celebration ice cream cake

We recently returned from a ten day trip to California. Before we left, we had a little birthday celebration for Ella with some of her giggly, silly, darling schoolmates. I hadn't planned on a "friends" party, but Ella must have caught me on a good day and I agreed, even though it was quite late in the game.

a simple treat: rice krispie pops

My Ella Bella turned SEVEN years old this week. I'm amazed at how quickly she's growing up. She's certainly grown-up enough to make the big decisions in life, like what she wants for a classroom treat on her birthday.

easter basket fillers: all things girly 2

Obviously, we're loving all things Hello Kitty around here. And sparkly and rainbow-y. Yep, all things girly.

St. Patrick's day fun: a leprechaun trap + celebrate simply

Ella had a homework assignment this week to create a leprechaun trap.

simple solution: teaching kids to set the table

Question: If the silverware had a fight, who would win?

"Bite" silverware designed by Mark Reigelman.

Each Sunday after church, our married kids and their families (and Annabelle the dog) come over for dinner. It's pretty casual, but we always sit down at the table to eat together. We also have horrible special traditions like making a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough after dinner, and devouring the entire thing. And Ella always challenges her big brothers to a game of Mario Cart. (And usually wins--seriously. Luckily, they're good sports.) It's a day I look forward to each week because it means I get to see my grandlittles and catch up with my bigs.

Recently Ella has become more interested in helping out with the prep before everyone arrives. I think she believes they'll get here faster if everything is done. So, I've been teaching her to set the table.

simple tip: choose a theme for gift giving

Our little grandson turns two today. Happy Birthday, Karson! He is a very active little guy and one hundred percent boy. Lynn calls him "Tank." :)

I have three granddaughters--Madilyn, Piper, and Lilah Jane. Karson is my only grandson. 

I think boys are harder to shop for. But choosing a theme to his gifts, made it so much simpler! Karson is in a cars/dinosaurs phase, so I searched on Amazon. Momma suggested books and puzzles. We are the grandma and grandpa who always give a book as part of a gift, so it was perfect. To make things even simpler, I had everything shipped directly to our "Tank." 

simple halloween project | pumpkin heads

I had this simple little project in mind as part of our Halloween mantle decor this year. I let Ella and Madi choose which pumpkins went on each family members face and they squealed and giggled through the entire project. They couldn't wait for Patrick to come over so they could show him he had a mean face. And they chose the biggest pumpkin head for Dad/Grandpa because he has the biggest head. :)

awesome printable

I'm sharing my 5x7 "awesome" printable today.

It's another version of the fill-able frames we're doing for Super {Simple} Saturday 2012. This is Ella's favorite and the one she chose to be framed for her room.  

It's such a simple way to let someone know you appreciate them or give your littles--or bigs--positive reinforcement.

simple solutions: Easy Lunchboxes

You know I love anything that can simplify my life.

Our little Ella is the pickiest eater on. the. planet. The other day she told me, "I think by the time I'm 32, I will try a vegetable." Ughhh! But she lives on Grape Nuts. It's the "go-to" meal when she doesn't like what we're eating. And she'll even eat plain yogurt--with Grape Nuts. Go figure.

Needless to say, I was a little concerned about her eating lunch at school now that she's in first grade. Not only is she a picky eater, she's also a grazer, preferring little snacks throughout the day instead of full meals.

I was intrigued by all the Bento Boxes around and looked into different options. I decided to try these Easy Lunchboxes because they were one piece instead of a bunch of smaller pieces that fit inside a larger box. I couldn't be happier with them.

I love them because they're easy (and even fun) to pack. They come in a package of four, so I can put them together for the week on Sunday night and stack them in the fridge. Ella eats school lunch on Friday (pizza day--cheese only :)), so it works out perfectly. The drink looks frosty because I freeze them and they keep the rest of the meal cold until lunch.

we rock! + you rock printable

I've been consumed with Super Saturday projects and details lately, resulting in no posts for awhile. But I am super excited to share everything--soon.

