WorkBox System and Free Printables

***This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SchoolYearReady #CollectiveBias***

The new school year is here. As many of our friends are sending their kids back to their schools, we are preparing our house and curriculum for the new homeschool year. Majority of what we are doing this year is really similar to what we did last year but we are incorporating some extra co-op times and trying out our own spin on a work box system. Go ahead and google work box... I had to too. 

I knew that with the two younger kids all over the place now, I would need the school age kiddos to have a little more independence with their lessons. I will still be there teaching them new skills, helping them review and over seeing everything they do but a more independent system will be a huge help in making the days run smoothly.

So, here is how we will make it work: The kids will have a set of drawers where I will be placing her work and materials according to the days lesson. Instead of doing a box for every subject, I made them only for the ones that the kids can typically start on their own. Every night I will fill the drawers with exactly what they will be needing. As we finish teaching time or complete an activity, (basically anytime we are done with a subject), they will be able to head over to the drawer and grab the next subject. 

Some activities will be able to be completed on their own. If it is something they will be needing me for, I will simply draw a little dry erase star on the label and they know not to start without me.

When they complete a subject they can check it off of their work list, return it to the drawer and move on to the next subject. The checklist is something that we added to the basic work box concept. Rhiannon is a lot like me, checking something off a list helps us to feel like we are getting somewhere and encourages us to keep going and if I do it for her, of course I need to do it for Talon.

I am really excited about this new system and thought some of you might be as well, so here is how we set it up:

We had the drawers already but you can find them pretty much anywhere. 

As for the labels and checklist, I have included a printable that you can find at the bottom of this post, or make your own to fit your subjects.

Because we would be writing on the checklist and we needed the labels to be nice, sturdy and durable to last through the whole school year, I made sure to laminate them.

Wal-mart has this awesome Scotch™ Thermal Laminator and Scotch™ Thermal Pouches, that I picked up for the project...and lots more projects coming soon. The products were located in the Back-to-School seasonal areas and in stationary. so we just grabbed it as we stocked up on all of our other back to school essentials and were ready to go.

Once you have your laminator and laminating pouches, print out your labels. **Tip: I like to cut anything I am laminating before putting it in the pouch and then cutting right outside of the paper line when the pouch is sealed and cooled. I feel like this gives the best seal and is much more durable. You can see what I am talking about in the picture above.**

That being said, cut your labels out and simply place them in the Scotch™ Self-Sealing Laminating Pouches. Give a little bit of room between them so that you are able to easily cut them out.

The Scotch™ Thermal Laminator is really easy to use. Just let it heat up and then run your pouches through the machine. Bam! Done. Now you just need to cut out your labels. 

We used double sided tape to put our labels on our drawers but I have seen people use Velcro strips so they can rearrange their schedule. I decided that because we have a checklist we really didn't need to do that.

Next up, print out and laminate your checklist. 

We are now ready to start using our version of the work box system. Hoping that this little project will help us to stay organized and allow for some independence.

Now that you have seen how we are using our Scotch™ Laminating Products to get ready for Back-to-School, what project are you planning to use them for? I am heading over to Create with 3M to get more ideas. Homeschooling has got me in a crafting mood lately!

Click Here for our Free Printables!!!!

Bouncy Ball Party

My baby, Corbin, turned 2 last month. I told him that he wasn't allowed but in typical two year old fashion he ignored me completely. Why does it have to go so fast? To top it all off, this kid seems to be growing up faster than any of our other kiddos. So not cool!

At two years old, the child picked his birthday party theme and help on tight to make sure he got it. Bouncy ball. I mean he's a two year old boy. It's kind of the coolest party idea ever.

I, of course, sucked at taking pictures so I do not have a ton to show you.

Excuse the cell phone pic.

It all started off with a trip to get the main attraction, bouncy balls. Lots and lots of them. We flooded the back yard, bounce house and kiddie pools with them. We also had some old ball pit balls out that covered the yard and pools.

For decor, we used any circles we could find. Paper lanterns, circle banners and then lots of streamers.

Of course we only managed to get pictures of the dessert table and not outside. Opps.

