Happy Mother's Day!

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.
— Unknown

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!  Being a mom is a tough job, but the best job!  Hope your day is full of love and lots of hugs and kisses from your children, big or small!

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Free Printable - Teacher Appreciation Gift - "Extraordinary Teacher"

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up!  For those of you who have multiple children or have a lot of teachers to thank, I wanted to come up with a gift option that was affordable and practical.  Who doesn't like gum?  I know I always like to have some in my purse.  

So I created a mini treat bag label that says "You Are One EXTRAordinary Teacher!" to attach to a little treat bag full of Extra gum.

For this gift idea, you will need:

-Extra Gum (I bought multiple packs from the Dollar Tree)

-3x4 inch Treat Bags

-"Extraordinary Teacher" Mini Treat Bag Label printed on white heavy cardstock

-Stapler

You can get your free printable by clicking on the image below or HERE:

 

 

Once the labels are printed, cut them out and if you want, there is a small space for your child to write his/her name on them.  Fill the treat bags with Extra gum, fold the labels in half and staple them onto the bags.

 

I hope your teachers enjoy their sweet treat!

Teacher Appreciation Week 2013

Teacher Appreciation Week is a week long celebration that is usually observed the first full week in May.  It is a great time to show our children's teachers how grateful we are for all that they do!

Last year, I created a free printable for each day of the week, so this year I just wanted to recap all of those gift ideas in case you are still trying to decide what gifts to give to your teachers (just click on the photos below to link to the original post).  

"Sweet Teacher" Bag Label:

"Note to Say Thanks" Notecard:

"Berry Nice Teacher" Flat Card:

"One Smart Cookie" Notecard:

"Thanks a Latte" Card:

I also have a couple new ideas for this year that I will share with you later, so stay tuned!

Happy Earth Day!

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 Happy Earth Day!

I fell in love with these adorable cupcakes found on Bird on a Cake blog.  Just click on the photo source link to view the full tutorial on creating these cupcakes yourself.

I also wanted to post some ideas from a "Love the Earth" report card that my son, Brody received as a classroom assignment.  By checking off the items he did on his own, Brody was able to see that even the smallest actions he made helps the Earth.

To save on gasoline:

- Walk instead of riding in a car

- Ride a bike instead of riding in a car

- Carpool

To save water:

- Brush teeth quickly and use less water

- Collect unused water for plants

- Reuse pajamas at least one more time to save water for laundry

To save electricity:

- Turn off lights when not in room

- Watch less TV

- Open and close refrigerator quickly

Recyle:

- Newspaper, cans, and glass bottles

- Use both sides of paper

- Give away unwanted clothing

Reuse:

- Use a glass instead of paper cup

- Use a reusable plastic container for lunch instead of sandwich bags

- Use a washcloth instead of paper towels

Respect the Earth:

- Pick up litter

- Plant a flower

- Feed the birds

When it comes to taking care of our planet, every bit counts! 

Party Detail: Floral Clothespins

Want to add some extra feminine detail to your next party?  Making these pink clothespins with floral detail for Skylar's fairy party was super easy and affordable.

You can click HERE or the photo below to see my step by step tutorial on creating the paper flowers.

- Once your flowers are created, set them aside.

- Spray paint the clothespins whichever color your would like.

- When the clothespins are dry, use a hot glue gun to attach your paper flowers onto the clothespin.

And then you can use the clothespins to hang whatever you would like, or attach them to a favor bag, or sweet note!  Perfect for upcoming spring celebrations like Easter and Mother's Day!

Where else do you think you can use these clothespins?  Leave me a comment with your wonderful ideas, I love reading your comments!

Free Printable - Leprechaun Trap Signs

It's the first day of March, only a few days until St. Patrick's Day!  Last year, Brody had to build a leprechaun trap as a kindergarten project.  I created some signs for this fun craft, so I thought I would share it with my Sweet Metel Moments readers in case you are working on a similar project.

Just click HERE or on the photo below to print out the signs (make sure to open the PDF file in Adobe Reader).

Keep reading if you want to see how we built our trap...

First we covered a shoebox with green construction paper and fringed the top of the paper to look like grass.  We also added our "Welcome Leprechaun" sign to the front of the box and used pipe cleaners to create a rainbow.

Then we cut out some flowers using my Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch.

Brody and Skylar had fun making their flowers...

We attached the flowers all over our box.

To put inside the box, we used an insect cage from Michaels craft store and attached my custom-made motel signs on popsicle sticks.

Don't forget the gold coins to attract those leprechauns!

Then we put it all together...

Have fun creating with your family!

Linking to:

Happy Birthday Chris!

Happy birthday to my sweet hubby!  

You have had such a wonderful year, especially with your recent career accomplishments!  But most importantly, you manage to keep your family on the top of your priority list.  Thanks so much for being the most amazing husband and father and always putting family first!  We love you so much!