DIY

Dress up your Dining Room: Easy Everyday Table Decor

Lately I’ve been putting more effort into making our home a prettier place to live. One thing I try and do is keep the dining room table covered and decorated on a daily basis. This can be tricky when you’re a busy mom, but I’ve learned how to bring out the beauty in everyday things to create tasteful and easy ways to accessorize table decor.

Everyday Table Decor Staples

Table Cloth

Keeping our kitchen table covered is a must for me. Our table has permanent tempra paint stains on it from years of kids’ crafts. I routinely swap out a variety of table cloths, but for this simple table decor I’m using a plain white linen one. The other linens I have on the table right now (pictured below) are a cut of grey fabric that I made into a runner and a quilted table topper that I was given by my mother-in-law.

Simple centerpiece using live succulents or fresh-snipped leaves

The best way to dress up your dining room table is with an eye-catching centerpiece made with fresh greenery. Live plants offer an especially crisp, eye-catching pop of color. These darling succulents come in dainty little pots, ready to arrange on your table, windowsill, or anywhere! The succulents and pots are available in a wide variety of colors and shapes. And they’re so easy to care for! If eucalyptus, magnolia, or pine trees grow in your area you can snip off a few leaves and twigs to arrange along the center of the table. Be sure and add some height to the arrangement with big pillar candles like these Glitter Snow Real-Flame Effect Pillar Candles. Another idea I love is to place an arrangement of flowers and plants on a cake stand. Don’t these centerpieces look beautiful?

Centerpiece made from succulents and a cake stand from PlumDeluxe.com

Winter cake stand centerpiece from Carolina Country Living

Layers, layers, layers!

They key to creating eye-catching table decor is to give it some layers. If you can, mix up the patterns, fabrics, and elements such as glass, paper, florals, metals, etc. The candles from my centerpiece are from the Hearth and Hand collection at Target. The sugared birch scent they give off makes me feel totally at peace. Their sweet fragrance fills the dining area with a cozy, clean aroma. I highly recommend these over the Amazon alternative.

Dressing up the dining table can give your home a warm, inviting feel.

Even though we have small children, we still try and keep the house decorated. Accessories can be found almost anywhere. I found some adorable distressed wood serving trays at Home Depot that could double as a centerpiece. It’s nothing fancy, but these subtle decorations make the home look ready for welcoming company.

Find pretty table decor on a budget

You can make your own table cloth and runners if you prefer to go the DIY route. Making your own runner gives you the option of using any color you choose, and it can be cheaper than a store-bought runner. Or check Etsy.com for trendy handmade items. And don’t forget to keep an eye on thrift stores and consignment shops for unique, vintage finds at low prices!

Shop this look on Amazon:

DIY Mother’s Day Gift | Handprint Picture Frame

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HallmarkForMom #CollectiveBias

The idea for a DIY Mother’s Day gift came to me because it’s really important to me that I give my mom a gift for Mother’s Day that comes from the heart. I can’t think of a better way to let the special mom in my life know how much we care than by giving her a personal, handmade gift. I found a gorgeous card to go with it, which I think help offset the untidy, “I-made-this-with-the-help-of-4-year-olds” look of the handprints. Check out that beautiful card I got from Hallmark’s new Signature line!

Materials for a DIY Handprint Picture Frame

A large, thick piece of photo mat paper. I got mine at Hobby Lobby but they’re available at most craft stores
Pencil
Xacto knife
Picture frame (frugal tip: I found mine at a thrift store!)
A photo of your lovely child(ren)
Craft paint. I used acrylic but tempra or another kind of paint would work too.
Paper plates
Foam paint sponge brushes
Sharpie markers (optional)

How to Make a Custom Photo Mat

For this gift, I had some large picture frames that didn’t have a mat border. My kids range from ages 14 to 2, so I needed a mat wide enough to fit my teenager’s handprint. I traced the backing board of the frame onto the back side of the photo mat paper to get the right sized mat, then cut it out with the Xacto knife.

Once I had the correct size mat, I traced a 5×7 picture to measure the window for the photo. With everything measured out, I knew how much room I had to fit hand prints in.

I wanted a thin layer of paint for the handprints without big, uneven gobs. I put a little paint onto a paper plate and used the foam brush to paint their hands. I used a separate plate for each child so the different colors of paint didn’t run together. I also used a separate brush for each color because 1) I’m too lazy to rinse them off and 2) they came in a 6-pack for less than $1.50.

