how are you making a difference in the world?

Before I had Elle I was an elementary school teacher. It was the most rewarding and challenging job I have ever had. I loved teaching and I loved the students. I hated the hoops and all the people I had to please. I had to please the parents, the principal, the district, the state, and the list went on and on. Let's focus on what I loved. I loved seeing students light up when they finally caught on to a math concept. I loved seeing the pride in a child when they moved up a reading level. I loved seeing the surprise on a girl's face when she received 100% on a spelling test for the first time.

I loved the challenge of building a relationship with students that have been down on their luck for years -- who were known as the "bad kid". I have story after story of challenging students, and the transformation they had throughout the school year. I can testify that the children that are the hardest to love truly are the ones that need it the most. I also can attest to the fact that once you have earned their trust they will stay by your side forever. There are some students that will always have a piece of my heart. I won't ever forget them. I can't possibly forget them. They have helped make me who I am today. I never thought I could say that about nine and ten-year-olds, but it is true.

Although I am no longer a teacher, my influence on children remains. I have an influence on my own child, and hopefully future children. I have the opportunity to teach them how to be good people. I can show them the importance of integrity. I can prove to them that nothing feels better than honest, hard work. I can help them see that fairness doesn't necessarily mean equality. I can be an example of sympathy and kind-heartedness. I'm not a perfect parent, not will I ever be, but you better believe that I will try my hardest. The world needs that.

elf on the shelf ideas

I love Christmas time! Teaching made it even better. I loved being around excited kiddos that help spread the Christmas spirit. I'm not quite ready to start the elf with Elle, so I thought I would share some ideas from when I used The Elf on the Shelf in my classroom.

He started out on our Christmas tree with his book wrapped underneath. My students loved it! We named him Elfis. Here are some places that he decided to hide throughout the month.

The reading room with a book of Christmas jokes.

Making snowflakes by the school supplies.

Making snowflakes by the school supplies.

Dressed up like Harry Potter flying on his paintbrush.

Playing Candyland with Mr. Sock Monkey.

Hanging around the lunch count.

Some students were getting a little stinky and were choosing not to believe. Elfis didn't like that and decided to take their pencils for a dive.

 He also helped keep the classroom clean.

Elfis was so loved in our classroom that the students even made things for him.

Needless to say, it was a great way to add a little fun to the Christmas season, and it was also a great classroom management tool. I can't wait to start this tradition with Elle! Next year she should be a lot more into it.

toddler ghost craft

Croup is the worst. Croup with an ear infection makes things really exciting. There hasn't been a whole lot of sleep going on around here, which means patience is pretty low. As we were waiting for Elle's doctor appointment for her ear infection I wanted to keep her distracted from how crappy she felt. This ghost did the trick. Elle loved swirling the cotton balls in the glue, and swirling the glue onto her ghost. I was worried about the mess this craft might create (I hate messes), but I was pleasantly surprise. It was easy to contain, which is really saying something when a toddler is involved.

Halloween Ghost

Materials

White cardstock
Cotton balls
Liquid glue
String (to hang the ghost)

Directions

Cut the cardstock into a ghost shape - I just freehanded it. Pour some glue onto a paper plate. Dip one side of a cotton ball into the glue, then stick it onto the cardstock ghost. Repeat until the ghost is completely covered. Use a hole punch or scissors to create a hole at the top, and thread some string through it. Tie a knot and hang!

meatball mummies

I can't  believe how quickly Halloween is sneaking up on us. I feel like it was just the Fourth of July! I really wanted to make this year special for Elle because she's finally at the age where she gets excited about things. Tonight I made meatball sandwiches for Mister and me, and I decided to make something special for Elle. They were really easy to make, and she loved eating them.

Meatball Mummies

Ingredients - per one mummy

3 meatballs

1 Rhodes roll

1 uncooked spaghetti noodle or wooden skewer

Marinara sauce

Instructions

Defrost the Rhodes roll and meatballs (if they are frozen). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stick the three meatballs on the spaghetti noodle or skewer. With your hands form the dough into a very thin rope (about 1/4 inch). Wrap the dough around the meatballs to make it look like a mummy. Carefully take out the noodle or skewer and place the "mummy" on a baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce on the side. Enjoy!

ice cream cake: circus animal cookie cake

In our family we have a tradition of making ice cream cakes for birthdays. We've done all sorts of concoctions. For Elle's birthday I wanted to do something fun. For you Utahans, if you haven't tried Red Button ice cream you are missing out. One of our favorite flavors is  Sprinkled Animal Cookie. Mister and I decided to get creative and use that as the base for Elle's cake. It was quite delightful, and absolutely perfect for a sweet little girl's birthday party. 

Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream Cake 

Ingredients

1 bag of Circus Animal Cookies, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups butter, melted 

1 container of Red Button's Sprinkled Animal Cookie ice cream 

1 jar of marshmallow cream (I used Smuckers)

1 - 8 oz bag white chocolate mini Kit Kats (roughly chopped)

Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Finely chop the Circus Animal cookies. Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, and press to the bottom of a greased spring-form pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Once the crust has cooled, warm up the marshmallow cream in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Spead marshmallow cream over the crust and top with the chopped Kit Kats. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Scoop ice cream on top and spread with a spoon to evenly disperse. Top with sprinkles. You'll need to lightly press the sprinkles down with your fingers to get them to stay put. Freeze for at least one hour before serving. Serve with leftover marshmallow cream. Enjoy!

baby & toddler leg warmers

So I found a super easy was to make baby leg warmers. They turned out great, and it's a 

convenient way to dress your babe and have great diaper access.

I used knee socks from Target. They have tons of colors, and if you watch you can get 

them on sale or clearance.

Cut the heel and toe.

Save the rest.

If you are making these leg warmers for a baby you'll want to cut off an inch from 
the fabric that was in between the heel and toe. If you are making them for a toddler 
you can skip the next few steps.

Turn the fabric so that right sides are together.

Sew the edges back together with a zigzag stitch.

Turn the fabric tube so that the right sides are facing out, then sew the raw edges together
to make a mini tube. this will be the cuff at the bottom of the leg warmers.

It will look like this when you're done.

 

Slip the tube around the raw edge of the sock so that the zigzag edge and the raw edge match up.

Sew the two edge together.

Flip the cuff and you have a leg warmer!

Move over Jane Fonda. We have a new leg warmer fashonista!

elle's toddler room mood board

I am so excited to transform Elle's room from a nursery to a little girl's room! I have my Pinterest mood board and my inspiration. I have found that it is always easier to decorate a room and make it more cohesive if I start with a mood board.

Since I know the direction I want to go with her room, it is really easy to know what I want when I go shopping. Also, I know that if I stick to buying items that fit in the look and feel of my mood board then the room will fit together perfectly when I finally get around to decorating it.

When you are ready to start planning the decor for a room, check out Pinterest for ideas. For example, when I started looking for Elle's room I searched "little girl bedrooms". I started weeding through and saving the pins that I liked. Once I pinned a good amount of pictures I started going through them and deciding what I liked about them. I looked at the colors that seemed the same across the board. I then created a mood board with the pictures I liked, and pointed out the features in the pictures that I liked. This makes shopping a lot easier because you already know exactly what to look for. 

Let's be real though, I am a cheapskate, and a lot of the stuff I pin is really spendy. This is when I start thinking about how I can recreate the look with a smaller price tag. For example, I don't want to buy a brand new dresser for Elle. She will beat it up. I know she will. Instead, I will search thrift stores and yard sales for a solid wood dresser that has a similar shape. I will then sand it, paint it, and reknob (not a word) it. This will get me a similar look and save me buca bucks! I would love your thoughts and ideas on Elle's room. What do you like, what should I ditch?

of pillow cases, big girl beds, & "luh you"s

I swear it was just yesterday that I spent the entire night waking up to every move my newborn sweetheart 
made. Tonight, that same sweetheart is sleeping in a toddler bed. It melted my heart to see her excited face 
as I handed her a pillow with the Minnie Mouse case my mom made. The same pillow case that was given 
to her for her first Christmas. I laughed inside when we opened it thinking, "We won't need that for a lonnng 
time." My eyes moistened as I pulled it down from her closet.

Don't let me fool you into thinking that we tucked her in, said our goodnights, and never heard from her
again. I lost track of how many times Mister had to go in and put her in bed. I finally had to take over to
save him from losing his mind. Finally, I heard her last "luh you." I hope I never forget the way she says that.

We still have many battles to win. I'm sure there will be a couple tonight during the bewitching hours, but
that's okay. It just reminds me that she really is still little. I need to stop blinking. She'll be grown and moving
out before I know it.