Search Results for: back to school

Classic Leather Satchel

Classic Leather Satchel

Every city girl needs a classic leather satchel. Strolling along a city’s historic buildings and leafy walkways, a double buckle and cross-body satchel is the understated elegance to street chic styling. This pink leather satchel from The Leather Satchel Co. is a great because it’s perfect to holding all of my little necessities and still large enough to carry an iPad, phone and books. The Leather Satchel Co. bags are British made and designed after the traditional style of Oxford and Cambridge schools. It’s hard to beat a beautiful looking leather satchel on a gorgeous day, and it’s an item that I’d recommend to any aspiring fashionista. However, when you have an item like this, you’ll want to make sure that it stays in great condition at all times, which is why you might want to consider investing in an item such as a leather conditioner, as this could help your satchel look as fresh as it did the first time you wore it EVERY time you wear it.

I styled my classic leather satchel with this tiered lace tunic that I’m obsessed with because it’s a perfect fit, flirty and fun. If you follow along with me, you might notice that I often wear these laced up heels (on sale over at Copper Theory , splurge found here) because they are comfortable to walk in and have a vintage but modern look. They are also a great transitional shoe from summer to fall–perfect to wear with a skirt or jeans.

I think I am ready for fall season with my pink classic leather satchel! I do a lot of volunteering at my children’s school so the satchel has come in quite handy carrying projects ideas. I guess you can say it’s my perfect back-to-school tote!

Thanks for stopping by and following along!

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Best of 2018

Happy New Year and a Look at the Best of 2018!

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope you have had a relaxing holiday break with family and friends and celebrating the New Year. I just sent back my kids to school today, so I am jumping right into 2019 with sharing the Best of 2018 of top posts of Darling Darleen! Although I am still in a haze and feel like I’ll keep this break going, for me at least, until the beginning of next week!

What a year 2018 has been for my family! It has been a year of change and transitions. A lot of growing and getting out of our comfort. There has been a lot of growth for my husband and I and also our children. The big move from Georgia back to Connecticut definitely rocked our world–both in a good ways and in sad ways. But it has truly been a growing experience and we are happy and thriving!

We are welcoming 2019 with open arms! We are excited to see what it brings, and I thank all of you for your support, love and encouragement. Thank you for following along, for your comments, likes, buys and pins! I love this community and the friends I have made throughout the time I have been blogging!

Here is a look at the Best of 2018 for Darling Darleen:

Our Biggest Best of 2018 was my post on My Georgia Home Tour

This Descendants Birthday Party was a huge hit along with the Free Printables.

Valentine Honeycomb Pop-Up Cards

Darleen Meier Jewelry Office Tour

Shared Boy’s Bedroom

Garden Inspired Easter Table

Summer Ruffle Dresses

Bahamas Trip

Thanksgiving in Our new House with Printables

Gingerbread Decorating Party with Printables

10 Tips for Reluctant Readers

Guest Post by Marleen Gunnerson of She Reads She Writes . Follow along while she embarks on becoming a published author

10 Tips for Reluctant Readers

10 Tips for Reluctant Readers: No parent likes to hear from their child’s school teacher that their child is struggling, especially in one of your favorite subjects. Mine is reading. This was the news my husband and I, both avid readers, dealt with a few years back regarding one of our daughters. She told us she didn’t like to read. I felt like a total mom failure hearing her say that. How could a mom, a book lover, and aspiring author be raising a child that didn’t like to read books? Yup, she was a reluctant reader.

Although we knew we couldn’t change her opinion ourselves (we found out our kids like making their own choices, blah!), we hoped to help sway her opinion by exposing her to the joys we found while escaping into a really good book. Since then, she has improved immensely. In comparison to the kids in her grade she is now average to above average depending on what scores you’re looking at. For my reluctant reader, I think she is in a perfect spot—a spot called progress.

Below I’m sharing 10 Tips for Reluctant Readers and how we cycled through to help our reluctant reader. For parents and guardians out there, I hope you find them useful.

10 Tips for Reluctant Readers

Go to the Library.

