy your time with friends and family.

If making music is not a gift for your family, create a playlist of your favorite songs on Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music, and share that playlist with the members of your family. Pick a genre of songs and invite friends and family to add their favorite songs under that category. This is a great way to remember old favorite songs and find new songs to love together.

Watch Movies Together

Streaming services like Disney+ offer an option to watch a movie as a group at the same time from different devices. Invite members of your extended family to watch a movie of your choosing at the same time. If you want to do this a few times, take turns picking the movie to watch.

Play Games Together

If your family enjoys playing games together during the holidays, plan a virtual family game night to help strengthen relationships during a pandemic. Schedule a digital call with another household and play games together digitally. Each household needs to have a copy of the same game. Prop up your device after calling in, and take turns playing through the game. Search online for fun-themed bingo, scavenger hunts, trivia, and conversation starter games to play together virtually.

Before you stress yourself out planning ALL of these things, I would like to make one more suggestion: keep it simple. Pick one or two of these activities and only pick the things you truly enjoy. There is so much stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic, so there’s no need to create more. You are not alone and you are doing a great job, momma. 

COVID-19 has rapidly taken over our lives and doesn’t seem to be getting better as fast as we hoped it would. Most school districts are moving to remote-only learning for the 2020-2021 school year, some states and counties are re-closing bars, salons, and dine-in restaurants. A vaccine is being created, but it takes a long time and some of us get nervous about vaccines, especially NEW vaccines. 

With so many components of our daily lives being threatened, consumed, and ruined by this virus, isn’t there anything we CAN do? Anything we can control?! Please?!

Good news, mommas! There are a few simple things we can control and can introduce to our lives and the lives of our family members. 

Multiple studies have shown that boosting your immune system can help fight off and minimize COVID-19 destruction and tragedy. Check out this article from the St. Louis-based Washington University (or WashU for short).

While boosting your immune system may not keep you 100% safe from contracting this virus, boosting your immune system CAN lower your chance of catching the virus and can help you fight the virus better if you do catch it.

Wait, wait, wait, we are all moms here. We don’t have time or energy to add anything to our already chaotic lives, right? 

Fear not, these tips are for tired, exhausted, drained, overworked mommas, too. 

These “boost your immune system”  tips will help introduce more healthy habits in your life and the lives of your family members. These tips are an opportunity to take back the control we have lost to the virus and start healing as a community of moms moving forward in life

Antioxidants

Consuming antioxidants can help boost your immune system and fight off illnesses. There are a few yummy and healthy foods that naturally contain antioxidants. Try adding one or a few of these into your daily diet to boost your immune system:

• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Dark Chocolate 
• Kale
• Pecans
• Antioxidant-rich tea
• Supplements Jens links
• Artichokes
• Cinnamon
• Russet Potatoes
• Black Beans
• Dried Fruit

Limit Fake Foods 

Limiting unhealthy sugar and fake foods can minimize harmful ingredients and leave room for more nutrient-rich foods!

Realistic Exercise 

There are so many specific ways that exercise can help improve your immune system! Simply put, physical activity helps general good health, and general good health creates a healthy immune system. So, aim to get 30 minutes of physical activity every single day. This can be things like workout videos or a trip to the gym, or a chaotic kids yoga video with your small ones, anything counts! Physical activity promotes positive physical health, mental health, and spiritual health. Choose a realistic activity, keep it simple, and make it easy and enjoyable for yourself to get 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Harvard posted this article that highlights the benefits of exercise for your immune system.

Sunshine and Vitamin D

Sunshine on your skin makes your body produce Vitamin D, a vitamin that is known to boost your immune system. While some natural sunlight can be beneficial to you, too much can be harmful. The good news is that Vitamin D is naturally found in some foods! Add these foods to their diets and your body and immune system will be strong and healthy.

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Swiss Cheese
• Egg Yolks
• Mushrooms
• Fortified Orange Juice
• Fortified Cereal

This article from the Cleveland Clinic shows us how to get more Vitamin D from our food.

Moms Need Sleep

Ugh, we are busy moms, is sleep really THAT important?! Welp, yes it is. Sleep is important for many reasons, one of them being a healthy immune system. Think of it this way: while we sleep, our bodies produce Cytokines, and that crazy little protein attacks inflammation and infection. The more you sleep, the more Cytokines your body produces. The more Cytokines your body produces, the healthier your immune system is! Phew, did you follow me with all of that?! It was a lot!