Like many children, our Ella loves rocks. And they're all very special for different reasons. She has an extensive collection and can tell you exactly where each one came from. 

Last weekend, Ella created this family of rocks. There's me, her, Annabelle (Patrick and Ashlee's dog) Patrick (older bro), Ashlee (older bro's wife) and Dad.

Yep, she's the sparkly Princess one who's highlighted and covered up with a piece of toilet paper. The rest of us just kind of sit there being all boring and dull. I guess I know how we measure up. :)

Speaking of rocks, here's a little sneak peek at one of the projects for Super Saturday. (I know, I can't wait.) I created a series of 5x7 fill-able frame printables and this is one of my favorite. Place the print in a frame and use a dry-erase marker on the glass to write in the details. Just wipe it off (no water needed) and use it over and over.

Originally Ella wrote the message, but I smeared it when I was carrying it with a bunch of other stuff. It was so sweet in her 6 year old writing. Ella adores her older brother, but she also blames everything on him. "What is that smell?" It's Patrick. "Wow, this is a big mess!" Patrick did it, not me. "Why is there no chocolate left?" Patrick ate it. Of course he's never around when it happens. It's hilarious.

Patrick has special little dates with Ella where he'll pick her up and they'll go get a special treat, to breakfast, or somewhere fun. He really does rock as an older brother. :)

So I have an issue. Well many, but this one I'm willing to share. ;) Actually, it's more of a strong belief. I've seen the "I *heart* you because" printable on blogs and Pinterest, and I think it's darling. But, (here's the personal issue/strong belief part) I spent too many years telling and showing my children, I love you no matter what. We had a saying--"I love you and there's nothing you can do about it." Oh my, did my children test me to see if I really meant it! So...when I see, "I love you because you cleaned your room," I struggle. There. Now you know.

So I changed things up a bit.

Because you rock for stopping by--thanks so much!--here's the printable. (*For personal use only please.)

Remember, when you have this printed, make sure the "auto enhance" is turned OFF, otherwise the colors will be very, very different.

Let someone in your life know they rock.

P.S. I'd love if you'd leave a comment, letting me know who you're printing this for and one reason they rock. :)

I linked this project up here:

road trip 2012 | packing tips + busy bags

I was looking at some photos of our most recent road trip to Northern California last night. It was a perfect trip. Just the right amount of everything--adventure, day trips, visiting, rest and relaxation. Okay, possibly way too many goodies, but it was vacation, right?

And way too many times hearing this line:

Rule number 3. You will not cry...or whine...or laugh...or giggle...or sneeze or barf or fart!

Because we heard over and over and over. Name the movie.

Getting to the destination is always the most difficult part of any road trip--after preparing and packing, of course--yuck. Ella is a great little traveler, thank goodness. But I still have to do my part to keep things that way.

Here are a few tips that help us.

summer fun: last day of school activities

Ella's last day of school was exactly a week ago today.

Ella's first and last day of Kindergarten

She had a great year, and has grown in so many ways. Now that she's on vacation, she loves sleeping in, staying up later, and playing longer. But she misses her teacher.

Ella called me Mrs. Reiber today. We laughed. I can't begin to express how grateful we are for Debbie and I can understand why Ella misses her. Besides structure in her classroom, her patience, love, enthusiasm and experience have given our Ella exactly what she needed for a successful year.

When Ella got home, we made sidewalk paint. It's the paint version of sidewalk chalk. It was so simple to mix up a batch and kept us busy for quite awhile.

traveling with small children: tip #3

One of the first things Ella asked when we returned from Southern California was, "When is our next trip?" She loves to travel. But we've had our share of not so great days, melt downs and tantrums too. This isn't really a single tip, but a compilation of ideas that have worked for us to help alleviate (or at least lessen) the drama.

