Sunshine Baskets

This Summer I had the best time putting together Sunshine Baskets!

Isn't that a fun name?  My Aunt Vera shared it with me and it's just like it sounds - a basket or box filled with things that will be a bright spot in someone's day.

I love to grab berry boxes or small Amazon boxes to turn into sunshine baskets.

I like to include a meal, all the sides, a dessert, paper products and a magazine.

Homemade chicken salad

fruits

veggies

pasta salad

crackers/chips/salty snacks

loaf of bread

lemonade

cookies/treats

plates/silverware/utensils

& a note

I make sure everything is disposable, let the person know your delivery is coming and help them with several meals to make their life a little sunnier!

Do you know someone that would benefit from a sunshine basket?

3 End of the Year Teacher Gift Ideas

Many of you are wrapping up the school year with your kids.  My kids are sort of excited and sort of sad about it.  They've both had great school years, had delays to the start of school and didn't get quite a much school as they were hoping for.  However, they were both learning in person at school since August and October.  I'm so thankful for that when I hear about so many kids still being virtual or not being at school 5 full days a week.

We have 3 teachers to buy for this year so I am always on the hunt for cute, affordable gifts that won't break the bank when I have to buy multiples.

I always check out the clearance at Old Navy at the end of the season for my teacher gift stash.  They've usually got great scarves, bags and accessories.  Then, I look at places like Walmart and Meijer for their seasonal items.  Many of the ideas that I'm going to share come from those stores.

The #1 thing you should do for your child's teacher this year is to write them a thank you note for the things you've appreciated them doing for your child this year.  You can hand write it or email them.  The specific things that you recall from this year will mean the world to them.

I love to add a gift with their end of the year thank you notes.

You can grab a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop, get them a gift card to their favorite restaurant or local place or give them a themed gift.  If you have a bigger budget, splurge on a bigger gift card to Target or the movies or Amazon.  It seems like everyone can find something they would love from Amazon. 

I have 3 easy to replicate teacher gift ideas for you today.

1. Sweet Summertime //

I found these watermelon zipper pouches on clearance at Old Navy a while ago for just $4.99.  They're large, zip closed and seem like a really great quality pouch.  I love them for Summer.  Then I just found these watermelon kitchen towels at Walmart for under $2.  I loved the Sweet Summertime message and the watermelon print.  My kid's teachers will be getting this gift this year.

2. Summer Bag & Accessories //

Pick up a great summer bag to gift to your child's teachers and add in some cute hair ties or Summer bracelets for them.  I love these mesh Summer bags for the pool, ocean or just for Summer errands.  I've got a couple of them that I use all the time.  This bag came from Target.  They seem to update the print and color options every year.

3. Fun Summer Hat & Earrings //

I just picked up this leopard hat at Walmart for $7.98 and I love pairing it with leather earrings.  I'd love to get this gift.  My only warning with this one is to only go this route if you feel like you know your child's teacher's style well.  If you haven't been around them much, it may be tricky to gift them with accessories that fit their personality.  I love the leather earring options and quality from my friend Amber at ADV Designs.  I've been wearing and loving her earrings for years.

As a former teacher, I would have loved any of these gifts.  I hope you find something to give your child's teacher that you know they will love.

Best Gift Wrap for $1

Do you shop at Dollar Tree?? 

I would say I go to my local store every 1-2 months.  My trips increase when we enter birthday season (my kids have March, April & May birthdays) or when the holidays come around.  I'm always surprised at the things I can find there.

My favorite finds are thank you notes, greeting cards, party supplies, holiday fun, fairy garden supplies, candy and wrapping paper.

Today I'm going to focus on wrapping paper.

You might be surprised at the adorable $1 options!!

I picked up these darling wrapping paper rolls for Olive's birthday.  Aren't they so cute?!?  I've used Dollar Tree wrapping paper for table runners and in place of a table cloth at events as well as using the paper to wrap gifts.  It's great and so affordable.  The paper is on the thin side so if you need really thick, durable paper, I would not recommend this. 

For my own kids, I love to buy these curly ribbon bow clusters and reuse them.  They're either $1 each or two for $1.  The kids do not notice that I reuse bows just enjoy the fun topper on their gifts.

Recently Dollar Tree added these guide lines to the back of their paper to make cutting the paper super simple.  It's a fun feature that used to only be reserved for higher end paper.

I asked my sister to join in the fun for this post.  She found some really sweet panda wrapping paper recently.  The pandas have glittery features and it looks like really fancy paper. 

Isn't it so cute!?!  Along with her cute girls ready to go to a birthday party.

