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St. Patrick’s Day Journaling and Filler Cards

I’ve been feeling the need to scrapbook lately. I haven’t created a page in months and I figured, what better time is there to start than right now!? It’s no January 1st, but March 4th is as great a day as any to start documenting memories in 2014, don’t you think!? In celebration of March (and of me getting back on the memory keeping wagon) I’m excited to team up with my good friends Crystal Wilkerson and Kristina Proffit, to bring you a fun set of St. Patrick’s Day Journaling and Filler cards!





I love the bright and happy colour palette that we used and we’re excited to share this entire set of cards with you for FREE! Each of us contributed three cards and you can visit our blogs to download the entire set! Download the three St. Patrick’s Day Journaling and Filler cards pictured below by visiting this link. Visit Crystal and Kristina’s blogs to download the rest!

Crystal’s Blog // Kristina’s Blog

I created a quick layout showcasing a some of my favourite family photos and a few cards from the set. I love the black and white photos with all those fun, bright colours! I included some brief journaling about how lucky I feel to have this little family of mine – through the hard times and the memorable times – its nice to know we always have each other!

I hope you enjoy this fun freebie!! Please take a moment share this post on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter if you’d like to see more kits like this from us in the future. 🙂

If you’re in search of more St. Patrick’s Day inspiration stop by my St. Patty’s Day Pinterest board where I’ve been pinning all kinds of fun stuff!

I’m linking up with I Heart Nap Time, Lil’ Luna, Somewhat Simple, Tatertots & Jello and Today’s Creative Blog for Link Party Palooza! 

Follow Rebecca – Simple as That Blog’s board St. Patrick’s Day on Pinterest.

March 2014 Visiting Teaching Printables

Can you believe it’s March already! As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ll be sharing a FREE printable at the beginning of each month centred around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints monthly Visiting Teaching message. You can read the March Visiting Teaching message here: The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Light of the World. Today I’m sharing some printables focused on this months message, you’ll find links to download them below. If you enjoy these quotes please tell your friends where they can find them by sharing via Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Thank you so much and enjoy! 
I’m sharing the above quote in a variety of sizes: 5×7, 4×6, 3×4 as well as a bookmark version. They can be printed inexpensively at your local photo lab or they’re available in PDF format for easy printing at home. At the end of each month I can’t wait to slip the printed quotes into my Favourite Quotes album!

You can download the March 2014 Visiting Teaching printables here in the size of your choice. There are four subfolders, one for each size available. Click on the size you’d like, then click to download the PDF or JPG version. If you’re a quote collector like I am, you can find the February 2014 Visiting Teaching printable here. 

Rainbow Color Mixing Activity

As a Mom raising kids in Canada I’ve experienced my fair share of snow days and I can now claim to have survived a hot Arizona Summer! Both extremes in climate can mean being home bound with the kiddos for days at a time. I’ve found some simple and fun activities that help keep the kids busy on these long days and one of their favourites is colour mixing! Creating the colours of the rainbow is enough to brighten up any snow day and would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a few short weeks! 


This is an activity we first came across at a parent preschool class that I attended with my kids when they were younger. It was so easy, but my kids could not get enough of it so we started doing it at home and its become a favourite indoor activity in our family!

Have fun indoors with colour mixing 

Before starting your color mixing activity, lay down newspaper in your work area just in case of any spills. Next, gather this short list of supplies together:

egg carton
food colouring
eye droppers
water in cups


First fill 4 clear plastic cups 3/4 of the way full of water and add a few drops of food coloring to each one. Next put a small amount of clear water in each section of the egg carton. 


Place eye droppers in the colored water and used them to dispense drops of each color into the clear water in the egg carton. As the kids experiment with mixing colours a rainbow of colours will unfold in each egg carton! When the egg carton is full, simply dump it out, add fresh water and start again!

This is one of my four year olds favourite things to do in the afternoons…snow day or not and even my older kids enjoy colour mixing! This activity is so inexpensive, isn’t too messy and provides some much needed entertainment one days when you’re stuck inside with nowhere to go. 


Here’s a quick little instagram video of my youngest doing some colour mixing a few months ago. The caption I shared at the time:

Oh my gosh. This age is my favourite! Clearly the video was cramping her style, but this captures her personality to a T! Oh little miss, what would we do without you! 🙂 #beingthree #livielou #youmakemesmile

If you enjoyed this activity you might also like 17 Simple St. Patrick’s Day Ideas, Make a Clover Leaf Lei,  Make a Paper Plate Baby Chick or this Easter Egg Carton Craft.

