First Day of School Free Printables

Today is the first day of school for Skylar and Brody!  Can't believe I have a 3rd grader and 6th grader!!  I hope all of you had a wonderful summer and ready to start the new school year.  I am still in shock that I have a middle schooler.  Where did the time go?  Even though I may have shed some tears this morning, I was happy to see that both Skylar and Brody are excited for the new school year.

I will be counting down the minutes for when they return, and I hope they talk my ear off with details of their first day.

In case school hasn't started yet in your household, here are some free printables for your first day of school photos!!  Just click on the link below and print out the grades you need! Hope you all have a great school year!

Teacher Appreciation - "You've Bean a Great Teacher" - Free Printable

It's that time of the year again!  Teacher Appreciation Week for most schools is the first full week in May.  We always enjoy spoiling our teachers and thanking them for all that they do. We really should be doing that throughout the year, but it's fun for everyone to do it all during the same week.

As always, I try to do something fun and affordable every day for all of their teachers (including Specials teachers so it can add up and get expensive quickly!) and end the week with a gift card of some sort.  I am still trying to decide what to do this year, but I was looking through some photos and found past gifts that I did not get to post here yet.

A couple years ago I found these cute tubes filled with jelly beans at my local Target.  I love that Teacher Appreciation Week is after Easter so sometimes you can find treats on clearance after the Easter holiday that isn't marked with Easter bunnies or other signs of Easter.

Thankfully I was able to find 2 different flavors so Brody and Skylar can give different flavors to their Specials teachers (since they have the same Specials teachers).  And I scored 8 of each flavor so that they had plenty for all of their teachers.

I made a cute, personalized tag that says "You've Bean a Great Teacher" to add the special touch!

It didn't take too long to add that personalized touch to all of the candy before handing to their teachers. Here are all of the tubes ready to be given to their teachers...

You can download your own free printable tags HERE or click on the photo below (yours will not include my children's names).

Print the PDF on white heavy cardstock paper.  Cut the cards out and punch a small hole to attach to the jelly bean tube.

If you are unable to find individual tubes of jelly beans, I'm sure you will find plenty of stores with bags of jelly beans on clearance right now and you can fill your own cute container.  You can find some candy tins or jars in the Wedding Favor section of you local craft store (maybe even dollar store!)  Or you can buy some online.  I love these adorable glass jars:



Or these candy tubes:



Or you can just put in little treat bags from you local craft store or dollar store. I hope you make your teachers smile next week!

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Top 5 Travel Essentials

Happy President's Day everyone! 

It's hard to believe that the school year is more than halfway over!  Do you already have your summer vacations planned out?  We are not sure exactly what we are doing yet, but I have already been browsing online and looking at various websites to get ideas for our next summer vacation.

I was inspired by Tripping.com to think of travel essentials I would never leave home without, I instantly thought hand sanitizer and daily medications.  But then I thought more about it and I realized there are several more must-haves that I can never go on vacation without packing.  Check out my top 5 travel essentials and see if any of your must-have items are on my list!  They are not in particular order, but I usually travel with all of these 5 things.

1. DSLR Camera

Without a doubt, when going on vacation, I cannot leave home without my digital SLR camera.  I own a Nikon D3200 and even though I am not a trained photographer, this camera really takes amazing photos and makes it seem like I'm a pro!

I can catch my kids at their best moments, giving each other big hugs...

Or I can capture beautiful scenery to help remind us of the locations of our fun vacations...

(Interested in visiting Florida yourself?  You can check out Florida vacation rentals on Tripping.com)

And it is definitely a must-do to take a photo of famous international landmarks!

 

And even better, if I pack our tripod and camera remote control, I can take a picture of the entire family!

2. Swimsuits

Unless we are going on a ski trip, I almost always pack swimsuits.  They are small enough to throw into the luggage, because you never know if you want to just relax and spend the day on the beach or your hotel pool.

And both my kids are like little fish, they are great swimmers and could spend the whole day in the ocean or in a swimming pool.

3. Matching Family Attire

Ok, so I admit this is a little weird.  I probably add extra stress when it comes to packing our suitcases, but I pack a couple or more matching outfits for the family to wear. They don't have to match exactly, but I like to pick outfits that are in the same color scheme and that look good in photos, so I know for sure that our clothes will not be an issue and clash in the photos that I take.

Before packing these outfits, I usually lay them out on the floor and take a picture of the group of outfits so I remember them when we get to our destination.  If you need ideas, you can check out my Pinterest Board filled with family photo outfit ideas.

And if you end up not packing these matching outfits, you can always buy some during your vacation!

I think I already mentioned the following two travel essentials earlier, but here they are anyways...

4. Hand Sanitizer

Of course I am going to pack my handy dandy hand sanitizer.  There are germs everywhere, especially when we fly on an airplane, better safe than sorry, right?

5. Medications

This is the boring stuff, but any daily medications are packed into my carry-on bag so in case we get separated from our luggage, we still have our medications!