4 handprints get a little crowded on the frame. Cautious Nikki would advise you to wait until each print dried before doing the next one, but I was too impatient for that. 😉 I also tested out how it would look with just the twins, and if you have 2 or 3 children their prints should fit much better!

Use a Sharpie marker to add their names and ages if you have room, and you’re done!

Embellishments to Make the Gift Stand Out

This craft was a lot of fun to make and my kids were excited to be a part of it. BUT I did kinda feel like the gift was missing something to make it truly amazing. I ran to Walmart to see what I could find to give the gift an extra special something and saw these beautiful Hallmark Signature cards. I think having a card to go with the gift makes the celebration more elegant. I mean, look at these beautiful cards! Plus, I need somewhere to write a sweet note and have my kids sign their names in their scrawly, 4-year-old handwriting.

There were 2 aisles of Hallmark cards at Walmart for everything from birthdays to graduation to love notes, and one whole row of cards was all for Mother’s Day. The ones I picked out are like the elite ‘Maserate’ of Mother’s Day cards, and you can tell because they have their own little section in a “we’re a step above you all” kind of way. Bonus: Find a store near you and use this link to get a coupon for $1 off any 2 cards! You can find lots of other great Mother’s Day inspiration on that site as well.

Walmart has so many beautiful cards for Mother’s Day. These Signature cards are premium, handcrafted cards perfect for celebrating your mom. Beautiful cards like these Hallmark Signature cards also make a lovely keepsake that your mom can treasure for years to come.

Kinda related: Have you heard of ibotta? If you enjoy a bargain, find more great digital coupon offers, like rebates, exclusive deals and discounts on products you already buy, by clicking to their website here. Don’t you just love how I’m full of frugal options today? 🙂

3 Tips for a Perfect Handprint Picture Frame

A friend once told me “measure twice, cut once”, which is always good advice. Some other things you will want to keep in mind as you plan your DIY handprint picture frame:

Infants will ball up their little fists, so for babies it’s better to do a footprint.
If you do have many children and need to layer or overlap their handprints, paint the hands of the children on the upper layers with a thinner amount of paint. Their print will show up but will be faint enough so the sibling’s print underneath theirs will still show through.
Test the handprints out on a separate piece of paper. I had the little ones watch their teenage brother make his handprint. Then when it was their turn we practiced both without paint and with paint. I didn’t want to go to all the trouble of cutting the photo mat only to have the handprints not turn out!

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. If you don’t have time to make a handprint picture frame you still have time to grab a stylish Mother’s Day card. Do you know of a mom who would appreciate a sweet and special Hallmark Signature Mother’s Day card?

Wooden Ruler DIY Growth Chart for Kids

Are you ready? Because you’re in for a treat. I am so excited to share with you about my latest little project! There is the cutest little shop online where you can get a kit to make a DIY growth chart for your home. I made one over the winter break and I am SO in love with it!

First off, a bit of a warning. The kit comes with a set of (very clear and explicit) directions. Look for these BEFORE you start. Otherwise you’re going to be super confused or mess stuff up and have to start all over again. Not that I would ever do something so dumb but… *Ahem*… Let’s just dive in to the project, shall we? 😉

DIY Growth Chart | Wooden Ruler

Disclosure: I received product in exchange my unbiased review.

Like I said, go through all the materials before you buy your board or peel the stickers off the paper.

I chose to use an untreated board so I could customize the color of the wood stain. That meant I had to treat it, which did take a few days as I waited for it to dry. It was totally worth it because I love the final color.

You can’t just slap the stickers on and be done with it. Because this DIY growth chart was made to sit 8 inches off the floor, you’re going to need to bust out the measuring tape and make a few marks. But don’t worry, the directions tell you exactly what to do.

Once the board is marked up, you still can’t just slap the stickers on. If you don’t peel them the way the directions tell you to, the decals may only partly peel off of the backing paper. Make sure the decal is F-L-A-T, and peel the backing paper off slowly and carefully. That way if a sticker sticks to the backing paper instead of the transfer paper, you can just give it a little nudge to the right spot.

You put the tick marks on the board first, then you add the numbers. If you’re using any additional decorative decals, those go on last.

I’m so happy we have this DIY growth chart because of the lasting memories we will get from it. We marked my oldest child’s height on the wall in his bedroom but, hopefully, one day we’re going to move. When that happens we’ll have to leave all those cute, little-boy-handwriting height marks behind. Now we can start marking everyone’s growth in the same place, and if when we move, we can continue making those memories. Wouldn’t it be fun if we still had this around for our grandkids to see how quickly their parents grew up?

