Free Printable Letters

We just had our meeting with J's kindergarten teacher and we need to get working on her reading.  The academic expectations are really high this year compared to last year when Ainsley was in Jk.  We did not get homework last year and the focus was definitely more on making school fun (aka play).  While I have been working with J on her letters, it seems that she still does not know all the letters should at this point in the school year.

I have been searching the web for printable letters to paste on flash cards so we can start making small words.  I found this great site with beautifully coloured letters which I know J will like.  They can be printed at Mrprintables.com.




Mrprintables.com - Printable Letters

New Office Reveal!

It's finally finished!  My new office is FINALLY done.  I am thrilled to have a lovely space that is all my own. 

New Glow Baby Office Design



I had a vision of what I wanted my office to be.  I wanted something functional so I could stay organized and have a space both for paperwork and for packaging orders.  The picture above is the paperwork area.  There is lots of storage for files (in the BESTA cabinets from Ikea under the desk).  I added my own knobs from Home Depot to the cabinets to give them a more feminine look.  The cabinet above the desk is EXPEDIT from Ikea and I have also added the glass knobs to this unit as well.  The Desktop is also from Ikea and is VIKA.  The chair is an Ikea NILS chair. 

The curtains and from fabric.com by P Kaufman in Lila Raspberry.  The Cork Board is from Ikea, but I painted it with Benjamin Moore Cloud White and then stencilled it with the Small Moorish Trellis stencil from Royal Design Studio.  I used the same colour on the cork board (Benjamin Moore Ocean Air) as I used on the walls.  The cork board is the perfect size to hold my Organized Family Calendar and a few other pertinent items.

One of my favourite pieces in this room is the art that I found courtesy of Sarah Lawrence Gunn who found this print on etsy.  It works perfectly with the colours in the room and I love it!!  It is by a Markham artist and can be found here.

 I also love the light I found at Union Lighting.

Now for my packaging table. 

 Here I have used a VARDE kitchen counter from Ikea.  It is the perfect height to stand and package and there is lots of space on the shelvs to store our boxes.  The only thing left to do is add the knobs.

I am very happy with the results of this space.  I cannot tell you how much nicer it is than my old office in the basement!

I would love to hear what your favourite part is.

This week's Menu Plann - Including My Tips For Successful School Lunches

Here is the menu plan for this week.  I am starting to get great feedback from the girls as to what they like fvor lunch and what they don't like. It takes some of the guesswork out of the plan as I always make sure I include their top three favourite lunches each week:

1.  Grilled Cheese Sandwich -  TIP*** I make this the night before but then I re-heat it in the microwave in the morning and put in their thermos so it stays warm.  It make a huge difference doing it this way.  Brett took the girls to school last week and didn't heat it up and I definitely heard about it after school.

2. Tuna Sandwiches - Yep, my girls love them.  They always eat the whole sandwich.  Every single week.   TIP *** I toast the whole wheat  bread before adding the tuna.  I find the bread holds up much better when it is toasted.  No one likes a soggy tuna sandwich.

3.  Hot Pasta - This is definitely a favourite.  It goes in their thermos in the morning and stays warm until lunch.

I always try to throw at least one new idea in for their lunches.  This week I am trying Cinnamon Pancakes.  Who doesn't like breakfast for lunch!  Or dinner for that matter....




October 22-24 Menu Plan

Disney On Ice: Worlds of Fantasy - Giveaway!!!

It's that time of year again!  Disney on Ice is coming to town and this year's show is Worlds of Fantasy!  We are giving away 4 tickets to this show so keep reading for instructions on how to enter.

Come experience a magical Disney fantasy on ice!
Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney/Pixar's Cars race across the ice. Dive into The Little Mermaid's enchanting undersea kingdom and enter the mystical world of Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies as they reveal the magic that lies within! The toys are back in town with heroic action when Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, and the Toy Story gang escape from the rambunctious tots of Sunnyside Daycare and race for home, in their most daring adventure ever! From wheels to waves, playtime to pixie dust, your family's favorite Disney moments come to life at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy with dazzling skating, special effects and beloved characters certain to create a lifetime of memories.

