Craft of the Month----Love

Today I am linking up with From Mrs to Mama for her DIY craft of the month.  This month's theme is Love. I was kind of stumped as what to do to be honest.  I thought about it long and hard, and well, I decided I wanted to make decor for my house to go with my other Valentine's Day decor I have up.  As much as I love to decorate for Valentine's Day, I don't necessarily want to see pink, red, and hearts everywhere I turn.  I wanted to make something that you knew it was for Valentine's, but something that had style and was more modern.  So this is what I made...

It's a wall hanging that says Love on it.  Now, I apologize for the quality of the photo!  My camera is on it's last leg, and just doesn't take the best photos anymore.  This was super easy to make and it super inexpensive to make as well!

Here's how I made this just in case you are inspired to make one or one similar to it:

First I bought a 11"X14" canvas at Hobby Lobby that usually retails for $8.99, but was 40% off, and some really cute fabric that was also on sale.  I bought 1/2 yard, so I only paid $2.45 for it.  There was actually plenty of fabric left over to make another one if you want to make a pair, but I am saving it for later for another project.

I then covered the canvas with the material and attached it on the back using hot glue.  After that, I hot glued ribbon to the edges to act as a hanger.  The ribbon is some that I already had at home, but you can purchase it at Hobby Lobby for about $3.99 regular price per roll, but they often have these on sale for 50% off  So it is very inexpensive and you will have plenty for several projects!!

Next I cut out a heart shape out of regular white paper and traced it onto my covered canvas lightly with a pencil.  I then hot glued on these red Gemstones by Paper Studio.  You will find these in the scrapbooking aisle at your craft store.  I already had these, but at Hobby Lobby they run $2.99 per package.  You can also find these on sale every month or so.  I ended up using about three packages for this craft.

This is a shot of me hot gluing on the gemstones. 

When I was done with the heart, I then wrote out the word Love onto the canvas with my pencil and hot glued more gemstones on.  I really like the red, black, and off white.  This was very simple and very inexpensive!  I hope you enjoy!

I can't wait to go back and see what everyone else has come up with!!  Happy crafting!!!

Glue Gun Fun!!

Linking this up with Petals to Picots and Someday Crafts!!!  Enjoy!!
So I was finding myself being in a crafty mood, and how convenient for me that Hobby Lobby just happened to be having sale!!  Lucky me!!  This Christmas I went through all of my extra picture frames because I gave Truett's photos that I had done aways as gifts, so I found myself needing a couple of frames to fill in some empty spots in my bedroom.  Hobby Lobby had their frames for 50% off, so I dropped in to grab a couple.  I found two frames that I liked, both were originally $9.99, but half off, so I was able to get both for a total of $9.99!!  Not bad!!  So off to home I went to give these frames a little pizazz!!

This is what all I used to decorate the first frame.  I bought just a simple black frame, then I used some gold ribbon and black ribbon that I had at home.  This ribbon is real inexpensive.  I bought this a while back at Hobby Lobby when it was half off.  I got both rolls for a combined total of $3.99!  The final touch is a brooch that has been handed down to me from one of my grandmothers.  The first thing I did was make a bow and secure it with hot glue.  I did not want to damage the broach since it is a family heirloom, so I simply just pinned it on to the center of the bow.  Then I hot glued the bow to the frame, and this is the final project....

I am happy with how it turned out!  There was one very similar to this at Hobby Lobby retailing for almost $30.00 full price, and I was able to do this one for about $6.00!!

A closer up photo of the ribbon I used and the brooch.  I liked the glittery polka dot pattern on the gold ribbon combined with the simple black ribbon!  Added a little something extra I think!

One last image of the completed black frame....

Now on to the gold frame I decorated.  I used this simple gold frame and some old antique earrings that I had been given.  These earring belonged to my great-grandmother, but a lot of them were broken in some way, so I wanted a way to use them so that I can keep them forever even though they were all broken.  So, I decided that the earrings would really look nice on this frame since they all had gold tones in them.  I laid out a pattern on the gold frame that I thought would look nice and then just simply hot glued them on.  Here is the final result...

I am pretty happy with how this one turned out.  My favorite part is that it has

meaning to it since I used something that was handed down to me!

One last view of the finished gold frame.

It only took me about an hour or so to complete the two frames.  I am happy with how they turned out and they look really good in my bedroom too!  I also worked on another craft project that I will post later this week...you know me, once I get that glue gun out, I just can't seem to put it away!!  haha!!

Another week of freebies!!!!

The freebies have been starting to pick up again!  I love knowing that I am saving money!!  So, here is what I was able to get this week...