This is such a great project, and so easy to do! If you can follow directions, you can make one too. If you do decide to visit Little Acorns shop, you can take 20% off your order with the code GROW20.

Do you have memories of recording your growth on a wall at home? How did your family create memories as you grew?

DIY Bathroom Organizer and Toilet Paper Holder

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MegaPrepped #CollectiveBias

I finally took the plunge and simplified our bathroom organizer and replaced it with a pretty, DIY toilet paper holder. It was a lot of fun to make, and very easy! All it took was some paint, a crate, and some decorative shells.

Finding a good bathroom organizer can be tricky when you live in a small home. We used to have used a tall, narrow shelf/cabinet piece in our bathroom for many years. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago it broke! This was probably for the better, because it was becoming a catch-all for hair ties, half-empty shampoo bottles, clips, razors, and about a zillion other toiletries. I’ve always wanted to do some sort of DIY crate shelf/organizer for the bathroom, and it seemed that now was the time.

Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate.

Materials I used for my DIY bathroom organizer and toilet paper holder

Small wooden crate, found at most craft stores
Craft paint in robin’s egg blue
½ inch craft “chip brush” or any small basic paint brush
Contact paper
Scissors or hobby knife
Shells and starfish, found on Amazon Prime or at local craft stores
Hot glue gun

Our main bathroom is beach-themed, so I wanted to stick with ocean colors and accents. I had wanted to use a wooden wine crate because repurposing is my favorite thing these days. But it was too shallow for actually holding much stuff, so I went with a store-bought crate instead. The contact paper was from a project that I had wanted to do about 8 months ago, but I never got around to it. It turned out to be the perfect way to line the bottom of my bathroom organizer. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. 🙂

An easy-to-make bathroom organizer

First, give the crate a good coat of paint. I left the interior base alone, since I knew I would be covering it with contact paper. Let the paint dry and add a second coat to any streaked sides.

Measure the interior base of the crate to see how much contact paper you will need. My carpenter friend always says measure twice, cut once! Next, carefully cut out and stick on the contact paper. Puncture any bubbles with a pin and smooth them out with a credit card.

Use a hot glue gun to attach some seashells to the crate. After much debate, I decided to go with a “cluster” arrangement for the shells. My artsy friends advised me to start with a large shell, and arrange the smaller ones around it. I think I might still add a few sand dollars to the back wall, so they show up when you take the top toilet paper roll out.

I tried out my little bathroom organizer and toilet paper holder on the floor in the upstairs bathroom.

In the end I thought it would work best in the main bathroom as a shelf. My little guys splash in the bath too much to have this cute crate near the tub!

It turned out that this crate is the perfect size for the toilet paper that we use. With Baby John starting to use the potty (*gasp! My baby is potty training!*), the Quilted Northern® Ultra Soft & Strong® with Cleanstretch (9 Mega Rolls) is just right for a big family like ours. I like keeping a few rolls of toilet paper where people can find them so guests don’t get caught in one of those embarrassing “these folks are out of toilet paper” situations.

And is it just me, or does it feel like every time Mom uses the bathroom, it’s out of toilet paper? The Quilted Northern® Mega Rolls are 4x bigger than their regular rolls, so they last a lot longer. When they say “mega”, they’re not kidding! I love the thought of me not replacing the toilet paper on such a frequent basis. Maybe my next tutorial will be a “how to replace the toilet paper roll” video for husbands and teens. 😉

We get our Quilted Northern® Ultra Soft & Strong® with Cleanstretch from the Walmart Neighborhood Market, but you can also find it at Walmart online and pick it up at a Walmart location near you.

What do you think about combining a cute DIY bathroom organizer with Quilted Northern® Ultra Soft & Strong® with Cleanstretch to keep your bathroom organized and #MegaPrepped for guests?

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to follow along for more ideas, and grab your free printable calendar template as a thank-you!

Water Table Play Ideas | Super Summer Fun Series

I’m so excited to bring you a fun summer play activity that comes from my friend Erin, owner of LovePeaceBeauty.com. She has a plethora of creative things to do with your kids at home, and today she’s sharing her water table play ideas with us.

Summer is here and it’s the perfect time to get creative outdoors! This year, I finally indulged and bought a water table for my boys and I have no regrets! I will say, we have spent previous summers filling various buckets or plastic tubs with water and that works as well for the following water play ideas!

