News & Stories

5 Easy-to-Give Teacher Gifts That Really Show Your Appreciation

If you feel compelled to bestow your favorite teachers with a small token of appreciation during Teacher Appreciation Week or the last week of school, here are some thoughtful gifts that are easy on the pocketbook and don't require too much time and effort:

1. Mini Bundtlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes - These moist little cakes are like little bits of heaven! For the teacher with a sweet tooth, they come in half a dozen flavors and make a great presentation. Nothing Bundt Cakes in The Woodlands is located next to Trader Joe's in the Kuykendahl/Gosling shopping center.

Scented Socks & the Sweetest, Cutest Fashions for your Little Girl!

"Farrah, that doesn't match!" I seem to have to tell my 7-year-old daughter far too often. When we're meandering through The Woodlands Mall, we need to look prim and proper, right?

Well, not anymore. There's a company that actually specializes in mix-matched fashions now, so I suppose I should stop giving my daughter so much grief about being a shade or two off. In fact, I'm really loving the super cute, adorable, colorful, fun girls clothing from LittleMissMatched. For Farrah's recent birthday, we purchased her first bicycle without training wheels from Toys 'R Us, and it was Little MissMatched brand - white, green, blue, orange, pink, and probably a few additional colors.

Do you think your little one would like these styles? There's a "sweetness" and innocence about the products that I can't seem to get enough of. This season, we're buying LittleMissMatched Dresses and rompers, and we really love the scented socks (great for sleepovers). and the ball caps (we can use some of those NOW!). The bags (especially the sneaker backpacks) are super cute too, and make for a fun birthday gift.

Craft Time! Photo Explosion Box

Disclosure: I received a sample product and a promotional item to thank me for my participation in this blog activation campaign with MyPrintly and MomSelect. All opinions are my own.

Have you visited MyPrintly? If not, you totally should! The website is full of inspiration and ideas for fun crafts and DIY projects, plus it showcases easy print solutions that you might not already know about. Check it out at MyPrintly.com.

Now, on to our craft, shall we? These days, you don't have to be "crafty" to turn out a great product. Just a spoonful of inspiration and some simple instructions, and you're cranking out something beautiful in no time. This week I needed to create a "thank you" gift for my mother-in-law, and I decided to put together this hand-assembled photo explosion box that I think she'll really appreciate. It has three layers of snapshots of our family, plus a few special embellishment like the "Thank You" note in the middle (found online and printed on regular cardstock).

This craft was so easy, and I love the way it turned out! I simply used HP photo paper, my printer (to print the pattern pieces and the photos), 4 sheets of cardstock (though you can use a lighter weight decorated paper if you have to), scissors, Elmer's glue, and some small printed photos (my photos were able 1.5 sqin each). I also embellished the box with a heart jewel and a satin flower, just to add a special touch.

Explosion boxes are nothing new. I remember many years ago when my friend, Katie, first showed us these cute little boxes that she'd learn how to make. I've been long familiar with the square boxes, but this time I decided to make a hexagonal box. The actual instructions and free pattern sheets can be found online here.

Have fun making your boxes, and please send us a photo of your projects!

EXTRA EXTRA: Here's an exciting giveaway! Entry is easy - simply follow @MyPrintly on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram, and then complete this brief entry form in order to be entered for a chance to win one of three (3) HP Envy Printers: http://bit.ly/MyPrintlyGiveaway. The contest will end on Friday, May 15^thand winners will be randomly selected and notified next week. Please note, only residents of the U.S.A. are eligible to enter. Good luck!

Editor's Review: Ready?? OK!!

My 7-year-old tried out a tumbling class at Sideline Spirit this week, and it was a great class! It wasn't until we were headed to the facility's Budde Rd. address that I realized they are located at Legends Sports Complex (with a separate entrance). The facility is clean and modern (albeit a bit smaller than I'd anticipated).

My daughter has been asking to try gymnastics for the longest, but her primary interest is "flips", so I figured a beginning tumbling class would be our best bet. Sideline Spirit offers a one-hour class that suited us perfectly, and the initial class is a FREE trial. It was a combination of tumbling (cartwheels, handstands, bridges, rolls, etc.) and exercise and strengthening (jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, jogging), and I can't think of a more exciting way for her to meet the required dose of daily physical fitness.

Win a $500 Babies "R" Us Gift Card!

Disclaimer: I participated in a Blog Blast Activation on behalf of Influence Central for GB. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

What would you do with a $500 Babies "R" Us gift card? I would LOVE to see one of our very own WoodlandsMommy.com readers win this Grand Prize that's being offered in the GB Travel Safe Sweepstakes, so please enter! It wouldn't be the first time one of our readers have won a nice prize from a national contest we've publicized, and we're feeling quite lucky!

GB is launching the GB Travel Safe Sweepstakes to help promote their car seat safety campaign and the launch of their Asana35 AP car seat. (Have you seen the unique 3-way FirmFit System on these car seats? Brilliant!) Even if you don't win the G $500 gift certificate Grand Prize, there's still so many other chances to win! You could be awarded a GB Asana35 AP Car Seat and GB Zuzu Stroller (second prize), a GB Asana35 car seat (3rd prize), plus each week, two Sweepstakes participants will be randomly selected to win a $50 Babies "R" Us Gift Card, and each week one Sweepstakes participant will be randomly selected to win a $100 Babies "R" Us Gift card.

Are you feeling lucky? I hope so! The GB Travel Safe Sweepstakes is all about accumulating points (you gain points quickly by performing easy tasks like watching a video about the GB products, or posting a message to your Twitter account, etc.) If you're an expectant mom and add the Asana35 AP to your Babies "R" Us registry, you'll get extra points!

You can enter the sweepstakes via the website at http://www.gbtravelsafe.com, or simply use the below widget to enter:

Best of luck to you!

Montgomery County Fair & Rodeo

The Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo takes place this week through Sunday, April 19. This is one of my family's favorite events of the spring!

Start your visit by heading to the arena for some great rodeo shows performed by cowboys and cowgirls from all over the state. There's not a bad seat in the house! Next, head over to the livestock area and see local 4-H and FFA student's prize-winning rabbits, chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows. Check the schedule for livestock judging and auctions while you're there.

You can also enjoy traditional fairgrounds with rides for any age, lots of carnival games and fried food on a stick! All rides, games and food require tokens which you can get anywhere on the fairgrounds - $1/token. During the week-end, enjoy concerts outside the arena from local country bands.

On Monday and Tuesday this week, it's Kid's Day. Kid's can enjoy educational exhibits, including goat mountain, baby chicks hatching, laying hens, rabbits, a petting zoo, entertaining activities and other ag-related demonstrations.

The best thing about the Montgomery County Fair is that you get the feel of a good Texas rodeo without the massive crowds! Gate admission is free during the week and $10 for adults and $5 for kids Friday-Sunday. The fair is located in Conroe just off of Hwy 336. For more information visit: www.mcfa.org.