Today I realized was the last day my kids would see their teachers. And man, those teachers sure deserve a thank you! I whipped this printable up to tie to a nice cold jug of Simply Lemonade. Which ended up being the perfect idea as we found the teachers lined up outside in masks and a nice cool drink is probably what they most craved!
Did you ever imagine the last day of school would look like a medical procedure? Ha.
It’s been a wild ride, right?? For both teachers and parents alike as we navigated this new life of quarantine and distance learning!
All I can say is, I’m ready to relax and enjoy a nice cold glass of lemonade myself as we head into the long summer days of the unknown. No trips to plan, no activities to scurry off to, who know what adventures this will bring! I’m actually really looking forward to it!
What about you? What has this experience been like for you?
Here is the download for you to thank those teachers that have handled this like champs! I think we ALL appreciate our teachers more after this round of unexpected crisis distance learning schooling!
Download “Lemons into Lemonade” lemons-into-lemonade.pdf – Downloaded 33 times – 153 KB
]]>I got multiple DMs for the pattern and so she drew one up and we did a full tutorial on it my stories and now it here and on Youtube.
It’s genius because it’s simple, beautiful, protective and incredibly adaptable.
You can insert a filter or disposable mask for added protection and elongating the use of the disposable.
She also teaches how to uses a T-shirt to make soft, stretchy ties keeping in in mind that there is basically no elastic left in stores.
It adjusts perfectly and comfortably to your face without excess ties because it threads behind your neck and through the mask to tie behind your head with a single tie. NO ear strain or fatigue!
She even adds floral wire for added nose support creating a beautiful form fitting, comfortable, protective mask.
Watch what I mean:
Happy Thanks giving! It has been a while, yes? I have not forgotten about this dear blog and you lovely reader. Lot’s has been going on. Let’s see. Before I fell off the face of the earth I was just about to post about an article I wrote (a while back now) on orsoshesay.com about creating the home of your dreams in one simple way. I just reread my own writing and it’s actually quite insightful and a good reminder for me..ha…I love when my old self helps me. ANYYYWAY. It was such an honor writing for OSSS but there came a a moment earlier this year where I had to make firm decisions on how to spend my time. I decided to spend most of it trying to nurture, first, my little family and second making sure my little business idea could blossom (whhaaaa business idea…keep reading, I’ll explain) I feel like once it is off the ground I can get a better idea of how to merge my passions together (or not..not sure yet). I still have a desire to share ‘tricks of the motherhood trade’ and help parents and families with helpful ideas any way I can. I also have the seekingeternaltruth.com site that was a result of me creating handouts for my church calling…its stuff that ended up piling on this site and I felt it needed a site of it’s own. So if you come here for the YW, LDS handouts, you might appreciate subscribing to the other site.
Just a little word on my little business idea just incase you haven’t heard about it. I designed a little diaper bag that I felt needed to be out in the world. As a mama of 3 kids I put much thought into the design to make sure it included everything I could want in a diaper bag and more. Now it is available for parents that need it.
Basically it’s a compact diaper bag, small enough to be an insert in my regular tote. Whats nice is that it dispenses wipes, tissues and baggies and then it even unfolds into a changing station with all your dispensers at your finger tips. The picture will explain better:
Here’s a video to see it in action:
There’s an indiegogo campaign going on right now that is raising the money to keep this little company alive and also a great way to get a bag for yourself for a pretty slick deal…just in time for Christmas! Go to Pekebuo.com to check out the official site.
In other news…the world. BIta comotions, yes? The elections and the aftermath have left many shaken with fear and confusion. I believe that in the discomfort we maybe awaken to what we actually want and need and turn our thoughts and actions to create it. Here are some thoughts I wrote the other day that helped me sort through it. This is how I feel:
A house divided against itself cannot stand…it’s a fundamental truth. Maybe the real challenge isn’t trying to figure out who is right and who was wrong or who is good and who is bad. What if we were actually on the same team the whole time? What if the name of the game wasn’t who is winning but how to do we win together? Maybe it isn’t about one upping another, but uplifting one another. Maybe the end goal isn’t about having people come to your way of thinking but to allow for conversation so we can all come to greater truth. Perhaps the time has presented itself that we fully accept one of the most challenging responsibilities of our humanity: allow the diversity to enrich us instead of the divide us. In fact, perhaps the diversity is just a surface ordeal. Maybe we are way more than just our backgrounds, opinions, beliefs, even words and actions. Deep inside, we all long for same stuff: unity, connection and love. Criticizing each other creates the complete opposite: separation, fear and withdraw. So, let’s unite. Let’s talk ideas, lets really LISTEN to each other’s opinions, even and especially if they are different. TOGETHER we can unveil ways to improve but lets never forget that underneath it all we are one people. In that purpose we can all come together as we strife for greater unity, greater peace, greater connection. TOGETHER we can move forward as a people of the world to bring about and witness our potential as a people.
the end. bye now.
