Summer Bucket List

We like to make lists around here to force us to enjoy each season fully.

We made this summer bucket list two years ago and wanted to make another one this year.

We made a list of the things we want to do this summer and I filled them all in on a poster board.  I wrote most of them this year now that my son can read.  I drew a few pictures to color in and as we complete each one, they can color in that square or picture.

 

I kept our list VERY simple this year as our new baby arrives in July and I'm tired/worn out/done walking long distances/ready to be done.  A few things we included:

• farmer's market
• blow giant bubbles
• write a story
• water balloon fight
• find a new park
• catch fireflies
• lunch with Dad
• fly a kite
• children's museum
• skip rocks
• go fishing
• outdoor concert
• pick strawberries
• putt-putt golf
• lemonade stand
• Slurpee run
• baseball game
• summer reading program
• go see Monster's University and Despicable Me 2 (they can't wait!)
• make s'mores
• go to a festival
• fireworks
• camping (with their dad this year...I'm not sleeping on the ground!)
• play in the rain
• Dippin' Dots

Do you make bucket lists with your family?  What fun things do you include?

We are participating this summer in the Happy Family Movement Summer Bucket List Challenge.  Click here to find out more and sign up yourself! 

Play-Doh Valentines

I've seen cute Play-Doh Valentines all over the web and I knew they'd be an easy, quick valentine this year.  I was still feeling pretty nauseous in February so I was all about simple.

I purchased the Play-Doh in a 24 box for $15.00. 

I found a cute printable label over at Random Thoughts of a Super Mom but I couldn't get it to print clearly for me.  So, I recreated my own.

I printed the labels on card stock.  Then my son just punched out the circles with my EK Success Whale Scallop Punch.  {Love those!}  He glued them on with a tape runner and we were done!

 

I volunteered in his class on Valentine's Day and there was much buzz about the Play-Doh.  They were so much more fun than the paper ones from the store and so simple.

Christmas Card Display

I am sad to admit that 2012 was the first year in YEARS that we did not send out a Christmas card. 

The intention was there but they just. didn't. happen.

My pregnancy nausea kicked in right around Thanksgiving and I went downhill from there.  I was sick.  I was tired.  And I just didn't care.  We stayed home for Christmas {which was wonderful} and we kept it simple and relaxed.  We put up a tree and hung stockings and I put together this little craft for hanging Christmas cards. 

While I didn't send one, I loved getting them all season long.  I love checking the mail during December.  And I love displaying all of the cards I get.  So, here's what I did.

I wanted to hang the cards with clothes pins but even glittered ones stilled looked ugly on the sides to me.  So, I started out dying the clothes pins.  I figured if vinegar and food coloring worked for eggs it would work for clothes pins.  And it did.  I didn't keep track of the ratio I used but I put a LOT of drops of food coloring in enough vinegar to cover the pins.

After the clothes pins dried I brushed one side with Mod Podge then sprinkled on glitter.  The porch made for a great place to glitter so it wasn't all over my house.

I strung some satin ribbon on a wall with clear 3M Command Mini Hooks.

As Christmas cards arrived in the mail, I placed them up on the wall with a clothes pin.  By the end of the month only the photo cards and handmade cards remained as I ran out of room.  I'll have to hang more ribbon next year!

Teacher Gifts

Teacher Appreciation Week was last week and I wanted to do something small even though we are so close to the end of the year.  I also wanted simple and quick.  So, I copied this idea from my friends over at the 2CleverBlog.

 

I found the light bulb jars with screw on lids at Hobby Lobby.  When I went in the glassware was all 50% off so I scored the jars for just $0.75!  At that price I bought ten and decided to do a little gift for all of my son's teachers: classroom, nurse, gym, music, librarian, office secretaries and the principal.
 

I picked up a jar of Great Chef Gourmet Jelly Beans from Sam's Club for $10 and filled all ten jars and still have half of them left over.  I love Jelly Bellies but these were much cheaper and had great flavors.

I even copied her cute tags.  I added photos of my son and phrases like:

Thanks for "bean" a great principal and helping our school "shine."

