Hello Love Designs and ELB Giveaway Ends Wednesday 10/17

Head on over to Hello Love Designs Facebook Page for your chance to win this awesome giveaway!

Teriyaki Chicken - Slow Cooker Meal

I found this awesome recipe for Teriyaki Chicken over at The Test Kitchen of Melissa Fallis she has incredible recipes for Pre-Prepped Freezer Meals for your Slow Cooker.  I changed it up just a little bit.  Might I add that the house smelled sooo good!  YUMMY!

Teriyaki Chicken

One Small Bag of Baby Carrots

1/2 Red Onion cut in large chunks

1 Can of Pineapple Chunks

1 Red Bell Pepper

4 Garlic Cloves chopped

1 cup of Teriyaki Sauce

I set my slow cooker on high for 3 hours and on low for 2 hours.

Original Recipe found here:  The Test Kitchen of Melissa Fallis

Doesn't this look DELICIOUS!!!

  I served this awesome dish with some brown rice and my kids LOVED it!  

Halloween Games

I've been looking for some great Halloween games to play at Emma's Halloween Birthday Party and I've found some great ones.  I did purchase some at Target that looked like fun including Web Splat, Pumpkin Bean Bag Toss, and Halloween Bingo:

I'm definitley going to try some of these I found on Pinterest:

Source: sometimescreative.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: adsflava.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: chicaandjo.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: bedifferentactnormal.com via Renee on Pinterest

Source: cacareco.net via Brook on Pinterest

Source: myfamilyinspires.net via Francine on Pinterest

Source: modernhomemakers.com via Modern on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Karin on Pinterest

Source: itswrittenonthewalls.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Oh BROTHER!!!

My husband and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch today and I got these great progression shots of my son helping his little sister up the great HAY PYRAMID.  It's little things like this that make life so sweet!

Monster High Party Theme

My daughter is obsessed with Monster High.  She will be turning 5 in late October and I'm gearing up for her Monster High/Halloween Birthday Party.  Since Monster High is a bit creepy I think it will mesh perfectly with the Halloween theme....don't ya think?  She wants to dress similar to Clawdeen Wolf, but she says she wants to keep her blond hair. This is good because when I put the Clawdeen wig on her it looked as if she had no eyebrows and I don't think I could successfully draw on brown eyebrows without her looking something like MOMMY DEAREST!  Ha!  Some of the costumes are a bit in-appropriate for a 5 year old so we're going with our 'little girl' friendly version that I found online at Children's Place and my daughter LOVES it.  I did end up removing the sparkly top of the outfit because it was a bit Christmasy so I bought a black shirt instead.  She really looks cute in it!  Happy October all!!!

ELB Halloween Giveaway Ends 10/6/12

Come visit my Emma Lee's Boutique facebook 

page to enter this giveaway.  SO CUTE!!!

My NEW Craft Space...

If you've known me over the years you may have noticed that I like to change things often.  From my shop banner to my living room furniture...to even rooms in my house.  I think it all stems from moving quite a bit...17 times in 34 years.  {Geez...it looks even worse when I type it out.} Well I've done it again I've moved my craft room to it's original space...where ELB all started.

I painted the walls gray to contrast with the white vaulted ceilings.  I also ripped out the carpet and painted the floor a light gray with concrete paint and sealer.  I also made my craft desk using pre-made white shelving and closet organizer shelves.

 I found these super simple and modern desk at target for $20.00 each and the chairs were $9.00 each.  This is my kids' art/homework station. They LOVE their space and are always creating something.  They are both crafty like their momma!!

 This is how I store all of ELB's items.  I pre-make just about everything, seal it and organize them here in these storage containers, which are actually sock organizers for drawers.  They work really well for my products and getting orders out is a cinch!

 So we will see how long I stay in here!  For now I'm just going to enjoy it!

LABOR OF LOVE GIVEAWAY ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE!!!!! {Ends 9/7/12}

Come enter this awesome giveaway on my facebook page

 Emma Lee's Boutique! Ends 9/7/12

Back in the CRAFTY Swing of things...

Hello there!  Geez it's been awhile since I've been on here.  My ELB shop is back up and running so please take a minute to check that out.  I'm no longer teaching preschool as my littlest one is off to Kindergarten and now I'm a full fledged stay at home crafter and school volunteer.  Needless to say my plate is still full and I like it that way.  I have some projects I need to blog about and I look forward to reading all my favorite blogs too.  Life is good!

Hope to be up soon!

I hope to start blogging in a week or two after I get my shop back up and running.  Thank you for your patience. :0)

RAINBOW GIVEAWAY!!! {Ends 4/30/12}

How about a RAINBOW GIVEAWAY!!!!!! OH YEAH!!! For this giveaway I'll be offering one winner 10 Free items {One of each color: Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Black, White and Brown} and best of ALL you get to CHOOSE each one from the items listed in my shop. AWESOME! You can enter the giveaway by visiting my FB Business page EMMA LEE's BOUTIQUE.{Giveaway ends 4/30 along with the spectacular RAINBOW SALE (30% off all orders till 4/30)}. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! ~Derinda

ELB SALE!!! {Ended 4/30/12}

Hi y'all.  I'm having a RAINBOW SALE...30% off orders from now until 4/30.  ENJOY!!!!

