Super Simple School Valentine's

January just flew by! And with an upcoming family trip, there is a limited amount of time for the kids to get their school Valentine's together. Sadly, they will miss the event but that's okay because it is always better to give than receive. And it's been fun crafting these goodies too!

First up...The most important people in our children's lives: 

OUR TEACHERS!

Big THANKS to Skip to My Lou

for this easy and adorable Valentine.

 Sophia told me her teacher loves Dove chocolates.
How cute and simple is this?!

Can anyone resist a soft Gummy Bear?

And "thank you" Amazon for carrying these 1 oz bags! 

But did you have to make it in bulk of 72 count?!

So hard having these extras around.

Add just a little play on words:
Click here for the free printable.

How cute & fun are these?!

Hope this post gives you a little inspiration!

School parties should not be daunting. So have fun and make it simple!

Teacher Appreciation Week & A Salty Sweet Delight

Teacher Appreciation Week starts today! I love this week because it is a great way to honor the wonderful teachers in Sophia & Kalista's lives.

We have been having fun prepping for this week. 

The girls have special treats for their mentors and can't wait to deliver them:

These were so easy to assemble! The amaz'on one is my fave. Here is the tutorial.

Candles make a great gift too! These simple printables make them even more special.

Today Sophia's school is having a dessert bar for all the teachers. I decided to make a sweet and salty treat and found this recipe for Salted Caramel Pretzel Crust Brownies:

These were easy to make and very yummy, I might add.

 If you are looking for that combination of sweet & salty,

well look no further!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
Thank you for everything you do.

DIY Holiday Photo Shoot - The Outtakes

I had an epic FAIL in having family photos for our holiday card. Time just got the best of me. I almost dismissed the whole card thing altogether. But then, I reminded myself, "You are pretty good behind the lens." So on a lovely overcast day, the girls got dolled up and with lollipops in hand off we went to the best location. The front yard. ; )

I had a lot of great shots to choose from. Here are some outtakes!

*For those who want to know: I used the Samsung NX300 Mirrorless Camera with 45 mm lens and 18 - 55 mm lens. Wish I would have got the deal on this camera that is going on right now!

TEA-cher Appreciation

Kalista and I were out the other day and I saw these cute mugs at Anthropologie:

These monogrammed beauties were the perfect discovery to help show 

our appreciation for the wonderful TEA-chers in our lives.

Starting to make sense?

So cute, right?

So don't forget . . . May 6th! 

Let the teachers in your life and/or your children's lives know how much you appreciate all they do!

Valentine's Day Card Carrier

Sophia's Valentine's Day class party is coming up. My friend, Dani, and I have 4 fun stations for the kids to enjoy. One of the stations is for the kids to make their own Valentine's Day Card Carrier.

Little sister modeling:

So cute, right?

Just click on the link above for the tutorial. We decided to make it a little easier and time saving by cutting out the templates for each student. We also skipped the step with cutting out the mouth and making an opening in the bag. If you do decide to make a mouth opening in the bag, make sure your bag is wide enough!

If you are planning a Valentine's Day party for your kid(s), here are some ideas that we have planned along with our cupcake decorating station:

Valentine's Minute To Win It Station

Valentine Bingo

Valentine's Day Exchange for Kids

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and being a room mom for both girls (at two different schools) means I need to get a little early start on their individual Valentines; aside from the class parties.

I found this super cute and easy Valentine at The Crafting Chicks. 

You can purchase an endless supply of balls at Oriental Trading.

Like 144 balls, to be exact. 

Grab your kid(s) and start the assembly!

4" by 6" clear bags (I bought mine at Michael's)

Bouncy balls (I used miniature balls and put 3 to a bag)

Printable tags (I used card stock but plain paper would be fine too)

Stapler

Snowman Craft Ornament

My fellow room mom and friend, Dani, and I are hoping to make some kindergarteners excited at their Winter Holiday party.

Isn't he cute?!

Dani found this project online and it is so easy to assemble for the kids. Well it would have been easier if I didn't have to spray paint the popsicle sticks white. Well, okay, it is a little time consuming with having to cut out the felt hats (thank you Darling Hubby for cutting these out!). Thank goodness the scarves were a breeze to cut and fringe. That was my job. ; ) Hey, but I also made the sample guy pictured above! And assembled 20 plus baggies with the necessities! Oh wait! Poking the little hole in the felt hats and threading the gold string was very tedious too! That was my job too. Alright, let's face it the felt hats were definitely the hardest. lol

The picture is pretty self-explanatory with the items you will need:

White popsicle sticks

Googly eyes

Assorted black buttons (we used different sizes but you don't have to and you can easily use colored ones too)

Orange, black, and red felt

Glue

Black Sharpie (for the mouth)

String or ribbon

Chalkboard Paint and DIY Pumpkin Place Cards

I love fall. Even though Santa Barbara doesn't really capture the picturesque scenes of fall, 

I still enjoy this time of year.

There has been some pumpkin fun going on in our house. And although the girls have had their share in colorful pumpkin painting, I have taken over with chalkboard paint! TOTALLY OBSESSED!

After having fun with the pumpkins above, I decided to continue with some small white pumpkins. 

And, so here you have it: DIY place cards. 

Perfect for a fall table setting and/or labeling food items at your next party.

So easy to do and very inexpensive. Pictures are pretty self explanatory for what you need:
Pumpkins
Acrylic chalkboard paint
Sponge or brush
Chalk and/or chalk marker

*I did 3 coats on the large pumpkins and 2 on the smaller ones.
**Chalk markers are great! They come in different colors and are easier to write with on not so flat surfaces (like pumpkins). And best of all, no accidental erasing when touched! A damp cloth or paper towel will erase your message. If you end up using plain chalk, just make sure the tip is rounded off and not sharp. The paint can peel if you write to hard or use a sharp corner. I found it easier to just lightly sketch each letter then lightly go back over each letter until you get the desired thickness.

The Best Hubby & Veggies Galore

A few months ago, I mentioned to Darling Hubby how I really wanted a raised vegetable garden. I didn't request anything specific, just something to keep the critters out and the veggies flowing. I would have been totally fine with a prebuilt box. Darling Hubby had something else in mind . . .

The very beginning:

 His outlined vision:

His backbreaking project:

OMG! A 5ft by 9ft garden?! Give a man some tools and a lot can happen. Luckily our friend Erik had everything David needed. And Erik was kind enough to help out on the first box. And because one wasn't enough, David built another "smaller" one just above this monstrosity. The depth on both of these is insane too. Part of our property is on a hillside, so this made for a time consuming project. Not to mention a costly one with having the soil hauled in and placed.

I feel like it took longer than most to get our veggie garden looking prosperous. Not sure if the soil was amended too much or too little or bad seeds or not enough water or too much water (thank goodness for drip lines), etc. But nonetheless, here we are:

We have a lot going on in our boxes. Pictured above: English cucumber, squash, tomatoes, basil, mint, bok choy, and peppers. We also have asparagus, carrots, onions, snap peas, parsley, oregano, and the list goes on.

Looking forward to creating fresh and healthy meals with our bounty. Thank you Darling Hubby. I love you.