I’m linking up with I Heart Nap Time, Lil’ Luna, Somewhat Simple, Tatertots & Jello and Today’s Creative Blog for Link Party Palooza! 

Follow Rebecca – Simple as That Blog’s board St. Patrick’s Day on Pinterest.

Crystal Wilkerson’s 2014 Life Planner

*Update: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Tania, Emily Cannon, Julie Sancken, Rebecca Atchison and Ashley Holmes! Please send me an email to claim your prize. If you didn’t win, don’t forget Crystal is offering all Simple as That readers $20 off their planner purchase thru the end of February.  After February 28th the code will still work, but will only be for $10 off the planner. Use coupon code iloverebecca at checkout.

I love the beginning of a brand new year and even though things have gotten off to a slow start for me in 2014, I’m here and I’m ready to get on track! I couldn’t get organized without my handy Life Planner and today I’m going to share a quick peek inside Crystal Wilkerson’s new 2014 design! Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for the chance to win your own planner!




This will be the second year I’ve used Crystal’s planner, you can read more about my 2013 planner here. I love Crystal’s darling style, the fun colours and the way this planner focuses on so much more than just calendars and to-do lists! I’m sharing just a few images of the inside workings of the planner – for a detailed list of the pages included in the 2014 planner + prices go here.
There are for main sections in the planner – Time Management, Relationships, Thoughts and Energy. Within each of these sections there are subsections and various pages to help you record things like your weekly menu plan, keep an exercise journal, record special conversations and moments with loved ones and much, much more! I am always jotting down the cute little things my kids say and I love that I have a place right in my planner to do that. 
Crystal has done a great job at familiarizing you with the inner workings of the planner on her blog, including this short video that shows each section in the planner page by page. She’s also shared this blog post that gives printing instructions, this one that tells you how to put together your page tabs and this one that shows everything that’s included with the planner one year pass. 

The 2014 Life Planner is currently only available in 5.5″ X 8.5″ mini binder size, which is my favourite , because it is so portable and doesn’t take up a lot of room on my desk or countertop.

Supplies you’ll need to put together your 2014 Life Planner:

-printer
-white mini binder with clear front pocket
-white card stock or photo paper for section pages + tabs
-bright white printer paper for planner pages 
-5.5″ X 8.5″ page protectors
-hole punch
The Put God First Section of the planner
The “Put God First” section of the binder is incredible and can be added to your main planner binder as its own section or I really like what Crystal did in that she made it it’s own separate binder. It’s more of a spiritual journal and it’s so great! You can see everything from the “Put God First” section right here.
2014 Life Planner One Year Pass

You can purchase Crystal’s planner in her new digital shop here. I really love that you can purchase each page of the planner separately. You can customize your planner how you’d like it by purchasing just the sections/pages you know you’ll use.

Another option when purchasing the planner is the One Year Pass. I like this option as well because it gives you access EVERY page that Crystal has designed so far AND anything that she adds to the planner throughout the year. I’m really looking forward to adding her Blogger, Budgeting, Holiday and Special events sections to my planner as they become available.  Watch this short video to learn all about the One Year Pass.

Important to note:

When you purchase the “One Year Pass”, you will NOT receive an instant download.  You will receive an email with a PDF file that has your personal coupon code on it.  You can then use that coupon code as many times as you want through the end of 2014 to purchase anything in Crystal’s Life Planner section.  Just add whatever you want to the cart & then use the coupon code to get it for free.



2014 Life Planner Giveaway + Coupon Code

If you’d like to try out Crystal’s planner for yourself, follow the prompts in the rafflecopter widget below and you’ll be entered to win a 2014 Life Planner One Year Pass! Crystal is giving away FIVE planners, so FIVE LUCKY winners will each receive a “One Year Pass” for 2014! Please note that this is a digital download. Giveaway closes February 26th!

If you’d like to purchase Crystal’s planner, she’s generously offering all Simple as That readers $20 off their planner purchase thru the end of February.  After February 28th the code will still work, but will only be for $10 off the planner. Use coupon code iloverebecca at checkout. If you purchase the planner before the giveaway ends and you do win, not to worry, Crystal will reimburse you! 🙂

If you’re an Arizona local be sure to check out my other giveaway going on right now. You could win 2 tickets to the upcoming Color Fun Fest 5K race! Our family is really looking forward to participating in this fun event – kids 12 and under run free!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Color Fun Fest 5K Phoenix, AZ

*This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Camree Bingham! You won 2 free tickets to the 2014 Color Fun Fest 5K in Phoenix. Shoot me an email to claim your prize!

