This week I tried a “Pinspired” art project with my students, and it turned out great! With Earth Day today, we have been studying the things we love about Earth and discussing actions we can take to make our planet a better place. When I found this great art project on Pinterest, I knew we had to do it! We paired it with our Earth Day writing and displayed them for all to see! 
Here are some pics….
We’re all about celebrating Earth Day in my classroom this week. It’s only 4 days away! We have been evaluating how “green” our school, classroom, and homes are. I made 3 report cards for each of those locations. If you are interested, they are at my TPT store! (It’s a 20 page unit with math and literacy activities too.)
How else are we celebrating Earth Day? We are repurposing our trash! I discovered an easy way to remove the printing on food containers, so we have been collecting yogurt, butter, and cottage cheese tubs in order to turn into attractive storage containers (well, as attractive as it gets when a 2nd grader is doing the decorating!).
Do you want to know how to remove the printing on food containers? It’s easy! You need pure acetone (located in the beauty section near the finger nail polish removers), a rag, and a container.
In a dish pan, pour enough acetone on the rag to saturate it. (Make sure you are in a well ventilated area and are wearing gloves.)
Then wrap the rag around the container and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. It may take longer depending on what brand container you are working on. I found that Dannon, Great Value, and Kroger brand come off the easiest.
Check the container by rubbing the paint. If it wipes off, you are good to go! Just keep wiping! It’ll come right off. If it doesn’t come of easily, keep soaking. You may need to re-saturate your rag.
That’s it! You’ve got yourself a blank slate container ready for sprucing up. Check back later this week to see what we did with our containers.
Happy Earth Day!
© Prometeus, © Dee*, © Ivabarmina Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
Raise your hand if you or someone you know has felt like this lately??? (Raising my hand high & waving it in the air!! I’m the picture in the middle!) If you teach kids or have your own, you are probably all too familiar with the anxiety that comes with the dreaded week of……
STANDARDIZED TESTING! Ahhhhhhh!
Two weeks ago my second graders took the ITBS and, man, am I glad it’s over! Each day my kids were drained, I was drained, and we all needed a little something to re-energize us and get us going again. Not to mention, kids perform better when they are working toward a reward!
So, back before all this “testing torture” began, I started gathering ideas for candy and gifts, and I decided to treat my class this year to something I’ve never done. I put together little edible treats for each day of testing (and the days surrounding the test, since our grade only tests for 3 days.) Here are the treats that my kiddos received each day and the materials you need to recreate them:
You’re a “Smartie” Pants!
Smarties, cutouts of pants, yarn or twine, small paper tags, scissors & hole punch
“Kiss” Those test jitters Good-bye!
Hershey’s kisses, small zip-lock bags, cardstock & paper cutouts, stapler, kiss images or stickers
BLOW that test away!
Blow Pops, ribbon, paper cutouts, cardstock burst cutouts (Cricut cartridge: Plantin Schoolbook, accent: blast, Tall Ball)
You’re O-”FISH”-ally done with testing!
Individual 12 pack boxes of Goldfish, cardstock and paper cutouts, fish cutouts (Cricut cartridge: Animal Kingdom, accent: fish)
You’re an “EGG”cellent student! (2 days before Easter!)
Bag of Reese’s chocolate eggs, small zip-lock bags, cardstock and paper cutouts, Easter basket cutouts (Cricut cartridge: Doodlecharms, accent: eastrb)
Delivery Suggestions:
(Moms)
- send in a lunchbox or backpack
- put in the seat of the car
- on the nightstand
- in the cereal bowl or box
- on the fridge
(Teachers)
- as a surprise on desks
- in school boxes
- in mystery paper sacks to open daily
- Principal can deliver to the room as a surprise
- Make a word puzzle for kids to “crack the code” to receive prizes
- deliver to students while they are eating lunch
A Few More Corny Sayings:
- Teddy Grahams or gummy bears: You’ll do “BEAR-Y” well today!
- Air Heads: Don’t be an “Air Head!” You know the answers!
- Bite sized Milky Ways: You’re “Out of this world!”
What are your suggestions for teachers or moms who want to give their kids some sweet treats or encouraging notes? What are some that you’ve used? I hope you aren’t too stressed out over testing! Take a sweet-tooth break like I did and enjoy some yummy goodies! Happy Testing to all! Summer is right around the corner!
I am always being inspired left and right by others’ organization! Pinterest is no stranger to pictures of organized spaces! And I LOVE organizing, as mentioned here. So, the tutorial that I’m sharing today is one I am very excited about.
