3 D Ladybug Craft

3d Paper Ladybugs come together with the most basic of supplies to create a craft so cute your heart might flutter a bit.

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This 3 D Paper Lady Bug Craft  is perfect for kids of all ages. It is so easy, that even the little ones can help make these! With red and black paper and some glue you too can create these. The cute googly eyes are optional. If you have them, of course, use them. If not, create eyes with paint, paper, buttons, or something else. 

The supplies couldn't be more basic. Glue, 2 circles of red paper, in any size you like, and black paper, and a background are all that is required really. I used a hole punch to make circles easily and I had 2 pink googly eyes, so I used them!

Cut your circles together so they are the same size. 

Then fold them in half.

Glue one side of the circle to your background paper.

Line the other folded circle up and glue it on the paper.

Cut a teardrop shape from the black paper and affix this as the head of the 3D Ladybug.

Create and affix black dots with a hole punch, or a marker.

Then attach the eyes. 

Now you have a cute and super easy 3d paper ladybug  craft!

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J is for Jam Coloring Page

Harper is almost finished with her first year of preschool, so we are working harder than ever on writing our abc's. It is so cute to see her early stages of penmanship! There is something about a backwards letter that tugs right on my heartstrings!

I made this fun coloring page for her. It combines coloring and a chance to practice the letter Jj. We found this printable to be perfect around lunch time. Naturally it inspired us to add a little jam to our day.

J is for Jam Coloring Page Printable


You can print as many of these as you want or maybe pin it for later to share with a friend.

In case you missed the other letter printable coloring pages you can get them here:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad

           Delicious and easy, this recipe takes chicken salad to the next level of tasty!

We have been in a lunchtime slump for months now. I rarely think ahead and plan for lunch and am left standing before my kitchen feeling a little lost at lunch time. The number of days when Harper and I call cheese and crackers lunch is ridiculous! Yesterday, I decided to take the mid day meal back into my court and I created something on a whim that will save the meal for us time and time again!

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad couldn't be easier to make. While I made this with a whole chicken breast, you could easily save some time and swap that for some rotisserie chicken, or even a can of chicken breast if that is what you have on hand!

This recipe comes together easily. If you are using pre-cooked chicken breast, it comes together in under 5 minutes for a yummy lunch in spite of a busy day or limited culinary skills. In this recipe I used shallots because that is what I had on hand. You can use the onion of your choice. Celery might make a nice addition if you like it. I do not like celery so I didn't use it.

Ingredients for 4 sandwiches:

• 8 ounces of chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cut into small chunks.
• 4 tablespoons of mayo
• 1 tablespoon of ranch dip mix
• 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup  of bacon crumbles
• 1/4 cup of shallots or onion, finely chopped. 

Directions:

• Combine the mayo and ranch dip mix together, blending well.
• Add the onion or shallots and mix well.
• Add the chicken, bacon, and cheese and stir until well combined.
• Serve on bread, tortillas or on crackers for a tasty and easy lunch!

I think this tastes better the next day, so you might mix it up the night before and have a total treat of yummy for lunch the next day!

You will also want to peek at these Chicken Salad Recipes to Cluck For .

3D Paper Tulip Craft

This easy craft is perfect for spring! Requiring simple supplies, this 3 d tulip craft comes together in a matter of moments to create a sweet craft for the kids!

This craft comes together super fast to create a cute 3 d project that is perfect for spring! These tulips are pretty in any color! So, feel free to use a different color than yellow if that is what you like!

We made these on a rainy day to get crafty and pass the time indoors. We shared these with special friends to brighten their day too! How fun right?!

You will need:

3 sheets of yellow paper

school glue

green pipe cleaner

scissors

To begin, fold 3 sheets of paper in half. 

Draw your tulip shape on half of the paper, then cut that

Glue on half on to a second half, then glue the third sheet.

Stick your pipe cleaner in the center of the flower and secure with extra glue.

I think a bouquet of these would be a fun way to add a touch of spring to your decor! Stick them in a jar or vase for flowers that won't wilt!

