Monday, April 30, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Cork Board

Here is another quick and inexpensive Teachers gift when you have lots of Teachers to remember. For those of you who missed last week, my daughter's class made gifts for all the "Specials" Teachers they have. That is 6 extra Teachers. 6 Teachers without a Room Mom...uh oh!

After a trip to Ikea I was sure that what we needed were trivets. Yep...trivets. Have I lost you? Do you think I have lost my mind? Look what we did with those trivets:


We made individual cork boards! I think they turned out really cute! Ikea sells a pack of 3 cork boards for around $2 or $3...I don't remember. It is just around $1 per board...not a bad place to start. I had the kids stamp the Teacher's initial on the bottom with a foam stamp and black StazOn ink. Another child took a small piece of paper and wrote a simple note to pin onto the board.

If we had time, we could have easily made the pins in class. But we didn't have time to sit and wait for the glue to dry. So, I made them at home ahead of time. The apples were metal brads that I cut the brad part off of and attached with hot glue. Simple.

I think they turned out adorably!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Teacher's Journal

The children at our school are blessed. Each week they have a day where they go to "Specials." They spend time outside of their regular classroom rotating to Music, Art, Science, Computer Lab, Library and Literacy Support. These Teachers do not teach 25 children...they literally teach the ENTIRE school!

I used to teach and I know it is an incredibly demanding job. However, my point of reference was for a classroom of 25. I can't begin to imagine the demands of teaching an entire school! It is an incredible job and one that too often does not get enough appreciation if you ask me.

Last year, our class took some time to make gifts for the "Specials" Teachers. Too often they are overlooked during Teacher Appreciation Week...and that just isn't ok. So we spent some time in class creating several little projects.

One of those projects was a Teacher's Journal. We started with a cute little journal from the Dollar Section at Michaels. (The former Dollar Section...the $1.50 section is just not the same! Target has still managed to keep their Dollar Section...) It had some sort of gardening picture on the front, which really didn't apply...although...they do sometimes do gardening in some of those classes. However, it really wasn't going to work for us. So we created a place card to cover up the unappealing area. Look...


One sheet of white card stock was cut as the base mat, and a smaller black one for the top layer. I cut out initials for each Teacher from my Cricut machine and these were glued on the top. The kids glued everything on and wrote a little note to each Teacher. It was a simple and inexpensive project, but I think they turned out really cute for "Homemade Beauties By 2nd Graders!"

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Ikea Teachers Round Boxes

Instead of presenting our gifts to our Teacher in a gift bag that would be thrown away or maybe used for another gift...we made our "gift bag" a gift itself. I found a set of stacking round boxes at Ikea.

I will admit, I didn't see the same boxes when I was there this week. However, the ones they have this year are even better. They wouldn't have matched with our color scheme we were using last year, but they have the same idea covered in Navy Blue burlap. NAVY BLUE BURLAP...I am in LOVE. I am just trying to figure out what I need them for...well, besides "just because."

All I did was take the boxes and stamp our Teachers name on one and the grade she teaches on the other with acrylic paint and foam stamps. Not a big deal, but it makes the gift personal and unique. Just like Mrs. Marston...she deals with each child on such a personal level, which definitely makes her unique! I figured it would be a good storage place for stickers, stamps, notecards or even little treats once our gifts were being used. Look how cute they turned out:


Inside each box is where we nestled little gifts:


What creative "gift bag" idea can you use for the Teacher in your life?

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Note Holder

Today has been a revolving door of children at our house...so, this post is going to be quick...really quick. Just like my project today...quick.

I am sure everyone has seen those cute oversized clothespins. I think they are adorable. I have several of them in our house that circulate through different seasonal decor. I found one in the same apple green that I was using for our Teacher, so I knew it needed to be a part of our gift. Look how cute it is with some simple rub on letters added:


I love it! Our Teacher loved it too! We gave it to her with a little card clipped inside, but it is also good for holding important notes or photos. An adorably quick and simple gift.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Signed Mug

Today's Teacher Appreciation idea is quick and easy. Depending on the mug you purchase, it can also be a very cost effective gift if you have lots of Teachers to remember. Last year I found this cute chalkboard mug at Starbucks:


It was just begging to go home with me! I had each of the kids sign it with a white paint pen. It still looked like chalk, but was a bit more permanent.

