Friday Faves

Happy Friday!  I hope you've had a nice week and are staying warm.  Our week is ending on an icy, snowy note in Southern Indiana.  The kids have had e-learning days the past two days and those are no joke.  I'm super thankful the kid's school sent them home with their own tablets, but it's a lot to manage - me being tech support and a resource to help them with their lessons, keeping the toddler occupied while the big kids learn and then my daily to dos being completely scrapped.  I cannot imagine trying to work from home while the kids are learning from home.  My heart goes out to you if you find yourself juggling lots of extras this week.  I'm ready for the weekend!

Now let's get to my favorite moments of the week!

1. Valentine's Day Fun - you all know that I love the holidays.  It's been sweet to put together themed lunches, snacks and treats for my kids.  None of these ideas takes tons of extra time.  Just a little effort to gather red foods or grab some heart shaped treats.  

 

2.  Surprise Party - My parents planned a surprise party for a good family friend.  He loves money and loves all of us so it was fun to surprise him with money napkins at his party.  The food was delish and we were excited to pull off the surprise.

 

3. At Home - I got a coupon for 15% off my entire purchase with some of our move in post office paperwork.  I'd never shopped there and I was really impressed.  Does your city have an At Home?  The store is HUGE.  It's almost like a home furnishing warehouse.  They had everything from patio to picture frames, rugs to baskets and everything in between.  We left with several baskets for organizing toys.  These striped basket sets were so affordable and seemed like they'd be great for our upstairs family room.  They also have a free rewards program.  If you sign up, they email you a 10% coupon.

 

4. Church Search - We visited a new church last weekend and it went really well.  It takes a while to know if a church is the one for us, but we're going to keep trying.  We are lucky to live by several churches and have lots to visit.  The kids were nervous and didn't know anyone in their classes.  But their teachers were super sweet and welcoming and they all enjoyed their visits.

5. Christmas Cactus - My Christmas cactus decided to bloom a few weeks late.  I think it might have been stressed liked the rest of us about our move in December.  It looks so pretty on my kitchen counter.  Next Christmas when Aldi has their Christmas cactus plants, buy one!  This is a couple years old and it's doing great.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Linking up with Momfessionals

Valentine Candy Corn

My kid's #1 favorite treat to have after dinner is candy corn.  

Candy topped popcorn.  

It's so fun and takes very little prep time at the end of the day!  We add our favorite candies - Swedish fish, Sweet tarts, Sprees, M&Ms, Smarties, Twizzlers, gummies and Nerds and enjoy the salty sweet combo.  I grabbed some heart Swedish fish and all the red treats I could find for this month.

Tip: Don't put really melty or sticky candies on top unless you want a messy treat.  Hershey kisses melt fast.  And the sticky treats tend to get seeds stuck to them.

Tip: Aldi has the very best butter popcorn.  It's $1.99 for 6 or 8 packages and it's SO good.

 

Pair this with a good movie and you're set.  We've watched Moana, The Parent Trap, Encanto, Night at the Museum and Aladdin recently.

 

What candies would your family like on their candy corn?

Valentine Snack Board

Happy February!!  January was the longest month.  I'm excited for a fresh start this month and maybe some fresh snow later this week.  I'm going to share plenty of Valentine's Day ideas with you this month.  Let's start with this Valentine Snack Board.

I had all the right ingredients to put together a little valentine snack plate for my crew last week.  My mom gifted me this sweet heart muffin pan.  It's bigger than a mini muffin pan, but doesn't seem quite as big as a regular muffin.  Anyways, I love to use muffin tins for snack trays.  You could use any plate, serving plate or muffin tin.  These boards are just so festive and fun and they are really easy to prep in advance and put in the fridge.

 

You can customize them to work for your family.  Put together all the foods that they love, throw in some holiday themed items and you're set for a delicious treat.

My kids loved it.  Nutella is always a hit.  We like the Aldi Nutella and it's a fraction of the cost of the name brand stuff.  I don't care for plain marshmallows, but the kids loved them.  They'd happily eat this snack every day.

I didn't buy any special Valentine's Day treats for this snack.  I just grabbed all the red things I could find in the pantry, added in some Hershey Kisses (we always have these around) and some heart cupcake liners and red toothpicks.  You can cut your foods into heart shapes or just cut them into bite sized pieces.  Both strategies work.

 Lots of LOVE to you!!

Kid Jobs

Do your kids help around the house?

I'm a big believer in giving kids jobs!

 

They might grumble about it and it might take multiple time for you to show them the right way to do things, but you'll save yourself lots of time and energy and frustration if everyone is able to pitch in and help around the house.  We don't have a set schedule for any of this.  They just jump in when I ask them to help.  We're working on helping with a happy heart :)  But for the most part, they like helping and being given some extra responsibilities.

