Nanny to Mommy

My son and daughter have been making Valentine Boxes since they were in pre-school. This year my son knew he wanted to make a shark and my daughter had no idea, so we searched Pinterest. And in my search for the something that sparked my daughter's interest, I decided to create this list of 20 of the Best Valentine Box Ideas that I have found on Pinterest. I have also shared some of our from years past as well.

My son is in kindergarten this year and the 100th day of school is coming up. He was assigned a project to complete a shirt with 100 items on it. When my daughter was in kindergarten, they asked all the littles to dress as a 100-year-old. It was too cute. I like the idea of the shirt a little better from an educational aspect because it got my son to count in groups of ten. This helped him with his counting and with his small motor skills. Since I had a search party on Pinterest trying to find ideas of what to do for our "100th Day of School" Shirt, I thought I would share some of my favorites here and you can also check out our creation too!

These DIY 100 days of school shirt ideas are super easy and very affordable. I bought my shirt for a little over $2 at Michael's Craft Store. I will try and link any related items that are inexpensive from Amazon. I remember taking 100 pennies and pasting them to a piece of cardboard sitting in my grandmother's kitchen with my cousins. We lived with my grandmother for a little while when my mom went back to school after my parent's divorced when I was five. I remember it feeling like it was taking SO LONG to count to 100. That's why I suggest the 10 by 10 method. I also only included easy and inexpensive DIY ideas because the idea was to be a project that a preschooler or Kindergartener can handle, but you could use Patches4Less as well. If you are looking for something that is great for groups, can be outsourced and is affordable and customizable check out these custom chenille patches by UltraPatches. If it wasn't a project, then there are tons of homemade 100 days of shirt ideas that can be made with Cricuts online too.

If you also want to complete these fun custom tee shirts ideas, then try bulk custom T-shirts, not only can you customize the material needed for the event for easy modification, but you can also print the school's logo and let the students design their own designs on the shirts, and you can also wear the designed creative shirts on your body, and the kids will surely feel proud of them. It can inspire creativity and interest in do-it-yourself design.

Update 1/13/25: I am a preschool teacher now and I am so excited to have my students participate in this process. I did want to note that there are many options to purchase 100 days of school shirts for preschool and kindergarten on Etsy and Amazon, if your school isn't really going the project route.

These Rae Dunn or Frozen 2 inspired homemade ornament craft for kids were created with products received from Oriental Trading. Although complimentary products were received, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

If you have been following me since 2014, then you know that I have enjoyed collaborating with Oriental Trading off and on even though I have been a huge fan of theirs for years. I love the variety of products they provide whether it is birthday decorations, educational toys, costumes for the entire family, or crafting supplies. They even have home décor that you can check out as well.

My daughter celebrated her 9th birthday today and we held a slumber party over the weekend. While thinking of activities to include, I decided on having the children make homemade ornaments. I didn't want anything too involved or messy, so we settled on these Rae Dunn or Frozen 2 inspired ornaments. The writing reminds me of Rae Dunn collection pieces while the inside reminds me of Frozen 2. I loved the idea of making ornaments for a winter slumber party because it was a great activity plus they got a little party favor to take home.

I use to love different crafts projects and I still do, but I am one of those people that has to be in the mood and it isn't an everyday occurrence. Once I start a project, I like to finish it so finding the time is key for me. That's why I tend to lean towards easy projects, like this DIY Winter Princess Holiday Wreath. It is perfect for winter, Christmas, or a winter birthday theme. And it was VERY easy to make. I was sent a ton of items from Oriental Trading to provide this craft. All opinions are my own.

What my favorite part about this craft is that you can use different color tulle and make what ever kind of wreath you wanted! Red, White, and Blue for Independence Day. Red and Green for Christmas. Black and Orange for Halloween! It's seriously so versatile. I love easy, peasy home décor ideas and wreaths are a perfect way to keep your home festive.

My daughter is obsessed with unicorns and so are my nieces. So I wanted to incorporate that into a cute Easter basket idea. They also love JoJo Siwa and since she loves all things unicorn, I thought the two could go hand in hand if you are looking for some basket filler ideas! So if you're child is like mine and a little unicorn obsessed, then you'll love this Unicorn Easter Basket Tutorial and stuffer ideas.

I originally saw the idea of creating an Easter Basket Tutu from my friend Jamie who blogs at The Denver Housewife. She has done so many cute ones including a Shopkins Easter Basket. And I am all about reusing items found around the house to create new projects. I think it is more economical to do it that way, but you could very easily buy many of the items featured in Target's Dollar Spot or on Amazon like she did. I will try and link to some similar items. My mother-in-law gave me the tulle I used and I had the unicorn topper from some old party supplies. That's why I decided to recreate this look for a Unicorn theme.

Holiday Break is here! If you are in need of activities to keep the kiddos occupied, especially since it's likely too cold to go outside, I have a great one for you! DIY Peppermint Slime!

