A Day In My Life

My sister-in-law has an amazing mother. I am totally amazed every time I see or hear about something she has created. She just set up a blog to show it all off - and I absolutely LOVE a little something she just put on display. She calls it "She Said What?" I held onto a similar blank book for years not knowing just what to do with it. As soon as I saw her post, I set to work on my own rendition. Here is my "{s}he said What?" book - to fill in with all the little funny or quirky things that my children say throughout the years. I plan on adding a photo of Harvey in one of the boxes when he's 2, and I'll add pictures as needed after that.  It's a book for me. For my future forgetful mind. And no - the {s} is not an announcement, but a hope that sometime in my future years as a mother, I'll have a little "she".

When Harvey was tiny, I searched everywhere for a onesie with a tie printed on the front. But.. I never did find one. I thought about making one myself out of fabric, but I'm not a great seamstress and I wasn't sure if I could manage sewing the whole tie onto the front of a onesie. (I figured it would get all messed up while I was trying to turn it without sewing on the backside.) Anyway, I was at church last Sunday and I noticed a baby wearing a onesie with the tie sewn on only at the "knot" and I knew that was how I could finally make mine as well: Here's how you can make one too: Needed: Fabric for Tie Heat N' Bond Batting (a very small amount) Baby Onesie (size 3-6 months) 1. Download or print this Baby Tie Pattern: Here is an alternate link to download the file: Tie Onesie Pattern 2. Use the template to cut two copies out of your choice in fabric. Cut out a bit of Heat N' Bond and iron it to the lower half of the tie. Sew aro...

My favorite holiday is coming up... the 4th of July! I've already got lots of fun things planned for my annual family barbecue, and I'm SO excited! First up... Firecracker Favors: Aren't they adorable?? I got this idea from Family Fun, and they were super easy to make... For each firecracker, remove the outer wrapper from a roll of candy (I used lifesavers). Wrap the inner lining with colored tape . Insert foil party picks into the center of the roll. Even if you aren't having a family barbecue, they look great as a table centerpiece, and I bet kids will love putting them together. Try it!

Father's Day ideas continued... I decided to show you the things Harvey and I made to give to Justin. First up... "I Love You This Much Card": It's super easy... 1. Trace your child's hand, then cut out two copies. My paper was double sided so I made sure that when the thumbs match up - the yellow side would be inside, and the blue side would be outside. 2. Cut out a strip of paper and fold it accordion style. Use letter rub-ons or stickers to add the words "I Love You" on the outside, and "This Much" on the strip of paper.  3. Glue the ends of your accordion strip on the insides of the hands and your card is done. :) Kid Canvas: Then Harvey and I made a little canvas (4 inches x 4 inches) to hang on the wall in Justin's office at work. I purchased small ones so we could add to them each year and hang them in one grouping. I prepainted the canvas in green, then set Harvey in the bathtub with blue paint and...

So.. Father's Day is in 10 days. Yeah - already. Here are a few ideas for you... Shirt Card: All you need are two papers, and two buttons. 1. Cut one paper into a piece 4 inches by 11 inches. Fold it in half so you have a card base that opens "up" and measures about 4 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall. 2. Measure one inch from the fold and draw a line 3/4 inches toward the center on both sides of your card.  Use scissors to cut through both papers at the marks. 3. Fold these pieces in to the center of the card, so the top corners meet in the middle. 4. Download this tie pattern... Here is an alternate link to download the file: Shirt Card Template ...and use it to trace and cut a tie out of your second paper. Glue your tie in the center of the card. 5. Add buttons to the collar to make it more realistic. (Or, if you want to do it digitally, go here to download an awesome template from ScrapMatters.com) Here are some clutter-free Father's Day gif...

Happy Easter everyone! I've been working on a few fun things for my Easter dinner. I'm SO excited for dessert (aren't I always), because we are having these sweet little bird's nests! Ingredients: 1 can (12 oz) sweetened condensed milk 2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips 2 cans (5 oz each) thin chowmein noodles "Egg" candy - I used Cadbury Minis 1. Prepare a tray or sheet of waxed paper with nonstick spray. Set aside 2. Scrape condensed milk into a medium sauce pan, add chocolate chips. Place over low heat and stir often until chips melt and mixture is blended and smooth. 3. Put noodles in a large bowl, pour on chocolate mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until noodles are coated. 4. Drop generous 1/2 cups on prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray fingertips with nonstick spray. Form into nests by making a little indentation in the middle. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. Tip: Can be made up to 3 days before serving. Store lo...

I had a baby that spit up - a LOT. Luckily I was given quite a few burp cloths as baby shower gifts. I learned quickly that there is really only one kind of burp cloth that holds its weight in gold (literally) - the one made from a cloth diaper. I used one of the cloths given to me as a stereotype, and I made these for gifts. Didn't they turn out adorable? I am in love with that camo-print ribbon.  They were super easy to make... I just stitched along the middle hem lines then added a coordinating ribbon along the bottom.