You might also like these crafts:
Toddler Tulip Art
10 Spring Flower Crafts

Toddler Tulip Craft

This easy toddler tulip craft is perfect for a rainy day! It is easy and adorable and is so much fun for little ones!

We love tulip crafts! There are so many fun ways to create something inspired by spring that can be enjoyed for a long time! There is something super sweet about sharing kid art with loved ones and this one is perfect for that!

This is perfect for preschoolers! Harper loved making these!

You will need:

One sheet of blue paper

One sheet of green paper

One sheet of paper in the color of your choice for the tulip

Glue

Scissors

Cut 3 tear shapes for your tulips.

Cut or tear a thin strip of green for your stem.

Glue the three tear shapes so that the point is lined up to look like petals.

Add the stem.

12 Homemade Soda Recipes

Spring is near and I am ready to get outside, work in my yard and of course, entertain friends with style! This year I am skipping the ordinary bottled drinks in favor of one of a kind indulgences with these soda recipes you can make at home!

These all promise to be incredible. From Cranberry Soda to Pink Italian Cream Sodas, there is something on this list for everyone. I love that the ingredients are all simple and you know what you are serving to your loved ones.

 Homemade Pomegranate Soda by 52 Kitchen Adventures
Cranberry Sodas by Ginger Casa
Ginger Lime Soda by Tastes of Lizzy T
Homemade Cream Soda by Shaken Together Life
Strawberry Soda Syrup by Ginger Casa
DIY Italian Cream Soda by Dukes and Duchesses
Raspberry Italian Cream Soda by Housewife Eclectic
Pink Italian Cream Soda by Creative Southern Home
Homemade Orange Soda by What Rose Knows
Meyer Lemon Blueberry Soda by Chicken Scratch NY
Homemade Strawberry Soda by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
Blood Orange Soda by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Which of these homemade soda recipes will you try first? I think the Italian Cream Sodas all sound awesome and I love oranges so I would want to make myself the Blood Orange Soda or Homemade Orange Soda first!

Here are some of my favorite homemade soda syrup recipes:

Cherry Orange Soda Syrup

Mulberry Lime Soda

Strawberry Peach Soda 

Blueberry Lime Soda

I love to serve floats to friends. You might want to check out a few of my favorite float recipes.

Strawberry Shortcake Floats
Chocolate Cherry Floats
Strawberry Cheesecake Floats
Chocolate Cherry 7 Up Floats
Blackberry Cheesecake Floats

Welcome to my round up friendly blog search engine.

Funtastic Easter Basket Fillers

Easter is this weekend you guys! I always seem to wait until the last minute to tackle the baskets because my husband and I want to eat all of the candy otherwise. HA! This year we decided to focus less on the sweets and more on the treats to make Easter a fun yet simple affair that would be kind to our waistlines.

I have a list of ideas to share with you  that will make fun-tastic fillers for your Easter baskets this year. Samples and considerations of some products were received to inspire my list. We love these options because they provide hands on fun and invitations to explore and create.

1) Galaxy Slimy Gloop
This stuff is so much fun to make and play with! I am always a fan of gifts that encourage both learning and fun. This kit is available at Walmart and Michaels for under $7. It makes a fun option for older kids and teens.

2) Galactic Bath Bombs by Youniverse
Bath bombs are fun to make and create, so this kit is perfect for tweens and teens this Easter. It contains everything you will need to make several great bath bombs. The kit retails for under $13 so it is affordable and packs a lot of fizzy fun into the basket.

 3) STMT Signature Scent
This kit is perfect for girls that want to experiment with fragrance. It contains everything you need to make 4 rollerball bottles of perfume. Retailing at under $18 this is a great gift option for Easter. I made a batch of perfume from this kit with my daughter and it smells really nice, and we LOVED making it together!

4) Rock Art Kits
These are my favorite filler for an Easter basket this year because my kids love finding rocks, decorating them and hiding them! This can be so much more than just a art project kind of filler, it can be a totally fun family experience! Retailing at $5 each, these kits are perfect for kids 6 and older.