Momma, you deserve sleep and lots of it. As moms, we may not always (or ever) get an uninterrupted 8 hours of deep sleep a night. We may not be able to sleep when the baby sleeps. We may not get to sleep in. But we can add some sleep here and there throughout your day and night to make sure you get enough. Take a cat nap during the day sometimes instead of folding the laundry. Order takeout and go to bed early instead of cooking and cleaning the kitchen. Add some creative sleep to your life and boost your immune system!

Handwashing (Yes, still)

Most of us may be sick of washing our hands so much, and our kids are even less enthusiastic about it. As the virus is still so unknown, we still need to be washing our hands as often as we can. Here are a few tips for keeping up the handwashing habit AND enjoying your time, too:

Lotion

Shop for each family member’s favorite hand lotion and create a hand lotion station in your house. Choose a fun tray, put each bottle of lotion on the tray (where everyone can reach it), and print out signs that say “Lotion Station” or something more creative with your last name. If you enjoy crafting, you may enjoy making a few extra signs for your lotion stations with each family member’s name on it. Have fun with it and express yourself. Encourage everyone in your family to put lotion on their hands after washing and drying to keep your skin healthy.

Sticker Chart

To encourage younger kids to wash their hands, create a bright and fun sticker chart for your little ones. Include an opportunity to get a sticker by washing your hands and set a goal number of stickers. Once your kids hit your goal number of stickers, they may receive a treat! Keep it simple and choose things that work for your family. For example, my 1 and 3-year-old each have their own chart. They each have 6 categories for earning stickers, and once they get 40 stickers they get to pick out a toy from Target. 

Drink All The Water

Drinking water and hydrate and cleanse your body is a great way to boost your immune system. Set reminders for yourself to drink water instead of relying on your already-overworked mom brain. Buy yourself a fun water bottle to use and refill throughout the day. Add ice and a straw to your glass of water to make it a more enjoyable experience. 

Do Happy Things

What are “happy things”? Well, I can’t tell you what your happy things are, each mom has unique interests and passions. We each have our own personal list of things that make us happy. This is a great time to start adding YOUR happy things to your schedule. Lowering stress and boosting your mood will also boost your immune system. If getting into God’s Word makes you happy, pick up your favorite devotional book, or find an online Bible Study (like this one I recently wrote) and dive in! Do you find happiness in nature? Schedule time into each day to be out in nature if that is one of your happy things. You deserve to make time for yourself, and you deserve to be happy. 

Let me start this blog post by saying…

I LOVE HOLIDAYS!

I love celebrating anything and everything with my husband and kids. I’m gonna be really honest with you though, this year Father’s Day kinda snuck up on me. Easter 2020 was weird, Mother’s Day was weird, and I’m a little nervous to try to celebrate my incredible husband and the amazing father he is to our two kids. I don’t want to have another weird holiday. My solution to the anxiety of celebrating anything right now is this: keep it simple. I know usually K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. I want to change that around for you today. Try this instead….Keep It Stupid Simple! Here are 17 simple ways to celebrate Father’s Day this year.

Dad Coupons

Remember how fun it was to make coupons for your parents when you were a kid? Shopping for gifts is much harder during this season of social distancing, so bring back the old school gift of “Dad Coupons”. If you don’t want to make your own, order some from a shop on Etsy.

Mancrate

Mancrate is a really fun company that creates unique gifts for men. My favorite part of Mancrate gifts is that most of them come in a crate that the “man” has to open himself with a tool. Even their gift cards come inside a brick that has to be broken open to redeem. It’s VERY entertaining to watch! There are also men’s versions of crafting sets and gifts that come in ammo cans and toolboxes. Browse their website here and get some fun gifts for the dads in your life!

Homemade Gifts

Homemade gifts are a great personalized way to celebrate Father’s Day. Browse Pinterest for some DIY Father’s Day gifts that work with your crafting skill and enjoyment levels. Don’t make yourself do something you don’t enjoy and remember to keep it simple!

Photography

Some men hate having their photos taken, but some dads really appreciate a photography session with their kids. It’s special to have professional photos taken highlighting dads and their kids. Do some research for local photographers in your area who enjoy or specialize in family photoshoots.

