Archive for the ‘Printables’ Category

The 2017 MomAdvice Reading Challenge (FREE Printable!!)

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

It has been a dream of mine to put together a reading challenge for you and this is FINALLY my year to make it happen! This challenge is a 52-week challenge to help motivate and inspire you to tackle your reading goals.

I am so thankful for what reading has brought to my life. I had such a good chat with my dad on the phone yesterday and, through our conversation, I brought up a bit of my own disappointment in myself for not finishing that college degree.

As silly as it seems, sometimes I wish I could say that I completed something that I had initially walked away from. It isn’t even a field I’m interested in anymore, but it is that sense of completion.

He said, “Amy, you have something way better than a degree. You read. Reading helps shape your viewpoints, it helps you travel, and it gives you so much knowledge to continue growing and learning. So many people don’t have that.”

Even as an adult, who wouldn’t want to hear that from her dad?

Books are my education and my addiction. There are so many books that have challenged my views on life and made me a better person. Challenges, like the one I am sharing today, are intended to push and stretch you even further.

Can you imagine how differently you will view the world after a touching memoir from someone you never knew about, a book on poverty, a book about a religion you are unfamiliar with, a new look at race, or a political memoir? I can’t wait to reflect back on how much this year’s challenge has shaped my new viewpoints!

I’ll try to have a printable diploma for you at the end of this year to hang on your wall. If you read 52 books, you should have that and a printable medal too! Ha!

Not only am I sharing my reading challenge with you, but I am also sharing how I plan to tackle this challenge for myself this year! Of course, do not feel pressured AT ALL to select the same books, but just as ideas if you are looking for a little inspiration in any of these categories!

My Picks for the 2017 MomAdvice Reading Challenge

1. A book about travel- The Geography of Bliss

2. A book that’s more than 500 pages- Illuminae

3. A GoodReads Choice Award Winner (from any year)- A Tale from Time Being

4. A memoir from someone you have never heard of- Alligator Candy

5. A book recommended by a library- Nine Women, One Dress

6. A book you own, but haven’t read- Rebecca

7. An audiobook- The Sound of Gravel

8. A book that’s becoming a film- The Zookeeper’s Wife

9. A book about a culture/religion you are unfamiliar with- Pull Me Under

10. A book that takes place in your state or town- A Girl Named Zippy

11. A book that you loved as a child- Anne of Green Gables (truth be told, I never finished it, but I think I will now!)

12. A book that will help you be a better person- An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth

13. A book on mental illness- The Bell Jar

14. A political memoir- The Speechwriter

15. A book that challenges a viewpoint- Consequence

16. A PEN/Faulkner Award Nominee or Winner (from any year)- Delicious Foods

17. A book about marriage- Commonwealth

18. A classic novel- Jane Eyre

19. A book written by a comedian- The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo

20. A book written by a woman- Another Brooklyn

21. A book written by an author under the age of 30- Homegoing

22. A YA Novel- The Sun is Also a Star

23. A book you meant to read in 2016, but never got to- Lilac Girls

24. A sci-fi/fantasy book- Version Control

25. A book about time travel- Kindred

26. A book that takes place during a war- Mischling

27. A book set in a place you wish you could live- Four Seasons in Rome

28. A book by a debut author- Sweetgirl

29. A story that takes place in a bookstore- Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore

30. A book published this year- Juliet’s Answer

31. A thriller- Her Every Fear

32. The first book in a new series- Red Queen

33. A true crime book- The Stranger Beside Me

34. A book you can read in a day- The Vegetarian

35. A historical fiction novel- Darktown

36. A book recommended on a podcast- Spill Simmer Falter Wither

37. A book of short stories- American Housewife

38. A Southern Gothic book- The Heaven of Mercury

39. A book from the NPR Book Concierge (any year)- Eleanor & Hick

40. A book recommended by an author– Long Man

41. A book about financial hardship- The Short & Tragic Life of Robert Peace

42. A Dystopian novel- The Handmaid’s Tale

43. A book with an unlikable narrator- A Pleasure & a Calling

44. A book recommended by a blogger- The Passage

45. A book written by an author that wasn’t alive in your lifetime- Persuasion

46. A National Book Awards Finalist (from any year)- News of the World

47. A book on race- Born a Crime

48. A book about art- The Mirror Thief

49. A book from your TBR (to be read) stack- Brutal Youth

50. A MomAdvice Book Club selection- Carrying Albert Home

51. A nonfiction book- The Latter Days

52. A book you will be proud to share you finally read this year- Evicted

Get Your Free 2017 MomAdvice Reading Challenge Download !