So if you’ve considered buying a water table, I definitely recommend it! We’ve only used it for water so far but I plan to use it for other sensory play ideas in the future. It is durable and provides so much imaginative play. There are also many opportunities for integrating learning. Recently, we talked about the different objects that sink and float…super fun!

Our water table came with a few toys but I’ve been brainstorming water table play ideas to keep my little guys entertained for a little bit longer.

Here’s the creative water table play ideas we’ve tried:

Reusable Ice Cubes

The plastic ice cubes can be used again and again and come in fun shapes are just perfect to plop in the water. They are cold and give kids an assortment of objects to shuffle about in the water.

Sponges

Squishy, squishy and fun! My boys squish the water into the buckets and sometimes scrub the outside of the house. They are perfect for those tactile sensory seekers like my toddler.

Paintbrushes

Similar to the sponge concept, my boys like to dip the paintbrush into the water and paint the driveway or the house. I picked up our paintbrushes at the dollar store and they’re good for rainy days as well!

Bath Loofah Sponges

I found a package of 4 bath loofah sponges for $1 at our local dollar store. These are great to toss in to keep water table play new and exciting. They are fun to squish and throw around.

Measuring Cups

The novelty of measuring cups amazes me! Such a simple water play tool that comes straight from the kitchen but provides a lot of entertainment as kids measure, pour, and get creative with the water.

Water Toys

Of course, toys designed for the pool or bath are also fun. We’ve ended up with just an assortment of objects and the boys especially like some of the most simple ideas like a shovel and bucket to transfer the water back and forth.

I hope these ideas inspire you to get outside and integrate water play into your summer fun!

Erin is a wife, boy mom times two, and elementary teacher turned stay-at-home mom. She is the creative behind the parenting and lifestyle blog, Love Peace Beauty where she strives to create a positive community for mothers. She can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

DIY Thank You Gift for Classroom Volunteers

In 2012 I taught a transitional kindergarten class of 26 small children. We did some fun projects, put on a performance, and even went on a walking field trip to the park! The only reason we could do so much was because I had some great parent volunteers. As the year was coming to a close, I wanted to give them a gift to say thank you for the hours they spent volunteering in my classroom.

I settled on some iced tea/cold beverage tumblers because it was June at the time and the weather was getting pretty warm.

Here’s what you will need for this DIY thank you gift:

Some cold tumblers available on Amazon (I’ve also seen similar ones at Dollar Tree)
Brightly colored tissue paper
Small individually-wrapped candies
Colored construction paper
Craft scissors to make a zig zag cut on the tag
Printable “You’re Tea-riffic” tags (see below for color or black and white versions!)

I stuffed the tumblers with tissue paper and added some candy inside.

With my paper trimmer, the exact specification I used to cut the tags were: Cut 1/4-inch margin off of the two shorter sides of the page. Cut 1/2-inch margin off of the two longer sides. The tags were designed to be 3 inches x 2.5 inches. Once they were cut, I added decorative trim with the craft scissors.

For black and white tags click here or right-click the image and save it to your computer. printable-cards-for-DIY-thank-you-gift

For tags with colored fonts click here or right-click the image and save it to your computer.

My helpers were really happy with this DIY thank you gift, and I felt that these said “thank you” better than a simple card would have. My classroom volunteers made each day so much easier for me and better for the children. There’s no way I could have managed 26 little just-turned-5-year-olds all on my own. I needed an extra set of hands during centers, getting everyone’s backpacks packed at the end of the day, and helping all those little guys peel their bananas at snack time.

Do you have someone in your life whose help makes every day just a little bit easier? Who would you want to give a cute iced tea tumbler to say “thank you” for all they do?

Bathroom Organization Solutions

Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate.

Whether you have a big bathroom or a small bathroom, it seems there is not always enough space for everything to fit nicely. Or maybe things that are kept in the bathroom could use a more eye-catching way of being displayed.

We have a teeny bathroom, so I’m always on the lookout for fun new ideas for organization. After scouring the internet one day, I compiled all of my favorites into a collection of unique bathroom organization solutions.

