Tag: Kid Stuff

Back to School – FREE Printables

August 16, 2018 3:00 AM August 16, 2018

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It is that time of the year again – school is back in session! Whether you are excited for the peace and quiet or nervous for the life changes ahead this…

It is that time of the year again – school is back in session! Whether you are excited for the peace and quiet or nervous for the life changes ahead this time of the year can be very busy and downright stressful. Between school supplies, new clothes, doctors visits and paperwork the last thing on many of our minds is the obligatory first-day picture.

To help take one thing off your list this year I have created two free downloads! In each download, you will find signs for all grade levels stretching from Day School to 12th grade. Click on the icon below, download the link and then print the page that works for your child. Voyla! One less thing. 🙌🏼

Download Now!

As we move into the fall and get the ball rolling on this school year let us all work to relax about the small things, be present at every opportunity and embrace our kiddos at every juncture. They grow up way too fast to sweat the small stuff.

Cheers to a successful 2018 – 2019 school year!

xo,

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C R E A T I V I T Y

Dollar Store Hack – Fingernail Polish Marbled Coffee Mug

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August 9, 2018 3:00 AM August 9, 2018

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Homemade gifts and personalized items are always on my preferred list and these Marbled Coffee Mugs check all the boxes. I am always on the hunt for the quick and…

Homemade gifts and personalized items are always on my preferred list and these Marbled Coffee Mugs check all the boxes. I am always on the hunt for the quick and fun DIY that is also easy on my pocketbook. This project comes almost entirely from the Dollar Tree with supplies totaling $ 11.00. This week my daughter, her bestie and I played with the marbling technique to create one of a kind coffee mugs.

Supplies

Before you get started you’ll need to gather the following supplies:

Coffee Mugs
Nail Polish (2-3 colors per mug)
Containers for dipping
Warm Water
Clear Gloss Sealer (find one here from Amazon or pick one up at your local Michaels – remember to use the coupon!)

Our local Dollar Tree did not have any plain white mugs so we chose to use these fun accent mugs!

First, fill each container with warm water. Next, dribble the fingernail polish around the water. After trial and error, we found that less polish worked the best during application. Once your design is ready dip your cup into the water, rolling it through the paint. Work to not double back in the paint. Although, if you do we found it easy to manipulate the paint directly after application. Once it dried it was not as easy.

Sealant

Once your paint is applied, let stand on a paper towel and allow to fully dry (at least a day). Once dried I used fingernail polish remover on a Q-tip to remove paint from unwanted areas, i.e. inside the rim, on the bottom or stray marks throughout. Next, I applied the Gloss Sealer to the painted area (only) using a foam brush. It is important to not apply the sealer where you will put your mouth. Also please note that these mugs are not dishwasher safe – please handwash for best results.

Have you ever tried this dipping technique? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks.

xo,

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A D V E N T U R E

The Dough Dough – What Dreams Are Made Of

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May 10, 2018 3:00 AM May 10, 2018

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3,044 Comments

I can’t be the only person here who may or may not 🙃 prefer cookies before they are cooked. 🤷🏻 Most of my life I have honestly believed that you ruin cookies by…

I can’t be the only person here who may or may not 🙃 prefer cookies before they are cooked. 🤷🏻

Most of my life I have honestly believed that you ruin cookies by cooking them. 😂 Now of course, you’re are not supposed to eat raw cookie dough for health reasons 🙄. This has always been a risk I was willing to take.

But now – now I don’t have to roll the dice, thanks to The Dough Dough the first edible cookie dough shop to hit the DFW scene.

Forest Lane & Preston Road

The Dough Dough just opened their first storefront on the North-West corner of Forest Lane and Preston Road here in Dallas. Easy to get to from anywhere in the city! The shop was bright and clean. The staff was warm and welcoming. They were eager to answer all of my questions and even offered suggestions. With the fun accent wall of sprinkles and chocolate chips The Dough Dough is absolutely Instagram friendly!