It was such a fun party though, filled with our closest friends and family. We always end our parties feeling so incredibly blessed.

Feeding Kids Farm Fresh to Table

“I received this product as part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Weave Made Media® and Farm Fresh To You, but all my opinions are my own. #weavemade  #farmfreshtotable http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

Eating healthy. We all know it is what's best for us but it is not an easy task. Eating healthy often takes work and discipline. Why then do we expect our kids, who don't care about healthy, to do it without complaint? I know I get frustrated when my kids won't eat the greens I put on their plates but when I really think about it, I can't blame them for not wanting to eat something that they think is "yucky".

Instead of forcing them to eat food they don't like and in turn dealing with fights, I have decided to help them understand what is good for their bodies and get them excited about doing so. I was going to break this up into numerous posts and give different tips and tricks but the first recipe I thought about sharing pretty much covers all of my tips. So I'm just gonna lay it all out there in one post. Ha!

1. First of all, get them excited about the ingredients. There are a lot of ways to do this. Have a family garden where they can grow their own food, take them to the store with you and let them see all of the options (and maybe let them pick a few)...OR my personal favorite is to have fresh fruits and veggies delivered to your home.

We recently tried this out for the first time and it was seriously like the happiest of happy mail. This mom The kids were so excited to find the boxes on our doorstep and dig in.

We use Farm Fresh to You and L-O-V-E them. We are able to customize our box delivery to fit the size (and picky eating habits) of our family. They offer really flexible delivery...and even let us change or suspend the account to fit our always changing chaotic schedule. Plus, I love that they allow for us to eat local by partnering with farms in our area. I would highly recommend them. Click here to see if they deliver to your area. If they do, you can save $15 off your first box with the promo code WEAVE15. Say what? I love me a good deal!

2. Make the meal look fun. You can go all out with Bento boxes and food scenes on your plates or you can just use a whole lot of bright and fun colors like we did in the recipe that I am sharing today. The more colors on the plate, the more fun it looks. It makes for a more exciting meal time. Tip: if you have a kid that won't eat certain colors, avoid the color. I know, rocket science. You can usually dye the food with other natural ingredients, like beet juice for example.

3. Get them involved in the kitchen. Give the kids jobs when you are cooking a meal. When they are proud of their dish, I have noticed they are more likely to try it. In our house, the kids are usually worried about hurting the other ones feelings and will try anything they make...I wish they would have that kind of courtesy with me too. Ha ha.

With those three things, I am noticing the kids are trying a lot more healthy items that they usually wouldn't touch. They may not always clear the plate but getting them to try the food is the first step, right? 

We used all three of those suggestions the other day while making this yummy frittata. All four kids tried it. Two of the four cleared their plates.

Potato Crusted Frittata Casserole

2 TBSP Coconut oil

2 Medium sized Yellow Finn Potatoes

3 cups Kale

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup Mixed Medley Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half)

1 Medium Pimiento Pepper (diced)

2 Leaves Fresh Basil

3/4 cups Feta Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.

 

Start by dicing your potatoes into small cubes. Heat the coconut oil and add the potatoes. Cook these until they are lightly browned. Add the Kale and cover. Once Kale has started to wilt you can move the mixture into a 9"x 13" casserole dish.

Side note: I like to cut my Kale down into smaller pieces so that there aren't big chunks. It helps distribute it more evenly in a dish. Instead of cutting it myself, I will have the kids tear it into strips.

Whisk together the eggs and milk (or pass the job on to a cute helper).

Have your little ones tear up some basil and take all the stems off of your tomatoes and hand them over for you to cut...or if they are old enough, have them do that as well.

Pour egg mixture over the potatoes and kale. Sprinkle with your salt and pepper. Let the kid throw the tomatoes, peppers, basil and feta all over it. The more the better. 

Pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes and serve with some fresh fruit. This is one of those meals that is really simple but loaded with yummy flavor.

Setting my Worries Aside

Today was not a great day. It started off so terribly. On our way to VBS (Vacation Bible School), the car overheated. The only car that fits our family. It was frustrating and we almost just turned around.