First, the freebies that I got through the mail.  I got another coupon book filled with wonderful coupons towards P&G items from Home Made Simple, a free sample of neck firming lotion and 10% off coupon towards an online purchase from LovelySkin.com , and a Benefiber sample made available from Rite Aid.  The rest of my items I was able to get for free, or practically free, using my coupons!  The three packages of Cascade Action Pacs I was able to get for free using my three $1.00 off Cascade coupons.  The packs run for $0.97 each at Wal Mart and Target, so there is also a little overage too.  The BIC pens I was able to get free as well using two $1.00 off any BIC stationary product coupons.  These packages of pens run for $0.97 to $1.00 at Wal Mart.  Look out for these coupons, they put them in the paper every couple of months!  I know they are just pens, but for those who have kids or work in offices, this cuts costs on supply lists!!    The two Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpastes I got for free using two $1.00 of coupons at Target.  The coupons did not have size restrictions on them, so I used them to pick up the travel sizes that run for $0.97.  The Kotex Natural liners I got for free using my $1.00 off coupon.  At Wal Mart, they are $0.97, so there is also a tiny overage on these as well.  The Kotex Natural pads were not free, but pretty close.  I had another $1.00 off any Kotex Natural product coupon and used it towards these pads that run for $2.48 at Wal Mart.  So, I did pay $1.48 for the package, but when is the last time you paid that little for your feminine products?

All in all it was a pretty successful week with the freebies!  Oh, and just to let you in on an upcoming post, my glue gun has found its way out of the closet...dum, dum, dum! haha!!  You know that that means I have been up to no good!!!  haha!!  Enjoy the rest of your week!!

Product of the Week.....foundation!!

Happy Thursday everyone!!  I am linking up today with Aly and Tiffani for their Product of the Week link up!  I am so excited to share another one of my favorite things!!  Last week I shared my love for Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap.  This week I decided to go in a slightly different direction.   This week, the product I can't live without is.....

Revlon's PhotoReady Foundation!!  I swear by this foundation!  I have very sensitive skin, so I have to be very careful with what products I use.  I have spent tons of money trying to find a makeup that didn't literally burn the skin off my face.  Not only can I wear this foundation everyday and it not take a toll on my skin, but my makeup lasts all day too!  I am not sure I have ever had a foundation that lasts as long and stays looking as fresh!  I highly recommend this to anyone!  An extra bonus is, it's basically affordable to anyone on any budget!!

I hope you all have a great day and I can't wait to see what everyone else has posted!!  See you next week for the next installment of Product of the Week with Aly and Tiffani!!

A Day of Sunday Randoms!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!  My little guy and I have been under the weather, so we have just been hanging out at home.  I have been putting off doing all the major cleaning in the house, but I did clean out my hope chest.  I had yet to clean out all of the things that belonged to my ex husband and his kids and the things from our wedding.  I always enjoy going through my hope chest because I never know what I might come across!!  haha!!  Well, boy did I find some things that took me back to my youth!!  Maybe it will take you back too....

These are a few of my treasures from my childhood!!  haha!!  That would be my Nelson and Sebastian Bach posters, my Betty Boop magnetic belt (remember the magnetic belts from the 80s? I had tons!), my California Raisin, a Dylan and Brandon pin from 90210, my Bon Jovi cassette tape, and my New Kids on the Block hat!!! 

When Truett saw these, he asked who the girls were!!  haha!!  Yeah, try explaining to a 4 year old why it was so cool for guys to have hair like a girl!!  That was quite a conversation!!

Anyone who knows me, knows the obsession I STILL have with New Kids on the Block! haha!!  I have also passed that love down to my son.  Ask him who he wants to listen to on the radio, and it will either be Bruno Mars, Adele, or "mommy's music with all the boys"!  He loves to break it down to NKOTB!!  haha!!  And Bon Jovi, who doesn't still love Bon Jovi?!  They are still awesome!  Wish I still had a tape player to jam out to this while cleaning house!!

While on the topic of things from the past, I have a new favorite show!!  Since I have been trying to relax this weekend so that I can get well before Monday, I have been watching a lot of T.V. and resting on the couch.  Well, I turned on one of my favorite channels, DIY, and what did I come across.....

A marathon for the Vanilla Ice Project!  Yes, Vanilla Ice.  Ok, everyone join in, "Alright, stop, collaborate and listen, Ice is back with a brand new invention. Something grabs ahold of me tightly, then I flow that a harpoon daily and nightly. Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know, turn off the lights and I'll glow.  To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal, light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle."  Anyway, you know the rest!! haha!!  Don't deny it either!!  haha!!  Anyway, Vanilla Ice, aka Rob Van Winkle, has a show on DIY that follows him as he flips homes in Florida.  It's soooo entertaining too!!  The new season just started last night, so make sure to catch it sometime! 

