For years I've been bookmarking sites to go back to "later." Links to recipes, craft tutorials, and homeschooling info piled up into the thousands. Even categorized by subject, it was still hard to get my hands on the right thing at just the right time.
Enter Pinterest. After hearing people rave about how cool it was, I finally decided to check it out. Some people are using it to catalogue photos of clothing they like, wedding photo inspiration, or um, pictures of cute puppies.
I'm using it as a visual way to keep track of all my bookmarked crafting and homeschooling references. Although it's been a little tedious to "pin" hundreds of sites, I can now click on the "board" for say, "homeschool dinos," and find pictures from every site I've bookmarked in that category. It's easy enough to find just the right one, and then click through to the relevant site.
It's going to be a huge time saver.
If you happen to be on Pinterest already, and want to check out any of the nearly 900 things I've bookmarked so far, my username is 27lisa27.
At any rate, if you're a project and resource collector like I am, you should go sign up. You'll love it.
For more WFMW posts, head over to www.wearethatfamily.com.
Showing posts with label WFMW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WFMW. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
WFMW: Audio Bible for Your Smart Phone
I know ya'll are going to think all I do is play with my phone, but I found another cool app to tell you about. Actually, my sister ran across it, and told me about it just in time, right before I spent about a hundred dollars on essentially the same thing, (an audio Bible on CD.)
It's called Bible.Is, and it's a free audio Bible for your smart phone. I have an iPhone, but I checked, and it's also available for Androids.
I love it. I've been listening to it while I cook, clean, and as I go to bed at night.
For more WFMW posts, go to www.wearethatfamily.com.
(I am in no way compensated for this recommendation. The app is free, and it's great. )
It's called Bible.Is, and it's a free audio Bible for your smart phone. I have an iPhone, but I checked, and it's also available for Androids.
I love it. I've been listening to it while I cook, clean, and as I go to bed at night.
For more WFMW posts, go to www.wearethatfamily.com.
(I am in no way compensated for this recommendation. The app is free, and it's great. )
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
WFMW: Audio Books
This week I thought I'd share something that's been working for our whole family: audio books.
A couple of weeks ago, I turned L onto the idea of listening to audio versions of the Magic Treehouse series while he's in bed at night. He's really something of an insomniac, and we've had a lot of trouble with him sneaking out of bed and playing at all hours of the night, but this has seemed to help. He also isn't complaining as much about being lonely or scared at bedtime. He's thoroughly enjoying the stories, and I think I've rekindled his interest in actually reading the books together, which we've done off and on.
I also picked up a cassette version (I know, old school,) of an audio Bible at Goodwill a while back. I've been listening to it while I do housework during the day, and L has requested to listen to it during meals. I consider this one a win for the whole family, and maybe the best 8 bucks I've spent in a while.
Audio books are working for us. For more WFMW posts, head over to www.wearethatfamily.com.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Bread Baking for the Cooking Impaired
One of the things on my to do list this year was to learn how to bake bread. I'mawful not very good in the kitchen. My one previous attempt at bread baking yielded a whole wheat brick, not especially tasty, but perfectly suitable for masonry.
After asking around, and reading several rave reviews of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I forked over the money, and picked up a copy for myself.
I finally got up the nerve to try out the basic recipe in the book, and guess what? It was awesome. So awesome that the kids and I ate a whole loaf in a couple of hours. (In our defense, it was the smallish loaf pictured above. Also, I consoled myself with the idea that it had to be better for us than the Pop Tarts my son had been begging for...)
The recipe doesn't require a fancy mixer, and in fact there's no kneading involved either.
The bread was tasty, a little like a sourdough, and my family was thouroughly impressed. (I made homemade butter too, and my husband said I was like a cool Martha Stewart.)
I totally recommend the book to anyone who has been dreaming about baking their own bread, but doesn't want to spend a fortune on kitchen appliances, or hours in the kitchen.
For more WFMW tips, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
Disclosure: I recieved nothing in exchange for this recommendation, and paid for the book with my own cold hard cash. The Amazon link above is an affiliate link.
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One of the things on my to do list this year was to learn how to bake bread. I'm
After asking around, and reading several rave reviews of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I forked over the money, and picked up a copy for myself.
I finally got up the nerve to try out the basic recipe in the book, and guess what? It was awesome. So awesome that the kids and I ate a whole loaf in a couple of hours. (In our defense, it was the smallish loaf pictured above. Also, I consoled myself with the idea that it had to be better for us than the Pop Tarts my son had been begging for...)
The recipe doesn't require a fancy mixer, and in fact there's no kneading involved either.
The bread was tasty, a little like a sourdough, and my family was thouroughly impressed. (I made homemade butter too, and my husband said I was like a cool Martha Stewart.)
I totally recommend the book to anyone who has been dreaming about baking their own bread, but doesn't want to spend a fortune on kitchen appliances, or hours in the kitchen.
For more WFMW tips, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
Disclosure: I recieved nothing in exchange for this recommendation, and paid for the book with my own cold hard cash. The Amazon link above is an affiliate link.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Coffee Filter Snowflakes
Several years ago, when L was just a little guy, we made these together.
You fold a regular old coffee filter into 16ths, and dip the corners into food coloring dyed water. Unfold them, lie them flat on a paper towel, and let them dry. (They dry quickly.) The result is cool, tie dye effect.
