School Year Tips To Shine With Success

This post, School Year Tips To Shine With Success, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MomentsShineWithWindex #CollectiveBias

Shine with success this school year with great tips: first day of school photo ideas, organization charts, homework station ideas, and free printables.

 

School Year Tips To Shine With Success

Make Moments Sparkle

 

Can you believe it? Back-to-school is here! This is always a special and hectic time for families with school-age kids, even when they are heading off to college (Ha! Maybe more so). But, through the years I have learned a thing or two, and now I am going to share them with you.

These ideas for a successful school year are easy to implement and change up to meet your needs. Be creative! I even created a few FREE PRINTABLES that you can download. My hope is that you will find these ideas helpful and fun.

First Day of School Photo Ideas:

The first day of school means PICTURES! So, be prepared, grab your Windex® Original Glass Cleaner and make moments shine. You definitely don’t want grubby fingerprints on windows in the background.

Give these creative and easy ideas a try.

  • Use Chalk Markers to write and draw on glass or chalkboard.

I did this with Rory this year — college bound. We have pictures from every school year of the kids in front of our car or truck. It is a nice way to look back and remember what life was like at that moment in time, including our ride.

A couple of really nice things about using chalk markers on the windows — they are easy to write with and very easy to clean with Windex® products, check it out…

Clean your windows first. Windex® Original Glass Wipes work great for this.

Draw and Write on your windows to make your moments shine. Then, it is easy to clean up with the Windex® Original Glass Cleaner spray. The spray helps loosen up the dried chalk. Watch how easy…

  • Use Sidewalk Chalk and draw a large number for the grade your child is entering on the driveway. Decorate the number with style and personal flair. Then, have your child sit in the number or next to it for the photo.
  • Make a small pennant banner that your child can hold for the picture. Write or glue the words: First Day of School, 1st Grade, 2017, or whatever you want to say to create a special memory.
  • Frame a printable and have your child hold it for the picture. You can download and personalize the FREE PRINTABLE I created just for you.

Click to Download the First Day of School Printable

Remember, be camera-ready with Windex® Original Glass Cleaner or Windex® Original Glass Wipes.

Then, take advantage of this fabulous OFFER: Buy 2 Windex® products and get $20 to shop at Shutterfly®. This is a limited time offer. Disclaimer: Offer valid 7/15/17 – 12/1/17. Visit here for terms and conditions. Notice those dates, you can buy more Windex® products and use the offer for Halloween and Thanksgiving photos too!

 

Get Organized for the New School Year:

Start the school year with a plan. Children do very well with a schedule, it gives them a sense of purpose and a semblance of security. If they know what to expect next, you will have an easier time getting them to accomplish it. Schedules help set your child up for success!

  • Set Schedules
  • Morning: Wake up time, eat breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, leave for school, etc.
  • After School: Have a snack, do homework, play outside, eat dinner, quiet reading time or studying, take a bath, pack your backpack for the next day, set out your shoes and clothes for school, etc.
  • Bed Time: Have a set time your child is supposed to go to bed. Making sure your child gets enough sleep each night and is well-rested will help to ensure they have a good learning day a school.
  • Have a specified place for backpacks and other items to be placed. If you are not searching all over the house for things your morning will go much smoother. Less stress, less fighting, and arguing is better for everyone’s day.

I have created a couple Organization Charts that will help your child stay on task between getting home from school and going to bed. You can download these FREE PRINTABLES. You have a choice of two different color schemes.

Click to Download I’m Ready For School Organization Chart – yellow

 

Click to Download I’m Ready For School Organization Chart – pink

 

Put this chart on your refrigerator and use magnets to mark the accomplishments daily.

 

Homework Station Ideas:

Homework stations were a big part of a successful school year for us. We had one set up in our kitchen, where the kids could sit at the table to do their work, and I could be getting dinner ready for the family. The nice thing was that I was there and available for any questions that may arise. We had a cabinet where all of our homework necessities were stored.

We also had homework supplies in the car/truck. Why not take advantage of the time while one child is sitting around waiting for the other sibling for sports practice or ballet lessons? The more you get finished early, the more free time you have at home at night as a family.

