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Silhouette CAMEO + Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Bundle Giveaway! (Winner Announced!)

Time’s Up!

The winner of the Silhouette Cameo Bundle is:

#1456 Nancy

Congrats Nancy! I’ve sent you an email! :)


Hey guys! I’ve got another great giveaway from Silhouette to share today! This special giveaway is for the  Silhouette Cameo plus the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software. With this you can use the enhanced sketch feature to easily create your own designs. And as always with Silhouette, you can also cut out any font on your computer, including all the Kevin & Amanda Fonts! :)

 

Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Features

  • Ability to open, manipulate, and cut .svg files
  • Rhinestone tools to convert designs into rhinestone templates and create your own rhinestone designs
  • Sketch tools to convert designs into several styles of sketchable art
  • Creative knife tools to allow you to clip designs using different patterns
  • Enhanced eraser set to modify designs with more precision
  • Built-in ruler and guide lines for precise alignment and drawing

 

There are so many fun things you can make with the Silhouette!

Have you seen these adorable aprons that Ashley from Make It and Love It made using the Silhouette, heat transfer material, and the Our Best Bite’s doodle font?

Silhouette Craft Cutter Giveaway

You can also cut vinyl for wall words & home decor projects…

Silhouette Craft Cutter Giveaway

You can etch glass for seriously fun, one of a kind serving dishes…

Silhouette Craft Cutter Giveaway

You can even make fake tattoos. Fun!

 

And be sure to check out Silhouette on Facebook and Pinterest for more great ideas!

 

Silhouette CAMEO Designer Edition Bundle Giveaway
($349.98 value)

One Kevin & Amanda reader will receive:

  • Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool
  • Power cable/AC adapter
  • USB cable
  • Silhouette Studio® software
  • $10 download card
  • 12″ x 12″ cutting mat
  • Silhouette blade
  • Basic Instruction Guide
  • CAMEO instructional DVD
  • Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition license

 

How to Enter

To be entered to win the Silhouette CAMEO giveaway, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post. How did you celebrate the 4th? :) Can wait to read your responses! :)

Contest ends Sunday, July 8 at 8 pm CST. One entry per person, please. Winner must have a US mailing address. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email. Giveaway graciously provided by Silhouette America.

If you’re on Facebook, come check us out here! :)

 

Good luck!!! :)

1,948 Responses
  1. Michelle s.

    Celebrated the 4th with family at Chautauqua Lake, NY. Food, Firework shows and flares to make the ring of fire around the lake. Awesome day.

  2. Tabitha

    Spent the early part of the day by the pool then spent the evening at the Atlanta Braves game followed by patriotic music and fireworks! Perfect day!!

  3. Marcie

    Our fourth was the best. Huge Parade with fighter jets flying over(our favorite).
    Float down the river with cousins. HUGE BBQ with over 100 people, waterslides, bounce houses, pinyata, candy cannon, and a ton of great fireworks! Best Holiday Ever.

  4. Annette

    We spent the fourth golfing as a family of four, the kids beat the parents! Then we have a fun supper out and watched the fireworks on the Iowa River!

  5. Erin

    Celebrating is all relative. July 4th our power had just come back on after 6 days. A huge, fast moving storm left almost out entire state without power. No power (phones, cable or internet) for 6 days in temperatures of 100+ is some CRAZY stuff. We took hot showers, gathered a few friends that still did not have power…ordered pizza and stayed inside enjoying the air conditioning! It’s now been 13 days and there are still many without power. It makes me very thankful for the blessings that I have.

  6. Lauren

    I had a very quiet but perfect 4th. I stayed at home with my husband, and we grilled and watched fireworks. It was wonderful.

  7. kathy lee

    went to the town parade with the grandsons and then spent the day in the backyard with a wading pool, bbq, and family!!

  8. MacLeod House

    Oooh, the fourth! Given that I live in England, we drowned our sorrows at losing the US as a colony by having a drink at the local pub. I hope that counts ;)

  9. amanda

    On the 4th we went down to our local sports park and watched the most beautiful fireworks! Our friends came with us and we had a bbq after :) It was so fun!! Cant wait for next year!

  10. Jenny

    Our little town has the biggest 4th of July celebration (huge parade, 4 day carnival with live music every night, softball tournaments and fireworks) in Minnesota so we stayed right here! It’s something I did growing up and am continuing the tradition with my own family.

    Thanks Amanda!

  11. Julie R.

    My daughter and I spent the 4th of July with my parents enjoying a picnic at a beautiful mineral hot springs here in Oregon. The area is right on the McKenzie River and is absolutely beautiful. There are walking trails that lead to several gorgeous (and manicured) gardens, including our favorite, The Secret Garden. We had a great 4th, and hope you did, too!

  12. Kim

    I picked up my son from his summer job and we went over to one of my friends house. Ate, ate and ate and then watched fireworks.

  13. Barb

    I was so hot here on the 4th that we ended up watching fireworks on TV. Luckily we had seen two shows already earlier in the week. But at least we stayed cool. :)

  14. Shannon

    I did a lot of nothing, but it felt great after a whirlwind, two-week-long vacation where I did a lot of everything.

  15. Emily

    What a fantastic giveaway!

    In Indiana, there was a burn ban so the family and I couldn’t light any fireworks. That didn’t stop us from having a great day, though. We relaxed & swam in the pool and had BBQ chicken + cake because we were always celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday a couple days early!

  16. Teresa SchuCo

    What a wonderful prize!! I could only be so lucky! The fourth was spent with good food and family out by the pool. Thanks for the opportunity!

  17. Amanda

    SO crazy!!! I first heard about the silhouette machine from you and was just on their website thinking about purchasing one. I came on to your site to find your post about it and BAM! He was this post!! lol

    We spent our 4th of July on the beach in Daytona!! It was my first time there and I got to go with NO KIDS for the first time ever!!! It was a great way to recharge my “mom batteries”!!!

  18. Marilyn Bronson

    Celebrated my oldest granddaughters Birthday and ate way too much!!! Thanks for the opportunity to win.

  19. Tan

    Our July 4th, thankfully, was quiet. We had enough fire the week before. There were fire bans, so no grilling or fireworks for us.

    I would love to win the Cameo — it looks like a wonderful, versatile machine!

    Thanks for the great blog and the opportunities to win fun stuff.

  20. Margo

    I spent the day in the ER with my grandmother! :(

    I need, need, NEED this silhouette for college!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. Amanda H

    We celebrated by having our friends and family over for a cook out and then going to watch the fireworks! We had a great time!

  22. Dawn Erickson

    Our family celebrated the 4th with quiche for breakfast, strawberry no-bake ice box dessert for lunch, a dip in the pool for dinner, and watched fireworks on TV!

  23. Lindsey

    My husband and I spend most of the day inside because of the very high heat! We watched the fireworks on tv:)

  24. Stacy

    Set up the pool for the kiddos and just tried to stay as cool as possible with this lovely heat wave!

  25. Suzanne

    We celebrated with dear friends, then watched fireworks from the balcony of our home. By the way, I just found your website today (though Pinterest) and LOVE it! :)

  26. Jennifer

    We spent the 4th celebrating with my husbands family. We swam, ate, and chatted all day. It was perfect.

  27. Jennifer

    What a GREAT giveaway! :)

    We celebrated July 4th with family & friends. We had a BBQ and spent a lot of time outside enjoying the warm & sunny Florida weather. We ended the evening with a fireworks! All in all, it was a great day! :)

  28. Allison

    I carpooled down with my friend in his electric car to a Fourth of July beach bbq. It took us almost tw0 and half hours (usually takes about an hour) to get down to the party because we were trying to conserve energy. It was a day full of delicious food, great friends, and a”gas” free trip!

  29. Barb B.

    I sure didn’t celebrate it in the typical way this year. Spent the day putting together office furniture recently purchased. Not very exciting but I’m sure glad I got this job done! Next year I’ll be celebrating with a barbeque I’m sure.

  30. Ashley

    We always spend the day in Chicago, enjoy the concert in Millenium Park, and have a picnic dinner of fruit, cheese, and wine until the fireworks start! Always a great time!

  31. Lynn

    Happy 4th of July, Amanda! Hope you had a good one.
    I ate lots of food, played a little hillbilly golf and then watched some amazing fireworks!!!

  32. Cindy

    I spent the 4th working on my new kitchen. It sure would be nice to have a cameo to make things to decorate it with. Love your blog.

  33. Melissa K

    My family & I did a little something different for 4th of July. A quiet family day with crab legs, shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes & cheddar biscuits :)

  34. Brenda

    I celebrated the 4th with best friends at their annual huge neighborhood fireworks and bbq bash! Great as always!

  35. Beverly McCormick

    Celebrated my 4th with hubby who is a pyrotechnician for the huge fireworks displays that all of us love and enjoy seeing. It’s amazing how long it takes to prepare for these 30 minute spectacular shows in the sky.

  36. Carmen s

    I wish I was writing somthing a bit more interesting. We did absolutely nothing! no barbque or food, no great movie to watch, we didnt even see the fireworks (can you hear the violins playing in the background?). our entire family was sick and we spent our day in bed asleep or trying to reduce a 15 month olds fever! ugg. We will make up for it next year!

  37. Savanna

    My boyfriend and I threw together a picnic with my friends, sat on a hill, and watched our city’s fireworks! We’re college kids, so most of our picnic food was bags of chips and things baked with crescent roll dough. Also, you were *technically* supposed to go to our city’s amphitheater, hear the city’s symphony, and watch the fireworks there. That’s $5 each though, so we had to off road it a little!

  38. Brandy Scott

    I spent the fourth of July with my amazing new husband. We were married June 23, and were excited to spend the holiday with some friends in the new town where we live. We went to a “potluck” barbecue and I brought an icebox cake with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries. We ended the night by watching fireworks on the top of a high-rise building nearby with some of my husband’s coworkers. Hope you had a great holiday!

  39. C Cole

    July 4th this year, my great grandson was born and I went to visit him. It was a terrific day, and forever memorable!

  40. Sandy Chandler

    We spent the 4th with family and friends. We played at the lake all day. Then we enjoyed a wonderful BBQ. When it started to get dark, we jumped into our boats and headed up lake. We tied both boats together and enjoyed a wonderful fireworks display. We waited until he other boats left to venture back up to our dock. As we headed back, we got to see all of the other amazing displays over the water. Super Fun!!

  41. Alicia

    We spent the 4th hanging out with my cousins on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. We also got a surprise visit from one of my other cousin’s and his prego fiance. It was really nice to see them.

    P.S. Im so jealous (& excited for you) that you got a free upgrade on your flight home!

  42. elisabeth

    We had a pool party and a BBQ. The children were in the pool for about 6 hours. Watched thefireworks at dusk at the end of the street.

  43. Meagan L

    I celebrated the 4th with an annual family reunion at my grandparents. It is always interesting because the men always turn into teenage boys again and try to blow off their hands with fireworks. Ha!

  44. Jenny

    We celebrated by spending the afternoon doing nothing but bonding with our families. Pool floats, front yard golf, and fresh tomatoes… pretty perfect to me ;-)

  45. Jamie

    We spent the 4th at the pool with all our friends then I had a Japanese lesson in the afternoon.

  46. Erika @ HomesteadSimple

    We spent it together at home as a family! With our kiddos and four legged kids too! BBQ, Fresh Strawberry Lemonade and Fireworks! :)

  47. Kerri

    I spent the 4th of July enjoying our first truly sunny day here in WA :) It was a beautiful day full of family, friends, food and fireworks!

  48. Kayla Scott

    I celebrated the 4th with my family & was able to Skype with my husband who is currently deployed. That was very exciting since it’s become pretty rare that I get to talk to him. That along with being surrounded by family made it a really great 4th of July. I am so excited about this giveaway! I’ve been eying this machine for a while now & trying to save up for it! What a blessing it would be to win it!!!

  49. Jodikins

    Our town’s fireworks are at the lake, which is only about two miles away, so we watched them from our backyard pool!!

  50. Anissa

    Hope ya’ll had a great 4th. We did all your normal 4th of July stuff by spending time with family, cooking out and enjoying the fireworks. This years was made even more special because the baby got to see her very first fireworks. She loved it! For the last couple days she’s kept repeating…. boom, boom.
    Anissa from Chasing Hailey

  51. Kelley

    Kevin and I went shopping at the Outlets and then just stayed around home for the 4th. It was SO NICE to be able to hang around at home. Hope I win. :)

  52. Erin Robison

    I started my day with a 5k, bike ride, and swim. Then ended it with summer cocktails, hamburgers, blankets, fireworks, and the love of my life. <3

  53. Marcina

    We were in Utah with family! We went to the Provo parade in the morning, had a BBQ dinner at my Aunt’s house, then went to fireworks at the park in West Jordan. Family, food, fireworks = FUN!

  54. Pamela A

    I would love to win this package! Everytime I see digi files – they always use the Cameo, so I can never play along. This is a fab giveaway and I would beg to be picked! This would be a great 4th of July gift.

  55. Dara Campbell

    I took my little girl to see Brave, we grilled out and then did sparklers on the back patio bc it was raining!

  56. Jennifer

    We had unbelievable cool weather that day in Arizona. Our friends had us over for a cookout and we stayed there till the fireworks began. On the way home, my husband and I pulled over on the side of the road and watched a few great displays.

  57. LuAnn

    I spent the 4th doing an evening cookout with very close friends – friends that we have known for 21 years and my Dad! no better way to spend the day!!

  58. Melissa Ladd

    Thanks for the chance! We celebrate the 4th with a bbq and time at the pool (it was so hot!!).

  59. Holly

    Spent time with my wonderful husband and just watched the fireworks up in the mountains of the whole valley in Utah. It was amazing! The 4th is one of my favorite holidays!

  60. Cynthia

    As I am still recovering from a broken ankle (and, it is so dang hot), my husband and I spent a very quiet day at home. We had BBQ sandwiches, potato chips, baked beans, and deviled eggs. We also made the most delicious home-made ice cream, which was light and refreshing. We ended the day watching the Capital Fourth Celebration on PBS.

  61. Heather

    We went to my sister in laws and spent the day with family. The kids had a blast with water balloons and water guns. We had yummy food and played badminton when it was shady enough! Ended the day with the smores and watching fireworks from our deck.

  62. Faith

    I celebrated the 4th with my sister, boyfriend, and friends. We grilled burgers and chicken and ate some killer sides, like my 7-layer taco dip and my friends awesome version of mac and cheese. Fireworks were kinda limited since there wasn’t much room to launch them, unfortunately. :)

  63. Vonda

    A large church in the neighborhood has a huge fireworks display on the Sunday before the fourth, so we celebrated early with picnic food and watching the fireworks. On actual Independence Day, I just relaxed!

  64. Lori C

    We celebrated the 4th with my family. Good food, good conversation, and the night ended with us covering my parents’ front lawn to watch the local fireworks display. Good times!

  65. Kristin

    My family of 5 spent the first part of the day catching up on things around the house taking breaks to have fun (5 yr old and 2 1/2 yr old requirement) :-) Then we went to a friends house for delicious food including sugar cookies I brought for the kids to decorate to entertain them and provide dessert at the same time!! I felt like Super Mom when the 11 yr. old boys were really into it too!!

  66. Alexa

    I celebrated by watching the fireworks in beautiful Destin, FL with my boyfriend and his family on vacation!

  67. Laurie W.--MA

    Hey! It’s my birthday, today, and 15 minutes left to enter! Got my fingers crossed! We spent July 4th with our son walking to downtown Chatham, MA and watching their wonderful parade honoring their 300th bday

  68. Bobbi Hawkins

    I am a nurse so unfortunately I had to work this fourth of July :( however we all did bake a little something and bring it into work to enjoy the holiday. Luckily it was a very quiet day!

  69. Terry

    Spent the day with family in Virginia. Ended the day with a cookout and playing card games on the screened in back porch even though it was HOT as the dickens!

  70. Dana Reeves

    I spent the 4th with my own little family, my parents, aunt and uncle. It was so fun getting together eating great food and laughing about old times. What a great day we had.

  71. Maribel

    I spent the 4th at my sister-in-law’s eating and having a good time! I have been dying to own one of these amazing machines! Thanks for the chance to win!

  72. Linda Hanson

    Thanks for the opportunity to win this! I celebrated the Fourth not far from you…kayaking the Flint River from the Hays Nature Preserve to Old Big Cove Road with my husband, a fellow teacher here in town and his wife. It was a great way to beat the heat in North Alabama! We also spent the weekend before the Fourth at Smith Lake with our four adult daughters (one is a hospital-based Physical Therapist and had to work on the Fourth). Great times with family and friends!

  73. Kristin

    We celebrated by going to Vail and enjoying the views. Unfortunately, no fireworks due to the fires, but the food was so good we didn’t even miss them!

  74. Jessa

    My boys are too little to enjoy fireworks, so we had a great cook-out with my in-laws (who were still without power from the East Coast storms last Friday!) and went to bed to the sound of distant fireworks :)

  75. arlenearlene

    We grilled halibut in Washington state and packed to fly to Virginia to meet our new grandson. What a wonderful country we live in. Happy Birthday, America

  76. Rachel

    My husband is away at Field Training for the Air Force so I didn’t feel right going out to celebrate since he didn’t get to! I ended up spending the night at home with our pets. We curled up and watched movies all night!

    By the way, my sister-in-law recommended your blog and I’m so glad she did! I LOVE coming to check out your newest posts! My husband and I live in Tuscaloosa, originally from the Enterprise area, and are going to UA right now so it’s nice to follow a Bama girl!

  77. Angela L

    We celebrated the Fourth by having dinner with a friend of mine from High School. We’re facebook friends but hadn’t seen each other in about 16 years. Turns out we now live about 3/4 of a mile apart! It was fun to meet each others spouses and kids.

  78. Krista

    Every year my husband’s entire (huge) extended family has a reunion the week of the 4th. We’re not talking shelter house at the park… I mean a trip to Spain, an Alaskan cruise, etc. Always something cool! This year it was on his grandparents’ property… and it was an African safari! We ate lots of weird African food, slept in huts in the middle of the grass, and even saw live giraffes and zebras! It was amazing!

  79. Tracey C

    My pinterest friends and I picked a recipe from pinterest and cooked for the 4th of July. We all picked a recipe that we never tried before but pinned becasue it looked so yummy. We pigged out. Everything was good. My dish was ranch potatoe, cheese, bacon wedges.

  80. Jamie

    We packed all day for our big move and then went to the top of our mountain to watch fireworks from the valley.

  81. maribeth

    Spent the 4th bbqing with my new baby niece. Had surprise balls, sparklers, skewers, and lots of red white and blue treats!!!

  82. Jessica H

    We bbqed with family. Sadly, we skipped the fireworks as we had to go to work the next day.

  83. Kimberli

    We spent the day with my family then back to our house that night for fireworks, it was a great day!! Thanks for the chance to win!!

  84. Rainee Schafer

    We had a nice 4th camping near Stanley Idaho. Burgers, family, and a little afternoon canoeing on the lake. Very nice!

  85. julie valdez

    Had a party with family and set off some fireworks then took my daughter to see “real” fireworks for the first time! She loved the red booms <3

  86. Maryanne

    I spent the 4th going kayaking in the Intercoastal Waterway near the Gulf of Mexico. It was a beautiful day!

  87. Calli

    I spent the morning home with the very sick little one. :( When her fever wouldn’t break my hubby offered to stay home with her so I could take the other three kids to the parade and fireworks with their cousins like we had promised we would.

    It wasn’t ideal, but we enjoyed the day anyway! God Bless America!

  88. Michelle Smith

    I celebrated the 4th with my family and good friends. We enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, card games and fireworks.

    Thanks for your giveaway, I hope I can win!

  89. Stephanie B

    Spent the day inside with my lovely family keeping cool from the 100+ degree weather Indiana has been dealing with for the past week.

  90. Nancy

    Hi!!! We had a fantastic 4th had a family cook out played some outdoor sports and then headed out to see the fireworks. Hope you guys had a great one too! Love your blog :-)

  91. Aly K

    My fourth of July was pretty quiet this year. I stayed home and watched the fireworks from the backyard with a few friends.

  92. Kate Lewis

    I celelbrated with family!! I love the fourth. I spent the day at the parade, the park then with the water slide at grandma’s house!!! To top it off with fireworks. Love the day with lots of family!! Thanks for the chance!!

  93. Tricia

    We went to our local community parade, and then I spent the rest of the day with a good book enjoying the extra day off work.

  94. Denise

    We enjoyed the 4th by doing fun, Americana kinds of things! We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and ate them at the table decorated with hydrangeas and American flags. We sat on the deck and sang while our daughter accompanied on her guitar. We played badminton. Then we ended the day by watching our town’s fireworks display synchronized to music about our great land! We are a blessed nation, and a blessed family! Thanks for the chance to win the Cameo!

  95. Diane J

    My son smoked some pulled pork and we set up a mister in front of a fan (106 degrees) and played bags.

  96. Beth g.

    We were blessed to be involved with two 4th of July celebrations.
    It was 102 degrees here, so we all voted not to ask the guys to grill. I brought “heart attack on a stick” AKA bacon wienies and “Kevin and Amanda’s Pulled Pork” in crockpots! We were blessed to see loved ones we had not seen in over 10 years from Alabama, whom we were afraid we would never see alive again. It was a special holiday! I hope you enjoyed yours too! God bless! BG

  97. Kelli Patterson

    We were pet-sitting our neighbor’s dog while they were away. The kiddos and I loved having that little love-muffin at our feet all weekend.

  98. Linda

    With my daughter and her five children doing a red white and blue themed photo shoot to send to my deployed son in law. A great day.

  99. Janet

    Remodeling our (almost) new beach house. After that we went to a block party and then fireworks at new neighbor’s house.

  100. Katie

    We went to a local 4th of July festival, and my hubby competed in a Hot Dog Eating contest….and won first. So proud…I think :)

  101. Pam H.

    We celebrated the 4th of July with a drive to Atlanta. I got some nice furniture at Ikea for my scrapbook room & we stopped for lunch @ The Varsity before heading home. That night we enjoyed the great fireworks show in our neighborhood.

  102. jennifer

    Well I had to work that day but it turned out to be endearing and heartwarming. I rode my bike into work with a bad attitude since it was the first day the sun was out in weeks (I live in seattle where it has been 50s and rainy). But there was activities for the kids who were stuck in the hospital! Within hours, I was happy to be there working and watching them make red, white and blue projects and fake fireworks was the best. I rode home with a smile on my face in time to see “real’ fireworks!

  103. Julia G

    Mostly hung out at home this year. Too hot to do much of anything else due to the triple digit temps. However, in the evening, we went out for pizza and ice cream. Nice laid back day and evening!

  104. Kasey White

    Unfortunately, we spent the day at home with a sick baby boy. Hopefully, next 4th of July will be much more fun!

  105. ms ellie

    Celebrated with a large group of friends at Club Windward- a catering facility owned by a dear friend. We had burgers and all the trimmings. I made Ina’s flag cake – Score!

  106. Dara E.

    We BBQ’ed at a friends house but no fireworks because of fires everywhere, so we had glow sticks for the kiddos!

  107. Shannon Martin

    I celebrated with my family. We swam, ate tons of food, jumped around in a bounce house, and watched fireworks! :0) It was perfect!

  108. Melissa Krivulka

    My younger brother got married this year for 4th of July – so we spent time celebrating with friends & family! Lots of food & fun! Love this site & love that you’re giving out a silhouette!

  109. Denise kasbohm

    I spent the day with my Mom who came out of the Hospital day before with emergency surgery and with My Dad who has severe Parkinson’s. They needed me to stay because they are in NY alone and I live in VA.

  110. Lindsay

    I spent the 4th of July with my two beautiful babies and my husband! Pick us so we can make lots of great things with the silhouette!

  111. Kayla B.

    Hi!

    We celebrated the 4th by waking up early for a nice 4 mile run, then showered and headed for the pool! We hung out poolside until dusk, then proceeded to eat cake and grill out and ended our night with some fancy fireworks in the back yard.

    Oh, and we played with a baby hedgehog too.

    Hope you had a great holiday!

  112. Kim G

    Went to a friend’s house with a spectacular view of Atlanta – watched the fireworks and ate and drank. Good time!

  113. Denise Edmiston

    My husband and I spent the day together doing a whole lot of nothing. It was wonderful!!!!

  114. Jennifer

    I celebrated the 4th by having a picnic at the lake and then watching a great fireworks show!

  115. Lisa G

    My husband and I spent the day at the park for the 4th. It was a very quiet peaceful day! We enjoyed it very much. :D

  116. Lisa Fenton

    I spent the day with my parents, siblings, their kiddos, and my 4 fur babies (catahoula’s)…reverting back to being a kid myself and playing in the pool with my nieces. Paid for that later…all-in-all a good day!

  117. Kelly

    Spent the day indoors, cleaning and hanging with the kids. TOO hot to go outside and I believe fireworks were banned because of the heat/drout.

  118. Lindsey Schmidt

    I spent the day with my family and friends, enjoying parades, cookout and fireworks. A hot and enjoyable 4th. Happy Birthday America.

  119. BarbB

    We went to Alabama! We spent the 4th in Orange Beach. We could see the Gulf Shores fireworks from our condo on the beach on the 4th and then saw the Perdido Beach Club show on Friday.

  120. Jennifer Fredericks

    We spent the 4th at Starpower Dance Competition Nationals watching our daughter compete her solo for the first time at a National Level competition! (She did very well!) Thanks for the chance to win the Silhouette!

  121. sheila lyon

    we had a very relaxed fourth of july. we smoked a tri tip which turned out perfect. white corn on the cob and mac n cheese. I was so full, I fell asleep before the fireworks started. have an awesome day.

  122. Leigh

    My husband, son and I spent the 4th with my family in Alabama celebrating my grandmother’s 80th birthday. Shh, let’s not tell her I just told the web she’s 80!

  123. Melissa R.

    We had a great time celebrating with friends at their lake house, finished off by LOTS of fireworks!

  124. Lauren Degenhardt

    We rented a boat and spent the day exploring and wakeboarding Lake Mead! Great 4th!!

  125. Peyton Shafer

    This 4th of July was all about Family, Food and Fireworks. We started out at the pool to spend time with my boyfriend’s family. Later that night, we went to my Mom’s for some Pizza and Fireworks. Every year, the Lake Community puts on a great Fireworks Show. Instead of fighting the boat traffic in the water, we watched the Fireworks from the Docks. Great Day with Family, Friends, and Fireworks!

  126. Debbie Christianson

    Unfortunately, I spent the 4th at the hospital with my son. He is fighting leukemia and had a fever, so in the hospital we go until his blood counts are back up enough to leave. Ugh.

  127. Elisa T

    Swimmimg and BBQ with good friends. Watched fireworks until the sprinklers on the lawn turned on and we scrambled! Fun and memorable times!

  128. Sonia

    Your giveaways are just too amazing!! My husband & I celebrated the 4th by relaxing at home with our pups & then hanging out on his truck tailgate at our local park eating hotdogs & fries while waiting for the firework show!! A great fun filled day for us!!

  129. Kim Withers

    I spent the 4th with my family! Our 3 year old is not too keen on fireworks, but she loves sparklers!
    Thank you SO MUCH for this giveaway!

  130. Tarana

    For the 4th we went to a carnival in our town and spent the day riding rides and eating snow cones and cotton candy!

  131. Adrianne Miller

    I spent the 4th in Idaho with my little family, my parents, and my brothers family. We ate and ate, and played and played!

  132. Pam Cooper

    Started with a lazy morning at home, then went to dinner with my son, then to watch local fireworks display with friends!

  133. Kristina

    My biyfriend and I went camping in a Yurt! Totally the way to camp :-) thanks for the chance to win!

  134. Colette

    Each year the 4th is celebrated at the pond of my in-laws (I have the BEST in-laws). We have a potluck, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, enjoy the company of family and friends and my husband’s brothers light off fireworks over the pond. They have been doing this since the boys (now in their 40s) have been very young. It started as just a few family and friends and has grown to be quite the celebration in a town of about 50 people. As I sit back and watch the ‘fun’, I have realized how blessed I am to have such a wonderful circle of friends and family which has grown over the years. It is the highlight of my kids (ages 23, 20, 17 and 10) whole year – not to mention mine!!! :)

  135. Jaye

    Hi! We celebrated the 4th of July on Cape Cod enjoying the sun, a fun parade, and fireworks on a friends boat. It was the perfect summer day! Absolutely LOVE your blog!

  136. Sandy Van Dyk

    We rested on the 4th! We had our daughter’s wedding the weekend before and needed the down time!

  137. Janis

    My husband and I took a great little ride on our Vespa and enjoyed watching the fireworks from our backyard with great food and friends. :)

  138. Erin Dawley

    Happy Fourth Everyone! We spent the day swimming at my parents house and grilling out during the day. Our family always lets off the city fireworks for the local Lions Club so the men all left and the kids and wives watched their hardwork.

  139. Carmen

    I stumbled on your blog looking for cute fonts to use for my classroom. You have an awesome blog. I look at all the wonderful blogs and wonder if I could do it myself. I think about gettting started and then chicken out!

    Because we live in an area with a burn ban currently in effect, fireworks were out of the question. There wasn’t even a community fireworks show. We had an early 4th on the lake the weekend before the actual day. July 4th was spent with just my husband and I!! My husband travels all the time so it was nice just to spend a quiet day with him.

  140. Diane Mikle

    Hope you have enjoyed your trip! My family spent a low key 4th here at home, with my husband finishing up our new deck, cooking out, and then going to fireworks. Nice day, though next year I think I want to go to the beach for that week!

  141. KimS

    Went to San Diego County Fair and hung out with family at the beach in Carlsbad, CA. No fireworks though… Our lab Jackson is a chicken when it come to that.

  142. Cara C

    I had a baby on June 28th via c-section, so we had a very low key 4th of July this year. We went to a pancake breakfast and then spent the day with my parents. I was in bed by 9:00 and the only fireworks I saw were the ones my crazy neighbors set off at 1:00 am!

  143. Danielle

    Watched fireworks on a rooftop with friends and loved ones. We enjoyed ourselves with good food and fun games!

  144. Cherise Johnson

    Blissfully early to bed, I was awoken by an unseemly racket outside the bedroom. Cautiously peeking through tiny slits, I saw my husband standing on the balcony. He was a looming silouette against an inky night. Suddenly, around him brilliant colors erupted. I burst out of bed, took 4 leaps to the door and was surrounded by explosions of bright light and crackely blasts. Together we stood in awe, as we gazed up and down the California coastline. We were treated to 5 different fireworks shows simultaneousluy. From the beach below we heard crowds cheering and shouting in appreciation and wonderment. So unexpected, uniquely beautiful, a moment in time, forever a joyful memory shared with the USA.

  145. Nicole

    I just spent it with my immediate family. We had a nice lazy day that definitely felt like a weekend.

  146. Cara

    I celebrated the 4th with all my friends! 9 people came over to my house. We grilled burgers, ate tons of good food and drank mojitos out of mason jars! So much fun!

  147. Heather Overstreet

    Hello from Tuscaloosa! We ate dinner with family (pulled bbq chicken and a napa cabbage slaw) and then walked down the street to watch the fireworks display from a distance.

  148. Linda Kowalski

    My husband rarely has a day when no one is e-mailing, texting, or calling him for his job. The 4th of July was one day he knew he could turn off his phone and just be with his family. The weather in the midwest was 100 degrees, so we decided to spend the day on the water. Just a 2 hour drive from home, we found a great lake town and was able to rent a boat in the morning and a wave-runner in the afternoon. Fishing, swimming, and cruising the lake and enjoying the sunshine was a perfect family day. And our son LOVED riding on the wave-runner! After a nice dinner where all the locals go and finding a old-fashion ice cream soda fountain, our family day turned out one of the best of our summer. The best part was seeing my husband relax and enjoy his day off and connect with our son!

  149. Lisa Anderson

    I’ve had my eye on the Cameo for months now, I want one so bad!!! Thanks for the chance! To celebrate July 4th, we always go to the lake for the weekend or the week. Family fun at it’s finest!!

    Also, I just wanted to say how cool it is that I’ve been following your blog for years and years, since way back when you were posting wedding preparations (I was getting married around the same time) Anyway, I just realized that you live fairly near me when I saw your post about the Walls of Jericho, way cool!!

  150. Samara Bilich

    We celebrated the 4th with a BANG! My oldest of 5, celebrated her 15th birthday on the 4th of July. We had extremely hot weather (about 106 degrees), but had about 35 friends & family over to celebrate. We grilled out, played volleyball, hung out in the “air conditioning”, and had a “bags” tournament. It was also our first holiday to celebrate with our new 8 wk. old, Golden Retriever puppy, Macy. She loved all of the attention. It was a sweltering, busy day. But in the end, it was worth EVERY second to see my family (9 of us: myself, my 5 kids, my boyfriend, & his 2 sons) enjoying what we do best…being together! Fireworks were loud as ever & we could see them for miles, since we live so close to downtown. After the festivities dwindled, we all cooled off & snuggled up for a family movie night! I’d say it was a pretty great day! Thanks for letting me brag! :)

  151. Kelly

    I had to go to work but I made a red, white and blue cake and went to a BBQ restaurant after with my girlfriends!

  152. Allison

    I went to the movies with my family and watched People Like Us and then we grilled stuffed chicken breasts and brats! Wonderful day!

  153. Tammy

    Your website is amazing!

    I spent the 4th of July at home with my family trying to create a “healthier” version of some favorites! (BBQ Chicken, corn on the cob and beans) We stayed in during fireworks to help keep our dog calm since he is a tad scared of them!

  154. Melanie

    I spent the day with my family. First, taking my daughter for a riding lesson, then helping my in-laws out after the wind storm that rolled through the 29th of June and finally a cookout and fireworks. Busy, but fun day.

  155. Lindsey

    I celebrated the 4th sweating outside and enjoying the company of family! It was so hot this year that fireworks were banned, it was a pretty sad 4th of July. Our outside party only lasted about one hour due to the intense heat. Luckily, my firework need was fulfilled 2 days prior to the 4th by watching the fireworks at Magic Kingdom.. those were amazing!

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend

  156. Helen

    We were supposed to watch fireworks, but good conversation with friend and family ran over on time. We ended up pulling over in our cars close to the fireworks show and watching from afar. Fun time though, and the full moon that night was stunning. Wish I had taken a photo.

  157. Lynn Sharp

    Hi! I found you website yesterday while looking for fonts to set up my classroom! What a great toy you’re sharing! I can envision so many classroom uses! Thanks for even letting me know this tool is out there!

    I spent the Fourth painting my kitchen cupboards bright white and dreaming of storage strategies. I keep lots of dishes of different colors, shapes, and designs to photograph food in. Storage is a challenge!

  158. Bridgitte Seiber

    My 4th of July began 3 days prior to the fourth and ended two day later! You see there are some advantages to a holiday falling in the middle of the week!! My parents had a pool party on Sunday with all 5 of the kids, our grand-kids and the great-grands!! We broke a 4 day record for the heat index here in Tennessee and lets just say there was no room left in the pool…at one point I think 30 of us must have been trying to cool off and even the pool temperature was up to 87! It was a great day!
    The celebration continues as we had two cookouts and a yearly celebration of fireworks in downtown Nashville. I’m so fortunate to live in a city where celebrations are HUGE! We have an amazing firework show each year, one of the top in the country. Since Nashville does have such a huge turnout they did fireworks two nights in a row as well as the neighboring towns so all together we attended 5 firework shows. This was great for the kids since there were several local towns prohibiting personal fireworks due to the drought and dry conditions. It was a week full of excitement as we celebrated the true meaning of the word freedom living in the USA!

  159. Bonnie T

    We’re doing some home renovation – putting in all new doors (ourselves) – so that was a big project being worked on most of the day (week, really). We also had some family & friends over for BBQ dinner & set off some fireworks in the street. I hope you had a great 4th, Amanda! Thanks for the chance to win!

  160. Nickie

    We spent the 4th with family and friends at a parade and neighborhood carnival. It was great!

  161. Megan Ashman

    I celebrated the 4th with my in-laws in Utah. We ate lots of delicious food (including southern banana pudding I made for the first time!).

  162. Diana Martinez

    Dear Amanda;
    For the 4th of July my aunts came over and brought food. As the night go darker we did some fireworkers, it was amazing. Our neighbors son cried from how loud the fireworks were, :( it was adorable,<3 Well we ended the night with some burgers and great family time. <3 Love,
    -Diana

  163. ryane

    We had a couples gathering , Just a few . But lotsa food. BBQ of course. It was really nice. The childen of the block gathered and so did we to join in on the firecrackers . I think we are all children when it comes to this. It was great. Plus just lookijg in the sky It really was amazing. thank you

  164. Shawna

    At home in our backyard with the sprinkler on for our three small boys. We BBQ’d burgers, but the littles to be and then hubby and I chatted.

  165. Henny

    Pool party at the neighbors! It was such a great day! (Thank goodness for water- it is soooo hot here!!!!)

  166. Courtney D.

    Happy belated 4th! I got to spend the holiday with my sweet babies, my dad and youngest brother. We had pancakes for breakfast, a cookout for dinner and took in fireworks show later that evening. Thanks for the great giveaway!

  167. Heather W

    I was lucky enough to have my grandparents visit us in Minnesota all the way from Texas this 4th of July. It was so nice to have family here for the holiday! Very blessed!

  168. Carly Sanchez

    We had a very laid back 4th. Spent the day working in the yard, BBQing with friends and a little store bought fireworks to top it all off!

  169. Paige

    We did BBQ in our backyard with friends and family then watched the fireworks
    from the pier in Huntington Beach.

  170. Tracy

    Shout out from Oklahoma….Happy 4th of July, America! What a great place to live…my husband, my three rowdy boys, my dog Gus, and myself spent the day swimming, BBQing, and watching the neighborhood fireworks show in the 360 degree silhouette of the brightly lit night sky…as we gave thanks to God for all the men and women who have fought so bravely to preserve our freedom. Bless them and their families!!! Missed my oldest son whose living on a little island called Playon Chico, Panama….God bless my boy!

  171. Yolette

    We celebrated by watching fireworks and then a movie under the starts! Thanks for the opportunity!

  172. Megan Q.

    On July 4th, I was hoping the fireworks here in Boston weren’t going to be cancelled due to the weather. They ended up delaying them only 10 minutes! We had to deal with a five minute downpour but had a fantastic viewing spot and I was with my husband – all I needed!

  173. Shannon

    My boyfriend is a firefighter, so all things fire department in our house. Parade, water games and fireworks on a ladder truck. So fun!

  174. Andrea Pruitt

    We celebrated the 4th of July by playing with our kids in our redneck pool that my kids love (and only cost 20.00) then we met friends and headed out on their boat where we anchored in the Charleston SC harbor near the USS Yorktown, and Fort Sumter (a very patriotic spot to be in for a celebration like this.) We then grilled hamburgers and hot dogs (because you can’t have a 4th of July celebration without them it would be unpatriotic,) and with many other boaters we watched the fireworks display with the new Arthur Ravenel bridge in the foreground with Patriotic music playing in the background! It was a very special day for our family where we truly appreciated the freedoms we have!

  175. Danette

    I went to the beach with my family in the morning to early afternoon, then we went over my brother-in-law’s house for a BBQ and swimming. We finished off the day by shooting off some of our own fireworks and then went to see a fireworks show in town.

  176. Glorie

    We had a great day with oor family. The kids played on theslip and slide, burgers, hotdogs and asparagus on the grill. And lots of watermelon :)

  177. juli

    happy 4th of july to everyone! i had a quiet day at home by myself but ended up watching on pbs capital 4th, and surfing to cbs for boston pops celebration. it was feel good music and i felt proud to be an american. loved all the music and patriotic songs you never get to hear except on the 4th! it made my day that started off somewhat lonely. i would love to win the cameo and make some of those cute projects. thanks for having the contest!

