Help Teachers and Children with Elmer's Bag It Forward Back to School Supplies

I have always loved the beginning of the school year. It was a fresh start with so much to look forward to learning. New teachers, new students and new back to school items were wonderful. For many families back to school can also be stressful due to the cost of getting kids ready for the new school year. I want to make difference in the lives of kids in my area. Helping with back to school supplies is a simple and great way to help out.

My son is not yet in school but I still feel the need to help out other children for this exciting time of year. I have worked with a wonderful charity Champions for Kids in the past and was thrilled to learn they were having a Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign as the Simple Service Project for the month of August. There is still plenty of time to make a donation. Champions for Kids has many great ideas on how anyone can help. As an individual or as a group. You can host a back to school neighborhood party where you asks your guest to bring school supplies to add to the big donation. You can have a school supply drive at your work or church. You can also shop with your own family to gather supplies at the store to donate.

My son and I shopped at Walmart for our donation since I knew it would be a great store to find low prices. You can give your donation to a local teacher, charity or food bank. Many food banks will be able to make sure your donation goes to kids who need the items. We are planning to donate our items to a local elementary school teacher.

Many of the items at Walmart were $0.50 or $1 like this Elmer's Glue.

If you are unsure of what to buy for back to school supplies look inside your local Walmart. They have a big Elmer's display that contains lists by grade for the items needed. If your shopping for your own kids too it would be a great time to show them how they can help select a few items for other kids.

I have selected the elementary school since its in my own neighborhood. I picked a second grade teacher since my second grade teacher was awesome and so was the school I went to at that time. We drive by the school all the time on the way to the park and store. The kids that go to that school are the same ones that play at the park my son goes to, the parents are the ones who shop at the local stores we do. It feels awesome to be able to help a teacher and her students that are a part of my own neighborhood. There have been cut backs in the school district in our area. Teachers often have a large out of pocket expense to make up for the lack of supplies and I feel great knowing we will do our part to help. Since we shopped in the local Walmart in our neighborhood about 10 minutes from the school we were able to get 47 items for $26! That is a lot of supplies that will be used by kids that live near by.

 If you do not know of a charity or school in need but would still like to donate you can look in your local Walmart in the back to school area or near the check out lines for the Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward donation box. Its an easy way to be able to help local kids.

Anyone can participate in a Simple Service Project from Champions for Kids. Its a great way to get your family, friends and kids excited about back to school by helping out other kids with a Elmer's Bag It Forward donation. #BagItForward #Champions4Kids

You can read my Google+ story for ideas on what to buy for your Elmer's Bag It Forward donation.

My son had a blast helping me shop and organize the items we plan to donate.

Some info from the Champions for Kids site about the Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign: 

Did You Know?

• Teachers spend an average of $356 out-of-pocket on quality school supplies every single year. Many
spend up to $1500 just to provide basic classroom necessities.

• More than 31 million students from low-income families receive free or reduced-price school
lunches. Their parents often find it challenging to buy project boards, scissors, paper and glue. It’s
been proven that having quality supplies is important to building a child’s confidence and self-esteem
which, in turn, supports educational accomplishments.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Water Wings

My little guy has turned into a great little fish. He loves being in the pool. He refers to it as "My Pool". I put a life jacket outfit and water wings on him so he can float above the water better. For now its just the fun of learning to kick and paddle. His favorite is to splash me when I least expect it and to hold onto my shoulders while I swim, he calls me a Sea Horsey. I have loved swimming as far back as I can remember, not sure who taught me to swim I need to ask my Mom about that one.

I taught my little sister Meg to swim when I was a teenager and she was about 4 years old. ( I brag about this constantly lol)  It was an amazing thing to teach someone to swim and I look forward to next summer when my son is a bit older to show him more of the mechanics of swimming. Since we watched the Olympics and all the swimming events my son now loves the pool even more. He says "paddle paddle kick kick" "Olympics!" when he swims. SO cute! For now we will just float around and be joyful in him finally getting his water wings.

Sacramento: Leatherby's Family Creamery Celebrates 30 Years

On a hot day ice cream is awesome! Its tasty and will cool you off. Recently a local family owned ice cream restaurant Leatherby's celebrated its 30 year Anniversary and the celebration of their 3rd store in the Sacramento Valley area. They hosted a party for ice cream lovers at all 3 stores. We visit one from time to time and decide to go to the Anniversary celebration.

My son got his face painted for free. He wanted a doggie. He sat so still I was impressed.

They had the whole area decorated for a fun party. I loved this ice cream cone with a cherry on top balloon display. I tried to get my son to pose by it but he started to get a bit ninja on it so we had to skip that idea. :)

I love the ice cream parlor feel to Leatherby's. The tiles floors, iron seats and huge ice cream portions. The cute couple sitting behind us made me smile. They looked happy, like they were not only enjoying ice cream but perhaps a fond memory of Leatherby's. My husband and I visited the Arden location one when we lived near that area and had a few dates there. The ice cream is delicious and the brownies were WOW good.

