Summer Archives - Our Tiny Nest

15 In food/ parties

Root Beer Float Bar

This root beer float bar is perfect for your summer family fun nights or BBQs.

When I think of some of my favorite childhood summer memories I think of nights at the drive-in, ice cream for dinner, swimming in the pool and catching fireflies. I long to get back to those simple times and give my kids those summers that I had. Scroll down to see my root beer float bar and more vintage summer ideas from some of my friends. Every Friday night we have our Friday night pizza nights followed by a movie. In the summer if it’s a nice night we will set up an outdoor movie on the deck. I made this root beer float bar for a special treat during our movie. It reminded me of being at the drive-ins!

Root Beer Float Bar Fixings

Root Beer
Ice Cream (you can make your own homemade ice cream too! Click here for my recipe)
Whipped Cream
Sprinkles
Hot Fudge
Cherries

Some other fun and different root beer float variations:

Make a boozy peanut butter float peanut butter cup ice cream and with peanut butter flavored whiskey.
For the coffee lover use coffee flavored ice cream!
For a healthier option if you like bananas, freeze some bananas then blend with a little bit of milk of your choice until an ice cream consistency and use for your float.

I added some decor I had around the house just to make it feel a little more fancy, like my chalkboard and cake stand.

Some tips-

If not making and enjoying right away, you may want to have a galvanized bucket of ice and keep the root beer and ice cream on ice.
Use small bowls for things like sprinkles, nuts, marshmallows and chocolate chips.
For the sauces, whipped cream and cherries, just put out in their original containers or jars.

Enjoy!!!!

I love to see if you make any of my recipes. Be sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram @ourtiny_nest

Pin for later

For more summer inspiration, check out my friends ideas below

More Old Fashioned Summer Inspiration

For another fun snack click here to check out my Banana Split Apple Nachos!

And click here for my summer bucket list

Sign up below for more recipes, decor ideas and inspiration right to your inbox

July 11, 2022 By Nicolle

9 In food/ Recipes

Easy Homemade No Churn Ice Cream

One of the things on our summer bucket list this year was to make homemade ice cream. This recipe is for easy homemade no churn ice cream and the best part is the flavor options are endless! I did a little experimenting in the kitchen last weekend and put two flavor combinations to the test. I’m sharing them below.

Easy Homemade No Churn Ice Cream

The base for the ice cream is super simple with only 4 ingredients – heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt. Once you have the base, you can add in whatever your taste buds desire to make different flavor combos. All you need is a loaf pan or these pyrex containers, no machine required.

This ice cream is delicious on it’s own or whip up a Root Beer Float Bar.

Easy homemade no churn ice cream

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash salt

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks start to form.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt
Gently fold in the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the heavy whipping cream until combined.
If serving plain vanilla ice cream, spoon into a bread loaf pan or glass container. Cover and freeze.
If making flavored ice cream, add in your mix-ins of choice and then follow step 4.

2 of my favorite flavor combinations are lemon blueberry and one that I named “Salty Mama”.

Lemon Blueberry

This one is just so refreshing and perfect for summer. Prepare the ice cream using the recipe above. Add in 1 cup of blueberries (I did mine whole but I would probably suggest quartered or mashed) and 1 tbsp lemon zest. Freeze as instructed. Prior to serving, top with some additional grated lemon zest to taste.

Salty Mama

This one is definitely richer! Peanut butter and nutella flavored topped with salty pretzels for the perfect sweet and salty combo.

Prepare the vanilla ice cream base. Using a mixer, mix in 1 cup of peanut butter and 1/2 cup of nutella until smooth. Freeze in your loaf pan or container. Prior to serving, top with crushed pretzels. Mmmmmm.

Pyrex Containers

Loaf Pan

For more summer ideas check out

Root Beer Float Bar

Lucky Charms Ice Cream Sandwiches

Boozy Bomb Pops

The Ultimate Steak Charcuterie Board

Summer printable bucket list

Pin for later

July 19, 2021 By Nicolle

0 In family/ kids

Our favorite backyard activities for the whole family

This post is sponsored by Fox Pest Control but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Since we’re home this summer, we’ve been getting creative with fun activities to do in the backyard for the whole family. And thank you to Fox Pest Control, we no longer have to worry about pesky mosquitoes, stink bugs or ticks.

Check out some of our favorite backyard activities for the whole family below. And be sure to scroll to the bottom for a special offer from Fox Pest Control!

Our favorite backyard activities for the whole family

1.) Make a giant water blob – If you’ve never seen the movie “Heavyweights”, there’s a giant pillow called “The Blob” . You can make your own giant water blob out of plastic sheeting and duct tape. Click here for the tutorial

2.) Make glow jars – these little jars are so pretty and whimsical. To make them you will need glow sticks (these are the ones I used from Amazon), glitter and a mason jar. Carefully cut the top off your glow stick and pour the contents into the mason jar. (I used 3 glow sticks for each jar). Sprinkle in some glitter, screw on the lid and shake. Then bring outside or put in your kiddos’ rooms at night.

3.) Make s’mores – It’s not summer until you’ve had one. My favorite is to use Reese’s peanut butter cups instead of the traditional Hershey bar.

4.) Bounce house fun – we recently got a bounce house for our yard and it was one of the best purchases we’ve made. It honestly keeps the kids occupied for hours. (Linking ours – it even has a ball pit!)

5.) Make a water slide – Rig up a hose to your slide on the bounce house or on your swingset to make a waterslide.

6.) Camp out in the backyard -Set up a tent and camp out in the backyard.

7.) Giant bubble bath – Fill an inflatable pool with water and some homemade bubble solution (click for my easy DIY recipe) to make a giant bubble bath!

8.) Star gazing – Layer a bunch of pillows and blankets in your inflatable pool, kick back and watch the stars.

9.) Water balloon pinatas – Fill a bunch of water balloons, hang them from a branch or clothes line and let your kids whack them with a baseball bat to spray water everywhere.

Save $60 off of your first treatment from Fox Pest Control

by mentioning code “TINYNEST” when you call

Pin for later

July 24, 2020 By Nicolle

1 In DIY/ kids

Easy homemade bubble solution with 3 ingredients

This post contains affiliate links

When I think about summer I think about the smell of sunscreen, playing outside all day, eating endless watermelon and popsicles and bubbles. My kids love bubbles. It will occupy them for hours. At the beginning of every summer, I buy bottles of bubbles and usually after a few days, they end up getting spilled all over the deck. Using only 3 ingredients that you probably already have at home, you can whip up a big batch of this easy homemade bubble solution with my recipe below. I’m also sharing how to make your own bubble wands.

Easy Homemade Bubble Solution

Ingredients:

6 cups of water
2 cups of dish soap
3/4 cup of corn syrup, glycerine or sugar

Directions:

In a large gallon jug, pour the water, dish soap and corn syrup (or glycerin or sugar) stirring until well combined. Let it sit overnight.
Pour into separate smaller bottles or set up a large bubble station outside with some bubble wands (showing you how to make your own below)

Homemade Bubble Wands

You will need:

pipe cleaners or a thick wire – linking them here
scissors or wire cutters
beads – linking them here

This is a great activity for your kids to do on their own. I made a few wands ahead of time and laid them out to show as an example. You may need to be close by to help with the cutting.

Tip – I found that a thick wire (old wire hangers are great!) work better than the pipe cleaners. Eventually the pipe cleaners got soggy from the bubbles and didn’t hold up as well.