  • Set up a place in your home where your child(ren) will do homework every day.
  • Find somewhere to store all our homework supplies: notebook paper; graph paper; pencils; erasers; glue; paper clips; stapler and staples, colored pencils; crayons; markers; etc. Be sure supplies are easily accessible to your child.
  • Use a Lazy Susan or turntable to place your supplies on the table. That way your kids can just spin the supplies to reach what they need.

Supplies on the go.

  • Keep a smaller amount of the same school supplies in your vehicle. Colored pencils work better than crayons and markers as they do not melt.
  • Have chairs for your kids, so they have a place to sit.
  • A lap desk or board helps to give stability for writing.

 

Whatever you are doing, however you celebrate and organize for the new school year, remember to get things clean and make your moments sparkle with Windex® products, America’s #1 glass cleaner — famous for streak-free shine!* For more information and ideas for use follow Windex® on Facebook and Twitter.

And do make use of the Shutterfly® offer, generations of your family will thank you.

Want another fun idea for school? Check out this fun video tutorial, Cool For School or Anytime… Shoelacing!

Here’s to a happy and organized school year! Go get ’em kids and parents alike.

 

* Claim based on data reported by Nielsen Scantrack in Household Glass Cleaner category for 52 weeks ending 11/26/16. Total US XAOC. Copyright 2016. The Nielsen Company.

 

 

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DIY Roundup – Top 16 DIY Projects of 2016

It’s time for a new year, and that means it is time to reminisce and look back over 2016. Today, we want to revisit the top 16 DIY projects of the year and bring you an inspirational DIY roundup in the process. Rev your imagination and let your creativity flow!

 

Top 16 DIY Projects of 2016

A DIY Roundup from Life With Lorelai

 

We’ll start with number 16 and work our way to the number one DIY project on the blog this past year.

 

16.

Origami Card Holder

 

15.

Custom Wire Basket

 

14.

Farmhouse Scale Makeover

 

13.

Discount Store Vase to Outdoor Lighting

 

12.

Solar Lamp – Beautiful Outdoor Decor

 

11.

Guest Room Charging Station

 

10.

Wooden Garden Sign

 

9.

Easy Table Runner

 

8.

Hoot Owl Craft & Centerpiece

 

7.

How To Loom Knit A Scarf

 

6.

Wooden Beach Marquee Sign

 

5.

Car Care & Basic Road Trip Kit

 

4.

Loom Knit Yarn Ball Cat Toy

 

3.

Sports Button Display

 

2.

Sidewalk Chalk Tutorial

 

1.

Haunted Mirror

 

2016 has been a creative and crafty year! We look forward to sharing more wonderful DIY projects and craft ideas with you in the coming year. Happy New Year to you and yours!

 

 

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Sports Button Display – DIY

DIY Sports Button Display

How Do You Display Your Kids Buttons?

 

Growing up, my son played both soccer and little league baseball. We had lots of fun together being involved in these sports as a family, and have lots of wonderful memories.

Each season (for each sport) brought pictures, and with them we would receive two buttons. Since dad was busy being a coach, umpire, or referee, I was the only one who wore a button to the games. That left me one button (in pristine condition) to do something else with.

I came up with a very simple idea for displaying these much cherished buttons. When the project began, I had three or four buttons to display, and you can see how it has grown. Over the years, I received lots of comments and compliments from family and friends about how much they love my Sports Button Display.

Today, I thought I would share my easy DIY Sports Button Display with you.

A FANtastic Memories Chronology!

What You’ll Need:

  • Ribbon (I used about 5 feet of navy colored 1-1/2 inch Grosgrain Ribbon)
  • 2 Push Pins
  • Your collection of Sports Buttons

Directions:

  • Hold one end of the ribbon
  • Fold the ribbon to make a circle (this will be the bow part at the top of the Button Ribbon – mine is about 4-1/4 to 5 inches wide)
  • Overlap the ribbon end about an inch
  • Hold ribbon with overlapped area in the middle
  • Grab the front middle part of the ribbon and hold it with the overlapped area.
  • Fold the ribbon tail at an angle, so it goes straight down from the bow
  • Wrap the tail around the center of the bow
  • The ribbon tail should come over the top of the bow and hang down the front
  • Use Push Pins to hang on wall
  • Cut bottom of ribbon tail into a “V” shape with two points.
  • Attach Sports Buttons as you collect them

 

Here are PRINTABLE Directions for the Sports Button Display — what a great idea for the mom’s at a team party!

