5 Reasons to Send a Handwritten Note PLUS Free Card Download

We just came out of one of my favorite seasons of the year. I love sending and receiving Christmas cards and every day when we check the mail, it's like a fun surprise seeing who sent a card that day. Bonus points if it's got a fun handwritten message or letter inside. The art of sending and receiving mail is dying, and sadly, I'm noticing fewer and fewer Christmas cards and letters too. But I'm hoping the art of letter writing isn't dead. I get it, sending texts are easier, but don't you get that rush when you see a handwritten note in your mailbox instead of a bill? Today I'm sharing a free PDF file with several different card designs that you can color in or paint with watercolor and then send off to a friend. Let's make sure the art of letter writing doesn't die!

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S'Mores Snack Mix Teacher Gift with Free Printable Gift Tag

The end of the school year is coming and it's time to honor those teachers with a sweet end of the year gift. For years I volunteered on PTA, PTO and in my three kids' schools, and every year, I worked at trying to find a fun end of the year gift I could make in bulk for the teachers that had poured into my kids during the school year. The teachers appreciate the recognition and giving them a sweet treat like this S'mores snack mix will keep them going until that very last day! The fun printable gift tag ties the whole thing together! Come check out how to make this sweet treat for a sweet teacher!

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Last-Minute Movie Night Gift Idea with Free Printable Gift Tag

There is nothing like the last minute especially when it comes to holiday gifts. This is a quick one to put together and it won't cost you a lot of money. These last-minute movie night gifts can be put together quickly and are the perfect gift for a crowd. You can also just gift one, but I'm thinking neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, and a quick gift for those unexpected people on your list. I've got the free printable for you and easy instructions so you can make your own. No one will know you waited until the last minute. Promise!

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Rudolph Repair Kit Printable with Free Printable Bag Topper

There is nothing more fun than the magic of Christmas. Kids love to use their imaginations and they love the traditions that the holiday brings. I know when my kids were younger, I was always looking for easy holiday gifts to give to their friends or to stuff in stockings, and these Rudolph repair kits are the perfect thing for this time of year. You can easily create enough for a whole classroom celebration, for a simple and fun craft for a group or make a few just for fun. They are easy and everyone is sure to love them!

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Easy DIY Unicorn Notebook Back to School Craft

It's back to school time! Kind of hard to believe because I think the summer just started, but alas, we are back to another school year. I remember sending back some of my kids but not all of them and the ones left behind were always looking for school-like things to do while their siblings did their homework at the table in the afternoon. This DIY unicorn notebook would be the perfect thing for that! Or, maybe your kiddo needs a little journal to help jot down their thoughts after school. There is a lot that happens during the day, maybe they want to write it down and process it. Whatever you are using this unicorn notebook for, it's not only fun to put it together, but it's fun to use. I'm not sure I have met a kid right now who doesn't love unicorns, so give this fun little craft a try. I've got everything you need and a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it.

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Free 30 Day Bible Journal Notebook Pages

I'm so excited to share with you guys something fun for spring. A few years ago I got started with Bible journaling and it's changed the way I think about Bible study. It blends my creative side with my spiritual side and allows me to dig in deeper and see verses I've known since my youth in a new way. Each month I get a new Illustrated Faith devotional kit and every month I do the same thing with it. But not this month. This month I decided to try something new and I really like it. I think you will too, so I have a fun freebie just for you! You can print off this free "all things new" 30-day journal and use it with the coordinating devotional kit {or not! You do you my friend!} so that you can give Bible journaling a try. If you've tried Bible journaling, maybe this is a new way you can illustrate your faith. Come get the free download and see what I did with it!

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5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Family Movie Night

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of G. H. Cretors. All opinions are 100% my own.

Through the years family movie night has been one of our most favorite nights to share together. There is something about slowing down and being still all together. When the kids were little, we would watch animated movies and now that they are older we are able to share some of our favorites from when my husband and I were younger {when did there get to be so much kissing in some of these shows!}. It's fun to set aside some time to be together and enjoy each other as a family. It's a family activity we can all agree on and enjoy. I've got 5 tips for you {and a free family movie night printable tag for your popcorn!} so that you can plan the perfect family movie night.

