Happy Valen-SLIMES Day!

Have I mentioned I love puns? Well, I do. That's why we had to make slime for Valen-SLIMES Day! (My son laughed at that pun for a solid 15 seconds.)

My kids kept some to play with and we gave some as gifts.

If you want to celebrate too (or make slime any other non-punny day of the year), here's how.

You'll need:

>> 2 small bottles or 1 large bottle of GLUE 

(clear or or white, depending on the look you want)

>> 1 TBS of baking soda

>> about 3 TBS of contact solution

**Optional:

>> Glitter

>> Tiny foam balls (Faux Snow) 

Mix everything together. 

I found the more contact solution you add, the harder it is to stick the slime "pieces" back together, so don't overdo it.

We've made slime before, and it was pretty simple, so I decided to add tiny foam balls to the mix for something new. I found out they don't stick well unless you put them into the glue FIRST, but you could definitely leave them out if you missed the Christmas clearance sales, or if you prefer a smoother slime.

They did add a fun twist though. 

My kids will be playing with this for days. We store ours in a Ziploc bag. Use any airtight container you have on hand. 

My pink glitter ended up looking more like purple, but it still looked holiday appropriate.

If you want to gift some slime to your Valentine, here are the tags I made. 

Super simple, just SAVE and PRINT! 

If you make this, let me know how it goes! Leave a comment with your Valen-SLIMES Day experience. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Reading!

Confessions of a Control Freak Mama

Currently my children are ages 5 (and a half), almost 4, and almost 4 (in just a few days). They are at a very independent age, or so we all think.

I am a big fan of having their help when it suits my needs. I know I need to be better at allowing them to help when they would like to, but I'm afraid I have control issues- most specifically, when it involves my laundry and my kitchen.

They would LOVE if I let them help prepare and cook every meal. But to them, helping does NOT mean getting things from the fridge/pantry/storage room, nor does it involve collecting items that go in the garbage. They want to stir. They want to measure. They want to pour. They want to mix. They want to chop. They want to turn on the oven and set the timer. (As I type these tasks, none of them seem to outrageous except maybe the chopping one, and I do realize I sound like a crazy person now.) But teaching them the "right way" to do it all takes FOREVER! (Have I also mentioned I'm not particularly patient?) It's also usually pretty messy when they help, which is really no different from when I cook because I'm also a messy cook... (More crazy, non-logic) Ugh. I think I've already talked myself into letting them help more.

I have had a few specific independent kitchen moments that have left me shaking my head and rolling my eyes this past week. One of my kids' favorite quick breakfasts is Nutella on toast. My son has been making this by himself for a couple months now after I showed him how. Besides the chocolate hazelnut coated knives that end up on the counter and lids that don't always end up back on the jar, he's been doing fine. Recently his little sisters decided they needed to make their own too, but since he was using one jar of Nutella already, and it was getting a little empty, they needed to open the second jar. I bought these jars at Costco. I now have two enormous jars (the picture doesn't do them justice) of Nutella open in my pantry and three dirty knives in the kitchen. I hope Nutella doesn't go bad quickly...

 I've been letting them make their own instant oatmeal for a little while now too because it's pretty straightforward, and they've been doing well with it. A few days ago, however, one of the girls decided to take control of the microwave. I'm assuming she pushed the wrong time, because she burned her oatmeal badly. My entire house was filled with a burnt oatmeal smell for the rest of the day. Oh man, it was bad. It smelled way worse than this picture looks.

Lesson for the kitchen= more supervision during breakfast and let go of the little messes because it'll only make me crazier. I have also started to make meals that they can help customize, such as homemade pizza, more often. This way they feel like they're helping, but if they make it messy, it's only their food not mine ha! Let me know if you have suggestions for ways to let 3 kids help in the kitchen at the same time (because you know they won't allow one-on-one time to happen).