The 2017 MomAdvice Reading Challenge Printable

designed by MJ from pars caeli!!

Start your engines, friends! I hope this helps you reach your reading goals- xo

This post contains affiliate links. I promise to only recommend what I truly love!

Tags: 2017 Reading Challenge, 2017 Reading Prompts, Free Reading Challenge Printable, Free Reading Challenge Worksheet, MomAdvice Reading Challenge, Reading Challenge Ideas
Posted in Announcements, Book Reviews, MomAdvice Book Club, Printables | No Comments »

DIY Slow Cooker Citronella Candles + Printable Tag

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016

One of my favorite things in my arsenal of kitchen tools is my slow cooker, and I’m excited to share with you a new way to use it – to make DIY Slow Cooker Citronella Candles for gifts! By using small paint cans and wrapping the with our cute printable tag, it’s a sweet way to thank your hostess for her hard work.

Making candles sounds like something an advanced crafter might tackle, but it is one of the easiest projects I have ever done, thanks to my slow cooker. I purchased the supplies in bulk online for this project, but you could also try this on a smaller scale and purchase the supplies for these at your local craft store.

How to Make Slow Cooker Citronella Candles

Supplies Needed

Empty Quart Size Paint Cans (found at my local hardware store)
Soy Wax Flakes (you need approximately 1 pound per candle you are making)
6″ Candle wicks
Citronella Essential Oil
Slow Cooker (or two if you have them!)
Food Scale or Postal Scale
Bamboo Skewer
Pencils
Card stock (for printing your tags)
Bakers twine, yarn, or raffia to tie your gift tag

Directions

1. Measure and weigh out 14 ounces of soy wax flakes for each paint can in a glass measuring cup (be sure to tare your scale). It should fill the can almost to the top, and we will be adding more flakes after the first round melts down and creates more space inside the can. Repeat the measuring with all of the other candles you plan to prepare.

2. Add an inch or two of water to your slow cooker to create a water bath for your candles. Nestle the paint cans inside the slow cooker, place a lid on top, and turn it on HIGH for two hours. As the wax melts down, feel free to add more wax in your can to the desired height.

3. Once the two hours has passed, open the lid and add 15-20 drops of Citronella to each candle (approximately 1 ml of oil). Using a bamboo skewer, stir each candle after adding the oil. Turn your slow cooker off, then add your candle wick in the center of each candle. Take a pencil and wrap the top of the wick to the middle of it and allow it to help stand the candle up in the center. Leave the candles in the slow cooker until the wax begins to harden. Remove the paint cans to prevent any rusting that could be created inside your water bath, drying your can well with a dish towel. Allow the candles to fully harden on your countertop.

4. The next day, trim your wicks and attach our printable for an adorable hostess gift for your next summer barbecue.

To complete the candle, grab my FREE “Thanks For Letting Us Bug You Printable” (click link and save to your computer) to tie on each candle as a thank you for a fun-filled evening.

How easy is that? I now have five gifts to share for a summer filled with family, friends, and delicious food. And if candle-making isn’t your thing, check out these neon paint-dipped spoons that also make great gifts!

Love this tutorial? Be sure to visit my tutorial for Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Candles for the holiday season!

This post contains affiliate links! Thank you for supporting the site with your purchases!