Also, Ikea has plain white mugs for $1. They are a nice shape, and would work well if you needed to have multiple gifts for multiple teachers. That price is cheaper than most gift bags!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Class Memory Book

Today I am going to show you one of the EASIEST gifts you could put together for your child's Teacher. This does require a little bit of planning, but the work is done at home by each child...a Class Memory Book.

I sent home a sheet of paper and instructions with each child in our class. They were told to write a note to the Teacher and to decorate the page however they would like. I gave them a due date and sent them on their way. I did not get them all returned in time...so give yourself a bit of wiggle room. Or, just be prepared that some kids will have to add theirs to the book later.

Our whole week of gifts last year was coordinated in black, white, red and apple green. So in keeping with the color pallet I created this book:


I purchased a plain red scrapbook and stamped the details on with Staz On Jet Black Ink. This ink will basically stamp on anything. Really...anything. And of course what crown is complete without some jewels, so I added some rhinestones with a bit of glue. I wouldn't have chosen to put the crown on the top but a slip of a stamp had left a stray black mark that would not come off. See I told you that ink really worked! Instead of starting completely over, I added the extra crown to cover up the mistake. It's not my favorite look, but it worked.

The inside was my favorite part of the project!


Some of the kids really took their time and created beautiful pages. The letters they wrote to their teacher were so sweet...they were real treasures!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Love Notes Mailbox

If you have looked around on my blog for awhile, you know that I love to recycle. It doesn't really involve turning in used cans and bottles, although we do that around here too. My passion to take something old and worn and turn it into something new and useful. I think I get a rush out of the recycling challenge.

That's what I did with this Love Notes Mailbox for my daughter's Teacher last year:


When I found this heart piece it was VERY 1980's country. No offense to anyone who finds that style charming, but it's just worn out to me. However, it was a solid wood piece and I knew it had potential.

I will admit, it sat in my craft stash for quite some time. With such limited crafting space around here, it was almost donated several times. However, some spray paint, adhesive, ribbon and some cute apple scrapbook paper was all this guy needed to freshen up. The best part? I had everything already here so it cost me nothing!

I figured this would be a great place for kids to tuck those little love notes they are always writing to their teacher. It would be a great reminder on those rough days...why do I teach? Our class was already writing several notes for other projects, so we filled the heart with a journal and pads of paper with her initial on them. Mrs. Marston, I hope you heart is always overflowing with love...and little love notes.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: READ Pillows

Our school has the most wonderful Teachers. Every year I have loved my daughter's Teacher...we have been really blessed. Last year was a little bit different though. I absolutely ADORED her! I would have literally hung the moon if she asked.

On the first day of school my daughter came home and told me how 5 people came in and said how lucky they were because they had the best Teacher in the world. I thought that was nice. It gave her an added boost of confidence that this was going to be a great year. Truth be told, my daughter was a bit bummed on the first day. We don't find out who our Teacher will be until the day before school starts. That afternoon we found out she wasn't in a class with her best friend, and she didn't get to be in the class with the male Teacher she really wanted. To add insult to injury...her best friend DID get the male teacher. It was a tough pill to swallow for a 2nd Grader!

In spite of her initial disappointment...she got the BEST Teacher. Last year was a tough year emotionally for my daughter. To put it simply, we had a lot going on. I could not have hand selected a better Teacher for her if I had an entire panel of Teachers to choose from. I know I'm not the only parent to feel this way. I am sure that every parent who is lucky enough to spend the year with her feels the same way. Her room was more like a home away from home than a classroom.

When Teacher Appreciation Week came I wanted to shower her with love, the way she had done with our children all year. I took a good look around her room and took some pictures. One of the things that stood out was a cute white bench in the reading corner. All it needed was a bit more cozy. It needed a soft place to land, like she had been for the kids. On a trip to Ikea, I found some solid green pillows for under $5...just the apple green I was looking for. I took them home and with a bit of fabric paint added just what the classroom needed. Look...


