Now that we’ve done a little practicing by making a fabric bookmark, my son is ready for our next project: Sewing a T-shirt Bag. This is probably the easiest project out there. All you do is sew one long line. That’s it! And it makes such a fun and functional piece. The best part is you don’t have to sew a perfect line. Your bag is going to look great even if your stitched line is a little off, perfect for a beginner.

We found an old t-shirt we had that didn’t fit so well to practice on for our first time. But these would actually be really fun and cute to make with special t-shirts the kids have outgrown, recycling them into something new. Or you could even buy a few t-shirts for this purpose, to get the right color or wording for your bag. These bags are great for the beach or the park… summer here we come!!

Here’s how we made our t-shirt bag!

Supplies for T-shirt Bag sewing project: 

• cotton t-shirt, any size works. This just depends on the size of bag you’d like.
  (don’t mind the wrinkles :)
• scissors
• sewing machine or needle and thread

1. Start by cutting off the sleeves of the shirt. We cut right inside the seam of the arms. You’ll also want to cut off the neck line of the shirt. This makes for a larger space to hold the bag on your shoulder and to open it up and put things inside. So how much you cut it is up to you.

You can also fold your shirt in half and cut it this way to make sure your sides are even. Either way!

2. Turn your shirt inside out and match up the bottom edges of the t-shirt together. You can pin this or just watch the edges and make sure they are together as you sew. Sew these together, starting and ending with a back stitch to help the thread stay put. You simply sew a straight line.

3. Turn your shirt back out, with the front side out, and you’re done. It’s that simple!

Now your new T-shirt Bag is ready for groceries or toys, handmade by YOU! But beware: these are addicting. We now have a whole set of t-shirt bags to take everywhere!

My son has been begging me to let him sew on my sewing machine ever since he was little. There’s something about that needle and thread and the fast whizzing sound of the machine. But I’ve been hesitant to do it, thinking he’s not old enough, the “mom” in me being overly protective. Now that he’s 9 and still excited, I want to keep that eager spirit alive before he doesn’t want to craft with mom anymore. And if I can teach him and talk to him about how to do it carefully and safely, it will be a great way to be creative and have a little fun together.

I’ve come up with 3 really fun, really simple sewing projects that are perfect for him and any child you might feel is ready to start sewing on a machine. I’ll be sharing them all this week in a little Simple Sewing for Kids series. First up, we will be making a fabric bookmark, practicing our lines.

Supplies for Fabric Bookmark:

• scrap fabric, any color or style
• scissors
• sewing machine all ready to go
• ribbon (optional)

1. With your scrap fabric and scissors, cut out 2 of the same rectangle shapes. Ours were about 2 inches by 5 inches. You can have your bookmark any length you’d like.

2. If you’d like to add a ribbon tag at the top of your bookmark, this is optional, cut a 3 inch piece of ribbon. Fold the ribbon in half, place the cut ends inside the 2 fabric pieces and pin it in place. Sew a line across the top of the fabric to attach the ribbon, removing your pin as you sew.

3. Now we get to the fun part. I showed my son all the fun stitches my sewing machine can make. Of course there is the basic straight line, but there’s also all the fun zig-zags and curves on most machines too. This fabric bookmark is the perfect canvas to sew up a few different stitches.

To get started with the sewing machine, here’s a few tips for kids and some decisions to make together: 

• Make sure the chair, the table, and sewing machine are all the right size.
• Can their foot reach the pedal? Or will you be manning that part? Work out how much pressure to give the foot pedal if they are doing it. Start on some scrap fabric to help them get the feel.
• Where to begin sewing on your piece of fabric, compared to the needle’s position.
• Keeping your fingers out of the way, on the sides of the project.
• Are you going to backstitch? This project could do without as long as you make sure to stitch across the top and bottom when you’re done with your lines.

4. We are all lined up and ready to sew. Place your two fabric pieces together with right sides out. For the bookmark, sew a line down the two pieces of fabric, then stop, cut your thread, lift your foot and move your fabric back to start another line. Do this until you have as many lines as you’d like your bookmark to have. You’ll want to make from 4-10 sewing lines down the fabric.

