Spring Easter Table Decor

This year we went for simple and easy for the Easter Table.

Easter is always a tricky holiday in our family.

Trying to squeeze in the morning egg and basket hunt, getting ready for church, then coming home with hardly enough time to put the holiday meal on the table...while still trying to make it festive, keep it tidy for the coming guests, and prepare for the afternoon egg hunt outside.

So I am always looking for ways to make this day a touch easier and I started with the table setting.

We had white table linens with burlap overlays. Candles and wood crates for centerpieces. And the place settings were a simple page from a book with a DOLLAR STORE decoration at each.

Simple, clean and quick.

I should have taken better pictures, but in the rush of the day, I hardly got any.

Happy Easter!

Valentine Printables

Time is flying...and to think the Valentine's Day preparations are beginning!

 I am determined to be on top of things this year...one of many new year resolutions.

So here is a simple Valentine's Day Printable for you:

Click on the image to download the free Valentine Printable.

The download comes with two pages, one as Valentines (with the the "to & from")

and one as Valentine Tags.

For more Valentine's Day ideas check: here.

Linked to these Parties: Here

Check out all the projects they have to share.

Christmas Scripture Advent Calendar and Printables

I love Christmas and everything about it.

I remember one year as a kid we had a candle with the numbers 1-25 on it and each night we burned it while we read a few verses from the Christmas Story.

So for a Christmas lesson I gave this year I decided to make just that.

 For this lesson each girl was given a Christmas Scripture Count Down,

a type of Christmas Advent Calendar, including a Candle, a Jar of Hershey Kisses, and list of Scriptures. 

 Each night they were to light the candle, savor a Hershey Kiss, and read the day's designated verses.

The scriptures chosen tell the story of Christ's Birth.

I also made a Printable Scripture Paper Chain. No candle needed.

Just tear off a link each day and read the scripture listed.

Printables Below.

There are some great tutorials for printing on candles here and here.

But, my printer jammed up each time I tried to print on the "tissue paper taped to regular paper"

since I was on a time crunch I didn't end up printing on my candles.

 So here are the printables.

Click to Enlarge:

The first two are 8.5" x 11"

Count Down of Scriptures from the Bible:

 Count Down of Scriptures from the Bible & Book of Mormon:

Four to a Page:

Paper Chain Printables:

Printable Elf on the Shelf Notes

The Elf on the Shelf seems to be getting more and more popular, so I figured there might be a few of you out there that would like some Elf Notes. I have been making lots of little notes each night as I set out our Elf and so I figured I would share some of the generic ones.

Hope you are enjoying your Christmas Season, because we sure are!

Just click on the image to save and print.

Kids Pirate Party

As I discussed in the Pirate Party Invitation Post & the Adult Pirate Party Post...

we did a double birthday party for my two boys.

With Halloween so close, I worked hard to keep things inexpensive and simple.

So between free printables from the internet and some Dollar Store shopping, it was covered.

First I made made the invitations found: Here.

(Free printable download)

Then for decorations and favors we hit the Dollar Tree.

Necklaces, Skull Rings, Eye Patches, Pirate Hats, Coins, Tattoos and Hooks.  For a Dollar I got a set for each child.  $1 bought a set with: hat, eye patch, & a hook.  So I bought 1 package of necklaces, 1 package of tattoos, 1 package of pirate coins, & skull rings (which were also used in the invitations) 

With 8 kids invited that was $8 plus $4 for the extras.

I also used plastic table clothes, cut into strips, for sashes. ($2 for 1 red and 1 blue) Then all of this made for a simple centerpiece and decor around the room.  Just added a few books, a jewelry chest & some wire baskets...but use anything you have on hand.

From a previous party, I had some gravel spray painted in silver and gold. A simple addition.

For the rest of the decorations, I used 2 poster boards. (2 for $1 at the Dollar Tree)

And 1 black round plastic table cloth.  

The poster board made sails above the buffet and the table cloth, 

made the bottom of the ship under the food. Shown below.

I also printed off some cute cupcake sails and sea wave cupcake liners found at: Cottage Industrialist

The black pirate flag cupcake toppers found at:

Then I made some labels and pirate signs free printables below.

*For the Kid's Party, I didn't actually do the food above, this was from the Adult Party.  You can find it in detail in this Pirate Party Post. 

