This homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe is as simple as it gets! Only 3 ingredients are needed to produce a powerhouse natural remedy for fighting off and preventing cold and flu symptoms. Back to School season every year gets me all in the feels, the germ-y kinds feels. Because it feels like so many kids start getting sick the minute they are back in the classroom petri … [Read more...]
Teacher Survival Kit with FREE Printable
This Teacher Survival Kit is the perfect gift to support our teachers year round! Who doesn't need a bit of chocolate as a sweet pick me up through out the day? We all know that our teachers work tirelessly to teach our children how to read and write and do fractions! And at the beginning of the year they are teaching them how to follow rules and how to learn new … [Read more...]
Notebook Paper Pencil Pouch Teacher Gift Idea
This Notebook Paper Pencil Pouch Teacher Gift Idea is the perfect place for your favorite teacher to hide snacks or sweet treats during their busy day! Or maybe it's just a super cute place for them to keep all their favorite school supplies. You know the ones that are just for them to use, no sharing with the kids allowed regarding anything inside this pencil pouch! … [Read more...]
Free Silhouette File: Teacher Canvas Bag Gift Idea
This Free Silhouette File Teacher Canvas Bag Gift is the perfect Back To School gift idea for the fabulous teachers in your life. Hello everyone! Happy Back to School! My kids went back to school at the end of August but life was still busy around these parts and I am finally getting some time to post some of my fun back to school ideas. I know many of your kiddos … [Read more...]
Expo Marker Teacher Gift Idea
If you are looking for a quick and easy teacher gift that is useful too, then you are going to love this Expo Marker Teacher Gift Idea. It's no surprise that teaching is a hard job. And with it being Teacher Appreciation Week, we wanted to send in some Thank You love to all our hard working teachers. I know school supply budgets are low and teachers often need to … [Read more...]
30 Questions to Ask Your Kid After School
Check out these 30 Questions to Ask Your Kid After School instead of "How was school today?" Thank you to Dr. Oetker USA LLC for sponsoring this post. Visit the store locator to find Virtuoso Pizza by Dr. Oetker in a retailer near you! If you've ever had trouble getting more than a one word answer out of your child's mouth when you ask about how school was, then … [Read more...]
Cookie Cutter Mini Pizza Bento Lunch
Thank you to Dr. Oetker USA LLC for sponsoring this post. Visit the store locator to find Virtuoso Pizza by Dr. Oetker in a retailer near you! The most adorable way to serve up pizza for lunch is with this Cookie Cutter Mini Pizza Bento Lunch idea! Your kids will love it!With school starting back up again, we all have to start asking that age old question, "What are you … [Read more...]
Back to School Lunch Box Packing Tips
Start the school year off on the right foot by making nutritious and delicious school lunches with these easy Back to School Lunch Box Packing Tips! Can you believe it is August already? That means school is right around the corner, truly, just a few more weeks of summer and we will be back in the land of schedules and school routines. Oy! I already bought all my kids' … [Read more...]
End of Summer breakFEAST Party + Giveaway!
*Giveaway is now closed!* *As a participant of the Hungry Jack Ambassador program, I’ve received compensation for my time and product samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own. My kids and I wanted to throw a little get together with their friends to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. A little 'Good Bye to Summer and Hello to the … [Read more...]
Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Roll Recipe and Cute Back to School Printable
On the first day of school every year, I let my kids pick out what they want for breakfast that morning. I know first day jitters are a real thing and want to make sure that they are feeling calm and relaxed from the minute they get up. :-) This year my 3 oldest decided that they wanted me to make cinnamon rolls for them. Umm, how could I not! These Ooey Gooey Cinnamon … [Read more...]
Back to School Sharpie Teacher Gift Idea and Free Printable
Eeeep!! Today my oldest 3 littles go back to school! Sigh. I am so sad that summer has ended. As much as they fight and then I yell, lol, we really do have so much fun. It was so nice to have a relaxed schedule and spend the majority of our days just enjoying summer buuuut now the tide has turned an we are working on getting our school routine down pat. Yesterday the kids … [Read more...]
First Day of School Easy Balloon Arch
Well, it's getting to be about that time...time for the First Day of School, eeep! We still have a week of summer vacation left and we are savoring every last minute of it. I swear summer goes by faster and faster every year...sigh. Have you kids gone back yet? If not, let me share with you a fun idea for those super cute Back To School photos that everyone loves taking on … [Read more...]
Back to School Style with Kohl’s + Carter’s Kids
*This post is sponsored by Kohl's and I was compensated for my work. All opinions and ideas are solely that of Smashed Peas and Carrots. Ahhh! I know I said I was going to try to enjoy the last bits of summer in my last post but I couldn't help be enticed by some of the cute Back to School clothes that are on sale right now!! The kids and I were at Kohl's recently and … [Read more...]
