Easter Bunting

I am really excited about how cute this turned out. The picture doesn't do it justice. I spent my morning today creating up this cute Easter bunting.  I have been really enjoying creating these, as I will have a bunch of different options for parties, showers, holidays, etc., on my new website.  (That is once it is up)  I thought I would share a last minute decoration for you to print off and make for your own.  It was so easy.  Print it off, cut it out, attach the ribbon to the flags, then add colorful pieces of ribbon or fabric if you like.  It is so springy and cute.  Wish I had made it before the day before Easter.  So... you can freely use the buntings that I am going to put up for only 2 days, and then they come down.  Hurry and get them if you like and please let me know how you like it and if you used it. Please don't copy it because it will be one of my copyrighted collection.. but because I am feeling Eastery, I wanted to share. 

Oh and I also threw in this name place setting page as well.  Print them off and write in the names of your guests and set them where you want them to sit at your Easter table. Enjoy!  Katie G

PS  my new business is called "Printables by Katie", but I have a ways to go to get my website up... but working on it!

No Easter Egg hunt this year, but something fun!!!!

Wow, time sure flies, doesn't it?  I looked at the date of my last post, and realized I needed to get going. I haven't even posted my Easter card to all of you and that is because I have not even made it yet. I found this cute vintage Easter card at http://mckells-closet.blogspot.com/2012/03/vintage-easter-cards-printables.html?showComment=1333511969937#c1741446029553722105

I realize this post has nothing to do with something cute to take with you Visiting Teaching, unless you pass on what I am going to do with my own Grandkids this Easter and it is explained below.  I posted the letter on my visitingteachingtips blog that was sent to me by the Church Missionary department about the campaign that will be going on this Easter.  Please go to my other blog and read it and participate.  The link that will take you to that blog is just under the header or banner on this blog.

Now for the Easter idea:

The reason I picked this cute vintage Easter bunny/egg postcard, was because it reminded me of what I am going to do this Easter with my grandkids.  This year I only get to have three of them (plus a baby) to have Easter festivities with.  My 5 year old Grandson called me today and asked if we thought we could catch the Easter Bunny this year, because last year he knocked on the front door, but when we opened it, he was gone.  WHEW!!!  So I told him that we would have to see about that, but what I didn't tell him was that we are not having an Easter egg hunt but a great Bunny adventure.  This is how it will go:

The Easter Bunny will leave a note on my door that says, "Help, I have lost my baby bunnies, and I need your help to find them!"  Then there will be clue after clue about where the grandkids should look to find more clues to eventually find the baby bunnies.  (Not real baby bunny's just darling little stuffed animals) 

So...  I went to the store to look for things that could fill the grandkids baskets as they searched for clues.  I bought things like plastic eggs.... because the bunnies were last seen when the Easter bunny was dropping off eggs at someones house, and he spilled some along the way.  We think the little bunnies must have picked them up and began munching on the goodies inside the eggs, and forgot to follow the Easter Bunny... thus they got lost.



I found little Easter notebooks and pencils for the kids to take notes and write down clues or whatever... probably they will just draw. 



I bought some little cans of soda pop to hid in the bottom of a tree, so that when they get tired from hunting for clues to find the bunnies, they can sit down and have a little drink to refresh themselves.

I bought peeps in different colors because the Bunnies were seen hanging out with the "Chicks".  After the find the bunnies these chicks will be roasted and enjoyed overy the flame on my stove.  Roasted peeps are the best, and even better is if you stuff them with M&M's after they are all melty. YUMMY (one more thing to do wtih the grandkids... put the peeps on shiskabob scewers and roast them like marshmallows.   

I bought other things too, like whoppers to lay around, because they are a sure sign that bunnies have been around. (You know Bunny poo droplets) 

At the end of finding all these clues, they will be directed to the place where the bunnies can be found.  I will make a little nest in the bushes and hide all the little bunnies in one place, and there will be one for each grandchild to rescue and take home and make sure it never gets lost again.

