This post was sponsored by Noggin as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
School is officially out for the summer in our area, and I’ve got two little girls on my hands who are very excited about kicking off their summer vacation! My oldest daughter just completed Kindergarten and is absolutely thrilled to be promoted to first grade. While the 2020-2021 school year looked very different for kids across the globe, I’m super proud of how my girl faced those challenges and excelled in learning. Our biggest goal from this school year was learning to blend letter sounds and put them together to read words, and my girl has been crushing her goals and become a truly stellar early reader!
My girls were born into a world of incredible technology. They’re no strangers to having screen time on tablets, phones and occasionally computers. However, I’ve always made a very earnest effort to be very selective about what kind of material they view on said screens, as well as limiting the amount of time they’re spending on those devices. I know that interacting with technology and using devices with screens is always going to be a part of their lives, so I feel it’s important to show them how to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with screen time and how they can use technology to feed and fuel their growing noggins in some pretty powerful ways!
Going into this summer, I knew it was going to be crucial for my newly promoted first grader to keep her brain working and interacting with material that would not only help her maintain the new reading skills she’s learned this past year, but to also encourage growth with her reading so she can enter the new school year in the fall as a more confident and polished reader. While we have a ton of tangible books we plan to dig into over the summer, my daughter loves to read and interact with learning games on her tablet and on my phone.
My husband and I are pretty choosy when it comes to apps we let our children use. While we’ve purchased and utilized several learning apps over the years, my girls far and wide have preferred Noggin over all others. Noggin gives them the unique opportunity to interact with characters they know and love from their favorite shows on Nick Jr. The Noggin app is very user friendly and intuitive for not only a 6 year old to be able to navigate, but our 3 year old can also freely use the app with very little assistance needed. Not only does the Noggin app have interactive games to promote learning and literacy, it also has a built in feature to be able to watch full episodes of their favorite Nick Jr. tv shows, short clips, music videos to dance and sing along to, and an entire section dedicated to reading eBooks and story time. I have so much peace of mind letting my girls spend their allotted screen time exploring the Noggin app because I know they’re exercising their brain and learning new skills along the way.
Free Trial:
If you’re ready to join in on the fun, you can take advantage of a FREE 60-day trial of Noggin – available until June 30th, 2021!
Click here to start your free trial of Noggin!
Noggin thus far has been an incredible tool that is allowing us to have the ultimate smart-kid summer, and I especially love watching them learn and have fun alongside their favorite Nick Jr. characters! If you’re curious about Noggin and think it would be a great match for your child or a child that you know, make sure you take advantage of the extended 60-day free trial, available until June 30th, 2021!
I received the mentioned products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed below are 100% my own. I only promote what I truly love!
Our sweet little Laken has had quite a busy month. Last week she had surgery on her eyes to correct a muscle issue that we first began to see signs of back in August of 2020. The procedure was outpatient and she came through it with such resilience. We are so grateful that the surgery was a success, and we’ve been spending her recovery time with lots of snuggles and story reading.
Before her surgery, I received a copy of this Personalized Encyclopedia for Kids from In The Book. In The Book is a personalized book publisher that has a wide variety of books for all ages, and all books have the option of being customized with the name(s) of your loved ones. When I was a child, my parents purchased a custom made book for me that had my own name tucked within the pages, and it brought me such delight as an early reader to see my name featured in the story. When I discovered In The Book, I was thrilled by the idea of creating something very similar for my own child.
I selected the Personalized Encyclopedia for Kids because my daughter is at a stage where her curiosity is truly beginning to bloom, and as she’s learning her letters, I thought this book would be an excellent tool for discovering and learning about a wide variety of topics that being with each letter of the alphabet. The book is very colorful, packed with beautiful imagery and features her name on the cover and on every single page inside the book. She loves spotting her name on each page, and the grin on her face each time she does melts my heart every time!
Many of the books available at In The Book also offer the option to add a special message to the recipient at the very beginning of the book, and some also offer the option of adding a photo of the child to the back page! In The Book also has exclusive Disney licensing, and their variety of books featuring everyone’s beloved Disney characters is absolutely fantastic!
There is also a category on the In The Book website featuring books for grown-ups, with numerous options for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Anniversary gifts, customized Bibles and so much more!
GIVEAWAY ALERT:
If you’d love to snag your own personalized copy of the Encyclopedia for Kids from In The Book, hop on over to my Instagram page to enter for your chance to win! The giveaway will run from 3/9/21 – 3/16/21. The giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over and is not affiliate with Instagram. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm CST on 3/16/21.
If you’re looking for a unique or personalized gift for a child or adult, be sure to swing by In The Book and browse their selection of personalized books for all ages! There’s even a current discount code for 20% off your purchase when you use code BOOK20 at checkout! I’d love to hear which book from In The Book you’d love to have in your own personal collection. Leave a comment below and share your favorites!