  178. Theresa

    We celebrated the 4th snuggled all together on the couch watching movies & listening to the booms of fireworks outside. We were just all too tired to go anywhere :) it was heavenly!

  179. Olivia

    My family and I traveled all the way to Washington D.C. to watch the fireworks! It was awesome – really hot, though!

  180. Crystal Russell

    I was able to go to a friend’s neighbors house and watch all these fireworks right from the pool! It was awesome! She has a crazy neighbor that spends like 25k on fireworks every year!!! WHOA.

    I really hope I win this! I’m a graphic designer and the idea of being able to make things with my logo and my clients logo seriously rocks my world!! <3

  181. Kim S

    We went to Martina McBride’s concert at Ft Stewart, had a blast. We ended the concert with a huge Firework show on post, great night.

  182. dawn makofski

    We celebrated the 4th with my husband’s family. It was his parent’s anniversary and the anniversary of our engagement. We grilled some ribs and corn and had a great time!

  183. Diana

    Due to a state wide burn ban our plans were postponed. Our church puts on the most amazing fireworks display and we hand out pop corn, water, and snocones to the community! So, this year we spent the day building table tops for my classroom instead. Fun…huh?!?!?!

  184. Lisa

    We had family over and had a cookout (Hamburgers and Peach Cobbler). Then we shot fireworks once it got dark. Later we went to the Red, White and Boom Festival to see the fireworks. We park on the roof of a nearby parking garage. Everyone brings chairs and it’s a lot of fun! It was a great 4th of July!

  185. Kaila

    I spend my 4th of July with some of my great friends and family. We had lots of home-style cooking (buffet style). All of the kids played in the pool while the adults watched and floated around on rafts! It was over all a very hot but good time.

  186. Denise F

    We live in Colorado Springs so the 4th was quiet this year. No fireworks. No campfires. No charcoal grills. We spent the day lounging by the pool and being thankful that the fires were no longer close to the city.

  187. Peggy Broughton

    Hi! I spent the 4th with my neighbors and their two doggies! It was over 100 degrees here in Texas!

  188. Sue in AZ

    I was blessed to spend the day with the love of my life, all my children and grandchildren. It was very special.

  189. April

    We spent a quiet day at home. Watched our town’s fireworks. Thanks for the chance to win. I have my fingers crossed!

  190. tracy

    A relaxing day with family, then dinner with my parents and the kids, followed by fireworks and a campfire with s’mores for the kids. A great day for everyone!

  191. Chelle Chapman

    The Hubs & I stood out on the upper deck w/ cold drinks & watched 3 different locations!! Albuquerque NM has THE BEST fireworks ever. IMHO!!!

  192. Molly

    We celebrated the 4th with friends on Lake Waco near Baylor University where my hubby, my friends, and I went to school– it was a great, laid-back day!

  193. Lara

    Hello Kevin and Amanda!
    This year was our 2nd son’s First 4th of July. We spent the day at my parents house for a BBQ. My kids were able to play with the dog and splash around with the water table. It was such a nice day! Hope you guys had a nice 4th too!

  194. Lori

    I spent the day with my husband, son and two close friends. BBQ, played games, caught up and relaxed! Climbed up to the roof, got comfy and sat back to watch the neighborhood fireworks.
    It was a great day!

  195. Carmen

    It was so hot we really didn’t do much. Our toddler was still wide awake at 9pm, so we loaded her up in the car and went to the local fireworks. Was a great day!

  196. Wendy

    Found your website through The Pioneer Woman, can already tell that it will be one of my faves!!

    My husband and I spent the day on the road. Our son spent the month of June in North Carolina working on staff for TVR camp, so we were fetching him. So glad to have him home!

  197. Marilyn

    Love the 4th! This year, with five young children in the house we stayed home and celebrated with friends. They brought fireworks which terrified my 2 year old, enthralled my five month old twins and scared us all when they managed to pull a miniature San Diego stunt! Memories….love them!

  198. Lori

    A relaxing day at home with the hubby & no kids!
    Dinner out, fireworks & cake roll from Baskin Robbins for dessert, what could be better.

  199. traci

    We ended up having an “indoor” BBQ because it was sweltering hot — but enjoyed it just the same!

  200. Jennifer

    Spent the 4th with a my sick little 3 year old. Poor guy had a double ear infection, so we didn’t make it out to see any fireworks, though. Still had a great day. My husband grilled, and we enjoyed the day relaxing and snuggling up with our little one and watching Finding Nemo, Up, followed by Finding Nemo Again, and again, and again. ha! It was great just to enjoy a quiet day with family. Hope everyone else had a great 4th! And good luck to whoever wins! :)

  201. Missy

    I planned a pancake breakfast and bike parade for our church in the morning and then my family and a bunch of friends celebrated in our military town with bands, food, and fireworks. It was the best!

  202. Susan Ardoin

    We spent a quiet day at home and watched the fireworks on the National Mall on TV since most area fireworks were cancelled because of all the power outages in our DC Metro area from the previous week’s “derecho” weather event! Whew, that was a mouthful!
    Thanks for the opportunity!
    Susan.

  203. Gina Atkins

    My son and I stayed in and did household chores. I baked some goodies and we enjoyed some taco soup. It was a relaxing day.

  204. Christine

    We spent the 4th of July visiting my family in Michigan where it was very hot, but a lot of fun being together!

  205. amanda brantley

    Swimming with my almost 3 yr old and hubby, then bbq chicken and zucchini on the grill! YUM!

  206. Jess Clay

    To celebrate the 4th we had a really simple family cookout. I so enjoyed just spending time with my favorite people. :)

  207. Hanni

    We just celebrated ot low key with some friends, having a bbq and playing lawn games. Then headed out on the golf course to watch the fireworks.

  208. Ana Lara

    I celebrated it with my family having a dinner and later a big party because that day is my birthday too!

  209. Jessie

    I spent the entire day with my history buff husband watching a wonderful five-part cable series on the rise to prominence of President John Adams, played to perfection by Paul Giamatti. It painted a vivid portrait of the great minds and flawed characters who shaped the destiny of this beautiful country. Both humbling and inspiring all at once.

  210. Brittany

    Hello From Texas!
    Our fourth of July was pretty low-key this year. My 18 month old son is finally big enough to go to the fireworks shows. We ate dinner with the family and watched the fireworks! He absolutely loved them! There is just something about a child’s face when it lights up from excitement! LOVE the blog! <3

  211. Marjorie

    Squeezed in a little time at the pool before a huge thunderstorm rolled in. But, luckily the weather cleared just in time for fireworks in downtown Kingsport, TN with my fiance and some great friends.

  212. julia

    Our family has been traveling a ton this summer, so we stayed home and enjoyed a quiet day off! We got a well needed rainstorm that cooled us off out here in AZ, so when we put our kids to bed my husband and I went up on the roof to watch the local fireworks! Perfect!

  213. Erika

    Hello from South Carolina! I spent the day at home with family and enjoyed a great BBQ supper. It was too hot to watch the fireworks outside so we watched them on TV. I’d love to win the Cameo…I’ve wanted one for a long time.

  214. Elizabeth

    {this time, without the typo:}
    I celebrated the 4th here in Chicago by celebrating my sister’s birthday! She’s ‘born on the Fourth of July’, just like the song “Yankee Doodle”! Our town starts the day with a 5K race (we sisters came in at 30 minutes on the dot) and then we cool off by watching the traditional Independence Day parade from our parent’s front porch. It really is a holiday-out-of-the-movies for us : absolutely the best!!

  215. Elizabeth

    I celebrated the 4th here in Chicago by celebrating my sister’s birthday! She ‘born on the Fourth of July’, just like the song “Yankee Doodle”! Our town starts the day with a 5K race (we sisters came in at 30 minutes on the dot) and then cool off by watching the traditional Independence Day parade from our parent’s front porch. It really is a holiday-out-of-the-movies for us : absolutely the best!!

  216. Elizabeth

    The 4th is my birthday so my hubby and I spent some time together and then watched Thunder on the Mountain in Birmingham :)

    I was just talking the other week about really wanting one of these!

  217. Tina

    I had to work on the 4th. We had a small gathering for a local soldier that had died. It was a full day.

  218. Abbie

    I took my toddler son to his first big fireworks display. Let’s just say it was a bang-up time. About 3 minutes into the program there was a BiG boom! And then, smoke…the field had caught on fire!!! Everyone had to evaquate. Very crazy, very stressful, very thankful. No one got hurt. When my little man gets bigger and wants to hear childhood stories about himself. I’m sure this will be on the top of his list. Mommy, tell me the story of the Fourth of July where we had to out run the forest fire.

  219. marion

    We had a great 4th! It’s been extremely hot here. The heat index was around 105! Too hot to be outside! We are in a drought and the city has been asking for everyone to be very careful. We don’t go out often because of the size of our family. We wanted to treat them. First we took the kids to a matinee movie- SPIDERMAN! We had been given a gift card so we took the kids out to eat afterwards. We came home in time to watch a few fireworks in the neighborhood. It was entertaining, fun and cool! Hope you had a great 4th too.

  220. Roberta

    Great giveaway! We spent the 4th mostly inside–it’s so dang hot outside!! We did take the kids to a parade and BBQ with the family and a little fireworks display. Good day with the ones I love!

    Thanks!

  221. Stefani

    What an awesome giveaway!! Hope y’all had a fabulous 4th – we celebrated with friends, family, swimming, lots of food, and of course, watching the fireworks! :)

  222. Glenda

    We had a family barbeque, and saw the musical, Aladdin, at Tuacahn Center for the Arts here in Southern Utah.

  223. Kristen M.

    We celebrated the 4th of July at home with a family bbq and marshmallows around the fire pit. My kids are still in school (a year round track) for one more weeks so it’s hard to get in the whole groove of packing up for a day – and preparing for a late night of fireworks. We did manage to see a few fireworks from our backyard.

  224. Pamela Tadlock

    Every July 4th our family celebrates with food, water fun and fireworks at Crystal Lake Fl. Just north of Panama City Fl. it’s a tradition we look forward to every year. this year was no exception, we had a great time!

  225. Brandy Nance

    I hope you had a wonderful 4th. I had the two married kids & their spouces & Lilly the grandbaby came to visit. It was so much fun to have all the kids home. Their were 10 of us in all here at the house. We went swimming, had a BBQ, playd cards & done our best to stay cool. One day this week it was 107 here. We are on burn ban so no fireworks. :( The younger kids were a little upset but they understood.

  226. Marlou G

    My family spent the 4th of July at my mom’s cabin on the lake. The temp for the day was around 1oo degrees, so we spent most of the day in the water cooling off. My husband did some grilling early in the evening and then finished the day watching the fireworks.

  227. DixieG

    bad news…i was having a really bad RA flare so i spent the 4th laying around the house:(
    good news…hubby was home from work and bbq’d for us:)

  228. Ana

    My hubby and I took the day off from planning and getting things ready to move to go to the beach. We had a blast and enjoyed Shrimp Basket. There is nothing better than crab claws. :)

  229. shaina longstreet

    I slept in, but my husband had to work. He drives garbage truck. But once he was off we fired up the barbecue and had friends over for steaks. It was a lovely day.

  230. Glori Winders

    I had my whole family together for the 4th. My daughter got home from college a day before and my son was home all week. Very Rare! It was a nice relaxing time.

  231. Jennifer

    My extended family and I spend a quiet fourth eating lunch together, holding my two month old baby boy, and swimming. We had a late night on the third at the hospital awaiting the arrival of my new baby cousin so lunch on the fourth was very simple. My mother and I decided mid afternoon to make a welcome home wreath for my cousin’s door for when she brought baby Jackson home from the hospital and then we played with sparklers until my three year old could not hold his eyes open anymore. It was a simple family filled day.

  232. Vickie Thornton

    Colorado banned fireworks, so we celebrated by having extended family over & taking them to a dinosaur museum & having one of the most delicious BBQ’s I’ve ever had. Oh…so…good!

  233. Jessica Wohld

    Happy Independence Day from Washington state!! We spent the day enjoying some much hoped for sunshine with friends and family.

  234. Ashley Parker

    My husband and I spent the 4th in San Diego and they accidentally set off all the fireworks at once!

  235. Angel Johns

    We celebrated the 4th with friends by cooking out and enjoying each others company!

    Thanks for the chance to win. I love your website :)

  236. Yvette

    We invited friends over, grilled out, shared stories and then watched the neighbors fireworks! Thanks for asking!

  237. Julia Lockhart

    The week of july 4th I was at Church Camp with 13 kids (including my son!)… No fireworks:-( but TONS of fun!!!

  238. CC

    Family was over for a late lunch/early dinner of ribs. Younger generation headed out to watch fireworks. (You heard about our Fireworks Fail here in San Diego, I’m sure!) Glad I didn’t make the effort to get down to the Bay this year.

  239. Felicia

    This year we were low-key. We took the kids out with my parents to grab some BBQ. I must not have been the only one who didn’t feel like grilling out b/c the place was packed! We finished our meals with lemon ice-box pie and chocolate cream pie. YUM! Thanks for the chance!!!!

  240. Liz Oram

    We have a 1 month old lil boy that we got to introduce around to all our friends at a bar-b-q, concert, and fireworks show :0)

  241. Brenda Campbell

    What a fun challenge as a contest entry!

    We celebrated the 4th of July with friends and family. Grilled chicken and salmon. Because we are all trying to eat healthier, I made a salad with quinoa (a first for me) and it was delish! We ate lots of veggies and fruit – watermelon and cherries. We had planned to swim in the pool but it rained all day. We did not complain because here in Arizona we NEED rain badly. There was a fantastic fireworks display in our town this year because last year our mountains were on fire and so the fireworks were cancelled due to extremely high fire hazard. This year they used all of last years and this years too.

    The 4th of July is one of our favorite holidays! What a great way to celebrate our great nation and the freedom it provides!

  242. Cyndie

    I tried a couple of new recipes. I’m searching for the best lemon tartlet…haven’t found it yet. We barbecued with our good friends and neighbors.

  243. Georgia

    Shrimp Boil by the Pool! We invited everyone in the neighborhood to enjoy fireworks, grilled and boiled shrimp, and swimming!

  244. Laura

    My hubby and I spent a quiet day at home reflecting on how much we love and appreciate this great country of America!!! We also spent time in prayer on behalf of those serving in our military, for my father who is in the hospital and for our daughter who moved out of the house and 5 hours away the day before making us “empty nesters.” It was an emotional day!

  245. Loralei

    Camping! Every year we head out to Asheville, North Carolina. There we white water raft, repell, zipline, hike, etc.

  246. Deborah Hooper

    Been watching your travels. Some beautiful pictures.
    We celebrate the 4th with family and friends with the traditional cookout and potluck side dishes and desserts. Lots of red, white and blue decorations and new red, white and blue outfits for the little ones.

  247. withak

    We spent the 4th at home with family and friends. The grill caught on fire and caused a lot of excitment, not to mention an appearance of the hose and fire extinguisher. The fire charred all the food that was on the grill, but we had plenty of side dishes to compensate. It was dinner and a show that we won’t soon forget!

  248. Nanette

    I live in a wonderful village in Upstate New York that hosts an entire day of family fun. The morning starts with a big parade and ends at dusk with fabulous fireworks. After the last boom boom, Mommies and Daddies carry sticky toddlers, with nodding heads, home to dream of ice cream and Bouncy Houses. The grownups eat the last pieces of the homemade pie then round up the older kids and everyone piles in their cars and, with a honk of the horn, the day is done. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  249. Kristin

    We had a burger cookout with family and watched the fireworks that were being set off around the neighborhood! So fun!

  250. Sheryl "Wilderness Wife" Thompson

    Just a quiet 4th with just Bill and I. We spent the day by the pool and the grilled out for supper – steaks, mac salad, grilled basil tomatoes…. Nothing special but topped off the day by watching the Boston Pops Specila on TV. Up here in the North Maine Woods it would be a 100 mile round trip to see live fireworks so we opted for “remote” fireworks on TV.

  251. Katherine

    As the country was celebrating our independence- my boyfriend and I celebrated our two year anniversary! Nothing quite like a huge firework show to make you feel special! We live in Buford, GA, so we spend the day making a great picnic- I made beer baked ribs and all the fixings- and took it down to our local park to eat, drink, and watch fireworks from swings on the playground. It was a quite 4th, but special nonetheless!

  252. alamama

    We stayed at home and had a nice day. Went to church at night and then watched the fireworks.

    Thanks for the chance!

  253. Lisa P in California

    We celebrated the 4th by getting together with our neighbors for a potluck. We didn’t watch any fireworks, but had a wonderful time with friends.

  254. Debra

    Hello!

    July 4th was celebrated here in Arizona with exciting fireworks, strawberry shortcake, an amazing “cool” day (not in the 100s), and friends!
    Silhoutte…………….please pick me!
    Debra

  255. Maria

    We had a very low-key 4th. It was really too hot to do much and my son is terrified of fireworks so we just stayed indoors and watched the fireworks from our big window that night.

    Thank you!

  256. Alicia

    Spent a quiet day at home in the a/c with hubby & daughter because it was too hot to go outside here in Texas. Then watched firework in Sugar Land, Tx

  257. Lynn M

    We had a very quiet 4th celebration this year. With the storms, power outages, heat, and humidity there was no parade (gasp!) or fireworks in our hometown. Bummer! So we cranked the A/C and napped the day away. There’s always next year! :)

  258. Vickie

    We spent the 4th of July in Round Top, Texas enjoying the parade with family, fireworks and relaxing by the pool. Just about the most perfect 4th ever!

  259. Traci Severson

    I celebrated the day with my two kiddos running in and out since they both had to work and my husband did as well although he works the graveyard shift. At dusk the kids and I headed over to an area less congested and watched the fireworks from afar.

  260. heidiY

    We had a fun 4th setting off fireworks with friends & family!! Thanks for the chance at this awesome bundle.

  261. Kaitlyn

    I spent the day with one of my best friends. We ate, swam, shopped and then went back to her place to relax for the evening. The plan was to go watch fireworks, but we ended up watching Desperate Housewives instead.

    Next year I will be more traditional =D

  262. Toni Legates

    We didn’t do anything this year it was just to hot! In stead we stayed home ordered in some take out and had a movie fest!

  263. Karen

    Would love to win and be creative!
    We spent the 4th of July watching fireworks at my Mom’s nursing home. It was really nice since it is right across the street from the park where the city had their fireworks show. The nursing home had watermelon for the families. It was nice for our family to be all together for the holiday.

  264. Debbie in S. Florida

    I had a relaxing 4th, spent it with the family. Didn’t do much of anything but eat and gab! Then fireworks in the street, which was okay. What is it with guy and fireworks? They go all caveman at the sight of bottle rocks! I just don’t get it… Next year, we’re going to watch “real” fireworks! Anyway, I’d love to win this prize. It sounds awesome!

  265. Carrie G.

    Spent the day at beautiful Grand Lake Colorado with family. We enjoyed boat rides, picnics and a BBQ that night. Sadly now fireworks due to dry conditions in the Colorado mountains.

  266. Nathalie-Catherine Ouellet

    Hi Amanda, what a great giveway ! First, I’m from Canada so, no 4th of July for me BUT, when I was a kid, we used to go to the Maine with my parents so, I remember a lots of fireworks ;-) It was magic !

  267. Christine

    We didn’t do too much, nice long trip to the dog park and then we stayed in a did a puzzle! It was a nice day off.

  268. MarieR

    We did not invite anyone this year, and had a relaxing time BBQ-ing, and enjoying each other’s company.

  269. jenbalding

    My kids were out of town with my parents, so I cleaned my house and hung around the pool with friends :)

  270. Kristen

    My dad had a massive stroke on May 3rd…Thank God he survived but he is paralyzed on his left side. (Although he has been taking steps with a brace on his leg! :) ) He is recooperating in a rehab facility about half an hour away. July 4th is a big holiday for my parents and my family. We usually host a big pool party and BBQ. So, this year, we brought the party to my dad – I made dip, brought red, white and blue napkins, plates, etc. cold cuts, salads, rolls and made a patriotic trifle bowl with angel food cake and strawberries and blueberries. Close friends of ours came with us and we sat outside under a shady tree and had a wonderful afternoon, just so thankful for the gift of spending time with my dad. Even with all he’s been through, he has a great sense of humor, and we are so proud of him.

  271. Erin @ A Crafty Cook

    The hubby and I went out to do some window shopping/planning for our new house. Then we grilled some steak kebabs and watched the fireworks specials on TV.

  272. amanda

    My husband and I took our three boys to our town’s 4th of July celebration. Every year, their favorite part is riding the little train and sitting on a blanket to watch the fireworks. So much fun, and free! Hope you enjoyed the holiday as well. :)

  273. Beth

    We went swimming and bbq with friends. Then of course fireworks. I’ve always wanted one of these!

  274. Stacy Kraft

    My husband and I spent the evening with my fun family, grilling, eating and laughing! Came home early and watched fireworks at various places, from the car, on the way home.

  275. Peggy Whisenhunt

    The Saturday night before the 4th, we watched the city fireworks, but on the 4th, we were invited by my neighbor to eat with her family, but we did not cook out, We had ham, cheesy garlic biscuits, turnip greens and potato salad. Cherry Pie and Peach cobbler for dessert. It was a great meal and the fellowship was sweet. thanks for the chance to win the Silhouette.

  276. Kristy G

    We had a fantastic day celebrating with my 3 year old. First we had the town’s annual parade. Then we went to some friend’s to cool off in the pool and eat tacos. Then BBQ and fireworks at my parent’s house with lots of family and friends.

  277. Jen P.

    We were blessed to spend the day at my mother-in-law’s home with family! We grilled for lunch, had homemade ice cream, swam in the river near her home, and popped fireworks that night! It was a wonderful day to celebrate the freedom that we have in our nation and to remember those who have fought and those who are fighting to protect that freedom! God bless America!

  278. Rhonda adams

    I spent the 4th with family and friends on Lake Minnetonka. We stayed cool boating and swimming. I snuck away by myself to take photos. I walked around the point and and went to Noerenburg gardens to photograph flowers. Hope everyone had a Happy 4th!

  279. annheidel

    Oh, I dearly want one of these. My family spent the 4th with friends. Every year, a family we know has a big celebration at their house. We all bring food to grill and side dishes/desserts to share, and we all have a wonderful time visiting. There must have been 150 people there this year. At the end, we enjoy a fantastic fireworks display. We’ve been going for years now and it’s a great way to celebrate the 4th of July.

  280. Cammy

    Lighting the little stuff with my niece and nephews, then lying in bed listening to the big stuff continue all night, all over my neighborhood ;o)

  281. toni

    I love the 4th of July and all is represents….my husband and I spent the day celebrating by cooking of course…….good ole juicy hamburgers for lunch with the usual trappings…..barbequed ribs for dinner, potato salad, etc….oh and can’t leave out the ice-ceam — old fashioned butter brickle. And we must mention that my best girlfriend’s daughter had her baby girl that afternoon…the baby decided she needed freedom from the womb 2 weeks early! Texted congratulations and more celebration. We snuggled and watched an older movie….”at first sight” with Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino. Loved it. Our neighbor’s husband who is being deployed to Afghanistan at the end of the month surprised everyone and showed up on the 4th after being away for 60 days training, so the celebratioin continued. And, we finally relaxed by retiring to our back porch with music playing in the background and watching all the beautiful fireworks displays that are visible from our back yard. And last but not least, we thanked God for a beautiful day and for this wonderful country we call the USA. It was a grand ole 4th of July!

  282. Renee D

    We spent the fourth on the beach with family in from out of state. It was a fun, relaxing time, catching up with loved ones we don’t get to see often enough.

  283. Vicki

    Spent the day with my mom and daughters and their husbands. Moms staying with me while she waits to go to assisted living. Some quality time with her.

  284. Diana

    For the 4th my hubby and I spent the entire day watching The Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy! I know…pretty boring, but we love, love, love ’em! Then we watched neighborhood fireworks! Perfect day!

  285. Emma

    I spent the afternoon at a cookout and then later in the evening went to see the local fireworks display. Was a nice evening! :)

  286. Angie

    Celebrated with my husband in San Antonio, TX! We work different shifts (he’s a night shifter and I’m a day shifter) so we don’t often get weekdays/nights together. We just hung around the house and enjoyed each other’s company. That evening we cooked a delicious seafood dinner together, watched a movie, then sat on our balcony and watched the fireworks from downtown San Antonio. It was a beautiful day!

  287. Michelle

    I spent the 4th of July with my husband and kids and my best friend since Kindergarten and her family. We were blessed with an invite to Cape Cod and went to an amazing 4th of July parade and then spent the day on Nauset beach. It was a glorious day!!!

  288. Deanna

    Spent the day totally relaxed! Got a few things done at home, watched a movie and went to a BBQ. It was a perfect day.

  289. Jen R

    My husband and I were SUPPOSED to go to a party on the 4th that a coworker of his was having, but last minute we ditched and decided to spend the day together. It was a blast!

  290. Aileen

    I’m an American living in the UK at the moment. My husband and I spent the 4th watching Independence Day and Captain America. Since it’s been constantly raining here since summer started, we have yet to have some decent bbq. ‘Can’t wait to go back home!

  291. Liza

    I spent the 4th watching Batman the animated series. haha. It was a very relaxing day which ended with the family watching the fireworks.

  292. Lori

    Awesome 4th, spent with hubby, kids, and friends – headed to Dorset, Vermont to the Quarry. Coolest place (no pun intended) to cliff jump into the water. Much laughter & great memories made. Hope yours was fabulous, too!

  293. His Girl Amber

    Had a blast hanging out with good friends and some Carne Asada. Would make the story much better if I won a new Silhouette with my happy but boring story!

  294. Heather Miller

    I spent the 4th enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, working in my garden! Nice to see sunshine here in Wa state. :)

  295. Jenny Perkins

    My husband and 2 oldest daughters went backpacking for the week, so I spent the 4th with my 4 littlest kiddos and enjoyed them immensely. We started the day with a video about Francis Scott Key and the Star Spangled Banner while we ate chocolate chip pancakes. We swam with friends, ate pizza for lunch, grilled for dinner, and managed to watch Mirror Mirror on our apple TV in late afternoon. Ended with some great fireworks and homemade popsicles. My kids wore their flag t-shirts and waved their American flags. It was a beautiful day and we even received some much needed rain here in AZ. So grateful for our freedom!

  296. shaunna

    I worked a 10 hr shift while my family enjoyed each others company. When I got home my husband had made pizza and opened a bottle of my favorite wine, I drank one glass and fell asleep!

  297. 1stopmom

    The whole family helped to cook bratwurst, burgers and chicken. Then we went inside to make lemon cake, dipped strawberries, red white and blue pretzels. After that we load everyone up to go see fireworks. We ended up having a great spot. We caught4 different shows.

  298. Bailey

    Happy Independence Day, America! On my Forth of July, I was able to spend time with my family. Starting my first teaching job in August, I have been busy all summer gathering supplies and creating crafts for my classroom. My July 4th was a relaxing, thankful day for all of those who have assisted in making/ keeping America safe!

  299. lisa maddox

    We had a memorial bbq for my parents. They were married 58 years and died within 6 months of each other. We are all still in shock, but pulled it together to honor them. A nice, if sad, occasion.

  300. Jennifer F.

    I spent the 4th with my wonderful boyfriend. There was a burn ban in our area, so unfortunately no fireworks for us. Instead, we decided to beat the heat by going to see The Amazing Spiderman in 3D!

  301. Leisa

    Found your website on Pinterest. Thank you for all the amazingly delicious looking cupcakes recipes and pictures!!! Can’t wait to try them :)

  302. Tammy V

    We celebrated in an old-fashioned and traditional way–cooked out hamburgers & hot dogs, made home-made ice cream, and went to our city’s fireworks display! Great fun!

  303. Jeannette P

    Spent the day with my family, some extended family, & a few of my sister’s friends. Eating, talking, laughing, watching the kids play in the sprinkler. Fireworks were postponed for a beautiful looking storm.

  304. Brandi

    We went to the lake and spent the first part of the day with my Grandparents! They always LOVE seeing the kids! Then, we headed home for a BLOCK PARTY and a FIREWORKS SHOW that my hubby and neighborhood “men” put on for us in the middle of the street!! (and no, I don’t live in the country!). It was a GREAT WAY to celebrate!!
    Brandi

  305. Janie

    We celebrated the 4th of July with family for a fish fry. Later, we watched a great fireworks show from our front porch with the full moon shining in the background!

  306. Melissa

    Our 4th was one of the best we’ve had since relocating to NC! We had a ton of family over to our new home, and some amazing friends as well. Barbecue, beer and good laughs! The kids all enjoyed a little fireworks show in the backyard at the end of the night too!

  307. Melissa

    We had a family birthday picnic and then the kids and I climbed up into the playhouse for the perfect view of the fireworks!

  308. Robin

    I celebrated the 4th with my husband’s family in Gig Harbor, WA. We caught up with some cousins we hadn’t seen in 15 years. I made a new friend with a woman who works on nuclear power plants but also raises over 200 sheep, some pigs, and cattle. My contribution to the event was inspired by your pictures and links to decorated sugar cookies. They were American flags, including all 50 stars. I had a few glasses of wine and watched (listened, really) to a couple of movies while making them. I even took a picture of them because I love looking at your pictures of food.

  309. Veronica

    Hi! Thanks for the opportunity to win the Silhouette!

    Unfortunately. My fiancé, who is a firefighter, was on duty on the 4th. So my daughter and I spent the whole day with my parents. We took a short road trip to Virginia and did a little shopping and a lot of ice cream eating. Then we all went back home and grilled out and stuffed our faces. My little one and I ended our night watching fireworks on the patio and waving our own sparklers.

  310. Hilary Rivenbark

    Had a fun cookout with friends and family and then watched the fireworks from the marina. It was Awesome! Hope everyone had a great 4th!

  311. Christine

    Oh, I have such a lousy 4th story. I had a stomach bug and spent most of the day on the sofa or sleeping. Instead of the yummy grilled hot dogs & brats that my family ate, I had chicken soup. We did make it out to see the fireworks, but instead of going out with our friends, we tailgated, and I watched the fireworks from the back of our van. LOL!! All in all, though, it was a beautiful day because I was surrounded by the people I love most – my precious family :)

    Thanks for this great giveaway! I’ve wanted a Cameo for the longest time :) Fingers crossed!

  312. Mary Lynn Evans

    We had a brunch with family and then played in the water most of the day. Enjoyed the fireworks that evening. It was a great day!

  313. Lacey

    Swimming, swimming, eating, eating, swimming, and more eating!!!!!! Hot Hot Hot here in Minnesota! 97 degrees!

  314. Crystie

    We spent the fourth at our lake house with friends. Lots of food and flag t shirts during the day and lots of fireworks at night.

  315. laura dassance

    We celebrated by grilling out and making some yummy desserts–and then finished the night off with fireworks-the kids loved it!

  316. hikari

    I spent the 4th painting my living room and watching fireworks out my dining room window with my fiancé!

  317. Jean Bullock

    Well, I spent the 4th of July working on free origamic architecture templates to share with beginners. Thanks for the chance to win.

  318. Erica

    Since there were so many fireworks bans with the dry weather, we celebrated by watching fireworks on TV!

  319. Emma Hernandez

    For the 4th, we took our little girls to the zoo in the morning. It was nice to have to zoo mostly to ourselves! Then we went home and took naps and had a BBQ with some family friends. We ended the evening with root beer floats and sparklers. Such a fun day!

  320. Marlene

    I stayed home on the 4th … because I caught a terrible cold and was pretty miserable. Oh well … I still got to spend the day with my hubby!

  321. Debbie

    Hi Amanda! Happy belated Independence Day! My husband and I declined party invites and stayed home to work on our bathroom remodel–sounds like a snooze but it was actually a very productive day and, we were together, so it was great! Hope you and Kevin had a wonderful day!

    Thanks for the opportunity to win such a fantastic prize!

    Smiles,
    Debbie

  322. Stephanie

    We took my 2 year old to a parade and then to watch a B-1 do a flyover at the Rodeo.. Then we all enjoyed nap time and went to a friends house for a cook out.

  323. Lori

    We had a low-key celebration, since my husband just had back surgery! So we ate some yummy food that friends brought over and our kids shot off fireworks in the evening. It’s always a great day to celebrate America’s Birthday!! Thanks for the giveaway.

  324. Sarah G

    I spent my morning with my daughters, making red, white & blue strawberries. That evening we went to my brother’s for great food, hanging out with the rest of the family, and great fireworks.

  325. Patti T

    An unusual fourth spent finishing a redo of a bureau for my daughter’s big move the next day into her first, non-furnished apartment.

    Great giveaway…Thanks

  326. Sara

    I spent the 4th celebrating with family and friends, swimming, eating good food and watching great fireworks!

  327. Rachel @ Twin Tough

    We had a wonderfully quiet and peaceful 4th with our family. We even had our own little firework show for the little ones! So grateful for freedom and for family!! (Hope yours was good too!) :)

  328. Pam M

    We just had a quiet day at home, grilled out for dinner and watched the Macy’s fireworks program on tv. Very relaxing!

  329. debbi

    My daughter (10 yrs) broke her leg and is in a full-leg cast, so we spent the 4th indoors this year. We invited a couple of friends over for an indoor picnic, due to the 102′ temp! We also missed out on fireworks, since it is too dry in our area and they were cancelled. Oh well…maybe next year!

    Although one might think we had a terrible 4th, we really enjoyed our day indoors. It was just nice to be together, and it made us more appreciative of the years we have been able to celebrate in a more traditional manner. :-)

    Thanks for the chance!

  330. Amanda @ tales from a FAR

    Went to a cookout with my family and friends. Watched my little boy play with his best buddy and ate some watermelon followed by some awesome fireworks sitting in their front yard :)

  331. Bryn

    Spent the day with my family and the evening holding my breath hoping the fireworks wouldn’t wake up the baby!

  332. Jaime

    We had a low-key but lovely 4th. We hung out by the pool, then ate and watched the county fireworks. We had a major ban on fireworks because of the lack of rain, so county fireworks were all that happened here!

  333. melissa

    Most boring 4th ever, I was busy putting together a wedding slideshow for an upcoming video, kids fell asleep early & hubbie & I were in bed by 10! LAME! :(

  334. Kim

    We celebrated the fourth of July at home by the pool. It was a scorcher here in Cincinnati so the pool was the perfect place to be!

    Thanks for giving me a chance to win such a great prize.

  335. Robyn

    I have a two year old, so we did the following: park, pool, nap, rode in the town parade, cookout, and fireworks. What a fun day!!

  336. Jenesse

    Dressed up my newborn in Americana attire and joined my family for a traditional bbq. We love America’s birthday! :D

  337. Cassie Donlen

    At my parents house with my brother and his family. I helped the kids set up a lemonade stand that day and they made $57 and had a ball doing it. All the firework displays were cancelled because of the heat and dry conditions so it was a great way for the kids to do something still fun.

  338. Tara

    What a great give away!! We spent the 4th relaxing with my parents, my siblings and their families. Lots of time in the pool and grilling veggie burgers!

  339. DeAnnae

    We spent the day by the pool eating and swimming and playing tetherball! Then in the evening we came back to our house for more food, bon fire and let the kids do fireworks. It was a perfect day!

  340. Ruth B

    I hung out with neighbors and family. We ate good food, popped firecrackers and chatted. Good times!

  341. Katie Morphew

    We had a devotional, flag raising ceremony & pancake breakfast at our church early in the morning. We took the kids to visit a veteran in the hospital who is an amputee and has no family near. We spent the rest of the day swimming, had a bbq & rounded off the day with fireworks. Perfect 4th! Thanks for this amazing opportunity to win my dream craft item! :)

  342. Chrissy

    This was my daughter’s first 4th of July, and we were lucky enough to host my parents and aunt and uncle from out of town. We spent most of the day inside trying to stay cool, but snuck in a little shopping too. After they left we took a family nap and took our daughter out on the deck to watch a few fireworks. It was a perfect family day!

  343. Rene

    Spent the 4th at home with family by the pool. BBQ for lunch and dinner. Finished the evening off with a fireworks display! Fun times!!!

  344. Valerie Garbo

    I spent the 4th just relaxing at home with my son. My husband is currently deployed so any holiday is kinda a lazy one til he gets home safe and sound.

  345. Trina

    I celebrated the 4th by visiting family I hadn’t seen in a while. Lots of laughs!! Kids did fireworks that night! It was a great day!

  346. Megan

    I spent my 4th of July celebrating our nation’s independence from my couch after surgery on my foot. This nice Silhouette bundle would be a great way to occupy my recovery time…

  347. Katie

    As for me, the 4th was quiet and productive. I spent the entire day working on completing a quilt that is gift for a friend. Also our family enjoyed some delicious barbecued hamburgers and all of the regular fixings before watching some fireworks. It was a good day.

  348. Connie R.

    We did bbq and have some potato salad just trying to stay cool in this heat. My poor dogs are terrified of fire works so I had to stay close to them and keep the tv loud to muffle the noise.

  349. meg

    We got to spend the day with family — a parade, a trip up the mountain and topped off with fireworks and the kids running around in the grass. Couldn’t have been more perfect!

  350. Cori Rochford

    The Fourth is one of my favorite holidays! We get to see fireworks not only on the night of but we also get to start celebrating the night before. I went to have a picnic in the park with some friends to then be able to see the fireworks that were accompanied by the symphony. One the actual 4th we were able to celebrate by watching a parade and enjoy yummy foods like funnel cakes then sit and relax to a fabulous show that my town does. I love it!!

  351. Leslie A

    We went to a parade and swimming on the 4th. We watched lots of fireworks while driving through the country. No traffic to mess with and no loud sounds for the little guy!

  352. Colleen

    We napped, hung out with my husbands brother & fiance, ate a yummy shake, napped some more, visited with my sister & her sweet children, the topped it off with some sparly displays in the drive way!

  353. Lizzie Baird

    I spent the 4th inside, avoiding the 105 degree weather, eating brisket and watching movies.

  354. Joan L

    We took the kids to the Waterpark. It was fun to spend the day in the water trying to keep cool.

  355. Louise

    We went to a prade in the morning with the girls and then we did some fireworks at home! Happy 4th!

  356. Brittany Allen

    I spent my 4th with my mom, 3 brothers, and sister at my house eating hot dogs, homemade chili, Razzleberry Pie and vanilla ice cream and watching fireworks that the neighbors shot off well into the night.

  357. Amy J

    Unfortunately I wasn’t able to do much on the 4th. I threw my back out working in the yard the previous Saturday and the doctor had me on bed rest all week! But I did find your website on Pinterest since I couldn’t do much but surf the net! Love, Love, Love your site!

  358. Ashlee S.

    We spent the day playing at the park! And a night of movies and watching the Fireworks from our Balcony.. Although The little guy was fast asleep before they started! Thanks for the chance to win! =) You Rock!

  359. Joyce

    Hi!

    We had just thrown a big birthday party for my 2-year old a few days before the 4th, so we had a low-key day. We took our son to a local park and then watched the fireworks from our backyard.

    I have been drooling over the Silhouette, so thank you for giving us this opportunity!!