I'm hopeful that they'll know how to take care of their own homes one day thanks to all this practice.

My kids are currently 8, 5 and 1 and they all have jobs.  Yep, even the 1 year old.

Big Kid Jobs:

- setting the table

- clear the table

- sorting and "folding" their laundry

- cleaning up toys

- tidying up their room

- folding towels

- windex windows

- vacuuming

- picking up their stuff as they go through the day 

- monitoring cat food/water

- dusting

- carrying in groceries

- pack their own snacks for school

- gather all their school stuff the night before - coat, jacket, shoes, backpacks, hats/gloves and pick out their outfits for the next day.

- watering plants/garden

Toddler jobs: *

- clean up toys (with help because he really loves to dump baskets)

- put wet clothes in the dryer

- take dry clothes out of the dryer

- sweep (mostly for looks at this point, but eventually he'll be able to help sweet)

- put dirty clothes in laundry basket

- help put away groceries in the pantry

- restock drinks in the drink fridge

* I help Leo with all of these jobs.  He's so proud of himself and happy to be included.  It won't be too long before he'll be doing some of these things by himself.

What jobs do your kids do around the house??

Valentine Favorites

I have a really sweet Valentine's Day Favorites post to share with you today!

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching.  I've really enjoyed collecting a few sweet things for my family.  I've sent a couple of Valentine's Day care packages recently and there are just so much cute things to spread the love this time of year.  I'm going to show you my favorites and I'll link anything I can at the bottom of this post.

1 // Squishmallows - My kids are obsessed with these soft, squishy stuffed animals.  Target has these giant 2 Scoops Tie Dye Mouse Shaped Plushes for just $14.99.  It is so cute.  They are much larger than I imagined.  This is probably 18 inches tall and such a great price.  Everything comparable online is much more expensive so head to Target for these cuties.

2 // Cars - Leo is obsessed with cars & anything with wheels so I opted to get him this set of Hot Wheels instead of a stuffed animal for Valentine's Day.  He'll love them.

3 // Valentine's Candy - Scoop up the cute candy now and save it for your valentines.  I grabbed my kid's favorites - PEZ, Tootsie Roll pops, Reese's hearts, Swedish Fish hearts and some valentine M&Ms for baking.  The PEZ and the Tootsie Pops are under $2 each.

3 // Valentine Box - Fletcher has to make his own Valentine box holder this year.  We opted for a cute pinata and will cut a hole in the top to collect the valentines.  Amazon has some great pinata options.  Be sure to check the sizes so you don't end up with a mini one.

4 // Fidget Valentines - Both kids love fidgets and Fletcher picked out these popper fidget key chains on Amazon for his friends.  He is also hoping for some character valentine cards to go with them so I'm on the hunt for them.  We just have to add the key chain onto each popper.  I'll have him help me with that soon so we don't have to mess with it last minute.

5 // Rainbow Puzzle Balls - My kids love them.  I love them and we've gifted a few to friends.  They're great and good for fine motor skills practice for the kids.

6 // Cat Valentines - Target has these crazy cat valentines.  They're super cute and 3rd grader approved.

7 // Mochis - Olive said this assortment of mochis for her classmates made all her dreams come true!  They're so so cute.  Squishy.  And individually wrapped!  Perfect to give out to valentines.  We're going to staple two onto each card that she passes out for friends.  They seem to be really great quality and are even cuter in person.

8 // Valentine Accessories - In case you're looking for some practice Valentine's Day presents, these are a few of our new favorites from Amazon.  We love the Amazon Essentials coats so we tried the vests.  Look at this cute color.  It's warm and light weight.

 

9 // Knotted Headband Pack - We are also loving this huge pack of solid colored knotted headbands!  They fit kids and adults.  They're comfy (I have a big head and they really are comfy!) and my 3rd grader and I both enjoy wearing them.  You get 22 headbands in really good colors for just $24.99.  They'd be great to give to friends or just enjoy with your daughter.  The price and quality are really great.  10/10 recommend :)

Side note: Family adventures are always extra exciting with big toddler feelings!  Leo mostly enjoyed himself at this basketball game this week.  We wore our purple and orange headbands to the game.

10 // Heart Waffle Makers - We have a 2 heart waffle maker and I have gifted them to a few different people over the years.  It is so fun to eat heart waffles.  We actually use ours year round.  Heart waffles just taste better.  

 

I've got a few more random favorites that I'll include links to below - best books, best accessories, best valentines.  Spread the love!!

