November 28, 2017 by Krista

The Easy Christmas Countdown You Need This Year

Hi there! Happy holiday wishes coming at ya! I’m so glad you stopped by to check out this easy Christmas countdown.

I’m a sucker for a good, and easy, Christmas countdown; but, December is a busy month! Can you relate? So, when the calendar gets around December 8th, I find myself struggling to keep up with the fun we started just a week before.

I need simple. Do you need simple too?

A countdown where, if you miss a day or two (or five), it doesn’t ruin the whole thing. I totally get that! I also wanted a visual representation, because my kids ask “how many days until Christmas?” every single day. For 25 days. This year I plan to just point my kids to this countdown.

EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

WHY SHOULD YOU USE THE EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN?

Of course, we have some Christmas traditions that I look forward to every year. But, not having an activity assigned to every single day means I can relax more. I can enjoy the traditions without worrying about tomorrow’s activity. This countdown was designed with busy families in mind. This easy Christmas Countdown Chain will help you because:

It’s super simple. 20 minutes and it’ll be ready to go. Or just print it and give it to the kids to put together.
If you miss a day or two, just remove the extra links to catch up. No stress or drama when life gets crazy.
And the kids can see just how close Christmas really is. You won’t feel like you’re stuck on a month long car ride with the kids asking, “are we there yet?” on repeat.

KEEPING TRADITIONS PART OF YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

But, what about the traditions you DO want to keep? Don’t worry, I thought of that. There are THREE ways to put together the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain so that it works for your family:

One of them has nothing but numbers and is simply just a countdown.
The other one, though, has some fun Christmas activities to do. There’s even blank chain links so you can add your family’s special traditions.
A combination of the two, with activities interspersed through out the month on days you think you’ll be able to accommodate.

So, now you get to customize your chain in whatever way best fits YOUR family. Use whichever Easy Christmas Countdown fits into your schedule better – or – combine the two!

Want an example? My kids will be in school until 3 days before Christmas, so we will have to keep up our school routine during the week. We will also have a brand new baby (we’re talking less than a month old). We won’t have a lot of time this year to throw in extra activities. Weekends will be our best bet, so those days will get an activity link and we can make sure our favorite traditions make it into our schedule.

MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

When I said this is simple, I really meant it will take you about 20 minutes to put together. Maybe 30 if you let the kids “help”. Simple, yeah?

There’s one more thing you need to know before we get started. You already know there are two versions of the chain (the one with the daily countdown and the other one with the activities), but each version of the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain is also available in color and in monochrome.

This is meant to help you save ink by printing on colored paper instead of on white paper. Or in case you only have a monochrome printer (I dream of upgrading to a color laser printer someday). So, just be aware of that when we download your chosen files.

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN:

Easy Christmas Countdown Chain Printable Files (preview the different files below under step 1)
- Countdown Only: Color | Monochrome
- Countdown with Activities: Color | Monochrome
Printer and paper
Scissors or paper cutter
Tape, glue or stapler and staples

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

1. Print the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain links. If you’re using the countdown only monochrome file to print on colored paper, make sure the pages alternate colors. For two colors, page 1 and page 3 should be the same.

2. Cut the chain links apart with the scissors or paper cutter.

3. Take the first chain link and bend it until the ends overlap and the strip forms and circle.
Secure with glue, tape or a staple.

4. Slip the next chain link through the first link and bend until the ends overlap. Secure.

5. Repeat the process with each chain link, slipping the new link through the previous one and
creating a chain.

6. Hang your Easy Christmas Countdown Chain where you can remove a link each day.

That’s it, super easy, right?

I hope this makes counting down to Christmas with your family simpler. And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas with your family, making memories and having fun together.

Happy Holidays!

November 7, 2017 by Krista

10 Activities that will encourage gratitude in your kids

I always have grand ideas for November. What about you? You know, things like getting Christmas planned, reminding my children to be thankful with our Gratitude Jar, and maybe even decorating our home a little.

Sometimes, I get some of it done and a lot of the time, I don’t. I hope what they say about good intentions isn’t true. I hope, in this case, it really is the thought that counts.

