2018 Back to School Posters + Tween Fashion || #BTS2018

We are gearing up for Back to School 2018 and with that comes back to school shopping! Even though I am sad that the summer is coming to an end and that the crazy school year schedule will soon return, I love all the buzz and excitement surrounding the first day of school! We all love doing back to school shopping and finding that perfect first day of school outfit.

Gone are the days when I could take them shopping and pick out all the clothes I think are the cutest. Now all three of them have definite opinions about what is cool and what is in style. It's fun to see their personalities shine through as they pick out that perfect first day of school outfit.

Isabella is the power back to school shopper in our house. She could spend hours going through all the racks of clothes, trying them on, and putting them together in all sorts of different configurations until she finds her perfect first day of school outfit. It's a little exhausting for me because I really don't love the hunt of shopping. I like to get in and get out. I'd rather skip the trying on, but I don't so that Isabella can have the true back to school shopping experience.

She will definitely be the perfect teenager one day. I can see her hanging out at the mall all day Saturday and shopping with her girlfriends. She is totally into leggings (like these mermaid leggings)  and they are a staple in her school style. She likes clever t-shirts and likes to top off the outfit with a great pair of kicks (like these orange Adidas).

JT is a typical tween boy. He just wants to grab things that are his size and style, throw them in the shopping cart and be done. However, with him growing like a weed, I do make him try a few things on. He feels lucky that he is a boy and can try on shirts in the middle of the story without anyone thinking too much about it. I know that he has a Fortnite t-shirt on his back to school list this year.

I hope you enjoy your Back to School shopping, that everyone gets the perfect first day of school outfit. Be sure to download these PRINTABLE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL POSTERS to make your first day of school morning a little less hectic! You can download the first day of school posters here!!!!

Orange You Glad It's Summer Teacher Gift + Printable

If you hadn't heard, I have a certain daughter that loves orange. She is crazy for it! She wants her hair orange, she wants her clothes orange, she loves orange food best and everyday involves orange in one form or the other. So, when it was time to do end of the year teacher gifts I knew that orange would need to be involved in some way. Since we had already done the Orange You Glad I'm Eight when she got baptized almost 2 years ago, I thought that Orange You Glad it's Summer would be the perfect theme for a teacher gift.



So I gathered up as many orange things as I could find and filled up a cute orange sand bucket that I found in the Dollar Spot at Target (or whatever they're calling it now) and loaded it up.

The orange things I included:
Orange Wooden Earrings (I sprayed painted a wooden pair I bought.)
Orange bubble wand
Orange sunscreen
Orange water gun
Orange soda
Orange gum
Orange Tic Tacs
Orange box of candy (Reese's Pieces)
Orange nail polish
Orange magazine
An ORANGE!

I lucked out in finding the HGTV magazine with an orange armoire on the front that went perfectly with the orange theme. I bought cute wooden leaf earrings and sprayed painted them orange. They turned out so cute!! I also included a gift card and made an orange gift card holder for it with a scrap of scrapbook paper and some orange washi tape.

It all fit in the bucket perfectly and then I added a cute little tag that I made by attaching it to the bucket with orange baker's twine. My daughter was thrilled with how it all came together. It was so much fun to make and I love that you can put anything in it you think that your teacher would love that is ORANGE!

{FREE ORANGE YOU GLAD IT'S SUMMER PRINTABLE TAG}
If you'd like to make one and use the free printable tag, you can download it HERE.

Fine Print:
Please feel free to use this printable for your personal use. 

Please be kind and give credit where credit is due. 

Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please do not remove the watermark.

2017 Back to School Sign Printables + Kid Fashion || #BTS2017

Is it time to go back to school at your house? I can't believe that summer
vacation is over and that we have to get back to the daily grind of
school, but we've got to make the best of it! The kids love going back
to school shopping and picking out the perfect clothes for the first days
of school. And this year, Grace wouldn't be left out of all the fun,
even though she'll only be doing Mommy School.

I kind of miss the days when I could just pick out their clothes and find all

the cute things I wanted them to wear. Now the two oldest have definite

opinions about what is cool and what is in style and I'm just there to nod my

head in agreement. However, it's also fun to see their personalities shine through

as they pick out the perfect outfit.

My Isabella is my power shopper. She could spend hours going through all

the racks of clothes, trying them on, and putting them together in all sorts of

different configurations until she finds exactly what will be perfect for the

first day. It's a little exhausting for me because I really don't love the hunt of

shopping. I like to get in and get out. I'd rather skip the trying on, but I 

don't so that Isabella can have the true back to school shopping experience.

She'll be the perfect teenager one day. If it's cool again to hang out at the mall

and shop your Saturday away, I could see that being Isabella's jam. It was 80

degrees the first day of school, but she had to wear her new jean jacket because

it was the outfit she had picked out for the the first day of school.