Linking up with Momfessionals and Prime Purchases with Tanya

My Valentine Amazon Affiliate Links!  Thanks for shopping my links :)

Healthy School Lunch Ideas

I pack 10 school lunches a week.  2 lunches per day.  Every single week.  Actually I pack 15 lunches a week because I almost always pack lunch for my husband, too.  Lots of hugs from home in the middle of their school/work days !

My kids aren't big fans of school lunches so packing works best for us.  It also saves us lots of money for me to pack lunches for everyone.  I'm going to show you their favorites in the hopes that you'll find some ideas of foods to pack for your own kids or snacks to serve to your little family and friends!

A Heart-y lunch is perfect for the next few weeks leading up to Valentine's Day!  I cut the fruits and veggies into hearts, added heart candy, homemade chocolate zucchini bread and then cut their sandwiches into little hearts.  The pretzels are already close to heart shaped so I just added some red M&Ms.  So fun!

Berries, Yogurt (I love that these sealed compartments do not leak!) and Ritz cracker chips.

If you don't find yourself having to pack school lunches, maybe this mini muffin tin snack tray is more your speed.  I made this after lunch and then popped it in the fridge.  It was ready to serve and be devoured after school.  All 3 kids really enjoyed this.  It was nice to have food to give them right away and not have to make snacks.  We just chatted while they ate.

Brunch themed lunch - berries, yogurt, mini muffins (bran & blueberry), meat, cheese and Lucky Charms.  Learn from me - don't put the mini marshmallows in with the mini muffin because they'll go soggy.

Doritos, cold plain pasta, carved ham, turkey pepperoni and cheese.  I added a Butterfinger and dark chocolate covered almonds for dessert.

One of my kid's loves salads so we tried packing a salad for lunch.  It was a big hit!

Homemade treats area a fun addition - my kids love these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and they like the variety of a couple of foods in each compartment.

Hard boiled eggs and homemade protein bites are a big hit.  My kids love these Apple Cinnamon Protein Bites the best. 

My simple lunch box note trick - post it notes :)  They work great.  My kids like silly pictures and quick messages.  I forgot the note one day this week and Olive called me out on it.  She was like... Umm mom did you forget my note today??  I'm glad to know she likes them.

What foods do you pack in your kid's lunches?  Would they like any of these lunches?

3 Things

I have a quick little check in from the whole family to kick off 2022.  These are the current events in each of their lives.  The kids are all about to have birthdays this Spring and will add one more year to their totals :)

 

Olive //  Age 8

1. Olive would say tell you that it's hard to move in the middle of the school year.  Lots of people already have friends and routines so it's tricky to break in.  She's thankful for nice girls in her class that are making an effort to get to know her.  She reminds us often that she misses her old friends and her old school and just really knowing what to expect.  She went to her old school for 3.5 years and she loved knowing the game plan - the best teachers, the nice girls, the expectations and the norms.  I'm hoping she picks up on all of that soon at her new school.  I'm so proud of her for trying her best each day and feeling a little more confident in doing so. 

2. She is in a demanding 3rd grade class.  She came home with homework instructions to reread the assignment, review the detailed outline she'd written in class and then type up a 3-4 paragraph persuasive writing on her monster creation - Cookie.  She created a cute monster that helps you with cooking, gives you massages and can style your hair.  Her "hook" (catchy opening line to her essay) was "Are you tired of doing everything yourself?"  It was really creative, cute and funny.  I'm impressed with her writing.  Olive is creative and clever.  She also seems so grown up all of the sudden.  She loves to remind me that she's almost double digits.

3. Comfy clothes are key.  She wants soft flowy pants, soft shirts, high pony tails and she's even going for tennis shoes more than Crocs now that it's freezing out.  She stays very active at school with PE twice a week and daily exercise in her classroom.

 

 

Fletcher // Age 5

1. Fletcher is enjoying school.  He has buddies that he sits by and he's really bonded with the teacher's aid in his classroom.  She's very sweet.  She knows Fletcher and then sees Olive later in the day.  It's fun to see them get to connect with new adults at their new school.  I got a sneak peek of him on the playground this week and he runs the entire time at recess.  He plays tag, chases friends, etc.  It was funny to see him GO GO GO. 

2. He wakes up every morning and asks if it's the weekend yet.  He's a homebody and loves to be home as much as possible.  He's started telling people: "I'm going to be a stay at home dad when I grow up!"  He says he'll cook and clean and do all the fun stuff with the kids.  We'll have to see how that plays out for him as he gets older.

3. Fletcher has had some behind the scenes health things going and we were looking for some answers for the past 6 months or so.  We were so relieved when he got a perfect bill of health recently.