These I’m Berry Glad You’re My Valentine free printable tags are a simple and sweet way to let your valentine know they’re “berry” special!
I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. As a child, I remember picking out my Valentine’s Day cards for my elementary class each year. It was always important to me to make sure the card I was giving to each individual person matched their personality in my eyes. Katie got Tweety Bird because she was so sweet. Becca got Bugs Bunny because she loved to crack jokes. Jimmy got Elmer Fudd because he looked like him, and Josh got Pepé Le Pew because, well, you know. I was always the kid that thought way too much about the Valentine’s treats I handed out, and to this day I really haven’t changed all that much. I still love it!
And now that my oldest daughter is at an age where she passes out Valentine’s treats to her friends and classmates, I love coming up with treats that are a little less conventional than the boxed ones that you get at the store. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, I just have a tendency to be a little “extra” when it comes to things I really should not be extra about. It’s a gift and a curse!
Case in point, last year my daughter and I couldn’t make up our minds about which treats we wanted to send, so we sent each kid in her class TWO Valentines! We made these adorable Rubber Ducky Valentine’s Day Treats and a bag full of candy in these “I’m Beary Glad You’re My Friend” treat bags.
This year, instead of being “beary” glad to send treats to our Valentines, we’re BERRY glad! During my recent trip to the Dollar Tree, I spotted a bag of these classic strawberry hard candies and thought they’d be perfect to hand out in treat bags. They’re not commonly given out as a Valentine candy, but that’s why I chose them. It’s something different!
I’ve linked everything you need to put these together in the Amazon widget below. You should be able to find everything at your dollar store, but you can always Amazon your supplies in a pinch or if you prefer not to get out. I’m also linking a pack of pint sized strawberry cartons in case a cellophane bag isn’t the way you want to go. I think these candies would be SO cute with a little Easter grass inside a strawberry container!
Click here to download the free printable tags, or just click on the image below!
If you use this printable, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog in return! Of course, it’s certainly not required. Just appreciated! Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’ve sized these to fit the width of a standard-sized cellophane treat bag. They’ll print 4 to a page. Just load your cardstock into the printer, hit “print” and you’re good to go!
Looking for more fun and FREE Valentine printable ideas? Here’s a few that I’ve done over the years that you may like:
These “I’m Nuts Over You” Valentine Printables are a fun way to make any Valentine recipient feel loved!
Maybe it’s because I grew up in the land of peanuts, or that my grandfather was a peanut farmer, or perhaps it’s because I’ve never breathed air that didn’t consist of at least 35% peanut dust, but whatever the reason is for my extreme love for all-things-peanut, I sure am glad I was made that way.
Not long ago I shared my recipe for these Sugar Roasted Peanuts, and as we’ve inched closer and closer to Valentine’s Day I decided to come up with a unique Valentine’s Day treat featuring the crunchy candied snack! Of course, you can also use dry roasted or parched peanuts if those are your preference. Heck, you could even use circus peanuts if you’re a fan of those!
You really don’t need a whole lot of supplies to make these Valentine treats, just a pack of cellophane treat bags which you can find on Amazon, at Walmart or the Dollar Tree. Once you prepare the peanuts, just print off the free printable Valentine tag I have below on cardstock, staple it all together and you’ve got a scrumptious peanut-y treat ready to hand out!
Click the image below to download the free printable, or find it linked below!
If you use this printable, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog in return! Of course, it’s certainly not required. Just appreciated! Happy Valentine’s Day!
If you’re looking for more fun Valentine’s Day printable or snack ideas, check out the links below – all found right here on Southern Made Simple!
Affiliate links are included throughout this post at absolutely no cost to you. I will earn a very small commission off of purchases made through these links to help keep this website up and running. I absolutely love putting together and sharing my favorite VBS finds with you every year, and it is my hope and prayer that Destination Dig will be the best VBS yet! Enjoy these Destination Dig VBS Snack Ideas!
Click here to jump straight to my Amazon Destination Dig VBS storefront!
It’s no secret that 2020 was the rockiest year many of us have experienced in our lifetime. The fast spread of COVID-19 cancelled VBS all across the globe and forced many church doors to close all together. Leaders were left scrambling trying to find a way to safely rework VBS into a virtual or paper format to get the gospel out to children in their communities, and unfortunately so many of us were unable to have VBS at all. I have to say, I never thought I’d see a day when VBS at my own church didn’t happen, and though these times we’re living in are full of turmoil and frustrations, I am so glad that we serve a mighty God who is bigger than all of this that we are experiencing here on Earth.