After they dry, fold them back into 16ths, and with sharp scissors, carefully start cutting simple shapes into the edges.
When you're done, unfold them, and carefully iron the coffee filters to flatten them out.
In our case, because L was so little, and not yet able to do much cutting, he was in charge of the coloring portion of the project, and I did the cutting. An older child could make their own.
For the traditionalist, plain white coffee filters turn out pretty too.
We have some white ones hanging in our window, and the colorful ones are hanging in our dining room.
By carefully storing these, the colored ones have actually lasted us several years.
Cheap, easy, beautiful Christmas decorations work for me. For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
You fold a regular old coffee filter into 16ths, and dip the corners into food coloring dyed water. Unfold them, lie them flat on a paper towel, and let them dry. (They dry quickly.) The result is cool, tie dye effect.
After they dry, fold them back into 16ths, and with sharp scissors, carefully start cutting simple shapes into the edges.
When you're done, unfold them, and carefully iron the coffee filters to flatten them out.
In our case, because L was so little, and not yet able to do much cutting, he was in charge of the coloring portion of the project, and I did the cutting. An older child could make their own.
For the traditionalist, plain white coffee filters turn out pretty too.
We have some white ones hanging in our window, and the colorful ones are hanging in our dining room.
By carefully storing these, the colored ones have actually lasted us several years.
Cheap, easy, beautiful Christmas decorations work for me. For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Stocking Stuffers for the Rest of Us
Several years ago, I started noticing something about stocking stuffers. They were getting expensive.
To me, stocking stuffers are supposed to be small, fun gifts. If I buy the kids a couple of $50 video games to put in their stockings, and a GPS system for my husband, I'm already out a couple of hundred bucks before I've even started buying "real" gifts.
I thought I'd put together a list of stocking stuffers that are fun, inexpensive, and largely consumable, which means they won't result in a ton of junky plastic thingamajigs that never get played with. In addition to my own little nuclear family, I also put together stockings for 12 or 15 of our extended relatives who celebrate Christmas with us each year. Some of the following suggestions are for little ones, some for adults. (And no, in case you're wondering, nobody gets everything on the list in any given year.)
1) Candy-Here's the deal with candy. There doesn't have to be a ton of it, but it has to be good. For most adults that means chocolate. (Good chocolate!) My kids love lollipops (and are especially fond of Yummy Earth Lollipops.)
2) Fruit-My kids actually loves apples, so this works for us. You could always substitute a more exotic fruit, or even something like Funky Monkey Snacks.
3) Coffee-Not for the kids, of course, but those teeny little bags of specialty coffee make a nice treat for grownups.
4) Popcorn-My kids love popcorn. The mini 100 calorie bags of popcorn are just the right size for stockings.
5 ) Snacks-This one is only cool if you buy the particular snacks someone loves. (For my kids, it's raisins and goldfish. For my mom, it's a certain brand of granola bar.)
6) Toothbrushes-Spring for the character or battery operated toothbrushes for the kids, even if you don't usually buy them. (After all, if it makes the kids want to brush their teeth, it's worth it's weight in gold...)
7) Toothpaste-I know, that sounds pretty practical. The thing that makes it fun is that you're going to get the kids the one they like, be it Dora, or Spongebob, or whatever.
8) Bubble Bath-My all time favorite bubble bath is AVON. It smells great, and makes more bubbles than any other brand I know of. A hit with all ages.
9) Cosmetic Samples-This is a fun treat for tweens on up. I make a couple of orders from Sephora a year, and get between 3 and 10 samples each time, depending on what promos they're running. People get a kick out of trying new perfume, or skin cream or whatever.
10) Nail Polish-Even my two year old likes to get her nails painted.
11) Fun Band Aids-What kid doesn't like Band Aids? Buy the the Kai Lan or Transformer ones, not the boring flesh colored ones.
12) A New Box of Crayons-Pretty self explanatory, right?
13) Coloring Books-Our local Dollar Tree carries lots of cool licensed coloring books, like Cars, Blue's Clues, and Word World. They're the same ones that sell elsewhere for $4 or 5 bucks.
14) Books-Suitable for all ages, and again, pretty self explanatory, but I thought I'd put in a plug for the $1 books from Scholastic Book Clubs. (Don't forget that you can sign up to order from the book clubs if you are a homeschooler.)
15) Stickers-My kids are still young enough to get pretty excited about stickers. (Older kids might enjoy getting personalized address labels from somewhere like Vistaprint.)
16) Notebooks or Journals-You can get really creative and make your own matchbook notebooks, or you can just buy a cute one readymade. (Everyone needs somewhere to write all those bogus New Year's resolutions, right?)
17) Craft Supplies-For kids, this could be as simple as a pack of glitter glue or some beads.
18) Sidewalk Chalk-A perennial favorite here, with my own kids, and just about anyone else who happens to drop by.
19) Bubbles-Another one of those things kids just don't seem to get tired of. (You'll thank yourself for buying the spill proof ones...)
20) Play Doh-No, I'm not on Play Doh's payroll, although maybe I should be. ;) All the kids, even the really big ones like getting Play Doh. It's sort of expected here.
