This post is sponsored by Degree Women but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Summer break takes a toll on even the most seasoned stay-at-home mom. At the end of it you definitely deserve a night out. Don’t worry if you’ve fallen out of practice. I’ve got you covered with this moms ultimate date night out checklist!

[bctt tweet=”Reward yourself with an awesome date night out! From prepping for a sitter to choosing the right deodorant, this moms ultimate date night checklist has will have you ready! #ad” username=”diyadulation”]

You may know that I’m a military spouse. My husband is in the Army National Guard. That means every summer I spend at least 3 weeks alone with the kiddos (and that doesn’t even take into account any deployments we’ve gone through).

Frankly, at the end of summer I feel like a superhero that deserves a medal. One that’s says, “I did it and no one died!” In lieu of that, though, I’ll settle for an awesome date night out.

Grab Your Copy of Moms Ultimate Date Night Out Checklist

Step 1: Take Care of the Kiddos

Despite the fact that your tiny humans can drive you crazy, you still miss them when they’re away from you. That’s why it’s important to make sure things run smoothly at home when you’re gone.

This DIY Babysitter Binder makes it easy. Organize everything from from the kids’ routines to emergency information in one convenient place.

Once your kids are taken care of, you can focus on enjoying your time with your husband. If you think you will be anxious about being away, designate a time with your sitter ahead of time to call and check in.

Step 2: Rock Your Date Night Look

With 3 kids running around, date nights outside of the home are rare. That’s why I think you should always get dressed up for date night even if you’re only grabbing ice cream together. This is my go-to date night outfit process:

Choose the Dress

If the last time you wore a dress was a funeral, change that right now. Throw on a gorgeous dress for your next date night.

Do Your Hair

It is so easy to just throw your hair in a bun on top of your head. Let’s face it, you’re busy and your hair isn’t a priority but take some time on it before your night out.

Woman's face

Add Some Makeup

Change things up and add some glam to your look for your date. This doesn’t have to crazy fancy but take the time to put on eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick.

Wear the Shoes

Life is short, wear the pretty shoes. Pull out those heels that you never wear anymore and throw them on tonight. Bonus: they probably look like new!

Step 3: Choose the Right Antiperspirant Deodorant

This may sound silly, but the right antiperspirant deodorant can make or break your date night. Don’t let odor and wetness keep you from enjoying yourself on the dance floor or from celebrating after your third air hockey victory. Even worse, the wrong deodorant can totally ruin your dress with yellow stains.

The new Degree UltraClear Black + White Dry Spray is seriously my new go-to fave! It provides up to 48-hours of protection from odors and wetness so you can be fresh for your date after a long day of chasing kids.

Even better, it is gentle on clothes to help prevent white marks on black clothes and yellow stains on whites! Order it at Walmart.com now and thank me later.

Bonus Tip:

Confession. I hate wearing hosiery so I pretty much only pull it out for funerals or interviews. That doesn’t keep me from wearing heals, though. Instead, spray a small amount of antiperspirant on the bottoms of your feet (it only takes a tiny bit) and your feet will stay fresh and dry in your shoes without hosiery!

Step 4: Set the Ground Rules

Before you head out for the night, set some ground rules with your husband. Namely, no talking about the kids or chores you need to get done. This isn’t a marriage meeting, it is a recharging session. You can’t recharge if you’re not letting go of the day to day.

This can be hard. Trust me, I’ve been there. That’s why I created these free Marriage Conversation Cards to help get the fun flowing. You can learn more about them and grab your free download right here.

Lastly, don’t run errands. You will be tempted to pick up that gallon of milk you need on your way home. (Come on, it’s efficient right?) Don’t do it. This is your night and trying to combine trips will have you focused more on the clock than your time together.

A post shared by DIY Adulation (@diyadulation) on May 4, 2016 at 7:54am PDT

Step 5: Pack Your Bag

How many times have you simply grabbed your everyday purse for date night? Too many, I’m sure. However, there is a really good reason why you should take a special one.

It carries your everyday life in it.

