Picture Frames: The Perfect Gift

For this Valentines Day, I decided to give my special someone a gift of chocolates and a picture frame.  Since things are so new, I decided to keep things simple, but I still wanted him to know how much I appreciated him.  He was cooking me dinner (which was AMAZING, by the way).  So I felt that this little gesture, included a decorated gift bag by yours truly, was a gift straight from my heart.

Did you know that you can find all sorts of themed framable printables on the internet?  Pinterest is FILLED with all different ideas.  On my snow day this past week, I was getting ready for this weekend, I started to put everything together for my gift.  I decided that instead of just giving him a frame with the cheesy generic picture inside the frame, I wanted to make it a little more personal.  I started to look on Pinterest for different designs that I liked, and finally I stumbled upon this one: Catch my Party

Once I had the image downloaded, I saved it as a .pdf file, and when I went to print it, I chose the size of paper that the frame would fit.  For my particular frame, it was a 4x6 photo.  When it printed, it was the perfect size to fit into my frame!

I'm sure you can find all different printables for different holidays and occasions to dress up your gift.  It makes your gift more personal.  Some printables even allow you to write on the frame with a dry erase marker to leave someone you love a message.  

In our case, I don't really have any photos of the two of us, so I made sure to indicate on a cute sticky note that we had to a take a picture to place inside our frame.  

I really loved this gift and the way it turned out.  The next big holiday is Mother's Day.  What mother wouldn't love to open a gift like this?

You can find more ideas like this at: 

Dollar Store Crafts

Photo Booth Possibilities

I stopped into Michael's today to purchase a few materials for a soon-to-be DIY project. I fell upon a new aisle (or new to me) that was quite intriguing... an aisle for photo booth props! No, this wasn't an aisle filled with feather boas and other accessories like that, it was an aisle filled with unfinished wooden props to design and decorate on your own!

I thought this was so awesome because there are endless opportunities to make your props fun and fabulous... grab some scrapbook paper and Mod Podge them up! Add some glitz, glitter, and sequins! Play with fun paint colors or coordinate a specific color theme! It's all up to your imagination!

I especially loved these wooden props because I knew they would last much longer than the paper ones that are normally used. Reuse them from party to party, and don't worry about wear and tear.

I created my first photo booth this past New Years Eve and whipped it up in no time. It was really easy finding free printable props online. I found mine over at I Heart Naptime and In the Treehouse. I printed them on cardstock paper and attached a shish kabob stick to each (grabbed anything I had in the house!).  :-) 

 

 

 

I found an adorable and free printable Happy 2014 banner from Paging Supermom and began cutting away! I then taped a roll of gold wrapping paper to my wall (husband wasn't happy) and voila!

Although I saved the props for another party, I definitely think the wooden props would be a great addition to what I have. I didn't purchase anything today, but you should! If you're interested in making your own photo booth anytime soon, check out Michael's and the links above to help you out!

High Five for Friday: Enjoying the Small Things

Amanda and I participate in the link party, High Five for Fridays, from Lauren Elizabeth's blog. Head on over to Lauren Elizabeth for more "High Five for Fridays." We're taking part in this fun reflection each week and hopefully you will too! 
 

1. It seems as if my High Five for Friday post wouldn't be the same without the mention of snow. We had 2 snow days again this week...Thursday and Friday... insane amounts of snow. We were supposed to sell Valentine's today. Boo!! :-( I'm also sad that I couldn't see my kids one last time before winter break next week. 

2. Sharing about the Olympics with my students on Monday. Almost every student watched the opening games last Friday and a segment on their favorite winter sport, too. We had such an engaging discussion... hands were flying in the air as they listened to one another share out. So cool! 

3. Buying a new computer and desk. I bought a new laptop when I started teaching 7 years ago and it's dying such a slow, awful death. I made do with having an iPad these past few years, but I really needed another PC. Next up on my to do list? Revamp my guest room/office!

4. Exchanging emails with our wedding photographer about our album. {goosebumps in full effect} I cannot wait to see what this gem looks like. I'll keep you updated and there will be posts to follow about who my photographer is and how she rocks. If you live in the NY, NJ, CT tristate area, you've gotta scoop her up!

