Materials You’ll Need

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• Envelopes
• Cricut machine
• Cricut cutting mat
• Permanent vinyl in color of your choice.
• Transfer tape
• Measuring tape
• Weeding tool and scraper

DIY Cash Stuffing Envelopes for Budgeting

Start by identifying your expenses and prioritize which envelopes you’d like to make. Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project. Insert the font options and choose your font (I used Font Mini Garden.) Enter your categories and adjust the size to fit your envelopes. There’s no need to get fancy with your envelopes, I had a smaller planner and bought plastic envelopes for it, but you could just as easily use paper or plastic organizers. And if you don’t have a Cricut machine use stickers from the dollar store, or simply use a sharpie to label your envelopes.

Next go to “Make it” and select with mat option (If you’re using Smart vinyl you will not need to use a mat). Then select your material. Connect to your Cricut machine and load your Cricut mat when prompted.

Once the categories are cut, unload the machine and cut out the vinyl. Weed the excess vinyl around the cut categories.

Cut a piece of transfer tape and place it over the categories. Peel away from the backing.

Next position the transfer tape over an envelope, pressing down and carefully peeling the transfer tape so that the category is left on the envelope.

Continue onto the other envelopes and you’re done!

Next, you’ll just have to decide how much you’re wanting to spend in each category and start your saving!

It may also be helpful to start with a few categories and gradually add more as you become comfortable with the system. Here are a few different categories that you could include:

• Grocery
• Gas
• Transportation
• Fun money
• Trips
• Medical
• Car
• Furniture
• Gifts
• Donations
• Pets
• Eating out
• Clothing
• Entertainment
• Christmas
• Household
• Kids stuff
• Mani & pedi
• Date night
• Weddings
• Gym
• Toys
• Concerts
• School stuff
• Miscellaneous

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Looking for more ways to stay organized? Download this free printable grocery list or read these tips to help you get motivated to clean your house!

The post DIY Cash Stuffing Envelopes for Budgeting appeared first on Rekindle My Dwelling.

7 Halloween Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treating

1. Plan Your Route

Trick or treat in neighborhoods you are familiar with and always use sidewalks and crosswalks. Make sure the entire family knows the route and if older children are going with friends make sure to set a designated time to be home by. This is the time to choose a route with minimal street crossings. But if crossing is necessary always stick to sidewalks, crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street. Avoid walking across lawns and alleyways!

2. Wear Reflective Clothing

Wear bright clothing when possible or buy reflective tape to add to your costume for greater visibility. Add reflective tape to any bags or backpacks too. Additionally, avoid wearing masks as they obstruct views and make it harder for kids to see their surroundings. Glow stick bracelets or necklaces are also a great addition for added visibility.

3. Stick Together.

Trick-or-treat as a family or as a large group. If older kids go with friends make sure they have a cell phone so they’re able to contact you if they need to. Follow the typical trick-or-treat hours, usually between 5:30-8:30pm, and avoid taking shortcuts or going off route.

4. Avoid Certain Houses

A porch light usually means that a house is participating in trick or treating so skip houses that aren’t well lit or have their porch light off. Never enter a stranger’s house, backyard, or vehicle, even if they seem friendly.

5. Wear Comfortable Shoes and Costumes

Wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate costumes. Avoid carrying unnecessary accessories like swords or wands. Also, ensure your costumes aren’t too long or heavy, to avoid tripping.

6. Wait to Eat Your Candy.

Don’t eat any candy as you go! Wait until you’re home and have had a change to go through the candy with parents. This is the time to throw out anything open or potential choking hazards for small children.

7. Make Your Home Safe

Ensure the lights are on. Remove any debris or tripping hazards from your lawn and porch. Illuminate walkway to make it safe for trick-or-treaters

And lastly, have fun. Let’s make this Halloween a hauntingly safe one!

Looking for some Halloween crafts? Check out these fun lollipop ghosts and these Halloween lanterns.

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Ingredients Needed

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• Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker Icing, flavor of your choice
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• Baking Sheet

How to Make a Cake Mix Cookie Sandwich

Preheat Oven to 350

Start by mixing all the ingredients (except the icing) together in a large bowl until everything is well mixed. Place your bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes so the dough is easier to handle.

Roll a ball of dough in your hand. It may be a bit sticky but this is fine. Evenly portion out the balls of dough onto an ungreased baking pan. You can make these as big or small as you like! The size we rolled made about 8 sandwich cookies.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the edges are just turning brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Then transfer them onto a cooling rack.

Once cool, take a cookie and scoop your icing onto it and then top with another cookie to make a sandwich.

And you’re done! This is such an easy cake mix cookie sandwich recipe to make with your kids because they can do most of the mixing, rolling and frosting themselves!

Store your sandwich cookies in an airtight container.

Looking for more activities to do with the kids? Try making these kinder egg hot chocolate bombs or these smores campfire cones.

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Print

Cake Mix Cookie Sandwich – Yummy Dessert for Kids

These soft and yummy cookie sandwiches are made from a boxed cake mix and they’re a fun family activity that even non-bakers will get into.

Servings 8 Cookies

Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

• Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker Icing flavor of your choice
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs

Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 350
• Start by mixing all the ingredients (except the icing) together in a large bowl until everything is well mixed. Place your bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes so the dough is easier to handle.
• Roll a small ball of dough in your hand. Evenly portion out the balls of dough onto an ungreased baking pan.
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the edges are just turning brown.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Then transfer them onto a cooling rack.
• Once cool, take a cookie and scoop your icing onto it and then top with another cookie to make a sandwich.
• Store in an airtight container.