Instead for the Kid's Party, which I forgot to take a picture of, I just ordered two $5 cheese pizzas. Served with Punch, Candied Popcorn, Shark Bait (Goldfish), and Chocolate Pirate Ship Cupcakes...all of which were served for the previous party too...making life much easier.

Here is a better look at the costume pieces the kids received.

Then for entertainment.

We started with a Treasure Hunt.

Free Printable Treasure Map found below.

The treasure chest was a painted shoe box, filled with necklaces, the Hooks, and candy.

Then we played several games.

1. Bowling with Toilet Paper Rolls.

2. Fishing for Treasure: Using a Dollar Store Fishing Pole set and Printable Pirate Gold, found below.  I just attached magnets to the fishing pole and pirate gold.  

3. We also played Pin the Pirate Hat on the Skeleton: A Dollar Store Halloween Skeleton Decoration and Printable Pirate Hats found below.

4. I Had A Little Pirate: Similar to the game Duck Duck Goose, but you carry around a little pirate (I used a rubber ducky with an eye patch we previously owned. The kid carries the pirate ducky saying, "I had a little pirate and he wont bite you, and he wont bite you...but he will bite you" going around the circle then placing it behind the kid that is now "it".  Then the chosen child picks it up and chases them around the circle, just like Duck Duck Goose.

5. Musical Flags: Musical chairs/Cake walk.  So drew some pirate flags and they walked on them in a circle with music playing...when the music stopped everyone had to stand on a flag, the one without a flag was out. 

6. Then we made some Spy Glasses found: here

So the Grand Total was: $39

$8 for pirate hat & set

$4 for packs of necklaces, rings, tattoos, and coins

$2 for table cloth sashes (I actually had mine on hand)

$1 for 2 poster boards

$1 for round table cloth

$4 for treasure candy

$1 fishing set

$1 skeleton

$10 pizza

$1 for Punch (Sprite with Cherry Kool-aid)

$1 for Goldfish

$2 Candied Popcorn (estimate and used for 2 parties)

$3 Cupcakes (estimate for used for 2 parties)

Free Pirate Party Downloads:

The cute cupcake printables & pirate bunting from Cottage Industrials were found: here

She also includes printable eye patches, pirate hats, and mustaches...so you could save money there.

And there are thank you card printables, which my boys used...so look around it is a great site!

Tattered & Inked: also had great printables.  I used some for decorations and I also used them to write the clues for our treasure hunt. 

And I loved Paging Super Mom's Spy Glass Printable project and Flags.  I used them for cupcake toppers.

Here are the Free Pirate Printables I made for the party.

Click on the image to enlarge then save to your computer

Printable Treasure Map 

2 options (then draw in your course to the treasure)

Printable Pirate Gold Coins

(I didn't make these, I found them at Reading with Kids, but I just put them 12 to a sheet instead of one.)

 Printable Treasure Chest

(This also was from Reading with Kids, and I didn't use it...just too complex for the little kids at our party, but I loved it!)

Printable Pirate Hats

(I made them for Pin the Hat on the Skeleton)

Printable Pirate Party Food Labels & Printable Pirate Party Signs and Labels.

(including a blank set to customize) 

(I used the free fonts: Ringbearer & Party Business)

Pirate Party Invitations found: here

 More Pirate Party Ideas, Recipes, & Fun found: here

 Enjoy!

Pirate Party

As I mentioned in the Pirate Invitations Post, we did a double Birthday party for both of our boys.

We like to do a family party as well as a friend party.

So, I simplified things by putting the Family/Adult Pirate Birthday Party 

the night before the Friend/kid Pirate Birthday Party.

This way I prepared & decorated one time and used everything twice.

It made set up and mess a whole lot easier.

For the Adult party.  I call it an adult party, because the little bit of "family" we live by are all in their late 20's to early 30's and no children.  But my kids love them.  So when my oldest requested they be invited to the birthday party, we did one for "adults" the night before.

Everyone came dressed as pirates & we had a blast.

Decorations were simple. 

I downloaded a free bunting, seen above.  And other free Pirate Printables for the cupcakes.

Then I made a few of my own labels & signs.

And we stocked up on Dollar Tree Pirate Items to finish it off.

In the costumes we had:

Dollar Tree necklaces, skull rings, eye patches, and tattoos.  The red and blue sashes were made from plastic table cloths, also from the Dollar Tree. And the Pirate Gold and Candy were from....Dollar Tree.

All easy and inexpensive.

