Weekend Pajama Party: Father's Day Soda "Pop"

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day is a fun excuse to spoil your dad, husband, brother...you get the drift. I decided to treat my dad to a box full of goodies along with some of these cute soda "Pop" root beer bottles.

I cut out 3x8 inch strips of paper and glued them around the middle of the root beer bottles and then lined them with ribbon.  I used my Cricut for the circle and the word "Pop".  I got a template for the mustaches HERE!

Every dad is #1, right? 

I know mine is!

Why not tell him with this cute award ribbon?  If you haven't made any of these paper rosettes, you need to.  Now.  They're seriously so easy and so, so, so cute!  Click HERE for a tutorial.  You will thank me later....I promise.  :)

Okay, here's how I made bedazzled the cute box.  I went to my favorite thrift store, Deseret Industries, and I'm pretty sure I bought someone's 7th grade shop class project for $1!  You can't beat that.

 I painted it with Krylon's Pumpkin Orange first, but it was super ugly so I painted it with Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze.  I still hated it, so I sanded the edges to distress it, and, HELLO!, the orange came through and I loved it!  Accidents like that are the best. 

Then I added some more cutie patootie rosettes...(yep, I just said that)

and loaded it up with some of his favorite treats!

I added my dad's favorite saying with vinyl lettering, "This is Livin'". 

He was a big fan! :)

I hope the guys in your life had a fabulous Father's Day too!

Keep making the world a cuter place!

Have fun!

~Cindy Jane

End of the Year Teacher Gifts

Summer is in full swing in my neck of the woods and I know the trickle effect has started around the country with kids, teachers, and parents excited to enjoy a slower pace for a few months. 
I'm an elementary teacher and the end of every year is bittersweet.  I LOVE my summers, but it's hard to say goodbye to the kiddos after a great year.
Here are a few cute and creative gift ideas from parents and teachers I snagged and thought I'd share.  Enjoy!

Summer Bucket List

This plastic bucket was  filled with fun things to check off for the teacher's relaxing summer bucket list. I guarantee if they do all of these things, they will have a perfect summer vacation! It was such a fun idea and could work as a gift for anyone.

Some of the bucket list items/gifts were to:

*Sit around a campfire (utility lighter)

*Watch a movie (DVD - Pride and Prejudice...one of my personal favorites)
*Soak up some sun (sunblock)
*Read a good book (Barnes & Noble gift card)
*Lay by the pool (sunglasses)
*Go out to lunch (restaurant gift certificate)
*Get some extra sleep (Extra gum)
*Take a bubble bath (loofah)
*Have a BBQ (BBQ sauce)
*Listen to your favorite music (iTunes gift card)
*Paint your toenails (nail polish)
*Get a manicure and pedicure (nail set)

This was such a thoughtful gift and completely appreciated by the teacher!  If it seems a little bit extravagant for your budget, here's a similar adorable idea in a different package.

Paper Bag Booklet

 This little book was made from a paper bag. 

 

Then this cute mom added some gift cards she knew her daughter's teacher would use and enjoy.

This was so thoughtful, and completely appreciated by the recipient! :)

You can watch a video on how to make a paper bag booklet (by pinkscrapper99)  HERE!

Thank you for "PITCHING" in!

Every teacher knows, we couldn't survive without AMAZING parents who volunteer their time and energy in the classroom.  One of my coworkers grabbed these cute pitchers and glammed them up to thank her parent helpers.  She put some silver filler in the bottom and added a wooden spoon and some lemonade mix.  She added her cute thank you card, and the parents got the thank you they deserved.  :)

Hopefully you can use some of these ideas to thank people in your life! 

Have a fun summer...I know I am!

~Cindy

Paper Prize Boxes

Oh, my goodness!  What a CRAZY month I have had!  I've dropped off of the blog world for a few weeks, but I'm back.  It's been one project after another from 70+ hour work weeks, baby announcement photo shoots (don't get excited...I was the photographer, not the photographed), to planning baby showers, and producing an opera with 24 talented 2nd Graders...I've seen a little bit of everything the past four weeks.  Here's a little peek into the craziness of my life.

Every year, my group of creative 2nd graders writes an original opera thanks to the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre's Opera by Children.  The entire process takes about 8 months, but it is completely worth it!  I always give my kiddos a special prize after they perform for their parents.  This year I made them these oh, so cute prize boxes.  The best part is they were basically free since I had all of the materials on hand.  I had to glitz them up with cute little creatures on the front that matched their characters in the opera. 

I used the Cricut cartridge Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More to make the boxes.  It's a fun cartridge, but I wish the box sizes were bigger.  This is the Gable Box cut.

Sticking with my free theme, I got bright colored copy paper and put it through the paper shredder for the "stuffing".  It added a fun, bright touch!

Here they are, all lined up.  The animals on the front were cut from the Cricut cartridge Create a Critter...one of my favorites!  I cut little name tags out of the Storybook cartridge and they were done!  One thing checked off the never ending to-do list!

The kids loved their little boxes and the keepsake inside of it!  I told ElleBee I would cry if they ripped into the boxes in front of me, but I was SO impressed, because I didn't find even one little piece of paper on the floor. :)

Even 8 year olds appreciate it when you

make the world a cuter place!

~Have fun!

Cindy Jane