Have you purchased Dollar Tree wrapping paper before?

Decorating with Deals from TJ Maxx

It's no secret that I love TJ Maxx.  I've shopped there for years.  I look forward to buying so many things from there - shoes, hand bags, gifts, clothes, home decor, storage, lamps and more.  It's like a treasure hunt every time you go in the store.  There is something for everyone here.  Just make sure to visit your store regularly, always be on the lookout for a variety of things and dig for a deal.

You just never know what you will find so you've got to keep an open mind.

Oftentimes I go in with a list of things to look for and then leave with nothing.  Or I'll leave the store with a variety of things I wasn't looking for on that trip.  Each store is a little bit different and it is fun to see the variety.

Fletcher and I stopped in TJ on Friday and it was one of those trips for the books!  We found a little bit of everything - Easter basket fillers, home decor, gifts and potty training prizes - all for under $100.

I really love TJ Maxx because you can get the best deals there.  Fletcher loves it, too.  We always start with stuff I'm interested in and finish our shopping trip with a stroll through the toy section.

I've had my eye on a three tiered stand at Hobby Lobby for weeks.  It's reg price of $99.99 but I know I could get it for 40% off.  I loved it, but did not want to spend that kind of money on a stand.  So I've kept looking for a knock off.  I found a darling 2 tiered stand that better fits my needs for just $14.99 at TJ Maxx!  I was thrilled.  It pays to shop around and wait for something you just have to have.  Hobby Lobby is an affordable store, but don't be afraid to keep shopping around for an even better deal.

Let me show you my latest deals (minus a couple gifts to keep them a secret!)

$14.99 Easter Egg Truck - it's even cuter in person if that's possible.  I try to pick up a little holiday decor for the kid's bedrooms and I thought this would be perfect for Fletcher.  He loved it and it seemed like a good boy decoration.  The eggs are each decorated with lots of details and each one is different.  I thought this was a great deal for a unique item.

$3.99 Playdoh Chicks
My kids LOVE Playdoh.  These will be going in their Easter baskets.  It came with a chick, scissors and two packs of playdoh.  They'll have a blast giving the chicks hair cuts.

$3.99 Rainbow Salt & Pepper Shakers
My grandma used to collect S&P shakers so I always think of her when I see cute sets.  I thought Olive would love seeing these out for St Patrick's Day in March.  They're really sweet.

$3.99 Vehicle Sets
Fletcher spotted these and they're the perfect potty training prizes.  He also grabbed my camera in between my shots to snap his own picture.  I think he's the cutest little blogger in training.  And I love that his little feet are in the shot :)

$12.99 Stuffed Bunny
Olive will love this bunny!!  She's so sweet and the details are so charming.  Her ears have wires in them which makes them perfect for posing.  Her outfit and accessories are darling.  What a steal!  I love finding holiday decor for the kid's rooms that isn't fragile.  She can play with this bunny all she wants and she'll be just fine.

$12.99 Galvanized Cake Stand
I'll be the first to admit that Farmhouse Style is not really my style.  Yes, there are elements like ship lap, bright whites and galvanized metal that I enjoy.  But you won't find me hanging a farmhouse sign on my walls, distressing all my furniture or adding many farm-ish things to my home. 

I did find this galvanized cake stand and it was love at first sight.  It's large, has gold polka-dots around the edge and it has the prettiest turned base.  Sold!!  It's been on my island all weekend holding cars and cookies.

$14.99 Galvanized 2 Tiered Tray
Remember that 3 tiered stand story from earlier in the post??  Here's my $14.99 solution!  I love the handle, the plate sizes and the price could not be beat.  Watch for this to get accessorized in my kitchen as well as be the perfect addition to any party I host.

What's your favorite item from my TJ Maxx haul today??

If I was forced to pick, I would have to say the galvanized metal purchases.


PS TJ Maxx also has some really great clothes!  You've got to dig through the racks and you've got to try stuff on, but there are great prices hiding in those racks.  I was sad to see rows and rows of crop tops.  Not a great look for me, but after digging, I found 6 tops that caught my eye.  They were all cute.  However, only 3 of them were cute on me.  I came home with #1, #4 and #5.

Do you have a good TJ Maxx near you??

8 Ways to Serve with Your Family: Blessing Bags

I'm always on the hunt for ways to serve with my family.

It can be tricky to serve others when you feel like life is super busy with little kids.  We do our best to make it a priority and are always glad we took the time, resources and efforts to fill a need.  It's taken me some time to figure out ways to serve that are doable for my family as not all serving opportunities are conducive for little ones.