Lately I’ve been drawn to numerous pictures like these of altered clipboards mounted on walls. The clipboards are hung in craft rooms or home offices and re-purposed as hanging storage for memos, pictures, projects, or whatever!
(Click picture for original source; left: Better Homes and Gardens; center: Martha Stewart; Right: Apartment Therapy)
I have been looking forward to doing this so that I can have a handy visual for the materials and inspiration of my next project. At the same time, I wanted my clipboards to 1) be eye-candy for me and serve as wall art whenever they are empty and 2) coordinate with the green/white/silver theme of my craft room. Here are the materials and steps for my creation:
Materials:
- 1 clear clipboard
- paper cut-outs (scrapbook paper, magazine clippings, etc…)
- Mod Podge
- sponge paint brush
- ribbon
Directions:
1) First, wash the clipboard off and dry it with a dish towel in order to ensure each side has a clean surface.
2) Cut out the designs or words you want to cover your clipboard with. I used my Cricut Expression to cut out the designs you see here. I used Cricut Cartridge Accent Essentials, accent 17.
3) (Do not glue anything in this step!) Arrange the paper cut-outs how you want them. If you place them on top of the clipboard, it may make the next step a little easier.
4) When you are ready to adhere the paper, flip the clipboard very carefully, but quickly onto the table. Now the pieces are on the table upside down in the arrangement that you desire.
5) Pick up one piece at a time and paint mod podge across the top of the piece (on the pattern you want to show).
6) Repeat step 5 for a couple of pieces to make a row of glued pieces on the clipboard.
7) Press down the pieces so there are no air bubbles. This will make a much neater appearance on the top side (the side you will see).
8) Now, paint mod podge across the back of the row you just adhered. This will seal the pieces of paper in place and create a smooth surface for the back, instead of bumpy paper. Now the paper will be less likely to peel off in the future.
9) Do steps 5-8 repeatedly until you have the entire design completely glued on both sides.
10) Lay the clipboard face down, leaning on the table. Allow at least 15 minutes for it to dry.
11) Embellish the top of the clipboard with whatever you desire. I used ribbon. On the first clipboard I tied a nice bow, and on the second one I tied strips of ribbon in knots until the metal clip was covered.
12) Hang on your wall for the storage you need, or use your cute clipboard on the job!
I used the Cricut Cartridge Accent Essentials, accent 39 for the second clipboard.
Happy crafting/organizing!
I’m linking up with:
JAQS Studio, Blue Cricket Design,
Materials
Directions
1) Carefully cut the styrofoam wreath in half using a sharp knife. This takes a while and is pretty tedious, but is totally worth it, because now you can make 2 wreaths for the price of buying one! (And the wreath will lay flat against a wall or door!) I got this idea from That’s My Letter. A “poke & swivel” motion is the method I found to work the best. I used no directions or videos to help me, so I’m sure there is a better way to do it.2) Wrap the yarn around the wreath once, and tie it in a tight knot with no slack. Make sure the knot you tie is on the back.
3) Now, continue to pass the whole package of yarn through the wreath and wrap the string of yarn around and around the wreath. Lay each string next to the string before it, making sure to pull tight and leave no space to show. (This is the most time-consuming step.)
(In between these steps you could use an additional yarn color to make a stripes, argyles, or another pattern for more interest. I chose to leave mine plain.)
4) Next, you are ready to decorate your wreath with whatever embellishments you choose. I made and attached 3 types of felt flowers (rose, loopy, & carnation) for a simple springy, outdoorsy style.
5) Choose what ribbon, bow, or fabric you want to hang your wreath with. (Or you may want no hanger) I layered 2 different widths of ribbon and looped them through the wreath. Depending on the size of your wreath & where you are hanging it, the length of your hanger will vary. I didn’t even measure the length of my ribbon. I just “eyeballed” it.
6) Hang your wreath however you wish and adjust it to your liking. Now it is on display for all to enjoy!
FYI: I mostly followed a tutorial from thegluegungirl to make the wreath and the different felt flowers. I got different tips and tricks by looking through her tutorials and watching her videos on youtube. So, please refer to her if my steps weren’t clear enough. She is a wreath pro!
Well, I’m no longer a wreath rookie! I officially heart making wreaths! Seeing the finished product was the best part! (Isn’t it always?!) I can’t wait to make more, especially with felt! What other felt flowers are you interested in? Do you like the rose, loopy, or carnation one the best? Are there others I should try? What other felt creations have you tried or “pinned” lately?