Mrs. Marston, you were truly a gift from God to us last year! I am so blessed to have had you looking after my little girl each day. You not only taught her lessons in school, but lessons in life. We couldn't have dreamed of a better Teacher. THANK YOU!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: An Apple A Day

Everyone knows that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." But did you know that "An apple a day makes the heart happy?" It does. Just look what my daughters class made for her teacher last year:


Isn't this cute? It turned out even better than I had imagined it would. I love when that happens...crafting success!

I had each child write a message on an artificial apple with a Sharpie. I didn't want to have 25 apples...where would you put them all? So I had 3 kids write on each apple. They each wrote a note to their teacher...some of them were REALLY sweet.

I know some days teaching can be really exhausting. What better way to recharge and remind yourself why you teach than messages from your sweet class?

The idea of this project came as I was getting some items together to donate. In my pile were these apples that had been in a decorative container at my house, but I was not using them anymore. As I went to check out my daughters class for gift ideas...I'm sneaky like that...I discovered apple green would be a great compliment to her classroom. Apples and teachers go together like peanut butter and jelly.

The basket was one I had in my craft storage. I sprayed it with a coat of RustOleum black paint to match the black writing on the apples. I love how it allows the children's notes on the apples to really pop. I attached the chalkboard sign to the front of the basket with a hot glue gun, even though chalkboards are pretty non-existent in classrooms anymore. They are still cute.

I love how this turned out. It is clean and simple and a classic design that will look good for years to come. It must have been a hit for our teacher...she still has it out this year.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Teacher Appreciation Week: Classroom Bouquet

Did you know that there are only 3 weeks until Teacher Appreciation Week? Did you know there was such a thing as Teacher Appreciation Week? "Teacher Appreciation Week is a week long celebration in the United States observed the first full week in May. Teacher Appreciation Day is the Tuesday that falls during Teacher Appreciation Week." Whether you knew or didn't know...this is the time to show appreciation to the Teachers in your life.

If you have kids...be THANKFUL for your Teachers! Just imagine...they have your children...and about 20 more of them ALL DAY LONG. When was the last time you were trapped inside on a rainy day with 20+ kids? Believe me, Teachers deserve our appreciation!

Before I had my own children, I used to teach. Well...I used to be a classroom Teacher. I definitely teach now...I just get paid in hugs and kisses instead of an actual paycheck. (I prefer the hugs and kisses!) I can tell you from experience that the work of a teacher is never finished! I was ALWAYS working on something for my classroom. And yes, there is Summer Vacation, but I spent mine planning and working to make the next year better. I was even known to teach in my sleep! And yes, that was out loud. Embarrassing! My point is, teaching is a hard and consuming job...take a bit of time to show them you care.

Our school has a bit of a tradition for Teacher Appreciation Week...a classroom bouquet. I had never heard of this before my daughter started school. There is a designated day of the week that each child is supposed to bring in a single flower for their teacher. The Room Mom waits outside of the classroom and collects the flowers as each child arrives, and then arranges them into a "Classroom Flower Arrangement." Living in Southern California we get some of the most beautiful flowers straight for their own gardens. They are beautiful! And it is interesting to see what type of flower each child chooses to bring in. This was our classroom bouquet from last year...


Each flower was just as beautiful and unique as each child in the class. No two classrooms are alike and no two classroom bouquets ever look alike either. It is beautiful!

For those of you who don't have young children...bear with me for the next week or so as I share ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week. Use the ideas for someone else who could use a bit of cheer or show your appreciation to other Teachers you have in your life. Maybe it is a friend who teaches who could use a note saying how much you respect them for the job they do each day. Maybe you have a friend who Homeschool's her children and needs an extra bit of encouragement for the job she does. I encourage you to take some time to say THANK YOU to a Teacher sometime May 7-11...they are shaping our future each and every day.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Magnetic Makeup Board

Remember last Friday when I posted my daughters new magnet board?