  360. Elizabeth

    My husband and I celebrated the 4th by driving from Memphis,TN to Las Vegas, NV! We made it in to Vegas about 9:00 at night, just in time for all the casinos on the strip to start their fireworks shows! It was amazing! We got tons of pictures and it will definitely be a road trip to remember! :)

  361. Crystal

    I had quite a eventful 4th of July to say the least! It was an overcast day in not-so-sunny San Diego, so I took advantage of the cooler temperature and planted these cute bean succulents in the front yard, then fired up the grill for the first time since we’ve moved into our new house and made bacon blue cheese burgers (yum, btw.) I then made these amazing ground turkey/jalapeno/cream cheese stuffed rolls and mojitos to bring to our friend’s potluck BBQ. I finally get to relax at the park until the fireworks were supposed to start at 9pm, but instead at 8:55pm the now infamous “Big Bay Bust” happened… (ALL of the fireworks went off all at once, so a 17 minute show turned into a 9 second show. lol) I explained to my 5 year old niece who was kind of disappointed that she had just witnessed the fastest most extravagant fireworks show in her life. That was my 4th. :)

  362. Jodie Potter

    Hello,
    We spent the day cleaning the house :(. It rained all day here. However we did go for a walk in the evening to view the fireworks!!!

    Hope you had fun!!!!

    Jodie

  363. Nancy

    Hi Kevin and Amanda !
    For the fourth we stayed inside most of the time – it is like 102 degrees out. We did go watch the fireworks – we had to go back to work the next day :(

  364. Noelle Frye

    My family and I spent the 4th of July grilling, eating, laughing, watching fireworks and generally just having a good time!

  365. Michelle

    I spent the 4th in the sweltering heat, grilling out, sitting with my children and dog, eating watermelon and watching the neighbors fire works display. It was a wonderful day!

  366. Mindy

    I spent the 4th at home with my two kids, one of which is just 4 weeks old. Would love to win this awesome giveaway.

  367. Renee

    Hi Kevin and Amanda, Love your website, I’m always looking to see what new recipes you have posted.
    We spent the 4th at Myrtle Beach, SC with our grandaughter. We walked to the beach that night and watched the fireworks down the beach at the local piers and hotels. We got to watch several firework shows at one time!

  368. Beth Ann

    We celebrated the 4th by grilling out with friends. Our 3 month old baby loved the celebration….up until the fireworks anyway ;)

  369. Beth

    Our little town has a parade and street fair with bands playing. Later in the evening they have a barge come in and let off an amazing 30min show of firewords on the waterfront. It was a perfect day in Steilacoom!!

  370. Diane@InMyOwnStyle

    Hi Amanda –
    I had my family over and we grilled hamburgers and corn on the cob. For dessert berries and whipped cream.

  371. Kayla Seely

    We originally had plans to go to Grand Rapids and spend the day with my cousins. However in the morning, we received a call saying that she was sick. So we quickly planned a party at our house and we had some family come over. We had hamburger and brats, potato salad, beans and homemade brownies. It was a lot of fun.

  372. Lizann Cundall

    Our 4th was quiet – a few friends, a bit of grilling, lots of swimming in the pool because it was hot and then a short walk down to the lake edge to watch the fireworks celebrating this great country!

  373. Kelly Lamb ala Sew Lambitious

    I stayed at home with my animals. My adopted dog is terrified of the fireworks. I enjoyed a day of deep watering in my yard, facebook and pinterest!

  374. Christine

    I spent the 4th working on projects for my third grade classroom. My hubby works for an ice company, so he is super busy during the summer, especially around the 4th. I took advantage of the alone time and got a jump start on next school year. :)

  375. Shannon Crandall

    Well, since my rescue dog is terrified of fireworks (terrified doesn’t even start to describe it really) we gave her a valium, jumped in the car, blasted the radio and drove around for 6 hours so she wouldn’t hurt herself, or us, or the house…

  376. Ashley Quick

    We celebrated at my sister’s house. They had a block party and we had tons of delicious food including hot dogs, smoked beef brisket, brats, and much much more. Unfortunately it didn’t end too well as one of our friends had a horrible firework accident. A firework actually shot off into his eye and injured him very badly. Luckily he is very optomistic that he will see out of his eye again. From this experience I realized that I have the best friends and family because we showed our injured friend and his family so much support through this awful tragedy. As he was at the hospital, everyone pitched in to clean up the food, trash from fireworks, etc. Even though my night ended in tragedy for my friend, we realized we are so blessed for everything including awesome friends and family that I couldn’t live without!

  377. kelly

    Hi! I spent the 4th finishing up painting a bedroom and moving my daughter’s furniture into it. Still in painting mode in other rooms upstairs, including furniture that is being re-purposed from the attic.

  378. Tina Moricz

    I spent the day blog hopping, spending time with my husband, watched a movie, barbecued some hamburgers, and trying to keep our young puppies from going crazy with all the fireworks later that night. It was a rainy 4th of July here in Tucson.

    I got to see the Silhouette at ISTE and immediately put it on my wish list. I waited 45 minutes just to test it out and was one of the last teachers that got a bag before they ran out. They allowed us to design a print to see how the software works. Then they used a heavy duty heat press to iron the designs on, but a good iron will work too. It was so easy to use and they had so many great ideas about how to use it in the classroom. I definitely have it on my wish list.

  379. Leslie

    Had a wonderful BBQ with friends then watched fireworks on the top of our toy hauler in the back yard.

  380. Christine McAhren

    Day 3 heat wave here in Chicago!! But there was nothing better than spending the 4th with my husband and 2 year old daugther. We took her to the beach for the first time and let her play in the wooden park. We had some great family time!

  381. Diana Kaye

    Spent the day grilling with friends, then went to the high school to watch amazing fireworks. Could not have been a better day. And I just love you blog! Thanks for doing one.

  382. Nicole

    Sent “Saint” hubby to the pool with kids, then painted our bedroom for the first time in 9 years!! Wow, I need the Silhouette Cameo plus the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software to decorate my beautiful new walls.

  383. Wendy Rupper

    We had the fam over for ribs, rolls, salads, etc. then watched fireworks with our neighbors and the folks. Perfect day!

  384. Jan

    We spent the 4th on the beach at Galveston after a nice dinner at Landrys Seafood House. I hope i win this. I would love to be able to give it to my mom. :)

  385. Jan

    My cousin and her family and my sister and her husband went with me in the chase car and we followed my husband who rode his bike 100+ miles up into the mountains (training for Lotoja race). We saw some spectacular vistas of this wonderful country from 8500 feet up. We had a picnic up in the mountains before following him back down. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful country with the freedom to be able to enjoy it.

  386. Elizabeth Bennett

    Since our area is under a burn ban we had a very low key 4th. We made fun red, white, and blue crafts all day and watched the hotdog eating contest on tv. After that we made a very All American dinner of chili dogs, onion rings, cole slaw, and baked beans. We watched a few fireworks outside set off by neighbors that weren’t supposed to be setting fireworks off and then watched the fireworks in NY on tv! For dessert we enjoyed rootbeer floats and homemade chocolate chip cookies. It was a wonderful family day.

  387. Cathy

    Best 4th…Poison and Def Leppard concert, Center Hill Lake, houseboat, seadoo, grilled burgers, homemade butterfinger ice cream, fun, sun, water and community fireworks, with my love…ahhhh, life is good.

    Cathy
    love from the inside out…

  388. Donna N.

    I was another of those lucky souls that had to work on the 4th. And of course, since I had to work, I was craving hot dogs, baked beans and potato salad all day! Oh well, at least I got to check out the fireworks while I was driving home on the freeway that night. It was actually pretty cool!

  389. Cynthia Stuckey

    Holding my baby girl in the sunshine, making peach cobbler using my mom’s 30 yr. old recipe, watching my handsome husband grill, and watching our three year old daughter discover the wonder and joy of her first Sparkler! It was wonderful!

  390. Jennie D

    So excited about this giveaway!

    This fourth of July my cousins and I woke up at the crack of dawn to go reserve shade and picnic tables for our extended family of about 45. After fighting other sunfarers away with a stick all day, we went to my aunts for a BBQ in the good ol’ AC.

    Please, please pick me Random.org! :)

  391. Deirdre

    I spent the 4th of July BBQ’ing with family and friends. My best friend just happens to be my boyfriend’s older sister and I love love love their parents. Being accepted into their family has made holidays like the 4th of July fun and full of laughs.

  392. Sarah F

    My husband and I spent the day building me a new shoe rack. I would love to have a Silhouette to label the shoes!! After we were done with that project (it took a while because we had some helpers, our kids:)) we cooked out on the grill, ate, and watch fireworks!

  393. Brandy Davis

    Our daughter is almost a year old and it was storming here so my husband and I decided to stay home and watch fire works on TV. It was nice too be off for a day during the week and just get to enjoy each other!

  394. jamie

    i’m not a fan of crowds or mosquitoes, so we had a low-key party with family & kid-friendly fireworks in the grandparents’ cul-de-sac. oh, and i ate lots of watermelon & these loaded chocolate PB cup rice crispy treats.

  395. Nicole

    We went to the zoo to celebrate Independence Day! Luckily there’s a splash park because it was H-O-T. Then had BBQ with my in-laws and set off a small fireworks display!

  396. courtney s.

    My husband and I went to michigan before the 4th and bought 500 dollars worth of fireworks and had a beautiful show!! and then we picked my mother in law up from michigan and drove back home to PA so she could spend time with her grandson and us since we live far away, we cant see family often. Over the 4th we just had a nice time spending with family and had a huge 4th of july dinner.

  397. Alicia

    I love your blog! I spent the 4th with family and friends, eating TONS of delicious food and watching fireworks!

  398. Mary Lou

    I spent the day moving my son into his first home. He is so excited about being a homeowner. I’m excited for him.

  399. Jules

    My beau and I both worked and then we fixed hamburgers for dinner and watched the fireworks from our front yard.

  400. AmyD

    We took our girls (ages 17 and 8) to the local baseball team’s game with a firework show after. Total Americana! Such a great way to spend the 4th that we plan on doing it next year as well!

  401. Dana

    I spent the fourth with my new family. My husband, myself and our little girl. Just the three of us stayed at home and had our own bbq. It was a very relaxing 4th of July. Hope you had fun on yours

  402. Tina H

    Due to our dry conditions here (a burn ban)… we were unable to watch any fireworks. :(
    So I watered my garden and watched it grow.

  403. Amanda

    We are very, very patriotic people; we’re proud to be American. This year, we took our 2-year-old to Wet’nWild!

  404. Brittney

    I celebrated the 4th by working at a restaurant on a boardwalk… Not exactly fun, but at least I had a prime viewing spot for the annual fireworks show, without having to camp out in the sun for hours!

  405. EprsyT

    I celebrated 4th of July at home with my husband and kiddies. We had a little BBQ, watched some movies and made an awesome red, white, & blue cake (a birthday cake for America as my 5 year old put it). Unfortunatly, we could not see any fireworks from our house , but we still had a good day.

  406. Emily Moore

    I spent the 4th with my family. All of us kids are grown up and two of us are expecting baby girls! So we decided to play it low key and go see a movie all 8 of us!

  407. Sonia

    We celebrated the 4th with family out of town. We had a great time, but couldn’t find any firework shows! We are going to Disneyland next week though and their fireworks displays are the best!

  408. Debbie Burkhardt

    Went to a Tex-Mex, awesome HUGE BUFFET PICNIC at my BFF’s new patio!!!! It was super hot, but super fun with her American flags everywhere and red/white/blue decor. She made it all healthy Tex-Mex, substituting chicken for hamburger. My fiance made fresh mint tea — in his sun tea jar. And I capped it off with my awesome Strawberry Pie dessert in a graham cracker crust. Yummy! Love, love, love your website!!!!!!!

    THANKS SO MUCH for a chance to win the Cameo. I love any kind of crafting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  409. Laurie

    On the 4th, I cooked brisket & all the standard fixings for my dear husband, daughter and her fiance. We sat in the pool, cooling off, then watched the fireworks televised from the Hudson River in NYC. As my daughter is newly engaged, we talked alot about wedding plans. A Silhouette would sure help with decorations and invitations! Please pick me, random post picker!

  410. Katie {Sweet Rose Studio}

    We spent our fourth of July celebrating with good friends. We barbecued, lit sparklers, and enjoyed quality times with the people we enjoy most. :)

  411. Nancy Elizabeth

    I spent the day with my family around the house! My husband grilled out chicken and ribs, I made the Ice Cream and potatoes, and my daughter “encouraged” as she calls it.

  412. jill wilhelm

    What an amazing giveaway!! We had a peaceful day at home with the kids and watched fireworks in the evening :)

  413. Jared

    My wife would love this!
    Our 4th of July was spent eating the classic burgers and hot dogs, drinking adult beverages, and entertaining the neighborhood children with our fireworks.
    Thank you for your great website and tutorials.

  414. Sheryl B.

    We celebrated the 4th by watching our daughter perform gymnastics skills in the *scorching hot* parade, followed by lunch and a little down-time. Then did some fireworks with the kids and finished the day by watching our town’s fantastic display!

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  415. Chelsea Belle

    I spent the 4th with my husbands family and had two special guests: My dad and sister who flew in from Mongolia and Louisiana, respectively. I rarely get to spend time with them, and we have made so many memories from this week that I will cherish forever. We made it a “fathers day” also since his job requires he live overseas. He had a ball!!! Since my hubs and I just moved, it brought a great sense of familiarity that I have not felt in a long time. We BBQ’d and had new neighbors over for some delicious food, wine, and laughed all night at our friendly “fireworks” competition. There is nothing better than spending time with the people you love!!! Happy Birthday, ‘Merica!!!

  416. Jamie Larsen

    I celebrated the 4th by having a picnic with my husbands family in the early afternoon.. another picnic/bbq with my family in the late afternoon and then fireworks my my family at night :) great day just like every other 4th :) thanks so much for the chance to win.
    -jamie larsen
    babyblueangel_30@yahoo.com

  417. Judy

    We had some friends over for a barbeque. The guys let off some huge fireworks. It’s great to be able to celebrate this country!

  418. Chris Bennett

    I spent the 4th catching up on my sleep…….just returned from a trip to Italy ( I loved your posts and pictures from your recent trip) and will be celebrating a belated 4th in the COOL PINES this weekend. Thanks for the awesome giveway !!!!

  419. Teri Dingler

    Stayed low-keyed, watered the yard, cooked on the grill and had a pinochle tournament with kids and grandkids!

  420. Lisa Parent

    We watched other people’s fireworks, since the fire danger is just too high where we live!

  421. megan

    relaxed at home with the hubbs and then took our german shepherds to the lake for an afternoon swim! best 4th ever!

  422. Maricar Villanueva

    Happy Belated Fourth of July!

    I spent a quiet day at home with my son and my dog Millie. It was an odd holiday to have in the middle of the week — so I took advantage and caught up on all the chores. :) My fourth was spent cleaning, doing laundry, baking, and watching Law & Order!

  423. Lynne

    We did the neighborhood block party thing. Lots of good food, lots of fireworks, and lots of fun!

  424. Julia Sutterfield

    I spent my 4th of July at the grocery store, cleaning house, and then out by the pool with my soon to be 3 year old son!

  425. Lesley

    We hung out at home, grilled out, and then enjoyed the local fireworks. A relaxing and enjoyable day!

  426. Doreen

    I live in northern Minnesota where it very rarely gets up to 90 degrees on the hottest day of the summer. On the 4th it was 96 degrees with 82 percent humidity. My girlfriend and husband were visiting from Folsom CA and we took a picture of the 4 of us. As we looked at the picture my friend said, ‘Men sweat, Women glow’ to which I replied ‘and I melt’. I was just a puddle of sweat with a face redder than a beet! Overall, it was a wonderful day with family and friends!

  427. John W

    Went to a parade with the family and got lots of candy and popsicles. No fireworks to to burn ban the town will try and do them in August.

  428. emily

    I spent a relaxing day at home on the 4th. I took it off as a vacation day, then when it started getting dark, walked down to the school field with my daughter to watch the fireworks. It was really too hot here to do much more!

  429. Jacquelyn

    Happy Independence Day! Spent the day eating good food and lighting up the night with family :)

  430. Aimee VanMiddlesworth

    My family spent the Fourth of July relaxing at the pool, topped off with a cookout and fireworks with friends. A wonderful way to celebrate America’s birthday!!

  431. cassie

    My boss of 10 years had his 41st birthday so we had a big bithday bbq for him! so much fun in the sun gotta love summer

  432. Kim L.

    I spent the afternoon with my daughter shopping alone for the first time. She is 9 months old and we had a great time. Then spent a quite evening at home with my daughter and husband. We had watched fireworks the night before.

  433. Lisa O

    My Hubby, 3 kids, and I headed to our small town parade, played some games at the city carnival, then headed home for a good nap. Then that night went to see the city fireworks. I love this Holiday! :)

  434. carrie

    I spent the day at the lake with my family. So glad my youngest brother was able to get leave from his base to join us. And the celebration’s not over yet! More fireworks to see tomorrow night :)

  435. Linda

    We celebrated in Green Bay, WI at my brother/sister in laws house in the comfort of their A/C. 100 degree temps kept us inside and off of the golf course! Still fun though. Oh and we watch the Brewers blow a 5-1 lead and lose in the 10th inning. Boo!!

  436. Cathy Smith

    We did it up the American way… hamburgers…hotdogs…french fries..onion strings… soda pop… and milkshakes!!! Then we gathered in the yard and set off about 300 bucks worth of fireworks and had plenty of oooos and ahhhhs.

  437. Sarah Roman

    We celebrated the 4th with my husband’s family. Our 5 month old daughter LOVED the fireworks! We ate so many great things my stomach hurts just thinking about it.

  438. sue

    Spent the 4th at the neighborhood pool, then grilled burgers. No fireworks in my little town this year because it is too dry and hot. :-(

  439. Haley

    I am staying with my aunt and uncle in SC and they host a big party every year. I spent my day by the pool, grazing the dessert table, and talking with new friends! So much fun! (:

  440. Nancy B

    The 4th was a whirlwind for us. We had a funeral at 11am for our beloved aunt. Then I helped Momma clean her house up. We drove home 3 hours and made it just in time to attend our churrch celebration. Music, food, and fireworks. It was a long, emotional, whirlwind of a day.

  441. Jami

    We spent the 4th at a friend’s house with all our best buddies and their kids eating ribs and drinking lots of cold drinks to beat the awful Illinois heat.

  442. April

    This 4th of July we went to go see the newest Spidey movie! My 4yr old has been jumping around acting like he is Spiderman ever since! :-) We then joined Family for a BBQ in the back yard. Then finally we went back to our house where (because we are very lucky people!) we got to watch the fire works display right from our balcony! How cool is that! We had a great time enjoying family and celebrating this great nation!

  443. Talia

    I spent the 4th of July with my whole family watching my Grandpa as he was the Grand Marshall of the local 4th of July Parade. We finished it off with a huge salmon bake and of course lots of family time! It was wonderful!!!

  444. Melissa

    Picnic with my family! My hubby even had off from work, so it was a wonderful day of good food and lots of relaxation and fireworks!

  445. Tammy

    We celebrated the 4th of July by staying home and indoors. This Texas is heat is no fun! I have a 4 yr old son who enjoyed having his mommy & daddy as playmates for the entire day.

  446. Dawn Marie

    We celebrated the best way, with family and friends.
    Good food and good friends makes for the best of days.

  447. Jackie

    I looked at a cute little rental house with my true love and then spent dinner deciding where to put all of our furniture. :) We signed the lease the next day.

  448. Danielle

    We lazed around in our PJ’s and cuddled and watched tv since it was way too hot to go outside. We all took a long nap that afternoon, then headed over to gmas/great gmas to swim, eat and watch fireworks. It was a fun and blessed day!!

  449. Amanda W

    We went to Chicago in the sweltering heat. It was fun, but sweaty. Funny that it was at least 10 degrees hotter than where we live in Florida.

  450. Heather @ That Uncomfortable Itch

    We relaxed and had quiet time. No fireworks here in Colorado so we celebrated with a quiet dinner and a walk.

  451. Cynthia

    Just stayed at home and watched movies. I could hear the fireworks at night but couldn’t see them from my house… Nevertheless, the sound of fireworks scared my cat, who peed in her bed!

  452. Wendy

    We enjoyed two days of festivities with friends!!! We started on the 3rd with their annual party and then continued on the 4th at the waterpark with all the kiddos. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

  453. Heidi

    Got to spend some much needed quality time with my husband, saw some fireworks on the third (also my birthday, yay!) and got a few things done around the house, including FINALLY picking out a paint color for our master bedroom. That only took a few months. Egads! Hope you had a great fourth!

  454. Sue

    We enjoyed spectacular fireworks on the 3rd with family and friends and an even bigger display on the 4th with our immediate family.

  455. Susan

    Spent the day with family, kids in and out of the pool, BBQ-ing chicken, sausages, and burgers. Perfect, stress-free day and night with family!

  456. Tessa

    We celebrated the 4th by joining in our neighborhood parade. Enjoyed seeing all the decorated strollers and bikes. The firetruck that led the parade was my son’s favorite part. I preferred the snow cones. Then post nap we took a dip in the kiddie pool.

  457. Gabby

    Spent the day with my sweet boys, taking them the see the new Spiderman movie. It was a great day!

  458. Laura

    Spent the day at Freedom Fest on Fort Hood, TX…it was hot but lots of fun! Enjoyed a performance by Kelly Clarkson and then watched the fireworks light up the sky. Awesome day :)

  459. Maria Baradell

    We had a 3 days celebration! On July 3rd, we went to Kaboom Town in Addison, TX. Ranked Top 10 Best July 4th Fireworks Displays by Forbes, and Top Five July 4th Displays by Travel Channel. On the 4th we celebrated in Castle Hills, our neighborhood in Lewisville, TX. It was a huge party and the kids had a blast! Then on July 5th, we celebrate Venezuela’s Independence Day, so we went to a Venezuelan restaurant in downtown Dallas called Zaguan, and ate as much as we could! It was a fun week for the Baradells! What about yours?

  460. Lorraine C

    Spent the evening at the city park. They paid tribute to the Blue Star Mothers which I’m a part of. Blue Star Mothers are mothers/stepmothers whose son or daugther is serving or has been honorably discharded from rethe Armed Forces. The tribute had me in tears!!!! I am honnored to stand along side each of these women…..Happy Day After 4th of July. Forever may she wave a free and as proud as last nite.

  461. Anabel

    Hi Amanda!
    This 4th we had friends over for a barbeque, ate too much (of course) and then celebrated with what seemed like hours of the kids lighting off fireworks. They get such a kick out of it!! Thanks for another chance to win the Silhouette – I’m keeping my fingers crossed ;o)

  462. Taura Pennington

    Our 4th started by a regular jog around several neighborhoods and being followed home by the cute-ist terrier mix puppy I have ever seen. She was wondering around a undeveloped area and we could not tell if she had been abandoned or she was just lost. She had no collar , but seemed healthy. So we gave her a bath and started looking for her home. No luck yet, but I am sure someone will claim her. We are calling her Libby, short for Liberty, in honor of the 4th. PS she was not bothered by the fireworks at all.

  463. DeAnne Smith

    We started the day with a parade, had family over for a BBQ and then went to see fireworks. We had a great 4th of July. :)

  464. Rachel F.

    We spent the 4th taking our daughter to see her first movie in a theater! She sat through the whole thing and loved it. The night before (the 3rd) was when we saw fireworks; also our daughter’s first time seeing fireworks!

  465. Elizabeth

    I spent the 4th with my fiance, sister and old college roommate barbecuing and watching fireworks :)

  466. Tina W.

    With my husband recovering from knee surgery and the temperature soaring, we stayed within the cool and cozy confines of our home. He and my mom read while I worked on a quilt for my soon to be second grandson. In the late afternoon, I threw some chicken legs and wings on the grill with a little bbq sauce, made a yummy potato salad, deviled eggs, a pot of butter beans, hot buttery rolls and fresh sliced tomatoes for our 4th of July feast. Topped it off with peach sundaes. Delish! Then we watched the fireworks on TV and didn’t get a single mosquito bite! YAY

  467. Lauren | Lauren Nicole Photography

    We relaxed during the day because it was so hot. We then went to the fireworks show at the lake. It was nice to NOT have big plans this year, which always meant lots of WORK.

  468. Ruby Showalter

    What a giveaway!!! We celebrated by going to our small-town parade, a dinner and then watched fireworks!

  469. Greg T

    Didn’t do anything real exciting. Had burgers, dogs, corn on the cob on the grill. Then it started pouring and hailing. We had quarter size hail for about 20 minutes. (We needed the rain) Then just watched TV. Sorry I’m so boring.

  470. AmandaK

    Yard work, grilled for supper for my husband’s birthday – and popped firecrackers~ was fun to watch – but not so fun when we could see a few fires in the area caused by fireworks!

  471. Megan

    Celebrated the 4th watching my hubby’s volleyball tournament and then a family party, complete with fireworks. :)

  472. brandie

    We had a relaxing day at home with lots of fun outdoor time with the kids. We especially loved watching them play in the sprinkler for the first time. We finished the evening by watching fireworks from our back porch!

  473. Cathy

    Celebrated the 4th of July with our annual family bbq and pool party! Ribs, Tri-tip and chicken were on the menu along with incredible margaritas and lots of cannonballs into the pool (testing out the new pool deck and extra drains!! works great)

  474. Joni

    We celebrated with neighbors at a BBQ that just kept expanding! Five different meats: brisket, prime rib, Korean style ribs, Puerto Rican pork, and salmon!!! YUM! It was great to see everyone and just enjoy the day.

  475. Terri Carter

    Celebrated the fourth with great friends at the home of one couple who live on a lake. It was a very hot day in Northern Indiana, so if you weren’t in the water, you needed to stay inside! Great day ended with fireworks at another families neighborhood. All in all a very enjoyable day!

  476. Sue

    For the 4th of July this year we enjoyed our 19th annual gathering with our neighbors in our court. We have a potluck, BBQ, water balloon fun, build your own sundae bar, and pool all of our fireworks. It was lovely in Sacramento this year, not too hot. I am so grateful to have nice neighbors!

  477. Jan Davidson

    Hello! I also found your site through pinterest and looooove what you do! My husband and I celebrated the 4th for 2 days! We went to a local festival here in Knoxville, TN and enjoyed food and live music. Then on the 4th we hung out by the pool and feasted on ribs and all the fixins! We spent the night trying to comfort our dog Goldie who is terrified of fireworks- it was a long night! I have been wanting a silhouette for some time now, so it would make my year to win!

  478. Kayla Clark

    We spent the 4th by relaxing and watching a movie called “Lifted” which pays tribute to our fallen armed forces men and women. What an inspiration. We also met with neighbors and friends sharing food and fireworks.

  479. Becky

    Got together with my side of the family on July 3rd for some great fireworks at the local park–then on the 4th we all ( including the new puppy!) went over to my husbands parents for some good grilled food and homemade icecream–could not have had a better fourth!!

  480. Stephanie Christ

    Great giveaway!! We have the same 4th of July tradition, we go into town and watch the parade, walk to Friendly’s for ice cream on our way to the perfect firework watching spot! It’s always lots of fun!

  481. Jamie

    I celebrated the fourth like no typical American. I have been dieting for a transformation contest so I had to stick to my clean eating plan. First thing I did when I woke was go to the gym to get in some cardio. I then spent the rest of the day with family. To me family is the most important thing. Even thought I didn’t get to spend time on the lake or eat hot dogs, I really enjoyed the day.

  482. Jill V.

    I spent my 4th of July running a 10K relay with my awesome niece, then spent most of the day indoors to recover from the heat!! We did venture out for ice cream later in the evening, and did some sparklers with my little girl before calling it a day!

  483. BarbaraNJ

    Since distance kept us apart ,to celebrate the Fourth of July together, my grandsons and I kept our phones on speaker mode and watched the TV presentation of the New York City fireworks. We couldn’t be together but it was the next best way to share the “ooo’s and aahh’s”.

  484. Marion Stapf

    Celebrated the 4th with family and friends, playing beer pong around the pool, watching fireworks, and just enjoying life with those that mean the most to me.

  485. Diane

    Spent the day watching the kids swim in the pool. Had a couple of neighbors over to eat and of course ended the day with Fireworks!! What a great 4th of July!!!

  486. Linnette

    I hung out with a small group of friends eating and drinking and then enjoyed the neighborhood fireworks. GREAT day!

  487. Gina

    We celebrated the 4th we food, family and fireworks!! and stayed up way too late – still paying for it! :)

  488. Danielle

    We had a fabulous fourth! Went to our small hometown parade which was amazing! Finished the day with a bbq with great friends, swimming and fireworks!

  489. Donna Lidester

    We spent a nice quiet day just hanging out in the house, too hot here in Indiana to do much outside. Later in the dog we took our two BT’s for a ride and stopped at the local ice cream shop. Also, took time to thank God for our country and freedom.

  490. Laura

    My hubby and I went to IHOP for a good American breakfast. Then we went to downtown Lexington to walk around an enjoy the festivities: live music, food, people, vendors, dancing women!

    It was a blast but oh so hot, so we headed home to Wilmore, KY and got together with some friends for a cookout, and strawberry shortcake to go so we could go behind the little free methodist church and watch R.J. Corman’s Firework show ( a big wig in Nicholasville, KY that throws a company 4th of July party for all his staff, and gives a pretty good fireworks show)

    It was great!

  491. Dana B

    The family and I celebrated the 4th at home. Grilled some ribs, then went to town for the fireworks. For a small town in Texas, I can tell you, the fireworks were grand!

  492. Michelle

    We had a blast (ha pun intended)! We tailgated with friends before the Braves vs. Cubs game in Atlanta and enjoyed the firework show after the game. It was so much fun and not too hot!

  493. Debbie Hallenbeck

    Spent a quiet 4th of July since the temperature was 102! We did barbecue steaks and salmon! Watched fireworks at a neighbors house.

  494. tammy

    Spent the 4th with sisters, parents, nieces, nephews and families = family cookout. Also celebrated my beautiful twin daughter’s 24th birthday!! Such good times!! I love my family so much!!

  495. Galena

    My husband, sister and I did a 70 mile ride in the morning/afternoon (we’re cyclists) and then we headed off to some friends for yummy food, games and fireworks for the evening. :-)

    ~Galena

  496. Debboe

    We were only off the one day…. We cookout out at home and did a couple of small projects. Just enjoyed the day together with my husband and my “fluffy” baby “Bridgett. She is my 12 year old Yorkie.

  497. Emily

    Love your fonts and your whole site!

    On the 3rd, we hosted over 5o of our friends and their kids at our house for our annual cookout and fireworks-watching. The 4th was spent recovering from the previous night’s events, but that evening we went to my parents’ house to set off a few “crackers” (as my 3 year old calls them) and watch their neighborhood fireworks show.

  498. KimD

    I barbaqued with family. We celebrated my sisters b-day and she announced her very long awaited pregnancy!!!

  499. Cortney Van Weerdhuizen

    July 4th is also my husbands bday so we celebrate that as well…..So we spent a day with the family, went to the movies, grilled out, then went and watched fireworks! Fun day with the fam for sure!

  500. Denise

    We went to watch the fireworks on the “Walkway over the Hudson” ( http://www.walkway.org/ ) and then a storm rolled in! Not so good to be on a metal bridge when there’s lightning! Oh well. We wound up watching the Macy’s fireworks in NYC on tv instead. :(

    There’s always next year…

  501. Erica B.

    We went shopping at Ikea & then came home for sparklers. Then watched fireworks. It was low-key & relaxing.

  502. Jen C.

    I got to spend the 4th with my husbands side of the family! We played games, relaxed, and set off fireworks to finish off the day! The kids also had a blast building forts with whatever resources they could find! Thanks for the giveaway!

  503. Cindy M

    Husband and I had a quiet 4th at home while our boys were visiting their grandparents. We enjoyed staying in the a/c which we had been w/o for a few days due to a storm knocking out our power.

  504. Kimberly

    Hi!

    I spent my 4th of July at home alone… But it wasn’t as depressing as it sounds! I’m getting ready to move, so I spent the day going through a bunch of my stuff and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of so I can give myself a LITTLE less to move! That evening, I went and had dinner with a few friends and then went to the downtown part of my city and watched fireworks by the water! It was a really nice 4th, spent inside and not getting sunburnt. :)

  505. Kelly K.

    We went to my husband’s parents’ for a cookout around lunch and then we came home and watched lots of baseball!

  506. Katherine

    We had a laid back family day for the 4th. We cooked some yummy food and just spent the day together at home. It was too hot to do much else!

  507. Suzy

    Amanda, I was in the hospital! I hab broke my hip a week ago and was getting revision. I had the best seat at the Belton parade, it was televised.

  508. Drew

    Spent the 4th at the hospital working. I was helping bring little 4th of July babies into the world : )

  509. Susanne

    A great cookout with friends that included fishing and a hilarious backyard baseball game….followed by S’mores and fireworks of course!

  510. Lori

    I worked unfortunately, but I did get off early and enjoyed a cookout at my parents house. Then we watched a fireworks show!

  511. Lisa Syler

    Very quietly as all our children were doing things with their friends:( so I went to irk overnight and my hubby came and watched New Yorks fireworks on tv with me

  512. Susan L. :)

    With friends at home. We had a nice cookout and played with all the water toys. :)

    Susan :)

  513. Nancy

    We’re celebrating it this weekend with family at the lake. It should be fun and relaxing.
    Hope I win!

  514. Kathy L.

    Hi, Wow would I be excited to win! I spent part of my day packing for a trip to Utah…..my son is getting married in 10 days!, then off to my daughter’s house to spend the rest of the day with my favorite little guy (almost 2 yr. old grandson). Played in the sandbox, had grilled kabobs, a frozen yogurt for dessert….a really nice day.

  515. Tami Rodriguez

    Drove 11 hours to spend the 4th with my Dad’s family. He and his 6 brothers and sisters were together for the first time in years! It was so fun to reunite with family that I haven’t seen in 3 decades or so! :)

  516. Sara G

    We have a Cabin Olympics every year….tug of war, egg toss, three legged race, etc. it is so much fun….but was sooo hot this year. Thank you

  517. Shirley

    We spent the 4th visiting my mom in her assisted living apartment, watching our grandkids set off fireworks…and taking it easy inside!!

  518. Jessica Rose Riggle

    My husband and I spent our day hanging out and watching Eureka, followed by a BBQ chicken dinner and snuggling on the couch.

  519. tracy

    FIREWORKS! I know, that’s what everyone says, but it’s true. Throw in the BBQ dinner with family and friends and it was a perfect way to spend the 4th of July. :) Love America!

  520. Connie Smith

    The 4th of July was so different for us compared to our usual festivities. We have had not only record breaking temperatures but many days in the high 90’s with constant excessive heat warnings from all our local tv/radiio stations & weather.com website. Temps from 95-98 with humidity so bad it felt like you couldn’t breathe. The humidity put the heat indexes around 105-115 for the past 4 days and continuing through Friday night. We often see high 80’s low 90’s during the summer but nothing this brutal. What is so funny is we get vacationers from the southern states and so many of them think we never even get into the 80’s-they are just shocked to realize they can’t escape the heat up here either :-) So unfortunately, no outside activities for us this year. Barely wanted to stand outside to grill anything and then who wanted to stand next to a hot grill. So it was very low keyed but that’s ok every once in great while. Hopefully next year it’s back to family and friends getting together to go camping, boating, fishing and swimming. We hope you had a wonderful 4th. Thank you for an opportunity to put my name in the drawing.

  521. Krystal

    We were still recovering from celebrating Canada Day! But, did wish our American friends a Happy July 4th! :)
    Thank you for the GREAT giveaway! As always, crossing my fingers and toes!

  522. Debbie

    Hubby is in the San Diego County Firefighters Emerald Society (pipe and drum) band and they played in the Julian parade. What a wonderful parade! Great time and afterward the band and families all enjoyed a cookout at a nearby cabin. It was a wonderful day. Thanks for the opportunity to win. I could definitely use the Silhouette.

  523. Dawn Simon

    Oddly enough, I spent the first part of the day at dialysis with my son. He was getting treated and I was making a bagel run when he got hungry halfway through. Afterwards, we picked up his best friend and went to the Moapa Reservation to purchase fireworks. The boys were able to fire them off there before we got rain. Late dinner and home after that.

  524. Marilyn C.

    My son had a barbeque. The kids went swimming and played with Maggie who loves to jump into the pool. After dinner we watched the fireworks. It was a fun day.

  525. Leslie B.

    We live outside of Seattle WA. and decided to do some of the things we’ve never done living here that people come to do while on vacation. So we started the day riding the ducks around the city and thru the waters of lake Union, the had lunch at Ivars, rode the brand new Farris wheel that is down on the pier and spent some time down near the waterfront! It was a fantastic day!

  526. Ashley

    Spent the day visiting with my husband’s entire extended family, and ended it snuggled with our 2 boys, watching them ooh and aah over our city’s fireworks display. It was a wonderful day! =}

  527. Maddi Sieck

    My parents & their friends have been getting together for over 30 years, I spend every 4th I can with them and this year’s celebrations were one of the best ever! We lit off fireworks and talked until July 5th! Great way to celebrate Independence Day!

  528. Melynda

    I took my 4 year old son to his first fireworks display. It was so precious watching him look up at the sky and describe everything he saw.

  529. Trish F

    Hello, we went to a friend’s house for a BBQ and pool party and it was really hot, so the pool was a good place to be. Left early and watched the fireworks on TV. Sort of uneventful compared to years before. Thanks for a great giveaway!

  530. Olga

    Spent July 4th with my sis-in-law & her family. My kids were excited to get a chance to cool off in her pool, had some delish BBQ & fireworks to end our great day!

  531. Teresa Hargrave

    Happy 4th of July! We are the proud parents of two amazing young adults that have blessed us with their loving spouses and 3 beautiful grandchildren. Our family means everything to us and we do have so much to be thankful for on the wonderful day. Our son in law is celebrating his 7th anniversary today as a cancer survivor! He was diagnosed with a stage 3/4 malignant brain tumor. Our grandson, was diagnosed with Char I Malformation (brain stem growing into his spine) at the age of 4. He had surgery for this and is a normal, active, brilliant 6 year old little boy.
    I celebrated this beautiful day with my husband of 33 years and our kids. We enjoyed watching them play and swim. We cooked out, and later I went to spend the rest of the day with my mom. My dad passed away eariler this year and my mom requires 24 hr. care and has trouble getting around so I spent the evening with her while the kids went to watch the annual firework show. We live in a beautiful country and I am so grateful for the soldiers and their families who have fought and sacrificed so we can have our freedom.
    I love to spend all my free moments scrapbooking creating memory books for my children and grandchildren. I hope that these books will help them recall all the special moments that help create their lives. I have been tossing around getting a Cameo Silhouette because it has such endless creativity possibilites. I have a Cricut but I would love to add the Silhouette to my scrapbook room collection. I hope you and you family had an awesome 4th! By the way….I love your blog! Teresa

  532. Nancy Bennett

    We just moved to a country home, my first, and I spent the day pulling goathead weeds. The ground is covered with them! But I am making headway!! Enjoy your blog!

  533. PatriciaD

    One of these would come in soooo handy at my house!!

    I spent the 4th on Kodiak Island at the mouth of the Ayakulik River at fish camp as cook for a group of 6, plus 3 fishing guides. We had fireworks at midnight to 2:30 when it finally got dark enough.

  534. Sharie

    I was just thinking about these the other day. Now I remember how much they cost, which is why I don’t own one…..YET!
    We went to a minor league baseball game (Eugene Emeralds-Em’s) and stayed to watch fireworks.. which I practiced photographing.

    Thanks for asking and as always, thanks for sharing. :)

  535. Kristi

    Celebrated 4th of July by watching the new movie Brave then went to go watch fireworks with my family.

  536. Julie Millard

    I celebrated the 4th of July by refinishing a bedroom set for my little girl- A silhouette would be the perfect addition to do a bedroom make over for her in our BRAND NEW HOUSE!! PLEASE PLEASE PICK ME!

  537. Carissa

    The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays! We were able to go to my parents place this year & have lots of fun with family. I’m from a small town that makes a really big deal about the 4th with a week of events including a parade, fireworks, performers, & a rodeo! <3

  538. Sabrina Radican

    I had so much fun I went to my youngest daughters house and spent time with her and her kids , my son and his family showed, My husbands parents and my parents come over too and we all had a wonderful BBQ and watched the kids and their wonderful reactions to the fireworks. All in all I would have to say it was a perfect day!

