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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I love the idea of a back to school dinner the day before school starts! Take what Inspiration for Celebration did for her kids, and use as inspiration for your own back to school party, She explains how much everything costs, what she used for decorations, the links to all the printables, and a very cute tutorial on an apple drink with a worm (what kid wouldn't love that)! Go to inspirationforcelebration.comand read all about the awesome dinner she threw for her kids.. with invitations!

I love printables! Print this out and decorate a mantel, add it to a wall gallery, or set it out as decoration for your back to school dinner or breakfast! This free printable from Sweet Coconut Lime is a great way to add decoration for the upcoming school year!

I love the idea of a back to school breakfast! It's a great way to get the kids up in the morning, and to have them excited for the first day of school. There are a lot of ideas out there. You could do a back to school party and invite all your kids friends. You can do a special dinner the night before and talk about their favorite summer memories and their hopes for the school year! Or you could do a breakfast (keep in mind that the first day of school is normally hectic, so try to give your kids plenty of time and have a relaxing morning). The Diary of Dave's Wife has some great ideas, click hereto see her post.

I think the best way to do a back to school breakfast or dinner is to either have the kids favorite foods, or go all out with something special. If you normally do cereal for breakfast, then try some pancakes or french toast! Make sure to start the kids out right with a balanced breakfast. Include some milk or orange juice and some fruit.

For a dinner, make sure the kids get some veggies! Eat classics like spaghetti and meatballs or order pizza! Make sure to give the kids some dessert, especially if they don't get to eat sweets that often! Talk about their favorite summer memories and their concerns or hopes for the upcoming year! Help your kids get really excited for the upcoming year!

The decorations: this seems easier than it really is. Fun colorful things work really well, get a colorful table cloth, plates, napkins, cups, silverware, muffin tins or cupcake wrappers, and maybe some balloons at any party supplies store. Create fun centerpieces and decorations by finding some classroom decorations (like bus or apple cutouts). Make a chalkboard sign or use a dry erase board to write a fun back to school message. Use school supplies as decorations, a glass canister with crayons or markers in it, a new notebook or pack of markers on their plate, an eraser as a name card, new books layed out on the table as a center piece, or a cup full of pencils (and be sure to decorate each item with ribbons). That's really all there is to it! Happy Back to School Everyone! :)

Sunday, July 28, 2013

We all know that child's favorite anything, can change every 5 minutes. But I love this idea of writing out their favorites for the first day of school. This idea is so easy to make and such a cute way to look back and remember your child at such a young age!

These apple pretzels are great for a back to school party, an after school snack on the first day of school, or even a teacher gift! And best of all, they are super easy to make!

Here's what you need:

Rips sour candy (comes with red and green pieces)

Hershey's chocolate bar

Red candy melts

Large pretzels

Scissors

Wax paper

Here's what you do:

1. Take the sour candy and either using a small leaf cutter or a pair of scissors, make a small leaf shape.

2. Chop the chocolate bar into small enough pieces to fit as the stem of the apple

3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the red candy melts at 15 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between. Repeat the intervals until the red chocolate is smooth.

4. Using a fork dip the pretzels in the red chocolate, covering them completely (let the excess drip) and lay out on a sheet of wax paper.

5. After the coating has dried, gently pick each one up, to keep them from sticking to the wax paper. Place a small amount of the melted red chocolate (melt more, or reheat) into a small plastic ziplock bag, then cut a small tip off of the top. This will serve as a biding agent for the leaf and stem of the apple.

6. Simply place a small amount of the red candy, the press the chocolate stem on to the pretzel. The repeat the process with all of the pretzels, before placing on the stems with more melted red candy.

Friday, July 26, 2013

The first day of school is getting closer and closer.. some kids might be returning students going into 2nd or 3rd grade, or you may have a little kid just starting preschool or kindergarten. Some kids may be excited, while others can be nervous (especially first time students). Try this fun activity from Becoming Martha to get your kid excited for the upcoming school year.

Here's how it works: There are 7 cards for the week leading up to school, everyday let your child pick the card (starting at 7 and going down) and read the contents on the back. On the back of the card, there will be a fun activity or back to school task that your child must do for that day. At the end of the day the can receive some kind of reward or treat! If you have more than one child going back to school, you can take turns reading the cards (which doesn't always work), or have them complete a task (like being the first one to make their bed, putting away their toys without being asked) and you can choose who gets to read the card that day!

To make this you will need:

-a large frame (the one pictured was a cork board torn apart, with fabric wrapped around the frame for decoration)

-wooden shapes for decorations (owl and "c" pictured, could use all children's initials)

-printables on card stock paper for the front of the countdown cards (get them here)

I love these lunch box jokes from Happy Home Fairy! It is the perfect way to ease your child back into the school routine! All you have to do it print the jokes out from happyhomefairy.comand put them in your child's lunch as a surprise! It's a great way to put a smile on their face, on their first day of school!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Don't miss a moment of your child's first day back to school.. or their first day of school ever! Use the back to school checklist from Fab N Free to make sure you capture every moment! Go print yours out now and be organized for the up coming first day of school!