How are you supposed to stick to the ground rules when you are literally lugging around that purse full of toys, half-eaten suckers, and goodness knows what else. Leave the weight at home and pack a purse with just the essentials for the night:

Identification
Cash
Lipstick
Hair Tie
Gum or Mints
Tissues
Hand Sanitizer
Keys
Phone
Optional: Portable Power Bank or Charger

Now you will be ready for dominate your next date night with this Moms Ultimate Date Night Out Checklist. Don’t forget to grab your free printable checklist. Put it in your makeup organizer or in your planner so that you always have it handy.

Also be sure to check out the new Degree UltraClear Black + White Dry Spray! It is a busy mom’s lifesaver when it comes to staying fresh all day (or night) long and protecting those clothes while you’re at it.

See where I’m linking up!

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Learn More About New Degree UltraClear Black + White Dry Spray

Purchase Degree UltraClear Black + White Dry Spray

Are you looking for more ways to encourage imaginative play in your kids? Sometimes our kids become so inundated with toys, their imagination muscles get weak and boredom skyrockets. A few key toys, like these DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets, are perfect for encouraging play without the avalanche of stuff in their bedrooms.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Collage of Hand puppets on wood background with text overlay: DIY Mermaid and Narwhal Hand Puppets

[bctt tweet=”Does it feel like your kids have a million toys but are always bored? These DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets encourage play without the toy avalanche. ” username=”diyadulation”]

I honestly believe in the power of imagination. Not only for kids, but for adults as well. Imaginative people are the problem solvers.

These are the people who can cope with difficulties because they have creative solutions. Imagination is what creates awesome stories like Harry Potter. I want my kids to grow up with as much imaginative power as possible.

That’s why I will always make fun toys for them like these DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets.

Hand puppets on wood background

Materials for DIY Mermaid and Narwhal Hand Puppets

Teal and Blue Silicon Potholders (I found mine at Dollar Tree but here are similar ones)
Scissors
Yarn (similar)
Small Notebook
E6000
Glitter Pompoms in Various Sizes
Hot Glue Gun and Glue
Silver Glitter Foam (I used the one from this pack)
Assorted Googly Eyes

mermaid hand puppet

Mermaid Hand Puppet

teal potholder next to scissors

Step 1

First, remove all of the tags from your potholders.

Notebook and skein of yarn

Yarn Wrapped Around the Notebook

Step 2

Next, pull out your skein of yarn and wrap the end around a small notebook 10-20 times.

Yarn wrapped around a notebook

Step 3

Cut the end of the yard still attached to the skein.

Step 4

Then cut a second small piece of yarn from your skein.

Yarn wrapped around a notebook

Step 5

Tie the small piece of yarn around your wrapped yarn as pictured.

Yarn wrapped around a notebook

Tied together strands of yarn next to a pair of scissors

Step 6

Next, cut through your wrapped yarn on the opposite side of your notebook.

dot of glue on a potholder next to strands of yarn

yarn glued to teal potholder

Step 7

Put a dab of E6000 on the top center of your potholder and attach your yarn.

teal potholder next to googly eyes

mermaid hand puppet

Step 8

Lastly, glue on 2 googly eyes toward the opening of the potholder. See the picture above for reference.

Note:

I chose the googly eyes with eyelashes for a more girly look.

blue narwhal hand puppet

Narwhal Hand Puppet

small sparkly pompoms

glued together sparkly pompom

Step 1

Start by hot gluing 4 pompoms together, with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on top.

pompom on a blue potholder

Step 2

Next, glue the pompom “horn” to the top center of the potholder with E6000.

Tip:

I definitely recommend using a blue potholder for this one. It makes the puppet look more like a whale.

blue potholder next to googly eyes

blue narwhal hand puppet

Step 3

Then, choose 2 googly eyes for your narwhal and glue them to the potholder with E6000.

Note:

I chose a smaller size for this puppet because I thought it looked adorable. The eyes are also yellow which contrasts nicely with the blue potholder.

Step 4

Set your puppet to the side and pull out a piece of silver glitter foam.

small piece of glitter foam next to a pair of scissors

Step 5

Next, cut a tongue out of the silver glitter foam.

blue narwhal hand puppet

Step 6

Lastly, use E6000 to glue your tongue into the opening of the potholder (where the pot would go).

