Thankful Thursday – Thank You, Teacher!

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July 19, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media 5 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. (Seen in our One Year of Teacher Gift Ideas + Printable Gift Tags Set!)

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. (Seen in our One Year of Teacher Gift Ideas + Printable Gift Tags Set!)

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! (Seen in our One Year of Teacher Gift Ideas + Printable Gift Tags Set!)

Pick up an extra candy bar at checkout and add these candy bar gift tags for teachers from Fun Squared. (Try this Copycat Almond Joy Recipe!)

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.

It’s hard to survive some weeks! Take a look at this Teacher Survival Kit Teacher Gift idea with printable gift tag from Frugal Coupon Living.

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!

Budget Friendly Teacher Gift Ideas

As a former teacher myself and mother of five, let me help you achieve a simple and budget-friendly teacher gift ideas with our Teacher Gift Tag Printable Set!

Is it a struggle to find a perfect Teacher Gift Idea? Creating an EASY, LOW-COST, ADORABLE gift for teachers has never been easier!

Take a look at our Teacher Appreciation Gift Tag Set. This set includes 12 digital gift cards. Download, print, and cut. One gift idea for every season. Our Teacher gift tag pritnables provide easy teacher gift ideas. Staying organized during the school year is hard enough!

One Year of Teacher Appreciation Gift Tags

Don’t forget to also look at these Volunteer Appreciation Week Ideas with Volunteer Gifts for Adults. A great way for teachers to thank parents. 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.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Get ready for summer with low-cost activities and games for the kids! GET YOUR SUMMER BOREDOM BUSTER BUNDLE.

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

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School Lunch Planner with Printable Lunch Notes

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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.

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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

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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 – memorable first day of school ideas?! 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.

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!

How do you start the first day of school?

Starting the first day of school can really establish the rest of the school year. It’s the fist day for re-establishing routines and it’s important to link those routines to positive feelings. The first day of school is very important because the feeling you child has walking through their classroom door can really set the tone for the rest of the year. Do they establish the feeling they love this day? Do they establish the feeling they like their teacher? Do they establish the feeling of self-confidence?

How do we celebrate the first day of school?

Living for the moment is important. Treasuring precious time with family and friends and looking for activities for bonding create a good first day of school experience. Celebrate the first day of school with a fun back to school treasure hunt to collect school supplies. Take a yearly first day of school photo. Eat a tasty first day of school snack when you get home. After school or after dinner, go for a first day of school ice cream treat. If the budget it tight, run to the grocery store and grab a cheap ice cream novelty box and take an evening walk to enjoy it. You can talk about the first day of school activities your child experienced at school!

First Day of School Traditions

You might find yourself asking, what are some (really awesome) school traditions? Back to School traditions are are first day of school ideas you want to continue and keep consistent every year. These can include first day of school lunches, first day of school photos, DIY crafts, back to school printables and mores. Start with a couple ideas and build on them year after year. You can always hault back to school activities you don’t want to stick for future years.

Love family traditions? Some of our birthday family traditions can be easily transferred into back to school ideas for the first day. Don’t forget these end of the year traditions too!

First Day of School Lunch

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

Balloon Avalanche

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)

School Gitters Necklace

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

German School Cones

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

You can also purchase German School Cones.

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.

Sidewalk Chalk Photo

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)

Reoccurring Photo

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)

First Day of School T-Shirt Photo

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

First Day of School Banner Photo

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

Balloon Photo

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.

Time Capsule Printable

Conduct a school interview. Mark the changes school year with these yearly interview school printables fitting for kids from pre-school through high school. Add them all to a notebook or scrapbook for a printable time capsule!

Honorable mention at Mortiz Fine Designs

Back to School Breakfast Printables

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)

Back to School Supply Scavenger Hunt

Get the kids excited and have little fun collecting school supplies with a Back to School Scavenger hunt! 20 fun Back to School Themed treasure hunt riddles. This at home scavenger hunt leads them through a series of clues to collect their back to school supplies.

DIY Time Capsule

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

Back to School Minute to Win it Games

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.

Back to School Minute to Win it Games Printable Set

Classic Minute to Win It PDF Printable

Summer Party Minute to Win it with Water Printable

First Day of School Activities

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

Back to School Party

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

First Day of School Ice Cream

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

Encouragement Post It Notes

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

Backpack Fairy

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

Paper Chain Countdown

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

Back to School Printables

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.

