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Blue Without You Gift Basket

August 11, 2019 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

A cute going away gift for friends, co-workers or young adults moving for college. The Blue Without You gift basket features all blue snacks and gifts to show how sad you will be without their daily presence.

Yesterday my husband and I took a trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to see my middle step daughter’s new dorm room and walk around the University of Alabama’s campus. If you haven’t been there before, it really is a beautiful school. We walked until I had blisters on my feet and had a belly full of Rammer Jammer Fried Green Tomato BLT’s.

We were both having some major college envy thinking about all the fun that she will have over the next four years! Those really were the best days. No major worries, a little school and a lot of carefree fun.

So I knew that she had most of the actual dorm essentials covered but wanted to take a little gift to let her know how much we will miss her while she is away. This “blue without you” gift basket seemed like the perfect way to give her a few dorm life necessities and some fun splurges.

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

Bama Fans: Check out this Ultimate Bama Fan Gift

Blue Without You Gift Basket

The criteria for this gift is simple, if it is blue it makes the cut! My 5 year old joined in on the search for all things blue to include in the present. We shopped the Dollar Tree and Target for the perfect little “happy’s” to go inside.

Here are the items we included in the Blue Without You Gift Basket:

Dollar Tree:

Blue Basket
Pineapple Cups (They were in blue packaging so they worked)
Blue Striped Flip Flops
Life is Sweet Blue Notepad
Blue Gatorade
Buncha Crunch
Jolly Ranchers
Car Clip On Air Freshener
Air Heads

Target:

Blue Spiral Notebook
Bronner’s Peppermint Lip Balm
Blue Softsoap
Pretzel Crisps
Blue Lounge Pants (so soft!)

Blue Gifts From Amazon

Here are some other things that would be cute to include in the blue without you gift basket.

Blue Without You Free Printable

After filling the basket with all of the goodies, I created a Blue Without You Printable to attach to the front. The printable helps to explain the theme to the recipient and let’s them know how much you will miss them while they are gone.

This Blue Without You Gift Basket Printable intentionally has only one tag per page to save your printer ink if you are only making one basket. If you need to make multiple gifts, just print the number of printable copies that you need.

Click HERE to get your freebie.

What other Blue food/gift items would you include?

Summer Activities to Do With Kids As A Working Mom

July 22, 2019 by Stacy Craft 2 Comments

I took off work the Friday before Memorial Day so that we could do some fun things as a family to kick off the summer vacation. On Sunday, my daughter asked me how many more days that I would be off work. I told her and she looked at her brother and said “Ok, two more days of fun and then no more!”

It was hilarious. But then the mom guilt set in. When I work, she doesn’t get to have fun. Now I could go through all the reasons that I work my day job and how I actually think it is good for her to see me as a professional in my field (which is predominately male dominated). But really all I could think about was that she felt like there would be no more fun once I went back to work.

So I set out to come up with a list of summer activities to do with kids as a working mom. We are busy and tired after a hard day of work but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to enjoy these sweet summertime memories that are ready to be made.

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

Summer Activities To Do With Kids As A Working Mom

My parameters were pretty simple for this list of summer ideas. The ideas have to be fairly short in time requirements so that you could do them on a lunch break or after work. They will have minimal set up up requirements to save time (and sanity).

These things don’t have to be extravagant, just time spent together. Soaking up the evening sun and the insects chirping and the kids playing outside. Instead of unwinding in front of the TV, these summer activities to do with kids as a working mom will allow you to relax while watching your kids making the most of their summer.

Some of these activities are at an establishment but lots of them can be done at your house. I know sometimes the last thing you want to do after working all day is to go somewhere so that was kept in mind while making this list!