This is a given, right? The key for this to be helpful, is to go on a regular basis. We go monthly, weekly if my kids are going through their books really fast. But monthly for sure. The more familiar they are around books, they will be able to peruse the library better.

Let them choose what they read.

Hold on to your horses, I’m not suggesting sending your child into the adult section of the library. I’m a big believer in introducing certain content at an appropriate age. What I’m suggesting here is to let your child choose the type of genre of book they want to read. A great place to expose them to different genres is at the library, or a book fair at school, or local book store. Have your reluctant reader grab a book from each genre (don’t forget nonfiction!) and let them read the back of the book or inside cover. You might be surprised what ends up suiting their fancy.

My reluctant reader kept rolling her eyes at us every time we put Harry Potter or some other fantasy in front of her. We found out she’d rather be reading realistic fiction like Wonderand Esperanza Rising.

Have a book you read together.

We have found this to be by far one of the biggest helps. Every weeknight before she goes to bed, my daughter and I read a book we previously chose. We each read a page going back and forth. It takes us a few months to get through a single book, but it helps her with her reading and the time together has become cherished for both of us.

This is also a great way to find out their reading strengths and weaknesses!

Have books in every room.

Most people have book shelves or some kind of designated book spot in their home. We have books in every room in our house, not just our home library AND including the bathroom. We found if we display them and have access to them, we will read them.

We’ve found this idea super helpful in trying to raise kids who read.

Take their current read on the go.

There is the possibility they will lose their book somewhere, yes, but there is also the possibility they will finish reading it. Sometimes a change of scenery gives the reader a different experience of reading. Try having your reluctant reader read outside, in the car (unless they get carsick, I have two that can read in the car and two that can’t), while waiting for a sibling to be done with baseball practice or ballet. Try taking your child’s books while traveling on an airplane. Her books just might be a necessary escape from any crazy aunts and uncles while on your trip.

This can be hard to remember at times. I try not to beat myself up about it. If you have a kindle or smart phone to access your digital library that might be a good option here too.

Have a reading challenge.

Our reluctant reader has a competitive spirit, so we knew having incentives would help her practice her reading. This section I could do a whole blog post on. Here are some ideas of reading challenges we’ve done:

Set a goal with your child and have an awesome incentive of their choosing or your choosing as a reward for completing their goal;
Have them do one-page book reports for money; and
If they want to see the movie, have them read the book first and then they can see the movie.

You could do any combo of these, or something like this. Let your creative juices flow!

Designate a reading time.

It is no new revelation that when we make it a habit, we are more likely to do it. Like going to the library, consistency is key here. This set apart time is different than reading on the go. This is a special time you have prioritized. If you can, have everyone in the house participate. This can help keep the noise level down and distraction free.

Setting aside a specific time for your child to read and doing it can help them develop a healthy habit before they leave your house. We usually read scriptures at dinner time and other books before bedtime. This works for us. It might not for you. Make it convenient for you by having your child’s reading time work with your own family’s schedule.

Make reading fun by doing bookish activities.

This can be super fun for your kids and for you. Here are a few ideas for activities:

Go to local book signings;
Host book themed parties (We’ve done a Fancy Nancy, Harry Potter, and a BFGparty);
Start a book club for kids at the reading level of your reluctant reader;
Dress up for Halloween or during spirit week at school as a book character, include friends and do a group theme of a favorite book;
Start a bookish collection of trinkets or socks for favorite books read; or
Buy bookish candles for each book read or a candle for while you’re reading that book.

Listen to books on Audible or story-related podcasts.

My kids love this! My reluctant reader finally finished the first volume of Harry Potter this way and much to her surprise, she liked it. For my younger kids we have been enjoying Circle Round podcast.

The point of this was to help our reluctant reader feel the thrills and joys of escaping into story. Hopefully instilling in her a love for story that would translate into reading more. We’d like to think it is helping. Either way, our kids still love listening to stories.

Have them write.

This is similar to listening to books. Writing can help in cultivating a love for story. We had our reluctant reader start keeping a journal and write letters to her friends and family out of state to help her create her own story. We feel like this has been helpful for her reading comprehension and reading growth in general. It has also helped with her spelling! Since we started, she has written a few of her own stories without prompting her. She also writes her own poetry now.

