Summertime and the Livin is "Easy"

Remember the 1990's version of Sheryl Crow?  It looked something like this.  A talented and young new artist, with a smooth and effortless voice.  She made quite a name for herself and won over all sorts of fans over the years and albums that followed. 

Today's Sheryl Crow is winning over all sorts of new fans, of the country music persuasion, that is. Ms. Crow is one of the many artists to make the switch to the country music genre, and it sounds great on her.  And from the looks of things, I'd say it agrees with her too.  Look at that stunning smile and gorgeous skin!  I want to be just like her when I grow up. 

Just take a listen to her newest country single, "Easy", and see if you don't agree.  I am loving this track, and think you will too, no matter your preferred style of music.  

Every time I hear this song come on in the car, I turn it way up, roll down the windows, and belt it out right along with her.  Yes, I am of the age now that it no longer embarrasses me to perform my own personal sing-a-longs in the car - EVEN at stop lights with cars right beside me.  That's right.  I'm "Easin'" on down the road these days. 

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪
We said that summer we'd go down to Cancun
But no money makes that kind of hard to do
Forget the beach – I’d rather be here with you

Playing Croquet okay, maybe, that’s not true

But you make it easy, easy, easy to get away

Sit in the sun and drink beer all day

Because it's easy, easy, easier anyway

Hey, who needs Mexico?

Baby, let's stay home

We’ll put on bug spray and we'll lose our clothes

Put out the lawn chairs and turn on the hose

We’ll play Jack Johnson, he’s the new Don Ho

And we’ll go surfing, surfing, we'll surf the radio

'Cause you make it easy, easy, easy to get away

Sit in the sun and drink beer all day

You know it's easy, easy, easier anyway

Hey, who needs Mexico?

Oh, hey, who needs Mexico?

Baby, let's stay home

Drink margaritas and take in the sunset

Later on we'll slip up to our king size bed

And make love, love, sweet love

You make it easy, easy

Oh, yes, it's easy, easy

You make it easy, easy, easy to get away

Sit in the sun and sip tequila all day

Because it's easy, easy, easier anyway

Hey, who needs Mexico?

Tell me now, who needs Mexico?

Baby let's stay home

Baby let's stay home

Let's get away baby

Oh, let's get away, baby

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Crockpot Black Beans

Not to be confused with our Crockpot Black Bean Soup, THIS recipe is a super-simple way to cook dry black beans. And they are seasoned to perfection if I do say so myself (and I do say so).

Crockpot Black Beans

1 16 oz. bag dry black beans

3 cups water

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

 

1. Wash the dry beans. Place them into a pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let them soak 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain water and place the drained beans in a crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Notes: Serve topped with salsa, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or truthfully ALL BY THEMSELVES (they are that good).

Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

Well, I don't know about you, but I happen to think that Summertime is the perfect time to test out new crockpot recipes. You can cook all day without ever heating up your kitchen!

 

This recipe is one that Ryan Barrett Walkush tested out. It gets a ringing endorsement from him, so it must be worth sharing.

 

 

Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

1 18-20 oz. bottle barbecue sauce of choice

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 can Dr. Pepper

4-6 frozen boneless chicken breasts

 

1. Mix the first 6 ingredients together to make the sauce.
2. Place the frozen chicken into the crockpot. Pour sauce mixture over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

DIY: Chalkboard Erasers

Remember in Elementary School when at the end of the day you would have to help your teacher wipe the chalkboard clean?  I remember one of my teachers, in particular, using a wet sock.  I wasn't too keen on this task, but I was a good noodle, so I went with the flow.

Anyhoo, just recently we erected our very own chalkboard for our homeschool. I knew the chalkboard was already in the works, so a few weeks back Charlotte, the baby, and I made these spiffy erasers--out of socks!

I bought Charlotte these cute socks a while back.  They are supposed to not match, so you can wear any two together.  I thought it was a clever little idea, that is, until they started developing holes very quickly. 