They also like to do the parts of the laundry that I'm very particular about. I roll our towels instead of folding them because it looks prettier in the linen closet, but they want to do it, which makes me feel the need to redo it... taking 2x as long again... I also hang clothes on the hangers in a specific direction according to which closet they go in for optimal viewing when choosing an outfit. (Yep, I hear the OCD tendencies coming through too.) And those are the things they want to help me with! I would much rather them put the clean laundry where it goes after I've folded/rolled/hung up everything, or collect the dirty laundry and bring it to me. I have (luckily) found a way to let go a little bit with this. They're allowed to dump their entire basket of laundry in the washer without sorting (gasp!), I let them fold the kitchen towels and wash cloths however they like, and I'll let them fold socks AFTER they've put everything else away. Most days I don't even fold the kids' clothes because they just end up like this:

It's all about balance I suppose. Most of the time it just feels easier to do it alone, but I keep reminding myself that if I don't teach them, they'll one day leave the house for good and they won't know how to take care of themselves.

I'm a good mom. I know that and I want you to know that just in case you think I'm beating myself up over this, because I'm not. I laugh. I shake my head at their shenanigans. I keep trying to find ways to get them involved that won't make nervous or frustrated and will allow them to feel like they're accomplishing something by themselves. I'm constantly doing better and so are they.

Do you have things you try too hard to control? Let's help each other.

Thanks for checking in with our family adventures this week. Hurricane Hansen strikes again. Do you have a name for your chaos? Do you even notice the chaos? Most of mine I can ignore it, but these two points (kitchen and laundry) are the ones I struggle to let go of. Now you know.

4 Ways To Sneak In Some Reading Time

If you're like me, you're busy. If you're like almost every other person on earth, you're busy- especially if you're a parent. We all get it. Everyone is busy. So, we set priorities. These priorities are different for everyone. Let's try to discover where your reading priorities stand.

Most people fall into one of these four categories (some might be in between):

1. Loves to read, takes books to social events, will choose reading over almost every other activity, reads for fun and to increase knowledge, has to be constantly reminded by friends and family to stop reading and join the conversation/activity, believes there are never too many books, and spends a lot of time in a library (personal or public)

2. Likes to read, understands the importance of reading, tries to read when time permits, reads a variety of styles- trying to balance the book knowledge intake with fun reading, reads to the kiddos and encourages healthy book habits

3. Knows reading is important, but believes knowledge can come from other sources just as well, doesn't really have time for it, will read books to the kids if asked, feels a little guilty for the lack of knowledge on specific subjects or lack of study time, doesn't necessarily enjoy reading, owns a few books, ends up mostly with self-improvement style books (this can include scripture or textbooks as well)

4. Does not like to read, believes books were only created to make movies, does not encourage children to read, feels no guilt whatsoever for not reading or owning books, doesn't give reading or books a second thought most days

Did you think of someone specific while reading this list? Is there something you could add to any of these? If so, I'd love for you to leave a comment!

You might have attempted to categorize family members and friends, but I hope you at least figured out where you fall.

If you find yourself in the 4th category, I'm going to have to save your help for another day. I'd love to talk about ways to enjoy reading and understand why it's important, but I'm going to have to stick to the focus of the current post- sneaking in some reading time when you're super duper busy!

Now, if you find yourself in the 1st category, you likely don't have trouble finding time to read because you have already set that as a huge priority. I'm sure many of us would like to hear how you find balance in your life (if you do). Please share!

I guess I have already narrowed down the audience for this post to include those who find themselves somewhere in the middle- for those wanting to read, but feeling to busy/overwhelmed to do so very often. Hopefully some of these ideas will work for you!

Now for the good stuff- 

4 Ways To Sneak In Some Reading Time

1. Read e-Books
While this is not my favorite option (I prefer paper books), it does solve a common problem. Often the "free time" people have comes in 5-10 minute increments. Let's face it, we always have our phones on us, and if your current book is on your phone, you can pull it out instead of crushing some candy, stalking people on social media, or saving 50 billion recipes you're never going to cook. E-books do have some perks as well. You can save your spot no matter where you end on a page without any damage, they're super portable and not nearly as heavy as a book filled with paper, you can find free books to read via several apps/ memberships, and fill your device with several titles at once. So, whether you're hiding from your kiddos or your work in the bathroom, waiting for your next meeting or class, sitting in the parking lot eagerly awaiting the end of school day bell, or watching water boil for your evening meal, you have time to read!