Pin It

Tags: DIY Citronella Candles, DIY Slow Cooker Citronella Candles, How to Make Candles in Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Candles
Posted in DIY, Gifts, Printables | No Comments »

DIY Grilling Seasoning Mixes For Father’s Day

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016

Create quick & easy grilling seasoning mixes with these recipes and printable labels for a perfect gift for a grill-loving dad!

Father’s Day is just around the corner and our Dads love grilling so I thought making grilling seasoning mixes would be a fun gift for your favorite dads! I’m sharing two easy DIY grilling spice mixes that you can make and package up with fun printable labels for the perfect gift to share with a special Dad in your life.

The beauty in this project is that it is easy to create one or many gifts with just one assembly line of ingredients. To really make your dollars stretch on this project, buy your spices in bulk or purchase the generic brands of spices to keep the gift frugal, but still thoughtful.

The thing that I know I love about my Dad is that he is just the kind of guy that appreciates small and thoughtful gestures. These spice mixes are just the ticket for a gift that your Dad really can use.

If you are pinched for time, but still want the taste of freshly ground pepper in your recipes, utilize your food processor and pulse your peppercorns until they are ground or just run your food processor with them in there for a couple of minutes. If you don’t have a food processor, a coffee grinder can also work to save you some time.

All-Purpose Spice Mix

The first spice mix we are going to make is an easy all-purpose grill seasoning. This can be rubbed onto any meat before grilling. The red pepper flake and ground pepper add a lot of kick to this spice rub so if you prefer a mix with less spice, feel free to scale back those two spices. Remember to utilize your food processor to help blend your pepper and save you time!

DIY Grilling Seasoning Mixes For Father’s Day

Recipe Type: Condiment

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1 cup

An easy all-purpose grill seasoning that can be rubbed onto any meat before grilling.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together well and store in an airtight container.
You can double or triple this recipe for your jar.

Dad’s Secret Burger Seasoning

The second spice mix will make dad’s burgers extra special. If your Dad really likes to show-off on the grill, this burger seasoning spice mix is just what he needs to take his burgers to another level.

Although the red might look spicy, it is actually paprika that adds a lot of warmth and flavor to your ground beef and just a hint of kick from the cayenne pepper. You may never want your burgers another way!

Dad’s Secret Burger Seasoning

Recipe Type: Condiment

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1/2 cup

A spice mix for burgers that adds warmth and flavor to your ground beef with just a hint of kick from cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/4 c.) paprika
3 tablespoons black pepper
7 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together well and store in an airtight container.

We have created these beautiful printable grill seasoning jar labels for your Dad that makes them truly gift-worthy. I hope you love this fun food craft as much as I love sharing it with you!

Grab your FREE printable BBQ labels here (just click that link to open and then download).

What’s in your secret spice mix? Any dry rubs that you love to mix up for grill season?

Pin It

Tags: Burger Seasoning Mix, DIY Grill Seasoning Mix, Free Jar Label Printables, Grilling Seasoning Mix Recipes
Posted in DIY, Gifts, Holidays, Printables | No Comments »

Celebrate National OJ Day (Funny Faces Printable)

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016

I am so excited to be partnering this year with the Florida Department of Citrus to celebrate National OJ Day today. In celebration of this fun day, I wanted to create an interactive way you can enjoy a glass of FLOJ and craft up a cute funny faces cup with your kids.

Did you know that one glass of Florida Orange Juice provides a total of 5 amazing nutrients in every glass? In just one glass you have Taste, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium and No Added Sugar!

More importantly for me, as a busy mom always striving to get our fruits and veggies into our diet, it’s good to know that a single 8-ounce glass of 100% orange juice counts as one of your daily recommended servings of fruit.

We wanted to celebrate National OJ Day in an interactive way so we have loads of cute printables for you to decorate your own Florida Orange Juice cup. A serving of fruit AND a fun way to keep kids busy? #winning

Supplies Needed:

Free Funny Faces Printable (DOWNLOAD HERE!!)