Things to Do In Summer After Work with Kids

Draw with Sidewalk Chalk
Go for Ice cream before dinner (we did this in the backyard with an ice cream sandwich and it was a hit)
Blow Bubbles
Grab takeout and hit the park. Enjoy a picnic & then play.
Set up the sprinkler and let the kids play (and cross watering the lawn off your to do list)
Fly a Kite
Make an ice cream sundae bar
“Camp out” with sleeping bags on the floor and watch a movie with popcorn
Plant a flower and let the kids water it as needed throughout the summer
Grill hotdogs and hamburgers for an easy summer bbq
Toss a beach ball in the yard
Play in a water table
Eat dinner outside picnic style
Have a water fight with squirt toys
Take a family bike ride
Visit a splash pad or pool after work (crowds are usually lower so you have more space to yourself)
Paint the sidewalk with a DIY sidewalk chalk paint recipe
Eat watermelon outside
Toy Switcharoo – let the kids choose a toy that is normally an inside toy to play with outside (blocks/dolls/trucks)
Catch and release fireflies
Go to the library and pick out some new books for summer (or have some delivered to your house)
Go on a Summer Scavenger hunt (look for sprinklers, certain colors of flowers, bike riders etc)
Find an Indoor play place to enjoy when it is too hot for outside
Make Tie Dye tshirts
Go Bowling or Skating
DIY Mani / Pedi in a fun summer print like these watermelon nails.
Bring Carnival fun home by DIY Face Painting
Color a summer inspired coloring page
Paint a birdhouse and then watch for birds.
Pretend to camp out and read books in their pop up tent (or make a fort)

15 Minute Play

I recently heard about a concept of actively playing with your kids for 15 minutes a day. No phones, no interruptions, just pure focus on your kid and their choice of activity for 15 minutes. According to the writer, that is all that they really need in terms of parental play time.

Joanna Fortune is the author and a therapist that wrote the book 15 Minute Parenting that explores this topic. I have the book on the way now to read. As a working mom, I always worry that I’m not playing with my kids enough. On one hand, I think it is great that my kids are good at independent play.

But naturally we wonder if we are doing enough. So I’m interested to read about this 15 minute play concept and to test it out with my kids and our schedule.

I hope these easy play ideas help you with the summertime blues that can pop up as a working parent during those warm summer months. And if you liked Summer Activities to Do With Kids As A Working Mom, check out some of our other easy set up play and craft ideas on the site!

Vegetable Soup Water Table Sensory Play

30 Second Infant Sensory Painting

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Sensory Bin

8 Best Outdoor Water Toys

The Inn at Christmas Place Review

July 22, 2019 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Forget boring hotels! Have yourself a merry little Christmas in June if you would like. At the Inn at Christmas Place, Christmas carols will be sung, Christmas cookies will be eaten and Santa will be seen. Does it get any better?

Visiting a hotel with unique characteristics is part of the vacation adventure. Sure you could stay at a regular motel and maybe the indoor swimming pool would be enough to wow your kids. Or you could stay at a magical inn that sends you into the Christmas spirit at every turn (no matter the month).

The Inn at Christmas Place celebrates Christmas 365 days a year and we aren’t sad about it. It is located in the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and you can really feel that Southern Tennessee Christmas charm radiating throughout the property. And since I am a born and raised Tennessee girl, you can trust me on that!

Here is a breakdown of our quick trip to the Inn at Christmas Place.

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

The Inn At Christmas Place

We visited the Inn at Christmas place after moving my oldest step daughter into the University of Tennessee dorms and visited with our then two and a half year old daughter. The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area is just a short drive from the University. So we were looking forward to having a little mini vacation before heading back to Memphis.

Christmas Decor Everywhere

The Inn at Christmas Place has magical Christmas decor at every turn (and every floor)! When you first enter the inn, you will feel as if you have entered the stately home of a distant Tennessee relative. A warm fire and huge Christmas tree decorate the lobby along with countless other Christmas touches.

Every single floor has a different theme to see and yes we rode the elevator floor to floor to see them all. There are lots of Christmas classics like the Grinch or A Christmas Story (complete with a leg lamp in all her glory).

In addition to the floor decor, there is tons of stuff all over the common areas that has been decorated for Christmas (even the office and gym are not safe from seasonal cheer). You will find trees, Santa figurines and other Christmas themed areas all over as you explore.

If you stay in the regular rooms, the Christmas theme is there but modest compared to the common areas like the lobby. We had a mini Christmas tree, some holiday art on the walls, some wreaths and some holiday throw pillows on the beds.

What I really loved about the room was that the bathroom was big and spacious. When you start combining whole families in one room, a nice spacious bathroom is key.

I also appreciated the fact that every room has a mini fridge and a microwave. My daughter wanted a cup of milk every night before bed so it was nice to have a place to store a carton for her. And my husband liked having the ability to warm up his Mellow Mushroom pizza leftovers for a midnight snack.

