I had grandiose ideas for these toppers… how adorable would they look atop a plethora of little mini raspberry lemonade cupcakes?  Light, creamy cake creations, finished off with blue and red frosting then topped with just a dash of sprinkles and these totally cute toppers.  Do you see it, do you see my dream?  Beautiful, isn’t it……….. Bask with me for a moment, won’t you?  Aaaaaaaahhmazing.

Now insert two rambunctious little boys that have been constantly fighting since the sun started staying out later and a super cute, albeit needy little baby in a house that looks like it’s been hit with a tornado.  Twice.  These tornadoes have names… Big J and Little J.  So, now you know why I don’t have these awesome cupcakes to share.

So then I even contemplated going out and buying some so I’d have some fabulous photos… but that meant taking all three boys out in public.  The thought put me into hysterics (you can read why HERE) and by the time I was calm enough to leave the corner I’d crawled my way into and stop breathing into a paper bag, I wanted cupcakes to eat.  So I didn’t go, because what’s worse than using store-bought cupcakes to stage a photo for a printable on your hobby blog…?  Eating all those cupcakes by yourself, that’s what.  “Hello, Calories, I’m having a party tonight?  Would you like to come?  You can hang around my waistline forever.  See you at 8… after the kids are in bed ’cause Momma doesn’t share.”

Apparently, though, the good news is that I can complete a digital design easier than I can bake cupcakes… because well, getting out a carton of eggs with my personal tornadoes whirling around my feet didn’t seem wise at all.  Digital is harder for them to get their grubby little hands on… or in.

So, you make the cupcakes (or buy them, I don’t care) and you can print these off and make all my dreams come true.  You don’t even have to bother with the photos.  Me… I just used mini donuts instead and snapped some carefully angled photos with my cell phone before the sun was too low.  I just did the tops of the donuts so maybe they look like cupcakes at first glance?  And no, it doesn’t make any sense to me, to put toppers on mini donuts; but, that was our activity today and so that’s what I’ve got.  But why not?  If you get real ambitious, you could even make a 4th of July garland with them, you crazy girl, you.

Father’s Day is coming up… here’s an idea that your kiddos can give to daddy.  How about some quality time together?

This project is PERFECT! Depending on your kids, they might even be able to do this all by themselves!

One of the things I looked for when I was a huntin’ for a husband was a guy who would play with our kids. So, when I invited the future Mr Napping to a family reunion lunch one Saturday and he played, wrestled, and tolerantly put up with being the jungle gym to my cousins’ kids, I was pretty much a smitten kitten.

I knew he’d be a good daddy and wouldn’t be afraid to get in touch with his inner child if (when) our babies came along.  He still makes every effort to spend quality time with all our boys. He does everything from just taking them with him when he runs errands to launching paper rockets, bike rides and wrestling. And my kids absolutely adore their dad. For that, I am blessed.

So, we’re putting together a Daddy Days Jar that Big J and Little J (The J’s?) can give Daddy for Father’s Day.  I had them tell me things they wanted to do with Dad and then made up slips of paper and we put them in a jar.

And guess what? Since I’m super nice I’ve got the printable for you to download.

All you have to do to make your own Daddy Days Jar is download, print, cut, fold and stuff into a jar.  There are 12 activities – one for each month – and a jar label/tag.  Most of the activities are ones that can take as long as your guys want them to, whether it’s an hour or two or the whole day.  Most of the activities are ones any kid would like.

If you would like more activities to choose from, there is an expanded version that includes 54 activity ideas, plus the template to create your own favorite activity strips in my Etsy shop.

“DADDY DAYS” DAD & CHILD DATE ACTIVITIES GIFT

MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE A DADDY DAYS JAR:

– Clean Jar or Other Container
– Printer
– Scissors or Paper Cutter
– Tape or twine to attach the tag/label to your jar
– Daddy Days Activity Printable
Don’t forget you can customize your jar even more with 54 activity idea strips in the EXPANDED version available in my Etsy Shop!

CREATE YOUR OWN DADDY DAYS JAR:

– Download and print the Daddy Days Activity printable from one of the links above.
– Cut the activities apart around the colored boxes.
– Fold each activity and put it in the jar.
– Adhere the tag with tape to the jar or punch a hole in it and tie it with twine.

That’s it.  Easy peasy and you’ve got yourself a Father’s Day gift to check off your to-do list.  Even better, if your kids can handle a pair of scissors, all you have to do is print out the page for them.  Let them do the rest!

If 12 idea strips aren’t quite enough or you would like more or different activities to choose from, check out the EXPANDED version of the Daddy Days Jar – with 54 activities and a blank template – available in my Etsy Shop. Use the code DADSROCK until 6/19/2016 for 20% off!

Mother’s Day is coming up in a couple weeks and I am trying to come up with some gift ideas for my mom.  She’s a pretty easy person to gift for… but that actually makes it hard.  She doesn’t really need anything, but she doesn’t get rid of things she doesn’t need either.  So, whatever we give her will probably stick around for years (and years and years) to come.  So, I’m still brain-storming on what to give her that I want to have my name attached to for years to come.

In the meantime, I have gathered up some ideas for your gifting consideration.  Take a looksie.

 

I’m sorry I missed last month.  I was planning on putting it up the night I ended up going into labor, so I hope you’ll forgive me.  It’s included below, in case you want to try to catch up.  I printed mine out last year and I don’t even have the whole first week of March filled in yet… Life with a newborn was a bit crazy last month.  But, I did try to write things down in my phone so I could go back and fill it in.

Anyway, below are March and April calendars.  Just right click and save to your computer.  You will have to save the images individually.  Print and you are ready to fill out your calendar.  If you want a single download you can find the whole set for the entire year in my Etsy Shop.  I’ve had several people say they like them or Project Life stuff.  Enjoy!

Let me know if you have problems… it might take me a few days to respond though.  I’m still learning how to survive with three hooligans.  Thanks!