School Year Traditions

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

College Dorm Room Ideas for Girls

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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 Décor Ideas are covered – from storage, to organization, decorations, and hacks. These dorm room ideas for girls include all the dorm essentials, where to buy dorm room décor cheap and affordable college living spaces you will want to copy.

College Dorm Room 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! Your jaw will hit the floor with these college dorm room ideas. Find the best places to buy dorm room décor and get inspired by all the budget-friendly options!

Happy Decorating.

Best Places to Buy Dorm Room Décor

You cannot decorate a dorm room without knowing the best places to buy dorm room décor. 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 post) there are so many awesome places to buy college dorm décor.

Many of these dorm room 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 first home. In fact, a combination of eight 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 Décor

Best Dorm Room Ideas for Girls

Get inspired with these Dorm Room Ideas Pinterest worthy for girls. All the social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok dorm room décor inspiration. Let’s create the best home away from home.

Dorm Room Pinterest

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 décor for girls – five stars and two thumbs up! | Patterns and Prosecco

Dorm Room Door Decorations

Inspire your welcome with a temporary polka dot door. If looking for things to put on a dorm room door, try vinyl. Using white vinyl, a cutting machine or a circle cutter this dorm room décor ideas craft can be done in under 30 minutes. Make sure you are using Removable Vinyl! | Sarah Hearts

Free Dorm Room Décor

This college dorm room wall décor is cheap. So cheap it’s free. Use command strips and decorative clipboards. Easily change out art or calendars using clipboards for dorm wall décor that is constantly on the change.

You can 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.

Dorm Room Storage Idea

This dorm room storage ideas acts as both a Collapsible storage ottoman and a bench with seat back for dorm room seating. Comes in white, gray and black to match to any dorm room theme for girls. Get this dorm storage ottoman here.

Mood Board Example

Display all your feelings on a rotating mood board for cheap dorm decorations! 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 (page no longer available)

Dorm Room Layout

Sometimes for dorm room layout ideas, take it a different direction like an L shape. For more design ideas, 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

Dorm Room Light Ideas

Instead of using the overhead florescent lighting, adding your own DIY 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 for more opportunities to make your dorm room brighter. | Belly Itch Blog

Tip: See our Vibey Lights and Cool Lighting Effects for a bedroom too for more dorm room light ideas.

Dorm Room Picture Wall

Smile with this dorm room picture collage idea. 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.

Dorm Room Ideas for Two

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. They took this two person dorm room idea from drab to fab. | Today.com

Dorm Room Decorations for Girls

For this college student bedroom decorating idea, 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.

Dorm Room Wall Décor Ideas

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!)

Dorm Room Wall Décor Tip: Look at our Dorm Room Hacks for a trick for hanging dorm room wall décor.

Dorm Room Décor Ideas

This dorm décor 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 bedside 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.

Dorm Room Plants

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

Dorm Room Essentials

Create your own dorm room kitchenet 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.

Dorm Room Seating

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.

Dorm Room Cart

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

Dorm Room Themes for Girls

Go with a dorm room theme. These gold polka dot wall decals create a mural on a wall with little time and effort – instant dorm room wall décor. | Preptista

Dorm Room Kitchen

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 or a mini dorm kitchenette. | Source Unknown.

College Roommates Quotes

Change messages and inspirational quotes in your room with a letter board. Hang with command strips for easily going on and coming off! Take a look at all of our felt letter board quotes or search your own college dorm room quotes. A felt board would be a great thing to put on a dorm room door.

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 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 dorm room décor free 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.

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More Dorm Room Décor Ideas

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

Looking for Dorm Room ideas? Take some inspiration from these Vibey Lights & Neon Room Lighting Affects. 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

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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 cute 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!”

Fan-cactus Teacher Printable Gift Tag

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 teacher printable below.

“Thank you for being a fan-cactus teacher” Printable Gift Tag Instant Download

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). Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

Teacher Appreciation Gift Tags

Before you go on, take a look at this! Solve an entire year of gifts with this Teacher Appreciation Gift Tags set. Included in this set are 12 months of gift tags. Each gift tag can be paired with a small low-cost gift just to show an appreciation of thanks.

Our Cactus Teacher Appreciation Gift Tags are included in this set. From plants to chocolate bars, these Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas can be used the entire school year!