While I don’t believe that VBS 2021 will look “normal” compared to other years, I am hopeful that we will be able to safely congregate with our church families and children in the community to help kids really “dig” into the truths of Jesus as they discover and unearth artifacts that point the world to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Check out Lifeway’s teaser video below to catch a glimpse at what the theme will entail!
Theme Verse:
You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
VBS Motto:
Seek Truth! Find Jesus!
I’ve already put together a post featuring a few ideas for Destination DIG VBS Decor ideas and Craft ideas, which you can find below by clicking directly on the image!
Scoping out Destination Dig VBS Snack Ideas was a bit trickier than other VBS themes in the past. Destination Dig centers around archaeological excavation sites in present day Israel. Through this theme, kids will be digging up truths about Jesus that prove Biblical events are not just stories, but are true and factual events that happened here on Earth. When you do a quick search for this type of theme on Amazon, it becomes pretty evident that archaeological-themed birthday parties and events aren’t something that happens very often, so finding supplies and foods to match the theme this year may require a little imagination and elbow grease.
When mapping out your snack stations, channel your inner Indiana Jones and brainstorm scenes with ancient ruins, broken pottery, wooden crates and barrels, sandy excavation sites, canteens, burlap, tents and more! Here’s a few finds that sparked the most inspiration for me. As the months go on, I’ll be adding more I come across to help you prepare for a wonderful VBS in 2021!
After your VBS has come to an end, please reach out to a fellow church in your area to see if they could use any of your leftover VBS supplies. Many churches (often small congregations) elect to not have a VBS each year because funding is too tight. Just think about all of the additional children that could be presented with the gospel because donated items made VBS at a church possible!
Will your church or your children be participating in Lifeway’s Destination Dig? Do you have other fun snack ideas you’d like to share with us, or perhaps some great ideas on how to make VBS a reality this year in a time that seems so uncertain? Leave a comment below and share the VBS love!
Affiliate links are included throughout this post at absolutely no cost to you. I will earn a small commission off of purchases made through these links to help keep this website up and running. I absolutely love putting together and sharing my favorite VBS finds with you every year, and it is my hope and prayer that Destination Dig will be the best VBS yet! Enjoy these Destination Dig VBS Decor Ideas!
Click here to jump straight to my Amazon Destination Dig VBS storefront!
It’s no secret that 2020 was the rockiest year many of us have experienced in our lifetime. The fast spread of COVID-19 cancelled VBS all across the globe and forced many church doors to close all together. Leaders were left scrambling trying to find a way to safely rework VBS into a virtual or paper format to get the gospel out to children in their communities, and unfortunately so many of us were unable to have VBS at all. I have to say, I never thought I’d see a day when VBS at my own church didn’t happen, and though these times we’re living in are full of turmoil and frustrations, I am so glad that we serve a mighty God who is bigger than all of this that we are experiencing here on Earth.
While I don’t believe that VBS 2021 will look “normal” compared to other years, I am hopeful that we will be able to safely congregate with our church families and children in the community to help kids really “dig” into the truths of Jesus as they discover and unearth artifacts that point the world to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Check out Lifeway’s teaser video below to catch a glimpse at what the theme will entail!
Theme Verse:
You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
VBS Motto:
Seek Truth! Find Jesus!
Check out the Destination Dig VBS Reveal video below!
Scoping out Destination Dig VBS Decor Ideas was a bit trickier than other VBS themes in the past. Destination Dig centers around archaeological excavation sites in present day Israel. Through this theme, kids will be digging up truths about Jesus that prove Biblical events are not just stories, but are true and factual events that happened here on Earth. When you do a quick search for this type of theme on Amazon, it becomes pretty evident that archaeological-themed birthday parties and events aren’t something that happens very often, so finding supplies to match the theme this year may require a little imagination and elbow grease.
When mapping out your backdrops and room decor, channel your inner Indiana Jones and brainstorm scenes with ancient ruins, broken pottery, wooden crates and barrels, sandy excavation sites, canteens, burlap, tents and more! Here’s a few finds that sparked the most inspiration for me. As the months go on, I’ll be adding more ideas and actual room-inspiration to help you prepare for a wonderful VBS in 2021!
Looking for VBS 2020 Concrete and Cranes Decor Ideas? Click here!
Most items are from Amazon, and as Oriental Trading releases their themed items I’ll be listing them here as well.
After your VBS has come to an end, please reach out to a fellow church in your area to see if they could use any of your leftover VBS supplies. Many churches (often small congregations) elect to not have a VBS each year because funding is too tight. Just think about all of the additional children that could be presented with the gospel because donated items made VBS at a church possible!