These are only 10 tips for a reluctant reader that we found to work with our daughter. Let us know what’s worked for you. Make a comment below. What are ways you’ve found useful to help your reluctant reader?

Marleen Gunnerson is a wife and mother to four girls and two boys one being her golden doodle. She reads and writes in her spare time. Send Marleen some love by following her on Instagram @SheReadsandWrites

Shop books for the Reluctant Reader. These are great for tween and teens!

Tips for Moving with Kids

Tips for Moving with Kids

When you go through something big in life, you want to share your feelings with those around you… like moving with kids. When you learn and grow from the experience, you also want to share… like moving with kids. At least that is how I feel from our recent move to Connecticut! Moving is always so stressful, and moving with kids adds more to the stress and creates a huge challenge. These life transitions mark major points in our life that can really impact the people we become. We recently moved across the country. Practically a whole new world even though we just moved states. While the logistics of moving was difficult, I was actually not prepared for the emotional stress it caused on our family, especially my children. Before we made the decision to move, my husband and I sat down and went over the pros and cons of moving. We spent quite some time figuring if this move was the right thing for our family. The pros outweighed the cons, but we were not prepared out much this move rocked our children. And we also didn’t fully understand the impact on their emotions.

So learning from this experience here are my helpful tips for moving with kids:

Talk About it: If you have the capability to talk about the move with your children, I highly encourage it. We were in the position where we couldn’t tell anyone about our decision to move, so our children had no idea this life change was coming. When we told them, they took the news hard. If you can, talk about the move with your kids but make sure your move is committed. The thought of moving brings a lot of anxiety. Get their thoughts and opinions on the move so they feel like they have a say about it. Tell them about all the positive things about moving and the new experiences they will have. Then give them time to think about, adjust and discuss with you.
Moving Checklist: Create a checklist for your move. What needs to be done before, during and after. Include in your moving checklist, receiving children’s medical and dental records and school records. Reach out to the new school prior to find out what is needed in the registration process. Also include in the moving checklist, change of address and take an afternoon to make phone calls to all of your financial institutions, utilities, doctors, magazines and family. If you have pets, don’t forget to handle on their needs. If you have a dog or a cat, moving can cause them anxiety also!
Visit your New Home: If it’s possible, visit your new home prior to moving in or show pictures of the home so your kids know what to expect. This will help them be more involved in the process, get them excited about their new bedroom, neighborhood or backyard. Visit their new school and find out if your new neighborhood has children their same age. Make connections so the transition to the new location is easier. Learn about the new town or new location and what it has to offer.
Ask for Help: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Ring in family members, friends, neighbors to help declutter, pack and move. You may feel like you can do it all yourself, but don’t be fooled. Moving is one of the most stressful life events, and it can have lasting affects. Reach out to others. This is also help you stay positive and up on your moving checklist. Children can sense whether their parents are stress, overwhelmed or anxious and this could add to their anxiety, so reach out to those who are willing to help. Or if possible, hire some help even if it is a babysitter to take your kids off your hands for an afternoon. Get your children involved in the moving process by letting them pack up toys, stuffed animals or their bedroom.
Breathe and Stay Positive: The most important thing to remember is you.can.do.this! Yes, moving is NEVER smooth sailing or perfect. It’s a mess, and you will screw up or forget something. There will always be complications but you.can.do.this and everything will be okay. Making sure you are watching your emotional well-being and take care of yourself during this stressful moment in your life that will only last for a small time. Breathe and speak positively about moving around your children. This will help ease some of their anxiety, and help them welcome their new home community.

Remember, while moving with children can be difficult, the experience can be a positive life experience. Kids are resilient and adaptable.