Anyway this is a twist on the ordinary Easter egg hunt that gets over in less than 10 minutes.  My grand kids are getting old enough that they can read the clues and enjoy the intrigue of the hunt for the bunnies. 

Thought I would share that idea with you.  Enjoy!  Katie G

PS I have been accused of having lots of typing and spelling errors, and that is very true, because I am always posting late at night.  Please forgive me and enjoy the spirit of my ramblings.

Easter Printables

I just love the "Tip nut" site don't you?  Here is the link to some darling printables for Easter. http://easter.tipnut.com/04/printables/  and when you get there, you had better go exploring, and plan on taking lots of time, because there are so many wonderfiul "TIPS and ideas" that you will really have fun at that site. 

For my Easter ideas, go to my tags on the right hand column and click on "Easter".

Enjoy!  Katie G.

Cute Easter Ideas

I have been so swamped with so many other things to create my own ideas for Easter, so I have found some cute ones that I wanted to pass on to you.  Darling ideas, and the links to them. 

This is the link to this darling "Carrot" filled template.  Easy to create!  http://emilyburnette.blogspot.com/   How cute would this be to take as a little Easter Visiting Teaching gift?  I think I am going to use this template for my visiting teaching.  My sisters and I are going to lunch at Olive Garden to get to know each other better.  Over lunch I will give the lesson, and then this will be a fun and cute take home for them to enjoy.  I want my sisters to feel loved.  I wrote Emily who is the author of the website that this idea was founded, and I found out she is LDS too.  Isn't it fun to find sisters throughout the world with the same goals, and efforts to serve others.  Thanks Emily!

SMORES IN A JAR can be found at this site: http://rootsandwingsco.blogspot.com/2009/03/smores-in-jar-for-easter.html   At this site, she had many ideas that are great for Easter.  I love the cute marshamallow bunnies that are being made now in different colors anf flavors.  Of course I am a Peep lover, and would probably use peeps.

Now speaking of Peeps, if you go back into my archives you can find all kinds of great ideas to use Peeps with.  Click on this link  http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/search/label/Easter  and it brings up all my Easter and Sprintime ideas. 

Now lookie what I found.... Templates to make Easter Baskets.  The first one is created by "Tracy" and she use to design for Digichick, but I can't find a link to her.  The second one can be found at http://kelleighratzlaff.com/headline/the-easter-basket-template-set-and-cutting-files/ She has a template and other darling baskets that she made including a Birthday basket. 

They can be made up so cute with the darling digital or other scrapbook papers that are available now.  I just suggest that you get one that is printed on cardstock so it will be more durable.  Wouldn't it be sad if you went to all that work to make such a cute basket, and it broke because the paper wasn't strong enough.  There is a solution if you find just the right print on paper..... if you use spray glue and glue it to a piece of cardstock, then it would be heavy enough to use for an Easter basket.  Here is one freebie template link http://guidinguk.freeservers.com/Easter-basket.html and another one that is pictured next comes from

http://jannekesmit.blogspot.com/2010/04/free-easter-basket-template.html  Jannie who is the designer at this site, encourages you to make up her template and then take a photo of how it turned out and send it to her.  That would be a nice way of saying Thank-you for using her template design for free.

I could go on and on with Easter ideas to give to the women you Visit Teach or to Friends, neighbors, your own children, parents, or whomever, but my time is gone and I need to clean my house, lest my husband return and say... "Did a tornado go through today?"  Just kidding, he is really patient with me as he knows my love for creating cute things, but I do need to stop now.  Hope you enjoy these ideas and if you have a cute one and would like to share.... please let me know.  My email is listed on the right column of this blog.  Happy Easter!  Katie G.

Spanish, Portuguese, or other languages.....I need your input.

I have had several request lately for me to translate my handouts and freebies into Spanish.  I don't speak Spanish so it isn't easy for me to accomplish this.  I would, however love to have anyone of any language be able to use my handouts, so I have thought about a way that I could possibly accomplish this.  I will need your imput to to know if this will work for you. 