21) Christmas Ornaments-This is another item where the coolness factor comes from matching them to the recipient's interests. You can buy them of course, but I like to make them. (Perler beads, felt, shrinky dinks, take your pick...)
22) Homemade Coupons-For adults, things like a car clean out, or a morning of sleeping in are appreciated. Kids like coupons for a solo outing with a parent, or a family movie night.
23) Fun Socks-Target frequently has kid sized character socks in the Dollar Spot. (My kids want some every time we pass by.)
24) Silly Bands, Googly Bands or the like-Our Dollar Tree intermittently sells Googly Bands for a buck, instead of the $3-5 they cost elsewhere.
25) Magazines-Everyone's got a special interest, and many people consider magazines sort of an expensive luxury. My husband likes bike magazines, I like crafty ones, and L likes video game mags.
What are some of your favorite stocking stuffers?
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for any of these recommendations.
Linking up at http://www.wearethatfamily/ for WFMW.
To me, stocking stuffers are supposed to be small, fun gifts. If I buy the kids a couple of $50 video games to put in their stockings, and a GPS system for my husband, I'm already out a couple of hundred bucks before I've even started buying "real" gifts.
I thought I'd put together a list of stocking stuffers that are fun, inexpensive, and largely consumable, which means they won't result in a ton of junky plastic thingamajigs that never get played with. In addition to my own little nuclear family, I also put together stockings for 12 or 15 of our extended relatives who celebrate Christmas with us each year. Some of the following suggestions are for little ones, some for adults. (And no, in case you're wondering, nobody gets everything on the list in any given year.)
1) Candy-Here's the deal with candy. There doesn't have to be a ton of it, but it has to be good. For most adults that means chocolate. (Good chocolate!) My kids love lollipops (and are especially fond of Yummy Earth Lollipops.)
2) Fruit-My kids actually loves apples, so this works for us. You could always substitute a more exotic fruit, or even something like Funky Monkey Snacks.
3) Coffee-Not for the kids, of course, but those teeny little bags of specialty coffee make a nice treat for grownups.
4) Popcorn-My kids love popcorn. The mini 100 calorie bags of popcorn are just the right size for stockings.
5 ) Snacks-This one is only cool if you buy the particular snacks someone loves. (For my kids, it's raisins and goldfish. For my mom, it's a certain brand of granola bar.)
6) Toothbrushes-Spring for the character or battery operated toothbrushes for the kids, even if you don't usually buy them. (After all, if it makes the kids want to brush their teeth, it's worth it's weight in gold...)
7) Toothpaste-I know, that sounds pretty practical. The thing that makes it fun is that you're going to get the kids the one they like, be it Dora, or Spongebob, or whatever.
8) Bubble Bath-My all time favorite bubble bath is AVON. It smells great, and makes more bubbles than any other brand I know of. A hit with all ages.
9) Cosmetic Samples-This is a fun treat for tweens on up. I make a couple of orders from Sephora a year, and get between 3 and 10 samples each time, depending on what promos they're running. People get a kick out of trying new perfume, or skin cream or whatever.
10) Nail Polish-Even my two year old likes to get her nails painted.
11) Fun Band Aids-What kid doesn't like Band Aids? Buy the the Kai Lan or Transformer ones, not the boring flesh colored ones.
12) A New Box of Crayons-Pretty self explanatory, right?
13) Coloring Books-Our local Dollar Tree carries lots of cool licensed coloring books, like Cars, Blue's Clues, and Word World. They're the same ones that sell elsewhere for $4 or 5 bucks.
14) Books-Suitable for all ages, and again, pretty self explanatory, but I thought I'd put in a plug for the $1 books from Scholastic Book Clubs. (Don't forget that you can sign up to order from the book clubs if you are a homeschooler.)
15) Stickers-My kids are still young enough to get pretty excited about stickers. (Older kids might enjoy getting personalized address labels from somewhere like Vistaprint.)
16) Notebooks or Journals-You can get really creative and make your own matchbook notebooks, or you can just buy a cute one readymade. (Everyone needs somewhere to write all those bogus New Year's resolutions, right?)
17) Craft Supplies-For kids, this could be as simple as a pack of glitter glue or some beads.
18) Sidewalk Chalk-A perennial favorite here, with my own kids, and just about anyone else who happens to drop by.
19) Bubbles-Another one of those things kids just don't seem to get tired of. (You'll thank yourself for buying the spill proof ones...)
20) Play Doh-No, I'm not on Play Doh's payroll, although maybe I should be. ;) All the kids, even the really big ones like getting Play Doh. It's sort of expected here.
21) Christmas Ornaments-This is another item where the coolness factor comes from matching them to the recipient's interests. You can buy them of course, but I like to make them. (Perler beads, felt, shrinky dinks, take your pick...)
22) Homemade Coupons-For adults, things like a car clean out, or a morning of sleeping in are appreciated. Kids like coupons for a solo outing with a parent, or a family movie night.
23) Fun Socks-Target frequently has kid sized character socks in the Dollar Spot. (My kids want some every time we pass by.)
24) Silly Bands, Googly Bands or the like-Our Dollar Tree intermittently sells Googly Bands for a buck, instead of the $3-5 they cost elsewhere.
