BACK TO SCHOOL First Day Part 1 :)

Our homeschool started up today with a good deal of fun and excitement!  We had a special back to school breakfast, a treasure hunt for new school supplies and first day of school outfit (yes, we have a first day of school outfit even though we homeschool), first day pictures, exploring the changes made in the home classroom for this year, and of course we had our first day of classes too!  Phew!  Lots of fun = a tired mommy and kids by the day's end...  Here are some pics of the day's activities....

Sausages and numbers "added" up to a fun start this school year!

A pancake artist I am not, but it was fun to attempt these anyways.  The pencil is a banana with a chocolate kiss on the end (for the point) and foil and banana for the eraser end.

The table cloth is a piece of black fabric I wrote on with chalk.

This is a real apple with the inside hollowed out and filled with apple juice.  I then stuck a straw through the top, tied it with a ribbon and voila:  sipping the juice straight out of the type of fruit it came from.  :)

These are clues for the treasure hunt.  They eventually lead to a child's backpack with new supplies gift-wrapped inside and a new outfit for the first day of school.

This was our simple centerpiece - books, our countdown can filled with pencils and a couple of pointers, a school block calendar showing today's date and the first clue of the treasure hunt wrapped with ribbon sitting on top awaiting eager little hands and eyes.  

Lots of fun and a super start to the year!  :)

Linking to:

www.bearrabbitbear.blogspot.com

SNACK/LUNCH: Summer Sun!

This lunch/snack (because what my daughter does not finish for lunch she will sometimes have for a snack later) was a fun salute to the summer heat (which isn't so much fun)...

Snack details:

Sun- American cheese slices surrounded by orange slices.  Carrots and strawberries compose the sun's rays.  Banana and blueberry eyes with a dried cranberry smile display this snack's cheery disposition.

Muffin cups 1,2, 3:  A fluffy "cloud" amid blue skies (a.k.a. blue muffin cups) show off yummy treats:  banana slices, blueberries, and a few marshmallows tossed in for fun!

Muffin cups 4,5,6 (NOT SHOWN) - Organic blueberry yogurt with more blueberries and marshmallows!

For more fun snack ideas, be sure to visit the muffin tin mom website and Jill Dubien's blog!  :)

Linking up to:
www.nap-timecreations.blogspot.com

Back to School Pencil Wreath!

2 boxes of pencils + 1 cardboard circle + glue + embellishments 

= 1 pretty cute back to school wreath! :)

Two recommendations I suggest after making this wreath:

1. Buy a chipboard (I think that is what you call it) or wooden wreath instead of making one from cardboard. Why? I think the chipboard or wooden one would be more sturdy and easier to work with.

2. Make sure the adhesive/glue you are using will stand up to the outside hot temperatures of your area.

To make this wreath:

1. Glue four pencils to your cardboard or chipboard as shown below, divided equally at the top and bottom and sides.

2. Glue another pencil in between each quarter created by the first pencils, trying to keep the same distance between each pencil.

3. Add yet another layer in between the pencils. Continue in this way until you have filled up the wreath to your satisfaction.

Here is a picture of what mine looked like:

4. Complete the wreath by adding your own creative embellishments (or ones your children come up with) to welcome in the new school year, then hang and enjoy!

Linking up to:

www.shabbynest.blogspot.com

SNACK/LUNCH: Cool in the Pool!!

This lunch was in honor of my daughter finishing up her swim class this past week!  Good job, honey!!  :)  (Sorry parts of it are perhaps a little sloppy - I was in a hurry - busy week!)
BTW - apparently some people are having trouble viewing/becoming followers.  I am not sure why the following thing shows up sometimes and not others - I am not that technically savvy.  :)  HOWEVER, I have noticed that on my computer, there is a "follow" button at the very top of the page next to some other buttons and that seems to work.  So if you were wanting to become a follower (which is so sweet - I am honored), you might try that.  :)  If that fails - let me know and I will see what else I can find out.  :)

Snack Details:

Girl in pool floating on her back:  peanut butter sandwich with strawberry cream cheese on top.  Chocolate chip sunglasses, fruit roll-up mouth and hair and swimsuit flowers.  Chocolate used for hand and feet details.

Water:  blueberries.

Muffin Cup 1: organic blueberry yogurt with chocolate heart details.


Muffin Cup 2: "pool noodles" - carrots and sugar snap peas.


Muffin Cup 3:  orange life jackets with chocolate detailing.
 
Muffin Cup 4: life preserver mini bagel with fruit roll-up stripes.


Garnishes:  melted chocolate lettering.

For more cool snack ideas - check the out the muffin tin mom website or Jill Dubien's blog.

Items used to make this snack (muffin cup link should take you to a place where you can order the different colors):


Linking up to:
http://www.makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
www.tearosehome.blogspot.com
www.smilemontsers.blogspot.com

Back To School Countdown Can!

The beginning of (home)school is just around the corner for us so we made a back to school countdown can!  Simple, inexpensive, and adds to the anticipation as we count our way down to the first day of school!  Each day we unwrap the numbered flag and read what is written inside - activities for my daughter to do to help prepare for school and even some fun little treat ones - like "eat a chocolate chip".

(BTW - if the "following" area is not showing up on your computer - not sure why this is happening on and off - and you wanted to become a follower - check the top of the page.  On my computer there is a "follow" button at the very top and that seems to work.  If it does not work for you, let me know and I will see what else I can do.  Sorry for the inconvenience for those who have been trying to follow the blog. )

If you want to make a Countdown Can, you will need:  a package of pencils, a can, hot glue gun, one piece of paper (decorative or otherwise), optional paint and decorative ribbon.

