halloween printables! :)

Halloween is fast approaching!  One week away!!! :)  Do you have your decorating done?  We are fairly set for the holiday already.  Our decorations are up, except for some cobwebs I'd like to add last minute. We need to buy some Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters as well.  And of course, this sign will greet them as they walk up to our door.....      E.M. Papers is offering up this spooky printable for your trick-or-treaters to read on Halloween.  SO cute to put on the front door next week!!  I've already "purchased" mine and am printing it out ASAP. 
Get the free printable here. 
{And the text is editable as well!}   I adore eye charts- something about them has always intrigued me. {Even though I can't read them for the life of me without glasses/contacts haha!} So for Halloween, my 8-year old will get a kick out of this one with me. Find the printable here. :)   I need something to hang on my mantle to complete the room.  This might be the ticket... Printable garland can be found here.   Or maybe these.  These ghosties are seriously adorable. Mustaches, bows, eyeglasses?  Love love love.  Find the printables here.   And last, but certainly not least, here is a great printable if you want to add some pizazz to cupcake toppers and the goodie bag toppers for your party or even for your kids class.  I think I'll use these to top bags of candy corn for Andrew and his classmates next week! :) Loving the chevron stripe background, too.  Find them here!   What is your favorite part of Halloween?? And don't forget to pop back in tomorrow for a giveaway! You will not want to miss this! :) xo!  

red, white & blue!

 

Since Fourth of July is in only two more days, I thought it was a perfect day to share some of my favorite red, white, and blue photos and crafts.  {Along with a couple cute printables, keep reading!}  The above photo has always been a favorite for me.  The white, fluffy flowers are the perfect backdrop to the simple, yet festive table setup.  

If I were throwing a big Fourth of July bash, this is exactly how I'd want it to look.  {And can I throw in that I'd like that house and backyard, as well???}

Another favorite photo from Martha Stewart- the simple banner says it's Fourth of July without screaming it.  Simple, but so perfect.

Flags, flags, flags!  I have always been fascinated by flag cakes, but this breaks it up into cupcakes.  What a genius idea- easier to eat, but still with that to-die-for motif as a whole- so cute!!!

 

As far as crafts go for this holiday, a wreath is the perfect one in my opinion.  Easy to do, and this one is just so cute.  I adore the addition of the chalkboard sign in the middle- what a cute way to welcome guests to your home this week.

Ad if you have bored kids around this summer like me, WHAT a cute craft get them busy with!  Painted popsicle sticks, some stick-on rhinestones, and back it with a large magnet.  This is a great way to get kids creative and busy, and then you've got a new magnet for your fridge.  Win, win! :)

Two adorable eats- white chocolate dipped strawberries with blue dusting sugar???  Genius and so easy.  And a cute favor if you are having a get-together?  Licorice wrapped up in a cute bright blue cardstock.  SO easy, but it lends so much to the day.

And of course, no day is complete without cupcakes {in my opinion!}

These are all SUCH cute ways of incorporating this sweet treat into Fourth of July!

And since I love to make cupcake toppers, I am providing you with two printables here to make your own toppers.  Whether they are topping cupcakes, burgers and hot dogs, strawberries, etc, these make the perfect handmade addition to the day.

Just right click on either printable, save to your computer, and print them in whatever size you'd like.  I recommend printing about 12 to a piece of white cardstock, and then cutting them out.  Glue them onto small toothpicks or dowels and voila!  You've got yourself some handmade goodies to decorate your Fourth up so cute!!

Fourth of July is really the perfect day to add a little handmade into the holiday.  I hope you all enjoyed these photos as much as I did!  

What are YOUR plans for the Fourth of July?

We are thinking a beach day and fireworks will probably be in order. :)

Happy Monday, xo!

learn, listen, laugh.

We have been back to school for just about three weeks.
I simply can't believe time flies by so quickly!
But at the same time, it was nice to get the back-to-school rush out of the way before the crowds hit the stores. Back to school is always such a fun time though, busy or not, and I always loved it when I was little, too. There is something about sharpened pencils, lined paper and picking out a new backpack that is totally magical. {Or is that just me?!}

Having a small child makes back to school even more magical, too. I think it is so extra special to make this time of year special, even if your kids aren't all too jazzed to start up the school routine again. {cough, cough, Andrew, cough, cough!} But throwing in some extra effort helps.. baking a batch of their favorite cookies, adding a cute note in the lunchboxes, sending favors to school, all these make this transition time back into school much nicer. Don't you think?
Here are some of my favorite ideas...