25) Magazines-Everyone's got a special interest, and many people consider magazines sort of an expensive luxury. My husband likes bike magazines, I like crafty ones, and L likes video game mags.
What are some of your favorite stocking stuffers?
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for any of these recommendations.
Linking up at http://www.wearethatfamily/ for WFMW.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
WFMW: Organize Your Books
Even before I had kids, I had a lot of books. Now that I have two little ones, and we're homeschooling, we're swimming in books. After getting fed up with not being able to find books that I knew I had, I decided to get organized.
(I should mention that this is one of those organizational projects where things get worse before they get better, as evidenced in the picture.)
I started fairly small, with the two bookshelves that held specifically homeschool-y books. I sorted them by subject: math, reading, science, art etc.
I did this several months ago, and can vouch for how much of a difference it makes. Now I can find what I'm looking for within a minute or two, instead of having to search through hundreds of books.
We have several other bookshelves in our house, and my next organizing project will be to sort the books on the craft bookshelf.
Getting organized works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out the linky at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
(I should mention that this is one of those organizational projects where things get worse before they get better, as evidenced in the picture.)
I started fairly small, with the two bookshelves that held specifically homeschool-y books. I sorted them by subject: math, reading, science, art etc.
I did this several months ago, and can vouch for how much of a difference it makes. Now I can find what I'm looking for within a minute or two, instead of having to search through hundreds of books.
We have several other bookshelves in our house, and my next organizing project will be to sort the books on the craft bookshelf.
Getting organized works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out the linky at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
WFMW: Escape for an Hour
We all know that everyone needs a break sometimes. Even mommies. Especially mommies. I hear a lot of women discussing their mommy breaks, which apparently include days at the spa or weekends with the girls. I'm certainly not knocking either of those ideas, if you can manage them, (actually, they sound pretty awesome,) but right now, they're just not on the table for me.
My tip is for the rest of us, the mommies of children with special needs, who don't have a good child care solution, the women married to men who work A LOT, those of us in single income families, who can't necessarily afford to do something extravagant for themselves very often.
It's pretty simple, really. If all you can manage is an hour off, take an hour off. If it's a weird time a day, roll with it, and go do something anyway. On a day when your head is about to explode, even a solo trip to the library will seem refreshing. Other ideas that have worked for me are splurging on a $4 cup of coffee at Starbucks, aimlessly wandering around Target, sometimes just running errands alone.
I love my children with all of my being, but I'm a better mom, a better person even, when I get a few minutes to myself.
Escaping the chaos for an hour works for me. :) For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
My tip is for the rest of us, the mommies of children with special needs, who don't have a good child care solution, the women married to men who work A LOT, those of us in single income families, who can't necessarily afford to do something extravagant for themselves very often.
It's pretty simple, really. If all you can manage is an hour off, take an hour off. If it's a weird time a day, roll with it, and go do something anyway. On a day when your head is about to explode, even a solo trip to the library will seem refreshing. Other ideas that have worked for me are splurging on a $4 cup of coffee at Starbucks, aimlessly wandering around Target, sometimes just running errands alone.
I love my children with all of my being, but I'm a better mom, a better person even, when I get a few minutes to myself.
Escaping the chaos for an hour works for me. :) For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
WFMW Curriculum Share
I'm pretty sure I've posted about Curriculum Share before, but I thought it warranted another mention. Curriculum Share started out several months ago as something along the lines of a Paperback Swap for homeschoolers. People post things they have to offer, and other folks can request them, paying only for shipping. It's really a neat resource, and I've participated on both sides, as a giver and a receiver.
As it's evolved, more and more forums have been added. There's now a forum open for offering and requesting toys in giftable condition for Christmas. (What a great way to recycle and save some money, in a time when we're all looking to save a few bucks.) There's a couponing forum for sharing deals, a crafty forum for sharing ideas, and many others.
While the membership at Curriculum Share is growing rapidly, it still has that friendly, just-starting-out feeling. If you're a homeschooler, a preschool at home-er, or a family contemplating homeschooling, I'd highly recommend you come check it out.
Curriculum Share works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
WFMW: Sewing Tips for Newbies
When people find out that I can sew, I hear a lot of folks lamenting that they inherited a sewing machine, or picked one up at the thrift store, and don't know what to do with it.
I thought I'd post a few tips I wish I had known when I started sewing.
1) First of all, when you're buying a pattern, and cutting it out, don't pay attention to the size listed, pay attention to the measurements. You'll often find that the sewing pattern's version of a size 10 is more like a 6 or an 8 in off the rack clothes. This is due to the so called vanity sizing in off the rack clothes. (You know how you can usually go down a size in clothes from the Gap or Banana Republic? It's not that you've really lost weight without realizing it. ;) Their sizes run a bit bigger than normal, because people get a kick out of wearing a smaller size. This is also the reason why you'll probably wear a larger size in vintage clothes. Back in the day, they sized the clothing according to actual body measurements. But I digress.) It's a real drag to finish a project, only to find that it's never going to fit you. (I've done it. More than once.)
2) Pick something easy to start with. Throw pillows, pillowcases, tote bags, simple elastic waist skirts, and pajama pants that don't have a lots of pockets and extra detailing are good starter projects. Picking an easy project to start with raises the odds that it will turn out well, which in turn will help you develop the skills and confidence to move on to harder things. It's pretty much not ever a good idea to decide that you're going to sew your wedding dress or your daughter's prom dress as a first project.
