Extraw Special Valentines Just for you!

 

I saw an Instagram reel the other day asking how January had 47 days unlike the rest of the month of the year.  I laughed and moved on because yes, we are still in and Christmas seems like a memory rather than just a few weeks ago when in reality, Weston's birthday is next week (hello, February!) and Valentine's Day is not to much later.  In fact, every time I head to Target, I am reminded that the time is nearing where I need to get a classroom worth of treats and quirky sayings. 

With as much candy as my youngest brings home (most of it he can't really eat because of food allergies or because of his braces), we throw so much of it away.  Over the years, I've made it my goal to find some creative ways to do Valentines that are cost effective and not full of sugar. Last year, we found a fun and silly punny slogan and then I created a little tag to slip the straw through.  

 

I ordered some silly straws from amazon. . . they were very reasonably priced and one package was more than enough for one class of 5th graders plus extras for friends in other classes! It was a win!  I printed out the tags at our local Office Depot (they do have some great quality printing and I can order than from my desk at home and pick them up the next day while I run errands!). From there, I cut them out and then did an optional step of cutting each corner with a rounded corner punch. . . I just really liked the way it looked.  I also made two slits above/below the pun for the straw to stick through.  Weston signed his name and took his Target bag full of valentines to school with him for some Valentine fun. . . because even upper graders love a good valentine!  

 

So, my Valentine gift to you is a link to this cool Valentine Printable!  Go, have fun! Enjoy and feel free to share on your social media and tag me in it!  I would love to see how you use them!  (#outoftherightbrainblog or @jolieklassen will work!).  It really makes my day when you share!  

Click here to get jump to printable.

 

I used these straws

And, if straws just really aren't your jam. . . I have a handful of other Valentine printables here

 

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Happy Creating!

hello 2023.

 

Hello 2023.

Maybe I should acknowledge that we are a week away from January’s exit and I am just now sitting down to write.  I have missed it.  Ethan reminded me that I haven’t be writing and I didn’t realize he even noticed. . . Or else he was procrastinating a math assignment.  Probably the latter.  Anyways, I have found myself at a local Starbucks with my favorite iced coffee attempting to put my thoughts to paper. . . Errr. . . Screen. 

 A new year has begun and I didn’t make any resolutions (who are we kidding, the whole resolution thing is too much pressure).  I didn’t even make a list of goals for the upcoming year.  I did buy a new planner to help me keep my head on as the kids went back to school and all their stuff (hello after school practices, ortho appointments, and birthday parties). 

To be honest, this year feels scary.  In just a few short months, we will no longer have an elementary school student in the house and that alone is just craziness!  Change is happening and it is both exciting and terrifying. I have been praying for some very big things and well, I am both scared and excited to see how God answers those prayers. 

I share this because maybe you, too, are moving forward into a year that also feels scary and daunting. It’s okay to own that.  In fact, good job for owning it.  Give yourself a pat on the back or a big bear hug! And while only a handful of people will actually read this, maybe I am writing it for you (also, thanks for reading!). 

My first Bible as a kid was this white Precious Moment’s Bible that I just loved.  I read the Christmas Story on repeat, and it had the best little explanations about things that my little mind somehow understood.  In 3^rd grade, I stumbled across an explanation of how God answers prayers (confession: i fingered through those incredibly thin pages while the pastor was speaking).  I prayed for a Courtney doll (she was Skipper’s brunette, cheerleading bff. . . #IYKYK) for months.  I put a poster above my bed reminding me each night to pray for her.  After months of praying, I finally got her for Christmas, but what I didn’t know then, was the valuable lesson a Barbie doll taught me about prayer and waiting on God. 

I mentioned earlier that my family and I are praying some pretty big prayers that are at times overwhelming, because we’re in that period of waiting and wondering.   Here are some things that encourage me as I think about this year. 

1.   Acknowledging that God is in control and not me.  
Yep.  He hasn’t let me down yet and when he hasn’t answered me in the way I prayed, I realized that the outcome of the prayer ends up being far better than I could have planned.   I have been reminded over and over recently of Jesus sleeping on a boat during a horrible storm.  A storm so horrible, they wondered if they would really make it.  Can I confess to you that sometimes, thoughts come that make me wonder and question everything.  But, then I am reminded that Jesus is our source of peace and is in control of all that turmoil and craziness and I really don’t have anything to fear.  Yes, the future is uncertain, but I know and trust that God has everything under control.

2.    Go to His Word           God’s Word is full of accounts of people who waited, and waited a really, REALLY long time! (Sometimes, they died before their promise ever came to fruition.  I mean, the entire Old Testament waited and waited and waited for the Jesus, Joseph worked as a slave and a prisoner before his dream became reality.  Countless people lived with ailments that caused them to be outcasts and undesirable before they found healing.  There is no book better than the Bible for finding encouragement while you wait or face scary things. 
                           

  3. Pray.  
Grab a notebook and write your prayers down.  Give thanks and worship in pen and pour out your heart as you wait for your prayers to be answered.  Daily.  It’s fun to watch how your prayers change as God changes your heart, gives you patience and courage and answers your prayer.  (Side note: when you are writing it down, it’s a whole lot easier to stay focused. . . Squirrel!)
 

  4.  Fill your mirror with scripture that encourages your heart.   

 There’s a verse In the Old Testament that commands God’s people to “Hide God’s Word in our heart.”  Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians that we need to think on whatever is true, honorable, respectful, and lovely.  When I take the time to put a verse up on my mirror, I can think about that verse and while I do my make up and hair each morning.  By doing this, it reminds me that God is in control and I don’t have to worry, thus preventing a spiral or worry or shame. 

  5.  Do something. 
I know that waiting is hard, but sometimes we must actually do something.  I know that it means taking a risk and oh, man, do I know how hard that is.  But stepping out in faith sometimes opens doors or closes them and moves us to where God wants us to be.  It may mean turning in an application or even volunteering on a committee while you are waiting for your prayer to be answered.  Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

As I type this, I am reminding myself all these things.  Change is hard and I think this year is going to be just that.  But it is also going to be a sweet adventure of watching my boys grow and mature and seeing what’s next for us all as we move into a new season.  I don’t know what your prayer is, but I hope and pray that you are encouraged and please know, I as I write this I am praying for you, dear friend. 

Waiting on God is far from easy, but trusting that God has something wonderful ahead is 100 percent worth it. And praying for big things is way scarier than praying for a Barbie doll, but it’s worth it!   Let’s go and sleep great knowing that God has everything under control!