How To Organize Your Kids Without Organizing Them

On April 20th I was asked to be a guest blogger at Village of Moms. This is the very first time I've ever guest posted and it was fun (after I finally decided what words of wisdom to impart). Check out my guest post here! 

Valerie started the blog because she believes it takes a whole village of moms (okay, and dads) to raise children. The blog is just starting and plans to be a “1-Stop Shop” of resources and advice for the working and the stay-at-home mom who need a little help. It’s for moms by moms! Because MOMS really do know best!To read more about Valerie, check her out at Kite Koop.

Craft & Tell ~ April 26

I've been crafting away ... again. I figured out how to make the fabric boxes firm by combining two tutorials. I still have 3 more boxes to go so when they are complete I'll reveal them all at once.

Remember the car race track I did for my kids? Here's the tutorial for it. Well, I decided to complete the applique fire truck, police car, ambulance and pond. I went onto the computer for some graphics and printed them out.

I then got out my handy dandy scissors and cut out the shapes in felt that I had to make it match the design of the clip art. I then hot glued the felt embellishments to the base. I think I'll stitch it with a blanket stitch (when I learn how to do it) to secure it further, but for now I'm thrilled with how they look.Oh, and I realize the ambulance is purple but I didn't have enough white. I think the big red cross makes it look like an ambulance though.

I also completed a body pillow cover for our room. It was a cranberry colour but our room is now blue paint and has navy curtains so I wanted to coordinate it. There is blue and gold in the comforter so this pulls it out (although the photo isn't bringing out the blue). This was a semi-quilt attempt to see if I liked it and guess what?! My next project is going to be a queen sized quilt for little Travis's big boy bed that he has started to sleep in. What am I in for?? I'm actually really looking forward to it.

I'll be linking up this week with my friends ...

Sunday ~Sunday Scoop @ I Heart Naptime with Chocolate Sundaes

Sunday Showcase Party @ Under The Table and Dreaming 

Monday ~Metamorphasis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Make It for Monday @ Cottage Instincts
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
I Made the World Cuter @ Making the World Cuter
Made It on Monday @ The Persimmon Perch
Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Craftastic Monday @ Sew Can Do
Mosaic Monday @ The Little Red House
Made By You Monday @ Skip to My Lou
Tuesday ~ Do It Yourself Day @ A Soft Place to Land
Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ A Silly Little Sparrow
Get Your Craft On @ Today's Creative Blog
Anything Related @ All Thingz Related
Timeless Tuesday @ Paula Grace Designs   

Wednesday ~ White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
REDnesday @ It's a Very Cherry World
Spotlight Yourself @ It's So Very Cheri
Whatever Goes @ Someday Crafts
Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Design
Wednesday Boardwalk Bragfest @ Bobbypins Boardwalk
We Did It @ Sew Much Ado
show and Share @ Just a Girl
Idea Sharin Wednesday @ Women Who Do It All
Thursday ~ Alphabe-Thursday @ Jenny Matlock
Friday ~ Sew & Tell Fridays @ AmyLouWho

Saturday ~Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound 

Get Inspired @ Sew Dang Cute

Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots and Jello

Book Review ~ Same Kind of Different As Me

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have never read a Christian novel before. As my first introduction to one I thought this one was fabulous. I've been struggling with defining my spirituality for some time. Reading how others think about and live their lives around their faith was very helpful to me in my search.

View all my reviews >>

Friday Follow ~ April 23

I actually remembered to do this early today!

Happy Friday Follow to everyone. Looking forward to reading new blogs and having new readers.

Whatcha Reading Wednesdays ~ April 21

Join Busy Moms Who Love To Read for Whatcha Reading Wednesdays. 

Grab the book you are currently reading, open to a random page, scan down to a random spot and type two sentences If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something). 

Here is mine for the week:

"Even though she was chained and naked, I had no doubt who had the advantage here. She was like a cobra hypnotizing its prey." Page 62, Grave Sins by Jenna Maclaine.

How to Make a Scroll Box for Your Blog Button

Thanks to A Few of my Favorite Things for this tutorial on how to make a scroll box for your blog button. She also did a tutorial on how to make a blog button. Today's tutorial shows you how to create the box of code so other bloggers can take your button if they would like one.