Will your church or your children be participating in Lifeway’s Destination Dig? Do you have other fun decor ideas you’d like to share with us, or perhaps some great ideas on how to make VBS a reality this year in a time that seems so uncertain? Leave a comment below and share the VBS love!
Affiliate links are included throughout this post at absolutely no cost to you. I will earn a small commission off of purchases made through these links to help keep this website up and running. I absolutely love putting together and sharing my favorite VBS finds with you every year, and it is my hope that Destination Dig will be the best VBS yet! Enjoy these Destination Dig Craft Ideas!
Click here to jump straight to my Amazon Destination Dig VBS storefront!
It’s no secret that 2020 was the rockiest year many of us have experienced in our lifetime. The fast spread of COVID-19 cancelled VBS all across the globe and forced many church doors to close all together. Leaders were left scrambling trying to find a way to safely rework VBS into a virtual or paper format to get the gospel out to children in their communities, and unfortunately so many of us were unable to have VBS at all. I have to say, I never thought I’d see a day when VBS at my own church didn’t happen, and though these times we’re living in are full of turmoil and frustrations, I am so glad that we serve a mighty God who is bigger than all of this that we are experiencing here on Earth.
While I don’t believe that VBS 2021 will look “normal” compared to other years, I am hopeful that we will be able to safely congregate with our church families and children in the community to help kids really “dig” into the truths of Jesus as they discover and unearth artifacts that point the world to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Check out Lifeway’s teaser video below to catch a glimpse at what the theme will entail!
Theme Verse:
You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
VBS Motto:
Seek Truth! Find Jesus!
Scoping out Destination Dig VBS Craft Ideas was a bit trickier than other VBS themes in the past. Destination Dig centers around archaeological excavation sites in present day Israel. Through this theme, kids will be digging up truths about Jesus that prove Biblical events are not just stories, but are true and factual events that happened here on Earth. When you do a quick search for this type of theme on Amazon, it becomes pretty evident that archaeological-themed birthday parties and events aren’t something that happens very often, so finding supplies to match the theme this year may require a little imagination and elbow grease.
When mapping out your craft ideas, channel your inner Indiana Jones and brainstorm scenes with ancient ruins, broken pottery, wooden crates and barrels, sandy excavation sites, canteens, burlap, tents and more! Here’s a few finds that sparked the most inspiration for me. As the months go on, I’ll be adding more ideas as I discover them to help you prepare for a wonderful VBS in 2021!
After your VBS has come to an end, please reach out to a fellow church in your area to see if they could use any of your leftover VBS supplies. Many churches (often small congregations) elect to not have a VBS each year because funding is too tight. Just think about all of the additional children that could be presented with the gospel because donated items made VBS at a church possible!
Will your church or your children be participating in Lifeway’s Destination Dig? Do you have other fun Destination Dig VBS Craft Ideas ideas you’d like to share with us, or perhaps some great ideas on how to make VBS a reality this year in a time that seems so uncertain? Leave a comment below and share the VBS love!
Earlier this week my family and I spent time down at the gulf celebrating my milestone birthday. It was a bit of a strange feeling leaving my 20’s behind. So many big and incredible things happened in my 20’s. It was also a little strange getting to leave our house for the first time since mid March (other than to run to the grocery store.) We picked a location close to Panama City Beach that we felt we’d be able to maintain social distancing the easiest, and overall we had a beautiful getaway with our girls!
Here’s a few snapshots of our trip. My girls always love watching the waves stretch over their toes in the sand, and I love watching them marvel at the vastness of the ocean. It was truly a spectacular birthday. Here’s to the 30’s!
I received products in exchange for my honest review. However, all opinions expressed here are completely my own. Affiliate links may be included throughout this post. I only promote what I truly love! I hope you find these Easter Basket Fillers for Girls Ages 4-6 helpful as we approach the Easter season!
As things have taken a drastic change in our society over the last few weeks, my husband and I have found that one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to choose to focus on and celebrate the positive things in our life, along with the things that remain constant and unchanged. While it’s hard to explain to an almost 5 year old why their t-ball games, school and church services are cancelled and why she can’t see any of her friends or family, we rejoice in knowing that our very favorite day of the year – Easter Sunday – is not cancelled. Sure, the things we do may look a little different this year, but there are many things that we get to do from home to celebrate the occasion in a really fun way!
These Trolls Marshmallow Pops are a hair-tastic way to celebrate all things Trolls with your little ones!
Have you heard about the brand new Trolls movie coming to theaters April 17th, 2020? It’s called Trolls World Tour, and it’s going to be a block buster event of hair-tastic proportions! My 4 year old daughter has been a Trolls fanatic since she was 2 years old, so we’ll definitely be making a stop at our local theater opening weekend to sing, dance, hug and do ALL the Troll things on opening weekend!
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