Warm Cookies Every Night

When you think of Christmas, certain things immediately come to mind. Jesus and the Nativity. Family and Gifts. Santa and cookies. These are Christmas traditions that many of us celebrate and you can do just that at The Inn at Christmas Place.

Every evening you can bring the kiddos down in their pajamas to get a freshly baked, still warm from the oven cookie to enjoy.

The yummy cookies were a fun treat to look forward to every night! It was also a money saver for us because we are a dessert loving family. But since we knew that there were cookies waiting on us at the hotel, we didn’t need to splurge at dinner. The cookies are available from 8 to 10 pm nightly.

This was probably the biggest cookie she has ever had all to herself. It isn’t the best picture but the joy on that little face just had to be shared. Living her best life at the Inn at Christmas place!

Santa Visits

And with every delicious Christmas cookie, there is a big, jolly Santa somewhere nearby! He is in the living area next to the breakfast room almost every morning. He also has a weekly story time and even an evening concert on select nights.

Seeing Santa and getting to tell him what you want for Christmas (even if it is in August) is always fun. Well for everyone but our kid! She wasn’t feeling Santa on this particular trip!

Be sure to check the Inn at Christmas Place website or give them a call to ensure Santa will be there on the dates that you will be staying. It does state on their site that Santa does have an occasional North Pole emergency that he must tend to.

Continental Breakfast

The included breakfast was quite good when compared to other larger hotel chain breakfast offerings. They had made-to-order omelets, Belgian waffles that you could make, lots of fruit, pastries, cereals and the typical breakfast items (eggs/bacon/sausage/biscuits).

The coffee was also a step up from the typical hotel fare as well. I am a bit of a coffee snob and this was very good java. No coffee shop needed for me.

Finding a hotel with an included breakfast is a great way to save money. Even if you hit a fast food restaurant, that is at least $15 for us and sometimes more depending on which kids we have with us at the time (if everyone is with us we are a family of 7 so eating out can add up very quickly).

Eating at the inn also allowed us to get in quickly, grab some food and head out for our day of fun in the Gatlinburg area.

Outdoor Grounds

The grounds of The Inn at Christmas Place were very beautiful. The exterior of the inn reminds me of German architecture that is made even more inviting with Christmas wreaths, bows and lights.

The beautiful ponds and flowers out back are impressive and peaceful. If I had not had a chatty toddler with me, I might have enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee on one of the benches.

There is also a large birdcage outside that my daughter enjoyed. She liked taking a moment to look at the birds and watch them fly around.

Pool

We didn’t use the pools when we stayed because sometimes what a toddler doesn’t know won’t hurt them. I know, I know, bad mama! Withholding fun from my baby!

Anyway for all you awesome mom and dads out there, the pool options are plentiful at the Inn at Christmas Place. Indoors you will find a large swimming pool and a hot tub.

Outdoors there is a pool and a water slide that looks like it would be fun. Just remember that the outdoor pools will only be open seasonally so if you are celebrating Christmas in November for instance, you will need to swim inside!

Family Friendly Inn

Overall we all really enjoyed our stay at the Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge. It was a nice change from just a normal hotel. Typically we check into a hotel, throw our stuff down and leave immediately to go do something fun. But when everyday is Christmas at your hotel, you stay a while. Explore and enjoy a little bit of Christmas spirit no matter the time of year.

I am currently trying to talk my husband into another trip up that way so stay tuned for some updated pictures soon (If I can get my way!).

If you have any questions, send me a comment below. And if you are planning a road trip with kids, check out these awesome travel activities all under $15.

Unique Birthday Party Favors for Kids

June 17, 2019 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Easy and useful items to fill those birthday party goodie bags without the junk from the party favor aisle.

Are you tired of the junk toys that come home from school parties and birthday treat bags? They create clutter and typically end up on the floor unused within a matter of minutes.

The worst part is that some parent put time and energy into selecting those junk toys and then paid good money for them! I decided to break away from the pack.

For my daughter’s treat bag at her party this year, I decided to skip the party favor aisle and do a play on her favorite things instead. It was so nice to find some unique birthday party favors for kids that came to her party without much more effort than normal.

Plus, I am pretty sure all of these things will get used instead of trashed. Because if I’m going to spend money on something, I want it to be valued.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Unique Birthday Party Favors For Kids

Creating unique birthday party favors for kids treat bags is easier than it might seem.

