Welcome to the home of the original painted rock challenges! The very first time I painted on rocks was about a year ago with my daughter's Brownie troop. We were working on a project for World Thinking Day and all of the girls painted Girl Scout themed rocks and hid them around our town. Each rock had information on the back that would lead the finder to the Girl Scout website to learn about Thinking Day. It was also where my addiction to painting on rocks began! This would be a fun project that Troop Leaders could incorporate into some badge lessons. Brownie leaders can look at the Painting and the Outdoor Art Creator badges. Some of the words on the list would be fun to introduce new girls to Girl Scouting traditions and history. You could also incorporate rock hiding (kindness rocks) into a community service project. Be creative and have fun! Let the girls help decide what to do with their rocks once they are painted. Have a fun idea you want to share, leave a comment to ... [ Read More ]
Search Results for: girl scouts
Ideas for End of Year & Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony Gifts
It's the end of the school year and we're completing another year of Girl Scouts. This year our troop expanded to a multi-level troop with girls ranging from 2nd grade (Brownies) to 4th grade (Juniors). The majority of our girls are bridging over to Junior Girl Scouts this year so we're planning our big end of year Bridging Ceremony. We have so much to celebrate with these girls for all of their hard work this year. Our troop sold over 5,500 boxes of cookies during cookie season and had a lot of money to spend on the girls and our community. We had a great outing at an aerial ropes and zip line course near us with some of the profits from cookie sales. Another large portion will go to their end of year Take Action project. They are making care packages for the families and patients at a local hospice center and delivering those in about a week (or two). Whatever funds are left after they add to their saving account for next year are being used for their end of year party and ... [ Read More ]
7 Lessons I Learned in My First Year as a Daisy Girl Scout Leader
My daughter just finished her second year in Girl Scouts and has bridged up to Brownies for next year. While this was her second year in Daisy's, this was my first year as a Troop Leader. It's been a fun year learning how to be a Troop Leader and I've learned a few lessons along the way. Let the girls help lead! Girl Scouts are very into "Girl Lead" troops and activities. It's very easy for us as adults to take over and control every situation instead of letting the girls learn how to do things. Sure we have to "lead" the troop and push them in the right direction, but letting them make decisions is an important part of being a Troop Leader. As Daisy's this is a hard balance to find since the girls are 6-7 years old, but given the right directions they can do it! Kaper Charts are a good way to get the girls involved in the meetings. Be flexible! No matter how well you plan out your meetings, something will always get you off track! It's OK to be flexible and change your focus if ... [ Read More ]
Easy (and Wholesome) Last Minute Family Meals for Back to School
A special thank you to Coca-Cola Florida for sponsoring this post and helping make our busy week a little more manageable. For a limited time you can save $2 off ready to serve meals with a Coca-Cola product at Publix, Wal-Mart, and Target stores in Florida. #CokeAmbassador #BackToSchool #Whatsfordinner Our kids started back to school last week. I love everything about summer and the laid back routines; so getting back into a routine is much harder on me than it is for the kids. They thrive off routine and have been ready for school to start again. With school starting back that also means my schedule gets flipped upside down again and the juggling begins. PTA meetings, Open Houses, curriculum nights, Girl Scouts, and homework take up our afternoon and evening hours. I try to be organized and plan meals for the week; but some nights are just too chaotic to try and cook a wholesome meal while juggling all the things! These are the nights that I'm thankful for ready to serve ... [ Read More ]
Feeling Inspired with an Aerie Lane DIY Workshop
Summer is quickly coming to an end with my kids starting back to school this week. My promise to myself this summer was to be more creative and I've exceeded my expectations. I've picked up my sketchbook, I've doodled, I've painted, I've started to learn hand lettering (and calligraphy), and I finally bought myself an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Procreate app. My creative juices have exploded this summer and it's starting to feel like I did when I was younger before I had motherly responsibilities. It's been a wonderful summer for me in this regards and I feel much more balanced. I was incredible excited to have been invited to a DIY Workshop at our local Aerie Lane in Safety Harbor. This is the original Aerie Lane and is operated by the founders of the company, Sheyla and Courtney. Along with a group of local bloggers, I spent an evening with Sheyla painting and putting together their large rustic centerpiece. Sheyla and her team welcomed us with an evening full of more than ... [ Read More ]
