Social distancing is good for our health, but not getting as many hugs is hard on everyone! Whether your loved ones live across the country or across the street, this easy card will brighten someone’s day. Read on for the simple tutorial.
What you’ll need:
White card stock paper
Construction paper, various colors
Printer to print picture*
Glue or tape
Markers
Scissors
*Don’t have a printer — or want a more traditional hug card? Check out this adorable and simple “Hug In An Envelope” project from MummyDeals.com.
Step 1: Trace those hugging arms
Have your kids put both hands (and as much of the arms as can fit) onto a piece of colored construction paper. Trace, then cut out along the lines.
Tip: Want to make a few cards at once? Just stack a few sheets together and cut them all simultaneously.
Step 2: Strike a pose… then cut it out
Get those adorable huggers against a wall and tell them to "Say cheese!" with great, big, outstretched arms. Then, print out your photo and cut out your little person's picture.
Step 3: Glue picture onto the card
Fold a piece of card stock paper in half to make an instant-card. Then, glue your child's picture onto the inside so that your kiddo's outstretched arms fit onto the page (if one or both arms goes over the edge of the paper a little, it's OK to cut off the overhang — you'll be glueing paper arms on top in the next step anyway).
Note: You could end the project here and you’ve got a pretty awesome card to personalize and send to the grandparents. But if you want something that gets you one step closer to a real, live hug, move onto the next step…
Step 4: Give your card some arms
Glue your child's traced arms onto the inside of your card so that they cover the arms on your child’s picture. Then, wherever the arms reach the paper's edge, fold inward so that they stay inside when the card is closed.
Step 5: Get ready for some serious “Awwwwws.”
Have your young scribes decorate the front of the card and write a fitting note to go with their hug. Then, find an oversized envelope that will hold your custom-made greeting and send it to anyone who needs an instant pick-me-up.
It goes without saying that teachers are some of the hardest working professionals out there. Not only are they wrangling and educating our kids five days a week, but they often pay for the supplies out of their own pocket. With a new school year upon us, we asked teachers what kind of items they can always use in the classroom and here’s their wishlist.
Disinfecting Wipes
We love these Lemi Shine wipes because they are bleach free, made with biodegradable ingredients and kills over 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
Whether its having enough paper to print out worksheets or its used as a craft, teachers love having a stock of paper on hand. You can give the gift of paper easily on your next Target run by picking up a box for less than $20.
Hand Sanitizer
We've all come to value the importance of hand sanitizer the last year and a half––especially teachers. Help them stock up easily by grabbing a few extra bottles on your next Target or Walmart run, or order a huge bottle from Macy's to keep little hands clean.
Glue Sticks
For some reason, glue sticks are always in short supply, especially for kindergarteners! During back to school shopping, large packs are usually on big specials where you can snag 12 for less than $5. Your teachers will thank you!
Crayons
When you can find a pack of crayons for $4.99, why not shower your classroom with several boxes? Whether its for your kindergartener or fourth grader, crayons are always in high demand!
Paper Towels & Tissues
Spills, sneezes, messes, oh my! When it comes to paper supplies, school districts often shop quantity over quality––and can still run out. Teachers are always open to softer tissues and thicker paper towels if you can donate.
Single Color Packs of Construction Paper
Teachers will ALWAYS use packs of construction paper, but sometimes the most popular colors (like around holidays) aren't always in supply from the school stash. You can help by picking up a single color pack of larger sizes like 12x18 and gifting to teachers a month before the holiday approaches.
Treasure Box Items
We may not understand the draw of a sticky hand, but a full treasure box in the classroom is a huge help to teachers and students. Help your kiddos teacher with a donation of incentive items like fidgets, squishy toys and finger boards, all for less than $20.
Dry Erase Markers & Erasers
Little learners love to use small whiteboards in class, but erasers can either be terrible quality or in short supply. Grab a huge pack of pens and erasers on your next Amazon order to keep the dry erase fun going!
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From Fri., Aug. 6 through Sun., Aug. 15, you can shop over 1,000 items on sale including big brands like Willow, Chicco, Graco DockATot and Britax. So what categories can you shop for big savings? Keep scrolling to see them all.
Tons of deals await on big ticket items that include:
Up to 20% off select strollers & travel systems
Up to 20% off select car seats
Up to 50% off select clothing & accessories
Up to 20% off select gear & travel
Up to 20% off select furniture, bedding & decor
Up to 30% off select monitors
Up to 20% off select feeding
Up to 25% off select toys
The sale runs from Aug. 6 through Aug. 15 and is available in-store and online at buybuybaby.com.
It may only be mid August, but that doesn’t mean you can’t snag your kiddos Halloween costumes at Costco! Our editors spied the warehouse stocking festive costumes this weekend, and they’re as creative and affordably priced as ever.
