August Freebie: The Mountains Are Calling

We've been having so much fun this summer, I've neglected my designs and the 'ol blog. But I'm back and ready to get to work! With school starting and fall approaching, I've got loads of ideas for new designs and new products to feature in my etsy shop.

This month's printable celebrates everything I LOVE about summertime. We're fortunate enough to live close the mountains and heading out to boat on the lake, roast s'mores in a meadow, camp, hike, and fish are just a short drive away. I hope you're all enjoying summer and soaking up every last minute of it until school starts again (for us, it's in a few weeks--bleh!)

This printable is perfect for the family who loves the outdoors and would be so cute framed on a collage wall or display featuring pictures of your family's adventures. Or in an outdoor themed room. Print a small version to use as a tag or card. 

To download the mountains are calling printable, click HERE

Please help me spread the word that my designs and shop are back from summer break by pinning, liking, and sharing this post! Don't forget to check out my etsy shop to see if there's anything to make your summer really great! I love custom orders--announcements, party invitations, special event invitations, holiday cards...I can do it all! Send me a convo on etsy, message me on facebook, or email me for more details!

Teacher Appreciation: What Teachers Really Want & Free Printable!

It's that time of year when students and teachers rejoice! The school year is coming to a close and while teachers may seem like the pillars of responsibility, trust me, they are just as excited for the year to be over as the kids. And it's not because they had a horrible year or hated their job. Teaching is exhausting! Teacher is hard work--physically and mentally. In my eight years of teaching experience, I put so much time, energy, and creativity into preparing lessons, teaching them, and grading papers that  by the time May rolled around, I was ready for a break!

Teachers teach because they love kids. Even if you were a parent who struggled to get along with your child's teacher this year, I still believe they should be thanked. Don't end the year on bad terms and use your experience as a learning one. (Side note: I would LOVE to talk to parents of my old students who argued with me about how perfect their student was and it was my fault their homework "got lost". I honestly believe that most of them would apologize and probably realized that it wasn't my fault after-all).

I'm sure we've all seen those cute crayon wreaths or pencil bouquets floating around as ideas for teacher gifts. Here's a tip: Teachers don't want those! Sorry, but it's the truth. We also don't want any school supplies at the end of the year. Save those for the beginning or maybe Christmastime when our supplies are running low. Instead, try some of these teacher appreciation ideas:

The number one thing I wanted from my students was this: A heartfelt note or fun questionnaire filled out by them (for my favorite questionnaire for younger students, click HERE). If your student can't write independently, help them, but otherwise the student should write it. Have them talk about their favorite activity, what they learned, and anything else that stuck out in their mind. I have kept all of my notes from students like this and they mean so much to me and are a fun reminder of past students over the last 8 years.

Other fun ideas that teachers really want: a gift card to somewhere to buy a treat. It doesn't have to be expensive. I once got a $5 gift card to Wendy's and it made my day! Gift cards to places like Sonic to buy a fun soda is also appreciated. Once a student asked me what my favorite treat was and on the last day of school she brought me a Dr. Pepper and a candy bar. I loved that she remembered!

Don't get caught up in the idea that your gift has to be crafty, grand, or expensive. When all else fails, a simple THANK YOU from your student to your teacher is greatly appreciated. The last few weeks of school are full of craziness, it's always nice when a student stops and remembers to say a verbal thank you.

NOW ON TO THE PRINTABLE:
I went to an education conference in April and one of the speakers shared this quote. I loved it! Teaching is such a selfless profession and I thought any teacher would love this reminder. Of course, the quote goes perfectly with a candle. This print is sized as a 4x6 and prints 2 on a page--so it's small enough to easily tape or glue onto the jar of a candle.

 

To download the quote, CLICK HERE

Teacher's will love being reminded of this beautiful saying on hard teaching days. A candle makes a great gift because the teacher can take it home or leave it in the classroom (although teachers shouldn't light candles at school, someone having an open candle near my desks helps relieve me of that stinky smell my room gets).