Super Hero Book Cover Tutorial
If you have an elementary-age child in your home, especially a boy, then you might be more than familiar with the Captain Underpants series of books by Dav Pilkey. They are one of Noah's favorite book series' to read! He was super excited to get his copy of the latest installment in the series, CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE SENSATIONAL SAGA OF SIR STINKS-A-LOT, when it came … [Read more...]
First Day of Preschool for Oliver!
You guys. Hold me. No seriously. Please! This momma needs a big, long, strong bear hug, stat. My littlest little one has officially started preschool. Ugh. How? How is it possible that he is old enough to leave me for 2 days a week? I cannot. Really. Cannot fathom how 3 years just flew by like they did. But his sheer excitement and the fact that we go to the best preschool … [Read more...]
Ice Cream Sundae Happy Mail Surprise
Here's a fun idea we did at the end of the summer. We gifted a few of our friends with Ice Cream Sundae Happy Mail! Each box we made contained a little bit of everything you need to make your very own ice cream sundaes. It was the perfect end of summer/back to school gift! And of course my four little ones received their very own box too, it's so much fun mailing a gift to … [Read more...]
First Days of School 2015!
So last week was a huge deal for us. Three of my little ones started school!!! If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you were lucky enough to get some real time updates on how things went. And if not, hooray for this post, hehe! It's time to catch up! … [Read more...]
Gluten Free Bento Lunch Box Ideas
*I was compensated by PARTNERS, A Tasteful Choice Company, for my time in creating this post. All opinions are my own. Today I wanted to share a few ideas for making Gluten Free Bento Lunches for back to school. If you have little ones with gluten sensitivities, intolerances, or you just plain want to try to decrease the amount of gluten they eat you will appreciate … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy Bento Lunch Ideas
I have less than one week until my littles are back in school which mean that soon we will be back in Bento Lunch Box mode! Here are a few Super Lunchbox Ideas to get yours (and my) creative juices flowing again to make some easy, healthy, and of course, yummy school lunches as we want all of our kids to be as super as they possibly can be! If we can nourish and energize … [Read more...]
Back to School Student Gift Idea with Free Printable
Here is a fun gift idea for the student in your life! At the beginning of each school year I re-stock our Homework Station (seen here) with all the necessities…pencils, markers, erasers, etc. Basically everything my kids need to do their homework and projects during the school year. I thought that this year since Oliver will officially be joining the school routine (at 2 … [Read more...]
Back to School Teacher Gift Idea
School supply shopping is probably one of my most favorite things to do in August! I love that you can find school supplies at crazy low prices…0.17 cents for a notebook…what a deal, it's almost as if they are paying me to buy it! While I'm shopping for my kids school supplies I always like to buy extra for our home as we go though a lot of markers, pencils, glue sticks, … [Read more...]
Back to School Outfit Ideas with JCPenney and $100 Gift Card Giveaway
I know I've said this before but my littles start school in less than 3 weeks, eeep! If you can believe it (because I can't!), this year I will officially have all four in school. Yep. It's true. Deep breath. Eloise will start full day kindergarten and Oliver (my littlest babe) will go to preschool two days a week… hold me now. At least I can get excited about all the … [Read more...]
Easter Egg Bento Lunch Ideas
For a fun twist on Bento lunches this time of year, I love using plastic easter eggs and filling them with little bits of yummy and fun foods for my kids to eat. These not only make a great lunch idea for the preschool set but also make great after school snacks for my older kids! They love coming home after a long day of school to one of these Easter Egg Bentos and … [Read more...]
St. Patrick’s Day: Lucky Lunch
Yesterday we said good-bye to three of our most favorite people who we traveled 3 states just to visit us. The kids were so sad after they left and the house seemed so quiet after the jam-packed, fun-filled long weekend we had that I decided it would be fun to make the kids a fun St. Patrick's themed lunch because, why not? What cheers little ones up more than your … [Read more...]
Easy Lunchbox Review and Giveaway!
I am super excited to share with you my review of Easy Lunchboxes today! Y'all know my family's love of bento lunches and fun containers to keep them in...I am always on the lookout for great containers to add to our ever-growing collection. Heck, with 4 little ones, we need a lot of containers to keep in rotation especially on the off chance (which seems to happen weekly … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy Bento Lunch Ideas: Round 6
I've got another segment of my littles' easy and healthy Bento Lunches today, who's excited! Y'all know we are big into our Ziploc Divided Containers (as well as a few other favorites including but not limited to Rubbermaid Lunchblox and a few fun bento specific ones found in this post here!) but as many of you know, Ziploc has discontinued them, womp, womp! … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy Bento Lunch Ideas: Halloween Edition!
