The Scrapbooking Housewife

Kids Chore Chart - Boy Version

2013-03-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last year I shared my daughter's kids chore chart that I made for her as well as an altered clipboard. I also mentioned that I would make a chore chart for my son as well. Time seemed to have gotten the better of me, but I finally have a boy's version; though it's kind of regal with beautiful swirls and crowns, but I loved the color! :) Click here to download.

You can check out my previous post on how our system works using these chore charts.

My son just turned 4 in January, so he now has a few more responsibilities added to his chore chart. Believe it or not, he loves to help vaccum and scrub the toilets! Tonight he even set the dinner table all without any prompting from us!

And incase you missed the Kids Chore Chart - Girl's Version, here it is:

Kids Chore Chart - free printable!

I have so many other things I would love to share with you, but life is so busy right now that I just can't promise I will be posting daily or even weekly; but I do appreciate each and every one of you for sticking by me and reading my blog!!

Thank you so very much for your loyalty and support! Please feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment! :)

The Scrapbooking Housewife is an interactive resource providing ideas and inspiration for everyday life with kids; including papercrafting, organizing, free printables, tutorials, kids activities and parties, to name a few.

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Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T15:55:00.006-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

All the Best for 2013!

Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit & Plan

2012-10-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Is your family prepared? Do you have an Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit? A Family Disaster Plan?

I have been putting off making an emergency disaster preparedness kit for quite some time. But since the recent earthquake and tsunami warning close to our area, it has made it very real so I thought it was about time I organized my emergency kit and preparedness plan.

This was originally going to be posted as part of my How to Organize a Household Binder blog series; but I figure now is as good of a time as any to share this, whether you live in an earthquake zone or not.

In this post I will go through my Emergency Category in my Household Binder, and I will also provide you with information sheets and free printables to get you started.

Here is what I include in my Emergency Category in my Household Binder:

Family Disaster Plan (see below)
Before/During/After Earthquake Information (see below)
Emergency File (see below)
Emergency Disaster Kit Purchase List (see below)
ID's
Health - Immunizations, etc.
CPR Instructions

I have put together an Emergency Disaster Preparedness Information Sheet to give you some ideas and help you prepare, see below.

Emergency Disaster Preparedness Information Sheet (click here to download)

There are many ways and places you can store your emergency supplies. Some store their supplies in backpacks or even rolling suitcases and store them in a closet close to the front door. I saw a large storage chest on sale at Walmart in the automotive department (see picture below) and knew it would be perfect for our emergency kit! I have decided to store ours in the garage.

So now that I have the storage chest, what now?? How do I start, what do I store inside?? I had all sorts of questions, which is why I had been putting this off for so long!

But I have done a lot of research and have compiled a purchase and inventory check-list of items for my family's Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit. Please keep in mind that this will be different for every family, only you can decide what is best for your family. We will go through our camping gear and use some of those supplies to stock our kit, and the other items I plan to purchase throughout the next few months.

These are great check-lists that will keep track of purchases, inventory and expiry dates where applicable. You can even mark an annual reminder note on your calendar to change out your water, food, and batteries. Some people even have a picnic annually with the near-expired items!

Download your free check-list here or dowload a blank check-list here.

Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit Purchase List (download here)

(Click to enlarge)

Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit Purchase List - Blank (click here to download)

Public Safety Canada provides free publications on emergency preparedness you can download for free on their website at http://www.getprepared.ca/.

Is your family prepared? Do you have an Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit? If so, what types of things do you have in your kit?

Left-over Turkey Casserole Recipe

2012-10-09T12:54:00.002-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! The weather here has been amazingly sunny and hot! Not like autumn at all!! We had to take advantage of the great weather yesterday, so we went to the lake and had a picnic!

If you had turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, you may be wondering what to do with all of those turkey leftovers? I have been making this Left-over Turkey Casserole recipe for years and it is super yummy! We were also able to add our vegetable and stuffing leftovers to the casserole.

Left-over Turkey Casserole

¼ cup butter or margarine

1pkg (120g) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Turkey (or left-over stuffing)

1 can (284mL) Cream of Mushroom Soup

½ cup sour cream

1 can whole baby carrots – drained (we used our left-over carrots)

1 can water chestnuts – drained

2 cups diced turkey or chicken

2 green onions, sliced

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.

2. Melt butter/margarine in 2 quart casserole in oven.

3. Remove from oven and stir in contents of stuffing mix, reserve 1 cup.

4. Blend soup and sour cream in large bowl.

5. Stir in remaining ingredients then spread over stuffing crumbs in casserole.

6. Sprinkle reserved stuffing mix over top.

7. Cover and bake 35 minutes.

8. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite recipe that uses leftovers?

Breakfast Cookies - Great for School Lunches or Snacks!

2012-10-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Mmmm, more wonderful baking treats for breakfast on the run, or a great snack in the kids' lunches!

These cookies are packed with protein, fibre, and heart-healthy canola oil, nuts, and seeds! Cookies can be wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Just add fruit and yogurt and you have a complete breakfast!

Breakfast Cookie
(this recipe is slightly modified from the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation)

Ingredients

1½ cups (375 mL) brown sugar
2 cups (500 mL) quick oats
3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (85 mL) ground flax
1/3 cup (85 mL) semi-ground almonds (I like a bit of crunch in my cookies!)
1/3 cup (85 mL) wheat germ (I used wheat bran)
1/4 cup (50 mL) canola oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) applesauce
1/4 cup (50 mL) water
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (250 mL) craisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Prepare 2 cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, flax, almonds and wheat germ.
Make a well in the centre and add canola oil, applesauce, water, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
Stir in craisins.
Scoop out golf ball sized cookies onto cookie sheets. Flatten with the back of a spoon. These cookies will spread when baked.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. (Mine took a bit longer as I made larger cookies.)
Once the cookies have cooled, individually wrap the cookies in saran wrap and store them in a freezer ziploc for up to 2 weeks.