Thanks for "bean" a great teacher and making me so "bright."

Thanks for "bean" a great librarian and "lighting" my mind with books!

 

 

My son signed his name on the tags and we were done.  Thanks for the great idea, Think!  So cute and so simple.  I love that we were able to show a little appreciation for so many at the school without breaking the bank.

14 Acts of Love: Follow Up

I thought I'd share with you a few of the acts of service we performed in February for our 14 Acts of Love project.  You can find photos as well on Instagram under #14actsoflove.

 

I tried to include the kids as much as possible to teach them about serving others.  Here are a few things we did in the days leading up to Valentine's Day:

• Dropped off cookies from a local bakery to our librarians
• Baked goodies for our local firemen
• Delivered batches of puppy chow (muddy buddies) to friends, teachers and school bus drivers
• I shoveled my neighbor's driveway when her husband was out of town
• Left chocolates and a Starbucks gift card for our mailman (it was COLD here in February)
• Collected and delivered maternity clothes to a women's advocacy center
• Delivered coloring books and colored pencils to a hospital waiting room
• Gathered supplies and assembled homeless care kits
• Mailed off cards to servicemen and women overseas (we got the addresses from www.anysoldier.com)
• Left change taped to a soda machine at the recreation center
• Dropped off goodies to a sick friend
• Sent a Box of Sunshine to a friend who was blue
• Donated to a canned food drive
• Paid for the person behind us in the drive-through

On Valentine's Day morning I snuck out early and stapled foam hearts to the flags on the mailboxes of my neighbors in my cul-de-sac.   I stole this idea here from Pink over at 2CleverBlog.

It was fun to wake up each day and think of how we could serve others and we've done it randomly throughout the spring as well.  I think it will be a tradition we'll continue each year.

Pink Care Package: Baby Girl!

My best friend found out she was having a girl a few months ago. 

So I did the only thing that seemed natural.  I sent her off a care package of all things pink! 

I included some goodies for her like candy, lip gloss, nail polish, nail files and socks as well as some goodies for the baby like a blanket, snuggle, pacifiers, rattle and a Perfect Piggies board book by Sandra Boynton.  I also included some balloons and candy for her other two children.

Did you know they sell pink hot cocoa??  I found it at Michael's.

 

Hiatus

Life happens.

And sometimes blogging doesn't. 

And that's okay.

I am pregnant {30 weeks yesterday} and, when I am pregnant, may things in life get put on hold.  Including this blog.  I've still been crafting and creating here and there.  But I had a few months where I didn't get dressed, didn't function and just tried to keep my meals down.  It happens, it's over.  Now onto the exciting baby prepping.

So, I'll try to catch you up on what I've been up to the past few months.

Thanks for hanging in there.

14 Acts of Love

I have a lot of blogging catching up to do but, in the mean time, wanted to share a project I'm starting tomorrow. 

I was so inspired by the 26 Acts of Kindness so many people performed in December in memory of the Sandy Hook victims.  Random acts of kindness are the best.  I've performed a few lately and I love that I stop thinking about myself and my problems and help make someone else's day a little brighter.

So, starting tomorrow, February 1st, I'm going to perform a random act of kindness or "Love" each day through Valentine's Day.  I'll be tagging them on Instagram  (#14actsoflove) so feel free to participate and follow along.  They needn't be huge things or pricey things.  Small, thoughtful acts of love toward our fellow man can change someone's day.  That's my goal.  Put a smile on someone's faith and hopefully inspire them to pay it forward.  I want to make everyone feel loved this Valentine's Day whether they are in love or not.

Thanksgiving ABC Book

I found this cute ABCs of Thanksgiving pdf printable over at This Reading Mama.

I printed out the one with writing lines for my kindergartner and the one for strictly drawing for my three year old.

There's a coloring page for each letter of the alphabet.  I printed the pages on copy paper then stapled them inside a 12 x 18 sheet of construction paper.  Then I glued on her cover printable to the front of each.