Aww yeah! Another round up of some of my littles' past school bento lunches this month except this time it's the Halloween edition!! Who's excited?! Booo yeah <---get what I did there, heheh! … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy Bento Lunch Ideas: Round 4
Welcome to another installment of my littles' bento lunches! All lunches seen are chosen by Noah and Penny! They tell me what they want to eat and I make it happen by buying said food and then they help me put it all together, it's a pretty fun partnership between us three. And in case you are wondering, the little two get in on the action here at home, sometimes they get … [Read more...]
Coffee Break Gift Idea for Teachers and Staff
Have I ever told you how much we love our teachers? I feel like we hit the jackpot with both schools my littles go to. All their teachers are amazing and the staff at both elementary and preschool couldn't be more fantastic. I volunteer a few days a month and when I go I like to bring a little something for either the teachers or the staff to say Thank You and Good Job but … [Read more...]
After School Routine-FREE Printable
Holy wow! Is it really possible that my littles have been in school for over a month now? When I look at the calendar I kinda cannot believe it but it's true. Over the past few weeks we have been slowly but surely getting back into the school routine. All our activities have now been pushed to the after school hours which means we need to be on our A-game the minute the … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy Bento Lunch Ideas: Round 3
Ahhh, finally. The post you all have been waiting for…another round of healthy lunch ideas straight from my littles' lunch boxes! Here are some fun bento lunch ideas from the last few weeks of school, I hope they inspire you to create fun and healthy lunches for your children! … [Read more...]
Healthy Back to School Bento Lunch Ideas: Round 2
Holy moly, where has summer gone! It seems like I blinked my eyes and my kids are in school again! Hooray? I gotta say I'm pretty excited for my littles to be back to the school grind, it means we get to pick out school supplies together and they get to meet their new teachers and find out which of their friends get to be in their class… all such fun memory makers. But … [Read more...]
Easy and Healthy Bento Lunch Ideas: Round 1
Last week 50% of my crew went back to school. This week I'll add another little one back to the school regimen. Well, it's just preschool and 3 mornings a week but nonetheless I will have two mornings a week with just my little man….how weird is that? And with a new school year comes new lunch possibilities and more bento lunches! YES!!!! I'll try my hardest to share my … [Read more...]
Gluten Free Soft & Chewy Almond Butter Granola Bar Recipe
*This post is written on behalf of Chex Gluten Free Oats and Intant Oatmeal. I was compensated for this post but as per usual, all opinions and ideas are my very own!Well, my oldest two littles are well into their first week of school and they seem to be loving every minute of it. We are getting used to our new morning routine, y'know, getting everyone dressed and up for … [Read more...]
Rock the Lunchbox: Breakfast for Lunch Bento Idea PLUS a Bento Lunch Giveaway!
My littles finally started school! Summer is officially over. And now our minds turn to reading bags, homework folders, and what we want in our lunches! We spent the weekend shopping for all sorts of healthy goodies that they wanted in their lunches this week, I love that they want to help pick out the foods they eat. … [Read more...]
Mason Jar Tumbler Teacher Gift with FREE Printables
**I was sent these fabulous Aladdin Mason Jar Tumblers from QVC. As always, all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.I feel like it doesn't seem possible but it is…my littles can count the number of days until back to school on just two hands! We have backpacks filled with brand new school supplies, new shoes for their ever-growing feet, and their lunch boxes cleaned and … [Read more...]
On The Go Snacking Station from a Strawberry Basket
With school starting up in another month for us and even sooner for some of you, I thought I would share a fun way that we tote snacks along in the car that may be useful to you for this upcoming school year. I thought it up when a moment of Mommy Brilliance hit me after we had visited a strawberry patch this summer. … [Read more...]
Watercolor Resist Painting Using School Glue
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® Elmer’s and Wet Ones, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CraftandCleanUp http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV So far this summer we have been lucky enough to enjoy vacations, road trips, hanging out with the best Grandma and Grandpa you've ever met, visiting with aunties and … [Read more...]
{Halloween} Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 7
With Halloween less than 2 weeks away (!) how's about a some fun Halloween bento lunch ideas for the littles! I have to admit we started in on the Halloween bentos the minute October hit...we just love Halloween over here! On a side note, I just bought fabric for the littles Halloween costumes the other day. Here's hoping Oliver will take some good naps for momma so I can … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 6
More bento lunch goodness for y'all, who's excited! So last night we picked up Penny's cheerleading uniform (!!!) She will be a cheerleader for winter basketball, hehe. The uniform is so cute and true to Penny-form she had to try it on as soon as we came home and immediately started doing cheers with her poms, she cracks me up! Noah will also be playing winter basketball … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 5
Week 5 of Bento Lunch Ideas is here, woot! And ummm, dude, where has the week gone, how is it Thursday already? Oh, and guess what? Last week it was our turn to bring snacks for Penny's soccer team and we totally forgot. Yup, that was us. Somehow it was NOT on the calendar we live and breathe by so we showed up to the game empty-handed. Soooooo. Totally not supermom … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 4
Happy Monday folks! I just got back from a super fun girls' weekend at my friend Nicole's gorgeous lakefront home in Wisconsin. It was heaven on earth...and the first time I have ever been away from my little Oliver overnight! He did really well (yay!) so now the husband and I have hope for future getaways ;-) He was so flippin' happy to see me when I came home and my … [Read more...]
