Chalkboard DIY Crafts for Back to School

My kids go back to school in two short weeks. It's hard to believe that Summer is coming to an end. We've had great couple of months, though. We...

• went to Walt Disney World Resort
• went to the Disney 24 Hour Event at Magic Kingdom
• went on a Carnival Cruise
• enjoyed a day trip to Downtown Jacksonville with our friends from Tampa
• A few of our days were spent under the sun and in the lake, at Flamingo Lake 
• took advantage of Kids Bowl Free 

WOW! Now that I finished that little recap of our Summer, I realize we had a very eventful couple of months! So, you can only imagine how ready I am for back-to-school season. With it comes teacher's gifts and Fall crafts. I can't wait! Here's a few crafts that feature CHALKBOARD.

 

Chalkboard Fabric Pencil Pouch - I've been making zipper pouches for YEARS...why have I never thought of this? You can bet I'll be making some real soon!

Chalkboard Mason Jar Teacher Gift - Looking for a quick and easy gift for your child's teacher? This is something she probably won't receive on the first day of school.

Smart Cookie Teacher Printable - Dust off your mixer and make Teacher some chocolate chip cookies. You'll earn yourself {and your child} some major brownie points!

Chalkboard Duct Tape Banner - Have you seen Chalkboard Duct Tape in stores yet? There's even Dry Erase Duct Tape! I love this idea on how to create a quick banner using only duct tape and a couple of other supplies. You could even use it as a photo prop for the 1st Day of School!

Back to School Emergency Kit - There's a little bit of everything in this jar to ensure Teacher has a super first day {or week} back at school.

Chalkboard Calendar - Now that Summer is over, it's time to get back on track {and actually know what day it is}. Oh, just me? Surely, during the lazy days of Summer, there were days that you weren't sure....

1st Day of School Photo Idea - How cute is this photo idea? You could personalize this in many ways...and for boys and girls!

Which is your favorite Back to School Chalkboard idea? Show me which you make by tagging me on Instagram. I'm @jonahbonah!

Aladdin Mason Tumblers {a Summer Essential}

I live in the South. I wear flip-flops, eat fried chicken, and drink sweet tea...from a mason jar. This summer I discovered Aladdin Mason Tumblers. They are everything I've grown to love from the traditional canning jars, only in a non-breakable version.

Sold at Walmart and on Amazon, these tumblers are perfect for everyday.

Hosting an outdoor BBQ? Serve your guests with Aladdin Mason's.

Need to increase your water intake? Add fresh sliced lemon to a pitcher of ice cold H2O and serve it in an Aladdin Mason Pitcher. Or, make a refreshing batch of lemonade. {Available in multiple colors, at WalMart}
My most favorite, well, one of my most favorite features of these tumblers is that they have lids and straws {sold separately}. Never again will I go to take a sip of my drink and there be a pesky fly floating on top. 

This pitcher comes in a multitude of fun colors. Clear is good for everyday but, I think I need a pink one for Mabry's 1st birthday shindig! {which is coming way sooner than I'd like. Where'd my baby go?}

Now, when I'm outside with the kids on a hot summer's day, I fill up the Aladdin Pitcher with a fruit-infused water, get everyone an Aladdin Tumbler of their own and set up a beverage table. Everyone stays hydrated and looks cute while doing so. 
What's your favorite beverage to drink from a mason jar??
Disclosure: The Aladdin products shown in this post were sent to me from Aladdin but, as always, the opinions are my own. Also, affiliate links are used within this post.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas that are A+

Did you know the first full week of May is the official week of Teacher Appreciation? It's the Hallmark holiday, if you will, to show the teachers in your life that you appreciate them!

Having four kids in school with a combined 14 teachers for all of them I like to spread gifts out throughout the school year. Our kid's teachers deserve to be loved on. After all, they love on our children all day, five days a week.

Most years I'm really good about sending in either homemade edible treats or small "thinking of you" gifts. One year Jett's teacher had a classroom theme, the Thompson Turtles. Every time I saw a turtle office supply, like a pad of Post-Its, I'd pick it up for her. She was easy to love on. Another year I sent a series of gifts for the 12 Days of Christmas. That was a lot of fun for me and I got really great feedback from those teachers. {I even had a mom from that school contact me so she could do it for her kid's teachers the following year.}

I think having a baby at the beginning of this school year really through a wrench in my gift-giving self. That, and being without income for months...ya know, when Hubs lost his job. That isn't to say that I don't appreciate our teachers and what they do for our kids. They are super heroes in my book!