Another new show on DIY involves another one of my obsessions as a child, Bronson Pinchot from Perfect Strangers!!  Yes, cousin Balki has his own show!!!  As a child that was my FAVORITE show!!  Of course, Balki was my favorite too!  I can't tell you how excited I was to see that he has a show on DIY!  The show is called Bronson Pinchot Project!!  EEEK!!!  Anyway, I think you should check this out too!!  Bronson Pinchot is as crazy in real life as all of his characters he has played!!  haha!  I'm glad I actually took the time to watch TV this weekend other than ESPN or sports!!  I would have missed out on so many of my childhood favorites!!!

Ok, I guess my trip down memory lane is done for now...haha!  The past week or so I have gotten some real cool coupons and samples in the mail.  Here is what I have gotten:

First, I got in my new $2.00 off any Tide coupon, another P&G Home Made Simple coupon book filled with great high value coupons, and Seventh Generation dish soap samples and coupons!!!

Next, I got in a sample of Keebler Jumbo fudge sticks.  I had to take a picture of this by itself because as soon as Tru saw it, it disappeared!!

Lastly, I got in $72 worth of coupons from Proctor and Gamble from their website www.pgeverdaysolutions.com and a sample of Funley's Delicious All Natural Super Crackers for Kids.  In the box I also got a 20% off coupon for any order that I place online, but it was basically expired by the time I got my sample...boo!  We shall see how Tru likes these!  Supposedly they have vegetables baked into them.  My sample was for the Cheddar N' Stuff crackers and they have broccoli baked into them.  You can find out more about them at www.funleys.com.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!!!!  Oh, and word to your mother!  haha!!  (Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing one more Vanilla Ice line out there!!!)





Product of the Week

Today I am linking up with Aly and Tiffanie  to share my product of the week!  I have to be honest, since Aly announced this link up I have been racking my brain as to what my first product would be.  There are so many things that I am obsessed with!!  haha!!  It's the first one....it has to be good!!  Do I share my favorite perfume, my favorite makeup, what should I do?  Then it hit me, what is the one thing I use more than anything else.....

Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial gentle foaming hand soap!  I know, very anti climatic!!  haha!!  I do have to admit that I am obsessed though!!  I have one in each bathroom and one in my kitchen.  I love almost every scent!  I am a bit of a geek and I am kinda partial to their winter scents like Winter Candy Apple or Pink Sugarplum though.  But seriously, I love all the scents so much that I don't care, I just grab.  I always look forward to their huge sales they have and just grab any of them that match the decor in my house! haha!!  The smell is so refreshing, but without being overpowering.  It also doesn't leave my hands dry, even after I have used it a hundred times in one day!!

So, there you have it, my product of the week!  I can't wait to see what everyone else has posted!!  See you next week for the next instalment of Product of the Week with Aly and Tiffanie!!

A Week of Science!!

This week my class has been focusing on SCIENCE!!!  It has been so much fun!!  I love science and I am so glad to have the chance to share that with the kids.  They have really enjoyed it as well!!  Here are some of the cool things we have been doing this week:

We kicked off the week making a VOLCANO!!!  This is soooo neat, and the kids LOVED it!!

To make our volcano, we used a small glass and covered it with black construction paper.  You can use dirt or sand to make it look more authentic, but for our age level, I kept it simple.  Inside the glass I combined 1/2 tsp flour with 1 tbs baking soda.  Then you add 10 drops food coloring and poor in 1/4 cup white vinegar.  It's so simple!  We made a volcano with red "lava" and then we did one with green "lava".

The next thing we did was to set up our stuff to make crystals!

For this, we mixed 1 tsp baking soda into each cup of water.  We then took yarn and placed one end into each cup.  This experiment takes two days, but after one day, we checked on our crystals, and this is what we found:

They are growing already!!!  I can't wait to see how they look tomorrow!!!  The kids were really excited to see the crystals already forming!!



Today we made goo!! 

This wasn't just any goo either!  This goo was made out of 1 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water.  The neat thing about this goo is that it looks and behaves as a liquid, but when you touch it directly, it feels like a solid!  The kids loved getting their hands in the goo and playing around.

Today we also set up our gummy bear experiment!  I know what you are thinking, gummy bear experiment?  Yes, we did an experiment using gummy bears!!  Plus, it's a great excuse for us to get to eat some gummy bears!!  haha!

We took a gummy bear and traced it onto our worksheet.  Then we each tried to figure out if our gummy bear would grow bigger, stay the same, or if it would shrink, and then circled our guess on the worksheet.  After this, we placed our gummy bear in a cup of water and we will leave it there until tomorrow.  Tomorrow we will take our gummy bears out of the cups and dry them off.  Then we will trace the gummy bear onto our paper and compare it to what the gummy bear's size from today. 

We graphed the results of our guess as to what will happen to our gummy bears.  Most of the kids think the gummy bears will grow.  I haven't told them yet, but they are right.  The gummy bears look so neat when they are taken out of the water!  The way the sugar reacts with the water is so neat!!  The gummy bear will be about four times it's previous size and it will be real wiggly and jiggly!!