First, I wrote out my daughter’s name vertically on a sheet of paper.

Then I started thinking of things that she liked that started with those letters. I came up with a few choices and then let her choose from those so that she had some influence over her treat bags. She found it fun to pick something based on the letter.

Here is what we came up with for her name:

S (Starbursts)

A (Applesauce Pouches – My kids are always starving on the way home after a party so I thought this would be a good snack)

Y (Yoo Hoo Drink Boxes)

L (LOL Doll Lip Gloss and we did this for the boys)

O (Oreo Dippers)

R (Ring Pops)

This treat bag might not win any health awards but it eliminated a bunch of 25 cent plastic toys from collecting in the homes of all her friends. Next year maybe I can talk her into including an RX kids bar to up our health goals! Or she can just enjoy some treats on her birthday!

Party Favor Tag

To make the favor bag tag, I just created square outer boxes in Excel. Wrote out the information and then added some free clip art to make it cute.

So easy and it helped to explain the theme of her treat bag.

Treat Bag Assembly

Fill your treat bags with your items and attach the tag with some cute washi tape or ribbon.

The treat bags I used are here. I loved the little piece of tulle on each one that made the ballerina skirt.

So simple & you have a bag of things that will get used instead of trashed!

Ideas for Birthday Treat Bag Fillers And Favors

Individually Wrapped Snacks (granola bars, chips, crackers, cookies)

Kid Drinks (mini bottles of Gatorade, drink boxes or pouches, drink flavor packets)

Multipack Toys (think toys that you buy in the normal toy aisle but that can be separated- Hotwheels, figurine sets, multipack of dolls, balls, sidewalk chalk, small craft kits)

Multipack Beauty Items (same as the toys, packs of items that you can separate – bath bombs, chapstick, hair ties)

Art Supplies (crayons, markers and paint sets are usually reasonably priced)

I love to find multipacks of things outside of the party favor aisle that I can separate into treat bags. You will typically find better quality items at a similar price this way.

No Junk Favor / Treats for Holidays

In continuing on with my mission to get rid of the junk that always accompany school holiday parties, check out these posts to help spend your money wisely and avoid sending junk home to the other families in your child’s class!

Halloween Favors That Won’t Get Trashed

No Junk Stocking Stuffers for 3-5 Year olds

Best Outdoor Toys for Preschool Boys

June 2, 2019 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Find the best outdoor toys for preschool boys that you need in your backyard this summer!

As a relatively new boy mom, I’m finding out what #boymom is all about! I have 3 step-daughters, a 5 year old daughter and now a boy. A wild and crazy toddler boy that is completely different than any of our girls. I mean totally different.

So what is a mom to do? She goes on a mission to find ways to wear that little boy out on a consistent basis! Since one of his very first words was “outside” it is only natural to start searching out the best outdoor toys for preschool boys (and lots of these work for toddler boys too)!

And for that matter, my 5 year old preschool daughter loves most of these toys too.

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

Best Outdoor Toys for Preschool Boys

One thing that I dislike is spending money on a toy that gets shoved in a corner and not played with. When I decide to spend on a toy purchase, I want my kids to enjoy and use that toy.

So this is a collection of toys that I have purchased or that they received for Birthday or Christmas gifts that are the best outdoor toys for preschool boys (and girls!). The toys are all different price ranges. Some are active toys and others build imagination. I think you will find at least a couple of things that will be awesome for your active kid.

Flybar My First Pogo

Gone are the days of the Pogo stick you might remember. I guess I had my old Pogo stick in the early 90’s and it was so hard to get the thing to actually bounce with me.

My daughter got one of these for Easter this year and we just gave one as a birthday gift to a friend’s little boy. These Pogo sticks are made out of foam and are easy enough for a preschooler to get the hang of it quickly.

There are no springs to potentially cause injury which I love. And the elastic band easily stretches to fit with your child’s height. I am 5’4 and may have jumped for a second on my daughter’s Flybar after my husband said it looked too short for my 5 year old!

Bubble Mower

Remember that quote in the movie Knocked Up, “I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles?” It is so true isn’t it? Kids love bubbles.

The bubble mower is cute because it allows the child to mimic what they see adults doing. It is an active toy to get kids moving, pretending and of course it shoots out bubbles so it is an all around win!

