Surviving Spring Break Essentials

It is officially Day 1 of our Spring Break vacation and I made sure to stock up on some fun goodies!

My ultimate goal was to save money this spring break by purchasing things we could do at home our at the park across the street! Sure I spent more than I wanted to but all these items will last us well into summer so it was a win in my book!

Here is our family Surviving Spring Break Essentials List:

| one |

Kites

My oldest has been asking us for a kite for some time now and while I was at Target I found them for under $3 so I bought both girls their own! 

| two |

Let's Go Fishin' Board Game

I bought this because I though it would be fun for us all to play! I am pretty sure its going to spark some competition between me and the hubby ;) So Ill let ya know who wins lol! I found it at Target for $4.99

| three |

Foam and Plastic Baseball Bats/Extra Foam Balls

Once upon a time my husband enjoyed playing baseball before he hurt his shoulder. When my oldest mentioned a little interest in the sport I just knew maybe it could be something fun for him to do with his girls! I bought Cailee a foam bat(this bat was $7.69 and came with a foam ball as well) and Charlotte a plastic bat($5.99 at Target). I bought extra foam balls (4 pack at Target for $9.99)because I knew one of the kiddos would try to just hoard them in her bag! 

| four |

Bubble Machine

It is amazing to me how entertaining bubbles are for kids! This was a no brainer when I saw  it and I made sure to buy the biggest bubble refill I could find! 

Bubble refill was $4.99 for 128fl oz!

| five |

The Take-Along 3 hole folding bean bag toss was something I had been eyeing for some time now so I decided might as well get it already! The kids and we enjoy it so its pretty much already paid for itself with one afternoon of nonstop play! I love that they fold up and we can easily take it anywhere!

Now Moms this essential isn't in the collage above but it is crucial...

I discovered these yummy drinks during my last Trader Joe's run!

Simpler Wines Italian Sparkling Wine comes in a  4-pack and only costs $3.99!

I've tried the Peach and Rose flavors. I like the Peach best!

Who else is on Spring break? How are you enjoying your week off?!?!

xoxo

Jocelyn

A Small Act of Kindness {Lunch Baggies}

When we started our family my husband and I discussed that we would teach our children the valuable lesson of giving back to those in need.
We are not wealthy by any means but we have more than we need.  We come from very humble beginnings and we never want to loose sight of what life is really about. We want our children to be compassionate human beings. 
I tell both my daughters that a small act of kindness can make a BIG difference in someones life!  
That is how our family "Small Act of Kindness Lunch Baggies" came to be.
Before we leave the house to run errands the girls and I put together these little lunch baggies. When we are out and come across someone in need we offer them a lunch baggie! If we don't see anyone on our outing we simply come home and my hubby enjoys the sandwich and we put back the bar and water bottle back in the pantry!
The lunch baggies consist of a water bottle, Simple Truth Organic Fruit and Grain bars, and a peanut-free soy butter(I buy this Don't Go Nuts twin pack from Amazon) pb&j!

I like to put inspirational quotes on the baggies because honestly I feel like it just makes people happy!

These small acts of kindness are so important and it makes my girls feel like they really can make a difference in someones life!

Since we have started this "small act of kindness" we have had other family and friends do their own acts of kindness! Each different act of kindness but with the same goal! It has be amazing!

I hope this inspires you all to go out and do something kind for someone else!

*Some affiliate links are used in this post*

xoxo

Jocelyn

Harry Potter inspired invitations

A few weeks back I shared with you my Harry Potter themed 30th birthday party (see it here) and completely forgot to show you the invitations! I love invitations and feel like they really set the tone for the event! It was only fair that these beauties get a post all to themselves. 

The invitations were made to look like the real Marauder Map you see in the Harry Potter films! I purchased the digital personalized invitation from this Etsy Shop (Gilmourdesigns). 

The invitation was a printable item and I printed everything at home and assembled it myself! 

It was truly time consuming but was absolutely so worth it! I loved it and my guests enjoyed getting this piece of magic in the mail! 

Each invitation was printed on three individual resume papers, cut, glued and assembled with love!

My first attempt was done using regular computer paper to make sure I got it done right! After the first one I knew exactly what to do and it made the assembly process much quicker!

Once folded together I tied the "map" in twine!

If you look at the bottom left of this photo you will see my footprints on the map!

Little details like this make me swoon!

Once completely opened the invitation looked like this! You could also find the whereabouts of Harry and Hermione!

And because detail is everything to me...I had to wax seal each envelope with the official Hogwarts Seal!

Oh and yes these are Harry Potter stamps!!!!

I found the Hogwarts seal kit and stamps at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my invites as much as I did :)

Is it too soon to throw another Harry Potter themed party!?!

| Sources |

- Invitation design by Gilmourdesigns on Etsy

- Resume Paper to print invites on from Amazon
- Kraft Envelopes from Amazon
- Similar Hogwarts Seal from Amazon (and cheaper than what I bought mine for)
- Red wax for seal from Amazon

xoxo

Jocelyn

Minnie + Mickey Mouse party favors

The party favors for Charlotte's birthday party were easily my favorite part of the party prep. They were quick and easy to pull off and the kids loved them! 

I bought the kraft paper bags from Hobby Lobby and glued the Mickey + Minnie cut outs from Dimenchon's Delightful Designs on them and voila a completely custom favor bag.

The kiddos went home with a custom Mickey Mouse coloring book, Mickey/Minnie Ears, gummie snacks and a custom cookie. 

The custom Mickey Mouse coloring books are from Dixie Delights Blog on Etsy and they were such a big hit with the littles :) If you haven't check out Amanda's blog you absolutely have to and if your a fellow disney lover you won't be disappointed!

The Mickey and Minnie ears were a steal from Amazon! 

And I can never have a party with custom cookies from Mpressive Creations!

xoxo

Jocelyn 

my easy diy lego table

After researching and gathering everything I needed (which wasn't much) I was eager to put together Cailee's Lego Table! 

It was by far the easiest DIY project ever!

What I used:

Ikea Lack Coffee table

Lego Baseplates 

Velcro squares

Target Pillowfort bins

All I did was make sure the Lego baseplates were centered on top of the table and attached the velcro to the corners! Keep in mind the velcro does make the baseplates lift a tiny bit on the corners (so far it has not been an issue). 

I used velcro instead of glue because I wanted the option of taking off the baseplates without potentially damaging the table top. 

The bins add a tiny bit of color and are the perfect storage for the small space!

Considering this little project took me all but maybe 30 minutes (including assembling the table) it has already brought hours of joy for my newly turned five year old :)

To check out some of the inspiration behind this Lego table click here! 

xoxo

Jocelyn