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Back To School Sharpie Card – Teacher Gift Idea
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For us school starts soon! I always like to send Josh into school with a little something for his new teacher. Gifts have to be fun and practical. And really, can you get any more practical than school supplies? I’ve seen the candy bar cards ALL over Pinterest over the years, so I decided to make our own version using Sharpies!
My son called this the Ultimate Pun Challenge and we were very happy with our result. This was SO easy, inexpensive and I think it will be easy to re-create for teacher appreciation and end of the year cards as well. Plus, I think his teacher will love it!
First, you need to go get your supplies. You can find Sharpie markers at Staples. All Sharpie Fine and Ultra Fine markers will be on sale starting August 10th while supplies last!
The only other supplies you will need are poster board and tape. We also included a Staples gift card with our gift so that his teacher could pick up more Sharpies and other back to school essentials!
The instructions are really simple. Write your note onto the poster board. Make sure you leave enough space for a Sharpie to fit in place of some of the words. Then, just tape the Sharpie in place.
Simple huh? Here is our letter:
Yellow (Hello) Mrs. Miller!
I just red (read) that you were going to be my teacher! All of my black (back) to school blues (blues) vanished.
The other kids will be green (green) with envy. Orange (Aren’t) you excited about this coming school year? I am! Pink (pinky) promise it’s going to be great.
Love Joshua
P.S. In case this didn’t earn me any brown (brownie) points, maybe this gift card will help!
Because every teacher needs a Staples gift card! 🙂
And that’s it! SUPER easy! Plus, it’s a gift that will be loved and well used! Starting August 10th all Sharpie Fine and Ultra Fine markers will be on sale at Staples! (While supplies last!)
20 Things To Send To Your Child At Camp
Summer Camps are beginning to be in full swing! If your child is heading off on an adventure here is a quick list of 20 (yes! 20!) awesome ideas to add to their summer time care package.
No summer camp? Then this list is full of 20 things to keep your kids busy this summer! 🙂
Either way – lots of fun things for a super fun summer!
BONUS! If you are an Amazon Prime member (not a member? Get a free trial here!) then this becomes even better! Not only will you receive your free 2 day shipping, but you can actually put in your child’s address at camp and include a note! Amazon will ship it directly to them! Which means you don’t even have to pay shipping to get it to your child! Awesome right?
R-E-D…..1,2,3,4…..
I used to make Cootie Catcher all the times! This book will teach your kids how and it comes with 25 premade cootie catchers just waiting to tell the future!
Cats Cradle and Other Fantastic String Games – $13.46
Who knew you could have so much fun with a piece of string! Well you can!
Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymes – $7.19
When I was younger, I loved these books! Jump Rope Rhymes (there is also a hand clap games book too!) are a fun way to play with your friends!
Jump Rope – $6.98
What good is a jump rope rhyme book without a jump rope! This one is easy to use, pack and ship!
It’s All About Me – Personality Quizzes For You And Your Friends – $15.25
This book is perfect for answering all of the tough questions like What Kind of Cookie Are You? or find out 8 Ways To Tell If Your Parents Are Extraterrestrials. All of the important stuff.
Flip Books – $12.95
In case you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of Klutz! This Flip Book comes with everything you need to get started making your own flip book! Plus some perforated flip books ready to be torn out!
Spot it! – $10.95
Spot it! is a fun game that kids can play in their bunks! Great for all ages!
Would You Rather & You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me! – $9.99 for both!
I am a huge fan of these games! You will get lots of use and lots of laughs from these!
Fabric Markers – $9.86
Send your child with a plain t-shirt, hat or pillowcase and a pack of fabric markers for their new friends to sign!
Glow Sticks – $9.95
The quickest way to be dubbed World’s Coolest Mom is to have glow sticks. It doesn’t matter if you have the bracelets, necklaces, sticks, shoe laces, glasses – if it glows, it’s cool! Plus, with the prices on Amazon – you can stock up the whole camp! 100 glow sticks for less than $10? Done!
Mad Libs- Try Camp Daze ($2.71) or Letters From Camp ($3.91)
Everyone loves Mad Libs!