My Notes:

I may try using a bit less sugar next time.
The original recipe called for ground cloves and ginger, however, I substituted cinnamon instead.
I only had vegetable oil on hand and they still turned out great, just not as heart-healthy.
I didn't grind the almonds completely, I liked the crunch from the odd larger pieces of almonds.
I am not a huge fan of raisins, so I substituted craisins, and they were delicious!
I never line my cookie sheets, nor do I spray them with cooking spray; I find this ruins the non-stick coating over time.
The original recipe states that they do not spread when baked, well, they most certainly do. I had a bunch of extra large yummy cookies!
I found that my batch took a little longer, as my cookies were a bit larger.
Once cooled, I wrapped them up individually with saran wrap and stored them in a freezer ziploc bag in the freezer. They are actually great eaten right from the freezer!

What type of on-the-go breakfast solutions do you enjoy for those extra busy days? Do you have a heart-healthy snack idea that you'd like to share?

Making an Autumn Wreath

2012-09-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here and what better way to get into the fall season than to make an autumn wreath! I originally got the idea & instructions here, but when I went to Michael's the whispy wreath was a little out of my budget, especially since I wanted to get my hands on all of those fabulous fall stems at 60% off!! And, lucky for me, I found the branch wreath on sale for only $4.99 - what a bargain!

I also purchased some floral wire (22 gauge). The only wire they had at the thickness I wanted was in a huge bundle and green; but I managed to hide the wires in with the foilage when attaching the stems to the wreath.

I finally had a use for my cute mini wire cutters from my jewellry making days, and I started off by cutting all of the branches off the main stems. I then just started to tuck the stems into the branches of the wreath and play around with placement until I was happy with how it looked. I then used the floral wire to keep everything in place.

I loved how my autumn wreath looked, however, something was missing and I knew I wanted to include some mini gourds; so I went back to Michael's to see what I could find. The mesh bag of mini gourds was a bit more than what I wanted to spend, so I ended up buying a small decorative fall stem which included foilage and two small pumpkins for under $2, so I was a happy camper! I just cut the two pumpkins off the stems and placed them into my wreath! Done!

I would love to decorate the front porch with pumpkins and beautiful planters full of plants, but that may have to wait until next year.

Be sure to check out my Pinterest boards for other inspirational ideas for your home and more!

Do you have a fall wreath for your front door? How do you decorate for fall? I would love to see!

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Chocolate Banana Bread & Back to School Lunch Ideas

2012-09-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the kids are back in school, we're back to making lunches every night again; and it can be a daunting task! Last year I shared my School Lunch Ideas List printable (see below), which I love to look through now and again for different lunch ideas for the kids. I have it printed and on the fridge so it is handy when I am making lunches.

This year I have also done some back to school baking; it is always nice to send the kids off for the day with fresh homemade baking! I recently tried a new recipe -

Chocolate Banana Bread!

It is really delicious and I'm not sure if I will be able to go back to just regular banana bread again!

Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 ripe bananas

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly

½ cup toasted pecans

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork (or potato masher). Mix in the milk and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture and stir until combined.

4. In another small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to batter mixture and stir just until flour disappears.

5. Add cooled, melted chocolate and toasted pecans, fold into batter making sure not to over mix.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

And here is the school lunch idea printable I made for easy reference. I keep it on the side of the fridge and Ella likes to go through it and choose what she's having in her school lunch the evening prior.

School Lunch Ideas for Kids - free printable

I am also loving all of the free printable school lunch jokes & notes for kids! I love surprising Ella with a little note or joke! :) Check out these cute notes from chickabug, and these love box lunch notes from eighteen25, and these lunch kit jokes from allfortheboys.

Linking up with:

Blackberry Tarts & Mini Cheesecake Cups

2012-09-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

We couldn't resist, once again, going out blackberry picking. We found a great area with the most ripe & juicy blackberries, and ended up filling two buckets!! I think between Lee & Ella they ate an equivalent of one bucket full!

After dropping some off at the in-laws, we headed home and I started brainstorming ideas on what to make with all of them!

I decided on blackberry tarts as well as mini blackberry cheesecake cups. I was hoping to use mini phylo shells, but I could only find these mini tart shells, which ended up to be a great alternative.

Blackberry Tarts

Ingredients

3 cups (divided) + 24-30 fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

1/8 tsp salt

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp water

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

24-30 mini tart shells

1+ cups whipped cream

Instructions

1. Bake tart shells according to directions; let cool.

2. In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups of blackberries with sugar,

orange juice and salt.

3. Strain berry mixture through sieve; discard the solids.

4. Return berry juice mixture back into saucepan.

5. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl & mix with berry mixture.

6. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook for 1 minute.

7. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla; mix until butter is melted.

8. Add 1 cup of whole blackberries to saucepan.
9. Let mixture cool slightly and spoon mixture evenly into tart shells.

10. Chill 2 hours in refrigerator or approx. 15 mintues in freezer.

11. Top each tart with whipped cream and a fresh blackberry.

12. Serve immediately, or keep chilled until ready to serve.

Blackberry Mini Cheesecake Cups

Ingredients

6 oz (2/3 c) cream cheese

2 cup fresh blackberries + 24-30 for topping *

1 cup+ frozen whipped topping, thawed

24-30 mini tart shells

semi-sweet chocolate curls (optional)

Instructions

1. Bake tart shells according to directions; let cool.

2. Strain berries through sieve; discard the solids.

3. Combine cream cheese and blackberry puree in a bowl,

beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth.

