Valentine Paint Cans

I'm so excited to share these Valentine paint cans with you today because they are a result of an e-mail I sent out way back in August.

I absolutely adore the artist Kate Hadfield and her digital designs, so I asked her if I could create a Valentine paint can insert with her Love and Romance digital kit and then share the template with you on my blog.

Well, I feel so special because she doesn't normally allow this sort of thing, but she said yes! She must have been feeling the love in her heart.

Yay Us!

I made two sizes of the same template. One is for the quart sized paint cans and the other is for the itty bitty cans that are just three inches tall. 

First click on the templates to get the best resolution, then save them to your computer. From there, upload them to your favorite photo center that prints 11" x 14" enlargements. I use Sam's Club Photo Center for my enlargements. Each template will decorate two cans.

Once you get your templates, simply cut them out, roll them with the printed side facing out, and insert them inside the paint cans. Then gently flatten them against the paint can, starting at one end of the template and continuing to the other end. Don't bother adhering them to the cans. They stay pretty secure once you get them in.

I cutified my cans even more by adhering some pretty ribbon to the outside of the paint can using double-sided tape and adhering a circle of scrapbook paper to the lid. Peanut Head drilled a hole in the lid of the larger can so I could screw a small knob onto it. It makes opening the larger paint can easier, and it looks super duper cute, don't you think?

Oh yeah, don't forget to tie some pieces of ribbon to the handle. Like bacon, everything is better with ribbon.

These cans are perfect for filling with chocolate for your sweetheart, a teacher, or a BFF. Or perhaps someone that you loathe and you just want to creep out. That's what I'm doing with mine.

On second thought, I can't really think of anyone I loathe right now. 

Maybe next year.

Here are the templates. Enjoy! Oh yeah, and would you be a love and go visit Kate and send her some comment love for the super awesome digital kit? Thanks. You're the best!

Classroom Management That Works

Today you can find me over at Inspired Teacher talking about classroom management. Come on over for a visit!

She is Not Amused

I'm feeling very on top of things right now, because I just finished our Valentines nine days ahead of schedule. As in not seven hours before school starts on Valentine's Day. Whoo hoo!

I'd like to kick back and bask in the glory and all that, but the real truth is that the only reason I am done with plenty of time to spare is because I'm avoiding some other very important things.

Deadline looming like the Cloud of Death important things.

I don't want to think about those things right now though. I don't want to harsh my mellow.

I've been itching to try these hand-my-friends-a-lollipop Valentines for a couple years now. I know that everyone and their brother is doing them, but they are so cute, so I'm copying.

I've also been eyeing the cute "I mustache you a question" Valentines. I thought they would be perfect for Stinkerbell because she's so anti-girly.

Sadly, she was not amused.

I think she's warming up to them though. I told her that they're all the rage for boys this year.

I don't think I've mentioned this, but she has completely banished anything remotely girly from her wardrobe. In fact, she insists that all of her clothes come from the boys' department.

It kills me.

It has been unfolding in stages. It started when she was three and I unveiled her very girly flower room.

That was when I learned that three is not too young to stick your fingers down your throat and pretend to violently vomit.

You could say that there were early signs that we were in trouble.

It has been a rough road for a Mama dressing vicariously through her children.

My days of dressing my baby were numbered.

It started out subtly. Like she wouldn't hug anyone that had buttons on their clothes. Then it expanded to jewels and bling.

Then she wouldn't even play with Zoe Bug if she had glitter or bling on her clothes.

Then she started wearing the clothes that she hated inside out, because we wouldn't let her go to school naked.

In the end she showed us by passive aggressively wearing the clothes she hated without underwear.

It has been one big, exhausting, exasperating, power struggle.

I think it's a control thing. I have no idea where she gets it from, but this school year I finally gave up the fight. She wins. I lose.

And because she gets her passive aggressive gene from me, her Valentines get a mustache.

BOOM!

I made these Valentines for the monsters in my classroom. I heart them.

But not in a creepy way.

You always have to qualify that statement when you're gushing over sixth graders, lest they be grossed out.

Just in case you can't tell, I wrapped Rolos in Valentine paper and added the little tag. Another Pinterest inspired Valentine.

I'm going to share these Justin Bieber cupcakes with them tomorrow, on account of my birthday was yesterday and I believe in celebrating birthdays at school with cupcakes.

