6 Dollar Store Fairy Garden Ideas

My daughter’s latest obsession this year is Tinker Bell and all things fairy. I’m here for all the fairy fun! This year we decided to create our own little fairy garden in our flower bed. There are so many cute and fun ideas out there and DIY tutorials on how to make your own fairy houses. I was surprised at how many things I came across in my search for ideas. I wanted to find something that wouldn’t take a lot of time and was also cost-effective.

I got a little frustrated after looking at Walmart and Hobby Lobby and not coming across what I wanted. On a whim, I stopped by the Dollar Tree just to see what they might have…and I never looked anywhere else again. Seriously, the dollar store is your one-stop shop for all things fairy gardens! If you want to make your own fairy garden crafts or use something pre-made, look no further. These are the different houses and items we used from our local dollar store to make our fairy garden come to life.

1. Premade Fairy Houses

This is the simplest way to go about fairy garden houses. The Dollar Tree has a brand called “Fairy Garden” that has premade houses and cute little signs/figurines. The houses are SO cute! We have a flower house, cactus house, apple house, and tea kettle house. I also got some of the cute signs (some say “Welcome”, “Fairy Playground”, “Fairy Crossing”, etc.), and fairy figurines.

2. Wooden Birdhouses

The only downside with the premade fairy houses I mentioned above is that they don’t have a door that actually opens on the houses (something my daughter wanted so the fairies can go in the house). The dollar store also has wooden birdhouses for crafts. We bought one and painted/decorated it ourselves. We use ours as Vidia’s house (she is a wind/high flying fairy in the Tinker Bell movies) and hung it up on a clothesline we had in the garden. This is a fun and simple DIY craft idea, and your kids can personalize the fairy house to their liking.

3. Scent Warmers

We bought a couple of these scent warmers. They are already colored and have different shapes, which are essentially the house windows. They have a big opening that you can put stuff inside and decorate it how you like. You could spray paint them if you wanted to and put flowers or other items on top of them too.

4. Stones

The Dollar Tree has different colored stones you would use for décor or fishbowls. We got some blue and green ones and used them in the garden as fairy pathways leading to all the signs and houses.

5. Cat Bowl

You can’t have a fairy garden without a fairy pond for the water fairies! To create our fairy pond, we simply bought a little cat bowl at the dollar store and filled it with water and some stones (as dewdrops).

6. Garden Decor

We got a couple of windmills, some butterfly garden decor items that you stick in the dirt, a ladybug with a bell that we hung (to call the fairies), and a fun colorful garden stone about friendship to place in the dirt. You could get some garden lights for a little path too.

The sky is the limit when it comes to your imagination. There are so many cute items, and they’re all only $1 at Dollar Tree! We visit our fairy garden almost every day. All you need is faith, love, and pixie dust. Happy creating!

DIY Descendants Birthday Party

For my daughter’s 3rd birthday, I let her pick the party theme all by herself. She actually surprised me with her choice of wanting to do a Disney’s Descendants party. One day, when she was sick and slept with me at night, we watched “Descendants 3” because it was the only kid-friendly movie I had saved on the DVR in my room at the time. She loved the music and quickly became obsessed with it. So when she told me she wanted to do a Descendants birthday, I said, "Let’s do it!" Here are the fun things I came up with to make this theme come to life for her.

Photo Backdrop

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Purple, green & black tablecloths
  
• String
• Happy birthday sign
• Descendants logo, colored
• Tape

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Drape the purple, green, and black tablecloths over a string. I used a clothesline rope.
2. Hang the rope (with tablecloths) on the wall. I tied it in place around each wall.
3. Hang the happy birthday sign across the tablecloth backdrop. I taped it in place on the plastic tablecloths.
4. Hang the Descendants logo on the backdrop. I taped it in place with Scotch tape.

Photo Booth Props

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Prop sticks
• Purple, blue, black, and white construction paper
• Any Descendants-themed coloring pages you want to use
• Scissors
• Tape

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Cut out hair shapes for each Descendants character you want to use. I just eyeballed it. I used construction paper for ours. (Purple paper for Mal, Blue for Evie, etc.). If you have a printer, you could also print some and just color them in. I personally liked the construction paper because it is a bit thicker and sturdier.
2. Color in any Descendants color pages you want to use as props. We used a “Long Live Evil” logo that we have colored ahead of time.
3. Tape all pieces onto prop sticks, and now you have a nice handle to hold the hair in place for the photos.

Birthday Shirt

Supplies You’ll Need:

• White t-shirt
• Yellow, red, and purple fabric paint
• Paintbrush

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Paint a red apple (the Descendants logo) onto the white T-shirt and let it dry.
2. Paint the yellow edges around the logo and let it dry.
3. Paint a purple number (the age of your child) on the apple logo.