My idea is that when I design something like the book mark to the left, for example, I will do my creative thing and make something cute, and type in the message, scripture or whatever, in English and post it on my blog.  Then I will also post a page of the same designed bookmark, without the message, leaving it blank for you to save to your computer and type in or insert however you can, the translation in whatever language you need to share with the sister you Visit teach, friends or whomever. 

So, I designed this bookmark for you to try to put your own message on, just to see if you can do it.  It is a cute Springy and Easter looking print from Shabby Princess, and you can see what you can do with it.  This time I didn't include a scripture but I am sure you can come up with one about Springtime, the Resurrection, Jesus Christ's atonement, new life, or whatever else you think of.  I know that not everyone will have the ability to do this on the computer but you could still print up the message, and type on it, or hand write the message. 

Please let me know if this will work for you and how you accomplished it.  I need feedback or I simply won't make the extra effort it will take to do this, as all of this takes allot of time.  You can either click on the "comment" button below this post and comment there, or email me directly on my blog email which is posted at the top right column of this blog.  If you just comment, please be sure to provide me your email address if you want me to reply because by default, no return email is listed.

Thanks for your help!

Katie G.

Had to show you how I used the Easter Printable

I loved the cute printable that I posted below this post, and wanted to show you that I use the things I post too!  You won't find me posting something that I don't care for.  Anyway, here is a photo of my Easter Table.  I made each one of my children one of these little favors that sat at the top of their plate.  They loved the yummy variety of egg candies that I filled them with.  That actually turned out to be their Easter basket.

I also wanted to show you the cake I made.  Don't laugh because I thought it was very cute, considering that I don't do cakes, I don't really care for cake, but I made an Easter cake for the centerpiece for the Easter buffet I spread on my bar.  My son even said it tasted good.  It must have because he had 2 large slices.  It was a 4 layer cake with pink and yellow cakes, and strawberry marshmallow inbetween the layers.  Like I said before, I don't do cakes, I don't know how to ice cakes, and admire those who have that talent, but it just has not been one that I have done much with.  The entire reason I made this cake was that I found the topper, a large sugar egg, that was hollow inside with cute Easter bunny and decorations, from The peppermint place for only $1.50.  I figured with that and sprinkling on a few M& M's, colored Sprinkles, and Hearshys milk chocolate eggs, my cake would practically decorate itself.  If it wasn't very tasty, then my guests could just pick out the chocolate candies and fight over who got to keep the egg topper.  Actually it all went well, no fighting until my grandson age 3, wanted to eat it right then and there and his mother said "NO!"  We had a fun Easter, and I hope you did too. 

How about a cute Easter Printable???

This would be such a cute printable for a little, thoughtful Easter gift for the sisters you teach, or your friends, kids, family or whomever you like.  I just found this as I have been searching for something for Easter dinner favor.  I found this already with a cute design that matches my Pastel Easter Table settings.  All you do is cut it out and score with a pen the dotted lines, then fold into a darling Easter Egg box.  Fill it with your favorite "candy eggs" such as jelly beans, Robin eggs, or whatever you want, and then punch the two holes at the top and tie it with a cute pastel bow.  If you wanted it to be a combo favor, and place setting, then just write the persons name on it and set it either on their dinner plate, or just above their plate on the table.  I was so excited that I found it at http://melissaesplin.com/home/2010/04/easter-egg-basket-printable
  They have lots of very cute things to print, make and fold. 

Another darling one that comes in different pastel color designs that would be just as cute can be found at a different site called "Don't eat the paste".  It is called Spiral dot box and here is the direct link
  http://www.donteatthepaste.com/2009/07/spiral-dot-box.html  they also have a darling pink one that is called a circle dot box. http://www.donteatthepaste.com/2009/08/circle-dot-box.html  These aren't the only ones they have but you will have to go to the site and find the rest of the cute printable boxes.  OOOOHhhhh so very cute for Easter and Spring!!!

