Resourceful Homemaking: Everything from Parenting, Home & Garden, Style, Crafts & more

How to Make Your Own Cleavage Cover Up (Out of an Old Shirt)

2013-05-22T01:59:00.000-05:00

If you have any old shirts just laying around, whether they no longer fit quite the way you'd like, they are no longer your style, or they have become stained or ripped, think twice before you toss them in the trash. This is the first of a few different projects that I have planned for some of those old shirts of mine that are no longer useful to me in their current state. Follow along with the pictured instructions below to learn how you can easily and inexpensively make your own cleavage cover ups out of old shirts.

1. First things first. Find a shirt or three or four that you would like to use. Make sure that you choose colors that will go well with the shirts that you will be using your cover ups with.

2. Next you need to measure the distance between your bra straps. If you do not have measuring tape designed for sewing, improvise and use the measuring tape in your tool box or even a ruler will work. When measuring you will need to be wearing your bra and measure from the outer edge of one strap across to the outer edge of the opposite strap. For me that came out to 9 1/4 inches.

3. Then measure the distance from where you would like your cover up to sit on your chest to the bottom of your bra in the front. I suggest using a starting point on your chest that is higher than you may actually desire. Doing so will give you a little extra material to work with in case it is needed for a different shirt and will have no effect on the look of completed project. I ended up making mine 7 1/2 inches long.

4. Now that you have your measurements, lay the desired shirt on a flat surface and draw little dotted lines to mark off the amount of material you will need for your cover up.

5. I then chose to cut a block of the material from the shirt larger than the area I needed. I did this so that it was easier to cut along my lines than it would have been to work with a full shirt.

6. Cut along your dotted lines to make a square of material to the desired size. Instead of cutting the piece into a square you can also cut the bottom section so that it is slightly rounded. I chose not to do so in case I want to use the cover up with a shirt that has a larger opening in the front which would require a little more material to cover.

7. Next you will need to make straps for your cover up so that you can attach it to your bra. I decided to use the straps from an old tank top. However you can also use velcro or ribbon.

8. If using straps from an old shirt, bra or any other article of clothing that has straps, simply remove the straps by cutting with a pair of scissors.

9. I chose to cut the whole strap off so that I could save it for another project or to make multiple cover ups.

10. Remove any hardware from the strap. You may be able to use the hardware to make your cover up straps adjustable, however I have not taken the time to figure out how best to do this yet and it is not necessary.

11. Take the full length of strap you removed and wrap it around your bra strap. If you have bras with straps of varying widths, I suggest using your widest strapped bra for this measurement. Doing so will help prevent your bra straps from bunching and being uncomfortable.

12. Now you will need to make a hole for your button. You can use sewing scissors, a utility knife or really any knife with a sharp point. Make sure that your button hole is not too large that the button will not hold, but large enough that the button can slip through the hole easily. You can also choose to make two button holes so that you can adjust how snugly it wraps around your bra strap.

13. Using a needle and thread start attaching your strap to the top side of your cover up material. Make sure that you are attaching the unbroken side of your strap, or the side without the button hole.

14. Once you have gone over the loose end of thread a few times, slide your button onto your needle and thread and place it against the strap. Hold the button in place and attach it securely by weaving in and out of each hole within the button a few times. I went through each hole 5 times to make sure it was secure.

15. After you feel that the button is secure, end your stitch by weaving your thread through the front side of your material. I did this twice going first one direction then the opposite just to ensure that the end of my thread did not come lose and cause my stitching to come out.

Note: As you can see from my stitching I am not terribly skilled at stitching by hand. Since this section of the material will be covered by your shirt it is not necessary for it to look overly pretty.

16. Now your strap is complete. All you need to do to attach it to your bra is wrap it around your bra strap and secure it by slipping the end onto the button.

17. Once you have the cover up attached to your bra simply put your shirt and adjust your cover up to the desired height. You can let the bottom of the cover up hang or you can tuck it into your bra for a little extra sense of security. Below are a few pictures of the cover up at different adjustment heights.

18. There is no need to sew the edges of your cover up but if you are proficient with a sewing machine and have one available you can chose to do so. There is no need to make adjustments to the beginning measurements if you do chose to sew the edges.

19. If you do not sew the edges they may curl after washing. To help prevent this, lay the cover up on a flat surface and lay a towel over it to dry.

Here I have the cover up adjusted for moderate coverage.

Here I have the cover up adjusted so that it adds just a little extra coverage.

Here I have the cover up adjusted so that it offers full coverage.

I hope that this tutorial has been helpful and that you find it easy to follow. If you have any questions or suggestions on this project or any others that you'd like me to try please leave a message in the comment section. Thanks for taking a look and for all of the support.

How to Make Your Own Stuffed Animal Hammock

2013-04-08T07:02:00.002-05:00

Do your children have an over abundance of stuffed animals? Have you tried to sort through them in order to get rid of at least a few, but have been met with resistance? Well your not alone. With three children (two of which share a room) in a three bedroom home, there are times that I feel like the stuffed animals are going to overtake my home. I must admit that some of that is my fault as well. See my daughter has a pretty diverse collection of stuffed animals and to be perfectly honest I have problems myself with getting rid of some of them.

One day I suddenly recalled that a childhood friend of mine had this totally cool hammock in her room for her stuffed animals. So the search was on. Now, I do buy some things off of the internet but I also try to support my local businesses by purchasing products locally. However after searching every store in town and several of the big name chain stores in the surrounding area I was unable to find even one of these hammocks. That was a pretty big disappointment.

Here I was thinking I had found the perfect solution to my problem and then it's a no go. After much thought I realized that during my search I had run across several different styles of the mesh laundry bags. Since these can be very inexpensive I decided to buy one and see if I could somehow make my own stuffed animal hammock. Luckily it was a success and this is how I did it for under $3.00.

Remove the mesh laundry bag from the package.

Remove the handle (tag) from the side. At first I tried cutting the stitches to remove the tag but found it was much easier and no less appealing to the eye to just cut the tag itself off. Just be sure that you make your cut as close to the mesh bag as possible without cutting it.

Once the tag is removed find the seam on the side of the bag. I chose to start on the side where the strings come out of the string loop. Use the line of holes closest to the seam as a guide.

Cut along the length of the seam. You can cut down the whole length but I chose to leave about 1 inch at the bottom of the bag intact. This helps to add a little extra strength and a bit of a pocket that holds larger stuffed animals better.

Remove the string. This can be done before any cutting is done but I did it after I cut the first seam.

Now find the dotted line on the opposite side that is closest to the seam.

Once again cut down the length of the bag.

If you leave a portion of the seam intact like I chose to do,

be sure to do the same with the other side as well.

Taking both ends of the string that was removed from the bag earlier, find the center of the string.

Cut the string into two pieces.

Next restring the hammock. Do this by using an old metal clothes hanger or long piece of wire as a stringer. Insert the hanger or wire all the way through the string loop on one side of your hammock. Once your hanger is fully inserted through to the end of the string loop, tie one piece of string to the end of the hanger.

Then slowly pull the hanger with attached string back through the string loop until only the string is left in the string loop. Be careful not to go to quickly or the string may fall off of the hanger or you may rip the mesh.