4. Fold in whipped topping.

5. Spoon mixture evenly into mini shells.

6. Top with chocolate curls, whipping cream &/or a fresh blackberry.

7. Cover loosely, chill at least 1 hour.

* Try substituting the blackberries for 2 Tbsp of Blackberry liqueur

or Irish cream liqueur.

These are both very scrumptious recipes; I actually made a batch of the cheesecake cups using our blackberry liqueur! I have tried Irish cream liqueur in the wintertime and they were phenomenal!!

Check out another of my recipes with blackberries:

Blackberry Buttercream Icing

What are your favorite recipes using fresh berries (or even your favorite liqueur!)?

Linking up with:

Back to School Photos & Questionnaires

2012-09-07T11:41:00.002-07:00

Both of my kids are now officially in school! Lee had his first day of pre-school yesterday, and Ella's first full day of Grade 3 started on Wednesday.

I printed off these adorable signs for their first-day-at-school photos (available from How Does She here and I Can Teach My Child here); plus I couldn't help have them complete these great little questionnaires about themselves (available here at Positively Splendid)!

I love looking back on things like that! I plan on making this an annual tradition! These questionnaires will go directly into their school memory albums (see my post on how I organize my children's school papers & artwork).

And just for fun...here's a photo I dug up of Ella's first day going to pre-school! (I wish our front planter looked like that now!!)

Do you also have the tradition of taking photos of your kids on their first day at school?

School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album

2012-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share with you a perfect little mini album for housing your kids' school portraits! (See instructions below, or download instructions here.)

I designed this album specifically for one of the many scrapbooking workshops I used to put on when I had EllaBella Designs. I loved the bold colors of the Scenic Route Appleton line; and I still have loads left as I made sure I ~~hoarded~~ collected as much of this line as possible when I had my business!

The base of the album is actually a file folder! It is embellished on both sides and I have used tags throughout, which can be used to adhere more photos, or possibly write a bit about the school year such as friends, favorite memories, special achievements, etc. It is closed with a cute little cip embellished with ribbon!

Be sure to download a printable pdf version of this School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album!

Supplies needed:

Letter size file folder

Bone folder

Ink pad for inking edges

Pencil, scissors

Fast-drying liquid glue – Tombow is recommended

Strong double sided tape

Paper clasp

Paper hole punch

Lined note paper for “notebook”

4 manilla tags

Ribbon
School-themed patterned scrapbooking paper & embellishments

Download a printable pdf version of this School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album!

Don’t miss my other Back to School posts:

Kids Chore Chart Clipboard

Organizing a Homework Station

Mini Homework Station

Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial

School Lunch Ideas for Kids

School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album

Back to School Baking & Lunch Ideas

Back to School Photos & Questionnaires

Linked up with:

School Paper Organization & Kids Artwork Display Wall

2012-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today to share with you how I organize all of the school papers, memorabilia and artwork the kids bring home from school on a daily basis - accordion files.

While they certainly aren't pretty, they do the job just fine!! One of these days I tell myself that I have to prettify these! But, for now, they will suffice.

I also have these "School Treasures" coiled books (I had one as a kid myself!), where I can attach their school photos, and note who their friends were, what activities they did that year, the special events attended, and special achievements and milestones. My favorite is "When I grow up I want to be..." part! It's so exciting that they hold the world in their hands and can become anything they want to be!

They are kept in the accordion files as well, as they can only hold so much. It is nice to have everything in one place now. I do try to weed through my kids' school memorabilia & artwork and keep only the things that mean the most to the kids or myself.

I like to display the artwork or projects on our walls for a short time, then tuck them away inside the files to be brought out at some point in the future to admire once again.

What better place to display their works of art than by the kitchen table where we can see it everyday and talk about their special pieces?

How do you store all of those school papers, memorabilia, artwork that your kids bring home? Do you proudly display their artwork on your walls, too?

Don’t miss my other Back to School posts:

Kids Chore Chart Clipboard

Organizing a Homework Station

Mini Homework Station

Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial

School Lunch Ideas for Kids

School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album

Back to School Baking & Lunch Ideas

Back to School Photos & Questionnaires

Linked up with:

Kids Chore Chart Clipboard - Back to School Organizing

2012-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

With summer coming to a close, and a busy new school year almost here, I figured it was time to change up the chore system a bit. The elaborate kids chore chart that I made last year wasn't being utilized, but I think it had more to do with how unorganized we were as a family with the whole chore/cleaning routine! But now that the kids are older, we have gotten into more of a routine, and more is expected of them to help with the household duties.

So, last weekend I finally called a family meeting. With the busy school season starting soon, I definitely need more help, especially since I am going to school myself!

Here is how our system works:

Each child has their own "basic daily duties"
They choose two other daily tasks from the chore list I made (switched up every Sunday)
They choose three tasks from the weekly chores list to be completed on Saturdays (again, switched up weekly)
They choose one task from the monthly chores list per week (we have four on rotation they can choose from)

Rotating the chores is a perfect way for them to "try out" chores as well as keep the boredom at bay.

At the family meeting, I also talked about allowances, though I do not have them tied to the household duties. However, at the end of the month, if the chores have been completed and they have the right attitude, they get to choose a "reward." Fun, don't you think? I have come up with a list of "rewards," similar to the ones I had last year (but didn't implement)!