Cupcakes

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Cake mix
• Purple icing
• Sprinkles/cake decorations
• Candle

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Make cupcakes or use cake mix in cupcake shapes.
2. Cover the cupcakes with purple icing.
3. Cover the cupcakes with sprinkles. I used Descendants-like colors: green, purple, and blue.
4. Put a birthday candle on top of a cupcake.

Balloons

I blew up some purple and green balloons to tie into the Descendants theme colors. We also had a giant 3-balloon too.

Descendants Coloring Pages

I printed out some Descendants coloring pages and colored them in ahead of time. I hung them around the house and used them for other themed decorations.

I hope these ideas help to inspire you to throw your own Descendants party and have fun with it. Happy celebrating and creating!

Wrightsville Beach Getaway

Back in February, my husband and I decided to take a weekend trip for our anniversary. It was our first kid-free trip in a long time. We didn’t want to go too far, so we decided to drive to Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, NC. It was our first time visiting, and it was so much fun! Even though it was the last weekend in February, it ended up being the perfect weekend to go. The weather was uncharacteristically in the 70s and sunny with blue skies. I get cold very easily, so it was still too cold to swim outside or lie out at the beach. However, it was perfect for walking along the beach and enjoying the hot tub.

Being February and still colder, we didn’t make a reservation ahead of time. We assumed the hotels would be nearly empty for that time of year. We stopped by the Shell Island Resort first. I was drawn there because each room is an ocean view and a suite with a kitchen. However, they were sold out for one of the nights we were staying. So we drove down the road a little to the Holiday Inn Resort and found a room there. They were sold out for the ocean view rooms. We had a room on the 6th floor with mostly a Harbor view, but we could still see the ocean from our room too. It was so nice getting to walk on our balcony and enjoy both views.

The Holiday Inn Resort was huge and had so many amenities! They had an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tubs, free parking, an on-site restaurant, an on-site bar, and it’s located right on the beach. They also have a fitness center, childcare room, gift shop, and playground. The restaurant has the same menu every day (with one set time for breakfast), but we were so surprised at how good it all was! Breakfast was amazing, as was dinner. We ate there for most of our meals because we didn’t want to leave the resort and the food was so good. They didn’t have the poolside bars open at the time we were there, but you could take drinks from the bar outside or up to your room.

On our first day in Wrightsville Beach, we drove along the main roadway to see everything it had to offer. It is a beautiful area! There are some small restaurants and shops along the road and many hotels/resorts. We tried to eat at one of the restaurants our last night there, but it was over an hour wait even for take-out, so we ended up not waiting. We were honestly surprised at how few restaurants and shops there were. It’s mostly houses and hotels along the beach. There is no boardwalk either. There is one little stretch you can walk where the pier is, but it’s along the parking lot, not the beach.

After driving, we got checked in and settled into our resort. We ate at the resort restaurant. I had pizza, which was amazing, and drinks. We hung around the hotel and took it easy the first night. The second day, we ate breakfast at the resort (which was again so amazing), then we took a walk along the beach down to the pier. It was a bit of a walk but fun and enjoyable too. We hung out around the pier for a while. The Johnnie Mercer Pier is the pier that Dawson’s Creek shot their opening credit sequence at, so I had a blast enjoying the area.

After the pier, we walked along the main roadway back to the resort just to get another look at the area on foot. We ate lunch at the resort restaurant and then spent the afternoon in the hot tub with drinks. It was a much-needed relaxing day. We spent the night exploring the resort grounds and then went out to Wilmington to get dinner.

We, unfortunately, both got food poisoning at dinner and were sick throughout the night. So our last night wasn’t the smoothest. The next morning we ate breakfast at the resort, checked out, and drove down to the pier. We walked along the pier during the daytime before heading back home. The pier is cool, but you do have to pay to walk out on it. I believe it was a couple of dollars each to do so.

All in all, our weekend getaway was so fun and a much-needed kid-free trip. Wrightsville Beach is a beautiful area, and the oceanfront resorts are gorgeous! If you ever get a chance to visit, you should. We’re hoping to take the kids down for another weekend together as a family. The whole area seems very family-friendly. There is so much to see and do if you stay at one of the resorts. There’s nothing better than some good family fun in the sun!

26 Baseball Movies for Spring

I’m all about a good movie marathon! Especially when that marathon revolves around my favorite sport (baseball). If you’re looking to have a movie night this spring, look no further. There is a baseball movie everyone in the family can enjoy. Check out my go-to baseball movie list to kick off springtime.

1. 42

Genre: Biography, Drama. Rating: PG-13. A true story set in 1947 when Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball.

2. A League of Their Own

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Biography. Rating: PG. I love this classic! All about the first all-female professional baseball league.

