Sunday, November 4, 2012
Clementine Lunch Notes
One of my all time favourite fruits is clementines (or mandarins/cuties). I've always loved them this time of year since they're seedless and in season. When I go grocery shopping for the family I work for, I've been picking up a bag each week since the kids want two a day in their lunch boxes. While searching on Pinterest, I found an idea about drawing jack-o-lantern faces on them for kids. Perfect for Halloween! S and O loved it. Now, I've begun drawing other faces and writing notes to the kids. This is such a cute way to make their lunch special and let them know you're thinking about them!
Halloween Treat Bags
I hope everyone had a great Halloween! My husband and I couldn't be home to trick or treat because we had community wind ensemble rehearsal but we left a bucket out with lollipops and I have to say that I'm surprised my bucket was still there when we got home (even though all the lollipops were gone!)
A few days before Halloween last week, I gave S and O treat bags with some fun things for them to play with. I decided it was better to give them the bags before so they could enjoy the activities since the day after begins turkey month. I got almost everything from the dollar section of Target - yay! Inside there was an activity book, spider decoration, mini M&M's, and a pumpkin puzzle. I also gave them glow sticks to use while trick or treating to be safe. They loved their pre-Halloween treats!
I was sad I didn't get to go trick or treating but I did enjoy my cut of the kids candy the next day! Brie spent the evening at my parents dressed as a princess. As you can tell, she "loved" her costume!
"Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night." ~Steve Almond
A few days before Halloween last week, I gave S and O treat bags with some fun things for them to play with. I decided it was better to give them the bags before so they could enjoy the activities since the day after begins turkey month. I got almost everything from the dollar section of Target - yay! Inside there was an activity book, spider decoration, mini M&M's, and a pumpkin puzzle. I also gave them glow sticks to use while trick or treating to be safe. They loved their pre-Halloween treats!
I was sad I didn't get to go trick or treating but I did enjoy my cut of the kids candy the next day! Brie spent the evening at my parents dressed as a princess. As you can tell, she "loved" her costume!
"Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night." ~Steve Almond
Monday, October 15, 2012
Ticket Stub Display
Ever since I was young, I always saved tickets from things I saw, visited, or did. I have movie tickets going back to Patch Adams, plane tickets from my third trip to Hawaii in 5th grade, and concert tickets like the Backstreet Boys Millennium Tour! I have them all in a little box and love added a new stack every once in a while after some have accumulated in my wallet and reminiscing about all the incredible times I've had.
The sad part about them being in a box is that I can't share my collection and have it displayed. How do you display hundreds of plane, movie, museum, theatre, and concert tickets? Well, while killing time while waiting to pick up O from kindergarten, I found a way! This is what I made:
I purchased a shadowbox frame from IKEA, added some cute scrapbook paper, printed and backed the 'admit one' label, added some tickets, and hung it up! Now, this frame only holds about a fifth or what I have and you can't see very many of them but I can mix it up as I please if I find a ticket I'd like to display. This is now hanging in my den and I love how easy it was and how nice it looks!
Another cute way of making your tickets a keepsake is through a ticket stub journal. I have one that got hidden in my last move but it has a slot for your tickets and a place to write memories and who you were with. You can find things like it on amazon or make your own!
'Buy the ticket, take the ride.' ~ Hunter S. Thompson
The sad part about them being in a box is that I can't share my collection and have it displayed. How do you display hundreds of plane, movie, museum, theatre, and concert tickets? Well, while killing time while waiting to pick up O from kindergarten, I found a way! This is what I made:
I purchased a shadowbox frame from IKEA, added some cute scrapbook paper, printed and backed the 'admit one' label, added some tickets, and hung it up! Now, this frame only holds about a fifth or what I have and you can't see very many of them but I can mix it up as I please if I find a ticket I'd like to display. This is now hanging in my den and I love how easy it was and how nice it looks!
Another cute way of making your tickets a keepsake is through a ticket stub journal. I have one that got hidden in my last move but it has a slot for your tickets and a place to write memories and who you were with. You can find things like it on amazon or make your own!
'Buy the ticket, take the ride.' ~ Hunter S. Thompson
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Shutterfly Photo Share Sites
I love taking pictures to the point of my friends and family barely tolerating me at events. (I always tell them that if they smile the first time, I'll only need one shot!) Needless to say, I've been taking a lot of pictures of the kids I nanny, S and O.
They just had their joint birthday party and I was trying to figure out how to get the photos to their parents. Prints are a waste of money if you don't know exactly which ones they'd want and discs are pretty convenient but would require me to, you know, have discs to burn. Then I remembered that after my wedding, my dad made a photo share page through Shutterfly to send pictures to family and friends to view and add on to.
So tonight, I took the time to make a photo share site for all of the adventures the kids and I have. We've been to the zoo, aquarium, beach, and done a lot of fun projects that their parents hadn't seen photos of yet! I even have their birthday party and first day of school photos! So I uploaded them all to albums on Shutterfly and will send the link to their parents.
What is nice is the site is only available to those who have the link and that the kids parents will have the option to send that link to grandparents, family and friends. They will also have the option to print photos they do decide they want as keepsakes.
I can see this being a great idea to do with friends after an event, coworkers after a conference, or family after a new baby so everyone has the options to view, add, and print the pictures they like!
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
They just had their joint birthday party and I was trying to figure out how to get the photos to their parents. Prints are a waste of money if you don't know exactly which ones they'd want and discs are pretty convenient but would require me to, you know, have discs to burn. Then I remembered that after my wedding, my dad made a photo share page through Shutterfly to send pictures to family and friends to view and add on to.
