Planner Friday - August

Hands up, who is over summer already?!  I'm getting ready for autumn and the start of a new school year over on the Trendy Twine blog today!

I'm sorry, I know it is still August and officially summer for a few more weeks yet but we are one day away from September and I can't wait for the season to change!  I've had a lovely summer but autumn is my favourite time of year and I'm ready for it to begin so my theme for this month's Planner Friday is very autumnal and inspired by APB's Hello Fall stamp set!   I wanted to create a monthly overview for September as my children go back to school next week and it's time to get organised again after a rather relaxed August so I opened up my TN and got to work with washi tape, stamps , pens and stickers!

Products used: School Days planner stamps

Hello Fall planner stamps

At Home planner stamps

More At Home planner stamps

Used but not pictured: Coffee paper clip

My colour theme for September is full of oranges, browns, yellows and reds with a bit of green mixed in there too based around the colours of autumn leaves.  I used the image stamps from my Hello Fall set to add some fun decoration to my pages and matched them with a leaf print washi tape to pull it all together.   I coloured in the fall images and then added a big coffee cup sticker because all I ever hear about in autumn is pumpkin spiced lattes!  I have never tried one because they really don't appeal to me but so many people seem obsessed with them maybe I should give one a go this year!

Hello Fall image stamps in action

You can read the rest of my post here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mustard's T-errifyingly T-rrific T-Rex stationery collection

Are you looking for the perfect back to school stationery or just wanting to add a splash of colour to your personal collection?  Well then, let me introduce you to Mustard!  I came across this brand during National Stationery Week a couple of years ago and if you are a long time reader of this blog you will definitely have seen some of their products in my posts before like rainbow sticky notes and pug page markers.  Their style is so iconic once you are familiar with the brand it is easy to spot their designs!

One of their newest collections is T-rex and it is full of bold, clashing colours, pop art style elements and features the coolest dino in town.  He appears on a range of products from notebooks to dinosaur shaped highlighters and Mustard sent me a few different things to show you!

The T-Rex collection

The magenta T-Rex notebook is perfect for bullet journalling, drawing and notes as the paper has a light dotted grid pattern on it which is enough to give you a guideline to work with but wont intrude on anything you write or draw over it. 

Size wise it fits nicely in all of my bags and it doesn't weigh very much either so it's perfect for toting too and from work or school.  It doesn't take up a lot of room on my desk either which is definitely another plus point for it!

Stained edges

The edges of the paper are stained pink to match the dinosaur illustration, elastic enclosure and pen loop, adding an extra pop of colour to the book and if you don't like pink (I hear you, but I disagree!) then it also comes in blue too.

Peeking dinos

You can pair your notebook with some matching page markers, I think they look so cute peeking out over the top of the cover!  The sticky ends are alternated so you can also have little pairs of feet sticking out the bottom of your notebook and they are repositionable if you need to move them from page to page.

Dino-mite highlighters

The pink and lime highlighters are super fun, I received one in my National Stationery Week box a few months back and thought it was brilliant!  T-Rex is carrying all his essentials in his backpack and looks all set for his new adventure wherever it may take him.

The round barrel makes them comfortable to hold

The highlighters are a great way to brighten up your desk and you can play with them like toys if you feel inclined (hands up, I totally do that with full on roaring sounds too!) but they are also easy to use and comfortable to hold once you open them up.

Mini pencil case

The last thing I want to show you is this handy mini pencil case.  It has an elasticated loop attached to the top and bottom ends so you can place it over the notebook to keep your pens safe and readily available.  It holds around five or six pens or pencils easily and along with the pen loop on the notebook you should have enough space for your supplies for when you are struck by inspiration!  The case should fit most standard size notebooks too if you are eyeing it up and think it's a great idea!

I took a few of my T-Rex products with me when I went to celebrate World Calligraphy Day a couple of weeks ago and what did I spot?  A dinosaur trail around the city centre and the stop I found was the T-Rex!  So I dug my notebook and highlighters out of my bag and snapped a couple of pics with it because it felt so serendipitous!  Or should that be seren-dippy-tous?  Sorry, is that one too many dinosaur puns?

Snap!

A terror of T-Rex

If you have taken a look at the Mustard website and spotted something you love or fallen for the charming Mr T-Rex then you are in luck as I have been given a discount code for you to use!  Enter this code at the checkout for 30% off an order of £35 or more.

Amanda30

The code is case sensitive and expires on the 7th September 2018.

Happy shopping!

Artline Tuesday - Getting back to school ready

So there is just over a week to go until the new school year starts, are you ready?  If not, don't worry!  I have some tips today to help you be prepared for the first day of term and make the most of the last few days of the holiday!

My back to school checklist

I always write myself a back to school checklist to make sure I get everything done and so I don't forget anything.  Grab a pen and write your own now, there is still enough time left to get organised!  

My first section is usually for the things I need to buy like uniforms and school supplies, I use a highlighter to make little check boxes and then list the items I need.  Once I have brought them I can add a tic or cross to the box so I know that it has been completed.

If you still need to buy your school stationery check out my Back to school essentials post for some ideas!

To buy & To do

The To do section is for things that need to be done at some point over the break, these aren't time sensitive they just need to be finished before school starts again.  I only have a couple of things on this list, the first is to label the uniforms with my Artline laundry marker.  I used this pen last year to write my kids names on their clothes and it withstood repeated washing over the school year and I didn't have to rewrite anything, it was fantastic!

The second is to check everyone's diaries for term dates and inset days so I can add them all to my calendar. 