Don't forget to check out my shop to see if there's anything else that teachers in your life might enjoy! And as always, if you liked this post please LIKE, SHARE, and PIN. Thanks for stopping by!

2016 Mother's Day Printables

It's funny how life brings you around full circle.

As a child, I was raised by two loving parents and have very fond memories of family trips and outings, family dinners, homemade Christmas cookies and PJs, and all the other kinds of ups and downs that come from living in a household full of 2 adults and 5 children.

However, when I became a teenager, I was terrible to my mother! Simply horrid! I thought I got the short end of the stick on a lot of things and wasn't afraid to let my mom know about it.

Now, I am an adult. I'm married. And I have three children of my own and guess what? Being and adult is hard! Being married is hard! And especially being a parent is hard! I suddenly have this new appreciation for my mother and all the meals she made for us. I know now why I didn't play soccer as a kid (my oldest is in soccer now and dragging the younger two to practices by myself is a pain in the butt!). I understand why I couldn't always have the newest and best toys/gadgets there were.

And so mom, the the printable this month is for you!

To download this printable, CLICK HERE

Aren't the floral watercolor embellishments amazing? I wish I could take credit for those, but they came from a very talented shop called DLOLLEYS HELP.

This printable is truly a tribute to any woman in your life who has touched you. It would be wonderful framed, or could be printed smaller to use as a card or tag. Remember to check out my shop and see if there's anything else mom might like! Remember that I take custom orders as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Check out some of our other Mother's Day Printables HERE and HERE

Celebrate Spring with free printables and craft tutorials!

 Spring has finally made its appearance and it's a happy day! I'm soaking up the sunshine and want to surround myself with fresh air and bright colors.

And this months has a lot going on! It's St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and Spring Break for my kiddos. It's been no secret that I enjoy sewing things for my kids and I've made it a tradition to put something homemade in their Easter baskets that's from mom and not the Easter Bunny. The ideas I've shared are from year's past and they are easy projects that can be done in an afternoon. So you've got plenty of time to get it done in time for Easter in a few weeks.

 Click HERE for the felt food tutorial and patterns

Click HERE for the foldable felt playmats pattern and tutorial

Click here for the on the go car and crayon holder tutorial

And this month has no shortage of freebie printables either! Like I said, I'm totally in love with the bright colors and the sayings of spring. These printables are fun to use as cards, as tags on a treat plate, or part of your seasonal decor.

 Click HERE for the St. Patrick's Day subway art

Click HERE for the Easter subway art

Click Here for the lucky in love printable

 Click here for the Let's go fly a kite printable

 Click HERE for the welcome spring subway art

As always, please do not use these prints commercially in any form. They are for personal use only. And don't forget to check out my etsy shop! Remember, I do custom orders too! If you liked this post, or any others, please LIKE, SHARE, and PIN. Word of mouth is what keeps my small business going. Thanks for stopping by!

How to Have a SUPER Party on a Budget

Here's the thing: I love making my kids feel special on their birthdays but I don't want to spend a fortune. I want everything to look cute but don't like to spent a lot of time on things that are just going to be thrown away. Again, I don't want to spend a fortune (or a lot of time for that matter) and this is where party planning on a budget comes in--not a lot of time to set up and prepare, not a lot of money spent either! Win-Win!

My son is obsessed with superheroes. He especially loves Spiderman but loves the other ones too. Knowing this, I set out to plan a SUPERHERO themed 4th birthday party for him and a few of his friends. And since I'm know I'm not the only one with kids who love superheroes, I'm going to tell you exactly what I did and how you can host a successful party for $30 or less!

 This personalized invitation is customizable with several different superheroes to choose from and includes a matching topper for your party favor treats (see the picture at the end of this post). You can order your invitations HERE.