2. Pack a Book
Besides being busy, we all have something else in common. We have to wait. It doesn't matter if we're waiting for a parent teacher conference, a work meeting, a bus, a doctor's appointment, or your child to put on his or her shoes (seriously, why does it take so long???), but we all have something. If you're not quite to this stage of your book-obsessed life yet, you can definitely pull out that trusty phone. I'm not saying people will judge you, but you might make more real-life friends if you're holding a legitimate book instead of mindlessly scrolling on your phone. If you don't want to make friends, that's cool too. Just hold your book in front of your face! Ha! Oh boy, I'm getting a little off track here. The point is, if you're reading this, maybe you're looking for some real help. My advice to squeeze more reading into your day is to pack a book wherever you go. Keep one in your car, your backpack, purse, pocket (though this is not really an option for those who wear women's pants with the tiny, or fake, pockets), wherever. A slowly start to train yourself to pull out the book instead of the phone.

**Quick note**
I realize I appear to be anti-phone here, but I would like to be clear that I do enjoy my phone (probably too much), and the point of this post is to help increase reading time. Hope that helps. Ok, back to the list.

3. Listen to Audio Books
Again, not my favorite option because I don't absorb a lot of information by listening, but it's a great option for anyone who might be auditory learners, has a lot of driving time, reads slowly, or has a job or project to complete that would allow them to listen while they work. My husband has a construction job and he often works alone. He prefers to listen to talks and books- especially scripture- while he works instead of music. And he is NOT a reader. Just a few short years ago I would have put him into the 4th category above, but I think I'm starting to influence his habits a little bit because he has moved up to #3. He learns a lot more than I do when he listens, and while he reads very well, it does take him about 2-3 times longer to read something. Audio books might take some getting used to for those who prefer to read, but if it works for you, it would be a great way to fill your life with more books.

4. Choose a Book
As hard as it is to believe, even the busiest people have some down time. It's what you do in that down time that counts. If you're really trying to add more reading time to your life, choose to read a book instead of other leisure activities. Instead of watching a movie or TV, choose a book. When the kids head off to school or go down for a nap, choose a book to fill your time. When given the choice between a shower and a bubble bath, choose the bath- you can read a book in it! I could go on and on, but the point is to make meaningful choices for your time, and if you're trying to make reading a priority, books are going to meaningful to you.

I recently finished a scripture challenge which I was only able to complete because I used several of my own tips from above. I read from my phone whenever I had a minute. (Yep, many of those "free minute" examples from tip #1 came from my real life experience.) I took my scriptures with me when I was going to places I knew I'd be waiting. I listened to scriptures in the car- not for very long, and only when it was crunch time, but I did it. And most of all, I made it a priority.

I hope you can take a tip or two from this post. Do you have any of your own experiences or tips to add to my list? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Reading!

Seasons of Life- 2018 Focus

2017 has been a great year. We've had lots of fun and I've really tried to focus on finding JOY. This year is almost over, and while it can seem pretty silly and even pointless to set goals for the new year when you'll likely give up before the end of February, I really like opportunities to change (even if the timing does seem a little forced sometimes). Change is good. It can be hard, but if we don't change we don't grow, so let's think of this as an opportunity for growth and maybe for second chances as well. 

We are goal setters in our family, but I have found that when I try to make huge goals for the year, I often fall into that "fail by February" category. Instead, I like to have a focus for the year. I also like to think about a few generic things I'd like to do- not too specific, so when the opportunity presents itself I get to cross something off my list or I can count many different things. I try to keep it simple, so I don't get overwhelmed either. I'll break down each of the 5 items and my focus word below.

Do something SCARY:

This can mean I have faith to act on a prompting or feeling that I get. It could mean I face a fear for the greater good. It can mean I get brave for no reason other than to do it. Any way I take it, there's bound to be some personal growth here. I'm not sure I'm ready to confront any snakes yet though... we'll see.

Break a BAD HABIT:

I think we could all benefit if everyone did this one! HA! 

If you don't think you have a bad habit, ask someone close to you. Make sure you tell them what you're trying to do, otherwise it might get ugly. If you decide to ask for help, be prepared for the truth and you'll be less likely to get offended. 