Scissors

Glue Stick

Clear plastic cups

Florida Orange Juice

Directions:

Print out our funny faces printable and have your child cut out the different mouths, shapes, noses, & Captain Citrus action graphics to decorate their cup. This is a fantastic way for your child to practice cutting.
Have your child flip each piece over and cover it in glue using their glue stick.
Finish by applying the pieces to the clear cups. Don’t forget to fill your glass with Florida Orange Juice

How fun is this? We hope that this post inspires you to celebrate today with your family. If that wasn’t fun enough today we are giving away a Florida Department of Citrus kit to one lucky reader. Follow the instructions in the widget below to enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This blog was sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus. Thank you for supporting the companies that support our site!

Pin It

Tags: Cup Printables, Free Printables, Funny Face Cup Printables, Funny Faces Printables, Kid Crafts, National OJ Day
Posted in Celebrations, Drinks, Kids Crafts, My Work, Printables | No Comments »

The Divergent Series: Allegiant (FREE Printables and Red Velvet Popcorn)

Monday, March 14th, 2016

I know we have so many Divergent fans out there and I am so excited to be partnering with Lionsgate today to share about the third film, The Divergent Series: Allegiant. I am new to the Divergent fan club and dove into the books this week and I am absolutely loving the storyline and can’t wait to see the first two films next week before Allegiant hits theaters on March 18!

After the earth-shattering revelations of Insurgent, Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths. Tris and Four must quickly decide who they can trust as a ruthless battle ignites beyond the walls of Chicago which threatens all of humanity. In order to survive, Tris will be forced to make impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

I wanted to utilize the landscape of The Fringe (the unknown land they explore beyond the wall in this new film) and it’s beautiful red hues to create a Red Velvet Popcorn treat you can share in honor of the film. We also have adorable free printable Allegiant popcorn containers for your treat.

Popcorn is one of my favorite weakness and popcorn coated in white chocolate and red velvet cake… be still my beating heart. I was so excited to invent this fun treat and, of course, a Google search yielded that not only am I not the inventor, but one of my favorite blogging friends, Michael from Inspired by Charm, also had created this treat in his kitchen.

Of course, I am gluten-free so you can hunt for a gluten-free red velvet cake mix at your store or you can find many great options online. If you are short on time, not only can you save yourself from making a cake from scratch, but you can also utilize something like Skinny Pop as your popcorn base. And, let’s say, if you are a mom who is required to make a bake sale treat for your daughter’s class, you can kill two birds with one stone and utilize the extra cupcakes that aren’t used in the popcorn for her treat. WINNING!

Don’t you love the vibrant red that captures the landscape of The Fringe so well? Gorgeous!

Red Velvet Popcorn Recipe With Free Allegiant Movie Popcorn Box Printables (from The Divergent Series).

To assemble your Allegiant popcorn boxes, simply print and cut them out with scissors. Begin by folding the sides of the box and then fold up the bottom and side flaps. Once all the folds have been made, stand it up to assemble and secure with a little clear tape inside! Done!

Grab the FREE Printable Popcorn Box HERE!!

If you are looking for me this week, you will find me curled up with the books, binging on these fantastic films, and filling my tummy with this delicious popcorn treat. Be sure to check out the movie trailer below and hit your local theater on March 18th to catch Allegiant on the big screen! Learn more about The Divergent Series on their official website. I can’t wait to hear what you think about this one!

Red Velvet Popcorn Recipe With Free Allegiant Movie Popcorn Box Printables (from The Divergent Series).

Red Velvet Popcorn

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

Red Velvet Popcorn is a fun treat to share that can even be made gluten-free, inspired by the movie Allegiant!

Ingredients

8 cups popped popcorn (I purchased some Skinny Pop for this or you can pop microwavable popcorn for your base)
3 red velvet cupcakes (prepare a boxed cake mix and reserve three cupcakes for crumbs to add to your popcorn)
22 oz. (2 bags) white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Instructions

Prepare your red velvet cupcakes as directed on the cake mix box. Reserve three cupcakes and crumble these in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pour eight cups of popcorn in a large bowl.
Melt the white chocolate chips with a tablespoon of vegetable shortening in a double boiler on your stove. Be sure to stir it often to avoid burning your chocolate.
Pour the white chocolate over your bowl of popcorn and stir to coat each piece completely. Pour the popcorn mixture on a large sheet of parchment paper.
Sprinkle the reserved red velvet cake crumbs on the popcorn. Using a spatula, gently flip the popcorn to coat the other side of it with the crumbs as well.
Leave on the parchment paper until it has completely hardened. Break apart and serve in our popcorn boxes.