3. Air Bud: 7th Inning Fetch

Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama. Rating: G. Who doesn’t love a good Air Bud movie? A golden retriever who plays sports? Yes, please. These were some of my favorites as a kid. A great one for the whole family. When Josh goes to college, his little sister Andrea enlists their dog Buddy’s help with her baseball team.

4. Angels in the Outfield

Genre: Family, Comedy, Fantasy. Rating: PG. When I think of baseball movies, this is one of the first ones that comes to mind. A true classic, good family fun, and one of my favorites. A boy prays to have a chance at a family if the Angels baseball team wins the pennant. Real angels are sent down to help make it happen.

5. Bull Durham

Genre: Comedy, Romance. Rating: R. Love and baseball with a bunch of comedy thrown in. A fan who has a fling with a Minor League player every season meets a rising pitcher and catcher who changes everything.

6. Ed

Genre: Family, Comedy. Rating: PG. A family-friendly comedy about a trained chimpanzee and his Minor League baseball teammates.

7. Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook-Off

Genre: Family, Comedy. Rating: G. A Disney Channel Original Movie, this is another one I loved as a kid. It’s the perfect family-friendly movie. About a teenager who struggles with wanting to be a chef and everyone else wanting him to be a good baseball player.

8. Eight Men Out

Genre: Drama, History. Rating: PG. The true story of the Black Sox scandal when eight Chicago White Sox players accepted bribes and purposefully lost the World Series in 1919.

9. Fever Pitch

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama. Rating: PG-13. A woman juggles her relationship and her love of the Boston Red Sox. It is a fun romantic comedy.

10. For Love of the Game

Genre: Drama, Romance. Rating: PG-13. This is my all-time favorite baseball movie. It is full of drama and romance and just an overall love of baseball. So, so good! After playing for 19 years, a pitcher has to decide if he’s going to go all-in on his personal life.

11. Field of Dreams

Genre: Family, Drama, Fantasy. Rating: PG. A classic! You mention this movie, and most everyone knows what it is. Everyone thinks Farmer Ray is crazy, but he listens to voices and builds a baseball field on his farmland. Such a good movie for everyone in the family.

12. It Happens Every Spring

Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi. Rating: Approved. Science and baseball and laughs, oh my! A film from the 1940s about a scientist who discovers a formula that makes a baseball that is repelled by wood.

13. Major League

Genre: Comedy. Rating: R. If you want a good laugh, this is the baseball movie for you. Another well-known baseball classic about a woman who puts together a horrible Major League Baseball team to lose.

14. Million Dollar Arm

Genre: Biography, Drama. Rating: PG. A true story about a sports agent who recruits Indian cricket players to play baseball.

15. Moneyball

Genre: Biography, Drama. Rating: PG-13. The incredible true story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane comes up with a crazy plan to help the team have a winning season on a tight budget.

16. Mr. 3000

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance. Rating: PG-13. A funny story about a retired baseball player who comes back at age 47 to try to reach the 3,000-hit count that he thought he had already hit years before.

17. Rookie of the Year

Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy. Rating: PG. A fun family film about a boy who, after an accident, miraculously has an amazing pitching arm and plays in the Majors.

18. Summer Catch

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance. Rating: PG-13. A classic baseball love story about a rich girl who falls for a poor boy who is working his way to play in the Majors.

19. The Benchwarmers

Genre: Comedy. Rating: PG-13. Three friends form a baseball team to play against Little Leaguers to make up for what they feel like they missed out on as kids.

20. The Final Season

Genre: Drama. Rating: PG. A man disrupts his life to become a baseball coach and tries to lead his team to victory. Such a good underdog story.

21. The Natural

Genre: Drama. Rating: PG. Another classic for baseball fans. This one is all about a middle-aged man who comes out of nowhere and becomes a legendary ballplayer.

22. The Perfect Catch

Genre: Family, Romance, Drama. Rating: G. Now who would I be if I didn’t include a Hallmark movie on this list? This movie is such a sweet romantic comedy about a Major League player who is on the brink of retirement.

23. The Rookie

Genre: Family, Drama. Rating: G. Yet another classic for the whole family. A baseball coach makes it to the Majors after agreeing to try out if his team made it to the playoffs.

24. The Sandlot

Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama. Rating: PG. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, chances are that you have seen this movie. It is a family-friendly classic. All about a new kid in town who learns the ropes from a baseball team.

25. The Scout

Genre: Comedy, Drama. Rating: PG-13. A fun film all about a baseball scout who discovers a talented but troubled baseball player.

26. Trouble with the Curve

Genre: Drama. Rating: PG-13. This is a great one with a lot of heart! A daughter works to mend her relationship with her father by agreeing to accompany him on what could be his last baseball scouting trip.

Make some popcorn and cozy up on the couch to enjoy some (or all) of these fun movies for a baseball marathon this year. You won’t regret a night like this. Happy Spring!