Weekly Challenge #5

Cut out sugar and flour. If it's in your meals, like tortillas or something, it's fine. Just try to cut out any sugary treats, drinks, etc.

How did last week go making a total of six pieces of jewelry or hair accessories? It was a fun challenge. I even invited a few friends over to join me to work on the challenge while our kiddos played together. I'll post the pics of what I worked on this week and some that Heidi sent too tomorrow. It was so fun to hear that my friend, Pauline, and sister-in-law, Jodi, are doing the challenges too. Off to bed now.

Weekly Challenge #4

Make a total of six pieces of jewelry or hair accessories. I mailed this button to Heidi (I had two) last week. We have to use it in one of the pieces.

How did last week go doing something special with each child? It was fun for everyone. I know my sister-in-law, Jodi, does date nights with her kids so they all get one-on-one time.

Bean Bags.














I made these for Marshal and Apollo for Christmas. They are so fun to play with and cute to look at. I stitched everything by hand except for sewing the actual bean bags together. My secret to getting anything done with 2 babies? I kept the felt in a big zip lock with all my thread, needles, patterns, and scissors. We travel a lot or go out. When I had a second in the car, I could work on a few stitches here or there. It was just as easy to take it in the house and work when I had a few minutes too. Here's how:

Materials Needed
* Felt
* Thread
* Silicon beads (at craft stores). Rice or beans would work.
* Pins (to hold pieces together)


Directions
1. Find some cute pictures you like off the internet, in kids' books, or draw them yourself.

Here's what I used:
For the fish and birds, I traced them out of one of Apollo's books, cut out the paper, and used it to cut out my felt.







For the tree, I saw an image I liked on google, and drew it myself.


For the elephant and owl, use these templates here and here (it's off Martha Stewart's website). She has a website here where she sells her collages for $140.00 each. I printed them off, cut out each piece, and used them to cut out the felt. You are welcome to use the same colors for each piece as I did if you like how they turned out.





2. I made my bean bags a little bigger than normal. I cut the felt in half (it will look like two rectangles) and cut off the longer parts of the rectangles to make them square.



3. Stitch the images onto one side of the bean bags using the felt and thread colors you like.




4. Sew around the bean bag with a sewing machine. I didn't even turn them inside out. I thought the stitching looked cute (thanks for the idea, January).





Leave a little hole to fill the bag with stuffing.




Fill the bag with the stuffing you like and finish of the stitching. I used the silicon beads from Michaels.





5. I googled bean bag games and came up with a big list. I copied it off and put it in the boys' presents. I stacked the bean bags up and tied some yarn around them.




We played with them as a family the other night. We tried to get all our bean bags in a basket. Apollo had to stay behind the line and we made it fairly easy for him. Carleton and I were goofing off and would make it really hard for each other and put the basket in random places. We put the basket almost right under Annie and even she would throw the bean bags.

Printable Valentine's Cards. Season of Love.

Here are some free printable cards. Enjoy. Go here for the first 5 vintage valentines.











Wood you go here for another?





And here for more.


Here are some I posted last year (it's the Feb. 7th post). We'll be printing off more this year for Apollo to distribute to his pals.

Annie's Birthday

We wanted children for years before we were blessed (with two in a row). Years ago, we traveled through Europe with another couple, the Tanners, and saw the most beautiful sights. We went through Harod's Shopping Center-it's supposed to be some of the best shopping in the world (and a little out of our price range). I took pictures of these cakes and cupcakes behind the glass and dreamed for the day when I could have them for my daughter's birthday. I feel so thankful for my beautiful little girl with "tootsie pop" eyes as someone called them. I'm going to find someone that can make cakes and cupcakes like these.








I found this picture just the other day and thought they looked pretty too.

Weekly Challenge #3:

Plan something special to do individually with each child.

This will be for my 2 kids and Heidi's 3. I would love to hear if any of you join us and what you did.

How did last week go with the daily acts of service? I could have done better, but the highlight for me was visiting my great-aunt Ida. She has a hard time remembering things (including who I am or how I'm related to her) but she was so glad we came. She held Apollo's arm and said, "I am so happy you are here and so glad you came to visit me." She was emotional when we left and didn't want us to go. It was great to feel so needed, loved, and like I had really done something to make someone happy. Apollo had made her a little bracelet, and he said how it had made her happy.

CARMEL APPLE DIP

We had this for our dessert for our crochet night. So Yummy. Thanks Joanie!


Ingredients
1 brick cream cheese

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tub caramel apple dip (found in the fruit section by the apples)

2-3 Score bars crumbled

1 bag Granny Smith sliced apples

Directions

With a mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until combined.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly in the middle of a serving plate.

Pour caramel apple dip over cream cheese and spread out to the edges of the cream cheese. (probably will not take the whole tub)

Crumble Score bars and scatter on top of caramel.

Place apple slices around the outer edges of the serving platter.

Enjoy!

Felt Food.

How cute are these! My friend, Katie, did these all by hand (except for the beans and quesadillas-she used a sewing machine). What a perfect gift for any child that likes to pretend.





She did a blanket stitch around a lot of the edges (I just learned not too long ago what that meant).