We set out cookies and milk for Santa. But what about for his reindeer? Some set out carrots, but we like to make reindeer food! It is super easy to make and I also have a few tips and tricks to make it all that more magical.

Celebrate the Holidays with Peppa Pig! I am a Peppa Pig Parent and recently was sent a TON of goodies that my nieces and son are going to flip over. They have so many cute stocking stuffers and more just in time for the holidays. And I decided I would share some fun holiday Peppa Pig coloring sheets, activities, and more.

Peppa is a loveable, cheeky little piggy who lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa's favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. Do you have a Peppa Pig fan in your house?

Check out all of the Peppa Pig Stocking Stuffers!

This time of year is fun for so many reasons. Holiday events, baking all season long, and making gifts for friends and family whether that is homemade holiday cards, ornaments, and so much more. This year we received some goodies from Crayola to make some super special holiday décor gifts for family.

Crayola Crayon Melter brings renewed life to Crayola crayon sets everywhere with melted crayon artwork that's easier than ever before to create. That's right! Now you can use up those broken crayons and make beautiful artwork to share with everyone.

The Welch’s® Fruit Snacks Valentine’s Day themed box and pouch have custom Valentine’s-themed graphics with heart-shaped pieces with fun emojis. The snacks are perfect for Valentine’s Day parties, as each pouch features a “To/From” sign-able front panel. Moms and Dads love that every pack is made with REAL Fruit, is Gluten-Free, and contains No Preservatives. Welch’s® Fruit Snacks feature fruit as the first ingredient, so they taste delicious!

I received complimentary products to share this post. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

My daughter loves to craft. She has also started wanting to learn how to cook and bake in the kitchen. I think it's because it's a very creative process. I was recently introduced to a craft by Alex Brands that captures the current decorating food trends into a fun and addicting craft. So for an early birthday present, I decided to introduce her to the world of Sweetlings.

There are so many Sweetlings characters to choose from to create. The top part is made of squeezable, whipped clay and you can customize each with stickers and other accessories. Once the moldable clay becomes dry, the characters are fun toys! Each set comes with everything you need to make one of the ten different characters which names include:

Since the weather is turning colder and we are staying indoors more, I have decided to share a great rainy day activity - DIY Farm Life Sensory Bin. Sensory play enhances learning through hands-on activities that stimulate the child's senses. This is a great way for children to explore the world they live in. Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine/gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction.

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Schleich. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Here is what you'll need to make a DIY Farm Life Sensory Bin:

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

For some reason kids just love playing with bubbles. Whatever a child likes about bubbles - the benefits speak through fine motor skills, sensory skills, oral motor skills, and the list goes on. I have a special bubble solution recipe as well as a super fun and easy bubble painting craft to celebrate Teletubbies' 20 Years of Big Hugs throughout 2017 and the release of their new TELETUBBIES: BUBBLES DVD.

What I love about this craft is that it was so easy and the kids enjoyed it. My son is three and still has a little trouble blowing bubbles, but practice makes perfect which can help him with his speech as well.

My kids love Entenmann’s® Little Bites® so I was so excited to receive the opportunity to share about a fantastic way for you to go to see the new Smurfs movie at a discounted price AND eat some very yummy blueberry muffins that my kids absolutely LOVE!


Have you heard the news? The Smurfs are back! And this time they are not alone. Entenmann’s® Little Bites® wants you to see the new movie that came out in theaters April 7th, "Smurfs: The Lost Village". Entenmann’s® Little Bites® and SMURFS: The Lost Village™ are Smiling Together. Buy (2) 5ct, (1) 10ct, or (1) 20ct specially designed boxes of Little Bites Smurf Blueberry Muffins between 4/7/17 & 4/28/17 and get $5.00 OFF a Fandango ticket to see the movie!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The day where everyone is a little bit Irish!

And I have an awesome giveaway for you with Liquid Chalk Ink Markers by CHALKOLA.
Have you seen those super cute chalkboard signs? People use them for birthday, back to school, pregnancy announcements, you name it. I love them. I think they are a great way to mark a special occasion. I thought I would share all the ways that you could easily use these markers to celebrate a multitude of special events because these markers give you bold, smooth letters that won't get smudged once dried.

Do you have any Christmas Eve Traditions? I have put together a little basket that I have been wanting to do for years, but never seemed to get around to it. But this year I finally got it all together and you get to see what is in our Christmas Eve Basket.

Since we do my mother-in-law's side on Christmas Eve now, I'm giving my kiddos their Christmas Eve basket early.

I have been looking for ways to combat summer "brain drain" and boredom. It's funny, my daughter says she's bored until there is cleaning to be done. Anyways, my daughter LOVES making crafts. And I have found an easy way to make a ton of crafts without blowing the budget.

 

Oriental Trading has not only great summer crafts, they also have fun summer toys and inspirational party ideas for your next back yard luau. I love shopping at Oriental Trading because they have awesome prices. Here are just some of the great DIY craft kits that you can purchase for as low as $0.14 per piece!