What we did was just cut the heel part off (where the holes were), stuff the sock with cotton balls (that we puffed out a little bit), and tie them with this decorative cord that I grabbed at the Hobby Lobby.  I left the loops a little long when I tied the bow so that we could hang them on a hook.  While I was at the Hobby Lobby I also got the little tin bucket there to hold all of my chalk.

So...chalkboard, check...erasers, check.  I think we're ready!

       

Words to Live By

To celebrate growing older, columnist Regina Brett, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, once wrote the 45 lessons life taught her. It is her most requested column ever, and she has graciously shared it with us.  In fact, she has become a bit of an urban legend.  

Somehow along the way, her story was "embellished" to make her out to be a 90 year old imparting her words of wisdom.  She is in fact in her 50s today, and wrote this list when she turned 45, after a battle with breast cancer in her early 40s.  So no, she isn't old and wise as some would make her out to be; she is just plain wise.  

I am especially partial to numbers 15 and 21.  But they are all goodies.  Enjoy!

  

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Remember Pet Nets?

Well, I do. In fact, the Pet Net that I had growing up may still be at Daddy's house in the same spot I left it. ;-) If you don't know what a Pet Net is, you may also have heard it described as a toy storage hammock. It's basically a mesh net that you hang in a corner of a room to store stuffed animals in.

And as soon as we started to be overrun with stuffed animals at the Walkush household, I KNEW that Aidyn and Jaxon needed them, but they were no where to be found. I guess they were a figment of my 1980's imagination.

Anyhoot! Not to fear for you crocheters - you can make them! Behold:

To make these, I used this free crochet Pet Net pattern. I started making the solid sage green one first. You can probably tell from the photos that it turned out smaller than the second green and blue one.

The pattern is written so that you decide how large of a starting chain to start with and what type of yarn and size hook to use. I used worsted weight yarn and a J hook for both.

For the solid colored one, I only chained 125 and the more I motored through, I thought that it looked awfully small. For the second one, I chained 150 and it came out much larger. What a difference those 25 chain stitches made!

I modified the pattern by single crocheting two rows around the edge of each one to give them some stability and to also lend a more finished look.

I finished each in about 2 - 2.5 hours (one was larger and took longer). These are very quick projects and I think they would make nice gifts for the stuffed animal hoarder in your life.

If I were to do this again, I wouldn’t start with any less than a 150 starting chain (and of course, use even more if you're looking to store A LOT of stuffed animals).

Mount them on the wall with simple cup hooks and you're done.

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Homeschool: Chalkboard 101

We are just getting ready to homeschool over at the cabin.  We don't have a whole lot of room to spare over here, but I knew I wanted a designated space where I could keep everything together and somewhat organized.

Charlotte and Baby Emma Lola had been sharing this tiny room that is reminiscent of a hallway.  Then, Daddy decided to redecorate his bedroom, so I ended up being the happy recipient of these beauts:

I had to have a make it work moment here.  Since the cabin is so tiny, I moved these twin beds that happened to have belonged to my great-grandparents into what should be the living room.  We actually spend most of our time in the sunroom anyway, whiling away our time to this stellar view.

I was left with the tiny hallway room to set up shop, so that's what we did. 

I must admit I am a bit of a closet school supply hoarder, so (of course) off the jump, we decided to tackle the ultimate in school supplies:  the Chalkboard.  

Now that they sell chalkboard paint, you can turn almost any surface into a chalkboard.  For our purposes, though, we only needed a board--nothing fancy shmancy.

I ordered my Rustoleum chalkboard paint off of good ole' Amazon.  They sell it in spray paint or in a can.  It is supposed to be a really good brand to buy.  They do not, however, sell it at Lowes anymore which was fine by me.  I do love the Amazon!  

Our project was quite large, so we opted for the can and followed the instructions.

Then, Howard started framing it up.

He screwed the painted board directly into the frame that he built.  That was probably the hardest part.  It was a bit heavy.  We probably needed a third person for this part.

After three days, you can condition your board.  You just rub the side of a piece of chalk all over it. 