5. To help seal in the thread of the bookmark, we sewed a line at the top of the bookmark and at the bottom of the bookmark, perpendicular to the lines. Unless you used your backstitch function on your machine, you’ll need to make these lines to help the thread from coming undone.

Now it’s done and ready for a book. You can make tons of these, getting in some good practice, and making a few fun gifts for friends in the meantime.

Our video series Kids in the Craft Room is back today talking about our favorite mess free crafting ideas. If you’re hesitant to craft with your kids because of the messes that could be made, watch today’s video for a few tips and tricks to help keep everything and everyone clean.

Kids and mess tend to follow each other. And that doesn’t stop when it comes to crafting, especially for the little ones. With all of the activities that are on the messier side, like painting, playdough, markers, glue, it’s best to be prepared for what’s to come in the project. Set up your environment ahead of time. Make sure there is a table cloth down or a cover up over the kids clothes. But don’t let the mess stop you from getting crafty.

Here’s a few things we suggest: 

What are the tips and tricks you’ve used to stay mess free while crafting? Or are you a clean freak? Are you hesitant to craft when it comes to paint or drippy glue?

Last week, my husband asked me, “What are the hardest things about being a mom?”  No, he wasn’t trying to get some action.  Nor, did he just get some.  He was asked to speak in church on Mother’s Day, and was hard at work, preparing his talk.  Reasons aside, I’ll always jump at the chance to have a heartfelt moment with the hubs, so this was fun.  “Well,” I said, “one thing that’s hard, right now, is never really feeling like I’m making progress, day to day.”  He asked me to elaborate.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my marriage, it’s that my husband loves a good comparison, something he can wrap his brilliant manly mind around.  So, since he is a finish carpenter, I threw out, “Suppose you go trim out a home, and are proud that you’ve finished the family room.  You’ve done the mantle, railing, columns, whatever, and move onto the bedroom.  You come back to the family room to grab another box of nails and see that someone has torn apart everything that you just did.  So, you drop everything, redo the family room, and never make it to the bedroom before the day is over.   Everything you had on the schedule for the next day has to be pushed aside, so you can start with the bedroom the next day.  Needless to say, you arrive at the home, and once again…everything has been torn apart in the family room.  Basically, it just feels like you’re never getting anywhere.”

That really resonated with him, saying he was sure that situation would summon up violent tendencies buried deep inside, and was impressed that I have managed to not hurt the children.  It’s always nice to be appreciated.  J  That night, he came to me, after pondering our conversation, and said something so wonderful.  He basically said, “I know that it seems like you are never making progress, and that everything you do just gets torn apart.  But, I want you to know that the ‘behind the scenes’ work that you are doing: teaching, comforting, loving, and playing with the kids…those things will never be torn apart.  Every little bit you do is progress and is making a difference to our children.  So, while the house may be getting messy, just remember that you are building a strong foundation, that’s more important than dishes, any day.”  Now, I know that, but I also think a mother can never hear that enough.  All the tasks at hand can be so overwhelming, and a random refocus is always welcome.

But, that’s not what this post is about.  Unfortunately, it’s about cleaning the house.  I know.  Sorry.  As much as we need to value our roles as mothers, the dang dishes still need to get done…and, pretty much everything else.  Luckily, housework is a perfect opportunity to multi-task…get the chores done WHILE teaching the values of work ethic, cleanliness, sacrifice, empathy, and family unity.

There are several ways that kids can be inspired to be helpers (and, hopefully you’ll even enjoy each others company!):

-  My younger girls love taking ‘energy breaks’.  Whenever I give them a chore, they like to set out a snack in the kitchen.  They run and pick up a set number of items, then run back to the kitchen to get a little bite of ‘energy’.  They run back and forth until they’re done.  It’s really simple, but they think its fun and it seems to take their mind off the daunting task.

