Free Kids Lunch Printable

Feeding all the people all the food all the time can feel overwhelming.  One thing that helps stress and chaos is to SIMPLIFY.  I'm sharing some tips and created a chart to and I hope it helps packing easier for you as it as helped me. 

1. We eat the same thing for lunch every week.  

Yup.  I know it sounds boring but it makes grocery shopping and packing so much easier.  We waste less.  Boring for the win.  The boss and I also follow this same rule for our lunches.  It amazes me that the man can eat a salad every day. 

2. Use the chart and let them pick.  

In the ideal world, my kids eat all the fruits and veggies on this list.  Ha!  I keep them all in there in hopes their taste buds would change at some point.  We pick one from each category, add it to the grocery list, and boom you have lunch packed.  Thanks to a sweet friend for sharing this idea.  Click HERE or on the image to get this printable for free.   

3. Give yourself a break.  

If your kids are old enough, let them pack their own lunch.  When my daughter was in school full time I would give myself a break once a week and let her buy lunch.  She thought it was such a treat. A  win for the both of us!  

I'd love to hear your ideas as well on how you simply lunch!  Drop me a comment and be sure to subscribe so we can stay in touch.  Let's hang out on Instagram @pattymaymullen, that's where I do all my cooking and meal prepping! 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patty Mullen (@pattymaymullen) on Aug 2, 2019 at 1:20pm PDT

Happy Packing,

I Want to be a Fun Mom

We were all sitting on the couch watching the new Mary Poppins movie when the little lady said, "Mom I wish you were Mary Poppins."  After more investigating what she really wanted to tell me without hurting my feelings was she wanted me to do more fun things with them, not simply for them.  The truth may sting but this is no surprise to me.  I know I lean more towards the "striving to accomplish" and less on the "fun mom" side.  

The boss wanted to shush her and list all the things I do and all the places their fun mom takes them but I wanted to hear her out.  What can I do to be a better mom to you?  What is it that you need from me that I am not giving?   Taking a deep breath I brace myself for the critique on my mothering and her list was basic:

1. Not clean as much so we can play legos
2. Do more arts and crafts
3. Sit and watch movies with us
4. Cook more together.

After agreeing with her and telling her I will strive to be the mom she needs me to be God reminded me of Hebrews 12:6 which says, "The Lord disciplines those he loves."  When God disciplines there is no shame and I know he did not want me to feel the mom guilt.   The discipline that came from my eight-year-old was an opportunity to course-correct.  

Being the achiever that I am I wrote out ways to fight the urge to always do and simply be.  Here is how it has translated this past month: 

1.  Schedule Craft Time 

A friend once told me "I bet you're the person who has to schedule in time to rest." Guilty!  I like to schedule most things.  The kids have activities of their own so I've been planning and scheduling one craft time a week.  We simply sit at the table, play some music, and craft away.  

2. Just Us Rule

Many times I can credit moments I am taking the kids to their activities and on play dates as time together but in reality, they are not times together.  These are simply fun times.  The rule means every day we do something together, just us.  

3. Turn Chores into Times Together

 The kids fold and put away their own laundry but I've been making it a point to make this time I spend with them.  When we are sitting and rolling their bundles of clothes together it gives us an opportunity to just chat.  I take the time to help each one of them and then send them off to put the folded clothes in away on their own.  It's a win for both of us. 

I wish I could say I am now a "fun mom" but it's something I work on every day.  I'm better at it some days than others.  What matters to me most is to have an open heart for my minions.  I want to see their needs and do what I can to provide them, even if that means changing myself first.

From the fun mom in progress,

Back to School Gift Idea for Teachers

I wish I could say I came up with this idea myself but I got it from my friend Dannielle who happens to be a teacher and blogger at Quite Dainty.  Two moms from her classroom showered her with gifts before school even started.  What a blessing!  I loved the idea so much I had to do it this year.

  I scoured Pinterest for ideas and pinned tons on my Room Mom Shenanigans board and ended up getting this bundle of goodies.

I first got some extra supplies because I know teachers can always use them.

Then a few things just for her.  Hand sanitizers, colorful pens, a Starbucks gift card, Post Its.

The printable for the pens is from this site.  So cute!

We also added in the teachers favorite things printable that you can find HERE. 

I got this purple crate from Walmart for a buck and put everything in.  You can find the welcome back printable HERE. 

Delivered by this cutie and we are all set for this school year!

I can't believe how fast these little munchkins grow.  I'm going to go sit in my corner and cry now.  Hope you're having a great back to school time! 

Feel free to pin. 

Until next time.  Toodles!

How to Use Fondant to Decorate Any Cake

Making my kids' birthday cakes is my favorite traditions.  I love to do it AND I love saving money doing it.  It is not perfect by any means BUT they don't care.  What matters to them is they have a special cake. 

I've had the pleasure to make some cakes for friends and most recently superhero-themed ones.  Ya'll it's super easy!  If you've ever played with play-doh you will be able to use fondant to make just about any cake.  Here are my two tips:

1. Order a premade pre frosted cake.  

Have whatever bakery you choose to frost it in a base color.  The bulk of cake making is the baking, stacking, and frosting, AND this saves you from having to cover the cake in fondant which can be a pain. 

2. Buy premade, pre-colored fondant.

Love this brand of fondant.  Color fondant HERE and black fondant HERE.  So easy to use and if you store it in zippy, you'll be able to use it again.  