Then you're ready to go:

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How to Fix Broken Eyeshadow

We've all done it- accidentally dropped and broken an eyeshadow, a blush, a bronzer, or a powder.  In my case, that was just the list of last week's casualties.  Normally, I just chalk this up as a complete loss and toss the shattered powder into the trash as I add a replacement to my shopping list.  Until now...

Thanks to Free People's recent blog entry, we now have the answer we have all been waiting for, and it's super simple, and uses a product you already have in your bathroom cabinet.  Are you ready for this? RUBBING ALCOHOL!!!

The trick?  Simply add enough plain rubbing alcohol to the broken cosmetic offender- enough to saturate it, and then blend it with your finger until smooth.  Leave it to dry for a few hours and it should be as good as new again.

This post contains affiliate links.

With Bonnies like this, who needs a Clyde?

Yes, that's the Harris Sisters alright, along with our sidekick, Charlotte, who also happens to be Misty's daughter.  This was taken at one of those hokey Old Time photo shops in Gatlinburg, TN so we honestly didn't expect much, but I guess when you are working with raw talent like this, your photos can't help but dazzle.  

Ok, so humble we are not, but then I suspect the real "Bonnie" was probably a bit of a character herself. 

And lest you think that we don't also know how to ham it up, I leave you with this variation of the above photo.   Either this doesn't end well for Misty, or she wins the Best Actress of the Year Award. 

How to Remove Scuffs From Patent Leather

THIS secret was just too good not to share. You see, I had just gotten these brand new shoes from Ideeli. (And if you don't yet know about Ideeli, it's this wonderful website that sells designer clothing, shoes, and home goods for discounted prices.)

Anyhootle, back to the story, I had just gotten these fabulous Charles David shoes and I looked down today to see a scuff! What in the world????

I have no idea how I do these things. It's right there on the left one:

Here's a close up so that you can feel my pain:

Never fear! Apparently, nail polish remover (of all things) will help you remove scuffs from patent leather. Who knew?

I just put a little on a Q-tip and gently rubbed it on the scuff until I couldn't see the scuff any more. I let it air dry. I also think I was holding my breath the whole time because I feared that I was ruining my new shoes (but I don't think that had any affect on the outcome). And as it turns out, there was nothing to fear:

Considering that sometimes I am just about as graceful as a one-legged elephant, methinks I'm going to need this trick more often than most people. ;-)

Silence Is Golden . . .

I saw this posted on one of the Facebook groups that I follow Holidays Throughout the Year and it was too good not to repost. So here's your thought for the day:

 

 

 

You're welcome.

Choosing the Right Necklace for your Neckline

Have you ever gotten dressed quickly and easily- I'm talking record time- and then sat and stared at your necklaces for way too long to try and figure out which one is just right for what you are wearing? No?  Maybe it's just me then (nah, can't be!), but hopefully you will still find this little reference as handy and dandy as I did.  

I'm also thinking of printing it and tacking it up in my closet for daily use.  I love it when a plan comes together!

Southwest Pasta Salad

If you're looking for a quick and easy pasta salad recipe that isn't your run of the mill recipe, then this is for you. We've made this for quite some time. I make it as written, but Ryan Barrett Walkush swears that it would also be tasty with jalapeno peppers in it, so give that a try if you're adventurous.

This is the perfect dish to take to all of those summer cookouts!

Southwest Pasta Salad

16 oz. rotini pasta

2/3 cups Ranch dressing

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Place in a large mixing bowl. Mix with Ranch dressing, beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and spices.
3. Chill salad in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes: 

Ryan Barrett Walkush LOVES this recipe (and he hates most pasta salads) BUT he is not a fan of onions in general. Therefore, you will notice that this recipe is written with a mere 1 teaspoon of onion powder. If you are a fan of onions, feel free to substitute this ingredient with some chopped green onions or a small diced white or red onion.

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Trader Joe's- It's Not Just for Groceries Anymore

Many of you already know and love good old Trader Joe's for their specialty grocery items that don't cost an arm and a leg like most specialty food stores.  But what you might not know about Trader Joe's is that they actually carry a pretty impressive bath and body line as well.    