JT is a typical tween boy. He can't be bothered with trying things on and

just grabs things that are his size and says - "These are the things I want." Even

though I loathe the waiting that goes with dressing rooms, I do make him try

a few things on. He feels lucky that he is a boy and can try on shirts in the middle

of the story without anyone thinking anything too much about it. And if one 

shirt fits, then he is convinced that any other shirt that size will also fit.

He is the one that lasted the longest and let me pick out his back to school
clothes up until last year. I could hand him a few new "outfits" and he was like,
"Thanks, Mom!" This year he did not think that my t-shirt ideas were cool
enough and he ASKED to go to Target so he could check out the shirts
himself. Thus, the reason he is wearing a Punisher shirt for the first day.

So, I hope you enjoy your Back to School shopping, that everyone gets
the perfect outfit and that you can use these printable posters to make your
first day of school morning a little less hectic!
You can download the first day of school posters here!!!!

Back to School Tips for Anxious Kids + ChapStick® {GIVEAWAY}

Disclosure: The ChapStick® product, information and gift have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. We were given product for review purposes. All opinions are our own.

We've been back to school for almost a month now and we're settling back into the
daily routine that comes with school days. However, if you have a child that is anxious
and struggles with anxiety issues, each day can almost feel like that first day of school with
the worries of what the new day will hold. Changes in the weather, daily schedule,
and other situations can make your anxious child struggle to enjoy going to school each day.

So, I've got a few tips that I've found help ease the anxiety and make school days fun
and exciting instead of stressful and overwhelming..

TIP #1 - Prep as much as you can the night before.

One thing that has helped us immensely is to get as much as we can put together the
night before the school day. This means we pick out clothes, find socks, locate shoes,
sign the planner, fill the water bottle, make sure homework is in the folder and all other
papers are signed and in the backpack so the morning is stress free.
We didn't do this last year and I can really tell the difference it has made.

TIP #2 - Have a visual checklist for your morning 

and evening routines.

There are definite things that need to be done in the morning and in the evening and 

having a visual checklist can help make sure that things get done and nothing is 

forgotten. I know my kids like have the visual checklist and I don't have to be the nag

because I can just say - did you finish the to-do list? And they can self monitor

and make sure that everything is getting done, which makes them feel empowered
and less anxious about accomplishing everything.

TIP #3 - Have a set of school supplies at home for 

homework and projects.

It can be really helpful to have a little pencil pouch or box with all the same school

supplies your kids have at school at home for them to use for homework. I know we've

had a few stressful afternoons when they've needed glue and scissors and we have no

idea where they are at. So, just like I send them to school with colored pencils, scissors,

glue stick, highlighters, and pencils, we also have a set at home for each of them to use.

All of these items stay in the pencil pouch so they are ready to go each afternoon

when it is time to do homework and school projects and there is no scrambling to find

find this or that.

TIP #4 - Pack small comfort items from home in 
their backpacks.

The last thing that has really helped us is to have little things that are important to her
or that help her feel at ease with her at school. One of those things is ChapStick®.
She hates to have dry lips and she worries about keeping them hydrated and smooth while
she's at school. So, we make sure she always has one in her pencil pouch in her desk
and one in a special little pocket in her backpack. That way she always has ChapStick®
with her and doesn't get anxious about it. 

Did you know that you can purchase the many varieties of ChapStick® in their new
online store? Now, you're never more than a click away from smooth and silky lips!
(There is a minimum requirement of 3 items per order to checkout.)

{GIVEAWAY}
If you love having ChapStick® on hand at all times like we do, then I'm going to make
your day with this fun giveaway! You'll win ChapStick® prize pack that includes 3 packs
of ChapStick® in different varieties all inside the cute ChapStick® lunch box tin 
you see above! Good luck!   
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May the Fourth {Grade} Be With You Printable

We survived the first day of school! 

And everyone passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

Last year, for JT's birthday, I made a cool Minecraft Binder Cover

for his birthday and it was so fun to have it personalized to something he loves.

Well, the night before school started I was up and prepping all the school supplies

and labeling everything I pulled out JT's new homework binder and I decided it was

too plain and needed a little sprucing up.

So, instead of going to bed, I decided to make a cool binder cover for this year's binder.

JT is loving Star Wars right now (what almost 10-year-old doesn't?) and

then it hit me, "May the Fourth (grade) Be With You". Get it?!

May the Force Be With You, May the Fourth (grade) Be With You!

I was cracking myself up and so excited that it worked perfectly with 

his current grade and interest.

So, if you've got a Star Wars lover in your life that could used a cool
homework binder cover for his fourth grade year, then this free printable is for you!
The above image is just a preview for your hi-res 8.5x11"
May the Fourth (grade) Be With You print, follow the link!

First Day of School Printable Signs: Back to School

Your mom might be a blogger if she makes you dress up the week before school starts

in your first day of school clothes so that she can snap pictures of you with the fun

Back to School signs she made for this year. The kids were like, "What are we doing?"

I told them not to worry and just to smile. I have mixed feelings about summer coming
to an end and a new school year starting. I love the excitement of getting ready for
school tostart and the anticipation of finding out who their new teachers will be.