Ikea Raskog Homework Station
With school in full swing now and homework starting to make its way into our house, I thought I would try to be a bit more prepared for all the color this, draw that, cut this, glue that directions that most homework begs of us. Ya'll remember my love of Ikea's Raskog kitchen cart from my makeover post here, well, that one is for me...and all my sewing and craft … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 3
Another week means another Bento Round-up...ta-da! Week 3 for y'all...holy cats, can you believe my kids have been in school for 3 weeks already! Lunch 1: Applesauce with cinnamon, hummus, cucumbers slices with an acorn pick, baby carrots, hardboiled eggs in the shape of a bunny and a bear (using these molds found here), Annie's cheddar bunnies and pretzel mix, and an … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 2
Here is last week's Bento Lunch round-up for y'all (and here is Week 1 in case you missed it!) So far I have been loving making bentos for the kids every day, I actually look forward to that little spark of creativeness I get to have right before I head to bed. For those that wondered, I make them at night before I hit the hay and I can bust out two completely different … [Read more...]
Eloise’s First Day of Preschool!
Oh My Heck. Is it truly possible that my little Eloise started Preschool last week? Yup, she did. She really did. Waaaaaaaaaaah! (that is totally me crying and not her...she did awesome. Clif and I expected a few tears from her but nope, she was a total rockstar). At morning drop off she ran out of the car and up to her teachers without even batting an eye. She only … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Ideas: Week 1
Since my Bento Lunch posts are always a hit on the 'ol Instagram (follow me here if you are not already!) I thought I would share a weekly round up of lunches here on the blog. My oldest two started full day school last week and guess what? I already have 5 lunches to share! I'll try to post a round-up once a week for those interested. I'll give details on what I made and … [Read more...]
The One Where They Go to Full Day School
Oh me, oh my! Last week school officially started for my two oldest littles. I still cannot believe it. I have two kids in full day school now, what the heck happened to my babies who used to play with me all day long?!? Noah started first grade and, as we do at the beginning of each school year, we measured him from top to bottom. Since the end of school last June (in … [Read more...]
Mini Pancake Push-Up Pops
Holy cats, we have less than a week before school starts, I cannot believe the last week of summer is finally here! So, like a good momma, I have been diligently trying to come up with a fun first day of school breakfast. You might remember last year's here (and here!)This year since Noah is heading into first grade, Penny is starting kindy, and Eloise is starting her … [Read more...]
Another School Lunch Idea: Bento Style
Here's another school lunch idea, bento-style! I am still prepping for our school year which is starting soon and am creating a list of healthy, fun to eat lunches for my oldest two who will be bringing their lunch to school. The KIND brand of snacks are some of our family's favorites. They are clean eating at it's best. The company believes if you can't pronounce an … [Read more...]
Back to School Organization with Martha Stewart Home Office™ with Avery™ PLUS Giveaway!
We have about 2 weeks until school starts here, holy smokes where has summer gone?! I'm pretty sure I've spent the majority of August trying to get organized for back to school, you too? I have been spending a whole lot of time getting friendly with my calendar to get our family's schedule organized and on track, there is just so much...but I love organization so I'm cool … [Read more...]
Rock the Lunchbox: School Lunch Ideas and Giveaway!
My two oldest littles will be starting full day school in a few weeks (!!!) We are all so excited about school starting...new routines, new teachers, new classmates, new school supplies....there is just something so fun about a new school year, Yay! Full day school means they will both be eating lunch at school. And for our family that means they will be bringing lunch. … [Read more...]
Bento Lunch Goodies Review and Giveaway
I was asked to review some fun Bento lunch goodies from BentoUSA and with school starting in just a few weeks it couldn't have been better timing. I just love Bento lunches and Bento supplies and if you remember my Bento Lunches Series here and here you know how big my love for all things Bento truly is! They sent out some super fun products...I loved each one and my kids … [Read more...]
TUTORIAL: Framed Chalkboard To Do List
Michael's asked me to be a part of their First Day of School Blogger Challenge and, as I love a good challenge, how could I say no! With school starting at the end of the month for my littles I feel like our whole month of August is filled with trying to get all their Back to School appointments made. Eye exam...check! School physical...check! Dentist...appointment … [Read more...]
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