(I made these pj pants for the kids today, using McCall's pattern number M6194. It would make a great beginner pattern, with just 2 pieces, and no fussy details. I also deliberately made them a little big, hoping the kids might get a little more wear out of them, in case you're wondering. I'm cheap like that.)
3) Pay attention specifically to the cutting instructions on the pattern. If you don't, you may end up with pieces that have been cut out on the wrong side of the fabric. Sometimes the instructions will dictate that you'll pin the pattern piece right side up, and then again upside down, in order to to achieve a left and right sleeve for instance. It's complicated to explain here, but trust me on this. Read the directions. Then read them again.
4) When you're first starting out, threading the sewing machine is pretty intimidating. There are usually around 6 places you have to run the thread through, and it has to be done in the right order. My mother gave me this tip: Write the numbers 1-6 on a piece of tape, then place them on the appropriate spots on the machine, as shown below. Next time you go to thread the machine, it will be easy to figure out the order. Later, when you don't need the prompting any more, you can remove the tape.
5) I'm going to totally go against the consensus here, but if you just want to dip your toes into sewing, and see if you like it, I think it's fine to buy a cheap Singer sewing machine at a big box store. It won't last forever, it doesn't have as many bells and whistles, and it may not be up to quilting multiple layers of heavy fabric. It should, however get you through the first couple of years, while you learn how to sew, and decide if you like it. Later you can upgrade to a fancy machine, if you want one, or need one. Or not. $1000 is a lot of cash to drop on something you're not even sure if you're going to use.
6) Initially you may be tempted to think that basting, and pinning, and ironing are a lot of trouble, and maybe you don't really have to do them. They save a lot of time on the back end though, ripping out mistakes. Sewing is a little like cooking. Once you sort of know what you're doing, you can figure out ways to improvise. At first though, follow the directions to the letter.
7) The easiest fabric to get started with is going to be cotton. It doesn't stretch, it won't slip and slide while you're sewing it, and it's pretty forgiving if you have to rip out stitches. It's also inexpensive. You probably don't want to get started sewing on antique silk.
8) My final tip is this: the best way to learn to sew is to start sewing. Pick an easy pattern, some inexpensive fabric and go to town. When you mess up, (and you will mess up,) you can either try try to fix it, or scrap it and start over.
Do you have any tips to add to the list? I'd love for you to add them to the comments section.
For many more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
I thought I'd post a few tips I wish I had known when I started sewing.
1) First of all, when you're buying a pattern, and cutting it out, don't pay attention to the size listed, pay attention to the measurements. You'll often find that the sewing pattern's version of a size 10 is more like a 6 or an 8 in off the rack clothes. This is due to the so called vanity sizing in off the rack clothes. (You know how you can usually go down a size in clothes from the Gap or Banana Republic? It's not that you've really lost weight without realizing it. ;) Their sizes run a bit bigger than normal, because people get a kick out of wearing a smaller size. This is also the reason why you'll probably wear a larger size in vintage clothes. Back in the day, they sized the clothing according to actual body measurements. But I digress.) It's a real drag to finish a project, only to find that it's never going to fit you. (I've done it. More than once.)
2) Pick something easy to start with. Throw pillows, pillowcases, tote bags, simple elastic waist skirts, and pajama pants that don't have a lots of pockets and extra detailing are good starter projects. Picking an easy project to start with raises the odds that it will turn out well, which in turn will help you develop the skills and confidence to move on to harder things. It's pretty much not ever a good idea to decide that you're going to sew your wedding dress or your daughter's prom dress as a first project.
(I made these pj pants for the kids today, using McCall's pattern number M6194. It would make a great beginner pattern, with just 2 pieces, and no fussy details. I also deliberately made them a little big, hoping the kids might get a little more wear out of them, in case you're wondering. I'm cheap like that.)
3) Pay attention specifically to the cutting instructions on the pattern. If you don't, you may end up with pieces that have been cut out on the wrong side of the fabric. Sometimes the instructions will dictate that you'll pin the pattern piece right side up, and then again upside down, in order to to achieve a left and right sleeve for instance. It's complicated to explain here, but trust me on this. Read the directions. Then read them again.
4) When you're first starting out, threading the sewing machine is pretty intimidating. There are usually around 6 places you have to run the thread through, and it has to be done in the right order. My mother gave me this tip: Write the numbers 1-6 on a piece of tape, then place them on the appropriate spots on the machine, as shown below. Next time you go to thread the machine, it will be easy to figure out the order. Later, when you don't need the prompting any more, you can remove the tape.
5) I'm going to totally go against the consensus here, but if you just want to dip your toes into sewing, and see if you like it, I think it's fine to buy a cheap Singer sewing machine at a big box store. It won't last forever, it doesn't have as many bells and whistles, and it may not be up to quilting multiple layers of heavy fabric. It should, however get you through the first couple of years, while you learn how to sew, and decide if you like it. Later you can upgrade to a fancy machine, if you want one, or need one. Or not. $1000 is a lot of cash to drop on something you're not even sure if you're going to use.