The main reason this one is on my list is to help me practice some self control. It takes a significant amount of time to break a habit or create one (I've heard 14 times, 21 days, 30 days, and others but I wasn't feeling all the research today, so you can look it up if you're worried about the exact number.), and that's going to take a lot of self control. Now I just need to choose one of my bad habits.... 

Do something GOOD + don't tell anyone about it"

In a world of sharing through social media, it can be difficult to keep things to ourselves sometimes. It's not a bad thing to let people know the good you are doing-it can often lead others to do something good as well, but it often means more if we do quiet acts of goodness. Even when we do something for one of our friends or neighbors, my husband and kids usually know about it. I want to do something completely anonymous and make it count. It's going to be tricky and I'll have to be a little bit sneaky, but I'm kind of excited to see what I can come up with. I'm hoping I can do this several times this year! 

Try something NEW:

This can be trying a new food, going to a new place,  accepting a new job or church calling, or you can even do the two-birds-one-stone thing and let this new thing be your "something SCARY". Experiencing new things helps us to grow, and can also help us discover new interests.  I hope to say yes to many new adventures this year.

Change FOCUS for Biz:

This one is a little more me-specific. I've been wanting to go in a slightly different direction with my book business, and I have decided to use the new year as a fresh opportunity to do so. The good news for YOU (if you enjoy them) is that I should be adding more blog posts this year too!

I'm going to attempt to simplify and streamline my biz by consolidating a lot of my ideas. (I love feedback- it helps me grow! So share any thoughts you have from the past or throughout the year if you'd like.) 

To make this work in your life, find something that you've been wanting to do differently, or that might not be working the way you want it to and change how you focus on it! I'd love to hear what you are planning to change. Please share in the comments or message me.

2018 Word of the Year: SEASONS

SEASONS for me is a loaded word. It means I can do anything and everything, but not all at once. It tells me to take time for each adventure and don’t rush to find the next one. It tells me that sometimes I have to wait for my season. It lets me know there is something GOOD about every stage of life. It reminds me to acknowledge time and place, as well as give everything my own “spice” (see what I did there?). It reminds me that I can't hold on to everything, and that with change there is often something even better ahead. In 2018 I want slow down and enjoy the seasons of life.

When choosing your word for the year, make sure it's something that speaks to you. If it's completely one-dimensional, you might consider choosing something else that can apply to more than just one situation. If you are wanting to make a big change, it can all start with a small word. Focus on the word and what it means for you. Apply it to your life. Think of it when life seems crazy or frustrating. Remember why you chose it in the first place. That is how you can grow the most and have the best year yet.

I have included a copy of the graphic with blank spaces for you to customize if you'd like to print or share your resolutions for 2018. Tag me or link back to this post please! I'd love to see your focus and change goals. Thanks for reading mine.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope it brings new opportunities for growth and change.

A More Christ-Centered Christmas with Little Lamb

I walked into Seagull Book with my kids one day, and as soon as my girls saw the "Little Lamb from Bethlehem" display they gushed with those big blue eyes and beautiful smiles asking, "Oh Mommy! It's soooo cute! Can we please get it???" And me, being the completely responsible parent that I am, said, "Uh... yeah!" And that's how we became the proud owners of this adorably soft plush lamb and story book. (Luckily my kids are little and when something is out of sight, it's definitely out of mind, so they forgot we bought it. It will be a fun surprise when Little Lamb shows up later this week.)

I really liked the idea of the Lamb to help make our Christmas more centered on Christ instead of Santa, reindeer, and presents. (Not that those are bad, but they tend to take over the holiday if we let them.)

First, let's talk about where you can get your own Little Lamb set. They aren't on Amazon, so save yourself the search and check out these places instead:

Seagull Book or seagullbook.com (Direct link HERE)

Deseret Book or deseretbook.com (Direct link HERE)

And since many of my family and friends are from there, it can also be found at Service Drug in Delta, Utah.

This set has become pretty popular, and is selling out quickly, so don't wait to grab yours!