Take both ends of the string and tie them together in a tight knot. Then repeat all of the above steps for stringing to string the other side of your hammock.

Choose where you want to hang the hammock. Unfortunately this room in my house only has two corners and both of those are at the head of the kids' beds. I didn't like the idea of hanging something like this over my children's heads just in case so I chose to hang it over the window (good thing because after hanging it I discovered that this was the only area where there was enough space to hang it).

I used plain screws to hang my hammock and have had no problems. However I would advise against using nails for hanging since they would run more of a chance of getting pulled out of the wall. If you want to use something that is a little more appealing to the eye, use screw in wall hooks. These can be purchased at practically any retail or hardware store for very little cost.

After making this piece I decided to break down and search the internet to find out if these types of hammocks were still being made and if so approximately how much they would cost. From what I have found they can range between $12 and $75 depending on the style and maker. However I am very happy with the results especially when I consider that I paid less than $3 to make one myself.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed my latest project.

Getting a New Pet

2013-03-11T17:06:00.002-05:00

Pets of all shapes, sizes and types are fun to have and can increase your mental health and increase the quality of your life. However no matter what type of pet you are wanting you should always consider what kind of care they will require before acquiring the pet. Some pets do not require as much care and maintenance as others. For instance a goldfish may be able to live a long and full life in a simple goldfish bowl with regular cleaning and proper levels of feeding. Where as a dog requires feeding, cleaning of areas where the dog eliminates waste, training and exercise along with regular checkups and vaccinations. So it is highly important to know what responsibilities come along with any type of pet you plan on having.

That being said we recently added a new member to our family. We opted on a dog so that the kids would have a playmate (and to be honest the decision was made to also help eliminate some of the hassles of raising kids like food on the floor). Since we have owned dogs and puppies previously we were already aware of the care requirements and hassles that come along with a dog. Having that knowledge helped us in making a decision on what type of dog we wanted to get, and the age of the dog. Even so we did not take the decision lightly and took time to look around before making a choice.

While puppies are adorable and it is nice to have a dog from the start so that you can train them the way you want them to be trained, they also require a lot more time and discipline on your part than a dog that is a little older. That is why we decided to get an older puppy or adult dog versus a brand new puppy. We also decided that it would be better to go through either an organization that provides care for lost, abandoned and unwanted animals or a private individual that would put the dog into a shelter if a new home was not found in a timely manner. We used petfinder.com and craigslist.com to search our local area for available dogs that met our requirements.

We found many dogs with great qualities that we really liked but there was one that stood above the rest for us. His name is Jake, he is an 8 month old black lab, boxer mix which we found on craigslist. The previous owners were in the military and were getting ready to leave the military and move back to their home state. They loved Jake very much but they were concerned about taking him with them, since they were going to be staying with family temporarily until they found work and a home of their own.

Jake laying next to our sleeping 2 yro son Cole.

Jake had 2 homes prior to ours. His first owners had several dogs and decided to give him away because they did not feel they had enough time for him (that is pretty much the extent of what I know about his first home). He moved into his second home when he was just under 6 months old. There they worked on potty training, kennel training and teaching him some basic commands. However they did not socialize him very well so he is leery of strangers. This was very evident when we went to meet him. For the first 20 minutes that we were there he did little else but bark and growl at us.

After some time and not a few treats, Jake started to warm up to us and started playing outside with the kids. Since he had never been around kids before and we have 2 pretty young children it was extremely important for us to know that he would behave himself with the kids. As shown in the picture he has warmed up to our family nicely and gets along great with the kids. The only problems that we have continued to have with him are that he is still pretty leery of strangers and that he will try to take food from the kids before they are done with it. We are working on both of these things along with enforcing stricter obedience when told to come and stay.

To sum it all up I would highly recommend that you consider adopting a pet from a local shelter, rescue organization or someone that is unable to keep the animal. These animals can and often do make great additions to families and can be even more loving than a new puppy since they have also known what it is like to not be loved. Although I recommend at least considering this option when obtaining a new pet, I also recommend that you meet the animal first to help ensure that the animal is the right fit for you and your family. While these animals may require extra time and training above what they have already received the same is true for a puppy and really how can you resist giving a beautiful and loving animal a loving home if you have the option.

Build a Brain

2013-01-30T22:47:00.001-06:00

Build a Brain......You may not think that this sounds like a fun thing to do, but you would be wrong. Jarett (my oldest son) got a really neat kit for Christmas that requires you to build a brain and skull. It also comes with a book filled with lots of fun facts about our brains. Below are pictures of each step of building the brain and skull. At the very end I will share a few of the facts that Jarett and I found the most interesting.

Here is everything that comes in the kit. We did not find the knife, scalpel or tweezers of use.

Here are the various pieces of brain that will need to be put together, I will give a few details about what each piece is and how they function later.

These are all of the pieces of Skull that will need to be put together.

The orange piece represents the spinal cord. Attach the spinal cord to the base and place the vertebrae on the spinal cord.

Next you attach the Occipital bone on the spinal cord. This bone makes up the lower back section of your skull.

Now you attach the left and right Temporal Bone on the sides of the Occipital bone. These bones make up the lower sides of your skull.

Now you are ready to attach the face of the skull. This piece includes the Sphenoid, Ethmoid and 13 other smaller bones as well as the eyeballs. These pieces are all together as one piece since these bones are small and would make the model much harder to put together as well as less stable.

These little brown pieces are the left and right sides of the Cerebellum. This part of the brain receives signals involving sensation and the intention of movement from the Cortex, then sends out instructions on how to preform the movements. So in other words if you didn't have this part of your brain your body wouldn't know how to preform even the simplest movements needed to move your fingers to scratch an itch.

Place these pieces together, all of the pieces of the brain are a little sticky so they will hold together.

Here are the two lower pieces of the Cerebrum, this is the largest part of your brain. The two pieces make up the left and right hemispheres. The left hemisphere usually specializes in functions involving arithmetic, language, and verbal memory. The right hemisphere usually specializes in functions involving music, interpreting the things you see and nonverbal memory.

Attach these two pieces together by inserting the peg into the hole.

These two pieces are the top of the Cerebrum. Both the left and right hemispheres of the Cerebrum are split up into four Lobes. They are the: Frontal Lobe, which deals with thought and judgement; Parietal Lobe, which deals with spatial sense and integrating information from your senses; Temporal Lobe, which deals with hearing; Occipital, which deals with vision.

Press these two pieces together, since they are heavier they do not stay together real well until they are attached to the other pieces, to help keep them together you can flip them over so the round side is facing up while assembling the rest of the pieces.

These are the left and right sides of the Brain Stem. Your Brain Stem connects your brain to your spinal cord, in fact as you move down the Brain Stem it becomes the Spinal cord. The top wrinkly part of the Brain Stem is called the Cortex. The Cortex is folded and wrinkly so that tremendous processing power can be stored within the small confines of your skull. The lower section of the Brain Stem is called the Medulla. The Medulla is quite small but is the section that information travels from your brain through your body, telling each and every part of your body what it needs to do.