  539. Cindy M.

    Accompanied our high school’s marching band in a parade and watched fireworks from a bridge.

  540. Karlea

    What a fun giveaway…thank you! Spend the 4th with my husband’s family. We had a BBQ, beach volleyball, boogie boarding and fireworks off the pier. And of course apple pie and ice cream. We look forward to the 4th all year!

  541. Amanda

    Unfortunately, my hubby had to work all day. :( My 1 year old and I spent the day playing outside and he fell asleep at 6 pm. No fireworks for us but we did have a great day enjoying the outdoors.

  542. Julie

    We started the day by watching our community parade, then we spent the afternoon at the pool. We shared a picnic with family and then gathered together in our local park to watch the most patriotic fireworks display. Following the fireworks, we sat on the porch as Mother Nature’s shared her version of a fireworks display and enjoyed a thunder storm. It was a perfect day!!

  543. Samantha C.

    This is such a wonderful giveaway!

    My boyfriend and I spent the day with family and friends. We grilled out and enjoyed the lovely HOT day and then we went out by ourselves to watch the firework display downtown. It was a great day/night!

  544. Taylor D.

    It was my son’s very first 4th of July (he’s 6 1/2 mos old) and while he didn’t stay awake long enough for fireworks, we did enjoy lots of pool time, yummy ribs and fun times with family!

  545. Krista

    Ha- funny question to answer! It was SO HOT in Wisconsin that there was a burn ban in effect (what?!). My husband and I spent the day at home then drove to his work to try and catch a fireworks display from the parking lot in the air conditioned car. When we got home we made s’mores on the STOVE! :) Happy summer!

  546. Aubrey Stephenson

    We spent the day in the pool and ate awesome appetizers and Greek salad…yum! It was such a nice and relaxing day!

  547. Kathy Halverson

    We didn’t do much. We cleaned the house a little, took a long nap, and when the fireworks stated we did our best to help our dogs stay calm.

  548. Aimee Poe

    My husband and I worked all day. After the long day at work we watched fireworks with my best friend and her boyfriend. It was so fun!

  549. Pat McDaniel

    Packing, not a great fourth…but we are leaving our Dallas home to move to south Texas to be near our granddaughters. It will be worth it and the fourth next year will great with all of them on the ranch.

  550. virginia ibarra

    hola!
    went to work from 8-5 – picked up some chocolate ice-cream from the store – had dinner with my boyfriend’s family – drove home – had a couple of taquitos that my mom made for dinner – then headed to my craft area where I folded a whole bunch of scrapbook paper, ran it through the die cut machine, and folded all the paper one more time to get a tri-fold looking card (for sending notes at girls camp) and heard the fireworks go off :) grateful to have been born and live in this country!

  551. BettyC

    We had family with us. No local fireworks, but we watched the D.C. celebration on TV, then the Macy’s New York fireworks show.

  552. Lauren

    I went out on a boating adventure on the ocean with my in-laws. We grilled hot dogs on the boat and somehow managed to avoid a huge thunder storm. Then I had a cook out with my family and watched fireworks with them. The only way it would have been better is if my husband was with me! (He’s on active duty training in Texas!)

  553. Suzanne

    My Fourth was nice and quiet–just like I like it! It’s too hot this year to move, much less party!
    Thanks for the giveaway chance!

  554. Tara

    Hi Kevin & Amanda
    I love all of your beautiful pictures. They make me want to travel, but I will need to win the lottery first.
    Any way, I spent the 4th with family. Lots of good food and good company.
    Hope you have a great weekend!

  555. Diane

    We celebrated by watching our granddaughter in a parade with several family members. It was my father-in-law’s birthday so we enjoyed a cookout with even more family. Then we attended a small rodeo in Plymouth and capped off the night with awesome fireworks in Riverside. It was a Great Day!

  556. Jen K.

    Here in MN we ate our corn on the cob and watermelon inside. Wow it is HOT, HOT, HOT here right now…sticky! Then the mosquitos ate off us while we watched fireworks down the road:-)

  557. Valerie

    We started our day packing for our impending move- all the while 39 weeks pregnant with our fourth! We had dinner with friends and watched fireworks from a mountain road.

  558. Janna

    Hi Kevin & Amanda,
    Your great photos and tutorials have inspired me to learn more about my camera and photography in general! Thanks so much for that! I celebrated my independence by taking a nap! I also baked some cookies, worked on a back-to-school project and watched fireworks from our deck! A happy day. Thanks for the opportunity to win something fun! :)

  559. Gay H.

    Our daughter and two grandchildren are here with us this week. We had my BIL and SIL and another couple over for hamburgers and then we watched the fireworks around our neighborhood – we live in the country. It was a great evening?

  560. Shannon

    My hubby and I spent the afternoon at the beach with my family and enjoyed a fabulous meal off the grill with fresh watermelon for dessert. I missed out on the fireworks because I had to work, but spending time with family in the sand and sun was amazing!

  561. AngieN24

    We had a couple of friends come over for brats and hot dogs roasted on the firepit, s’mores for dessert and we played a few games. Very low key, it was really nice.
    Thanks for the great giveaway!
    AngieN24

  562. Kellie

    I went with my best friend to her in-laws lake house. We had a rib cook off. I didn’t win but I had fun anyway, LOL.

  563. Sarah M.

    I slept the entire day after taking a red eye flight back to the East Coast from a week long stay in San Francisco/Napa. It was the best vacation ever…lots o’ wine!

  564. deannab1

    We did up in small town America style with a parade on Main Street in the morning and a fireworks display at the middle school in the evening. It was fantastic.

  565. Wendy B

    BBQ with friends then cuddled up with my hubs and little ones to watch fireworks over the harbor!

  566. Lori

    We went to our small town’s annual celebration for the parade and then to my inlaws afterwards for our annual family gathering. We sat out on the deck in the sweltering Iowa heat and played yard games with the kids. We ended the night with a lovely display of fireworks! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!

  567. Anne

    Spent the day with my husband and two daughters and then we joined some wonderful friends for a delicious gourmet dinner at their house The banana puff pastry dessert with chocolate sauce was a perfect way to end the evening!

  568. Chelsea Morris

    I love your blog! I have been turning to it for inspiration for awhile. For the 4th, we did not do much of anything. We have a 3 year old who is terrified of fireworks so instead of blowing up our money for someone who wouldn’t appreciate it risk a public meltdown at the fireworks display, we had a wonderful day of quality family time :)

  569. cool articles to read

    I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my problem.
    You are wonderful! Thanks!

  570. Alexia Thomas

    This was my son Jayden’s First Fourth of July! We spent the morning in…napping and playing quietly so that we would have plenty of energy for our fourth of July block party with friends! He dressed up in his Red, White, and Blue jumper … went swimming in the Kiddie Pool … met new families that will be in our playgroup… started standing with the help of the poor host’s coffee table …all sorts of new things! It was a blast, and now I’m on a mission (surfing the web) to plan his first birthday party in November. Thanks to you CUPCAKES are definitely on the menu.

  571. Melissa

    Spent the day doing my family tradition of spending time with my large close-nit family, all who loved on my 17 month old little girl. Meanwhile, I spent the day trying to stay as cool as possible 7 months pregnant. :)

  572. Diana Bills

    My husband turned 30 on July 4th so we invited our family to our house for some good grub and fun in the sun:)

  573. Alice

    The fourth celebration included a fishfry, fireworks, family, friends and adorable grandkids. All of that equals a really good day.

  574. robyn

    I went go-kart racing with my husband & son. All was well until I threw up at the end of our 2nd race…wearing a hot, sweaty helmet…I feel this was my most valiant throw-up ever, because I tried so very hard not to get sick, and finish the race, which I did! And I even beat 2 people! Who knows what the small crowd watching thought as I finished with barf splattered on the inside of my face guard and down my shirt…the facility gave the helmet to my husband because they didn’t want to clean it! Yes, we threw it away in the 1st available dumpster.

    I think I deserve to win because I swallowed 2 mouthfuls of vomit before I couldn’t hold it in anymore, and using a new craft toy would definitely help soothe the pain from that traumatic experience. *sniff*

  575. LL_in_SF

    Celebrated the 4th with my husband, we took a long walk on the beach and then did chores. Not exciting, but it was great to get it out of the way before the weekend!

  576. Korinne McNutt

    It was so blazing hot that my husband and I took our daughters to see “Brave” and out for lunch. Humid and 100 is not a very good combination!

  577. Andrea Beshuk

    We celebrated by swimming, grilling, and then picnic-ing at our favorite traditional spot for viewing the fireworks… while we waited the kids played cards and made bracelets. Very fun!

  578. Stephanie McDonald

    Would love to win this, have been wanting one. This was a hard 4th of July for us. My father in law was diagnosed with lung cancer that has metastasized to his brain so we spent our 4th in the hospital with him.

  579. terri

    ahhhh….we had a cookout at my mom’s and my daughter and i made all the goodies for the dessert table! good times! happy late 4th and thanks for hosting this awesome giveaway!!!

  580. Melissa Gooch

    We celebrated with friends and family. Since it was way to dry for fireworks we did trapshooting after supper. It was a great time!
    Thanks, Melissa

  581. Audrey

    Stayed home. We to are empty nesters. Getting use to this new life. It was very hot so we rented Red Box movies, ate fried chicken, ate pie. Just plain relaxed.

  582. Kathy McLean

    I grilled out with friends and then went to the American Village in Montevallo, AL to watch the fireworks!

  583. Carmen

    Just a quiet day at home, trying to stay cool. We FINALLY got a little rain to help with our dryness, and on the 4th it was prayers answered to help with the idiots that ignore the burn ban and blow up fireworks anyway! Fireworks at the end of the night by the pros!

  584. Kristyn

    Just spent a lovely day hanging out with my husband, having hamburgers & hot dogs, and watching the local, small town fireworks! It was amazing.

  585. Margaret Bommarito

    We celebrated with a backyard party like we’ve done for 27 years! It always includes about 200 family, old friends, new friends, & neighbors, a pot luck BBQ along with a 1 block walk to the watch the firework display in the park. This year it was 105 in the shade, so we kept it simple and as cool as possible. The city even had to cancel the fireworks because of the dry conditions. We added a cooling station with a mister, as well as hand fans & lots of ice cold water. Of course, we had unlimited sno cones with kiddie & adult (mudslides, margaritas, etc.) toppings. It turned out to be a lovely evening for the 35 attendees! For their bravery & commitment they will enjoy first-in-line dining privileges next year, along with preferential seating and perhaps tasteful yet elegant crowns.

  586. Jamie K

    We spent the 4th at a friends house where we BBQ’d and the kiddo’s got to swim and play all day. They have a perfect view of the local fireworks from their backyard so we didn’t even have to leave the house to watch them!

  587. Anne Ryan

    Well with the 4th on a Wednesday it didn’t really seem like a holiday. ;) I paid bills in the morning because my husband was there to help with the kids. He took our 3 year old twins downtown for fireworks while I kept the baby at home.

  588. AmyLynn

    Stayed in all day, avoiding the blazing heat, then went over to the park at the river for the fireworks show last night. We hadn’t gone in several years, and had a great time. Thanks for the chance to win the Silhouette bundle – I’ve been drooling over these for so long!

  589. Amy

    I celebrated with my fiance and our best friends! It was their baby’s first July 4th, so it was very special!

  590. Wombatish

    Watched some cool fireworks with my boyfriend, and tried (and failed) at photographing them! I saw the perfect “frame” (a local church spire) immediately after they quit, of course :p

  591. lydia m

    Celebrated the 4th with family & friends. Kids played on the water slide during the day and popped fireworks at night :)

  592. Karen

    Happy 5th! It’s my birthday today but I always start the celebration with an evening of fireworks on the forth, just isn’t my birthday without the fireworks!!! Hope I win!

  593. sandyb

    I spent the 4th cooking for a little dinner with my husband and my dad AND painting stripes on NY Yankee chainsaw carved bears.

    Thank you for the chance to win this awesome tool.

    sandyb720 at gmail dot com

  594. Samantha

    I started to organize my classroom for my first year of teaching! I also was able to spend the afternoon with family and friends; we watched the fireworks later in the evening! :)

  595. LolaT

    I invited ourselves over to my elderly parent’s house with hamburgers and corn to grill. They set up the inflatable pool for the kids, and we sat on lawn chairs, ate, and hung out. Later, we drove to a hill and watched the city fireworks from the back of the car with popcorn.

  596. Eve

    We went to Caribou Coffee in the morning for smoothies and we grilled chicken with mango chutney sauce in the afternoon. Watched fireworks at night. That’s it.

  597. Nancy

    My husband had to work- so my girls and I went out for dinner came home took a bath and headed out for the fireworks. It was a nice day !

  598. Norma

    I worked at the hospital, then came home and cooked breakfast for supper. It’s too hot to grill out around here.

  599. Jesse Cerros

    Hi,
    Our fourth of July was about family. We went to the Towns festival and spent the day there. Watching our god-daughters ride ponies, play on bounce houses and eat lots of watermelon. The night ended with at least half an hour of fireworks, which reminded me how lucky I am to have celebrated my first 4th of July as a USA citizen!

  600. Robin

    Happy 4th of July from Texas! It was plenty hot, enjoyed a day with family, good food and fireworks!
    I tried a new recipe with all of our garden tomatoes a “Tomato Pie”…it was delicious…if you like tomato…very savory!

  601. Mandy (Mandy's Recipe Box)

    We went into town and did the whole shabang…parade, cookout, fireworks! Thanks for the chance to win! I’d have so much fun with this!

  602. Megan Miller

    Spent the day with my sister and her family. Ate tons of yummy food, the kids ran free, and watched some crazy fireworks!

  603. Ciara

    We spent the morning and afternoon hanging out with our kiddos, playing outside, cooling off in the pool, and eating popsicles. The evening was spent with inlaws at a fish fry. Delish meal thanks to my brother-in-law’s skills!

  604. Snowylicious

    We celebrated the fourth by going to a friend’s house and redecorating her room! Fun, fun, fun! And then, we made patriotic cookies that spelled out: “Oh Say Can You See.” And, we made plenty of extra cookies for satisfying the bellies. Of course, we had to go see the fireworks afterwards to make it the perfect day!

  605. Kelly Braund

    Thanks for the chance!
    We had a nice picnic dinner for the forth and my kids and husband went to watch the fireworks!

  606. Christine

    Tried to keep cool during the parade (my daughter was in the HS band). Went to the fireworks, which unfortunately had to be stopped due to a grass fire….oh well.

  607. kim

    We host a church group every Wednesday night so we just turned it into a grill party! Everyone invited a friend and we had a wonderful time!! We can see the fireworks from our front lawn so we bug-sprayed up and enjoyed the colors of Independence Day!

    :)

  608. Andree Close

    We went to see Moonlight Kingdom with friends and then went to the Marina in L.A. to watch the fireworks and eat some food!

  609. Marci Johnson

    I spent the day with family. We headed to the high school early, packed a picnic dinner and ate and hung out in the heat under a big shade tree. Then we all watched the fireworks show together.

  610. Sherry

    Spent the morning working on a school project. Then headed off to the in-laws for a BBQ. Over all a great and productive day.

  611. Sandra Day

    I spent July 4th at home with my wonderful husband enjoying lounging on the patio and playing dominoes. We have traveled a lot this year and just liked being home enjoying the little world we have made for ourselves.

  612. Julie

    I spent a quiet 4th at home with my kids and a few friends. Our neighborhood association put on a professional pyrotechnic show in the field behind our house so we had front row seat!

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

  613. Kim

    We spent the day as a family just lounging around our home and then went to a fireworks show in a neighboring city. It was a nice relaxing day!

  614. Kara

    Spent time with friends, watching our children play together, and fireworks. Couldn’t be more blessed!

  615. Elaine

    Spent the 4th – chillin’ on the sofa for the first part of the day with all my boston terriers! Made a pineapple pie and took to my brother’s for a cookout. Got to see my great niece who is just beautiful 2 year old!

  616. Tracee Moore

    Ironically and unfortunately…we decided to go to the hospital parking garage to watch our small towns fireworks. We got there about an hour early and went to the top and got our spot. We enjoyed the nice breeze and after a very hot day and had fun pointing out different city buildings to our 10-year old daughter who had never viewed our city from that vantage point.

    Immediately after we returned home from seeing the fireworks, the abdominal pain I had been having for two months got really bad, really quickly and there was blood everywhere. I had major surgery two years ago and the pain was coming from the large incision site and I had been to the surgeon twice in the last two months because of the pain and he told me “It’s fine.” Well…it wasn’t!! It split wide open! So we turned around at went right back to the hospital!!

    Sorry…I’m venting…because I’m frustrated…and it wasn’t a very pleasant way to end the day. But now, I’m thinking how much fun my girlie and I could have with this!!

    Tracee & Lilly!!

  617. geneva

    Just spent the day at home with family, ended up going to the movies to watch Madea’s Witness Protection/ Tyler Perry. If you are in need of a good laugh this is the movie to watch. What a way to end the day!

  618. Deanna

    We spent the day trying to stay cool at a family barbecue! Then we swam and watched fireworks!

  619. Dawn

    We spent the fourth of July on the river in our boat. We barbecued with family and friends and ten went out on the lake to watch the big fireworks show over the water. It was such a great day!

  620. Lisa

    Our 4th was spent apart. My husband had to work but I was able to hang out with my daughter. It was nice to just be at home and not worry about running around town or working. I was able to sleep in and have a cup of coffee sitting on my porch!

  621. Jo Lynn

    I celebrated the fourth cooking out with my in-laws, and then spent the evening with my nephew at his very first fireworks show! It was a great, family filled day!

  622. Betsy

    We celebrated our 4th of July poolside with some good friends, good eats and good conversations!
    Love your site! :-)

  623. Martina Fegan

    I spent the 4th of July celebrating the birth of my 9th grandchild, born July 2nd! That evening my husband and I saw the play, “Red, White, and Tuna” at our summerstock theatre.

  624. Mandy P

    I celebrated the 4th with my family. We ate ribs and hot dogs and I had a nice, long nap in the afternoon. A nice, relaxing day!

  625. Julie

    We celebrated the 4th at our lake cabin with my mom, my sister and her husband. We had lots of good food (my mom’s potato salad is the BEST!) and then churned homemade peach ice cream. The rest of the day was spent in the lake keeping cool!

  626. Allison A.

    We went to a cookout with our friends. No fireworks this year, we have a new baby. She is not ready for that!

  627. Jen Williams

    I spent the 4th celebrating a good friend’s upcoming wedding with a bachelorette party! Talk about some fireworks! ;)

  628. Stephanie

    It was the first 4th of July fireworks I have been able to see in year due to a long (and hopefully over)illness. I went with my boyfriend; we sat on a blanket in a baseball field and enjoyed every second. Thanks!

  629. Jennifer C

    Hanging out on the Comal River with great food and great friends!!! Thank you for the chance to win!

  630. Terri Smith

    My family and I celebrated the 4th by going up to our lake house. We grilled out and then went on a boat ride. The grandchildren had fun swimming in the pool and the older kids rode the jet skis. Everyone had a great day and we gave thanks to this wonderful country we live in and the freedom we enjoy as Americans!

  631. Jenifer

    Celebrated the 4th at my grandparents with the entire family for swimming and a bbq, then went to the local military base for an incredible firework display!!

  632. Sherry

    Escaped the St. Louis heat by going to the movies, then watched neighborhood fireworks for as long as we could stand the heat.

  633. Brittney Leavitt

    We went to a big busy fun parade and then later at night had a big family BBQ/birthday party for my hubby at our house. It was a very fun day!!! Could have totally used a Silhouette for my party decor!!

  634. Kim Hogan

    Thanks for the opportunity to win such a fabulous gift. This would be an awesome addition to our homeschool and to my sanity. Since becoming disabled I have taken up crafting as a way to sooth the savage beast, and remain as sane as possible. I has my spine fused, so I am limited to physical activity. Fortunately I am able to still do crafting.
    I hope you had an awesome 4th. Unfortunately this year my husband was out of state working, and only my 2 youngest out of 5 kids were home. So to make the day fun for the younger kids I splurged on things we usally have to say no to because of finances. I ordered a 19″ ooey gooey cheese pizza. I then surprised the kids with a trip to the movies where we saw
    “Tyler Perry’s Madea, Witness Protection”. It was absolutely HILARIOUS!!!
    We laughed the whole way home. My son Michael,a.k.a Meat, does amazing impersonations, and he quoted Madea all the way home. Our sides hurt from laughing. Bridget, a.k.a Gidget was laughing so hard she was literally soundless.
    Now it wasn’t a typical 4th for us, but out of necessity is born many a tradition. I think a late night movie after a day of fun in the sun on the 4th will be a new and fun tradition. Hopefully next year it can be the whole family.

  635. Charlee Griffith

    My mom came over and we did a whole lot of not much, which made the perfect day filled with lots of talking and iced tea, locally grown fresh tomatoes, squash, & beef for dinner.

  636. Chelsey

    We celebrated by ending a (much needed) rainy day with a fro-yo for the kids and coffee for the adults. We sat at home and watched the fireworks over the city :) It was a lazy, peaceful 4th.

  637. beverly e

    I enjoyed cookout with family, swimming and watching the neighborhood fireworks til nearly midnight!

  638. J Chapman

    A near-by winery had a 4th of July special…zip-line, lunch, and wine tasting. My husband and I had a great time…zip,eat,wine!

  639. Susan

    I had the pleasure of celebrating the 4th of July with my family, including my sister and brother-in-law; mother and father-in law and all the kiddos. We laughed and took in the fireworks overlooking the lake! Here’s to the Red, White and Blue and our great nation’s freedom!

  640. Tami Tran

    I spent the day with family and extended family at our home. Then fireworks with the kiddos.

  641. Karla A

    Low key, played taxi for my daughter taking her to street dance on the 3rd then taking and picking her up form beach party on the 4th. I did grill hot dogs and watch fireworks on the 4th.

  642. Kierra

    I spent the 4th at home, my brother cooked. Sat out on the back porch ate, and enjoyed family conversation.

  643. MelyssaMarland

    Very low key just the hubs, our two boys & me:) hubby smoked up some yummy ribs and chicken… So good!!! The boys lit a few sparklers & called it a night;)

  644. Melissa White

    We had a great time at a friends house swimming, BBQing and enjoying the gorgeous weather Las Vegas had. They have a home overlooking the valley so we got a great view of the fireworks all over town.

  645. Jano

    I spent the day just relaxing. I would love to have the Cameo.
    Thanks for sponsoring the giveway.

  646. Larissa Sibiglia

    We had our annual 4th of July BBQ at our house…It is funny…every year it keeps getting bigger and better!

  647. Casey

    We celebrated the 4th by going to TWO seperate BBQs with friends, eating way too much food, and seeing some (unfortunately) lackluster fireworks!

  648. Chrissy

    We spent the 4th working around the house. Then later on, took the kids swimming. It wasn’t very exciting, but the swimming really made the kids’ day!

  649. Heather

    We were pretty lame this year and did nothing. It’s sooo hot here, so grilling out is miserable, there’s a fireworks ban going on, and the city moved their fireworks to later in the night because of the heat–no good for a little one and a hubby who had to get up for work this morning. BUT, we did get to all be in the same place, even if we were doing things separately. :)

  650. Cindy

    Just stayed home and had hamburgers on the grill with my husband. The neighbors had some nice fireworks that evening that we enjoyed from our deck.

  651. Heather Cashwell

    We celebrated America’s Birthday by heading over to a friend’s house for a cookout. Our girls are BFF and so are the mommies!

  652. Chere Mortensen

    The fourth was a wonderful day in our household. It was hot of course for Atlanta. Our Son and his girl friend have moved from New York to Atlanta. We celebrated with a day of pool fun with Dusty and Masha, our daughter Marlee and Adam and my Parents. Grilled burger outside with to many
    sides to count. The day ended with Blackberry Cobbler and ice cream. All was well in our world for the day of America’s Birthday.

  653. Lauren

    I celebrated the 4th by participating in a hometown parade with a candidate for State House (Kansas). Real small town style – kids on bikes with streamers in the wheel spokes, balloons, veterans, Girl Scout Troops, American flags, families out together (with the dog), all the good stuff.

    In the afternoon my husband and I retreated to the dark and cool indoors, and went to the Titanic Artifacts exhibit at Union Station in downtown Kansas City. It was a great exhibit!

  654. Aryn

    Happy 4th of July recovery day!! Due to the weather being in the 100’s here in central IL we spent the majority of our day inside enjoying the air conditioner! We went to an afternoon showing of the new Spiderman movie and then BBQ’d with my Inlaws. We finished off the night watching the Macy’s fireworks special on the tv. It was just too hot to do much else!

  655. Karen Thompson

    I caught up on all my recorded TV shows, did a ton of laundry and snuggled with my dogs!

  656. Dawn-Marie

    We took our kids to teh parade and then went to my in-laws. Not really “fun” but relaxing!

  657. Jackie W

    Our little family celebrated the Fourth of July by going to our town’s annual steam engine parade, followed by homemade pork barbeque and cookies on a shady outdoor porch and cheering on the turtles at the town’s turtle race! These simple traditions are what make the day so special. So thankful for our freedom!

  658. Zelda

    Relaxed, enjoyed BBQ with my daughter and my new son-in-law, then a concert at Riverfront park and fireworks after the concert!

  659. Karen Schmitt

    I spent the day with my grandsons at an annual 4th party thrown by one of my oldest friends. Good food, and friends, who could ask for more?

  660. Deneen

    We usually celebrate the 4th of July with a big party and fireworks unfortunately this year we were not feeling well. We did get to see our neighbors fireworks though :)

  661. Tricia @ saving room for dessert

    I cooked and grIlled and cooked some more! Then I had a cold beer and sat down. Seriously fun time with our adult children and grand-dogs :)

  662. Ria

    We celebrated 4th at our local park with chili cook off and a bike parade. As for the firework show, we had to skipped bec. our daughter said it was too loud:)

  663. Paloma

    Spent the 4th watching my platonic love Billy Currington at the Freedom Over Texas concert in Houston!!! :) Everything else was just a blur.. haha

  664. Suzanne

    Our tiny town hosts a HUGE fireworks display, but alas, the five of us were at our oldest daughter’s softball game until 9 p.m.!

  665. Lauren Barnard

    We spent our fourth with good friends and family and lots of watermelon, smoked ribs, grilled chicken, baked beans, mac and cheese. Ended the day with fireworks, blackberry and peach cobbler and homemade vanilla bean ice cream!

  666. Jennifer

    We stayed home and had a little BBQ! My best friend and her kids came over, we celebrated for her and her husband who is deployed!

  667. Shannon

    I am so excited for this giveaway! Our families do not live in the same state, so we celebrated with friends at a barbeque in NC.

  668. Cathy Barrows

    Happy belated 4th…I spent the 4th in Guntersville watching the fireworks over the lake with great photography friends. Loads of fun

  669. Annette

    Our town had free concerts from noon until dark. So my husband and I went to one at noon. He had to work last night so my two dogs and I watched the fireworks that were going off in town from our porch in the country. Our neighbor was also lighting up the sky for a beautiful show of color.

  670. Shannon

    My family and I spent the 4th helping my dad get settled at home after having heart surgery, then we BBQ’d and had a very small firework show in the backyard.
    What an amazing giveaway! A friend of mine has one and swears its amazing, I’ve been secretly wanting one more and more with each project and boast she shares. :~)

  671. Aimee S.

    My childhood best friend, her hubby and their 14 month old little boy came over to celebrate with our family. My hubby and I cooked brisket, ribs, potato salad and pinto beans. We also had homemade vanilla ice cream.

    We ended the evening by watching fireworks that our little town put on. :)

  672. Jen

    Watching a small town parade and a family bbq to follow. Then we ended the night with a small town firework display. Nothing like lying on a blanket in the grass under the fireworks. I fall in love with my hometown again every 4th of July.

  673. Mandi

    Hung out with the hubby, made some fun desserts, and then took a driving tour of the city trying to find all the best vantage points of the fireworks from our car.

  674. GranSan

    At my sisters. My niece is in town with her two little ones. My other niece is expected to arrive shortly. They live in the country so we were able to pop some firecrackers. Then we came home and realized we probably had the best view in town. We lieve on a corner and could look one way and had a great view of the city fireworks. Then we just had to look down the other street and had a great view of a fireworks put on by a local church. Life was good.

  675. Melinda T

    We celebrated the 4th at home with several close friends and family. We grilled and the kids had fun playing in the pool and watching the fireworks!

  676. Stacey M.

    I would definitely start using the Cameo to make things for my classroom!! I’ve wanted one forever!
    We spent the fourth with family, swimming, and then lighting fireworks!

  677. stephanie johnson

    What an amazing giveaway!
    This year for the 4th of July we spent our day/evening at the in-laws house, helping move a new BBQ pit & eating yummy gumbo :)
    thanks for the chance to win!

  678. Tammy

    Hubby and I just spent a quiet day at home packing because we are moving next month. Also watched the fireworks on TV.

  679. Joani McD

    This 4th was a quiet one, spent with family. We did have a BBQ (like most) and then it took 3 of us to bathe the dog outdoors. Not sure who got most of the soap me or the dog, but now “we” are clean :)

    As a stay at home Mom and a caregiver to my Mother I can not afford such a gift – but I love the chance to win a Silhouette Cameo, thank you Silhouette and thank you Kevin & Amanda! Love your blog, I’m always poking around.

  680. Emily

    I spent my fourth with my husband, enjoying the company of his family and purple cow ice cream. :-)

  681. fran vanStaalduinen

    we had a very quiet 4th, grateful that our soldier is home safe! Praying for all of our military!
    dinner on the grill, Brats with the works, coleslaw, and wonderful fresh berries for dessert. Then fireworks over the sound, beautiful end to a beautiful day! Thanks for the great “giveaway”, I would love to win!

  682. Lesli

    Like so many others, I celebrated the 4th with a family bar-b-que. We first attended an early morning flag raising and pancake breakfast and finished the day by enjoying the community fireworks display. A wonderful day…

  683. Jake

    Celebrated this Fourth of July by launching small explosives into the air, eating meat cooked over an open flame, and drinking fermented beverages.

  684. Joanne Yeakle

    I sewed new pillows for my sofa and make a batch of cake fondant and just enjoyed being at “home” with my family.

  685. Sandy S

    I spent the first of the day on the phone for 90 minutes with my 83 year old father helping him solve a computer dilemma by remoting into his computer from 200 miles away. I then spent the rest of the 4th hosting family and some close friends playing games together, talking, thanking God for our country and our freedoms, eating homemade foods, setting off fireworks (it’s legal in our town, that’s why the 4th celebration is at our house.), and texting or talking with loved ones far away.

  686. Jennifer

    I celebrated the 4th of July with friends and family on the lake. My husband put on a great fireworks show! Our evening was a BLAST!

  687. Donna G

    Stayed in to keep cool, cooked burgers for lunch and steaks for supper on the indoor grill (did I mention that it’s hot outside?) and decided where to hang a new picture. Yep, we’re really exciting around here. And we like it that way. Oh, and the Boss took a nap while I read a book in bed.

  688. Anne

    Started my July 4th celebration by having my 7-year old granddaughter stay overnight on the 3rd. We rode our bikes to Starbucks first thing on the morning of the 4th, visited the dog park on our way back home, did some light gardening, chased down and caught the ice-cream man, went swimming, ate BBQ, and finished off the day by watching the fireworks at the park! It was a great day! Hope yours was, too.

  689. Donna

    Love this! Would be great for all the DIY wedding projects brewin’ in my head ;) I spent the 4th taking care of our recovering pup and cooking a steak dinner with the future hubby. Low key but time well spent!

  690. Cheryl Ann

    Happy 4th from Las Vegas, NV!! My husband & I celebrated our anniversary with our children and family. Got to enjoy a nice cooling off from the 110 temps we have had, the sky decided to spit on us,
    (here in Vegas we use that term since we never see rain!) of all days too! But by the early evening it cleared up in time to watch and set off our fireworks. One of our favorite days of the year!!

  691. Anna Adkins

    We spent it just relaxing. It was our 42nd wedding anniversary. We just spent a quiet time together.

  692. Elaine Allen

    Hi Amanda –

    Great giveaway. I spent the day relaxing with my family. So nice not to have to run around doing so many things. It was a great day, and was able to see my nephew who is home on leave from the service.

    Elaine Allen

  693. Carrie in Spokane

    We walked in our local community parade and then hung out at my brother’s pool and bbq’d.

  694. Debbie Robinson

    Celebrated the 4th with a fly over of F-16’s what a great sound of Freedom. Then headed to my sisters house for a Kentucky Fried Chicken feast and swimming. Ended the night with hometown fireworks.
    PS. this Utah girl loves your Blog :>)

  695. Amanda

    We spent the 4th at our house with friends and family enjoying bbq, watermelon and fireworks :)

  696. Courtney

    Hey Hope it was a great forth for you!
    We relaxed by the pool with friends, made a peach pie from scratch and BBq’d!
    Was such a nice to day to have off with the husband and dog!

  697. RobinD

    We had a very quiet 4th this year. Spent most of the day organizing closets, sorting things to donate or pass on.

  698. Michele Hemming

    Spent the day with my boyfriend and cooked us a yummy breakfast and dinner and then watched fireworks!

  699. Wendy W

    I celebrated the 4th (and this week) on a Staycation – just me and the dog (his name is Nathanael), reading, going for walks, and looking up fun crafts to attempt!

  700. Eliza T.

    I celebrated the 4th at home with my family. It was a nice relaxing day that ended with watching the “A Capital Fourth” show on PBS. Oh, and there was lots of time spent in the pool, too!

  701. Stefanie G

    I spent 4th of july with a few of my closest family and friends. We grilled salmon, steak, and shrimp and spent the day out by the pool. It was a great day!

  702. Mindy

    Hey there,

    I celebrated the fourth at home. Two of my dogs are very afraid of fireworks (we call them The Booms). We stayed home to help them stay calm. We rented Despicable Me and laughed while holding the boys and keeping them safe from The Booms.

  703. Michelle W

    Slept in!! Had a leisurely breakfast with hubby and then celebrated with family. Instead of fireworks, we watched the hailstorm right outside our window.
    Thanks you for the chance at this wonderful giveaway. My mind is spinning with ideas!

  704. kristin

    I celebrated my 4th with my little girls and ended the day talking to my hubby who is currently deployed.

  705. amanda gibson

    We did the usual – went to the parade, went to the local firework show and had a BBQ. It was a super fun day!

  706. Tamera

    Had a fun 4th grilling burgers, swimming and watching fireworks out in the country with my family! Good times!

  707. Allison

    My family came to visit us, and we celebrated with patriotic music, swimming, movies, hot dogs, s’mores and watching fireworks over the lake. It was a wonderful day!

  708. Lynn

    We celebrated the 4th with family and friends on Saturday. Swimming, BBQ, and laughter… OH and lots of BOOM! The actual 4th holiday was very low key. The hubs had to work so I spent the day with the kids. We focused more on the sacrifices that allow us the freedoms we enjoy.

  709. Kelly

    This year we spent Independence Day with my inlaws and several of their friends. My youngest was sick so I watched the fireworks on tv for the first time and it was quite nice to not fight crowds and traffic and watch them in quiet with people I love.

  710. Stephanie R

    We had a family water balloon fight at my parent’s house! We ended the day with a little fireworks show. We had so much fun all together :)

  711. Cathy Wells

    Our 4th was pretty laid back, we went swimming with our 2 kids and our niece while my in-laws went shopping. It was our first 4th with the baby walking (he was born on the 1st last year) and it wasn’t blazing hot as usual for Texas so all in all it was pretty good! The best part was all of us watching the fireworks from our front porch :)

  712. Linda L

    My son and his fiance came over and we grilled poppers and burgers and had corn on the cob, potato salad and cucumbers with angel food cake and berries for dessert.

  713. Mel H

    We went to the annual town parade, played a little family baseball (batting practice mostly!) and then went to the fireworks show at the fairgrounds.

  714. Jerri Lynn Sebelius

    Family movie with our two year old little boy and then a neighborhood block party! Fun had by all!

  715. April

    We spent the 4th of July with friends in Dubuque, Iowa. Although it was 103 degrees, we still had a great time riding an old cable car up a steep hill and taking a sightseeing riverboat cruise. We ended the day with dinner and birthday sundaes. One of our friends and I share the same birthdate of July 1st!

    Thanks for the opportunity to win!

  716. Sarah

    We spent the 4th first watching Spiderman at the theater and then watching a White Collar marathon… Hubby had a headache, so we were laying low… :D

  717. Lucy Lam

    We celebrated the 4Th of July with good friends, BBQ, and wine:)

    We are also very thankful for The United States of America … the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

    Thanks Amanda and Kevin for this fantastic giveaway!!!

  718. Annie

    My 4th was low key this year due to I am expecting in four weeks. We stayed home most the day, my son did a little swimming, and then went over to my parents for a bbq and watched fireworks.

  719. Joy McMillan

    We had a lazy morning at home – ready for the beach until heavy storms rolled in – then devoured ice-cream, played at the park and watched fireworks lanterns color the sky. PERFECT!

  720. Wendy

    Had a FABULOUS 4th with friends and family! BBQ/Potluck at the lake house . . .swimming kids, swimming dogs and lots of smores!

  721. Ash

    listening to fireworks in the neighborhood and watching NYC’s show on TV. With babies that go to bed at 7 we couldn’t do much!

  722. Lindsay

    So Proud to be an AMERICAN! Spent the day with family having a good old fashioned BBQ. Hamburgers, Potato Salad, Baked Beans and fresh picked Cherries. When the sun went down we watched fireworks with our neighbors… a GREAT DAY!

  723. Samantha

    This Fourth of July was the first in MANY that I celebrated in a traditional way. We went to a BBQ, drank some beer, ate some hotdogs, enjoyed some tequila soaked watermelon, and watched as my friends lit hours of fireworks. (I am afraid of fire, so I let them do the lighting, I did some watching, from a safe distance). Can’t wait for Sunday!

  724. Julie H

    I spent a very hot but enjoyable afternoon at a cookout and then ripped down the wallpaper in my master bath that night. Thanks for the giveaway!

  725. Stephanie

    I celebrated with my new husband and family in Tulsa, Ok! I went antique shopping with my new sister in law and got some wonderful things for our house! We ate lots of yummy food and then went to a country club to watch a beautiful fireworks show!

  726. Amy Tong

    What a wonderful giveaway. My family celebrated the 4th with a relaxing day at the back yard, then we had a wonderful BBQ dinner. I prepared chicken satay, hot dogs, grilled romaine, corns, etc. At night, we walked to a near by trail to watch the fireworks in the near by cities. It was totally awesome.

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  727. Julie McMillan

    We spent the 4th S-W-E-A-T-I-N-G! YAY! Fortunately we celebrated with aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, etc…..on the banks of the Ohio River. A wonderful day!

  728. Nee Nee

    I saw my grandmother, did some yardwork and then watched fireworks from a bridge in my neighborhood! It was a great day! :)

  729. Elizabeth

    My daughter and I long for small town life (we live in Los Angeles), so we go to small towns to celebrate the 4th of July. This year is was Ojai, California complete with parade down main street and fireworks at the high school. Fantastic!

  730. Jacki

    We had family & friends to our new home and it was wonderful. Lots of good conversation, good food and of course fireworks finished off the evening :)

  731. Debbie Nall

    Hi Kevin and Amanda!! My hubby and I spend the day with his family. All the brothers and sisters in the area as well as our children who still live in the area and our 5 beautiful grandbabies converge on one brother’s house and we swim and eat and enjoy each other’s company. Then we watch the fireworks at night. A wonderful day filled with family, food and fun!! We always say a special prayer for those who have fought or are fighting for our freedom!!