The Dough

Edible Cookie dough, that’s right, you heard me. The Dough Dough uses pasteurized egg whites and heat treated flour to combat any bacteria – so it is safe to eat! 🙌

They feature 12 standard flavors and 1 rotating seasonal flavor so there are options for every sweet tooth. On my recent visit I opted for the classic Sugar Cookie Cutter. This cup of sugary dreams was instant nostalgia for me. Aside from all the feel good memories it dredged up it was also the perfect flavor, texture and portion. Absolutely dreamy!

In addition to the list of flavors The Dough Dough also offers baked cookies, cookie cakes and something called a “Brownie Bomb” 👀. A Brownie Bomb is chocolate chip cookie dough sandwiched between two brownies and covered in chocolate, like oh my gawwwwd 🤤.

Mix It Up

Once you make your decision on a cookie dough flavor there are endless ways to make it your own. Top your cookie dough with fun sprinkles, chocolate chips or popular candies. You can even have your dough served in a waffle cone!

Take Home

The Dough Dough offers several options of premade goodies for your on-the-go sweet tooth! In the cooler they featured 8 oz containers of preportioned cookie dough. In the display case they offered house made rice krispie treats as well as cookie dough filled Oreo cookies! Please just take my money 😍

They even feature their signature selection of blended sprinkles!

Like seriously?! Still dreaming of the experience!

I’ve already decided this will be my birthday treat this year (months in advance)! 😂💯

Has anyone else tried it? Do you have an edible cookie dough shop in your area?

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!

xo,

Carolyn

PS I almost forgot – The Dough Dough is available for delivery through GrubHub!!!

Annnnnnd they are currently testing their online ordering forms!

This is going to be baaaaaad. 😜

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C R E A T I V I T Y

Beginner DIY Macrame Floating Shelf

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May 3, 2018 3:00 AM May 3, 2018

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In our home it seems like there are never enough horizontal surfaces for new plants to call home. 🤗 So naturally the next step is floating shelves. Conveniently enough, this…

In our home it seems like there are never enough horizontal surfaces for new plants to call home. 🤗 So naturally the next step is floating shelves. Conveniently enough, this also helps with keeping our family kitty 🐱 out of the new growth! (#winning). This shelf took less than an hour and came out surprisingly great! Perfect for Adreena’s boho/mountain themed bedroom.

Things You Will Need

Rope/Cord/Plastic Clothesline (that I picked up at the Dollar Store 🙌)
Sharp Scissors
A Piece of Wood (Check out this one at Home Depot or these from Amazon)

Measuring

This is very scientific… just kidding. You will need six pieces total. Measure by using your arms length. Four of the pieces will be two arms length and two will be three arms length. No need to be super specific, I trimmed the ends to be even at the very end.

Macrame Knots

Before getting started I highly recommend watching this video Chelsea is awesome at explaining the basic knots of macrame! She is so cute and takes the time to show them nice and slow!

For this piece we’ll be using the following knots:

Gathering Knots
Left Square Knots
Left & Right Square Knots

Working the Rope

To begin find the middle of the ropes, loop these around. (Optional: Loop the ropes through a metal ring for easy hanging). Cut another piece of rope (about 3/4 of one arms length). Use this piece to tie your first gathering knot. Next you will pull out two of the long pieces (I chose the two that seemed to be on opposite sides). Using only these two pieces begin working the rope in repeating left square knots. Naturally the piece will begin to spiral as you apply more knots. I used about 20 knots to achieve my desired look, this quantity is really up to you. Once you find a stopping point we will move down the ropes. You’ll need to split your core into three groups of four (working ropes that are closest to each other). Move 4-5″ down from your spiral and place a left and right square knot on each of the three groups. Work to keep these three knots as even as possible. Once complete you will move down another 5-6″. For this level of knots you want to take two ropes from one group and two from the neighboring group. Again place a left and right square knot. From here you can decide if you want to do another level of square knots or if you are read to place your shelf. I was happy with the length at this point so chose to finish off. Carefully place your piece of wood inside the rope sections, collecting them underneath. Decide where you want your shelf to sit and mark the rope. Remove the piece of wood and cut another piece of rope (about 3/4 of one arms length). Use this piece at the level you marked to place a gathering knot. Once tied off you are ready to place your shelf. Spread the ropes out along the perimeter and level out the shelf while hanging.