Currently, the Costco website only has 5 costumes all priced at $33. That’s why we recommend heading to your local store where you can not only save almost $10 per costume, but have plenty more to choose from, too.
At first glance, we’ve already spotted Carter’s infant costumes, Disney princess dresses, Pikachu and Marvel-inspired options.
While we can’t help but love the amazing costumes Costco has to offer, where our happiness truly lies is the one-stop shopping we can now accomplish for Halloween. A quick glance shows the warehouse offers faux pumpkins and tabletop decor, with more options to come as the holiday gets closer. Oh, and of course, don’t forgot all that bulk candy!
Fans of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas will clamor over this festive decor that perfectly incorporates into the spooky season.
photo: Home Depot
Mean green Oogie Boogie stands tall in any fun Halloween scene. Bright white LED lights illuminate the creepy creature and his minions in this inflatable that is versatile for both indoor and outdoor use.
He inflates in seconds and comes with tethers and stakes so he stays put. The Oogie Boogie Halloween Inflatable retails for $179 at Home Depot.
It’s hard to improve on the classic chocolate chip cookie. But Chips Ahoy! is trying! For a limited time, you can buy a pack of the brand’s signature cookies stuffed with Hershey’s fudge and we are drooling at our phone screens.
Each soft chocolate chip treat has a rich fudge filled center for the ultimate dessert duo. To take a step farther, the package suggests adding a cookie (or two) to your favorite ice cream. Sounds like the perfect remedy for the dog days of summer!
The delightful treat is available at major retailers now for $2.99 per package. But it’s only here for a limited time, so stock up—your sweet tooth will thank you later!
Ready to make your house the talking point of town for the upcoming spooky season? We know Halloween is still a few months away, but the Home Depot has released some epic inflatables to celebrate the season. Our favorite? A 10-foot tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!
Guests can’t miss this friendly/slightly creepy inflatable since it will likely come up to the roof line of your house. It has night visibility lights, included stake and tethers and it plugs in for both light up and inflation. And it already has a five star review online! You can buy it for $199 with free shipping or store pickup.
We are almost halfway to Christmas and with Lifetime and Hallmark releasing their Christmas in July lineup, why not get in the spirit with some festive wines, too?
That’s right, The Hallmark Channel has it’s own batch of wines! Not only that, the purveyor has branched out from their OG batch of holiday-only blends into summer and Valentine’s Day options.
Want to relax with a summer glass of Rosé as you sip away the afternoon? Grab a pack of Rosé Wine Seltzer for just $40.
If you want to spread the love, or just stock up in time for next Valentine’s Day, you can also snag a Love or Blush pack.
And if you’re in the mood to celebrate Christmas in July, don’t forget about the Jingle and Joy duo, a combo of cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc.
Can you believe we are already Halfway to Halloween? With the spooky season on the horizon, Walt Disney World is gearing up with a new event guaranteed to become a fan fave.
Soon you’ll be able to grab tickets to Disney After Hours BOO BASH, a ticketed experience that will take place on select nights from Aug. 10 to Oct. 31 2020. From 9 p.m. to midnight, park goers can enjoy character sightings, spooky decor, lighting, music and treats, plus special performances by the Cadaver Dans.
All guests can come in costume for this special event and stock up on plenty of candy. While everyone can come dressed up, guests older than 14 will have to skip the masks. Well, costume masks, that is. All guests will be required to wear approved face coverings during the event.
Tickets will go on sale in June. Guests of select Walt Disney Resort hotels will have an an early purchase window available to guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. For all the details, click here.
When it’s cold outside you turn to soup. The next time you need to warm up make this Kale, White Bean & Sausage Soup that comes to us from Simran and Stacie at a Little Yumminess. The versatile and easy soup rocks the veggies and serves 12-14, which means there’s almost always leftovers to slurp up the next day.
Kale, White Bean & Sausage Soup adapted from Frances Mayes from Everyday in Tuscany (Zuppa di Cavolo Nero, Cannellini e Salsicce)
Serves 12 to 14 (half it if required)
Ingredients
2 Italian sausages, skins removed and meat crumbled
4 tbsps olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts chicken stock
6 thyme sprigs
1 bunch of dinosaur kale
4 cups cooked cannellini beans (dried beans best but I often use canned)
Method
1. Saute the crumbled sausage in the olive oil till browned and remove from pan.
2. In the same pan, saute the onions, thyme and garlic until softened
3. Add the chicken stock to a big pot. Bring to a boil and add the kale and cover and simmer for 15 minutes
4. Add the cooked sausage and beans and simmer for another 15 minutes
5. Ta Da!
This is a guest post from our friends Simran and Stacie at a Little Yumminess. Photo courtesy of Little Yumminess. Be sure to visit their blog for more fab, kid-friendly recipes!