5) Aqualiens
Maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but these had to go in the Easter baskets as they will bring my kids so much joy when the pool is ready to go this summer. This dive toy is not just a toss and go kind of toy. It is a transforming diving toy that is really quite impressive! Retailing at under $10, these pods that morph into a creature are awesome for Easter!

6) Squidivers
These are perfect diving toys for my little one who is just mastering swimming. These wiggle and jiggle to the bottom and are easy to see and grab for little hands. Retailing at under $8, Squidivers are a fun filler for any Easter basket that will bring a lot of happiness to the kids as the weather gets warmer.


7) Barbie Water Bottle
The Barbie bottle by Horizon group is a great way to encourage health and creativity this Easter. The bottle comes in a fun barbie style with the pens to color the bottle how you like it! Retailing at under $13 you can find this bottle on Amazon.

8) Welch's Fruit Snacks
I love to add these to Easter baskets not only for the fun design but also because they are a tasty snack that is mostly guilt free. Look for the fun 28 packs with Easter designs at your local grocery store.

9) Board Games
Payday by Hasbro is one of our favorite options right now because my 7 year old needs money management lessons terribly! This is a fun way to learn about money and budgeting in a way that kids can understand.

Jenga Pass also makes a fun way to add family fun into an Easter basket! I love that the classic game of Jenga takes a twist and turn in this new fun version! Retailing at under $20 I love this pick for tweens and teens.

10) Play Doh
As a kid, I got pretty excited for play doh. I love to see that same magic in the eyes of my kids when they open a can of play doh! The Play Doh Kitchen Creations Magic Oven Set is a super fun outlet for creation and hands on fun.
I love that this oven has lights to make the experience super realistic for my 4 year old.

The fun continues with the Play Doh Letters and Language Set and the Play Doh Textures and Tools Sets. These are so much fun for little hands! Each set contains the tools you need for fun like mats, stamps and play doh! At under $20 these are perfect for an Easter basket.

11) Nerf Guns
My son loves to invite his friends over to play. Lately they have been clamouring for Nerf Guns. The Nerf Microshot Series is perfect for Easter baskets. Priced at under $7, these guns pack a whole lot of punch in a small package.

12) Star Wars Force Link Starter Sets
With this new wearable tech you can FEEL the force during playtime! Compatable with more than 30 Star Wars toys, the force link starter set unlocks sound effects, phrases and lights. We love that our starter set came with Kylo Ren for a new twist on play! Retailing at under $35 this option will bring the fun of Easter out in full force!

13) Luke and Leia Muggs Figures
These are so cute that they practically beg to be in an Easter Basket! Retailing at under $10, they are a fun way to bring the force to Easter! We love that the faces change easily to give a new twist on playtime!

14) Disney Princess Little Kingdom Magical Movers
My little Disney princess can't get enough of her favorite girls, so these tiny little play sets are perfect for dramatic play sessions that she can really get into! Adding a favorite like Ariel, Snow White or Rapunzel to her Easter basket makes for a sweet holiday for sure. We loved that these are affordable and adorable for the win!

15) Adora 
With spring comes the need to coo about babies. This year why not bring a new little bundle of joy home for your little girl with a realistic looking doll from Adora. These are so cute and cuddly! Retailing at $15 and up, these are the perfect cure for baby fever this spring! You can find clothes, accessories and more to make the Adora doll the perfect filler for an Easter basket.

16) Strawbees
My kids love to build and create, so we knew Strawbees would be a really fun way to encourage hands on creativity. This set contains the parts and straws you need to create some really cool contraptions, creatures and fun things to play with.  Retailing at under $30, this 400 piece set is perfect for filling an Easter basket with fun!

17) Stomp Rockets
This is a fun toy to encourage active play. Kids won't be able to resist stomping their rockets into space! This is fun for kids of a variety of ages and encourages kids to learn about how the rockets launch while actively playing for the hippity hoppity win this Easter.