We started on November 1st and went through the end of the month writing one thing each day, starting with the particular letter, that they were thankful for.  It was a fun, easy activity.  Thanks for the cute printable!

One day he was thankful for m&ms.

She was thankful for me.  Looks just like me, right?  

Home Executive Planner Giveaway

A few weeks ago, Picket Fence Publications sent me their new Home Executive Day Planner to try out.  I've been using it for a few weeks and I'm loving it.  So, they are sponsoring a giveaway and there will be

3 lucky winners!

Just in time for the busy holiday season and scheduling your 2013 calendar.

The planner is the perfect tool for anyone including busy moms and students.  It runs from August 2012 - December 2013.   It is a perfect size {6x9} to fit in your purse, bag or backpack. In addition to being very cute {I'm a visual person}, it's very functional as well.

It includes monthly and weekly planning complete with recipes and a grocery list.

There is a holiday meal planner and gift list.  {I can't show you the list part as I've already starting filling mine in.}

There is also a babysitter page, birthday planner, holiday planner, notes pages and over 600 cute stickers to use on your calendar pages. 

The spiral binding allows it to lay flat and there is a plastic cover for protection and durability. 

Picket Fence Publications is having a holiday sale starting today and selling the planners for just $9.99.  They would make a great gift and they even offer Christmas gift wrapping.  You can click here to purchase them now.

This giveaway is now closed.  Congrats to the winners: Lindsey, Lisa V and Stacy{S}.  Email me your mailing address and I'll have Jen send you out your new planners!

If you'd like to win one of three planners, you'll have four chances to enter:

1.  Follow along or subscribe to my RSS feeds.

2.  Go visit Picket Fence Publications and subscribe to her blog.

3.  Go "like" the Picket Fence Publications Facebook page.

4.  "Pin" this giveaway on Pinterest.

Leave a comment below for each entry you've done.  I'll draw three winners on Friday, November 16th at midnight CST.  Open to U.S. residents only. 

And may the odds be ever in your favor!

While I received a planner to review, the opinions above are my own.

Chalkboard of The Month Club

For my friend's birthday I thought it would be fun to give her a gift that keeps on giving. 

 

I put together a chalkboard for her and made her this birthday card.

 

I found this great frame at Goodwill.  I liked the wood grain of it so I sanded it a little to distress it and called it good.  I popped out the glass and print that was in it.

I went to Home Depot with an intention to buy and mdf board and paint it with chalkboard paint.  But, when I got there, what to my wondering eyes did appear?  Chalkboard mdf.  Shut up!   It was 1/4 inch thick and 2' x 4'.  The nice guy at Home Depot cut three 16 x 20 pieces for me from the sheet.  SCORE!

For her birthday I drew a birthday design.  I will update it monthly for holidays, other birthdays, quotes or whatever she chooses. 

A couple of weeks later she was getting ready for her daughter's birthday so I drew this one:

 I'll keep you posted as we go through the year.  I'm making one for myself as well! 

Custom Postage Stamps by Zazzle.com

I've been online looking at different ideas for my Christmas cards.  I love mail.  I love pretty addressing and I love creative postage stamps. 

I came across custom postage stamps on Zazzle and thought they'd be perfect for Christmas cards.

Zazzle has thousands of choices from photos, monograms, Disney, other graphics and even Harry Potter.  I'm just thinking of all of the themed birthday party invites I could find the perfect stamp for!

Or you can create your own.  How cute would this stamp have been on last year's Christmas card??? 

I easily and quickly uploaded the photo and it gave me an example of what the stamp would look like.  You can make the custom stamps horizontal or vertical and you can even add words or upload your own design or artwork! 

I saw these others stamps on Zazzle and thought they'd be perfect for different occasions:

 

Santa, Don't Stop Believin'

perfect for Christmas cards, party invites or thank you cards

Kissing Booth - Mr + Mrs

like this one?  see more like it here

perfect for wedding invitations, thank you cards or save the dates

 

It's A Girl

check out the other baby ones here

perfect for birth announcements, baby showers or thank you cards

 

Pirate Boy RRRR

how cute would this be on a pirate themed party invite?

