DIY Garden Craft : Butterfly Puddles

 In the Garden : Butterfly Puddles station 

What you will need:

• Terracotta pot and saucer
• Play Sand
• Compost
• Decorative rocks and beach glass ( I used some small round rocks out of my garden)

If you see butterflies on moist sand or mud and they appear to be nibbling, this is called “puddling.” They do this to obtain minerals from the soil.

You can provide a puddling spot by placing a saucer or shallow pan in your garden and filling it with coarse moist sand. (Sand keeps water from evaporating).

Creating a Butterfly Garden

1. Choose the right location. ...
2. Select flowers that attract butterflies. ...
3. Use organic, homemade bait. ...
4. Add a water source. ...
5. Build butterfly shelters. ...
6. Stay clear of toxic pesticides. .

The migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) has entered the IUCN Red List as Endangered.

What is happening in our global landscapes to cause such alarming losses? Butterflies face a wide range of threats including habitat loss, climate change, disease, pesticides, and invasive plants. More localized threats, such as over grazing and roadside mowing, can also have negative consequences.

StarGARDENfeature 7/6/26

 

WELCOME to the first week of the July 2026 "You're the Star" Blog Hop!

Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog:

diy butterfly puddle station for your garden.....

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WELCOME to GARDEN feature week of the July 2026 "You're the STAR" blog hop!

Meet all of your Hosts

This week is GARDEN feature week
Swing by the Hosts blogs:

Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Colleen @ Butterfly in the Attic

Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal

Lisa @ At Home With Lisa

Kris @ Kris and Larry . com

This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU!

There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories.  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month. 
The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:
WEEK#1 GARDEN - gardening, homesteading, recycling, outdoor activities &/or preserving (this can include any type of green living,  repurposed ideas, outdoor concerns, posts relating to farm animals etc all while remaining family friendly)

(These features were chosen from the June 2026 "You're the Star" blog hop)

The Many Colors of Hibiscus by Carol on the Lake

Newly Planted Vegetable Garden by Amy's Creative Pursuits

How Does Your Garden Grow? by Our Grand Lives

Freedom 250 Plant Pot Cover by Road Gypsies

If you've been featured then please grab a STAR button below:

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All Hosts/CoHosts will post this blog hop on every Monday of each week.
Please link up your family friendly blog posts below!
It wouldn't be a linky party with YOU!
(IMPORTANT NOTE: by linking up you understand that you might be featured next month and if so, we will use some of your photos from your post - rest assured - we will always link back to your lovely blog.  We might also share your fantastic posts on social media.  Also, you may link up as many family-friendly posts as you like & YES - other blog hops &/or giveaways are welcome {giveaways and blog hops will NOT be featured though}  Thank You & ENJOY! )

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Picnic Cookbook: :

 

Picnic Cookbook: A Spring and Summer Cookbook with Delicious Picnic Recipes and Picnic Ideas

Picnic Ideas.

Get your copy of the best and most unique Picnic recipes from BookSumo Press!

Come take a journey with us into the delights of easy cooking. The point of this cookbook and all our cookbooks is to exemplify the effortless nature of cooking simply.

In this book we focus on foods for Picnics. The Picnic Cookbook is a complete set of simple but very unique Picnic recipes. You will find that even though the recipes are simple, the tastes are quite amazing.

So will you join us in an adventure of simple cooking?

Here is a Preview of the Picnic Recipes You Will Learn:

• Southern Peach Cobbler
• Canadian Blueberry Pie
• Old-Fashioned American Pecan Pie
• New England Fried Chips and Fried Fish
• Sweet Honey Chicken
• Buttermilk Paprika Fried Chicken
• 6-Ingredient Fried Chicken
• Sweet and Spicy Picnic Fried Chicken
• Carolinas Style Coleslaw
• Quick Picnic Coleslaw
• Colorful Coleslaw
• Chipotle Salsa
• Corn Salad
• Cilantro BBQ Corn
• Louisiana Maque Choux (Native American Style Corn Salad)
• Tostadas
• Moroccan Picnic Couscous
• Simple Summer Ceviche
• Cocktail Style Ceviche
• Kalamata Feta Burgers
• Fried Empanadas
• Valencian Empanadas
• Apricot Empanadas
• Easy Egg and American Sandwich
• Turkey Club
• Egg Salad Sandwich
• Shrimp and Fruit Lunch Wraps
• Picnic Hummus I
• Much, much more!