Check out your local Dollar Store’s products. The Crazy Craft Lady used baskets and caddies to create cute, colorful decor.

using dollar store baskets and caddies to create cute, colorful bathroom decor and bathroom organization

Photo Credit: Crazy Craft Lady

Got clips? This magnetic vanity keeper holds all those tiny hair thingies, nail clippers and tweezers in one neat and tidy spot!

using magnetic strips to make easy diy bathroom organization solutions

Photo credit: Amazon

I love this extra shower rod solution for loofahs and baskets of bath toys and shampoos by Dawn Nicole. She makes it look super cheap and easy!

easy organizer for shower stuff in the bathroom

Photo Credit: By Dawn Nicole

Finding Home has a super cute tutorial for shelves that are just deep enough to hold hair-accessory-hiding bins.

small bathroom storage solutions and easy DIY shelf tutorial

Photo Credit: Finding Home

Maximize useable space by adding a storage shelf for over the toilet.

space saving small bathroom organization solutions by adding an over-the-toilet shelf

Image Credit: Target

These DIY hanging baskets could make an attractive storage solution to a small space bathroom. Id fill the baskets with TP, hand towels, and maybe some pretty flowers at the top.

small space bathroom organization solutions use hanging baskets to store toiletries and other necessities. easy DIY instructions

Photo Credit: Woman’s Day

An easy project would be installing a few extra towel racks. With 6 people sharing a bathroom, we often run out of places to hang towels.

fun project and bathroom organization solutions for storage in a small space bathroom

Photo Credit: Bob Villa

Donna shares her Christmas decorations in this post but I love the ladder towel rack trick. Could DIY get any easier?!

small space bathroom organization solutions like this super easy DIY towel holder

Photo Credit: Funky Junk Interiors

And finally, what about all those appliances? I’ve seen a few different variations of the magazine holder/hair dryer and curling iron storage and this one by Dream Green DIY is my favorite. I never thought about using a metal basket so you can put away a curling iron while it’s still a little hot!

simple storage solution for bathroom appliances

Photo Credit: Dream Green DIY

Do you have any favorite bathroom organization solutions?

Mickey Craft Bag Activity

Disclosure: I received free products in order to host a Disney Kids Preschool Playdate. The opinions expressed here are my own. Some links may be affiliate.

Last week I hosted a Preschool Playdate sponsored by Walt Disney World and MomSelect. I was trying to stick with a “Mickey” theme to go along with the Mickey Mouse Playhouse paper dishes we received. My friend Niki had a great idea to make it a playdate and Easter egg hunt, which gave the kids something exciting to do. I wanted to add a little Disney magic to our playdate, so I came up with these cute Mickey craft bags.

These are really easy to make, perfect for little hands! They could be used as party goody bags as well. Kids can make a craft bag and then fill it with treats at the party. We gave out these cute Mickey crazy straws, Lion Guard tattoos, and red and blue star bubble necklaces. A pack of Crayola princess or pirate crayons could fit inside as well.

Here are the supplies you’ll need to make your own Mickey Craft bags:

Red 3.5” x 6” paper craft bags

Mickey head templates, printed onto white cardstock paper (download my printable Mickey Head)

Yellow construction paper or foam for buttons

Tacky Glue

I found these red craft bags at Michaels. There were a lot in the store but I noticed that when I checked for an online option the red was sold out. Check your local store, and they might be there. The bags you need to match the size of the Mickey heads are smaller than the average paper bag. There are similar styles of bags available on Amazon and Oriental Trading.

I made my circles for the buttons using this AMAZING contraption I found.

Image Credit: Amazon.com

Image Credit: Fiskars.com

When you have to cut out little circles for a whole party’s worth of crafting kiddos, this thing is a lifesaver. I’m thinking of using it to cut out table confetti or making little Christmas ornaments that kids can add to Christmas crafts. I highly recommend using this device. If you want to cut out your own circles, they’ll need to be about 1.5” to fit across the bag.

As for assembly, the bags are pretty self-explanatory. Cut out the Mickey head and glue it to the top of the bag. Spread some glue on the back of each button and position them below the Mickey head.

Easy, right? Preschoolers ages 3-4 were able to make these bags with mommy supervision. It made for a fun little station at our playdate, but could also be a fun craft activity for a birthday party.

Preschool Playdate and Egg Hunt with #DisneyKids

Disclosure: I received free products in order to host a Disney Kids Preschool Playdate. The opinions expressed here are my own.

2 weeks ago a big box arrived at our door with an official-looking “Walt Disney World” sticker sealing it closed. I knew what was inside but waited until the kids were all together (and the living room was a little tidier) to share the contents with my family. Watch our unboxing video here.