It comes in this box that will be great for storage at the end of the season. The box and the book contain many ideas for ways to use your Lamb this Christmas. You can make it as simple or as detailed as you like. Here are a few quick ideas to have your Little Lamb do (before I share what I decided to do this year):

• Have the Lamb deliver a scripture on a tag or paper each day/week
• The Lamb can bring service opportunities for your family to complete
• Let the Little Lamb be the messenger for the #LightTheWorld (25 Ways in 25 Days) videos and activities. There's also a great kids version HERE at A Year of FHE.
• Little Lamb can bring Family Home Evening activity ideas weekly
• Help build your nativity set by bringing each piece as you read the story of the first Christmas over the month of December
• Simply read the book and have the Lamb sit out as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas

You can also search the tag #littlelamb on social media for more ideas.

If you're like me, you want things to be cute, but they HAVE to be easy. I found these cute FREE printable tags here at My Computer is My Canvas (Go ahead, click on the link so you don't forget, then hop on back over here. I highly recommend checking out her other printables too!) Just Pin her post to Pinterest and download your free set of Little Lamb tags!

She created gift tags for the set, 12 scripture tags, and 12 blank tags. Use as many or as few as you like. I decided to use the scripture and blank tags (you'll see them in the following photos) but I changed the numbers on them to fit my needs. (Mainly because I don't seem to know how follow instructions or to do anything like anyone else!) 

>> Here's the part where I'll go through my plans for our family's Little Lamb experience. The days will correspond with the date (Day 1 = Dec. 1st) and I tried to plan ahead so we'd have the more time consuming activities on days we don't have parties, basketball games, or other events planned. Plus, I factored in our own Family Home Evening activities to be part of that day's delivery. 

12 of the tags are scriptures from the nativity story found in the New Testament and will include pieces of our nativity set so we can build it as we learn. The other 12 are scriptures that teach us about another name for Jesus Christ and will include a treat/gift/activity to help us remember the name. I've also included a bonus scripture for Christmas Day. I did wrap all of the gifts, but I took the photos before so you could see what they were. 

I have linked the scripture reference for each day so you can see how it correlates with the gift (some don't match perfectly, but we're building the nativity and every piece needed a part), or in case you'd like to read it before committing to share with your family. Look for the highlighted verse.

Day 1: Little Lamb will show up with the book, our wooden stable for our nativity set, and a tag with the name "Lamb of God" and scripture reference: John 1:29

Day 2: Donkey from our nativity + Luke 2:1

Day 3: Cow from nativity + Luke 2:3

Day 4: Joseph + Luke 2:4-6

Day 5: Mary + Luke 2:7

Day 6: Name: "Jesus" + Matthew 1:21 + Baby Jesus and Manger set (not the one that goes with our nativity, this one is for the kids' room)

Day 7: Name: "Prince of Peace" + Isaiah 9:6 + Reese's Pieces (get it??) I tried not to do too many treats... we're on day 7 and this is the first one!

Day 8: Name: "King of Kings" + Revelations 17:14 + Crown shaped cookie cutter

My goal for this one is to make sugar cookies with my kids, but depending on my level of laziness that day, we might be making crown shaped pancakes instead! 

Day 9: Shepherd from nativity + Luke 2:7-8

Day 10: Sheep from nativity + Luke 2:9

Day 11: Baby Jesus in manger + Joy to the World DVD + Luke 2:10-12

This is one of our planned Family Home Evening activities. We'll watch the movie to learn about the birth and life of Jesus Christ. This has become one of our December FHE traditions, so it's kind of a "two birds, one stone" situation. This will probably be the most exciting contribution to the nativity for the kids too. This other movie is also great if you want to watch something shorter (and free). 

Day 12: Sheep/Lamb ornament + Luke 2:13-14 

This one was originally going to be an angel, but my nativity doesn't come with an angel. Then it was going to be a second sheep (for some reason I thought my nativity had two), but I didn't have one of those either. I found this cute ornament that matches my tree decorations though, and I liked the message, so I included it here. If you have an angel, it would make much more sense to include that here or on Day 10.

Day 13: Name: "Shepherd" + John 10:11 +  candy canes (because they're shaped like a shepherd's staff) You can look up the story of the candy candy for a more in-depth discussion. The internet is full of useful information.

Day 14: Name: "Morning Star" + Revelations 22:16 + star tree topper

You could also use glow in the dark stars (the ones you put on your ceiling), starfruit, star ornament, or starbursts, but my kids have their own little tree, so I thought this would be a fun way to incorporate the Star (plus it was on rollback at Walmart.com for less than $3).

