Unique lunch and after school snack ideas for kids
- These orange muffins are delicious, moist and easy to make. It uses the whole orange, which gives a bright and strong orange flavor.
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Category: Kids
Flower Pot Cookie Cups
Flower pot cookie cups are the perfect treat for celebrating spring
This post, flower pot cookie cups, is sponsored by Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. All opinions are mine alone.
I’ve shared before that the kids really enjoy participating in our backyard flower and vegetable garden. I thought it would be fun to celebrate spring and reward their hard work with a special after school treat: flower pot cookie cups.
No Candy Easter Basket Ideas
This is an #AD from Hasbro.
Poll: what was your favorite Easter gift? Our Easter Bunny mostly left candy, so the year he brought me roller skate adapters for my tennis shoes was an exciting one! As parents, I think we’re always trying to re-create that magic, and today’s post is all about that.
How to Naturally Dye Brown Easter Eggs
These natural dyes are food safe and work great for other natural tie dye projects!
Thank you to Nellie’s Free Range for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.
I’ve always wanted to experiment with using natural dyes to dye our hard boiled Easter eggs, but I’ve also been a little intimidated by the idea.
Over the last few years we’ve made the switch to exclusively using Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. Since their eggs come only from Certified Humane Free Range hens that live healthy, happy lives, I feel better about serving them to my family. So, it only seemed fitting that we would go the more natural route for egg dye this year.
But the big question was…can you dye brown eggs? The answer is, yes! It creates even deeper natural tones, and I’m going to show you how! Continue reading
15 Kid Friendly St. Patrick’s Day Treats
These St Patrick’s Day treat IDEAs are almost as sweet as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
St. Patrick’s Day is an annual national holiday in Ireland, celebrating the patron saint Patrick. It generally involves parades, festivals, and wearing of green. Shamrocks are seen all over as well.
In fact, it’s said that St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. With that in mind, we are getting ready to celebrate in our home!
Top 20 Best DIY Mother’s Day Gifts
Thoughtful, homemade Mother’s Day gifts on a budget
I know I can’t be the only one who wracks my brain for Mother’s Day gifts every. single. year. Not only do the moms in my life all live out of state from us, but we are on a super tight budget! Today, I’m sharing some of the best ideas I’ve found for the top 20 best DIY Mother’s Day gifts on a budget.
- Homemade Watercolor Tea Towel – It doesn’t get any easier than this watercolor technique! Perfect for even the youngest kids to help out with. Even better, it makes such a pretty and practical gift!
- Bathtub Tray – I love this idea for a super simple DIY lucite bathtub tray! Totally waterproof, and matches any bathroom decor!
- Lavender Bath Soak – Take the Bathtub Tray idea up a notch by adding a relaxing Lavender Bath Soak and presenting it in a pretty jar. Get the recipe here.
- Cement Succulent Flower Pots – I’m still obsessed with these cement flower pots, and they are super easy to make! Cement doesn’t have to intimidating at all – check out this easy tutorial for creating your own!
- Garden Stone – We love to make handprint garden stones as precious markers of how the kids have grown over the years!
- Give her a hand – Okay, I really hope allll the husbands and kids out there are giving Mom a hand on Mother’s Day, but if you can’t be there to help, I love this simple idea for making life a little easier on Mom.
- Pamper Her with this DIY Leather Pouch – This no-sew leather pouch is easy to make and totally stylish and practical! Drop in a few of your favorite pampering gifts – like yummy hand lotion, or my favorite EVER lip balm for super dry lips (if you can get past the super crazy name!).
- Handwritten Heirloom Recipe Tea Towel – I absolutely love the idea of taking a handwritten heirloom recipe and putting it on a tea towel. Totally sentimental and useful. Check out how to make one here.
- Book Lover’s Gift Set – If she loves to read, give her a mini vacation basket, complete with a good book, chocolates, and a DIY leather bookmark. If you don’t sew – no worries! Just use a super strong, flexible all-purpose glue. Budget tip: upcycle an old purse from the thrift store to course your leather!
- Garden Gift Basket – This is attractive all on it’s own for a flower container, but I love this gift basket idea including custom garden markers and garden tools.
- Potted Picking Garden Flowers – I’ve been trying to grow my own flower picking garden, so lately I’ve been loving receiving peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs and more for Mother’s Day! Truly the gift that keeps on giving.
- Brunch – If you’re lucky enough to be with your mom for Mother’s Day, make her a special brunch (disclaimer: if you’re a mom yourself…schedule this for a day other than Mother’s Day so you can sleep in and get pampered by your kids!). I’m a huge fan of these Ham and Cheese brunch squares. Or, for something extra simple and a lot lighter, try these overnight Peaches ‘N Cream oats.
- Sunshine in a Basket – Okay, there just might be a floral theme on this list, but I’m obsessed with this cheerful gift basket idea. This collection of candles, chamomile, citrus, herbs, and a charming potted cactus would brighten anyone’s day.
