The Only 4th of July Jello Shots Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Themed string lights might just be the easiest way to look like you put in a ton of effort while not actually doing so. The super affordable set includes 100 incandescent mini bulbs on white wire, with a total length of 26.7 feet and equal spacing of 3 inches between each bulb. The 20-inch lead wire and 3-inch end connector make it easy to install and connect end to end for streamlined decorating.

These red, white, and blue string lights will look beautiful for your last-minute 4th of July party and can be repurposed for anything from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. Whether you place them on trees, vines, porches, or balconies, these 360° sparkling waterproof string lights can provide attractive lighting effects while creating a romantic festive atmosphere.

See it on Amazon

If red, white, and blue lights just weren’t enough American flair for you, this extravagant decoration kit will be right up your alley. This set includes 6 different sizes of paper fans, 8 paper pom poms in the colors red, white, and blue, 12 hanging swirls in the same colors, a USA flag banner, a red-blue-silver star banner, and a package of red-blue-white stars in 3 sizes.

These decorations can be easily hung up with the self-sealing sticker or with paperclips if you would like to reuse them for future parties. To assemble the pom poms, you should ensure that the ribbon is in the middle of each one and open them like a fan before tearing apart the layers and creating a more rounded shape.

With these decorations, you can easily add color, texture, and glamour to any room or outdoor space, making them a perfect way to spice up your patriotic party.

See it on Amazon

If you’re having a lot of people over this 4th, you most likely don’t have enough plates at your house already — that’s why paper plates are a must-have. (They also mean super easy clean up!) Sure, you could choose plain white ones, but why not choose a patriotic, American flag-themed set to fit the theme?

This set includes fifty 9-inch dinner plates, fifty 7-inch dessert plates, and one hundred luncheon napkins for a total of fifty guests. The party set features a bright red, white, and blue American flag with stars and stripes on all items, adding dimension and charm to any gathering.

See it on Amazon

The best way to elevate an ordinary gathering to a fancy one has to be a charcuterie board. This set combines an elegant large charcuterie board with a bamboo cheese board and accompanying accessories, providing plenty of space to display a variety of meats, cheeses, crackers, vegetables, fruit, and other delicious delectables. The included ceramic serving bowls are great for sauces and dips, while the magnetic holder keeps four knives and utensils upright and easily accessible.

For added versatility and functionality, the gift set also includes a round bamboo fruit tray. Plus, each set comes with a free guide booklet offering design suggestions to help you create unique and gorgeous platters that will impress all your guests.

Made from an earth-friendly material that is properly sourced and highly renewable, the SMIRLY Charcuterie Boards Gift Set is made of nonporous bamboo that won't bend, warp, crack, absorb odors, or stain. This low-maintenance wooden set is sure to become a reliable favorite when entertaining or serving, and with its attractive natural aesthetic value, it's perfect for special occasions.

See it on Amazon

Any outdoor summer party calls for watermelon. Treat yourself and your guests without breaking a sweat trying to neatly slice a massive watermelon. This watermelon slicer is the ultimate tool for watermelon lovers. Its newest superior design makes cutting and serving watermelon simple, safe, and fast.

This melon cutter features a stainless steel 18/8 blade that provides perfectly cube-shaped slices of watermelon every time it is used. The slicing mechanism allows you to cut the watermelon into ideal cubes sized 2 cm or less. The specially rounded edges and non-sharp blades make the slicer perfectly safe for everyone, even children. No need to worry about any accidents occurring while using this tool. Everyone can enjoy delicious and refreshing watermelon cubes without dealing with any drippy mess.

See it on Amazon

You could just get store-bought popsicles, but that’s a little boring. Wow your guests with unique homemade popsicles with these popsicle molds. By making your own, you can get really creative with the flavor options. Try mixing different fruit juices or even adding alcohol to really take your popsicles to the next level.

Upgraded design features like the hollow shank design perfectly matches the reusable plastic popsicle sticks and prevents juice from overflowing, creating an even more perfect shape. Thanks to the product’s silicone material, pulling out frozen treats is easy and can be done without submerging the mold in hot water.

The product also has multi-uses, filling it with juice, puree, yogurt, apple sauce, ice cream, and more. The set comes with 50 sticks, 50 bags, 10 reusable sticks, a funnel, and some ice pop recipes so you can make ten popsicles at once and then store them in their individual bags in order to freeze them. Each of the ten classically shaped molds holds 3 fluid ounces making each treat comparable to store-bought finds.

See it on Amazon

No-Bake Pie Crust

This is hands-down the *easiest* pie crust you will ever make! Think of this recipe as the total rockstar of your 4th of July dessert lineup.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup cookie or cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup salted butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Combine cookie or cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a food processor. Pulse until combined.
2. Pour the crust mixture into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Chill in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.

