Elementary Memories

I was asked to share this idea, so here goes...

My oldest graduated from elementary school last month, which is both exciting and unbelievable! Where did those six years go in such a hurry? I have to admit that I enjoyed every minute of every grade right along with him. What a wonderful group of teachers! Lucky kid.

We wanted to give him a special gift on this milestone occasion, which is easier said than done. Luckily, I had a bazillion photos of field trips, school events, parties, classmates, teachers... and every first day of school.

I decided to create a personal photo yearbook for him. You can have books like this printed through online sites that vary in price and quality. I created mine through Costco, which was easy and only cost $32 for 60 pages.

I also photographed and scanned a few of his class projects from each grade to have everything cataloged and in one place. Then, I left the last two pages blank for staff signatures...

I gave myself enough time to have it printed a few weeks before the promotion ceremony, so that I could have all of his teachers sign it.  Their messages are beautiful and make the book extremely special!

As a teacher, I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. I find myself looking through the photo pages and reminiscing to an almost nerdy degree. 

(Hey teachers and room parents! It would also be fun to make a class yearbook for families to purchase or to auction off at the end of the school year.)

Middle school, here we come!

Happy Mother's Day!

Chore Charts for Kids

I made up these charts a few years ago when my kids were 4 and 5 years old. Now they are big kids and we still use them! Of course, I have modified the jobs over the years.  For example, when they were younger, "Do Dishes" meant sort the clean silverware and put it away. Now, they can load and unload the dishwasher on their own (Yay!).

Our charts are laminated and posted on the refrigerator. They have six chores each day:

• Make your bed
• Clear your plate after each meal
• Pick up your toys
• Put your clothes in the hamper at the end of the day
• Complete the chore that is listed on the calendar (by looking at today's date)
• Have fun!

We have a cat, so we have "Feed Cat" on ours. Two of the Chore Charts below are for kids with pets. The other two are not.

• CHORE CHART 1 (Pet)
• CHORE CHART 2
• CHORE CHART 3
• CHORE CHART 4 (Pet)

Enjoy!

Meal Planning Printables

Hey folks,

Over the years, I have adapted this meal planner/to do/grocery list many times. I only want to go grocery shopping ONCE a week, so I map out our family meals and then head to the store.

I print the following pages back to back, 3-hole punch them, and put a bunch in my Grocery Binder. You can print them here. I like having everything in one binder, so I can jot down grocery items as I think of them and then grab the binder when it's time to head to the store. The binder stays in my kitchen for easy access!

FRONT:

BACK:

Clear plastic pages hold other things that stay in the binder, such as...

•  A list of dinners - I brainstormed as many dinners as I could think of. Sometimes I hand my kids or hubby the list and say, "Pick something!" so I don't have to think about what to make. 
• A long list of items I typically buy at the store - food, cleaning supplies, snacks, etc. Taking a quick look at the list helps jog my memory about something important I may forget.
• A map of the store I usually shop at. You can find these maps at the grocery store or online. They include a blueprint of the store and show where items are shelved.
• Coupons. I stick them in the binder pocket, so everything is in one place.

Do you know who admires my binder while I'm shopping for groceries? Old guys. Grandpas. The cute old men who are shopping with their wives have stopped me on more than one occasion and asked about my nifty list. Mom friends ask for copies too, so I decided to share with the world. 

[click here for grocery binder printables]

Happy (once a week) Shopping!

Trick or Yummy Treat

I love this time of year! Halloween decorations are my favorite. Decorations you can eat? Even better! If you are having a Halloween party at school or at home, these spooky treats will WOW your ghosts and goblins...

 Come on now! These treats are to die for! Who would not want to eat a Marshmallow Zombie? This creative idea came from Meaghan at The Decorated Cookie.

We are definitely making Monster Mash Popcorn Mix this year! I found this fun recipe In Katrina's Kitchen. So easy to make and very Halloweenie. The creepy mix-in possibilities are endless!

These Shrunken Apple Heads are from Our Best Bites. You may not want to eat them, but they would make a fun science experiment. Check out lots of tasty party treats on their site this month!

 

Also from Our Best Bites... Mummy Dogs! 

I could see making these little guys for an Indiana Jones party too!

Cut crescent roll dough into thin strips and wrap around hot dogs. Bake according to crescent package directions and use ketchup or mustard for eyes. I cut my hot dogs in half to make them bite-sized.

These Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are from the Betty Crocker website. The spiders are made out of Rolo candies, m&ms and black string licorice. These would be great on cupcakes too! 

 Ahhh... Nutter Butters. Dip them in white chocolate to make ghosts or dip them in melted green candy wafers for goblin feet. For this recipe, visit Family Fun!

 My son requested a Halloween-themed birthday party... in June! We hauled the decorations up from the basement, found favors at Oriental Trading, and took advantage of the "Over the Hill" tableware at the party store. We even went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood (yes, the neighbors were in on it). 

Instead of a cake, we ate Graveyard Dessert...

Fill a cup 3/4 full with chocolate pudding. Top with crushed Oreos and gummy worms. I used Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies for the tombstones with RIP written in frosting. 100% creepy!

Trick or Treat!