There are some traditions that I really try to make sure don’t get overlooked in the chaos that leads up to the holidays. One of those is our Thankful Tree and I try to have a toy purge before we’re invaded by gifts from relatives and that jolly old Santa Claus.

But, most of all, I try to find ways to encourage gratitude and get my kids to think about others. While we try to do those things all year long, it seems to be a little easier and more natural when November comes around.

ENCOURAGE GRATITUDE IN YOUR KIDS BY MAKING IT A GAME

I want to help my kids focus on what we have, not what they want. With Christmas coming, the inevitable “I want, I want” is about to get stuck in high gear.

I want to encourage them to do things for others; but, when you’re little, it can be hard to think about others before yourself. I want to offer my kids the opportunity to learn to put others ahead of themselves. But, it always works out better when they think it’s their idea or that it’s a game. So, a few years ago, I introduced them to The Gratitude Jar.

A big part of gratitude, to me, is being willing to help others. And to say thank you when others help you. That’s what The Gratitude Jar is all about.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE GRATITUDE WITH THE GRATITUDE JAR

The best part about The Gratitude Jar is that you can use it however it best fits into your home.

We have used it as a boredom jar in the past. This year, though, we are making it into a game.

When my kids have a free minute, they choose a slip from the jar and do the activity. What has made this successful so far is that The Gratitude Jar is constructive, it’s a privilege. And it’s individual. Sometimes, they do the same activities at the same time. But, if one of them doesn’t want to do the activity that was drawn, or has already done it, they can choose their a different one.

We’re keeping track of how many good deeds each of them do. At the end of the month, they can choose a reward based on how many activities they complete. There’s 10 activities included that will encourage gratitude and serving others. My kids helped come up with rewards.

When they complete 1-3 activities, they get to choose a special treat or candy.
When 4-6 activities get completed, they can stay up an extra 30 minutes.
If they do 7-9 activities, they can get out of one chore.
If all 10 activities get done, we’ll have a family movie night and they get to choose the movie and the snacks.

The competition is against themselves, not each other. They are trying to do their best, not better than their brothers.

READY TO ENCOURAGE GRATITUDE IN YOUR OWN FAMILY?

If you’re ready to encourage gratitude in your family this holiday season, download your own high-resolution copy so you can create your own Gratitude Jar.

All you need is

a printer
a pair of scissors or a paper cutter
and a clean container to store the slips in

A dozen snips to more grateful children…? Can’t hurt to try, right?

DOWNLOAD YOURS HERE!

Get your gratitude growing!

Like this chalkboard print? You’re in luck, it’s a free printable! Click here to get this print!

October 11, 2017 by Krista

All Things Holiday Printable Bundle!

You Guys! It’s Here: The All Things Holiday Bundle!

The Dating Divas have done it again! They have collaborated with some of your favorite digital designers and bloggers to bring you this amazing bundle of holiday printables.

AND, as with all the Dating Divas Bundles, they have put together a KILLER deal for you so you can get in on all that awesomeness for a fraction of what it would cost to piece all this awesomeness together yourself. {Trust me when we say you DO NOT want to miss out on this one!!}

But, you see that lovely little timer below? Well it’s ticking down FAST! And when it hits zero, this deal DISAPPEARS!!

32 extremely talented bloggers and designers teamed up with The Dating Divas to create this ULTIMATE Holiday bundle!

And we are hooking you up with EVERYTHING you need for…

Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Years!

There’s even a little Dia de los Muertos in there too!

This bundle is so full of festive fun, you won’t know what to do with it all.

All Things Holiday Printable Bundle. Get ready to ROCK this holiday season! This printable bundle has everything you need for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!

What you’re looking at is OVER 480 PAGES of printables WORTH OVER $300
all in one handy dandy holiday bundle!

And, we slashed the price for you! So much that you’ll think it’s a typo. It’s not. The deal is THAT FREAKIN’ AWESOME.

You can get over $300 worth of FABULOUS items for only $15-$20!

Holiday decor, countdowns, activities for the kids and for the whole family, planners, gift ideas, gift tags, relationship ideas and MORE – all from your favorite bloggers!

BUT WAIT… no, seriously. It’s about to get real good.

