Teacher Gifts

This was my first time trying to figure out what to do for my daughter's teachers.  I looked at so many good ideas via Pinterest.  They were all good, but I wanted to something more personal for them and from us. 

I found a free printable book plates from Lavender's Blue.  Then with a little adjustment in photoshop I made them extra special.  The lables were cute, but since the class were called the "leap frogs", I added a frog.

I wanted my daughter to have a hand in this gift.  After all she spent more time with them than I did.  I asked her to pick her favorite book from our shelf.  This is a great book!  A favorite of mine as well.  It's funny and has a very simple vocabulary - great for a kid going into kindergarten.  The teacher's loved it and hadn't already read it.

 Continuing with the leap frog theme we wrapped the books in green and made these funny little cards.  My daughter got to do most of the card work, except the detailed cutting. 

It was great to give something different to teachers that have done so much for my daughter this year.  I am very grateful for them.

Free Printables

I have been doing a lot of projects using Photoshop, lately.  I recently created some motivation charts for my oldest daughter.  They have really made a difference.  They are designed to print on an 8.5 x 11" paper.  Laminate them and you can reuse them with a dry erase marker. 

 Rose Chore Chart

Achievement Chart.

(I could offer a different color if there is an interest.)

I numbered the stars from 1 - 100.  We are tracking her allowance to help her earn the American Girl Doll she has her eyes on.

Leave me a message in the comments section if you would like me to email you the jpeg file.

A Tight Leash

My daughter had a great time playing with her stuffed animals.  With the dog stuffies she needed leashes, of course.  She had been using one of my belts.  I only had one and there are more than one dog, so I promised her I'd make her some. 

 I found some 'D' rings in my stash, added some ribbon (just measured to my daughter's waist), minimal sewing and Ta-Da!  Super easy!  And in no time at all (the attention span of most kids), an accessory for the puppy stuffies.

The very same idea can be used to make a belt for kids.  Age 4 or 5 might even be able to undo them for potty breaks.

Sweet and Sour - Candy Apples

 Or, so I am told.  The whole not eating fruit thing makes me about the last person who should post about a fruit based treat, so I am going on the recommendations of my husband and daughter.  I wanted to make these for preschool graduation, but the original attempt completly flopped. 

The idea was to do a carmel apple, so I googled it, watched an episode on Food Network, and looked at dozens of recipes.  And I learned something:  cooking is not like sewing.  You can't just combine a bunch of ideas and have it turn out.  At least I can't.  I am now a by the recipe kind of girl. 

That wasn't the end of my stuggles. I didn't have a 'melon baller', so I picked one up at the grocery store. (Again, my lack of expertese with fruit would have been helpful here.) Well, about 10 apple balls into the project, it broke. You don't really need the handle, but it certainly helps. Then the caramel only kind of stuck to the apple, because it usually sticks to the skin of an apple, I ran out of sprinkles, and in the end the caramel stuck better to the paper wrappers than the apples.

It leaves such a funny looking apple at the end :)

Bound an determined to make this recipe work, I just cut up an apple and tried it with the melted peanut butter chips suggested by the recipe.  Remember:  I'm a recipe follower now and again without a 'mellon baller'.  They aren't as cute at the round ones, but my daughter ate them happily. 

The melted chips are much more kid friendly, too.  They don't have to be as hot as the caramel.

I am hoping to do more fun ideas like this during the summer. 

Preschool Graduation

The rotation of our preschool group fell to me.  I enjoyed searching the Internet for ideas that would be easy enough and fun for the kids, but enjoyed by the parents.  I like how it turned out, but I am biased.  I think the kids enjoyed it.

First up: caps
      yarn
     cardstock
     styrofoam bowl ( I couldn't find any paper ones, just dessert plates)
     large eye needle

Second: the program
I had the kids each say a line from this little poem.  And we learned a little song.  Short and sweet and even that was hard to handle at an outdoor venue. 

Poem:
Graduation Poem

Original Author Unknown
Do you remember way last fall
When I was only just this tall?
Now look at me! I'm up to here!
And my, I've learned alot this year!
In fact, you think I'm really great!
That's why I get to graduate!

Song:
Fun In Preschool

Sung to: “I'll Be Working on the Railroad”
I've been having fun in preschool,
Learning all year long..

I can tell you all about it,
Just listen to this song.

We've been learning shapes and colors,
Letters and numbers too!

I've learned how to share with others,
Now our year is through!

Both ideas were not my own and you can find more like them here.

The Girls' Room

Audrey got some fun paper dolls to decorate for her birthday.  She worked really hard on them and has been very proud of them.  They were taking up a little too much space on the top of the dresser, so I told her we'd display them.  When we got around to putting up these shelves for the girls, (that we've had since November)  it was a perfect place to put the dolls.  And I can change the decor if we get tired of it or she can play with them. 