Place the pieces of the Brain Stem inside the indentations on the top pieces of the Cerebrum.

Now place the bottom of the Cerebrum over the top pieces of the Cerebrum and the Brain Stem. Inside your head these pieces are not separated but in order to build a model of the brain they need to be so that the Brain Stem can be placed inside.

Next place the two pieces of the Cerebellum snugly into the dip of the Cerebrum and up against the Brain Stem.

Now that the Brain is fully assembled place it into the bottom section of the Skull that was assembled earlier, with the Cerebellum towards the back section of the Skull.

These are the left and right Parietal Bones that make up the back half of your skull.

Snap the two Parietal Bones together.

Then attach them to the bottom part of the Skull model and over the Brain. It takes a little stretching and was a little difficult to get properly in place.

Here is a frontal view of what the model looks like at this point.

Now attach the Frontal Bone, covering the rest of the Brain.

Side view

Remove the assembled Skull from the orange Spinal Cord and flip it over. Attach rubber band to the hook on the bottom side of the Skull. Then take the Mandible (lower jaw) and place it into the Sockets (little duvets on the bottom of the Skull, attach the rubber band to the two hooks on the Mandible.

Flip the Skull over and place it back onto the orange Spinal Cord.

Here is a side view of the completed Brain and Skull model.

The Jaw can move up and down with the slight touch of a finger.

Now that I have shown how we put the model together I will share a few of the Brain Facts that Jarett and I found interesting, all of this information was found in the booklet that comes with the kit but I have changed some things into my own wording I will put an * next to everything that I have taken word for word from the booklet. The kit is a Smart Lab product and is called HEADS UP! and is the Brainchild of Ben Grossblatt.

Brain Facts

At birth you brain is relatively smooth, but as you grow your brain becomes wrinkly.
As you are likely to know babies go through a faze called babbling or cooing, what you may not realize is that deaf babies go through a similar faze. Deaf babies with parents who use sign language babble with their hands. *Instead of saying"bababa," they repeat certain nonsense hand gestures!
There are different sections of your Cortex that handle touch signals from the different parts of your body, the *more sensitive body parts have more Cortex devoted to them. *If you were built so that the size of each part of your body matched the amount of cortex devoted to receiving touch information from it, among other parts of your body your lips, tongue and hands would all be huge.

There is a ton of other really interesting information and great facts, making this a great tool to help children learn about and understand the workings of the brain and how the brain makes the body work. There is also a little IQ test sample and a quiz to help you discover if you are a right brained or left brained person. If you are looking for something that is both fun and educational for your child I highly recommend this kit. It was lots of fun to put together and learn about how the brain works. Plus Jarett thinks it makes a cool decoration for his bedroom.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2013-01-05T19:44:00.001-06:00

To make homemade laundry soap you will need to purchase

Borax - $1.46

Washing Soda - $1.73

Zote - $1.50

Note: I used Zote in place of a bar of soap. You can however use your favorite soap in bar form instead.

Optional: Baking Soda - $1.30

Oil Essence for scent - I have not use this yet so do not know the cost.

All of these products should be easily found at your local Walmart or Grocery store, prices vary.

I recommend purchasing a grater just for use to make laundry soap or other cleaners to eliminate contaminating food with cleaning products.

Begin by shredding Zote or bar of soap. If using Zote only use half of the bar.

Place shavings into a small cooking pot and add 4 cups of warm water.

Simmer on low heat until all of Zote or Soap is dissolved.

Add 1 cup Borax, 2 cups Washing Soda and 1 cup Baking Soda (baking soda is optional)

This will be clumpy at first, keep on low heat and stir frequently.

Continue to simmer until all ingredients are dissolved.

Fill a large bucket with 3 gallons of HOT water.

Note: You can often get a large bucket from construction companies, your local bakery or hardware stores.

Add mixture to HOT water.

Stir contents to insure it is thoroughly mixed.

Let sit to cool over night or 8-12 hours.

Mixture will become very thick, having an almost gelatin consistency.

Use your hand or a large spoon to mix thoroughly.

Mixing will blend the mixture back into a liquid form.

Use a funnel or easy pour container to store liquid laundry soap in containers.

Make approximately 472 fl oz. so make sure to save either old laundry soap containers or milk jugs for storage. Always make sure to mark storage containers clearly for safety and proper storage.

Use 1 cup for an average/large load. Half cup for small loads.

Simply Delicious Lemon Squares

2013-01-04T21:05:00.001-06:00

There's really only two words needed to describe this desert.

Simple & Delicious.

And similar to the description this treat is made with only two ingredients.

All you need is

One 22oz can Lemon Pie Filling

One box Instant Angel Food Cake Mix

Optional Topping - Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar

Put cake mix and pudding in a large bowl.

Blend ingredients together slowly as angel food, cake mix is fine and will

make a big mess if you try to mix quickly.

Continue stirring until thoroughly blended.

Split the batter into two 9'x13' pans

Note: I prefer using one 9'x13' pan and one 8'x11' pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-30 minutes.

Until the top is light golden brown.

Pull out of oven and place pan upside down on a cooling rack,

as it cools it will separate from the pan.

Remove pan and let sit till completely cool.

Cut into 1 1/2 - 2 in squares

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and place on serving tray.

Severe and Enjoy.

Help Your Child Be Ready for Kindergarten

2013-01-02T01:50:00.000-06:00

If you have a young child that is getting ready to start Kindergarten next fall there are several things you can do to help them get ready for school. Many of these things are also great for children that have a few years ahead of them before starting school.

There are a variety of things that should be considered when preparing a child to start school. The two main categories that things fall under are typically the expectations the school holds towards what each child knows before starting school and how to deal with separation. First I'll go over some of the basic requirements that most schools adhere to then I'll move on to the separation issue.

What do schools expect of a Kindergarten bound child and how to get to that point

Although different schools may have different guidelines there are several expectations that are pretty typical throughout all schools.

Social skills

Socially your child will need to be willing to listen to an adult and follow directions. Don't be alarmed if your child doesn't always listen as well as you'd like. Most times kids will listen to someone other than Mom and Dad at least a little better. Also teachers and helpers expect kids this age to need a little further direction and help staying focused at times. However it is expected and highly important that your child be able to play and cooperate well with other children. This means no biting or hitting, having the ability to share and being able to work with others to get a job done.

Intellectual skills

Intellectually most schools expect children to be able to hold a book and turn the pages properly. They also want them to have an interest in books and show at least a little interest in reading. If your child pretends to read and write that is great, as it leads them straight into actually learning how. You can encourage the desire to read by reading to your child regularly and reading yourself. Even if it's your favorite magazine or newspaper, it doesn't matter what your reading as long as you read something and your children see you do it. To encourage your child to want to write a great game we play is kitchen (sometimes it's called restaurant). With a notepad and pencil ask your child what they want to order, write it down (even scribbles is good to show them what you expect them to do) then pretend to make the food and give them the "invisible food" or plastic food if you have that. This also ties into the need for your child to know how to use pens, pencils and crayons for school.