If you buy your bundle through one of my links, you’ll get BONUS printables from me!

Something for the kids and a little something (something) for you, too. Wink.

These bonuses alone sell in my Etsy shop for $15. So, this deal is seriously FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!

Your bonuses will be delivered next Monday, October 16th, 2017 – after the bundle sale is over – to the email address where you choose to receive your All Things Holiday Bundle. So, don’t freak if you don’t see them right away. You WILL get them. Pinky promise.

Are you convinced? Want this bundle RIGHT NOW? Click that yellow button and GET YOURS!

Hmmm, does this sound too good to be true? Are you waiting for the catch? Well, there is a teeny, tiny one…

You’ll have to ACT FAST—this deal only lasts for THREE DAYS!

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

This is a 3-Day sale, but the price goes up a little each day. Here’s the breakdown…

Buy on the 11th for only $15
Buy on the 12th for only $18
Buy on the 13th for only $20
After that, this deal is GONE FOREVER!

Buy early and SAVE BIG. But wait too long {like after the 13th at midnight MDT} and this deal will be gone FOREVER!

Okay, okay. So what’s actually in this bundle, right? Here’s what you’ve been waiting for: THE BIG REVEAL.

This baby seriously has EVERYTHING you could ever WANT or NEED for the holidays {AND MORE!} Including…

Thanksgiving Countdown and Gratitude Prompts
Thanksgiving Planner
Thanksgiving Table Decor
Christmas Countdowns
12 Days of Christmas
Christmas Memory Pages
Christ-Centered Christmas Service
Cookie Exchange Party Printables
Holiday Gift Bags and Gift Tags
Letters from Santa
New Year’s Goal Planner
AND SO MUCH MORE! {See everything in detail below!}

Yes, you get ALL THAT JAZZ for the same price as many of these sell for all by themselves? This is a no-brainer! Click that yellow button to get yours now!

So, that sounds good and all, buuut
EXACTLY WHAT IS IN THIS BUNDLE?!?

I hear ya! I want to know what exactly I can expect from these things. So, below is every single item that is included in the purchase of an All Things Holiday Bundle!

HALLOWEEN PRINTABLES

All Things Holiday Bundle has Halloween printables

1. Dia De Los Muertos Party Pack by Mod Podge Rocks – Get everything you need to host a colorful and FUN party for Dia de Los Muertos! Do this as an alternative/in addition to your Halloween festivities. Included is a printable banner, favor bag toppers, candy bar wrappers, cupcake toppers, water/soda bottle labels, photo booth props, and a decorative sign. This all in one party kit allows you to focus on the food since you’ll already have the decorations!

THANKSGIVING PRINTABLES

All Things Holiday Bundle has Halloween printables

2. Thanksgiving Countdown by A Lively Hope– A 12 page kit with everything you need to make a darling and memorable countdown to Thanksgiving! Includes an activity idea for each day (plus extra blank cards so you can include your own family traditions). This is the perfect way to help your family express gratitude for your blessings and make the most of the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

3. 2 Thanksgiving Countdowns PLUS 30 Gratitude Prompt Cards by Timesavors – Countdown to Thanksgiving with this darling turkey or fall tree advent calendar! Simply print, cut, and you’re ready to go! Each day, say something you are grateful for as you by using the included prompt cards to stimulate ideas and dinner conversations. Happy Thanksgiving!

4. Thanksgiving Table Printable Bundle by Paper & Taigh – Impress your guest with these swoon-worthy Thanksgiving Table Printables! It’s everything your table needs for an inviting Thanksgiving dinning experience!

5. Printable Thanksgiving Planner by Peoples Life On Paper – This 23-page kit includes everything you need to plan and host a successful Thanksgiving dinner. From planning checklists and recipe organizers to menu planners and cooking schedules, you’ll stay organized and stress less!

6. Apple and Cherry Pie Favor Box Set by Piggy Bank Parties – Send your guests home with a slice of pie without having to turn on the oven! These yummy full-color digital favor box templates are great for holiday gatherings, backyard picnics and afternoon playdates. We love filling these mouth-watering slices with wrapped caramels and sour cherries!

