Who doesn’t love a fabulous, free printable? As a freelance graphic designer I can really appreciate the value of a great design. Beautiful fonts, vivid colors, creative ideas…I love them all. As a budget-conscious, time-strapped mom I can also appreciate the benefit of having all the work done for you.
When I come upon (or create) a printable that I think you might enjoy I’ll link to it here. In time, I hope to create a page chock-full of free printables that will save you time, money and energy…a veritable MeckMom printopia. 
Fun Halloween Class Party
Need a last minute Elementary school party plan? Try this fun Wich Finger craft and a hysterical game of Halloween Hullaballoo. It’s guaranteed to spook up any kid-friendly Halloween party. Great for all grade levels.I’ve done my fair share of Halloween parties. Here’s one of my favorite craft and game ideas. Craft: Witch Finger Pens (concept found on FamilyFun.com) Materials needed: Green Crayola Model Magic (golf-ball sized ball for each student) Ball point pen (one for each student) Toothpicks (one for each...
read moreHelp Your Kids Save with a Family Bank
It’s a dilemma. We want our kids to learn the value of money, but they can’t seem to keep track of it. I dread cleaning up loose change almost as much as I dread hearing my kids fight over the dime they found in the couch cushions. I created this family bank to save me from becoming the referee and hopefully teach my kids a few money saving strategies at the same time. The bank is a simple three-ring binder kept in my kitchen cupboard. Inside the binder I have one zippered pencil pouch for each of my kids. On the front I keep a...
read morePrincess Pajama Party
When my youngest daughter turned three, she begged for a slumber party. Our age limit for sleepovers is 8, so I had to get creative. We decided this princess pajama party was the next best thing. The invitations were designed to look like little pillows. I printed the invite on white cardstock (you can find the file in the downloads section) and cropped them to look like small pillows. I used a cute polka-dot printed scrapbook paper to create the “pillowcase”. I cut the edge of the scrapbook paper with scalloped scissors to...
read moreAn easy-access weekly planner for your kids
During the morning rush to get the kids off to school, I found myself checking multiple papers to find out what was happening that day. Did we need to pack library books or p.e. shoes? Is it a hot lunch day or do I need to pack a lunch? Does she need to bring her girl scout vest or ballet shoes? Some things were on the calendar and some were tacked up on the fridge. I felt like I was wasting time that I couldn’t spare, so I created this weekly planner to help my first grader manage her own schedule. It’s a very simple velcro...
read moreKeep your kid’s drawers organized with these cheap dividers
I’m not a big fan of dressers. They take up a lot of room in our tiny bedrooms and they’re tough for my little kids to use. The drawers are always heavy and most of them are out reach for my little ones. I bought 5 of these plastic drawers for each of my kids and stacked them in their closets. They’re easy to open and see through so my kids know just where to find what they need. My kids have a tendency to dump everything out when they’re digging for socks, undershirts, tights or other little items. I created these easy...
read moreHelp your kids clean their room on their own!
How many times have you told your kids to go clean their room only to find them pulling out more toys 20 mintues later? I felt like I had to sit in my kids rooms and direct them from one thing to the next in order to keep them on task. Then I came up with this simple cleaning chart to help my kids do it without me. It breaks down the normal clean up into the most common tasks (make your bed, pick up toys, pick up books, etc.) The chart has two columns, To Do and Done. When we go in to the room, I have them pull off all the jobs (they’re...
read moreA Great, Reusable Grocery List
I don’t know about you, but most of my trips to the grocery store involve buying the same basic items each week. I created this listpad to save me the trouble of rewriting. On it I’ve got lists for my three most common stores (Sam’s/Costco, Grocery, WalMart/Target). I list my most common items by category (ie produce, dairy, houseware, etc.). I’ve left one or two blank spots under each category for those random items you only need now and then. I left the WalMart/Target store list blank because my list changes...
read moreStop the arguing with this handy Busy Bee chart
With three kids under 5, I get very sick of listening to the whining and fighting over petty little daily problems. I don’t like playing the referee all day, so I created this fridge Busy Bee chart to help me. Each day, one of the kids is the assigned to be the Busy Bee. They are the little decision maker for the day. They choose everything from what movie to watch at quiet time to who gets scrubbed in the tub first. When the kids are fighting, the busy bee gets to be the ref and decide who should win. I know it sounds simplistic, but it...
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