Thankful

The one thing I love about this time of year and about Thanksgiving is the feeling of gratitude and thankfulness that takes over. I saw this video today and I loved it.

It's so easy to complaint and find things that we don't like, but how often we do stop and actually list the things we like and especially the things - big and small - that we are grateful for.

Last year I made a thankful tree, much like this one, with Thomas and this year I am trying to decide what to do - but still something along that same line.

Here are some ideas that I've seen and really liked:

This upscale version of the Thankful Tree.

Thankful Tree - Simply Vintage Girl

I also loved this idea for a thankful countdown to Thanksgiving - those who can't wait until Turkey Day will have fun with this! ;o)

Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar

And this super fun Thankful Turkey! 

Today I'm grateful for rainy days, what are you grateful for today?

Preschool :: Thanksgiving

With Halloween behind us, we can now focus on Thanksgiving and then Christmas - hurray!

So, going along with Aline's idea for preschool activities, I'll be sharing some fun Thanksgiving ideas I've been collecting. To start off, Allison at Oopsie Daisy has some great home preschool ideas and packets, including this one that she has for download (and for free!).

Found HERE 

So take a look, print it out, have a fun, and come back to check out some more Fall and Thanksgiving ideas to do with your kiddos!

Preschool Activity Week 1:

Let's have the subject for this coming week be:

The letter "Aa"

The number "1"

The color "Red"

So for this coming week, post here as many times as you want with lessons/activities involving the subject of the week.

Preschool Activities/Lessons

I'm not sure how many of you guys are still checking the blog. It's been a while since we all posted something.

Anyway, one thing we all have in common is that we all have relatively small children close or of preschool age. I am planning on doing preschool at home for my 3 yearl old daughters rather than sending them to a preschool. I figured heck I didn't go so many years to college to earn a degree and not use it (I got my degree in elementary education). As soon as I have a little more extra time I plan working on a preschool curriculum for my girls so that I can begin implementing it at home. I also thought that maybe some of you guys might be interested in teaching your children at home (regardless if you send them to preschool or not) and thought it could be good to share some lesson ideas on here.

I thought maybe each week we can post a theme on here and we can post as many times as we want that week, with lesson/activity ideas that go with the theme. Could be shapes, letters, first words, music, science, you name it. By doing so, we could use this as a resource for lesson helps.

So please let me know what you think and if you would be at all interested in doing something like this.

Bored...

So I just took my "Welcome Spring" sign down because really, where IS spring? Well, it is definitely not here in Utah.

Yesterday I watched my daughter as she laid on the couch and watched a movie and I felt so bad because we'd stayed home all day long. For many of you, this might seem normal, but for me it's, well, not. I'm fine with staying home all day for a couple days, but then I need to get out. Even if just to go to a store, or something! I feel even worse for my kids. I'm pretty sure they don't care, but they absolutely love going outside and playing on the playground, and just being out. I know I could bundle them up and go, there's really no excuse, except I'm pregnant and a little lazy. And I obviously hate the cold.

So, if you're like me and feel bad for your kids that have stayed inside all day long (and maybe even for a few days now) I have found a cute activity to do with them at home. I don't know if the littlest ones will get this (it's probably more of a preschooler activity) but it's just an idea for you to get creative and have many other ideas to do at home.

 

It's a color scavenger hunt by The Artful Parent. What a neat idea, don't you think?

I'm also planning  thinking about starting preschool at home with my two kids. I have a 2 1/2 year-old and a 3 1/2 year-old. My oldest will start preschool in August but I wanted to get things going already. The thing is, I used to be a preschool teacher and I had tons of material but it's all stored at my parents' house...In Brazil! So now I don't have anything and have to get creative. So if any of you know of some good websites/blogs (I used to know a ton but I lost it all along with my old laptop) I would very much appreciate it!

As soon as I get all my ideas organized, I'm going to start posting about our little preschool. I'm only planing on doing it twice a week, so we'll see. 

Cheers!

Welcome, Spring!

I know, we just got some snow today, but now the sun is shining again! And guess what? Friday is supposed to get up to 66 degrees Farenheit here in Utah. SO exciting!

Anyway, I've compiled a few of my favorite crafts for spring, all really easy! Some of them are for you, some of them for your kids, but most of them you'll have to do together with your kiddos. But then you get to join in the fun!

 

 Click here for the flower easter egg tutorial.

Click here for the Bunny finger puppets tutorial.

Click here for the Easter Egg Hunt bags.

Click here for the No-Sew flowers for mom tutorial.

Sheep Egg by Disney Family Fun.

Bee Egg by Disney Family Fun.

Seven Flowers. Awesome Pop Up - Click here for another funny movie.

