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Posts with tag back-to-school

Decorate notebooks for back to school

cupcake notebook decorated with scrapbooking materialsNotebooks are a necessity for school, but your kids may not get excited about the plain white paper and solid-colored cover. Sure, they are likely to plaster the front of their notebooks with the likes of "I [heart] David Archuleta 4-eva'," but why not suggest a venture slightly more creative than that?

There are some fun ways kids can decorate their notebooks for back-to-school, and make them uniquely theirs. For instance, using spare scrapbooking supplies, your kids can make their notebooks fit their favorite theme, whether that be cupcakes or super heroes.

Or, get some stencils, gel and glitter pens, and construction paper to embellish those notebooks and unleash those kids into a decorating frenzy.

A project like this one could go in so many directions; only time and creativity are the factors. So let your kids use the backs of their notebooks for their love graffiti, and proudly show off their artwork on the front covers.
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Duct tape back pack

duct tape backpackStep aside, Hannah Montana! There's a way cooler backpack in town...

As a parent, it's hard buying "branded" merchandise, isn't it? I don't want my son walking around advertising the latest Spiderman movie, and I sure wouldn't want Hannah Montana's face plastered all over my hypothetical daughter's backpack.

In the interest of promoting individuality and all things unique, why not send your child to school with a duct tape backpack... handmade by you, with some kid help, of course!

You know it will be strong -- it's duct tape, after all -- and you can customize the outside colors by using any colored duct tape you can find.

You'll need cardboard, gray and colored duct tape, and some string, shoelace-style. Before you know it, your child will be starting his or her own new trend... you may need a lot of duct tape very soon!
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Hide your air conditioning unit

Box air conditioning unit in a window, as viewed from inside. From randyr.net, Flickr.
The box air-conditioning unit is a necessary evil for many apartment dwellers. (Those of you about to head off to college, take note!) These things come with a few big cons: they are noisy, they are unsightly, they block the view out of your window, and they are a pain in the neck to install and uninstall.

At least the unsightliness factor is something you can fix! Here are a few suggestions for hiding your air conditioning unit from New York Magazine:

  • Decorate it with something pretty like wallpaper scraps.
  • Build a decorative cabinet around it, but be careful not to block air flow.
  • Disguise it from view with a sheer curtain.
  • Hide it with a screen.
  • Cover it with artwork and frame it.
[via Apartment Therapy]
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Back to school checklists

boy on first day of school

It's that time. My little guy will be starting preschool in September, and two mornings a week have gradually become a daily worry. While he is excited to go, we've never been apart, and making the separation easy for him is one of my top priorities.

Mommy Mall has put together a very comprehensive checklist for parents, to help make the transition to school as smooth as possible for families with children entering preschool, primary school, middle school, and high school.

You'll find tips for one month before school starts, one week before the transition, and the night before the big day, even the morning of, with lists for each school level.

Continue reading Back to school checklists

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How to eat ice cream and win a prize

In honor of all the kids going back to school this month, Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops are hosting an Oreo Ice Cream Lick-A-Thon in participating stores on September 20th to benefit schools, clubs, and libraries across the country. The object is to see who can eat their ice cream come the fastest -- licking only, please! Winners will become official Lick Champions and, I assume will be called upon to seal envelopes and affix stamps for at least the next six months.

Baskin-Robbins apparently realizes that ice cream cone-licking is a learned art and has thoughtfully provided a few tips on how to be the best licker in your neighborhood:

Continue reading How to eat ice cream and win a prize

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College Freshman 101: Doing your laundry

A great way to prove your independence when you go off to college is to show up wherever you go in fresh, clean clothes instead of rumpled togs that look they've spent a week at the bottom of the hamper. Staying on top of your laundry situation isn't very difficult and doesn't require a whole lot of expensive supplies.

Forget all those fancy laundry balls, ionizers, and other gadgets. All you need is a plastic laundry basket, some inexpensive detergent, a stain pre-treater, and some hangers. With the right tools and a few good habits, laundry day can be a snap.

Continue reading College Freshman 101: Doing your laundry

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