Again remember these recipes are unique so be ready to try some new things. Also remember that the style of cooking used in this cookbook is effortless. So even though the recipes will be unique and great tasting, creating them will take minimal effort!

Book Review: I enjoyed these recipes and looking forward to adding some to my Summer menu. 

Sunday Bible fellowship

The armor of God

James 4 : 7

Kids crafts 

We are making butterfly with jewels on wings and toilet roll bodies.

4th of July Crafts

 

Fork Fireworks ! 

Supply List:

A fork, plastic or metal, both work

A paper plate for the paint

Paint

Paper

Start with one color of paint, dip the back of the fork in and then “wipe” the back of the fork onto the paper.  Do this over and over and make a circle pattern.  Clean your fork off a nd then go to another color.  Do this over and over until you have used all the colors.  I used red white and blue but you could use any color

My firework

painted with toilet paper rolls 

Salt painting...

Today the library is closed and we are going to join our neighbors for fireworks! 

Stay safe.....

 

Stars, Stripes, and Suspicion: A Fourth of July Cozy Mystery Series

Goodreads author https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20469796.Maisy_Marple

Sometimes the Perfect Recipe is Murder

When former detective Frank Mitchell traded his badge for a baker's apron, he thought his crime-solving days were behind him. But when renowned chef and merciless food critic Thurston Lively is found face-down in a blueberry pie at the annual Stars & Stripes Bake-Off, the town mayor begs Frank to investigate quietly before the festival is ruined.

With his retired K-9 partner Libby at his side, Frank kneads through a batch of suspicious characters—from the humiliated avant-garde pastry chef to the local baking legend whose recipes were stolen decades ago. As the annual fireworks display approaches, Frank discovers that beneath the town's sweet exterior lies a recipe of bitter rivalries, stolen legacies, and long-simmering resentment that finally boiled over into murder.

Combining his detective instincts with a baker's attention to detail, Frank must identify the killer before they strike again. But in a town where everyone has a reason to want the victim dead, Frank will learn that justice, like the perfect pie, requires a delicate balance—and sometimes, a hefty dose of just desserts.

book review 

This is a fun quick holiday cozy mister. With a detective turned baker who solves mystery with his K9 partner. Its the perfect small town holiday cozy mystery. 

 

4TH OF JULY POKE CAKE RECIPE

 4TH OF JULY POKE CAKE RECIPE

• 1 white cake mix box
• ▢1 3.3 oz box strawberry jello or cherry
• ▢1 3.3 oz box blueberry jello
• ▢2 cups boiling water divided
• ▢1 cup cold water divided
• ▢8 oz whipped cream

• Prepare cake mix as directed and bake in a 9×13 pan. Let cool for an hour.
• Poke holes into the cake with the end of a knife or wooden spoon at 1 inch intervals.
• Prepare jell-o’s separately as directed on box (but only add ½ cup cold water after adding jello mix to the 1 cup boiling water). Pour jello into a two tall glasses. Using a straw, fill it with the liquid JELLO and place in every other hole in the cake. Do this with both the red and blue jello.
• Chill 3 to 4 hours and top with whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

What Is a Poke Cake?

Poke-and-pour cake (also called poke cake) is a cake recipe that calls for holes to be poked in it after baking, usually with the handle of a wooden spoon or a wooden skewer. Then a liquid is poured over the baked cake to soak into the cake holes. Poke cakes are known for being incredibly moist (thanks to the liquid) and delicious (because of the extra filling).