Halloween Teacher Gift Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

September 6, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Facebook, Halloween, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

We believe in showing acts of appreciation year-round. Of course the creepiest season of all should be no less. These Spooktacular Halloween Teacher Gift Ideas will have a fa-BOO-lous teacher feeling the love. No tricks, just treats!

Halloween Teacher Gift Ideas

Fall is right around the corner and so is back to school! There are really fun ways to incorporate the holidays into any teacher gift, especially for Halloween! Teachers put so much time, energy, and love into their jobs, It’s important to show them how much we appreciate all that they do.

Since I am a big fan of teachers and teacher appreciation, I couldn’t forget them this Halloween! Halloween is such a fun time of the year. There are cool costumes, lots of candy, decorations, and haunted houses. Between this, and the fact that it takes place during the coziest time of the year, Halloween is one of the best holidays.

Today, I’m so excited to share a fun list of Halloween Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas that will make your child’s teacher feel loved and appreciated. So let’s talk about how we can celebrate teachers this year for Halloween.

This list includes some spooky Halloween gift ideas and some boo-ti-ful treats. I hope this post inspires you and helps you find a gift that is equally meaningful for the educators in your life.

Don’t forget to grab our 31 free Halloween Printables, perfect for Halloween gift ideas and teacher gift ideas. My favorites are the Treat Halloween Bingo Cards, Printable Zombie Brain Cupcake Box, and the Apothecary Labels.

Halloween Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

First up, print this fa-boo-lous Halloween gift tag for a teacher. Totally spook-tacular and themed fitting for the occasion. | Frugal Coupon Living.

Keep it trick free with this No Tricks, Just Treats Halloween Gift Tags. Using wrapped candy is perfect during a season full of germs!

What I love about this Halloween Teacher Gift Tag is it can be used for whatever! Pick up a candy bar in the check out aisle of your grocery store. Happy Halloween to a teacher who is so good, it’s scary. | Eighteen25

I mean, we all are going through hand sanitizer and soap pretty quickly! Teachers can always use an extra bottle of either, scare those germs away and bring a smile teacher. | I Should be Mopping the Floor on Eighteen25

Halloween Gift Ideas

This generic spook-tacular Halloween gift tag can be used for anyone and on any one, as well! Again, your gift of appreciation doesn’t have to be big! Grab a $5 gift card. | Simply Made Fun

Cheap teacher appreciation gifts can be simplistic and fun. Grab a Betty Crocker cookie mix bag and add the Halloween printable tag cook up someting scary! You can add a Halloween cookie cutter.| Sister’s Suitcase Blog

Fill a mason jar with cookies – no tricks, just treats. This candy corn gift tag is pretty open ended, though it goes best with candy corn, of course! | Mama Cheaps

Good to the last bite! Next time you make a batch of cookies, set aside some for a deserving teacher. This Halloween teacher appreciation gift printable can be used for friends and neighbors too! | Polka Dot Chair

Grab a $5 Starbucks Gift Card and add this Halloween Coffee Gift Tag – perfect for a caffeinated pick me up. | Lovely Planner

Who doesn’t love dessert in a jar? This Caramel Apple In A Jar makes a very cute gift for a sweet teacher. | The Gunny Sack

Find a skin beauty product you love and pair with this boo-tiful Halloween gift tag. | Fun Squared

Make these Halloween vampire donuts and add this amazing gift tag – Sink your teeth into these treats. | Eighteen25

By October (and in the year 2020) all your teacher wants is a drink – Candy is dandy, but wine is divine. Cheers to that! Download this free printable Halloween wine gift tag. | Oh My Creative

You know the Halloween saying, trick or treat, smell my feet. This Halloween craft would be perfect created on a glass candle jar. | Tried and True Blog

Chances are you already have Halloween candy, right? Add some of that candy to a mason jar and add this Halloween goodies – eat at your own risk gift tag. Watch those calories transfer form what would be your belly to anyone elses. Your’re welcome! | The Idea Room

I get the creepy crawlies looking at this Halloween treat bag and bag topper. Bugs and Hisses for you this Halloween. Buy bug and snake gummies. | Eighteen25

You could be sweet and replaces those hisses with kisses – bugs and kisses Halloween gift tag. | Pink Peppermint Designs

And we of course love this last Halloween teacher appreciation idea – no tricks, just treats. Bake some cookies! | Pizzazzerie

AMAZON

November is next! Take a look at these Thanksgiving Teacher Gift Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Save these Thankful Thursday Ideas for Teachers. Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Get inspired these with Back to School Ideas.

Also access our Free Frugal Coupon Living Printables to help you find joy through embracing the chaos of motherhood more easily!

Stay in the know with daily deals, recipes, crafts, life hacks and seasonal content on Frugal Coupon Living. Receive this and more in your inbox.

Simple Lunch Ideas for Kids

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

August 30, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Recipe, Social Media Leave a Comment

Quick and easy. That’s my motto. Follow these Simple Lunch Ideas for Kids at school, at work, or at home. Many on the go lunch ideas including wraps, pinwheels, sandwich sushi, corn dogs, pigs in a blanket, quesadillas, and other kid favorites, you can’t miss!