Knowing some songs and rhyming is another thing that is generally expected. Many children already know some children's songs but if your child is unfamiliar try teaching songs like the itsy bitsy spider, marry had a little lamb and other songs you may remember from your childhood. Rhyming can be easily taught by simply rhyming during your normal speech throughout the day. Simple things like "We're at the store, we get in through the door" or "Here's your cup, drink it up". Make sure to put a little extra umph on the rhyming words. You can even challenge yourself and say one word and see how many rhyming words you can think of. I like to do this with my kids names too, for instance Malorie, Calorie, Salary or Jarett, Ferret, Carrot (said with carret since I'm from the south).

Schools also like for children to recognize a variety of different things, like signs and labels that are commonly encountered. Recognizing letters is also something desired, specifically the letters in their name. To help a child recognize the letters in their name you can write them on a paper and have you child try to copy them, use flash cards or what I've found very helpful is to use a computer. To use a computer type the letters of their name on the screen (big letters are best for beginners) then have them try to find the letters and type it themselves. It is often easier for children to learn one letter at a time, for instance my daughter's name is Malorie so I started with M, pointing out the letter on buildings and signs and telling her "Hey there's an M for Malorie". Once they recognize one letter move on to the next and progress until they can recognize all the letters in their name. Another thing that is expected is that children be able to retell experiences, stories and communicate needs.

Health and Personal Care
As far as health it is expected that your child have regular checkups and dental appointments also that they are up to date on immunizations and medical care when sick. It is also expected that your child will eat at regular times throughout the day and get an adequate amount of sleep each night. For personal care they want children to be able to blow their nose, cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing and wash hands. Also they prefer children that have no physical impairments to be able to remove and put on jackets, zip, snap, button and belt themselves, eat unassisted and recognize their own belongings.

Separation
When it's time to send your child off to school there is often a bit of separation anxiety, whether this is on the part of child or parent. This is to be expected and can be helped. If your child has regularly attended daycare or preschool it may not be as big of an issue but if not it could be a big problem if not prepared for. To help relieve some of this anxiety you can gradually start leaving the child with someone they know but are not around on a regular basis (you will want to make sure this is someone you can trust). Start by just running to the gas station for a drink or to do some other task that will only take a few minutes. Gradually increase the amount of time away from the child. Doing this can really help to make your child feel more comfortable with you leaving, helping them to realize that you will be back. It can also help you to get used to not having your child in tow all the time. Actually going to school may be a little harder, most schools offer a time to come meet the teachers and see the class room and possibly other classmates before school starts. This helps so that the child is not going to spend the day with someone they have never met, in a place they have never been. Another great thing is that many schools welcome parents in the classroom. On the first day or couple days, spend a little extra time with your child in the classroom before leaving. Another great way to help your child feel comfortable and confident throughout their school life is to volunteer in the class. This can be done on a regular basis or for special occasions like holiday parties.

I hope that you find these tips helpful in getting your child and yourself ready for when the time comes to start the schooling experience.

Lightly Coated Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2012-12-27T15:47:00.001-06:00

We had left over Chocolate Almond Bark from making the Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls so we decided to make some Chocolate Covered Pretzels as well. Now I don't know about you, but I like to have my pretzels with a lighter covering of chocolate, so this was perfect for us.

What You'll Need

1 bag Pretzels

1 Package Chocolate Almond Bark

Any type of pretzel you prefer is fine, I went with the mini twist style

Melt the Almond Bark in a small pot.

We actually just used the leftover Chocolate from our previous treat making of Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls, you can find that recipe here as well.

If you choose to go with strongly coated pretzels then you will need a good amount of Almond Bark, just dip the pretzels in the chocolate and remove.

Since we only had a small amount of Almond Bark left over I poured a controllable number of pretzels into the pot and stirred them, getting a thin layer of chocolate on some and a thicker layer on others.

I then put the pretzels into a large bowl and repeated the step above until all the Almond Bark was gone.

Then in the large bowl I mixed all the pretzels for a few minutes.

This caused all the pretzels to have a more even layer of chocolate.

Lay the pretzels on wax paper or as I did grease a baking sheet and lay them on that to dry.

If you use a thick layer of chocolate it is better to make sure that the pretzels have their own drying space so make sure to separate them a little.

Since mine had a thin layer I was not worried about them sticking to each other so I just laid them out overlapping each other, then separated them as I put them on the serving tray.

There were some that were stuck to each other pretty good, so I just left those doubled up.

This is a great treat of New Year's Eve, I especially like the thin layer of chocolate because then they are not as heavy or sweet. I also think it makes them a better finger food with the thin layer. But that's just my opinion.

Hope you all enjoy the treats!

Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls

2012-12-27T12:44:00.000-06:00

Whether you're looking for a yummy, sweet treat for a holiday party, family gathering, pot luck or just to satisfy your sweet tooth at home,

Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls will fit the bill.

These are also a fun treat to make with the kids.

What You'll Need

1 package Oreo's (off brands are OK too)

1 package Cream Cheese

1 package Almond Bark Chocolate

I also tried using Peanut Butter Oreo's, they tasted good however they are a little greasy because of the extra oil from the peanut butter, I would suggest using less cream cheese.

Start by placing the entire package of Almond Bark Chocolate into a small pot and begin melting on the lowest heat setting. Make sure to stir frequently to avoid burning the chocolate.

Using 1 whole package of Oreo cookies,

I started by crushing the cookies in a bowl, I did it this way for a combination of reasons, 1 my food processor is fairly small so I couldn't fit many full cookies in at a time and 2 it was fun to let the kids try to smash them.
Once the cookies are broken into manageable pieces, put them into a food processor. If you have a large enough food processor you can eliminate this step by using the processor from the onset.

Grind the cookie pieces up into a crumbly, powered consistency. Then put this into a large bowl for mixing.

Add 1, 8 oz package of Cream Cheese. Cream Cheese should be room temperature making it easier to work with.
Blend Cream Cheese and Cookie crumbs together, using either a spoon or hand mixer.
We used a spoon for the regular Oreo's but had a harder time mixing the Peanut Butter, so we used a hand mixer for those.

Once thoroughly mixed start making the mixture into little balls.
We choose to make them about the size of a quarter around.
They are very sweet so we choose to go a little smaller, however I have had them about the size of a silver dollar around and they were good that way as well.

After forming into a ball dip in the melted Almond Bark.
Once coated with chocolate place on wax paper.
We were out of wax paper so I coated a glass baking pan and placed them inside of that for drying.
After they are dry removed the Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls from wax paper and place on serving tray of choice.

Update

2012-12-27T11:46:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry that I have not posted anything new lately. I had a grandmother that passed on Dec. 13th, so I was not around for a while. After all that commotion was over, there was the excitement and busyness of Christmas. Again I would like to apologize to all my loyal followers for not being here to add anything new. However I am going to be adding a couple new things today, also if you didn't notice I did update the cross-stitch in progress post, and will be doing so again tomorrow/today(late evening). I am down to only a few colors left, then will start the outlines. I'm very excited to be done with it, even though I've loved working on it, long projects like that get very tedious after a while for me. If there's no new posts above this one check back in a few hours to see what's new.

Thanks and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and will have an amazing New Year!