Karin's side was finally finished today, too.  I just got around to painting the K bright pink.  I've had that K since before Audrey was born.  I bought the K and A at the same time because we had two names picked out for girls.  I knew we would use both of them.  Now we've used them up.  The pictures are things that are important to me or things I want my girls to grow up seeing - a picture of Christ, You Are My Sunshine print from here, a print of my favorite Georgia O'Keeffe painting and a frame to be filled later.  I like the shelf for the non-committal format.  We can change anything at any time.  It's a good thing to have in a child's room.  Their interests change so often.  The shelf is from ikea.

Birthday Party Creations

This year Audrey decided on a Pirate Girl theme for her birthday party.  It makes sense if you know the song - They Might Be Giants Here Come the One, Two Threes "Pirate Girls Nine".  We sing it in the car all the time and it's one of our favorites.  As soon as she said it I knew just how to do a cake for her.  I had had done one several years ago for Matt's birthday.  (Yes, we like Pirates that much at our house.)

Then I got really creative.  These are just a few things I did for the party.  I loved how things turned out and the kids told me they had fun.  That's high praise.  Lucky for me it was fairly low key - cake, ice cream, and one game at the park.  The kids took care of the rest of the fun.  I think I'm going to make this a tradition.

 What Pirate Girl would be complete without an eye patch?

 The clues for the scavenger hunt, written in Pirate, of course.  It was a photo scavenger hunt since most the kids couldn't read.  I read them the clues they found, but the picture gave them a better idea of what they were looking for.

 The treasure chest for the end of the scavenger hunt.  I found this idea online and it was one of the simplist and best ideas.  It took me 3 minutes and if the kids tear it up, big deal.  The treasure inside were jeweled ring pops to continue with our theme.  Oh, and the kids shreaded it to get to the candy.

 The base for the cake.  I think some who saw it still aren't sure just how I did it, so now you know.

 The cake was a simple 9x13 chocolate cake with chocolate frosting covered with gold and jewels.

 An upclose look at those delicious jewels.  Yes, those are jewel shaped Gushers in there, too.   I thought it was a little weird addition, but the kids loved them.  And if you ever need kids to do something, chocolate coins are a HUGE hit!

 The final product.

I had to stick my hand in there to show you it's a functioning lid to the chest.  Just don't let it flop back, you'll smudge the frosting.

 This is the only project I didn't get to finish in time for the party.  It would have looked so cute strung up between the posts on the pavillion at the park.  (Too bad we didn't get to use the pavillion either.  We were the 3rd birthday party at the park that night.)

A close up of the fabric.  It matches the pillowcase I made for the birthdays at our house (probably excluding the one boy, since it's pink).  I loved how it turned out, I just have to wait another 8 months before we can use it. 

The best part of this birthday is that I managed to pull it off for under $100.  Hooray for homemade!

One Last Project

I always think of something I want done before I leave town.  Usually it's not this easy and it gets left behind.  There hasn't been much time for projects with a new baby, so this had been waiting for a spare moment.  The binki holder was super easy, but much needed.  I ordered the clasps from the Sassy Paci Botique a little ribbon and voila!  It's nice to have something cute to attach to these enormous binkis that both my kids have used.

The barrettes were done this summer but I don't think I have posted a picture so far.  They look really cute in Audrey's hair. 



Getting Around To Things

With a baby coming before next year (probably) I have a desire to finish up old projects.  Only one of these fits into the that category.  But I am trying to complete my things to do list, since I will probably be otherwise occupied at the begininng of next year. 

Clutter busting.  Cute clips have been accumulating for some time now and I'm trying desperately trying to contain it.  The good news is it's a super easy project and very inexpensive.  All you need is a shape for the top, a picture hanger (the kind with the teeth), a grosgrain ribbon, and a glue gun.  I got the butterfly at Hobby Lobby already painted ($0.67) and the whole thing was done in about five minutes.  Cross another one off my list!

These have been a year in the making.  Well, sort of.  I saw something like this on my friend Ashley's blog last year and I started saving jars right away. (Ashley got it from these two blog entries - here and here.)   Of course I can't just do it like everybody else.  I had to make adjustments.  I am very happy with how they turned out.  Who would have guessed that I would like Modge Podge?  Halloween decor: check.

Valentine's Gifts

I ordered the dress pattern to fit the doll I made. I figured, why make things harder than I have to? So, it's not my original design. But I love how easy it was and how it turned out! And with some left over fabric I made Audrey a matching shirt. I absolutely adore this fabric. I seem to have a thing for this style of fabric and I usually like the fabrics done by this same designer, Heidi Grace (available at Joann's). I think it's cute that they match. Audrey hasn't shown much interest. My version has shoes, which is my original design and the bows in her hair were not in the original pattern. All in all a lovely way to celebrate a holiday devoted to love. At least she'll be able to look back and remember that I made her a doll for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Decor

Easy home-made Valentine's Day decor!
Who doesn't love to be loved? I have few decorations for this holiday, and I felt no desire to rifle through boxes to locate them. So, I spent a pleasant afternoon making "candy hearts" with Audrey. I traced, cut out and wrote little somethings on them, and Audrey colored them front and back. Then we put tape on the back and put them all around the house. There is no door in my house that isn't covered with hearts. It is a great kid-friendly way to decorate and to make them feel a part of it. Also, it adapts easily for any holiday.