I have made a free printable of a blank pdf chore chart, but I must warn you that it prints a bit fuzzy. Not sure what is going on, I haven't had an issue before with this. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right? :) Sorry, I only have pink at the moment, but will do one for my son soon (which will likely be orange, as that is his favorite color!)

Kids Chore Chart - free printable!

So, do you have chores for your kids? What type of chore system, if any, do you implement?

Don’t miss my other Back to School posts:

Kids Chore Chart Clipboard

Organizing a Homework Station

Mini Homework Station

Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial

School Lunch Ideas for Kids

School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album

Back to School Baking & Lunch Ideas

Back to School Photos & Questionnaires

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Homework Station - Organizing for Back to School

2012-08-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last year I posted about Organizing a Homework Station for back to school. As you can see, we are still using the white board (check out this post to see how we use it), and I have finally made a permanent home for it in the family room. We have a small room located in the kitchen where we end up helping Ella with her homework and reading; so why not store all of the homework supplies together in one spot? So now we have a Homework Central Station!

I went "shopping" around the house for baskets, and I found these beautiful baskets from Michael's. (I am an organization junkie, so I have a plethora of storage baskets, boxes, bins, etc., in the garage!) I also found a plastic compartment organizer I bought a couple of years back from a store going out of business, they are originally from Ikea.

The top basket fits all of her math and word flashcards perfectly. I usually make up a new set of word flashcards based on the Dolch sight word list for the specific grade she is in. Ella really hates to read, and she's not a huge fan of the flashcards, either...sigh...I can only keep trying!

The plastic organizer holds a few basic items, as I am not sure yet exactly what else she will need. This is the first year she will likely have actual homework. I also have the white board felts and eraser stored here as well.

Underneath the plastic organizer is where I am storing her extra exercise books and such, plus stickers as she still loves it when I put a sticker in her workbooks. So, I am not sure yet exactly what else she will need, but I'm sure I will need to add a few more things!

What about you? Are you ready for the kids to go back to school? Or are you going back yourself?

Don’t miss my other Back to School posts:

Kids Chore Chart Clipboard

Organizing a Homework Station

Mini Homework Station

Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial

School Lunch Ideas for Kids

School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album

Back to School Baking & Lunch Ideas

Back to School Photos & Questionnaires

Linking up with:

Quilted French Memory Board DIY Tutorial

2012-08-27T06:00:00.004-07:00

When I had my business, EllaBella Designs, my hand-made Quilted French Memory Boards were a big hit at the local craft markets. They add a beautiful touch to any room with the ability to showcase a revolving array of your favorite photographs without damaging them like a bulletin board could.

Well, years later, The Scrapbooking Housewife blog still gets numerous visitors each day in search of the quilted french memory boards. Since I don't make them to sell anymore, I figured it was about time I provided a detailed DIY Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial!

A printable pdf version is available for this Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial.

I'll start with what makes the base of my memory boards - framed canvases!

I used to get the 16"x20" 2-packs at Michael's when they went on sale, now it seems that there are inexpensive canvases available today in a plethora of sizes. I have even purchased some at dollar stores; the quality of the canvas itself is irrelivant, as you will be covering it up. Other sizes I made were 10"x12", 12"x14", and 14"x16"; but found that the 16"x20" was my preferred size.

An alternate base for your memory board can include a bulletin board, or a stury piece of inexpensive foam board. You can even build your own frame from wood if you so desire; but, for me, I found that for the relatively low cost of the canvas it wasn't worth the effort.

Please keep in mind that there are a number of ways you could go about making your own Quilted French Memory Board, but here I will share with you my process. I have to admit, I haven't made one of these in years, so here goes...

Supplies:

Framed canvas
Fabric - make sure fabric is at least 2" larger than your canvas; designer fabric always looks stunning; I love Amy Butler, Kaufman, Michael Miller, to name a few

Felt - cut to fit back of canvas
Iron & Ironing Board
Good quality matching ribbon
Matching trim - optional
Batting - cut to at least 2" larger than your canvas
5 brads - try going the extra mile and use decorative brads, you will not regret it

Hot glue gun with glue
Paper piercer - you could also use the end of a very pointy & sharp pair of scissors (such as these Tim Holtz by Tonic Studios - love these scissors!)
Measuring tape & pencil
Staple gun with staples - I purchased an electric staple gun just for doing these boards, so worth it!!

Tooth-edged picture hanger & nails to hang frame
Hammer
Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut fabric to give you at least 2" overlap on all sides; iron fabric.

2. Cut batting to give you at least 2" overlap on all sides. Spread some hot glue over the front of the canvas, just enough so it stays, and adhere batting to front.

3. Lay the fabric face down and place canvas front-side down over top of the fabric; be careful here and make sure that the pattern on your fabric is straight.

4. Stretch fabric over sides and staple to the back of the canvas using a staple gun. Tuck corners in and staple. Cut off any excess fabric. You may need to use a hammer for some of the staples that don't go in all of the way.

For the next set of instructions, it may be helpful for you to visualize the canvas as a grid when dealing with measurements for ribbon & brad placements. Note that for larger canvases, you may wish to add extra lengths of ribbon and brads.

(The following diagrams are not to scale, they are just providing you with a brief overview of ribbon and brad placement)

front view of canvas

back view of canvas

5. With canvas facing down, use your staple gun to staple one end of ribbon to the corner of the back of the canvas; bring diagonally across the front to the opposite corner, making sure ribbon is tight, and staple the end to the back of the canvas. Repeat on the other corners.