I’m linking up at:
When my friends from Nashville found out I had a blog, they were surprised I hadn’t posted any cups recipes. Why? Because when I lived there I was CRAZY about cups! They were my answer to everything. Baby shower? Cups! Wedding shower? Cups! Pot luck? Cups! Superbowl? Cups! Brunch? Cups! See what I mean? I brought them to Sunday school when it was my turn to bring snacks. I brought them to game night on the weekends. I loved cups! I still love cups! They are one of the few things I make over, and over… and over. So since I’m so smitten with cups, it’s about time I share them with you.
I decided on 6 cups to post today. Some of the recipes use biscuits, some don’t. Some are full-size cups, some are miniature. Some I copied straight from the cookbook, some I altered, and one is right from my brain! But no matter how different they are, they all have one thing in common: They are delicious!!
Here they are in no certain order. (How could I have possibly ordered them from least to greatest?)
Mini Chicken Taco Cups
adapted from Taste of Home
1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 envelop taco seasoning
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese
45 mini fillo shells (comes 15 per box, so 3 boxes)
sour cream, chopped green onions, and additional salsa and cheddar cheese to garnish optional
Depending on how much you filled the cups, you may have some extra chicken mixture left over. Roll it in a tortilla, bake it, and have a snack! Oh, and try not to eat the whole batch when they come out of the oven! They are so addicting!
Barbecue Beef Cups
adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray
1 lb ground beef
¾ cup barbecue sauce
1 ½ cup cheddar cheese, divided
Pillsbury grands jr. flaky layers 12 oz. Buttermilk
Broccoli-Chicken Cups
modified from Taste of Home
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 tube refrigerated biscuits
1 can broccoli cheese soup
3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
Ham and Cheddar Mini Cups
from Taste of Home
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages (2-1/2 ounces each) thinly sliced deli ham, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup real bacon bits
2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tube (10.2 ounces) large refrigerated flaky biscuits
These are the best little things to bring to a brunch. I always get compliments on them and people are always asking for the recipe. I’ve made them dozens of times and they always turn out right. Also, as a side note, I don’t like mustard too much, but I like it in these. So don’t shy away from this dish for that reason. They are worth a try!
P.S. Kroger has these awesome packs of pre-diced ham by Cumberland Gap that I always use to make these. They come with 8 oz. so I only use half of it, and use the rest for salads or omelets.
Apple Cobbler Cups
from 2busybrunettes
Pillsbury grands jr. flaky layers 12 oz. Butter lovin’
2 apples, finely chopped (I chopped mine in a food processor)
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup water
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup rolled oats
cup packed brown sugar
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
¼ cup butter, softened
Mini Pizza Bread Cups
from Plain Chicken
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup mini pepperoni
1 cup italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
pizza sauce for dipping
I made these to take in my lunches all week, but Josh ate the whole plate while watching Kentucky win the National Championship on Monday night (Go CATS!). So guess who’s been eating school lunches all week? Yep, corn with pizza, corn and pizza.
Here’s one small side note you need to know before you start baking all these cups. The great thing about cups are they are unique finger foods, easy on-the-go foods, and fun to eat. But the tricky thing about cups is you don’t alway end up with the right amount of fillings for the right amount of cups. Sometimes I end up with more biscuits than fillings, and other times it’s the other way around. So when you run into this problem, don’t think you did something wrong! If this happens, one thing you can do if you have more filling is split one or two of your biscuits in half to create another cup to fill.
I’m linking up with:
Click on the picture to download! It’s free!
The next list has the same books as the other list. However this list tells why the books received the ratings they did. It shows the same categories as listed in our “25 Series to Read if You Love the Hunger Games” post. Then on the last page there are 46 more books that were recommended, but were not compared to The Hunger Games using the 8 categories. That means this file contains 71 books (some series, some not) to read!! Wow! Who even knows how many books that is when you include the sequels that follow?!
Click on the picture to download! It’s free too!!
I’ve been having so much fun making these cute little flowers! I knew I had to share them with all of you!
Here are the materials and steps to make a simple little felt carnation-like flower.
Materials:
- one piece of felt
- scissors
- needle and thread
- glue gun/glue sticks
- circle template (cup?)
Directions:
(Heat up the glue gun while doing the first few steps.)
1) Use the circle template that you have chosen and trace 6 circles of the same size onto your piece of felt. (The bigger the circle is, the bigger the flower will be.)
2) Use scissors to cut out all 6 circles. (Tip: Cut inside the line that you traced onto the felt. Then the line will not be visible on the petals.)