Combine cookie or cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a food processor. Pulse until combined.

Pour the crust mixture into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Chill in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.

Ta-da! Three perfect pie crusts. We made one with Nilla Wafers, one with Golden Oreos, and one with Ritz Crackers.

Lemon Cream Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 Golden Oreo pie crust (directions above)
• 1 14 oz can condensed milk
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• Fresh berries

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest until fluffy.
2. Pour filling into the pie pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Freeze for 20-30 minutes, until firm.
3. Remove from the freezer. Use raspberries and blueberries to make a star design on the top of the pie.

Pour filling into the pie pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Freeze for 20-30 minutes, until firm.

Remove from the freezer. Use raspberries and blueberries to make a star design on the top of the pie.

Raspberry Cream Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 Nilla Wafer pie crust (directions above)
• 1 14 oz can condensed milk
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 to 3 tablespoons raspberry jam
• Fresh berries

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest until fluffy. Add raspberry jam.
2. Pour filling into the pie pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Freeze for 20-30 minutes, until firm.
3. Remove from the freezer. Use raspberries, blueberries and blackberries to make a stripe design on top of the pie.

Blueberry Cream Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 Ritz Cracker pie crust (directions above)
• 1 14 oz can condensed milk
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 to 3 tablespoons blueberry jam
• Fresh berries

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest until fluffy. Add blueberry jam.
2. Pour filling into the pie pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Freeze for 20-30 minutes, until firm.
3. Remove from the freezer. Use raspberries and blackberries to top the pie.

How easy was that?

Now just add some whipped cream to each pie, and you’re ready to roll!

It’s pie time!

Happy 4th of July! The fact that these recipes don't require an oven just makes us love them even more. These pies will make the holiday a *berry* good time!

Here's How Often You Should Cut Your Hair, According To Professionals

I’ll admit it — it had been eight months since my last haircut. My hair had lost its shape, my layers were nowhere to be found, and my ends were begging for mercy. Life got busy over the last few months and I was neglecting my haircare like never before.

My hairdresser could immediately see that I was beyond due for a cut and said I needed to get more taken off than I was hoping. I was definitely disappointed — I'd been working on growing out my hair for a while now, and it just felt like my hard work had completely gone to waste. He explained that getting consistent haircuts is the key to growing out healthy and strong hair, rather than letting it grow and grow until it eventually breaks. So let's dig into the top three things you can do to avoid this scenario!

1. Just Get The Dang Haircut

Also avoiding a haircut like I was? You might want to schedule one at your nearest salon. Like my stylist said, when you wait too long between trims like I did, you risk your hair becoming heavy, dull, and lifeless. When the hair is dry or even dead, it’s nearly impossible for it to hold a curl or style, essentially collapsing on you and taking on more and more heat damage all the while. I know the pain of spending time on a blowout only for it to fall minutes later — it’s the worst.

According to Jack, getting a haircut every 10-12 weeks is the best time frame or your ends will pay the price. Between blow-drying, curling, straightening, sun, and weather, our ends get dry and start to break without the proper care. Getting consistent haircuts allows hair to bounce back, shine, and perform the way we want in a healthy way.

2. Leave-In Conditioners Are Your Friend

His top piece of advice to keep your hair looking and feeling hydrated between trims? Invest in conditioning treatments. Jack swears by the Olaplex conditioning system, specifically the No 3 Hair Perfector. Made with patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology™, this conditioning treatment repairs and prevents damage in as little as three minutes. No 3 promises to reduce breakage and visibly strengthen hair, so it’s the perfect assistance to keep ends fresh between cuts. Another conditioning treatments I’ve used and loved for years is the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, which is designed to restore moisture, elasticity, and shine to dry hair.

3. Switch Up Your Shampoos

Switching shampoos frequently is a pretty hot tip that I honestly hadn't thought of. Our hair gets used to the same products and grows tired of them, resulting in lackluster locks. Jack’s advice is to switch brands after finishing every bottle of shampoo to bring life back to your hair. Have two brands that you’re loyal to? Even switching back and forth between them after every bottle should make a big difference in your hair. I’m a huge fan of the R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo, which makes my hair look thick and full, as well as the Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo, which is so hydrating and gives so much shine.

In the end, navigating your back-and-forth relationship with haircuts often feels like a rollercoaster ride between wanting that fresh look and cringing at the receipt. Luckily, by using conditioning treatments and switching up your products,, you can keep your locks healthy, shiny, and full of life between trims. But take a newly learned lesson out of my book: don't let your ends pay the price for procrastination and just book the haircut.