We’re a family that loves to be active and spend time together outdoors. When I heard about the Color Fun Fest 5K coming to Phoenix on Saturday March 15th I was really excited to sign our family up! This family-friendly event is something we’re really looking forward to and let me tell you why! 





My three oldest kids have been participating in a running club at their school for the past month and are loving it so much! The Color Fun Fest has been a great goal for them to be working towards as they run laps and record their progress each week. As a parent, I love to see them working towards something, pushing themselves to try their best and being physically active!

Kids 12 and Under Run for Free

The Color Fun Fest 5K is such a great opportunity to get the whole family outside and be active together! In fact, kids 12 and under can run the race for FREE! Keep reading for details about the race in Phoenix and visit the Color Fun Fest website for details about races taking place in your area.

Make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post for the chance to win 2 tickets to the Phoenix Color Fun Fest AND get details about an incredible 50% discount for all Simple as That readers!

What you need to know about Color Fun Fest Phoenix

When: March 15, 2014 – First wave of runners at 4:30 pm, second wave at 7:30 pm


Where: Ak-Chin Pavilion, located at 2121 N. 83rd Ave, Phoenix AZ 85035


What: COLOR FUN FEST 5K is a color fun run that heightens positive emotions by combining a 5k fun run with the energy of electronic dance music, all while coloring the crowd with thousands of pounds of vibrant colored powder. The event is family-friendly, and features a post-run celebration.


Why: A portion of the proceeds will benefit Free Arts for Abused Children, a nonprofit organization that gives children that have suffered adversity a chance to express themselves through art. Another organization involved with this event is called Hope Kids, an institution that helps the families of children with life-threatening medical conditions find hope and enjoy life with a loving and supportive community of compassionate people.
Who should attend: The whole community including kids/parents, couples, groups of friends, fitness gurus, dance enthusiasts, runners, joggers, walkers, bloggers, couch potatoes, the young, the old, and basically everyone and anyone that likes to have fun!

Get the latest info about Color Fun Fest here

Volunteer: email [email protected]
Questions: email [email protected]
twitter: @colorfunfest

instagram: @colorfunfest

Win two tickets and get 50% off Color Fun Fest Phoenix 5K


So, who wants to join us for this SUPER fun 5k race? You can enter to win 2 tickets to Color Fun Fest in Phoenix March 15th ($120.00 value) by following the prompts in the rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway will close Friday February 28th midnight and the winner will be announced March 1st. 


If you’re anxious to sign up, you can take $30.00 off your registration – THAT’S 50% OFF – by using coupon code SIMPLE at checkout. This is an incredible savings! 

Good luck in the giveaway and we’ll see you March 15th at the race! 🙂


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Free 2014 Visiting Teaching Printables

It’s been a slow start to 2014 around here, as I’m sure you can tell from my lack of posting lately. I feel like I’m finally recovering from the craziness of Christmas and starting to feel my mojo coming back. Being sick over the holidays + a road trip to California + a last minute visit home to Canada for my Grandpa’s funeral + a husband studying like mad for board exams, have all played a part in me stepping away from the blog for a little while.

I can’t say I’ve been eager to get back into my regular blogging routine. I’ve been experiencing some major burn out, so I want to go forward slowly. Test the waters and see how much I’m able to balance and be very deliberate about when I share here. I have to say, I’ve loved this little blogging break. It was needed and the family time we’ve had, minus the distraction of deadlines and blog schedules, has been a gift – to myself and to my family.

I’ll be posting again, when I can. When it doesn’t take away from my most important responsibilities as a wife and mother. Cute crafts and pretty photos are great, but the stuff of real importance is what I want to focus on – in life and on my blog.

In an effort to post more about what I value most, I want to start by sharing some free printables centred around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints monthly Visiting Teaching messages.

What is Visiting Teaching?

A visiting teacher is a woman assigned to watch over and help another woman in her Latter-day Saint ward or branch. Two visiting teachers are assigned to each woman; they contact her at least once a month and encourage her efforts to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Included in this regular visit is a message of spiritual instruction that is adapted to meet the needs and concerns of the individual woman. In addition to the spiritual aspect of their calling, visiting teachers also help with the temporal needs of the woman and her family. For example, visiting teachers may provide meals after a baby is born or assist with housecleaning if a woman is sick. Quoted: Mormonnewsroom.org

I’ve totally missed January and here we are mid-way through February already, but I’ve felt the importance of doing this for a long time and there’s no more putting it off! At the beginning of the month I plan to share a 4×6 printable quote that encompasses the months lesson. They can be printed inexpensively in photo format at your local photo lab or they will be available in PDF format for easy printing at home. I’m excited to print them out myself and slip them into my Favourite Quotes album at the end of each month.