6. Turn the canvas face down and, using a pencil, mark at the middle point of each side of the frame.

7. Keeping the canvas face down, staple another piece of ribbon to the top middle at an angle; bring ribbon over the front of the canvas and over to the middle of the other side; staple. Do this one more time on the same side.

8. Continue on other three sides.

9. Once ribbon is stapled in place, take your measuring tape and measure the middle point of the front of the canvas. Your two ribbons crossing over should be exactly in the middle; if not, you will need to maneouver them until they are in the centre.

10. Hold ribbon while inserting the paper piercer (or the very pointy & sharp tip of your scissors) in the centre. Make sure you go all the way through the ribbon, fabric, and canvas. Insert your brad and separate back so brad sits flat. You may need to tear the ribbon and fabric slightly, just be sure not to form a run in the ribbon or fabric.

11. The other four brad placements can be a bit tricky; the ribbon will likely require quite a bit of maneouvering to get the ribbon placement just right. Imagine the canvas divided up into sections and measure in both directions to get the mid-point. I usually start with the top left brad and work clock-wise, but do whatever works for you.

For example, if I was working with a 16" x 20" canvas, I would measure 5" across and 4" down and move my ribbon accordingly to get it just right.

12. Once you have all of the brads in place, you can then attach the felt backing using a hot glue gun.

13. If you are using trim, attach that to the edge of the canvas using hot glue.

14. Turn canvas face down and mark the middle of the canvas; attach tooth-edged picture hanger.

Your Quilted French Memory Board is now ready to hang and adorn your photos!

Enjoy!

A printable pdf version is available for this Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial.

Don’t miss my Back to School posts:

Kids Chore Chart Clipboard

Organizing a Homework Station

Mini Homework Station

Quilted French Memory Board Tutorial

School Lunch Ideas for Kids

School Portraits File Folder Mini Scrapbook Album

Back to School Baking & Lunch Ideas

Back to School Photos & Questionnaires

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Keeping it Simple

Dice Addition Game for Kids - Free Printable!

2012-08-24T17:01:00.006-07:00

So, after I made the Busy Bag Dice Number Matching Game for my son, I thought I'd make a slightly different one for my daughter, since she is older. Enter the Dice Addition Game! It is such a simple yet great way for my daughter to practice her addition! I may even make one up for subtraction, and, when she's older yet, multiplication, too.

We use the same foam dice that I made for my son's game, some with numbers and some with dots, but her printable is obviously a bit different. To play, she just rolls a pair of dice, places them in the boxes, adds the numbers, and marks the answer in the box. Simple! I am also going to laminate this printable, that way she can use white board eraser markers and wipe off her answers.

Here is the Dice Addition Game for Kids free printable. Just download the pdf and print!

Check out my Pinterest Education Pin Board where I share loads of educational ideas for your kids!! Be sure to follow me on Pinterest!

Do your kids love educational games? I would love to hear what educational games you have for your children!

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Busy Bags for Preschoolers - Dice Number Matching Game

2012-08-23T06:00:00.007-07:00

I first saw this type of game at my son's drop-in playschool and he just loved it!! So when we were going camping, I knew that this would be the perfect game to take along! I really have no idea what the game is, but thought I'd make up my own version.

It is really quite simple: he rolls a die and matches the number to the chart and puts the die in a box beside the corresponding number. He is getting good at recognizing and counting the dots on the dice.

We also make patterns, build things, and group like-numbers or colors with the blocks. So multi-functional! And the best part is, my son loves it!

Here is Lee in the tent playing the game with me:

How to make your own busy bag:

To start, I found a bag of plain colored foam cubes at the dollar store. I took three of each color and marked them, using a thick Sharpie, with numbers 1 through 6; I then took another three of each color and marked them with dots 1 through 6.

It wouldn't be complete without a printable to go along with it, so I have made my own. Click here for your free Dice Number Matching Busy Bag printable! I laminated my printable for extra durability.

There are so many busy bags floating around the internet these days! And they are so fun to put together. I made a travel bag for the kids when we did a small road trip this summer and they loved it! (More on that in another post)

Check out my Pinterest Busy Bags for Preschoolers Board for more ideas!!

UPDATE: I have posted a Dice Addition Game for Kids, for my daughter, who is older, check it out here!

Do/Did you have busy bags for your kids? If so, what do/did you have in them?

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Blackberry Buttercream Icing and Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

2012-08-20T06:00:00.011-07:00

Blackberry Buttercream Icing and Vanilla Cupcake Recipe (see bottom of post for recipe)

We have quite a lot of blackberry bushes near our house; so the other day we decided to go for a walk to collect some blackberries! There aren't usually enough to take home to actually make a blackberry pie or crumble; they are either usually all eaten up by the time we get home, or there just aren't enough ripe berries.

Well, we ended up with a plethora of blackberries; thanks to my husband's long arms (thanks again, hon)! LOL! We had so much that we didn't have enough room left in the container and had to head back home!! (Plus I was getting eaten alive by the bugs! Yuck!! Definitely not my favorite thing about summer!!)

Blackberries are one of my favorite berries, and seeing as how we had collected so many, I just had to think of a way to bake them into a nice, fresh dessert!! So we ended up turning it into an impromptu end-of-summer celebration BBQ and had some family over! (Always a good excuse to have a BBQ!)

I debated about making a pie vs a crumble, and the crumble won out!! But not before I made some last minute vanilla cupcakes topped with yummy, creamy blackberry buttercream icing!! I really couldn't resist, and I have always wanted to try experimenting with different icing - today was the perfect excuse!

