I start with a Sterilite Snap Box (found at Target) and do the lettering with the help of some painter’s tape to keep me straight.  Then I head to my local Craft store (Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, etc) for the innards.  The key is to buy in bulk and get into my Costco-size Ziploc bags to do the dividing.

So here are the goodies:

1)  Velvet coloring activity I found in the $1 bin;  2) safety scissors; 3) glue stick (you might want to warn the parents about this one); 4) crayons – I like these new Crayola twistables; 5) a bunch of stickers; 6) foam stickers (animals, stars and bells, letters and numbers); 7) colored craft sticks; 8.  regular craft sticks; 9) bells; 10) pompoms; 11) googly eyes; 12) pipe cleaners; 13) activity books: dot-to-dot, mazes, etc. (School Zone Publishing has great ones for about $1.40 each and available here:

Mazes Animals Activity Zone

My dear friend Erika – a teacher – uses books, cute lettering and stickers:

How cute is that??

She also uses these adorable reusable shopping bags for boys:

I also heard an idea a while back about a special playdate (bowling, horseback riding, a trip to the bounce house place, etc) in lieu of a present.  I’ve been trying this with mixed results.

Yes, and sometimes, I just grab the LEGO set and go with it!

What are your ideas for birthdays?

This is one of those ideas, that has been in my brain for so long, I’m not sure if it was an original idea, or if many years ago I heard about it and tucked it away to use in the future. It’s probably the latter, but I have no idea who to give the credit to!

So, you know those ‘calendar kiosks’ you see this time of year in the mall? The ones with 50% or 75% discounts for 2012 calendars?  Well I’m telling you, this is the time to snatch up a few of their calendars!  I pretty much adore all puppy pictures…

Here’s the plan. You look for those day to day calenders where you can rip off a new sheet for each day. And when you find a fun kid-friendly one- you buy it!  Then, you tear off a sheet and slip it into your child’s lunchbox.  It has been so much fun to put these into my girl’s lunches.  They don’t even have to match the correct date – in fact, even today, I put some of these stickers (snowman), from this 2010 Calendar, into their lunch box. I put a quick note on the back. And then I smile, as I imagine their smile opening their lunch box.

Look at some of these other fun ones I found at a quick amazon search…banagrams…one of my favorite games (you’d have to remember to keep a pencil in their lunchbox for this).

Or origami…

Or a Brain Teasers…

And while you are looking for a calendar to snatch up, you can print up some jokes to put in their lunchboxes. A quick google search of “lunch box jokes” will bring lots of options. To get you started, here are some cute printable ones I found at Sprik Space blog.

And don’t forgot to put a quick note on the back of anything you put in their  lunch box! I love the idea of making my girl’s smile, even when I’m not with them!

World geography is not just for elementary school anymore! Preschoolers are ready, and often eager, to learn about the world… the whole wide world!  We moved into a new house when our boys were 3 and it was the perfect time to explore their natural interest in geography.

I started in the bathroom:

This shower curtain from Target is fantastic!  Not only can I tell at a glance if entire bottles of Mr. Bubbles and body wash are being emptied in lieu of appropriate bathing practices… we can talk about countries and continents in the shower, while we dry off and when we brush our teeth! I also love these colors and the bathroom is so bright and fun with orange, lime green and bright blue towels. Win-win!

The shower curtain went over so well that I had some maps my brother and sister-in-law gave our boys mounted so they wouldn’t curl up on us as we explored our world.   Conveniently, the maps slide right behind our couch for storage when we’re not looking at them.  Every time a new or different part of the world is mentioned in a book, song or movie- the boys race to pull out the maps!

I got this idea from Kid World Citizen for the My Place in the World project.  I did modify it slightly: I printed images for my kids to glue and we didn’t stop at ‘My Planet’ (how could we?), we added our galaxy and the universe! What a great visual this is to help kids understand the relationship between cities, states, countries, continents… I just loved this idea!

How do you teach geography to your adorables?

I recently swore off Old Navy jeans for my boys after we had no less than four pairs develop full on knee holes after less than a month of wear.  It seems like the bigger the size, the thinner the fabric gets.

I was so frustrated that I went back to basics and turned to good-old fashioned Levi’s.  We love them and my goodness they must have 10 times the fabric of those Old Navy jeans, they are so sturdy.

It was not until after we were all stocked up on Levi’s from Kohls that someone told me about the Sears Kidvantage Club, where they will replace *for free* any kids clothes that wear out before your child outgrows them!  We are absolutely getting on board with this!

Here are the details from their website:

Every time you purchase clothes or shoes for infants through tweens, we’ll add the total amount to your KidVantage Club account. You’ll get a coupon good for 15% off your next kids’ clothing or shoe purchase each time your account reaches $100. Plus, you’ll get special offers and news by email throughout the year.