Teaching Kids to do Household Chores

2012-12-09T17:56:00.000-06:00

It can be a difficult task to get children to help with household chores. The best advice I've ever gotten was to start sooner rather than later. How can you expect your teenager to do chores, if they have never had any responsibility before hand. Getting your kids involved in helping with chores around the house, not only helps to reduce some of your work load, but will also help them to keep a clean house when they are grown and on their own.

Personally I started all of my children when they were babies, before they were even able to actually crawl or do much of anything on their own. For instance, if it was tummy time and we had a few toys laying on the ground for them to try to scoot and reach for, when play time was over I would pick up the baby, take their hand in mine and pick up the toy. While doing this I would say "Okay, it's time to pick up your toys" or "Put your toys in the toy box". The combination of action and instruction helps children to understand not only what they are doing but why they are doing so.

Once your child is a little older you can start giving them more things to do. For instance my two year old helps his older brother take out the trash. The responsibility of the kitchen trash belongs to my older son, 11, he is to take the trash out of the can, tie it up, take it to the dumpster, then put a new bag in the can inside the house. My younger son is responsible for the bathroom trash, either myself or my older son will remove the bag, tie it up and replace it for him, when his big brother takes the kitchen trash out, he takes the little bag from the bathroom trash out. This helps him to learn how to take care of the trash and as he gets older he will then be responsible for removing and replacing the bag as well.

My daughter, 5, and my son, 2, will both help with dusting and cleaning up walls and tables. I personally do not like young children using cleaning products that are stock full of chemicals. To avoid that problem I have old cleaner bottles that I have thoroughly rinsed and cleaned, I then fill them with clean water, I will occasionally add a little bit of dish soap to the water as well. Just give them each a spray bottle and rag, tell them what to clean up and let them have fun.

I will also let the kids help with dishes, I have a dishwasher but they have fun washing dishes, so I allow them to practice washing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. If you do not have a dishwasher you will most likely have to go over the dishes again yourself, but this is a good activity for children to do while you are busy cooking. Just give them a chair or stool to stand on and have them clean dishes as they get dirty from your cooking.

Laundry is another chore that kids can help with. I have found that towels are the easiest for children, so usually have the smaller children help with those. There are many times that I have to refold any towels or clothing that the kids help fold, but really it doesn't take any more time for me to refold than to fold from the beginning. This is a great chore for helping to develop small motor skills as well.

Another thing that young kids love to do is vacuum. This can be hard for very young kids as most vacuums are fairly large and heavy for little ones. The perfect solution is to get a small vacuum, such as a three-in-one. These are small, come with an extendable handle that can be left in the down, storage position and come in handy as a hand held dirt devil type of vac as well. With a small vacuum such as these your child can enjoy helping vacuum and you can enjoy having a cleaner floor without the hassle of pulling out the big vacuum everyday.

Patching Holes in Jeans

2012-11-04T23:37:00.000-06:00

For years when my son had worn holes in his jeans, I would either discard them or restrict them to "play" jeans. Strictly just for those days we were going to have some outdoor activity that I knew he would just get filthy or wear holes into another pair of jeans. With the addition of two more children and money being tighter than before, I decided it was time to try my hand at patching the kids' jeans. I haven't used a sewing machine many times, and the only sewing machine I have is an old 1955 Singer. It was one of my grandparents, I was given when they sold off some of their things before moving.

After many Google searches I discovered that most of the ideas were either for girls or very young boys. My oldest son is 11 and would just refuse to wear most of what I was finding. Then I stumbled upon one that I thought would work, so decided to give it a try. (I can't remember the blog I found it on since I searched so many, sorry that I can't give credit where do)

Step-by-step

First I turned the jeans inside out to reveal the inner seams. One side is a very thick seam and is harder to sew back up, however the other is a normal seam and is fairly simple to resew.

Since I'm pretty much a beginner with the sewing machine I didn't want to have to hem the bottom back up. Instead I just cut away the stitching a few inches above and below the section I planned on sewing. Creating a large hole in the side of the pant leg.

I then cut a strip of material from an old pair of my sons shorts that no longer fit.

Then cut the strip into smaller pieces, that were a little larger than the hole to be patched.
Note: I measured approximately 1 inch past the hole in all directions.

I then cut pieces from an old pair of jeans that was irreparable.

Sew these pieces together to use as your patch.

Note: This is to make the patch more durable.

I made these patches just a hair larger than the fabric pieces.

Then I placed the patch in the desired location and just used a forward and backward stitch across the entire hole. This gives it a bit of a rough look but is something that would fit right in with many high dollar jeans on the market today. (My son actually received some compliments on his cool new jeans at school)

Once the patch is sewn in place stitch up the seam, flip them right side out and they are ready to go.

As I have plenty more jeans to patch I will be posting more patch jobs at I find other cute (oh wait cool) ways of patching. I also want to add some patches to my daughters jeans just for some flare.

If anyone has any suggestions on great ways to patch jeans I'd love to hear them.

Halloween Decorating

2012-10-20T20:40:00.000-05:00

Decorating on a low budget? Only have a small space to decorate? There's still so much you can do that looks great and adds a spooky feel to your front porch.

Normally we don't decorate for Halloween, but this year the kids really wanted to.

We decided that there were lots of things laying around that we could use to make our own decorations. So we made a day out of it. Not only did we save a bunch of money making them ourselves rather than buying, but we had a ton of fun.

We cut headstones out of old cardboard, painted it black, then painted Names and Dates in white.

We also cut bats out of cardboard and painted them black.

We took old weathered boards and with white paint wrote "DO NOT ENTER" and "BEWARE".

We even made a spooky tree.

What you'll need to make your own spooky tree:

Tree branch (we used a branch left over from summer tree trimming)

Flower Pot (we used an old terricotta, whatever you have laying around will work)

Foam (we used some from an old craft project, spray foam works great too)

Rocks (to weigh down your pot)

Cotton Balls or Spiderweb

Just put your foam in your pot. Stick your branch into the foam. Place rocks around or on top

of foam to add decoration, and weigh down your pot. Pull apart cotton balls or spiderweb, and hang on tree.

Jarett had a skull (since he loves them) so we put that next to the tree & gravestones.

Here's the porch as a whole. We might add more but I think this is pretty darn good for one day.

Especially since we made most everything ourselves.

Homemade Household Cleaners

2012-10-18T14:04:00.001-05:00

Like so many of you I have had it with spending so much money on Household Cleaners. I also feel that there are enough chemicals in our every day environments without adding more to every surface of my house. That being said I started doing some research to find different reciepes for Homemade Household Cleaners. There's alot to love about making your own Household Cleaners, for one the money you save is always great and since your using all natural ingredients there's the benifet of a healthier house without lossing any of the cleaning power.

Until recently I had always used store bought cleaners, and have tried many different products. It seems like they are always coming up with something new, something that works better, or lasts longer. Really though, What are we sacrificing? It is my belief that our children are suffering for all the chemicals we use, literaly on everything. So I decided to make a change. For who else can make a difference in the lives of your children better than you yourself.

Below is a list of different Homemade Cleaners I use. I will update with new cleaner reciepes as I continue on this journey of removing chemicals from my household.

