Back to School Ideas

So the first day of school is coming and you have tons to do...shopping for clothes, shopping for school supplies, special First Day of School dinner, Teacher Gifts, etc.  Where to begin?  Well, take a deep breath and handle one thing at a time.  Here are some tips to help you get things done.

School Clothes-I only buy a couple outfits for my kids at the beginning of the school year.  They still have some outfits we bought earlier in the summer that will fit.  When the temps start to cool down, then we'll go buy their fall clothes.  But there are some cute, easy to find outfits that are in style right now for kids.

Source: zara.com via Karlee on Pinterest

Source: blog.stephbond.com via Steph on Pinterest

School Supplies-This can be a chore in itself.  We bought school supplies weeks ago before there was a mob at the store.  We found our supplies at either Target or Office Depot.  You can also order packs through most schools or already bundled at the grocery store.  These packs are a little more costly but eliminate lots of stress.



First Day of School Dinner (or breakfast or lunch or snack)-I always let my kids pick whatever they want for dinner.  It's their special day.  In fact, I have a special after school snack ready and then later we have dinner.  I have something great planned for this year. Here's a look at what we did last year.  Here are some other ideas:

Source: thedailybuzz.com.au via Katie on Pinterest

Source: augustfields.blogspot.com via Kristy on Pinterest

Source: yummytastyrecipes.com via Stacey on Pinterest

Teacher Gifts-There are soooo many cute ideas for Teacher Gifts. I don't remember this always being so popular, but I see it a lot now. I think the teacher always enjoys getting gifts and it probably makes their day really special as well.

Source: funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com via Desiree on Pinterest

Source: cometogetherkids.com via Desiree on Pinterest

Source: eventtrender.com via Desiree on Pinterest

Source: u-createcrafts.com via Desiree on Pinterest

These are just a few ideas to help you make the start of school a little smoother. The internet has lots of great info too. Hope everyone has a great First Day of School!!!!

Shine Your Light Candle Gift

My son was recently promoted at church and now attends the elementary Sunday School classes and Service.  However, I am so sad to see him leave the Preschool area, where he's been since he was 6 weeks old!  There are some special teachers that have taught him just about all of his life, so we wanted to give them a thank you gift.

I saw this very cute idea on Pinterest and decided to make our own version.

Source: theivycottageblog.blogspot.com via Desiree on Pinterest

I went to the dollar store and found some cute candle jars and nicely scented candles.  I cleaned the jars with some glass cleaner to get rid of all the smudges.  I unwrapped the candles and just left on the top plastic cover.

I made some cute labels to stick to the jars with double-sided tape.  It says 'Thank you for shining your light into my life. -Matthew 5:14'.  Here is a simple version you can download or edit as you choose.

I also trimmed the edges with some special craft scissors.

I tied some twine around the bottom for a little extra touch.

It's a very simple thank you gift that is perfect for a special teacher.


Sharing this candle at these fab parties: 
Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing, The Better Mom, Skip To My Lou, Home Stories A to Z, Crafty Texas Girls, Growing Home Blog, Elizabeth & Co., Uncommon Designs Online, Kristen's Creations, At The Picket Fence, Simple Home Life, Great Fun 4 Kids Blog

Father's Day Challenge

Father's Day is less than a week away. Wait, what? FATHER'S DAY IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY!!!! I don't know about you, but the men in my life are always so hard to shop for. I never know what to get them. If there's ever something they need, they just go buy it themselves.

So, I have to be very creative in my gift choices. I have my husband, father, and father-in-law to think about. Hmmm....

One thing I did have made for my husband was this cute personalized book. I just uploaded his picture, decided on the storyline, and the site does the rest.

Source: flattenme.com via Natalie on Pinterest

But I didn't want that to be his only gift. I was reading through some blogs and came across a great idea on A Little R & R.  She found the idea on another blog, Buildeth Her House.  It's a homemade list called 100 Reasons Why I Love My Husband.

Now, writing a list like this may sound easy at first, but can you really think of 100 different reasons that you love your husband?  This will cause you to be creative and really reflect on all the wonderful things about your husband.

I'm going to buy my hubby a couple other things, but I'm going to work on making my own list this week and link it to the two previous blogs.  As a surprise, I'll show this to my husband and hopefully, get it printed and framed.  Are you up for the challenge too? What are you doing for the special men in your life?

Teacher Mitt

Source: skiptomylou.org via Desiree on Pinterest

I saw this really cool teacher gift on a blog I follow, Skip To My Lou.  It is so creative and different, that I knew I wanted to make it as well.  One of our days during Teacher Appreciation Week was School Supply Day.  This gift would be perfect!

I went to Big Lots and picked up a ton of school supplies.  I didn't want to spend more than $1 per package of items, especially since I was making this for two teachers.

I also got an inexpensive oven mitt.  I kept to a simple mitt.  However, I've seen some cute mitts in very pretty designs and colors.  They also cost a lot!

I just stuffed the mitt as best as I could.

On the same craft blog where I found this idea, you can download some printables to go along with the mitt.  Or feel free to make your own.

I attached the cards with a pretty ribbon that is tied around the loop on the mitt.

Your child's teacher will be so impressed and thankful for a great gift!

Gift Tubes

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up for us and I've been searching for some simple ideas.  I originally saw this idea using an empty toilet paper roll on Pinterest.

Source: crissyscrafts.blogspot.com via Desiree on Pinterest

I gathered my supplies, but chose an empty paper towel roll instead.

First, measure a piece of paper against the roll and cut as needed.

I used some double-sided tape to attach the paper.

Tuck in the sides on one of the ends of the roll.

Stuff the roll with whatever you choose.  Be creative!

Tuck in the other sides of the roll.  It looks great as is or you can add more.

Using matching paper, I cut out an oval with my Cricut machine, and put the To and From on the other side.

I attached the tag with a bow used from scrap ribbon that I had.

It was so easy and inexpensive.  It took me about 5 minutes to make and my only purchase were the bags of  candy.