The post Cake Mix Cookie Sandwich – Yummy Dessert for Kids appeared first on Rekindle My Dwelling.

Minimalist Christmas Ideas

1. Minimize Your Decor

Keep your decor to a minimum. You don’t need to fill every single part of your place with decorations. You can choose a room, or choose a theme. Even better, make your own decor, check out these DIY 10 neutral Christmas decor ideas. This festive garland is made from oranges, a DIY tutorial is coming soon.

2. Spend time with your Family and Friends

Figure out what works best for you and your family. If you always host Christmas dinner consider taking turns with family, or do a pot luck where everyone brings a dish. Spending time together and making memories is always the best part of Christmas for me. You can have cookie exchanges with friends, cook with your family or just go sledding and drink hot chocolate afterwards. For all my introverts out there, say no to parties if you want to relax. Do what feels right and don’t feel like you have to visit people or family if you don’t want to.

3. Gift Ideas- Buy Less!

You can make your own gifts! There are many DIY gift ideas on Pinterest or if you’ve got a skill use it as your gift. If you’re a baker, photographer or artist, people will always appreciate receiving a homemade gift. Our families only give gifts to the children or we draw names and have a spending limit. This way you’re buying only 1 quality and thoughtful gift instead of multiple gifts. Don’t end up with credit card debt buying things you can’t afford and most likely don’t need anyways. Also consider gifting an experience, such as movie passes, zoo passes, subscriptions or concert tickets.

4. Make Your Own Christmas Traditions

Every year for Saint Nicholas Day the kids clean their boots and leave them out near a window overnight so that Saint Nicholas can fill it with candies and treats. This is a European tradition that I have done since I was a kid and have continued with our family. Because we do this we don’t fill stockings at Christmas (those are usually filled with a lot of knick knacks and plastic anyways). We decorate the tree together and the kids each have their own mini trees in their bedroom, and then we write our letters to Santa. You can get your own free Santa letter printable here. Looking forward to doing these traditions each year always bring us joy!

5. Donate or Volunteer

One reason I love minimalism is because it makes you appreciate what you have. I try to be intentional with what we buy and always show gratitude for what we have. Every year we participate in programs that allow us to buy food and gifts for children and families in need. From stuffing a bus with food, donating to food hampers, or the angel tree program that lets you buy a toy for kids, there are lots of ways to help. In Canada, the Salvation Army offers Christmas assistance to families by offering food, toys and clothing for families to put under the tree. Family and Children services usually has a family adoption program that allows you to adopt a family and gift each member something from their wish list. If you’re not able to donate with items you can always help by donating your time.

Every persons ideas of a minimalism Christmas is different. You don’t have to take away everything. Just reduce as much stuff as you can, appreciate what you have, and focus on creating memories for your kids, family and friends. Merry Christmas!

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10 Mess Free Activities for Kids

Everything here is super easy to put together and even easier to clean up!

1. Paint in a Bag

Add paint to a zip-lock bag and tape to the wall. Kids fingers, and the wall, will stay clean, plus it’s squishy and fun.

2. Painters Tape Tracks.

Make a track for your cars, a pathway or something else. And clean-up is fun because your kids can peel off the tape when they’re done. It’s a great activity for hand eye coordination as well.

3. Washable Markers on Windows.

Let the kids draw a picture or make scribbles on your glass windows. The clean up is easy, all you need is a wet paper towel. If you’re feeling generous and don’t mind the mess let them paint the windows!

4. Water bottle shakers

Make water bottle shakers with dried pasta or rice. Kids can use their fine motor skills to fill the bottles. Add food coloring for extra fun. Tape the top and you’ve got an easy musical instrument.

5. Necklaces and Bracelets.

All you need is beads, cereal or macaroni. Then your kids can thread them on pipe cleaner or a piece of string.

6. Stickers.

You don’t even need an explanation for this one! There’s sticker books, sticker collection, a sticker for every season! I haven’t meant a kid that doesn’t love stickers.

7. Sugar or Salt Writing.

Cover a cookie sheet or plate with sugar or salt. Kids can use their fingers to draw. It’s a great way to kids to practice their letters, numbers and shapes. You just give the tray a shake and when they’re done you just throw away the salt or sugar. For an even easier clean up, put the sugar or salt in a sandwich bag instead.

8. Scavenger Hunt.

You can make this as simple or hard as you want. Find a blue sock or find something with a sphere shape. We made this free outdoor scavenger hunt printable and stay tuned for our free indoor scavenger hunt printable too!

9. Color an Empty Box.

Last Halloween we decorated a box and used it for our extra Halloween toys and dress up clothes. It was an easy way to keep things off the floor and the kids have fun decorating. We’ve made doll houses, garages and mini kitchens with cardboard boxes. And when you’re done all you have to do is recycle the box.

10. Notebooks

Make your own mini notebooks. Use scrap paper, construction paper or line paper to make mini notebooks that your kids can write and draw with. You just have to staple the top and it’s ready to go.

Do you have any more idea for crafts or mess free activities for kids?

Looking for More Kids Activities?

• Ice Sun Catcher
• Pipe Cleaner Bracelets
• Potato Stamp Easter Eggs

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