5. And how could I forget... Oh yeah, Valentine's Day! Most of my posts this week centered around Valentine's Day. After sharing so many Valentine holidays together (we've been together since high school) this one was big because it's our first one married! We didn't go big, but boy was it fun shopping for a card in the husband aisle. :-) Enjoying the small things, especially as a newlywed! 

High Five for Friday: A Week Full of Love

This was an awesome week full of love and fun!  Here's my top five moments of the week:

1. On Sunday, I met some new friends through a new special someone in my life <3!  We had a late breakfast/early lunch, and it was a true highlight of my week!  We became quick friends, and I feel like they've been my friends for a lot longer!

2.  Snow Days....yes...we had MORE snow days!  Two more days off this week has put us over the edge.  We've lost two days in the spring, but these snow storms have been pretty intense!

3. The Valentine's Day party at school.  It is my least favorite celebration in school, because we have 45 minutes to complete a fun craft, exchange Valentines and have treats.  Without fail, every year, my students leave their homework in school on Valentines day by mistake.  Next year, I'm having my kids pack up BEFORE lunch! :)

4. While I was home on my snow day, I taught myself how to fold an envelope out of scrapbook paper.  It's a special someone's birthday this week, and I needed to attach a little present to his card.  So...voila! What do you think?  If you want to try it out, check out this step by step process: 

Click here!

5.   Tonight's Valentine's Day was perfect.  My special someone cooked me the most delicious homemade dinner.  I ate more than he did!  He thought of everything, from appetizers to dessert.  It's so nice to be with someone who has a kind heart.  The night wasn't full of hearts or frills (in fact, he was a little taken aback by my gift bag of little treats!).  Our whole night was full of love and kindness, straight from the heart.  Isn't that what we are all looking for?  I'm sure I'll eventually reveal more details, but for now, I'm being vague.  He's a great guy, and I'm one lucky girl to have found him!  Being with him made my Valentines Day super and extremely special.

I hope you had a lovely Valentines Day! xoxo 

10 Romantic Comedies to Watch with Your Honey on Valentine's Day!

It's the night before Valentine's Day and I'm attempting to wrap up the week of Valentine's Day posts. Today was a very snowy day and now we're getting hit with rain and thunderstorms. So weird! Honestly, all it makes me want to do is snuggle up on the couch and watch a good movie. So here come's the theme of this post... 10 Romantic Comedies to Watch with Your Honey on Valentine's Day!

I know that so many people celebrate Valentine's Day in so many different ways. Some decide not to celebrate at all, some decide to celebrate the night before or the day after, and some decide to go love crazy on the actual day and fill it with flowers, chocolates, teddy bears and all the other fun stuff in between.

We've celebrated Valentine's Day differently each year - we definitely celebrate on the actual day and I always receive a gorgeous display of flowers (my favorite), with a beautiful card and a box of chocolates. We've also decided to throw a movie into the mix. Last year, we saw Safe Haven in the movie theaters and we just might see a lovey-dovey movie tomorrow night, too. I happen to love romantic comedies and my husband (who pretends he doesn't) also enjoys them. He's actually said that P.S. I Love You is one of his favorites. He's one of those guys, a love sap, I tell ya.

 

So, if you consider staying in tomorrow night, create a movie night date basket and fill it with some of these Top 10 Romantic Comedies to Watch. There are obviously so many great titles to choose from, so these are just a few. Movies are also in no particular order. If you've seen these movies already, watch the original trailers. They're fun to watch! :-)

1. P.S. I Love You - This movie isn't a true romantic comedy, it's actually really sad in my opinion, but there's such a strong message behind it. It's a must-see at some point in your life.

 

 

2. The Notebook - Come on, how can you have a post about romantic movies and not include this one? I got chills watching the trailer. Swoon! Another must-see!

 

 

 

 

3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - No matter how many times this movie is on TV, I stop to watch. I love Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey together.

 



 

 

4. Valentine's Day - Fitting for the actual day! You'll follow many storylines about friendship, relationships, and love. Great actors, too!