-  All of my kids love Scrubbing Day.  Have you seen Pippi LongStockings?  You know the part where they totally soak the floor and skate around in the bubbles, singing, “Scrubbing Day is my favorite day, cause on scrubbing day, we make everything get wet….”  Oh yes, the kids LOVE when I belt this out…not.  But, really.  They all love when I pull out the buckets, toss them all a few rags, and blare the 80’s rock.  Literally, my floors are never as sparkly as they are after my kids get ahold of them.  It kicks Swiffer’s trash, royally.  Everyone will take turns scrubbing and walking/scooting the towels across the floor, to dry everything up.  P.S.  Rock music is a natural motivator. J

-  Kids love to have a taste of authority.  And, giving them that chance also saves me time.  When I have the kids do their chores, I have them inspect each other’s work.  So, little Shane will go check little Caden’s work and tell him anything he missed and when it passes his inspection, and vice versa.  It’s one less thing I have to do, and it helps them be more perceptive to the things that need to be done in the house.

-  I’ve noticed that my children get really overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning a messy room.  Probably similar to the way I feel when the entire house is a wreck.  Sometimes, it makes you want to plop down and do nothing.  I get it.  So, it really seems to help them when I break it down into sections for them.  It takes more time, but not really…because it’s either get after them for hours, or just take a few minutes to teach them and show them how to segment the task.  Sometimes, I’ll even pull out a paper, and make a check list for them…. “dolls, LEGOS, Lincoln Logs, dress-ups,” etc.  After they complete a section of the room, they check-mark the paper.  Another fun way to do it is have them pick up items of certain colors.

-  Anyone that reads my blog, knows I’m a total chart-mommy (see Craft Project Chore Motivator, Getting Kids to Stay on Their Beds, Kids & Chores).   I think it’s hereditary.  But, I’ll print up a chart for everything under the rainbow…potty training, clean rooms, reading, chores, you name it.  Between stickers, diligence, and a reward, they have been so helpful to me.  The kids get excited about them, which makes for less nagging.  Yay.

-  It’s always fun for kids to have something their working towards.  Sometimes, when we have a lot to do, we’ll set a goal that if we can finish by a certain time we will go to the movies, or get an ice cream, or invite lots of friends over.  Other times, I don’t need to offer a reward, I just set a timer and tell them to beat the clock.

- To get Dad involved, we had a Family Night on ‘Developing Home Skills‘.  We both picked 3 household chores that we thought the kids could do, if we taught them, and held 6 mini-classes.  They rotated through the little classes and it was actually a lot of fun!  Besides, family time with treats is always a hit.

The truth is, there’s actually several chores that my kids jump at the chance to do…I just have to ask.  Sometimes, I think it’s easier to do certain things myself.  But, when I take a few moments to really teach them how to complete a chore, it really pays off.  And, like I said, there are some chores that kids actually WANT to do…so, we’ve got to take advantage!  My kids fight over who gets to sort the clean laundry into everyone’s basket.  Because, whoever gets that job, gets to watch a tv show while they do it.  Whoever waters the plants, gets to stick the water meter in each one, which they think is super cool.   They love helping me cook dinner, doing yard work with me, or setting the table.  They love grocery shopping, filling up bird feeders, or anything that involves a spray bottle (which is LOTS of things!)  Of course, there are always jobs that bring about groans, but I try to pair them with a job that they enjoy.

Lastly, I think praising your children for doing THEIR best is so important.  It makes them feel valued, capable, and inspires them to work hard, which is all part of motherhood…building that strong foundation.  And, that’s not even including the lessons that can be learned from actually doing the chores.  Thank heavens for housework, to help us teach our children.

Please remind me that I wrote this when I’m crying over spilled milk, tomorrow.

I love chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies, but my husband is allergic to peanut butter so I usually end up eating the entire batch all by myself. Probably not the best idea, especially since swimsuit season is right around the corner. So instead of the making the traditional no-bake cookies, I replaced the peanut butter with Biscoff Spread.

If you’ve flown Delta, you’ve probably had Biscoff Cookies, well, the spread tastes just like the cookies, but in a creamy, peanut butter like form. Trust me, you need it in your life. So if you haven’t tried it, go to the grocery store right now and grab a jar. Hint-look in the peanut butter aisle. It is amazing!

