Outdoor Spring Activities for Kids

Whether you're a parent or a teacher, signs of spring are a welcomed change from the cold spells of winter. After being cooped up in the house or classroom, the thought of being outdoors is a welcomed change for children. Now that it is beginning to be warm enough to venture outdoors, here are a few ideas to celebrate the change of temperature!

1. Garden Rock Caterpillar

If your flowerbed is in need of some character, try making this cute little guy! Perfect for a full-fledged family activity, have each of your kids paint a rock before building.






2. Outdoor Color Match





Stop at your local hardware store and grab some paint chips before going on this color expedition. Punch holes in the chips and give them to your kids as they run free trying to match the colors.







3. DIY Bird Feeder




These do-it-yourself bird feeders are completely kid-friendly! Decorate them however you'd like, and watch your kids' excitement as they await the hungry birds.







4. Sidewalk Chalk Puddle Paint




When the snow drains off, create colorful puddles with sidewalk chalk! Use old chunks of chalk, or pieces that are too small. Your kids will love the effects the pain will have on the water and you'll love their enthusiasm.




5. Rainbow Bubble Wrap Tree
 




Starting Spring on a messy note seems to be a theme, as with this rainbow bubble wrap tree! Watch your youngsters go wild while you enjoy their springtime happiness.






Try a few of these outdoor activities, or a few of your own springtime games now that the warm weather is back upon us. Whatever your reason to get outdoors with your children or students, take advantage of the upcoming season with some new spring activities.

Having a Succesful Year of Fundraising in 2015

The first month of 2015 is nearly over, and for most organizations, the new year marks a time of rebirth and renewal. Businesses, schools, and nonprofits alike utilize January as a pivotal starting point for new ideas, goals, and trends to increase their fundraising efforts over the next calendar year. So what are the best ways to approach 2015, fundraising-wise?

According to The Non-Profit Times, visual storytelling will be crucial to being successful while fundraising this year. “Organizations will have to find creative and innovative ways to engage supporters in a world full of distractions, and visual components are key,” says Rich Dietz, senior product manager for digital fundraising at Abila Software in Austin, Texas. Previous research indicates that people process visuals at least 60,000 times faster than text, meaning if your organization is looking for engagement, creating something eye-catching is necessary.

Another opportunity to be on top of your fundraising game this year is to be aware of donor’s wants and needs. Most donors are interested in knowing directly where their contributions end up, and as GuideStar points out, there’s a simple formula for how to talk about your strategy in a successful, communicative way.

The “MPI formula,” created by Gail Perry, focuses on three fundamental parts of any fundraising conversation. These basic questions are:

• M: How much money your organization wants to raise.

• P: What project will fund.

• I: What impact your fundraiser will make.

Perry says the initiative works because it requires your organization to define a concrete goal, connect to donors specifically, and inspires communication about your project and what it will accomplish. Successful communication between volunteers, donors, and leaders is key in establishing trust between your organization and the people who help it, which usually results in more investment in the long run.

Another key in having a good fundraising year is understanding your audience. While audiences differ depending on the organization, it has been documented by the Huffington Post that sixty-four percent of donations are made by women, and seventy-seven percent of people in the United States believe everyone can make a difference by supporting causes they care about. Do some research on your audience to cater to your target demographics, and see the difference in your donations.

Last but not least is looking at the role technology plays in your fundraising efforts. The Pew Research Center states that more than ninety percent of all Americans own a cell phone, making it the most popularly used form of technology to date. But is your organization utilizing it the way it should be?

Larger organizations, like nonprofits and schools with larger budgets, will benefit from using responsive design on their website -- allowing users to seamlessly browse from either smartphones, tablets, or computers. Smaller organizations can also use technology. Social media, like Facebook or Twitter, is a great way to draw attention to your fundraiser without spending more money than you can afford.

Of course, there are numerous ways to have a successful fundraiser, and these are just a few trends worth noting as you create your goals for the upcoming year. It is worth pointing out, however, that organizations willing to embrace new ways of thinking and take risks often benefit the most from new trends and research.

We wish your organization the best of luck in the new year, and hope to help you with any and all fundraising you plan to do in 2015!

Christmas Craft Fun

Are you looking to get crafty with your kids this holiday season? We have just the solution for you! Christmas is right around the corner, and we have some excellent craft ideas that your kids are sure to enjoy:

Button Christmas Tree
You will need; green felt, foam sheet, ribbon, various sizes and colors of buttons, glue gun and Elmer's Glue.

Directions: Print out or draw a tree template and cut it out. Trace the shape onto the foam sheet and the green felt, then cut those out. Next, use a glue gun to attach the felt and foam together. Then pick out some buttons, place them on the green felt (for Christmas ornaments) and attach with Elmer's Glue. Lastly, use a scissors to cut a hole at the top of the tree and thread a small strip of ribbon through the hole, and viola- you have a button Christmas tree!

Reindeer Hot Cocoa Cones
You will need: Hot cocoa, mini marshmallows, piping bags, red pom poms, brown pipe cleaners, googly eyes, chocolate chips (optional), and circle sticky tabs.