3) Take one circle and fold it in half.
4) Then fold it into a quarter.
5) Carefully hold the circle in the quarter position and sew through the corner with the needle and thread. Knot it a few times so it does not fall out-of-place. (You may choose to hot glue the piece in the corner instead of sewing it if you wish.) Repeat steps 3 & 4 with four more circles.
6) You should have one circle left over. Lay it flat and use it as a base. Carefully glue each quarter petal (circle) piece into place like quarters of a clock. You do not have to use that much glue to make it stay in place. A few dots will do. “A dot, a dot, a dot will do. More than a dot is too much glue!” (Sorry, that must have been the teacher in me coming out.)
(Before the next step, fluff up the petals and play with the shape to get ready for the final center petal.)
7) With the 5th petal, put a medium dot of glue in the center of the flower. Then, lay the petal straight down into the center and press down and hold for a few seconds.
8) Fluff up the petals of the flower to make it look how you want it to.
Use your beautiful flower to adorn anything you wish! Glue it onto a barrette to create a hair bow or slide it onto a headband. Fancy up a wreath or another art project. Also, I almost forgot: You can layer multiple fabric colors or mesh inside the felt pieces to create a different look. I tried it with the hot pink/black flower which will be turned into a fancy baby headband. Happy crafting!
P.S. Check back later this week to see how I created a spring/summer wreath using felt flowers!
I’m linking to Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jellybeans, My Romantic Home, and It’s a Hodgepodge Life.
Today is a much awaited day. It’s the day The Hunger Games premieres in theaters! Who’s going to see it?? We are! In honor of this wonderful day, we thought we’d give suggestions on books you might enjoy if you enjoyed The Hunger Games. To help you know a little bit about each book and how it might be similar to The Hunger Games, we’ve taken several elements from the book to use for comparison.
Here are the categories:
The Books: (In descending order, beginning with the best matches.)
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas is a young boy living in a Utopian town. Everything is perfect where he lives. When children turn 12 they are assigned a job, so when Jonas turns 12 he is named the next ‘Giver’ . This job changes his life because it opens his eyes to things about his society and its past. Jonas faces difficult choices about his future and the future of his people.
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- yes (later in series)
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- no, but yes in later books
series- yes, 3 books total
ya- yes, Reading Level 5.9
The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally and Shay are two teen girls growing up in a society where they are “Uglies” until the age of 16. Upon your 16th birthday you undergo an operation that makes you a Pretty. Through many adventures, decisions, twists, and turns the character uncovers truths about the current world she lives in and the people she is governed by.
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- yes
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- yes
series- yes, 4 books total
ya- yes, reading level 5.1-6.1
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Ember is a city of darkness lit only by lamps where the people live off food kept in storerooms. When the lights they use continue to flicker and the shelves of food become empty it makes survival impossible. It will only be a matter of time before the life they know is over. Young friends Doon and Lina are determined to find a way to help their people survive. Read Lena and Doon’s adventure of how they try to bring hope to their city!
futuristic- yes
survival- yes, from hunger
love story- an affection story, wouldn’t call it love
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- somewhat in some parts
girl protagonist- yes
series- yes, 3 books + prequel = 4 total
ya- yes, level 4.9-5.2
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Imagine you live in a country with strict population laws. Only two children per family. What happens when you are the third child? What will you do?
futuristic- yes
survival- somewhat
love story- no, strong friendships
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- each book contains a different protagonist. Some are girls, some are not!
series- yes, 7 books total
ya- yes, levels 4.8-5.6
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jonah discovers one day that his life is not what it appears to be. Not only is he adopted, but he belongs somewhere else entirely! The journey begins when he receives a note saying “You are one of The Missing.”
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- maybe?
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- no
series- yes, 4 books total
ya- yes, level 4.6
Dark Life by Kat Falls
Ty, the main character lives with his family in the world’s first subsea community, where they provide fish and other food for the citizens of North America’s remaining communities on land. Ty is swept up in an unexpected chase for bandits who are out to get take everything from his family. He learns more about people he thought he knew, and in return they learn more about him too!