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

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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.

Inspirational Homework Stations & Easy Kids Study Spaces

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March 26, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

Ready to organize the home and create a DIY kids study space? These 15 Inspirational Homework Stations are Quick and Easy Homework Spaces to provide the kids with easy access to school supplies, quiet areas to work and bright colors to get the creative juices flowing.

Best Homework Stations

It’s been awhile since we shared our Homework Center Ideas. We realize the need more and more for the return of these work from home school rooms and zones. We have put together some of the Best Homework Stations to inspire you to get working!

Kids Study Spaces

It can be easy and affordable to make Kids Study Spaces and Homework Centers. Take a look at these inspirational ideas to get started with home schooling or finishing school work.

Display your child’s accomplishments so they can enjoy a beautiful art gallery wall while they study. We used Michael’s Studio Décor® frames for a pop of color. I did have to cut down the pictures a little bit to fit some of the frames. With 40% off, it was so affordable and I love how it came out.

It’s possible to build a desk/homework station for under $100. Using Stackable 3-Shelf Organizers, Sarah made a desk using a $19 Ikea Counter Top. She ideally was going for butcher block and could have easy made it with Butcher Block Self-adhesive Vinyl. | Pretty Providence

Small spaces? Turn a closet into a homework center. We love the unique touches on this study center. | I Heart Organizing

Create this simple DIY Rotating Desk Organizer lazy susan for an easy school at home Homework Station in under 10 minutes! It keeps all supplies at your fingertips! Portable and perfect for moving from room to room and space to space. | Busy Creating Memories

Organizing doesn’t have to be costly. We love this frugal friendly Dollar Store Hack. Get ready for a clutter-free school zone with this simple Dollar Store portable homework station and our free printable label! | Simple Made Pretty

Create a homework station for your kids by using a metal rolling utility cart to store books and other school supplies. This allows you to move school work from room to room and space to space. | Suburble

If you are using common space like a dinning room table and need privacy, consider making homework station privacy boards using a white tri-fold project board. So easy and each child can customize and design their own space. | Mom Advice

Have a wall of clipboards you can easily rotate art work, calendars or to do lists. So easy to lift the clip and remove. | Clean and Scentsible

This was done in a classroom but can easily be done to organize a homework space at home. Check out Michael’s Belmont frames – they are affordable. | Dandelions and Dragonflies

A homework station can be as simple as a binder. Grab this one with printable sheets for organizing. | I Heart Naptime

Use a nook and chalk paint to create an inspirational space for homework. | By Dawn Nicole

Use a hanging shoe organizer to sort school supplies making an easy, tucked away homework center. | A Bowl Full of Lemons

We shared this hidden closet idea in our Homework Center Ideas but wanted to share it again. Turn a crawl space like under the stairs storage into a quiet reading nook, art center or school work area. | Rebecca Propes

It doesn’t have to be expensive. Grab a $22 Home Depot pegboard and mount over a tabletop or desk. At a touch of hanging baskets, hooks, and cups to keep homework supplies within reach. Amazon has Pegboard Organizational Sets.| Claire Collected

Turn a corner of the playroom or kitchen into an area the kids can work or create. Just grab a pre-existing table and chairs. This homework station is complete with build-in chalkboard and art display board. Love the v-groove paneling. | The Project Girl

Want to involve the kids? Grab the sewing machine and make these adorable Seat Sacks for the Kids’ study corner. | Scissors and Spatulas

Take a look at our original Homework Center Ideas (also with Family Command Centers!) Pin to Pinterest.

Create a cozy nook with these Creative Reading Corner Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

April Low Waste Earth Day Challenge

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March 7, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media 1 Comment

April 22 is Earth Day! Take this easy Earth Day quiz, get your little ones involved in these Earth Day projects and activities for kids, and take on this April low waste living Earth Day challenge to create some new environmental conscious habits and perhaps a zero waste home!

Low Waste Earth Day Challenge

Earth Day is an annual celebration around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection. On this date, environmental awareness is put forth and discussions and ideas are created to acknowledge our impact (both good and bad) on the environment.

Earth Day Quiz

Before we begin, we have an Earth Day Quiz for you. Can you do something to differently to make an environmental difference? I bet we can all answer yes! But really, here is a quick Earth Day Quiz (with answers) to teach you more about Earth Day.