I stumbled across a brilliant use for a magnetic board that had never occurred to me. I was looking around at a party on House of Hepworths. If you don't check out parties on other blogs...well, you have no idea what you are missing!

I had been lost in my Yearbook project for so long that I have basically forgotten all of the wonderful treats online, like blog parties. How could I forget? It is like a new magazine worth of crafty ideas every week! Every week! And when I stumble across a blog with an interesting project, I often find out that they have more projects they have done that perk my interest. It is literally a gold mine of crafting information!

This week while looking at House of Hepworths I came across this great idea: a magnetic makeup board. Artsy-Fartsy Mama came up with this way to keep her daughter out of her makeup bag. How clever! You know how it feels when you see and idea and you think..."duh! Why didn't I think of that?" This was one of those moments.

Please go check out her website. I've had to force myself off this morning to get to other things, but I will be back to look around some more. Before you leave though, be sure to check out her Easter Egg Necklace! What a fantastic idea for next Easter! I will definitely be heading back to Target this afternoon to pick up more CHEAP Easter Eggs to make a ton of these next year. They are TOO cute!

Thanks again Lindsay! I am your newest fan!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Crown Magnet Board

I have developed a serious love for magnetic boards. I love the look of the metal sheeting...so simple and clean. It is so in right now with all the kitchens across America being converted to stainless steel appliances over the last few years. I have made tiny framed magnetic boards to hold one single photo and everything in between, up to the huge one in our kitchen that holds tons and tons of artwork.

One of the best things about the project is how reasonably priced it is. I believe the last time I bought a BIG 4 foot by 6 foot piece of metal sheeting it was $20. I usually can get several large boards from one piece...even when I made the huge board. I use whatever cool frame I can find at a Thrift Shop or Yard Sale. I look for a cool shape and don't worry about the color or finish. Spray paint will solve any issues with the existing color.

The frame I used for this project was only $2 at a Yard Sale because it didn't have the glass. That's ok because I wasn't planing on using the glass! It is pretty large too, 21 inches wide and 25 inches tall...not bad for $2! The frame was already white, but had some marks on it, so I did give it a quick coat of RustOleum Heirloom White. Look how cute it turned out...


I love it! Clean and simple, yet with a touch of girliness. The crown hook is meant to be attached to the wall. I attached it to my frame with some E-6000 adhesive.


I can't get over how much I love the crown on here! I was given a few of these from a friend who was cleaning out her craft area...lucky me! I did find a very similar product this weekend at Hobby Lobby (Oh Hobby Lobby how I love you!) so it would be very easy to duplicate this project. Or if you are like me and you aren't lucky enough to have a Hobby Lobby close by, I have found them online doing a Google search for "metal crown hangers."

I am surprised at how much use the hook gets. It seems to always be holding a few necklaces of my daughters. It definitely finished off this project and makes it unique.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

My Budding Artist

I told my little guy last night that I needed to write a blog about him. He wasn't concerned, but I had written two about his sister this week...that just doesn't seem fair. I asked what he could do that I could blog about. His answer? He could give me kisses and hugs. Of course he melted my heart...he does that so easily...but how in the world would that become a blog post?

Today I realized I had something I had been wanting to share. My daughter has always been artistic. From the time she was teeny tiny it was pretty obvious she was all about art. My little man would do artistic things on occasion because his sister was doing it. I mean, who can resist paint? But it was never really his thing.

However, a few months ago that began to change. It started with this...


How beautiful is that flower? The best part is it has been bringing cheer to my kitchen for the past 6 months! Real flowers might last a week...this one is definitely better!

I think his interest in art really took off when he was given this picture.


He was given this picture from a 6th Grade boy. It is really cool boy art. Really cool. The artist actually made copies for a room full of Kindergarten boys...and they were in awe. It was after receiving this picture that my son's artwork really took off.


I think it might have been the first time he saw that art wasn't necessarily girly, but it could be rough and tough too. What little boy wouldn't find Ninjas vs. Army Men inspiring?

