Ticket Jar

Last year I bought the older girls jars to keep all of their tickets in.  This idea is all over Pinterest and I thought how clever it was to keep all of those memories stuffed inside.

The other night Rebecca brought hers down and we went through all of her tickets.  She even had her airline ticket from her trip to Arizona in her jar.  As we sat there reminiscing about all of these activities I was surprised by all that we had done and seen.  I also sat there jealous that I don’t have my own ticket jar full of memories. 

Anyway, super easy idea to save and display all of your tickets!

Sharpie Tie Dye

We usually do a tie dye shirt in the summer.  We haven’t done a Sharpie one for a long time.  I couldn’t believe how long the kids worked on their shirts.  They did designs on the front, back, shoulders, EVERYWHERE, just so they could keep creating.

I loved how they weren’t messy.  Basically you put the shirt over a cup and secure it with a rubber band.  This keeps drips from soaking through the shirt.  Then you go to town with your Sharpies.  Some of the kids were very precise with their patterns and others were random.  The last step is awesome because you can see the dye spread into designs.  You use an eyedropper to drop rubbing alcohol over your design.

The Sharpie tie dye are filled with so many colors.  I put all of the shirts in the dryer to set all of the colors.

       

I should have taken pictures of all the fun designs on their backs.  The shirts turned out awesome!  The best part though, was having my sister Tanya and her family here making them with us.  :)  LOVE good conversation while working on a project!

Necklace Holder

Rebecca had a little thing in her jewelry box that she could hang necklaces on.  Needless to say, they would get all tangled in knots because there wasn’t enough room for all of them.

SO, one afternoon we went over to Lowes and picked up some pretty foam molding and hooks.  Total cost of project was around $5 with plenty left over to make more. 

It only took a few minutes to cut the foam molding and then screw the hooks in.  We used command strips to hang it up because it’s so light.

Solves Rebecca’s necklace knot problem, it was fun to make together, AND it looks pretty!

Random Pinterest

I made a custom family Guess Who game for Kristy, with Spillane and Coley family members.  It was just a card that I created in Photoshop and printed up two sheets at Costco.  They slide right in the game like the other cards.

Thanks to Pinterest for the idea!  I had seen the US Presidents on a sheet.

I have found fun coloring sheets on Pinterest that keep my little girls busy with their crayon bucket. 

I have used a ton of awesome tips for cleaning and organizing that I wish I would have heard about years ago.  I love this one where you put aluminum foil in a bowl.  Pour your grease in it.  Then when it hardens, just crumple the foil into a ball and throw it away.  (I don’t know how many times I have dug through the trash trying to find a can to dump grease in)

(image from Pinterest)

Or the toilet paper rolls to hold wrapping paper. 

(image from Pinterest)

Then there is the food.  Oh how our family has enjoyed the food!  We have new family favorites to eat.  I think my family is so glad that they don’t have to eat the same food for every meal.  Alesha just called me tonight giving me a thumbs up for the pretzel bites.  We just made her Krispy Creme donuts last weekend and were all in love with the donuts.  SOOO, I’m assuming these pretzel bites will be divine as well, BUT less fattening.

Then there are a slew of sewing projects that I’m so excited to start.  Of course I can’t forget all of the gardening and yard ideas.  Mix in the holiday and kid ideas AND I just LOVE Pinterest!

What are YOU loving on Pinterest?  I would love to hear some of your recent favorite finds.

Picture

I found this big 16 x 20 frame at a thrift store when my mom was in town.  I passed it by, but had to go back for it because of the fun shape, the fact it had glass, the size of it, AND the $3 price tag.

 

I ended up spray painting it white, sanding it down a bit and sticking in a big picture of the big girls.  Ashley was asking why I was putting it in the big girls room.  I told her “they needed it in there because they keep forgetting which room is theirs”.  She smiled and rolled her eyes.  I’m thinking this eye rolling is getting to be a common Ashley expression.

Anyway, I LOVE the frame addition in their room!

Heart Atlas

It is time to celebrate yet another anniversary with Stephen.  I am so lucky to have him for my husband.  I can’t even begin to tell you how good he is to me.

ANYWAY, wanted to make something for him.  I had seen this idea in a Pottery Barn catalog a couple of years ago.  I bought an atlas at Target, and along with my world map, I went to town cutting out hearts.  I wanted to cut out a heart in Europe or one from Mexico or Australia or South Africa, but alas we haven’t been there YET.

