A Valentine

Valentine's Day is an interesting holiday for me. We don't really celebrate it at my house like others do. Hubby and I will exchange cards and some years there will be flowers waiting for me in the kitchen when I get up. But we don't go out (we hate crowds) and we don't buy gifts. I am thrilled and happy with this non-stress holiday! That said, I do have a little love in my heart for the valentines that kids give to each other.

This year, LM made his for his classmates and a few of his adult friends. If you remember, a couple of years ago we made these. 

Here is what we made this year. I am sorry for the crappy photos.  I took them with my iPhone at work.

Here is what you need to make these cute valentines for almost no money!

• regular brown lunch sacks
• clear plastic treat bags ( I had these, but you can use snack bags or anything you have around)
• Tag design and sticker paper- I printed off these tags on sticker paper from LittleSproutCreations.
• Stickers for closing the plastic bags and goodies to put inside.  I used extra heart stickers and M&Ms

1. Fill the clear bags with your choice of goodies.  I used M&Ms because I wanted something that I could pack flat.  I put between 1/8 and 1/4 Cup in. 
2. Use one of the heart stickers to hold over the folded plastic bag.
3. Open up the lunch sack and place the stickers on the bottom and the M&Ms on top of the stickers.
4. Fold the bag over.  I used the foundation of the bottom of the bag for the size to fold.  I wanted to make sure that my end product was somewhat flat so that it would be easy for my toddler to hold and that they were all a unified size.
5. Use the big sticker already cut out, to hold the bag closed.  I used sticker paper, but you could use double sided tape or string.  
6. Bobs your Uncle, you have a cute valentine.

Of course, I had wanted to decorate the crap out of these things, but I realize that my son isn't represented very much if I girl it up. But.... if you had a girl imagine how cute this would be with a strip of lace wrapped around the package and held down with the sticker.  You also don't have to do dinosaurs, but could do any other image and saying that you like.  I went quick and easy with mine so I just downloaded some already made.   I also just wrote in my son's name.


Do you have a cute Valentine's Day idea?

Linking back to:
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphisis Monday
Skip to my Lou

Hag- I mean bag follow-up

Hi- this is not an exciting post, but because I promised and that last 10% is hard for me, here is a post with how I store my plastic bags at work.  Feel free to skip this post :)

I tend to reuse a lot of plastic grocery bags.  I have reusable ones but sometimes I don't have them with me or just want the protection of a plastic bag.  I don't like to throw them away so when I use them to carry my lunch to work (I am classy like that) I need to have some place to store them that doesn't take up space.  He is my very, very, very unclassy way of storing them.

They are small and neat and tidy in my desk.  Here is how you fold them- I know you are excited....

Step 1) smooth the bag out flat

Step 2) fold in half and then half again so it looks like this (yeah, I shop at Wally World!)

Step 3) Take one of the bottom corners and fold it so it makes a triangle

Who's old hand is that.... it can't be mine because all of those veins make it look like my Mom's hand

Step 4) Take the far left point of the triangle and fold it over like your are turning a book page.  This makes the triangle thicker with another layer of bag. It will look  like this.

There is my Mom's hand again (crazy)


Step 5) Keep folding until you get to the handles.

 Can you see where I took my wedding ring off up there?  I ate Mexican and my hands swelled from the sodium (I am very sensitive like that)

Step 6) On the side of the triangle closest to the handle you should be able to see where you can pull out the plastic to make a pocket.  Pull this out.

Step 7) Tuck the handles in and work them around so that you have a nice plastic triangle or a slightly puffy one like this one.

This way, I can throw a couple in my desk or throw them in my purse to take home to use for daycare and they don't take up any space!

Was this awesome or what?!!?? To my one follower ( there are two signed up but it really is only one person with a split blog personality) don't you totally want to sit down and immediately do this to all of your plastic bags?

End of Summer Fun

Well here it is the end of the summer and we are almost out of fun water toys.  I know everyone has probably seen these around the internet this summer as they seem to be pretty popular.  I first ripped this out of the magazine Family Fun, but it is also ALL over Pinterest (if you are not on, you need to be).

Anyway... today was a nice, crazy humid, overcast Georgia day perfect for hitting the pool for a few hours.  Perfect because I wouldn't scorch to death and it would give us a much needed break from potty training.  Prior to going, LM and I made a few of these.  They are super easy!

Supplies- 3-4 sponges, dental floss or any other strong thread or string and scissors

• Take your sponges and cut into strips- I cut into four strips but you can do five if you want.

You can see I had a little helper in this picture.

• Stack them on top of each other and tie with string- I don't have a picture of this as someone was grabbing at the strips to practice counting and colors so I had to act fast.
• Double tie the string to make sure it is as tight as you can get it!
• Go play and have some fun!

The best thing about these (besides being cool and fun to play with) is that you can just throw them in the dishwasher when they get nasty!!!

Now go out and have some fun with your little ones!

I am linking to Skip to my Lou
and Bear Rabbit Bear