A Home Away From Home
The first thing Ella does when she arrives at a new location is "set up" her room. For small children, familiarity makes them feel more safe and secure. Home is a safe place. So we allow her to choose a few "treasures" from home to bring along. When we arrive at our destination, she arranges them in a special place or just keeps them close by. The point is, find something that will make your little one feel safe and secure in an unfamiliar environment.

traveling with children: tip #2

Though we don't like to think about our children ever getting separated from us in a large crowd, we all know it's a possibility.

We always briefed our little ones that if they got lost, to stay in one place and find someone with a badge. We also had a secret password that anyone picking up the kids from school, practice, etc. in a emergency had to know before they would leave with them. Kate's was Butterfinger. It was her favorite candy bar. :) Fortunately we never had to use them, but it's good to be prepared.

There are a lot of great products out there kids can wear so if they're separated, parents can be contacted right away. Here's our simple version.

traveling with young children: tip #1

We just got back from our annual adventure to Southern California to visit Grandma and Grandpa Chiniquy and Mickey and Minnie.

My daughter, Kate and granddaughter, Madi joined us for three days at Disneyland. It was Madilyn's first time to the happiest place on earth. There is nothing that compares to watching little ones see a "real" princess for the first time. Don't you agree? It's magical. If you ask Madi what she did when she saw Tiana in the parade, she'll answer, "I freaked out." She did, and it was hilarious.

Traveling with little ones is always a unique experience. :) But there are also some very simple things we do to make it more enjoyable.

Planning ahead is a big one. I package up one outfit for each day--including undies and hair accessory--in a zipper bag. When I get to the hotel, I put them in a drawer and Ella can choose one each morning. It saves time (no rummaging through the suitcase to find items) and tantrums. I noticed the last time my granddaughter, Madi came for a sleepover, Kate had each of her outfits packaged up. Like mother, like daughter. :)

Paper Coterie: about a girl book

This little package arrived in the mail yesterday.

Ella's teacher, Debbie Reiber, asked each of the students in her class and their parents to make an ABC or numbers book. They'll be displayed at the "Look at our Books" program on Friday, after the children put on a special program. Ella has been bouncing off the walls with excitement.

summer fun: the meadow fairies

Ella saw a penny in the Target parking lot recently. After picking it up she said, "The Meadow Fairies have sure come a long way. They must really be tired." It made me smile.

simple journaling

I have a document on my desktop labeled "Ella Funnies." Each time E says something sweet or darling or funny, I add it to the list. I've been keeping it since 2008. It's a super simple way to journal and I love going back to read it occasionally. I tried writing things down, but this is much easier for me simply because I don't have to keep track of a notebook. When I fill a page, I print it out and add it to her life story binder.

Here's the latest entry.

party hearty: a valentine's craft

Ella played the guilt card recently and won. :) She told me all the other mothers help at class parties and I don't. She was right. So I volunteered to do a craft for the kindergarten Valentine's party.

fall field trip 2011

It snowed just a little today. Ella and I talked about the seasons. I told her I think fall is my favorite. She likes summer best because she gets to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

A couple of weeks ago the kindergarten class went on their fall field trip. Ella was a little anxious, but so excited.

E with friends, David and Ella B.

Her lunch was planned a week in advance. We packed her favorite things (a ham and cheese Lunchables with an Oreo, apple slices and juice), because it was a very special occasion.

Even more exciting than packing a special lunch, was riding the school bus. Finally! For a year before Ella started kindergarten, she would tell me how much she was looking forward to riding the bus to school. (We live one block away.) As thrilled as she was, Ella told me she cried when she first got on the bus, just a little, so no one could see. (Then I cried just a little, because it made me sad.) But then she forgot how scared she was and it was okay. :)

At the park in the canyon, each student received a paper bag with a list of items to collect. Being in the canyon + collecting = one happy little girl. Ella is an expert collector--mini princesses, rocks, Happy Meal toys, rocks, ponies, rocks, pennies from the Meadow Fairies (more on that later), rocks.