Free Printable Easter Egg Prize Tickets

I've always loved doing Easter egg hunts. I remember that one year, my aunt hid the eggs for us to find. We found them super fast, so then we traded- my sister and I hid the eggs for my aunt and younger cousin to find. After a while, he was complaining because there were SO many eggs to find and we had hidden them really well! We hid empty eggs just for fun, but I think part of the fun for kids is getting a prize at the end.

Psst: If you’re looking for Toddler Basket ideas, check out this post!

The usual tradition is to put candy or junky little toys inside, but I figured there had to be a different solution. I wanted to share these cute coupons! You can print these out on white cardstock and cut them out easily using scissors. I cut around each ticket individually, but to make it MUCH easier, I recommend getting a paper cutter and cutting around each one and leaving a white border.

Using these coupons is simple- fill your eggs with a coupon or two, and then have your kids trade them in for prizes! You can use them 1:1 (aka 1 ticket = 1 prize) or set up an arcade system where you can pool tickets for larger prizes. As for the printouts, I've got several options- tickets that say what they're for, tickets that only have a picture on them, and blank tickets that you can label yourself. Use them all however you'd like!

Once you've got all your egg fillers, don’t forget to make bunny ear headbands for all the kids! These are easy to whip up and can be customized in any style.

I hope these ideas were helpful, but I've gotta know- what do you put into your Easter eggs?!

10 Survival Secrets From A Stay At Home Mom

With all the isolation/social distancing going on out there, I figured this would be my time to shine and finally share all the ways that I keep myself sane while staying at home with my daughter. I’ve been a stay at home mom (SAHM) since she was born, and then became a work from home mom (WFHM) about a month after she was born. I definitely made some mistakes when I first started, so I’m hoping to make it easy for you and give you some guidelines that will help you to hit the ground running like a rockstar. The truth is that so many people are home now, for an extended period of time, and no one planned for this. So, here are my tips to make it as easy as possible for you!

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10 Survival Secrets From A Stay At Home Mom

1. Create a loose schedule. Plan out breakfast, lunch, and activities. Try to keep it as close as possible to what your kids are used to at daycare or school. This doesn’t have to be super detailed- just something like time to wake up, time you’ll be eating, and when activities and naps will be scheduled for. This helps you to flow through the day, knowing that you don’t have to entertain them for 10 hours but instead that you’re doing different tasks in time blocks of 1-2 hours.

2. Plan some activities. Look on Pinterest based on the ages of your kids- there are hundreds of ideas! It doesn’t have to be complicated though. Set up a jump rope competition, hula hoop- keep them moving to burn off that energy. Do reading time, or play store, do crafts, listen to music and dance- anything goes! I’d make a list of 20 activities that you can do and then work from there when you feel overwhelmed.

3. Go with the flow. This is SO IMPORTANT. If your kids are having fun, let them be. If they don’t want to do the craft project you planned out, try again another day. I found that when I tried to schedule the day too much, nothing was fun. I was frustrated that nothing was working out according to plan. However, I found that when I loosened up and let Hailey lead the way, she could know me new ways to play with her or just let her do her thing and try something new.

4. Let them explore, play and be kids. This kinda goes off the last one- let the kids do what they want. If you think you can Pinterest the crap out of your day and they will follow through, you’ve got another thing coming. And that thing is STRESS. It’s not just kids- I’ve even noticed that when I’ve tried to plan too strictly for my friends, I end up with stuff that doesn’t get done because we were busy chit-chatting. So, let everything be and save the planned activities for when they are bored or can’t entertain themselves. 

5. The crock pot is your best friend. I hate cooking. Really and truly do. And on the days when I have to cook dinner (I usually do breakfast and lunch, my husband does dinner) I tend to opt for a crock pot meal. The last thing I want to do at the end of the day is make something elaborate. With the crock pot, I put everything in first thing in the morning and let it cook on low heat all day long. Then by the evening, my husband comes home and dinner is done and smells delicious. It’s easy and usually leads to leftovers, which is wins all around for me! My favorite recipes are Salsa Verse Chicken, Greek Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken and Mexican Stuffed Peppers.