*EDITED* Go her site for the tutorial. It didn't copy and paste well and I'm not computer savvy enough to have noticed - thanks for letting me know, Jessica!

Post It Note Tuesdays ~ April 20

Now it's your turn to join Adventures of WannaBe SupahMommy for her Post It Note Tuesdays.

Ava's Second Language

It's afternoon nap time and I'm trying to get rest. Ava (4 years old) does not nap so she is "resting" but talking a mile a minute ... for the whole two hours I have to try to get rid of the throbbing in my head. Finally I convince her to get a snack. She does. I go downstairs later to see two packages of snacks.

"Ava, I said you could only have one."

As she's walking across the room and avoiding eye contact with me, "Oh. I told you ..."

...


wait for it ...

...

"in Spanish."

We don't speak Spanish. What exactly are Dora and Diego really teaching my kids to say? LOL

Car Race Track ~ Tutorial

I posted this Craft and Tell for the car race track but thought I would share the how-to if you want to make your very own. If you make one, please leave a comment with your link on how it turned out so I can come and see.

1. Prepare main piece of material (I used 1 meter by 1 meter) for both front and back pieces
2. Cut six squares for the car parking pockets (I did mine 6 inches squared each)
3. Press all four edges 1/4 inch. Cut the corners on an angle. Sew straight stitch on all four edges
4. Cut 3 1/2 by 3 inches squares for the numbers. Iron on fusible interfacing. Draw numbers in pencil and cut out. Sew with an applique stitch to square
5. Sew pockets to main material
6. Measure roads. Pin to fabric where you want it. Sew onto main piece
7. Measure dashes in coloured fabric. Cut, pin then sew where desired
8. Add applique designs if you are going to sew them on and want them to stay in one space. I'm making mine moveable so I will put them together after the track is finished.
9. Sew the front and back large pieces together
10. Sew bias tape to finish the edges. You can combine steps 9 and 10 to one step if you want

Craft & Tell

I have been a busy crafting gal. Please read the bottom because I need your help!!

These are the curtains I've been working on for my mother and father-in-laws room. They were thrilled so I'm happy. I have new, sturdier curtain rods we'll need to install with a center support and proper brackets (instead of the bold that is holding the current rod up). I used black-out lining too so it should make the room pretty AND dark. Nothing like light coming in when you are trying to catch some zzzzz's.

I also finished the chair covers I've been mulling over for some time. I decided on purchasing denim. What a pretty fabric design for denim, don't you think? It was 30% off too (score!).

And finally, here is the Tic Tac Toe Crochet Game (Lion Brand) that I made the kids. It looks like a lot of fun and I can hardly wait for them to try it out! (Click the link for the tutorial)

(this here photo is to show you the size of it as compared to my hand).








So here is this week's project... I need your opinion.

I have a home daycare and so I wanted to have bookshelves to store toys and books on our main floor.

This is what it looks like now.

 See how the things look junkie and stick out past the shelves?

I want something that is neater so I'm devising this fabric box, fitted to each shelf. But it's not standing up straight enough and I'm not sure if it will be sturdy enough for a lot of books.

Got any ideas to help me firm up my fabric boxes? I've only made the one so far and want your (expert) opinions before I continue.

Why can't the box just do what I want it to do the first time?

Post It Note Tuesdays ~ April 13

Go to Supah Mommy for her Post It Note Tuesday and add yours!

Getting To Know You ~ April 11

 

1. What color do you wear the most? Pink

2. Would you rather have $10,000 dollars or a dream vacation? Pass over the money, honey!

3. Do you have a weird, quirky or unusual habit? Does being perfect count? just kidding ...

4. I really need to start..........? Getting the weight off - shorts season is too imminent!!

5. What was the first blog you ever read? It's A Woman's World - I read her in 2008 when I was just starting up my blog.

6. Do you collect anything? Not any more.

7. How old were you when you had your first kiss? What kind of kiss are we talking here? I don't kiss and tell any way ...

8. Do you text/twitter while driving? No way!

Head over to Mannland5 and let's get to know you better.

Friday Follow ~ April 9