Joke Books – We like the Jokelpedia ($10.76) or The Big Book of Laugh Out Loud Jokes For Kids ($8.99)
What do you get when you cross a bunch of kids and a joke book?
TONS of fun!!
Talking Hand Temporary Tattoos – as low as $4.25 for a pack
Have you seen these? Talking Hand tattoos are so much fun! Chose from a huge variety – from robots to farm animals – and let your hands get talking! I think a pack of these would keep a cabin full of kids pretty busy!
Smencils – $12.76 for 10
My kids love Smencils! Send some fun Smencils and some stationary for kids to write home with.
Books are a great item to send to your child! And if you dare, send a book filled with ghost stories!
The Camp Bunk Box of Questions – $9.98
This is one of my favorite items! The Camp Bunk Box of Questions has 82 questions girls can ask each other! Such a fun way for everyone to get to know each other!
Camp Journal – $10.46
I really love this! This camp journal (comes with a pen too!) has games, pages to write in and even postcards! This would make for an awesome keepsake!
Wolly Willy – $3.77
Who doesn’t remember Willy? Your kid will stay busy doodling up crazy hair do’s and facial hair!
Magic 8 Ball – $8.25
What is a fun way to keep a cabin full of kids busy? Have them ask questions on a Magic 8 Ball!
Mustaches – $2.32
Get a pack of 36 self adhesive mustaches for only $2.32! That’s enough for the whole bunk house! (These do not qualify for 2 day shipping so you will need to order these ahead of time!)
Helping Your Child Overcome Their Fear Of The Dark
Life was tough when we were little! We had to eat veggies, couldn’t play in the rain, had to wear silly sweaters that our Grandma made us, but the hardest part of being little was bedtime. Not only because we had to go to bed when we would much rather be playing, but because of the dark!
Most children are afraid of the dark at some point in their life. Whether they are afraid of a monster under the bed or the boogeyman for some reason it’s a fear that comes to us all. Here are a few tips to help your child cope and overcome their fear of the dark.
1. Listen to your child!
Children are always saying that adults don’t listen to them. Fear is a powerful emotion. If your child confides in you that they are afraid, let them sit down and talk to you about it. Listen to their story and ask questions. “Why do you think there is something under your bed?” “How would it get there?” “Why would we not be able to see it during the day?” Then explain to your child that there isn’t anything there. If your child something is ‘living’ under their bed or in their closet show them during the day that there is nothing there!
2. Your bedtime routine is important!
If you have a child who is afraid at night, your bedtime routine can be vital! First, take a look at books that are being read before bed and television that is being watched. Could any of those be putting scary thoughts into your child’s head? Then, if your child is afraid of something lurking in the shadows try doing a night watch. Start by keeping the lights on and before bed explain how there is nothing there. But just to show your child, invite them to look with you. It might take multiple stages to do this. Perhaps at first it’s just Mom or Dad doing the looking. Then the child might. Then, perhaps you can turn the lights off (but keep the hall light on or a night light) and give your child a flash light to look. Eventually your child will see that nothing has been there!
Try letting your child fall asleep to an audio book or while listening to music. If you keep your child’s mind focused on that, then they won’t have time to think about things that are scaring them. (Just be sure to pick out an appropriate audio book. You may also need to move bedtime forward to allow for extra time to fall asleep!)
(Tip: You can sign up for a FREE trial to Audible here and download an audio book for FREE!)
3. Security Items are ok!
If your child has a favorite blanket, pillow or stuffed animal make sure they have it at night. It’s ok to have these security items!
4. No Monster Spray or Monster Cams!
I’ve seen lots of parents that have ‘monster spray’ or who set up ‘Monster Cams’. While many people say it helps their child, it can also hurt your child. After all, if you are willing to play along with the idea that a monster really is under the bed and you need to spray to keep him away – doesn’t that really tell your child that monsters do actually exist!?
5. Keep the light on!
Everyone sleeps better when it is dark, but if your child insists on sleeping with their light on let them. (Just be sure to turn it off before you go to bed!) After a while you can graduate to a night light or just the hall light and eventually to no light.