I'm betting that they're going to take one look at the Bieber Heads and stick their fingers down their throats and pretend to violently vomit.

At least that's what I'm hoping for.

Valentine Ideas

I just realized that Valentine's Day is just a little more than two weeks away and I have not done anything about making Valentines for my kiddos. I know what I want to do, but I need the time to do it. I'm sure you're familiar with that dilemma.

Not to worry, it will get done, now that I'm thinking about it.

In the process of thinking about Valentine treats, I figured I should probably remind people about my magnetic Valentine bookmarks. You know, because they are buried somewhere on this blog and Pinterest wasn't around when I posted them. And maybe you've never seen them.

And maybe you don't care, but it's nice to have options.

You can find the printable bookmarks pictured above, here.

Or maybe you'd rather have some boy bookmarks. For those, you can go here.

Or camo bookmarks, boy and girl, go here.

Or maybe you are lacking in the sugar department, a tragedy, and you might like to make these.

You know, to hold you over until the Girl Scout cookies arrive.

Now that I'm looking at this picture, I think they should be heart-shaped, don't you? What was I thinking?

These Valentine Oreos generated a lot of traffic last year, and I promise they will not disappoint, but sadly I sort of owe all the credit to Peanut Head. It's rather hard to swallow.

You see I thought it was a dumb idea when he came up with it. My bad. He can make these into little Oreo Crows and I will gladly eat them.

Caw. Caw.

Apparently I'm Not Busy Enough

Last month Laura Parker contacted me about becoming a monthly contributor on her website, Inspired Teacher. I have to admit that it stressed me out a little bit because I've been feeling like my brain is going to implode thinking about all of the deadlines and commitments I have to meet before Spring Break.

Then I thought about it again and I said "What the heck! It's just once a month. I should be able to manage that."

So I did it, and I'm just hoping I don't embarrass myself. I'd love it if you would pop over and visit me, read my introduction post, and even leave a comment if you're feeling somewhat social. If not, I'd even be happy if you snuck in and out, like a creature of the night. Do you ever feel like that when you're blog hopping? Like you just don't have the energy to type, and you just want to click around in sweet, lethargic anonymity? It sounds dreamy, doesn't it?

Magnetic Menu Plan Magnet Storage

 

I know I'm beating a dead horse here with this topic, but I promise this is going to be the last time.

I think.

It's just that sometimes things need to be tweaked when they aren't just perfect. And the magnetic menu plan, perfect as I thought it was at first, is not perfect.

  

The problem for me was all the extra menu choices. Having all of them on the fridge was making me twitchy because it was too cluttered.

That, and I like to menu plan sitting down, not standing at my fridge. Again with the enormous problems that must be solved.

 

Thankfully this one was an easy problem to solve. Check it out.

Baseball card protectors. 

I know. Doy. You can find these at Wal Mart with the Pokemon cards. Or whatever it is that kids are trading these days. I'm so out of touch, I really couldn't say.

As a general rule I'm always at least a decade behind the current trends. The beauty is that most of the time I don't know what it is that I'm behind on.

What? What's wrong with my perm? People don't wear perms anymore?

What? What's wrong with my Ray Bans? What do you mean I have bug eyes?

What? What's wrong with my tiny spectacles? People are wearing frisbees for sunglasses now? No way!

What are mom jeans? What about them makes them mom jeans?

Seriously, I could go on and on here. It's so sad.

Anyway, I don't know how I got here really, but back to the enormous problem that must be solved.

 

Baseball card protectors. They're way cheap. Get some, cut some cardstock for the pockets, slide your menu magnets in, and you're in business. You don't have to put cardstock in the pockets, but I found that it makes the menu magnets easier to view.

I put all my beef menu items on one page, chicken on another, pasta, and so on. Now it's even easier to menu plan, and I can sit at the kitchen table and deal out menu combos. Then when I have what I want, I get up off my bum and stick them on the fridge. Voila!

Valentine Banner Winner

Hello Peeps! I loved reading all your comments about your over due "To Do" list items. It's always nice to know that I'm not alone. Thank you to everyone who participated.

I know you just want me to cut to the chase, so here goes. Congratulations go to Jacy Rogers for winning the Valentine banner! Send me an e-mail with your mailing address and I'll pop that in the mail for you this week.