I did manage to cut out places that are special to us and bring back memories.  It seems like just yesterday we were on the Oregon coast relaxing on our honeymoon or over in Singapore with Stephen’s work.  I was happy then, and am just as happy now six kids later here in Colorado Springs.  Each of these places are a part of us.

The frame is a big 11 x 14.  Although, I’m hoping to add to my collection of hearts, (hint hint…Stephen)  I also put foam board behind each heart to give it some dimension.

BTW, I think this would make such a fun piece of artwork for a military family that has been stationed all over the world.

Family Name Scrabble

The title pretty much sums up my project...

I thought that I had all the names arranged just right to make it work, only to find out that the configuration didn't fit into my frame.  I felt like I was playing soduko with letters.  I DO love the finished project, even if my picture doesn't do it justice.  There is just something about dimension that adds appeal.

I'm just glad that our family "fits" together!

Another Random One

Here is yet another random post...

Mom and I got our seeds ordered today.  I also planted my tomato seeds inside today even though the temperatures outside were below zero.  I try and start my tomatos around Valentines Day and then put them outside in Wall of Waters the first week of April.  We still get some good snowstorms in April, but they seem to thrive inside the Walls.  I'm just getting sooo excited to start gardening outside again.

A couple of weeks ago I went over to a friend's house and she helped me get my boys cub scout awards all set to frame.  She had the fabulous idea of using the back of the cub scout shirt as the background for the awards.  I just cut the badges off the shirt and hot glued them on to the shirt background.  The frame has the glass a half inch out so that there was plenty of room for the awards.  Now I just need to get these hung in their rooms AND keep pushing them along with their Boy Scouts.

I have gotten a lot of emails and questions for ideas of what I put into the kids mailboxes.  So here it is:  treats, fun things from Target's dollar section, Valentine socks, can of pop, Valentines that grandmas send, notes from Stephen and I, the kids even make their own notes and pictures to each other, candy, my sister Kristy put different sprinkles and things to decorate cut out cookies in each of her girls boxes, jewelry for the girls, gift cards, Valentine pencils, coupon booklets... seriously the list can be endless.  Here was the pink hot chocolate from Target and then the little girls helped me bag the fun heart marshmallows to go with it for each kid. 

I always smile when I have the little girls fill the boxes and put the flag up.  Ashley always tells Jerrica to close her eyes when they do hers so that she doesn't see the surprise.  Then right after they finish she will say, "Jerrica open your mailbox and see what's in it", like she hasn't been there filling them.

Then the other question I get is about my girls hair.  I do it every day because it drives me crazy if its hanging in their eyes all day.  It really doesn't take long to pull it into something and then they feel better AND look better all day long.  I did a post about hair clear back HERE.

Next is Rebecca's heart picture.  I didn't take my boys pictures, because they are soooo old! :)  I did however take Rebecca's picture for Valentines too.  I just don't post everything here, some pictures I save for the kids books.  BUT since there were those that were curious, here are a couple of Becca's... (also the free Valentine card templates were from Florabella and MCP Actions blogs)

I do have a photography post coming up that will answer some of the other questions. 

AND I think that is enough randomness for one night!

Blog Book

I just received one of my blog books.  I say one because I have two volumes for this year, and the first one hasn't come yet but I can't wait to share...  (In fact theses pictures are terrible but I still just had to post them anyway because I was too excited.  I was having a VERY hard time trying to hold the book open to take pictures.  I grabbed something to help hold the page down but it wasn't heavy enough to hold the page from slipping, YET I kept trying to use it...)

I have them printed on the premium paper.  The limit per book using premium paper is 160 pages, so that's exactly what I have in each of my blog books.  I choose the standard portrait books.  I feel that the bigger sized books just make it too easy to have pages torn because the page is larger and a little more awkward.  (Just my preference).  I also do the hardcover image wrap because dust covers just rip and fall off with all the looking at the books.  The image wrap is like a permanent dust cover.

I have my own system to keep continuity to the book.  I use stitching in between different posts on the same page.  I use the same font for all of the dates.  I try to keep a full page "favorite" picture every few pages.  I really like having the full page pictures to give your eye a chance to rest from all the posts and reading...

 

Some pages have multiple posts.  When I first did a Blurb book and had them place all the posts I didn't like how a small post would use an entire page.  OR how some of my favorite pictures weren't given a big space.

 

I really should've taken more pictures because these just don't do my book justice.  I needed a little helper to hold it open.