What are some of your favorite ways to fill a basket that are not candy? Leave me a comment to inspire me at the last minute please!

H is for Hot Air Balloon

This free printable is perfect for your letter of the week studies! It incorporates tracing, coloring and letter recognition, and best of all, it is FREE to print!

Harper and I have been working on one letter each week to help her build on what she is learning at preschool. I am a firm believer that education continues at home, and I LOVE to tackle fun projects with my mini. We make coloring time at least 3 times a week, so I knew that creating letter themed coloring pages would be a lot of fun for the two of us!

H is naturally her favorite letter. It is H like for Harper! I have a love of hot air balloons so I added that in, in hopes that she will find them interesting too. I want to do a hot air balloon ride with the kids when she gets a little older.

I would love it if you pin this coloring page for later, share it with a friend or print as many as you could need! If you work on these printable pages with your early learners I would love it if you share a pic on my facebook page.

Print the H is for Hot Air Balloon Coloring Page

You can find our other letter printables here:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

G is for Girl Coloring Page

Grab this free G is for girl coloring page for your preschoolers and kindergartners!

We have been working hard on our ABC's! This week we have a completely free g is for girl page to share with you! You can print as many of these as you would like, pin it for later or share it with a friend as a free resource for early learning!

These are great for little ones as they combine tracing, coloring and letter recognition in one fun and free package!

Print the G is for Girl Coloring Page

Shamrock Puppet

St. Patrick's Day is near and I have a really cute and easy shamrock puppet craft for you! 

This is such an easy craft for the little ones! It requires super simple supplies to create a cute way to spread the luck of the Irish!

You will need: 

One sheet of green paper

Glue

Scissors

A green kwik stick

Cut 4 green hearts out of the paper . 

Paint the stick green, it will dry in under 90 seconds if you use Kwik Sticks.

Glue all 4 hearts on to the stick, point in.

We also have a great 3D Shamrock Craft you might enjoy!

F is for Fan

This free letter f printable coloring page is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners. It combines coloring and tracing to create a fun way to work on letters!

We have been having so much fun with these printable coloring sheets! We are doing one letter a week to supplement what Harp is learning at school.

These are completely free! I hope you will print as many as you need, pin it for later and or share it with a friend for a free early learning resource! 

Print the F is for Fan Coloring Page

Letter E Printable

This FREE Letter E printable coloring sheet is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners.


Harper and I have been putting a lot of effort into our abc activities! She loves these printable coloring and tracing sheets that I have been making. I love that these give her a chance to color, trace and work on letter recognition all in one sheet!

I would love it if you would pin this, print it, or share it with a friend! You can print as many as you would ever need! If you use them with your little ones, I would love to have you snap a pic and share it with me on facebook!

                                                       Print the  E is for Easel Coloring Page

You can grab the other letters here :
Letter A
Letter B
Letter C
Letter D
Letter E

C is for Cat Coloring Page

This week Harper and I are studying the letter C. Harper attends preschool, but I am a firm believer that education continues when you get home, and any extra help she can get will benefit her as she enters the fast paced world of kindergarten.

I have been designing a coloring page, creating a craft and selecting a fun book to focus on each week. I hope you will pin these totally free coloring page printables so you can use them and share them with other little learners in your life.

This post contains affiliate links.

Harp loves this simple design, it gives her a chance to trace her letter of the week. She can color a picture associated with the letter and of course, the story to wrap it all up is always a hit. This week we are recommending Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This is one of Harps all time favorites!

C is for Cat Coloring Page Printable

We are revisiting a favorite  craft this week too! Both of my kids have loved making paper cookies for years now. Harp knew we were going to make them as soon as she saw me add sprinkles to the shopping cart this week!

You can check out our easy paper cookie craft here.

Who will you print this coloring page for?

B is for Butterfly Coloring Page

This week Harper and I are working on the letter B. It is cold enough that I debated making the theme for this letter BRRRR... but, we are hopeful for spring and the return of our winged friends, the butterflies!