Here is a look at a few of the items I recently scored for my shower.  Those large bottles are a full 16 ounces of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.  Each was around the $3 mark, which I found to be quite reasonable.  But now that I have started using them, they have me jumping for joy even more so.   

I am in LOVE with the smell of their "Tea Tree Tingle" line.  It is unbelievably refreshing and energizing for your summertime showers; it's just so minty and fresh.  And again, at that price point, I'd say it's a pretty good deal too.  I usually am willing to pay a little more for hair care products, but these are doing the job quite nicely.  The conditioner is creamy enough to do a nice job, but light enough that it doesn't weigh my hair down. 

I will also personally give a ringing endorsement to the "Coconut Body Butter" you see here as well.  I am a long time fan of body butter over lotion anyway.  Most lotions evaporate into nothing as soon as you apply them.  But honestly, a lot of body butters are so thick they don't absorb that well.  If you have also been caught in the middle of this dilemma, look no further.  This body butter absorbs instantly and smoothly, but it leaves your skin so incredibly moisturized.  What a concept?!?!  But even better than all of that is the way it smells.  It is like a slice of coconut creme pie (maybe not quite that sugary smelling, but you get the idea).  It is rich and buttery, and of course, I love the smell of coconut for summer.  Oh, and the price?  It rang in at $4.99 for this big tub.  

I think we are onto something here, ladies.  And I think I will be heading back to the bath and body aisle of Trader Joe's before too long to see what else they have in store.  So far, you can color me impressed. 

Charlie Brown Birthday Party

July is a busy month for our family - Jaxon's and Aidyn's birthdays are in August and September, respectively. And, if you've been reading the blog for any length of time, it shouldn't surprise you to hear that July is generally when we start planning our family Halloween costumes. So, with this year's festivities well under way, it occurred to me that I hadn't posted anything about Jaxon's party last year. (What with our blog not having been launched until nearly a month after his party.)

But it was such a doozy of a party, I thought I would still share.

THE INVITATION (addresses have been removed to protect - well - me)

THE MENU

Well, it was a bit of a task to come up with themed food for this particular party, but I think I managed to pull it off with a bit of searching around on the Interwebs (and of course, watching Charlie Brown cartoons for every holiday didn't hurt either)!

Treats

• Jelly Beans (from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving)
• Popcorn (from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving)
• Pretzels (from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving)
• Hershey's Kisses with Snoopy Stickers AKA "Kisses for Lucy/Dog Germs" - Avery Label 5472
• Oreo Dirt Cake AKA "Pigpen Pudding"
• Oreo Truffles surrounded by candy AKA "Rocks from Charlie Brown's Halloween Bag" (from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)
• Cupcakes with Snoopy Rings (rings purchased from Ebay seller)

Beverages

For the Kids:

Linus and Lucy Libations

• Linus Red - Kool Aid Tropical Punch
• Lucy Blue - Kool Aid Berry Blue

Woodstock Water

For the Adults:

• Charlie Brown Cocktail - Mt. Dew
• Schroeder Soda - Wild Cherry Pepsi
• Snoopy Slurper - Sierra Mist
• Sally Sipper - Cherry 7Up

DECORATIONS

Be prepared that if your child chooses a Charlie Brown themed party, that the pickins will be slim in terms of decorations you can purchase. In fact, you will probably search high and low (I recommend search terms Charlie Brown, Snoopy, AND Peanuts) and still not find very much. I found a few Peanuts mylar balloons online that I added on to my Peanuts plates, cups, and napkins order, but I printed, cut, and stapled Peanuts cartoons to create party streamers. I used the extra comic strip print outs to make paper cones for the popcorn (shown above).

ACTIVITIES, PRIZES, and GOODIE BAGS

For the party activities and prizes, I also had to dig deep for anything that was Charlie Brown/Peanuts adjacent.

Activities

Snoopy Shuffle (musical chairs to Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi)

The Great Pumpkin Toss (water balloon toss with orange water balloons)

Water Baseball (baseball with water balloons)

Take Away the Football (football shaped pinata)

Prizes

Peppermint Patties

Snoopy Toothbrushes (Dollar Store purchase)

Snoopy Stickers (eBay)

Goodie Bags

I purchased bright yellow gift bags and black rick rack. I cut the rick rack to size and hot glued it to the bottom section of the bag. Then, I used Microsoft Word to create an oval callout with each child's name with Comic Sans font to mimic the font used in comic strip text. I cut out and glued each oval callout to the upper right corner of a bag.