 The spiderman tablecloth was the only superhero themed decoration I bought. (around $3) The rest of the decorations I got out of our tote I keep in storage that has crepe paper, the reusable Happy Birthday Banner, and the banner that is hung above the sliding glass doors.) You could easily print off more superhero pictures to add to existing decorations to match your theme.

 My son invited a few of his little buddies over to our house for his first ever friend birthday party. He was so excited and thought everything was just wonderful and amazing. Makes you feel pretty good as a mom to see that kind of reaction.

When all the kids got to the party, I had them sit on a blanket laid out on the floor and we did a little story time. I read them 2 superhero books I found at our local library. They were super cute and geared toward younger kids. My son and his friends loved them! (cost of books: FREE from library)

Next, the boys played "Pin Spiderman in the Web". Instead of spending money on a premade game, I took 10 minutes (probably less) and made my own. I used a large piece of butcher-type paper from my kids' craft supplies and drew a web. Then I just googled spiderman and found an image I could print out for each guest on cardstock. We used one of my husband's ties as a blindfold. I didn't give a prize to the "winner". It was just a fun game we played. (cost of game: FREE)

 Then I gathered the kids at the table where they made their own superhero mask and shield. I bought the mask set from Oriental Trading for $7.50 (I was able to score free shipping). For the shield I used some cheap paper plates and taped a strip of cardstock on the back to make a handle. The kids colored and decorated their own shield with markers and glued some shapes I had precut out (stars, lightning bolts etc..)

After the craft I let the boys play for a minute in this "obstacle course" I set up in our basement. (My son's birthday is in the middle of winter...for a summer bday an obstacle course outside would be really fun!) I needed a minute to clean up the table and the boys LOVED pretending to be superheroes with their new masks and shields.

Obstacle course aka: go down the slide, climb through the tunnel, climb over the ottoman, touch the wall, and then run back to the beginning. (Cost of obstacle course: FREE)

After the table was cleaned up I called the boys back up for cupcakes

 I had a local bakery make the cupcakes. For a half dozen it was $3.50. I printed the superhero toppers from this site,taped them on toothpicks, and stuck them in the cupcakes myself. It's crazy how having the bakery add some kind of topper to your cake drastically increases the price.

Then it was present time!

Our hour and half was almost up by that point so the kids just played until their parents came to pick them up. On their way out the door they got this personalized party favor. The personalized topper is included with the purchase of your personalized invitation. It fits across the top of a baggie (I used a snack size bag). I filled up each baggie with some M&Ms (around $5 for a large bag) and then stapled the topper to it. That was the only favor we gave out. I figured between this and the mask and shield each kid made, that was pretty good.

And there you have it! We had one happy birthday boy at the end of the day!

Budget Breakdown:

• Colored Ink (I did have to buy a new ink cartridge but I'm not counting this as part of the party budget because it was something I would have bought for our family regardless and it's not like I used an entire cartridge for the party anyway)
• Pack of white card stock to print the invites (2 on a page) party favor toppers (3 on a page) and sheet of superhero cupcake toppers, and  spiderman for game--this was less than $5 at WalMart and I have plenty of cardstock left over for other projects.
• Cupcakes--for a half dozen it was $3.50 at our local bakery. Obviously you could make them yourself for cheaper. Decorating the cupcakes could be one of your activities too! But for 4 year olds, I decided against it.
• Printable Invites and Party Favor Toppers--$10 for personalized invite and a personalized ThankYou favor topper found HERE
• Large bag of M&Ms for Thank You party favors -around $5
• Spiderman Tablecloth around $3 
• Make your own superhero mask craft $7.50
• Pin Spiderman in his web, superhero shield craft, superhero books to read, obstacle course: FREE

Kickstarting 2016

Apparently I needed a few weeks hiatus from blogging and my shop to recover from the holidays. But I'm back, feeling refreshed, and ready to kickstart 2016! Some of my most popular items on my etsy shop have been the items I offer as instant downloads for primary, cub scouts, achievement day girls, and young women. If you're looking for a welcome gift, a way to introduce the new theme for the year, a birthday token, or just a lesson help--jump on over to my shop and see what I have. And if you don't see anything you like I also do custom orders! I've had a blast designing primary program invitations, newsletters, binder inserts for presidencies, and so many other fun things. You've got the idea and I've got the magic to make it happen!