Recipe Adapted from Inspired By Charm!

This post is in partnership with Lionsgate. Thank you for supporting the companies that help support our site!

Pin It

Tags: Allegiant Movie Review, Allegiant Party Ideas, Divergent Party Ideas, Divergent Printables, Printable Popcorn Boxes, Red Velvet Popcorn Recipe
Posted in Celebrations, Kids Crafts, My Work, Printables | No Comments »

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards

Friday, December 18th, 2015

I’ve really enjoyed sharing some new holiday gift-giving strategies and traditions that are important to our family with you.

Today I wanted to talk about a gift that I really struggle with… the gift card.

While practical in so many ways, I have found it difficult to make gift cards feel personal.

I want people to always know that when I give them a gift card, it isn’t because I don’t care about them to shop, but only that I want them to treat themselves to something they really love.

I can tell you that I don’t know a single girlfriend, sister, or mother that would object to a shoe gift card.

I may not know their shoe sizes to always shop for them personally, but I know that if I give them a gift card for shoes that they would be more than thrilled to peruse the shoe aisles for the perfect gift.

Bonus points if that gift card accompanied a gift card to their favorite coffee shop so they could sip while browsing.

Today I wanted to share with you 3 ways I have created to make a gift card to Shoe Carnival more personal and make it truly stand out!

(Shoes: Nicole Carleigh in Black)

Create a Snow Globe Jar

If you put anything in a jar, I think it instantly amplifies its level of awesomeness on any gift.

Jars are very inexpensive gifts to give and this little snowy-filled scene only took a couple of minutes to pull together and requires zero craft skills.

Simply add a little faux snow on the bottom with whatever you might have in your craft supplies or purchase those delicious rolls of snow they have out with all of the snow villages this time of year.

Place a little snow on the bottom, add an inexpensive ornament, and finish with a bottle brush tree. TADA!

With just a few moments you have created something really cute for their mantle out of items that they can use for their own holiday decorating or food storage.

Best of all, tucked underneath that blanket of white is a gift card to do a little shoe shopping!

WINNING!

Knit a Gift Card-igan

As you know, I am a knitter, so I always find fun ways to use my hobby for the holidays.

This year, I stumbled upon this amazing little pattern for a Gift Card-igan and knitted this out of a little scrap yarn I had left over from another project.

It is a perfectly gratifying project since it is so small in size and the pattern is easy enough to execute while watching holiday movies on the couch.

Whatever your craft skill set is, consider using it to create a unique gift card holder of your own.

Sewing, embroidery, decoupage, crochet… there are so many fun ways to incorporate your own crafting skills to make a gift card holder that is unique and special. It adds that personal touch to any gift you give and showcases your talents in such a fun way!

(Shoes: Crocs Cap Toe Rhinestone)

Add Our Free Holiday Sparkle

I’m all about the holiday sparkle from attire to the gifts I give.

These Crocs Cap Toe Rhinestone shoes add that holiday touch I love with their shiny cap toes and rhinestone embellishment.

Did I mention how comfy these are?

They are the perfect shoe for any gathering because you can be on your feet for days without any discomfort!

I found the same holds true for the Nicole Carleigh Boots I got, thanks to their low and wider heel.

Of course, sparkle can also be added to your gift and I wanted to share this fun printable that our designer, MJ from pars caeli, created just for you to add that personal touch to your gift card this year!

(scroll to the bottom for this freebie!)

I hope you can use a few of our ideas for your gift-giving needs this year!