These free school note printables are so cute! All you have to do is go to Hello Cuteness, download and print the school notes. And print out a lot of them! Use these for any reason! Kids always forget to tell their teacher things, so send a note with them, attach it to their homework if you need to! Keep the communication between mom and the teacher with these very useful school notes!

Getting ready to go back to school? Get you kids excited for the first day of school with this school supplies scavenger hunt game. It's so simple! Just print out your free game piece printables from The Happy Home Fairy, and place your new school supplies around the house. Place each clue with the item they have found, give them their backpack to fill with their school supplies! After the game is over, let the kids have a fun back to school themed treat! Talk about their new school supplies, their hopes, expectations and worries for the up coming school year!

This DIY post it note holder from Domesticated Lady, is the perfect gift for you child's new teacher. Who doesn't need post it notes laying around? First thing to do is to go to domesticatedlady.com to print out your FREE printable picture and tag. To make this, use a 5x7 clear plastic picture frame, insert the printable (they come in pink or green), hot glue on some ribbon, and the post it's, then add the tag with a tiny clothes pin! To go a step further, you could even include a new pin to match!

This teacher gift inspiration from Crafty Engineering, would look great on any teachers desk! Simply find back to school scrap booking items at your local craft store, and use scrapbook paper for the background, find some ribbon and post it's that match!

These back to school book and lunch printables from catchmyparty.com are so adorable! They each come in 4 different colors/patterns, so you can pick out what best suites you little kids personality! Go print your FREE prinables and be organized and prepared for the upcoming school year!

I love this lunch box printable from One Charming Party! A cute apple that says "Have a great day at school!", with an apple jacks worm coming out of it! Such a cute idea, and would be a great way to make your child feel better on their first day of school.

Here's how to make it: print out the printable from onecharmingparty.comand punch a small hole in the apple. Thread a pipe cleaner through (and make it wiggly) to make a worm and place apple jacks on it to make a nice treat!

School is almost here! As parents we are shopping for school supplies, getting our nervous kids excited for the upcoming school year. We are busy planning last minute summer actives, and getting ready for another fun year of learning for our little smarties! School lunches get left out a lot, but mom's we need to be planning for a year of healthy school lunches. Having your child take a lunch is much better, you can control what they eat, give them healthier, better tasting, fresh food. We always want our kids to eat healthy, but give in every now and then and let them buy lunch on pizza friday, or pack a cupcake for a special dessert! Follow these 5 tips from About A Mom for packing nutritious and healthy lunches.

1. Pack Meals They Like

Kids won't eat food they don't like.Try to pack different food items that you know your child likes. A good way to get excited for the new school year is to go grocery shopping, and make a list of a few of your child's favorite lunch items. Include a few choices, make sure to get some veggies in there every day. Every now and then you can pack a surprise dessert.

2. Lunch Bags & Containers

Presentation is always key in making kids eat food. Let you children help pick out there lunch box to get them excited about school. Have an extra at home, just in case one gets lost or damaged. Use silicone molds to keep food separated and look nice. The lunch boxes that have dividers for food, are quickly becoming very popular.

3. Easy To Eat Items

Between the amount of time kids get, and the fun of socializing with their friends, lunch goes by very fast. Make your kids items easy to eat. Sandwiches, wraps, pasta, salads, diced fruit and veggies are all great ideas. Include some finger food like diced cheese, cut up fruits and veggies or pretzels.

4. Menu Planning

Be prepared for the upcoming week by writing out each days meals. Be sure to include a variety of foods.. or let your kid "eat a rainbow", by giving them many different healthy fruits and veggies. Make sure that each week they eat new foods, so they can grow their taste in different foods and be less picky (hopefully).

5. Plenty of Fluids

I love the reusable water bottles! If your child is allowed to drink during recces or class, you can give them a reusable water bottle packed in their back pack, and pack a small juice cup in their lunch box. This way, you control the amount of sugary drinks your child has, help them to love refreshing water instead of juice, and they stay hydrated all day long. A small juice cup at lunch, may not be enough for the whole day, so let them bring there very own water bottle with them. Your child can even help pick out their very own cup!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

1. Make a budget. Have
a set amount for each child. If your child is old enough, it is a great
way to teach about the value of a dollar. Have them look a the prices
and decided when something is too expensive.

2. Shop early and shop the sales. A
lot of school supplies and clothes go on sale weeks before school
starts. Don't wait until the days before to do all your shopping. Also,
it is not necessary to do all your shopping in one day. Wait for the
stores to have sales, going to different stores multiple times weeks
before school starts.