Quick Breakfast Ideas On the Go

Quick Breakfast Ideas On the Go: Waffle Edition

Morning time is always crazy busy in most “Mom” lives. Getting children off to school, cleaning up morning breakfast mess, heading off to work, running errands–whatever it may be, Mom’s needs seem to always come second to none and the thought of eating breakfast is simply not possible. I have learned through the years, though, that breakfast is a must to keep me going in the morning and to a start for healthy eating throughout the day. But I need quick breakfast ideas on the go that are healthy and hearty filled with good carbs, protein and low on sugar. Lately I have been addicted to starting out with a waffle base and topping it with different proteins and fruits. I heat up the waffle, top it and eat it on the go. It’s perfect, tasty and keeps me full all morning long. I’m sharing below my favorite healthy waffle recipe at the end of the post along with my favorite waffle toppings. The waffle and toppings is a fun quick breakfast ideas on the go!

Start with a plain whole grain waffle. Keep it healthy and low on carbs and no sugar. Get my favorite healthy waffle recipe below or use my favorite healthy waffle mix. I like to make a huge batch at the beginning of the week and then save them in the freezer. Then I pull them out and pop them in the toaster while I am getting children ready for school. My waffle recipe is approved for most low carb diet plans.

Waffle combination: raw almond butter, sliced bananas and strawberries, sprinkled with TopBit Mixed Berry

This combination of raw almond butter, sliced bananas and strawberries and topped with TopBit mixed berry protein food topping is one of my favorites, and I probably eat it at least once a week. I just recently discovered TopBit and am in love with the product. It’s real food protein topping, which is perfect if you are one who like to have a balance meal of high protein, low carbs. That is me! TopBit has at least 10 grams of plant-based protein and filled with essential amino acids, omega 3-6-9 and antioxidants. I am in love with it especially since it comes in mixed berry and even a savory herb, which is great to use on savory dishes! TopBit mixed berry protein is made with organic hemp seed, lentils, organic brown rice protein, organic flax seed, organic chia seed, to name a few along with dried berries.

2. Waffle Combination: nonfat plain greek yogurt, fresh berries, sprinkled with TopBit Mixed Berry protein food topping, drizzled with raw honey

If you have a sweet tooth, this will satisfy your craving. I love this combo even when it’s not breakfast. Honestly I usually like to have this as an afternoon snack then breakfast because it is so yummy and filling! The TopBit food topping completes the waffle topping from low carb to protein and gives the yogurt a yummy kick.

3. Waffle combination: arugula or spinach, sliced hard boiled egg, drizzled on sriracha, sprinkle TopBit savory herb protein food topping

If you are looking for a quick breakfast idea on the go that is filling but with a kick of flavor, this waffle combination satisfy the savory tooth and is very nutritious! The Sriracha sauce adds heat and flavor, but the TopBit savory herb topping balances it all out.

4. Waffle combination: smoked salmon, avocado slices, goat cheese, TopBit savory herb protein topping

We eat a lot of salmon in the house and my kids love smoked salmon. I start the base of the waffle with avocado slices then sprinkle a little smoked salmon on it and finish it off with the protein topping. So yummy and filling!

How yummy does these quick breakfast ideas on the go: waffle edition look ? Mouth watering! Who knew you could do so much with a waffle. Below is my protein packed waffle recipe:

Low-Carb Waffle Recipe:

(Single Serving)

3 egg whites

1/2 cup oats or oat flour (almond flour works good also)

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/4 cup cashew milk or almond milk

1 tsp of coconut oil

cinnamon to taste

stevia to taste

Mix everything together in a blender. Then pour in a hot waffle maker. Enjoy! Add mashed bananas or puree pumpkin for added flavor.

Thank you TopBit Protein Food Topping for sponsoring this post. Enjoy free shipping on all orders and enter promo code : TOPBIT15 to receive 15% off your purchase.