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Hey friends! If you are like me and need any bit of inspiration to help those little peeps around you WANT to clean up head over to OrSoSheSays.com to get some tricks that have worked for me!
What have you found works for you and your little ones? I would love to hear!
LOOOVE day is fun approaching and since my oldest is now in kindergarten and since I found a pack of 12 pencils at walmart for dirt cheap with valentine’s day prints and since I love me a quick printable idea, I created these for 28 of his little classmates. Since they are here and done, might as well share it. Enjoy! Happy love month!
Download file here:
Here are is another valentine printable idea on this bloggity, Click on image to go to post and printable file:
I included a little rocket on the side that allows you to write all the things you are letting go from 2015.
Made for a groovy, fun, expressive way to think about the new year. Here is the free download:
Download “2016-goals-color-page.pdf” 2016-goals-color-page.pdf – Downloaded 1054 times – 109 KB
Great activity to do as a family. Fun to see what everyone has to write. Kids dig it. So do the grown peeps.
Enjoy the new year!!! Here is the 2016 printable calendar (under $2!) to plan a great year!
I’m so excited for this coming year!! I’m feeling like it will be a BIG one.
SO many fun things I am creating for you that I hope you will enjoy and use.
Big announcements
I’m happy to announce that I will soon make available a piece of a big passion project that has been swimming in my brain for a while now. I’m serious and ready to help mothers/women come to greater happiness and peace by helping us connect with all the marvel we already hold within us. I believe journaling and discovering truth is a great big part of that. That is why I am design, writing, illustrating, thinking and thinking of resources, guided journals, truths that have helped me and that I believe sincerely will help others. I am finally getting ready to share it as beautiful, fun and super useful products for all my lovely lady friends.
Sneak peakers on the intention and gratitude journal:
ALSO…diaper changin friends….
Remember my purse organizing post? Well, over the last year, I’ve developed a snazzy product for your diaper changing needs that will revolutionize the way we think about and use diaper bags!! We are working on putting together a kickstarter campaign to reveal it to you! Oh. So many goodies to come. Hold tight. Thanks for joining me on this journey! Be sure to subscribe (on right), follow on facebook, or instagram to stay updated.
Cheeeers!
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Here is the Free christmas Tag printable download:
Enjoy Christmas and the New Year my friends!!
I’m so excited for all the new things coming your way this coming year! Stay Tuned!!!
Other FREE Christmas Tags:
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My good friend Lorna needed some gift tags for a cute Christmas neighbor gift idea she had. I whipped these up for her and thought I would share it if anyone could use them.
Click here for FREE pdf download:
Ideas to go with gift tag:
My friend’s idea was to put white chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate chips, orange candy, pretzels in a mason jar and tie the tag. Guienus right?? I will try to include a pic if I can!
Enjoy!
Other Christmas goodies on this site:
Popping by to wish you a Sweet Christmas Tag and popcorn recipe
3 Simple ways to enhance your Christmas Joy
2016 printable calendar is now available!!
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Can you match which Big Hero 6 characters we are?
If Hiro Hamada had a picture of himself as a real life person when he was 3, I’m going to guess he pretty much looked much like my little guy.
Who happened to have an older brother who looked like a mini version of Tadashi…
The best, part hands down, of putting these costumes together this year was the excitement of this 6 year old. Whoa. Ever since we found this ‘Tadashi’ outfit in prep for halloween, he would put it on ALL the time and with a serious look on his face would walk around saying, “I’m Tadashi.” It was serious. And seriously, so cute that he felt so proud, excited and good to be one of his favorite characters in his favorite movie. When I kept saying he looked just like him, the beam on his face was priceless. Aw.
What a little boy high to pretend with your brother to be characters in the same show. Even wilder? When your parents are in on it too. “Hi Go Go” is what these rascals kept saying to me every time I walked past (all week long with or without costume)
AND… since this guy already came equipped with the marshmallow cheeks and a squishy body, Baymax was the obvious answer for his costume.