Hope these ideas inspire you to give a Charlie Brown/Peanuts party a try should your child request one.

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What's in a Name?

As we all anxiously await the birth of the newest heir to the throne, here's a fun little way to get in on some royal action.  USA Today has posted a Royal Name Generator on their website. 

I will have you know that after a few clicks of the old mouse it has been determined that yours truely is none other than Princess Adelle Von Hasselhoff, while my hubbie would be Emperor Fauntleroy Von Hasselhoff.  Not too shabby!  

Carry on. 

One Man's Trash - Shawnee Pitchers

I feel that I must preface this entry by saying I'm not sure how anyone could regard these Shawnee pitchers as "trash", but fortunately for me, someone saw fit to let them go, and I am happy to report that they now reside with me. 

If you aren't familiar with Shawnee, let me give you a little background.  The Shawnee Pottery Company was  a US manufacturer that actively produced pottery from 1937 to 1961.  Shawnee Pottery's products are "much in demand" and are thought to be "extremely desirable" by pottery collectors.  Perhaps the most well-known pieces of Shawnee are the Corn King pottery, produced between 1937 and 1942.  In fact, I think there may be a few of these pieces still lurking in Daddy's cabinets.  :)

But back to my sweet little pitchers...  As I have mentioned before, we seem to spend a fair amount of time in antique shops, and over the years, I have seen the occasional Shawnee piece here and there- usually with a hefty price tag attached.  But nonetheless, I know the pieces pretty well.  So when I saw the Shawnee "Smiley" Pig pitcher for sale a few months ago in a little thrift shop, I knew exactly what it was.  You must keep in mind that many of the Shawnee pieces are not marked as such.  They usually are marked with the name of the piece (in this case "Smiley") and "USA".  Sure enough, that's just how this was marked.  Even the shop owner didn't know it was a Shawnee piece, and we walked out with a good deal and my precious piggy pitcher.  

And if that weren't enough, we made our way back to the same shop a month or so later, and wouldn't you know- there sat the Shawnee Dumbo pitcher.  Again, it was only marked "Dumbo" and "USA", but I knew exactly what he was.  That said, Dumbo came home with us for a mere $10.  

It is helpful to have your smart phone handy when you are antiquing because you can pretty quickly search for your pieces online to see if you are indeed getting a good deal (or if you need to negotiate a lower price), and confirm that your piece is in fact what you think it is.  

Of course, if you love, love, love whatever you are looking at, it may not matter how much your item is worth.  To me, it wouldn't have mattered if these pitchers were worth a fortune or worth nothing.  I love them, and it's not as though I plan to resell them for a profit, so even though we got lucky with a really good deal on these, they are priceless to me.  

Summertime, Summertime, Sum Sum Summertime!

What's not to love about this time of year?  Here is a little rundown of some of my top reasons for loving the summer season...

1.  Waking up easily to chirping birds and the first early rays of sunlight making their way through my bedroom window- no blaring alarms here, nature is doing the job quite nicely

2.  Long days that melt away into warm evenings, complete with lightning bugs roaming through the yard and my sweet pup happily chasing them around

3.  The smell of sunscreen-  there will never be another smell like that of buttery coconuty suntan lotion that so instantly and decidedly takes me to a summery place

4.  A fresh spray of freckles across my nose and my knees- yes, summer has a special way of restoring what the other seasons fade

5.  Gardens full of fresh vegetables and fresh flowers, and plenty of plump bumble bees doing their jobs to help make sure the plants reach their full glory

6.  Trips to the pool and slow lazy afternoons to enjoy catching up on a good book while my husband relives his childhood in the water

7.  Buzzing whirls of a ceiling fan moving the air just enough to stir up the perfect little breeze 

8.  Eating dinner outside on the deck each night, soaking up the end of day sun and enjoying the new shade of our growing birch trees

9.  Discovering myself- I never knew how much I loved laying in the grass, tending to my flowers, and making fresh lemonade- but I do. 