7. Kids Table Manners Kit and Thanksgiving Bonus by The Little Inkspot Co. – This Table Manners Kit is perfect for teaching basic table manners to kids and toddlers (ages 3 – 10). Kit includes 2 printables, 1) 11 x 14 poster to hang by the dining table and 2) 8.5 x 11 table manners reward chart to help kids and parents keep track – a great way to help make family mealtimes less stressful and more enjoyable for the whole family and teach basic beginner table manners that will last a lifetime! Add these adorable Thanksgiving Tags to fresh baking, jams, or your garden’s harvest and give as a thoughtful token of thanks to neighbors, friends, and family!

CHRISTMAS PRINTABLES

All Things Holiday Bundle has Christmas printables

8. Christmas Town Advent Calendar by Little Paper Racoon – This beautiful paper Advent calendar is also a great Christmas decoration and a great construction game ! Once the boxes are filled with chocolates or trinkets you can create your very own Christmas town. Each box has its own design, and represents a piece of building (window, door, roof) or a Christmas tree. These building boxes let you choose between two colors, red or light brown to create different houses or buildings, so the combinations are endless!

9. Christmas Advent Countdown Activity Jar by While He Was Napping – Ever wish you could simplify Christmas, focus on family and make memories instead of your stress taking over during the holidays? Then you need this Christmas Countdown Jar because that’s exactly what it will do. Make lasting memories with your whole family during the cold countdown to Christmas with easy and fun activities that focus on the important things – each other! Use the activities as an advent calendar by choosing one per day or use them as boredom busters over the winter break.

10. 12 Days of Christmas Service Idea by The Dating Divas– ‘Tis the season for giving! Get your family in the holiday spirit with our 12 Days of Christmas. Each night for the 12 nights leading up to Christmas, you can use this festive printable pack to leave little surprises for a lucky recipient. We have created not one, but TWO options for your holiday service spree. We have an entire pack of tags, poems, and more for gifting a neighbor, as well as an entire set of poems designed specifically with your spouse in mind! This Festive Pack Includes: Shopping List and Organizer- Gather ideas for gifts in advance and keep track of them all with ease! Bag Covers- Give your Gifts in Style! Your service recipient will look forward to these colorful bags night after night! Gift Tags- Each tag coordinates with a day and includes a poem. There are two versions available in this pack, one for your neighbor and one for your spouse-be sure not to mix them up!

11. Camp Christmas by 4 The Love of My Heart – Celebrate Christmas with the family in a new fun, creative way with Camp Christmas! This bundle has everything you need to plan your “camp” with crafts, activities, care packages, and more for the entire month of December. Who doesn’t love Christmas, and who doesn’t love camp? When you combine the two together, just think of all the fun your family will have this Christmas!

12. Christmas Memories Printable Pack by A Girl and a Glue Gun – Keep track of all those fun Christmas memories with these great printables! There are printables to help you remember the food you ate, movies you watched, songs you sang, how your Christmas tree was decorated, people who visited, and presents you gave and received! Print it year after year and your kids will have a blast reading about all the fun things they have done over the years! (I wish I had this growing up! Don’t you wish you could remember what you got for Christmas when you were 10!!)

13. Disneyland Holiday Bundle by Beauty, Baby, and a Budget – Thinking about taking your little elves to Disneyland for Christmas this year? Or maybe even giving them a Disneyland trip for Christmas (because who wouldn’t love that?). Then this is the perfect bundle for you! It comes with a 2017 Disneyland Holiday Checklist which includes 25 things you MUST do at Disneyland during the holiday season. It also comes with a Disneyland countdown and a “We’re going to Disneyland sign” perfect for a photo op with your cute family!

14. Christ-like Christmas Service by Chicken Scratch n Sniff – Light your Christmas with acts of service this year with over 40 pages of adorable and festive printables to help you fill your season with acts of love. Sprout candy canes in your friend’s yard, leave random acts of love behind, say Thank You to those with the most festive houses. From bag toppers and advents to gift tags and candy wrappers; you’ll discover what you need to make this the best Christmas yet.

15. Cookie Exchange Party Printables by Everyday Party Magazine – The Printable Rustic Cookie Exchange Party Collection Includes the following: Cookie Box Labels, Recipe Cards , Voting Card, Favor Hang Tag, Folding Label, Party Circles, and Editable Invitations. Instructions and printing recommendations are also included.

