Reading Roundup

Any one that knows me, knows just how much I love summer. Beach days,cool lemonade,ice cream, and those long warm nights. Not to mention,Freedom!!! Ok,not so much anymore now that my school days are over. I think part of the reason I still love summer so much is the nostalgia that comes with it. Remembering the long gone days of summer vacation. Sleeping in,morning cartoons,pool parties,camping trips and playing until the sun went down. Summer time and the livings easy.
So here's the dilemma I have been having. I have an 8 (soon to be 9) year old boy who LIVES for video games. During the school year Dad and I limit the amount of time he spends playing on a school day. But since it's summer I haven't been to strict on the amount of time he spends playing. Or watching t.v. I figure this is the only time of year he gets to do that. But regardless of that fact i can't help but feel a little guilty. I have considered having him read on a daily basis even if its just for a couple of minutes. Especially since back to school is just around the corner. When I shared this with him he exclaimed "Its summer. I'm supposed to do nothing!" Let's face it. Isn't that what we loved about summer?
So in an effort to make my plan a little more appealing to Prince Charming I am going to incorporate some fun into it,maybe a bribe reward or two.
Any of you having this dilemma as well? Well, let me share some great printables I found to get your kids back in to the swing of things before the new school year begins.
              Help your child go far with this inspiring Dr.Seuss wall art courtesy of The Scrap Shoppe Blog.

        How about starting a book exchange between your child and his friends?Beth Proudfoot shares some totally cute book labels.

Keep track of your child's reading progress with this great reading log. Thanks Rebecca Cooper!

Here's another cute set of book labels from Creative Mamma!

Do you have any ideas to encourage your child to read? Feel free to leave a comment and stay posted for an update!                                       

Loving It Monday: Back to School Edition

Happy Monday Everyone!! I am happy to announce that my arch nemesis  Monday and I have finally come to a truce (for today anyways) and today aint have half bad. I want to share with you some awesome ideas I'm loving (because lets face it,it's hard to find stuff you love on Mondays) for some more back to school projects to get those kids back to school and out of your hair and back to learning.  
 Craft Chi has a great tutorial on how to make this pretty pencil case out of a mailing tube.

Help your child stay focused during study time with this Study Station idea from good ol Martha Stewart.               

                                                                

 Make mornings less hectic with this subway art

 Morning To Do List.

And how about this super cute sticky note holder to match your decoupaged clip board.

                                                                                                                      

{Tutorial Time} Back to School Cool!!

So with back to school just around the corner i thought it would be great to show you a wonderful little back to school project to get your princess ready.

This project is easy and quick to make and requires only minimal supplies.

You will need:
Mod Podge (found at either Michael's or Walmart at around $5)
Craft Paint or Spray paint in color of your choice
 (also found at either Michael's or Walmart. Craft paint $1,Spray paint around $3)
Pretty paper in design of your choice (Michael's has a great selection ranging from .25 to $3)
Foam brushes (Found at Michael's or Dollar tree)
Clipboard (Found at jsut about any store near you)
Anything Shiny,pretty or sparkly that you can decorate with. Ex: Rhinestones,flowers,stickers.  (Yup.you guessed it,Michael's)
Hot Glue gun and glue sticks (not pictured)
Old credit card or rewards card (not pictured)
Emery board (also not pictured but please give me a break. I'm new at this.)
Also heres a little tip.Most sunday newspapers will carry a Michael's Ad with a 40% off coupon. Or you can go to the Michael's website too see their weekly ad and print coupons from there.

Ok,lets get started!

Start by applying a couple of coats of your craft paint on your clip board. Any color will do. I chose to make this extra pink & girlie. You can also choose to use spray paint. In this case i chose to use craft paint because well it was on sale for .49 and if there's one thing you"ll learn about me is i love me a sale. I applied it on the silver handle what-do-you call it  as well. ( Look at me getting technical with my terms ) but you may choose not to do so. Also make sure to paint all the sides. Now that you're done with all the painting,the next step is to pull up your favorite chair,a yummy snack,kick up you're feet and wach the paint dry. This step is very important.Feel free to tell youre husband I said that.
Once the paint is dry take your board and pretty paper and trace the board onto the paper and cut it out.

Once that's all finished it's time to apply the Mod Podge. Let me tell you a little something about me.
I heart Mod Podge! Me+Mod Podge=Forever! Oh ya,it's like that. This stuff rocks. You can use it on just about anything. The technical term for this method is Decoupage. And it is loads of fun. So grab your Mod Podge and apply a thin coat  with your foam brush.Cover the whole  (unpainted) side of your board with it. Take your paper and lay it on the board. Now take your old credit card/rewards card or even a  ruler will work and lightly scrape it on the paper. This helps to keep air bubbles from forming on your paper so it looks nice and smooth. Next, apply another THIN coat of Mod Podge directly to your paper. Like This:

Make sure to use nice even strokes because it will show. It'll be light but it will show. And if you're a perfectionist like me it will bug you and you'll have to start over again. Just saying. This is another important step! Take your favorite lawn chair,a nice cold glass of lemonade and set your board in the sun to dry. Why in the sun you ask? Because i'm  impatient and it'll dry quicker this way. So what if it's cold where i live? Move to California. We have two types of weather here. Sunny and not so sunny. That's why I live here. Feel free to feel jealous. Now that you're board is dry take your nail file and file down all the edges so they're even.
Now  it's time to take out your pretties. And your glue gun. Now glue your pretties to your silver handle however you like. Please be careful! Especially if you are having the kiddos help. Glue guns get really hot. The glue gets really hot. Just remember when you burn yourself it is not your husbands fault. Please don't take it out on him. Not that I do or anything. And really,feel free to go crazy here. Flatback buttons,cabochons,rhinestones,beads. I chose pretty purple rhinestones I scored at The Dollar Tree a while back and a paper flower from Michael's. If you haven't guessed it by now; I practically live at Michael's. And Dollar Tree is my next door neighbor.

{Oooh Pretty}

{The backside}

I chose to put a strip of ribbon on the top so i can add a name with glittery sticker letter. And there you have it my friends. Send your Princess back to school in style.