My SPRING FHE, SPRING/EASTER "EGG" luncheon and Lots of Easter ideas in the April Archives 2009

Because so many of you have responded to wanting a copy of my FHE, and Easter "Egg" luncheon

that I am doing with my neighborhood lunch bunch, I have just posted ALL of these ideas at this link http://visitingteachingsurprisedocuments.blogspot.com/2010/03/april-2010-empty-nesters-family-home.html

I have been emailed by a reader who said that this link doesn't work.  It works for me so I don't know what to change BUT, if it doesn't work for you, just go to http://visitingteachingsurprisedocuments.blogspot.com

and just scroll down until you find the FHE and Egg luncheon posts.  They are the most recent posts I have made on that particular blog, so it should be easy to find.  ENJOY!!!  Katie

You are welcome to use any of these ideas, anmd, but one thing I do ask, is that you just fire me off a quick email to say Thanks or let me know how you are using it. I spend so much time creating all my ideas and things, that it is just so nice to hear back from people who are using them. I might even add your ideas to mine on this blog too so email me!  My email is ktgauger@gmail.com

I wanted to remind you to look back through the 2009 ARCHIVES for March and April on this blog, as I had TONS, and I mean TONS of fun and cute Easter Ideas in 2009 for you. To get to the archives, scroll down until you see on the right hand side of this screen the words "BLOG ARCHIVE" then click on 2009, then March and April. That will take you to the posts and just click on them to see all the cute ideas!!!! Oh and just for the record.... My favorite easter treat is Roasted Peeps with Easter M & M's squashed into the warm peep.  It is soooooo yummy!  Too bad I am now diabet and can't have any.  Boo hoo!

Happy Easter!!!! Love, Katie G.

Some fun Easter recipes & ideas

I was on the internet looking, NO, searching for some cute ideas to do for my family this Easter. Of course all of these types of things are also applicable for you too, because it doesn't take much to make a couple extra goodies and take them with you when you go do your Visiting Teaching. Right? Anyway, I found a new blog called Olivia Wagner food spot located at http://oliviawagnerfoodspot.blogspot.com/ and I emailed Olivia to see if I could use a couple of her wonderful photos of Easter treats and direct my readers to her blogspot. She graciously gave her permission and she said that the photos were hers but the ideas came from other sources. Well since I don't know where those other sources are, I am just going to tell you to go to her blog to get the recipes. The top photo is Cotton Tail Cookies, and they look so darling that I could imagine anyone would love them! The photo below is of Jelly Bean Nests, however I think I would not add Jelly Beans but Cadburry mini eggs, like is pictured. Such cute ideas for Easter!!! Thanks Olivia!

Even More April ideas for you....

Just so you know when I post, the most current post is on the top, but I have alot more April ideas and posts below, so don't forget to scroll down to get all the great April ideas.My husband just loves for easter to come around because he has a favorite Easter candy. HE LOVES PEEPS! Well in honor of my husband, I have found some great ideas for you to do with peeps for your Visiting teahing ladies as well as whomever you would like. I am going to do one of the Peeps ideas for my Sons & Daughters and son in laws & daughters in law. Keep reading...

My husband isn't the only one who likes peeps. I think is must be one of those strong genetic things because his sisters love them too. The other day when we were visiting with his sisters, one of them told my husband of what they do with Peeps every easter that makes them even tastier than just eating them plain. They take a bamboo shisk a bob stick and poke them into the peeps, turn on the burner on the stove and proceed to roast them. They eat them just like that, but I was thinking a step beyond would be to make Peep smores from the roasted peeps and squish them between two half graham crackers and add some chocolate bar squares and wrap in tinfoil until it is all melty and gooey. Then devour them!!!!

You know me, and I thought about how I love to melt M & M's in the microwave and eat them. Well how about substituting some melted Easter colored M & M's or Chocolate eggs of any variety, but the ones that are candy coated would be the best because they would contribute an added crunch to the mix. Anyway, now that my mouth is watering, just sprinkle some of those melted chocolate candies on top of the roasted Peeps inside half of the graham cracker, and add the other half and squish down a bit. Now that is what I call a Sweet -Peepy- Chocolatey -Crispy- Graham Crackery Easter Sandwich that you will most likely want S'more of!!!!! Yes punn intended.