6. Give them some extra love!
Remember, being a kid is tough. Fear is a big emotion. Be proud of your child for facing their fear each night and for being able to talk to you about it!
By doing these things you can really help your child overcome their fear of the dark! Remember, being afraid of the dark is an age appropriate fear for kids. It’s important to be supportive and understanding so our children know that they can come to us when they are scared. We won’t be upset, we won’t laugh at them and instead we will support and help them.
Here are a few of my favorite products for kiddos who struggle with a fear of the dark. They may work out perfect for your child!
Books:
- The Berenstain Bears In The Dark
- Franklin in the Dark
- The Dark
- Night Light
- Sofia The Snail: The Little Snail That Was Afraid of the Dark
Things that can help your child:
- Cloud B Tranquil Turtle – this has lights and soothing sounds!
- Boon Glo Night Light with Portable Balls – This is a really cool product! The globes are cool enough for kids to hold so if they need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night they can pick it up and take it with them!
- Try listening to lullabies at night! Some of my favorites include the Disney Lullaby album and Dreamland.
- Audio books are a great thing for kids to fall asleep to! Try classics like Charlotte’s Web! (Don’t pay for an audio book! Get one for free by signing up for the Audible free trial!)
- Good Night, Sleep Tight Reward Chart
Bike Safety For Kids – What You Need & How To Make Sure It Properly Fits
When the snow melts the bicycles come out! I think just about everyone of us remembers being out playing with our friends and riding our bikes. Whether your kids are riding around the neighborhood or over to get ice cream, do you know if your children are doing it safely? Each year 300,000 children go to the emergency room for treatment from bicycle accidents with 10,000 of those requiring a hospital visit lasting a few days. By using these bike safety tips you can keep your child safe while they make childhood memories of their own!
Helmets
- A bicycle helmet should be worn every single time your child gets on their bicycle.
- Make sure your helmet has a sticker inside from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). It will show that your helmet has met safety regulations.
- Your helmet should fit properly. A good fit means that it fits level on your head and two fingers above the eyebrows. The straps must lay flat and meet under the ears in a ‘V’ shape. The chin strap should be snug with a 1 finger gap between the chin and strap.
- If the helmet has any cracks, chips or damage you will need to replace it.
- Do not wear a hat under your helmet.
- Make your child’s helmet fun! Pick out their favorite color or with a fun design! Bicycle helmets should really be purchased in store so your child can try it on to ensure getting the proper fit.
Bicycle Upkeep
- Check your child’s tires to make sure they are properly aired up. This is really important after the bike comes out of winter storage!
- Take a look at the brakes. Give them a quick test and make sure that they are not sticking.
- Watch the chain! You don’t want it to fall off while your child is riding! Keep an eye on it to see if it needs oil or adjusted.
Safety Rules
- Have your child wear bright colored clothes to help drivers see them.
- Wearing the right clothes while biking can be important! Loose pants, untied shoelaces, backpack straps can all get stuck
- Avoid wearing headphones while biking. If your child can’t hear over their music they will not be able to hear important sounds such as cars.
- Make sure your kids know where they are allowed to ride. Teach them that even if they are on the sidewalk, they need to watch for cars. Especially baking in and out of their driveway!
- Talk to your child about what to do when they come up to someone on the sidewalk or bike trail. They should make sure the person knows that they are there. If they are able to pass them, they can announce that they are passing and indicate which side they will be passing on (left or right.)
- Bumps, ramps, stairs and potholes can all be very tempting for kids! But they can also be dangerous!
- Walk you bike across crosswalks and through parking lots. In parking lots, car doors can open suddenly so it’s best to walk your bicycle.
- Always ride on the right side of the road.
- Obey all traffic laws.
Fun Safety Gear Your Kids Will Love
Here are a few bike safety gear items your child will love!
- Bicycle lights – Choose your child’s favorite color and put them on their wheels!
- Bicycle bells – Chose from traditional or find something fun like this hamburger bell!
- Bicycle Flag – These are really important if your child is riding a low bicycle that could be hard for drivers to see.