Voila! There you have a DIY Floating Shelf featuring some beginner macrame! If you wanted you could also skip the macrame all together and use twisted or braided ropes. That would be even easier!

Now my husband can’t limit my plant purchases based on counter space. 😜 #loophole

If you have any questions let me know, happy DIYing!

xo,

Carolyn

This pattern came from the lovely @crafty_ginger! Check out her awesome ideas! 👏

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission.

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M I N D F U L N E S S

Making Meaningful Memories That Last A Lifetime

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March 15, 2018 4:00 AM March 15, 2018

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12,668 Comments

It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks…

It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks from school, sometimes she’s with her mom. Because of this, we are always working to make our time with Adreena most meaningful, although that is not always as easy as it sounds. Juggling time off, financial cost and the overall stress of #adulting 😅 can be a lot to take on for a solid week. In today’s post, we will work on a way to make more meaningful memories that last a lifetime.

Be Present

With the constant stress of everyday life taking the time to really focus on moments with your kids can be hard. Life doesn’t just stop because school does, right?! Scheduling time for you to put those stresses aside is important. For me it’s a time of day, I earmark a section of time just for games, chit-chat or random beauty treatments. Working this into my schedule keeps my stress low because I am not neglecting something else. If you are not able to take the whole week off think about taking off several afternoons so you can make the most of your time at home; with afternoon field trips or lunch dates. Adreena always preferred this schedule so she could still sleep in – her favorite part of the break😆. Another fun thing we like to do is go to late night movies! Such a treat for her, since we rarely go out on a weeknight, much less stay up until midnight. Choosing a movie and heading out after her dad is already in bed is always an adventure – throw in her favorite candy and it is a slam dunk!

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

In addition to the everyday stress sometimes there is the added stress of creating the “perfect” memory. This unrealistic expectation has got in my way more than a time or two. Many a time I have taken the time to perfect the scene; chosen her favorite restaurant, played her favorite music, gave her the perfect outfit, and something has gone awry. So often the change in plans has ruined my mood, distracted my mind or caused me to overreact. All of these reactions have proven to detract from the overall experience. As of late, I have made an effort to roll with the punches and be open to what experience the universe has for us. Not panicking over the details really helps me stay present in the moment and soak up every detail.

I truly believe it is all to do with thinking about the moment you are in as opposed to planning the next.

Be Open to What They Choose

It all comes back to this; being open to participating in what they enjoy. I understand this doesn’t always have the most curb appeal, but trust me – showing interest in what they like is the quickest way to a meaningful moment. Most often our children’s days are filled chasing us from one errand to another, which is necessary – but not the most fun. Making the moment about them in its entirety really speaks volumes. It could be video games, basketball, taking the dog for a walk or endless hours of The Vampire Diaries,🤣 setting this time aside makes a lasting impression.

Learn To Play

Spring Break with kids is all about FUN! Anything and everything fun – to keep things light and enjoyable you have to learn to just play. Whether it’s playing a board game, Marco Polo in the pool or Race You To The Car at your local grocery. Playing and laughing as a family is important. Some of my most cherished memories are when the three of us laughed to tears sitting at the kitchen table for some silly reason.

Our game of choice is always dominoes. We started playing Mexican Train way back when and then eventually switched to real Dominoes once Adreena was able to handle the math. Can’t beat a game that doubles as math practice! 😉 Nowadays we play dominoes every night during dinner. It brings us all to the table and keeps us there long after we are done eating.

These days we also travel with our dominoes, playing cards and on occasion UNO. You just never know when you’ll need them!

This weekend we are headed out of town with family, I plan to introduce Spoons. 😈 When’s the last time you played? ha ha ha I’m so excited to see how much fun we will have!