For my kids' books that I give them for Valentine's -(found HERE), I do all pictures with no text in the book except for the entry page.  I slurp their folder into a photo layout Blurb book and just arrange them in Blurb's layouts.  I also put full page pictures every few pages as well.  On the entry page is where I try to do a little write up about them for the year.

In the blog book I have this written on the copyright page ...

The cover page I put "Lived, Blogged, and Loved every moment!"

Anyway, just thought I would share with all of you.  I have had quite a few questions about Blurb, if this didn't answer it just email me again.

I Spy No Water

We have our own well and for some reason our pump is broke.  Stephen spent all day trying to fix it himself only to have spent a lot of time and money on all the parts that weren't the problem.  We use water for SOOOO many things....

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Cooking
• Bathing
• Brushing Teeth
• Watering Gardens and the Yard
• Washing Hands
• Giving water to the Dog
• Cleaning the Bathrooms
• Even just water to USE the Bathrooms

We just take water for granted.  SOOOOO since I can't really clean I decided to work on a little project.

I got an I Spy Quilt kit from a friend and since it doesn't require water, I think I will finish up the top today....

There are soooo many fun blocks, this is just a little portion of them.  Not only could you use it for the I Spy Game but you could use it for writing practice with the older kids.  I could tell them to write me a story using a certain row of blocks.  I'm always looking for writing starters in the summer.  It's even fun to just look at! 

Oh how I love this time of year and all the projects to get ready for Christmas.  I'm really excited about a few that I have going right now.  Thanks again Amy for the quilt kit!  If you are interested in a kit email me and I will give you Amy's contact info.

Thank You Binder

I saw this idea in the Family Fun magazine in the Spring (Here it is on their Website) and am just getting around to doing it.  Rebecca was baptized this last weekend and received many sweet gifts.  I got on to her about Thank You cards.  Of course I got the old "I don't know what to write".  No excuses anymore after this little binder.

I have a step by step page of what needs to be written.  Then I have a page that is filled with descriptive words to help the writing along. 

 

Stuck in Thank you cards, stamps, writing utensils.  I also put a few Thank You's in that I have received that are perfect examples of a nicely written Thank You.  Anyway, no excuses and hopefully they will get this Thank You writing process down before they leave home!

***After a few emails I thought I better just add these.  Here are the cover and outline sheet.  Let me know if you have a problem with the resolution.

Moms Summer Camp

My cute friend Becki organized a group of moms to teach different classes for a summer camp.  You can see what we did last year HERE.  This year we did this

The first day all the kids Tie Dyed T-shirts and had a little get together picnic.  Brooke made little gourmet lunches for all the moms, doesn't that sound like the Tongue in Cheek blogger!  Brooke then took on all the babies for the week so that their moms could teach.

My class was Animal Adventures.  We talked about animals, did animal crafts and projects, puppets, shrinky dinks, had animal tatoos and played some animal games.  I even had my animal loving friend, Kim, bring in some of her pets to talk about with the little kids groups.  With the older boys we painted wood snakes that move, played a glow in the dark snake game and then studied and checked out a real water snake.




Tara taught a class in the kitchen called "Fun with Fondant".  All of the kids were so proud of their masterpieces.  She had little cakes for all the older kids and then cupcakes for the little girls group.  They had so much fun choosing colors, rolling the fondant out and then decorating them.  Nathan made a soccer ball, but of course the girls cakes were frilly and girly.



Becki taught a "Crafty Construction" class.  She had fun wood projects, wind chimes, marshmallow building and even had little tape measures and carpenter pencils for the kids.

Melinda's class was "Games".  I loved seeing the sweaty kids come in from her group each day with a Gatorade in one hand and a huge smile on their faces.  Games were according to age as with the other classes.  There was football, duck duck goose, jump roping, marbles, rolling a hoop with a stick and who knows what else I'm missing.

Laura did a glass etching class.  She let them do their names on cute little jars and then filled them with bubble gum.  My kids now think that I need to keep their jars stocked with bubble gum.

Jamica did a "Rock and Roll Music" class.  The kids painted rocks while listening to music. 

I wish that I would have taken more pictures but it was too hard to teach and run around getting pictures.
We LOVED every minute of our little Moms Summer Camp.  It was great for each of my kids to be with other kids their own ages doing such fun projects together.  I'm grateful for all my sweet friends work in making it a success AND I'm grateful for little relationships that my kids are developing with my friends' kids!