Root Beer Float Gift Tags

 
It's the month to be lucky!

I was lucky enough to find this idea on Pinterest yesterday by Making Life Whimsical.

Unfortunately the link on Pinterest led to nowhere productive.  That's unlucky.
(If you know where to find the true source, please leave me a comment.)

Luckily I had some time today to alter this very clever idea.

I needed a quick and inexpensive birthday gift for some friends that are lucky to be born in March.


Now you are lucky too!

Just click on the link and you can print your own Root Beer Float Birthday Tags.  Attach the tags and a straw with some ribbon to a bottle of IBC Root Beer.

So Lucky!

Tag--you're it!

I've been making confections like nobody's business for the past week.  Eight batches of fudge.  Six batches of caramel.  Peppermint Bark.  And Christmas Pretzels.  Lots and lots of pretzels.  Hundreds.  Now it's time to package all of these goodies up.  Candy boxes.  Cellophane bags.  Red and green ribbons.  Check.  Check.  Double Check.  OH yeah...and tags.  Ummm.

No tags.  Well, that just won't do.  So I tried my hand at the ever popular chalkboard tags.  And this is what I came up with.  My beef is that these take so much black ink to print out.  So, I decided to have them printed at Costco.  I fit two tags on an 4x6 photo.  The cost is 6 1/2 cents per tag.  I don't know if that's cheaper in the long run than an ink cartridge.  But I like to think it is.  I hate buying printer ink.  And it never runs out at a convenient time.  Am I right?

Anyway, here is the file if you would like to make some chalkboard tags of your own.  Make sure you check the matte or flat option when you are ordering your prints.  Chalkboard tags are NOT meant to be glossy.  Just a little helpful tip.

Merry Christmas!

[Valentine] Sweetheart Basket

Do you have a certain special Valentine?


My husband and I were married around Valentine's day many moons ago.  We often go away for a weekend in February to celebrate--you know, just the two of us.  I like to put a little basket together for us to share while we are away from home.

I might add some of our favorite treats and snacks.  A drink or two.  Maybe a new movie to watch or a book or magazine to read.  You could throw in some bubble bath or lotion.  You can really add whatever you and your valentine might enjoy most.  This year I put all of our goodies into a "bushel" basket and I made up this little tag to go with it. I stitched a ribbon across the top and attached it to a bow.

Could you use one of these tags for your special valentine?  I thought so.  If you would like to download and print a sheet of these tags, just click here.


Now I just need to go and make some reservations---where should we go this year?

*****

I'm linking up with:

I Heart NapTime

Skip To My Lou
Blue Cricket Design 
Whipperberry

Christmas Buddies

Many years ago we started a tradition in our family of choosing Christmas buddies.  We secretly choose a family member's name out of a hat (or a cup or a bowl) at the beginning of December.  All through the month we do secret acts of love for that person.  On Christmas Eve we reveal the true identity of our secret Christmas buddies to each other.  It is one of our favorite things to do during the holidays.  And it's pretty funny.  We don't have a very large family, so it's not usually too hard to figure out who has chosen your name.  But that doesn't spoil the fun at all.  We try to throw people off the track using all kinds of stealthy tactics.  Really, it's just plain fun to see the kids sneaking around being nice to each other.  And we have gotten pretty creative over the years.  Here's a list of some of the favorites:


*laundry folding (this is a big hit with Mom)
*dish doing (also one of Mom's favs)
*car washing and vacuuming
*bed making and room cleaning
*random treats (candy, yogurt smoothies, pop-tarts, donuts, chocolate milk, peanuts, sugar cereal, etc, etc)
*love notes (lipstick notes on the mirror, hand-written notes on your pillow, computer generated notes posted all over the house, notes in the lunch box...)
*special breakfasts and dinners
*getting checked out of school and taken out to lunch (this is a big hit with the kids!)

I have had my computer desktop hi-jacked and replaced with an original kid designed Christmas greeting.

My daughter (with the help of Dad) recorded herself saying all kinds of wonderful things (that a Mom never tires of hearing) and mixed it in with the Christmas playlist.  Her "I love you's" would come on at random times all day long.

My favorite thing so far this year, has been watching my five year old write simple love notes to her brother.  She can now write "I love you" all by herself.  And her favorite part is putting a "from ?" at the end.  

Secret Christmas Buddies.  To quote Martha, "it's a good thing!"

Want to get in on the action?  Choose a buddy.  Do something nice for him/her and leave one of these little cards in your wake.  Guaranteed smiles and Christmas cheer!

Refreshing

Happy Day Project:  Day Five.

Assignment:  Refresh someone.

???
Refresh.  Re.  Fresh.  Refreshing.

What do you think of when you think of refresh?

I think of walking on beaches and dipping in the pool, and lemonades, and crisp salads and naps.  I think of spring and summer and new life.

This could be interesting, since it's fall and all.  Bitter cold winds.  Falling leaves.  Shortened days and frosty windshields. 

So, what to do?  I had a plan.  The plan was revised.  We'll save that idea for another time.  We are going for simple today.  Simple and fast.  It involves Sonic and a cute printable.

I have a memory of a few years back.  It was the dead of winter.  I had been sick for days.  But, Moms can't be sick, right?  There were still jobs that needed to be done.  Children.  Laundry.  Dishes.  Carpool.  No rest for the weary, and sniff-ly, and miserable.

Enter my sweet friend.  And a cherry limeade from Sonic.  It was heaven.  It was refreshing.  It was revitalizing.  It makes me feel better just thinking about it.

Grab a cherry limeade from Sonic.  Go during happy hour (2-4pm)  and get it for half-price!  Slide this cute little tag on the straw and bring a little reminder of summer to a dear friend!

I actually made two sheets of printables. (the second one was made with papers designed by weeds & wildflowers)  Don't you just love circle tags? Pick whichever one you like. Print. Cut-out. Punch two holes (one at the top and one directly beneath it at the bottom) and thread it on the straw.

Did you see the post on Joy's Hope today?  Great minds think alike.

P.S.  Can you believe we've gone over a week without a recipe??  That just won't do.