No-Candy Valentines

So I already said I don't like handing out candy to our tball team. Same goes with their Valentines from Trey. So I hit Pinterest and found some DIY ideas.

The first, Out of the World Valentine.

We used bouncy balls for the planets.

The second, "DINOMITE"

Our tball team's name are the Dynamites. I found these cute dinosaur erasers and just HAD to use them. I designed a bag tag that read "Have a "DINO"mite Valentine's Day! 

Valentine's Day Handprint Art

I can finally post the candy-free Valentines T and I made for both of his grandmas, cousins, aunties and all three of his great-aunties.

For his "Hamma" (who loves to fish)

A handprint fish in the sea. The print reads, Hamma, will you be my O-FISH-AL Valentine?!

T also gave her a teacup succulent on which we drew a heart with a metallic sharpie. The tag on the teacup reads, My love for you keeps growing.

For his "Gamma" (who loves gardening)
A handprint bee which reads, Won't you BEE my Valentine?

For his aunty

A handprint monkey which reads, I love hanging with you.

She also received a chalkboard-painted recycled mason jar with a heart "window" for a tealight candle. The tag reads, "you light up my life."

For his great aunties
Handprint lady bugs reading, Have a Happy Valentine, Love Bug!

For His Cousins

Construction paper cards with torn pieces of paper in the shape of a heart reading, I love you to pieces!

Healthy Game Day Snack

My husband and I coach our son's tball team. Being vegan, we bring our own snacks when it's not our snack day. To each their own, but I cringe when I see babies (I say babies, because we have some 3 and 4 year olds on the team) munching on chips and cookies after or between games. I feel like some nice cold, juicy fruit would be much more hydrating and energizing. So...... when it IS our snack day, we bring stuff like this. It's basically a fruit salad, but on a stick. We cut the pointy ends off the bamboo skewers. (I don't need any eye poking here.) The result is a pretty and colorful healthy snack. Nature's candy. And c'mon! Even kids like the look of these:) GO TEAM!

Candy-Free Valentine Crafts

Let's face it-other than the occasional organic vegan lollipop, I don't usually let my son have candy. I have always dreaded the "candy" holidays, such as Valentine's Day where goodie bags are chock-full of artificially dyed candies. I'm sure I'm not the only parent out there who is not too fond of candy. So I hit up Pinterest. So many candy-free ideas for school friends, teachers, parents, grandparents and sweethearts. Today I share with you, two non-candy ideas T and I made today.

*NOTE: I have a bunch of other ideas to share, (including the little gifts T will give his tball team on Saturday) I just can't post them until AFTER Valentine's Day or some people might see their gifts a little too soon.

The first: I Love You "Sew" Much card.

Easy peasy. I took white cardstock and poked holes with a sewing needle to form a heart shape. I gave T some bakers twine and had him "sew" along the holes. When that was done, I just glued the heart onto a piece of kraft cardstock and wrote "I Love You "Sew" Much, putting the "Sew" in the center of the heart. Easy, free AND pretty fun for the kids to do!

The second: I Love You To Pieces card.

Another easy one. I took blue construction paper and cut it in half. Okay, well, actually, I ripped it in half because I couldn't find the scissors. I'm lazy, I know. I drew a heart in the center and wrote I Love You above the heart and To Pieces below the heart. I gave T his little scissors and some construction paper and told him to cut and rip tiny pieces. Gave him a glue stick and he went crazy sticking the paper pieces into the heart shape.

That's all for today. We made a lot of Love Day crafts but like I said, I can't share them until their recipients have received them.  See you on Saturday!

Homeschooling in a Small Space

We recently moved into a studio from a house where we had a designated homeschool room. As much as I love having less material things and having everything at arm's reach, I miss having the wall space for things such as weather charts, calenders and vocab words. I had to get creative. After going over my options, I finally decided on using those tri-fold science project boards and white foam boards for our calender time and vocab words. I will update this post as I make more boards. I will also link the free printables I used for these as time goes on.

Here is our morning board...

Overview of our morning board.

Outside flap. Months in order, laminated on velcro.

Today's temperature.

Money charts with cute poems.

Counting to 100 by ones, tens, twos and fives.

Calendar. The bottom pocket holds extra #'s & seasons.

We are official homeschoolers!

So little man is officially a Kindergartner! We had our first day of school on September 15, 2014. It was a little hectic so I only got one photo. 

His shirt says his name and "Class of 2027". It's a size x-large and he will use it every year for "first day of school" photos. It shouls fit him better by senior year. ;p

Vegan Rice Crispy Treats

Simple. Fast. So yummy! Just three ingredients. Lets get started.

You'll need:

-vegan butter

-vegan marshmallows (10 oz bag)

-rice puffs (this one has just one ingredient. score!) 6 cups

Melt 3 tablespoons of your vegan butter over medium heat.

Next add the whole bag of marshmallows and stir constantly until it is fully melted.

Then add in your puffed rice cereal a cup at a time. 

 Mix until the cereal is fully combined with your marshmallow/butter mixture.

Take it off the stove and press into a 13x9 ' pan (or slightly smaller) with parchment paper.

Cut and try not to eat them all at once.