Simple Lunch Ideas for Kids

Whether you’re homeschooling or sending your kids to school this year, one thing rings true. Busy moms need simple lunch ideas for kids that keep kids well-fed and happy without taking up too much time in the kitchen. We’ve got you covered with lots of great ideas that go beyond basic sandwiches with deli meat or PB&J (though you’ll still find some yummy sandwiches in the mix).

Our School Lunch Planner can help you keep track of which recipes you want to make. It includes a spot to keep a running shopping list and pantry inventory, so you’ll be able to make your grocery list fast every week.

Don’t miss our School Lunch Hacks for tips and tricks on making your kids’ school lunches AMAZING.

With wraps, pinwheels, sandwich sushi, corn dogs, pigs in a blanket, quesadillas, and other kid favorites, you can’t miss! Let’s dive into the list of 22 simple lunch ideas for kids. Hope you’re hungry!

Simple Lunch Ideas for Kids

This sandwhich has all the healthy ingredients. Make our easy peasy Peanut Butter, Banana, Apple, Cinnamon, & Raisin Face Sandwich. With our without the face, it is sure to be a hit!

Take your grilled cheese sandwich to the next level by making Pizza Grilled Cheese. It’s a little more fun and convenient than baking a pizza from scratch, but you still get all those pizza flavors you love. You could even sneak in some peppers and tomatoes if your kiddo likes them. | Easy Budget Recipes

Walking Tacos aren’t just for enjoying around a campfire or at a party. Kids will get a kick out of having these on a normal weekday. Just brown and season your taco meat, provide individual bags of chips and your favorite taco toppings, and you’re all set. | Frugal Coupon Living

If your kid loves PB&J, you need to stock your freezer with these DIY Uncrustables. They’re a fraction of the price of the store-bought version, and they’re just as delicious. | Princess Pinky Girl

Stop right there, we have another homemade DIY Uncrustables Recipe on Frugal Coupon Living. This one square and with Grape Jelly!

These colorful Veggie Pinwheels are sure to delight your hungry family at lunchtime. They’re stuffed with crisp veggies and ranch-flavored cream cheese; all rolled up in a spinach wrap. Substitute regular or wheat tortillas if your kids aren’t into the spinach ones. | Dinner at the Zoo

Visit Frugal Coupon Living’s Hidden Veggie Recipes for Kids & Picky Eaters too!

Ditch the breading, and make Grilled Chicken Tenders instead. Aside from the time the chicken tenders need to marinade, these tenders can be made quickly and easy. Serve with grilled veggies, pasta salad, or fresh veggies. | Nourish Plate

Mini Broccoli Quesadillas are just the right size for little ones’ hands. They’re easy to make, but you can feel good that they’re really nutritious, too. Any food that encourages kids to eat more veggies is a win! | High Chair Chronicles

Pigs in a Blanket are a classic and simple appetizer, but they make great lunches for kids, too. You can make them super simple and serve with ketchup, as they are in this recipe, or add herbs, poppy seeds, etc., and serve with different sauces. | Damn Delicious

You can make English Muffin Pizzas in under 20 minutes. They’ll quickly become a lunchtime favorite, and they’re easy on the budget, too. Add olives, peppers, or mushrooms for children who like them. | The Best Ideas for Kids

Encourage the kids to get in the kitchen to help you make these Mini Chicken Quesadillas. They’re delicious, easy, and kid-friendly. To make this even easier, pick up a rotisserie chicken rather than cooking one yourself when you’re in a time crunch. | High Chair Chronicles

Make Homemade Spaghettio’s instead of serving the canned stuff. It only takes about 10 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook, so it’s pretty easy, and you can feel good knowing all the ingredients that have gone into it. | Strength and Sunshine

Mac and Cheese Bites are a fun, portable way to enjoy mac and cheese. They’re perfect for your kids’ lunchboxes if they’re going to school this year, but they’re just as yummy eaten in the comfort of your home. | The Best Ideas for Kids

Looking for more easy air fryer recipes? These Air Fryer Pizza Rolls are just the ticket. They’re tasty, wholesome, and super kid-friendly. The pizza rolls are made with sauce, pepperoni, and cheese, but feel free to customize them with your favorite pizza toppings. They’re ready in about 25 minutes, including prep and cook time. | Recipes from a Pantry

See also Frugal Coupon Living’s Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners and Air Fryer Cheat Sheet.