When is Earth Day? April 22

When was the First Earth Day? 1970

Who founded Earth Day? Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin

Why do we belebrate Earth Day? Celebrating Earth Day serves as a reminder of how fragile our earth is and how important it is to protect our planet.

Also try this easy Earth Day Quiz for Kids…

What color is the earth from? Blue and Green (white if including clouds)

What covers 70% off the earth? Water

What are five things you can recycle in your home? answers will vary

Where is your favorite place to visit on earth? answers will vary

Want to learn more? Take an Earth Day Quiz for Kids or Earth Day Quiz for Adults.

Now that you have begun an Earth Day discussion and even grown in knowledge of your Earth Day facts, we have Earth Day Projects and our very own Earth Day Challenge for you to tackle during the month of April.

Earth Day Projects

These Earth Day Projects and Earth Day Activities for Kids are a few ways to make a difference this April and perhaps for the rest of your life. A new habit takes on average a month, perhaps making a difference this month will create some life long differences for your family and your environment.

Easy Earth Day Projects and Activities for Kids

We have more Earth Day Ideas! Also visit our Earth Day Crafts Ideas for Kids to raise awareness and support for protecting our environment with your children.

You also can find our Earth Day Activities Printables (with Scavenger Hunt) in our Free Printables section.

Earth Day Challenge

We have our very own challenge for you. Incorporate the kids and take this Low Waste Earth Day Challenge for the entire month of April. I bet you already do many of these things already. Once you complete the month, is there something you can continue and perhaps make a new habit?

Use a refillable stainless steel water bottle
Use a reusable coffee cup/thermos (even when buying coffee)
Get a library card and borrow books and magazines instead of buying prints (or join Audible and listen to books)
Use a bamboo toothbrush (instead of a plastic one)
Say no to free promo items
Use bar soap instead of liquid soap (less packaging)
Use reusable shopping and produce bags
Shop your local farmers market, bring a reusable bag
Plan meals to avoid food waste
Collect and re-purpose rain or grey water
Have your shoes and clothes repaired instead of buying new
Run full loads in the dish washer and laundry
Focus on experiences instead of things
Change all your bills to paperless (electronic)
Join carpools or use public transport
Plant a garden (even if it is small)
Carry your own reusable straw
Reduce the amount of consumption of toothpaste, shampoo, etc
Don’t impulse shop – stop, think method
Avoid palm oil (responsible for much of the world’s deforestation)
Upcycle and re-purpose as much as you can
Pack your own lunch in a reusable container

The steps will turn you into an environmentally conscious earth member (wink) and get you family closer to a zero waste home!

Earth Day Printable PDF

Get all of our free printables including this Low Waste Challenge Earth Day 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.

Earth Day Printable Directions

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 Order Prints at Staples

You can of course, keep this product digital – that would be Earth Day Friendly. However, if you want to print a copy, I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples.

You can also follow the directions below.

Have your PDF, Word Document or printable saved to a folder on your computer.
Sign in or create a Staples account.
Return to the Staples Printing Service Page.
Scroll down to Self-Service printing.
Go to Start Project.
Go to Documents Printing.
Select Browse.
Select the Buy Now Button under color.
In the left column, choose add file(s).
Select upload files (to upload a file from your computer).
Add more files or select the blue upload button.
Select done.
Give your job a name in the top left column.
Choose color or B&W.
Make sure your project is single sided. (You can choose double sided if you need.)
Choose the correct orientation of your project – landscape or portrait.
I changed my media to 8.5×11 67 lb card/coverstock (I prefer a card stock feel over printer paper feel. It makes the paper very durable and sturdy.)
Save your product to Staples or select add to cart on the bottom right.
Proceed to checkout.

*Note: these Staple print service steps were added in Winter 2020. The directions may change as the website changes. They should give you a general outline of how to upload and order a print on Staples.com.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final Earth Day Challenge Low Waste Printable. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Take a look at our Earth Day Crafts Ideas for Kids to raise awareness and support for protecting our environment with your children. Pin to Pinterest.

Many of our Rockin’ Geology Rock Party Ideas can overlap with these Earth Day ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Upcycle old Little Tikes and Step2 Toys with these creative ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Also upcycle these Old Altoids Boxes with these creative ideas. Pin to Pinterest.