  732. Maranda

    We celebrated the 4th at home, just the four of us–we live in Iowa and it has been HOT here, and with a 1 year old and a 4 year old, we didn’t feel like venturing out into the heat! Instead we stayed home and relaxed, ordered pizza for dinner and watched movies. Not the traditional 4th of July celebration, but not too shabby either :)

  733. Lori

    We had a neighborhood bike parade in our development, then cookout with neighbors and in the evening family came over and we cooked out again, and then watched fireworks!

  734. Paula Clifford

    Would love to win this Silhouette! So many ways to use it! We spent a quiet day at home, and due to the intense heat this year, we watched the fireworks courtesy of our local TV station! Not quite the same as viewing them in person, but at least we didn’t need to worry about heat stroke!

  735. Rheanna

    This year was the same and sort of different. We recently moved so we don’t have family around, and only a few friends. Thanksfully we have wonderful neighbors that Have taken us in. The hubby was working late so we bbq’d with the neighbors and hubbs arrived just in time for fireworks! yay!!!
    I’m super into tradition so even though this was a different year then normal I was with my kids and husband and surrounded by new people that love us.

  736. Danyel

    Celebrated the 4th with family and friends on the lake with alot of food,fun andawesome fireworks.

  737. Colleen Sturm

    Although I’m enjoying my summer free from teaching, I do miss my teacher buddies – so, I spent the day with them enjoying the weather and watching our husbands cook for us on the grill!

  738. Cecilia Berend

    We spent the 4th at my sons home with our children and grandchildren. We then went to the firworks in Chandler, AZ. On the drive there we spent time with out oldest grandson, Logan and told him what the day was all about and why we celebrated it. We had a great time.

  739. Ronda S.

    I had an AWESOME independence day shared with family and friends. We enjoyed some delicious bbq and talked for hours!!!

  740. Patty

    Exhausted, Just finished cleaning my house again after a great 4th with family and friends, Grilled, had homemade ice cream! (Yum) Laughed and played with my grandkids and watched the fireworks! I have some great pictures to scrap with that Cameo!!

  741. Jennifer P

    I baked chocolate malt chip cookies (a 4th of July tradition, I dare not show up at the party without them!). Headed to a friends house for a cook-out and swimming, then ended the day watching our towns fireworks!

  742. Jill

    We had a great 4th by watching the parade, grilling out in the park and staying late to watch the fireworks. It was a blast!! And we are all really tired today :)

  743. Joyce

    Spent the fourth of July of good friends by their pool with good food, drinks and great conversation! Was awesome!

  744. Whitney

    We got together with family, ate BBQ and took our 9 1/2 month old swimming for the first time. She loved it!

  745. Denise

    The best way – with my family! We hung around home and caught up on the dvr, grilled, played cards, etc. Nice and relaxing, which is what we all needed.

  746. Nickell Williams

    I spent the 4th of July with my husband and our friends in NYC hanging out near the South Street Seaport and watching the fireworks.

  747. Susan Lightsey

    I spent my 4th of July with Family! My son just purchased his 1st home, I cooked Mexican Cornbread and Pound Cake to take while he cooked ribs on the grill (everyone pitched in and brought goodies). There were 20 folks there and I took my new poodle puppy to socialize here with his cats and the children that were visiting. We had a super terrific 4th of July! I hope you did too!

  748. Gail

    I spent the 4th in the hospital having surgery on a finger that got royally infected from a splinter. Sucked!!

  749. Katie Fisher

    Since we had a big housewarming party last weekend, our 4th of July was pretty relaxed–pulled pork (which had been seasoned and seared before plopping in the crockpot with broth and 8 cloves of garlic), homemade rolls, corn on the cob. Traditional, and super delicious. :)

  750. Martha Frasher

    Had lunch at Taco Bell with our friends who were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary on the 4th. We meet there every Wednesday so why change for the 4th……I did bake them a cake to share when they got home :)

  751. JennStar

    We celebrated how we do every year- with a party for my hubs, who shares America’s birthday! :O) Then to our towns fireworks display!

  752. Lindsay Gill

    Happy Belated 4th! I celebrated the 4th with my family! I baked a sinfully delicious chocolate cake and homemade ice cream. It was WONDERFUL!

  753. Ann S

    It was just my husband and I so it was rather low-key, but very relaxing. We enjoyed some scrumptuous burgers and fries, and followed that with good old summertime watermelon. We sat on the backporch later and watched the neighborhood fireworks. Definitely a great day with my sweetheart.

    Thanks for the chance to win the cameo. I’d love a chance to make some cool projects!

  754. Manda

    We spend half the day at home taking care of our new puppy and hubby finished up grouting the tile in our half bath. Then we were off to my sister-in-law’s to meet up with family for dinner.

  755. Megan McDaniel

    We had the best 4th here in Northern Virginia. My husband and I rode our bikes around town (for about 8 miles) and then cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. I made Peach Sangria and a Fruit Cookie Pizza. Then we lit the sky up with our fireworks from our recent trip to South of the Border in SC. So much fun! Hope you had a blast as well! :)

  756. Sha'Wakanee Willis

    My boyfriend and I grilled for our entire family! We had a blast! I sure hope I win!!! :-)

  757. Megan Hawkins

    We celebrated the 4th and my mom’s birthday (it’s on the 4th) with my family. We skipped the fireworks this year because of some really strong thunder storms.

  758. Susie

    We celebrated with hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream in that order followed with an incredible fireworks display that we watched from our patio! What a glorious 4th of July!

  759. Diana

    We celebrated by going to a family festival…man was it hott!! And then we had a picnic and watched amazing fireworks. Filled with naps, bubbles, and soccer for my toddler. Super fun..and we were all gross because of the record breaking heat!

  760. Brandy

    Celebrated the 4th with friends & family! We had lots of food, wine & fun on a very hot day! Ended it with a fireworks and woke up to some much needed rain!

  761. Emily F.

    I celebrated America by going on a hike and enjoying the beautiful scenery around me. America is its own beautiful country. I also spent time with family all day.

  762. Kori

    I celebrated the 4th with friends and my fiance’ in a lovely air-conditioned house (ours is unfortunately NOT air-conditioned, so it was a treat). We made delicious burgers and watched a few movies before going outside to watch (and set off) some fireworks.

  763. Leslie W

    This 4th was a little lack-luster here in Colorado with all of the fire bans so we spent the day making homemade pizzas, a salad, and red velvet cupcakes to share with the neighbors and their new bundle of joy as well as other good friends. It was a great evening with friends outside.

  764. Kristen

    We spent the fourth just hanging out at home, which was so nice! Just got things done around the house. Boring, I know! haha

  765. Jodi

    We enjoyed a quiet family day at home with movies and games. We played Catan and I won both times. We enjoyed a nice BBQ dinner and key lime and s’mores pie. Yummy!

  766. Cindy

    We celebrated at an old fashioned fish fry and pot luck with 150 and more people. The host catches the fish to fry, they dig fresh home grown potatoes for French fries, deep fry fresh zucchini from their garden and we have fresh sweet corn just picked. Everyone brings a dish to share. They have tents, music and tons of fun! Every year we meet new people and it is great to see old friends. They even made a table to pack with ice so the cold foods keep cold! A great 4th of July!

  767. mary fanara coleman

    My husband and I cooked out and since it was so disgustingly hot we stayed in the air conditioning and watched movies.

  768. Billie Hester

    I began my day by participating in my local 4th of July parade, with my church. Later had a small b-b-que with my husband & youngest son. Had burgers & I made my version of macaroni salad. Gave my 2 Boston Terriers, Peggy Sue & Toby some special treats. They enjoyed some cute hamburger & fry cookies, a cupcake cookie & a watermelon cookie. Also had some Doggie Beer(non-alcoholic). All their treats were very wholesome. Later, enoyed watching local fire works from our high school & watching some of the festivities from NY, DC & Boston.

  769. Lynn

    Hi Kevin & Amanda! We spent our July 4th with family visiting from Florida! We stuffed ourselves with burgers on the grill, watermelon, 2 kinds of cake, and red, white and blue (choco covered) strawberries! It was a wonderful day! We started to pop fireworks, but my husband and brother-in-law, volunteer firemen, werecalled out to a fire. So we are doing our fireworks tonight!

  770. Kendra LL

    We spent the 4th swimming in the back yard and enjoying our neighbors’ splurge on aerial fireworks.

  771. Kailene

    Celebrated the Fourth with a picnic at a local park with extended family and then watched the fireworks! Good Times :)

  772. Debbie Wyelr

    I LOVE the 4th of July! Yesterday I ran a 10K with some friends and then spent the day with family!

  773. Margaret

    For the 4th, we went to Home Depot and got wood and concrete to get our new deck started. My dear cousin and her husband helped us. We then went to my sisters lake house, ate and went for a boat ride. Later at home, we grilled and watched the 4th of July specials on TV – fireworks and Nathan’s hotdog eating contest.

  774. Leah

    We packed up the car and had a family day at SeaWorld! Went to see all of the shows and stayed for their amazing firework display. Wonderful day =)

    Thank you for the amazing giveaway! Happy 4th!!

  775. Lisa

    My husband and I had dinner with my brothers, sister-in-law, and baby nephew. All while the dog hid in her kennel. She still doesn’t want to go outside. Poor thing!

  776. Tamara

    HI Amanda!

    I’m from Fort Wayne,IN. and we just got power back after being without since friday, so we aired out the house, tossed out all our food from fridge and freezer, turned the AC on and had BBQ Chicken with a mixture of potatoes,onions and corn on the grill!! yummy!! then we walked up and got Ice cream and sat and watched Fireworks!!I could really use this machine right now!!!!

  777. Ginger

    Sitting at the hospital with my 8month pregnant step daughter who was having contractions (and too soon!) Glad to report she is out & doing fine.

  778. Krissy

    We spent the day at my sister in laws house celebrating her childrens birthdays and then we enjoyed her pool. Hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, grape salad, birthday cake and ice cream. A perfect day!

  779. Kasi

    I spent my Fourth of July with my loved ones – cooking out and enjoying each other’s company. We’re in the part of the country that was hit by nasty storms and power outages, so we had to drive to a close friend’s house in another town to join in the festivities. It worked out nicely in the end though.

    Thanks for the chance to win this awesome prize!

  780. Kristina Humble

    I spent the 4th in a rather unexpected, but very exciting way! My day consisted of waiting on my new little firecracker nephew to make his grand appearance. And like those fireworks we always wait all day for, we waited all day for him too! Born at 10:53 p.m., he was the most perfect way to end our 4th of July this year! Happy Birth-day, Logan!

  781. Jennifer

    We relaxed , BBQ’ed and just hung out this 4th. Great day with DH and my little Sophie =)

  782. lynne atl

    We must be getting old… or it’s just too hot here for much celebration. Stayed in and watched “A Capital Fourth”. Thanks for hosting this give away.

  783. Addie

    This year for the 4th of July we had the best time celebrating our freedom with our dear friends eating good food, talking, laughing, plaing games and ending the night with a few sparklers.

  784. Donna

    Thank you so much for the opportunity, Amanda!

    We stayed in last evening ~ no fireworks locally, and the wind has been pretty gusty, so the neighborhood is waiting for calmer evenings this weekend. We always enjoy the celebrations on TV – the Boston Pops with their big show and the Macy’s Celebration over the Hudson River is spectacular. A dream come true would be to see either of those in person – FOR SURE!

    Hope you enjoyed yourselves, as well as all of your readers! And, hope I’m lucky and win this one!

    Blessings,
    Donna

  785. Jenah

    We slept in late ’cause it was a holiday! My favorite holiday, might I add. I love the fourth of July! I am so proud of my heritage and so proud to be an American! We then went to a festival in town, but only stayed an hour ’cause my pregnant self couldn’t handle the heat! We went to a friend’s house after for a cookout and fireworks! It was a perfect day!:)
    I love this site btw:)

  786. Debbie Cimmino

    Hi,

    I live Lynnfield, MA and we celebrated the 4th at home. The kids swam all day and we BBQ’d. We watched the fireworks on TV.

    It was nice seeing your pictures of Boston recently.

    Thanks,

  787. Patricia

    Had a wonderful 4th. Lunch at my daughter and son-in-law’s. My son-in-law is an awesome cook. I enjoyed playing with two of the best grandchildren in the world.

  788. Shannon

    Hi! One of my sisters has been telling me about your site and showing me photos–LOVE this site! I
    celebrated the first half of the 4th with my sisters browsing an enormous street fair in Ventura, CA, then headed back home to our church’s bar-b-que/soak fest where the highlight was watching the kids dunk the pastor in the dunk tank. He was a great sport and the kids all had a great time!

  789. Bonnie

    We spent the day on Smith Lake in Winston County Alabama, then watched fireworks at Duncan Bridge.

  790. Carla Guillermety

    The kids slept late (Amazing!!!!) In the afternoon it started raining so we played some games with the kids at home and later watched a movie. Had a thunderstorn later on.
    I would love the Silhouette!! Have had my eyes on it for a while but have to save up to get it!! Would be a dream to win it!!!!

  791. amy b.

    With family and close friends, having a cookout and then going to our community’s fireworks show. Couldn’t have been a better day. The weather was great!

  792. Sara

    Since we have a relatively new baby (shes 15 weeks old) we opted for a low key 4th and spent it at our little community park who hosts a quaint little celebration every year. It was perfect :). I hope you enjoyed yours too.

  793. Beth

    We slept in and then went out to eat for lunch and went grocery shopping, and then spent the evening re-watching Lost. :)

  794. Becky

    On the 4th, I took my 2 little girls swimming, and then just hung out with them all day! Husband was out of town on a fishing trip, but I made the most of it with my kiddos :) I would LOVE to win the Cameo. Oh I hope I win!!

  795. Em

    It rained here so just hung out with family and tried to watch some fireworks in the rain haha, but mainly just chilled! :)

  796. Jenna Hatfield

    I celebrated — without electricity. We’re on Day 6 with no power after the storms that hit Ohio. So, I read a lot. We grilled food. And then we went to see fireworks. It was low-key… but good. HOT… but good.

  797. Mary J Atkinson

    Spent the 4th with a bunch of friends, let the kids swim in the pool all afternoon, and enjoyed the beautiful fireworks!

  798. Marcia D.

    I’m visiting Ohio from Florida. My family had a cook out with family and friends. The house (since it was so darn hot) was filled with all ages; from 13 months to a 95 year old. And soooo much great food. It was so great to see so many all in one place.

  799. Julie

    Breakfast with family. Baseball with the kids in the backyard. BBQ with more family and fireworks in the driveway.

  800. Amanda W.

    Hubs and I spent the holiday smoking bbq ribs for the first time. They turned out delicious! Hope you’re enjoying your time in Sweden and Germany! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

  801. Erika

    Awesome blog! My best friend came into town on the 4th and we spent the day hanging out with new friends at a cookout. Ended the night with awesome fireworks on the waterfront in Louisville, KY and also danced to some reggae music with a few cool hippies!

  802. Kristy

    Celebrated the 4th by staying cool inside and trying to do a little catching up on my scrapbooking, as it’s been so hot this past week in Minnesota. I would love a Cameo! Thanks for a chance to win!

  803. Lindsay Moreno

    We hung out inside after my husband went out of town. Kind of a bummer, but thankful for my family!

  804. Laura George

    I started my fourth on the water with my family. We floated on life vests, wake boarded and enjoyed each others company. I left the festivities early to go and pick up my husband from the airport who I hadn’t seen in over 2 weeks because he was working in Canada. We shared all the firework displays in the Columbus area together, him watching from the sky and me watching on land.

  805. Bre

    My 4th of July was spent at our local downtown street parade. my daughter was in one of the float with her Girl Scouts. we then BBQ’d with family and friends.

  806. Debbie Dankelson

    Hi!

    We mainly just hung around the house during the day and we had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. Later, my husband made homemade ice cream for us to eat while we watched fireworks!

  807. Danielle McFarlane

    We celebrated the 4th by going to a soccer game! My son really enjoyed and after we were able to watch fireworks over the stadium. It was his first 4th of July, so it was extra special.

  808. Jaime P.

    I spent the day doing stuff around the house and then most of the night searching for my neighbors dog who ran off after being scared of the fireworks. I quit searching around 10:30pm but was very happy to see the dog this morning – home safely.

  809. Mrs.K Rasmussen

    We met up with my parents at a church friend’s home and enjoyed the firework show, compliments of all surrounding neighbors! it was quite literally, a BLAST! hehe! ;)

  810. Jessica Green

    We went to my uncles house were we had great food, wonderful company and had a spectafireworks show. We also blew up a watermelon which a super fun!

  811. Loralei

    I watched the fireworks with a good friend in 95 degree heat–on the shore of Lake Michigan. After battling traffic, we went out for some (much needed) ice cream.

  812. Lily D

    This year I went with my boyfriend’s family out to the beach! We took the family boat out to the Huntington Pier in Southern California to watch the display. There were massive celebrations all up and down the coast so no matter where we were in the water we could see nonstop fireworks. It was an amazing experience!

  813. Alex

    I celebrated the 4th by watching my beautiful aunt marry the man of her dreams. I’ve never seen her look happier in my life.

  814. amanda kay tea

    I spent my 4th of July with my parents, 2 nieces, my 91 y.o grandmother and sister along with her husband. we had yummy dutch oven chicken with fresh fruit then went up to the mountains and watched the fireworks down in the city. it was a great time! :D

  815. Claresa

    It was my daughter’s first 4th, so we kept it low key. Spent the day at the local living history farm here in Missouri. Then we grilled out and watched the Macy’s fireworks on TV while listening to patriotic music!

  816. Marie Clark

    I celebrated with my brother, his family and friends–then returned home
    to see our local 4th of July fireworks.
    Would love to own this Silhouette–have heard nothing but great things about
    it! Thank you for the opportunity to win one!

  817. Chris Baker Cox

    I celebrated the 4th at a friends house. We had lots of good food, and lots of laughs. Very thankful for such wonderful friends.

  818. Haley Grossman

    I went with my hubby, kids and parents down to the river and watched our local firework display! SO fun!

  819. Desiree

    We celebrated the 4th with family and friends! Our friends had a pig roast that had it’s challenges but in the end it turn out to be a blast. We are on a fire band here in eastern Colorado due to the fire that hit Colorado Springs but the kids still had a blast playing in the sand pretending it was a beach :)
    Thanks for having this contest and I LOVE all of your fonts!!

  820. Denicia

    We stayed inside and tried to beat the heat!! I made balsamic burgers and corn on the cob as the sun went down and we watched fireworks from the cool side of the windows :)

  821. Terebene

    We went to the science museum because it was really hot and hazy here. Turns out no one goes to the museum on the 4th. It was great!

  822. Sandy

    Happy 4th of July! We spent our Independance Day with our family! Great food and spent much needed family time with Barry, my girls and my precious mother!

  823. Amanda S.

    Nothing exciting… just a quiet day at home and an evening of watching all the neighbors shoot illegal fireworks off while hoping our house didn’t get set on fire!! :)

  824. Samantha

    We went to see our local 4th of July parade. My son was marching with the High School marching band. They did a great job!

  825. Karen H.

    My 4th was filled with time with my husband, cooking out on the grill & watching a movie together.

  826. Cheri Baby

    We spent the 4th hiking and then a barbecue in the evening with fireworks with family and friends! Love living in a city that allows setting off fireworks in your neighborhood – no fighting traffic to get back home =)

  827. Becki W

    We went over to my in-laws and sat by the lake and watched the boats go by. And went swimming in the water to try and cool off. Then watched the fireworks on the water on a boat. First for me and my kids, it was so neat!

  828. Linda

    This is an amazing give away I would love so much to win!! I’ve been wanting a Silhouette Cameo for awhile now but can’t really afford one :(

    I spent the 4th of July in Washington DC, instead of going on the mall [which I’ve done in the past], my boyfriend & I sat at the Navy Memorial in Arlington VA and had a gorgeous view of the fireworks over the national mall & the Washington Monument.

  829. Erin

    We had a great time with friends and family hanging out by the pool, sipping mojitos and grilling on the BBQ! Then we watched fireworks on the roof. It was a great day :)

  830. Joan

    I am staying with my daughter and her family so we went to her friends home and had wonderful smoked turkey on the grill! The kids rode in the trailer behind the tractor and played in the yard. Good food, good company, lots of smiles and laughing children. A beautiful day.

  831. Gayle M.

    We didn’t really celebrate this year. BOO! The weather has been over 100 for a couple weeks here and it was just too hot to go out. We opted to stay cool indoors.

  832. Amber

    My Fiance’ had to work the night shift at work so I took our son (Zade) to spend the 4th with his Poppa, Pammie and my little step brother Gage, who is 5 and has been terrified of fireworks up until this year. We sat on the front lawn while my dad (Poppa) and Gage lit the fireworks. There is nothing like spending time with family on the 4th!

  833. Renata

    Hi… this was my first “traditional” 4th July ever…I’m brazilian and I never being to a 4th July celebration before… so I went to a bbq with my boyfriend (he is american) yesterday….. and it was sooooo much fun!

  834. Kellie Scully

    FOr the 4th I slept in, took my dogs to the park, BBQ’d with some friends and watched plenty of fireworks :-D

  835. Sabra

    Wow, how fun. I love popping into a link and finding a treasure! (Thanks, PW)

    My husband had to work all day so I did laundry and puttered around the house, watched a funny movie with Bill Murray “Quick Change” and prepped my burger patties for grilling after hubby got home. Watched fireworks on TV. Pretty quiet. Holidays are so much better with kids around.

  836. Brooke Ragsdale

    My family celebrated the 4th of July by spending time together, eating great food, and shooting fireworks. My youngest little one did not like those loud thingies. Thanks for the chance to win.

  837. Kat

    We had 3 families come over for a cookout and then we went and watched our local fireworks. Super fun!

  838. Erin Wiley

    We celebrated with everyone else in town by going to the parade and then watching the fireworks with grandparents! BBQ skewers and pineapple on the grill too!

  839. Courtney Barnes

    Hello,
    I spent my fourth with my family grilling some burgers and watching the kids play in the backyard. Nothing better than being with your whole family on a day off.

    I love your giveaways & blog, they really inspire me to create fun things for my home. Keep up the good work!

  840. Hannah Sons

    oh man. I spent my fourth trying to keep my kids occupied and busy until it was firework time. Having a four and two year old that have no patience ( like their mother) isn’t an easy task at times. After some long naps the awaited time was here and we lit up the night with our fireworks. And I had my little piece of heaven while the kids were napping. I was able to lay in the pool without hearing MOM mom mamma. mommy. ;)
    Happy 4th!

  841. Dawn

    Hung out with great friends in 100 degree temps while the kids cooled off in the sprinklers! Good times! Happy 4th :)

  842. amanda j

    My family spent the 4th cooking on the smoker and playing in the pool. Good times with family & friends!!

  843. Sheryl G.

    We cooked a fabulous meal of BBQ pork ribs, corn on the cob, and homemade potato salad with bacon and green onions! After stuffing ourselves we spent time with the family and watched the fireworks. Classic 4th of July celebration!

  844. NanaBread (Jeanne)

    We had a quiet Fourth here at home – just me, The Complete Package (my husband), and our sweet old Boston Terrier. It was actually really nice.

  845. Sheena

    We had a traditional BBQ with friends and rocked the neighborhood with fireworks late into the night. I love the festive feeling all over the 4th!

  846. MarshaK

    Watered the gardens and pulled weeds in the morning. Baked some yummo cookies in the afternoon after a long nap. Then husband and I went out for some supper.

  847. Hillary Farthing

    I spent the morning of the 4th at the hospital meeting my new niece who was born at 10:11! Then had a bbq with my family & watched some fireworks. So nice to have a 4th of July baby in the family!

  848. Susan

    Our family had FUN walking in a local parade, handing out freezer pops in 98* heat and humidity. The crowd loved us! : )

  849. Krista

    I love the 4th! We always celebrate with a BBQ at my sister’s house and then go to our city’s fireworks.

  850. Karina

    Yesterday was our craziest 4th of july ever !!! We live in Utah, so we spent the night outside reserving a place for the parade, then yesterday we went to the balloon festival then the parade, then we ate lunch, then we took a FOUR HOURS NAP, then dinner and then we went to the Stadium of Fire in Provo. I think I need a holiday to recover from the holiday, but we had lots of fun !!!

    Thanks for the chance to win !!!

  851. Elizabeth

    We celebrated the 4th at our annual BBQ with family and friends. Good food, great company we couldn’t have ask for a better way to spend the day!

  852. Heaven H.

    Laid around and enjoyed some peace and quiet. Then went out with some good friends to watch the fireworks. Great day. =]

  853. Alana

    I spent the 4th on the lake! I was lucky enough to be invited out on a pontoon for the day. It was 100 degrees here, so being on the water was SO refreshing!

  854. Samantha

    It began with my 4 kids jumping up and down all morning, and afternoon until we left to go see the fireworks. We had a picnic with some great friends or ours. After our fireworks show was over on our drive home there were still more oooos and awwws, because we saw 3 other shows on our drive home!

  855. Kerri Lynn

    (I apologize if this is a duplicate…didn’t see my original comment posted…computer “issues”).

    This is our 1st 4th of July in our new house. We recently moved to a small town that reminds me of my childhood and I want my 3 little girls to start building memories here. We started the morning with a traditional parade, then pool time, fair, and fireworks with the entire community. The parade seemed especially important this year…I lost my Dad (62 years old) to Melanoma last year…and for his entire career as a Police Officer, he was always the man carrying the American flag through town on parade day. My girls are too little to remember much of him, but our parade time (seeing Veterans, police officers, etc) gave us a chance to chat about how special my Dad was. It really was great. I hope that this is something we can do every year!!

    ps: Once my kids were asleep, I spent almost an hour drooling over the Silhouette machine on the company website. I received a picture frame created from the Silhouette and I can’t wait to get my hands on one!

  856. Michelle Monroe

    Celebrated the 4th with my dear sweet husband! We went to the movies, BBQ’d and had a fabulous day, just the 2 of us!

  857. Susan

    We had a wonderful time with our family – having a BBQ, watching fireworks, and going on a hike in the beautiful mountains of Utah . I love holidays and family time!

  858. Brittany Marten

    My husband and I celebrated by going to a beach side restaurant with some friends. We had good sea food and watched the fireworks at the same time :)

  859. Gretta

    Lunch time cookout and swimming at my parents house & then fish fry/ice cream social with our church friends that ended with fireworks by the lake. It was a great way to celebrate the 4th!

  860. Heather @ Mrs. Southern Bride

    We celebrated the 4th with dinner at IHOP with our family, swimming and taking a nap. ;-)

    Love this giveaway!

  861. Tessa

    We had a barbque with friends. We have done the same thing every year for at least the last 13 years! This year there were no fireworks shows in our area due to fires and a very dry summer, but we still had a great time!

  862. Elaine

    Celebrated the 4th with a relaxed family bbq with strawberry shortcake :pand fireworks for my brother’s kids.

  863. Jennifer W

    I celebrated the 4th with my husband and friends. We had a barbecue then went and watched fireworks. It was a great day of fun!

  864. Karen Duncan

    My husband and I had our family over and cooked out. We had a great time even in the very hot 98 degrees. I would have to own the new Silhouette! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to win it. Karen

  865. Salpie

    I went with my husband to support him during their march for the 4th of July celebration at the San Marino park. They were representing the Blue Lodge of San Marino. More than 20 masons participated holding a big big banner. I think they lost more than 2 pounds each :)

  866. Angelica Ainsworth

    My husband and I celebrated the 4th with our two sweet daughters, ages 3 and 11 months, and my youngest sister. It was a relaxing day with naps and a jump in the pool. Absolutely wonderful and blessed to live in this great USA!

  867. Dana

    My husband and I spent a quiet, cozy 4th of July together since he was out of town the week prior. We grilled chicken brats and watched the Macy’s 4th of July show and then the Boston Pops Spectacular. Most of the local communities here in Colorado have cancelled their fireworks shows, so we opted to watch on TV and enjoy the star-studded performances as well. It was a quiet, safe and relaxing time together.

  868. Shumaila

    Started the day with a 5 k run and then went to see our town’s parade, followed by a day in the park, free movie, getting drenched in the rain, which also cancelled the rock concert scheduled for the day. But it was a fun day with a lot of junk food, and some fireworks in the end!

  869. Brittany Sanders

    Here’s a big “Hey Yall” from Lexington, South Carolina! My husband and I spent the day on Lake Murray with family and friends and it was a blast – grilling, swimming, busting our butts down a homemade slip and slide, playing corn hole (why is that game called that lol), and laughing at each others stories – SO MUCH FUN :) I thank God for awesome days like that and having such awesome family and friends to spend it with – and also, a shout out to all the Soldiers for fighting for our country’s freedom – we could never thank you enough. Thank you so much for this awesome opportunity to win the Silhouette!

  870. Nolwenn

    Thanks a lot for the giveaway !
    Would love the Cameo to make fun art and family related project.
    I am in Canada (but can provide a US address if I win) so no 4th of July. But this day is my mom’s birthday so it is special for us too.

  871. Jen Graham

    Oh my word! I’ve wanted one of these forever.
    We traveled to see my brother’s new baby and then spent the 4th with our best friends, barbecuing and launching fireworks.

  872. BreeAnn

    We spent a quiet evening at home grilling hamburgers and corn on the cob, then we watched a great fireworks show that our neighbors put on.

  873. queenbee

    I helped my sister pack up her house as they are moving. Later that evening we went to my daughters house for a yummy BBQ. We spent the evening watching the grandkids break dance, run races and find joy just in being alive. No official fireworks, we were watching the mountain burn about a mile away and feeling so thankful for the people fighting the fire!

  874. Brenda

    Technically we are not done celebrating this year until Sunday July 8th after 10pm. For the seventh year straight, we’ve celebrated the 4 with fireworks, 3 days of fireworks to be precise.
    The city near by always has their fireworks July 3rd, then ours on the 4th and the next town over has them the Sunday after the 4th of July.

  875. Kathleen D

    I had a great dock party with family and friends. We watched fireworks over the water. After all the prep work for yesterday and overeating, I’m not doing much today except surfing my blog reader. Your site is always my first hit. Love the chance to win a Silhouette. Thank you.

  876. Jane R.

    We spent the morning at the fair and then everyone had a wonderful 2-hour nap at home. We headed to the park for a picnic dinner and fireworks afterward!

  877. ka

    Spent the day with festive food and swimming with the family. Went to awesome fireworks in the evening. My son was trying some photography shots and emailed for your advice. Loves your shots!

  878. Sara

    Me and my family went to my aunts house and had a BBQ! I played in the little kiddies pool with my niece and we had a blast splashing and laughing! Then we had my red, white, and blue cupcakes. The frosting was weird, do you have a good cream cheese icing recipe? I need one!
    Then we went to the front yard and watched the neighbors set off the obnoxiously loud fireworks…they scared my poor niece! Then the city did their fireworks show! I got goosebumps as I thought of the great freedoms we are blest with because of the great men and women who have given their lives for us and are out there now risking their lives for our freedoms.
    It was a great night! But I wish I had a boyfriend with me though!:)

  879. Pam

    I work outside and it has been so hot here. Minnesota 96-100 heat index 110 so I stayed inside all day. Did watch the fireworks from my bedroom window!

  880. Dana

    We celebrated the holiday with 4 generations of family at my parent’s house in the 95 degree heat!!

  881. Katherine Wall

    I celebrated the 4th in Southport, NC. Great parade and lots of sunshine! Thank you for the chance to win!

  882. Patty H

    Went to the neighborhood parade in the morning. Shopped in the afternoon. Watched The Help on Showtime in the evening. It was a quiet day.

  883. Juanita

    My husband and kids went to a July 4th Parade in the morning (while I had a quiet morning) then we joined friends in a nearby town to enjoy a picnic/birthday celebration and watch the town’s fireworks later that evening. Fun day :)

  884. Kati

    We had a bike parade with neighborhood friends and a pot luck dinner, then we all watched fireworks together. it was a great fourth! I hope yours was amazing too!!

  885. Emily

    Celebrated with friends and family! Started the day with a breakfast at our church then home for relaxing and naps! Finished with great dinner and sparklers with the Family!!!

  886. Julie

    Celebrated the 4th with family! Going to our local park for kids games, watched the parade down town and ended it by watching the destruction derby followed by fireworks! :)

  887. Laurel

    My husband bought a new grill so we grilled corn and ribs and had potato salad and fruit. Along with heading to the city fireworks show and braving the crowds while being 8.5 months pregnant :) It was awesome!!

  888. Lisa

    We needed a break this year and just had a quiet evening at home with our little family. We worked on some projects during the day, then had take out and played cards. Quiet (well, except that we listened to the neighborhood’s celebrating), peaceful and enjoyable. We’ll party it up another year :)

  889. Christina Lee

    I enjoyed the 4th with family and friends! It was a very hot and humid day but we enjoyed the sunshine and a magnificent fireworks display in the evening :)

  890. TRACY S.

    We celebrated Independence Day by:
    1.) Making, Decorating, Eating birthday cupcakes for America.
    2.) Keeping cool at the pool.
    3.) Grilling hotdogs and corn cobs.
    4.) Watching fireworks over the Potomac River – next to the Washington Monument.
    :)

  891. Erica H

    Spent the 4th in the pool, eating lots of yummy barbecued food and watched lots of fireworks with my family.

  892. Rebecca

    My husband spent the 4th painting our new remodeled kitchen. After painting, we grilled some steaks. It has been over 100 degrees this past week. I have been looking at the Silhouette for over a year now, I would love to win this prize.

    Rebecca

  893. Amanda T.

    We celebrated the 4th with family and friends, grilled lunch and made homemade ice cream. Then we watched some fireworks :)

  894. Michelle Realini

    We spent the fourth just hanging out in the cool of the AC . And then celebrated the night by having our neighborhood fireworks show followed by watching our town’s display from the comfort of our back deck:-)

  895. Ellen

    My fourth was spent with family and a close friend. My kids are in their late teenage years and went downtown to watch fireworks with friends. My husband and I were on pick up duty so we enjoyed each others company with our lab who was not so happy to be hearing the fireworks as we were and a friend. We did some grilling and enjoyed some wine! A happy day celebrating freedom!

  896. Amanda D.

    I spent 4th of July relaxing with my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, husband and Lucy Brown the Puggle. Just had lunch and enjoyed each others company.

  897. Tiffany

    My husband and I spent the day with family. It was a great time and much needed since we are moving five hours away next Friday! :)

  898. Dillan

    Cleaned the house bathrooms, watched “In Time”, and cooked a fabulous spread: grilled tri tip steak with horseradish sauce, lime-chipotle grilled corn, grilled hasselback sweet potatoes with garlic and rosemary ,and strawberry crostini!

  899. Samantha

    I celebrated by sleeping in, cooking with my mom, and sitting in my cousins’ pool trying to beat the heat!

  900. Michelle P

    We had a fun 4th! Parade, street fair, swimming and good food! Kids couldnt even stay up for fireworks after our busy day!!!

  901. Angela LeBlanc

    I didn’t do anything special, as the town we live in has no display of fireworks, or anything to do, that would be considered fun for anyone.

  902. Heather

    We spent our 4th of July with my family and our church class. We had BBQ and all the fixings and lots and lots of sweets!!! We ended the night with my husband putting on his annual firework show-amazing!!!

  903. Kathryn

    My boyfriend and I are both sick with colds but we still got dressed up in red, white and blue and went outside and watched neighborhood fireworks this 4th of July :)

  904. Julie

    How did we celebrate the 4th? I took the kids to the mall, then went to a party with our friends and after the sun set, we enjoyed a fireworks show. Very fun day! Thank you for the giveaway!

  905. jo keifer

    Spent the 4th with 2 of my kids and families. 2 out of 4 is half good! Watched fireworks and then called it a night!

  906. Cathy Owen

    We celebrated our Fourth by getting together with friends. We listened to their daugther perform with the city’s philharmonic orchestra, went out to dinner, and later went to a nearby lake to ooh & aah at fireworks. Good times, good friends. :)

  907. Michelle

    For the first time ever, our city allowed for firework purchases so we spent the evening lighting them up! :) It was exciting to have my boys use sparklers like we did when we were kids. :)

  908. Shelle

    We watched my son play baseball and spent the rest of the day with friends and family. We also read the Declaration of Independence as a family!

  909. Jamie

    Very uneventful, but it was great! Spent a relaxing day with my husband and kids and then did fireworks with extended family and friends. Family, food and fireworks. Perfect day for me!

  910. Terri Zierman

    Work, work, work and more work! Both jobs! But no complaints here :-)

    Happy 4th Kevin & Amanda!!

  911. racheal

    i was lucky enough to celebrate the 4th by celebrating my daughters birthday! it was a great time to reflect on 2 of my most precious gifts… freedom and family!

  912. Ashlee Sue

    On the 3rd, I went to our annual local fireworks bash on the river, which my husband DJs for :) Then on the 4th I went to my hometown and watched fireworks in the park with my family and some good friends from high school and all our kids! Best 4th of July ever :D

    Hope yours was fun as well, K&A!!

  913. kinj

    We went up to the woods and went down a bumpy trail and found the most beautiful picnic spot with a creek and it was cool and quiet. We had discada tacos and homemade sugar cookies… Very fun day! Would love to win this lovely machine :) i have been wanting on for quite a long time but cant justify spending that money! thankyou for the chance to win

  914. Becky

    Ours was celebrated by eating fruit, fruit dip, and strawberry cheesecake dessert and watching neighborhood fireworks with my cousin and her hubby. We had a great time. The fireworks were awesome and all around us. I would love to win this so I could personalize something for my niece’s wedding gift.

  915. Montanna

    We spent the 4th of July packing! We are moving in a few weeks, so the packing started early since we both had the day off.

  916. Sandy Bones

    We celebrated the fourth with a BBQ with good friends. We love the laid back day and the kids all playing outside and then fireworks in the culdesac.

  917. Debra Knutson

    Happy 4th of July! My family and I attended a pool party given by friends that have a pool at their house. It is like this little oasis in the middle of town. We returned home early evening to have a fireworks show for the three young kids in the neighborhood. A 4 yr old and two 5 yr olds. They had fun and loved the booming and beautiful lights of the fireworks! I believe they are all sleeping in this morning.

  918. Shaunah Turley

    I celebrated it with m y family at a BBQ and my new puppy, who surprisingly did care about the fireworks at all!

  919. Olivia

    I spent the fourth with friends and family! Wouldn’t of had it any other way. Friends, food, fireworks, family! Would love to win the Cameo!

  920. Theresa Harter

    A Silhouette Cameo. Definitely on my WISH LIST.

    What I did on July 4th!

    My oldest daughter and I got up to brave the heat and went to a local parade. I took some really nice photos and had a great time with her.
    Started working on a sewing project, making some baby gowns.
    Went and watched the local fireworks. Half the regular group backed out due to heat, but it really was nice once the sun was down. Hubby cooked brats and dogs, kept it simple.

  921. laura dunning

    Spent the day relaxing with my husband and making chicken fried steak together. Then it was off to watch fireworks!

  922. Kelsey

    I celebrated by staying in the cool air conditioning with my family. Record-breaking high temperatures are not for me!

  923. Lori

    We BBQ’d and watched fireworks on TV- it was raining outside! But luckily we saw great fireworks on the 3rd at World Golf Village in St Augustine FL- right after catching Spier Man on IMAX. Its all good!

  924. Taryn at Formal Fringe

    I spent the 4th Scootin’ the Hooch, a.k.a lazy river tubing down the Chatahootchie rivers here in Atlanta!