- Knee and Elbow pads – Chose from a multitude of colors and patterns!
Craft Supplies Every House and Classroom Needs To Have
A well stocked craft closet is like a well stocked kitchen! When you have something that you need to make – you have all the ingredients! Here is a list of supplies that classrooms and homes should have to make sure they are always ready to create!
Paper
Paint & Supplies
- Watercolor Paints
- Washable Paint
- Finger Paint
- Paint Cups
- Paintbrushes that are age appropriate
- Art Smock
Drawing
Craft Supplies
- Yarn
- Glue
- Mod Podge
- Tape ( Don’t forget things like Duck Tape, Masking Tape and Washi Tape!)
- Paper Bags
- Tissue Paper
- Craft Sticks
- Googley Eyes
- Glitter
- Clay
- Scissors
All of these items will lead to countless masterpieces and creations! Not to mention hours of learning and fun! Did I miss anything? What is your favorite and most used craft supply at your house?
Open Ended Toys That Promote Creativity & Problem Solving
Toys aren’t just for having fun! Great open ended toys help teach creative thinking and problem solving. What does open ended mean? It basically means that they don’t come with instructions and that kids can decide how to play with them. Here are some of our favorite open ended toys for all ages!
All Ages:
Magna-Tiles Clear Colors (100 piece set) $120
Learning Resources Gears! $29.95 $26.99
Reusable Sticker Pads (Available in tons of themes! These are great for the car too!) $4.99
Dress Up Costumes – price varies
Pattern Blocks – $19.99 $16.43
Pretend Kitchen – $79.99 $77.56
Play Tent – price varies on tent – This one has a puppet theater! I also really love the space station one! 🙂
Train Set – varies – this 100 piece set is $46.99
Doll house – varies – This house is $149.99 $111.57
Make Your Own Monster Puppet – $24.99 $19.78
Bicyle – varies (Did you know that as soon as your child can walk they can ride a Strider bicycle? They are super cool!)
Don’t forget art supplies! Paints, clay, craft kits, chalk, crayons and lots of paper! 🙂
Five and Under:
Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag (80 piece set) $24.99 $14.99
Tobbles $28.95
Wooden Bear Family – $14.99 $13.46
MixMates (This is the Monsters+Superheroes set – they have many to choose from!) $14.95
Magical Tea Set – $17.99
Pretend Food – Price Varies – My favorites are by Melissa & Doug!
Five and Older:
K’nex Classics 50 Model Building Set $34.99 $26.99
ZOOBMOBILE Fastback H2H – The Head 2 Head Racing Challenge $29.99 $18.49
Draw & Write Journal $8.97 (This would be good for younger children too for an adult to ‘scribe’!)
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set $34.99 $26.99
Fashion Design Activity Kit $16.99 $11.94
ZAC – The Zoob Alien Creature $39.99 $26.32
Would You Rather or You’ve Gotta Be Kidding! $9.99
Does your child have a favorite open ended toy?
Funny Friday With Josh – Jokes for Kids
Here is this week’s joke! Have a great #FunnyFriday everyone!! 🙂
Q. What do you call a fake noodle?
A. An Im’pasta’
See our other Funny Friday Jokes!
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Why couldn’t the idiot dial 911?
Calico Family Giveaway!
I love Calico Critters play things! They are adorable and great for imaginative play! One lucky winner will win a Calico Family! Good luck!
Welcome to the Calico Critters Family Giveaway
Hosted by Miss Frugal Mommy & Sponsored By International Playthings LLC
“Calico Critters of Cloverleaf Corners are timeless, classic toys that delight children and promote wholesome family values. These award-winning miniature creatures and their life-like environments have inspired the imagination and creativity of countless children, while promoting healthy physical and cognitive development through pretend play. Calico Critter families are just like real families, and every mom, dad, sister and brother plays an important role in the Cloverleaf Corners community.”
You can discover more about this wonderful toy collection in Miss Frugal Mommy’s review!