6. Plan major work tasks and calls for nap time. If you think that you can hand your kids a few toys and they will be entertained and leave you alone to work… well, bless your heart. Sometimes that works. Many times it does not. So, I schedule all major work tasks and any calls or video chats for nap time. I know I have 1-2 hours to get things done and you’ll be amazed how quickly you work once kids are around. All that lallygagging goes out the window. If your kids are too old for naps, tell them it’s quiet time and they can watch a movie or do something else that will keep them entertained. For us, if it’s not nap time it’s Youtube Kids. I feel guilty, but I pick my battles sometimes. There will be days where she’s entertaining herself ALL DAY LONG. Then there are days where I’m lucky if I can get anything done during nap time besides crying. You gotta roll with the punches. 

7. Take them outside for fresh air. Some time spent in your yard or a brief walk should be fine. Let them run around. Just don’t get within 6 feet of other people or touch play structures. For this, I will say to do your homework in your region. But from what I’ve seen and heard, it’s ok to be outside in public places as long as you don’t go near other people or touch stuff. Either way, fresh air is so important and even a few minutes outside will help everyone’s sanity. Even if all you do is take the dog for a walk or go around the block!

8. Don’t totally reinvent the wheel or totally give up. I know it’s tempting to create a whole curriculum or just say “oh well- tv all day!” The truth is that keeping kids entertained doesn’t have to be complicated or even lazy- find a middle ground. There are tons of online programs for kids to be entertained at all age levels. I know scholastic is offering their services for free this month, and there’s tons of youtube videos and online courses. Either way, fill your time with things that you love. Learn some skills, or have your kids watch an educational program. Even Animal Planet is or Disney Earth movies are educational! Mix that in with some fun stuff, and they’ll be learning while still being entertained.

9. Video chat with friends and family. At times like these, it’s easy to isolate yourself. But, I encourage you to video chat with friends and family. Maybe play a game together or do crafts. Read books, watch the same movie and then hop on a call to chat about it. Keep in touch with my family and if you don’t like the conversations, politely shift them away. You are totally within your right to say “I don’t want to talk about the news right now. Let’s just discuss what you did today” or discuss summer plans… whatever the case may be. I definitely have people in my life that only want to talk about the tragedies. I am more about enhancing the human experience and making things fun. 

10. Give yourself (and your kids) some grace. Patience is KEY here. There are good days and bad days. You will probably feel frustrated and your kids will too. The only thing we can control is our mindset and our attitude. Be annoyed if you want to, but don’t let your mood be ruined all day, everyday. I try to change my mood day by day. If today is bad, I assume tomorrow will be good. I try to change things for the better. I think about what I can do differently- what went well or where did things go awry? I analyze a little too much sometimes, but it’s the best way to ensure that there’s hope for a better tomorrow.

I hope this was helpful for you! This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to staying at home and/or working from home. If you have any specific questions, let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to answer them!

Stay at Home Date Ideas

My husband and I have never really been the “go out on Valentine’s Day” type of people. Between the crowds, the increased fees, and now the inability to get a babysitter, staying in looks better than ever! Although we can just be lazy and watch Netflix like any other night, I decided to brainstorm some ideas to make staying in on Valentine’s Day special. And then, I figured lots of others couples and families probably stay home too- so, why not write a post with some ideas for everyone?! These are easy ideas you can whip up in a few hours or less- so, pick one you like and get to planning!

The best part is that these ideas can be used ALL YEAR LONG! So, pin this blog post to your Pinterest and reference it any time you want to add a little more fun to your date nights at home!

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Stay at Home Date Ideas for Adults

-Pick a country and "vacation" there (ex: watch an Italian movie while eating Italian food, drinking Italian wine, and an outfit you would wear to vacation in Italy!)

-Wine and cheese night (brie, bread, wine, various cheeses and crackers). Listen to romantic music, make a fire, or watch a movie.

- Order your fave takeout, watch your fave movie, and fave dessert

-Take a "cooking class" by making a new dish following a recipe you find online together. Bonus points for adding a dessert!

- Do a wine tasting or beer tasting. Get different wines or beers. One of you places them in random bags, the other one adds numbers and pours them into glasses. The surprise won't be ruined!

-Watch a video on Youtube and learn a new dance together!

-Have a picnic in your yard (if it's warm where you live) or on your living room floor.

-Give each other massages or some other spa treatment

-Learn a new skill (like juggling) together

Stay at Home Date Ideas for Families & Kids

-make a love fort & fill it with pink, red, white or purple sheets and pillows, or just all the items they love.

