Snow Globe Craft


Looking for an easy, creative, keepsake craft for the holiday?

These fun, cost-effective, snow globes are perfect to make with your students in the classroom or your own kids at home. 




All you will need is the following items:


-Clear plastic cups (I like to use the 9oz SOLO clear cups)
-Snow (I use a mixture of the 'shredded' snow and these 'snowballs' I found at the Dollar Tree)
-Felt (white or festive colors)
-Ribbon
-Pictures of your kids/students 
-Miniature Trees (These bottlebrush trees are found at the Target Dollar spot)
-Glue gun

>>>Now to put it together.<<<**A lot of this is teacher done due to the use of the glue gun**


1. Take a picture of your students at a decent distance away. I was probably about 8 feet away. Have them pose in fun 'snow' positions! For example- catching snow, throwing a snowball, catching snowflakes on their tongue. After you print the pictures, cut the child out. I promise it's not as tedious as you think and goes rather fast.

2. Cut a circle (a little bigger than the cup) out of the felt.


3. Take the picture of the student and place in the cup to make sure it's not too tall. If it is, not to worry! We are going to fold their feet back anyways. 


4. So now we fold their feet back (or maybe a little more if they're too tall for the cup. This will allow you to glue them to the felt. You will also glue a tree onto the felt near them as well. I like to ask the students where they want the tree to involve them more.



5. If your student has chosen to do a fun pose, you may need to glue a snowball onto their hand or tongue at this time.

6. Time to fill the cup! However you choose, but I like the mixture of the balls and flakes. Then, using the hot glue gun pipe glue around the edge of then cup. 



7. Now turn the felt over so the picture and tree are inside, and pull the felt taunt. 


8. Lastly, apply some decorative ribbon to the top to allow it to hang (if you choose).



They're truly adorable and the kids and parents love them equally! 



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My new favorite snack

Plain Greek yogurt has seriously become my new obsession. 
This recipe is easy, delicious, and has just enough sweetness to kick any cravings. The BEST part?! It's healthy!

The ingredients:
TIP! Store your natural PB upside down! This helps keep the oil from separating. 
Recipe
Take:
About 3/4 cup of plain 2% Greek yogurt (or ONE red container if you are following the 21-Day Fix plan!)
Mix in the following:
– 1 tspn all-natural peanut butter
– 1/2 tspn honey
– 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
Then top with a small handful of your favorite berries (or 1/2 purple container)!

Variations
-I've actually nixed the vanilla lately and have switched it out for cinnamon
-Topping with natural unsweetened coconut adds a great texture and taste
-Adding some natural walnuts for crunch 



It's so darn good and addicting! Enjoy!
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Easter Basket Planning

With Easter 2 weeks away I am starting to plan/purchase items for the boys' baskets. I don't know about you, but I loathe putting candy in their baskets! They do get some, but it's not much.
And in full honesty...I think Evan still has candy in his basket from last year!
I normally go with a beach theme (we do live in a FL beach town) with new flip flops, bathing suit, and other such things.
This year I want to switch it up a bit, and found these cute items.




Hello Duckling  //  Spray Chalk  //  Light-up Ball  //  Basketball Toss  //  Swimsuit  //  Skateboard


Obviously, as a teacher, I LOVE to include a book with every holiday! Preston loves to read as well, and I thought this Classic Golden book was perfect.
Thinking ahead for the upcoming warmer months, I thought Spray Chalk would be fun to try.
I'm always looking for fun 'old-school' toys for the boys. I loved playing the water ring toss game when I was a kid, and I know this will be a favorite as well. The
Of course, a bathing suit had to be added! I like the boys to coordinate and not match completely. This fun tropical shark suit is completely Preston's style.
And I will probably kick myself for this when I'm in the ER, but he is begging for a skateboard! He's such an athletic outdoors boy!


STEM Toy  //  Hello Nature  //  Lego  //  Swimsuit
I found these great mini-STEM Rube Goldberg kits at Target and I know they will be a hit! There are several to choose from and aren't horribly priced. I'm excited for him to continue engineering throughout the summer!
This book is amazing! Not only does it include facts about nature, but activities that allows them to doodle and create a nature scrapbook.
Legos. Boy. Enough said.
And this shark suit is perfectly Evan's personality. Classic with a little edge.

And what to put these items in? How adorable (and cost effective) are these wire baskets found in the Dollar Spot at Target ($3)?!


Would LOVE to know what your go-tos are for Easter baskets and what you have planned this year!

teach. create. LOVE LIFE.
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Changes

**WARNING** This post may be long and rambling, but it has a purpose. I promise!

Towards the end of 2016 life seemed stressed. The holidays, crazy work schedules, kids, etc. Typical things. But I wasn’t ‘dealing’ with them as well as I normally would.
The New Year was approaching and the typical time for people to make their resolutions. I gave up the whole resolution thing a couple of years ago when I started using One Word. So, I began to search for my word as other’s promised to give up things, and exercise, and save more. This word kept coming to mind (speaking to me if you will) but I kept quieting it because I felt it wasn’t pushing me or powerful enough. In actuality, it was the exact opposite.
However, the more I seemed to quiet it, the more I would see it and hear it.



As much as I was trying to push it away, I knew it was the word I needed. It was what was missing in my life and making me feel so overwhelmed.
I’ve been on a journey for the last month and a half to find what balance means to me. So far, what I’ve come up with, is more time for me. As a wife, teacher, mother, and the other multitude of hats that come on and off throughout the day, I was putting myself last…if at all. My cup was beyond empty and needed filling.

This search for balance and filling my cup has lead me on a journey to become healthy. Not only did I put myself last, I also was putting my health last. As much as I was ‘dieting’ and ‘exercising’ I was actually gaining weight not losing.  I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin, let alone my clothes.

In the past month or two I have changed my eating habits and added in 30 min of exercise a day. I have more energy, I’ve actually lost more weight than I ever have, and by spending 2% of my day on ME I’ve gained some balance.

So why am I telling you this? Because I think the world could use more honesty. Because I know I am not the only person feeling overwhelmed and trying to find balance. We tend to post all the ‘happy’ for people to see and it gives the false sense of perfection.

So now I’m going to take an even BIGGER step out of my comfort zone and show you my transformation. <<GULP>>



There you have it. My before. And my progress.
This is a journey I’m on. I’m in this for good because I’m tired of starting over, and I’m worth it. My kids/family is worth it.


Yes there will be some changes in the blog and my social media accounts (like I may actually make some posts.)  When I first created my blog, I never meant for it to truly become an education only platform. I wanted and intended it to be about my life. My love for creativity, teaching, and creating a life that I love to live.  But as you can see, balance was thrown off.


So I hope you stay with me and join me. Journeys are lonely on their own, and I would love to help others find balance too.

teach. create. LOVE LIFE
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