I had made a large...really large...framed magnet board. I had assumed that my daughter would use it for her pieces of art. Surprisingly it has turned into this...


...a giant display for my little man's constant flow of new pieces of art. That is what it looks like after I cleared off a bunch of papers. I can't think of the last time a piece of work came home from school that didn't have a new masterpiece on the back. Wait...I did have one piece this week...only because it was a two sided worksheet and there was not place for art. It really makes this art loving Mom smile. And so far I haven't had a complaint from his teacher, so I am hoping she doesn't mind too much.


I think this picture is really cool. I can't remember who he said it was, but it was a character from a cartoon. I think it is adorably boyish.


These are both drawings of me. The second one has a "fancy" hairstyle swept to the side...he thought that was really fancy.


This is a picture of a whole bunch of characters from computer games he likes. I like the Ninja looking guy the best.


These two colored pictures are Babies vs. Babysitters and Babies vs. Babysitters 2. I'm not exactly sure how he came up with the idea, but you should have seen his eyes sparkle when he talked about it! Buddy I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

And David, thanks for unknowingly inspiring my little man!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Wonderful Wednesday: Fresh Lettuce from the Garden!

Today was definitely a Wonderful Wednesday. Look what my daughter brought home from school today:


garden fresh lettuce. Lettuce they had grown themselves. You should have seen their faces glowing with pride as they each came home with the reward of their hard work. They were so proud of what they grew.

I was honored to have the first salad at our house. It was freshness that not even the Farmer's Market could match. They picked it right before they left school. Thanks for all your hard work Ms. Smith's class! It was delicious!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Classroom at Sea

One of the best parts about living in Southern California, is all the exposure my kids have to the ocean. We have so many opportunities to learn about ocean animals and their habitats. They are truly one of God's most fascinating creations if you ask my family. Today my daughter said "out of all the things God created...besides my family...this (the ocean & its creatures) is my favorite."

Today we moved from their classrooms out to the high sea, and spent the day on a whale watching cruise. I haven't been whale watching since I was a little girl...and I honestly don't remember much about the experience. Maybe that is why I have waited so long to take my own kids...I wanted it to be something they remembered.

It was truly amazing! I will never look out across the ocean the same again. It is unbelievable to realize all of the creatures that are just outside our little world.

The first animals we saw were California Sea Lions.


They are so cute. We actually saw quite a few of them in the water, but those guys are fast! They pop up and disappear before my camera ever had a chance to catch them!



We were supposed to see Gray Whales migrating to Alaska, but unfortunately we did not see any. I'm not surprised. Apparently Alaskan whales do not care for my family. We took two boat tours in Alaska last year and didn't see a single whale. Not one. We met a lovely family at our hotel who saw multiple whales and...the most painful to hear...multiple pods of Orcas. Not fair!

We did however, see a Fin Whale today (sometimes called a Finback Whale or Razorback). It is called a Fin Whale because it has a dorsal fin on its back just like a dolphin.


It is a baleen whale so it does not have teeth and only eats tiny creatures like krill. Although it eats such tiny food, it is the second largest living animal after the Blue Whale. They are now an endangered species with less than 3,000 of them found in the world. They are also really fast swimmers and are sometimes referred to as the Greyhounds of the Sea.

It was really an amazing experience to see this beautiful creature so closely. We got to see her several times, which definitely made up for not seeing any Gray Whales!

My favorite part of the trip was when we went through a massive pod of Common Dolphins. I have never seen anything like it! I knew there were super pods of dolphins with thousands of dolphins living together, but I couldn't even begin to comprehend that until today. We must have seen over 100 dolphins all in one place! It was unreal. I can't even begin to express how beautiful it was!

My camera really did not want to cooperate with me today. It was very frustrating! Until today I have only had this problem of the lens freaking out on the Alaskan cruise...but today it was much warmer, and my lens freaked out again. Uugh! I think my camera must have a case of seasickness. Is that possible? I had some great video, but my computer just doesn't want me to share. Electronics and I are just not getting along today!