So tonight, I took the time to make a photo share site for all of the adventures the kids and I have. We've been to the zoo, aquarium, beach, and done a lot of fun projects that their parents hadn't seen photos of yet! I even have their birthday party and first day of school photos! So I uploaded them all to albums on Shutterfly and will send the link to their parents.
What is nice is the site is only available to those who have the link and that the kids parents will have the option to send that link to grandparents, family and friends. They will also have the option to print photos they do decide they want as keepsakes.
I can see this being a great idea to do with friends after an event, coworkers after a conference, or family after a new baby so everyone has the options to view, add, and print the pictures they like!
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Subway Art Holiday Frame
I am so very excited we have reached the 'holiday season'! Yes, Christmas isn't for a couple months but we are finally in the time of the year when I have months of holidays I get to decorate for. Starting with Halloween!
When I first began wasting my life away on Pinterest, I saw a wonderful post about holiday subway art by eighteen25 and pinned it to look back at later. My mom's birthday rolled around and I was thinking of something unique to give her. She always had our home decorated for holidays growing up so I went back into my pins and found this amazing project again!
The ladies from eighteen25 created this amazing 'subway art' for each holiday throughout the year! On their blog page, click subway art and be amazed at all the artwork! I printed them all for my mom and myself (I could resist!), picked a frame, and let the decorating begin!
What I adore most about these prints is that it is a subtle way to have a frame constantly out but mix it up throughout the year. The prints are created for 16x20 but you can print them for 8x10. I used cardstock but there are instructions on how to get them printed at Costco. All of these are available to print for personal use.
So get printing and enjoy the holidays to come! Now if only we could be through with the heat!
“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” ~ Dr. Seuss
When I first began wasting my life away on Pinterest, I saw a wonderful post about holiday subway art by eighteen25 and pinned it to look back at later. My mom's birthday rolled around and I was thinking of something unique to give her. She always had our home decorated for holidays growing up so I went back into my pins and found this amazing project again!
The ladies from eighteen25 created this amazing 'subway art' for each holiday throughout the year! On their blog page, click subway art and be amazed at all the artwork! I printed them all for my mom and myself (I could resist!), picked a frame, and let the decorating begin!
What I adore most about these prints is that it is a subtle way to have a frame constantly out but mix it up throughout the year. The prints are created for 16x20 but you can print them for 8x10. I used cardstock but there are instructions on how to get them printed at Costco. All of these are available to print for personal use.
So get printing and enjoy the holidays to come! Now if only we could be through with the heat!
“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” ~ Dr. Seuss
Sunday, September 30, 2012
'Let's Do This!' Lists
With my new job comes 'chores' and one of my chores is to make sure S and O do theirs. First, I was just telling them each thing as they went. This led to "How long until am I done?" and "How many do I have left?" so I decided to write out a list on their whiteboards for them to cross off. It was a great change but required me to make a new list each day. What I FINALLY got around to making tonight is going to save the day!
This evening, I made each child their own 'Let's Do This!' list. It has each of their individual responsibilities written out so they can see them and I don't have to rewrite each day. By doing this, I have saved myself time, made the kids more responsible for themselves, and given them the security of being able to see and know what needs to get done without having to ask me. I put each list in a plastic page cover and they will use their whiteboard markers to cross the chores off as they go and erase them when done for the day!
I tried my best to put everything in order but things change with their busy after school schedules and depending on how much homework they have. I didn't put it on the list, but if we have time, we read. The kids read every night with their parents but I also like to read with them when I can.
S's list is all written out but O's has pictures next to each chore because she is learning how to read. I still wrote out the list so she can learn the words, too. Someday, I'd love to make one of those cute magnet boards or clothespin ribbon charts but for now, this will be perfect and accomplish everything I need it to!
"A half-baked idea is okay as long as it's in the oven." ~Author Unknown
This evening, I made each child their own 'Let's Do This!' list. It has each of their individual responsibilities written out so they can see them and I don't have to rewrite each day. By doing this, I have saved myself time, made the kids more responsible for themselves, and given them the security of being able to see and know what needs to get done without having to ask me. I put each list in a plastic page cover and they will use their whiteboard markers to cross the chores off as they go and erase them when done for the day!
I tried my best to put everything in order but things change with their busy after school schedules and depending on how much homework they have. I didn't put it on the list, but if we have time, we read. The kids read every night with their parents but I also like to read with them when I can.
S's list is all written out but O's has pictures next to each chore because she is learning how to read. I still wrote out the list so she can learn the words, too. Someday, I'd love to make one of those cute magnet boards or clothespin ribbon charts but for now, this will be perfect and accomplish everything I need it to!
"A half-baked idea is okay as long as it's in the oven." ~Author Unknown
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Photo Wall
I finally had some time this summer to pick out wedding photos I wanted on display in our home. Luckily, this came around the same time Michael's had their 70% off all frames sale. Yay! I found a design idea online of how I wanted the wall to look. I chose to hang them on my staircase since there was a lot of room so I needed the display to be at an angle.
The prints I chose were 1-8x10 and 12-4x6. I filled the frames and laid out my idea on the floor. Next, I cut tissue paper to match the size of each frame. I then poked holes using a pencil at the hook where the nail would be placed.
"A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen." ~Edward de Bono
The prints I chose were 1-8x10 and 12-4x6. I filled the frames and laid out my idea on the floor. Next, I cut tissue paper to match the size of each frame. I then poked holes using a pencil at the hook where the nail would be placed.
Then I put the paper up to the wall and nailed it in. I started with my middle most frame to use as a guideline.
I did this for each picture until they were all up the way I imagined!
It is now a beautiful focal point for when guests enter our home and I feel like it showcases many beautiful memories from our wedding day (which was just over 6 months ago!)
"A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen." ~Edward de Bono
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)