February’s visiting teaching message can be found here: The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ. A quote from President Monson is pictured above and can be download as a 4×6 here or in PDF format here. If you enjoy these quotes please tell your friends where they can find them by sharing via Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! 




What our Valentine’s Day Looks Like

Here’s a peek at what the Valentine’s Day celebrations looked like at our house this year. Nothing fancy going on, but we’ve had lots of fun! I’ve been sharing more regular updates via Instagram these days, so be sure to follow me over there!

All photos taken and edited with my iPhone 5

We kept the valentines crafting to a minimum this year all in the name of simplifying life while Dad is preparing for board exams. We did make some pink and red patterned hearts the other day and my four year old LOVED doing this! Full tutorial here. We mixed things up by using markers and crayons as well as water-colour paints.

We’ve had lots of fun making Valentines boxes this year. I’ve never made these with the kids before, they’ve made big envelopes at school in the past, but I must say, these were so much funner! We made the Minion using supplies we had on hand thanks to some inspiration from Pinterest. We used a wheat thins box, construction paper and black pipe cleaners for the hair. I used circle punches to make the eye. Everything was glued or taped on and for the hair we just poked holes in the top of the box then stuck the pipe cleaners through. We cut out a hole for the mouth for the valentines to go in and that’s it. Can you tell Carson was pretty excited with how it turned out!?

For my Kindergartener’s valentines box we made this cute owl. It’s a Costco fruit snacks box that we cut the top flaps off so her classmates can drop their valentines in the top. We covered the box in polkadot wrapping paper and attached with tape, just like wrapping a present. We left some extra paper along the top edge and folded it over then attached with tape to the inside of the box. We used a contrasting brown cardstock for the wings, ear feathers and feet. We used circle punches to make the eyes out of construction paper. The beak and big heart belly are also cut out of construction paper. Addie was excited to glue all the pieces on as I cut them out and add some feathers to the owls wings with crayon. It was such a cute project to work on with her!

My third grader and Kindergartener are handing out store bought valentines this year. SUPER simple + inexpensive – just what I needed. You do what you can and sometimes you have to learn to just let the rest go. The kids were just as excited to write their names on them and hand them out to their friends!

My 11 year old took Pop Rocks valentines to share with her friends. She enjoyed putting these together using these free printable tags that I shared last week.

The kiddos woke up to a little treat and a love note from Mom and Dad today and I made heart shaped pancakes for breakfast. I just used Krusteaz Pancake mix, added a few drops of red food colouring then poured them in the shape of hearts. My husbands schedule is always changing and right now he doesn’t have to be in to the clinic until 10:00am so he and I were able to enjoy a little love day breakfast after the kids were off to school. It was delicious and special without being over the top.

That’s our Valentine’s Day at a glance. Happy Love Day everyone! Enjoy your weekend!

Printable Pop Rocks Valentine’s Day Gift Tags

Free Pop Rocks Valentines. Attach to a package of of Pop Rocks for cute, fun and budget-friendly classroom treats or party favours this Valentine’s Day!

Free Pop Rocks Valentines. Attach to a package of of Pop Rocks for cute, fun and budget-friendly classroom treats or party favours this Valentine's Day!

Hooray for the weekend and hooray for Valentine’s Day just around the corner! Today I’m sharing a Valentine’s version of my popular Pop Rocks gift tags.  My kids love sharing these with their friends and I love how simple and budget-friendly these little treats are!

Click to Download –> Pop Rocks Valentine Gift Tags

Free Pop Rocks Valentines. Attach to a package of of Pop Rocks for cute, fun and budget-friendly classroom treats or party favours this Valentine's Day!

I love celebrating the smaller holidays like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s day, etc. but keeping my expectations realistic is important. Marking these holidays with a simple themed treat or activity is all it takes to make the day stand out for my kiddos.

Pop Rocks Valentines

For a Valentine’s Day classroom treat or party favor that really rocks all you need to do is purchase some Strawberry, Bubblegum or Original flavor Pop Rocks candy. Download these free printable tags, attach them to the Pop Rocks with a stapler or bakers twine and you’re done!

Free Pop Rocks Valentines. Attach to a package of of Pop Rocks for cute, fun and budget-friendly classroom treats or party favours this Valentine's Day!

