Simply This and that: 2011

Gift Idea

This week is teacher appreciation week at my kids school. I wanted to make something for them to thank them for their long hours and well frankly for putting up with my two boys all year. As I was walking around the craft store the other day, I ran across some plain, white metal boxes and this is what I ended up doing with them. We put some hand sanitizer, chocolates, and a thank you letter from the boys in each box.

They were easy and fun to put together. All you need are the metal boxes, some scrapbooking paper, embellishments of your choice, and some ribbon. (I had all of this, except the boxes which cost me around $8.00 for the two (I had a 40% off coupon).

Teacher Gift Idea

This is a great inexpensive gift for any teacher. In my preschool classroom, I use hand sanitizer all the time. In fact I have the extra, extra large bottle of it. All you have to do is find the clear bottles of hand sanitizer and tear off the labels. You can get the sticky stuff of with some Goo-Be-Gone.

For the decorating of it, I used rub on stickers and some ribbon that I had lying around in my scrapbook stuff. You could use whatever you'd like. You could also add a tag of some sorts to it also. Here's the finished product. Easy, fun, inexpensive, and a gift that any teacher would like.

End of Year Gifts

Yep, it's another teacher gift, but really could be for anyone. I saw this idea on another site and thought what a great and easy end of year gift for my boys teachers. These are eye gel masks that you can pick up at Bath and Body works for $3.00. Super easy and fun! Find more ideas here and here .

Puffy Sugar Cookies

Making sugar cookies with the kids is just one of those traditions we do with almost every holiday. This is by far my favorite sugar cookie recipe and use it all the time. It has a hint of nutmeg which makes it taste so good!

This is the first time I've used royal icing to frost sugar cookies. It was a lot of fun but I've decided that I can bake but not do all those fancy decorating things. I'll leave that to the experts.

Puffy Sugar Cookies

3 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (sometimes I add a little almond extract)

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Cream butter. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; beat well. Beat in sour cream. Gradually add dry ingredients. If dough is not stiff enough to roll out, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 " thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Bake on lightly greased (or parchment paper) cookie sheets at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Decorate as desired.

Royal Icing

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 egg whites, beaten

food coloring

Mix together. Add your choice of food coloring.

Easy Easter Baskets

My kids have had the same baskets for Easter for a few years now. While shopping at Tai Pan I saw these cute metal buckets that came in a variety of colors and thought they would make great Easter baskets. With my Cricut, some vinyl and ribbon (the boys said no way to the ribbon) this is how they turned out. Way cute!!