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Best Drugstore Makeup

Best Drugstore Makeup

I may not be a beauty blogger and don’t claim I am, BUT I do like to wear makeup everyday and have worn makeup for many, many years. So I have had my share of good makeup products and my share of bad makeup products and have tested quite a bit of makeup. I also have a string of women in my life who love makeup as much as I do, and we always share what we are currently wearing, what doesn’t work and new makeup finds. There are many professional makeup lines at Sephora that carry my top favorite makeup items. I’ve listed them in this Makeup post. But I truly believe it’s good to be well rounded and bring into your makeup collection drugstore items. There are some really great drugstore makeup items for a fraction of the price as what you’d see at Sephora or a department store. Shopping for drugstore makeup can be tricky because you can’t sample it prior to buying it, so there is a lot of trial and error. But it’s a convenient buy and easy on the budget. In my opinion here are the best drugstore makeup items that I can’t live without. These items are amazing and you can use them to create the face and look that you desire, if you want some tips on how to use these tools to create your look then click here, and learn how to get fuller and longer lashes to enhance your beauty.

L’oreal True Match Super Blended Crayon Concealer–if you’ve got blemishes or circles under your eyes, this crayon concealer cleans that up really well. It has a matte finish with a skin-like glow, so you don’t feel like its too thick or clumpy when you are trying to hide that red spot on your face. Also it lasts a long time on your face
L’oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup Foundation–what can I say? L’oreal’s True Match line is one of the best drugstore makeup line. The makeup is lightweight and gives you medium coverage. I love to wear it for every day foundation. The foundation gives you a natural skin-like finish without caking up. It has an SPF and is available in 33 coverage colors. Seriously one of my favorite drugstore makeups.
Embryolisse Face Cream –Before you put on any concealer or foundation, lather some of Embryolisse face cream to your face. One of my favorites, and I use it as a makeup primer to keep my makeup in place and on my face. It absorbs beautifully on your face and has a featherlike feel, and is great to put on right before you put make up on. You can get Embryolisse at most department grocery stores like Target or Walmart.
L’oreal Voluminous Mascara and Primer –I have been using this mascara since high school! One of the first mascaras I ever tried. Through the years I have tried numerous professional mascara lines and other drugstore mascaras and I just keep coming back to L’oreal Voluminous Original mascara. You really can’t get better than this. My lashes are long and separated when I put the mascara on. No clumping and it’s long lasting. The color is dark and adds depth to my lashes. It also comes in waterproof.
Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen— The Revlon color style liquid eye pen is mess free and the liquid dries quickly and stays on all day. It’s so easy to apply and I like the different ball points so you can add different eye liner techniques. The other thing is the eye pen lasts a really long time and does dry out. Your definitely get your money’s worth.
Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color– If you are like me, I love lip color! And I do tend to go through lipgloss like it’s candy or something because I am always running out of lipgloss. The Revlon lip gloss is thick and stays on the lips but doesn’t dry it out, and you have a choice of matte or shine. One application and you are set. I like to put on a lip liner and then the lip color over it.
Wet ‘n Wild MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Lipstick— Wet ‘n Wild has come a long way! Since I began wearing makeup, Wet ‘n Wild has always been the cheap, bad quality makeup. But I tell you, I am so impressed with this lipgloss. The color is impressive and the staying power is long. I am sold! The lip gloss glides on like butter, feels like a second skin and won’t budge.

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Valentine’s Honeycomb Pop-Up Cards

Valentine’s Honeycomb Pop-Up Cards

There was this little grocery store near my house growing up that sold the cutest pop-up Victorian Valentine cards. They were so beautiful and intricate, and they had the honeycomb pom pom somewhere in the design. A small memory, but a happy lasting one. These Valentine’s printable honeycomb pop-up cards may not be as intricate and completely 3-D, but they have a happy pop that will bring a smile to a friend or classmate. I teamed up again with my girl Melissa, who is amazing at graphic design, and we came up with this cute design. Remember last year’s Valentine’s cards? One of my favorites, so we really had to up it this year with another fun concept. These Valentine’s Honeycomb Pop-up cards are so easy to put together and perfect for your child to hand out at school or to give to a friend. The designs are fun even for older children. My teenage daughter is excited to give them to her friends. Using honeycomb balls to achieve the effect is so easy and time effective that you won’t have to spend a lot of time making these striking Valentines. In fact, I’m sure your child would want to get involved too.

Get the instructions and FREE printable after the jump.