Despite my ridiculously temperamental camera, I was able to catch a few dolphins that were closer to the shore.


These weren't a part of the massive pod, but they sure make a beautiful picture!

It was an amazing day...one I'm sure we won't ever forget. You can't say that about every day at school...

Monday, April 9, 2012

Locks of Love

For the last two years my sweet girl has been growing her hair out. Not because she was particularly interested in having long hair, but for a much sweeter reason. We follow the lives of two young children with cancer online...lives that have touched my daughters heart. Children whose young lives have been completely turned upside down due to cancer.

From the moment she heard of "Locks of Love" she was determined she would donate her hair. I thought it was a phase. I didn't give her enough credit. I thought when we were dealing with serious tangles, she would change her mind. We had a few nights with monster sized tangles. I didn't realize how much she understood. Tangles in your hair are minor...an inconvenience...nothing compared to the seriousness of cancer.

In the last year she has really begun to love her long hair. I had wondered if she would change her mind...or decide to wait two more years so it would remain long despite the donation. Today however, was the day...



I love her caring and compassionate heart. I love the way she loves so completely and selflessly. Today she simply got a haircut. I know it was nothing compared to the battle fought every day by children with cancer. But I must admit, I have never been more proud of my little girl. I love you honey!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Easter Decorations Transformation

Look at this little guy...


Something about him called to me...despite the fact that I absolutely hate the terra cotta look. I don't have anything against terra cotta in general, but it just wasn't working for him. Maybe it was the tempting cry of RustOleum...begging me to try and transform him...to make him loveable again.

I think I paid 25 cents for him...maybe it was a whopping 50 cents. Either way, it was a challenge that seemed worth the risk. In my mind I could see it, and it was adorable. With pottery you just never know how it will turn out. But I was willing to give it a try. Besides, I already had my RustOleum Primer and Heirloom White patiently waiting at home.

It wasn't until I found this basket that I knew the perfect home for him.


I know what you are thinking. If you have looked around my blog for awhile, you know things are very beach cottage around here. This bright green basket just doesn't seem like my style. While I admit, I do love the colors and that basket is sitting full of those bright colorful eggs waiting for our Easter Egg hunt...it wasn't the decor I was looking for. I wanted something more subdued. Something calmer. Something less obvious. Something I would want to pull out year after year despite the popular color changes.

The price of the basket was good...$2.50 at Target. You know, in the "fake" side of the Dollar Section. The color was not so good. So out came the RustOleum once again. Just look at them now...


So sweet. So simple. So understated. I love it!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Wonderful Wednesday: You've Been Egged!

I am sure most of you have probably already seen this idea. I however, have been living under a rock for the past month. Ok, maybe not literally under a rock, but it sure seems like it. The Yearbook was that time consuming. Not only was I not blogging, but I wasn't blog hopping either. I had not seen a single Easter idea until this weekend! Not one. I know, it is sad.

On my first peak at Pinterest in a month...yes, my first look in a MONTH...I found this:


How cute is this sign? It is the Easter version of "Booing."

I knew I HAD to share it with the few people who may not have already gotten their hands on it. Would you believe it is a FREE printable? Free! Go take a look over at "eighteen25." I can not say THANK YOU enough for this fabulous idea and the adorable printable!! Thank you ladies!!

I knew what we needed. The Dollar Section at Target had really cute metal buckets, but when I got there, they had some I hadn't seen before. Look how cute these are:


I don't know why, but I was completely smitten by the wood bead on the handle. SMITTEN. See, the details really do matter to me. Yes, I know I am strange.

I mounted my FREE printable on a piece of polka dot cardstock from my paper stash and used the scraps to punch out tags for the buckets. I tied them on with the same ribbon I used to make a hanger for our sign. Ribbon I had won from a blog giveaway...a FREE printable and FREE ribbon. Yippee!

I was sure I could find eggs that coordinated with the colors of the printable, so I took it with me to Target. Remember, the beauty is in the details...coordinating colors matter. I found a pack of eggs that quite honestly just hadn't appealed to me before. I wasn't thrilled with the colors...until I held it next to my new favorite printable. They were practically perfect! I am wondering if they had the eggs and used them for their color pallet...