Ask Him

Stay with me here, I know it’s not that simple. When I ask my husband what he wants to do for Father’s Day, he always replies “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” And we go around like that a few times until we realize we sound like our toddlers. A much more productive thing to do is to ask him specific questions about his preferences for Father’s Day. What would he like to eat that day? What would he like to do between meals? Who does he want to spend time with on Father’s Day? Try to guide the conversation with specific questions for your man.

Camp or Fish

If the father in your household enjoys fishing or camping, make an effort to plan a family fishing or camping trip. If the fishing and camping areas around you are still closed for social distancing, or if you aren’t quite comfortable traveling yet, set up a campsite in your yard or even inside the house in the living room for an “at home” camping trip. 

Birchbox Grooming Box

Did you know Birchbox has a Grooming Box subscription for men? I love getting my lady’s Birchbox each month, and they have created a men’s version called the Grooming Box. The boxes contain sample sizes of men’s grooming products, personalized to fit your man’s individual needs. Check out their website here for more information!

Family Game Night

If your family enjoys playing board games or video games together, plan a Father’s Day Family Game Night to celebrate the dad in your house. Pull out a few of your favorite board games or make a list of your favorite video games to play as a family. Make fun family food to eat together and then play games together all night. 

Movie Themed Food

Growing up I remember a few years of celebrating Father’s Day with a movie-themed food night together as a family. Usually, my dad picked Godfather and spaghetti for dinner… but you can base your dinner menu on your man’s favorite movie. Ask the dad in your house what his favorite movie is. Create a menu that goes with the movie or use Pinterest or Google for some help with ideas. Watch the movie all together as a family if it’s appropriate for your kids, or watch it after the kids go to bed if it’s not something your kids would/should enjoy.

Cook His Faves

Ask your dude about food! Ask him what some of his favorite meals are and celebrate Father’s Day with his choice of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mom tip: encourage him to pick at least one take out/carry out that you don’t have to cook. 

Let Him Cook/Grill

If the dad of the house in your house likes to cook or grill, ask him if he would enjoy cooking or grilling a meal on Father’s Day! My husband enjoys grilling or smoking pork steaks for us now that we live close to St. Louis, and he feels proud and accomplished providing dinner for all of us. Father’s Day is a great day to do the things dads truly enjoy.

T-Shirts

If you have something like a Cricut and enjoy making t-shirts, make a personalized t-shirt for the dad in your household! Pick a phrase or image that represents him. Browse the internet for inspiration. If you don’t want to make your own t-shirt, look online at shops like Etsy or Amazon for a t-shirt he would really like. Most dads enjoy t-shirts as gifts and it’s always nice to start the summer with new fresh hot weather clothes.

Family Drive

Going on a family drive is a great way to celebrate Father’s Day together, and it’s a safe idea during social distancing. Pack drinks and snacks and load the family into the car. Then, simply drive. Drive together and talk about what you see out the windows. Talk about memories of dads in your family. Talk about life together and be a family together in the car.

Family Walk/Hike

Family walks are a very important thing in our family. We love spending time walking and talking and getting fresh air and exercise. If your family enjoys walking outside, plan a family walk or hike on Father’s Day. You can drive to the closest National park or walk around your neighborhood block, just walk together!

Family Sports

If your family is passionate about playing sports, plan a day of playing sports together on Father’s Day. Ask the dad in your house what his favorite sports to play with the family are, and have everything you need ready the day of your celebration. Make sure to have plenty of drinks and snacks ready for fuel and hydration!

Family Movie Night

Watching a movie together as a family is a great way to celebrate Father’s Day. Let dad choose what movie to watch together and make popcorn. Check your grocery store (or Target) for movie sized candy boxes and individual popcorn bowls. Make sure everyone is wearing comfy clothes, sit back, relax, and celebrate Father’s Day with a family movie night.

Team Party

With sports being on hold for the moment, some men are really missing their favorite sports team and all the fun that comes with being a fan. Pick one of your man’s favorite sports teams and plan a party based on that theme. Invite people your man likes being around (my husband would choose inviting no one) and make “game” food like hot dogs, nachos, or simple appetizers. If you have the time, order party tableware and decorations with your sport or team of choice. We almost always have Minnesota Vikings and Anaheim Angels cups and plates stored in the house somewhere. Make Father’s Day extra special with a team party!

No matter how you celebrate Father’s Day this year, remember that you are doing a great job. Keeping the celebration simple does not mean you care less. Having realistic expectations for your family is a healthy way to keep your family members on the same page and team. Do what works for you and your tribe, and enjoy yourself, momma!