3. Take your child with you and let them help. Don't
just pick out their clothes for them, this is an opportunity for your
child to express their personality through how they dress. Let them help
pick out clothes, but don't feel bad to say no to them. You are the
parent, and we should not let our children dress inappropriately. Take
the time to explain how to be dress modest, but to still have fun and
follow trends.

4. Be aware of children's growth spurts. It's
very upsetting to buy new clothes and shoes.. only to find out that
after they wear them once, that they have out grown it! Be aware of
their growth spurts and only buy a few essential items to last you until
their growth spurt hits and they can fit into bigger clothes and
shoes.

5. Consider the school dress code. Most
school's have strict dress codes (no open toe shoes, no pants with worn
out look to them, skirts and shorts longer than finger tips). Of course
younger children will not have such a strict dress code, but make sure
to read through the dress code and avoid prohibited items.

6. Buy plenty of pants. Especially
for preschoolers and younger kids, they tend to spend more time on the
floor playing, which makes their pants wear out faster than normal.
Younger kids will also have accidents, and spill things on their pants.
It is a good idea to set aside of a pair of nice jeans for special
occasions. These pants are not to be used to play outside in!

7. Buy lots of mix and match pieces, and weather appropriate clothes. When
you go out to buy clothes, buying outfits that will only go with one
thing, means that it wont get worn a lot, and it will cost more because
you will need more items. To avoid that, buy lots of mix and match
pieces and a few stand out outfits. Also, try to be prepared for colder
weather and rain. Buy a wind breaker jacket, a rain coat and some rain
boots to be prepared for when the weather changes.

8. Let the kids pick out a few (appropriate items) that you would otherwise not have picked out. Kids
are developing their personality and their clothes reflect that. They
also see what other kids wear and want the latest trends, even if you
don't like it. Give in on a few items.. maybe a super sparkly top, or a
fun looking shirt with their favorite cartoon character. Kids will be
happier if they like what they are wearing. Don't force clothes on them
that they will hate, let their opinion matter and try to compromise on
clothes.

9. Don't buy too much. Try
not to over buy clothes. Parents hate to buy items for kids, that they
never wear, and kids don't like to have their parents constantly nag them
about not wearing it. Try not to buy too much, that way you child won't
have tons of outfits, and wind up not wearing some items.

10. Don't feel bad about skipping name brands. With kids certain brands will become very popular for a few months. Don't spend hundreds of dollars buying name brand clothes, that kids will rip, and get dirty. Buy a few select pieces, and find other similar items a cheaper store.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Going clothes shopping for back to school is a must! Do the kids have enough pants? Is it time for a new pair of shoes? Print and fill out this free printable to keep track of what they need. They come in 4 different pattern's, so each child will have their very own! This printable from Free Time Frolics will help your back to school frenzy become more organized!

Getting ready to send you child back to school? Use this helpful checklist of what your Elementary Student will need to start off their year! Of course always check with your students teacher to find out any additional items.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Love free printables? We do too! This is your FREE Summer Bucket List Printable! I know that our family hates missing out on fun things to do! Print this list out, and make sure to all the fun summer activities as a family! We Love the idea of framing it and using a dry erase marker to mark off each fun thing you do! Have more than one child? Why not try using this as a reward system! Who ever can do all their chores, eat all their vegetables for a whole week or completes a book in their summer reading list gets to pick the activity for that week!

We love collecting sea shells from the beach every year! But they end up just getting broken, lost or thrown away. This a cute idea to add some DIY summer decor to your house! All you need is to wash and dry your sea shells, and spray paint them all the same color. We love using a metallic silver, gold white! Put them in a jar and set out as summer decorations.

*Make sure to keep a few unpainted for some Christmas ornaments ideas coming this winter!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

A graham cracker cookie crust sandwiched between a layer of warm melted chocolate, and a layer gooey melted marshmallow. These will make you feel like your eating s'mores at a campfire! Everytime these cookie bars are made, they are gone within a few hours!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 king-sized Hershey's chocolate bars

1 1/2 cups of marshmallow creme or fluff

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease an 8-inch baking pan

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix until thoroughly combined.

4. Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough evenly onto the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Lay out the chocolate bars in even layers (breaking the chocolate if you have to). Spread the marshmallow creme on top of the chocolate. Then, roll the dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper, until about the size of your pan (try not to go any bigger). Gently, remove the parchment paper and place the dough on top of the marshmallow creme.

S'mores are the perfect dessert! We eat them in the summer at a cookout, and during the winter with a bonfire! They are a year round dessert that is sure to please everyone! Try making a s'mores bar for you guests at your next outdoor cookout or bonfire! The key to a great s'mores bar is variation. We all know and love the traditional s'mores recipe, but try mixing it up by laying out tons of different options! Have a variety of different cookies, flavored marshmallows, candy bars and chocolates, and fun add-in's.