Few memories are as wonderful, or lingering, as camping as a child. Roasting hot dogs and marshmallows on a campfire as a child are memories which most of us still carry as our nearest and dearest. Outdoor fire pits can recapture these memories from your youth and serve to create new memories for your family.

Nothing says comfort and togetherness quite like a warm fire, which easily explains the popularity of outdoor fire pits, and that isn’t even mentioning that an outdoor fire pit is a safe and inviting way to utilize an area on your patio or pool area as a warm and inviting place. The renewed closeness of your family and the atmosphere that an outdoor fire pit can create are simply impossible to beat.

When most people think of outdoor fire pits, they think of a hole in the ground. With all the advancements of today, that form is simply gone. Today’s versions of the fire pits are both inviting and warm and inviting. The safety is vastly more modern than it used to be, there is much less to worry about with the newest innovations than the ‘hole in the ground’ version of yesterday.

A popular option is the Chiminea, which are closed off and yet still are so comfortable and inviting. While they are an incredibly popular option, it’s really no wonder! You may have seen them around in various restaurant and some shops, it’s truly no small surprise when you stop and consider the warm and inviting atmosphere they create.

The Chiminea’s popularity also comes with the reassurance that the smoke will be blown up and away from any guests or children. So, it is a fantastic choice for a family friendly fire pit option.

While life is so much busier than it was in the past, and it isn’t really so unheard of for both parents to be out of the home, there is still time (however limited) to create those fabulous family memories that your children will still carry for years to come.

I have a child turning 12 in a week, and we trolled endlessly through all sorts of websites looking for good party ideas.  By “good,” my daughter means something amazing and awesome that all her friends will be jealous of.  By “good” I mean something easy that won’t require me to do anything or spend much  money.  You’d be surprised at how successful I’ve been at finding party ideas like that.

One place to look for party ideas for kids is Parenting.Com.  They have a whole page set up with links to a couple dozen different birthday party themes.  Every page they link to gives suggestions on both decorations and activities.  Unlike many parenting sites and magazines, these ideas are actually kind of realistic; you don’t have to have Martha Stewart on and to complete the crafts for you.

Here’s an example,   the Space Odyssey Theme:

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Decorate: Buy silver paper goods. Hang planet-and-star mobiles (use Chinese lanterns for planets and cutout poster-board stars).

Eat: Serve astronaut ice cream (freeze-dried; find at sports stores) and “rocket dogs” (hot dogs in foil).

Make: Rockets from toilet paper or paper-towel rolls, cone-shaped cups, foil, and stickers.

Play: Space flight! Create a solar system on the floor with concentric rings made of tape or string. Tape construction-paper planets in place, with the sun in the center. Have child stand on the sun, blindfolded. Spin him, and let him toss his rocket. Where does it land?

Most of that is entirely do-able, even for creatively challenged moms like me.  And the planet theme is adaptable to fit either the 12-year-old girl or the 6-year-old boy.  Other themes are the same way: surfing, spy, art, photography, animals (and what ‘tween doesn’t have a favorite animal?), and others.  The party page is full of ideas for cakes, games, and even invitations and thank you notes.   It’s all easily adaptable for both genders and all age groups, from toddlers to teens.

In case you were wondering, I’m taking my daughter and 4 of her friends to the mall for a mall scavenger hunt and dinner at the food court, then they’re all coming to our house to spend the night.  We got that idea somewhere on the internet.