Grilled Chicken Wraps are sure to satisfy any chicken fanatic. They’re the perfect summer lunch, but you can make them all year long, too. If you don’t have time to grill or cook your own chicken breasts, sub rotisserie chicken, or pre-grilled strips. Easy peasy! | Little Sunny Kitchen

Regular sandwiches are BORING, but sandwiches served differently are fun and exciting! Enter these Sandwich Sushi Rolls—your favorite deli meat + cheese + veggies for a bit of crunch. Don’t they look delicious? | Eating Richly

These Corn Dog Mini Muffins (as seen in our Winner Super Bowl Snack Recipes) are basically corn dogs without the fuss. You’ll get more of that delicious yellow cornbread, which has to be my favorite part. And if you don’t want to make cornbread mix from scratch for these, you could always pop the hot dogs in some Jiffy mix to speed things up. | Damn Delicious

These Pizza Pancakes are a little bit of breakfast and a little bit of dinner all in one fun dish. They’re gooey and cheesy when you pull them apart, and they’re just perfect for dipping in marinara sauce. | Happiness is Homemade

Everyone needs to know how to make an Easy Pasta Salad. This recipe is simple and versatile. Make the recipe as is, or substitute whatever leftover meats and veggies you have on hand. To save time, you can use your favorite packaged Italian dressing instead of making your own. Make a big batch, though, because it’s irresistible, and you want enough to last a few days! | Savory Tooth

It may sound like an odd combination, but if your kids like to experiment in the kitchen, they may be right on board with these PB Apple Chicken Salad Wraps. Cooked chicken is combined with chopped apple, grapes, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt for a whole new take on chicken salad. | Love Bakes Good Cakes

With pre-cooked meatballs, crescent roll dough, marinara sauce, cheese, and herbs, you can have a batch of Meatball Cheese Bombs ready in under 15 minutes. How good do those sound? Serve them with a salad, and you have a simple no-fuss lunch everyone will love. | Sizzling Eats

Pizza Sliders are a great dish for potlucks, but you can make a couple of batches and refrigerate or freeze them for quick lunches during the week, too. Standard pepperoni and cheese sliders will work best for most kids, but feel free to sneak some veggies in there, like peppers, onions, mushrooms, or even olives. | Sugar Spice and Glitter

Hummus, spinach, deli turkey, and cherry tomatoes (with a couple more ingredients) come together to make this Healthy Spinach Turkey Wrap that you can make in about two minutes. It can easily be a gluten-free meal by using gluten-free tortillas. | Living Well Mom

If all else fails, you simply can’t go wrong with delicious and simple Cheese Quesadillas. Use one type of cheese or a combination of cheeses to switch things up. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, or salsa. | Isabel Eats

Pin to Pinterest this list of simple lunch ideas for kids so you’ll have a meal idea ready the next time you need a quick meal that can’t miss.

Get organized! Our School Lunch Planner can help you keep track of your kids lunch ideas. It includes a spot to keep a running shopping list and pantry inventory, so you’ll be able to make your grocery list fast every week. Comes with free lunchbox notes too! Pin to Pinterest.

Also visit our Hidden Veggie Recipes for Picky Eaters. Pin to Pinterest.

Thankful Thursday – Thank You, Teacher!

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

July 19, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media 4 Comments

Thankful Thursday – Thank You, Teacher! Teacher appreciation ideas for year round. It doesn’t have to be teacher appreciation week to show your love and support. Low cost random acts of kindness and small teacher gift ideas including free printables!

Thankful Thursday

As a former teacher (and survivor of a Virtual Teacher Appreciation Week in Quarantine), I have always instilled showing thanks for teachers. Often this comes with me picking up a candy bar at the checkout line or grabbing an extra cup of coffee “thanks a latte” before dropping my kids off at school. These are just because occasions.

There are many ways to show Teachers Appreciation without waiting until teacher appreciation week. One way to is adopt a Thankful Thursday. This does not have to be every Thursday, just choose a Thursday one a month or twice a year in send in something small.

Alternatively, the homeroom parent can create a classroom SignUpGenius. Easily organize a weekly Thankful Thursday with classroom signups for schools and classrooms. Promote a spirit of gratitude by gifting something small every Thursday.

How to Write a Thank You Note To Your Teacher

With electronics taking over, hand written notes are a thing of the past. Because of that, a handwritten note is more meaningful than an email or text. To show your upmost appreciation, use a pen or pencil to write your thank you note to your teacher.

First, start with blank canvas and outline positive words or phrases that come to mind when you think about this teacher. These are words you will want to put inside your letter.

Second, begin your letter with a salutation. This should be like with a “Dear _____,”

In your paragraph(s), give a reason your teacher has helped you or describe what they have done for you. Provide an example. Express the positive impact these words or actions had on you. How did this change you? Don’t forget your thanks.

End with a Closing. Choose a “Sincerely”, “All the best”, “Warm wishes”, “Deepest thanks” and/or “thank you again!”

Teacher Appreciation Thank You Messages

Thank you notes can be brief. They can short little messages with quick line of thanks. Consider some of these Thankful Thursday Quotes for Teachers when adding messages to your appreciation notes.

Thank you for believing in me.

You showed me how capable I am of achieving great things.

I don’t think you realize it, but you were such a huge influence on me this year.

I wanted to let you know how much of an impact you’ve made.

You are, hands down, the best teacher I’ve ever had.

Teacher Appreciation Quotes

This printable teacher quote can be found on Etsy at Soul Printables, “a truly amazing teacher is hard to find and impossible to forget.”

