Can you guys belief it’s almost the 4th of July?? Although I know a lot of kids just got out of school, mine got out mid-May and go back mid-August, which means our summer is about halfway over. And while my son did tell me that one hug from his sister couldn’t fix 7 years of misery, we’re generally happy and no one has physically maimed anyone else. Yet.

All patriotic celebrations aside, I’ve always loved the 4th of July. My dad’s Dutch oven breakfasts, camping out on the grass while waiting for the fireworks, parades and corn on the cob and watermelon and meat on the grill. Yes, like, 90% of my favorite holiday memories are food-related. All those people who say they stay skinny because they perpetually forget to eat are not people that I understand.

We’ve got a pretty good collection of July 4th recipes over here (by the way, did you guys know we recently published our 1,000th recipe?! Crazy, right?!), but I wanted to showcase some of our faves. You ready?!

If you missed our massive patriotic party last summer, we’ve got lots of adorably easy red, white, and blue ideas here (you can click on the links or on the pictures):

This fruit pizza has a brown sugar cream cheese topping and red and blue berries and is drizzled in chocolate. So it is both patriotic and delicious. And essential for staving off womanly hormonal fluxes.

Jell-O can be a little creepy, but layered Jell-O is pretty awe-inspiring. This red, white, and blue layered Jell-O is a huge hit with kids and adults who can’t leave it alone.

You can either make this patriotic trifle in a big trifle dish or in small individual dishes. Either way, it’s brownies, whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate pudding, so, you know. There’s that.

These easy, shabby-chic lanterns are fun to make with slightly older kids (or teenagers, or all by yourself because no one will help you because they’re having a water fight and you’re stuck inside making lanterns) and will make your patio glow magically.

All you need for these cute little treat bowls are cheap paper plates and red and blue rubber bands (and scissors, and about 5 minutes).

The great thing about bite-sized pies (besides the fact that they’re adorable) is that you can have, well, a few bites of every flavor. These bake up in a muffin tin and are perfect for little (and not-so-little) hands.

This layered punch is so easy and fun! Just pour it in layers and you’re good to go!

Sparkly dipped patriotic strawberries? Yes. Dreams do come true.

I also wanted to show off some of my favorite 4th of July crafts and eats from bloggers that I love! Like these Brownie Fruit Kebabs from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. Because when you put a strawberry and brownies together, the strawberry absorbs all the brownie calories. True story. Not really, don’t sue me.

I’m such a sucker for lights in Mason jars, so I about died when I saw these easy red, white, and blue lanterns from She Wears Many Hats.

If I do one thing this Independence Day, I’m making Patriotic Peppermint Patties from Mom on Timeout.

I mustache if you need some facial hair this July 4th. Fox Hollow Cottage is here to help–these are perfect for photo ops and fake mustache lovers everywhere.

Finally, these patriotic printables that can be found on The Crafting Chicks are so darling–every single one of them! There are some seriously talented peeps out there.

Happy (almost) Independence Day! Stay safe and have lots of fun!!