Also, to add to the decorations, I used two paper poster boards to make sails over the buffet table & a round plastic black tablecloth to drape in the shape of a boat. Add a pirate flag to the top and it was done. (shown in the image below)

Around the house was more pirate bunting, lots of pirate sayings, on wood planks, spray painted gravel to look like treasure, and some red, black, & white balloons.  All very inexpensive and easy. (And yes, all of the purchases were again from the Dollar Tree.

For the food, we went with some fun party foods.

Wraps, Pizza Rolls with dipping sauce, Punch, Olives, Popcorn, Gold Fish, Cheese Ball & Crackers, and a few different flavored cupcakes.  I will add the recipes soon.  So keep checking back.

And for the food I made some printable food labels, found below.  But I got the cute Cupcake printables online.  I had planned to make some myself, when I came across the exact idea I was looking for, but this saved me lots of time! Cottage Industrialist had a bunch of great printables.  The Cupcake liners & flags, the bunting, and tons more. Tattered & Inked also had some fun printables and I used.

Oh, and the fun skeleton straws were also from the Dollar Tree.  Lots of the Halloween decorations the Dollar Tree carries were perfect for the party too...One stop shopping on a budget.

For the party, we played a playlist of Pirate Music, from every version of Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean, & Hook. (I like downloading my music from www.gomusicnow.com songs are around 10-15 cents each!)

We played Liars Dice and several pirate trivia games online. 

And the whole night was a success...

then to read about the following Pirate Party for the Kid's Friends look: here.

Invitations found: here

Linked to these Parties: Here

Check out all the projects they have to share.

Pirate Party Invitations

 Having both of my boys birthdays close together came in handy this year.
We did a combined birthday party.  They are still at the young ages, so they loved it.

And the theme was Pirates.
With Halloween close, this was a perfect theme and easy to put together.

So we started with our Pirate invitations.

They are printable.

They are double sided and I just rolled them up and slid a Skull Ring on them.

Free Printable Pirate Party Invitations!

Click on the image to enlarge, then save to your computer.

Print on 8x11" paper.

Trim edges, then roll.

For my invitations I used the Free Font: Janda Stylish Script

And for their Names I used another Free Font: Blackmoor LET

Inside Option A

Inside Option B

Outside 

Pirate Party and Printables 

kid pirate party found: here

adult pirate party found: here

Linked to these Parties: Here

Check out all the projects they have to share.

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Spice Cupcake Cookies

Super long name, I know.  But these are so quick, so easy, and tasty.

Ingredients:

1 cube melted butter

2 eggs

1 package of Spice Cake Mix

1 cup oatmeal soaked in milk

about 1/2 c dried cranberries

about 1/2 c white chocolate chips

Directions:

Pour 1 cup oatmeal into bowl and just cover with milk.  Let soak for 15 min. Preheat oven to 350'F. Melt butter. Mix in eggs. Add oatmeal and milk. Mix in spice cake mix. Once well combined mix in cranberries and white chocolate chips.  Spoon generously onto parchment covered cookie sheet and bake 8-12 min.

30 + Fathers Day Gift Ideas & Printables

Over THIRTY Father's Day Gifts and Ideas.

Stumped on what to do for Father's Day?  Here are some fun ideas for you and your kids.

Free Printable Father's Day Cards

Free Printable Father's Day Mason Jar Labels, Coupons, Treasure Hunt

Free Printable Father's Day Gift Tags & Gift Ideas

After a lot of searching on pintrest and some of my favorite sites, I collected my favorite Free Father's Day Gift ideas, Father's Day Craft ideas, Father's Day printables, and anything else to do with Father's Day that I liked.  And they are all linked below.

Several of these links have multiple crafts, printables, and gift ideas.

Tip Junkie: Tons of Father's Day gifts & craft ideas

Delightful Order

AlphaMom

Nothing But Country

Our Best Bites

Workman Family

Nothing But Country

The Idea Room

ishareprintables

kmckay Designs

makeit-loveit

the idea room

creatively christy

the frugal girls

m&m tag

little lds ideas

a profittable life

holiday snobs

the pink ink doodle

little nanny goat

small fry and co.

positively splendid

Okuloncesi forum

Creative Homemakers

Pink Peppermint Paper

family fun

Easy Preschool Craft

Martha Stewart

Amy J Delightful

   

homemade father's day gifts: tons of ideas!

Tons of Free Ideas!  Free Father's Day Printables, Father's Day Crafts, Gifts, Cards, Coupons, Scavenger Hunts, and more...