Day 15: One of the Three Wisemen from Nativity + Matthew 2:1

Day 16: One of the Three Wisemen from Nativity + Matthew 2: 2, 8-10

Day 17: One of the Three Wisemen from Nativity + Matthew 2:11

Day 18: Name "Emmanuel" + Matthew 1:23 + Nativity book 

Read the scripture to understand this one more. The book pictured sold out for the season a month ago, but this book is also a great choice and it has beautiful illustrations! This is another FHE night, so you could read the entire story from the Bible if you wanted or read multiple picture book versions of the story. You could also let the kids build the nativity as you read since all the pieces have been added by now.

Day 19: Name "Bread of Life" + John 6:35 + Bread mix

You could also include a recipe book or card to make the bread from scratch, or make it easy and buy an artisan loaf from your local grocery store. Bonus points if you share the bread and scripture with friends or neighbors.

Day 20: Name "The Life" + John 14:6 + LIFE Cereal or The Game of Life

Enjoy both as a family, or choose which one fits into your day best. (Smith's grocery stores often have Life cereal on sale and most places have board games on sale this time of year if you don't already have the game.)

Day 21: Name "True Vine" + John 15:1 + Grapes or grape juice (because grapes grow on.... vines!)

I was originally going to buy some grapes for this one, but I didn't want to forget to pick them up (they'd go bad by then if I bought them now), and I had a bottle of grape juice in my storage room already. I also almost didn't wrap this one because it was so heavy, but I got it done- big fan of slapping a bow on something though!

Day 22: Name "Rock" + 1 Corinthians 10:4 + rocks

You can use pop rocks candy, a prayer rock, collectible rocks, a large rock from your yard, or smooth stones to paint (the last one is what we'll be doing). My kids collect rocks, so this one will be fun for them. You can make an entire activity out of this delivery. Sing "The Wise man and the Foolish Man", and paint the phrase "Wise men still see Him" on your rocks with pictures of houses and stars. Hide the rocks around the community for others to find or keep them to display all season long.

Day 23: Name "Living Water" + John 4:10, 14 + Mini water bottles

You could use full size water bottles, but I think miniature versions are cuter.

Day 24: Name "Light of the World" + John 8:12 + Candle

You could also use a flashlight or lantern. I thought a candle was perfect for Christmas Eve though.

*Bonus*

Day 25: Little Lamb will be sitting by our "Believe" sign. The scripture on the sign is John 3:16 which is a great reminder of the importance and mission of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the real gift, so this day doesn't come with anything fancy or wrapped in paper, just the simple reminder of the true focus of Christmas.

Tips:

A few things to remember or try so you don't get overwhelmed by the whole experience.

• Plan ahead: prepare all of the deliveries or at least a few at a time so you aren't scrambling each night (or morning).
• Use things you already have. Things like candles, games, nativity sets, and stars don't need to be brand new. Find deals on items you don't have or shop at the dollar stores to keep the cost low. The focus shouldn't be on the money spent. (I only purchased 6 things for this- one was the Lamb set- the rest were things I already had)
• To take the focus even more away from the gift aspect, (and to save on time and energy) don't feel like you have to wrap the deliveries. As long as they are with the lamb, they'll be easy to find.
• I didn't realize the pre-made tags had the day number on each one already before I printed them. To save on time, write the scripture reference and name of Christ on slips of paper instead.
• Focus on service opportunities instead of gifts for older kids or anyone who needs to be reminded of others this time of year. (This is probably how I'll do the Little Lamb visits next year- this year we'll just have to make it 2 separate activities).
• Don't wrap the tags inside the gifts! Trust me... I had to learn from experience haha (check out the photo below to see where I had to break into the star tree topper...)
• Number the wrapped gifts or tape the tag to the gift. Trust me on this one too... it's really fun having to guess which nativity piece you wrapped ten minutes ago... not!
• Move the Lamb each night, or don't! Decide if you want to have a designated spot for Little Lamb visits, or if you'll be moving the Lamb each night for the kids to find. If "hiding" the Lamb each night or trying to find it after kids played with it will stress you out, don't worry about it! (Or make a rule that they can't touch the Lamb)
• Have fun with it! Your excitement will help your kids be excited for whatever the Lamb brings.

re-taped after breaking in to find the tag

gifts are all wrapped and ready to go!