So many little things have happened this week and they've added up to be bigger. Do you ever have days or weeks like that? Nothing huge happens but the stack of little things amount to something so much more?

On my way to pick the kids up from VBS I told my mother in law "something big is going to happen in my kids this week because the enemy clearly does not want them here".

People! Are you ready for my big?

Okay, so let's back track a little here. Our 3 year old has autism. If you've been around here for a while you know that. Do you all know a lot about autism though? I still really don't fully understand what it means. I mean, it is really something different for every kid, so how can we really comprehend it?

For our little guy, it means lots of things. Some things are harder than others. A really hard aspect for us is relationship. Nixon desires to be social but doesn't always get it.  I mean he has come a long way but he still is at a loss in a lot of areas. 

He has a hard time reading emotion. He can mimic and makes an attempt to piece together the faces we show him on flash cards to real life emotion. He tries playing with other kids but doesn't really grasp friendships or relationships.

Seeing your child struggle to make connections and wondering if he will ever really have friends is hard. What is harder and scarier though is wondering if he will ever comprehend God. If he struggles with relationships when people are right in front of him, how will he ever understand a God who he cannot see? How do we teach him about the love of our savior if he doesn't even understand our love? We worry and pray about it often. 

Enough back story now. Back to the "big" thing. As I asked the kids about what they had learned today, before the others could respond, Nixon belts out "Jesus". This is like the go to answer for kids in church but not THIS kid. His answer was a big deal. It gets bigger though. Surprised, I say "What about Jesus?" and proud as can be, yet totally nonchalantly he says "he my friend". Say what? That's right you guys, his friend!

Do I think that he really understands? I don't know. I think as much as a 3 year old can, he does. What I am realizing though is this: God does not have the boundaries that we do. He does not operate in the same ways that we do. He can penetrate the heart of a child whose brain may not understand. How silly are we to limit God?

How often do I fear the unknown and doubt what God can do? Why do we insist on telling God what He can do? 

It is time to stop worrying and trust that God has this. I encourage you all, whatever is burdening you today, hand it over. Don't give up or count it as a loss so quickly. God is there. He has always been there. Even when we doubt. Even when we fear. He is there, ready to carry our burden and worry and sorrow for us. He WILL meet us where we are. As He is doing for Nixon, he will work around the things that hold us back. We just have to be willing to listen, to wait, to trust Him. 

Can we all do that? And can you remind me tomorrow when my worry creeps back in? 

7 DIY Backyard Projects

Hi, my name is Kristen and I am a DIY-aholic. I'm the type of person that will be working on one HUGE project, like, let's say a kitchen remodel and will already be thinking about my next fix  project.

The kitchen is so close to being done, minus the countertops that we just ordered and I can't wait to show y'all what we have done. However, my backyard is crying out to me. Begging me to spend just a little time on it.

Since the kitchen is kind of important, I cannot just abandon it. I can, however, day dream about what we will do with our disaster of a yard. A yard that has so much potential. 

Want to dream with me? I've compiled a list of projects that I love. It is by no means a fancy organized list that is great for weighing options or planning for a specific project. Remember, I have craft ADD, I don't stick to themes easily. Ha!  Make sure to go to the actual blogs and check them out and not just look at the pictures. Give the people who created them some love!

1. Outdoor Day Bed

Okay, seriously? A spot to lay down and read while the kids play outside. Or to snuggle a kid who just fell off the slide...because honestly, that happens on the regular. 

2. Colorful DIY bench

I love the idea of a bright and fun space with a built in sandbox. This bench would be the perfect little accent. As well as a spot for the kids to kick off their shoes before diving in and then tracking sand through the house.

3. Garden Fireplace with Bench

Living in California, it is pretty much 10-12 months of summer each year. A built into the ground fireplace just makes sense to me.

4. Raised Garden Bed

The idea of a garden makes me happy. The idea of my younger kids digging up my precious herbs and spices makes me not as happy. I love the idea of some of my stuff being up and out of the reach of baby fingers. Plus, I mean, this is stinkin' cute, am I right?