It’s easy to earn 15% savings

• Shop for kids’ clothes & shoes at Sears. Every kids’ clothing & shoe purchase is added to your account instantly and printed on your receipt.
• We track your balance automatically, so you don’t have to.
• Keep receipts that have 15% off coupons. Every time your account reaches $100, your receipt will include a coupon for 15% savings on your next kids’ clothing or shoe purchase.

There’s no limit to the savings you can earn with KidVantage Club!

WEAR-OUT GUARANTEE
You want the kids’ clothes and shoes you buy to last—especially in today’s economy. That’s why KidVantage Club members get this great guarantee: if the kids’ clothes or shoes you buy at Sears wear out before they’re outgrown, we’ll replace them for free. You’ll get an identical item, whenever possible, or a similar item of equal value in the same size. Please note that you must present your receipt to replace worn-out national brand clothing and shoes.

Sign me up!

My Aunt and Uncle sent us Rory’s Story Cubes this Christmas.  I had never heard of them and let me just tell you how fantastic they are!

The product description explains: “Rory’s Story Cubes is a pocket-sized creative story generator, providing hours of imaginative play for all ages. There are infinite ways to play with Rory’s Story Cubes – Try them as a party game or ice-breaker, for literacy development, speaking and listening skills, creative inspiration, a mental workout or problem solving. Anyone can become a great storyteller and there are no wrong answers. Simply roll the cubes and let the pictures spark your imagination.”

I have my 4 year olds roll the dice (9 in total) and use the pictures in any order to generate a story.  They learned in about two days how to form their story with a beginning, middle and an end.  We talked about plot, characters, themes, etc…   This has been a wonderful tool for their imaginations!

Every time we get them out (which they suggest often), I think of new uses that would be just right for Story Cubes.  The Story Cubes fit in my purse and would be perfect to pull out at a restaurant while we wait for our food.  These would be perfect in a classroom for all ages- they could help spur and develop creative writing in high school students and first graders alike.  Can you imagine being able to answer “Get the Story Cubes!”  every time you hear “I can’t think of anything to write!!”

These were such a fun, unique gift and have quickly become an important tool for me as much as a fun game for our whole family.

So, if you are like me, I never want to just throw away all those beautiful Christmas cards that some thoughtful people in my life took the time to send me…but there’s always the dilemma…what to do with all those cards?!?! Well never fear, here are 10 ideas to ‘upcycle’ your Christmas cards! Psst – these ideas would also work for birthday cards!

1.  For years I have made gift tags out of the cards. I simply cut out square/rectangle tags, then tuck them away with my Christmas stuff for the following year. You can also make them a bit more ‘fancy’ by adding a ribbon to the tag, like these below. This idea inspired by my husband’s amazing (almost) 94 year old Gram!

2. Make placemats. (similar to these Thanksgiving ones).  Super simple to make! 1. Tape two pieces of paper together. 2. Lay out your cards (don’t forget to do both sides) and tack them down with a bit of glue.  3. Cover with clear contact paper. Viola, Placemats! I made these with my daughter’s 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year birthday cards. I pull out the placemats from time to time and even though they are now 8 and 10 and still enjoy reading all the messages on their cards. This idea inspired by my childhood friend Linda’s mom…who had these on her table when I would visit.

3. Make a wreath. I think this would look cute hanging on a bedroom/bathroom door. Inspired by Better Homes & Garden.

4. Make garland for your Christmas tree, or some Christmas ornaments. Simple circles attached to string. My tree has needed garland for years, and I am so going to make this garland with my girls one afternoon this winter! This idea inspired by none other than Martha Stewart.

5. For several years, I had made a photo collage on my refrigerator so I could see all those smiling faces from my photo Christmas cards year round.  Simple to do with the purchase various sized clear acrylic magnetic frames, like these.

6. Turn them into notepads.This idea inspired by Home Studios blog.

7. Make a book. Punch holes in the side of the cards or photos, and clip them together with a simple metal ring. I can so see my girls enjoying flipping through these books…and me too as I pull them out each year with my Christmas stuff!  Here’s one example I found at Close to my Heart Art Blog.

8. How about these cute blocks? Simple wooden cubes, cut out squares, buy pre-cut letter stickers (or use a cricut machine to cut out letters) and a little decopauge – and look at these cute blocks you have to display!  Inspired by Better Homes & Garden.

9. I made so many of these cute lil’ gift boxes when I was a kid, I still remember how to make them now 25 years laters! I was glad to find this tutorial to share with you. They really are quite simple to make. I think I might need to introduce my girls to this craft! Tutorial found on Atomic Shrimp blog.

10. And lastly, in case you are feeling really creative, how about these lovely branches? Isn’t this simply a beautiful way to upcycle your Christmas cards? Idea inspired by Everyday Mom Idea’s Blog.

Love these ideas!  Thanks Cathy!

If you have not yet been introduced to Stephen T. Johnson’s books for children, you are missing out on a fantastic, interactive, unparalleled reading experience. See that robot? You literally build it as you move through the story from removable parts of the book!