Before you eat the entire jar with a spoon, make these No-Bake Biscoff Cookies. They are simple to make-you don’t even have to turn on the oven! And if you know someone with peanut allergies, make these cookies for them! They will really appreciate them, I know my husband did:)

A few of my other favorite Biscoff recipes:

• Biscoff Pretzel Bites with White Chocolate
• Biscoff White Chocolate Blondies
• Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies
• Biscoff Cookie Popcorn
• Snickerdoodle Biscoff Sandwich Cookies

See, I am obsessed with Biscoff Spread:) I am sure you will be too after you try it! Enjoy!

No-Bake Biscoff Cookies

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ½ cup Biscoff Spread
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups oats

1. Add the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder to a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the Biscoff Spread and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.

3. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets. Let the cookies cool until set.

This giveaway is now closed. We will announce the winner shortly. Thanks to all who entered.

Who’s in the mood for some Summer Lovin’?! I hope you are because we’ve got one super “hot” giveaway up for grabs! There are TWO (yes, you read that right – two) Canon Rebel Cameras!! One for you and one for your friend! Yippee!

If you win, we’ll give you this fabulous camera plus one more to give to your friend. So you may want to increase your odds by spreading the word and getting all those “friends” to sign up! *You can read more about this camera HERE.

And because two winners just didn’t seem like enough, we’ve got a $100 cash gift card for the lucky runner up.

Signing is up is easy! Simply “like” all the bloggers who’ve helped make this giveaway possible by fill in the short form below…plus they’re all super cool :) Good luck to everyone!! And have fun snapping pictures this summer!

Fine Print: Must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of the U.S. or Canada to enter. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook. The submission of the Google doc is your entry to the giveaway. One entry per person for filling in the form. Giveaway ends on May 29, 2012 at 11:59 pm (MST). Winner will be notified via email within 48 hours of the giveaway close (May 29th). The winner must respond within 48 hours of receiving the email or a new winner will be chosen. No purchase necessary.

How often do you join in when your kids are creating? Doodle Names is a drawing project that parents and kids can enjoy working on side-by-side. I find that my girls and I always have interesting conversations while we sit and draw together. Plus, doodling is fun and relaxing!

To get started, write your name in large block-style letters on your paper. The letters should touch the top and bottom of the paper, as well as each other. This will make all kinds of closed-in spaces for your designs. I did my short name on a letter-size piece of copy paper. For the girls’ names, I cut a 12″x18″ sheet of drawing paper in half.

Older kids can do their own lettering, or you can prep this part for your child. I am not an expert block-letterer by any means, but it doesn’t need to be perfect! I drew the letters in pencil, then traced with a black Sharpie.

Now the doodling fun begins! Leave all your letters white, filling in each background space with a unique design. Use a fine tip black pen or marker for this part. (We use Paper Mate Flair pens for drawing like this.)

We drew scallops, swirls, stripes, zigzags, dots, hearts, stars, dashes, different shapes and any other crazy designs we could think of. Depending on how detailed your child wants to be, this may be a project to leave out and work on over a couple sessions.

You can leave your name doodle black and white, or you can add some color. We were all about the color! Grab some crayons and color each section.

That’s it! My girls were very impressed with how their names stood out once everything was colored. Wouldn’t these be great bedroom door signs? We’ll be putting ours on display for sure.

Happy doodling!

We’re here again with another episode of Kids in the Craft Room. Today it’s all about STORAGE. What to do with your craft supplies once you get them. We talked about our favorite kid craft supplies and our favorite kid friendly adhesives. Now here’s how we store them. Thanks again to ConsumerCrafts.com for sponsoring this video.

Whether you are an avid crafter yourself or you are simply collecting supplies just for the kids, here are a few ways to organize what you’ve got.

How do you organize your crafts? What is your favorite storage option?

I grew up hating yard work. Being raised in a family with three sisters and NO brothers meant that “women’s work” definitely extended outside. I still joke with my parents about having us mow the lawn as 10 year olds — seems insane to me now. Today I love growing veggies and reaping the harvest from our fruit trees; but I declare that gardening and yard work are NOT the same thing.