For the pasta, she just cut the squiggly edges with zigzagged fabric scissors and did gather stitch in the middle. If you're more in the mood for white sauce...


...just flip it over.


Thanks for the cute ideas, Katie.

Weekly Challenge #2:

Daily Act of Kindness.

My sister will be in Cancun so this challenge is one that can be done anywhere. We will do something for someone every day and we'll share what we did at the end of the week. I would love for you to join us and report back!

How did last week go with the 500 sit-ups? We both thought it was easier to do than we thought it would be. Heidi said she forgot to do some during the day and had to do 200-300 and that was tough. I was especially sore on day 1-I love being sore-I know I've worked something. I lead the workout on Fri. so guess what we did? 500 sit-ups with weights (bands) in between. Sherri, one of my workout buddies, said it hurt just to cough afterward.

6 Recycled Headbands.

We draw names of a family member, and for Christmas Eve we give a handmade gift to that person. I drew my sister, Heidi, and made these headbands for her out of things I already had in the house (but I do have a lot of crafting stuff here).

I went to a party for a couple of Apollo's friends and they handed out lady bug headbands (headbands covered with red ribbon and little antennae sticking out). I wear them all the time (minus the antennae) because they are so comfortable and don't hurt my head. I went back to the Dollar Tree (I found out from my friends' where they got them) and bought all the fabric covered kids' headbands they had ( they come in a package like 6 for a buck). I used these headbands for all six of these.



Headband #1.



Quite awhile ago, I made a couple of hair clips at my friend, Lindsay's house. She had one that looked like this.




To make it, cut three squiggly and imperfect circles out of felt. Put them on top of one another and fold them all toward the center like a flower. Hand stitch the felt enough so it stays in place.



Here's what it looked like when it was done. You can leave it like this to put on a headband, purse, shirt, etc.




To make my headband, I turned it inside out (pushed what looked like the bottom of the flower up through the petals) to look like this.



You can put a button for the center of the flower or a brad (a brad was used here). To use a brad, cut a little hole through the center of all three flowers and push the brad through.


Hot glue the flower to the headband. If you want it to be more secure, you can stitch it to the band.




Headband #2.



The gray material from this headband comes from the cover of an old stroller my mother-in-law uses when kiddos need it.




I used the finished edges to make the center three flowers. I just wrapped it around tightly and sewed it together-enough to make it stay.



Here is the backside of one. Not pretty, but it does the job.


I cut out three circles and put them together-smallest to largest, running a stitch through the middle to hold them together. I hot glued my three flowers in the middle. My sister showed me how you can take a strip of material and twist it around to get the same effect (so you don't need a finished edge). I have a cute outfit of Annie's that is stained beyond repair with lots of finished ruffles that I might use to make another headband.






Headband #3.



This felt ribbon came off an earlier gift I had received. There were metal things on it (like garbage twist ties). I used them to wrap around the headband and hot glued it as well.




Headband #4.

I found the tutorial here from the Wise Craft blog to make these flowers made out of material. I have made a lot of these and used them on the outside of gifts, headbands, and with a pin on the back so you can put them on purses or clothing. I have used a lot of different buttons and materials (including part of a brides made dress top). This flower cam from an old bandanna I had and the button came from my mother-in-law's collection. I just glued it to the band once I was finished.




Headband #5.

I also used an old headband to make this flower and the same blog to make the flower. I had made headbands for my whole family to wear on our annual Moab trip (lots of rock climbing and hiking).





Headband #6.

Look familiar? This time I covered the band with some ribbon. I gave it kind of a textured look (really, I couldn't get it flat because the ribbon was too big but I think it turned out better that way) by hot gluing the ribbon to the band. I had some material from year's ago that I had planned on making a skirt. You'll be surprised at the materials you can find in your house from old clothing to old accessories that can be used to make these flowers.

Family Memory Cards.

I gave this as a gift to my niece, Maddy, and to Apollo for Christmas. It's great because the kids get to play the memory game with cute pictures of their family members. So fun to make and to give as a gift! Here's how to make it yourself:

Materials Needed
-2 pictures of everyone you want or you can use any pictures (like presidents, leaders, the alphabet, etc.)
-Playing cards. I got mine 2/dollar at Dollar Tree.
-Tape

Directions
1. Pick out the pictures of the family members you want to use. I had my sister send some she liked as well.

2. I ordered wallet sized prints at costco.com. They were the perfect size for the playing cards.

3. Cut out the pictures (there were 4 per page) and tape them on to the playing cards.



4. Laminate them. My friend told me about a middle school where I could get them laminated (it was 65 cents for tons of pictures!!). You could do it yourself with contact paper or even packing tape.


6. Cut the pictures. I wrapped the pictures/game in ribbon. For my niece, Maddy, I made a place mat purse and put it inside (I'll post how to make the purses later).



Why I like this game-
1. It's small. Easily toted anywhere.
2. You can play with as many "people" (or matches) as you want depending on the child's skill level. 3. Kids can know the names of all their relatives even if they live far away.
4. It keeps kids quiet (like in places like church) just looking through the fun pictures. I have a pic of great grandma in a tiara, great grandpa on his motorcycle, and my brother wake surfing.