And stay tuned, I've got you covered for Valentine's Day! Lots of new freebie printables are coming up! Thanks for stopping by!

Making Christmas Magical: 12 Days of Christmas activities for families

I am not one of those moms who usually goes "all out" on holidays. I have lots of good intentions, but very little follow through. But this year is going to be different! I wanted to find some activities that didn't require any specialty-store ingredients and required little prep time. Basically, I wanted something for my preschooler & first grader to do in the days leading up to Christmas--especially those days when there's no school!

I originally saw this idea HERE on katherinemaries.com, but I ended up coming up with some new days of my own and taking/deleting some activities the site suggested. I found a ton of ideas on pinterest (so if some of the crafts or activities don't immediately make sense, just type them in the search bar on pinterest) and I especially loved all the paper plate crafts I found on this site .

The ideas printed on each card are suggestions of things my kids and I can do, but I'm not expecting to get them all done. We'll just pick and choose what works best for us. Also, I hate the idea of constantly having to get online to look for recipes/craft ideas so I included pictures of the crafts and recipes right on the cards. And lastly, there's not right or wrong order for these 12 days! I might let my kids pick a card each day or I'll pick one that fits with whatever else we have that day.

Simple, fun ideas for everyday moms and kids.

This would even make a cute neighbor gift! 

These print on a regular sheet of printer paper or cardstock. Just cut down the middle after printing. Besides the cards, you'll need basic art supplies and a stack of cheap paper plates if you're doing the paper plate crafts. I also own most of the videos/books suggested but you should be able to find them at your local library and on netflix/amazon prime video.

Here are some of our activities for Mr. Grinch Day. We invited two neighbor friends to join us today. We started by reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Then, we made our a Grinch craft out of paper plates.

 Next, the kids helped me bake "grinch cookies" They each took turns putting the ingredients into the bowl. They especially loved seeing the dough turn green. For my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, go HERE

 While the cookies were baking I turned on the classic, cartoon version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. When the movie was over I called them over to the table for their snack. The picture of the cookies looks washed out, but trust me, with 10 drops of green food coloring, they were plenty green!

 For dinner that night I made "grinch rolls" However, dying the roll dough didn't make them green...more like a white and green marble...which the kids still thought was cool. Click HERE for my tried and true roll recipe.

 We also ate "Who Stew" aka Chili. I told my kids this is what the Who's from Whoville eat for dinner rather than saying the stew was made out of Who's (yuck!) And click HERE for our all time favorite chili recipe.

 This was a easy, fun day and my kids can't wait for us to do another activity day soon!

And that's the beauty of these "days" If you get overwhelmed easily, like I do, spread the days out so you're not necessarily doing one every day for 12 straight days. Choose what works best for your family.

 

 To download the GRINCH & NATIVITY DAY, click HERE

 

To download the AROUND THE WORLD and REINDEER DAY, click HERE

Just a side note on this day: you might be wondering why the heck my kids will learn how to say merry Christmas in Indonesian. My in-laws served a mission there for our church so Indonesia is regularly talked about at our house.

To download the St.NICHOLAS DAY and CHRISTMAS TREE DAY, click HERE

To download CANDY CANE DAY and ELF DAY, click HERE

To download the CHRISTMAS KINDNESS DAY, and POLAR EXPRESS DAY, click HERE

To download the FROSTY DAY and GINGERBREAD DAY, click HERE

These printables are for personal use only. Please don't use them commercially in any form.

Don't forget to check out my ETSY SHOP to see if there's anything that will make your holiday bright! And please feel free to like, share, and pin this post! Word of mouth really helps my small business out. I also do custom orders, email or send me a convo on etsy to get started! Thanks for stopping by!