I. am. a. cleaning. machine.
31 Bags in 31 Days is going full force in our home, and I’m discovering a thing or two in the process. Some drawers/closets/spaces are going much faster than I anticipated (I have 5 ‘bags’ completed in 3 ‘days’), while other areas that I only allotted 1 bag/day to are going to require considerably more lovin’.
Regardless, I am lapping up the motivation and ‘drive to purge’ that is thick in the air of our Spring-flingin’ home right now, and I’m thankful to have a hubby who loves to clean and organize alongside me. Especially when it involves me actually cleaning unearthing my vehicular unit…and me not throwing out his ugly well-loved sweater. We make a good team.
We also happen to make lovely loin-fruit.
Speaking of which…
Our sweet Bean started preschool this past year. 
It feels like just yesterday that we were picking out “first day” school clothes, packing a little lunch into a ridiculously cute owl backpack, and preparing her heart for the transition as we walked her into her very first classroom.
Where did the time go?
Just as everyone assured us, time has absolutely flown by and low and behold, she’ll be graduating this next week. Paper cap, gown, Pomp and Circumstance, Leaky-eye wiping parents. The whole kit and caboodle, folks.
And it just so happens that along with graduation comes the perfect opportunity to thank her teachers for everything they’ve poured into these little lives with “homemade” {or home-assembled} gifts.
Enter: Pinterest.
Needless to say, I’ve been glued to Pinterest, pinning one fabulous idea after another. Seriously, these women are genius. I’m already plotting next year’s gifts.
Somewhere in the mix, I saw this little creation…a vase made from pencil crayons.
Coolest, brightest, cheapest thing ever. And when you have a lot of teachers to thank, cheap is good!
We picked up two packs of 95c colored pencils per vase {24 pencils per pack}, and then found the glass vases for $1 at our local Dollar Store. Assembling the gift is as easy as it is affordable.
Start by placing a rubber band around the vase, slip the pencils in {under the band, in whichever order your little heart desires}, then wrap with ribbon. Big colorful bows would work fabulously here. I made a little ‘monogrammed tag’ to slip the ribbon through. You could really get creative on this one.
I then cut a circle of cardstock (slightly larger than the size of the vase) and glued it to the base, making sure to secure the bottoms of the pencils with the glue. This will make the “pencil wrapping” more secure around the glass. Then simply snip the rubber band, and you’re done! Voila!
I’m hoping a few of our peonies will bloom before Thursday so I can fill these vases with pink blooms before delivering them.
Our preschool experience has been filled to the brim with wonderful teachers, assistants & aides. So we got to play with more gifts ideas…
The Summer Survival Kit – stuffed with fun, summer goodies like a beach towel, a magazine, body spray, cocoa butter, chapstick, nail polish, an insulated drink cup {filled with a margarita drink mix, gum & a Luna bar} and other little goodies.
And with that…I’m off to clean! Myself.
Hot shower therapy and sleep…just what a stinky mama needs at midnight.
