Let's Talk & Valentine's Day Stuff

So, I know that I have been a bit MIA.  To be honest...I had to give a few things up for my own sanity.  My husband has been deployed for the last year now.  I really didn't want to make too big of a deal out of it...because I didn't want to wave the single mom alone flag.  Just to be safe!  For a while, I really tried to do everything that I did when my husband was home.  I realized that I had to let go of some things or "they" might have to come & haul me away in a straight jacket.  I stopped doing Muffin Tin Monday & crafts with the kids were beyond anything I could think of.  I must say that I have such respect for the single moms that do this everyday without a light at the end of the tunnel.  I am happy to say that we have finally reached the light at the end of our tunnel & couldn't be more thrilled.  I even managed to do make some cute marble magnets with the boys for their teachers for Valentine's Day. 

With all of that being said...I started thinking about the Valentines that the boys would be giving out to their classmates.  There are some A.MAZ.ING homemade Valentines out there.  At first I thought I could help them make some cute homemade Valentines, but they both chose to have store bought Valentines again this year.  I considered FORCING them to make one of these, but in the end...it is from them & no matter how cut these are, it is their choice.  I may try to convince them early on next year to try out one of these!

I wish I had save the links to a few, but here is one from Crap I've Made that I just saw today.  With two boys...this would be perfect.  She even includes the printable & tells you where she got the frogs!  This right up my littlest guy's alley!

Here as another really cute one from Eighteen 25.

 My all time favorite however is from The Crafting Chicks.  How cute/funny is that?  I REALLY wish that I could have convinced them to make this one, but there is always next year!

I will post a picture of the cute magnets we made for their teachers as soon as I get the box ready.  They are really nothing to spectacular & most of you have probably made them already, but they are easy & the boys were actually able to make their own with very little help from me!

I am attempting to SLOWLY get myself back into the swing of things & will start posting a bit more.  I really do apologize for being MIA for such a long time & not really giving much of an explanation.  Now I am off to convince my 4 year old to write his name on 24 Hot Wheels Valentines....this should be fun!!!

A little late...

I made a countdown (a few days late) for Valentine's Day. I saw the original idea on a TV show a few days ago...here is a link for step by step directions HERE.



Here is what you do:

cut your paper to a 6x6 square.



flip your paper over & place a long piece of DOUBLE stick tape on only one side.



stick the edges of the paper together to form a cylinder.



place another smaller piece of DOUBLE stick tape to the inside of one end of the cylinder. "pinch" the end closed.



fill your cylinder with treats or a cute message using the open end of your cylinder. place another small piece of tape on that end & pinch it closed in the opposite direction {like a sour cream container}.

decorate the outside with numbers, hearts, stickers...whatever you like. I decorated some clothes pins with paper & chipboard, strung it all up by some string. there you have a cute CHEAP little Valentine countdown.

Love Notes

I have seen these cute little mailboxes popping up all over the blogging world. I love them!!! Last week, for family night {Family Home Evening} we talked about loving our family & different ways that we can show that we love them. The little mailboxes tied in PERFECTLY. I bought mine at Target in the dollar section. Michael's also had some, but they were around $4.00. We decorated them with paper & stickers. At the end of the lesson, we challenged everyone to do AT LEAST one thing of love for the mailboxes. Sometimes you get a treat, other times it is a note, & sometimes it a hand drawn picture. The boys have REALLY gotten into it. Kaden {who loves to write} makes everyone cute little notes. It has been a great focus for our family this week!

Something Valentines...FINALLY!!!

I have been a slacker. It is Valentine's Day & I am just barely posting Valentine's stuff. I saw this super cute idea for napkin rings on another website. You take a toilet paper tube & cut it into the size you want. I was able to make 3 rings out of 1 tube. After I cut the tube up...I painted each ring red. While the paint dried, I cut hearts out of cardstock. Once the paint was dry, I glued a heart to each ring. I can't believe how easy it was to make these. I am really happy with how they turned out!

Here is the finished product. Now all I need is a cute red tablecloth & it will be perfect! My placemat is just a sheet of 12x12 scrapbook paper.,