Stay tuned to see what our little scientist will do tomorrow!!!!



From teachers to parents...

Teacher Ron Clark is pictured with his students.

So I came across this article on Facebook that a friend of mine had posted who is also a teacher.  As soon as I read it, I was like, finally someone has said what we have been thinking all along!!!  Now, don't get me wrong, I have been very fortunate to have some amazing parents through my 7 years of teaching, but there are times where you can definitely feel like you are being held back or can't even do your job because you are at a loss with how to deal with/get through to a parent.

What stands out most from this article is this, "For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future."

Also in the article it goes on to discuss the topic of parents who are easy to assume what their child is saying is the complete truth and jumping to assumptions before actually finding out the situation.  As a parent, I understand how easy it can be for this to happen, but at the same time, as the adult you have to learn when to act responsibly and find out the real underlying story.  Children are exactly that, children.  They know how to stretch the truth, and they are also very smart and know how to manipulate their parents.  This has always been my biggest struggle as a teacher.  Parents who are quick to believe everything their child tells them, no matter how outlandish it is, and come storming at me without even trying to find out the truth.  In the article he says, "If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, 'I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me.' If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems."  He then goes on to say, "We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible."

You can find the link to the full article above, or you can also click here to read it in full: http://us.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/index.html?c&page=3

This is a must read for teachers and parents alike!!  If we work together instead of against each other, the children only stand to benefit!!

It's here!!!

My party box has finally arrived!!  I am so excited!!  I am a member of House Party where you apply to host parties, and you receive products for free to share with your guests.  You can read my old post here where you can also find out more information on House Party.  I have done a couple of these in the past, and this time I was selected to do the Glade Design the Air House Party.

These are all  of my goodies!!!

Even Truett was pumped to get all of the goodies in!!

All of the coupons that came with the party pack for Glad Expressions!!  You know how I LOVE coupons!!

This is what all I got for my Glade Design the Air House Party:

4 Glade Expressions Fragrance Mists

2 Glade Expressions Oil Diffusers

15 Home Design Booklets

15 Magnetic Picture Frames

15 Sticky Notepads

1 Tote

1 Spiral Notebook

15 Coupons for Glade Expressions products plus an additional two coupons per person to share with friends

 

I am so excited to get together with my friends and family for my Glade Design the Air House Party and to try all of the products!!  I know it is going to be sooo much fun!!!!

 

 

DIY Wall Art

I should say, that I like to think I am a savvy shopper and that I am always looking for a way to get nice things for next to nothing!!  haha!!  My entire house is that way.  Check out my post Looking Normal Again to see a lot of the sweet finds I have around my house!  Well, the same goes for the art on my wall.  I wanted a big statement for a little price.  So, I decided make my own art....well, kinda.  haha!!

On the long wall that leads to my hallway, I needed something large, but what you find in stores can be so pricey. So, I used several pieces to create the same effect.  First, the canvases.  The one on the left was done by my son when he was about 2 1/2.  I like to encourage him to be creative, so I bought him some paint and a canvas, and let him go to town.  Of course he was so little that it doesn't look like much to others, but to me, it's a masterpiece!!  The other canvas was a gift from one of my students.  I will cherish it forever!  It is so bright and creative, I just LOVE it!  The plaque at the top right was also a gift from a student.  It says, "Teachers affect eternity: They can never tell where their influence stops."  Another gift I will cherish FOREVER!!  It was so truly meaningful to receive a gift like that!  The bottom three photos (which didn't show up so well in the picture, sorry!) are inexpensive frames that I got at Wal Mart for like $5.00 a piece.  I then framed some of my son's artwork in them.  The first time he ever wrote his name is framed on the left, a cute "octopus" that he drew is in the middle, and on the right, is a picture he drew of the two of us playing.  I love being surrounded by his artwork, and he LOVES getting to see his stuff up on the wall.  He is very proud of himself and his work when he sees it displayed like that!!  It makes it easy to change it up too as he makes more.  To make it even look nicer, you can always frame it with scrapbooking paper.  I have done that with past work that was framed up there, but the current stuff has so much detail, I didn't want to cover anything up!

Finally, the center of the art wall, is a piece that I made using a cheap frame, wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper, and rhinestones.  The frame I bought on sale at Hobby Lobby for like $10.00.  I then used some gold striped wrapping paper I had at home to jazz it up.  I then took scrap pieces of scrapbooking paper and cut out the letters.  You can put up anything you want, I made one for my sister using their last name.  Although you can't see it very well, some of the paper has sparkles, some are more matte, some has vibrant colors, and some have crazy patterns.  Just mix it up with the colors you have in your room and then use rhinestones and other little "bling" items to finish it off!  It is really easy and really inexpensive!  I think in total I spent about $20.00!  Not bad for a piece that is so large!



HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!