  925. Rosetta

    I cleaned house, and did part of the laundry. My boyfriend grilled some barbecue ribs, fresh corn on the cob, baked butter beans and roasted new potatoes, and for dessert, I made a flag cake with fresh blueberries and strawberries. After dinner we went to the beach and watched some fantastic fireworks from the condos on the beach. Got a lot acomplished on my day off around the house and had a fantastic evening without guilt! lol

  926. Kate

    My little guy & I took lunch to my husband, Dad, & a couple of in-laws that were working in the heat on our new house!!

  927. Linda

    We celebrated the 4th with family at a parade. Tried out a new recipe for ribs and stayed up watching movies all night with the kids instead of fireworks because fireworks are banned here due to fire hazard.

  928. Joanne

    Let’s see, first I spent the morning looking at scrapbook and stamping tutorials. Then I helped my parents prep for a BBQ. A family friend stopped by with her little boy. He kept us on our toes.
    In the afternoon my fiance and I visited his family. He barbecued and I played with his nieces and nephew. My fiance and I ended the evening with watching fireworks put on by the community, near and far.

  929. Megan B.

    Unfortunately, private fireworks were banned in Colorado and most public displays cancelled due to the wildfire problems out here. We had a pretty low key version of the 4th which included family and food.

  930. Jessica

    Happy 4th! My day started off with a 5K race for Smiles for Sophie, a foundation that confronts Pediatric Brain Cancer… then it lead to a 3 hour family nap (loved this!) and finally, an afternoon at the local public pool! My 2 year old daughter, my husband, and I had a wonderful day!

  931. renee

    With friends and family at the beach…My husband and I are both military so we were lucky to both be home together.

  932. Jamie

    Every year we celebrate at our local park. Because my husband is a martial artist and owns a taekwondo studio here in town we put on a demo just before the fireworks start. We’re the fireworks before the Fireworks! ;)

    Thank you!
    Jamie

  933. Laurie

    Went to a park with all of my family and watched races for the kids, played in the park and had a picnic lunch. Then I took my sister’s family to my swimming pool for a few hours of fun and ended the evening with a fireworks show :)

  934. Andrea

    My family always has a big cookout celebrating my dad’s heavenly birthday 16 years ago. The day is filled with lots of laughter and memories.

  935. Cathy W

    We had family over and had ribs and corn on the cob and just watched the city fireworks later in the evening. The granddaughters were not able to do any fireworks this year because of fire ban. First time I have ever not been able to do them at home. It’s was still a great 4 th though.

  936. Tiffany

    We spent our July4th at a friends house eating good bbq! We have just moved to new city and are still in a hotel while we look for a house. It was really nice to be able to go out!

  937. Roberta

    We spent a quiet morning at home with the kiddos and did some clean up of a shelf that had collapsed 2 night prior. Sorted kid clothes for consignment, donation and loan and then got to work preparing for the festivities of the afternoon and evening! My 4 year old daughter and I made individual berry trifles in push pops containers for our cook out with friends as well as for the group that we were meeting up with for fireworks later in the evening. She had so much fun layering pound cake, blueberries, strawberries and whipped creamy topping in each of them. Then, we went out for a cook out with some friends and then met up with another family that we have watched fireworks with for the last 3 years to continue the tradition. We were so thankful the rain didn’t stick around and that we were able to enjoy the day!

  938. Laska

    I had to work, but it didn’t turn out too bad. I was able to go up to the roof of the hospital where I work at watch the huge city fireworks and all the other fireworks all over town. It was a really fun night!

  939. Christine

    BBQ, swimming, relaxing, chatting, fireworks, and baseball! Loved it all. Thanks for the chance to win!!

  940. Ashley

    I spent the fourth of July celebrating my little sister’s birthday! She’s an Independence Day, baby! We hung out, saw Spiderman and ate a great dinner and lit fireworks! It was so much fun!

  941. Kathleen

    We celebrated the 4th by going to our town’s first ever Independence Day parade! Lots of fun for the kids. Then, in the heat of the afternoon, we watched “Independence Day” (of course!)

  942. Rachael

    We celebrated the 4th with a huge cookout. I have seen this giveaway before on your site. I’d love to be able to make the silouette on the 9X13 pan. I LOVE THAT!!! SO CUTE! Thanks for your awesome blog!

  943. Larissa

    My husband and I spent the day with our dogs. We grilled and had a nice dinner together followed by some movies.

  944. Chrisanthy

    My boyfriend and I recently moved to OH from CA and we spent our 4th of July with our new neighbors.

  945. Natali

    Happy 4th! This year was a little less festive than normal, as we skipped all the fireworks and watched instead the real fires raging in the West. But it made me grateful for everything I do have!

    thanks for hosting the giveaway :)

  946. Susan

    Hey,
    My husband and I spent the 4th of July grilling and serving up 2100 chicken breast sandwiches and 1000 smoked dogs to soldiers and their families at a 4th of July thank you to our service members celebration. That evening we headed down town to River Street (you’ve been to Savannah’s River Street I think) and watched the fireworks across the Savannah River.

  947. Elizabeth

    We spent the fourth with family trying to beat the heat by the pool! I also stayed inside with our two week old son feeding and keeping cool! Oh, and plenty of food!

  948. Michele H

    We had an all American day. First a BBQ with friends and family at my house, then we went to a minor league baseball game, and finally we ended the evening with a fireworks show.

  949. SuE carter

    My husband and I spent our fourth of July at the grand coulee dam in Washington state. There was a laser light show and then fireworks from the dam.
    A beautiful evening!

  950. Karly

    We drove to the city to watch the movie Ted, in air conditioning! We also visited the big grocery store for supplies, and then drove home in the pouring rain. We were all set to go into our town to see the fireworks, when another nasty storm rolled through. So we watched a couple episodes of Lost on Netflix and got ready for the next day of work.

  951. Liz Barber

    We went to our local 4th of July Celebration at a nearby park. Lots of food, music, games and fun! We ended the night with a fun firework display!

  952. Melissa V.

    We spent the day relaxing with friends, swimming, and eating way too much. The night was topped off with fireworks. A great day for sure!

  953. Jenn @ Frost Bites

    My hubby and I celebrated the 4th at home. I went for a 9 mile run and hubby went on a 60+ mile bike ride. We barbecued in the afternoon and chilled with our doggie :)

  954. Liz Johnson

    This year we celebrated the 4th in a small town in Utah, going to the parade, having dutch oven, and fishing. It was fun! Great giveaway! :)

  955. audra

    Celebrated with friends and family…and the yellow flies and mosquitoes!!! We watched the fireworks from across the sound on our friends pier and had burgers and dogs!!!

  956. Emilie

    Every time you host this giveaway, I cross my fingers that I’ll win! We spent the 4th doing stuff around the house-having it mid-week kind of threw us off!

  957. Karen

    Hi Amanda,

    Had a great 4th with a party at our house to celebrate Independence Day and our double wedding anniversary–my sister and I had a double wedding a thousand years ago in Huntsville, where we are from. We now both live in the Atlanta area with our husbands.

    Thanks for the opportunity to win!
    Karen

  958. rebecca

    Happy 4th! We had a wonderful day. We were lazy and enjoyed loving on our two babies, and then had family over for supper. Thank you Lord for our freedom!

    p.s. I really NEED this Silhouette Cameo!!!

  959. Kate k

    Watched the Navy Pier fireworks from the 26th floor of the W hotel in Chicago with my sweetheart :)

  960. Heather H

    My family took it easy. We slept late, did a little cleaning, watched TV, ate BBQ baked chicken (too hot to grill anything), and trekked to Sonic Drive-in to try their new Pineapple Paradise slush (Yum!). We capped the night off by watching an interesting documentary about American Banks and watched neighbor’s fireworks from the windows.

  961. Sarah

    Our day started out with a great breakfast for my husband and adult daughters. We hung out watching movies and visiting. The grand finale was going to our friends home where they invited all of their friends. Tim and Judy made the best fajitas, along with a purple cabbage and cilantro coleslaw ! The evening ended with a fabulous firework display. What a great day!!

  962. Dalia

    We celebrated the fourth with neighbors! We ate a delicious meal and when it got dark, enjoyed the firework display by neighbors, it was a fun time, but my dog would disagree.

  963. Susy Peters de Fehr

    I live in Mexico(but have a USA email adress) ,didnt celebrate it,but would have love to go to the USA and watch the fireworks…but i would love that machine…it would awesome to get it!! Thankyou very much for this giveaway!!

  964. Meghan

    our local fireworks show got cancelled at the last minute due to the weather, so my boyfriend and i took our dogs for a walk to see the sunset, then came back to the house and make chocolate chip cookie sundaes! yum. happy fourth!

  965. Chatelaine

    Oh how I would LOVE a Cameo!

    We spent the 4th with friends in their backyard. We ate, we laughed and we watched fireworks from their backyard. Fantastic :)

  966. Holly

    Hi! I have recently found your blog and LOVE it! My family and I celebrated the 4th here in Virginia by watching our town parade, BBQing with friends and fireworks :)

  967. Pam

    I spent the 4th making baby shower invitations! I would have LOVED to have a Silhouette Cameo for this (and so many other things!!) Thanks for the opportunity to win this awesome prize!

  968. Kari Weathersby

    I spent my 4th with some good friends and and all 6 of my children. The look of joy and excitement on their faces while playing with the little sparklers and watching the big one in the air was truly my favorite part. I am very blessed. Hope everyone else had a good 4th also!

  969. Nicole Marie

    I had to work sadly and miss the grand fireworks display in Pittsburgh. But I got to be there for my favorite guest during her hard time she’s going thru, which was more important/better to me then the fireworks.

    I get to have a “4th of july” celebration this weekend at the pirates game, a concert, and some fireworks.

  970. Casey Dozhier

    Thanks for hosting such a wonderful giveaway !
    We celebrated the 4th with a BBQ and swimming and swimming with our neighbors :) So nice to enjoy the company of the people that live around us .

  971. JAY C JAY

    Happy Fourth to you and yours.It is very very very hot here in my hometown so I stayed in till to stay cool. In the evening I attended wednesday night bible study at church . Looking forward to recieving my prize package in the mail….Enjoy your blog….THANKS …

  972. Peka

    Hi! We spent our 4th cleaning (yippee…), hanging out, and goofing off with our kids. It was a great day even though we didn’t get to see any fireworks.

  973. Michele

    We just kept cool, grilled burgers and dogs and decorated some cookies. Very relaxed, just what we needed!

  974. Joy Rutherford

    My mom and I live on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound, Washington. It was a gorgeous sunny day (not the norm for 4th of July in Washington!). We had a quiet day…we took the dogs for a walk in the morning then later in the afternoon, we took the ferry across to Port Townsend to the Rose Theatre and saw Moonrise Paradise. In the evening, we watched the fireworks across the bay from the back deck. A perfect way to celebrate!

  975. Liza

    Our little family celebrated by going out to breakfast with my hubby’s family. Then in the evening we went to my Aunt & Uncle’s annual 4th of July party. It was an early night for us though, because it was our first 4th of July with a little one.

  976. Jen

    We celebrated by watching fireworks with our 3 year old daughter in the backyard of our new home. FUN!

  977. Dana

    Well, it was 102 degrees here yesterday, so we spent most of the day inside. We had my parents over for bbq and the kids got to enjoy some time with the grandparents. We wanted to document the day, so I took lots of pictures and even went out to buy an outdoor thermometer, so I could document the hottest 4th of July since 1954. Finally we headed outside around 8pm to shoot a few fireworks and enjoy some large displays around us. Our 4th celebrations always revolve around family and spending the day together.

  978. Jackie B.

    We had a great 4th with my brother, sister-in-law and our youngest niece. We swam in the pool, grilled fajitas, then headed out to watch the city’s fireworks display, set to patriotic music. It was a great day! Thanks for the chance to win!

  979. Sharon Wakuzawa

    Hi – Love your blog.
    We had a very nice 4th by having barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs with family. My 30 year old son managed to acquire some awsome fireworks. My dad who is 93 years young loves and looks forward to the 4th of July. It brings back fond memories for him.

  980. Dina

    I spend the day with friends not family since I’m currently stationed in England. We really enjoyed each other’s company & truly thankful for our freedom.

  981. Heather Spooner

    I spent the 4th at home in the air conditioning watching the fireworks on tv. Thanks for the giveaway!
    miyax15 at yahoo dot com

  982. Jenny Johns

    Had to work in the morning, and relaxed the rest of the day! We watched the Macy’s fireworks on TV and kept our two chocolate labs close to us, to keep them calm when hearing fireworks outside. Thanks for the chance at a fabulous prize…looooove it!

  983. Emily @Sweet Bella Roos

    My daughter and I baked cookies and took some to our local fire station. That night we all went and watched the city fireworks show.

  984. Sunnie

    Nothing really, Im in Colorado with a no fireworks ban, it was seriously boring. Went to a Rodeo for a little bit.

  985. Petra

    I spent the day working from 8AM to 3PM. Yes, I said working. ;( However, I know I was not the only one working yesterday. The rest of the day was spend with friends and family enjoying food & fireworks. Thanks for the opportunity.

  986. Tamara

    Spent the evening at the Provo, Utah Freedom Festival’s Stadium of Fire with family and friends being entertained by Scotty McCreery and the Beach Boys. The fireworks (the biggest stadium display in America) was amazing. The production was broadcast live to all the military bases in the world. What a way to pay tribute to all those brave servicemen and women we are defending our freedoms that we were celebrating. God Bless the USA!

  987. jamie

    I cleaned all morning & had friends over for a fish fry at night… :) Would love to win this!!! :)

  988. Kim Murphy

    I spent July 4th with my daughter and some friends in the nice cool pool!! Then came home and enjoyed some pizza and watched the fireworks that my neighbors were shooting! :)

  989. Lara

    I spent the 4th hanging out at home and having dinner with some friends. I nice break in the middle of a crazy week!

  990. Amy

    I spent the day with my 23month old daughter. We enjoyed a walk to the park. We spend the rest of the day with famly being thankful for our freedom.

  991. Jennifer

    We went to Freedom Over Texas in downtown Houston. It was very hot (although for Houston it could have been much worse). We decided that since our 2 year old loved seeing fireworks while we were on vacation the week prior, that we would stay for the whole thing (even though he had school and we had work the next day). This morning was horrible…tired, grumpy 2 year old plus tired grumpy parents do not mix! Oh well…

  992. Elizabeth

    I stated at home with my mom and dad and had a delish home made dinner. I loved staying home because in a few weeks I will be headed to Auburn to start school.

  993. Laura

    Our family went over to a friend’s house to eat lots of yummy food and shoot fireworks. We watched our town fireworks and then shot off more fireworks. It was an awesome 4th!

  994. Tracy W

    We didn’t do much. I enjoyed the day off and read a book most of the day. Headed to a neighbors house for dinner and then home early. Was a great day off and a nice way to break up the work week.

  995. Michelle Zilles

    I spent the day with my family swimming and eating! Then we did a few small fireworks and spent time with my nephew that was born on the 3rd.

  996. BrieAnn Schmidt

    played at the park and had a pinic with family, then headed home to watch some fireworks.

  997. Jessica R

    WOW!!! What a FAB giveaway! ;) My 4th of July this year was bittersweet. It was the first year that I didn’t spend the day at the lake with my extended family. Instead, I spent most of the day at the community pool in my neighborhood. The day was topped off with our local HUGE annual 20 minute fireworks show after dark.

    I hope everyone had a blessed day with their fams. God Bless the USA! Thanks for the opp! ;)

  998. Kyp McLaren

    Hi,
    My husband spent the day showing your older home to a young couple with 2 little girls. It was a nice afternoon. We also spent part of the day watching on almost 3 month old grandson. He was so precious! He’s found he can blow bubbles! :0)
    Kyp

  999. Marie

    Hubs and I saw Brave in the afternoon, then had steaks and played cards with my parents in the evening. It was a lovely, low-key holiday. Thanks for the chance to win!

  1000. Beatriz

    My son is sick so we had a very low key day, sat and watched movies.
    Thank you for the opportunity to win!
    Good luck to all.

  1001. Betty Roark

    We celebrated the 4th of July with family working in our family business. We cook hash and BBQ on the 4th and sell it. Sometimes I feel we miss out on celebrations because we are always busy cooking Hams and hash. I told my husband yesterday thst we didn’t miss out on any celebration because our children, grandchildren, brother and his wife and my mother were all together…busy working. That blessing is a CELEBRATION! I am blessed not only with family but with friends and customers for more than thirty five years of our family business that was started by my dad and continued in his memory with several generations of love. Thanks for the giveaway. I would feel honored to win.

  1002. Nikki

    We spent the afternoon/evening with friends-BBQing, eating, watching fireworks and just enjoying everyone’s company! It was the first “day of summer” in Seattle and it was sunny!

  1003. Melissa Kubishke

    My husband and I spent a relaxing 4th grilling ribs, corn of the cob and baked potatoes…then finished with S’mores (I’m still a kid at heart). Thanks for a chance at winning this awesome give away. I would love to own a Silhouette! Love your blog – I have gotten so many great ideas from it.

  1004. Abby

    We celebrated America’s B-day the best way ever…spending time with family…soaking up some sun, BBQ, boating, fireworks. Low key = perfect!

  1005. Christina J.

    My family spent the day with the grandparents just kicking back and relaxing while enjoying lots of goodies from their garden.

  1006. Kim D

    Spent a low-key 4th with my family. Hubby grilled shrimp, scallops, and veggies. Then, fireworks!

  1007. Whitney W

    We celebrated the 4th with our 11 month old twins and all of our family swimming, grilling out and enjoying fireworks. I hope I win this!! I would love to make customized first birthday shirts for my boys!

  1008. Julie

    We went to a parade in our small town, then had ice cream sundaes & hot dogs before the fireworks at dusk. A perfect day to be an American!

  1009. Tiffany

    Had a blast with some friends and family! We made a slip-n-slide down a hill… yes it was for the adults. :) Hot dogs! Beach! Fireworks! Lots of fun!

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  1010. Sabiha

    This was the first 4th of July without my husband. Normally, we would find a quiet spot in the city to watch fireworks but sadly, he passed away a few months back. I spent the evening playing with our baby girl and cooking dinner for my parents.

  1011. Tanesha W

    My husband, daughter & I spent our 4th relaxing as a family. We went to Five Guys to eat lunch, shopped a little, bought my daughter a bike & a scooter (I know, on the same day! LOL), then we went downtown to watch the fireworks. We had a yummy funnel cake & some chili dogs!

  1012. Autumn

    I celebrated the 4th of July with the people who matter the most in my life. My family and some close friends enjoyed a cookout and amazing firework show

  1013. Andreea

    Watched fireworks by the water in 1000 degree weather… they were nice, but the weather not so much :-)!

  1014. Carol

    We are going to celebrate my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary tomorrow evening. So two of my sisters and their families flew in. Along with my other 7 siblings we all spent the Fourth at my other sister’s house (she has a pool). It was a great time relaxing and sharing funny stories of growing up together on our family farm!

  1015. Lynn

    Ran through the sprinkler, made homemade pudding pops, went to fireworks show, and enjoyed the A/C!

  1016. Julie White

    I celebrated with my son and daughter-in-law painting their new home!! We relaxed late in the afternoon with a few burgers! Exciting times!

  1017. Michelle

    Spent a nice quiet day at home, grilled some yummy chipotle burgers and watched some fireworks from my window :)

  1018. Kathee kiefer

    I participate in the Homer Alaska farmers market and the 4th was our first Wednesday market of the year, so I spent the day wishing all of our treasured tourists a happy 4th and informing them about all of the 4th of July activities around the town.

  1019. Rita

    Love this giveaway! The family and I went to our small town’s big free 4th of July party. It was awesome with over 30 minutes of stunning fireworks. We sat on lawn chairs, ate watermelon, and watched the celebration. Love 4th of July!

  1020. Mimi

    Didn’t have to work my day job. Yay! Lots of time to do what I love – write. Afternoon and evening spent in the company of my best friend – my hubby. Dinner, neighborhood fireworks, and then an old movie to wind down the day. Oh, and it RAINED! Happy dance!

  1021. Lilian

    Hello!
    I LOVE LOVE LOVE your fonts! I use them for many of my things in the classroom; I’ll have to send you some links for them.

    Anyway, for the fourth, we had a bunch of friends over for a cookout and then we headed to the golf course to watch the fireworks! It was very low-keyed, but that’s generally what I like. Hope you guys had a great fourth of July!

    Lilian

  1022. Debbie

    We celebrated the 4th of July (also my birthday ) by going to the big Ringling Bro Barnum & Bailey Circus! The girls enjoyed getting autographs of the different circus members on the floor before the circus started.

  1023. Jennifer S

    I had a fun afternoon with my husband and brothers! We went to the movies, had lunch, shopped around, and had some frozen yogurt!! Yum!

  1024. Sheila in Springfield

    We stayed home and played games with our four year old daughter all day before we watched a LOT of fireworks!

  1025. Leah

    Hi! We had a low key 4th. Watched our son play in the sprinklers, cooked steaks and watched a movie!!

  1026. Tina

    I spent the 4th with family, eating and watching fireworks and thankful for the Independence we have in this country and the men and women who fight to keep us safe.

  1027. Elysia B

    Another one !?! :) YEA! But down to business . . . I spent it with family. My husband and I got to spend time together, a precious commodity.

  1028. Jenn Huffman

    I celebrated the 4th by sitting at home and relaxing for the day. Caught up a some shows I had missed & just enjoyed a quiet day to myself. I’m not much on fireworks and I can’t go outside to watch them if I wanted to because I get ate alive by mosquitos even when covered in bug spray. Guess I’m just that sweet! :)

  1029. Deanna C

    The 4th was great! We had friends and family over to our house, my dad brought over slow cooked ribs and I made homemade Mac in Cheese the kids enjoyed the red and blue layered Patrioric Punch. We have a big grassy hill in the backyard so we put a huge sheet of plastic doused it in baby shampoo turned the water on and we had an awesome SLIP N SLIDE!!!

  1030. Azalea Perkins Chriss

    This 4th of July we spent the day with Family and Friends. BBQ, Fun, & Family. It was a GREAT day!!!

  1031. Tori

    My best friend shares her birthday with America so we had a suprise party for her at a lake. It was a lot of fun, and it all ended with sparklers :)

  1032. Ginger Nelson

    I spent the 4th watching episodes of Bones while sewing. Hubs and I also enjoyed a meal of pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, cool ranch doritos, and peach cobbler.

  1033. Andie

    Great day yesterday! I got in a morning run, which I never get to do. Did some bridal shopping with my sis. Got some much needed rest. Ended the day with great food, family, fun, & fireworks! Thanks for another great giveaway!!!

  1034. Rachael

    This was my FIRST ever July the 4th in the USA after moving to the US to be with my husband – while our town had it’s celebrations on Sunday we made the most of yesterday just chilling and went to see the new Spiderman movie in the afternoon. The storms tired cutting out the power for a couple of hours so we just lit some candles and read. Back to basics!

  1035. Jenna B mom to 3

    Great friends, amazing food, and 1 very special 4th birthday anf of course fun fireworks! We are truly blessed to live in the land of the free!

  1036. Doris

    I made yummy ribs along with potato salad, cole slaw, and baked beans and had a great meal with neighbors. And chocolate covered strawberries with blue sugar for dessert! Had a great time.

  1037. Tara Beckstedt

    Happy 4th! We celebrated the 4th with family — swam a lot, ate a lot, and then saw some fireworks. It was nice to take a day in the middle of the week to spend with the kids and hubby.

  1038. Melissa Reuss

    I celebrated the 4th like I usually do. I had to work. I’m okay with it though. I own a gift store in a resort community. Working the holidays is part and parcel with the job. Owning a Silhouette would make my days off scrapping with my friends so much more enjoyable. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

  1039. Billie

    Hi Kevin and Amanda!

    I avoided embarrassment by leaving burger condiments (Ultimate Burger Seasoning and Burger Bomb Sauce from Williams-Sonoma) in my purse after discovering THERE WERE NO BURGERS at the cookout I attended yesterday!!!!! WHEW. Plenty of libations and great conversations though. I did take your Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar, which was THOROUGHLY enjoyed by everyone there.

  1040. Elissa

    it’s been very hot and dry here in Wisconsin, so we spent the 4th at the pool. thanks for the giveaway!!

  1041. Bethany

    I spent the 4th with my family, we rarely get to see each other and getting together on the lake for the 4th of July has become our family tradition. It was wonderful…and very warm!

  1042. Moriah

    We went to Bowling Green, KY, for a family cookout and swim party. Then we headed back to downtown Nashville to watch the fireworks!

  1043. ~Kim

    We had the best 4th! We cooked, baked, swam, had friends over, and enjoyed the evening with fireworks!

  1044. Jessica

    Happy Independence!! Let’s see…. how I spent the 4th was I went to my BF’s house, made a lovely dinner, watched fireworks (from inside) while wearing a minimal amount of clothing. It was a fabulous time

  1045. Nalani Tsue

    I love this!

    I spent my 4th of July with my family, something I don’t get much of. I live in Tucson for school, so my grandparents and my sister came down from Phoenix to visit for the day! We went shopping and out to dinner, and then we went to my church to watch the fireworks :) Cheers!

  1046. Laura

    I spent the 4th with my family. Cooking out in the 100 degree weather..good times =) This is also the first year I didn’t see any fireworks. =/

    Laura

  1047. Susanmcl

    We had so much fun! We did a family walk in the morning. Hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner with chicken wings as an appetizer. Real hamburgers – higher fat content than usual – can’t serve that 94% stuff to guests! Brownies & ice cream and fireworks for dessert. It was a full day of f amily. I am truly blessed to have my parents, my sister and her family, and my children all in one spot.

  1048. GinaE

    Had a quiet 4th…..watched a movie and grilled some steaks and baked potatoes! Honestly, couldn’t have been any better and restful, since it was a mid-week holiday.

  1049. Mari L

    I love the 4th of July. I spent the morning with friends at a small town parade, which was so much fun! Mid day I spent at a last minute singles BBQ, which was fun too and the evening was also spent at another BBQ with friends! Played baseball and actually slid into 3rd base!! The evening ended with some beautiful fireworks!!!

  1050. Amanda

    Husband and I smoked out some ribs and we ate dinner out on the front porch. Nice and relaxing…just our little family.

  1051. Pat Johnson

    Hi Amanda,

    My family and spent a beautiful Rhode Island summer day at my sister’s for a backyard BBQ and a swim in her beautiful pool. We especially enjoyed watching my 18 month great-niece have fun!

    Hope you enjoyed your 4th!

  1052. Candice H.

    I had a small BBQ with my family and stayed in the house because I’m sunburnt from the beach!

  1053. Sara F.

    What a great giveaway, as usual! I spent the Fourth with my husband and our two children. Our son was born in February, so it was his first Independence Day, and our daughter is almost five, so she is finally old enough to (kind of) understand what this day means for our country. :) Anyway, we spent the day together and we of course had a little photo session of the kids in their red, white, and blue! It was wonderful to spend time as a family of four…on the Fourth! lol, I couldn’t resist the numbers pun.

    Hope you’re having fun on your vacation! I see the beautiful pics on twitter. :)

  1054. Sharla Drummonds

    I celebrated the 4th with family, more family and then more family! :) My husband’s family always has a cook-out every 4th, but this year we thought it would be great to invite my side of the family also! Needless to say, my house was like a three ring circus! Kids, adults, and dogs everywhere, but it was absolutely perfect! At dark, we met up with more family and topped off the night with a fireworks display put on by my husband and his best friend. It was a perfect way to end the night! Wonderful family + great food+ fireworks= Awesome 4th of July :)

  1055. Traci

    I celebrated with my family here in Tennessee! Ate too much food and relaxed with the people I love the most!

  1056. Zan

    I enjoyed the day with my hubby and sat outside later to watch the local fireworks display while I enjoyed a margarita!

  1057. April

    I spent the 4th of July trying to clean out and organize my craft room! Fun! Then, my son and I went to a cookout with great friends!

  1058. Clarissa

    I watched fireworks on the lake and during the day went to Ikea for a few hours to stay cool and buy more stuff I don’t need :-)

  1059. Karen

    Celebrated the 4th of July with co-workers and complete strangers at a co-worker’s annual 4th of July party! Great food! We were unable to set off fireworks this year due to the dry weather and fire danger. It was a bit odd not having any to set off but we survived! – Karen

  1060. Amy

    With a boat parade followed by a BBQ with some of the best friends and family a girl could ask for!

  1061. Becky S.

    We spent the 4th telling family that we are expecting our first baby! The Silhouette Cameo would be fantastic to help me get started decorating the baby’s room!

  1062. AnitaP

    We spent the 4th with my dad and my in-laws. We spent the day together, had dinner and watched the fireworks. Thanks for the chance to win this awesome giveaway!

  1063. Robbin

    We celebrated by anchoring our rafts/inflatable chairs in the lake, swam, grilled chicken, played Scrabble on the Nook, and watched fireworks from our dock.

  1064. Amy Nabors

    Celebrated the 4th with some family at the lake and then 1st Wednesday service at church and then fireworks!

  1065. Cindy

    we enjoyed the 4th, by being the All-American! Shopping, eating, swimming and catching a flick. Boy am I tired!

  1066. Hanan

    I live across the street from the beach, so I celebrated by sitting on the beach and watching the fireworks over the water. It was great!

  1067. Teresa Wilson

    Went went to lthe lake on the third and watched the fireworks on the boat, and then had family and friends over for a fabulous BBQ on the fourth.

  1068. Wendy M

    I spent the morning packing…we are selling our condo and we’re closing next week :) But, the afternoon was spent at a cookout with all of our friends, then off to the parade and bonfire!

  1069. Mary

    My husband and I drove from central Missouri To Charleston, WV. We say some great fireworks in KY & WV!

  1070. Ashley

    My family spent 4th of July at my brother’s house. He grilled for lunch and we stayed and played board games until 1:30 am! I’m tired today but we had so much fun.

  1071. Misty

    My family and I went to the inlaws. We bbq’d, watched fireworks at their park and then lit our own fireworks off afterward.

  1072. Amy Bryan

    We had a very low key 4th……just our little family of 3, “playing chef” together in the kitchen (100+ degree heat will keep you off of the grill!) and we watched tv, took little naps and enjoyed simply relaxing…….a nice surprise to the end of the day was a SPECTACULAR fireworks show by a neighbor a few houses down……we saw magnificent fireworks from our front porch….with homemade sno cones! God is good! Thankful for my family!

  1073. Susan Dingess

    I celebrated the 4 th with my sister whom I hadn’t seen in 5 years! Food, checking little shops just being together!

  1074. Kirsti Fleming

    We celebrated the 4th down at the lake with our 3 kids, the 2 neighbors with their 3 kids each, my sister and her boyfriend, and mutual town friends of ours adding 9 more kids to the mix! Lake season in MN means you don’t leave the lake until 8-9pm, so we had a mexican buffet all set up and ready…by the time we made it up to the house to eat, there was almost no conversation because everyone was inhaling the food. We finished the night with fireworks and a few mosquito bites!

  1075. Mis

    Would LOVE this–awesome, thank you!! We had some friends over for swimming, dessert potluck (yum!) and a big movie night since fireworks were cancelled here in Colorado due to all the wildfires. It was a sweet time with friends! So thankful for our freedom! Hope you guys had a great 4th, Miss Amanda!

  1076. Angie Southern Kitchen

    We spent most of the day in the pool and then fireworks was a lovely day!
    Happy Birthday America…..Glad to be an American!

  1077. ConnieS

    Spent the 4th with a house full of teenagers! 13 of them to be exact. The excitement and energy level of teenagers is amazing – even before the fireworks go off! They also eat A LOT!

  1078. Marsha

    We celebrated the 4th by going to Utah and helping my daughter move into her new home – more exciting than fireworks was my daughters excitement.

  1079. Evil Pixie

    I celebrated with my family. Turkey sliders on the grill, lots of fresh watermelon, raspberry shortcake, and fireworks. It was fabulous.

  1080. Becky Tieman

    Happy Birthday America indeed!! Our family spent the 4th at home, big surprise :) Had some great food, waited for the fireworks to start, one kid slept through them, and the other was more interested in the glow sticks we had….success!

  1081. Sherry

    This 4th I spent part of the afternoon with two of my sons. My youngest and I went to my middles resturant to have our bar-b-que (it was delicious and no dirty dishes) then went home and in the cool of my home watched fireworks on TV.

  1082. Erin Heltzel

    Hi!

    We spent the day with friends and our NEW house unpacking and decorating.

    Thank you for a chance to win!
    Erin

  1083. Amanda

    My family and I spent the day at the pool. It was awesome because my 2 little ones have learned to swim! We usually go see fireworks, but because we live in Colorado, they were cancelled. So sad!

  1084. Teri Merkins

    We were very low key for the 4th. With the heat index well over 100, I kept my young boys home and in the house. We’ll see fireworks soon :)

  1085. Tasha Phillips

    I spent the fourth of July doing what we always do…watching movies with a message of freedom/liberation/justice/heroism and eating the BEST food throughout! Then watched the fireworks show going on in the neighborhood.

  1086. Savannah O'Gwynn

    What a fabulous giveaway! FINGERS crossed:)

    We don’t go out on the 4th because of our dog. He’s 4 but he is sooooo scared of the fireworks. Plus, we had a huge storm yesterday (which he is also afraid of). So we stayed at home. HOWEVER, my husband and I decided to try glow in the dark bubbles around 11pm. It was a HUGE disaster! We had glow stick all over the counter, the wall, the microwave, and even on us! And it was a flop—I think we should have three parts glow stick to one part bubbles!

    THANKS for the chance to win:) sbmmhoover at yahoo dot com

  1087. Jennifer C

    A nice relaxing day at home… and then we ended the day at the club for a big BBQ and fireworks!!!!!

  1088. Kerry F

    I celebrated the 4th at the lake with my family and accidentally got dumped in the lake with all my clothes on and nothing to change into! Ewww! But we all had fun and ate great!

  1089. Romina

    We started the day by attending a pancake picnic and town parade. We headed home for some R&R and then back out to a friends house for food and swimming. Lastly, we went to a local park to watch the fireworks. The kiddos had a blast but they were exhausted…and so were we.

  1090. Denisse

    Kevin & Amanda-First of all I’d like to thank you both for all you do providing us all with the opportunity to win these items and Silhouette America for the generosity!

    As for the 4th of July, it was one of the best on my 32 years of age. I got to spent it with the love of my life: my 4 year old boy. We live in New York and we went to Pier 83, boarded a speedboat called “The Beast” that took us in a 30 minutes journey around all Manhattan, Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty with speed beyond this world…..Believe me when I tell you this!. The guy even did a 360° right there with all us in tow in the middle of the Hudson River…It was awesome and beyond our wildest dream. You had to hold to your seats but was well worth it and the kid just had a blast. Then, we walked out all wet (with our heart and stomach still in a knot and most important, alive!), went next door to visit the USS Intrepid to pay our respect and salute to our troops for the memorable service. To top it all up, we ended up the night watching the display of fireworks. Incredible and Surreal if you asked me…!!!

    I’ve been wanting a Cameo ever since I found it through a Scrapbook Forum that I belong to introduced me to one a few months ago…I didn’t even know that there was a life after the Cricut and being a single mom doesn’t allow me to spend much but I can only dream to win this. Thanks for the chance!!

  1091. Alyssa

    I had a cookout at my place! It was a last minute party so there were only ten of us, but that was plenty! Lots of food and fun!

  1092. Lisa

    We went to our friend’s annual 4th of July party! Everyone chips in for fireworks and we put on quite a display. I made red, white, and blue cupcakes in jars, which were a hit :) I would love to win this silhouette tool…I had no idea it could do so many cool things!

  1093. Robin S

    I actually had to work on the 4th! Some friends planned to go into Boston for the Pops on the Hatch Shell in the Esplanade along the Charles River, but they had to evacuate everyone because a huge thunderstorm came in just before they played the 1812 Overture! They still shot off the fireworks in the midst of a downpour but I was glad I was watching it on TV instead of being there!

  1094. Brandi

    Happy 4th!!!
    I spent the day with my 6 year old son. We went to see The Amazing Spider Man and had lunch with family. We then went to church and enjoyed a great firework display that the church puts on for the community.

  1095. Natalie

    We celebrated the 4th with our whole family getting together at my parents house at the lake. It was a hot fun day!

  1096. Vicky

    A group of friends and I got together for a fun evening meal consisting of all the traditional goodies!

  1097. aimee

    We got takeout from Fatz, which included chicken tenders, cheese grits, a low country boil sampler, and their yummy poppyseed rolls. Watched the Twilight Zone marathon for a while, ate ice cream in waffle bowls and watched fireworks around our house from inside in the cold a/c, then somemore fireworks on the WSB Georgia Salutes America special, which we taped! Thanks for the chance to win! : )

  1098. AliciaC

    We had friends and family over for dinner and relaxed on the back porch while watching fireworks. Very fun!

  1099. Heather D.

    My parents took my kids overnight on Tuesday, so hubby and I got to have a lovely sleep-in-late kinda day on the 4th. We had a lazy morning, he cooked me breakfast, and then we headed out to the picnic that my parents had taken our kiddies to. We hung out there for awhile, eating and swimming, and then we headed out to the fireworks with my in-laws. The kids had a BLAST seeing all the fireworks. It was a great day through and through! :-)

  1100. katie troncale

    We spent our 4th hanging out with family, swimming, fireworks, and BBQ. It doesn’t get much better than that!

  1101. Jami

    My family and I started our celebration on the 3rd of July by attending a minor league baseball game, enjoying their firework celebration right after the game. It was fantastic! For the 4th of July we just kept it low key and enjoyed a relaxing day at home celebrating with sparklers and fireworks of our own with family and neighbors.

  1102. Mary Ann

    I celebrated the 4th with my family, making pizza in my nephew’s new outdoor pizza oven. It was awesome! Loving your photos of Sweden. I would love to go there.

  1103. Linda@Prairie Flower Farm

    Sign me up please and thank you for the chance to win!!!!!!! This would be a wonderful addition to the craft room!
    Our little town has a huge celebration……..an old fashioned 4th with fireworks around the lake. It is a real special time with family!
    Hugs from my farm,
    Linda

  1104. Liz Cook

    Had a wonderful and simple 4th spending time with family, good food and a fun movie (Brave! Worth seeing!). Very few fireworks in our area because of fire danger but our neighborhood set off a few to enjoy the end of the day! Great day had by all!

  1105. Jodi

    We celebrated the 4th with family. We went to our local military base to watch the fireworks on the beach.

  1106. Sarah

    Love your blog!! Our kids are all at camp so we went to a matinee and tried a new restaurant. Very relaxed and fun!
    Thanks :)

  1107. Jey

    Celebrated it in a quiet way. Made some food that would cool us down from the heat. Cold soba noodles with tsuyu sauce and watermelon. :) Then watched the fireworks from our porch.

  1108. Cheri

    Ran the Red, White and Boom race (5miles) in Minneapolis with my son. Start time was 6:30am! It was my first race (I’m 53). Then relaxed with friends and cooked out in the evening.

    I’ve had the Silhouette Cameo on my wish list for years! It would be so awesome to finally get one!

  1109. Mona

    Had a wonderful 4th with my family at our cabin in the mountains of north Georgia, went horse back riding and then watched fireworks. Fun day!

  1110. Evalyn

    We celebrated the 4th by lazing around the house this year–and we ate grass fed beef hotdogs with chips and organic milk while we watched a corny movie. When the sun started to set we drove down to our waterfront and watched the fireworks. It was very quiet as you can see–we usually celebrate with lots of friends and family, so this was a definite detour from our normal celebrations; but all in all we enjoyed our quiet day together.

  1111. Sabrina

    We had our entire family together, which was nice! And we had a BBQ together with my oldest daughter’s boyfriend and his parents, then watched the kids play with sparklers and watched some fireworks. It was a nice, relaxing evening!

