Apples, Apples, Apples

Bug and I have started her tot school program...and I am steadily building it as we go. I can work on weeks ahead while she works on the activities for the current week. Its working, but I don't recommend it. However, I just couldnt find an all in one plan that I wanted to do, so me being me, I took on building my own.

This week is RED, "A", and APPLES! 

We read Ten Apples Up On Top!

I made an Apple felt board set with a picture of herself and apples to put "up on top".  She loves it!
Idea adapted from post on Toddler Brain

 

We also made an apple tree!
Original Idea from Happy Home Fairy

We recycled a parmesean cheese container to sort red pom poms into. 

I used the RED color matching cards from Homeschool Creations. I laminated the cards and then put them on a ring for Bug to carry around with her.

I gathered red items from around the house and created an eye-spy board. 
 


We did some painting ....
original idea from No Time for Flashcards

....and threaded Fruit Loops onto a Pipe Cleaner to make a worm for our newly painted Apple. 

Of all days, Lydia chooses this one to be camera shy! 

And made an edible bracelet.
 

Added red Fruit Loops to our Apple covered A printed from Making Learning Fun

We ate some Apple Shake Ups.

1 tsp sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 apple, cubed
1 plastic bag

Add sugar, cinnamon, apple cubes to bag. Seal tight. Shake Shake Shake!
Eat up!

Update: See the Apple Shake Ups in action at Mess for Less!!

And of course we colored using red crayons, markers, colored pencils, and even a red pen!

Foloow the links to some of the great printables we used!

    Daily Coloring Page A

Homeschool Creations A-Z Phonics (A)

Linking up!

My Favorite Organizing Tips on my To Do List

The organizing bug has hit this house...not to mention a few other "bugs" that are not so fun.  Now that the wee ones are well on their way to feeling better, I've got the need to organize some things.  Maybe all the surfaces I wiped down with Lysol this week has me thinking I should minimize the stuff on those surfaces...  Being a blog junkie, I have lots of ideas pinned to my to do files.  here are a few of my favorite ideas, that will be making their debut in my home very very soon!

Gift Wrap and Ribbon organizer, makes my heart flutter!

Via Blue Cricket Design

Soap Boxes from the Dollar Store... organizes cards and other small items!

via Shady Tree Diary

Organize coloring books with a dish rack! 
via Heather J's Life

School Supply Birthday Cake

Teachers have birthdays too! In order to do something special for J's 3rd grade teacher on her birthday, we decided to make her a cake...out of school supplies.

Based on a tutorial I found on The Butlers blog I headed out to Walmart who is currently clearancing a lot of school supplies in order to fit in their Halloween products.  Armed with the following supplies, I began construction on the gift of the year! 

Rubberbands of all sizes
1 roll paper towels
4 composition notebooks
7 boxes of crayons
4 packs of pens

1 pack of mechanical pencils
3 bottles Hand Sanitizer
4 post it notes
10 glue sticks
Hat box lid
Ribbon
Tape
&Teacher Notecard by Janna Wilson 

Cover hat box with ribbon.  This is bottom of cake.  You could also use a cake round base, covered with pretty paper...or cut a circle out of cardboard. 

Attach notebooks to paper towel roll to create your center base. Secure with rubber bands. 

Add items, securing with rubber bands as needed. 

I used an empty paper towel roll to form the glue stick circle...then I stuffed it into the center of the paper towel roll to hold to the top of my cake.  Again...secure with rubber bands. 

Add Ribbon to cover up your rubber bands. 

Add a card...and other embellishments.  I would have loved to add some flowers but J was against that.   It still had to look like it came from a boy. 


Linking up:

Is it Fall yet?

It's that time of year in Florida when you may wake up to a nice cool morning but feel the heat come lunch time.  It makes me want to decorate for Fall and hope it beckons it to just come on already.  We also have the "Indian Summer" lurking around the corner.  The start of football season just screams fall for me. So, I know in my heart of hearts, its not time to put away the shorts but I do think I will go ahead and get all the Fall decorations and see if it doesn't entice Fall to just show up. 

Say Hello to Fall with these FREE Fall tags from It Is What it Is

If you see me at GoodWill, I may have a cart full of old books. 
Book Page Pumpkin via Creations By Kara

Love this FREE printable from It Is What It Is

Fall Yum!
via The Crafting Chicks