All Things Holiday Bundle has Christmas printables

16. Holiday Cookie Exchange Bundle by How Does She – Have you ever done a holiday cookie exchange? It’s one of our favorite traditions and a great reason to throw a party with your BFF’s. This bundle includes everything you need to throw a mean cookie exchange…well, everything except the cookies!

17. Printable Holiday Gift Bags by Homemaking Organized – Three printable Holiday Sparkle gift bags give you a PERFECT way to present your tokens of appreciation this season.

18. Letter from Santa Printable by Hoot Invitations – Create some magic and surprise your child with a personalized letter from Santa this holiday season! Let them know Santa is watching and on his way with this 8″ x 10″ PDF editable letter from Santa. All text in main body can be edited. Just print at home on a color printer – fits on 8.5″ x 11″ paper or A4 paper.

19. Vintage Santa Letter Kit by The CreativiDee Workshop – This stylish Vintage Santa Letter Kit has everything you need to create fun holiday memories for everyone! From Wish Lists and Letters to Treat Labels for Christmas Eve, your family is sure to have a great time with this festive collection.

20. Holiday Jam Labels & Matching Cards by Our Kerrazy Adventure – These cute jam labels make it so easy to give gifts to neighbors and teachers. Print and place them on your canning jar. You can even print out a coordinating card to write sweet note. Our printables make gift giving a breeze this holiday season!

21. Christmas Gift Name Tags, Wish Lists, & Treat Gift Tags by Papers & Plenty – These adorable, buffalo plaid Christmas gift name tags are fun and easy to use! Set includes 8 tags, personalize them with a name(s) or special message on the back, the perfect addition to any Christmas gift! Then, make Christmas shopping a little easier on Santa this year with these adorable, kid-friendly, buffalo plaid Christmas wish lists! These fill-in-the-blank lists are fun and easy to use for kids and adults! Finally, dd these adorable, buffalo plaid Christmas treat gift tags to any special holiday treat! Set includes 6 tags, write in a name(s) or special message at the bottom, fun for kids, neighbors, teachers and more!

22. Fun Holiday Gift Tags by Pretty Paper Violet – Give your family and friends a smile this holiday season with this collection of printable gift tags. Perfect for your DIY gifts and anything else that lands under your tree. Print as many as you need for this year and next!

23. Holiday Fun Coloring Pages by Printable Crush – Enjoy Coloring these Holiday Coloring Pages for adults or kids! Includes 10 pages for the major US Holidays. Print these pages over and over again and try new coloring styles for gorgeous holiday art.

24. All Inclusive Holiday Binder by Thirty Handmade Days – Get ready for the holidays with this awesome All Inclusive Holiday Binder. Not only is it fun and colorful but it will help you stay organized during the chaos. You can download party prep, calendars, checklists, budgeting sheets and more!

NEW YEAR’S PRINTABLES

All Things Holiday Bundle has New Years printables

25. New Year’s Photo Booth Props by Simply Everyday Me – You’ll enjoy ringing in the New Year with these whimsical & kooky photo booth props by SimplyEverydayMe. This kit consists of 45 DIY printable props including: Top Hat, Happy New Year’s Hat, Bowler Hat, Party Hat, Party Crown, Champagne Bottle with Cork, Champagne Glasses, Martini Glasses, Father Time Beard & Mustache, Sickle, Pocket Watch, Hour Glass, Big Clock Face, Baby New Year Hat/Hair, Baby New Year Sash, Baby New Year Mouth, Binkie, Glasses, Star Glasses, Bow Tie, Pearl Necklace, Party Blower, Party Blower Fringe, Camera, Snap Burst, Fizz Burst, Pop Burst, Mustaches, Lips, and Instructions. Plus information for materials needed & paper suggestions.

26. Make Over Your Year Course by Money Saving Mom – Make Over Your Year is a simple, effective 4-week, hands-on course to help you take your big dreams and ideas and turn them into realistic goals and a doable action plan. When you download this course, you’ll get immediate access to 4 group coaching session videos, a 47-page printable PDF workbook, weekly projects to break down the goal-setting process & set yourself up for success, and printable worksheets to take you step-by-step through each of the projects in the course.