 

Leo // Age 1

1. Well Leo tends to get the most coverage these days because he's my 24/7 sidekick.  He goes nonstop and has rightfully earned the hashtag #wildmanleo - it's perfectly fitting for him.  He's happy to climb on the counters, wants to share every single thing with me (wear my head phones) and steals drinks whenever he gets the chance.  He follows directions most of the time - go get your shoes on, put your hat on, lets go to the front door, etc.

2. Leo has learned to say his sibling's names.  Sissy and Fuffy.  Olive & Fletcher.  He loves going around the room, pointing to each of us and saying our names.  The big kids love that he has a name for each of the now.  They're all good buddies.

3. I'm still squeezing him into his 2T clothing even though he's ready for 3T.  He's just growing too fast.  A stranger at Target asked me how old he was.  I tried to remember the months (20 months) but couldn't so I just said, "He's about to turn 2!"  Gosh, that flew by fast.  He needs me to find his box of 3T Fletcher hand me downs ASAP.  Maybe that'll make my to do list for today.

Kevin & Whitney // Age 40 (haha Olive asked why I only put the kid's ages on our Christmas cards and didn't tell everyone how old we were.  That made me laugh so here's a reminder that we're both 40!)

1. Kevin's days are filled with meetings, settling in at his new office, learning the ropes at a new university and being the new guy on campus.  He's been working hard on projects around the house to help us all feel more settled.

2. My days are filled with errands, grocery trips, unpacking/finding homes for all of our stuff and being the constant routine keeper for the whole crew.  We have our morning routine, school routines, after school and homework routines, dinner time, down time, and bed time.  We're still working on them, but it makes me happy to be the constant in their lives.  My friend Laura reminded me that I'm the anchor for my family during this big transition.

3. We're both working on making Evansville feel like home.  I honestly have to orient myself and remind myself of our surroundings.  After living FAR away for nearly 20 years, it's hard to shift yoru thinking to everything and everyone being 20 minutes away.  I'm still typing in directions to get places, tracking down gas stations and trying to figure out the easiest way from A to B.

You'll find us on sunset strolls most evenings as long as it's not raining.  Winter sunsets are so pretty!

Tell me something about you to kick off the new year :)

Refreshing Your Home Decor with Paint: A Beginner's Guide

As we're settling into our new house, I'm trying to find homes for some of my favorite pieces of decor.  

I realized that several of my favorite things didn't quite work in our new house.  We've rearranged decor and the color scheme has changed.  Instead of buying all new things, I am determined to give things a new life with a coat of paint.  I'm not a pro painter.  I used spray paint and chalk paint that I already owned.  The pieces all look new and perfect for their new locations.

I refreshed some decor for my kitchen and two pieces for our laundry room.  It took 2 days for each painted item to be finished.  I did a first coat and then a second coat of paint a day later.  Light coats of paint dry faster and don't leave your finished product feeling sticky.

 

The hardest part is getting started sometimes.

I grabbed some flattened moving boxes, gathered my supplies and got busy in my garage.

Chalk paint is very thick so I watered it down a bit.  I didn't tape off the white knobs.  I opted to wipe them off right away if any paint got on them.  I improvised a bit - no paint stir stick - no problem.  I used a plastic fork.  No professional paint cups - no problem.  Solo cups work just fine.

We loved this coat rack in our old laundry room.  I decided green would be a better color for it in our new lemony laundry room.  I did 2 coats of paint and sealed it with the Annie Sloan clear wax.

This organizer has worked great for us for toys, kid stuff, pantry overflow and more.  I wanted it in the laundry room and knew that red wouldn't work with my lemon theme.  I had a can of white spray paint and got busy.  Spray from all angles.  All sides and let each application of paint dry really well before painting it again.  I LOVE how quick it is to paint something with spray paint.  It's much faster than brushing on paint.

Look how bright and fresh it looks now that it's white!

 

The organizer will hold all the miscellaneous winter items for the whole family and it fits perfectly under the coat rack for the adults.

I bought these decorating globes when we lived in Mississippi.  The blue has always worked in our family room, but it no longer matched our colors.  I had a can of black spray paint and got busy spraying them.  I did dust them quickly with a wet wash cloth first.  Let them dry and then sprayed them black.  It took two coats on two different days.  Cardboard boxes make the perfect backdrop.

Done!  They've been given new life!

They look great on top of my kitchen cabinets and match my decor much better now.

All 3 of these projects were pretty quick, fun, a good challenge and it makes me happy to know that I didn't buy any new supplies to make them happen.  

Do you have anything in your house that could use a fresh coat of paint??  

I enjoyed shopping my house instead of shopping for new stuff.  I've got my sights set on a small table next and maybe a picture frame or two.  Happy DIYing!