• Hobbies for Moms

    Crafty Hobbies to Explore

    I firmly believe that everyone needs a few great hobbies – these are the things that make us who we are! I’ve always been super crafty and creative, and I love to have materials available to make things with my hands at all times. Here are some of the hobbies that I’ve been really into lately. Cross stitch – I learned to cross stitch as a kid and have picked it up again as an adult. I’ve found that I really appreciate smaller projects because they travel easily and I can finish them in a short amount of time. The supplies for this particular art form are also super affordable,…

  • summer learning supplies

    Summer Learning Supplies for an 8 Year Old

    Every year I’ve tweaked the supplies that I gather for summer learning. When my daughter was in Kindergarten we used a ton of crayons, glue, and flash cards (see how I organized all of that here), now that she’s almost done with second grade, there are so many more notebooks, pencils, and books. Here’s what we’re using to keep her on track academically this summer (all links are affiliates). In the past I’ve printed specific worksheets for certain themes. That worked for us, but it also used a lot of ink and paper, plus I had to organize all of it. The workbooks help us focus on specific subjects, and…

  • summer planning

    Summer Planning; What Works and What Doesn’t

    Over the last couple of years I’ve learned so much about planning and structuring our summer days at home (see the post that I shared on Monday for a round up of ideas and inspiration)! From planning our days down to the hour to throwing out the plans and winging it, I’ve tried it all. Here are some things that have worked really well for us (DO’s), followed by some things that haven’t been so helpful (DONT’s). DO DON’T The most important thing that I’ve found is to know your kids and plan for what they need. My summer planning has changed every year because my daughter has grown and…

  • summer plans

    Summer at home with kids

    I’m getting ready for my third summer at home with my daughter – it’s coming so fast! Over the last couple of years I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to keep her busy and how much planning can and should go into preparing myself for all of that. I wanted to share how I’ve set up these plans so that you can get a little inspiration if this is something that you’re looking for a little support with. I’ve got a couple more posts planned for this week about specifically what has worked and what hasn’t worked for us, and what my plans look like for this year.…

  • Printable Personalized Gift

    Printable Teacher Appreciation Gift

    Sometimes you just need a gift that’s super easy and super quick. No worries, I’ve got you covered! These notecards can be downloaded, personalized, printed, and cut in less than 20 minutes. They’re a perfect gift for teacher appreciation day, administrative professionals day, thank you gifts, welcome gifts, and end of the year co-worker gifts. You can get your copy here and use them over and over again!

  • Teacher Appreciation Gift

    Favorite Things – Teacher Appreciation Edition

    My favorite gifts to give others are the things that I love to use myself. I know that they’re great products, and I’m happy to introduce someone else to something that has enriched my own life in some way. As I’m thinking about Teacher Appreciation Day and end of the school year gifts, these are the types of items I always consider first. Here’s what’s on my list this year (all light purple of course, because that’s my favorite color – but most of these are available in other colors so you can pick the best choice for your recipient). All links are affiliates. Papermate Flair Pens – These will…

  • End of the School Year Products for Teachers

    Have you started the countdown yet?! We have some amazing warm weather this week and it’s really giving me the summer itch. Here are some amazing products to stock up on so that you’re ready for all of those end of the school year celebrations. All links are affiliates. Jumbo School’s Out Color Your Own Poster End of the Year Teacher Postcards Inspirational Bracelets End of the Year Gift Dough Gift Sets Lavender Bogg Bag Ice Cream Cone Earrings Last Day of School Friendship Bracelet Tee Sprinkle Headband

  • Summer Transition

    Wrapping up a year of preschool

    It’s the season to think about that transition from the school year into summer. Whether your program has a hard end date, or you’re with your student all summer long, it’s helpful to really think through how you want to support children through this. Children who will go to kindergarten next year often have the benefit of preparing for graduation, and the actual graduation celebration to signify the change. With younger children who are going to continue at the same program next year, they’ve still accomplished something – they’ve finished a year of preschool! giving them a celebration to recognize this can be one great way to help make the…