My Little Yellow Taxi features 16 interactive features! This includes: a gas nozzle to fill up the taxi with gas, an oil stick that moves, a removable air tire gauge with spinning tires, 3 removable snacks, a seatbelt and rearview mirror, windshield wipers that move, headlights that go on and off, a roof light that goes on and off duty, and a steering wheel, ignition switch and car key that all move and work.

I’m telling you, kids flip out when they see how much they are supposed to interact with these books.

Amazingly, the accompanying text is on par with the fantastic construction of these masterpieces. In My Little Pink Princess Purse, the fairy godmother offers this message: “My dearest Princess, with this key, you may open this vanity box. Inside you will find a magic mirror. Only a true princess who is filled with grace, humility, intelligence, self-confidence, and imagination will be able to see her reflection. Use it wisely! With love, your Fairy Godmother.”

This title includes ’6 lift-up tabs, an erasable writing slab, a removable quill pen, an elegant fan, rose-colored glasses, 4 scratch-and-sniff perfumes, 5 rings, a bracelet, a sapphire tiara, a key and handheld mirror.’

In addition to My Little Blue Robot, we read and play with My Little Red Fire Truck and My Little Red Toolbox on a regular basis around our house.

The wonderful thing about these titles is that you can score them at your local bookstore or online for less than $20! If you need a gift for a child that seemingly has everything, or to whom you would rather gift something a little more timeless and meaningful than another bright, plastic toy of the day… consider one of these books. They are really very special and I know from experience how excited children are when they open one of these.

With Christmas just days away – here are a few websites that can add a little bit of ‘merry’ to your day!

Elf Yourself

Just add pictures and your family members can become dancing elves! My girls look forward to this every year and I never hear the end of “when are we going to elf ourselves?” until we do it. I love their giggles most of all. If only I really could dance like my elf-self! Also, it’s fun if you upload pictures of grandparents or cousins – and send them the clip of them as dancing elves – which is sure to bring laughter and smiles.  This is FREE and they also have some you can purchase, as well.

Norad

They are currently keeping track of Santa’s busy week ahead before the big night! Your kids can visit countdown village for some online fun.  However, the very best part of this site is that they actually track Santa’s Sleigh Ride on Christmas Eve and you can see where Santa is in the world all evening long!  They also have a FB page and last year they were really great about providing regular updates on Santa’s whereabouts!  Also, did you know that Norad has been tracking Santa for over 50 years?

Capture the Magic

Upload a picture of your living room. Add Santa’s picture. And then you can prove Santa has been at your house!  I have not yet tried this site, as I just found it this year, and must wait til Christmas Eve – but I think it would be good for those doubting children (umm, mine!)! I wonder if the $9.95 for the photo will keep my kids believing for one more year?! It may just be worth every penny if it does!

Do you have any online Christmas websites that help your family ‘jingle all the way’ through the holidays?

And you know what???

She was absolutely right.  No truer words have been spoken.

Meet the Elf on the Shelf, a set which comes with a book and this little elf doll (mine doesn’t have a skirt, but I thought she was cute).

Here’s how it works: The Elf comes to your house around Christmastime and he or she flies home to Santa every night to report if your adorable has been good or bad.  My adorables can tell that Jack (our elf) has left, because he changes locations every morning.  Whenever my adorables get in trouble, I just put my face in my hands and utter: “Oh no!  I bet the Elf saw you/heard you”, you know, like we’re in this together.  They immediately stiffen and my younger adorable will actually run over and explain himself to Jack and beg forgiveness.

I’m just delighted with the whole arrangement.

Now if they could just invent something for the rest of the year.

Oh wait, that’s my job.

But a break is certainly welcome!

Here’s a list of 101 Elf on the Shelf Ideas from Blossom Bunkhouse to give you some inspiration.

There is no other place quite like a library.  Even if you don’t use your local library for yourself, I urge you to take advantage of what it can offer your children, for FREE!!

• Use your library’s website to search for books with your child’s name in them.
• Search for books about something your child is passionate about (animals, tools, space, tractors, fire engines, princesses, weather, geography- anything!).
• Type in the author and/or illustrator of a book you or your child already loves and see what other treasures they have for you.
• Investigate books about things going on in your child’s life: starting school, anticipating a new sibling, relatives visiting, holidays you celebrate, seasons changing, moving homes, learning to swim, ride a bike or even read!
• Put books on hold.  I am sure that if you add “picking up books on hold at the library” to your to-do list it will be one of the shortest errands you run.
• Don’t hide library books away.  Label a special shelf for them, have a basket that can be a special library book spot where your child can see their covers.  When we first bring them home, I line our library books up in front of our fireplace and my boys can’t wait to read through every one!
• Let a librarian help. They are wealth of knowledge, most of them love what they do and are eager to help you find books that are short, long, bright, fun, funny, for little kids, for big kids, for medium kids… just call or ask!!
• Let library books be the perfect platform to teach your children to both respect and revere books.  Neither of you will regret the lessons learned, the knowledge gained and the fun you had.