Homemade Solution for Steam Cleaners:

5 cups White Vinegar
4 tsp Dish Washing Soap
a few drops of your favorite scented Essintial Oils (optional)

Mix ingredients in an old cleaner or milk jug for storage. This is just the cleaning solution, you will need to add this to water just like you would with store bought carpet cleaning solutions. Use according to manufacture's instructions.
Note: Test a small hidden area of your carpeting before trying on the whole floor. As with all carpet cleaners you want to test that your carpet is colorfast, and that it will not be damaged by cleaners.

Homemade Carpet Spot Cleaner

Use equal parts White Vinegar and Baking Soda, these two products fizz when mixed together. Mix into a paste and scrub into spot using a scrub brush or old toothbrush. Let sit on stain until dry. Vacuum up the baking soda. Some stains may need to be treated twice. Note: I use an old peanut butter jar so I can store extra mixture for later use.

Homemade Fabric Refresher (Febreeze)

You will need a bottle of Fabric Softener. Any brand or scent is fine, just make sure it has the ingredient Cationic or Ionic (this is the active ingredient that romoves smells). You will only be using a small amount so I suggest just getting a small bottle.

Use 1 tsp Fabric Softener to 16oz Water. Put in spray bottle, Shake well. You can use this on all your fabric surfaces. It not only removes smells from your furniture but also leaves a pleasing aroma in the air.

Homemade Glass Cleaner

2 cups White Vinegar
2 cups Rubbing Alcohol
4 drops Dish Washing Soap (optional)

Add ingredients in a Spray bottle (I just used a old Glass Cleaner bottle). Use this on all your glass surfaces. Fast dry. Can use on tile as well. You can also use this to wipe up pet urine on tile or linoleum. DO NOT USE ON CARPET, the Alcohol may cause color loss.

Homemade Soap Scum Remover

Baking Soda
Scruby rag/sponge

Wet shower and tub. Sprinkle Baking Soda, Scrub and Rinse. This should work in most cases. If you have hard water or stubborn stains try this....

1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Salt

Follow the directions above. Use a toothbrush to get into small corners and grooves.

Homemade Mildew Remover / Tile Cleaner

Mix equal parts White Vinegar and Water in Spray bottle. Spray on area with mildew (Shower curtain, Tiles, Bathroom Fixtures, etc.) Let sit for just a few minutes and wipe of with clean wet rag. For tougher mildew spots use 3/4 part White Vinegar to 1/4 part Water.

Homemade Drain Cleaner

1 box Baking Soda
White Vinegar

Pour 1/2 box of Baking Soda down drain. Then Pour White Vinegar down drain. It should be foaming well. For exteremly clogged drains, wait till it stops foaming then add other 1/2 box Baking Soda and more Vinegar. Let sit as long as possible (at least an hour but longer is better). Rinse with HOT water.

Homemade Refrigerator Cleaner

2 cups Hot Water
2 cups White Vinegar
2 drops Dish Washing Soap

Mix together in large bucket (I use an old gallon Ice Cream bucket) wipe down surfaces with rag. I use a mircofiber rag. These work great for catching little food debry.

Rags

I prefer to use store bought microfiber rags as they catch more dust and debry easily. They also have a fairly scrubby texture to them so work well for scrubing. However you can use old towels and/or shirts cut into manageable strips as cleaning rags.

Bathroom Floors/Cobwebs

In the past I used a Swiffer with either wet or dry cloths to clean my bathroom floor or to collect cobwebs around the house. However I have found that it works just as well and costs a ton less to use Homemade Rags cut to fit my Swiffer wand and my own Homemade Cleaners.

For Cobwebs just attach a rag to the end of your Swiffer wand (you can also drap a rag over the end of a broom). Spritz with Vinegar (you can use Water as well, I like the Vinegar for a little extra freshening of the air). Then simply wipe away your cobwebs.

For Bathroom Floors once again attach a rag to the end of your Swiffer wand. Spray floor with your regular bathroom cleaner or your Homemade Tile/Linoleum Cleaner. Wipe up.

I hope you enjoy these Homemade Household Cleaning Solutions and remember to check back as I will be adding more formulas as I continue to switch my household cleaning from store bought to homemade cleaning products.

Cross-Stitch in Progress

2012-10-17T12:19:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on a Baby Birth Record Cross-Stitch Pattern for my youngest son Cole. I had been adding different blog posts with updates on my progress but have decided that it would be good to have them all together so that you all can veiw the progress in one look. I hope you like the change and will check back periodically to see the status. If you would like to see how to start a Cross-Stitch Pattern please refer to my post titled Starting a Cross-Stitch.

Here is the first color completed. This is Dark Lime Green

Now I have added Light Lime Green.

I either misplaced a picture of one step here or forgot to take it.

This is Light Dusty Green & Green.

The Light Dusty Green is what filled in the grass on top and bottom.

Green is the darker shading around the Frog and Turtles.

Here is Dark Yellow.

Now you can see Fish starting to form with the completion of Orange.

Light Lavender was used to make up one of the Lilly Pads, part of a Teddy Bear (Frog is holding) and one of the Turtle shirts.

With the addition of Medium Blue it is really starting to come to life.

The swirl at the top will become a Snail.

I must have once again misplaced one of my pictures. This also shows Yellow which completes one of the Turtle bellies, and the yellow flower.

Here is Light Pink. The Small Hearts on the bottom will be Snails.

The Large Heart will stay a Heart. I have also noted since completing this color that

I missed a spot. There will be a larger Pink Heart at the top.

As I'm already working on another color I will come back to this a little later.

This is a close up so you can see the Light Blue. It is around the Turtles Hat, and the specks on the Medium Blue Lilly Pad.

With the addition of Brown everything is starting to come together. The spots at the bottom will become snails.

I had to add a close up of the top because I think it looks so cute lol. The little Brown marks between the reeds will become dragonfly's. Also I had previously missed the large Pink heart on the top but have now gone back and put it in.

Antique Gold fills in part of the turtle shell, around the hearts at the bottom and starts to fill in the centers of the reeds at the top.

Close up of Antique Gold

Pale Antique Gold completes the turtle shell, and the reeds on top.

Close up of completed turtle shell.

Close up of completed reeds.

Dark Lavender completes the shirt on the left turtle as well as the teddy bear in frogs arm and the snail shell on top.

Dark Aqua begins whirlpools in the water and dragonfly wings.

Light Aqua completes the whirlpools and dragonfly wings.

More updates will be added to this post as they are completed, so check back to see the progress.

Thanks.

Notice on Cross-Stitch in Progress

2012-10-15T23:44:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of consolidating all of the existing updates on my current Cross-Stitch pattern into one blog. I will be deleting all except the consolidated form once it is complete. I am doing this so that you can see all the steps with one look, instead of needing to look up other posts if you want to see something further back. I have 3 new colors completed but have delayed adding an update until I get the consolidation done. I will definately have it completed by Wednesday afternoon, but if things go smoothly I should be able to have it finished by tomorrow evening. Wish me luck.

Make Your Own Glasses From Old Bottles

2012-10-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Warning: This project involves Fire and breaking Glass. Use saftey equipment to prevent damage to property and injury to body i.e. Saftey Goggles, Thick Gloves, Fire Extinguisher. Do not attempt under the age of 18. I assume no liability for any damage or injury, all responsibility belongs soley to person attempting this project. Also I do not promote use of alcoholic beverages, furthermore any and all persons must be at least 21 years of age to consume alcoholic beverages of any kind.

Have you ever thought "This bottle would make a really neat looking drinking glass" or wished you could find drinking glasses that had a design that's on a bottle of soda, wine, or beer? Well here's just the thing you've been looking for......A tutorial on how to make drinking glasses at home using old bottles.

What you need:

String (thicker string seems to work better, like an old shoe string)
Lighter fluid
Small cup or dish
Lighter
Old Bottles (the thicker the glass the better it comes out, thinner glass cracks)
Water
Sand paper

Once you have all your supplies find a safe place to work. I suggest at the sink, and make sure that the area is cleared to prevent accidental fires.

1. Tie String around your chosen bottle.

2. Put a small amount of Lighter Fluid in Cup or Dish.

3. Dip String into Lighter Fluid (make sure to saturate it)

4. Place String back onto the bottle

5. Hold bottle over sink and Light String with Lighter.

Note: Hold bottle at a 45 degree angle with neck of bottle angling upwards

6. Rotate the bottle while on fire and let String burn for between 10-12 seconds.

7. With String still lite put under COLD running water.

Top of bottle should fall right off. Beware of small glass fragments.

Glass will still be hot, so use caution when picking up pieces.

8. Sand the inner and outer edges of glass with 100 grain Sand Paper until smooth.

Some areas of glass may need more sanding than others to even out the top.

9. Clean glass and enjoy.

Note: Results will vary. As you can see in this picture the top of the C is not all intact.

It is trial and error, so make sure to have plenty of bottles to work with.

Works best to place String as far away from lettering or pictures as possible, but keep in mind that the neck of the bottle is thicker so may take a few more seconds to heat enough to break.

Also if the bottle does not break the first time you shock it with water you can always dry it and try again.

Have fun making your glasses out of old bottles but be sure to be safe and always use saftey precausions.

Teaching Kids Fire Saftey

2012-10-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

This week was Fire Saftey week at my daughter Malorie's school. We got to go to the Fire Station, look at the Fire Trucks, meet some of the Fire Fighters, and try on one of their Saftey Helmets. They even had a Fire Saftey game set up for the kids to practice crawling under the smoke if they are ever in a real fire.

My Son practicing crawling under smoke

We had a really good time, they learned lots of great information and were able to ask questions that 3,4 & 5 year olds want to know. If your child's school doesn't offer an opportunity to get up close and personal with the Fire Station and Trucks, you should call your local Fire Station. Most allow citizens to bring their children in for a tour of the Fire Dept. and to see the Trucks.

Kids next to one of the Fire Trucks

Since they were learning about Fire Saftey at school this week, we decided it was a good time to go over the Saftey rules for our house as well. We taught the kids how to STOP DROP & ROLL.

Cole helping Malorie roll.

We also went over an evacuation route for each child. This is something I strongly recomend you go over with your children at least twice a year to help them remember what to do in case there is a fire or some other emergency that requires them getting out of the house.

Here are some other suggestions I have for keeping your family safe in case of fire.

Replace batteries in your smoke detectors every 6 months.

(Daylight saving days are great days to do this)

Never put cords under carpet or furniture
Check electrical cords for cuts or breaks
Keep lighters and matches out of reach of children.
Always remember to turn off your stove, oven, and other cooking sources.
Keep flamable material away from fire places and heating ducts
Store Fire Extinguishers in kitchen and other areas that have higher fire potentials
Teach older children how to operate Fire Extinguishers
Plan and practice an emergency escape route reguarly
Teach children the importance of STOP DROP & ROLL
Teach children the ways to put out different types of fire

wood, cloth, and/or paper - water or class A fire extinguisher
grease - cover pan with lid, douse with baking soda or use class B fire extinguisher
electrical charge - use class C fire extinguisher

We are quickly coming to the Christmas season in which there tends to be a higher number of accidental fires. Be sure to check your tree and outdoor lights for any breaks in the cord and run them in safe areas of the yard and house. Also if you use a live tree make sure to check the water level daily. Water needs to be above the cut base of the tree at all times.

A few tips on picking a live tree

The fresher the better - it is best to go somewhere that your tree is still growing until purchase.
If you only have pre-cut trees available in your area make sure to pick a healthy tree
The limbs should be very flexible and the trunk should be sticky from sap being released
Pull on the needles, if they come off easily this tree is old and you should keep looking
If lots of needles come off from minimal handling of the tree choose another one
When you get your tree home cut off the bottom 2 inches of trunk, just like flowers they need a fresh open cut to be able to suck up water

PAINTING

2012-10-08T10:54:00.003-05:00

Recently I've been interested in updating some of my bathroom decorations. So even though it's been years since I last painted I decided to try to paint a picture myself to hang in the bathroom. I have never been an amazing artist but I figured "what would it hurt to try". I'm pretty pleased with my results considering it's been so long since I have really tried my hand at drawing or painting.

This is the final result. I was considering putting some writing in the spaces but once I was done with the leaves I didn't feel there was enough extra room.

Below are my how to steps.

I used an old piece of siding, I liked the old weathered look it had already so did nothing to it besides dust off. You can use any piece of wood or a canvas if you prefer.

I then used a size 5 round tip brush to make my tree trunk. When painting a tree keep in mind that not all trees are straight so use your imagination while working.

I then made some large branches coming off my tree trunks. Still using the same brush.

Then I did some smaller branches coming off the larger ones. Also using the size 5 round tip brush.

Note: I tried to keep the shape of a Y in mind as I worked on each section of my trees. You don't have to have both sides of the Y every time, and it doesn't need to be perfect but I found it helped.

You will now need a smaller brush to make even smaller twig branches coming off the existing branches.

I used a size 1 round tip.

If you like you can now be done with your painting. I personally thought it looked really neat with the bare branches but decided that I wanted to add some color.

I decided to add my leaves using a sponge. I like the wispy look of it and didn't think I would be able to acomplish this with a brush. I used Crafter's Acrylic paint, I choose to use primary colors

(Red, Blue, Yellow) and blend them to make my own color scheme.

I then brushed a small amount onto a corner of my sponge and lightly patted it on my board.

I used mulitple colors on each tree to add a little more character.

You can use any color you would like for you leaves. I choose to go with a variation of color and tried to stick with pretty natrual colors that you will see during the fall.

Once done all that is left is to find a disired spot and hang. I am just going to hang with some nails through the wood, instead of adding hanging brackets.

I hope you find this project helpful in your future DIY Home Decorating projects.

Orange Strawberry Smoothie

2012-09-30T20:30:00.002-05:00

Kids asking for a milkshake? Here's an alternative that is not only healthier but tastes amazing.