27. New Year- New Marriage Pack by Enduring All Things – Commit to making this year the best yet for your marriage! We make all kinds of resolutions in the new year, why not add your most important relationship to that list? The New Year – New Marriage Pack includes a cheat sheet to use for weekly couple check-ins, a list of fun holidays to celebrate together this year, a template for a date night bucket list and more. Use these to bring your marriage back to the top of your priorities this year!

28. Couple’s Journal by The Happy Life Balance Co. – Bring positivity and kindness into your relationship with this Couple’s Journal. In this journal, you will complete a series of daily and weekly exercises which are designed to help you gain a deeper appreciation for each other and learn to enjoy the time you spend together more.

29. Printable Goal Planner by Jessica Marie Design – Stay organized and keep up with your goals with this printable Goal Planner. The printable planner can be instantly downloaded and printed at home or a local print shop. The Goal Planner is perfect for organizing and keeping track of your goals. The Goal Planner includes 10 unique pages including yearly overview pages, goal overview pages, a goal breakdown page, and goal tracking pages. Simply download the PDF files, open them in Adobe Reader, add text to the fillable sections, print on Letter size paper, and insert into a binder. Use the files over and over every year!

30. Clean & Colorful Cooking by Ashley’s Fresh Fix– 32 deliciously colorful recipes made exclusively with whole, real food. All are dairy free, sugar free, and grain free! Including a variety of breakfasts, entrées, light fare items, dips, and desserts! Perfect for helping you stay on track during the holidays and into those New Year’s resolutions.

31. Printable Meal Planner by Carrie Elle– This printable meal planner has everything you need to take control of dinner once and for all! Plan your weekly meals and also holiday gatherings and parties with this pretty and functional planner.

32. 11×17 Themed Table Setting Placemats by Linda Winegar – Themed Table Setting Placemats meant for families, teens & kids! Perfect for at home practice, at a restaurant as a reminder, while teaching an Etiquette Class or for table setting relay races! Patterned after the official standards of etiquette which The Emily Post Institute continues to teach for proper Table Settings. Each theme adds a special flare to your table!

And remember, if you order your All Things Holiday Bundle from me, you’ll get those awesome bonuses listed above!

WHEW! So there you have it. Pretty much everything you could ever want for the holidays. We are dying from all that goodness and we just CAN’T WAIT to get our hands on it.

Only 15-20 buckaroos {for OVER $300 worth of goodies?!}
SHEESH! Sign. Me. Up.

Three super, duper important things to remember:

The price JUMPS tomorrow!
It’s only available for THREE DAYS!
Midnight MDT on the 13th, this deal is gone FOREVER!

What are you waiting for?!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

October 5, 2017 by Krista

Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar

This Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar originally appeared on askannamosely.com in 2014 as a contributor post. Content, possibly including links and photos, may have been updated or changed to maintain the integrity and accuracy of this content since it was originally shared.

Are you looking for some new October traditions? Does the witching hour seem to hit even harder once the weather starts to chill? Do you want to celebrate this month but don’t know how to squeeze it in? Then this Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar will be a great addition to your October!

WHO IS THE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR FOR?

In less than 30 minutes and with just a handful of materials, you’ll have a whole bunch of fun activities to celebrate this month that you can grab when you need it most. Are you:

looking for some fun new traditions?
just trying to keep the kids from demolishing the house?
fighting to keep cool and sane until bedtime?
making family time a priority this month?

Don’t miss out on all the fun that October has to offer with this fun project the kids can help put together and then use when you need a little fun and family time or a few minutes with the kids occupied.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR:

Materials Needed:

Clean jar or other container to store the activity slips
FREE download of my KIDS’ HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY JAR
Scissors or paper cutter
Tape or glue to adhere the label to the jar

Directions:

Print out the Halloween Jar Activities.
Cut out each colored rectangle and the square jar label with the scissors or paper cutter.
Fold each activity in half or in fourths, whichever you prefer, and put them in the jar.
Apply the label to the outside of the jar and you’re all set for some Halloween fun!