If you want to purchase tickets click here.

Mom Blogger Program Discount - 4 tickets for $44 on Weekdays and $4 off per ticket on Weekends with code MUM444. *

*Excludes Front Row, Rinkside, and VIP tickets. No double discounts. Additional Fees May Apply. Weekday is defined as Monday thru Thursday and Friday Matinee. Weekend is defined as Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday

 

***GIVEAWAY***

We are giving away 4 tickets to the Toronto show.  To enter you must follow this blog. Each task will gain one entry to the giveaway.

1.  Follow our blog and post in comment section that you have done so or are already subscribed.
2.  Let us know which characters your child/children would be most excited to see.
3.  Tweet about the giveaway (this can be done every day and will earn 1 entry each day) - Tweet "Enter to win 4 tickets Disney on Ice: Worlds of Fantasy http://ow.ly/eBFk9   Giveaway by @lindsayGlowbaby @disney_on_ice"
4. Like Glow Baby on Facebook and comment here that you have done so
5. Like Disney on Ice on Facebook and comment here that you have done so
6. Share Giveaway on Facebook (be sure to share off our Glow Baby's facebook page so we can track your share

This giveaway will run until 8pm November 2nd.  The winner will be announced on our blog on November 3rd.

Good luck!

Lindsay

Menu Plan - October 15 to October 21

Sorry for the delay in posting this week's menu plan.  It's been busy over here finally unpacking most of our stuff.  More on that in a new post later this week.



Menu Plan - October 15 to 17



 



Menu Plan October 18 to 21

Gotta Love IKEA - Toy Storage

I think that Ikea has the best storage options out there.  I love the many different options they offer and you can be so creative and make your combination work for you.  It was an obvious choice to head to Ikea  when it was time for storage solutions for the girls toys.  There is nothing I hate more than having toys all over the place!  I find that if the toys have a "home" then they are more likely to end up there at the end of the day (with coaxing and reminding of course).

We ended up getting a PAX unit for our playroom storage.  We got it when they were having a 10% back promotion (score) which helped in persuading us to go this route.  I was happy to see that Ikea has ventured in to new colour options for doors as well.  So after much playing around with Ikea's online PAX planning program this is what we came up with:



Ikea Pax Wardrobe
 



Inside PAX Wardrobe



I love the Turquoise colour on the doors.  It adds a nice pop of colour to the room.  My favourite part of the wardrobe is the clothes rod for the girls dress up.  It's nice to finally have space for everything! 

Dress Up Storage

Glow Baby Included in Parentables Calendar Feature

I am excited to announce that our Organized Family Calendar was included in Parentables' article on 5 Efficient and Useful Calendars.  Of course our calendar was the prettiest :) 



The Organized Family Calendar

You can read the whole story here.

HomeSense Score! Front Hall Rug

I love HomeSense.  You never know what you are going to find.  Today I scored a perfect rug for our front hall for $29.99!!  It's from the Colin and Justin line and I LOVE it.  It fits perfectly and the colour is just right. Woo Hoo! 

Colin and Justin Rug from HomeSense

Do you like?

Best,

Lindsay

Pumpkin Bread - Allrecipes.com

After my success with the zucchini bread (the girls call it bikini bread and ask for it daily), I thought we'd expand our horizons and try out Pumpkin Bread and see if it was equally delicious.  It was!  The girls call it pumpkin pie and it is their new favourite!



Pumpkin Bread - Allrecipes.com

I found the recipe on allrecipes.com.  The link to the recipe is here.

It was even easier to make than the zucchini bread and just as delicious.  It's also a great recipe to have the kids help with as it is so straightforward.  Let me know if you try it and like it too:)

Best,

Lindsay