  1112. Andrea Watts

    My mother in law is in the last stages of cancer so we gather at her home every day and we spent the 4th with her and the family eating and playing cards.

  1113. Lauren Hughes

    Hope you had a happy 4th! I am in Boston visiting a friend from college. First time here! So beautiful. Anyway, we went to a friends cookout for lunch, then went to the Boston Pops! We got there very early so we could get a good seat. We had a great spot-under a tree and great people watching opportunities :). Side note-I’m from Alabama and the weather is so different up here. It was definitely hot, but they don’t have the extreme humidity we all love in the south. It was actually pleasant to sit outside, so it was a nice change. Back to the Boston Pops. We got to see some good performances (Jennifer Hudson was beautiful! ), but a pesky thunderstorm delayed the fireworks. We went ahead and left, but got to see the fireworks on the walk back! Great 4th.

  1114. jeny

    We celebrated on Sullivan’s Island with our annual Chicken BBQ. This year was different because my little girl (4mo.) was a part of the day- even though she wasn’t a fan!! Thanks for the chance.

  1115. Esther T.

    I had to work, but caught up with my family in time to watch some fireworks and have some adult beverages. Being with my family is always a treat!

  1116. Tina

    I spent the day with family at the neighborhood pool – good friends, food, and lots of family-friendly fun! I love Silhouette! Thanks!

  1117. Melissa Hawley

    We took our girls to a movie, the lake and then the local minor league baseball game! It was a great day and ended with sparklers in the driveway!

  1118. Urban Wife

    We had a nice day off work (although it feels weird today being back at work) cleaning house, eating, and watching fireworks.

  1119. Vanessa

    We went to my parents house. They live 25 minutes away from where we do and it feels like a treat when we get to spend time with them. We had roast pork sandwiches, dips and watermelon. The fireworks were spectacular. The best part was having my brother and his sweet family visit form Canada. It was a great Fourth of July!!

  1120. Melissa Kaye

    Yesterday the temps reached 101 with a heat index of 111 (in MN), so we spent the morning playing in our small inflatable pool in the backyard, the afternoon taking a nap and the night back in the pool until we went to fireworks. I was SO relaxing!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  1121. Amy L Brown

    Celebrated with family, friends and food! We cooked up fresh vegetables from the garden! Got out on Weiss Lake with the kiddos..played some cards..watched fireworks…the kids did sparklers…Awesome day! We are going to continue to celebrate the 4th the rest of the week!

  1122. Leslie

    I’ve been working so much overtime that I haven’t had very much time to rest and create (my passion). I actually got to sew that morning – woo hoo! Almost finished a dress for my 6 year old daughter and finished cutting out all of the pieces to my son’s Auburn quilt – lots of orange & blue – will be perfect for an 8 year old boy. We also went to Sears and bought a new dishwasher and new washing machine. How can two machines possibly break at the same time? While we were at the mall, we got the my daughter’s ears pierced – she didn’t cry, which I was very proud of. We grilled steak and hotdogs for supper. Then we took the took the kids to watch the movie Brave as a surprise – it was great! While on the way home, we pulled into a nearby parking lot and saw several fantastic fireworks displays – one from Mt. Laurel and the other from Vestavia. Great 4th!!!

  1123. jenni farnes

    this is our first 4th on the island where we live. so small-town cute and cozy and full of american spirit. we explored the island a bit, walked along the beach at low tide, the lowest all year….spotted a cherry red vintage truck with an american flag in the truck bed and i snapped a picture of it. my son and granddaughter were with us for the first time in a long time and we enjoyed sparklers and funny fireworks early on, homemade snow cones in red, white and blue, then watching fireworks across the water, on the island and further into the city from the comfort of the our deck on the island. nothing prettier than to see all those amazing fireworks painted in the shimmering water of puget sound!

  1124. Teri

    We spent the 4th with friends, eating too much and laughing just enough. Most of the area fireworks were cancelled due to a bad storm resulting in power outages, but there were plenty of people doing their own, so we still saw some skyline celebrations. Just recently stumbled on your blog and am really enjoying it!

  1125. Eliza

    My family had a lakeside picnic. In the evening we ate watermelon and had a Kinect dance party in our driveway followed by fireworks.

  1126. Chantel

    Happy 4th of July! My oldest son also celebrates his birthday with our country. When he was little, he thought that all the celebrations and fireworks were just for him! What a fun kid. He is now 23 yrs old. We celebrated both birthdays with breakfast in the morning, 4-wheeling and a picnic in the afternoon, and a BBQ in the evening with great friends and family. It was a seriously fun day!!!
    I’m so glad for the chance to win:D

  1127. Erin

    We had a cookout/pool party with friends from church. Then we stopped and bought fireworks. Once it got dark, I watched my husband shoot off some fireworks in our driveway. It was our son’s first fireworks experience. He called them “rocket ships” and was very interested for the first 30 minutes. Then he discovered the joy of a flashlight when it’s really dark and spent the next hour ignoring the fireworks and playing flashlight. It was a wonderful day & will be a great memory.

  1128. Denise N

    Well, I took two of my sons to a movie! It was stormy here and VERY hot and muggy, so we spent the day in the theater watching “Brave” – very cute movie we all enjoyed it (and my sons are 18 and 5)! We then did some shopping and were home in time for a little rest in the afternoon. Wish I could have every Wednesday off from work!

    Happy Independence Day everyone!

    P.S. I would LOVE to win the Silhouette! (Boy, do I have a lot of projects I could do!) Thanks for the opportunity!

  1129. kimber

    I like you on facebook! {I’m sure I’d like you in person, too!} After entertaining 30 college students this past weekend in 106 degree heat and watching them almost blow up the neighborhood {true story}, we had a VERY quiet 4th. Invited a couple over for dinner and we feasted on bbq leftovers and some homemade white chocolate raspberry ice cream.

  1130. Sophia

    Had a fantastic day with hubby and my toddler boy. We went to the botanical garden to see the live butterfly exhibit in the morning, and the temperature is 101F, no joke! All three of us took a nap in the afternoon. Then hubby took us to the best restaurant in town to celebrate our Anniversary! Close the night off with some awesome fireworks.

    Only that I was not ready to come to work this morning…

  1131. Lizzy

    My husband and I spent the day cleaning our basement and then the evening at a bbq with our new neighbors. It was good day. Thank you for offering such a fun giveaway.

  1132. Fran

    We spent the day having my husband’s family over for a BBQ. It was terribly hot here so we got out the kids swimming pool and slip n slide – can you imagine 5 adults in the kiddy pool? It brought back a lot of memories of when we would play with our children in the pool. The nieces loved seeing their “fun auntie” try the slip n slide – not bad considering I’m 55!

  1133. Angela R

    We played it low-key at home, but got to spend an evening sitting in the backyard, children in the lap, watching the neighbors’ fireworks.

  1134. Jackie

    How did you celebrate the 4th?

    Spent the day by the pool with family and friends. BBQ and we ate to much of all the goodies. Always a tradition for watermelon to enjoy the day. Homemade ice cream and fireworks to finish the night.

  1135. Lisa Michelle

    It was blazing hot here in the Upper Midwest so we didn’t do jack diddly squat! I did manage to make lunch and dinner for my family and finish up my Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy.

  1136. Jen

    We had a great BBQ with some neighbors and then leaded out to our city’s fireworks display. A very traditional day, but a great time was had by all! :)

  1137. Chelsie

    I just spent the day relaxing with my fiance and future in laws shooting off fireworks and having a cookout!

  1138. Martha S.

    We had an awesome 4th! The kids loved it that daddy was off work on a Wednesday. We spent lunchtime at our neighborhood pool and had a cookout. Then we went to a friend’s house and had homemade ice cream and watched so fireworks! It was great…and then the kids didn’t wake up until 8:30 this morning!

  1139. Stephanie Jones

    Fourth of July was pretty great :) My husband and I went over to his mom’s farm. We had some awesome pork chops and veggies off the grill, and my husband was able to teach me how to use a couple rifles out in the pasture- a very Texan fourth of July. Spent some time with my little nieces and nephews, and then watched the fireworks in the sky on the drive home.

  1140. LCSmithSAVED

    I celebrated the 4th of July yesterday by having a quiet day with my shut-in 90 year old aunt who lives with us. She had a stroke a month ago & so most days are quiet. We grilled steaks, potatoes, zucchini & hot dogs, and I made deviled eggs plus macaroni salad with tuna, onion, boiled eggs & Miracle Whip, with s’mores (or root beer floats :~) for dessert. Oh, yeah – and we dressed the dog up in r/w/b!

  1141. Julia

    I did absolutely nothing aside from catching up on my favorite blogs, cooking some pinterest recipes and hanging out with my dogs. It was awesome.

  1142. Kirstin

    We took our 4 kids to our local community days parade – a great way to kick off the 4th. Then we did a few home projects before eating pizza and watching the KC Sporting (mls soccer) game on tv.

  1143. Sheila

    My husband and myself drove downtown to watch the fireworks. I got a few great shots with my camera…I see a scrapbook page coming soon….hopefully using the Cameo!!! Thanks Amanda, hope you and Kenvin had a great 4th!!!

  1144. Jeannette Palmer

    My day was relatively quiet, talking with friends and family, simple dining with hubby and finding my car keys! Yeah!

  1145. Latasha

    We celebrated the 4th with other couples and their children. Being new parents it was so nice to share the love of family and watch the little ones enjoy each other. Good food and conversation and some fireworks to end the night. Was really great!

  1146. Mary

    I wish that I could tell you I did something exciting. I actually was in bed all day nursing a horrible sinus infection.

  1147. Omi

    My husband and I had all kinds of plans for our first July 4th together since we got married; however, I got up with flu. Spent the day in bed – well, sort of – with my loving husband taking care of me. Happy 4th!!

  1148. Cassie

    We celebrated with hamburgers at home and watching the fireworks at a nearby park from our balcony.

  1149. deb williams

    We drove in from TX on Sunday…..to the family lakehouse on Lake Martin by way of Pensacola to pick up our granddaughter….yeah!! The 4th was a quiet relaxing day with just our oldest son here with us all day. We grilled ribs with all the southern fixings….and pork shoulders for my granddaughters’ 3rd birthday that we will celebrate here on Saturday with all the family…even the ones from Texas! My mother came up for the morning, we made phone calls to the 2 children who couldn’t be here and then friends from Auburn dropped by in the afternoon. Swimming was high on the list, for us and our dogs, Dega and Mara. We ended the night by watching the fireworks from the dock and teaching Maime to say “Ohhhhhhh Ahhhhhh” each time she saw them:)

  1150. demare flynn

    I celebrated the 4th by going to the beach with some great friends and then watching the fireworks with my boyfriend — it was a great holiday!

  1151. Mindy Kammerdiener

    Cooked out with family, went to a patriotic church service, and watched fireworks

  1152. Gina

    Thanks for the chance to win! We have all been sick & we pretty much missed all the festivities for the 4th of July :( So, I made my girls some cute cupcakes and we watched Independence Day

  1153. Becky @ Pieces of My Life

    Oh how I want to win this. We spent the 4th at the pool and then dinner with family and friends.

  1154. Erika

    We celebrated the 4th with friends at a pool party. Later my oldest son and husband went to watch fireworks while I stayed home with our baby. It was a fun, relaxing day!

  1155. Jessica

    I went to a BBQ at my boss’s house, read and napped with my kitties in the sun in the afternoon, and watched the Macy’s fireworks show on NBC. My DH was working so it was a quiet day for me. Thanks so much for the giveaway opportunity! Crossing my fingers to win! :-)

  1156. Shawna

    My son’s wedding is this Saturday so I was at home doing things for that. So was it red, white, and sad (blue) :-) because I was home alone? No, it’s all good. Happy Fourth of July America!!!

  1157. KLF

    With my family watching baseball. What else is there to do on the 4th:) It is an American tradition.

  1158. Jade

    We met my SIL and her family at the pool and spent a few hours splashing and playing. After, we went to our favorite ice cream shop for a yummy treat. For dinner we grilled some hamburgers and wrapped up the night by driving downtown to watch the fireworks in our PJ’s! The kids loved it!

  1159. Maggie G

    Fireworks, bbq, pool and lots of fun in the sun!! Thanks for the chance to win, I’m dying for one of these!!!

  1160. Melissa M

    Went to my parents for lunch to celebrate my father’s birthday. For some reason there are always fireworks :) Then went to in-laws for dinner.

  1161. Lisa

    It was a HOT one. Took the kids to a parade in 96 degree heat! Then cooled off at the grocery store picking up some items for a last minute dinner party with some of my hubbies oldest friends. Then ended the day watching fireworks in the back yard. Happy Birthday, America!

  1162. Meg

    We spent the Fourth celebrating with my family. My sister just bought a house, so we went to Lowe’s, got her a grill and then broke it in with pimento cheese burgers and spiraled hot dogs!

  1163. Melinda

    Unfortuately, I spent the 4th trying to stay cool. My power had been off since June 29th! Thankfully, it’s back on now!

  1164. Stacey

    I celebrated with my family and friends at a BBQ and were ably to see fireworks from all parts of the San Francisco Bay Penensula. It was great!

  1165. Brittney

    Hello from Louisiana,

    My husband and I spent the day together doing not much of anything, just spending time together was nice!

    P.S. This past weekend we went to the Chocoholics dessert bar at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans and had a great time. After your blog about it, we knew we just had to try it out!!

  1166. Kathy Moran

    No celebration!!!! Had to work!!!! Would love to win this! Thanks for the great giveaways!

  1167. Karen H

    Had a quiet 4th. Did a little shopping, read a good book and played with my dogs. Treated myself to some barbeque and ice cream. Good,relaxing day.

  1168. Liz

    My family just stayed home and relaxed since we are inbetween trips and I am about to move off to college. It was so fun and special to really enjoy today at the house with them.

  1169. Aggie

    We had a cookout at my sister’s house and since it rained and we couldn’t get in the pool we played cards all afternoon. Thank you for the giveaway!

  1170. Jan Marie

    We had a great day. Set the table on the porch with patriotic cloths, dishes, made sun tea, grilled steaks on the new grill along with grilled veggies and roasted potatoes. We blessed the meal and all said the Pledge of Allegiance. Desert was a new version of Tiramisu–Angelo style with blueberries, lemoncello otherwise the same–delicious. Watched fireworks…A great day savoring the freedoms of this great country!

  1171. Danielle Breedlove

    Happy (belated) 4th of July! My husband and I celebrated the 4th at our friends house. We swam, BBQ’d, over ate scrumpcious food and reflected on our countrys history and the men and women that fight for this great nation, making this country the greatest place to live. Thanks for the chance to win!

  1172. Katherine

    Celebrated the 4th with my husband and 3 month old little girl… we just grilled out and watched fireworks from our deck!

  1173. Cris

    I celebrated our Independence rather quietly. My husband labored in the yard most of the day and then grilled ribs. Delicious! I worked in the house and then watched the great national celebrations on TV! A great holiday! So proud to be an American!

  1174. Jacqui

    I spent the 4th by relaxing at home for most of the day and then went to my friends for a BBQ! It was a great and relaxing day – much needed :-)

  1175. Meredith b.

    I went to a parade and saw my mom on her class anniversary float, then met up with friends from college for fireworks. Awesome day!

  1176. Kristine

    I spent the 4th back in my hometown! I was expecting it to be kind of boring since it’s a really small town, but I forgot how tight-knit the community is. It was kind of nice to be in a place where everyone knew me and smiled and asked how I was. Just an all-around great night with friends, family and fireworks.

  1177. Monica

    I celebrated the 4th at my parent’s house. Had so much fun watching the cousins play together, and we ate some seriously yummy food! :) Thanks for the chance to win!

  1178. Trina

    Spent the day with my closest friends and I got to hold their adorable newborn most of the time. Best 4th ever!

  1179. sarah

    Goodness I wish I had something super awesome to tell you – but instead I worked around the house, laid by the pool, and pulled weeds. Exciting… i know

  1180. KellyRae

    We celebrated with a picnic at noon, chalk painting a mural along the length of our neighborhood cul-de-sac street (it had a parade, fireworks, baseball, and flags to commemorate what the 4th means to the kids), and then driving to city-sanctioned fireworks in the evening. All in all a fabulous family day!

  1181. Julie Hall

    My July 4th was low key. I took care of my elderly parents and joined “Kevin and Amanda” after finding lots of neat things from pinners on Pinterest! I am thrilled to be a part of such a creative group!

  1182. Janie

    We walked along the river, went and saw Brave and ended up the day with neighborhood friends. Every year our neighborhood gets together for a BBQ, games and fireworks. Lots of fun!

  1183. Kristen

    We went to the festivities in our town where they had children’s activities, food vendors, and awesome fireworks at dusk. It was my 2 year old’s first time enjoying the fireworks and she loved it!

  1184. Kelli

    We kept it pretty low key this year since we just finished moving into a new house. In the morning we watched the parade and at night we went to see the fireworks (though we had to watch from the car since the 17 month old fell asleep on the way there.)

  1185. Debby J

    We celebrated a little early by having a family cookout the Sunday before the 4th. Then yesterday our 2 oldest grandsons came out with some fireworks to shoot off. I managed to get some great photos too!

  1186. Leah

    Celebrated most of the fourth with my puppy and two kittens, lounging around the house not doing much at all!! Ended the night by having my mom and boyfriend over at my apartment for hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and some great catching up!! :) Great Fourth!

  1187. Lynn

    Since it was 100 degrees in Minnesota yesterday, I cooked ribs in the roaster out in the garage before grilling. Also, I cleaned and rearranged my scrap room and now have the space for a new Cameo! Would so love to win one. Thanks for the chance.

  1188. Dawn Bowen

    I celebrated the 4th with family and friends. No better way to honor our independance and freedom than with those we love. Thanks Amanda!!

  1189. Janice

    I went to my newly wed daughter and son-in-law’s home and had a great day with lots of good food. This was the first holiday party I did not hostess in I can’t say how long. It was so nice to be company…although I help my daughter out a lot. Great day!!!

  1190. HayLee Shurtleff

    We played lots of family games and had a BBQ. We watched our 1 year old have a blast swimming (splashing) in the kiddie pool. Then enjoyed fun fireworks and brownies. :)

  1191. Stephanie @ Our Marriage Adventure

    I had breakfast in bed, followed by some reading time, and then I had birthday cake because yesterday was my birthday as well as America’s. :)

  1192. carol edge

    Like Wisconsin & Illinois, here in Indiana, we are also on a burn ban and fireworks were cancelled. In spite of that, we had a good day. We barbeque’d burgers and swam in the pool. I would love to win a cameo!

  1193. Alison

    As a Canadian we actually celebrated Canada Day on July 1st – spent the day with my husband and he entered a pie eating contest! Didn’t win – but it was a bunch of fun. On the 4th, we messaged our family and friends in the USA to send our best wishes for a happy and safe Independence Day.
    Sure would love to win this one!

  1194. Kara Green

    We spent the morning and early afternoon staying cool in the pool, then headed downtown to watch some amazing fireworks with family and friends. It was a wonderful day, and I hope you enjoyed yours as well!!

  1195. anita

    I celebrated the 4th with my fiance and my Yorkie. My poor girl gets so stressed out by all of the fireworks, that most of our time was spent keeping her calm. She IS adorable though! ;)

  1196. Keisha - Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams

    We celebrated with lots of good food, poolside fun, and ended the day watching the National Fireworks from the rooftop of a building – crazy fun!

  1197. Sandy

    Went to a neighborhood parade with friends and then had a barbecue at my daughter’s house.. Watched grand kids and their friends do sparklers.

  1198. Courtney H.

    I went over to a friend’s for an indoor barbecue! She had the perfect view of the fireworks from her living room so since it was 100+ outside we stayed inside. We ate chocolate fondue and yummy pulled pork!!

  1199. Anna Prestwood

    I celebrated with my family. We took the girls to the pool for a few hours and then came home for naps. We joined some friends and our parents for dinner and then just spent the night relaxing in teh coolness of the house. With the fourth in the middle of the week, it was hard to really celebrate!

  1200. Amy

    We spent a nice relaxing, quiet holiday at home. We played some games together, watched tv, and basically just hung out. It was really nice!

  1201. Sylvia P

    I worked in the morning, at a really fun boutique, napped, then swam, grilled out, and listened to my father in law read all the names on the constitution and than read the constitution and then sang patriotic songs!

  1202. Valerie

    Spent the day relaxing with my Mom and hubby!! Great food and conversation and then watched fireworks at a local church. Great day!!

  1203. Deanna Roumimper

    Spent our 4th of July, swimming and BBQing with our favorite people on the planet and then the best fireworks display on the West Coast Huntington Beach, CA. Best 4th ever!

  1204. Dawn in HSV

    My son and I spent the day with family… at my parents house with my siblings. I’m lucky in that I still have my parents who are in their mid 80s. Everyone brought food and we enjoyed alot of laughs. :)

  1205. Susan

    We celebrated the 4th at my mothers, swimming, eating and watching the fireworks! Love your blog and thanks for the chance to win this great machine!

  1206. Jcqueleen Golabek

    Beautiful day outside playing with the dogs ….ball throwing,kiddie pool,and chilling. BBQ with family and friends and closed with watching the fireworks from the storms brewing to the pyrotechnics of the man driven displays.

  1207. Debbie Blair

    Our friends treated us to a Dayton Dragon’s minor league baseball game where they won 17-4 and set a new club record for most hits in a game at 24. We saw fireworks lighting up the sky, but the full bright moon was what caught our eye. An enjoyable day for sure!

  1208. Emily

    My extended family gets together every year for what we call our July Jamboree. This year our family time included the 4th. We celebrated with a cookout, fireworks, lots of games, fishing and golfing! It was great!

  1209. Kelly S

    My husband is in medical school and ends his summer “break” this morning. So a few other med students came over for dinner and wine and we ended early so everyone could wake up early again this morning!

  1210. Jennifer

    My husband, son & I spent the 4th driving from FL to NC! Maybe not ideal to most, but the traffic was super light and it was a beautiful drive. We love this time of year as we take & pick up our 13yr old daughter to Camp Crestridge in Black Mtn, NC every summer. She spends 10 days at an all girls camp doing crazy stuff & having a blast! We get to see her tonight!! Yippee!
    Thanks for all you do Amanda. I adore your style, your writing & cute sense of humor :-)

  1211. Lori

    The 4th and hanging out with the family go hand-in-hand. Spent a very hot, steamy morning fishing on the Mississippi river, followed by a couple of hours cooling off in the A/C. Then off to a picnic at Grandma Nancy & Grandpa Marv’s house. Good company, good food!

  1212. kathleen

    spent the day relaxing, and went to a church gathering in th evening… filled with brats/burgers and patriotic cake balls! :)

  1213. Amber DuVenI fired tre

    We celebrated with friends and family. I fired both grills up early Wednesday morning and all of the guest were ready to eat by noon. We grilled fish, chicken, veggies, fruit and baked beans. I LOVE grilling!!

  1214. ElleBee

    Had a fabulous family day complete with naps, pool time, popsicles, roasted marshmallows, and of course, tacos. Because tacos on the Fourth just scream “All-American”, right? :)

  1215. Julie

    Attended our town parade (our son participated on the swim team float), a cookout and the best sno-cones this side of New Orleans!

  1216. Melanie

    We’re on vacation so I spent it walking the streets of Toledo, Spain but I got to read about what was going on back home thanks to Facebook.

  1217. Shelli

    Did some shopping and then went bowling with a group of friends. Turns out I’m not very good at bowling, but it was still fun! :)

  1218. Kelly

    I spent the 4th of July resting at home as I am 35 weeks pregnant and enjoyed the day off work to take it easy! We then spent the evening with family enjoying a delicious dinner of smoked BBQ ribs with all the trimmings. Strawberry trifle for dessert to top it all off! Wonderful holiday spent low key!

  1219. Deanna

    Spent the 4th with my dude in Dayton Ohio. We grilled new york strip steaks for supper with corn on the cob. Our Boston (Hannah) was happy to have us home with her………..Now vacation for the rest of the week!!!!!! Thanks, Deanna

  1220. April W

    How exciting!!! We spent the 4th at my Aunt Patsy’s house, swimming our hearts out. :) It was so much fun!! Thank you for this amazing chance to win!
    – April W

  1221. Carolyn

    I did a little shopping, a little scrapping and a little bit of laundry. And to end the day I watched fireworks…….on TV.

  1222. Shelly

    This year our state is in a severe drought. Almost the entire state is under a burn ban so no one was able to shoot fireworks. My husband had to work and my daughter (she’s 13) volunteers assisting teaching Red Cross swim lessons, so I walked in 103 degree heat while they worked. I managed a little over 10 miles between her morning sessions and the evening session. It was hot and I poured some sweat, but it felt good!

  1223. CC

    I celebrated the 4th with family and friends! We grilled and played cards since fireworks were a no go this year.

  1224. katie

    What a fabulous give away! I spent the 4th with wonderful friends. Swimming, kayaking, and lots of good eating… XoXo

  1225. Brenda H.

    I spent some time doing research to find out how to qualify for membership in the Daughters of the Revolution. I have several ancestors who qualify me and I have always wanted to be a member, since childhood. I need to find out what I need and then get all the documentation together. I am so thankful to have such an American past!

  1226. Trista

    I hung out all day with my husband and we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my daughter and her boyfriend. I hope that you had a great 4th!

  1227. Susan

    We watched our hometown 4th of July parade, grilled hot dogs, had a few naps and then enjoyed fireworks! Perfect!

  1228. Denise

    We stayed overnight at our cabin on the 3rd, then hiked Kanarra Creek on the 4th on our way home. Beautiful hike through a slot canyon. Hike in water, climbed an interesting looking ladder and slide down a rock slide. Great beautiful day. But now I can hardly walk. ;o)

  1229. Brandy Hardee

    We spent the day at the swimming pool enjoying the family. We followed it up with a night out for dinner ;) thanks for another awesome giveaway!

  1230. April V

    We had a lovely feast of everything from hot wings to ice cream cake served by the pool!! Such a relaxing wonderful day :)

  1231. Jenny

    at home with family! Our son goes to bed at 7 so we watched the town’s fireworks from our guest bedroom window!

  1232. Aimee M

    I spent the day with my boyfriend’s family! They have a huge (Italian!) party every 4th of July and it’s always SO much fun.

  1233. Laura S

    We spent the day at my husband’s bosses house. It was super hot out, but we took his boat out and swam in the lake.

  1234. Hollie

    I spent the 4th with my husband and son. My hubs works a lot so it was nice to have a day in the middle of the week to spend together.

  1235. Tanesha

    We went to a wonderful family BBQ and spent the whole day in their pool cooling off! Thanks for the giveaway.

  1236. Jennifer

    San Diego, California (across the country from our Georgia home). We were visiting family and had a lovely day!

  1237. Nat

    Hi Amanda!
    What a wonderful giveaway chance!
    I would super love to win!
    Because we just moved across the country, we didn’t think we would be doing anything especially fun for the 4th…no family close. But we were invited to a huge pool party/barbecue and had a blast! At night, we didn’t think we would see fireworks either…but the neighbor had a spectacular show that we watched! It turned out to be 100% fun and free! :)
    Nat
    doodlecraft.blogspot

  1238. Brandy

    We have a toddler and an infant so our fourth was pretty low key. We celebrated with a family nap, a little BBQ, and movie night!

  1239. Sharon

    We did some fireworks in the backyard and watched movies. We had a thunderstorm so no fireworks at night!

  1240. CindiG

    I had lunch with my mom & aunt, followed by a couple of hours shopping with them. Upon returning home, I paid bills while my hubby finished installing ceiling fans in all 3 bedrooms. Then it was dinner and couch-potato time.

  1241. Jennifer Creviston

    What a great giveaway!!!

    We celebrated the 4th… by going swimming! We drove over to my husband’s Aunt’s house to swim with our girls and have a little cookout. We stayed most of the day and headed to go see fireworks in the city park. Everything turned out great… (besides kids being kids and annoying each other)

    Thanks again for the giveaway!

  1242. Rita Fuja

    Went to our town’s parade in the morning and watched my husband and youngest daughter ride a float with a group they are in called Adventure Princesses. They had a blast! Then, had friends over and had a brisket that my husband had started smoking the night before! It was delish! Lots of other great food, friends, kids, swimming, fireworks. All the great things you can do on the 4th. It was a perfect day to be in the USA!

  1243. Jane Mykleby

    Celebrated the 4th with food, family and fireworks. My poor dogs. Worse holiday ever for them.

  1244. Mary

    Spent the day with a friends and family at a cookout had a wonderful time….nice to relax and enjoy each others company

  1245. Elizabeth H

    We celebrated the 4th with a big ol plate of my husband’s delish baby back ribs. Can’t beat ’em!

  1246. Pam Trammell

    I celebrated the 4th with family and food. We got in some swimming as well. No fireworks here because of the burn ban but we had plenty of good food.

  1247. Lilly

    I spend the whole day working :(
    I can use some fun with this amazing machine !!! Love it! finger cross!

  1248. Kathy Gallagher

    My husband and I spent the 4th of July with 4 of our closest friends. We are so blessed to have friends who are always there for us when the going gets tuff.
    We had a wonderful cookout that we enjoyed inside due to the unbearable heat wave that has arrived in southern Ohio which has decided to stay with us. Hope eveyone is staying safe and cool.
    Good luck everyone! Those are some great items!

  1249. Julie McD

    Celebrated the 4th with our family watching the fireworks at our church and lots of people from the community! Worked on VBS stuff during the daytime since it was way too hot for outdoor activity and enjoyed hanging out with our kids who had come home from a week away!

  1250. Becky

    July 4th was wonderful…worked in the yard and ended the day grilling burgers on the lake…proud to be an American! Thanks for the great giveaway!!

  1251. Susan

    We celebrated early by visiting my mom in Indiana and after getting back from our trip, lit some sparklers in the back yard!

  1252. DeidreSH

    I spent the Fourth at the bookstore, then the pool with a great friend, then I went home and prepared Cajun Oven-Fried Trout, Green Beans and Skillet Potatoes for the Mr. as he had to work all day. We ended the day by watching Water for Elephants.

  1253. Suz Ruby

    Thanks and hope you had a great 4th of July as well:)

    This was our first 4th of July back in our “home” town since I was 11 and my husband was 12 – and the first for our 3 girls as well. We enjoyed it by barbecuing with family, going to the local town parade and going to fireworks at night. The girls LOVED it!

  1254. emily

    For the Fourth at our house we didn’t do much! We never have days where we lay around and are lazy, so it was a good day to do that considering our weather was hot, 104, and oh so humid! I love this giveaway and I appreciate the opportunity to enter! Thanks!

  1255. Amy

    Happy Independence day! We spent the day with family. We laughed until our stomachs hurt. It was a great day.

  1256. Skrapkitty

    What a fabulous giveaway! I’m keeping my fingers crossed and saying a prayer!

    We spent our fourth of July introducing our patriotic traditions to friends that have recently moved here from Europe. It was so heart warming to watch our children as they explained the American customs and to hear them explain their views on freedom. Lots of burgers and hotdogs and finished the night watching a fabulous firework display over a lake.

  1257. Bobbie (aka claysmom)

    Our son is at his grandparents so my hubby and I went to see a movie, then grilled fresh corn, burgers. I made potato salad and banana pudding. Had a few drinks and just enjoyed time together.

  1258. Glynis

    With all the wildfires raging around us we weren’t allowed to blow anything up, but we grilled burgers, ate potato salad and took a few moments to read the Declaration of Independence with my kids. It was a good day!

  1259. Ashley Moore

    After being trapped in the house for a week and a half due to a virus, my son and I joined Daddy in DC for the 4th. We got to enjoy about 10 different sets of fireworks from the rooftop of my husband’s job, including the one’s atop the Monument. =) It was unforgettable!

  1260. L.B.

    We had a low key indoor 4th (WAY TO HOT!) until our city put on the “Sky Concert” of wonderful fireworks and music. A great and peaceful 4th. (Oh yeah i got some crafting done as well)

  1261. Julia

    My husband had to work all day (oh, the life of a farmer! No federal holidays!), so I moved a bunch of stuff from our old house to our new house. Then, grilling, relaxing, and fireworks.

  1262. Jennifer

    We celebrated the 4th by sleeping in until 8 a.m. and then having a lazy day around the house. Watching movies and working on projects. We have days off so infrequently that it’s nice to just chill when it finally happens. :) Back to work today… and with no AC and temps over 100*… can we have another holiday??

  1263. Mandi

    Hey, Amanda!
    I spent the 4th at my parents’ house. All three of my sisters and their husbands were in town, so it was fun to have the whole family together! The 4th is also Landon’s birthday, so we also spent the day celebrating his third birthday. :-) It was a very special day, overall!

  1264. Rachel B.

    I spent the 4th relaxing for the day and then watching fireworks with my 9 year old. It’s one of our favorite holidays! :)

  1265. Kim H.

    We have a son with Autism and he is extremely scared of fireworks so we don’t do much. We went car shopping (his favorite car was the lime green Mustang Boss 302) and I cooked a fab dinner!

  1266. Mallory Thompson

    We celebrated the 4th by going to the pool, watching our country club’s big golf tournament–the horse race, and then had a BBQ at the club! No fireworks because of a city wide burn ban, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!

  1267. Karen

    We had a very all-American holiday: bar b que, slip ‘n slide with the grandson, then fireworks under a beautiful Kansas sky, and finally writing a blog post about my Revolutionary War ancestor, Daniel Waterbury. Love this holiday for everything it symbolizes.

  1268. Sara

    I went to a 4th of July fireworks party and brought a terrific couscous salad recipe…it was a hit!

  1269. dawn

    Watched a small town parade, baked a cake for my 4th of July born, baby sister, had a great dinner and watched distant fireworks and a rising, full, pink moon! Perfection!

  1270. Grace E.

    Hi! My husband, daughter (7) and I invited a couple friends over for a quaint pool party, grilled burgers, had a lot of fun, then went to the beach to watch the fireworks show! It was a wonderful, fun filled day. I couldn’t be more blessed!

    Thanks for the chance to win! I have wanted a Cameo for some time now. Love reading your blog, you take amazing pictures too!!

  1271. jill

    We spent our day at the best 4th parade in America! Had guests til 2 PM swimming and eating, then went to the cinema in the eat of the day to see the new Spidey movie, which we enjoyed. Then home to grill for more guests and off to the fireworks to top off our day. It was heaven because so many have given everything for us to do just these things! JILL

  1272. Donna Maligno

    I spent the fourth my favorite wat – by the pool with my family doing barbecue. I topped it off by watching The Boston Pops at the Esplanade.

  1273. melissa

    Neighborhood Parade followed by homemade ice cream for all. Shooting Tannerite that has been enhanced with gasoline. Lunch with friends from USA, Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya. Swimming for the kids, fireworks, yummy food for all.
    Thank you.

  1274. Angie

    We invited all of my family over, spent a couple hours at the pool and then had a massive cookout where we all ate too much and left sick to our stomachs. After a mid-day fiesta, we went to see the fireworks in downtown Charlotte, NC.

    Hope your 4th was spectacular!

  1275. Kathy Nellis

    Love, Love, Love your site. I didn’t get to do anything, was sick:-( I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!!!

  1276. Nancy

    I visited my dad at the assisted living place where he lives and had lunch with him on three patio.I also planted three shrubs, did the laundry and went for a walk before the huge thunderstorm!!!!

  1277. Becky

    I spent the day watching my wonderful husband EAT! He just had AAA surgery @ Mayo in Rochester, MN. He’s never been a big eater, but the anesthesia and drugs really took his appetite away. Bless his heart, he had a few things yesterday!

    What a wonderful country the USA is! Blessed to have hospitals, doctors, nurses and technicians which are so very talented!

  1278. Cretia

    We celebrated early, by going to a fireworks show at a local lake on Saturday night. On the fourth, we had lunch together, then I canned green beans all afternoon.

  1279. Tonya Isbell

    We spent the 4th out by the pool at a friends house. We cooked chicken wings, chicken legs, kielbasa, and hot dogs on the grill and had many sides with a yummy cupcake to seal the meal!!! :)

  1280. Sarah Cruze

    Celebrated the 4th by visiting my sister-in-law in Washington DC! We had a fun cookout with a bunch of college summer interns (one being my other sister-in-law), followed up with a (hot&humid) walk to the National Mall. We waited there waiting for the fireworks to start & enjoyed the Marine band playing patriotic songs at Capitol Hill. It was so fun & emotional…God Bless America! Happy 4th Amanda! Thanks for the giveaway chance!

  1281. Lisa Y.

    We spent a quiet 4th at home with the kiddos. Went to the drive in the night before and all slept in. We also did a rain dance in the backyard – we need rain so badly – we are desperate. Our neighbors just laughed at us – lol.

  1282. Heidi

    We celebrated the 4th with a family BBQ. My little boy got a new bike and we spent hours watching him show off his riding skills. The best part of the day!

  1283. Wilma Couch

    We spent a very quiet 4th of July. Grilled burgers and watched TV. It was way too hot to be outside.

  1284. Erin

    I spend the 4th with my wonderful family. Enjoying a picnic, a bonfire, and some small fireworks (as we are badly in need of rain) Great memories, Great photos, Great times. Cannot wait till next year. Another way of spending the “4th” this weekend the whole family is heading to Norwalk, Ohio for the NHRA Drag Races where my boyfriends brother works on a Nirto Funny Car. So it will the first time seeing him since Christmas, since he travels the country on a race team and we see him only for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are SUPER EXCITED for a family vacation with the WHOLE FAMILY. Great way to spend another USA holiday!

  1285. Demitria

    It was the middle of the week and I had work the next day so we took it easy and did some much needed housework. Oh! I did make some brownies at 10 o’clock at night…they were delicious too…

  1286. Katie D

    We spent the day with family. We went to the zoo, the stayed in the parking lot to watch Indy’s fireworks show. Great day!

  1287. Kelly H.

    We were pretty low-key this year. The family and I spent a quiet evening at home on the farm, watching the fireworks from all over the valley floor and up onto the mountain-sides from under the apple trees in our orchard. It was sublimely restful and lovely.

  1288. Linda M.

    My family came over and they had pizza from our pizza oven and the girls did lots of swimming!

  1289. Leiah

    Even though the day started out on a not-so-celebratory note (we had to go to a funeral), we made the decision to celebrate anyway later that evening with a cookout for the just the two of us. And then finished the night with the big firework show over the lake.

  1290. Mandy Baker

    We relaxed in the cool house while watching movies and then enjoyed our local air show (fireworks) display! Thanks for a chance to win an awesome giveaway.

  1291. Sarah O.

    We spent the 4th on Lake Norman, near Charlotte, N.C. It was great to be on the water with great friends and lots of great food!

  1292. Katie

    Spent the day celebrating with a family bbq! Fireworks were rained out, but no one was upset because the rain was much needed! Love your blog!

  1293. Sandy

    It was like 99 degrees here, so I stayed in and cleaned. Now I don’t have to do that this weekend!!

  1294. Mandy

    We celebrated by having a very low key day (the first in a long time). Relaxed and stayed inside where it was nice and cool. Read a book, took a nap and then watched the Macy’s fireworks on TV. A wonderful relaxing day :-)

  1295. Laura

    My husband & I spent the day on the lake with our two boys on our sweet little sailboat, LuSea! We had a wonderful day together! Thanks for all your give aways! :)

  1296. Stella Paeglow

    We had cook out with the family and then lit some fireworks with the neighbors. I was a blast!

  1297. Janice Whiting

    We spent the fourth with my husbands family, relaxing at their house and enjoying a great BBQ dinner! So thankful for all our freedoms and comforts America provides!