 

5 from 1 reviews
Sports Button Ribbon Display - DIY
 
Make an easy and attractive way to display your kid's sports buttons.
from:
Type: DIY Project
Ingredients:
  • Ribbon (I used about 5 feet of navy colored 1-1/2 inch Grosgrain Ribbon)
  • 2 Push Pins
  • Your collection of Sports Buttons
Directions:
  1. Hold one end of the ribbon
  2. Fold the ribbon to make a circle (this will be the bow part at the top of the Button Ribbon - mine is about 4-1/4 to 5 inches wide)
  3. Overlap the ribbon end about an inch
  4. Hold ribbon with overlapped area in the middle
  5. Grab the front middle part of the ribbon and hold it with the overlapped area.
  6. Fold the ribbon tail at an angle, so it goes straight down from the bow
  7. Wrap the tail around the center of the bow
  8. The ribbon tail should come over the top of the bow and hang down the front
  9. Use Push Pins to hang on wall
  10. Cut bottom of ribbon tail into a "V" shape with two points.
  11. Attach Sports Buttons as you collect them
3.2.2885

 

 

This Sports Button Display has brought many cherished memories over the years. It’s fun to see how much he grew and changed. I hope you will enjoy this project as much as I do.

Do you have any Sports Buttons that need displaying?

Have any other idea for a display?

 

Leave me a comment… I’d love to hear from you!

~Lorelai

 

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Flashback – OMG, What Were You Thinking?!?


It was 1976…

  • The United States of America celebrates its bicentennial
  • The $2.00 bill is issued
  • Dorothy Hamill wins ice skating gold at the Olympic games in Innsbruck, Austria
  • Nadia Comaneci and Mark Spitz rocked gold at the Montreal Olympics
  • NASA unveiled the first Space Shuttle – the Enterprise
  • Apple Computer Company is formed
  • The Damned release New Rose – the first ever single released and marketed as “punk rock”
  • Popular Movies included: The Omen, Rocky, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  • Jimmy Carter defeats Gerald Ford in the Presidential Election
  • On TV: Happy Days, M*A*S*H, Charlie’s Angels, and The Six Million Dollar Man
  • Fashion Trends: Bellbottoms, Plaid and Paisley, Platform Shoes, Hot Pants, and Leisure Suits
  • Disco was in full swing
  • And on the radio…

[youtube=https://youtu.be/T3T1HaChff0]

And this was 12-year-old me ~ Aren’t passport photos lovely?!?

OMG – What Were You Thinking?!?

Can you believe that shirt??? Look, it’s puka shells… and that hair cut, holy cranoli! (Now, to be honest, it was supposed to be a Dorothy Hamill hair cut, but apparently the hair dresser in Mississippi didn’t have a clue what it was supposed to look like…barf… Why I decided to cut my below-the-waist long hair on vacation is beyond me.)

Well, there you have it. One of my most embarrassing photos! Live, Laugh, and Learn…

 

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Pumpkin Carving Page

I know it’s not Halloween, but the “Pumpkin Carving Page” is published!

Can you handle it???

 

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Welcome to Life With Lorelai

Corona Del Mar, California

“At times our lives seem like that of a tranquil island in a sea of chaos. The battle is to keep this sea of chaos at bay and not let it wash us away into utter chaos.” ~Sanjeeva Ananthan

My battle at the moment is learning how to cope as a single mother of a 17-year-old daughter. After being separated for nearly four years, her father, and my soon-to-be ex-husband moved out this past weekend, and her brother is away at college. Rory and I are starting our lives over. This prospect is exciting, invigorating, and a whole lot of scary and stressful.

I wanted to start this blog to journal my experience. My pitfalls, my triumphs, fun times, happy times, sad times, in-need-of venting times. My hope is that you will tag along in my adventure as I forge a new path.

Life With Lorelai will bring you a varietal smorgasbord of topics from the trials of the process of starting life over to my interests in writing, cooking, gardening, singing karaoke, and more. If you have any suggestions for a topic, please let me know.

I look forward to getting to know you…

~Lorelai

 

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