I found a great idea for Bottling Purple Bunnies at http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-bunny-smores.html This is the one that I think I will be doing for my kids! Very Cute! This one would be a great one to do for the sisters that I Visit Teach as well, but there are so many cute ideas, I just don't know how I will pick.

Now if this isn't enough go to http://www.cakespy.com/2008/03/hoppy-easter-cakespys-suggestions-for.html for some other really great ideas to use your Peeps and Easter candy for your Easter Sunday Sugar High.

Just in case you want to emulate Martha Stewart,
she has the recipe to make home made peeps for those of you who don't get enough of them at Easter time. Go to http://www.marthastewart.com/article/homemade-easter-treats?lnc=6384d918a92ee010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=top7pop_entertaining_showers_3 Wouldn't you just know that Martha also has a whole workshop at her site that shows you exactly the steps to follow? Go to http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.79fd7096c5c97ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=94afe14f8426f110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&rsc=related
and get ready to make your own home made peeps.


One last note about Peeps, and then I will stop Peeping... Another very cute idea for your sisters you visit teach, you could make up a Hot Chocolate bag with peeps to melt in it. The picture shows of how it would look made, and it is so cute with a little peep floating around in it. You could do just about the same basic thing as the idea above with the Bunny peeps smores in the jar, but Use hot chocolate mix poured into a plastic bag in the center of the Jar with Peeps all around the sides of the Jar looking outward. Once again, use a cute spring napkin or a springy piece of cloth for the jar lid. If you want the lid poufy, then add a small amount of cotton batting directly under the fabric and above the sealing lid, then screw on the cap. It is very cute, in fact all the peeps ideas are so cute. You could even do like the picture and get an inexpensive cup and saucer, and set a peep inside and even sprinkle the amount of chocolate that you think it will need, and all the recipient will have to do is add some hot water. Cute, Cute! AND that is all I will write on Peeps!

READER PEEP IDEAS (Feel free to comment with your other peep ideas!
I just received a cute comment from a reader of this blog (AMY G)who shared yet another "Peep" idea. She made up this fun idea as a fun one to do with your family as well as for those she visit teaches. Thanks for the idea Amy G.!!!! (You can see her actual comment below by clicking on "Comments")

"I just discovered your blog and I thought I'd share a peep idea I did a few years ago for the people I visit teach and my family. I took a posterboard and pastel gingham print scrapbook paper and I made giant checkerboards. I cut the paper into squares - I think I made them 1 1/2". You'd have to see how big your posterboard is. Anyways I laminated the boards. I included 2 big boxes of peeps in two different colors - so that they would have more than 12 peeops in each color. It was a peep checker game. Now, each Easter I buy my boys fresh peeps - they love to play - to king the peep we have small pipe cleaner crowns and one year my boys would just smush the peep - they knew smushed peeps were the kinged ones. My local 99 cent store has the big boxes so it's an economical gift too!" AMY G

Katie G Comments... I thought of another way of "Kinging" your peeps. You could king them with a jelly bean, Robin eggs, or other easter candy, and poke it right down into the head of the peep so it sticks. Also, I searched the internet and found a site that had a woven checker board template with insturctions. It was on the Nestle site, and they used their wrapped chocolate candies. To see the template.... go to http://www.verybestkids.com/Categories/TeachersCorner/Math/Article.aspx?articleID=13B157A1-13A9-455A-9866-E4E91BEC141C or http://www.verybestkids.com/Nirf/cm2/upload/BA5B0D65-5DDC-4784-974D-4C25CCC3BFCB/07.03_edible-checkers_tp.gif
I thought about another way to use peeps, as when I do my missionary work at the LDS Addiction Recovery meetings, sometimes the new participants don't realize that they can't have their little children in the meetings with them, so at times, I have taken those children into another room and colored, played games, and did fun things to entertain them while their parents are in the meetings. One game I have played that is loved by all the children is to play tic tac toe using candy or stickers instead of writing an "X" or an "O" with a pencil. So.... for Easter, you could use peeps or jelly beans, or any other kind of Easter Candy, and once the winner gets three in a row, they get to keep all of the candy pieces on the tic tac toe board.