Instructions for Valentine’s Honeycomb Pop-Up Cards:

Valentine’s Printable DOWNLOAD PDF

2″ Honeycomb Balls

Glue or adhesive dots (I prefer the dots)

Download the Valentine Honeycomb Pop-Up card printable (link above). Print on heavy cardstock paper. I printed mine at my local print shop so the color was bright. Cut down and then fold over with the words on the outside. The honeycomb balls will arrive flat. Unfold the ball and secure the honeycomb balls with glue or adhesive dots on the circle graphic on the printable. When delivering your card, use washi tape to secure the card to stay down and attach a fun lollipop or toy to it.

Stay tune for next week! I’ll be posting another similar Valentine’s for boys! Also head to the sidebar to see other FREE Valentine’s Printables.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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5 Tips for an Organized Pantry

5 Tips for an Organized Pantry

We had a snow week (yes an entire week of no school) last week, so while the kids were home and the daily schedule was canceled, I put the kids to work organizing and decluttering their closets. While the children organized their closets, I organized the pantry. It was much needed after the holidays and felt nice to throw out any leftover sweets. Talk about spring cleaning! Our pantry has always been this random state of disarray. There’s been some organization but still, things get shifted. We are lucky to have a walk-in pantry, but not having built-in shelves and cabinets has made it a little challenging. The pantry has often been the area in the kitchen that random items get thrown into it and the next thing I know I have stacks of party items or bags of half-eaten snacks. But then I got thinking, where was I going to put all of the unwanted clothes from the closets and all the uneaten snacks from the pantry? My bins were full enough as it was already. But then it came to me! My friend mentioned to me a couple of weeks ago that she decided to rent a dumpster from Dumpster.co. Not only did it allow for her to have more room to store rubbish, but she didn’t have to worry about it afterwards. I think it’s about time that I contact one in our area too so the kids can focus on decluttering their closets and I can get started with the pantry I have learned a few things along the way and will share 5 tips for an organized pantry.

5 Tips for an Organized Pantry

Maximize every space in your Pantry. Think of your pantry as the top real estate in your kitchen, and pick and choose what is most important. If you are storing an item that you haven’t used in a couple years, it’s time to move it out. Use every shelf from the bottom and all the way to the top. Obviously food will take the top real estate in the pantry, but long-life food storage that you won’t touch for many years should probably be moved to another area like under a bed or a storage room. We have an area in our basement where we store our large food storage containers along with appliance that I pull out like once every 5 years.
Placement is key. Before you tackle your pantry, move everything out and check inventory. Group similar items together then repackage, which I talk more about in #3. Once you are ready to put it all back, place the items you use all the time in the front area of the pantry and go from there. Dedicate the top shelf for the occasional used items like glass jars and cake stands. My heavier items like drinks are on the bottom shelf. I like the snacks organized on a higher shelf because it makes it slightly harder for my kids (and the neighbor kids) to binge on.
Repackage your items. Why? Because boxes take up so much space. Also you have no idea if you are low. Transfer all your dry goods to clear canisters. This will create order and help you know what you are running low on and to keep the pesky bugs out of your food. I love the OXO canisters. They are a favorite. For can goods, use a step riser to maximize your space. As you can see baskets are useful for holding similar items together like hot chocolate or snacks. And I also use serving trays to hold boxed dinners.
Find items around the house to help with an organized pantry. Basic hooks are great for holding reusable bags or aprons. Use magazine holders for your cookbooks. Clothes pins are perfect for keeping chip bags closed. A shower organizer would work for holding spices or vegetables. Set up a dry eraser and cork board right by your pantry for coupons and grocery lists. Add a lazy Susan for the corner section of your pantry, so it doesn’t become a black hole. Even a shoe door organizer would work for spices and food jars. Get creative. You will be amazed what you can find around the house.
Love labels and use them. By clearly identifying where items go, everyone can lend a hand in keeping the pantry in order. You can put a thin label on the edge of the shelf for continuation of food placement. Chalkboard labels on your canister and glass items are wonderful because you can change wording for what is in it, if needed and you won’t feel like you are obligated to always put the same item in that particular container. I also like to write instructions on the label for how to cook it.

I hope these 5 Tips for an Organized Pantry has helped and makes you eager to get your pantry decluttered. I like to go through my pantry twice a year!