Bubble Blitz Machine

While we are on the bubble subject, a bubble blower may save your life. Not to be dramatic! But seriously, I have blown so many bubbles that I literally have gotten lightheaded.

The bubble machine puts out more bubbles than you could possibly blow. My kids run and dance around in the bubble “rain.” Trying to pop them, trying to avoid them. They can come up with all kinds of games to play while using this bubble machine.

Backyard Critter Case

When I was growing up, we caught lightning bugs in a mason jar with some holes punched in the lid with a sharp knife.

I guess this is kind of the same concept just made a lot cuter. My daughter had this cutesy butterfly insect cage but she isn’t really into catching bugs!

Little Tikes Cook N Grow BBQ Grill

We keep this Little Tikes grill near Daddy’s real grill. That way when we are outside cooking dinner, our kids can cook their own pretend food. We own lots of Little Tikes products are are always pleased with the quality of their toys.

Since most outdoor toys are active play toys, I enjoy having a toy that encourages the imagination and playing pretend.

Step2 Hot Wheels Extreme Thrill Coaster Ride On

My daughter got this when she was 3. They make it look like a “boy toy” but I am hear to tell you it may be the best gender neutral toy that we own!

It is always a favorite when we have cookouts and parties. All the kids want to ride it.

Reasons for parents to love: the kids can push the car up the track themselves so you can sit back and watch.

We have it set up on a slight decline in our backyard and the roller coaster goes pretty fast. My 5 year old still loves it and my 18 month old can even do it mostly on his own. The slide is relatively high so he is very cautiously supervised when using it.

It is also great quality. We have had it outside in the elements for the last two years. Aside from needing to be pressure washed (purely cosmetic) it is still in outstanding condition.

Little Tikes Inflatable Bounce House

Aside from loving toys that my kids actually play with, I love toys that last. We have had this toy for close to 3 years now and it is still in perfect shape.

When it is nice weather we will sometimes use this for a weekend at a time. It is great to blow up in the backyard and let the kids jump until they are completely worn out! It is a super easy set up and inflates in just a minute or two.

We use this when we have a bunch of kids over for a party too. Several toddlers or preschoolers can jump and slide at one time which is nice.

Power Wheels Little Quad

This is the perfect size for a toddler. I like that my little one can ride it totally on his own without any help from me (he is 18 months and got it for his first birthday).

The battery lasts a pretty long time before you need to recharge it which is also a nice benefit. My petite 5 year old will even hop on and ride from time to time!

More Outdoor Toys for Active Toddlers/Preschoolers

If you liked this list of the best outdoor toys for preschool boys, be sure to check out our favorite outdoor water toys for summer too! There are some great ideas to beat the summer heat with some cool toys.

Play

A cute going away gift for friends, co-workers or young adults moving for college. The Blue Without You gift basket features all blue snacks and gifts to show how sad you will be without their daily presence.

Bama Fans: Check out this Ultimate Bama Fan Gift

Blue Without You Gift Basket

Dollar Tree:

Target:

Blue Gifts From Amazon

Blue Without You Free Printable

Summer Activities To Do With Kids As A Working Mom

Things to Do In Summer After Work with Kids

15 Minute Play

Forget boring hotels! Have yourself a merry little Christmas in June if you would like. At the Inn at Christmas Place, Christmas carols will be sung, Christmas cookies will be eaten and Santa will be seen. Does it get any better?

The Inn At Christmas Place

Christmas Decor Everywhere

Warm Cookies Every Night

Santa Visits

Continental Breakfast

Outdoor Grounds

Pool

Family Friendly Inn

Easy and useful items to fill those birthday party goodie bags without the junk from the party favor aisle.

Unique Birthday Party Favors For Kids

Party Favor Tag

Treat Bag Assembly

Ideas for Birthday Treat Bag Fillers And Favors

No Junk Favor / Treats for Holidays

Find the best outdoor toys for preschool boys that you need in your backyard this summer!

Best Outdoor Toys for Preschool Boys

Flybar My First Pogo

Bubble Mower

Bubble Blitz Machine

Backyard Critter Case

Little Tikes Cook N Grow BBQ Grill

Step2 Hot Wheels Extreme Thrill Coaster Ride On

Little Tikes Inflatable Bounce House

Power Wheels Little Quad

More Outdoor Toys for Active Toddlers/Preschoolers

Other Fun Water Activities for Kids