Today I've searched some of my favorite blogs for Teacher Appreciation gifts that you can make for your kid's teachers.


/1/ "Thanks for Making Us All Smarties" - You can fill a reusable plastic tumbler full of Smarties and Lifesavers, or even a Mason jar!


/2/ Movie Card Gift - Teachers could ALL use a break. Give your teacher a gift card for her local movie theater so she can relax while catching a newly-released box office hit.


/3/ Target Gift Card Holder - Teachers spend so much of their own money on our children. Give them a gift card to their favorite store so they can go buy themselves something nice.


/4/ Tote-ally Awesome Teacher Gift - Are you crafty with your sewing machine? Whip up a tote for your teacher!


/5/ Best DOGGONE Teacher Gift - This idea is one that I've loved since the first time I saw it. If your teacher is a dog lover it's fur sure a great gift idea!! You can find little plastic dogs here.

Remember, you don't have to wait until the first week of May to love on your teachers. You can do it all year long. Your child's teachers will be thrilled with each and every small token of thanks you send their way. Trust me, I know.

Want to see more great ideas? I've rounded some up and posted them on Blissfully Domestic, too!


{There are a couple of Amazon affiliate links within this post. That means, when you click through and make a purchase I get a small percentage to help support my little{{or big}}family.}

instafriday

it's been quite some time since i last shared some of what we've been up to on instagram. {you can find me @jonahbonah} let's get caught up, shall we?


/1/ i have mixed emotions about the school year coming to an end...however, homework is one part of school i will never miss!


/2/ we bought a picnic table for the back patio. why did we not do this sooner??? mckinley loves to go outside and draw and color. and we've done some crafting out back on our new picnic table too!


/3/ this was taken on the eve of our eleventh wedding anniversary right after we finished *family movie night* with all of our precious children. only with God on our side could we have made it this far. {i love you, hubs!}


/4/ eleven years. so proud to be his wife. {i forgot my mascara at home...we stopped to buy some. i felt nekked without it.}


/5/ see that blue thing atop my mason jar? yep, that would be called a CUPPOW. it turns your mason jars into travel mugs. genius. my new favorite thing...you'll be hearing more about them from me soon. those kids in the background? they're just digging our garden. i can't wait to have a summer harvest!


/6/ dinner on back patio picnic table. best idea we've had in a long time!


/7/ grow, little garden, grow.


/8/ anniversary blue mason jars? yes, please! i may have already purchased 24 of them and feel the need to have more. {for the record, i'm giving three of them away today to the boys teachers for teacher appreciation.  more on that later...i found a SUPER cute printable i can't wait to share with you!}


/9/ smash booking. do you do it? i wouldn't call it scrapbooking. it's more of a whatever-will-fit-that-you-want-to-remember kind of book. well, that kinda sounds like scrapbooking, huh? whatever you want to call it...i went to michael's, bought me a smash book, and got started. the first page? our baby number five!


/10/ oh, you know, just me in another amazing creation from the printed palette. i can't get enough, y'all. blue mason jars and the printed palette. my favorite addictions.


/11/ i captioned this photo on instagram with *so many things i love in this picture. piles of laundry means a well-clothed family. handmade art on my walls. my love on his day off. it's a gloomy day outside, but my heart is full of sunshine.* so true!


/12/ daddy kisses. princess smiles.


/13/ do you take care of you? i know you take care of your husband and your kids and your house and your church family and your {fill in the blank}...but do you take care of YOU? do it. my love tank gets such a boost when hubs tells me to go get my hair done or a pedi or a mani. and when he says go i run out the door! i feel like a new gal when i walk out of that salon. i get a few hours to recharge my *mommy battery*. i truly believe we can take better care of others when we first take good care of ourselves. amen?

these last few weeks have such blessed weeks. i can't wait to see what God has in store for the next few!

do i follow you on instagram? let me know who you are and i surely will start!