However, being a homeowner and following certain social mores seem to require than we don’t ‘let the yard go.’ In my experience, having your lawn mowed is akin to vacumming – even if everything else is a distater, it seems to make quite an impact. So here’s a few things we’re doing to make our grass a little greener, if you catch my drift.

Fertilizer

Years ago I gave up trying to make our lawn look like a multi-billion dollar golf course. The absence of clover or “weeds” basically shows a dependence on chemical ridden fertilizers – something I want to keep far away from my family. Plus, “It takes more than a gallon of diesel fuel to make three pounds of fertilizer,” according to The Green Book (page 76). So we opt instead to let nature takes it’s course with grass clippings…we just let ‘em lie (or is it lay?) Either way, me leave them to do their job. “If home owners ‘grass-cycled’ and reduced their fertilizer use by just 25 percent, it would save 1.3 blillion pounds of chemical fertilizers and more diesel fuel than Amtrak uses in six years.

Mowing

For what lawn we have, we opt instead to mow on the highest setting. Obviously the best option for grass is a push mower. Funny tidbit about our family: we actually have a pushmower, but if it gets used, I have to do it myself because my husband is NOT a fan — baby steps right?

Water

“Frequent shallow waterings encourage weed germination, and they also cause the grass plants’ roots to grow shallow, leaving the plant more susteptible to drought and certain disease,” according to resources at TLC Home. So water only when the lawn needs it, and for long enough to penetrate the root zone. And water early in the morning when the air is cooler and you have less chance of the moisture evaporating. Check out Collin Dunn’s article for more tips on minimizing water use on your lawn.

Of course, xeriscape or a native garden are your best options for yard choices overall. Considering that “if just one in every one hundred households shoes drought-tolerant species of flowers for the next replanting, nearly 600 million gallons of water could be conserved – enough to provide New york City its residential water supply for an entire day…[which could also save you] up to 550 gallons of water per year” (The Green Book, page 77.)

Obviously we’ve just scratched the surface, and while I’m dying to know about everyone’s gardens (What are you planting? What’s in harvest for you? Do tell! Do tell!); I’m also anxious to hear how you’re going more green in your yards this summer. Thoughts? Buller?

Image from www.sheknows.com

Yes….summer is practically here.  I’ve had picnics on my mind.  We had one picnic during Spring Break and it was super fun.  I’m thinking of  fun things we could take along besides the usual peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

This cold salad would be the perfect addition to any picnic or BBQ.  It’s flavorful and full of fresh, crunchy veggies. And easy to take along.  The creamy tahini dressing is outrageously good.

In this salad, I’ve used radishes and carrots I got from my local CSA. Feel free to change it up with different veggies, or add more.  Celery, broccoli, water chestnuts, baby corn, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, and shredded cabbage would be great additions.

I sprinkled the top with toasted sesame seeds, green onions, and broccoli microgreens.  If you can’t find broccoli microgreens, substitute bean or alfalfa sprouts.

Cold Rice Noodle Salad with Carrots, Radishes, and Creamy Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

For dressing:

4 Tbsp. homemade or store-bought mayonnaise (for vegan, use veganaise)
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1-2 tsp. tahini, to taste
1/2 tsp. sambal oelek (garlic chili paste)
1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste

For salad:

6-7 oz. cold rice noodles, prepared package directs (mine required soaking in hot water or boiling)
3 small carrots, scrubbed clean or peeled, julienned
4 large radishes, scrubbed clean, julienned

optional garnishes–toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, microgreens or sprouts

Instructions:

For dressing:
Whisk all ingredients together and taste. (It should be concentrated and salty because the salad ingredients are not.) Set aside until ready to assemble salad.

For salad:

Place cold noodles and julienned vegetables in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Place a good-sized portion on a plate and garnish with the sesame seeds, green onions, and microgreens.

Serves 4.

*For a lunch, the salad alone would be great. For a heartier meal, serve with chicken, seafood, or marinated tofu.