 

 

Like I said, I love fun mail and I think Zazzle's stamps would make any letter or package so much more festive!  Check out my other fun mail ideas here.  Check out my "mail" Pinterest board here.

 

 

 

Disclosure: The opinions expressed above are my own.  I did receive a Zazzle.com gift card for this post.

 

 

 

Teacher Gift

 

On the first day of school I wanted my son to take something to his teacher so I looked on Pinterest and found these cute pencil flowers by Amy over at The Happy Scraps.  They looked easy and cute so I copied her.

My son cut the flowers with my new EK Tools retro flower punch.  I love EK's punches as they are easy and versatile.  I took several of mine on a trip with me last month for a project I was working on.  They're the only brand I've used that I don't have to stand up and press down on the table with.  My kids use my EK whale punches all the time.  Their new punches fold flat which is great for storing them! 

I then used a standard hole punch to punch holes in the enter of each flower. 

Next I stuck some foam in a tin pail I found at the Target Dollar Spot. 

I added some shredded paper, shoved the pencils in and tied on a ribbon.

 Here he is ready to go meet his new teacher.  So handsome.

And here he is handing them to her. 

I thought this gift was perfect as it was cute but it's something she can actually use with the pencils as stems. 

I was in his classroom last week for the Halloween party and, guess what?  They are STILL ON HER DESK! 

Did your kids bring a gift on the first day of school?  If so, tell me what you came up with!

Angry Bird Costume

My neighbor wanted to be an Angry Bird for Halloween this year so I made him a costume.

 

I found this tutorial using a pumpkin pattern and copied what she did for the most part.

Like her, I used our Angry Birds stuffed animal as a guide.

I used the pumpkin Simplicity 2788 Toddler Costume pattern.  The pattern went up to 4T and I was making it for a five and a half (that half is important to him) year old so I added four inches to the length and two inches on each piece around.  I started with red fleece, tan fleece for the panel, yellow fleece for the beak and felt for the facial features.  I eyeballed the shapes and cut them out.

I lined it with a silky polyester of some sort so it would slip on and off easily.  I glued on the face shapes with Fabri-Tac.  That stuff never comes loose.  Then I stuffed and hand stitched on the nose and the tail.  I didn't use the hat pattern.  Instead I made a fleece beanie with the feathers on top.  I stuffed it more full than the pumpkin pattern called for so he was nice and round. 

I finished off the look with a green pig trick-or-treat bag.  I eyeballed this one as well.  I sewed a strap out of green felt then stitched the two faces together.  The eyes, brows and nose are glued on with Fabri-Tac.

Now that he's done with the costume, we'll be putting it on eBay next fall.  If you're interested in it, let me know!  It would easily fit a child from 3 - 6 or 7.

Scripture Journals

A few months ago I was asked to teach the Young Women at church on Sundays.  I have the 16 and 17 year old ladies and I have an hour lesson each week.  This summer we had a lesson about scripture study and so I made each of them a scripture journal to take home.

I found great ideas for the setup of the journal from The Red Headed Hostess.  She sells several great versions of journals now but if you want to make your own, here are her setup instructions.

I started with composition notebooks when Target had them for $0.50 before school started.

I covered the front and back of the notebooks with scrapbook paper using mod podge.

Then I printed the four quotes from The Red Headed Hostess' setup PDF on label paper and stuck them on the inside cover.  I printed off the setup instructions as well as this Book of Mormon/Cell Phone handout from MormonShare.

I wrapped up each journal with tulle ribbon and a bright marking pen (found those in 6 packs for $1.00 at Goodwill!). 

I set up my own journal like this about a year ago complete with her topics, page numbers and table of contents.  I used a leather bound journal as I want mine to last a while.  Writing down what I'm learning and insights has made a difference in what I get out of the scriptures. 

If you want other scripture study ideas, check out The Red Headed Hostess.  Her site is FULL of ideas, printables, how to mark your scriptures, etc.