Final Day to Register to win a 2-Year Florida College Scholarship with Florida Prepaid
This post is sponsored by Florida Prepaid College Foundation as part of their Starting is Believing Blogger Campaign. This content includes my own opinions and may not represent those of Florida Prepaid. Today is the FINAL DAY to enter to win one of TEN 2-Year Florida College Plans with Florida Prepaid. It's super easy to enter. Plus, since open enrollment for Florida Prepaid Plans is now open, you'll also get a chance to win $25 off your application fee. To enter: http://bit.ly/FLPrePaidB2C To learn more about Florida Prepaid, keep reading! It's that time of year when reality gives me a huge reminder that my kids are growing up and time is moving quickly. Each year when I'm asked to share my experiences about Florida Prepaid, I'm reminded of just how fast our time with our kids really is. I'm literally brought to tears thinking that my son has entered high school this year, thinking about his learner's permit, finally free from braces, and only has a few more years ... [ Read More ]
Finding Beauty After the Storm
This post is sponsored by prAna. "If you truly love nature, you'll find beauty everywhere." - Vincent VanGogh ...you can even find beauty following a hurricane. It's been over a week since Hurricane Irma left her mark on my beautiful State and my spirit, but in the devastation I found beauty all around me. As we watch the oceans for the devastation that Marie may bring to the islands, I'm looking very hard to find the rainbow that will happen following that storm. It's not easy... My spirit is still shattered from the stress that Irma brought to us. The hardest decision that we faced was if we should stay or if we should leave. That decision changed daily as Irma inched her way closer to our home. Many of our friends and neighbors stayed and weathered the eye of the storm; I'm sure we would have been fine had we stayed. We came back to very little damage (thankfully)....but what if the storm would have been a little bit closer? There are so many "what if's" and it's hard ... [ Read More ]
Blogger Secret 101: Life is not always picture perfect!
This post is sponsored through a partnership with Stonyfield Yogurt company and their YoGetters Blogger program. Can I tell you a secret (or ten) about blogging and parenting? I don't always make elaborate meals like what you see on my blog or Instagram, I don't always have a clean home, and my kids don't always have the best packed lunches. I am a crazy mom who works full time on top of all the regular mom duties. My average day starts at 7am when my alarm goes off and I have an hour to get both kids (and myself) presentable to the world for school. There are lots of days when we sleep in and snuggle instead of having a perfectly pressed school uniform and perfect hair. Wrinkles are like dust bunnies; both welcome in our home! We usually rush off to school with some jelly sandwiches (because peanut butter is banned at our school) with some chips and whatever else my kids throw in their lunchboxes. On a good day I'll catch them taking fruit, yogurt or Stonyfield ... [ Read More ]
Floridians add what to their coffee??
It doesn't matter how hot it gets in Florida, it's never too hot for coffee. I didn't start drinking coffee until after my second child was born and now I don't usually miss a day. There is something about the smell of that pot of coffee brewing in the morning to really kickstart my morning. A few months ago I finally ditched my K-cups and fell in love with my french press. If you aren't using a french press yet, you may enjoy this quick tutorial on how to get started (French Press 101). All it takes is some boiling water and coffee. Here in Florida though, we add a little bit of orange zest in the springtime to add a little sunshine to your coffee. Seattle's Best Orange Coffee Recipe 2 TBS Breakfast Blend Seattle's Best coffee 1/2 TBS Orange Zest 12oz filtered water Milk or half&half to taste Sugar or sweetener to taste If you're using a french press, add coffee grounds and orange zest directly to your press. Add boiling water, cover, and sit for 4 ... [ Read More ]
10 Simple Ways to Go Green This Earth Day (and Every Day)
This post is sponsored by Flipp App. Earth Day is April 22nd and it's a good time for us all to refocus and find new ways to be more eco-friendly. We all live different lifestyles and have different resources available to us. Regardless of where you are in your journey to live a greener lifestyle, remember that every little step we take adds up in big ways. Here are just a few simple ways that you may be able to go green this Earth Day... 1. Teach Our Children to Love the Earth - the biggest gift we can give to our children is the ability to love and respect the natural environment. Let your children help you recycle. Give them a small section of the garden to care for. Teach our children that the future of this planet depends on how well we care for it. 2. Buy Less - What items have you purchased recently that you could have lived without? That new purse? That new Lilly Pulitzer outfit from Target? That extra cloth diaper in the newest print? Think before you ... [ Read More ]