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Salted Caramel Popcorn Gift with Free Printable Gift Tags

This post is written by me in partnership with G.H. Cretors. All opinions are 100% my own. 
Every year I have to remind myself to get a jump start on the holiday season. Not this year! I had my Christmas cards ordered by October and I have most of my Christmas shopping done. I'd really like to do my best to not feel so rushed and busy and overwhelmed during the holidays, but instead enjoy that time with family and friends. Planning ahead is how I'm going to try to do that. That even means not waiting until the first neighbor rings my doorbell holding a gift. 
In years past I sheepishly took the gift from their hands knowing I hadn't even thought about the kid upstairs, not to mention the guy next door. I'm doing you all a solid and giving you a leg up on this holiday season and offering up a fun and easy gift idea with a printable that will not only be a welcomed holiday gift, but will have your neighbors asking for seconds and looking forward to this becoming a new tradition. 

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White Pumpkin Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Forgive the dark and moody photos, but I've been dark and moody lately. I have no idea where October went. I swear we just started school a heartbeat ago but alas, it's time to move on and prepare for the next holiday. It's always kind of a weird transition for me from Halloween to Thanksgiving, but it wasn't that difficult this year. I had a fairly neutral decorating palate this year probably because I really dig white pumpkins. I always have. I wanted to help transition from pumpkins for Halloween to pumpkins for Thanksgiving and I think I came up with a way.

I created some pumpkin leaves, some with sayings, some without, and printed and cut them on my Silhouette machine. I'm sharing the cut file with you so that you can create some too. Come check it out!

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Immune boosting smoothie bowl

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Alberstons and Safeway. All opinions are 100% my own. I wouldn't share something with you that I didn't love. Promise.

Without fail my college-aged son returns to school and picks up a cold. My husband said the same thing happened every year to him. It seems like something that happens if you come to school from out of state. This is my very scientific guess at least, but that's the common thread between my husband and our son's experience. Well, that and genetics, but whatever. Let's not bore each other with details. For the better part of 18 years, I was the one distributing cold medicine and whipping up home remedies that my mom taught me that her mom taught her that her mom taught her. Really, the key is fluids. So many fluids. What better way to do that than with an immune-boosting smoothie bowl. 

I can't send that 2500 miles in a care package, but I can send a college cold care package including the recipe for the smoothie bowl. If you have a kiddo who gets sick every fall once school starts, I've got something that may just help. And if it doesn't, at least it will taste good going down!

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Free Summer Printables that Will Inspire you to Create Plus Create Link Inspire Party

Welcome to another week of the create, link, inspire link party. I hope you find inspiration here every week and that you check back often for ideas. I'm always impressed with what gets linked up and I always add a handful of crafts, DIY's and recipes to my to do list.  

This week I'm sharing some of the projects that stuck out to me that were fun projects I would want to make this week. Sometimes we need those projects that inspire us right now to create don't you think?

Hello summer gift + tag from Tauni and Co

It's time to party!

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Free Printable Spring To-Do List PLUS Saving Time and Money on Your Prescriptions

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ScriptSave® WellRx. All opinions are 100% my own. I wouldn't share something that I didn't love.

Up until this past year, our family has one prescription that gets filled on a regular basis. My oldest son has food allergies and his auto injector has been a must fill prescription item. We have a high deductible insurance plan and because we are a relatively healthy family, we rarely if ever, meet that deductible. We are responsible for paying the retail price for most medications. It's not uncommon for me to get sticker shock when I get the bill at the pharmacy. I have shared in the past how I save money on prescriptions. Basically, I call each local pharmacy and ask them for the cash price on the prescription. There is an easier way and it's not only saved me a TON of time, it's worth sharing with you, how you can save time too! I've also created a free printable to do list because having a to-do list saves me time too. As a busy mom, I know we can uses all the time-saving tips we can get!

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Mother's Day Card to Print, cut and Color

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I have a fun {free} printable to share with you. Adult coloring is all the rage right now. If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon, you totally should! This fun card can be printed and colored by a little one {or a big one} to give to someone, or you can print out a whole stack full, tie a ribbon around and give it as a gift card set. It's fun and I know you have someone in mind who would love to receive this!

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Orange You a Cutie Free Printable Valentine's Day Gift Tag

My kids have graduated on from the classroom Valentine's but that doesn't mean that I don't want to share with you a free printable that I created. I know more and more families are looking for candy-free alternatives that kids will enjoy. I think I have the perfect solution with this sweet little cutie orange printable. It's also an incredibly inexpensive gift to give a crowd as well. You can pick up a box of cutie oranges at your grocery store for less than five bucks! Print off the gift tags, cut them out and you've got yourself a pretty sweet little treat.

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Snickerdoodle Cookies with a Free Printable Label

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of McCormick®. All opinions are 100% my own.