FREEBIES Galore:

FREE Colorful Cute Shoes Fund Envelope

FREE B&W Cute Shoe Funds Envelope

Happiest of holidays!

*This post was sponsored by Shoe Carnival. Thank you for supporting the companies that support this site!

Pin It

Tags: free gift card printables, gift card packaing, gift cards, noads, shoe carnival, shoe gift card
Posted in Fashion & Beauty, Gifts, Holidays, Knitting, My Work, Printables | No Comments »

3 Ways to Take the Hassle Out of Packing School Lunches {& Free Printable!}

Tuesday, September 29th, 2015

This is a post from our diy/craft contributor, MJ.

For the first time ever, I’m packing lunches for three kids – which means three drinks, three sandwiches, three treats, and three sets of complaints! Like any parent, I strive to pack healthy and tasty meals that the kids can enjoy in the middle of their days, but oftentimes my best attempts fall short of their hopeful stomachs.

So now that our trial and error efforts have failed, and I’ve talked it over with my children, we’re proud to recommend these three ideas that have helped turn our lunchtime fails into lunches that leave only the crumbs behind.

1. Ask your children what they want and give them the tools to make good decisions.

Before we head upstairs for bedtime, I ask each child what they’d like for lunch. Sometimes we have what they want, sometimes they ask for food they shouldn’t have, and sometimes they have NO ideas. To avoid the headache, I created this Lunchbox Helper!

DOWNLOAD THE FREE LUNCHBOX HELPER PRINTABLE!

Food choices are separated (roughly) by food groups, and my children are able to make smart choices for themselves (eg: see that fruits and vegetables should be a part of every meal!). It’s also come in very handy for grocery prep. My children can add their own ideas to the sheet and mark off what they’d like to pack for lunches and snacks, and we can know in advance what we need to have in our pantry!

2. Organize ingredients in a place they can pack for themselves!

Lunchbox Helper lets your children see and select what they want to eat, but let’s take it to the next level and have them pack their own meals. In our home, we have all the good stuff on the lower shelves where small hands can reach exactly what they need. In the pantry and in the refrigerator, all the fruits, veggies, grains and goodies are at child height.

I love how Amy organized her space so that an entire lunch can be gathered up from the space of a few drawers. No confusion means less work and less hassle for everyone!

3. No matter how the food tastes, send them off with your love notes.

When my oldest started in full-day Kindergarten, I sent her off with a note in her lunchbox. As she mentioned that she sometimes didn’t know what to talk about at the lunch table, I started adding a joke to those notes. Over the years, these evolved into illustrated notes with the drawing sometimes being much funnier than the corny joke!

Through a wonderful partnership with The Land of Nod, my illustrated jokes are now reaching hundreds of lunchboxes! Just a few months ago, my Lunchtime LOL Notes went on sale as a full pack of 180 jokes for every day of the school year. It’s been such a treat to hear how parents and children alike are enjoying these notes and turning any menu into a time for giggles.

_______________________________________________

I’d love to hear your ideas! What works for packing lunches in your family? Any great foods to suggest?

XOXO, MJ

Tags: Lunchbox Ideas, Lunchbox Organization, Lunchbox Solutions, Lunchtime printable, School lunch tips
Posted in Family, Kid Eats, Printables, The M Challenge | No Comments »

Organize Your Spice Rack (FREE PRINTABLES!!)

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015

When I say that my life has felt a little disorganized, I mean it! One sore spot in my house has been my spice cabinet and pantry. Thanks to the gentle shove (ahem) of The Magic Art of Tidying Up, I am trying to transform those sad corners and joy-robbers into more thoughtful spaces. I figured that I can’t be the only one with a disorganized spice rack so I wanted to offer free printable spice labels and pantry labels that you can use to spruce up your own space too, designed by our own MJ from Pars Caeli!

Here is my cabinet before I tackled it. There were several spices that had empty jars (why? who helped me on clean-up? WHO?), several duplicates (who does the grocery shopping? who? oh wait…), and there were some that had labels as far as back as 2008 (THE SHAME!). There were also spices lurking in a few other corners in the pantry that were, of course, duplicates. Hunting for spices in a million spots and then trying to not get a black eye from knocking myself out with one as I dig around was a nightly occurrence.