Ending Sounds GAME {online}

Found this really cool new game online for ending sound practice. Check it out...there are tons of other fun activities too! I have an old iPhone 3G and it works great on their. ENJOY!!!!

{click image below to take you to the cite}

Softschools.com

Giveaway {Modern yet Old-Fashioned} ENDs 4/10/12

Hello everyone!!! Andrea from the Modern yet Old-Fashioned Blog is hosting a giveaway to win some adorable ELB hair accessories. Go check out her lovely blog and ENTER the giveaway!

{UPDATE: WINNERS are KARI & ELIZABETH}

These are the sets you could win! SO cute!!!

Goodbye Picnik...

I am so sad that Picnik is closing. I have been editing all my photos simply through them and have neglected using and learning my photoshop elements program. Well I guess it's time I learn cause Picnik is closing next month. I will miss you...thank you for allowing me to edit so many great photos all these years. Here are my recent picnik edits.

St. Patty's Day Party!

Had our party today at school. I thought I would share some of the things I made and some activities the kids and I did.

Rainbow Fruit Kabobs (Strawberries, Oranges, Pineapples, Green grapes, Blueberries, and Purple Grapes)

Leprechaun Trap (we thought we had him, but he cut a hole in the back and escaped with our gold...little did he know it was FOOLS gold: dried play dough coins painted with gold acrylic paint ;0)

Green Cupcakes (made by one of the parents) and Mini Sugar Cookies
Green Gifts: Green water bottles filled with green candy, green slime, a green pencil & note pad, green gum, all adorned with an Irish flag and shamrock balloon.

With the Luck Charms we did this graph: Lucky Charms Graph
and with the Skittles we sorted them by color and compared the groups in size.
All in a days work!!!

Book Box {Printable Books}

Hi there!!! For those of you who don't know I am a preschool teacher. I have my California Multiple Subjects K-12 Teaching Credential, but instead of teaching public school I opted to teach private preschool so that I could be with my daughter. She is 4 and will be heading off to Kindergarten this August...sigh. For the last year I've been printing easy to read books for the kids. We read the same book every day for a week and then on Friday the kids take it home and put it in their book box that we made in class (just a shoe box decorated with stickers). I ask that the kids (with a parent) read 2 books every night for homework. The kids LOVE the books and can memorize them in one day. I make sure that they are using proper directionality (left to right) and also that they are pointing to each word when it is read as well as using the return sweep when reading multiple lines. This has improved their reading skills tremendously and offers them a chance to use the phonics we've been working on tediously for the last 2 years. They can all pretty much read every book that I've printed on any given day. Now I know they have them memorized, but that's really the first steps into reading. When they read these books they are picking up sight words, learning new vocabulary, understanding that pictures and print contain messages, demonstrating the concepts of print, and starting to acknowledge punctuation. They also are building confidence in learning how to read. It's awesome!!!! I've been teaching the normal California preschool curriculum as well, but these books are an added bonus. There is no greater reward then teaching a child to read!

Here are some links to some fabulous sites that offer FREE printable books.

DLTK Printable Books
Reading A-Z Printable Books
Hubbard's Cupboard Printable Books
Starfall Printable Books
Professor Garfield Alpha Book Printable
Kids Zone Beginning Sound Printable Books
Clarkness.com


There are also other sites I haven't used yet. I only print FREE books,
I don't like to pay for anything if I don't have to. :0)

School Sparks

Dear School Sparks I wish I would have met you sooner!!

I found this awesome website called School Sparks a few weeks ago that has information and worksheets for Preschool and Kindergarten Readiness. I wish I would have known about it sooner because it's AWESOME!!! In teaching preschool I use the California Standards for Pre-K and these worksheets fit into my curriculum perfectly. Thank you School Sparks for offering your worksheets for FREE! As a preschool teacher I don't make a ton of money so having these worksheets that I can print without having to purchase is the icing on my preschool cake. THANK YOU!

Find them on facebook here: School Sparks on Facebook
Come check out their blog: School Sparks Blog

St. Patrick's Day

Source: handsonhousewife.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

I'm getting some great ideas on Pinterest for our St. Patrick's Day party. Here awesome awesome ideas I've found so far.

Table Decor

Source: google.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Food & Snacks

Source: intentionallyme.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: pirates-n-princesses.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: sunscholars.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: craftin-on-my-door.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: createmyevent.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: littleherocapes.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: sunscholars.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Kids Crafts

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Source: google.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Games & Activities

Source: whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: lisastorms.typepad.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Leprechaun Traps

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Source: rootsandwingsco.blogspot.com via Derinda on Pinterest

Green Wear

Source: polyvore.com via Derinda on Pinterest