Organizing 101: Organizing Kid Artwork

There is something about Fall that makes me want to organize.  Perhaps it is the fresh school supplies and new clothes.  Perhaps it is a renewed interest in home as the days get a little cooler.  Perhaps it is just the busyness of activities resuming that screams for schedules.  Whatever the reason, organization is on my mind.

This week is Organizing 101... some tips and ideas that have helped in our lives.  Please share your ideas and suggestions as well.  After all, we can all use some help.

In honor of school starting, let's start with an idea for organizing artwork.  My daughter's room has a weird partial wall that we have turned into a rotating gallery.  It's a simple concept: three clear clipboards with coordinating scrapbook paper attached.  The clipboards hang on the wall just waiting for their next creation.  They are cute on their own, but let's be honest, that won't last long.  So when new artwork comes home, you can clip it up for as long as you like, and then rotate when the next piece comes in.  Simple and fun.

Recognize the Madeline hat and the Kite?

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Not Perfect

Dear self,

I just wanted to let you know that it is okay that you aren't perfect.  Some days, that to do list doesn't get checked off.  Sometimes walking through your daughter's room means negotiating a minefield, and your living room is over-run by the rising tide of brightly colored miscellany.  Sometimes you may feel as overwhelmed as that little monkey on the floor, ready to give up.  It's okay.  It will be there tomorrow.  So for now just stop and take a deep breath.  Put the to-do list down.  Get a cup of tea.  And rest.

Sincerely,

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Mimosa Cupcakes

Work lately has been crazy.  There were jokes about needing Mimosas to make our daily 8:30am meetings more relaxed.  Now, that is not a practical reality for a number of reasons.  However, Mimosa cupcakes were a possibility...

You can make these with sparkling wine or gingerale.  The orange is the hit of the show.  (Recipe here.)  Given my inability to follow a recipe, I did add a little more sparkling wine and a little more orange juice to the icing, which resulted in my icing not being quite stiff enough to hold its peaks.  It tasted delicious.  But if you want the pretty icing top, stick with the original recipe.

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More Book Cupcakes

I love to hear from all of you.  I love seeing how people create things themselves.  I love inspiring others and being inspired in return.  Therefore, I was especially excited to hear from Dawn who had reached out to me regarding the book toppers I made for my Owls & Books baby shower.  Here's a picture of the cupcakes she made for her sister's shower.  Aren't they adorable?

(And if Kate is reading this, please send me your email so that I can answer your question about the cupcake books.  Your comment came through without an email address for me to contact.)

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Back to School

In my part of the world, the day after Labor Day signals one thing... the start of school.  And even though my children are still too young, the day still holds a certain reverence for me.  Our friends have been sending their children to the first day of kindergarten.  Middle and high schoolers once again form an obstacle course for me in the morning and I leave for work (my driveway somehow ended up as a bus stop).  And all of the teachers in the family start another year.

I have been blessed to be the daughter of one of the most amazing teachers around.  She's the teacher you dream of your child having... the kind that former students return to visit year after year, even when they are in grad school.  I have attended so many functions with my mother of the years as a show of support for her students (present and former).  There have been ballet recitals, soccer games, local community fairs, and even high school plays (my mother teaches elementary).

Since high school, I have often tried to leave something special for my mother to kick off her school year.  There have been notes hidden in her desk, sweet treats, and even a package delivered from a co-conspirator when I was in college.  It hasn't been every year.  But, I do like when I can do something special to honor such an amazing woman.  This year, I decided her classroom needed cheer... sunflowers and daisies in a pencil vase and a milk carton of candy, courtesy of Paper Crane's adorable milk carton printable.

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Wishing you a Sweet Labor Day

Here's wishing you a sweet Labor Day!  I hope it has been a restorative time that has renewed your spirit.

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Jello "Watermelons"

Now you know that we couldn't do our watermelon celebration without jello watermelon.  There are a number of bloggers who have created these (often with mini chocolate chips for seeds).  Here are the lessons I learned in doing this:

• Lime juice wreaks havoc on your fingers, particularly your cuticles.  You may want to wear gloves to save your hands from looking like mine.
• I chose to use black cherry jello because I prefer the flavor.  Of course, I forgot that since you need to do the jello jiggler recipe that it makes for a really dark color.  In my case, I'd do it again because I like the flavor.  However, if you want a more realistic watermelon color, go for a lighter red jello.
• Set the lime peel in muffin cups to hold it level for the jello.  This works really well.
• I just the lime into wedges.  However, my husband had the idea that next time I should cut it horizontally into more of a slice.
• Let me know if you determine a good knife for creating a clean cut.  I tried serrated knives, a chef's knife, and even a bread knife.  All resulted in slight texture in the cut.

This is a great project to do with the kids.  My daughter loved mixing the jello.  She and my next door neighbor were fascinated during the process and couldn't wait for the jello to harden (the neighbor had to come back the next day).  Then again, they also sat at the table and ate the lime pulp as I was scraping out the peel.  I acknowledge that probably isn't normal.

Let me know how your creations turn out.

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