Click to Download –> Pop Rocks Valentine Gift Tags

There are three different tag designs to choose from. Download using the link above and then print at home on white cardstock. Be sure to get the kids involved! They’ll have fun helping you cut out the pop rocks valentines, punch holes in them and tie on the tags! 

Enjoy these printable tags and if you liked this post please take a moment to share with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

If you liked this post you might also enjoy…

Simple Hugs and Kisses Valentine’s Day Banner

Add a homemade touch to your Valentine’s Day decor with this simple Hugs and Kisses Banner!

Add a homemade touch to your Valentine’s Day decor with this simple Hugs and Kisses Banner! Printable template included.

Want to download our FREE Hugs and Kisses Valentine’s Day Printable? Become an exclusive Simple as That member and get instant access! Click here to join for free.

One of my favourite, easy to make pieces of Valentine’s decor is this simple XOXO banner. We made it a few years ago but it’s still kicking around and I love hanging it up each year. Keep reading to find out how to make your own using the free printable template below.

Add a homemade touch to your Valentine’s Day decor with this simple Hugs and Kisses Banner!

Supplies

Patterned Paper

Colored Card Stock

Scissors

Bakers Twine

Hole Punch


Add a homemade touch to your Valentine’s Day decor with this simple Hugs and Kisses Banner!

Want to download our FREE Hugs and Kisses Valentine’s Day Printable? Become an exclusive Simple as That member and get instant access! Click here to join for free.

Instructions

Download the XOXO pattern here and print it out on your favorite patterned paper or colored card stock.

If there’s a front and back side to your paper be sure to print on the back so the lines won’t show if you don’t cut your letters out perfectly.

You’ll need to print on landscape for the letters to fit. Once printed, cut out your letters.

Now punch holes along the top of each letter for stringing them.

Thread bakers twine through your letters and that’s it!

If you enjoyed this post you might also like…

Printable Minecraft Valentines

Free printable Minecraft valentines with creeper gum wrappers.

Sweet Heart Lavender Sachets

EOS Lip Balm Valentines

Turn those popular EOS lip balms into fun little Valentine's Day gifts using a short list of supplies and these free printable tags! Makes the perfect gift for friends, teachers and more on your list this Valentine’s Day!

Free Parenting Webinar with Amy McCready

Have you ever wondered, as I have many times, why it’s so difficult sometimes to get kids to listen? If you’re tired of nagging, reminding and yelling to get your kids to listen then I’d invite you to join me for a FREE WEBINAR on Wednesday February 12 at 9pm EST. TODAY Show Parenting Expert Amy McCready will teach you tools for your most frustrating discipline dilemmas. I’ve attended one of Amy’s webinars myself and LOVED it and I know you will too!

HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS TO LISTEN WITHOUT NAGGING, REMINDING or YELLING 

You’ve counted to three more times than you can, well, count. Time out isn’t working anymore. Even rewarding and bribing with candy and toys eventually fell flat. Like most parents, you’re frustrated because it seems like no matter what you try, the same misbehaviors keep cropping up. 

Take heart – there are ways to improve your kids’ behavior without nagging, reminding, punishing or yelling! Simple as That is excited to partner with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and a Today Show contributor, to offer a FREE LIVE training webinar onJoin us to learn why kids act out and simple, positive discipline strategies to encourage your kids to listen and do the right thing. If you’re looking to reclaim your calm voice and restore some peace to your home, this webinar is for you! 

HOW IT WORKS 

All you need is your computer – no webcam required. You’ll see and hear Amy on your screen but she can’t see you. You can even ask questions and she’ll make them part of the presentation. Parents rave about this session! I’ll be at the webinar too and I look forward to learning from Amy as well as interacting with all of you! It’s going to be a lot of fun. 🙂 

To reserve your spot all you need to do is RSVP today and then learn from the comfort of your home. Space in the webinar fills up fast, so act fast!

If you know a friend or two who’d enjoy this webinar too, I’d love for you to share the details with them. You can click this link to easily share on Facebook – thanks for helping us spread the word!

To register for this FREE webinar, Get Kids to Listen Without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling, just click here. I’m excited to see you in class!



ABOUT AMY McCREADY


Parenting expert and “recovering yeller” Amy McCready is the Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and the author of If I Have to Tell You One More Time…The Revolutionary Program That Gets Your Kids to Listen Without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling. Amy is a regular parenting contributor on The TODAY Show and has also appeared on Rachael Ray, CBS This Morning, CNN, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, Steve Harvey and elsewhere. In her most important role, she plays mom to two teenage boys.

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