I absolutely love the clean design of these labels and they couldn’t be easier to print. You will need to purchase a package of this style of label to print on. We kept the design simple and light to keep the ink waste to a minimum.

If you have spice jars you can reuse, by all means do it! About five years ago, I asked my in-law’s for two sets of these jars since I intended to redo my spice cabinet. I found them when I organized my scary storage side of my basement this weekend while binging on podcasts. It felt like Christmas all over again. This decluttering has really been paying off!

I used a small funnel to funnel the spices that still had life in them into these new fresh jars and then attached the new labels. How easy is that?

For pantry items with a larger volume, I used some mason jars that I already owned that had been gathering dust on a shelf. These are the perfect holders for these items and the labels work really well on this size jar too!

This corner is making me so much happier and it made prepping for our dinner hour so much easier this week! I didn’t realize how much frustration I was having and how much time I was wasting hunting for these spices each night!

Get the Labels!

If you are interested in receiving 14 free home management printables and these beautiful pantry labels (see the small sampling above), just input your email below or in the sidebar and we will send you the link to your packet as our thank you for being a subscriber (look for it in the final welcome email). Subscribers will have access to our additional printables as they become available.

Note: if you already subscribe to the Mom Advice Newsletter, be sure to look in your inbox for a special email that contains the link for your set of these printables! If you can’t seem to get the form to work with your browser, just look over to your right in the sidebar on the site. You will see a handy form there too that works with all browsers! We appreciate you so much! Thank you!

##NEWSLETTERFORM##

Pin It

Tags: Free Printable Kitchen Labels, Free Printable Pantry Labels, Free Printable Spice Labels, Freebies, Printable Spice Labels, Printables
Posted in Cleaning, Condiments, Home, Maximize, Organizing, Printables | No Comments »

Printable Travel Games

Monday, June 15th, 2015

Road trips are in the plans for our summer. How about yours? My least favorite question to hear from the back seats is the infamous, “Are we there yet?”. Busy young minds sometimes need encouragement to look up and to gaze at the changing landscape outside of the car. With three children ranging from 5-10, we have a minivan full of various interests and developmental levels.

I have happy memories of bingo travel games (remember those with the transparent sliding doors) so I decided our children needed travel games of their own. For my older set, we put together a scavenger hunt, and for my son, an emergent reader, a bingo game of symbols and sites.

DRIVE bingo follows the traditional game with graphics you might see on a day of errands or a road trip (use as needed!). We always pack a lap desk or clipboard in the car for drawing and paper activities so my son was ready to get to work when he saw this board! Some symbols like the water tower or the number sign might need explanation but they will also keep little ones spidey eyes attuned to some new discoveries.

PRINT DRIVE BINGO HERE

My two older daughters, 8 and 10, want to be challenged. The Road Trip Scavenger Hunt is right up their alley. If you’re headed out on a longer journey, you could tape this to an interior window (making sure it doesn’t obstruct the driver’s view) and work on it little by little. This works well for us since we tend not to travel light, and a single piece of paper can get easily lost in the books, ipods, stuffed animals, etc.

PRINT ROAD TRIP SCAVENGER HUNT HERE

I’ll admit that I had a lot of fun thinking of what might stump them. 🙂 You could use these as a competition to see who can find all of these items first. For our family, competition and long drives do not go well together so we use these more as a group project!

Searching for a lost shoe on the side of the road and sparking conversations about what counts as outdoor art is a fun way to pass the time, and even get to know each other a bit better. Some of these you might even find in your own car!