5. Pallet Walkway

For all of the veggies I intend to plant, we will need a walkway to avoid stepping all over our goodies. I am not a huge fan of the stone walks. I think they are really pretty but just don't fit our style. Pallets? They fit our style. Pallet wood here, pallet wood there, pallet wood everywhere! I love it so.

6. Porch Headboard swing

Okay, stop it now! I didn't even think I wanted a swing in the yard until I saw this. Now I need one. So funky and fun and inviting. If anyone sees a fantastic headboard like this, on the cheap, let me know. I want this now! 

7. Hot tub Pergola

Okay, so this is the one I'm bugging the husband about. I want a hot tub. They are not cheap but I want one so bad. If I convince the husband that we can swing it, someway, somehow...I will then convince him to build this with me and maybe a little deck for it to sit on. He will happily oblige, he loves DIY as much as I do. 

So there we have it. A few of the projects that I am dying to get to. What would you add to my list, I have a big yard to make over. I need suggestions.

Messy Twister

Confession time: messy activities give me anxiety. You know the ones I am talking about. Paint, play dough, markers...all of them. What? I am not alone? Phew!

Here's the problem with my little confession, I have kids. Kids love messy. Especially boys and I have three of those. Three messy, dirty, thrill seeking, crazy little boys. Doing messy is pretty much unavoidable. So, I am learning to embrace messy. In fact, I am starting to encourage it. Why? Because they not only are getting some serious sensory activities out of it but the joy on their faces? Worth every. single. disaster that hits their once clean little selves.

This week, I threw out all concern for not destroying my house and planned a game of messy twister. It was a hit with everyone. It was so simple too. To add to the bonus list, which I need to off set the "holy crap, my house!", it was great for learning and review. The babies worked with colors, the big kids got to practice left and right. Win, win.

Have I sold you on messy yet? If so, you are going to want to play this game. 

Here's what you need:

• Twister game
• 2 cans of shaving cream
• washable paint
• clothes that you don't mind getting dirty

To make my colored shaving cream, I just grabbed 4 bowls (one for each color), poured a tiny bit of paint and a bunch of shaving cream in them, Mix the two together and you've got a colorful, ready to destroy you, foamy cream.Lay out twister and put the coordinating colored shaving creams on the game board dots.

Then play! It is a riot to watch. The kids were slipping around like crazy. Giggles and squeals like no 

other.

Be forewarned though, messy children want messy parents. You may get chased down.

Have Fun!

Simple Summer Bucket List

Summer is here!!! No more filling our days with homeschooling and ABA therapies. We have time to breathe. As much as we can while remodeling a kitchen that is. It is time for fun and adventure! 

I had big grand plans for a fun summer bucket list but as the days went by, the idea kind of became more impractical. Next summer when we are fully settled we will have a cute bucket list. This year, the theme is simplicity but the activities are awesome!

For the list itself, I picked up some cork board tiles, post it notes and cork board tacks. I had a bunch of colored sharpies at home...because I {heart} sharpies. We then hung it on the wall in the play room because that is where we spend most of our time. Simple, simple, simple.

Last night we sat down as a family and wrote down the fun things we want to do this summer. So many fun ideas, hopefully we can accomplish most of them. The best part about a list is getting to check stuff off, am I right?

This is what made it to the list:

1. Craft Day

2. Girls Day Out

3. The Museum

4. VBS

5. Bake Together

6. Park Playdate

7. Play as a Family

8. Have a Picnic

9. Go Swimming

10. Sensory Friendly Movie

11. Pajama Day @ Home

12. Look at the Stars

13.Go to a jumping place

14. Pick Flowers

15. Water Gun War

16. Angels Game

17. Go Shopping

18. Water Play at Citrus Park

19. Pajama-Rama at the Library

20. The Zoo

21. Outdoor Movie

22, Beach Day

23. Go on a Hike

24. Chuck-E-Cheese

25. Messy twister (post coming soon)

26. Have a sleepover

27. Aquarium

We are so excited to start checking things off our list. What would make it onto your summer bucket list?