 This is our current list of serving opportunities that work for our family:

1. Delivering meals to new moms
2. Delivering cookies, flowers and baked goods to sick/elderly neighbors
3. Donating kid clothes to needy families or foster families in our city
4. Collecting cans of food to fill the shelves of a local food pantry
5. Kids doing extra chores at home for mission trip fundraisers at church
6. Blessing Bags
7. Donating household items to local shelters or needy families
8. Praying for specific needs/people in our community

Several of these opportunities have come through our church.  I've joined care teams and church Facebook groups that are quick to post about needs in our community.  Usually I'll get a text or a message about a need and then anyone that can help take care of that need replies.  It is not something we do every week - just as the need arises.  Recently we got a text about a young mom needing everything to set up a house or a new mom on my side of town that could be blessed by a home cooked meal.  It's been such a fun way for our family to serve.

Blessing Bags Details:
In January, I got together with a group of friends to make Blessing Bags.  We each signed up to bring a couple items and then we assembled the bags all together.  The big kids helped assemble bags while the little kids played.  It went really quick and everyone went home with ten bags to share with our community.

We included all of the following items in a gallon ziploc bag:
socks, deodorant,  hand warmers, beef jerky, granola bar, hand sanitizer wipes, pouch of apple sauce, peanut butter crackers, comb, chapstick, tooth paste, tooth brush and gum.  Some packs included feminine hygiene products, too.

The idea was that we could hand them out if we saw someone in need.  Some gave them out to homeless people around our city, some gave them to people asking for donations on the side of the road and others delivered their bags to shelters in our city.

Donations:
I logged onto Facebook one morning when the temps were in the negatives.  A mom friend was quickly organizing a blanket, coat, warm clothing drive to fill a need at a local shelter.  Several moms took action, got busy collecting and got everything ready for pick up.

My kids noticed I was busy gathering items and asked what I was doing.  I used it as an opportunity to share with them that there were people who were really struggling in the extreme cold and they needed our help.  I showed the kids the items I'd collected.  They understood that we were filling a need with the extra things around our house.

Without even asking the kids to contribute, Olive went off and found this pair of purple mittens.  She said they had gotten to small for her and she was happy to pass them on to another kid.  Then she reminded me that I had a lot of scarves and I could probably donate a few of them (#convicting).  So I found several scarves to part with and we filled our donation bags.  It was such a fun thing to do for others when we stuck at home in the cold.  I'm thankful for friends who come up with these ideas and just happy to be able to participate in a small way.

Do you have any ways that work for your family to serve at this stage of your life?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

In case you missed it on Polka-Dotty Place this week:

Monday: Healthy Egg Muffins
Tuesday: Walmart Wardrobe
Wednesday: School Lunch Ideas & Yumbox Love

It's time to link up with my favorite blogging buddies for High Five for Friday.  Join us with up to 3 different blog posts and be sure to look around to find some new blog friends.

Becky @  By BMG Blog
Della @ Della Devoted
Tif @ Bright on a Budget
Whitney P @ Come Home for Comfort

An InLinkz Link-up

We Love Boo! Teacher Gift

Olive and I put together a cute little Halloween gift for her teachers this week.

It was really easy and affordable.  I asked Olive to help me write the cards.  I baked her favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Then, I put them in plastic food boxes from Dollar Tree.  They're not very durable, but they do the job for one time use.  I love sending teacher treats in a box vs on a plate because I feel like they transport better to school.  Nothing gets squished.

I grabbed two Halloween towels, rolled them up and added a polka-dot bow.  The towels were from Meijer last year.  I paid less than a dollar for each one on super clearance and saved them to use this year.  Be sure to scope out the holiday clearance this year to save things for the following year.  The trick is make sure that you have a gift closet or spot to keep them organized to be able to find them when you need them.

I love sending little things in like this for Olive's kindergarten teacher and her bus driver.  I want them to know they're loved, appreciated and that we are thankful for them.  I overheard someone saying the other day that they were bummed because they HAD to buy their kid's teacher a gift.  I know I'm biased being a former teacher, but I try hard to do lots of little things to encourage and love on teachers all throughout the school year.

What are your favorite teacher gifts??

** We've got a lot going on at our house right now so things will be quiet on the blog for the rest of the week.  See you next week! **

It's time to link up with my favorite Welcome Wednesday Ladies.
Be sure to join us with some of your favorite posts from the week.