6) Initially you may be tempted to think that basting, and pinning, and ironing are a lot of trouble, and maybe you don't really have to do them. They save a lot of time on the back end though, ripping out mistakes. Sewing is a little like cooking. Once you sort of know what you're doing, you can figure out ways to improvise. At first though, follow the directions to the letter.
7) The easiest fabric to get started with is going to be cotton. It doesn't stretch, it won't slip and slide while you're sewing it, and it's pretty forgiving if you have to rip out stitches. It's also inexpensive. You probably don't want to get started sewing on antique silk.
8) My final tip is this: the best way to learn to sew is to start sewing. Pick an easy pattern, some inexpensive fabric and go to town. When you mess up, (and you will mess up,) you can either try try to fix it, or scrap it and start over.
Do you have any tips to add to the list? I'd love for you to add them to the comments section.
For many more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
WFMW: Schedule, Even if it's Hard
Now that we're "officially" homeschooling, it's been sort of a kick in the rear to realize all the ways that not having a routine is slowing us down. It's something I'm going to work on. REALLY work on. (We are possibly the least scheduled family I know.) We made some progress this week, in one area, and I thought I'd share it for this week's WFMW tip. I made L this little pictorial chart for his new morning chores.
The deal is that he has to complete them before he can eat breakfast. (No, I'm not depriving him of food, they should take at most, 10-15 minutes to complete.) Although he typically has to be reminded several times that he needs to get his chores done, he is doing them, for the most part cheerfully. This means that I have a few minutes to actually get breakfast on the table without him brow beating me about how he's "Thirty ten hungry." (Translation-really hungry.) It also means that after breakfast, he's ready for school, which is pretty awesome. You know what else? He's pretty proud of himself after he gets it all finished.
This scheduling-and-following-through-with-it thing doesn't come naturally to me, but it's working.
For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
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| Poorly cropped to remove the little man's name. |
The deal is that he has to complete them before he can eat breakfast. (No, I'm not depriving him of food, they should take at most, 10-15 minutes to complete.) Although he typically has to be reminded several times that he needs to get his chores done, he is doing them, for the most part cheerfully. This means that I have a few minutes to actually get breakfast on the table without him brow beating me about how he's "Thirty ten hungry." (Translation-really hungry.) It also means that after breakfast, he's ready for school, which is pretty awesome. You know what else? He's pretty proud of himself after he gets it all finished.
This scheduling-and-following-through-with-it thing doesn't come naturally to me, but it's working.
For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
WFMW: Wrap as You Go
I know it's not popular to even bring up Christmas in the month of September, but this weeks WFMW post is actually a Christmas tip.
I'm one of those people who buys gifts early, in order to beat the crowd and take advantage of good deals as I see them. I make a list of what I've purchased for whom, so I can keep track of when I'm finished.
Here's the tip though: I wrap as I go. Yes, this means that I'm actually wrapping gifts in September.
It also means that I don't have to pull an all nighter on Christmas eve, wrapping presents. (My sister does that every year...)
It's one less thing to have to do during the already busy weeks before Christmas. It works for me.
For more WFMW posts, go visit http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
I'm one of those people who buys gifts early, in order to beat the crowd and take advantage of good deals as I see them. I make a list of what I've purchased for whom, so I can keep track of when I'm finished.
Here's the tip though: I wrap as I go. Yes, this means that I'm actually wrapping gifts in September.
It also means that I don't have to pull an all nighter on Christmas eve, wrapping presents. (My sister does that every year...)
It's one less thing to have to do during the already busy weeks before Christmas. It works for me.
For more WFMW posts, go visit http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
WFMW: Kindergarten Pen Pals
This Works for Me Wednesday post is actually something that's working for my 5 year old son.
We recently had the opportunity to match him up with another little 5 year old boy through an online homeschool organization.
He is loving it. He gets a letter in the mail about once a week, from his new pal, and before he even opens it, it's made his day. (He loves getting mail, and listens for the mail man every day.) The boys are currently dictating letters to us mommies, since they aren't yet proficient writers. The talk about their families, their favorite topics, (Pokemon, Legos, and Transformers,) and they carefully sign their name at the bottom. The letters usually include a photo of them, or their latest Lego creations, and a drawing. Sometimes there's even a Pokemon card or some stickers tucked in the envelope.
For a few minutes of my time, and the cost of a stamp each week, this has been a great experience for us. I have lasting memories of my pen pals that I had as a little girl. This is something that I'd recommend for any child, whether homeschooled or not.
What better way is there to get a child excited about reading and writing than to make it fun and relevant for them?
For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
We recently had the opportunity to match him up with another little 5 year old boy through an online homeschool organization.
He is loving it. He gets a letter in the mail about once a week, from his new pal, and before he even opens it, it's made his day. (He loves getting mail, and listens for the mail man every day.) The boys are currently dictating letters to us mommies, since they aren't yet proficient writers. The talk about their families, their favorite topics, (Pokemon, Legos, and Transformers,) and they carefully sign their name at the bottom. The letters usually include a photo of them, or their latest Lego creations, and a drawing. Sometimes there's even a Pokemon card or some stickers tucked in the envelope.
For a few minutes of my time, and the cost of a stamp each week, this has been a great experience for us. I have lasting memories of my pen pals that I had as a little girl. This is something that I'd recommend for any child, whether homeschooled or not.