Enjoy the summer travels; we’re going to do our best to do the same! Any tips on helping your children enjoy road trips?

xoxo, MJ

I hope you enjoyed our guest post today from M.J. at Pars Caeli today. MJ will be joining us this summer to share her beautiful printables and knowledge with us! I am so lucky to call her one of my personal friends and to get to share her talent with you this summer! Please visit her blog for incredible ideas this summer to entertain your kiddos- she is one fun mama!! You won’t be disappointed! xoxo

Pin It

Tags: Car Games for Kids, Free Travel Printables, Road Trip Bingo Printable, Road Trip Game Printables, Road Trip Scavenger Hunt Printable, Travel Printables, Travel Tips With Kids
Posted in Printables, The M Challenge, Travel | No Comments »

Free Printable Chore & Tech Time Tickets

Monday, May 11th, 2015

Note: Originally published in 2012, these tickets have continued to be a wonderful way to monitor both screen time and chores with our kids in a sort of “hands-off” way (meaning, it’s not up to me to keep reminding!). With our focus on technology m challenge, it seemed perfect to share again for those of you who are looking for a better way to manage screen time and make sure chores actually get done.

My husband created this great printable for summertime chores and monitoring computer time with the kids that I’m excited to share with you- free printable chore and tech time tickets. The tech hours punch-tickets in particular have helped both us and the kids know how much time they’re spending on technology. They can be printed and used with a simple hole punch to signify if the child has used their tech time or has completed their chores.

I really wanted to spend quality time with my kids this summer and I find that screen-time really distracts them from our time together. These tech tickets have made us all more aware of how much screen time we are using and have been a great way for us to monitor the amount they are getting. And they work hand-in-hand since the tech time can’t be redeemed until the chores are completed, so it’s a win-win.

How We Use The Tickets

– Each child gets one chore ticket and two tech tickets for the week in our house.

– The chore ticket must be punched before they can start with their first hour of screen time.

– Punch the ticket itself at the end of the day, BUT morning chores have to be completed to redeem the first hour of time, then evening chores are completed and the second hour can be used.

As an example, this is what our list of chore activities to be completed looked like when my children were 10 and 6(alter as needed for your kids and needs):

6 Year Old Chore List– Get dressed, tidy room, make bed, sweep (with a quick vac) under the table after each meal, meal helper every other night, (help prepare and set the table for dinner), 15 minute tidy at the end of the day, and assist mom with laundry sorting.

10 Year Old Chore List– Get dressed, tidy room, make bed, wipe down both bathrooms, meal helper every other night (help prepare and set the table for dinner), 15 minute tidy at the end of the day, and assist mom with loading and unloading of laundry.

Reward- $5 weekly

Tech tickets grant the child one hour of computer or video game time. We do not count television time as tech time in our house. Kids can watch 2 shows daily on Netflix. We no longer have cable television so that has really helped us do a better job of not zoning out on the television.

A timer is set and once it dings, the card is punched for that hour. It is as simple as that!

We made an agreement that if the child wants to save computer/video game time that they can save and transfer the hours to another day. They can not, however, cash in on an advance on their ticket.

I will not lie, the first day was ROUGH. Two hours does go by quickly for everyone. That said, after the initial two days, we have really been enjoying our time together. We keep busy with fun outings and tackling our summer bucket list together. I find that breaking the day up with an outing seems to make the day go by faster and takes the focus off of the lack of screen time.

Today my son said, “Wow, that hour was really long!” It was funny how he was whining about the hour being too short the first day. I think we were all losing track of how much time we were spending on our respective screens.

Everyone parents differently. This parenting strategy works for us and I hope it will help someone else out there too!

I didn’t want to waste anytime getting these printables out to you though because they are quickly becoming a valuable part of our summer time together and I think they could be valuable to you too!

Grab your Printable Chore Tickets.

Grab your Printable Tech Tickets.

Notes on the printable– There are three tickets per sheet. These are color tickets, but you can switch your printer settings to black-and-white or draft mode to save on ink.

How do you monitor screen time in your house? What does a typical chore list look like for you? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Pin It

Tags: Chore Lists, Chore Tickets, Free Printables, Printable Chore Ticket, Tech Tickets
Posted in Family, Minimize, Organizing, Printables, The M Challenge, Time Management | 19 Comments »