I love that this company is family owned. The servers were all super nice. My son was very distracted by the coin operated toy claw machines feet from us so it was hard to get him to want to be in the moment of ice cream eating. The employees gave him a hat, a free hot dog and sent over the balloon artist that made him a balloon dog. They each worked for a moment by that darn toy claw machine was all he wanted. Next time I will make sure we tell them the other side if the restaurant to avoid the temptation of the claw machine.



Here is a little bit of history about Leatherby's Family Creamery:

“Daddy Dave” Leatherby Sr. and his wife, Sally, opened the first Leatherby’s Family Creamery on Arden Way in 1982 and people from all over Northern California have flocked to the restaurant ever since for our sizable sundaes, great food, and exceptional family atmosphere. Dave and Sally’s son, Alan, is the general manager and part owner of the family creameries. Dave Jr. got the Elk Grove store off the ground in spring 2012. And with 10 children, 30 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and counting, guests are bound to find any number of Leatherby offspring at work in our three restaurants on any given day, whether behind the scenes or serving customers. If they’re not at work, there’s a good chance they’re eating alongside the rest of the crowd in the original creamery on Arden Way.



Leatherby's takes pride in the fact that they make all their ice cream on site, using time-tested family recipes and the highest quality ingredients. They even grow our walnuts and pecans on the family farm north of Sacramento! Their ice cream has been named “Best in Northern California” by the local media each year for nearly 30 years. To top it off, Leatherby’s hand-made ice cream, sauces and toppings are available for purchase from at all three locations to take home in regular and bulk sizes.

If you are a local to Sacramento, Citrus Heights/Roseville, Elk Grove or just love ice cream you can follow Leatherby's on Facebook and Twitter. 

Grilled Bruschetta Burger Recipe with The George Foreman Grill

The older my son gets it seems I have less and less time to do anything! He is a on the move toddler who is constantly doing something. This means I have less free time to do anything so meals need to be quick. Its been a very hot summer here mixed in oddly with rain, not the norm for us. Some days its too hot or raining to go outside to grill. Plus with my son running around in the back yard I find it hard some days to watch the food and him at the same time. I still want grilled food so I needed to find a indoor grilling solution.

Many years ago when my husband and I lived in a duplex we had a tiny little garden and a outdoor George Foreman Grill. We would make grilled veggies and chicken for fajitas. They were so good!! Now living in our home we have a much bigger garden that always has a bounty of fruits and veggies for us to eat. The hot summer days have grown many tomatoes and basil leaves. I have so many I was needing ideas on how to use them before they went bad.

I was excited to have the chance to review a George Foreman Removable-Plate Grill and enter The George Foreman Grill: Show Us Your Grill Skill Recipe Contest. This was a great solution for my desire to grill indoors. Plus I was able to be creative in my cooking.


I decided I would make a Grilled Bruschetta Burger for my entry into the contest. I used fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden to make the bruschetta mixture.


Recipe Grilled Bruschetta Burger:

Serves 4

1lb Lean Ground Beef
3 large Tomatoes
6 fresh Basil Leaves
4 Sting Cheese Sticks
4 Sourdough Bread Rolls
1 teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Pepper

Plug in The George Foreman Grill and wait until the grill is hot. While waiting for the grill to warm slice the tomatoes into thin slices and sprinkle with pepper and olive oil. Place tomato slices on the grill and close the lid. Grill for 3 minutes. Take of tomatoes and set aside. Shape ground beef into 4  patties and place on the grill and close the lid. Grill for 15-20 minutes depending on how you like your meat. While your meat is grilling chop up the basil leaves and tomatoes. Mix together in a small bowl. Grate the 4 string cheese sticks into a separate bowl. ( I find the sting cheese sticks make it easier to control portions of cheese.) Cut sourdough bread rolls in half and brush with olive oil. (you can toast your bread in the oven or toaster id desired) When the meal is done grilling spoon Bruschetta mix onto bottom side of the bread. Place the grilled meat on top of the mixture and add the cheese. ENJOY!

I will be entering my recipe in the The George Foreman Grill: Show Us Your Grill Skill Recipe Contest. Wish me Luck! :)

Grilled Bruschetta Burger Recipe with The George Foreman Grill

* I was sent The George Foreman Grill from Family Review Network for this post. I will be entering my recipe in a contest as well.

Frugal Friday: Shopping

Kids Beach Socks $4.54

You can stock up for next year or like my family in CA still enjoy the summer heat Target for Pool and Swim Clearance.  They have cute kids Water Beach Socks for $4.54 and toddlers $3.48.

Willow Espresso set $20

Need a gift for someone or a home item to spruce up your home for a low price? Check Umbra Deals Section. A Willow Espresso Set 50% off only $20.

Denim Jacket Infant Boys $6.99

Shopping for Infants? Name brand clothing for a great price in the Cookies Kids clearance section. Infant 0-9mo Boys Denim Jacket by Rocawear 75% off for $6.99

Women's Plus Size tank top $6.99

Old Navy Plus Size Clearance section has many summer items at great prices. I saw a cute ribbed knit tank top orange and pink stripped for $6.99.

What great deals have you found this Friday?