There were more colors in the bag, but I liked the look of these the best. I think the whole bag was $1.99...and there are a ton of eggs in there. Just look how great they are:


Could they be any cuter?




On the back of each of the name tags, I wrote a personalized note. I had my kids tell me what they liked about their friends. It was really sweet. It turns out we needed bigger tags to write all of the nice things. Ben, Anna and Halle...we think you guys are pretty amazing!

Instead of leaving the eggs in the baskets, we hid them all around their yard. Who doesn't love an Easter egg hunt?








These were some of the easy ones to find. The kids hid 24 eggs. I honestly have no idea where most of them were.

These were my helpers basking in the glory of their sneakiness. They were so nervous when we got there...but once they realized we were going to actually be able to hide all the eggs without getting caught...they were pretty funny.

We had so much fun planning the "attack." Thanks for your help Sadie and for coming along for the adventure! We didn't want to leave you out of the reward...


I hope you enjoyed being "Egged" too!


My only regret is that I didn't find this sooner. We have a lot of people we would like to have "Egged", but they are out of town.

IF your kids aren't on Spring Break yet, this would be a GREAT way to spread some Easter cheer in the classroom! You could hang the sign on the door when they are at lunch and hide a few eggs in each child's desk. Some kids might not be able to find the eggs in their messy desk! It almost makes me wish my kids weren't on Spring Break yet...almost.

Happy Hunting!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Easter Egg Goody Bags

My daughters birthday was two days before Spring Break. Our school has a pretty strict policy about not bringing in cupcakes or sugary treats for birthdays. There are guidelines about what is acceptable and what is not. The most frustrating part is not being able to bring food made from home. No cupcakes. No cake pops. What is a crafty mom to do? It definitely makes it a bit more challenging to make the day special.

Of course you can always bring goody bags, but you know where those little things end up. My kids bring them home, usually leave them lying on the floor...and I put them in the trash. So when I have goody bags, I try REALLY hard to make it something that might actually get used. The added difficulty comes because I am so picky and they must color coordinate, look good and not cost a fortune. Yeah...believe me, it is not the easiest task.

I was thrilled to find a pack of Easter eggs at Target in shades of blues and greens. They are beautiful colors and my daughters favorite colors. I knew this was a great start.


Aren't they pretty? That is $2 worth of plastic eggs and a $2.50 basket from the "Dollar Section." Pretty cute. The eggs come in different sizes. The ones pictured are the smaller ones, but we used the large eggs for our goody bags.

We went to Party City to look for some "fillers." We took a bag of eggs with us, since I am a PICKY color coordinator. Believe me, I know it pretty much only matters to me, but it is the details that make things special. Even if people don't realize it or can't verbalize what makes an event special...trust me, it is the details.

I found these small bubbles in the clearance section:


They had paper wrappers that I knew would be easy to remove and the colors were pretty good. They also had just enough bubbles to cover everyone in her class. They were meant for us to take home!

We removed all of the wrappers that came on the bubbles and I pulled out my stash of scrapbook paper. I found a pattern that would work well and ran it through the printer to print out each child's name. I used two sheets of paper and a little bit of adhesive...


Aren't they cute? Who wouldn't appreciate the personalization? I know that the kids with unique names appreciated it! How often do you find personalized items for Gui or Raph? I know how hard it is to find them for Katelyn...so I can only imagine.

I took the bubbles and added them to a bag with the large egg. I probably should have put the bubbles in the egg and called it a day, but since they were so cute personalized, I wanted them to show. My daughter knew right away what she wanted to put in the boys egg...remember our Valentines? The boys LOVED the mustaches...so she knew they needed another mustache. The girls got cute ice cream erasers and each kid also had a few tiny chocolate eggs.

They looked ok, but needed one more thing...


What 3rd Grader doesn't enjoy a cheesy play on words? That is what makes them so EGG-cellent!