 

 

 

 

5. 50 First Dates - Very funny! Your man will love it because Adam Sandler is in it!

 

 

 

6. Dirty Dancing - Absolute classic. Need I say more?

 

 

 

 

7. It's Complicated - Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin. Divorced with benefits... fun to watch and funny!

 

 

 

 

8. Friends with Benefits - The title sums up the movie! Another fun one with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis!

 

 

 

 

9. Hitch - Will Smith is a dating expert with issues and attempts to pursue Eva Mendes. Funny and cute!

 

 

 

10. Pretty Woman - Another classic. Enough said.

 

 

 

And this is what's on top of the list for next year:

 

 

My First Valentine

This post is dedicated to my first Valentine, my Dad.  For the past thirty years, without fail, my dad has always considered my sister and I his Valentines. When I was a little girl, there was always a card and a small candy heart waiting on the kitchen table on Valentine's Day morning for each of us. My mom would always get an elaborate, romantic card with a large candy heart. He would usually leave a little present, too. One year, I got a beautiful bracelet. 

The thing is, my Dad didn't need to do all of those sweet things for us girls. He wanted to. Little did I know that thirty years later, I can finally realize why he did it. My dad is a man who knows how to treat a lady and put his family first. It wasn't the actual card or the candy that was important, but it was his way of showing my sister and I that if a man loves you, he'll let you know. 

I'll never forget those Valentine's Day mornings, when my mom would open her card and have tears in her eyes, sometimes running down her face, because of the beautiful words that were written in the card. My dad has this awesome talent for choosing cards that have a beautiful message.  My dad loves my mom...a whole lot. It's really an incredible thing to see two people care for each other after thirty-something years of marriage.

I guess my future husband can blame my father for showing me what true love is. 

Today, I had a snow day. I decided to take a trip to the mailbox. Turned the key, opened the door and there it was. Dad's Valentine. Took the elevator back upstairs and studied my dad's handwriting on the envelope on my way back up. Came back inside, ripped open the envelope, and read the card. My dad's message was all about how proud of me he is, and how much he loves me. It's amazing how when words are written, they mean so much. 

Even though the years go by, I'll never lose the memories of Valentine's day as a little girl. And my Dad will always be my first Valentine. I'm a lucky girl.

I love you, Dad!

14 Ways to Love your Kids on Valentine's Day!

We're preparing for a major snowstorm in the Northeast tonight.  We left school today wishing one another a Happy Valentine's Day because of the anticipated storm.  My class had our (always crazy) Valentine's Day celebration, which included two crafts, sharing Valentines, singing Happy Birthday to the kiddos who turned 9 this month AND having treats...all in 45 minutes.  The end of the day was nuts...but filled with love.  Who could complain when my day began with Valentine hearts and a scone from Panera...and ended with a GIANT "WE LOVE YOU" poster from 5 girls in my class?  I'm loved.  I feel it everyday in my classroom, but there is always something about Valentine's Day that makes me feel it a little bit more.

As I am sitting on the couch enjoying my night off, I was thinking about love and how it impacts my little 9 year olds.  They're getting bigger...and more curious.  They may be required to do a lot of work in school.  They have a lot of after school activities and other things going on (sometimes, they're over scheduled, over tired, over worked, and just want to be kids).  

Kids deserve love, too.  They deserve a lot of it.  I'm not a parent, although I hope to be someday.  I hope that I can do fun things with them like some of the things listed above.  I also hope I can enjoy their personalities in every stage, like the children in the video below.  Love is so important for kids to have.  It makes their hearts bigger, and it makes them kinder people.  If we all just take a little time to love the little ones in our lives, the earth will be a much kinder, happier, peaceful place.  If you have a little one at home, love them up tonight.  If they ask you to read with them tomorrow while it's snowing, do it.  Watch a movie together.  Make a craft.  Make memories!

If you need a little pick-me-up or just something to make you laugh, watch the video below.  These videos crack me up.  Kids talking about love and kisses is priceless and it never gets old.  

Have a Lovely night! xoxo