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Sports Themed Birthday Party

Sports Themed Birthday Party

Another year means another birthday! We celebrated last November my baby boy’s 9th birthday! I’m finally getting around to posting his sports themed birthday party. I decided to wait because of the holiday schedule, and I knew January would be quieter on the editorial side. So, I’m excited to share Jackson’s sports themed birthday party. He is loving his organized sports teams he plays every season, and playing sport games after school with the neighborhood kids. So he didn’t hesitate when he told me his birthday theme. His current favorite sports are soccer, basketball and football, so I focused the birthday party around those three sport games.

One of the favorite things I love to do at a birthday party is create a birthday dessert table. It brings out the theme and the party decorations, and the kids LOVE it. So we had the sports themed dessert table, and I played it up by calling it Jackson’s concession stand and packed it with items you’d find at a sports event. I also served concession food for lunch like hot dogs and chicken nuggets and fries. When we weren’t have fun eating, we were playing sports. For the main activity of the party, we headed to our neighborhood sports field and played flag football and soccer. We had such a great time, and they didn’t want to leave. Boys are so easy to entertain! Just give them a ball and they won’t want to finish playing with it. I listed all the party resources below and how to’s.

Sports Themed Birthday Party Resource List

Concession Sign: Black Tri-fold board with vinyl letters cut in Cricut. Format the lettering in a Photoshop (or other application), save as a Jpeg and upload in the Cricut Design Center. Make sure it is properly sized it. Then cut on vinyl and use transfer paper to place the letters on the black trifold.cx

Banner: Free Download

Water Bottle Printables: Free Download

Cupcakes: Sugar Benders

Sports Trophy

Sports Ball Water bottle

We’re Number One Fingers

Party Favors in Buckets–whistles, mini sports balls, stress balls

Food Trays

Green Turf (for table runner)

Happy 9th Birthday Jackson!!

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10 Tips for a Better Year

10 Tips for a Better Year of Goals

Hello 2018! Happy New Year everyone! The New Year is upon us and just like many, it’s a good time to check in and evaluate yourself. 10 Tips for a Better Year of Goals is a great way to do just that. 2018 is a big year for us. Well, a big birthday year for me and a big anniversary year for me and my husband. Ten years ago, I thought 2018 seemed so far away. But finally arriving to this year has made me realized, time is flying too fast and time is truly precious. This year, I strive to be more present in the moment. Present with my kids, present with my husband, present with my family and friends. I am definitely one who can get distracted. I know that some people will have different goals to me, for example, I have one friend who owns a business who wants to save/earn as much money as possible. One way that she did this was by comparing cheaper business energy on a site like simplyswitch.com. It doesn’t matter how big or small your goal is, you can do it. Last year, I posted an awesome list of 10 New Year’s Goals Everyone Needs to Make. I still stand by that list, and have to say it’s a tough one to follow, but I truly feel like when I was good at following *most* of that list. But definitely not all. When I did even just some of it, I felt the most happiest and satisfied in my day’s work. Following through on goals can be tough, and so often are not achievable or forgotten about through out the year. So I wanted to suggest what I have found to be helpful in my life are 10 Tips for a better year of goals. These can jump start your year and help to eliminate distractions that make it hard to achieve those goals.