This is a video tutorial for a Flower Pop-Up card from instructables.com

Wash Cloth Easter Bunnies by Sitting at our Kitchen Table.

And here's one for April Fools':

Chicken Not-Pie from Disney Family Fun.

HAVE FUN!

What to do?

Yup. We're all snowed in. If you live around these areas, you're probably going through the same thing right now. Stuck at home, kids are bored, making huge messes. How about trying something new?


Have you ever made Gak?

Kids love 'em. Make sure if you have little kids that you watch them while they play with it, otherwise they might just want to eat it.

Click here for the recipe.

Got some Twizzlers at home? Try making a twizzler candy bracelet with your kids. If you don't have any twizzlers you can use cheerios, fruitloops... Use your imagination! Click here for a tutorial (or not, since it's pretty much self explanatory).

Or if you dare go outside, you could bundle them up and go make a snowman! You could get different wooden shapes at the craft store and make your own snowman kit like the tutorial found here. Or even better, you could let your kids' imagination go wild and find things around the house and outside to use as props.

But if you're the one who's bored at home, with nothing to do (or with nothing FUN to do), try making a simple craft, like a felt flower hair clip for valentine's day. You can make it for your daughter or even wear it yourself. Here's the tutorial.

Whatever you decide to do today (or this week) make sure you have fun and be happy! These cold, gloomy days are a perfect excuse for us to just sit on the couch in our pajamas all day long and feel depressed. But don't let that get to you! Make sure you're always busy doing something. Even if that means cleaning the house. I'm sure you'll feel pretty good about yourself after you're done.

Have a good, fun, happy week everybody!

Ready for a Giveaway?!

Well, head over to Let's Cook. Paty and her friends are always sharing great recipes and this week she is hosting an awesome giveaway! Go check it out!

Couponing 101

cou·pon·ing  (kpnng, ky-)

n.

The sending out or turning in of coupons, 

especially the regular redemption 

of a manufacturer's coupon for cash.

A couple weeks ago I saw a especial on TLC about couponing called Extreme Couponing. I was shocked. I couldn't believe why and how I was missing out on this! The people shown on the program, were slightly extreme - no pun intended, which I have no plans on becoming, but still - we can save a LOT of money couponing.

So when I wrote up my resolutions for this year, I decided I would learn how to be a couponer. And get really good at it. Though you will not see me dumpster diving or walking aroung the neighborhood collecting coupons daily I am totally serious about this.

I'm still learning. Researching and trying to understand the jargon of it all. There are lots and lots of sites out there that explain everything there is to know about couponing. My favorite so far: The Krazy Coupong Lady.

The concept is simple. You gather as many coupons as you can and then combine them with a store's sale to get a crazy discount. The trick is just getting all the coupons, getting all the sales and being smart!

Right now I'm focusing on Albertson's. They always have great sales and so it's easy to coupon there. However, Walmart now is not only matching prices, but also matching coupons. So you can take a Target or Walgreens Only coupon to Walmart and they will accept it.

Here is an example. Last week, Albertsons had a General Mills Cereal Sale - 2 for $4. Pretty good right?! Well, I combined a $1 off two GM Cereals that I had, and ended up only paying $1.50 each. Really good right?! However, every once in a while, Albertsons will have these crazy sales where cereal is only 89 cents a box... so combine that with a coupon like the one I had and you end up only paying 39 cents a box - CRAZY!!!

So if anyone out there is interested, I'll starting sharing my findings, tips and discoveries here.

And if anyone has any tips - please share!

New Years Resolution

There are few things that I love more than a brand new year. It's the perfect opportunity to start over, to start a new and to be better.

For years I use to make huge long lists of goals for the new year... only to not even accomplish 1/3 of them all. Then I realized that it was no use making so many goals...

So a few years ago, tired of ending the year feeling really lame for only crossing off one or another of the my goals, I decided to only make 2 maybe 3 goals for the next year - and really focus on those.

Now I only make 2-3 goals, it varies every year, but I always put a lot of thought into it. And there is aats a constant - learn a new skill (not part of the 2-3). It's been fun to find something different and really work towards perfecting the art of whatever it is. A few years ago it was scrapbooking, last year it was sewing and this year is couponing. My other goals are to do something good for someone every month, to have more patience, and to lead a healthier life.

So whatever it is that you do in terms of goals for a new year I encourage you to do it. And whether your goal is to pay off debt or be more friendly or to lose weight or to learn how to whistle - here is my advice to you.

Write it down. 

Because as my grandfather would tell us every year - an unwritten goal is no more than a wish.


Happy New Year!

click on the image above to download then print this to jot down your goals for the year (8.5x11 inches)!