Now for the exciting part! One lucky fan is going to win a Calico Critters Family of their choice (RV $22.95.) There are 20 different families to choose from, which you can view here! This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and older. Enter to win in the rafflecopter below, all entries will be verified, one entrant per household or you will immediately be disqualified. Winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good Luck!!!
Leprechaun Tricks – How to Catch A Leprechaun
So if you have been following along you know that we have been trying to capture a Leprechaun. The Leprechauns at our house have proved to be quite tricky! They always seem to take the bait out of our traps and have been pulling silly tricks on us in return.
So far they have covered toys in shamrocks.
Yesterday, they left notes around the house for the kids to find.
But last night. Last night takes the cake! Caleb decided that his Leprechaun Bait (a gold chocolate coin!) would be better off eaten then left out. When the Leprechauns came to collect their gold I don’t think they were happy! When the kids woke up they found this note:
The older kids get up before Caleb in the morning for school. You should have seen them running to the bathroom a little worried about finding green hair. When they realized the coast was clear (for them!) it didn’t take long for them to run and wake up Caleb. And find him looking a little like this
The look on his face was perfect. The kids are yelling “The Leprechauns turned your hair green!!” and of course he reaches up to touch his hair…I guess to see if it feels green. 🙂
Then, when he had about 10 seconds to actually wake up he runs to the mirror and yep. There it is. Green hair. He couldn’t believe it happened while he was asleep.
Good thing today just happened to be Crazy Hair Day at school! 🙂
If the Leprechauns at your house are planning on pulling this prank here are a few tips:
– THIS is the hairspray our Leprechaun used.
-It’s best to have your Leprechaun wake up early and spray rather than at night. Between the tossing and turning and just number of hours at night by morning it will fade.
– BUT it fades…and washes out. Non-permanent. Good stuff. Plus, it washed out of the pillow case too (I washed it twice).
– The stuff stinks when you first spray it. Caleb woke up with just a few concentrated spots of green. And the Leprechaun left the bottle for us to finish touching up. Plus he sprayed on spots that would be hard to roll around on the pillow case and rub off. But that depends on the way your child sleeps!
Get our FREE Printable Leprechaun Cards here to leave some Leprechaun love for your kids.
Want to know what other pranks our Leprechaun has pulled?
Want to know how we made our traps? Find out here.
Linking here.
Leprechaun Trap: St. Patrick’s Day Fun For Kids
You know the story. Trap a Leprechaun and he (or she!) will turn over their pot of gold to you! But Leprechauns are tricky! You need a game plan. And you need to be prepared for a few tricks!
At our house we start setting traps for the pesky Leprechaun in the beginning of March. We make our trap (directions for our trap here.) and try luring him with a shiny, gold chocolate coin. Then it’s off to bed and hope to find something in our trap the next morning!
I’m not sure about at your house, but at our house it’s always the same thing. That sneaky Leprechaun always takes our bait…and avoids getting caught!!! Which always makes Mom a little annoyed because I ONLY buy the exact number of coins that we need. So this means I have to go to the store again to pick up some for the next night. Geez… 🙂
Not only does the Leprechaun take the coin, but he usually plays a trick! Last night was no exception!
The traps were laid….
Caleb even put a shiny red car our (which we thought was the perfect size for the Leprechaun!)
And Josh put out his DS. (Because Leprechauns love to play games!)
When we woke up the coin was gone… 
And his DS was covered in Shamrocks!
And so was the car!
I guess there is always tonight to try to trap them! I wonder what kind of tricks they will play tonight?
If the Leprechauns want to play at your house too….
Sometimes they leave fun things like
etc.
And after all the tricking…on St. Patrick’s day they always end up giving all the gold coins back! 🙂
If your Leprechaun would like to leave a note too you can print out some of these:
They are designed as 4X6. You can just save them on a flash drive and take them to your local Staples/Office Max and have them printed. (You can also email them directly to your store!) Our Leprechaun likes to write little notes on the back!
We will keep you posted on the rest of our Leprechaun run ins! If you have a Leprechaun in your house we would love to hear about it!
Email it to us or on Facebook! Or tag us on Instagram!
Check out what other tricks our Leprechaun has pulled:
We are linking here.