However, I'm sad to see our carefree summer days come to an end and have a
reminderthat my babies aren't babies and are growing up in to wonderful people.

I've made First Day of School signs every year since JT was in Kindergarten, 

whether they were handwritten or created in Photoshop and printed off 5 minutes
before we run out the door. I love marking time with the signs and then snapping a last
day of school photo at the end of the year and seeing the growth and progress from the
first to the last day of school. Time is a thief.

Like I mentioned before, I usually do the signs last minute and then we snap the pictures,

load into the car and I never share with you what I've made. But this year I am on top of 

it and I designed an entire set from Pre-school to 6th grade for you to print off and 

document your first days of school all over the world. Also, we usually start school after 

Labor Day and by then the entire Universe has been in school for what seems like 

forever, but our school district has finally wised up and we're starting in August like the 

rest of the world.

I'm pretty sure that it's going to be an amazing year! I'm kind of nervous that JT is going
to be in Fourth Grade! I mean, that's upper grades! What the heck?! I taught one year
of Fourth Grade and I have to admit it wasn't my favorite year of teaching. I loved the
kids, but it was stressful to be new to the state and teaching a grade I hadn't had any
previous experience with. But I survived and I still think of those kids fondly, even if they
did kind of freak me out because some of them were almost as tall as I was!

So, if you'd like to print a cute First Day of School sign to help you document this big
day,then click on the link below to find the complete set of signs from Preschool to
6th grade,including a Pre-K sign if you're lucky enough to have that in your life!

Have a fabulous first day of school and an awesome new school year!

UPDATED WITH 2016-2017 DATES!!!

CLICK HERE for the Free Back to School Printable Signs

b4 Hand Sanitizer: A Back to School Gift Your Teacher Will Love

Disclosure: I received product for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I know I've told you that in my former life I used to be a 2nd grade teacher.

This time of year was always full of back to school fun, lots of planning,

a little bit of anxiety, piles of school supplies and lots and lots of GERMS!!!!!

You heard me - GERMS!!!!!

It seems like without fail, 82.79% of the kids and teachers get sick that

first week of school because long gone are the wide open spaces of summer,

and everyone is back sharing GERMS in small, cozy classrooms.

No joke!

So, if you want to give your teacher the gift that will stop the gifts that just keep giving,

then pick up some b4 hand sanitizers and give them a great back to school

gift that she can actually use.

 

b4 products are great because they are brightly colored and cleverly convenient!

You can get them in a 25 or 50-count box, 25 or 50-count cylinder,

500-count box, 8 oz pump bottle, or 5-count blister pack.

A few highlights about b4 products:

• The b4 hand sanitizer is specially formulated to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria
• Each single-use gel hand sanitizer is packaged in eye-popping, bold colors
• Hand sanitizer packets can be co-branded – b4 works with companies to customize colors, logos, etc.
• b4 hand sanitizer moisturizes hands with Vitamin E and aloe  
• All b4 products are made in the USA
• b4 is a triclosan-free hand sanitizer

The other awesome thing about b4 products is that they give 50% of all their

profits from sales to children-focused causes!!

The profits are donated through the Midway Foundation and more than

$1.3 million has already been donated to 150 organizations.

That is so amazing.

So, help your teacher and your kids and print my printable,

pick up some b4 products from Staples (starting Sept. 20th) or order

online and use the promo code "b4health" for 15% off your order,

and in turn, help some really great children-focused organizations!

Here is a cute hand print printable that you can print to pair with your b4 single
use hand sanitizers to let your teachers and staff that you
are always there to help!

Good luck with back to school!

Sweet Summer Treat Printable

We finally made it to summer and had our last day of school!

If you love printables as much as I do and have printed off you summer bucket list,

then you are ready too!

I knew I wanted to give the kids in the JT's second grade class a little something

to say - have a great summer! 

So when I walked into See's Candies to pick up some thank you gifts for the teachers 

and saw the beloved sugar sticks from my childhood, I knew what I wanted to make.

Do you remember these sugar sticks from See's Candies?

We loved them as kids. They were five or ten cents a piece and such a fun treat.

See's quit carrying them years ago because they weren't money makers.

The See's Candies employee told me that they make them for their Easter boxes,

and whatever is left over they sell individually.

So good to know!

I mad a fun printable that declares "Have a SWEET Summer!" and included

guides to cut slits in the paper so you can slide your adorable

See's Candies sugar sticks through and have a fun and cheap gift.

If you don't have an obsession with the sugar sticks like I do, 

then you can use a sucker, Pixy Sticks, or another fun treat.

I thought the sweet See's sugar sticks were perfect for the gift

and JT was excited to hand them out to his friends.

It really was a very SWEET second grad year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again,

SECOND GRADE IS MAGIC!

So, download your copy of the sweet summer treat printable, grab some See's sugar sticks,

and have a fantastic summer vacation!