Yesterday I was at Target and I found these heart shaped ice cube trays for $2.50 in the $$ bins. I thought of a few ways I could use them, and knew I would get my money’s worth! How fun would be to make colored ice cubes and plop a few in the bath water, I think my daughter would LOVE it!

Just fill the ice cube trays with colored water, freeze, and you are ready to go! Another idea, freeze fruit juice and serve in some sparkly soda on Valentine’s Day! These ice cube trays will get lots of use at our house!

So I made these hooded towels for my daughter and her cousin! They are so inexpensive to make, especially with the Target sale right now, and super easy! Just 2 stitches and you’re done! Check out the tutorial HERE!

Target sale right now:

Room Essentials Bath Towel- $4.00

Room Essentials Hand Towel- $3.50

Thanks, Make & Takes for this adorable idea!!!

With school just around the corner it’s important to start thinking about packing lunches. I know it’s more convenient to just buy prepackaged foods, and that’s ok especially if you can get them at a stock-up price, but we also want to think about healthy, quick, and inexpensive ideas. I’ve been doing some research to find some great lunch ideas and I’d like to share them with you.

Quick Tip: Ice packs done work the greatest, so try freezing the sandwich the night before, that way by the time it’s lunch the next day it’ll be cold and won’t spoil. Another idea, freeze their juice to keep their lunch cold.

One thing I like about the picture above is how the sides are wrapped. Wrap trail mix in decorated bags and always attach a sweet note! Your children will always appreciate that!

Also, If you have any other ideas please comment below for other viewers to see.

Ants On A Log:

Celery stick filled with peanut butter, with 4 raisins on top.

Change the type of bread:

Just by changing the bread, your child could LOVE their sandwich even more! Use cinnamon raisin, mini-bagels, sourdough, hoagie style, English muffins, and so much more!

Wrapped Tortillas:

Spread peanut butter, honey, and sprinkle some chopped peanuts on one side and wrap the tortilla around a banana. Another idea, spread some mustard on the tortilla and lay down a few slices of lunchmeat and wrap the tortilla around a piece of string cheese!

Mini-Bagel Bites:

Make your own bagel bites, yummy! Spread some marinara sauce on one side of a bagel, sprinkle with cheese and any other toppings, then put it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Pinwheels:

Roll out some crescent dough, pinch the edges together to make one big rectangler piece of dough. In a bowl mix together some chopped chicken, cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Spread over dough, roll-up to make a log, slice into 2 inch pieces, put on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes! Or use the same method, but with marinara sauce and cheese!

Fruit Salad:

Slice strawberries, apple, grapes, mandarin oranges, and whatever else you have on hand and toss in some flavored yogurt. Freeze the night before and by lunch they will have a delicious and creamy fruit salad!

I wasn’t sure about the details when I posted about the Nail Strip deal, but now I have the low down on this other great deal from SaveMore.com!  For only $12, you get $25.00 worth of customized labels to label all things kid!  You can also spend $18.00 for a $40.00 voucher.  You will have to pay at least $1.00 after your voucher is applied and they have said that US shipping is only $.99!  This is a great way to get everything ready for back to school time or to keep from losing all your sippy cups in the nursery!  Grab yours from SaveMore.com while they last!

**Remember, new accounts get a FREE $10.00 credit just for signing up!

SavvySource has a cool deal on the Moonjar Moneybox.  Pay only $15.00 for the Classic Moonjar Moneybox that teaches children to spend, save, and share.  It is an Award-winning, durable tin moneybox that makes a great allowance tool and includes family guide and passbook.  This is a great way to start teaching your children about smart money principles at an early age which I think is super important to their overall financial success in life!  Check it out an SavvySource!

Here is another great guest post this week about how to get the best pictured of your kids:

“Children and babies can be very unpredictable but there are a few tips and techniques to help you capture your child’s best look at the portrait studio.

1. If possible, schedule your appointment for the first one of the day. Not only will your child be his or her freshest, this will ensure that you won’t have to wait if the photographer falls behind schedule. Waiting makes kids (and parents) cranky- this does NOT make for a good picture.
2. If you can’t schedule your appointment for the first one of the day, try scheduling on a weekday when it’s not as busy or vice versa. Better yet, schedule your appointment for the first one of the day on a weekday!
3. Feed the kiddos right before leaving the house and bring a small non-messy snack in case you do have to wait. Hungry kids make cranky kids and this also does not make for a good picture!
4. Choose your child’s clothes wisely. While prints and patterns may look adorable, they distract from the focus on your child. Solids look best. As hard as it may be to believe, light colors look best on light backgrounds and dark colors look best on dark backgrounds. If you have a background preference, keep this in mind. Your photographer will suggest what will look the best based on what your child is wearing.
5. Your photographer may suggest bringing a change or two of clothing to capture different looks. Be aware that this will make it harder to choose a pose if the package you planned on buying only allows one pose. (look for a future post with my tips on how to save a bundle on portraits)
6. Be clear with your photographer on what you want or don’t want. I personally don’t care for themed backgrounds or props so I make sure to tell them that before our session begins so that no time is wasted.
7. Be prepared to encourage smiles from your children if your photographer isn’t having any luck. You know your kids best!

Our children grow up so fast and what better way to capture it than on film. I recommend having portraits taken at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months old and annually following the 12 month session.”

Thanks for the guest post from MommiesWithCents!

Head over to Barnes and Noble and check out the FREE Online illustrated read – Splish, Splash, Splat! by Rob Scotton and read aloud by Molly Ringwald.  This sounds like a really cool thing to do with the kids!

Thanks FrugalCouponLiving

Are you looking for some great ideas to keep your kids busy inside during this summer heat?  Check out these two FREE ebooks full of ideas:

• Free Summer Crafts for Kids eBook HERE
• 4th of July Crafts and Recipes eBook HERE