And finally, although it is not an actual "item" to pack.  I always go on a vacation with an open mindset and ready to say YES to adventure!!  Whether it's riding horses on the beach, going on a wooden raft down a river in Jamaica, and even doing a ropes course on a cruise ship and walking the plank over the middle of the ocean,  vacations are perfect for making incredible family memories!

So what travel essentials are on your list? Hope you have fun planning your next vacation!

Sweet Metel Moments is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Summertime Christmas Party Inspiration

We survived the first week of school, woohoo!  Brody and Skylar both love their teachers and I am happy to report that my kids are currently enjoying school.  Skylar always loves going to school, but Brody prefers sleeping in, going on vacations, and the lazy days of summer.  So I was really surprised and happy to hear him say one morning before school last week, "I'm excited to go to school today".

Now that the kids are back in school, I finally have some time to blog again.  And since Christmas in July is a popular thing in the blogging world, I thought I would create an inspiration board for a summertime Christmas party.  I know it's August already, so I missed the whole "Christmas in July" fun, but in reality, living in Florida, it can feel like a summer day when December 25th comes around so you can use the inspiration for a winter Christmas party in Florida as well.

When it comes to planning any party, I instantly think of what the kids would want.  So when planning this inspiration board, I pictured a fun after-school play date in our back patio with Brody and Skylar and their friends.  So there would be lots of finger foods (both sweet and healthy), and frozen hot chocolate as their drinks (and dessert!). As for decor, I would use some fun polka dot and striped printables that I created for a family Christmas party a few years ago.  I am obsessed with polka dots and stripes when it comes to party decor! Just click on the links below to go to the original source of inspiration.

1. Frozen Hot Chocolate

2. Cheese, Cracker, and Sausage Christmas Tree

3. Melted Snowman Bark

4. Watermelon Christmas Trees

5.  Sweet & Jolly Christmas Party Printables by Sweet Metel Moments

I found this super-cute card from Paperless Post that would match my polka-dot themed decor.  Click on the photo below to check it out, or go HERE to check out their whole Christmas card collection.

Hope this post inspires you to get ready for the holiday season, better early than late! :-)

First Day of School Photos 2016 - Free Printables

The summer has flown by!  We had an amazing time together as a family.  I hope to post more pictures of our UK trip and travel tips from our summer break.  In the meantime, it is time to get ready for back to school!  I've already seen back to school photos from friends and family on social media.  I love seeing their cute smiling faces with their new bookbags and lunchbags.  

As a tradition, I take first day of school pictures of Brody and Skylar.  It is hard to believe how much they have grown up and changed in the past few years.  Here are some pictures from the past...

If you need a printable to add to your back to school photos, just click HERE or the photo below and print what your need for your child!

I hope everyone has a wonderful first day back to school and an awesome school year!

Fashion Friday - Souvenir Tees

We are in the middle of summer vacation and feel so blessed to currently be spending our time in England right now.  We are in the lovely city of Bath, in the west country of England, near the border of Wales.  We actually spent a lovely day in Cardiff, Wales and fell in love with Wales and the beautiful castles of the country.  I knew that I wanted to buy a souvenir tee with the Welsh flag because how cool is it to have a national flag with a dragon on it!!?!

We enjoyed souvenir shopping and supporting the small, local shops (our usual purchases are stuffed animals selected by Brody and Skylar, and a Christmas ornament to hang on our Christmas tree identifying the wonderful places and cities we visit). The Welsh shirts were a bit pricey so we left Wales with just stuffed animals and an ornament.

However, right next door to our hotel in Bath, we have Primark. If you are not familiar with Primark, it is a European department store with very affordable apparel, shoes, accessories, and even home goods and snacks.  If you are on a budget, it is a great spot to purchase any items that you may have forgotten from home, and also a great spot to find souvenir tees from the local country you are visiting.  It is also my husband's favorite store to purchase skinny jeans! 

Just our luck, we found these cool tees in the boys department on sale for £1 each!  

Yes, £1!

I love that it even says "Cymru" which is "Wales" in Welsh.  Thankfully I was able to fit into the largest boy size which was 12-13 years old, and they also had sizes to fit Brody and Skylar.  Since it happened to be during the semi-finals of the Euro Cup, we wore our shirts proudly when Wales played Portugal earlier this week.  Unfortunately, Wales lost, but it was a fun match to watch at our hotel lobby with other hotel guests.

So next time you are in Europe and happen to be near a Primark, don't forget to check their t-shirt section where you might find a cheap souvenir!  Skylar and I paired our tees with basic black leggings and boots while Brody wore his jeans and sneakers.  My hubby also wore a different Wales shirt, so it was fun to match as a family.

 Do you have any other fun souvenir shopping tips or cool stores you recommend in other places?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Have a lovely day!

