freebies

August 11, 2011 1 Comment

back to school calendars

The other thing I’ve been obsessing about (other than the lunch box) is the calendar! There is so much to keep track of when the little people go back to school.

For us, my boys are at two separate schools (with dropoff/pickup at different times) on different days, plus sports, plus homework reminders, plus special projects due, plus snack day… and on and on. And if you have small kids, you know that all school reminders, like XYZ project due date, are as much your responsibility as it is theirs! What happens if you don’t remind them to get it done?! Yep… it’s your fault.

So these are a few freebies that I found around the web:

Week-At-A-Glance from MommyTracked – I love that I can put the whole family on it
Goal Making 101 from Jana Laurene – not by person, but pretty and will keep us organized… if I can only get everyone to write smaller. {wink}

And then there are the DIY kind, which might work best for us because then I can make it how I want. Chalkboard is fun! But where would I put it? And would someone accidentally erase something important to draw a picture of their favorite toy? Hmmm…

Weekly chalkboard calendar (featured on Ohdeedoh and designed by Pinch Design)
Monthly chalkboard calendar from Living, Inc.

I want pretty and functional. Is that too much to ask?

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back to school owls!

Like most of you, I’ve had back to school on the brain for a few weeks now. My oldest is entering first grade… it almost takes my breathe just typing it… and here in Ohio this is the first year he’ll be away from me all day. Needless to say, I’m not looking forward to it. He is. I’m not.

So I created this fun back to school “smartie owl” snack for him. I just love the little glasses! Isn’t he cute?! He’s made of:

Body – crumb nut donut
Eyes – Keebler Grasshopper Cookie
Glasses – yellow jelly candy circles (I found them at Kroger) and yellow pull-a-part licorice
Hair – yellow pull-a-part licorice
Nose – mini Tootsie Roll (molded slightly with my hands into a hook)

And I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect lunch box, along with a few other accessories. So after making the treat, I decided to create these lunch box notes. I wanted to put a little something in his lunch box every day so that he knows I’m thinking of him. And of course I’m going to share these notes with all of you too!

One more picture of my “smartie owl” because… well… just because. {wink} And now the download link for the freebies. Enjoy!

As always, I hope you’re inspired! And stop over at Snackpicks.com for more of my Kellogg’s ideas.

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simple patriotic favor idea + free printables

These mini gumball machines are perfect favors for the July 4th holiday! It’s not always necessary to give favors, especially at low-key family gatherings like most of us will host this weekend, but if you can squeeze it into the budget, it sure can be fun!

And what’s better, they can be placecards when dressed up with our FREE printables. We designed placecards/favor tags, straw slips and napkin rings for our contributing article with Mom magazine. Download your templates now. And as always, I hope you’re inspired!

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teacher appreciation week!

Some of my favorite crafty bloggy buddies have reminded me that next week, starting May 2, is Teacher Appreciation Week! Eeekkkk! But no need to fret because these ideas will keep your little ones on the Teacher’s Pet list for sure!

First off, the clever sisters over at eighteen25 came up with these fabulous “Teacher’s Treats” jar toppers and what’s even better… they’re FREE! This is only one of the them. The other’s are for us moms. Things like “Bubble Gum Bribes” and “Mom’s Secret Stash.” LOVE this idea to hide my dark chocolate goodies! {huge smile}

And next we have a super talented duo. Amy of Living Locurto designing the printables and Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen made these insanely adorable cupcakes. That’s icing on top, not ice cream! Hop over to Living Locurto to download the FREE printables and get all the “how tos” on making these beautiful cupcakes!

And check out Tidy Mom’s Apple Caramel Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream IN A JAR! What teacher would say “I’m on a diet” to this idea? NONE, that’s how many. She’s guest posting over on Skip To My Lou with all the details, lots more pictures and a fabulous FREE printable to boot!

Happy Monday everyone and as always, I hope you’re inspired!

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FREE Easter printables designed for Parents magazine

For my “Crafty Easter Tabletop Ideas” article with Parents magazine we created a few FREE Easter printables. The “Happy Easter” wrap is perfect as a napkin ring, beverage wrapper, or

vase and craft jar wrapper. Download the Easter wrappers and two pattern sheets (used to make the mommy bird craft seen at the beginning of the article).

Other ideas for the table include surprising your guests by dressing up their cups with colorful straws and a Murray Sugar-Free Shortbread Cookie (YUM!),

and by embellishing the backs of the chairs with fun and simple crepe paper ruffles. And if you didn’t see the other crafts included in the article, here’s a quick recap:

Make sure you hop over for your FREE Easter printables and as always, I hope you’re inspired!

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