And of course, I leave you with a fun printable that you can cut out & tuck in your child's lunchbox any day. Learn, listen, and LAUGH. School has to be fun, too..right?! :)

Just right click the photo, save it to your computer, print it out on cardstock, and cut out. Easy peasy and fun to add in to make the day more special.

Happy back to school!
xo!

{all other photos via}

happy friday! {& a printable!}

So sorry I have been so absent from my blog lately!
Busy, busy, busy, I tell ya! :)

I made you a cute printable to say "hello" and "sorry, blogger friends!"...
{print in various sizes here!}
I came across this quote and adored it.
It is so very true.
Life is short.
Make yours a happy one.
Hope you all enjoy a beautiful {and super happy!} weekend!

And PS.
A very happy Mother's Day to all of you mommas out there!

xo!

an incentive for learning.

I have a child who is definitely smart and bright in the learning department. He reads very well and understands things like crazy. I love him for that, and I am always so proud of him. But... it is a struggle to get him to school sometimes, which makes me so frustrated.
Why can't he love school?
Why can't he wake up in the morning
and be extra-excited to learn in his classroom?
However, the reality is that it is a huge problem sometimes.

His excuse?
"School is so so SO boring, Mommy!"

And he is right.
Public schools seem to cater so much to the kids who need more and more help {which I can't say is necessarily a bad thing!} that the kids who are independent and able to work on their own get tossed aside and lost in the shuffle. They are given homework that is so easy that Andrew can barely face it. I can't blame him. Being bored is so not a good feeling when you are six.

So I came up with an idea.
If the schools aren't going to push him,
the responsibility falls upon my shoulders.
I know my child and I know what he is capable of.
And I found an amazing website to help me. :)

You can print out countless {free!} worksheets at your child's level. This is helpful if you are looking to push your child further, or even if they need work in certain areas as well. {ie. Andrew's handwriting possibly??? :) } Spelling, alphabet, addition, science, reading comprehension, book reports, you name it. It's all on there. Every level, for every child. And you know what? Andrew adores it. It doesn't seem like work to him, it seems challenging and fun. That is what I want him to feel about learning... FUN.

And I want to give him an incentive.
We found this chart,
but it just wasn't cute enough for my liking.
So I made a new one to use:



For every worksheet he completes, he gets a sticker on the chart. I don't make him do them at all, he just has a whole stack of them printed out and ready for when he feels like doing one. At the end of 25 worksheets, we get to go on a Mommy-Andrew ice cream date. He loves this. He loves to be challenged and work towards something. And I am happy he is pushing himself to learn more. :)
Go ahead and snag the reward chart for yourself and use it in any number of ways for your kids. Name an incentive for them and they can work towards it.
Works like a charm. :)

A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.
And with every day, I am keeping my fingers crossed that school becomes less of a chore and more of a reward for him as well. :)
xo!

happy trees... a printable!

I love picnik.
I love what it can do and what I can make with it!
Like this funky & adorable printed card.

Save the file to your computer and print it out on a thick white cardstock.
I then cut it out and applied it to a chocolate brown postcard from here.
But feel free to be creative and use it how you'd like!
All set to send to someone special. :)

I am off to enjoy a summer day with Andrew... in a week, we will be finding out his first grade teacher and starting up school again. Hard to believe right now, so I am choosing to push that thought from my brain and continue in summer-relaxation-mode.
Happy creating
and happy Monday, my friends!
xo!

summer to-do-list printable!

Summer is a time to do extra special little things,
especially when you are a child.
I have seen lots of "to-do" lists circulating around the blogs,
and thought I would design one for Andrew to print out and use!

He came up with a whole list of things...
watch fireworks
run in the sprinklers
plant a garden
finally learn to ride his bike
etc etc etc.
His summer wishes right down on paper. :)

And I thought it would be fun
to share the list for you, as well!


Click on the image above and it will take you to flickr.
From there, you can save the image to your computer
and print it out!
Use it as many times as you'd like!
I hope your children
{and maybe even you, yourself!}
will come up with lots of summer "to-do's"!
Let me know what you come up with!
xo!

PS.
The kid's swap closes tonite-
sign up if you haven't already!
AND
the giveaway from yesterday is still open.
Enter to win
and come back Monday for Giveaway Day!! :)