Sign off your letter with teacher appreciation quotes. Below are some inspirational quotes about teachers to share at the bottom of your message or on your gift tag. Sometimes no additional words are needed.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry Brooks Adams

“When the teacher is ready, the student will disappear. When the student is truly ready… the teacher will disappear.” – Lao Tzu

“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.” – Andy Rooney

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

“A good teacher is like a candle—it consumes itself to light the way for others.” – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Thankful Thursday Small Teacher Gift Ideas

These thankful Thursday ideas come with instant downloads and some free printables. Show your teacher love and support with small teacher appreciation gift ideas year round or 52 weeks a year. It doesn’t have to be teacher appreciation week.

…and you know I am a sucker for a teacher appreciation printable. See how to take these instant downloads and Print Your Documents at Staples.

Pull through that coffee run drive through, and pick up an additional gift card. Pair with our “thanks a latte” teacher appreciation gift tag.

Thank them for helping you grow with our succulent gift tags . Perfect for succa good teacher.

Did you find a good educator? Pair a sweet treat with this s’more teachers like you gift tag.

You are appreciated teacher gift tag. Pair with a small token of your choice from Frog Prince Paperie.

Personalize your thank you teacher gift with this “thanks for helping me grow” teacher appreciation plant gift tag on Etsy.

C is for caffeine gift tag. Remind your teacher with a cup of morning joe!

Pick up an extra candy bar at checkout and add these candy bar gift tags for teachers from Fun Squared.

It doesn’t have to cost money. Print this thank you note for teacher printable from Frugal Novice and have your child personalize it to his/her teacher.

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” Turn this Malala Quote into a printable teacher gift from Amy Latta.

Use this free SVG file to turn teacher quotes into teacher gifts with this clip board idea from Happiness is Homemade.

Have a Cricut Maker? Grab this free SVG file from Happy Go Lucky Blog; “I teach, what’s your super power?”

Do your kids need direction with their thanks? This teacher thank you card allows you to fill in the blank.

Alternatively, download these free thank you notes for teachers from Pickle Bums. Color the card, make a cute hand print craft or fill in the blank.

Don’t forget to leave with a high five. This hand print art certificate allows you to award your teacher a huge high five for a great year!

Many of our Thanksgiving Gift Ideas for Teachers (with Printables) can be used year around. Pin to Pinterest.

In a season of thanksgiving (which can be any time of the year), don’t forget this Gratitude Challenge. Pin to Pinterest.

School Lunch Planner with Printable Lunch Notes

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

July 18, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media Leave a Comment

Do you find yourself in a school year rut? Have a great start to the back to school season with these lunch and snack prep essentials. Download a weekly school lunch planner, printable lunch notes, and a list of healthy lunchbox ideas for kids. Enjoy!

School Lunch Planner

If the end of last school year taught me anything, I taught me to plan our meals. Meats were out of stock, I was ordering groceries online and in order to not waste food or to have enough of what we like, I had to plan our meals. It is not that I didn’t plan before, but I was able to spread our food out and use it for the best purpose. I felt like a pioneer woman on a home school prairie.

I am taking that meal planning a step further as we head back to school with a weekly lunchbox planner. This will allow me to assign food to days before it goes bad, for me to pack non perishable food ahead and for me to use all the foods we have before opening something new.

School Meal Planning List

Included in our School Lunch Planner are…

Pantry Inventory List
Shopping List
Prepping List
Notes List

Each day is also listed Monday to Friday and includes what to pack for snacks and lunch.

Lunch Box Ideas for Kids

I wanted to supply you with a list of healthy lunch box kids idea. As the year goes on, creativity goes out the door. Below are ideas you can add inside your child’s lunch.

Drinks

Water
Milk
Juice
Sports Drink

Protein

Pepperoni
Turkey
Ham
Hard Boiled Egg
Tuna/Chicken Salad
Hummus
Nuts
Peanut Butter

Fruit

Banana
Strawberry
Berries
Orange
Avocados
Apple
Pear
Mango
Kiwi
Cheeries

Veggie

Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Carrots
Broccoli
Edamame

Dairy

Yogurt
Cheese Stick
Cottage Cheese
Drinkable Yougurt

Grain

Crackers
Bread
Pasta
Rice Cakes

Snacks

Graham Crackers
Vegetable Chips
Fruit Leather
Granola Bar
Goldfish
Trail Mix
Pretzels
Raisins

Note: Some schools only allow peanut free lunches. This would eliminate some weekly lunchbox ideas.

Printable Lunch Notes

We have been sharing free lunch notes for a long time. In fact, you can still print these —> lunch notes printables.

In addition to our original free lunch notes, we include six adorable lunchbox notes with our school lunchbox planner.

How to Access Your Back to School Printables

—> Get all of our free printables including our free lunchbox notes and weekly lunch meal planner. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

How to Print School Documents at Staples

I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples. Sign in or create a Staples account and either pick up in your store or have your printables mailed to your home.