-Do a craft day together

-Hide valentines around the house for kids to collect (write what you love about kids and hide them or spell out an activity to do together another day)

-Create games at home- bowling with half-empty bottles, ball toss with buckets, etc. Pinterest has about a billion ideas for this!

-Do a photo scavenger hunt. Come up with items they need to find, and watch as they peruse the house for the items. Give them a kid's camera to take some pics of their treasures! (Also, this helps avoid a broken iPhone screen!)

Stay at Home Date Ideas for Friends

-have a spa/pamper day (each friend picks a treatment, like face masks, nail polish, etc). Or, pick up a few of these kits!

-Rom-com marathon. Get some popcorn and add gourmet flavoring for a special twist!

-Do a craft together (like making your own candles!) with wine and a cheese platter

-Do a paint nite together by following a Youtube video or letting each person pick their own idea. Grab a set of canvases and some paints!

Stay at Home Date Ideas for All Ages

-Karaoke! Get a cheap microphone on Amazon or fake one using a hairbrush. Watch videos on Youtube or get a fancy machine. The choice is yours!

-Make fondue! I think this would also be great for kids.

-Host a game night!

-Make smores and sing campfire songs! Bonus points if someone knows how to play guitar.

-Make breakfast for dinner! Switch it up and make homemade waffles.

There are TONS of ways that you can make staying at home feel special. You just need to be creative! Do you have any other great date night ideas? Or, is one of these your fave? Let me know in the comments below!

Perfect Valentine's Day Gifts for Moms

Ah, moms. The women who give their all to raise amazing little humans. They’re also notorious for never doing anything for themselves! This Valentine’s Day, how about giving a little gift to the special mom in your life? Whether she’s your sister, wife or friend, I bet she would appreciate a small gift for herself! Here are some ideas for gifts that a mom will love- no matter your budget! Oh and also- TOTALLY perfect to buy them for yourself as well!

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Under $25

Box of Teas - Moms can definitely use something to relax! This box of teas is SO cute and looks fancy. As a bonus, add in some fancy honey and you’ve got the perfect gift.

Blackhead Remover Pore Vacuum - This is perfect for getting a facial without actually leaving the house! Give it as a gift with Tea Tree Essential Oil for a perfectly pampering experience.

Silk pillowcase - These pillowcases are great for your skin and hair! They also feel super luxurious, so there’s that!

Travel Coffee Mug - Since mom’s coffee never stays warm, give her this insulated travel mug so she can take it on the go! For the mom with more than one kid, go for the bigger option. She needs all the coffee she can get!

Headbands - All moms love to throw their hair up in a mom bun! Or maybe not love to.. but it happens. Give them a nice set of headbands to add a little flair to every outfit, and add a headband holder to help them stay organized and nicely displayed!

Makeup Brush Holder - mostly just so that she can store them nicely and feel like a rockstar while she does her makeup!

Dry Erase Calendar - As a bonus, add a set of dry erase markers to go with it!

Reversible Tote Bag - It’s a fact. Moms have a lot of stuff that they need to carry. This way, she can do it in style!

Best Mom Ever Candle - Perfect for the rare moment that mom gets some time alone- like, maybe a bath?! A girl can dream, right?

Sexy-ish PJ’s - I think these are fun to give as a reminder that although she is “mom” most of the day, she can still be her sexy self in the evening.

Under $50

7-Piece Pajama Set - This set is so fun for all the moods! Sexy mom, check. Lazy mom, check. It also means that she’ll be bale to mix and match the pieces while still looking put together!

Wine Glass - Add in a bottle of her fave wine and you’ve got a winner!

Gift Card for Date Night - Every mom needs to get out once in a while! Throw in an offer to babysit, and this is probably the best gift ever.

External Hard Drive - Moms love to take pictures. Get her an external hard drive to hold all those precious photos and keep them safe!

Heart Necklace - Jewelry is fun. As a bonus, this one can be engraved!

Wine Bottle Holder - There’s a reason that pretty much every mom mug and t-shirt mentions wine. Get her this cute bottle holder to store that wine in a pretty way!

Cozy Blanket - This is perfect for time spent on the couch with the kids, or watching a movie in peace after they’ve gone to bed!