Directions: Fill your piping bags with hot cocoa, and top with marshmallows (and a few chocolate chips if you choose) then tie the bag off. Next, wrap your pipe cleaner around the knot and position them like antlers. Use the sticky circles to attach the googly eyes and red pom pom nose. 

Snowman Milk Jugs
You will need: Milk jugs, chenille stems, pom poms, card stock, and adhesive.

Directions: Use the black cardstock and randomly cut eyes and mouth shapes. With the orange cardstock, create noses and glue the pieces to clean milk jugs. Next, glue chenille stems to each side of the milk carton. Lastly, glue pom poms on the end of each chenille stem to create earmuffs. 

Popsicle Stick Santa Claus
You will need: felt, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, googly eyes, pom poms and hot glue.

Directions: Start by gluing some popsicle sticks together. Place two sticks horizontally, and lay more on top vertically until you have a flat surface. Glue sticks into place using a hot glue gun. Next, cut a triangle-shaped hat for santa and add pom poms to it at the top. Shred the cotton balls for Santa’s beard and use a glue stick to glue it at the bottom. Lastly, add googly eyes and a red pom pom for his nose.

These are just a few easy crafts to try for your kids to show off some creativity. Encourage them to add their own unique pieces. Do you have any fun holiday craft ideas? Share them with us!

Easy Holiday Meals

The holiday season is just around the corner and we know what that means; lots of traveling, family, cooking, and even stress. Wouldn't it be nice if you could prep, and even freeze, a whole meal that is ready to go when you need it? Well, we have done just that for you!

The appetizer: Pull Apart Cheese Bread
First start by slicing the bread into cubes, combine the cheese (and any mix in’s) and stuff in into the bread. Then pour melted butter over the top, and wrap the loaf tightly. From this point you can choose to freeze the bread until it is time to use it or the bread can be stuffed a few hours ahead of when you plan to serve. It will be fine on the counter for an hour, or you can refrigerate it (wrapped in foil) for a few hours. Wait to pour the butter over the top until just before you put it in the oven.

Get the full recipe: http://bit.ly/1wwEVxZ

The side dish: Mashed Potatoes
Start this dish by peeling then cubing the potatoes.. Then, boil them until tender. Drain, and mash the potatoes then add your liquids (milk, sour cream, butter, yogurt, whatever you like) and your mix ins (bacon pieces, garlic powder, cheese, etc.). Let them cool, and freeze flat in a freezer bag. Then to reheat them spread the mashed potatoes into a baking dish and dot the mashed potatoes with butter and bake in the oven until the butter has melted and the potatoes are warm.

Get the full recipe: http://bit.ly/1uymngj

The main dish: Ham and Pea Casserole
This recipe is great for ham lovers, leftovers, and non-traditional celebrators. Simply butter a casserole dish. In a bowl, toss the ham, cornbread, peas and thyme; transfer to the baking dish. In the same bowl, beat together the milk, eggs and yolk and salt. Pour into the baking dish. Let stand for 15 minutes.  Bake until the custard is just set in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or freezing. The day of you can thaw and reheat to let it warm up again.

Get the full recipe: http://bit.ly/1tW4rHm




The dessert: Mini Cheesecakes
This recipe only calls for five ingredients (not including the crust, the crust you could substitute with vanilla wafers). You will start by adding the crust (or vanilla wafers) in a mini muffin tins (use liners for easier clean up and serving) then simply mix the cheesecake batter on top of the crust and bake for fifteen minutes. Then remove from the oven, let cool and place in a freezer safe storage until time to serve. Then the morning of serving remove from freezer, Thaw for 5-10 minutes at room temperature and top as desired before serving.

Get the full recipe: http://bit.ly/1vdbzGp

We hope these recipes will not only be delicious but help you relieve some stress. If life is really getting the best of you, we are here to help. With our wonderful and delicious frozen foods. We offer so many yummy sweets that we guarantee you, your family, and friends will love and they will last! 

Do you have other tasty holiday recipes you love? Share with us and comment below!

Halloween Fun!

Halloween is a fun time for the whole family. It’s a time to indulge in yummy treats, spooky decorations, and creative costumes that can 'wow' everyone! Unfortunately, these awesome costumes can tend to cost quite a bit of money.

So, why not try making them yourself?!  Since Halloween is just around the corner, here are some money-saving, fun DIY costume ideas!

1. A mad scientist with no head.
Yes, you heard that right. In order to create this spooky getup, just put a t-shirt over the top of the insulation and duct-tape the bottom of the shirt to hold in the stuffing. Then, use two wire coat hangers for arm supports, and top it all off with a large dress shirt and lab coat. Black rubber gloves can be stuffed and taped to the end of stuffed shirt sleeves. The arms can be bent and secured with safety pins to appear to hold the head as it pokes between the button openings of the shirt and lab coat. Add a wig, facial make-up and a pair of safety goggles to complete the look.



