Saturday, August 12, 2017

A Mother's Prayer - FREE PRINTABLE

FREE PRINTABLE from www.orchardgirls.blogspot.com

Being a Mother is amazing! But lets get real for a quick minute. Being a Mother is a tough gig. We always want to do what is best for our kiddos, but its hard to always know what the "best" thing is. I am constantly seeking guidance from God, through prayer. After a long day of me struggling with patience, I happened to find this prayer in a book called Ascetic Lives of Mothers. Motherhood has its challenges, its joys, and its potential for spiritual growth. Having this prayer printed out, and framed is a constant reminder to pray for guidance and patience through the daily struggles of motherhood. I hope it can do the same for you! Feel free to download our FREE printable of A Mother's Prayer. We have this printable available in size 5x7 OR 8x10. Click below to download your copy!
Here is what the prayer says...

Dearest Lord Jesus, 

Show me how to be a loving mother to my children. You know the desire of my heart is to mother my children in a way that will draw them to You. Forgive my shortcomings and help me not to sink into despair, but to rise up in faith with the knowledge that Your holy power is strong enough to sustain me and guide me to be the mother my children need. Help me to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and quick to forgive my children of their faults. Grant me Your vision for my children that I may know how to train, encourage, and pray for them. For you are holy, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen

FREE PRINTABLE from www.orchardgirls.blogspot.com
Once you click below, be sure to download the file and print from there 
so you can be sure to print it to you specific sizing.
Print it out, frame it up, and hang it in a place that works for you. At your office desk, makeup table, by the bathroom mirror. Or hang it among other pictures in a gallery wall of your children. Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out our blog. Feel free to take a look around, we're glad you stopped by!
FREE PRINTABLE from www.orchardgirls.blogspot.com

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Monday, April 3, 2017

DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center

DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
     Our kids are about that age to start preschool, but we've decided to just do as much as we can at home, instead of sending them to a preschool. They have quite a bit of interaction with other children and I'm not worried about their social skills at this point. Since we moved into our new house we have enough space to set up a learning area for the kids. I had this idea in my head of what I wanted it to look like and I think its coming along pretty well.
    I wanted to start off with the 2x4 Ikea Kallax unit and put it standing up. Next I wanted to get the Linnmon table attachment with legs to make a table space for the learning books and activities. Here is a breakdown of what I used:
--Ikea Kallax 2x4 System $64 (I found ours on the OfferUp app for $50)
--Linnmon Table Top $8.99 (they have several different table options, I went with the cheapest)
--Leg x2 $4 Each
This completes the set up of the table and storage area for the learning and activity center. You can also buy the complete set HERE. However, if you can find any of the pieces on a second hand app, like OfferUp for cheaper, do it!
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
     Now  you can use any and all educational and learning materials and activities, and set them up on your shelf unit. They have a lot of different basket options if you want them all to be put away and stored. or you can lay them all out on the shelves, not in baskets. I went for laying them just on the shelves with no baskets. At least for now. Hah. I figure the kids will be more apt to sit up there and use the items if they don't have to get help to pull out the baskets and dig in the baskets to find things. Here is how ours has turned out so far...
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
Abacus found HERE
Fraction and shape learning blocks found at Goodwill
Counting Color Connecting Blocks found HERE

     The top four cubes are set up with materials for my two oldest kids, ages 4 and 2. The bottom for are filled with fun little activities for my youngest (1 year old) to play with while her brother and sister are working on their activities. These two chairs I found at goodwill brand new in box for around $40 bucks! You can find them brand new HERE from Target.
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
     Top two cubes are filled with educational books. Right side had the "My letter "A" book" going through the whole alphabet. I found all pictured here at Goodwill at a great price. On the Left we have some interactive monkey reader books. On the ends of the top two shelves I used the little storage containers from IKEA to put all our different flashcards and to organize them. 
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
Colors & Shapes, Picture/Word Matchng Activity, and Numbers & Counting Flashcards
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
 Spelling Activity, Alphabet Flashcards, and Sight word Flashcards
On the next two Shelves I have different puzzle sets. On the right I have other puzzles like, alphabet, rhyming, counting, and spell and learn activities. I found all of these at Ross Department stores for about $4 each. 
     On the lower four cubes I have things for my littlest to play with while her siblings are doing their activities.
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog

DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
We have only had it set up for a couple of days now, but the kids love it and have been constantly finding something to read or an activity to work on at their new preschool center.
DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog
 DIY At Home Preschool Learning and Activity Center by Orchard Girls Blog

Even little Bethany is joining in on the fun! :)
Orchard Girls Blog

This abacus is one of my favorite learning tools right now. I got it at IKEA for $10 and its awesome! All the kids love. Its great because you can gear it towards any age. 1-2 years old fine motor skills and starting color recognition. 2-3 years old color recognition and counting skills, 3-4 counting skills and beginning preschool math skills. Plus its pretty to look at it! :) Thank you for checking out our new preschool learning and activity center! I hope you enjoyed it and got some inspiration to start your own!
--Kayla


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Sunday, March 26, 2017

Pink and Gold First Birthday Party

We just had my daughter Bethany's first birthday party, and I thought I would share some pictures on here for some birthday party inspiration! I didn't have a certain theme in mind, so I just went with colors; Pink and Gold. I also, had just bought some cacti, and thought it would be fun to incorporate the cactus's as well. I kept it pretty simple with the decorations and had a little area for the cake and cupcakes and some cactus up above on a shelf. I also had fun sewing a cactus cover, from Spoonflower fabric,  for Bethany's IKEA ANTILOP high chair. (Which is such a good deal, by the way, if your looking for a cute simple highchair). We had all of our snacks set out on our kitchen island, as well as on the kitchen table. A lot of the decorations were from Amazon. A couple were from the dollar spot, and the cacti were all from Home Depot and planted into terra cotta planters from Hobby lobby. If you have any questions about any of the details feel free to comment down below :)
Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party


Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Orchard Girls Blog - Pink & Gold First Birthday Party

Thank you for stopping by! Feel free to hangout and take a look around the blog. 
Enjoy you day!
XoXo,
Kayla

#pinkparty #goldandpinkparty #cactus #ikea #ikeaantilop #ikeahighchair #firstbirthdayparty