10 Tips for a Better Year of Goals

Reflect on the Last Year. Look back at what you did last year and compare it to your goals this year. Learn from experience last year to help evaluate what your goals are for this year. Take some time to look through the past calendar and your daily schedule. Find out how your time was spent and whether you need to refocus your time in other areas. What did you learn? Write down your feeling and disappointments from the past year and how you want to change.
Choose a Word or Phrase to Define This Year. I love this idea and see it among friends who have family or personal phrases that they choose each year. By choosing a single word or phrase, it becomes in the forefront on your mind and defines all your goals of the year in one idea. Have that phrase or word, printed out and put it somewhere where you can see it every day. Mine this year is “be in the moment”. Some other words are inspire, challenge, trust, uplight, etc. What is your word or phrase for the year?
Procrastination! Ouch. Did I just say that? I know. It’s a word I despise. It’s such an evil word, BUT everyone procrastinates in some way– if it’s cleaning something out or tackling the bills or writing that thank you note. Try so hard not to procrastinate. Make a list and DO it! Complete everything on your daily to-do list before you can sit down and watch that favorite TV show or jumping on your phone to catch up on social media. You will feel more productivity and in return will feel like you can tackle that goal list. I am definitely guilty of procrastination. It’s something I am working on all the time. But when I complete that list, I feel like I can take on my goals with no distraction.
Get rid of the clutter. I don’t know about you, but if my office is a mess and clutter is everywhere, it’s harder for me to get work done. It also takes me double the amount of time to finish a project because I am searching for that one particular item. Take the time to organize that closet, drawer, or office space and get rid of the clutter. You will feel clean, refreshed and a weight will be lifted off of you. If it’s too much to tackle clutter all at once, start by spending 15 minutes per day decluttering or getting rid of 10 things a day for the first month. You will see that makes progress. If you notice a ton of dust in your office and don’t have the energy to deal with it You Can Try Green Facilities or someone similar to get your office looking like new. Bigger pieces of furniture like tables and chairs can even go into a storage unit ready for the clean if you wanted a deep clean. One of my friends who has just moved to Australia recommended Holloway Storage to me, so if you’re looking for the Best Self Storage Sydney, you could give them a try.

5. Make your bed every morning. You may think this sounds silly, but I have found when my bed is made and my room is tidy up, I get a better night’s sleep, which in turn helps me to be productive during the day. Take the time to make your bed every morning. You will be happy when you enter your room. Remember, your room is a sanctuary so if there is clutter and piles of clothes and a mess, clean it up. Organize or unload what you are not using.

6. Start a Gratitude Journal. Last year I included journaling every night. But I think including in your journal all the things you are grateful for for that day will show how much you have been blessed throughout the year and how much we actually do complete every year. Often times we finish the year out and think we didn’t complete everything we wanted too for the year or it wasn’t as successful, but in actuality we are successful in other ways or more successful from the previous year. Baby steps. It’s nice to have a gratitude journal to remind us on those things we so often forget.

7. Be happy. This is simple phrase, but be happy. Happy in your life, in the daily grind, in relationship and even in your trials. Find the good in the bad and in little things. Just be happy. I definitely believe in positive energy and attracting good chakra waves, which in turn brings joy and peace. This goes hand in hand with #2 on my list from last year.

8. Stay in the Know. Whether it’s taking a class, learning a new skill or staying up on the daily news. Simply stay in the know. Know what is happening around you in your community, schools or on a national level. Also, stay in the know with taking a new class or trying out a new hobby. Read up on something you aren’t quite familiar with or even picking up a book you’ve heard is good. Whatever it is, stay in the know. This will give you the confidence to stay up on your goal list and will keep your brain energized.

9. Do a month or two of a Spending Diet. I’ve done this a few times with my friends, and it’s actually quite fun. And it was great to have a support system too. You figure out ways to spend less or nothing at all for a month or two. I must say I’m a bit of a payday loan expert; I think they’re great but it would be nice to not have to rely on them so heavily, and instead only use them when I fancy treating myself to something special. Obviously necessary items aren’t apart of the spending diet, but unnecessary items are. Items like going out, eating out, spending money on clothes or extracurricular activities, etc. Then you take that money and save it or pay off debt. You will feel more accomplished and financially secure, which in turn helps you to focus on your goals.

10. Take care of your Health. This is so important and goes well with my #1 from my last year goal list. If you are sick, not feeling well or chronically tired, how can you focus on goals? Take care of your health. Visit a doctor if needed. Cut out sugar. Get on a diet. Exercise. Whatever it takes to get better! Focus on you and your health then focus on completing your yearly goals. That should be your first priority always.

SHOP THE POST:

I love New Year’s print calendars. I usually have a few around the house like one in my office, kitchen and children’s rooms. They are my favorite and I love to gift them over the holidays. I take the prints from the previous years and usually frame them. Here are a few for this year.

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