How to Store Lunch Box Notes

I have collected lunch box notes for years. With five kids, I hate reprinting new notes every year. To preserve these notes, I laminate my printables.

I have owned Scotch™ Thermal Laminator for ten years and it is still going strong.

I store both my lunch box notes and lunch box labels in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. This bag is stored by our lunchbox supplies including thermos, bento boxes and sandwich bags and more.

We know you are a busy mom. We get it, we are too. That is why we put together these —> Everyday Busy Mom Hacks and Tips.

We also created a Busy Mom Binder. In this family command center resource, we offer many home organization printables including a new and improved Weekly Lunchbox Planner!

Babysitter Notes
Notes for School & Teachers
Daily & Weekly Chores Checklist
How to Clean My Room Checklist for Kids
Stay-at-Home Schedule for Mom, Baby & Toddler
Family Bucket list (blank)

View the Busy Mom Binder & Home Organizer

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your weekly school lunch planner and printable lunch notes. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Back to School Printables

Save these Back to School printables. Pin to Pinterest.

Lunch Box Mom Hacks

You know I love a good mom hack! Follow these Lunch Hacks and Tips throughout the school year. Pin to Pinterest.

Memorable First Day of School Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

July 5, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

What didn’t I think of that?! Create memories they will cherish with these First Day of School Ideas. Back to school printables, first day of school photo ideas, activities for kids and new family traditions you will repeat yearly.

Memorable First Day of School Ideas

Do I address what a crazy year 2020 has been or move on and act like all of us didn’t experience a terrible end of the year? While going back to school is always a milestone, this year is especially special. Celebrate the start of a new school year with these memorable First Day of School Ideas. We bet many of back to school ideas will become annual family traditions!

First Day of School Traditions

Back to School traditions are are first day of school ideas you want to continue and keep consistent every year. Some of our birthday family traditions can be easily transferred into back to school ideas for the first day.

Make their first bite special with a First Day of School bento lunch box. Add a sweet Back to School Lunch Note. | Must Have Mom

This is one of those first day of school and birthday traditions you can use either way. We always keep balloons and streamers in our gift supply area. Whip it together when the kids go to bed and they will wake up to a pleasant first day surprise. | Side Tracked Mom (no longer active)

Have a nervous Nancy? This first day jitter glitter can go to school with your child on a necklace or can be sprinkled on them the night before school. | The DIY Mommy

Adopt a First Day of School German Tradition. Make these adorable DIY Schultüte, or school cones. Fill your homemade Schultute with treats and school supplies to make the start of school sweet for little ones. | Frog Prince Paperie

Have a huge first day of school bus greeting. Host a water balloon or a silly string fight! Have a barrel of silly string and silly string guns. Gather the neighbors at the bus stop. | Source – Bower Power Blog

First Day of School Photo Ideas

There are so many first day of school photo ideas and we share many that have free downloads in our Back to School Printables post. For this list of First Day of School Photo Ideas, we are taking them outside the box. Instead of First Day of School Signs you can download, we are finding items you have to craft and create.

Spell it out on the driveway. This first day of school sidewalk chalk art is easy and adorable. Think you can continue it through 12th grade? | Blue Cricket Design (no longer active)

Create a reoccurring DIY Photo in Photo first day of school idea. Starting kindergarten year your child will hold no photo. Each consecutive year, your child will hold the previous years first day of school photo and you can watch your child grow. This will take planning ahead as you need to order the print. We recommend ordering from CanvasHQ. | She’s Making Cards (no longer active)

This is an extra special idea your child will grow into. This DIY Back-to-School Shirt with Handprints for Every Grade! You can make your own first day of school shirt (with a silhouette cameo and iron) or you can pick up a handprint first day of school shirt on Etsy. | Where the Smiles Have Been

Announce a new school year with a colorful DIY First Day of School Banner. | Make it My Own

Using a white balloon. colorful stickers, and balloon sticks, write the school grade and year on a balloon! | Design Improvised

First Day of School Printables

These First Day of School free printables are helpful in creating memorable family traditions.

Conduct a first day of school interview. Mark the start and end of each school year with these fun first day & last of school interview printables fitting for kids from pre-school through high school. Add them all to a notebook or scrapbook for a printable time capsule! | Mortiz Fine Designs

Celebrate the first day a back to school breakfast with this free printable school table place setting. | The Real Housewife of Fresno (first day of school breakfast) & A Girl and a Glue Gun (table printables)

Get the kids excited and have little fun collecting school supplies with a Back to School Scavenger hunt! | The Dating Divas

Make a printable Back to School Time Capsule. This adorable pencil time capsule is made with a Pringles can. | Aimee Ferre

Host a family game night with a Minute To Win It Back To School Edition Printable. You can also take a look at our list of Minute to Win It Game Night Ideas. | My Digital Creations.

First Day of School Activities

Make going back to school to school exciting with memorable first day activities for kids.

Get everyone together with a Back to School Party. So many beautiful tablescape ideas and goodies to welcome the first day of school. | The Sits Girls

When the school bell rings, bring the kids to get ice cream. This has been a tradition we have continued for years.