Week before, Day before & 1st day of school

On the second page I have a timetable for getting back to school ready.  It is split into three sections:

Week before

• Hair cuts
• Check shopping lists (have I brought everything?)
• Get back into a routine (bedtimes and early mornings again)

Day before

• Leave out uniforms the night before
• Pack bags
• Pack PE kits
• Book Bag
• Set alarm
• Top up mobiles
• Charge phones

1st Day of school

• Wake up early
• Have breakfast
• Take photos (I love those back to school pics!)

If you follow these tips the first day of school should run smoothly and hopefully be less stressful than just trying to wing it.

If you are looking for things to keep your kids entertained over the last few days of summer then there are a couple of Artline competitions running at the moment.  They can join the Artline Heroes and design their own superhero mask, you can find the info here, and there are also some printable activities to keep them busy too.  This comp closes on the 31st August so make sure you enter before then!

The second competition is to design a pair of glasses with Scrivens and this is running until the 1st September, you can find all the details about it here.

I have really enjoyed spending the summer with my children, we've had so much fun and tried lots of new crafts and activities but I will admit I am kind of looking forward to being home alone again and enjoying some peace and quiet!  How about you?

Artline Monday - Win a Kids Art Kit with Artline and Scrivens

This week Artline have teamed up with Scrivens to bring you a fab competition for children!  Pop into your local branch of Scrivens (you can find the nearest one here) to get an entry form, let your kids design their own pair of glasses and the winner will receive an awesome art kit filled with lots of Artline goodies!

Entry forms available from Scrivens

I collected a few forms for my girls and they had a lot of fun colouring in and getting creative!  They used some Artline Supreme metallic markers for an added touch of sparkle and Artline 325T water colour markers which are very vibrant and perfect for drawing and colouring with their duo nibs in different sizes.

Bunnies and roses

Colourful creation

Harry Potter specs

Entries cost £1 each and all of the money raised will be going to the Alzheimer’s Society so as well as keeping your children entertained for a little while you will also be helping a good cause!

The finished designs

The competition is open to children aged under 16 and all entries must be received by Saturday 1st September 2018.  The full terms and conditions are listed on the Scrivens website.

Good luck!

Artline Monday - National Allotments Week

Today is the start of National Allotments Week, "What is that?" I hear you ask!  Well it is a special week being held to encourage people to try their hand at gardening, growing their own food and maybe even decide to rent their own little allotment and see just how green their thumbs are!  I also thought it would be a great time to introduce you to the brilliant Artline garden-marker!

Artline Garden Marker

The garden marker was specially made to be used outside, it is UV and water resistant as well as quick drying making it the perfect pen for plant labels (or lolly sticks as they are know in this house) and anything else you would like to write on like plant pots and tools.  It won't fade in the sun or run in the rain so I guess you could say it is weather proof and ideal for gardeners or general use outside.

During National Allotments week allotments all over the UK will be opening their gates to visitors and sharing their knowledge and passion for this pass time so if you are interested in learning more it might be worth googling your nearest allotment and seeing if they are doing anything special to mark the week.  

Grow your own fruit and veg

I have a friend who has rented an allotment for years so I popped down to visit this weekend to take a peek and I have to say I am really toying with the idea of renting my own space there!

Sunflowers

Some people use their space for growing flowers and make it really pretty so they can sit on their plot and enjoy all their hard work once things begin to bloom while others are busy growing fruit and veggies like these tomatoes.

I'd be so proud if I could grow my own tomatoes

I was put to work on my visit labelling plants with the garden-marker and tying back any straggling plants so they can grow tall and strong.  I have to say I'm grateful there was no digging involved!

Perfect pocket sized tools

After I finished my tasks I took a wonder through the allotment and had a small taste of how quiet and peaceful it was out there.  I really can imagine taking a flask of tea with me and trying to grown some prize winning fruit and veg, or you know, any kind of fruit and veg and I would be happy!  I think I would save the flowers for my garden though and just enjoy the view of everyone else's.

Exploring the allotment

Are you a keen gardener or do you already have an allotment space you are proud of?  I'd love to know your hints and tips for growing things if you have any!  

Artline Monday - Holiday prep with Artline

Are you off on your holidays soon?  Have you got everything prepared and ready?  Artline pens can help you with more than just writing your packing list so I'm here today with a few ideas for your upcoming travels!

Make sure you are protected

If you are going somewhere hot it is important that you protect your skin with sun cream!  The manufacturers recommend only using the lotion for 12 months once it has been opened as it is less effective after this time so it is a good idea to write the date you first use it on the bottle with a permanent marker like this Artline 70 one.  If you don't want to bring a marker on holiday with you then you could just write the date of your first day away on the bottle before you pack it and leave the pen at home.

Kids travelling kit

Whether you are travelling by plane, train, ship or car it is worth putting something together to keep any children with you entertained!  I found some activity books and cute bags at The Works this weekend which will be perfect for keeping my girls busy when we drive down to the seaside this month.

Bags of fun with Artline!

I will put a book or two in each bag along with a selection of Artline Stix pens, some stickers, snacks and a bottle of water.  If the girls get bored of the books they can colour in their bags and design their own unicorns too!

Whiteboards are also great for travelling, you can use them to play games like hangman and noughts and crosses or just doodle on them and then wipe it away and start again!

Doodling with Artline whiteboard markers

If you are going to use these boards for a long journey I would write an ETA on them before you set off so your child/children know roughly what time you should arrive and just maybe that will be enough to avoid the dreaded "Are we nearly there yet?" question the whole trip!  But it probably wont unless your children know how to tell the time and can remember the time you are supposed to arrive once they have cleaned the board to play with it!

Are we nearly there yet?

Okay, that is it for now.  If you are going away then I will wish you safe travels and if you are staying at home I hope the weather is nice for you!

Thanks for stopping by!