Picture Frame -So many pictures end up buried on our phone forever. With a pretty frame like this one, she’ll have a great reason to display them! To be the best friend ever, offer to take a family photo so that she can be in it.

French Press Coffee Maker - Moms need coffee, and this set is SO PRETTY.

Essential Oils Diffuser - Help her to relax and feel like she’s at the spa, even if she’s just watching Frozen for the 700th time. This one is really pretty and fits in with anyone’s decor! As a bonus, add a set of essential oils.

Around $100

Dreamy Baby Photography - Moms take lots of pictures. With this course, she can take amazing photos of her baby no matter the device. By enrolling her in this course, she’s getting a new skill plus all the memories of her child. It’s a win-win.

Robot Vacuum - Kids make messes and we hate to clean the. This vacuum does the work for her.

Handheld Massager - Raising kids is stressful and we don’t get to move and stretch as much as we should. Things get stiff! This massager helps to loosen things up.

Custom Initial Necklace- Perfect for her initials, her husband’s, or her children!

Amazon Echo Show - I have one of these and love it. I can play music, write down a grocery list, set a timer, hear the weather…. all without touching my phone that I can’t find because it’s been hidden by a child or the dog is sitting on it.

Ninja Countertop Blender - Perfect for morning smoothies! I have the Ninja and love it. It’s probably been at least 6 years that we’ve had it!

Keurig Coffee Maker - Because again, momma needs her coffee. This one comes in so many pretty colors!

Towel Warmer - This is a fun gift that really will make her feel pampered. Nothing better than a warm towel!

Fitbit Versa 2 Smartwatch - This connects with Amazon Alexa which is awesome! It also syncs up notifications with your phone and can control your spotify app. All of that in addition to the heath tracking benefits like tracking your heart rate, steps, etc.

Toddler Valentine Basket Ideas (On A Budget!)

While I was browsing the Valentine section at Target, I got the bright idea to make a Valentine’s day basket for my daughter, Hailey. I know that a Valentine basket technically isn’t a thing, but I love holidays and will take any excuse to celebrate. I started to ponder what I would put in my basket, and I was pretty bummed that I thought of the idea as we were essentially leaving the store. So, I made a list and decided to go back and grab what I needed another time (you know… before the inevitable meltdown began). I knew that I wanted my basket to be Valentine-themed, but I didn’t want to waste money on cheap crap or novelty items that she would only use for a day. This momma is on a budget and every purchase counts. So, I filled up Hailey’s basket with a few items that were fun, but could be used year round. Pretty much everything came from either Dollar Tree or Target!

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Here’s what I put in my Toddler Valentine Basket:

Red and pink snacks- Since Hailey is only 16 months old, I didn’t want to fill her basket with chocolates or candy. So, I grabbed some of her fave snacks and some new ones for her to try. She loved it and wanted her pouches and yogurt bites right away!

One stuffed animal- She’s not big on stuffed toys, so I grabbed this monkey from the dollar tree. She’s having a monkey moment since she knows how to make the sounds!

Bubbles- Hailey LOVES bubbles, so this big pack from the dollar store was perfect for her basket!

Toddler paint and paint brushes- I love to paint, so I decided to get a wooden heart from the Dollar Tree and some paints to go along with it. I can’t wait to paint with her again- we haven’t done it since she was a tiny baby!

Hershey Kisses- I had to give her some kind of chocolate! It’s a Valentine’s Day tradition. And what’s sweeter than a kiss?

Crayola Bath Items- I found these paint soaps at the dollar tree and I thought they would be a fun addition. At first she was very confused and even got mad at us for putting the paint soap on her! After a few tries, she realized she loved them and kept asking for more paint.

Valentine Book- Hailey loves the Halloween version of this book, so I decided to get her the Valentine version too! We’ve been reading it at night and she seems to like it.

Valentine Basket- This was actually something I had laying around the house if you can believe it! I was going to buy a basket but I figured I’d save the money. I have plenty at home I can use! Maybe next year (or for an older child) it would make sense to get a basket just for this- especially for a kid that likes to play with them.

Well, that’s all there is to it! There are so many items that you can add to a basket for your kids. You just need to be creative and think about what they like! Pick 2-3 colors for your basket that you’d like to stick to and it’ll be perfectly pretty. Or, just grab their favorite items and make it a “love” basket- you know, full of things they LOVE!

What would you put in your child’s basket? Let me know in the comments below!