I can't think of a Christmas when I didn't do some kind of baking. I love cookies and how easy they are to serve to holiday guests, which is why I think that they are a holiday favorite.  Not only are they easy to serve, they also make a great homemade treat to gift to friends and family. Today, I'm sharing with you an easy snickerdoodles cookie recipe. I love the buttery cookie taste with the cinnamon and sugar coating. Not only that, I love the smell of cinnamon baking in my home. Flavors and aromas have the power to transport you back in time or trigger memories. I think that cinnamon is the quintessential holiday scent of the season. I love using McCormick spices because that's what I remember using when I was a kid. That red cap always brings me back to my childhood!

I've even got a free printable label you can use when you gift your cookies. The labels make this holiday classic that much more festive and fun to give.

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Free Printable Coffee Sleeve for a Friend

Nine. That's how many coffee shops I have located a stones throw away {or under a mile...I throw stones far!} from my home. My house isn't downtown, it's not in a high rise, it's located in a neighborhood in the suburbs of what might just be considered the coffee capital of the United States. Before I moved to the Seattle area, I never really drank coffee. I actually spent the majority of my three children's infancy and toddler-hood entirely uncaffinated. I'm actually wondering how I survived! Slowly friends started introducing me to coffee and it didn't take long before I fell in love. Coffee has become a daily habit that I enjoy. Most days I brew my own coffee, but sometimes it's nice to be able to take a walk to one of the local coffee shops in my area. Some of the coffee shops are more affordable than others, which is why I ended up at 7-Eleven this morning and I was surprised at what I found. I also think sharing coffee with your friends is one of life's best gifts. I have a free printable coffee sleeve that you can add to your coffee cup and gift it to a friend.

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Backyard S'mores Bar with Free Printable Gourmet S'mores Menu

This post is sponsored by HomeRight. All opinions are 100% my own.

I'm kind of a big fan of S'mores. I like dessert of any kind, but if you can make it with toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, you have got yourself a winner! With the school year winding down, I am soaking in as much family time as I can before my oldest son heads off to college. Sometimes I have to bribe them with things like dessert, but I am shameless and happy to stoop to that level if it means that we can get the whole family in one place for a few hours.

I created this customized S'mores menu with some family tested recipes that are sure to be hits at your next backyard S'mores bar. We all love the classic S'more, but why not try a S'more with a twist?

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Celebrate Summer with a Free Summer Bucket List Printable

Time seems to fly by doesn't it? I know that summer hasn't technically started but I'm already anxiously anticipating it and before it seems to start it's over in a flash. There are just not enough long summer days between the end of school and the beginning of it and every year I promise to soak as much of it in as I can.  

Every summer though it's inevitable that when we are in it's final days, one kid or another says, but we didn't do this or we didn't do that. The days may be longer buy my memory is shorter, so I created a free printable summer bucket list that you can sit down with your kids and fill out before summer even starts. Your list will help you plan out your days so that you can make time for everything on your summer bucket list.

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Love Begins with Family printable Mother's Day card plus a gift for mom

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hallmark Jewelry for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I never realized how much my life was going to change when I became a mom. I was young when my oldest son was born, only 20. When you are 20 your life still very much revolves around you. My decisions were driven by what I wanted to do and what I needed but as soon as that baby was placed in my arms it was no longer about me. I didn't just become a mom that day, we became a family.

It's true what they say that once you become a mother you begin to appreciate your own mother and their sacrifices for you. I know I hear stories about how I didn't sleep for the first three years of my life. Well, I got payback because I had one of those kids myself! 

Becoming a mom allowed me to see my mom with new eyes. The eyes were sometimes strained with exhaustion, sometimes worry and oftentimes pride, but my new eyes could see the compassion. I don't know if you can fully realize quite how much your mom loves you until you have your own child. There is something about experiencing and knowing that mother's love that you just didn't know before.

Love begins with family.

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Free Printable Flower Vases that you can Color for May day or Mother's Day or Anyday

When I was a small child, I remember celebrating May day. As kids, we pretty much had the run of the neighborhood. My friends and I would pick whatever flowers we could find, tie them together and knock on the door of our neighbors as we ran away giggling. The flowers were a sweet thing for our neighbors to find on their doorstep and it was a fun thing for us to do as kids. 

It's so fun for me to find flowers on our door from the little neighbor girl across the street now. It reminds me of those sweet childhood days celebrating May day.  Which is why I made up these fun paper flower vases that you can print off and use to celebrate May day or Mother's Day or just because. They are so easy and you or the kids can color in the blank vases to create a special treat for those you love.

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