  1298. Teri

    Kept it simple! Cooked hamburgers on grill, garnished with all the goodies, then crashed watching tv.
    Heard all the fireworks but didn’t see them. Really a nice relaxing day!

  1299. Yvonne

    We were very low key this year. Just my husband, 2 daughters and some sparklers. It was great!

  1300. Skittle

    Spent the first part of the day painting an old iron bed for my daughter, then we went swimming, ate some BB-Q & watched Alice in Wonderland before bedtime. Great day!

  1301. Courtney Brown

    Spent the 4th doing a little shopping and introducing my little man to rice cereal for the first time! :)

  1302. Jennifer Zaboj

    FAMILY….that is how we celebrate July 4th. My oldest son (19) was born on Independence Day. Yesterday was a day in Wisconsin – 98 degrees and humid! Birthday celebration, swimming in the pool and lots of good food!

  1303. Katie

    We didn’t do much because of not being able to shoot fireworks but we went and saw the cute parade that goes through downtown and spent some quality family time at home. :) I would absolutely LOVE to win this!! :) (So I can use it in my classroom!!!!)

  1304. Patty

    We celebrated the 4th with good friends. We all brought our lawn chairs and sat in their driveway and talked until after dark. It was a quiet 4th in Colorado – no fireworks allowed. Thanks for the chance to win this amazing prize.

  1305. Sher

    Early morning breakfast at our church then a 22 mile bike ride up the canyon. We came home and did yard work, then on to watch fireworks and eat treats with the grand kids. A beautiful day. Thanks for this opportunity to win! Happy days to you!

  1306. Rose

    Enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach with my family – sun’n’sand, cool ocean breezes, seashells, and peaceful water views – a great way to spend the BEST American holiday! Later we went to a local barbecue restaurant and wolfed down a delicious meal. Happy 4th of July Forever!!

  1307. priscilla

    Love your blog! I watched the firworks from my balcony with patriotic music!! It was awesome!!

  1308. Jenny Z.

    I’m taking summer classes at university, so unfortunately I couldn’t celebrate with my family! So I just had a quiet day and watched the city parade and fireworks from my rooftop!

  1309. Susan

    Went to our church’s 4th of July Festival, then watched fireworks with some of my best friends!

  1310. Maria Trader

    On the actual 4th we had a grill out with my family and watched an episode of Doctor Who.

  1311. Debi

    We celebrated with family from New York. Shopped all afternoon and ate and ate and ate…. Stood outside last night and watched fireworks go off all around us. Also watched the lightening behind the clouds (was sooooooo beautiful)… All and all, had a wonderful day! Hope you had a great day too.

  1312. anna

    We live in Charleston, SC and had a ton of family in from Texas and Wisconisin! We took the whole crowd downtown and watched the fireworks come from the historic Yorktown! Of course before we headed out we had cuban sandwiches and strawberry sparkle cake! It was a great day of food and fun!

  1313. Michelle M.

    We had a very relaxed and lazy day! We had some fried chicken and lit fireworks with the kids. A great day all around! :)

  1314. Carrie Monts

    we had so much fun celebrating the 4th by watching our town’s fireworks and dined on hamburgers and hotdogs. Hope you guys had a wonderful 4th too!

  1315. Wynonah Bates

    hubby was off work, so we had lunch out, then hit a movie, returned home to relax, fell asleep and was woken by the sound of fireworks going off all around us. we missed the display, but the noise was spectacular! nothing i like better than hanging out wth my BFF, who im blessed to have as my spouse, too!

  1316. Vanessa

    My husband and three children and I enjoyed the day together. First we had breakfast together. Then we bought fireworks together. Then we enjoyed lunch with my parents. Next we visited with my husband’s family and last we enjoyed fellowship time with our church family where we ate AGAIN:) and popped fireworks with the kiddos. We had a very relaxing day…

  1317. Sandy_in_MD

    I enjoyed a cookout with my husband, my son (who just returned from a year in Afghanistan), and his family. It was lots of fun, but oh so hot here in Maryland. Thanks for sponsoring this great giveaway!

  1318. Fran

    Since it’s 800 degrees outside, we spent the day inside enjoying our a/c. We grilled steaks for lunch, which made us feel festive. At night we watched home movies of fireworks from Disney World, because local fireworks have been cancelled due to drought. Thanks for the chance!

  1319. Rachel

    Celebrated by the pool for most of the day! Ended it with a cookout and fireworks at the riverfront. A great day with friends!

  1320. Melanie

    We had a low-key picnic just relaxing with family, watching my kids and niece have fun in the (kiddie) pool, and it was really nice. We missed my husband, who wasn’t with us, so that was the only bad thing.
    Hope you had a great 4th!!!! :)
    ….proud to be an American!

    Melanie :)

  1321. Lindsay T

    I spent July 4th inside with my friends. We had to beat the heat with some AC! We watched a 90s music special on VH1 and reminisced. It was a lot of fun!

  1322. Sandra

    My husband and I took our kids to the pool for a few hours. They we went to our friends’ house to cookout. The kids enjoyed sparklers after dinner. We had a great day!

  1323. Leslie Kiley

    Dear Amanda , We had a super laid back day at my brothers house with my parents. They all swam in the pool and we had the best BBQ’ed pork steaks and Brats with potato salad, baked beans and key lime pie! Watched the fireworks right of his back porch as they really do it up big here so we where surrounded by them for hours! It was nice. The only thing missing was my daughter being off in Cali visiting her boyfriend!

  1324. Sandra M.

    July the 4th was fantastic! I spent the day with my children and grandchildren. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and made homemade icecream. We looked at facebook, Delta Company (Army). My grandson is a SIT (soldier in training) at Fort Benning, Ga. So proud of him and our great country!!!!

  1325. Emily

    We spent the 4th with family! We have a ritual of going to my parents every year and playing croquet! I look forward to it every year. Its always a huge competition to see who wins (and making sure mom doesnt cheat by nudging her ball closer and closer) We grilled and did whatever we could to stay cool! We had our own firework display, which wasn’t as good huge show we could have watched, BUT it was spent with family and those we love most!!

  1326. Lisa

    I spent the day with my family. Grilled hamburgers and ribs. Nice relaxing day but a little hot here in south Texas!

  1327. Kristin Maurer

    We went to the FC Dallas soccer game and watched them play then watched the fireworks in the stadium at the end of the game.

  1328. Goldie

    We spent the day at a friends house who had a group of us over for dinner and just a lot of visiting and
    eating. Had a good time.

  1329. Amy Dee

    My family celebrated the 4th with friends, burgers, hot dogs, a slip-n-slide, a fireworks show downtown, and a much needed 20 minutes of thunderstorms in a drought ridden area! It was a great day.

  1330. Connie

    Had a very relaxing 4th of July with family at home. Worked with our horses some as it is just too hot to do a lot with them. It was great as don’t get a lot of together time very often. Later in the evening the kids went to see the fireworks with friends they had a wonderful time.

  1331. Kim F

    I celebrated the 4th with a great motorcycle ride and picnic with 20 other friends – it was too hot, but the company was great!

  1332. Janet

    I celebrated the 4th by finding appropriate activities for everyone so that I could spend the entire day being creative and working on my daughter’s wedding projects! It’s difficult to let the creative juices flow with so many interruptions. And yes, I was very productive and successful. I just wish I had this giveaway yesterday! Maybe in time for the next project, said with fingers and toes crossed!

  1333. Tandra White-Jennings

    Unfortunately, with all of my family out of state and most of my friends on vacation, I spent the majority of the 4th of July cleaning my house and playing with my dogs. I did meet up with friends for fireworks. Had some nice white wine with brie, basil, and peaches. Quite yummy.

  1334. Cheryl Barclay

    I stayed home with my honey and we celebrated by relaxing at home followed by grilling a couple of steaks and for dessert, big cold juicy slices of watermelon. Thanks for the chance to win.
    Blessings,
    Cheryl B

  1335. Patricia Williams

    We spent the day in the pool, grilled out for supper, and took the boys to their first fireworks. About 10 minutes before they started, a severe storm blew in and everyone has to make a run for cover. They actually loved that part because it was an adventure.

  1336. dana

    We spent a beautiful (hot) 4th at the lake with family and friends!…doesn’t get any better!!

  1337. kaybee

    I celebrated by relaxing with a few beers in my home, listening to the kids in our neighborhood light fireworks :)
    Thanks for the chance to win!

  1338. Betsy B.

    I love all the projects you’re showing using the Cameo!!! I’d really LOVE to make some vinyl wall decorations/phrases for my craftroom if I win the Cameo!
    We spent the 4th of July indoors ~ it was just too HOT, HOT, HOT here in NE Ohio to be outside!!! We had brunch with my son and daughter-in-law, then made a stop at JoAnn Fabrics to pick up some of their sale items. My husband grilled our dinner, and we spent the rest of the day just relaxing. Didn’t even go outside to watch our town’s fireworks ~ it was much cooler to stay indoors and watch the Macy’s fireworks and the Boston Pops on TV!!!
    Thanks for the chance to win!

  1339. Kristin

    We had a great BBQ and some swim time with friends. Definitely a change from
    last year when we watched the fireworks display in Boston!

  1340. Doris

    We had a hot 4th of July this year. 100 degrees. Since the 4th fell in the middle of the week, we didn’t plan a lot. Just a nice walk in the morning, watched a few Any Giffith shows, in honor of his memory. Loved that guy! What a great icon he was. Had a wonderful 4th of July meal, grilled steaks, mushrooms, corn, baked beans, potato salad and a bannan split. Topped it off with watching fireworks put on my our city. A great day!

  1341. Ellen ♥ CardMonkey

    OH MY, what a dreadful 4th we had!! We “celebrated” the LACK of freedom we have over our own health issues and those of our loved ones. You see, I’m currently in a foot cast — toe to knee — battling back over a series of foot injuries that may cost me my left foot. :( So here I sit, in 98-degree weather, unable to go into the pool that sits sparkling at me. Any sweat just rolls down the inside of the cast, making for an itchy, uncomfortable night. Grrrr. I stay inside. Then, and I think worse, my boy dog (husband of my girl dog) did SOMETHING, we just don’t know what, and injured his back. So we were off to doggie ER yesterday. They say pinched nerve. Seeing Morgan suffer so is even more distressing than my own foot injury. And then last night, my girl dog Sadie can only go CRAZY with the sound of distant fireworks (followed by terror of thunderstorms); it was a sleepless night, far far from celebratory or independent. Ugh — not happy, but hopefully, one we can improve upon for next year. (Aren’t you glad you asked?!) Fondly, Ellen

    P.S. LOVED your posts from Sweden!!!!!

  1342. Allison R.

    No celebration here just yet, everyone had to work. We’ll probably do some grilling Friday to make up for it.

  1343. Melissa Brent

    My husband and I, as well as our three children spent the fourth with our closest friends. We talked, enjoyed great food, watched the kids swim and played a game of volleyball. Afterwards we all watched fireworks together. It was a nice, enjoyable time spent together. Hope you had a fabulous fourth!

  1344. keely

    We swam and grilled out with friends during the day, and then we attended the city-wide firework show!

  1345. Lori

    I celebrated the 4th with family. The menu included grilled burgers, Nathan’s hot dogs (in honor of the famous eating contest) and corn on the cob.

  1346. Chrissy

    Hello! I spent my holiday relaxing at the beach for the most part and headed to a BBQ later in the evening followed by fireworks. A nice low key day for me!

  1347. Amanda

    Spent the day lolling around in the garden, and then came in to make my Very Berry Pie for a neighborhood potluck. Life is great! Hope you had a fun 4th too:-) Amanda

  1348. Nancy

    My son and I started our 4th of July by watching the local parade. In the evening we had a cookout with all the neighbors which included fireworks. This has become a neighborhood tradition and fun was had by all!! Other than the heat and humidity it was a perfect day.

  1349. lori peuterbaugh

    I had a very casual 4th. I stayed home and baked blueberries & cream cupcakes and mini fruit tarts. I also started another scrapbook for our soon-to-arrive grandson filled with bibs and pages of blank spots for him! Did some swimming with my husband & best BUDDY (our Boston!) and then delivered cupcakes & mini fruit tarts to my mom & friends in the evening! It was a great day!

  1350. Jan Remmele

    Other than the fireworks blasting EVERYWHERE, ALL the TIME, (We live in Indiana), we spent a quiet day at home trying to keep cool. Spent a little while in the pool but even too hot for that.

  1351. marywithgarden

    We attended our hometown riverfront concert and watched fireworks shot off from a barge on the Ohio river. Great people watching was part of the mix! Happy 4th of July to you!

  1352. jane crawford

    My daughter and I spent most of the day packing for our upcoming trip to Hawaii to attend a convention concerning the Deaf and hard-of-hearing. We then spent the early afternoon and evening with friends at a cookout and sunset boat trip down Salt Run to beautiful Lake George in Florida. How did you and Kevin spend your day?

  1353. Karla

    I celebrated to 4th quietly at home by reflecting on the good things in my life.
    Thanks for the opportunity!

  1354. Corisa

    I celebrated the fourth with my mother all day! Grocery shopping and shopping at the mall too! We had a nice girls day then back to work at night !

  1355. Mandy

    My husband and I spent the whole day with our kids. Shopping, Eating, and Fireworks!! It was wonderful~

  1356. Michelle

    With my husband about to deploy again we spent our fourth as a family day out. It was absolutely beautiful in PA. We took the top off the Jeep, went for lunch, then a round of miniature golf and of course some ice cream. Fireworks aren’t happening till Saturday.

  1357. Michelle

    My answer isn’t a fun one. I work for the local utility in my area and with all the massive power outages we have all either been working or on standby 24/7. I had planned to be off with family but had to cancel my plans so I could be available for work! :( So, I was home by myself watching fireworks on tv! Great contest as always and thanks!!!

  1358. Stacyk

    My sister and her family, and my family vacationed in Isle of Palms. We spent the 4th just lazing around and enjoying our down time together.

  1359. Vera

    I;m way out in the Philippines. A very long time ago, July 4th was Philippine-American friendship day, not sure that is still observed though. But I work at a BPO and interact with Americans daily. Work was light due to the holidays so I was able to celebrate too, in a sense. After work we threw a simple baby shower for our colleague and friend who is due to give birth in a few weeks.

    Happy 4th of July!

  1360. yvette dagen

    Started the day out to breakfast with family. Moved my scrapbook supplies to my new scraproom. Went to movies to see Ted. From there to Porrillo’s for hot dogs and smoothies. Then to Menards and Home Depot for cabinet hinge. Home to repair cabinet. Nap. Move more SB supplies into new SB room. Work on a SB project for my upcoming Bday Bowling party. Listened to fireworks from 9pm to midnight! Got caught in fireworks traffic near my home from fireworks display at the Golf Club. Tried to sleep during local fireworks noise. Thanks for listening. Smile!

  1361. mary

    Ohmygosh, Amanda – a Silhouette to win – Fabulous!
    I visited family during the day while my husband worked. We then spent a quiet evening together:)
    Enjoy your travel pictures – boy have you been traveling!
    Thanks for the opportunity to win, Amanda!

  1362. amanda cramer

    We had a very busy 4th:) We went golfing in the morning and then celebrated with family and also yesterday was my niece’s 11th birthday! We had a swimming party and bbq!! :) Thanks for another great giveaway! I hope you had a great holiday!

  1363. brandi williams

    we celebrated the 4th at the mercy me concert, followed by fireworks, with family and friends!

  1364. Elizabeth Rhyneer

    Hope you had a wonderful trip to Sweden! We spent the 4th with our 12 year old grandson. He is in IL from WA state enjoying peace and quiet for two weeks. It has go by so fast and we did enjoy having Frito’s with chili, cheese and onions for breakfast with orange soda. Dinner, brats, macaroni salad with watermelon and baked beans. Fireworks at a small town close by us. We swam all afternoon in our pool and had a great time. Thank you for the chance to win.

  1365. Alyssa

    Happy 4th! We spent the day working on tons of DIY projects around the house — our favorite way to spend the day off!

  1366. Ashley

    My husband and I threw a 4th of July tailgate party with some friends watching the local firework show. Hope you had a great 4th!

  1367. bevin

    This is such an awesome giveaway!
    Me and my two sons spent the day being lazy and playing at the water park. We had a BBQ with family and then watched the fireworks from a giant hill.

  1368. Kathy L

    My DH & I spent our 4th in our new home celebrating with our 2 Yorkies! We kept cool & comfortable after early morning walk, grocery shopping for our cookout & taking a much needed nap. But, no naps before setting up my new craft room/office for me! I am so excited, I have always wanted my own little space to write & research my new book ideas, sew, design and create all the fun things I love to do. I don’t have much time to myself, as I am a busy “Daytime Mommy” to a few children that I love on everyday in my In-Home Daycare.
    So, when I get time to myself, it is pretty precious and my new room is going to be perfect!

  1369. Sally P

    Spent the day with my husband while our children were off on their own adventures. We cooked out and watched four episodes of the HBO mini series John Adams – very fitting for the 4th of July!! Also watched our beloved Texas Rangers play. Great day :)

  1370. Nandini B

    My husband and I ‘spring-cleaned’ the patio so we could have a proper Fourth of July bbq in the back yard. It took us all day so we ended up going out to dinner and watching the local parade before heading over to watch the city fireworks. All in all a great American can do day! :)

  1371. christine

    We made homemade frosty paws for our pit bull’s 7 year old birthday…popped a candle on it and called it a party :)

  1372. Kathy Martin

    I celebrated the 4th with my two favorite people in the world, my hubs and son. We went to see the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. We went out to dinner at Red Robin. Burgers are all American right? Then we did fireworks in the driveway! :)

  1373. Jeanne ODonnell

    Went to the parade at 11:00 am and it was already 88 degrees! Not much after that, it was too hot!

  1374. Brandy

    Thanks so much for the giveaway!
    We had a fun relaxing backyard BBQ with family. All the kids had a great time setting off and watching the fireworks.

  1375. Natalie

    I spent the fourth at my sisters house for a BBQ. Just hung out by the pool, had some burgers, pretty low key. Great giveaway, thank you!

  1376. Valerie

    We had family, friends and neighbors over for a BBQ. Thanks for having such a cool give a way! I dream of this machine :)

  1377. paige

    I hope you and your husband enjoyed your 4th! My children were with their dad, so I spent the day catching up on things around the house and then going to a friend’s house. It was so nice to sit out on the deck drinking a margarita with great friends!

    thanks for the opportunity to win a Silhoutte!

  1378. Donna

    I had a great 4th of July. We had neighbors over that we haven’t seen in a very long time. We had a relaxing time catching up and eating good food.
    Have wanted a Silhouette for a very long timeout just don’t have the extra funds to justify it so thank you very much for the opportunity.

  1379. cindy

    It was 103* in SW Michigan – and we were in charge of a Boy Scouts fundraiser garage sale! After seven hours of melting from the heat, it was all I could do to throw together a chicken pasta salad for dinner before collapsing!

  1380. Patti Hoffa

    Had a wonderful 4th of July with family, and made your pulled pork recipe. It was a HUGE hit!

  1381. Jan

    Eating BBQ and watching movies – ‘Independence Day’, ‘Mr Smith Goes to Washington’, and ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’.

  1382. Sarah H.P.

    I used the day off from work as a chance to spend the entire day relaxing with my hubby. We went out for dinner and did absolutely nothing else but enjoy each other’s company!

  1383. Melody♪♫

    Thank you for having this wonderful Cameo giveaway & letting me have a chance to win!

    Yesterday was the coolest July 4th in 100 years in Phoenix! My guys rode bikes in the rain. We grilled corn-on-the-cob & brats; then watched the “Capitol Fourth” on PBS. The evening ended with my guys waving sparklers out back by the pool. I got some wonderful pics of the reflections in the water.

  1384. Pam Petersen

    The 4th has been a special day for our family for the past 40 years! . This is the time that we gather for our family reunion on a beautiful lake in Iowa (yes, Iowa) to eat, play games and play in the water. This year was perfect for water play as it was 90 to 100 degrees for 6 straight days and that’s not including the heat index…..it’s very humid here! We have grown from a family of 10 to a family of 40 with more on the way. It was another wonderful week of memories to have forever!

  1385. Laura weismann

    I spent the entire day inside hiding from 100 degree heat in northern indiana ! I caught up on all my favorite magazines and spent quality time with my beloved kitty ” pearl ” !! A purrrrrfect day

  1386. Tracy

    We always celebrate the 4th by kayaking……it’s relaxing to go down a lazy river and appreciate all the nature we have been blessed with!

  1387. MandaKay

    We had to do a lot of moving on the 4th, since we have recently sold our home. We did catch some fireworks at night though, so that was great!

  1388. Catalina Largacha

    Have always gone out to watch the parade, to get some candy!!!!
    Then a big bbq, and this year couldn’t miss my straberry cupcakes!!!

  1389. cynthia y

    We went to the Nationals baseball game the night before. Our 4th was just relaxing at home. We grilled out and watched nearby fireworks. It was a nice break from the crazy schedule we have had recently.

  1390. Shannon R.

    We celebrated the 4th by celebrating my Grandmother’s 84th birthday :) We had chicken, hotdogs, homemade potato salad, fresh veggies from the garden, and my 14 yo daughter made the cakes. It was a fun time.

  1391. Stephanie

    So ecited everytime this comes up for a giveaway!Spent the day with my husband went to the gym and picking up around the house. It was a nice quiet holiday!

  1392. Tiffany

    Celebrated the 4th with family! Ate too much and laughed a lot then ended the night with some fireworks in Cleveland, Ohio with my boyfriend! :)

  1393. Sheila

    Hi
    I read your blog all the time and LOVE it! I had a very festive 4th with family here in MA and it included lobster, BBQ and cute decorations :)

    Great time!

  1394. NANCY GRIFFIN

    HAD TO WORK MY 12 HOUR SHIFT, TO TIRED TO DO ANYTHING AFTER THAT. KEPT AN EYE OUT ON THE LAWN, WITH THE SPRINKLER ON TO KEEP THE YARD WET. BURN ZONE WITH NO ONE TO USE FIREWORKS, BUT TOO MANY NUTS SHOOTING THEM ANYWAY.

    WOULD LOVE TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS NEW MACHINE, BUT CAN’T JUSTIFY BUYING ONE TO GO WITH ALL MY CRICUTS. REALLY LIKE SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS ONE.

    THANKS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN.

  1395. Leslie

    We just spend a relaxing day at home, had my mother-in-law over for dinner, and then went out for ice cream. We were on our way to see the fireworks, but found out they’d set them off early because of the thunderstorms coming in. Pretty low-key for a change which was nice.

    Would love to win the Cameo, I’m having so much fun imagining all the things I can make with it.

  1396. Elizabeth

    Finishing off a new patio that will be amazing when finished. A small BBQ at dusk….we’ll do more when we ‘christen’ the new backyard!

  1397. Tina

    I spent my 4th of July painting (the artsy kind), and later, in bed dreaming about all the things I could do with a Silhouette, with my little dog cuddled next to me as close as she could get, as she is scared to death of lightning and thunder. God bless America, where we have the freedom to choose how we wish to celebrate!

  1398. Kimberly

    We walked in the neighborhood parade, had a family cookout and went to the fireworks. It was a fun but HOT day!

  1399. jean

    Hi Kevin and Amanda,
    Happy belated July 4th to you. Ours was a quiet day, enjoying some Wimbledon tennis in the morning. My daughter and I worked on some paper flowers in the afternoon, and mastered the wire stem/floral tape process so now they are in a vase! Black and white theme looking very smart and sophisticated.
    The Silhouette Cameo would be sooooo special to have in my home. Keeping my fingers crossed.

  1400. Trishd222

    I spent the day in a campsite near Yosemite National Park. We cooked a tri-tip roast which appears to be a California cut of meat. I spent most of the day working on photos taken the previous few days.

  1401. Curly

    I worked on projects while hubby was out fishing. I finished painting a bureau red and blue, sorry, no white. It was a lovely, relaxing, creative day.

  1402. Barb

    We spent a nice quiet day and watched a movie at home with our family. Neighborhood firecrackers had our poor dog shaking and panting for hours. :-(

  1403. Bobbi Grant

    we had a wonderful day with family and friends. Starting our 4th on the 3rd with dogs and burgers at friends home. This was followed by fireworks and a very loud Happy Birthday song for our friend. The morning of the 4th was spent making fresh peach pie and baked beans for our family. They soon arrived with shouts of joy. The pool was cooler than our 100 * weather and the grandchildren were wonderful.

  1404. Vicki

    Just like Julie in Wisconsin, here in Illinois we are enduring extreme heat and drought as well, so I was inside as much as possible. Actually I was getting pictures ready for a scrapbooking getaway next week and would love to utilitize the CAMEO!!

  1405. Casey

    I’m a nurse, so I have the pleasure of working all day! Fortunately, we celebrated the day before!

  1406. chris

    We watched fireworks with our granddaughter. We all agreed that you haven’t really watched fireworks untill you have watch them with a 3 year old……through the eyes of babes!!!!! Tonight brought us back to being a kid.

  1407. Julie Gade

    Here in Wisconsin we are enduring extreme, inescapable heat & dryness…desperately in need of rain! All area fireworks were cancelled because of the presumed danger they could cause. I spent most of my day cleaning and organizing my craft and computer areas—-Oooh! Just in time to welcome that new CAMEO!! Thanks for this wonderful chance to win!!

  1408. Pam

    I drove from NC to NJ to spend the 4th with my brother and his family at the shore (my sister a d mom were there too). We went to a neighborhood cookout and then watched fireworks on the beach!

  1409. Margaret Moody

    I spent the 4th of July at home relaxing with my youngest daughter who is home from college for the summer!

  1410. treesyjo

    Hmmmm… we ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Came home and watched History Channel about The Presidents. Then we headed to downtown to watch the parade. Came home again to make Hot Dogs and watch more The Presidents. Then went back downtown to watch fireworks. Couldn’t light ours because of a ban on fireworks this year (too hot & dry)

  1411. Jessica J

    For the Fourth of July we hosted a block party, with games, fireworks, BBQ and a projected movie outside. The best part was the water balloon fight that us adults got into when one couple started it amongst themselves. We spent hours making all these water balloons for the kids and in a matter of minutes we had thrown all of them. We all were just cracking up, and it was something we all will never forget.

  1412. Cassie Tucker

    I celebrated the 4th by spending the day with my hubby, mother-in-law, and all of our animals.

  1413. Robyn Ketzbeck

    We celebrated the 4th with camping with friends, good food and good times! It was a HOT day but our campground is on the water so it makes it a bit more bearable! Happy 4th to all!

  1414. Holly

    We parked our car about a half mile from the stadium with a fireworks show and walked with our folding chairs to our favorite viewing spot. It’s a tradition we’ve have for many years.

  1415. Janet

    We were happy to be invited to spend the day with our very special friends and their families. They had enough food for an army but the best part was catching up with what was going on in their lives. They had a pool that the little kids enjoyed and the adults sat around the area soaking up the sun and relaxing.

  1416. Marilyn

    We spent our 4th with friends poolside! Our son loves the water so by 5 he was ready to get home and head to bed. It was laid back and relaxing!

  1417. CCT

    We celebrated the 4th with friends, good food, and good times playing games inside during out 100+ degree WI heat wave. Alas, no fireworks because of a burning ban but we had lots of fun and laughs anyway!!

  1418. Karen F

    We celebrated the Fourth at a party with friends, who had a lovely shady back yard which helped to keep the heat at bay!

  1419. Gretta

    Thank you for the opportunity to win such a great giveaway! We had a BBQ with the neighbors. It was a nice day spent with friends!

  1420. Maureen

    Both my elderly mom and I are sick, so we stayed inside, out of the blazing heat, and just took it easy. We tried to remember the reason behind the day, and to pray for all who are, or have, fought for our freedom!

  1421. kate b

    Visiting family at a cousin’s bday party. We were asleep before the fireworks even started!

  1422. Laura O.

    We spent the day relaxing at home (and watching Star Wars). It was nice to have a day free from obligation.

  1423. Terri M.

    My husband and I enjoyed a nice day at home. We grilled ribs, burgers and hot dogs and then watched the fireworks.

  1424. Emily

    We visited my just-born niece and then spent the rest of the day preparing for my hospital stay. Hopefully later today I will officially be cancer free!

  1425. Amanda

    We had a quiet day at home, ate some BBQand watched movies to stay out of the heat. Also got to take a glorious nap!

  1426. Julie K

    I volunteered to work so a coworker could enjoy the day with her family. It was a fun filled day.

  1427. jessica gill

    My son and I spent time together reading one of his favorite books, and at 15 yrs old, Im sure glad he likes to read. We prepared for a grill out on the patio and laughed and enjoyed the company of the neighbors. We disussed the wars. (our neighbor is a veteran as well as myself), and had a moment of silence for all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. We took fireworks up on the mountain and set them off and had a really really good time.

  1428. Lori O.

    I had a date night with 3 of my girlfriends . . . Japanese dinner with a movie to see “Magic Mike”! 2 years ago, we flew to Vegas for one of my girlfriend’s bachelorette party and went to see Chippendales. I suppose we were reliving that moment by watching this movie! :) Two thumbs up to our hubbies for watching the kids and holding down the fort while the mommies can have “girl time”! Happy 4th!

  1429. Heather

    Honestly, my husband & I just had a relaxing evening at home, listening to fireworks from inside. It was nice :-)

  1430. Amy H.

    We went to see fireworks, of course! It must be strange to be out of the country for the 4th? I love this giveaway. Thanks!

  1431. Minnie

    I live in the UK so it’s just a normal day for me, I still had to work and still had to cook dinner! Haha x

  1432. Rachel Elliott

    This was a very special 4th of July for us … Our daughter Lucy’s first! So to make it special we flew up from Texas to Ohio to bring her to her grandparents for the first time. She loved it! We went swimming, went to the country club BBQ cook out, and saw the fireworks. And of courses was ooooohhhh’d and awwwww’d by all of her grandparent’s friends because she looked so cute in her 4th of July outfit. We had a blast and she did too!! :) :) :)

    I really hope I win this giveaway! This would be icing on the cake from a great 4th of July!!!

  1433. Deborah

    I spent the 4th of July watching my daughter run in her first road race- a 3K. She is 10 years old. Right after the race was our local 4th of July parade. Since we’ve had a busy week we decided to go see a movie in the afternoon (we saw Brave). The fireworks started much too late for us…we have to be up early this morning work work and summer camp…but I could hear the fireworks from my bedroom window well past 10:00 pm!

  1434. Leslie

    We spent our fourth at the town’s pool and then at the fireworks. Long day with tired kids and grow ups at the end.

  1435. Jen

    Celebrated by giving my three month old son his very first 4th of July! When will you have kids?

  1436. Nicole

    My family had a great 4th of July. It started with all of us sleeping in – YAY!!! We enjoyed a lazy day around the house, followed by a BBQ/Swim Party at our friends home. It was wonderful!!!

  1437. Julie

    I spent the 4th at home with my children. It was a quiet day and we totally enjoyed our time together.

  1438. keri @ shaken together

    We hit the beach early for some sun, had dinner at home with the fam and watched fireworks from the golf course behind our home in our driveway … a perfectly laid back 4th!!

  1439. Meredith Phillips

    The hubby and I just spent a quiet day together. We had family in town over the weekend, so it was nice to relax!

  1440. Tracy

    Since it was in the middle of the week I cleaned house so we can celebrate at the lake this coming weekend.

  1441. Aimeslee Winans

    Hope your 4th of July was delish! I’m an email subscriber of yours. As for my 4th, I’m on Atkins, but I was able to indulge in a Nathan’s hot dog wrapped in bacon and mozarella, some low-carb coleslaw, deviled eggs and sugar-free jello. We did fireworks and music concert after. All in all, one of our most fun days! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. xoxo, Aimeslee

  1442. Jacque B

    I spent the afternoon with a friend and her family. It was quite overwhelming as she has 5 grown kids and all their significant others and cousins and parents and… Well, you get what I mean, Lots of people. I find it a little difficult to be in such a large group of people and be outgoing, but I did it and had a good time. Fireworks were great when I arrived home as I could see them shooting from the beach off my balcony.

    J

  1443. Karen

    I celebrated Canada day instead but on the fourth, I toasted all my american friends and colleagues with a frosty beer!

  1444. MaryAnn

    I celebrated the 4th by volunteering to handout cards and fans to announce our JazzFest Sept. 8 festival, at VillageFest. I would love to win the Silhouette CAMEO to create many projects using it. What a prize!

  1445. emily

    I just had a baby 2 months ago so this year was pretty low key…we spent the day with my husbands family…our 5 year old ran around dancing and singing entertaining us all and we finished the day by setting off a few small fireworks. good day. :D

  1446. Silvia

    With my two lovely kids! I really wish that silhouette cameo, I think it will be perfect for my job!
    Thanks you, Amanda!

  1447. Autumn Wallace

    I am an American living in Hungary , I spent the fourth going to my favorite restaurant with my husband and family . Just being truly thankful that I can be out and about safely with the people I love.

  1448. Nicole C

    Omg that silhouette looks amazing!
    Well my 4th was very uneventful. After spending a week in the hospital and last week recuperating, I spent the day deep cleaning my kitchen. Hubby had to work until midnight tonight and my sweet son was in Utah riding a fire truck and celebrating the 4th in style. It was nice to get stuff done but nothing too exciting. Then again, I do live in Arizona do the thought of spending the day outdoors on 115 degree weather is not so appealing.

  1449. Beverly S.

    I spent a wonderful 4th with my family. We were invited to a fabulous fireworks display at the home of a friend. This is an annual event that we look forward to each year. We feasted on smoked pork ribs with all the traditional sides and yummy banana pudding for dessert. Great evening!

  1450. Brenda

    My husband and older son left today to drive to northern Idaho. My younger son and I will be flying to join them on Saturday. So, because the two of us were home alone, We went to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, then headed to michaels for some craft shopping ( my 12 year old SON loves to go to Michaels with me). Then over to Target to purchase a few fireworks. We headed out to see Madagascar at the movies, picked up his friend Jordan, swam in the pool, lit off fireworks, watched the city fireworks that we could see from our driveway and topped our night off with root beer floats at Sonic!!! Can’t ask for more at his age, he still wanted to spend the day with his momma:). I am lesser byond measure!

  1451. Liz

    I spent the day at work – I’m in Uganda for a couple weeks, and it isn’t a holiday here. I did have an excellent dinner with friends to celebrate after work!

  1452. Donna

    Since I am not feeling well my husband did the cooking for me and we spent the evening comforting my dog who is terrified of the loud fireworks. Not the perfect way to spend the fourth but at least we were together.

  1453. Alyssa McVey

    We went to one of my husband’s friend’s house for a BBQ. We had a lot of fun. We met a lot of people we’d never met before, and the kids had a blast with the sparklers.

  1454. Tessie Porter

    We celebrated with friends & family. It was our friends birthday today. So we made it an all day celebration by doing a BBQ, fireworks, cake & more! Later our family came & we had shredded beef, after that we lit more fireworks, then off to the park for the city fireworks. It was an amazing day to spend with those we love. Especially since we have 4 wildfires I’m UT, and those out there saving homes & our country side can’t be with their families. God bless them, their families & the USA!!

  1455. Kansas Allen

    we spent the 4th playing at the park, watching a local rodeo, and ended the day with fireworks

  1456. Samantha Bedgood

    My husband and I spent time together in our home watching different documentaries about our country’s history. We didn’t go watch fireworks or anything like that.. we’re just thankful we’re able to spend time together re-learning how we won our independence and the events following.

  1457. Wendy C

    We spent the 4th with the side of my family that we rarely see…now I remember why! Will not be doing that again for a looonnnngggg time!

  1458. Delaney

    I spent the day with my family. Normally we don’t do much so it was nice to just hang around and spend time with them. We don’t get to spend much one on one time together.

  1459. Maddy

    Went to the park with a dear friend. We sat in the sun and relaxed! We ended the day with watching the fireworks over South Lake Union (located in Seattle). Twas a beautiful day!

  1460. nancyeileen

    Happy Birthday, America !!!
    We had a family filled fourth, including visiting with two military vets, my father uS Army and my father-in-law, US Marine.
    Hot dogs, apple pie, red, white and blue buntings and loads of love and appreciation followed up by fireworks galore <3
    We celebrate well in San Antonio, Texas, USA, loads of mitary installations and retired servicemen and women.

  1461. Patty

    We were in a family bike parade this morning at a local park, came home for naps all around and finished up the day at the lake for a BBQ and fireworks.

  1462. Meredith

    I spent it with family and friends awaiting the arrival of my new baby boy. Wish me luck I’m headed to the hospital now. Hope y’all had a great one.

  1463. Kate D.

    At work at the children’s hospital from 7pm-7am…holidays don’t stop kids from getting sick! Oh, the life of a nurse!

  1464. Brianna

    We hung out with some good friends and watched the city fireworks from the balcony with lots and lots of food.

  1465. Lara

    I would love to win this. I sat at home taking care of our litter of Boxer pups that we will be selling soon.

  1466. Christy Jackson

    We spent the day at home in the a/c. :-) My husband had the Twilight Zone marathon going all day (a tradition of his) and our 7 year old really enjoyed that! We “listened” to the fireworks going on in Downtown Norfolk but didn’t go see any this year…we like to avoid the crowds. :-)

  1467. Lisa R

    Happy 4th! My husband and I enjoyed a nice, quiet day. We cooked, ate, cleaned a little, cooked (yes, again!)napped. Then watched a little TV. Thanks for the opportunity to win this lovely gift!

  1468. Nancy Munroe

    Hi Amanda,
    My husband and I spent the day home. We just put in an above ground pool so we spent a few hours floating in the pool and just talking. It was nice. Had a quiet dinner together then watched the Boston Pops. It was a nice day. Hope you and your husband had a nice 4th. Thanks for asking.

  1469. Andrea

    Spent most of the day with my husband inside the house it’s very hooot outside :)
    Thanks for the chance to win!!! :)

  1470. Schmidty

    Company in from out of town, a huge pot of chicken and andouille gumbo and fresh apple pie!

  1471. Jessica Hornibrook

    Happy 4th! I hope you had a great day.

    We held my son’s 1 year birthday party on the 4th (his birthday is the 7th). I made a tigger cake and all of his cousins came. Then a bunch of friends came over and we did a huge firework show and a bbq – it was epic!

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

  1472. Gail

    Hello, from California!
    Its been 10 years since my husband & I did ANYTHING on the 4th…..But this year with our house slowly empty nesting , I finally got him to start dating me again! A buddy asked him to come over for BBQ & fireworks and when he told me I said YES!! lets go… we never do anything. ( he tends to be a stick in the mud) We went to BBQ & had a great time… he bailed on the idea of staying for the fireworks :( but I just have to remember baby steps…. maybe next year we’ll stay longer

  1473. Ali

    For the forth we hung out with friends BBQ’d and went and watched the fireworks. It was our first one in the US in 7 years and it was great!!! Missed good ole American holidays!

  1474. Robin Williams

    Happy Independence Day!! Spent most of the day with my husband (just came back from a trip and have not seen him for a week). We went to my parents for a BBQ.

  1475. Cathy

    My husband and I spent a quiet 4th at home. :) We grilled burgers mid-afternoon, and our timing couldn’t have been better. Just as we lit the grill, a storm with heavy rain and wind started. LOL But, we really needed the rain, so we were happy to see it.

  1476. Kim Stevenson

    Kevin & Amanda – just wanted you to know I found your website through Pinterest and love your DIY projects!

    Happy 4th from Texas! My husband and I spent the day just hanging out together something we don’t get much time to do. If you every get a chance to visit Texas during the 4th of July you have to make a stop in Granbury, Texas were they have 4 days of festivities. My husband and I enjoyed the laser light show (choreographed to music) this evening which is displayed on the side of their historical courthouse. Fun times in Granbury!

Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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