WANT MORE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN FUN?

This set includes 10 activities plus the jar label – perfect for a weekend activity or those after school evenings when there’s just a little too much free time, the weather is a little too chilly or you need something to entertain the kiddos for a little bit. If you’d like to download the entire set – which contains 36 activities+a blank template to write in your own traditions and activities. Full set also includes updated labels and full printable instructions – you can get it in my Etsy shop.

Happy October!

July 12, 2017 by Krista

The Printable Toy Car Road Race Track Set your Kids will Love

Hey there! Welcome and I’m so glad you are here! Do you have a car-loving kiddo in your life? My three boys are all big into cars and have been since they could hold things in their hands. And, I’ll admit, I have a thing for fast cars too. I am an adrenaline junkie and fast cars are definitely good for that! And with my three boys, it seems faster is always better. We have been collecting diecast cars since my oldest was finally old enough to play with them! And a couple summers ago, my brother-in-law gifted us a HUGE collection of them. Which we gladly accepted. But what is a race car with no where to race? That’s why your little ones will LOVE this DIY Toy Car Road Set!

EVERY TOY CAR NEEDS A TOY CAR ROAD!

Now that we have all these super cool cars to play with, I was itching for some fun play road time. Giving kids the chance to free play is high on my list, but sometimes it’s fun to have a little guided play too. This DIY is the perfect way to combine the two. Make your car-loving kids this printable toy car road track set for their cars, because what’s a race car with nowhere to race?

The best part? It’s reusable and there is no right or wrong way to play. When my kids feel like they are in control of play time it tends to lead to longer and more engaged play, which means I can cook dinner without tripping over little boys in my kitchen. Between their imaginations and this DIY toy car road, they should be happy for quite a while.

MAKE YOUR TOY CAR ROAD IN 5 EASY STEPS

Life with kids is great, but play time can get rough and tough. A paper toy isn’t bound to last long in my house. Yours either? Well, I’ve got a few tips so you only have to print this toy car road once and to help it last as long as possible once you let the kids loose. Ready? Let’s do it!

Toy Car Road Materials:

Printable Track Pieces in Color | Track Pieces in Monochrome
Scissors
Laminating pouches or self-laminating sheets | I recommend these pouches. I haven’t used the self-laminating sheets, but these ones have been recommended to me
Laminator (if using thermal laminating pouches) | this is the new version of the one I use and love
5/8″ hook and loop fastener dots | get them here

Toy Car Road Assembly Instructions:

Print the track pieces. I suggest a card stock or other thick paper for durability. You may want to print more than one copy of the pieces, so there will be more to play with. This tutorial uses 2 sets of the color track set.
Cut the track pieces out with the scissors, getting as close to the edge of the road as you can unless you want a white border on the edges.

Laminate the pieces. I prefer a thermal laminator, but you can use self-laminating sheets too. Follow the directions on the packaging to get the best seal. A thicker sheet or pouch may help your track pieces last longer. I use these thicker 5mm ones and love them.

Cut around the track pieces with the scissors. Make sure to leave enough border so the seal stays intact.

Attach the hook and loop fastener dots to the ends of each piece. Put the hook pieces on the front side of the track pieces and the loop pieces on the underside. This makes it so you can rotate the track pieces. Repeat for each track piece, trying to get them as close to the center as you can so they will line up.

That’s it. You’re ready to play! Store pieces in a ziptop bag or other container with a couple of cars so you’re always ready for some race time play! Not much room to play? Only get out a few track pieces out for a compact track. Or go all out and try to use all the pieces!

NEED A TOY CAR ROAD THAT WILL LAST?

Let’s admit it, this version is pretty simple and not terribly expensive. A year later, ours is still in pretty good shape, all things considered. But, it definitely has some wear and tear on it. I’ve had to replace a couple of the hook and loop pieces and we’ve had things spilled on the pieces, like half a bottle of bubbles… So, if you’re looking for a toy car road set that will hold up just a bit better you should really check out this Felt Road Track. It takes slightly longer to create, but the pieces will hold up better – and just toss them in the washer if they need a quick cleaning.

RACE ON, MY FRIEND!