Teacher Appreciation - "Write Teacher" - Free Printable

Teacher Appreciation Week has come and gone, but I think we should show our teachers appreciation any time of the year since they do so much for our children!  If you are still looking for a gift to give to your child's teacher, here is another idea.  These would be nice to give to your teacher at the end of the school year, at the beginning of the school year, or even during a birthday or special holiday.

I found these cute zipper pouches at my local Michaels craft store (you can find some cute ones online HERE and HERE).

I filled the zipper pouches with some coordinating notepads and notecards along with a pencil.

Download my free printable 5x7 card from HERE or click on the photo below.  

Print the PDF on white heavy cardstock paper.  Cut the cards out and punch holes on each side and attach to the zipper pouches using twine or ribbon.

I'm sure your teachers will appreciate this thoughtful gift!

Teacher Appreciation - "Tea-rrific Teacher" - Free Printable

We are in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week and Brody and Skylar have been having fun giving their teachers different gifts each day.  For today's gift, I got the idea from a gift I actually received from their school last week.  I was invited to a volunteer breakfast where the principal and staff made us school volunteers feel so loved!  They had a yummy breakfast for us, said kind words about us, and gave us our Volunteer certificates, along with this adorable gift...

I thought the gift was perfect!  And last year I had purchased some cute Betsey Johnson tumblers on clearance from Michaels and wasn't sure how to present them to the teachers.  Aren't these tumblers so cute in their fun, bright-colored animal print?

So I stole their "TEA-RRIFIC" idea!!  I made a tag that says "Thank you for being a TEA-RRIFIC teacher!"  Inside the tumblers I put some little Singles To Go packets of iced tea and some tea bags.

Then I attached the tag onto the front of the tumbler with tape.

If you would like to make these gifts for your teachers, you can download the free printable HERE or click on the photo below.  (Your tags won't have my children's names on them!)  Print on white heavy cardstock paper and cut out. If you want the smooth curved edges, I used my handy dandy Martha Stewart Corner Punch that you can get HERE.

Didn't they turn out so cute?

Hope you are able to use this gift idea!  Have a tea-rrific day!

Teacher Appreciation - "TOTEally Awesome Teacher" - Free Printable

If you are still looking for a Teacher Appreciation gift, I have another free printable for you today!  Last year I found these adorable plastic mini tote bags in the Michaels dollar bins.  I was drawn to their beautiful, bright, and happy colors!  I also liked that they were about the size of a lunch bag, so if the teachers wanted to re-purpose the gift bags, they could reuse them as a lunch bag or something small they could bring into the classroom for carrying things.  

I have not had a chance to see if Michaels has these bags again, but they always seem to have cute bags like these in craft stores like Michaels, Jo-Ann, Hobby Lobby, or even the Dollar Spot at Target, so make sure to browse their dollar sections if you are in those stores!

Inside I put some coordinating notecards and notepads (that I also found in the Michaels dollar bins on clearance!)  But you can put whatever you like in these cute bags.  You can also write a sweet note to your child's teacher on the back of these cards or have your child write the note.

Download your free printable HERE or click on the photo below.  Of course your card won't have my children's names on them!  Print on white heavy cardstock paper and cut out, and attach to a cute mini tote bag with a ribbon.  If you want the smooth curved edges, I used my handy dandy Martha Stewart Corner Punch that you can get HERE.  Fill the bag with your special gift and give to your totally awesome teacher!!

Hope you make a teacher smile today!  You are making me smile by reading this!!

For more Teacher Appreciation ideas, check out my Free Printables page HERE.

Teacher Appreciation - "Showering Me With Love and Knowledge" - Free Printable

Teacher Appreciation Week is the first full week in May, which means it is right around the corner!!  I think it is very important to show appreciation to these wonderful teachers who have taken such great care of our children all year.  I feel very blessed that Brody and Skylar have had amazing teachers since they started school!

I like to give their teachers a small gift every day.  It can get a little expensive, so I try to be a bit more creative with the presentation, even if it's an inexpensive gift (especially when they have multiple Specials teachers).  Then I like to give a bigger gift to their main teachers on Friday, usually some sort of gift card.

For today, I wanted to share with you a gift that Brody and Skylar gave their main teachers last year.  I found these super cute Betsey Johnson umbrellas at Michaels last year, and I was even able to use a coupon to purchase them (purchased them on separate occasions to use 2 coupons).  If your local Michaels store doesn't have these anymore, I think most stores like Target or Walmart would carry something similar.  Or you can find cute umbrellas online HERE.

To dress them up, we wrapped them with colorful gifting tissue paper, and tied the ends with cute ribbon.  Then I added a tag that says, "Thanks for showering me with love and knowledge!"  On the back I had Brody and Skylar write a personal message to their teachers.

To get the free printable, you can download them HERE, or click on the photo below, then print on white heavy cardstock paper.

Here's Skylar and Brody excited to give their teachers their gifts!

Let's shower our teachers with love and appreciation!!

For more Teacher Appreciation ideas, check out my Free Printables page HERE.