Thanks for reading! If you liked these ideas, click on any of the pictures to PIN this post, or copy the link to share on social media. 

Have more ideas or know where else to get the "Little Lamb from Bethlehem" set? Leave a comment below.

Like this post? You might also like:

FREE PRINTABLE GIFT TAGS 

Gift Ideas and Printable Tags

Something I love to do is create digital graphics and printables. I get this desire to create from my mama. She is great at creating cards, scrapbook pages, and anything else that would be considered crafty. I dabble in that myself, but I have come to really enjoy creating pretty things using my computer. It's never anything very fancy, and I don't usually build the elements (pictures) myself, but it's a fun, creative outlet for me. I thought I'd share some of it with you today. These are all FREE for personal use only. Please don't sell them.

I also love gifts and puns! The puns inspired these fun gift ideas. There is a single tag option for one gift and to customize printing size, or a full page option below each one for multiple gifts. (Disclaimer: I was running low on blue ink when I printed these, so there wouldn't normally be those terrible lines you see in the photos with books, but I didn't notice until I had printed them all...) 

Up first:

 

Book Tag:

.pdf Single Tag

.pdf Full Page Tags

This can really go with any favorite book. I like to pair it with The Story of Inventions to also subtly say "You're my favorite invention", plus it's such a fun book full of interesting stories! I printed the tag, used colored staples to mount it on colored cardstock, punched a hole and tied it on with cute ribbon.

This next one was inspired because of an awesome Fall Frenzy sale happening now (October 2017) on coloring books (and more!) on my website. The tag and saying was inspired by The Gifty Girl. I saw the idea on her Instagram, but when I jumped over to her website I could not find the tag, soooo I decided to make my own. Check out her site though, lots of amazingly easy gift ideas with tags.

Colorful:

.pdf Single Tag

.pdf Full Page Tags

Coloring books with markers/colored pencils are one of my favorite gifts to give. 

This bright tag will bring it all together. Find pages of high-quality coloring books HERE.

Add your favorite coloring utensils with a cute coloring book, tie together with ribbon, and you're all set!

This next one was inspired by my own birthday and my love of cookbooks. 

Whisk Birthday:

.pdf Single Tag

.pdf Full Page Tags

You can of course use your favorite cookbook or even just kitchen tools. Make sure you include a whisk or it won't make sense! I highly recommend this Start to Cook book for beginning cooks of any age. (Kids, college students, newlyweds, cookbook hoarders like me...)

The pictures are cute and the recipe instructions simple to understand and follow.

Up next: A Christmas version of the Whisk gift.

Whisk Christmas:

.pdf Single Tag

.pdf Full Page Tags

This was probably my favorite pun of the group! There are so many cute options for this as well. The Christmas Baking Kit is cute and helps build a fun holiday baking tradition. It comes with cookie cutters and cupcake liners as well. You can never have too many whisks in my opinion.

Up next:

Gum:

.pdf Single Tag

.pdf Full Page Tags

I really like this idea for reluctant readers, or for classrooms! It would be a fun gift for a read-a-thon.

You can use a single pack of gum, cellophane bag filled with gum balls, or get them jumbo packs at Costco/Sam's Club for the gum lovers in your life.

For a more substantial gift, I like to attach the tag and treat to a fun story book. Shown here is the 10 More Ten-Minute Stories, and the pictures in it are beautiful! 

Last, but not least: A scripture version of the bubble gum gift

Scripture Gum:

.pdf Single Tag

.pdf Full Page Tags

Several years ago, I received this set of scriptures for my birthday, and it has been one of my favorite and most-used gifts! I remember receiving scripture study gum when I was younger also. It had a rhyme similar to this. (I found several versions of the rhyme on Pinterest and used them to create my own.) It would be a fun Primary/Sunday School/ Young Mens or Young Womens gift with just the gum, or for a baptism/bigger gift you could attach it to scriptures or scripture stickers.

Thanks for visiting! I hope this helps you with your next gifts. If you use any of these tags I'd love to see pictures and hear about it. Leave a comment/photo below.