2. A pinata
This one is a bit time consuming, so get started today! Fortunately, all you’ll need is some felt and a pair of pajamas. It's pretty straight forward; just cut the felt pieces into strips and hot glue them onto the PJs. The hat is made out of thick cardboards and more felt, and the ears are just cones made out of thick paper. Just make sure no one takes a whack at you with a stick!


3. Jelly Beans
How cute and simple is this? Simply take a large see-through garbage bag and tie it around your child. Then take little colorful balloons, blow them up and stuff them inside the garbage bag. Lastly, print a sign that say, what else? Jelly Beans!



4. A painter
Dress your child in black clothing, and use eyeliner to draw a curly mustache onto their face. Then cut out the shape of an artist’s paint palette from heavy construction cardboard and cut two small holes on the top. Then, thread some black yarn through the hole to hang around their neck. Use hot glue to attach a large decorative to the middle of the paint palette. Lastly, cover the paint palette with painted blobs of colors. Voila!



5. A bumble bee.
Everyone loves a bumble bee! First, use felt black felt and create stripes that can be super glued to a plain yellow shirt. Then, a set of antennae can be crafted by drilling two holes in a black headband using the craft drill, feeding a yellow and black pipe cleaner through each side, twisting, and finally sticking them into foam balls painted yellow.



We hope these simple, creative ideas get your DIY juices flowing. Like any of these in particular? Going to try your hand at one? Leave us a comment and tell us how it came out!

Schoolathon: Running Your Way to Fundraising Success

Are you looking for ways to increase school spirit and create excitement in your school? Why not raise money at the same time? Try a School-A-Thon! School-A-Thon provides a fun, interactive alternative to traditional fundraisers. The best part is there isn’t anything to sell! School-a-Thon experts will help with event-planning, maximize the dollars raised and minimize the need for an armada of hard-to-get volunteers. Lets learn more!

What is it?
The School-a-Thon programs allow your school to choose what kind of thon they’d like to do, whether it’s a spell-a-thon, walk-a-thon, or any thon you can think of!

School-A-Thon provides every detail of how to bring your thon to the next level. From bland to grand. They provide an event planner, customizable donation site, credit card processing, money manager software and amazing awards and prizes. They have everything you need to maximize your profits and minimize your work. Doesn’t it sound too good to be true?

Who can do it?
Anyone is able to work with School-A-Thon. It’s not just limited to schools. It’s a great way to raise money for your college, club, or church. Whatever it is for, it’s guaranteed to raise awareness and bring your community together!

Color-A-Thon
This is by far, the favorite thon to run! The Color-A-Thon adds excitement to your thon. Schools all over the country are putting a splash of color into their thon and experiencing phenomenal profit while providing a unique, community based event for all ages. The Color-A-Thon is a run or walk where you get splashed with color on your way. How fun does that sound?

What is the best part of all? Your school can earn up to 70% profit! Imagine all the great things you could add to your school with the extra money. You can use School-A-Thon as a way to promote your next fundraiser as well! What do you think about School-A-Thon? Comment below!

Fundraisers Help your School and your Child!

Fundraising is a great way for any school or organization to raise money. Fundraising can help with a wide range of goals; whether you are looking to add a new playground, buy new books, or raise funds to go on a field trip. All of the benefits can often be overlooked. Here is a list of ways fundraising can help your school and child!

1. Improved Facilities

One of the most important reasons to fundraise is to improve your school’s building and equipment. Successful fundraising builds entire jungle gyms or playgrounds for schools! Schools can always use improvement and fundraising is an effective way to provide them with funds to make their goals a reality. Improving facilities doesn't just benefit the school, but the hundreds of students that use the equipment.  In turn, this helps create a great learning environment for everyone!

2. Increased Funds

Fundraising isn’t just for schools! Fundraising can benefit clubs, churches, sports clubs, and so much more. Does your team need new uniforms? Fundraising can help. Is your church going on a retreat and need some money? Fundraising can help. Is your band wanting to perform in a big parade? Okay you get the point, fundraising can benefit anyone who needs extra money and is willing to promote growth.

3. Parent Involvement

Parents are always looking for ways to get involved in their children’s lives and fundraising is a great way to get involved! Children want to win the cool prizes that are usually the incentives for the top seller and need their parents’ help. It can be a fun way to strategize and work as a family for a good cause.

4. Selling Skills

Fundraising helps children gain valuable skills.  Going door to door and talking to new people isn’t always easy, but experience with fundraising promotes self- esteem and is an excellent confidence booster.  It gives them skills that they will be able to use in the future and will teach them the importance of persistence.

5. Creates a Community

The sense of community that fundraising gives may be its best benefit. It is rewarding to see entire schools come together for a common cause and showcase their school spirit. It also creates team mentality and shows that with hard work, anything can happen. There is no better feeling than when a school reaches its goal and creates a better environment for an entire community!

As you can see, there are many benefits of fundraising! At Gifts N’ Things, we provide many options that satisfy your school or organization’s needs. We want to help your school reach its goal. We’d love to hear how fundraising has impacted your school!