10.  Weekend road trips- “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” -Dalai Lama

50 Classic Kids Movies

Well, it has rained all day here, and if you're hip to our 100 Things to Do This Summer list, then you know that #5 (rent and watch classic movies) is the perfect activity for a day like today.

And even if it's not raining, while your kids are patiently biding time between the new Superman movie and the new Wolverine movie, you can teach them that heroes come in other forms too, such as Marty McFly and Indiana Jones. Of course, we Walkushes taught the boys that last year.

So, in honor of that suggestion, I give you a list of 50 classic movies that your kids should watch.

I've listed the year and rating for each movie. And to keep things simple, they are listed in alphabetical order (lest we launch into lengthy conversations about rankings). Please use your best judgment as to what movies are appropriate for your family.

1. An American Tail – 1986 – Rated G
2. Angels in the Outfield – 1994 – Rated PG
3. Annie – 1982 – Rated PG
4. Babe – 1995 – Rated G
5. Back to the Future: I, II, and yes, even III – 1985, 1989, 1990 – Rated PG
6. Bad News Bears – 1976 – Rated PG
7. Beethoven – 1992 – Rated PG
8. Beetlejuice – 1988 – Rated PG
9. Benji Movies (Benji, For the Love of Benji, Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story, Benji Off the Leash) – 1974, 1977, 1978, 1987 – Rated G
10. Big – 1988 – Rated PG
11. The Black Stallion – 1979 – Rated G
12. Charlotte’s Web – 1973 – Rated G
13. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – 1968 – Rated G
14. The Dark Crystal – 1982 – Rated PG
15. Edward Scissorhands – 1990- Rated PG-13
16. ET the Extra-Terrestrial – 1982 – Rated PG
17. Explorers – 1985 – Rated PG
18. FernGully: The Last Rainforest – 1992 – Rated PG
19. Free Willy – 1993 – Rated PG
20. The Goonies – 1985 – Rated PG
21. The Great Muppet Caper – 1981 – Rated G
22. Gremlins – 1984 – Rated PG
23. Harry and the Hendersons – 1987 – Rated PG
24. The Herbie Movies (The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Herbie Goes Bananas) – 1969, 1974, 1977, 1980 – Rated G
25. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – 1989 – Rated PG
26. Hook – 1991 – Rated PG
27. The Indiana Jones Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, if you must) – 1981, 1984, 1989, 2008 – Rated PG/PG-13
28. Jumanji – 1995 – Rated PG
29. The Karate Kid – 1984 – Rated PG
30. Labyrinth – 1986 – Rated PG
31. The Land Before Time – 1988 – Rated G
32. The Last Starfighter – 1984 – Rated PG
33. A League of Their Own – 1992 – Rated PG
34. The Mighty Ducks – 1992 – Rated PG
35. Mrs. Doubtfire – 1993 – Rated PG-13
36. The Muppet Movie – 1979 – Rated G
37. The Muppets Take Manhattan – 1984 – Rated G
38. The Neverending Story – 1984 – Rated PG
39. Newsies – 1992 – Rated PG
40. The Parent Trap – 1961 – Rated PG
41. The Princess Bride – 1987 – Rated PG
42. Radio Flyer – 1992 – Rated PG-13
43. Rudy – 1993 – Rated PG
44. The Sandlot – 1993 – Rated PG
45. Sister Act – 1992 – Rated PG
46. The Star Wars Movies (Episodes VI, V, and VI, none of this namby pamby I, II, and III stuff) – 1977, 1980, 1983 – Rated PG
47. Teen Wolf I & II -  1985, 1987 – Rated PG
48. Tron – 1982 - PG
49. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – 1971 – Rated G
50. The Wizard of Oz – 1939 – Rated G

For holiday-themed, kid-friendly movie suggestions, check out our 25 Kid-Friendly Halloween Movies and 40 Kid-Friendly Christmas Movies.

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