1.  Decide when to start the countdown and get that many pencils for the can.  

2.  OPTIONAL:  paint your can.

3.  Cut one large strip of decorative paper (our apple paper came from Hobby Lobby, and I only used one sheet) to glue around the can and smaller strips for the tops of the pencils.   

4.  On the inside of each strip, write something for your kids to do each day of the countdown (picking out a "first day" outfit, cleaning, going shopping for school supplies, or it could be as fun and simple as eating a chocolate chip)!  

5.  On one end of the outside of the strip, paste a number - or you could just write a number on it.  Hot glue the opposite end to the pencil, roll it around the pencil leaving the numbered part free to make a small "flag" and add another small dot of hot glue to keep it from completely unrolling.   

6.  OPTIONAL:  Tie a decorative ribbon around the middle of your can.

7.  Toss the pencils in the can and begin your countdown!  :)

Linking to: www.whipperberry.com
                   www.shabbynest.blogspot.com
                   www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com
                   http://www.ladybirdln.com/

How to Throw a Virtual Baby Shower (also possibly known as an Online Baby Shower or Web Baby Shower)...

This past week I had the honor of hosting a virtual baby shower for my SIL and her hubby and new little one. There are many ways to do this but, for the sake of time, I will mainly write about what I did.  :) BTW, the photos are of decoration items I made and then sent to the expecting couple (theme was eclectic).

ONLINE LOCATION:
I decided to host the online baby shower at www.babyjellybeans.com! They are actually a baby website, but their features work well for virtual baby showers too. I LOVE this site - why? They are soooo easy to use and have so many options when it comes to types of pages and colors and accents and floaties and music, etc.  And just so you know, babyjellybeans did not pay me to say all that. :)
Here is the link: http://www.babyjellybeans.com/


WHAT DID I HAVE ON THE BABY SHOWER WEBSITE?
*ultrasound photos
*photos of mommy's belly and photos of mommy, daddy, and baby
*photos of the decorations I made and sent to the expecting couple prior to the shower day
*game pages
*polls (another cool option that www.babyjellybeans.com offers - you can make your own fun polls for people to answer)
*registry page
*guestbook



 
SETTING A TIME AND DATE:
We set an actual date for the virtual baby shower so people would have a deadline for sending gifts and messages. Prior to the shower, I sent out an email with details and an invitation letting people know the website address and password so they could leave comments for the parents-to-be during the days prior to the shower date. Then the day of the shower, I sent the website link and password to my SIL and her hubby so they could log on and see all the fun photos and comments posted and polls (I had kept the website address a secret until then). BTW - setting a time is a good idea if you are planning to have a webcam (I did not have the webcam option, but I believe others have done this).
I also sent out reminders regarding gifts, encouraging people to take into account shipping times when ordering gifts so that the items would arrive at the expecting couple's house by the shower date.  I had instructed the couple to not open shower packages until the actual shower date as well - building the fun and anticipation as packages began to arrive many days before then.



 
DECORATIONS:
I chose to actually make some eclectic type of decorations and sent them to the couple prior to the shower (nonperishable types of things: pinwheels, paper wreath, etc.). If you don't have time for this though - consider searching online for showers with photographs that go along with your own theme for the couple. The day of the shower, send them those links or post them on a "shower decorations" page on their website (making sure you give appropriate credit, of course) for everyone to see, letting others know that this is what you would have liked to have been able to do had you been able to throw a "real" baby shower.




FOOD: 
Like the above suggestion regarding decorations, you might provide links to food items you would have liked to serve for the baby shower if you had been able to be there. You could also be a little more elaborate if you wish and actually find a bakery or caterer in the expecting couple's area to make and deliver a surprise shower "spread" the day of the virtual baby shower.
What I chose to do was to send some money in a "treat" envelope so that the parents-to-be could go out a day or so before the shower and pick out whatever yummy edibles they might like. They were then to wait until the day of the shower to eat them.




 
GAMES:
Even at a distance, games are possible. Just use your imagination! Here are some games I posted to the online baby shower I hosted:
**Guess mommy's girth:  I posted a picture of the pregnant mommy on a special page dedicated to just that game.
**Guess the number of baby blocks in the basket:  I took a picture of a pile of baby blocks in a basket and posted that to its own page as well.
**Guess what is under diaper #1:  I hid baby items under a cloth diaper and took pictures of each one under the diaper. I then posted those pictures on a separate game page and gave a song clue along with each item to help people figure out what might be under the diaper (example: pacifier and the song clue was "hush little baby, don't say a word").


 
GIFTS:
Because my SIL had found so many different items at different stores online - she chose to use www.myregistry.com to register. Basically - this is a really, really cool website that lets you easily link to any item you want from any store (even Etsy) and post it as part of an online registry list. When a person wants to buy the item - they click on it in the registry and it takes them to the store as well as opening a window which allows them to check whether they purchased the item at the online store, at a different online location, or at a real store. It then marks the item as received or fulfilled. Very easy to use in my opinion and so convenient!



So there you have it - the makings of a real virtual baby shower (or web baby shower or online baby shower or whatever you wish to call it)!  :)

Linking up to:
www.makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com
www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com
www.thegirlcreative.blogspot.com

Throwing an (Eclectic) Virtual Baby Shower...

My sister-in-law and her hubby are expecting a baby soon but had to move far away from many friends and a good chunk of family recently. Thus, as we could not be there to throw a real shower for them - I decided to throw a virtual one instead!

There are many ways to do this, but for the sake of time I will just focus in on what I did in hopes that it will inspire and encourage others out there who might find themselves in the same boat! I will be posting the details in a week or so - check back often! :)