Now your kids will be ready for all of their undersea adventures with these DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets! Even better, you can breath easier without all of those toys cluttering up your home. Come back later this month to find out how to make this fun Mad Scientist Hand Puppet! Until then, the the pretend play begin.

See where I’m linking up!

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Collage of Hand puppets on wood background with text overlay: DIY Mermaid and Narwhal Hand Puppets

More Ideas You’ll Love:

Can you ever have to many kids craft ideas? When you’re a busy mom of 3 the answer is an emphatic no! That’s why this week I’m bringing you 10 more easy summertime kids crafts.

Collage of kids crafts with text overlay: 10 Easy Summertime Kids Crafts

[bctt tweet=”Already run out of summer activities for the kiddos? Here are 10 more easy summertime kids crafts to help you out!” username=”diyadulation”]

A couple of weeks ago, I had an expected few days away from the kids. It wasn’t unexpected because I didn’t know about it, more like I forgot. So when my sister and brother-brother-in-law text me letting me know what time they were picking them up, that’s when I remembered.

At first, I was stoked. Hubs was in Hawaii prepping for his upcoming annual training and frankly, I could use the break. Enter day 2 without the kiddos and I was bored out of my mind.

I learned a valuable lesson. I don’t need as much of a “break” from my kiddos as the day to day leads me to believe. We love getting creative together. I love playing games with them. I love doing activities with them like these.

Handmade Journals for Summer (5 Minutes for Mom)

Journals are always a great idea. They encourage kids to develop their writing and drawing. They teach emotional awareness and control. That’s why I will always share awesome DIY ones like these.

Finding Dory Summer Ice Rescue Sensory Play (Squirrels of a Feather)

When the sun is beating down on you, find icy ways to cool down like this sensory play idea. She’s also go a great tip to help the ice melt faster when it seems to take forever.

Summer Fun with Bottle Caps (Suzy’s Sitcom)

Do you have an excess of bottle caps from all of your summer running and sports? Turn them into adorable bracelets with this awesome tutorial.

Easy DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint (Hello Creative Family)

Sidewalk chalk paint? Yes please! This DIY version is bright and vibrant which makes the play that much more fun.

Jellyfish Paper Plate Craft (Cookies, Coffee, and Crafts)

I love jellyfish. They are absolutely fascinating creatures and were one of my favorites to teach kids about when I worked at the aquarium in college. Easy crafts like these are the perfect jumping off point to teach your kids about jellyfish.

DIY Troll Inspired Flip Flops (Dazzle While Frazzled)

Let your kiddos showcase their Trolls love with these fun flip-flops! The ones she made are pink but you could easily make them in any color your kid wants.

DIY Bomb Pop Chalk Popsicles (Jennifer Perkins)

If chalk paint isn’t your thing then try these chalk popsicles instead. The best part is they’re easy to store for later when you’re done playing.

Rainbow Bird Streamers (Frog Prince Paperie)

Ah, rainbow fun. It’s summertime kids crafts like these that you find yourself wishing you had made one for you. Save yourself the regret and go ahead and make one now.

Minions Kids Craft (C’mon Get Crafty)

Do your kids love Minions? This easy paint craft is perfect for them. She seriously makes it easy enough that kids of all ages can get in on the fun!

Popsicle Stick Army Men Craft (DIY Adulation)

Since every mom on the planet has a plethora of popsicle sticks, why not turn them into these adorable army men? They are super easy to make and don’t hurt nearly as much if your kids forget to pick them up and you step on one!

Instead of craving a break from your kiddos, keep them entertained on the tough days with these easy summertime kids crafts. I can tell you from experience that it doesn’t take long before you are craving all of the snuggles, chaos, and love that comes with the mom life. Soak all of it in and whip up something creative along the way.

Now it’s time to start the Merry Monday Link Party! Share your latest creations with us below. Then check out what everyone else is sharing!

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Collage of kids crafts with text overlay: 10 Easy Summertime Kids Crafts