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place / Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter 

Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook

Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Faceobok / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Mauri at The American Patriette /  Facebook /  Pinterest / Instagram

Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World /  Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

An InLinkz Link-up

Childhood Cancer: Noah's Bandage Project

I first heard about Noah's Bandage Project from my friend Justine a few weeks ago.  She blogged all about it and I instantly emailed her to see how we could participate.  I knew this would be a service project that I could do with a toddler and one that she'd understand because it was all about helping kids.  She currently loves band-aids so it was an easy concept for her to connect with.

Noah Wilson was diagnosed with cancer back in 2014 at the age of six and had a great vision for how he could help other kids with cancer.  He wanted to help other kids who were going through treatment like he was and he decided fun band-aids were a great way to bring some cheer to the hospitals.  Sadly, Noah passed away in June of 2015, but his legacy lives on around the globe.  The Wilson family has raised over $100,000 for cancer research and donated bandages all over the globe.  I cannot imagine the heart ache of having a child battling cancer so I was excited to do something to help brighten the day of these sweet little patients.  You can read all about his mission for Noah's Bandage Project here.

You can read more about the project over on 

Just Another Day in Paradise

She gives the PO Box address of where to send band-aids along with more details on this sweet family that are her neighbors.

We headed to Wal-Mart one morning and I explained to Olive what we were doing once we got to the band-aid aisle.  I told her that there were sick kids in the hospital that needed band-aids.  I showed her the plain ones and asked her which ones she thought the kids would like better - plain or characters??  She smiled big and said "the cartoon ones!!"

We got busy picking out band-aids for the kids.

 We ended up with a nice assortment and she kept saying, "The kids at the doctor's office are going to LOVE these!!"  I had her explain where the band-aids were going to Kevin when he got home from work and she nailed it!  She said, "We bought bandages for sick kids in the hospital to make them happy.  They don't like the plain ones so we got them ones with people on them!!" 

We both wrote notes to send with the band-aids and then mailed our package.

We are linking up with Just Another Day in Paradise today to help spread the word for Noah's Bandage Project!!  Let me know if you have any questions because I'd be THRILLED to share Noah's story and get more band-aids sent out in his honor.  Please consider donating band-aids!!

3 Year Old Birthday Wish List

I can't believe Olive is turning three at the end of the month.  Olive's 3rd birthday is just a few weeks away and she's got a long list of things she's interested in this year.  It is her first year to request gifts so I compiled a list of her favorite things along with some things I think she'd love.  We're having birthday parties with family and then a low key birthday with just our family.  She's asked us for a horse, shiny car, kite, toys, princess things, etc.  We are getting her a guitar, Sophia the First puzzle, night gown and a play-doh cookie making set.

I know she'd love any of the following:

play make up or purse

Princess Sophia things

princess dress up things

outdoor toys for our backyard

bubble blower

puzzles

art supplies

Melissa & Doug pretend food

gardening things

play-doh

water toys for the beach

bath toys

and she's wearing a size 4T & purple is her favorite color. 

 Did I forget anything 

or is there anything your three year old LOVES??

3 Year Old Birthday Wish List by polkadottyplace featuring jelly shoes

Jelly shoes, $13 / Melissa & Doug Deluxe Stamp Set - Toys & Games - Arts & Crafts -... / GiggleBox 13 Piece Sand Toys Cooking Set for the Beach, Pool, or Bath... / No Spill Bubble Machine / Purple Quatrefoil Skirted Kids Arm Chair / Amazon.com: The Children's Place Big Girls' Dancer Night Gown, Autumn... / Ball Bounce and Sport TOYS Sophia The First Hopper (Styles and Colors... / Melissa Doug Felt Food Pizza Set / Wilko Play Wind Up Bath Toy Asst, $1.44 / Boon Pipes Water Pipes Bath Toy / Amazon.com: Play-Doh Sophia The First Dress Up: Toys & Games

Bunny Favors

I don't think favors are a party must,

but they certainly are fun to give out to kids who come to your birthday party.

I wanted to do a mix of edible and fun things without breaking the bank.

I picked out some of Olive's favorite things to put together in favors for her little cousins/friends at her party.  I started shopping back at Easter to pick up some bunny things on sale and then added in other things as her party got closer.  I had her help me make the tags.  She LOVED painting so it worked out perfectly.

Annie's cheddar bunny crackers

Annie's bunny gummies

Bunny PEZ dispensers

and tiny flutes

Pipe cleaner bunny whiskers on a cellophane bag

I freehanded some bunnies for her to paint.

We did one color at a time and used glitter paint from The Dollar Tree.

I let them dry overnight and then attached them to the tag.

 I almost forgot to pass them out at the end of her party 

because we were having such a good time :)