Blackberry Buttercream Icing

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

2 Tbsp +/- pureed blackberry juice *

3 cups +/- icing sugar

pinch of salt

* This is how I pureed the blackberries: Place a strainer over a small bowl. Put approximately 1/2 cup +/- of blackberries into the strainer and, using a fork, mash up the berries until you have the amount of juice you need.

Whip butter with mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. This will make the butter nice and creamy!

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low for 1 minute until mixed, then medium for 3-5 minutes.

Use icing immediately. I find when this icing is refrigerated, it gets very hard. The icing is okay left out for a couple of days. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature and mix until fluffy and creamy.

This will provide you with enough icing for approximately 1 dozen or more cupcakes, depending on how much icing you want on your cupcakes. To make the icing look like a rose, I used a 1M Wilton open star tip and started the swirl from the centre.

I used to add heavy cream to my icings, but I found that since I have started to whip my butter and icing for a longer period of time, it really is nice and creamy as is.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Believe me when I say that I have experimented with many vanilla cake recipes, and have yet to find the perfect one; so I always fall back on the boxed cake mixes. However, I have altered it a bit and find the cake is a tad more dense.

1 French Vanilla cake mix

Add all of the ingredients called for on the back of the box, but substitute milk for the water

Add 1 extra egg (eggs should be room temperature - soak in warm water for 15 minutes)

Mix & bake as per directions.

That's it!!

Enjoy!

Check out my other recipes using blackberries:

Blackberry Tarts

Blackberry Cheesecake Cups

Do you have a favorite vanilla cake recipe or a favorite icing? I'd love it if you shared, so I can try experimenting with some new ones!!

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Making Summer Journals for Kids

2012-08-11T13:23:00.008-07:00

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer!! The kids still have over two weeks of summer holidays before they go back to school. Lee is due to start pre-school this year, but it is hit and miss right now whether he will be going or not. We are having great difficulties with potty training, but lately we have been making slow progress daily. So here's hoping that he'll be potty trained in time for starting pre-school!!

Our summer has been packed with great activities and overnight trips; but that's all for another post!

Today, I wanted to share with you the summer journal the kids made. The hope was that the kids would write in their journals throughout the summer to keep up with, and practice, their writing. I admit that they haven't been writing in them as often as I had hoped, but that means we are having a fun-filled summer, right? You bet!!

I just took a couple of left-over exercise books and covered them with cardstock for the base. I brought out the felts, stickers, stamps, glue, paper punches, etc.. The kids had a blast creating their journals! I figured out that Lee really loves stamping! Did I mention that Lee really loves stamping? I also brought out my date stamp, so they can stamp the date on each entry! FUN!!

Since Lee doesn't write much yet (he can write his name though!), and he doesn't show much interest in drawing, I just let him stamp and paste away on his journal pages. I will also sometimes include a short sentence on his favorite part of what we did during the day.

Ella, on the other hand, is little miss crafty and she loves drawing and telling stories!! I really enjoy reading her entries and looking at her drawings.

I also brought out my journal I wrote when I was the same age Ella is now. Ella loved reading it and looking at the illustrations. It was fun for me to look back on it, too; laughter and tears and all!

Do your kids like to keep a summer journal? Did you keep any of your journals from school? Do you like to keep a journal now?

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How to Live a Simple and Balanced Life

2012-07-13T06:00:00.006-07:00

Lately, I have felt the need to finally create some semblance of balance and simplicity in my life, as most days I feel that I could be doing a whole lot better. So it's time I simplified things and brought back some balance to our lives; and I have come up with a list of ideas to help me along.

I have been a SAHM to two children for over 8 years, and am now going back to school via correspondence to enter a brand new career field which will allow me to work from home! Then, once my youngest is in kindergarten in two years, I can switch to working outside of the home. But I need to learn how to balance it all!

Some of the ideas below are from my own experiences, that I have actually implemented in my life; and some I am still working towards. If you happen to be in the same boat, as a lot of people are, I do hope you find this list inspirational.

1. Simplify. Identify what is important to you and focus on those things, try to find ways to eliminate everything else (deligate, hire help, automate); this will change as you go throughout your life. Learn to live with less, keep only what gives you joy and adds value to your life.

2. Streamline your life. Focus on one system at a time (laundry system, paperwork system, errands system, email system, cleaning system...) and try to make it simplified & efficient.

3. Time management. Including selecting certain times of day to check email, read blogs, etc. Evaluate your commitments & how you spend your time.

4. Support. Have the whole family, children included, help in household tasks & chores.

5. Prepare in advance, create routines.

6. Organize. Have a home for everything.

7. Manage finances, simplify your budget (see my post here - 8 Steps to Organizing Your Finances). Decide what is "enough" and stop buying, limit your purchases.

8. Declutter. Purge your household stuff including your email, RSS feeds, etc. A cluttered house is a cluttered mind. Start with the big stuff and go from room to room, closet to closet, drawer to drawer.

9. Spend more time with people you love, as well as yourself! Maintain your friendships.

10. Learn to say no more often. It can get overwhelming when you are always saying "yes."

11. Limit & simplify your electronics (email, TV, cellphones, computer...)

12. Live in the moment.

13. Create weekly meal plans & keep it simple.

14. Create and keep an exercise habit.

15. Use your car less often. Walk the kids to school, take the bus to the pool...

16. Find a hobby that gives you a creative outlet. This could be writing, drawing, photography, scrapbooking, knitting, designing websites, etc. Your life will be much more fulfilling. The time you take out of your day for this can replace the time you eliminated from other areas.

17. Simplify goals. Focus on one goal at a time, give it all of your energy, therefore you will have a better chance of success.