- Framed photo or Photo Book – I mean, what mom wouldn’t love a photo of her kids or grandkids?
- Leaf Print Fabric – Am I overdoing it on the tea towel love in this list? Didn’t think so! ???? They are such a great idea because they are inexpensive, thoughtful, and practical! I love this idea for leaf printing on fabric for more charming tea towels.
- Send Flowers – I’ve often sent flowers, simply because it can be hard to give a special Mother’s Day gift from out of state. It’s not always frugal, but flowers are always a good idea! Click here to get 20% off from FTD.
- Something Sweet – My mom and I both have a serious sweet tooth, so I love this cool idea for saying it with ice cream! Whip up a batch of your favorite homemade ice cream (like creamy lemon vanilla or cookie dough frozen yogurt), add a few toppings, and top it with this cool gift tag.
- Handwritten Card – Trust me – you can’t go wrong with a caring, handwritten card. Let Mom and Grandma know just how much you love her, and list every. single. reason. why.
- Digital Frame – Okay, so this one isn’t truly DIY…or frugal, but I’m obsessed with this digital frame because multiple family members can update it in real time, right from their phones! And, it’s so stylish and sleek compared to the digital frames of yesterday.
- Last Minute Gift – If all else fails and you’ve totally blown it this Mother’s Day…well, Mom doesn’t have to know. Give her a call (or even better, show up in person), tell her how much you love her and bring a card with a gift card to buy whatever she wants. Amazon gift cards are always a good idea! Buy and print (or e-mail) one in minutes.
DIY Writing Skills Workbook
custom Writing Skills Workbook for less than $1
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PlayWithPlaymobil #CollectiveBias
Create a custom writing skills workbook in minutes
When I was a young kid, I was blown away one day when my dad brought home a little toy doctor kit, little candies (aka pills – it was the 80’s, okay?) and flashcards for me.
Not an earth shattering story, right?
Except, my parents NEVER just brought home gifts for no reason, so it’s a memory that firmly planted itself in my mind.
Only recently, (many, many years later)I learned the rest of the story.
Lazy Mom’s Guide to Halloween Dinner
This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Can you feel that? The chill in the air is already creeping in, and so are the Halloween decorations in every store I visit. As you’re well aware, I’m not a big fan of fall, but the holidays of the fall and winter seasons sure make the nip in the air a whole lot more tolerable.
While I do love delighting my kids with a fun themed meal every Halloween season, I don’t always have the same zest for pulling off the details.
Today I’m sharing my lazy mom’s guide to Halloween Dinner. I’m including three, super-simple ideas for pulling off that cute themed dinner, without the prep.
That’s right: if you’re decidedly *not* a Pinterest mom, this post is for you.
Back To School Countdown Banner
Free Library Card Printables for pretend play
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToSchoolGoals18 #CollectiveBias
T-minus 1o days until school starts in our area, and we are not ready mentally…or emotionally…at all. I’m not that mom with the glass of champagne at the first day of school bus stop. I’ll miss the easy mornings of summer and the lack of homework and activities in the afternoon. Life is crazy enough with all of that, but what can you do?
For starters, we can prepare ourselves with a good old fashioned back to school countdown banner.
Printable Morning Routine Chart
Free Printable Back to School Morning Chart for Kids
This shop, Morning Routine Chart, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnackToSchool #CollectiveBias
I can hardly believe I’m writing this post – but, believe it or not, school is almost back in session. HOW did the summer fly by so fast?? The more relaxed morning routine of summer will soon give way to the chaos of the school year, so today I’m sharing a Morning Routine Chart designed to make life a little easier.
Sew Pajama Pants from Vintage Sheets
Sew Pajama Pants in just 15 Minutes
Pajama sets can get a bit pricey, some of them don’t have the best quality even. Why not make your own PJ pants? This is one of the easiest sewing projects out there especially if you’re a newbie. Keep on reading to find out how to make PJs!
If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you know that I love all things vintage. Lately, I’ve been especially fond of vintage sheets, afghans and, quilts. I’m always brimming with ideas for repurposing these treasures, and I even sell my finds in my small Etsy Shop.
I shared an article with genius ways to repurpose vintage sheets, and I fell in love with the idea of sewing pajama pants from vintage sheets.
Vintage sheets are really easy to sew and aside from that, they’re very cheap and effortless to find. Those are the top reasons why I gravitate towards this kind of fabric every time I want to create some pajama pants. I highly advise you to try sourcing out age-old linens because they remain super soft even after several washes.
Even if you wanted to buy a cheap set of pajamas from a store, you can obviously see the quality not being at its greatest. They sometimes can get too thin, flimsy, or even worse – very itchy. Why not try using vintage sheets instead? For its affordable price, you get your money’s worth, and even more!
What could be better? The soft feel of summer sheets is paired with gorgeous vintage patterns and didn’t even break your wallet! Read on to learn how to make this.
Kid Friendly Honey Bread
Easy, Kid Friendly Honey Bread Recipe
Today I’m excited to share one of our family’s favorite recipes: Kid Friendly Honey Bread. I’ve been meaning to share this on the blog for, like, years, but just never got around to it.