More April ideas to come

I have so many more fun ideas for you besides the ones that I just posted below using wash cloths, and I am now back energized after a great nights rest, to share more ideas with you. Maybe April is just an easy month but I have a wealth of simple, inexpensive and mostly home made ideas for you to share with your sisters you teach, or with friends, neighbors, or anyone else you might be thinking about.

I am posting a picture of my next idea, however these carrots are filled with candy goodies.
This is an easy way to do it and just fill the bag with store bought jelly beans or other easter candies. BUT... my idea would be to make your own cellophane carrot shaped bags and fill them with this great, tried and tested popcorn recipe that I will list below. I made the particular popcorn for the edible centerpieces for the Back in Time party my husband and I hosted last weekend. Everyone loved it and even though there were great desserts too, the popcorn was munched all throughout the evening and completely gone by the end of the party. Many comments were expressed on how much they love it and asked for the recipe. You can make this popcorn any color simply by using a different flavor of unsweetened kool-aid mix. You could also make up a batch of this popcorn and put it inside a clear cellopane bag and tie it off with a ribbon. Anyhow you do it, the gift will be appreciated by the receiver.

Here's the printable recipe


















This one is more readable on the internet but you can print the one above.
Katie's Mother Goose Popcorn recipe
1 Cup Popcorn kernels
t Tablespoons butter
2 Cups sugar
1 packet (0.13 oz) unsweetened Koolaid Soft drink mix
(I used Black cherry to make Pink Popcorn)for Carrots, I'd use Orange flavor
6 ounces of Evaporated milk ( I didn't have evap milk on hand so I used 4 oz skim
milk and 2 0z. cream)
1/2 teaspoon soda

Pop the popcorn in an air popper into a large bowl. Shake the bowl from side to side to let unpopped kernels go to the bottom of the bowl. Then put the popcorn into another large bowl by hands full so to separate any unpopped kernels, and throw away the unpopped kernel and tiny popped corn bits.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the koolaid to the sugar and stir in as it makes it dissolve easier in the pan. Add the sugar and Koolaid mixture and the milk. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, I found that I need to let it boil for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add baking soda and be prepared for it to really swell up. Remove from heat and once the entire mixture is pouffy, pour into the popped corn. Stir very well and keep stirring because you want to get the air into the mixture. I step outside even and stir because you want the popcorn to sort of go to a sugary consistency and not stick together.

I then spread out the coated popcorn on to a sheet of parchment or Freezer paper to continue to dry out. From time to time, stir with hands and eventually the popcorn will be dried to a frosty and sugary pink.

The Kool-aid adds flavor and color all in one. If you want to make the actual flavor of the Real Mother Goose Popcorn, omit the Koolaid, and use drops of Red food coloring and add a about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or if you have powdered Vanilla, use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla. Add the food coloring and extract after it has come to a boil.

Once your popcorn is cooled,dried and sugar frosted, you can roll a square sheet of cellophane to form a cone, and secure the cone with a strip of cellophane tape. Cut the pointy uneven ends (not the tip of the cone) evenly straight across. Fill the cone with popped corn and tie the end with a twist tie or thin ribbon. To cover the ribbon or twist tie, cut a 2' to 2 1/2' x\strip of beautiful green ribbon and tie a bow. I prefer the ribbon width to be at least an inch and a half. Trim the ends of the ribbon and there you have it... a Popcorn Carrot. Yum!

The "Dish Towel bunny" is another very cute idea for your visiting Teaching sisters. I found the instructions at http://www.familycorner.com/homegarden/crafts/towel_bunny.shtml At this site there are step by step instructions as well as pictures that will tutor you in this project. Very cute!