Instead of showing you a photo step by step it's easier to watch the video.  You'll want to watch both because I share different tips on each one. Here is the Batman cake.

Here is the spiderman cake.

If you're throwing a superhero-themed party I have a Pinterest Board you can check out HERE. 

CAKES FROM THE PAST 

If you want to check out any of the cakes from the past just click on the image below.  Just a note the Dr. Seuss cake shows an inexpensive option to fondant and the caterpillar cake shows how to make your own marshmallow fondant.

          

     

Happy Crafting,

Top Three Back to School Tips

August always hits me like a freight train. I'm torn with wanting summer to last a little longer and eager to get back into the school routine. It may feel like there are a million things to get done. Rest easy mama you can do it! After doing this a few years I feel as though I am getting a handle on the transition. Here are my top three back to school tips:

1. Take the first day of pictures a few days before. 

If you're a crazy picture mama like I am, this tip is for you. I have my kids wear their first day of school outfit, we go outside and have fun with it.  There's no time restraint, no pressure on, no stress.  It takes the rush out of getting that perfect first-day picture in the midst of the crazy gotta get out of the house to not be late on the first day.  That blog post is HERE. 

Bonus tip: I only buy the kids a first-day outfit because it still generally feels like summer. I wait to buy fall clothes at the end of September.

2. Have multiple lunch boxes/Bentos and keep it simple 

This is for the mama who packs lunches. Yumboxis our favorite bento and they are the best! I love the slots, quality, and they are adorable! 

Let's face it though, I am not the best at dishes so if this was our only bento I would be frantic every day. We also useEasy Lunch Boxeson the daily. The boss takes it to work every day. Both are dishwasher safe and make packing simple.

I also like to keep meals simple. I pack the same lunch for the whole week; meat, veggie, fruit, treat. Back when the little lady was going to public school I would also let her buy lunch on Fridays. She thought it was a special treat for her but it really was to give the mama a break haha. 

3. Buy all the things NOW

I've been the one who waited to go back to school last minute. Have mercy never again! It was a hot mess and I make it a point never to do that again. If your school offers that cool service where you can buy the box that is delivered to your kid's classroom, I recommend using it. 

If you have to shop as I did, go mid-week morning if you can to avoid the crowds. This year I organized it all in reusable bags that the teachers can keep and loaded up their backpacks with all the things. DONE. It may have taken me all day, but it is DONE! 

I've got an entire Pinterst Board that will help you get motivated and inspired to get back to school! Let us make this transition as seamless and joyful as possible! 

Lots of Love,

Welcome Home is a participant in Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by sharing and linking for ya'll Patty May's favorite thing from Amazon.

                

How to Start a Garden

I wish I was a farmer.  How amazing would it be to eat fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the back yard?!  I honestly wouldn't even know where to start.  The idea seems so overwhelming to tackle that the thought stays a dream.  

However, I have a neighbor who is a farmer [in the sense that she grows her own food]!  The more I talk to Krissy the idea becomes feasible.  I asked her some questions that may help me [and you] start our dream garden.  She also has an awesome Pinterest Board you can follow!  

How sweet are her two little helpers?!

1.     What made you want to start a garden?

I enjoyed caring for flowers and other plants, so decided to try a vegetable garden to see how successful I would be.  We also eat a lot of fresh vegetables so I hoped that this would help with the cost of produce.

[squash!!!]

2.    What is the first thing you need to do?

The first thing I did to prepare for the garden was to choose a spot in my yard that would drain well, receive lots of sunlight, and then prepared the soil.  Our soil has a lot of clay in it, so we removed as much clay as we could, then added some regular topsoil. Soon after, we added a soil designed especially for vegetable gardens (bought at Home Depot).

3.    Is there a tutorial you used to build the garden box?

Let me ask Justin… lol. [Linked a youtube video for us hehe]

4.    Which plants are grown from seed and which are bought?

In the first year, I did try to grow most of the vegetables from seed but was unsuccessful.  I now just grow my beans, carrots, and spinach from seed.  The rest is all bought pre-planted.  I do intend to try starting tomatoes from seed next year, now that I’m a bit more experienced.

5.    When do you start planting?

We start the first or second week of May, depending on the weather.

6.    Why are there flowers in the bed?

I plant marigolds in my garden to help repel bugs.  I’ve found they’re successful near the tomatoes and the squash, however, unfortunately, the Japanese Beetles are not bothered by the marigolds!

7.    What does it take to maintain the garden?

It takes a little time, money and lots of patience.  You’ll spend quite a bit of money to start the garden box, and then a little each year for plants and seeds.  I water the garden as needed, usually once a day, and tend to it in other ways while watering it.  It takes time for the plants to start, and unfortunately, patience is needed in years like this when the weather is not ideal, or the bugs are bad.

[she also puts coffee grinds in her garden for the soil]

8.    What is your favorite thing about the garden?

Gardening is a rewarding hobby, as I can actually see the progress and growth of a fresh, organic vegetable that was planted as a tiny seed, and now will feed my family.  I also love watching the kids get excited when the plants start to bud and grow.  They are extremely excited about the orange carrots beneath the soil, and are always excited to see when “Mommy’s Tomatoes” are red and ripe!

Happy planting friends,

Welcome Home is a participant in Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by sharing and linking for ya'll Patty May's favorite thing from Amazon.