Begin a tradition of kindness and start the first day off right by hanging a positive affirmation sticky note each day. Add these messages as the days go on until they fill your child’s mirror. | Source

Have a visit from the backpack fairy. Leave your backpack in a designated spot the night before school and in the morning the back to school fairy will leave a special gift! | Blissful Roots

And before the first bell rings, start a countdown. Perhaps build each day with a special bucket list on the calendar. Make a paper chain with a different activity for each day until the night before school. | Brassy Apple

Take a look at these Back to School Printables – our favorite is “If you give a teacher a cookie” as a sweet treat on the first day of school. Pin to Pinterest.

Save for later these End of the Year Activities and Ideas. Pin to Pinterest on your School Board!

College Dorm Decor Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

June 28, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

Inspiring College Dorm Decor Ideas including storage, organization, decorations, and hacks. Dorm room essentials, where to buy dorm room decor and cheap and affordable college living spaces you will want to copy.

College Dorm Decor Ideas

If this post has desire anything, I have a huge craving to use my wallet size of today and go back to college to decorate my dorm! You jaw will hit the floor with these college dorm room ideas. Find the best places to buy dorm room decor and get inspired by all the budget-friendly options! Happy Decorating.

Best Places to Buy Dorm Room Decor

You cannot decorate a dorm room without knowing the best places to buy dorm room decor. While it has been almost 20 years since I have been in college, my my pre-teens are not yet at this stage, I found (through this posts ) there are so many awesome places to buy college dorm decor. Many of these purchases can be used for apartment living, small homes, or even carried over into a starter home. Some of the ideas (like rugs) you might want to toss at the end of the school year. other items, you will find yourself carrying to your fist home. (Three kids later, my college roommate still has the bookshelf we used in our first college room! I actually still sleep with the same blanket!)

Shop Dorm Room Decor

Best College Dorm Ideas

Follow Neelam, an interior designer who turned a cold college dorm into a warm home away from home. Details about dorm room storage, laying textures, and adding little touches to define your personality through your college room decor – five stars and two thumbs up! | Patterns and Prosecco

Inspire your welcome with a temporary polka dot door. Using white vinyl, a cutting machine or a circle cutter this dorm room decor craft can be done in under 30 minutes. Make sure you are using Removable Vinyl! | Sarah Hearts

Use command strips and decorative clipboards. Easily change out art or calendars using clipboards. Download our free Dorm Sweet Dorm printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

By downloading you are accepting the FCL printable terms that free download is for non-commercial use. Please contact Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

This dorm storage ideas acts as both a Collapsible storage ottoman and a bench with seat back. Comes in white, gray and black. Get this dorm storage ottoman here.

Display all your feelings on a rotating mood board. You can use anything from magazines, articles, sticky notes, and other materials to put together your board and of course turn to inspiration of Pinterest. | Just Josie

Layer textiles. Cover your standard title floor with the largest rug you can to fit your room. Even if you don’t like this larger rug, you can add smaller rugs on top to define your space and style. | Dormify

Instead of using the overhead florescent lighting, adding your own lighting will warm up the room and make such a mood difference. Head to Home Goods (Marshalls, TJMaxx, etc) and find affordable table lamps. Jump on Amazon for hanging string lights. We used these Command light hooks to hang my daughters. I highly recommend adding Powered Bed Risers. | Source

Smile. Place your favorite memories when you these this Dry Erase Polaroid Frame Decal Set. This allows you to easily rotate photos plus it it’s safe for walls and won’t leave a sticky residue.

Talk about a dorm room makeover. These college roommates took a scary 50 year old residence into a place to relax and rest with custom drapes, two loft beds, white dressers, monogrammed chairs, and more. | Today.com

White brick wall paper will change the entire feel of an ugly cinder block wall! Bring a charming vibe within a matter of minutes. The best part about it is, if you mess up, it’s repositionable and removeable! Get your white brick removeable wall paper here.

Create perfect under bed storage as well has hide an ugly wall with a tapestry. You can get this pull out storage here, tapestry clips here and black/white tapestry here. | Driven by Decor (Take a second and look at this entire blog – so much inspiration for mom’s home too!)

This dorm decor is doing so many things right. A perfect mix of textures, prints, pom-pom garland duvet cover, and a dorm room gallery wall add serious personality to this space. And of course for the ultimate small dorm room hack, a table beside the bed triples as a besdie nightstand, a vanity, and a desk. | René Quickle’s Freshman Dorm on Pinterest

Tip: Everyone needs a fur chair cover to hide basic dorm room chairs.

Easy to maintain pants will create some responsibility as well as provide some fresh air. Succulents, cacti, and aloe plants are super easy to take care of. Not to mention, those leafy greens can help purify the air quality in your dorm. If you’re too intimidated by becoming a plant mother, then just buy fake ones. | Room 264

Create your own mini kitchen with this Mini Fridge Organizer. This freestanding organizer fits over a compact mini fridge to provide organized storage in the available space above your fridge. Will also fit a microwave. Get your mini refrigerator storage cabinet here.