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- yes
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- no
series- yes, 2 so far
ya- yes, level 4.3
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy, a teen boy finds out he’s a half-blood and later learns that his destiny involves having to make a choice of whether or not to save the world. He takes along 2 friends with him to fight creatures (and Gods!) from Greek mythology hidden among our world. Will he and his friends have what it takes to complete the incredible mission they have been given?
futuristic- no
survival- yes, trying to save the world
love story- yes, slightly
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes, against the Gods
girl protagonist- no
series- yes, 5 books total
ya- yes, level 4.1-4.7
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
This is Peter Pan before he becomes Peter Pan. Find out how he became able to fly. How does he know Wendy? Each book is a new adventure (yet building on the last) and equally as good as the last.
futuristic- no
survival- yes
love story- contains hints at one
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes, against the “Others”
girl protagonist- told from Peter’s point of view, but there is a girl main character
series- yes, 4 books total
ya- yes, level 5.2-5.6
PEAK by Roland Smith
Ok, this book does not have as many yes’s. BUT it is an awesome book, so much so that we couldn’t leave it out. If your favorite elements of The Hunger Games were survival (in the arena) and adventure, then this is a good pick for you.
futuristic- no
survival- yes, in wilderness in the mountains
love story- no
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- no
girl protagonist- no
series- no
ya- yes, level 5.0
Here are some more great books that we’ve heard have commonalities with The Hunger Games, but unfortunately we haven’t read yet. We look forward to reading:
Did we leave any out? What books would you recommend to Hunger Games lovers? Have you read any of these? What did you think? And what do you think of the movie!?!
*Update 3/29* We have really enjoyed reading all of your comments. There is no way we could have read and recommended every book series that qualifies as “Hunger Games-like.” But thanks to all your comments, we’ve discovered a few more! There’s been such a response that we’ve decided to make a new post: “Must Reads if You Love The Hunger Games.” We will add all the books you recommend, so get those comments posted. To make it easier for people to select their books, in your comment tell how your book is comparable to The Hunger Games using the 8 categories we used. Have your comments in by Saturday the 31st and we’ll have the new and improved must-reads list up by Monday! Happy reading!
*Update 4/2* The new “must-reads” list is now up! Check it out!
We have two wedding showers coming up at church and usually I make personalized casserole dishes by etching the new name onto the glass. But I’ve given over half a dozen of these, so this time around I thought I would try something new. I visited Goodwill and Salvation Army and walked away with two picture frames-having only spent $3! Here’s what I came up with.
These frames were so fun to convert! I’m tempted to make one for myself, except for there are only 3 letters in my last name, so it might not look so nice. =(
If your interested in how to transform your own frame, here’s the details.
First, buy a frame (mine were about 20″ long. You could go longer or shorter depending on how many letters are in the name). Like I said, I found mine at a Goodwill and Salvation Army for $3 total. I found another one today at a yard sale for 50¢! If you can’t find the color you want, just spray paint it. I used the 97¢ stuff and it worked fine.
Next, using your cricut (or other cutting machine), cut out your name on vinyl (I used black cricut cuttables vinyl- sold at Wal-Mart. The settings on my cricut were: blade depth-3, speed-3, pressure-3.This resulted in what’s called a “kiss cut,” where the vinyl is cut, but the backing is not.). I used the program “Sure Cuts-A-Lot” to cut mine. I have version 2.0, so it works with my cricut. The current version does not work with cricuts. You don’t have to have a cutting software though, just use a cartridge that has a font that you like. Or, if you don’t have a cricut, you can order pre-cut vinyl letters from a number of sites online.
Weed your design by peeling off the pieces of vinyl you don’t want. Be careful to not let the sticky scraps get a hold of your lettering. I cut strips off as a I go to prevent that from happening.
Place transfer tape (again, I used the cricut brand from Wal-Mart because that’s all that is available in my small town!) across your name. Use the red grid lines to your advantage. They will help you center your image on the glass, so keep them straight!
Peal the backing off the vinyl. As you peal, be sure the letters stick to the transfer tape.
This is the scariest part to me- putting your sticker on the glass. To make this part easier, I placed my cricut mat face down underneath the glass. This provided a grid for me to line my transfer tape up with. It also helped me get the sticker level by making sure the lines in both grids were parallel. You may also find it useful to make marks on your glass. You can do that by using pencil eyeliner. Once you’ve got it lined up press down on your design. I pressed from the middle (because I had just lined up the center grid line on my sticker to the one on the mat below), and worked my way out to the edges.) Once the sticker is applied, peel off the tape to reveal your name!
I love the way the shadow plays on the wall.
See what I mean?
FYI:
So now I have two wedding presents that (to me) are worth at least $20. I know they were inexpensive, but I’ll be proud to give them!
What’s your go-to wedding gift?
I’m linking to Fireflies and Jellybeans, Finding Fabulous, My Romantic Home, and It’s a Hodgpodge Life.