What better way is there to get a child excited about reading and writing than to make it fun and relevant for them?
For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
WFMW: Spending Time in the Word-There's an App for That
Some of the people I really admire are avid readers of the Bible. They don't just read it a few minutes in the morning or before bed, but constantly carry it with them to take advantage of odd moments here or there to read.
I'm not really that organized. By the time I load up the two kids, and all the stuff that two little kids require, I often forget things. Like my sanity. Or my Bible.
I recently upgraded to an iPhone, and in addition to all the fun time wasting games, I was surprised to see that there were some really useful apps as well. On of them is the Olive Tree Bible Reader. It's free, allows you to read the bible in its entirety or search by book or verse. You can also highlight verses and take notes. Finally, it's free, which is pretty awesome.
I'm still partial to the experience of reading an actual book, but I'm excited that even I can now remember to take my Bible wherever I go.
For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
P.S. I was not compensated in any way for this post. Just so you know. :)
I'm not really that organized. By the time I load up the two kids, and all the stuff that two little kids require, I often forget things. Like my sanity. Or my Bible.
I recently upgraded to an iPhone, and in addition to all the fun time wasting games, I was surprised to see that there were some really useful apps as well. On of them is the Olive Tree Bible Reader. It's free, allows you to read the bible in its entirety or search by book or verse. You can also highlight verses and take notes. Finally, it's free, which is pretty awesome.
I'm still partial to the experience of reading an actual book, but I'm excited that even I can now remember to take my Bible wherever I go.
For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
P.S. I was not compensated in any way for this post. Just so you know. :)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
WFMW: DIY Dress Up Center
I love to browse through catalogs. One thing I've seen several incarnations of in several different catalogs is the dress up center, as seen here, at Hearthsong. It's a beautiful piece of furniture, but it's around $300 with shipping. Eek.
I started looking around the house for things to cobble together for a similar purpose, and ultimately came up with this:
Admittedly, it isn't as pretty as the previously mentioned version, but the price was right. (Free!) I had the extra clothes rack lying around from back when I used to sell tie dye at various events. If you had to buy one new, they're less than $20. The height on the rack is adjustable, and I lowered it as much as possible. The plastic bins were also repurpsed from elsewhere in the house, and just happened to fit perfectly. V now has a place to hang her fancy dresses, a bin for hats, a bin for purses, and another for other accessories.
Reusing stuff we already have lying around works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
I started looking around the house for things to cobble together for a similar purpose, and ultimately came up with this:
Admittedly, it isn't as pretty as the previously mentioned version, but the price was right. (Free!) I had the extra clothes rack lying around from back when I used to sell tie dye at various events. If you had to buy one new, they're less than $20. The height on the rack is adjustable, and I lowered it as much as possible. The plastic bins were also repurpsed from elsewhere in the house, and just happened to fit perfectly. V now has a place to hang her fancy dresses, a bin for hats, a bin for purses, and another for other accessories.
Reusing stuff we already have lying around works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Easy Sensory Bins for Little Ones
The kids are still really into the sensory bins I've set up for them. For this week's WFMW post, I thought I'd show and tell about a few of the ones they've been playing with recently.
First off, there's this one, filled with dried split peas, Playmobil toys, and teeny plastic animals. It's fun to find all of the animals, or just to set up a little farm. The peas feel neat to run your hands through. This has been one of V's favorite variations of this idea so far.
This one is a bit more challenging. The idea here is to go on a "treasure hunt," and find all the polished stones from among the mixed beans. It's harder than it looks. (I used my old childhood rock collection for this one. If you didn't have rocks, you could also do something similar with beads.)
Cheap, easy, unplugged ways to entertain the kids works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out www.wearethatfamily.com.
Linked to Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts.
First off, there's this one, filled with dried split peas, Playmobil toys, and teeny plastic animals. It's fun to find all of the animals, or just to set up a little farm. The peas feel neat to run your hands through. This has been one of V's favorite variations of this idea so far.
This one is a bit more challenging. The idea here is to go on a "treasure hunt," and find all the polished stones from among the mixed beans. It's harder than it looks. (I used my old childhood rock collection for this one. If you didn't have rocks, you could also do something similar with beads.)
Cheap, easy, unplugged ways to entertain the kids works for me. For more WFMW posts, check out www.wearethatfamily.com.
Linked to Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
WFMW: Easy Video Game Storage
We like video games around here. We have shelves on the wall to hold Wii and Playstation games, but it's hard to keep up with all the teeny Gameboy and Leapster cartridges.
I picked up this plastic jewelry holder at Ross several years ago, and had been using it to hold V's hair do-dads, but it turns out that it's just the right size to hold several Gameboys, and lots of Gameboy and Leapster cartridges. Anyone wanting to play can easily find the game they're looking for, and the whole thing is portable, which means we can take it in the car, or I can hide it in my closet when L needs a video game break. It doesn't take up a lot of space either.
For more great WFMW posts, check out www.wearethatfamily.com.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
WFMW: Once a Month Writing
One of the issues I've had with blogging consistantly is when to do it. It's hopeless for me to try to write anything sort of coherent when the kids are awake. The constant interuptions mean that I have more trouble than usual stringing together a couple of complete thoughts. If I want to write when the'yre both asleep, well, that's hard too, because they're not often asleep at the same time. L wakes up really early, and V takes a long time to get to sleep at night. I've either got to get up at about 5 am, or stay up past midnight to write. Lots of days, it just doesn't happen.