I made this cute coloring page to help Harp flutter through this letter. As soon as she saw it she said, "You made that for me to color!?!" It was too cute!

This post contains sponsored content or affiliate links.

We are going to revisit a favorite butterfly craft to accompany our coloring page. We made these easy butterflies last year, they were adorable and fun so we won't mind making them again at all!

If that isn't enough butterfly crafty fun, I would love to have you check out my butterfly pasta art project on Crafting Reality.

We love to incorporate a story into our studies. This is an affiliate link and I may earn a commission. Harper and I had a ton of fun with Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See by Eric Carle.

                                                  Print this free coloring page here 

If you have a fun idea for the letter B I would love to hear about it!

A is for Alligator Coloring Page

I shared an easy and cute letter a craft for preschoolers with you a few days ago and wanted to continue our letter a adventure with a fun coloring page you can print for your little ones.

In case you missed our craft you can click through to check it out. Letter A; A is for Alligator Preschool Craft.

This free printable gives kids a chance to practice writing their a's while coloring a fun companion to the craft, which was so much fun and so simple! I will go through the entire alphabet with Harp, so keep checking back for the rest of the letters of the alphabet!

This post includes affiliate links.

You can also grab a really cute book for under $1 on amazon to add to your letter A lessons. Harper and Irecommend A is for Alligator naturally!

                                                        Print the A is for alligator coloring page here

If you have a fun idea for the letter A please leave a comment to inspire Harper and I!

A is for Alligator Craft

Now that Harper is in preschool, our projects have become intentional. I want to make sure she is getting the support she needs to put all that she is learning to good use! We have been taking our time exploring the alphabet and having a lot of fun doing it too!

Today, I want to share a fun letter A craft with you that comes together in a matter of moments and takes a bite out of craft time and makes letter recognition a lot of fun for preschoolers!

This post includes partner links.

To make the A is for Alligator Craft you will need:

2 x 4" strips of green paper
1 x 2" strip of green paper
2 x 2" strips of white paper
1 googly eye
glue stick
scissors

Directions:

1. With the 2x 4" strips  and 1 x 2" strip of green paper form your letter A and glue it in place.
2. Cut teeth shapes in the 2 x 2" strips of white paper. 
3. Glue the teeth on the legs of the A.
4. Glue the googly eye on to the top of the letter A.

If you have a fun craft idea for the letter A I would love to hear about it in a comment!

Death Star Valentine Box

This up-cycled Death Star Valentine's Box was made with simple materials to create a fun way to collect cards and then play after the holiday has ended for Jedi's in training. This is a perfect nerdy date idea!

This post contains affiliate links or was sponsored.

When we got the letter about making a Valentine Box with Rolf, my husband giggled maniacally. He had been crossing his fingers that this would be the year Rolf could take a Valentine's  box to the party! He had an idea he had been kicking around for quite sometime, and that was to create a Death Star for our little Star Wars Expert that he could continue to use long after Valentine's Day had passed.

To recreate the Death Star, you will need:

an old soccer ball

something round to create the Super Laser Focus Lens  black paint

white paint

blue paint

gray paint

a utility knife

mod podge

Directions:

Cut around one hexagon on the soccer ball, making 5 slices to accommodate your hand reaching into the ball.

Paint the ball black, using at least 2 coats.

Add the gray details, based upon your interpretation of the Death Star.

Add the white and blue details also based on your interpretation of the Death Star. 

Cover the Death Star with 2 coats of mod podge. 

Paint your circular part black, adding whatever details you see fit. Our Super laser Focus Lens is compromised of 3 large washer type parts. Attach this with a screw with a cap on the back if possible.

We used a Noxzema jar lid painted to look like space as a base for this.

Rolf had an out of this world cool Valentine Box, and as a bonus, he can now fit many of his Star Wars action figures in his Death Star for easy storage and enhanced play in a galaxy far far away.

If you liked this easy craft idea, you will dig this cute little yoda puppet too!

You can find all of my crafts here: