Our Way to Learn

Wha? Why I Suck at Blogging.

2013-08-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

1 year. Almost to the date is how long it has been since I have posted. I really don't know how some mom's do it balancing home, homeschool, and blogging. Sometimes I forget to shower. (yeah you might not want to get too close, good thing you are just on the other side of a screen).

When I started this blog I wanted it to be something that would take the homeschooling world by storm. Now I realize I just don't have the time or desire to be that blog. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they exist to share ideas with people just like me, I just don't have the ability to multi task like I did in the good ole days.

So now I intend more to make this blog about us and what we do to document a full school year. (you know, in case Harvard or Yale want to make sure we actually went to school one day!)

As a year has passed - a lot has changed!

Big E is now almost 6 and we started first grade last week. She is loving to read and continues to boss her little sisters around daily.

Little E just turned 3 and keeps me on my toes like nobody's business! Her hearing has greatly improved but we still struggle with her ADHD and sensory issues on a daily basis.

Baby E is now 14 months old, walking, babbling, man has she got a personality on her! At about 6 months it was like magic and her vision just turned on. Something we were told could happen but we didn't want to have false hope. Now if only we could get her sleeping through the night!!

I hope to post some fun things we do over the next weeks and if you care to follow you are welcome. We are just a laid back homeschooling family, happy to have you stop by!

I Can Do This.

2012-08-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

After a LONG time away I am finally feeling well enough to get back to the school room. It has been a really tough year for me emotionally and physically and I would like to share how I have been feeling. Tired and defeated mostly. Ever since finding out we were pregnant with baby #3 last summer it seemed as if everything in life was in a fast downward spiral. I knew I would have to be on bed rest because of my pregnancy so that I was prepared for. But then my husband lost his job. And we lost our house (not because of finances but we were renting and the owners sold). It was a good time I suppose to be able to lean on our families. We found out our 2 yr old has something called sensory perception disorder on top of her hearing and language difficulties. It was a long year.

Little E now 2!

Around the time baby #3 was born things were starting to look up. Baby E was born in April and we had just bought a new house. My husband had been back to work for a few months and finances were much better. But I was struggling with a major case of baby blues. It was difficult doing anything. Then we found out our baby was also going to be facing a life with disabilities being legally blind. She was diagnosed with CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) and it sent a whole new whirl wind of worries and stresses my way.

Big E (5) and Baby E (3 months)

I started to wonder if I was even going to be able to handle homeschooling. My oldest is 5 this fall and I have had her curriculum ready for this next year for a while. But I began to worry that I would not be capable of teaching her while trying to sort out the day to day goings on of 2 other children with disabilities. Would she get left behind, forgotten? And how will I be able to homeschool the other two when the time came?

After a summer of feeling sorry for myself and my family I knelt down in earnest prayer and asked my Heavenly Father what he would have me do. Would he give me the strength and patience to complete this task I was undertaking? I was met with a resounding YES! The truth is, no one is more equip to teach and nurture my children than I am. At least that is, as long as I am in the right state of mind. I am sure that there will be many trial ahead but I am also sure that there will be many triumphs as well. I love my children more than anything in the world and remembering that love has given me the strength and belief in myself I had seemed to have lost.

My Reasons for Living :)

I apologize to any readers who had been left in the dark by our absence. I am sure all of your lives went on as normal with out our Internet presence. But I just want other moms (and dads!) to know that everyone struggles with their choice for schooling. It is never easy whatever your circumstances are and I want people to know that they are not alone in their fight. This post was not meant for anyone to feel sorry for me, I did enough of that for myself. But I am here, ready to love and teach and I hope you will continue to join me on that journey.

With Much Love and Hope,
Mama Fuller

Growing Garden

2012-05-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

We moved into a new house at the beginning of April and one of our goals was to have a garden. In the past I have not had much luck with gardening. In fact, you could even say I have a black thumb. My grandmother used to have the most beautiful plants, it was like an art to her. So we started by sewing some seeds the first week of April and lucky for us, it has been raining like we live in Seattle! Usually this time of year we have already been put on city water restrictions! Needless to say, our little garden has grown into something beautiful! I love that I can share with the girls the importance of self reliance and how it can affect our lives for the better.

Our pepper plants are starting to grow

Our watermellon, none so far :(

Little E with our first zucchini

Big E with the zucchini

First we made sure our raised box was tilled and ready for plants!

The beginnings of our cucumbers!

Our HUGE Serrano pepper plant!

We have TONS of zucchini

Our first little Thai chili!

Its amazing what some rain can do!

Oven Baked Naan Bread

2012-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of being forced to stay off my feet and out of the kitchen with recovery from surgery, I was so happy to be able to get back in the kitchen. Big E and Little E joined me today and we made some naan for our curry dinner.

The hazards of baking with a baby in your arms. Floured toes!!

If I have one weakness, it is bread (or maybe cake). I love it in all shapes and forms and it loves to shape and form me! We have a love/hate/eat kinda relationship.

Ingredients:
(As adapted from Fine Cooking)

2 cups lukewarm water
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup milk
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Fennel seeds, black onion seeds, and ground pepper for seasoning.

To make the dough: Put 1/2 cup of the water in a cup or glass and stir in the yeast. Heat the milk in a small saucepan to lukewarm, about 100°F. Pour the milk and remaining 1-1/2 cups water into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture. Stir in about 2 cups of flour, stirring always in the same direction, until smooth. Stir in the salt and continue stirring in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir but is still soft. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Wash, dry, and lightly oil the bowl. Knead the dough until it's smooth, 4 to 5 minutes, incorporating only enough flour (by keeping the work surface dusted) to prevent the dough from sticking; the dough should be quite soft and not tight.
Put the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rise in a cool place for 8 hours or overnight. If you're not ready to bake yet, punch down the dough, put it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
To shape and bake: About 1-1/4 hours before you want to serve the breads, set an oven rack to an upper-middle rung. Put a large baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles on the rack, leaving a 1-inch gap around the border. Heat the oven to 500°F.

Pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half, putting half of it back in the bowl (covered) while you work with the other half.
Cut the dough half into five equal pieces. Shape each one into a ball by rolling the dough on the counter or by using both hands to turn it, round it, and smooth it. Put the balls to the side or back of the counter (flour the surface), and brush each with melted butter. Cover with plastic and let rest for 20 minutes. During the last few minutes of resting, prepare the remaining dough the same way.
Dust a rimless baking sheet or peel lightly with cornmeal or flour. Put one risen ball of dough on the floured work surface and push it out with your fingertips to a 6- or 7-inch round; don't turn it over. Set it aside; repeat with a second risen ball. Bake the breads until their rippled tops have light golden spots and the bottoms are golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove them with a peel or long-handled spatula, transfer to a rack to cool for about 5 minutes, and brush with more melted butter, if you like. Wrap them in a cotton cloth to keep them soft and warm. Repeat the shaping and baking process with the remaining 8 balls of dough.

And then there were 5......

2012-05-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have notice I have been absent from the blog world for about 6 months. After being on bed rest for most of my pregnancy, in March I had to go to the hospital in preterm labor and was put on strict bed rest. I was in and out of the hospital the whole time but I am happy to say we were able to keep our newest little missy in until 36 weeks! Eisley Aurora was born April 20 and we are so happy to have her home! Unlike my other two daughters, she didnt have to spend any time in the NICU and I got to room in with her the whole time we were in the hospital. Mama and baby are both doing fine and our family is slowly adjusting to being a family of 6! I am looking forward to getting back in the classroom and getting back in touch with the blog world! Thank to all of you who sent kind words asking how we were all doing, I am glad to know I have made some great blog friends over the last year! And of course, here are some photos of the baby for your enjoyment because, who doesn't love a cute little preemie newborn! :)

A little Update

2011-12-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I miss talking to you all and blogging so much! I feel like I have so many ideas running around in my head and no outlet! I have been keeping a journal by my bedside to jot down all of my ideas. Erin and Elleri have been enjoying meeting new friends at their daycare and seem to really enjoy the constant buzz of having so many other children around them. Seeing them grow socially around their peers has led me to seek out some more homeschool groups in town for socialization. There aren't tons but there are some - perhaps I will need to start a good group this next fall. I can't wait to have them back at home so we can all learn together again!

I have started a new part time job as a Disney Destinations Travel Specialist. It is so fun because it is something that I am passionate about and I can do from home on my current limited mobility and I can continue once we can start school back up! So (shameless plug for my new business!) if you or anyone you know is thinking of planning a Disney vacation this next year have them contact me - jessica@travelwiththemagic.com - my services are FREE and I can help get you a great deal and plan your itinerary!

Of course, what I am sure most people would like an update on I am sure is how our new baby is growing! My pregnancy has been fairly bump free so far(except for the one growing larger on my belly!). I have been on blood thinners to help prevent blood clots since I have had them before and am at high risk. Been told to keep most of my normal daily activities to a minimum (heavy cleaning, being on my feet too much, picking up the kids, ect). I am now 22 weeks and a couple weeks ago I started on progesterone shots to hopefully help keep this baby in and baking a bit longer! We are getting close to the time frame where I have gone into labor with my 2 girls (between 26-28 weeks) so we are of course getting nervous and trying to do all we can to stay stress free. We had our ultrasound a few weeks ago and everything is looking fabulous with baby. We found out we are expecting another GIRL!!! We are so excited! Now just to think of a name!

I just wanted to thank everyone who has sent kind words and been keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I will try to give another update in the coming weeks. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and your new year is filled with many joyous blessings!

Saying Goodbye for Now

2011-10-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

After a little over a month of complete chaos around my home and in my life I will be saying goodbye to this blog, at least for now. We found out in August that we are expecting baby number 3 in the spring. I have been super sick complete with trips to the ER. A few weeks ago I had some cramping and bleeding and was asked about my lifestyle. Well, I homeschool, I own my own business, and I work 3 graveyard shifts a week at a vet hospital(which means I don't sleep for 36 hours on a regular basis). My husband is not home a lot due to his job so the majority of the housework and child rearing are left to me. In a nutshell, my life is high stress and this is a problem. Since I am already a high risk pregnancy and both my girls were premature I have been told to all but be a vegetable for the next 5 months. My girls will either have to be put into public school and daycare or we will have to hire a nanny. This makes my heart very, very, sad. Not because I have no faith in the public school system (though honestly I can't say I have TON) but because I have so much cherished the time that I have gotten to spend with them watching them grow and learn. Hopefully, this won't mean the end of my goal to homeschool, but a brief pause in my attempts. In a good light, I have decided to use my now seemingly ridiculous amount of free time to start a different blog that will focus on another aspect of my life. Or perhaps I should say my desired life. My Dr wants me to focus on me and making/keeping my self healthy and sane. I need a slower pace of life. Its funny, because that is honestly what I have always wanted. I think I am going to look into my dreams of opening a Homestead Inn and Spa and finding a way to just simplify life. If you are interested in following my new pursuits (I admit, I am not 100% sure what they will be yet, but it will be an adventure to be sure!) I would love to have you join me over at www.longingforasimplerlife.wordpress.com I wish you all the best and thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to inspire me everyday to remain such a hands on part of my children's life.

Warmest Wishes,
Jessica Fuller

Nook Color Giveaway

2011-09-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Do you love reading? Well, what better way to read than IN COLOR! I have joined up with the fabulous bloggers listed below to bring you this amazing change to win a NOOK COLOR!
The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug

Arms of a Sister

Prowling Books in the Lair

A Hen's Nest

Tethered Mommy

Books R Us

Misadventures with Andi

Tales From the Nursery

Nugglemama's Handful

Someday I'll Learn

Keenly Kristen

Rebel Chick's Journey

Simple Savings for ATLanta Moms

Mummy Deals

So, how do you win this fabulous prize? Simple! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below! You MUST complete the mandatory entry of liking all the blogs facebook pages! After that, there are lots of additional entry options! REMEMBER, the more entries you do, the better your chances of winning!

Are you imagining yourself sitting out on the porch reading your favorite author in COLOR yet? Sure you are! So go ahead, get your entries in and the winner just might be you!

GIVEAWAY ENDS ON OCTOBER 5TH AT 11:59 PM!

Gymnastics!

2011-09-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

Erin had her first gymnastics class yesterday and she LOVED it! She met a lot of new friends in her class and I think the atmosphere was much more to her liking than the failed ballet lessons last year. She has 2 hour long classes each week so hopefully she can get some energy out. It has been so tough with the extreme heat here this summer to get out and do much of anything! I am REALLY looking forward to putting Elleri in the 18 month Mommy and Me class in a few months. That girl could def use an energy release!

Help Promote Literacy (and win an IPad 2!)

2011-09-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

I love Apple and am giving away an iPad 2 (again) and you can win it!
AND I'm promoting literacy among children at the same time!

This giveaway is so fabulous and extrememly important. Why?

Because each blogger that is participating in this giveaway is donating a book to either a school, library, or youth organization.

Flightless Goose by Eric D. Goodman and Red Rain by Tim Wendel are two fantastic books that are appropriate for elementary and high school aged students respectively. I was so excited that so many bloggers wanted to be a part of this idea. Over 30 bloggers are participating in this event! Their fabulous blogs are listed below.

AND one lucky person will win an Apple iPad 2! What do you have to do to get that? Well, it’s simple and easy to do. Below is our Rafflecopter entry form. In bold are the mandatory entries you have to complete in order to enter this giveaway. There are thirty-three (it's really not that many). You just go down the list and 'like' each Facebook page. You must like the facebook pages with your PERSONAL profile in order for your entry to be counted. You will click on “Click Here” and it will reveal a link. You must do them all to have officially entered the giveaway. You will earn 33 entries. It’s so easy (and fast). Below the mandatory 33, there are additional actions that you may do to earn extra entries (like bonuses). Some you can do everyday until the giveaway is over. Who doesn’t like extra credit? There is no need to re-enter on each blog. If you enter on one blog it will register on the other 32 blogs participating in this giveaway. You MUST be 18+ to enter. The contest begins at 12:01 a.m. EST, September 12, 2011, and the contest is over 11:59 p.m. EST, September 28, 2011. So, you got it? Sure? If you have any questions, you can leave us a reply and we will follow up. So, ON YOUR MARK…GET READY…GET SET…GO!

Rafflecopter Code:

The Fires in Central Texas

2011-09-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have heard or seen, we have had some horrible brush fires in these parts of Texas the last couple of weeks. Many people have lost their homes and precious forests were destroyed. We were lucky, we had a fire within 5 miles of our home and although there was a lot of smoke and ash, the fire was put out before it reached our neighbourhood. However, it did knock out our internet for quite a while and although we had it up breifly early this week is has been touch and go since then! So my appologies to everyone for not being very in touch! We have some great giveaways coming up in the next few weeks so be looking for those. I know I have a pile of emails to get through so please be patient with me! Thanks to anyone who sent prayers to all of us in Texas!

Little Passports - Brazil!

2011-08-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

This week we got our second letter from Sophia and Sam and learned all about their time in Brazil! They traveled into the Amazon Rainforest and met a red uakari monkey named Danilo and sent Erin a neat "amethyst" from a mine nearby! Erin was so excited to get her mail with her little souviner in it. She loves finding all the places on the map that Sam and Sophia have visited. To go along with our fun package we decided to theme our studies this week around Brazil. Stay tuned for some fun recipes and craft projects! And if you would like to find out more about getting your kids in on the travel journey, check out Little Passports!

Erin points to Brazil on the map and holds her amethyst! (She has been sleeping with it under her pillow)

Putting her "Brazil" sticker on her suitcase

Completing the included worksheet

First Day Breakfast!

2011-08-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to start our OFFICIAL first day of homeschooling today! Erin was so excited that I couldn't get her to go to bed last night. Haha, I don't remember EVER being that excited about going to school! I woke Erin up at 6:30 this morning to help me make breakfast, she loves to cook so I thought we would start off the day doing something fun!

Ingredients

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
3/4 cup raisins
1 extra-large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk or water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add to the flour/butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Combine the raisins and 1 tablespoon flour and then add to the dough and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a circle to 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick. You will see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into triangles with a butter knife. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the outsides are crisp and the insides are done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Folding in the butter

Mixing in the egg and cream.

Squish squish squish!

Ready for the oven!

It's always fun getting messy!!

She had so much fun for it being SO early in the morning! Now her tummy is full and ready for a morning of learning! This week our unit study will be all about Brazil!

Elleri enjoyed the scones too!!

Out of the Box Sampler Review and Giveaway

2011-08-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I have been fortunate enough to happen upon a rare gem! As may of you may know I have my own handmade soy candle company here in the hill country of Texas. I love to be crafty and make new stuff and I love to see what kinds of things other people around the US are making. If you are like me, you love to support these small little mom made companies but it can sometimes be hard to buy something online when you have no idea what you will really be getting, especially if it is something you need to smell or taste to know if you will like it! That is why I love this sampler box so much! Artisans from around the US send in samples of their products every month to Michelle over at Out of the Box Sampler and she sorts them into perfect little treasure chests that come straight to your door! Yippie!! Every month has it's own theme and the month of August was the Beach Party! I ordered the Bodaciously Bigger Box this month that came with 37 samples from handmade businesses including candles, bath and body, paper crafts, make-up, and tasty food items! There was even a yummy looking hot dog treat for Lucky! (she gave it two paws up!) This is the largest size sampler and costs a little over $40 including shipping and is delivered right to your door. There are two other sizes available, the regular box (includes approx. 17 samples for about $20 including shipping) and the mini box (includes approx. 10 samples for about $10 including shipping). Check out all the goodies I got in the August Beach Party Box!

The cute little summery box arrived complete with whale charm!

Not even, joking, it was a good thing I snapped another photo of this candy cause Erin snatched it and ate in within about 5 mins of the box arriving. I guess it was good, unfortunately, I couldn't tell you!! :)

This darling little hot dog treat from Dog City Bakery was a big hit with Lucky! I'm not even sure she chewed!

Love these little paper gifts and stationary

Such an ingenious idea - chalkboard Labels from KZ Embroidery and Gifts!

A ton of great samples of handmade candles/tarts and they all smelled so yummy like the beach! Artists featured here are, Money Penny Soysations, Fuller's Country Store, Candle Confectionery, Angela's Candles, Candle Cafe, The Melt Shoppe, Ugly Duckling Designs (which is that adorable little flip flop tart!) and Pieces of Pisces (which upon later inspection I realized was actually cute little soaps and not tarts!)


Pictured here are some of the fantastic smelling bath and body products that arrived in the box. Since taking this picture I have been trying them out and so far they are all so fabulous! Erin loved the little pirate soap from Brieabella's Black Cat Creation's and I really loved the 2 mini soaps from Tuesday's Wash Day. The roll on perfume from The Soap Chick was lovely until my best friend stole it, haven't seen it since! Can't wait to try some of the other great things from Safari Soapa, Shearwater Falls, Nature's Apothocary, Soaps and Favors, Mattify Cosmetics, Essencia Body, and Healthy Options of Days Gone By.

Here is a picture of some of the edible items (oh yeah, that's right...) I was fortunate enough to snap just before Erin ran off with them all. I did get to try the shortbread cookies from Nona Vincenza's and they were to die for! Apparently all the goodies from Chocolate Star Shop (GIANT cookie!), Apple Barrel Designs. The Cookie Chic, Zibbit's, and Candied Flamingo!


And last but not least, the jewelry!! Yes, full sized jewelry samples (if you can call them that) delivered in your box of goodies! Cupcake Ring from Forgotten Fortune, Bracelet made by Gigi's Treasures, Earrings by Spectrum, Bow by My gifted Chaos, Charm by One of a Kind.

I am loving all these great things (and so are my family and friends!). I can't believe so much awesome handmade stuff all comes in one fun box!! The best news of all?? One lucky reader will win a Bodaciously Bigger Box of their own! The September box's theme is Think Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month and a portion of the proceeds will be donated towards helping find a cure!

So, stop being jealous of all my goodies and enter the giveaway!! Contest runs trough Sept 5th and is open to all US residents! Have fun!

This is NOT fun!

2011-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you have noticed us being a little MIA recently. Well, in getting all prepared for our new year of school I guess I have been a little distracted in making lesson plans and getting all our needed supplies together. That coupled with trying to start stocking up inventory for my business which I know will get busy come holiday time. I have been neglecting fun. Fun with myself but more importantly, fun with my kids!! I have found myself giving Erin coloring books and setting her and Elleri at the table to keep them "distracted" while I get ready for the upcoming weeks of class. I keep telling Erin, "Oh look wht Mommy is putting in this box for you to do 3 weeks from now, it will be so FUN!" And she gets all excited and then I put it all away. Well, last week she looked at me while sitting in front of the TV and said, "Mommy, this is NOT fun. I want to play with you". Then I realized what a poor Mommy and teacher I have been being! I have been so consumed with making sure that I get everything right for our first "real" school year that I have been neglecting the things that should be most important. Spending time with my kids and just having fun! So that is what we have been doing. No lessons, no making anyone sit at a table bored. Just whatever fun thing pops into our mind - we do it!! Since we homeschool year round, it is nice to just get a fun break now and then. And it helps to rebuild that trust and bond between the girls and me as well. What have you done lately that is just plain fun??

Ruffle Child's Apron

2011-08-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Erin finally outgrew the apron I made for her when she was 2 so it was time to sew up a new one! She of course wanted something girly and pink! I let her pick out the fabric for this apron. If you are curious about measurments, she is almost 4 and is 38inches tall. I made it a bit big for her so that she can grow with it!!

You will need the following fabric:

(1) 14" x 17" piece of fabric for the back of the apron- Piece A
(5) 5" x 24" pieces of fabric for the ruffles- Piece B
(2) 24" pieces of ribbon for the apron strings- Piece C
(1) 5" x 17" piece of fabric for the band- Piece D

Directions:

Make a 1/4" hem by folding under 1/4" of the fabric and then folding over again, enclosing all raw edges of piece "A", iron under 1/4" on all sides and stitch.

"B" Pieces- Hem the same way on the two short sides and one long side, leaving one 24" side unsewn. Repeat with all 4 pieces.

Working on the right side of the fabric, using long machine stitches, stitch along the unsewn side at 1/4" and again 1/8" in seam allowance. Pull threads to adjust gathers. Starting on the bottom, pin the top edge of the ruffle to the wrong side of the fabric on piece "A" at about 1" up from the bottom. Adjust gathers to fit across and pin piece down on opposite side. Stitch over the gathers to keep in place.

Sew the next ruffle ("B") to piece "A" about 3" above the top of the previously sewn ruffle, making sure the top ruffles overlaps the bottom ruffle by about an inch. Repeat with remaining ruffles.

Once the ruffles are sewn on, you should have about 1 1/2" of piece "A" left at the top. Place pieces "C" on both ends of the top of the remaining fabric of "A". Secure in place with pins. Stitch in place just above the top edge of the highest "B" piece.

Next, take piece "D" and sew a 1/4" hem around all sides. Then take piece "D" and place it over the top of piece "A" making sure it is covering over the ribbon strings "C". Sew into place along sides and bottom securing to apron.

Wa-lah!! I hope this makes sense! I am not the best seamstress and so I hope everything comes across clearly. If not, just ask! haha. :)

Noodle Names

2011-08-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Since learning how to spell and write her name, Erin has been wanting to write her name everywhere!! (And I mean everywhere, you really gotta watch this kid or your bills, walls, and even clothing will soon bare her name.) Erin also loves art so we decided to have a nice, quiet afternoon noodle name art activity inside the nice, cool, air conditioned house (will the temp EVER go under 100?? Not thinking anytime soon!). I was pretty impressed that she was able to do this whole art activity all on her own. She got out the bowl, filled it with the noodles, and wrote the letter, glued the letter, and stuck all the noodles on all by her lonesome! I guess she will be 4 in a few months so perhaps I should be giving her credit where credit is due! Once she made all the letters and they dried we hung them by some string over her bed. To which she then announced "See this is MY room, MY name is on it. Which means ALL these toys are MINE - Elleri will have to get her own". Little stinker. Guess who's putting up Elleri's name in there tomorrow?? This mom!!

Whimsical Wednesday (3)

2011-08-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

Erin is obsessed with karate. And not so much in a wanting to take the classes and learn the ancient art as in a classic 80's teen movie kinda way. She runs around the house saying "hi-ya!!" to just about anyone, and anything. Daddy seems to feed the fuel (as most Daddy's do) chasing her around the house, the stores, wherever we may be at the time. Which is fine until they knock over the shop displays and everyone is looking at me like "why do you let your kids run a muck like that" HEY!!! It's him not me!!! I want to shout!

The other day while out on one of our shops Erin came across these sparkle headbands and was just going to die if she didn't have them. I thought, oh goodie, she is finally wanting to be girly! Little did I know that this is what she intended to do with them.....

"Hi-YAA!"

I did however finally get her to wear it correctly (with a dress no less!) when I told her we were going to go have lunch with Grandma!! Count the little blessings :)

Back to School $175 VISA Gift Card Giveaway!

2011-08-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard me right! We all know between supplies, clothes, and other misc materials, back to school can be an expensive time of the year! Whether you homeschool like us and have to plan for next years curriculum or have an extensive list that the school has provided - we want to help! That's why I have teamed up with some other great bloggers to bring one of our lucky readers a $175 VISA gift card!

Our Fabulous Team of Bloggers!!

All you have to do is answer one simple question to enter! READY? SET? GO!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

Spiced Walnuts

2011-08-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it is not quite the holidays yet, but why wait till Fall to begin to indulge in all of it's tasty splendor??? This is a family favorite that we enjoy every year. We make them with all variety of nuts, I just happened to have walnuts laying around today so that's what got made!! My favorite is to make it with cashews!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 1/2 cups walnuts (or nut of choice)

Spray a sheet tray with foil and spray with non-stick spray.

Add vanilla sugar, water, cinnamon, and allspice to a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. The mixture will start looking dark and thick.

Quickly stir in the walnuts to the simmering syrup. Cook in the syrup while stirring until it begins to bubble and thicken. Spread the candy in a single layer to the prepared sheet tray- breaking up large clusters with a wooden spoon. Let cool completely, about 5-10 minutes until the candied harden and the syrup dries. Break apart and enjoy.

IPad2 Winner

2011-08-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce the winner of the IPad2 Giveaway is Becky Barton! You can find her blog here http://thebartonlife-est1995.blogspot.com/

Congrats to Becky! Don't forget we still have the PicPocket Books, Kindle, and starting Monday, the $175 Visa Gift Card Giveaway! Stay tuned for more!

365 Day 15 - Best Friend

2011-08-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have 2 best friends that I have had since childhood and I didn't want to have to choose between them! So I am choosing this picture of my dog Lucky and her best friend Karma. Karma passed away from a tragic accident at the young age of 2 just a couple months ago. She ate some sago palms and in case you have pets and don't know - THEY ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC!!!!! Most dogs don't bounce back from ingesting even the smallest amount. Lucky thoroughly enjoyed her time with Karma and I can tell she misses her play and snuggle time greatly. I am grateful that they were able to share the time they did and bring happiness to those around them with their love. RIP pretty Karma girl. See you at Rainbow Bridge!!

Attitude of Gratitude Friday Foto Follow (3)

2011-08-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time again to link up your photos of things you have been grateful for this week!! With school getting ready to start up full blast again in a few weeks the lazy days of summer will be behind us. I have been grateful to be able to enjoy just spending time with my family and watching my girls grow so much everyday. What have you been grateful for this week???

Extreme Couponing Challenege

2011-08-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have been hearing all about this extreme couponing stuff, I have to admit, I have never really tried it. My personal thought is to just plan a menu and stick to it and use what coupons I have to save a little. I would think that the extreme shopping would get tiring and you would actually end up spending more of your money that you normally would in the long run just to get some free stuff that you may or may not ever use. But still, I am intrigued. So, I thought it would be fun to have a contest over the next week to see who could save the most!! I am planning to try it out for myself and see how much I can save. Next Friday, August 12 I will host a link up and the person who saves the most will win a $25 Wal-Mart gift card!! Save your receipt and upload it to show how much you saved!! So get ready, get set, GO SHOP!!! :) :) :)

Our Big Luau Birthday Bash!!

2011-08-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

July is a crazy month for us in the Fuller house! Daddy's birthday is the 3rd, Elleri the 8th, and mine the 17th. So we figured while Elleri is still little and won't be mortified, we would have a big combined birthday party!! We had so many people show up to our little house I thought the walls would burst! It feels so nice to know we have many great family and friends who love us and support us! Here are a few shots from the day, I ended up getting a bit sidetracked in the end and didn't snap as many as I wanted. Hopefully someone else who was there will send me some!!!

Tiki Lanterns hung from the walls

Sea shell decorations on the tables

The kids drank Hawaiian Punch

Our awesome Tiki Hut cake!!

Erin was our little hostess

We had welcome leis hanging by the door


We had a big tub of bubbles out doors for the kids. Along with a splash pool and sandbox full of seashells!

Sandbox full of sea shells

Happy Birthday!! Our family blows out our candles

Another close up of the cake, it was so cool!

Into the ribbons more than the presents - of course!

Happy First Birthday to my sweet crazy haired little girl!! Can't believe she is already 1, where did the time go??