18. Keep track of your day so you know where the time is being spent and where you can make adjustments. This way you can free up time for important things, like reading or playing with your child; and doing things you love.

19. Single-task. Multi-tasking is more stressful & less productive. (I need to work on this one!)

20. Fill your day with simple pleasures & sprinkle them throughout your day. (Love this one. I had to include it, though I don't do it often.)

21. Create an easy-to-maintain yard. (We don't have nearly enough time to maintain our yard, so this is a very good point for us! Just last weekend, we actually started working on doing this in our front yard.)

22. Carry only the essentials. (I have only just begun to do this. I have a tiny purse which only fits my essentials; and I can easily fit it into the diaper bag when we're out and about with Lee. My husband, on the other hand, has weighed his jacket down so much with all of the stuff he has loaded into his pockets!!)

23. Create a realistic Life Plan; by doing this I feel that I am somewhat in control and when I feel that we are in a rut, I can always look at my Life Plan and feel reassured that we are on the right path. (Check back soon for a free printable for your 5-year Life Plan)

Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

What do you think of my list? Is there something on the list that really jumps out at you that you think you can implement in you own life right away? What would you add to your own list?

__________________

Sources:

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits

Doodle Images Credit:
Stephanie Ackerman

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Year End Teacher Appreciation Gift

2012-06-26T06:00:00.005-07:00

Ella's last day of school is tomorrow and I have been wondering what to give/make for the teachers' year-end appreciation gifts! I have chipped in with other parents to get the teachers a spa gift certificate, but I also thought some handmade treats were in order. And when I looked through my Pinterest Teacher Gifts Ideas Board I saw these, and I knew what I had to do!

I made up my own little teacher cookie gift tags in Photoshop altering them just slightly (download the teacher cookie tags for free here & print them onto patterned paper); I then printed them out on cardstock and attached the tags with ribbon to the gift bags. Oh so cute!

Check out my Pinterest Teachers Gift Ideas Board for inspiration; as well as a couple of other gift ideas for teachers that I shared previously on my blog:

Altered clipboard with bookmark (this would also be super cute painted with just chalkboard paint!)

Chipboard coaster boxes filled with yummy treats!

Summer is here and I need to sit down and come up with a routine/schedule that will work for us. I will be studying a lot this summer, so Ella is in summer camp for two days per week and Lee is in daycare for two days per week. But I do have other ideas up my sleeve to keep them busy! I will also reference my 100 Activity Ideas for Busy Kids & Toddlers list!

For those that have kids still in school, what will you be giving the teachers to show your appreciation? Do you like to give them something homemade, or gift certificates, or both?

What are your plans for the summer?

Ella's 8th Birthday Portraits

2012-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Each year, I like to take the kids outside for their birthday portraits. From day one, we decided to do them ourselves, as we find being in a studio limiting and can also be quite stressful for the kids (not to mention we feel like we've been robbed!!). Since Lee's birthday is in the middle of winter, we thought we'd try going to a studio for his 2nd birthday portraits, then we remembered why we don't like the studios!

We live in a very beautiful & scenic city, so why not take advantage of that!? I love scouting out new locations for our photo shoots! This year, Ella wanted to go back to the park we went to last year with the fields of gorgeous wildflowers. Unfortunately, this year we were just a tad too late; but we still ended up with great shots and there were still some wildflowers waiting to be picked, which made a beautiful boquet!

Without further ado, here are some of the best shots of the day...

I am still learning how to edit my photos, and am taking a free online course from Jessica Sprague! I am learning a lot and I am loving the digital world so much that I may never go back to paper scrapbooking!! Did I really just say that!? One of my favorite things to do with our photos is making photobooks!

Are you a traditional paper scrapbooker, or are you into the digital era?

French Pink Poodle Paris 8th Birthday - Celebration #3!

2012-06-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ella's third and final 8th birthday celebration was with extended family at our house. We had them all over to "Ella's Cafe" for some french-inspired food and, of course, yummy cake! (See her first celebration with friends, here; and her second celebration with me here)

When I was searching for french pink poodle parisian birthday theme ideas, I came across some fabulous ideas (you can check them all out here on my pinboard). So with all of that inspiration in hand, here is what I came up with for the decorations and extra special touches.

First off, I found some gorgeous Chic Poodle in Paris printable paper designs and matching I Love Paris patterned papers from pixelpaperprints on etsy. I made the invitations and decorations using these digital designs.

Then thoughts turned to invitations & decorations. What could I do (that was within budget) that would set the scene for the French Cafe theme? I decided to stick with the overall layout of the post-card type invitations I made for her first celebration with her friends, and just tweeked it a bit to give it more of a cafe theme feel. Here is the back:

I then came up with a menu plan and had to design a menu to match! (This was becoming so much fun!! I just love playing with digital designs!) When Tim and I were in Paris years ago, we often bought baguettes & cheese for a picnic; so we thought it fitting that we include baguettes along with a mixture of cheese for the menu. Here is the actual menu we planned:

The "cafe" was decorated with a window and flower box, as well as a paper awning. I just love the way it turned out!! A perfect setting for Ella's French Pink Poodle Paris Cafe birthday celebration!

With more inspiration from etsy, I made a banner using the same pink poodle paris digital patterned papers and elements.

And now, the gorgeous & delicious cake!! Again, inspiration from this cake was found on the internet complete with a 3-D Eiffel Tower caketopper! As soon as I saw it I knew I just had to make it!! I used this free printable for the Eiffel Tower caketopper, and just used Photoshop to convert it into grey-scale for printing. It was also printed on grey cardstock paper.