I was offered the opportunity to host a Disney Kids Preschool Playdate by the creative geniuses at Disney. Armed with loads of Disney goodies, I set out to plan a fun day for preschoolers and their parents. But I can’t take all the credit. My amazing friend Niki (YouTuber at Kidz Toy Vidz) helped by gathering a few extra friends and even more goodies! Here is a run-down of our event:

Location:

The playdate was held at a park that is pretty central to everyone. My place is just a wee bit too small for having company over. Plus, the weather is almost always good here in San Diego, so I was sure I could count on it being a nice sunny day. After their snacks and fun, kids got to play on the playground while the moms visited.

Food and drinks:

Just your basic grab ‘n go snacks for little ones. Bagged popcorn, grapes, chips, and little ‘cutie’ oranges. A big container or punch with these Mickey crazy straws (affiliate link).

One of the moms also brought some deliciously itty bitty cupcakes with confetti-style frosting to share. Thank you!

#DisneyKids Games and activities:

The event kicked off with and Easter egg hunt. Colorful plastic eggs filled with candy were scattered (in plain sight 😉 all over the grass by our tables. Niki’s great idea was for children to get a card indicating how many of each color egg they needed to find. Disney sent us the cute backpack bags that were used to hold all the Easter eggs.

After the egg hunt there was still plenty to do. Children could assemble their own reversible tiara/pirate hat, make a Mickey bag craft, put on a Lion Guard tattoo, or go on an adventure using their map/placemat to guide them.

Looking back and looking forward to our next preschool playdate:

Probably the only downfall to having a playdate at a park is that there isn’t a lot of table space. There was one big picnic table at the park and, thankfully, Niki brought an extra card table. Still, moms needed a place to put their purses and diaper bags, and kids could have used a little more surface area for making crafts or eating a snack. Also, it would have been more convenient if we’d had a trash can nearby. One mom was kind enough to let us hang a trash bag from a hook on her stroller, which worked out fine. Next time (and yes, we are already thinking about a “next time!”) I’d want to make sure I have a better plan for all that stuff.

Thank you MomSelect and Walt Disney World Resort for choosing me to be a #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate!

31 days of blog posts, starting with Seuss!

31 days of blog posts. Can I really do it?

A few months ago the awesome and funny Brie and I discussed doing a challenge where we would each write 31 days of reader-driven blog posts. At the time I thought, sure! I can do that! I’ll just write a bunch of stuff in advance and have a surplus of posts to choose from when the challenge starts. Yeah, that didn’t happen (not by any fault of Brie, mind you). Meanwhile, Brie over at A Breezy Life has been compiling a bunch of topics that our readers would want seeing on our blogs. Thanks, Brie!

Here’s the thing. I don’t want to be a quitter, but I do need to stay realistic. I have a full-time job, four kids, a side job, and a husband who is gone most nights at work or school, leaving me on my own with four kids pretty much whenever I’m not at work. As excited as I am for this challenge, I’m going to give myself permission to not stick to it 100% because there will be nights when I choose spending time with my kids over writing. And I’m sure you all will understand. You’re so forgiving 😉

To start things off right (and because today is Dr. Seuss’s birthday!) here is a little Seuss-style poem.

I’ll take on this challenge with the illustrious Brie
Who was gracious enough to partner with me
We’ll search in our hearts, dig deep down inside,
To write pieces that reach readers both far and wide.
To bring them a reason to smile or to grin,
Or to get more out of life. It’s a total win-win!
Breezy Life and Rushed Mommy, your journey’s begun.
Now go out to the world and make the internet fun!

We had an academy-wide “Read Across America Day” today. Each teacher planned an activity to go along with a Dr. Seuss story. Groups of children rotated from teacher to teacher throughout the day, and we mixed all the classes up so there were kids from all ages in each group. It was a blast! My group read Yertle the Turtle and made paper plate turtles. I got the idea from Because I Said So (And Other Mommyisms). Hers turned out quite a bit fancier than mine though, you should really check them out.

Here are other Dr. Seuss activities I considered doing with my class.

Via Vanessa’s Blog

Via Mad in Crafts

I love that so many books by Seuss teach a lesson about life. A few of my favorite books by Dr. Seuss are

What Was I Scared Of? with a lesson about being brave/ being a friend to someone who is different what was i scared of dr seuss

Yertle the Turtle, which teaches a lesson on being bossy or greedy yertle the turtle dr seuss

The Sneetches, with a lesson on acceptance and prejudice sneetches by dr seuss

You’re never too old to enjoy a fun picture book. What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

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