There higher you go with the bed, the more storage you are given below. Make sure to invest in a step stool. You can also use it as an end table, as storage, or even as a place to sit. Shop Blush Pink Storage Ottoman

Also consider getting these powered bed risers for bed height and extra long dorm bed skirt for covering unsightly storage.

Use a dorm room utility rolling cart for practical things like pantry items and kitchen supplies. Easy to pull out, easy to push back. | Jessica Slaughter

These gold polka dot wall decals create a mural on a wall with little time and effort. | Preptista

Head to thrift stores, search Facebook market place, look high and low for recycled furniture. Distress your own dorm room coffee station for late night studying. | Source Unknown.

Change messages and inspirational quotes in your room with a letter board. Hang with command strips for easily going on and coming off!

Do yourself a favor and make sure you do this – take a dorm room before and after photo. It will be so exciting to see your artistic side and personality show when decorating a dorm room. Can’t wait to see what you do! | Cosmopolitan.

Dorm Room Cleaning Checklist

We provided a free dorm room cleaning checklist printable. Included in our dorm cleaning checklist is a list of daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. Give each roommate their own copy or share the chores.

Daily

Make Your Bed
Pick Up Clutter
Wash Dishes

Weekly

Clean Out Refrigerator
Vacuum and Take Out Trash
Laundry

Monthly

Declutter Rooms
Wipe Windows and Mirrors
Dust

Grab dorm room checklist and our “Dorm Sweet Dorm” college decor printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

Save these Small Apartment and Dorm Room Hacks and Tips. Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Dorm Room Recipes – Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. No Bake Recipes. Pin to Pinterest.

3-D Paper Cactus Template + Teacher Appreciation Printable

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

June 14, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, DIY, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media Leave a Comment

Using Cricut Design Space and a free teacher appreciation printable, we assembled and easy craft and teacher gift idea. Download this 3-D Paper Cactus Template gift this mini potted cactus to your fantastic teacher – “Thank you for being a fan-cactus teacher!”

3-D Paper Cactus Template

Sometimes classroom and indoor spaces lack the sunlight for a small potted plant. We put together this easy to make Mini Potted Cricut Paper Cactus. Follow this step by step tutorial in design space and wirelessly cut with Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machines. After creating an adorable mini paper plant, we provide an optional teacher appreciation gift tag to thank a “fan-cactus” teacher!

Let’s get started!

Cactus Craft Materials

The following materials are needed to create your 3d cactus craft.

Torch Cactus template in Cricut Design Space (#M103661F)
Cricut Maker (or Cricut Joy) with Fine Point Blade and Scoring tool
Cricut Light Grip Adhesive Cutting Mat
Cardstock paper in light green, dark green, coral pink and cream colors
Mini terracotta pot (we used 2”)
Cricut Spatula
Smoothfoam Styrofoam Ball (we used 1.9″)
Hot glue gun with clear hot glue sticks
Glue stick
Optional: Mini Landscape Rocks

DIY Cactus Instructions

First gather your supplies. You will begin your process in Cricut Design Space, craft your DIY cacti, and then create your final potted paper cactus plant. When your craft is done, you can print our cactus teacher thank you note and tie with a ribbon.

3D Cactus SVG on Cricut Design Space

Open Cricut Design Space.

Click on the “+” sign to start a new project and open up a blank canvas.

Click on the Images button from the toolbar.

Search “torch cactus” image (#M103661F). Click the image to insert the pattern on the design canvas.

Resize grouping to double the original height to 4.5 inches high.

Click on the shape button on the toolbar to insert a circle shape.

Measure the diameter of your terracotta pot and resize the circle shape to match slightly smaller than the diameter of the top of the terracotta pot. (In this case, the circle shape is sized to 2.125”.)

Change the color of the lightest green pieces to pink and change the color of the circle shape to cream color. Move to the color sync tab to see all the pieces sorted by color.

Cutting Paper Cactus Template

With the machine set to Cricut Maker, select “Make It” in Design Space.

Set the material type to Cardstock, choosing the appropriate weight based on your paper.

Place your first paper color onto the light grip mat.

Follow prompts for loading cardstock paper into Cricut Maker and cutting. When the cut is complete, unload the mat from the machine.

Remove the cut pieces from the cutting mat using a spatula tool.

Repeat for the remaining colored paper cactus pieces and circle base.

Assembling the Paper Cactus Plant

Create a sharp fold on the cactus pieces along the score lines.

Group the similar sized pieces together to create a total of three separate cacti.

Start with the largest sized cactus pieces. Using a glue stick, glue the pieces together, sandwiching the prickly pieces between the other colors, alternating them as you go along.

Press the paper cactus sides together firmly.

Repeat with the smaller and medium sized cactus.

Allow your glued paper cactus plants to dry.

Assembling the 3D Potted Paper Cactus

First, place a dot of hot glue at the center bottom of your terracotta pot.

Lay the styrofoam ball inside the terracotta pot and let it settle on the glue dot.