Yes, the recipe is called kid friendly because my kids love to eat this bread. But, more importantly, this is a super easy recipe that your kids can make with you.
Honey Bear After School Snack
Celebrating National Honey Month
This post is sponsored by the National Honey Board, however the content and opinions expressed are my own.
Last week my baby started Pre-Kindergarten. Time is going fast, and I’m determined to savor these golden moments I still have with her at home with some special, 1:1 time.. Since she is getting to be such a big girl, I thought it would be fun to have a special tea party with her, letting her make a new recipe, a Honey Bear after school snack, all by herself.
You see, she is so excited to go to her bumblebee themed classroom a few 1/2 days per week, and lamented on the first day she didn’t have a bee costume to wear ????
Then, this weekend,we were especially excited to have guests who just started bee keeping. We enjoyed all their stories and pictures, and even got one of their first bottles of honey as a hostess gift. As a result, the kids are pretty sure we should start beekeeping, too (um, no.).
So, it felt especially serendipitous when I received a golden box of goodies from the National Honey Board to inspire us to celebrate National Honey Month with some honey, beautiful party decorations and easy, kid-friendly recipes.
Secret Message Lunchbox Notes
Printables for Back to School
It’s hard to believe in just a week the kids will be back to school. I mean, WHY does summer break have to go so fast?
Summer break always seems to fly by, doesn’t it? Before school starts back, I wanted to share with you my new favorite part of school lunch making.
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know I love a good encouraging lunchbox note! This year, I’ve created my favorite, ever: Secret Message Lunchbox Notes!
Easy DIY Toy Car Storage Jars
STYLISH, AFFORDABLE WAY TO STORE TOY CARS
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RevUpF8 #CollectiveBias
Today’s DIY is all about finding stylish ways to display and contain toy cars. My son’s love of cars was revived last month when we introduced him to the latest Fast & Furious™ movie. So, of course, he was thrilled when he discovered toy replicas of Dom Toretto’s car and the climax scene of the movie. However, we had reached capacity on car storage in casa de Mangold. Maxed. Out.
Stored here: Fast & Furious™ 5 Pack Vehicle Assorted
Letter and Journal Template Pages for Kids
Letters for Kids to Write Summer Camp, pen pals (Free printable)
I don’t know how your summer is going, but ours has been crazy-fun, but largely unproductive. We’re not getting super far on our summer bucket list, but we ARE enjoying all the fun days of playing in the sun, VBS, swimming, boating, and visiting a ton of parks.
Easy DIY Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Kids of All Ages
May is the month we celebrate moms. If you’re one of the many people who haven’t landed the perfect gift for the women in your life this Mother’s Day – don’t panic! I’ve pulled together three thoughtful and inexpensive homemade mother’s day gift ideas for moms and grandmas that even the biggest procrastinator can pull off at the last minute!
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Grandma & Mom
Moms can attest: there’s nothing better than receiving a truly thoughtful gift that can be sentimental, pretty, AND useful.
We wives and moms usually handle gift coordination for the family birthdays and holidays, so it’s nice to be on the receiving end for a change!
These ideas are simple enough that kids of all ages can make them 100% on their own. Armed with just a few inexpensive supplies, we put our ideas to the test.
The kids went to work creating their masterpieces using just crayons and paper…
Big Boy Room Reveal
Colorful, eclectic Boy Bedroom
When we moved into this home two years ago, one of the first rooms I decorated was my son’s. It’s where inspiration struck first, and I had so much fun creating custom framed engineer prints, pallet art, and industrial pendant lighting. I loved everything about it, and declared his room, “done.”
However, he has since graduated to a bigger bed…which required new bedding…and while I was at it, I decided his room was missing color, and elements that better reflect his personality. Since he’s a little bigger now, he deserves to have a new big boy room to go with it!
My design style, if I had to describe it, is an eclectic mix of colorful, vintage and updated traditional. Today I’m going to reveal his colorful / preppy / rustic / vintage big boy room. Hopefully, this will give you some inspiration on decorating your son’s bedroom and try some of the same things too!
How to Design The Perfect Playroom For Your Kids
Even before we moved into our current home, I’ve been dreaming about creating a magical play space in our currently unfinished basement. So, I asked Isadora Guidoni, also a writer for homeyou.com, to guest post for me, sharing her tips and inspiration for creating a space both parents and kids alike will love:
A good playroom can be a great option for your kids to grow up with, it will definitely be their favorite place in the house and where they’ll be spending most of their time. With that in mind, here is a list of a few tips and ideas to design the perfect playroom for your kids.
Why Design a Playroom
Source: Pinterest
Bake Shop Birthday
Cake Decorating Birthday Party for Girls
Photo Credit: Sweet Style Photography
Today I’m so excited to share a sweet Bake Shop Birthday Party my beautiful and talented friend, Petula, recently threw for her daughter’s 7th birthday.