My personal recipe for an Orange Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 cup        Sliced Frozen Strawberries
                       1/2 cup     2% Milk
                       1/2 tsp      Pure Vanilla Extract
                       1/4 cup     Sugar
                       Orange Sherbet

Combine Strawberries, Milk, Vanilla, and Sugar in blender. Fill remainder of blender with Orange Sherbet. Blend thoroughly. Makes about 3 cups

End result = Happy Kids

Twig Wall Art / Jewlery Display

2012-09-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

As anyone that knows me is aware I have a bit of an obession with Trees. My favorite is the Willow but I love trees of any variety. From the way they bloom in the spring, the fullness of leaves and flowers in summer, the colorfulness of fall and even the bare branches of winter. Because of this love I decided to make a display piece out of twigs. This piece can be used as wall art or for organizing and displaying jewlery. It could also be put into a base and set upon a shelf or dresser. Hope you enjoy the new piece.

Here is the completed piece as wall art. Place in the middle of exsiting pictures to add character.

Start by collecting twigs. Make sure that they are not too thin, the thinner they are the harder it is to prevent breakage.

Remove the bark using a utility knife or razor blade.
Note: I used a utitlity knife for the stalk and a razor blade for tight spaces.
Removing bark is optional, but keeps jewlery clean from debris.

Once bark is removed, Sand to remove sharp edges and smooth.

Paint or Stain individual pieces. I chose to use a clear spray paint.

Next use wire to connect the twigs to eachother. I also put a dab of glue between the wire and twig for extra hold.

You can use crafting wire, but I chose to take wire from an old decorative piece that I no longer use.

I just removed pieces with enough length and that I thought would go with my piece.

Then I removed leaves from the wires so I would just have the base wire.

This is the piece with all the twigs connected. Allow plenty of dry time for your glue to set.

I then added some leafy pieces from my old decoration to add a little flavor.
You may add any type of extra decoration to the piece, or keep it basic without extras.

Here is the piece with jewelry. You can place necklaces, braclets, watches, rings & earrings on it.

To hang the piece I used a wall hook and fishing line. I just tied a short length of fishing line to the piece behind one of my leafy decoritive spots, then I tied the other end to the wall hook.

Adjust the length so that the piece will hang close to the wall or angle away from the wall a bit.

This piece was fun but it was fairly time comsuming. The longest part is striping the bark. I spent a week working on it, but the time I spent was spaced out to include time for regular household chores, family time, and other projects. In all I spent around 1 to 2 hours a day working on it.

Potty Training

2012-09-18T09:32:00.001-05:00

Cole my 2 year old son has been showing some signs of being ready to start the potty training process. Cole being my 3rd child I realize that this can be a very lengthy process.

Some people claim to have the perfect system to have your child potty trained within a matter of days. I for one think this is belloni. From what I've read and heard of these systems it is more the parent that has been trained to take the child to the restroom at prescribed times. Although this may be effective on some levels it is simply not going to work all the time. Image a long commute to Grandma's house or some other destination. There simply isn't always a way to make sure there's an available restroom. I have learned it takes time, paitence, and motivation on the part of your child to be successful in potty training.

Here are a few of my thoughts, insights, and tips on Potty Training your child.

Older children are easier to potty train, since they are able to communicate thier need, also their bodies have become more developed and are able to hold it longer.
Children that stay dry through the night are better canidates for potty training.
Don't push your child. Incourage your child but don't get upset if they have an acident (even if it is on your freshly cleaned floor)
Avoid soiled clothes, furniture, and floors by using one of the many products on the market disigned for potty taining. Such as pull-ups (off brands work great too), training underwear (these will have leaks and are less than convenient if your child goes #2), or you can continue to use diapers (you get more for your money).
You can start potty training at any age, but expect it to take time no matter what age your child is.
Use a potty training seat. Different children prefer different potty training toilets. There is a variety to choose from these include seats that hook onto a regular sized toilet, and stools that you have to clean. Some children prefer to use the big toilet like everyone else.
Take your child to the restroom with you. For some this may be odd at first but children learn from example. If they see you do it they are more likely to want follow suit.
Never forget to make a big deal out of it. They become more encouraged and excited about the transition that way. You can even praise yourself for going when your child is with you, it helps your child to realize it is a good thing, and want to do the same.
It's ok to train your boys to sit down. This helps prevent a wet floor and seat, also eliminates something else they have to remember (lifting the seat can be hard for boys of all ages).

The list can go on and on but really all you need is to listen to your child and encourage him/her.

As I said we are now working on potty training Cole. He turned 2 the end of July so is still on the young side of potty training. My oldest son didn't show much interest in potty training until he was months away from 3 but once he started it was a very smooth and easy progression. My daughter was over 3 when she was completely potty trained. She showed some interest but it wasn't until after the baby was born that she decided to use the toilet all the time.

With all of my children they showed an interest in using the toilet before they ever actually did. That has meant lots of trips to the toilet without any result, but I've just considered it a step in the right direction. Today was the first day Cole successfully used the toilet. I expect it to be a long road to completion but I'm excited that he is ready to start this journey.

Here's a picture of my little big boy.

"Man Cave' Sign

2012-09-17T11:13:00.002-05:00

So today I made a sign for Jeremy to hang outside his "Man Cave". I haven't given it to him so I'm very excited for him to see it when he gets home. I'm sure he's gonna love it. I'll show you the finished product then how I made it.

I used an old weathered board, various empty beer cans, twine, paint and stapes.

I started by writing what I wanted to say in pencil, then used Acrylic paints and painted the words.

Then I traced the words with a flat brush to highlight each letter for better visibility.

Once I was done I coated with a clear spray paint to protect against weathering.

I then stapled twine on the bottom edge of my board.

I also stapled a piece of twine on the back at the top for hanging.

After this I tied a can to the end of each string.

Presto. Fun and Easy sign. Just use soda cans and change the words for non-drinkers.

New Addition

2012-09-14T12:55:00.001-05:00

Today I added a new page called Spiritual Growth. I want to use that page to share the things going on in my life in relation to my walk with Christ. I hope you enjoy. I plan on adding more pages so that I can keep things more specific per page. Being a new blogger I'm still in the learning process of how to make my page flow and have the best potential. I'd love any feed back and advice any of you blogger veterans can offer. Thanks to all of my followers that are helping support and spread my blog to others. I really am hoping to share information, advice, help and quality resources in all the topics of my blog.

Chili kinda day

2012-09-13T17:03:00.002-05:00

Looks like the seasons are a changin'. Personally I Love Fall. I love the crispness of the air, the colors of the trees, hayrack rides, hot coco, warm soups, and all the festivites. Today along with the chill it has been rainy. That being said it's been an indoor kind of day. It's not quite time for the heat to be turned on but I think this will be a great day to use the fireplace for the first time this year. Also thinking chili is a great idea for dinner.

Being a stay at home mother of 3 I've spent my day cleaning up the aftermath of my children's adventures and in my spare time cuddled up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a good book. At the moment I'm reading BLOOD LINE by James Rollins. Picked it up from the library on Monday and looks like I'll be finished with it by the time bed calls this evening. I've also been considering some new projects to work on for this chaning of season. I'll be posting the progress of these projects later as they come along.

I got this picture from one of my facebook friends Modern Pioneer. Great pic.