After reading a while back that Kristen at We are That Family did what she called bulk blogging, I decided to try something similar. I'm on my second month, and so far it's really working out for me, so I thought I'd pass along the info to you other time and sleep deprived mommies.
Basically, it goes like this: I print out a calendar of the upcoming month. To the extent that it's possible I plan out nearly every post for the next month, taking into consideration things I ether have already done, or I know I'm going to do.
Then in one or two long late night sessions, I write up all the posts. The posts that are complete, meaning they already have pictures, etc, get immediately auto scheduled. The posts that are for things I haven't done yet are still written to the extent possible, and saved as a draft, until I can go back later and add pictures, my final impressions, or tweak the text. As needed, I go back and add those little bits of info throughout the month, and then auto schedule those posts too.
The result is that I'm able to consistently post, regardless what else may be going on that month. If something new comes up, an unanticipated review, or a project I just can't wait to share, I go in and shuffle things around a little to fit them in. Excepting the long writing session or two at the beginning of the month, I only spend only a few minutes a week on my blog.
Not having to try to fit something else into my daily schedule has made blogging fun again. It's working for me. For more WFMW posts, check out www.wearethatfamily.com.
After reading a while back that Kristen at We are That Family did what she called bulk blogging, I decided to try something similar. I'm on my second month, and so far it's really working out for me, so I thought I'd pass along the info to you other time and sleep deprived mommies.
Basically, it goes like this: I print out a calendar of the upcoming month. To the extent that it's possible I plan out nearly every post for the next month, taking into consideration things I ether have already done, or I know I'm going to do.
Then in one or two long late night sessions, I write up all the posts. The posts that are complete, meaning they already have pictures, etc, get immediately auto scheduled. The posts that are for things I haven't done yet are still written to the extent possible, and saved as a draft, until I can go back later and add pictures, my final impressions, or tweak the text. As needed, I go back and add those little bits of info throughout the month, and then auto schedule those posts too.
The result is that I'm able to consistently post, regardless what else may be going on that month. If something new comes up, an unanticipated review, or a project I just can't wait to share, I go in and shuffle things around a little to fit them in. Excepting the long writing session or two at the beginning of the month, I only spend only a few minutes a week on my blog.
Not having to try to fit something else into my daily schedule has made blogging fun again. It's working for me. For more WFMW posts, check out www.wearethatfamily.com.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
WFMW: The OTHER Golden Rule.
Several years ago, my brother in law introduced us to one of his rules to live by. "If I didn't cook it, I'm not going to complain about it." My sister's no Iron Chef. Actually, neither am I.
Think about it. It's a pretty good rule. If I burned dinner, odds are I already know it, and already feel like a knucklehead. Pointing it out after the fact is only going to make me feel bad. It's not going to unburn dinner. Better to eat it anyway. Or cheerfully have a bowl of cereal.
The rule has broader applications too. Think of all the other times you're (er...I'm) tempted to complain about something the kids or my husband does imperfectly after the fact, just to vent, or prove a point. It isn't constructive. It just causes bad feelings, and discourages future effort. Better to just leave well enough alone. Or fix it myself.
I'm a complainer. It's a tough habit to break. We've sort of adopted this rule in our house though, and it does help put things into perspective. If anyone is going to put forth the effort to try to do anything so you don't have to, you really can't, in good conscience complain about it.
If I didn't cook it, I'm not going to complain about it. It works for us.
To find out what's working for other people, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Think about it. It's a pretty good rule. If I burned dinner, odds are I already know it, and already feel like a knucklehead. Pointing it out after the fact is only going to make me feel bad. It's not going to unburn dinner. Better to eat it anyway. Or cheerfully have a bowl of cereal.
The rule has broader applications too. Think of all the other times you're (er...I'm) tempted to complain about something the kids or my husband does imperfectly after the fact, just to vent, or prove a point. It isn't constructive. It just causes bad feelings, and discourages future effort. Better to just leave well enough alone. Or fix it myself.
I'm a complainer. It's a tough habit to break. We've sort of adopted this rule in our house though, and it does help put things into perspective. If anyone is going to put forth the effort to try to do anything so you don't have to, you really can't, in good conscience complain about it.
If I didn't cook it, I'm not going to complain about it. It works for us.
To find out what's working for other people, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
WFMW: Recycle Your Crib and Bassinet Sheets into Something Useful
I was sorting through some stuff recently, when I came across some white crib and bassinet sheets, mostly unused, since both kids ended up cosleeping with us.
I started thinking about what I could do with them, besides donating them, and realized that the crib sheet fits nicely on the picnic table, and the bassinet sheet fits on the kids' little picnic table. This solves the problem of eating off a dusty table, as well as the problem of the wind blowing the tablecloth to the ground when you aren't looking.
I think this would also be great for picnics at the park, where the tables are notoriously icky.
And yes, I tie dyed mine, because I basically can't ever leave well enough alone. It's hereditary, I think...
For lots more Works For Me Wednesday tips, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.
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