Is it wrong that every single day, every time that I pick him up and carry him around I smother him with kisses (that he doesn’t always appreciate) and whisper in his ear, “I just want to eat you every day” because he is such a freakin delicious yumster????? Ahhh, I’m writing this while he’s sleeping and I’m getting these impulses to wake him up just so I can attack him with kisses and nibble on those cheeks!!
I’m so in love with these boys!
And I was Go Go.
Did I request to get a hair cut to match that of a Disney Character a week prior? Maybe. Hey, that foot of hair went to a good cause, alright? Even though the long locs were fun, this short chop is SO much easier in SO many ways. I was so ready for it.
Fred. The best part is that my honey is the complete opposite in personality as Fred in every way. But. He still pull it off, I think. Love it. Love him. Especially for putting up with Halloween sheenanigans with us!
It’s been fun all these years to do costumes as a family and now that the two older ones can get excited with us about it, seems like every year it gets more rewarding for me.
Here is our pumpkin fun this year. The boys insisted on the carving kits’ stencils and hubby complied but he also went ahead and held tradition and craved Baymax to match costumes using this technique (click to see previous years cravings too!)
Quick costume tips and tricks:
The name of our costume game is to find as many items as possible in our home FIRST. Then we think of ways we can alter or change what we have or hit the second hand stores or buy things as cheap as possible.
Here are some tricks of the trade we’ve learned…
To make anything a Solid Color:
1.Spray paint.
It is difficult to find just the right item, let alone color, when browsing through a second hand store. A bit of spray paint to vanish unwanted graphics goes a long way!
2. Another trick is to turn any garment inside out to it’s solid color. We did this with Hubby’s t-shirt to be Fred and also Baymax’s costume was a girlie, flowery snow suit (check it out below!). I turned it inside-out and wal-la…all white.
Printed and iron-on decals:
People asked where we got our x-men belt buckles and the answer was simple: we printed them! And pasted them on cardboard and duct taped them to our costumes! Yes, printing stuff out from the web is a GREAT idea to place as costume details. The details on Baymax, Tadashi’s hat and Fred’s hat were all printed and ironed on (first to fabric and sewn or hot glued on)
The pendant that Fred wore was made with Sculpey clay. If you need to make anything solid like props or jewelry clay is your source of limitless possibilities!
Hooorray! Hope you had a fab halloween!!! Comment with YOUR fun family traditions, costumes or tips!
]]>“Yes, the E says “EH” but sometimes it changes its mind completely and says “ee” instead.” and “Oh…yes actually you read it right (if english was read the way you spell it), but that not how most people say it…
Ah. So fun.
I created these cards for my great and brilliant friend Lorna who started her own preschool. She suggested the idea of creating alphabet cards with ALL the sounds each letter had. When she mentioned the idea, of course I was all over it. It was basically exactly what I remember needing myself, but I never thought to follow through to actually creating a full set of cards. This was the perfect chance to create a set of flashcards that she and I had yet to see out there.
Not only do these alphabet cards include all the sounds of each letter, but many words have been selected that are 4 or 3 letters to prepare child for reading. Most of which are CVC words (consonant, vowel, consonant) so the cards can transition to be be reading cards when your learner start to understand how sounds come together. They are “color coded” as they follow the color spectrum, with duplicates of each letter being in the same color… just a little touch that might help little ones who are more intune with colors to put the alphabet in order.
I created two sets: A smaller set that was given as a gift to the students in her class. They fit 8 on a printed 11×8.5 page.
and a larger format for the teacher to use. They fit 4 on a page. Of course the sets can be used however and whenever.
I had the pleasure of creating these cards from scratch: doodle to digital. I wanted to give them a friendly and fun feel for kids to enjoy and remember. I hope you and your kids can enjoy them too!
‘
There are 56 sounds total. Now, I do say ALL the sounds of each letter, and I did include what we thought were the most common and important sounds. But do remember that P is also for pneumonia, pterodactyl and psychosis (see here for a WHOLE song of this ridiculousness)…so there is no way we can cover all those silent and obscure sounds in the english language. I did include “k is for knees” because a silent k seem common enough, though my husband did make fun of me for it. As always any teacher is welcome to remove any letter sound card until the student is ready to use them.
Here is a sample of the small format:
And the Large format
Available here are as a printable for only a small fee for my work. Thank you!
For Free printable on this site, click here:
For purchasable printables, click here (2016 calendar now available!!!)
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