Elf on the Shelf is BACK + a FREE printable

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Well get ready, the Elf is back! Some of you have already started this week, but our Elf on the Shelf Buddy, doesn’t arrive until December 1st… mainly for my sanity! This will be our 3rd year with Buddy and (most of the time) I love the tradition as much as my kids do. And due to my need to organize everything, especially around the busy holiday season, I have you completely covered for Elf Duty this month. Plus this year I’ve made it even easier with a printable calendar filled with the ideas here!

So let’s get to it! Pin this post for later, or save it on your Facebook, where ever you can access it quickly each night! 

Spring Time Fun with the Kids!

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I get just as excited as the next guy, when the weather finally starts to warm up. Seriously, its in my DNA, I am from Buffalo, New York – once those snow piles turn to mush we all dance in the streets! (Have you seen our St. Patrick’s Day parade celebrations?) Anyway, this week has been warm & along with letting the kids RUN for the first time in months – I started finding some fun spring time crafts for us to do.

Snowflake Popsicle Ornaments

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You may have spotted this craft on my Instagram a few weeks ago. This year was the first year that I had to think of something for holiday teacher gift ideas. E is only in a once a week nursery school, but the program is amazing. There are over 10 teachers and staff that she interacts and learns with each week. While I wanted to gift something to each of them, even the smallest something adds up quickly. So I went back to my roots, my frugal, crafty beginnings. There had to be something that E could make that would be the perfect gift for her teachers. And who doesn’t LOVE a handmade present!

24 Nights of Elf on the Shelf: 2015 Edition

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Our Elf on the Shelf, Buddy, will be returning tonight for the girls to find him tomorrow morning. We are excited for our Elf’s return and the girls are both old enough to really enjoy him being here this year. So I wanted to start a series of sharing last year’s Elf on the Shelf ideas. Because I realize, that while the holiday (and the internet) are filled with all sorts of fun traditions, it can also be a stressful time of year. So many things are going on and you are ONLY ONE PERSON.

So I am here to help… any way I can! And since I am naturally a planner, I want to share what I have, in hopes that it will make having an Elf house guest even easier for you.

Is There an ELF Doctor in the House?

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Last year E was *just* old enough that getting an Elf on the Shelf seemed appropriate. She was going to be 3 years old by January, so really it *may* have been more for me than her! But I see all the fun the Elf has online, via Pinterest, and what friends post on Facebook. I can’t help but to get excited! Plus anything to do with making a new Christmas tradition with my girls, is right at the top of my list every year!

But I was surprised after opening our brand new Elf, that he was kinda limp. HOW was he going to hang from the ceiling? Or have a marshmallow fight with Mr. Potato Head with these floppy arms?

No Mess, Marble Painting with Toddlers

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 Toddlers and paint. Some parents cringe at the idea! The idea of adding to the never ending list of cleaning you already do, it’s just not fun. I get it! And I am sure you have spotted this idea online or on Pinterest, much like I have. So I had to try it, outside of course… just in case I had to use the hose!  

{DIY} Quick Fix for Tangled Doll Hair

We have a lot of hand-me-downs in our house. I love it, second hand can be just as exciting as something new, especially with kids as young as mine. And we have very generous friends & family who are continuously passing things to us. While we are forever grateful, there are certain times items need a bit of TLC before we use them. Anna & Rapunzel were of course a HIT coming out of the bag. The girls went right to playing with them and E even tried to “brush” Rapunzel’s hair.

Easy-Peasy DIY Pasta Beads

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Hello again! A little personal story and then on to the beading project… I started this blog with the mental goal of never letting it consume me. I want it to be organic & real, and not feel like work. Neither of us would benefit from me feeling as if I had to write just to “push out” posts. So when my life gets nutty, or my family needs me… I don’t feel bad not being able to share. And this past week, my friends, was the first time I had to test that theory. While I missed the routine of posting, my energy was very much needed elsewhere.

FREEBIE! Printable Valentines

My friend Kristen, over at Hello Monday Design creates some of the most beautiful watercolor art I’ve seen. And lately she has been sharing more and more of it. About two weeks ago she started, breaking to paint at lunch. Which I think is a brilliant! Having a creative outlet has always been the perfect way for me to de-stress, stay focused, and be positive. (All of which you can do, but just looking at her art!) If you want to see more of her break room paintings, go check out her Instagram.

FREE Activity: Silly Sandwiches

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I always have an eye out for an easy and fun activity for the kiddos. And the internet is chocked full of them. So much so in fact, that any mother’s head could spin! So where do you even start?

Especially in this Pinterest world. Where a single search for “kids activities” brings up a endless page of pins. Each of which, will link you to 100s, if not 1,000s of blogs with even more to offer! Most days, that alone makes me to find a giant cardboard box  and a half deflated birthday balloon and have the kids go to town! (That’s all they ever want to play with anyway, right??)