Next, place a glue dot on top of the ball.

Cover the ball with the cream colored circle shape.

Lastly, attach the prepared 3-D cactus paper plants on top of the circle with hot glue and hold in place until glue sets.

Allow your final piece to dry.

Optional: Using a hot glue gun, on the flat surface of your potted plant, glue down sand and rocks.

Teacher Appreciation Printable

Using an adorable ribbon (we love this green gingham check ribbon), tie off our cactus teacher thank you note a back to school, teacher appreciation week, or end of the year teacher gift idea.

Teacher Cactus Quotes

We pulled together some punny teacher cactus quotes to use this cactus craft as a gift.

Bloom where you are planted.

Let’s stick together.

Needle’s to say you’re a great teacher!

Thank you for helping me stay sharp.

Teacher, you are always on point!

You can hand write your note (see our hand lettering ideas) using the quotes we provided or print off our free teacher printable below…

Thank you for being a fan-cactus teacher!

Download Cactus Teacher Appreciation Note

Get all of our free teacher appreciation printables including this Cactus Teacher Appreciation Printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

How to Teacher Appreciation Printable at Staples

I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples. First, sign in or create a Staples account. Using the Staples printing service page, you can ship your teacher thank you note printable or pick it up.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final 3-d Cricut Cactus and Teacher Appreciation Cactus Printable . Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Follow these Cricut Freebies & Tutorials. Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Teacher Appreciation Printables to use throughout the year. Pin to Pinterest.

Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas for the Mail

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

May 5, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, DIY, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media Leave a Comment

Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas for the mail plus a free donut teacher appreciation printable gift tag that can be delievered via email, over USPS or with Restaurant delivery or pick-up. Plus Virtual teacher appreciation ideas for Zoom, Google classroom and more.

Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Coming up with this Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea took some time. I knew I wanted a punny teacher appreciation printable that could be used during Teacher Appreciation week or as an end of the year gift idea. Plus, currently we are in social isolation and many local restaurants and establishments are suffering, so I wanted to grab something would would give back to local organizations.

We came up with this easy Teacher Appreciation Week gift idea – DONUT you know how much I miss you printable gift tag for teachers. And for years, were we are not in social isolation, this teacher gift tag also comes with another quote that reads DONUT know what I would do without you.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Donut Teacher Appreciation Gift Tag

Get all of our free printables including our donut teacher appreciation gift tag. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples. You can sign in or create a Staples account.

Mail a Gift Card

For our donut teacher appreciation gift card idea, we went at it two ways. First, we picked up gift cards that teachers could use at their leisure. I privately emailed teachers and asked for their best mailing address (knowing well that I might be the school address.) It was a personal question and I know some teachers would want to keep that information private. I softened it by sharing my child wanted to send them a treat. This teacher gift card idea well because it’s a gift that is not perishable. They can get it immediately at their home or when they return to school to pick up materials.

If leaving the home is not convenient for you, consider shopping Amazon for gift cards. You can have them mailed to your home and then add our printable teacher appreciation gift tag before mailing to your child’s educator.

By purchasing from a local bakery or restaurant, you are supporting small businesses during social isolation. Consider it a win/win.

Online Restaurant Delivery

Another option using your donut teacher gift tag is restaurant delivery or pick-up. We used Door Dash to deliver donuts. In this case, you can swing the gift tag to the establishment and add it to the order.

If leaving the house is not an option, consider this electronic addition. You can email the gift tag separately with a sweet message that your great teacher is expecting a delivery.

Another creative idea is to take a photo of your child holding the printed gift tag and email it to your teacher after the Restaurant Delivery arrives (track it on your phone or app.) I think this is a cute idea because it’s personalizes the doughnut delivery with a cute smile from your child and a sweet punny teacher message attached.

For this Teacher Appreciation Restaurant Delivery idea you will need your teacher’s home mailing address.

Teacher Appreciation Printables

We have years and years worth of teacher appreciation printables. Use any of these ideas and using a flat rate shipping box from USPS fill your box with a teacher gift and send it straight from your mailbox. Never leave the home.

More Unique Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Get creative with your electronic and virtual teacher appreciation ideas too.

Host a Class Zoom Party. have all the kids dress up and surprise the teacher. During this time you can share memories of the year together.
Make a Video Message. Have all the students in the class send in a 10 second clip of the reason they love their teacher. Piece those together for a sweet video message. Such a unique and priceless gift idea.
Send an Books Gift Card. One of my favorite places to shop for books is Better World Books. You can buy used or new books. I love buying used knowing I am recycling older books and finding many of my favorite authors and books for less. This also allows teachers to fill their personal and classroom library.
Thanks a Lattee. Thank a teacher a lot with a printable coffee gift card! Print and mail.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final Donut Teacher Appreciation Gift Tag. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

The end of the school year is new. Save these End of the School Year Acitivites and Printables. Pin to Pinterest.

Find creative Pun-Tastic teacher gift ideas for save these Punny Teacher Appreciation Printables too! Pin to Pinterest.