Thanks for following along with me as I shared Ella's French Pink Poodle Paris 8th Birthday Celebrations one, two & three! I hope it was fun and inspirational!

I have been working on editing Ella's birthday portraits; can't wait to share!!

UPDATE: I have posted Ella's 8th birthday portraits here!

Father's Day Gift Ideas - Footprint Artwork

2012-06-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is coming up so quickly. And as usual, when a special occasion is coming up I scour the internet including Pinterest looking for great ideas. Check out my Father's Day Idea Pinboard here.

I finally got my act together the other day and gathered up the children and supplies to create this fun, quick and easy personal gift! The kids loved getting their feet tickled with the gooey paint!

First, I typed up the footprint poem in the middle of the page to make sure the footprints would fit. I then printed it onto a white piece of 8.5" x 11" cardstock.

I gathered the rest of the supplies: paint (we chose to use their favorite colors; pink & orange), sponge applicators, paper towels, water (to clean off the feet) and a hard surface for them to place their footprints onto the paper. I chose one of their toy bins, as it is just what I had on hand.

Once the footprints were dry, I then put the paper into a playful blue frame; which will match his office colors if he chooses to hang it there.

And there you have it!

Next up is deciding what to get the teachers for their end-of-year gifts!! I'd love to hear your ideas!! I have some ideas on my Pinterest board already, but am looking for more!

Ella's 8th Birthday Girl's Night - Celebration #2!

2012-06-10T21:20:00.002-07:00

Two days before my daughter turned 8, we headed to a beautiful resort for a very special girl's night celebration! It was just the two of us; and, boy, I tell you we needed some mother-daughter time in a big way!!

Lucky girl had three celebrations for her birthday this year (see my post on her first celebration here and third celebration here)!

Ella was sure to pack her "beauty" supplies along with her entourage (her doll with her own entourage!) and I packed supplies for a nice foot bath & massage. She can be a real girly-girl at times and she absolutely loves her tea parties, so I surprised her with a couple of special early birthday presents.

One was a beautiful pink rose teacup & saucer from the American Beauty Royal Albert Bone China collection (I found out later that that is the same china as what my Gran had, so it makes it even more special - and my Mum still has it, actually). The other gift was a little teapot that sits atop a teacup with flowers and butterflies.

Here are a few things that made our evening special:

Chinese food dinner
Raspberry tea (with the addition of lots of sugar according to Ella!)
Cupcakes made especially for Ella from Quality Foods (they were delish!)
Swimming & soak in hot tub (by this time I think she was getting tired)
Girly Time - foot soak, rub & polish (dress-up & makeup optional for adult)
Bubble bath in jacuzzi tub while sipping raspberry tea from fine china (add excessive amount of bubble bath, turn on jets & have fun watching Ella play with the plethora of bubbles in the tub!)
Watch Barbie movie with popcorn (she could only last about 10 minutes before asking to go to bed)
Curl into bed, read a book, talk and cuddle
Watch beautiful daughter fall fast asleep and enter dreamland
Wake up to daughter in full dress-up gear, including painted nails!
Final morning swim (& soak in hot tub for me)

And there you have it! A marvelous girl's night - just the two of us!! I hope to do this more often, though perhaps a little less elaborate! I will leave you with the photo of the view, we actually had a peek oceanview from the other window.

UPDATE: Thanks for following along with me as I shared Ella's French Pink Poodle Paris 8th Birthday Celebrations one, two & three!

French Pink Poodle Paris 8th Birthday Party!!

2012-06-05T14:05:00.003-07:00

Eight years ago this past Sunday, my gorgeous, wonderful daughter, Ella, was born!
For her 8th birthday, she chose a French Pink Poodle theme; and the lucky girl actually had three celebrations!! (See her 2nd celebration here & her 3rd celebration here.)

I started off by scouring etsy for invitations with a french pink poodle paris theme. I found some great invitations, but my dear daughter informed me that she wanted to draw her own invitations! I admit that I was hesitant at first as I wasn't sure how I could incorporate her drawing into an invitation, but I just loved her drawing and knew we had to use it! I mean a pink poodle painting the eiffel tower?? How cute is that?!

So with her drawing in hand, I researched more ideas and decided to go with a postcard theme. I came across these adorable Chic Poodle in Paris printable paper designs and matching I Love Paris patterned papers from pixelpaperprints on etsy, and knew they would be perfect for what I had envisioned. And considering my limited knowledge of using these digital elements in Photoshop, I just loved how they turned out!

Her first celebration was with all of her friends at a local art studio where they each painted a scene on canvas. The girls chose to paint the eiffel tower (Ella incorporated a pink felt poodle, of course!), and the boys chose to paint an owl, complete with feathers! They all turned out fabulous! The kids had such a great time and had a nice piece of artwork to take home!

I found some wonderful inspiration all over the internet (check out my pinboard on Pinterest for all things French Pink Poodle!) The wonderful paper city paris scene was from Made by Joel, he has some amazing city scene printables - all free!! And I also used the printables from etsy to make the cupcake toppers.

I came across a tutorial for a rose icing method from Glorious Treats in her How to Frost Cupcakes blog post, and thought I'd give it a try! It is super easy and love the way it turned out. I have been making cupcakes and cakes for quite a few years now but there is always room for improvement and I love learning new things; I am glad to have stumbled upon Glory's blog!

And the Pièce de résistance:

Keep an eye out for more blog posts about Ella's 8th birthday celebrations! Lots more decorating, printables and the menu plan!

UPDATE: Thanks for following along with me as I shared Ella's French Pink Poodle Paris 8th Birthday Celebrations one, two & three!