Letter to Santa

I saw a really cute idea for a letter to Santa, but didn't want to spend a ton on a letter...so I made my own version using a kit called Christmas Whimsy.  Just click & print.  The boys both loved writing their lists & it is great for a little one who is still learning their letters {my 4 year old}.  I just printed mine out on my color printer.  Enjoy. 

My latest project...

I am almost finished with my first real quilting project.  I have two to do for the boys for Christmas.  I am really excited.  I will post more when the first quilt finished & post where I got the pattern.

New Ugly Friends

My boys always get a new "friend" for Christmas.  They really don't need any new friends.  They have a ton already!  Now that I have taken up sewing, I wanted to try to make them a new fun friend.  Have you seen Ugly Dolls?  I don't know why, but I love them!  They are pretty basic...so I decided to try to attempt making them.  I think that they are made with a wool or felt, but I wanted something softer.  I went with flannel.  I actually took the boys to the store & let them pick out their flannel color.  For everything else I just used felt that I had left over from other projects.  I just sketched out what I wanted & got busy.  I love how they turned out & can't wait until the boys open these on Christmas.  {I only spent $5.00 for the felt & then everything else I already had.  I even stuffed them with the fluff from an old pillow.}

My favorite thing is the heart that I added on the back.  That was my own sweet touch for my boys.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!!

from the creepy Scream guy, Batgirl, Spiderman, & Wolverine.

I barely finished my costume in time for the festivities.  I love trying to coordinate with the boys.  They loved my costume.

Mummy Shirt

Kaden's class wasn't allowed to wear their costumes to school this year.  Kaden was really bummed about it.  I remembered seeing a really cute Mummy Shirt tutorial over at Super Mom Moments.  I made it in no time last night using scraps from our donate pile.  When Kaden woke up & saw his new shirt...he was so excited.  I am so glad that I could make him smile & be excited to wear something to school...even if it isn't his costume.

Forgive Me...

It has been one of those months.  Now that Fall has hit...my little guy has been sick {as usual.}  Whenever the poor little guy gets a cold...he starts coughing & it never ends!  We have been up for nights doing breathing treatments, but ended up at the Dr. after a bit.  He is now on an antibiotic for a sinus infection & steriods & breathing treatments for his cough.  I can honestly say that I have been so exhausted that my fabric stash has sat untouched for about a month now.  My house isn't decorated for Halloween & it may not get decorated.  So, thank you for your patience & I will be back as soon as my little one is better.

It's a bird...It's a plane...

Nope!  It is Super Tooth!!!

I have had this idea bookmarked FOR.EV.ER!!!  I knew that Kaden had to be losing a tooth soon.  He has been waiting to have a loose tooth since Kindergarten last year.

This weekend, we were eating corn on the cob & Kaden started complaining that his teeth hurt.  He seemed a bit alarmed by the whole thing at first.  I felt his little tooth wiggle & I SCREAMED!!!  Yes, I was so excited that I actually screamed & grabbed his little face to give it a kiss.  Okay, enough of my story. 

Super Tooth is Kaden's new little tooth pillow.  The idea & tutorial are over at mmmcrafts.  The tooth's mouth is a little pocket to keep the new lost tooth in.  Then, the Tooth Fairy will leave the reward inside of the pocket.  I love this idea & it makes it easier for the Tooth Fairy.  There are different variations.  I saw a Tooth Marshall, a Tooth Officer, a cute Tooth Ballerina, & a Tooth Fairy.  I came up with the Super Tooth idea.  My boys are really into Super Heroes.  Another fun tooth pillow idea is a Tooth Pirate.  I let Kaden pick & he jumped right on the Super Tooth idea. 

Laptop case

Back in July, I saw a great tutorail to make a zippered laptop case from Crap I've Made.  {LOVE her blog by the way...the name enough is great!!!}  I have been planning on making it, but never really got around to it...until today!!!  I used minky inside to give my laptop a nice, cozy place to hang out.  I love the feel of that stuff {it reminds me of little man because his keke or blanket is made out of that}.  If I can do it...so can you!!!  The zipper was the only part that threw me off for a while {that is why picture tutorials are so great!!!}, but in the end it turned out great & now my laptop has a fun place to hang out in.  Now, I just need somewhere to take it!!!

Wahoo!!!!

Did you happen to see that my "If the shoe fits..." tutorial was FEATURED on Someday Crafts.  I feel so honored!!!  I love her blog & to be featured is such an honor! 

If the shoe fits tutorial

Here is the tutorial that I put together for my cute "If the shoe fits" witch legs!

Ok...I want to start out by saying that I really don't know what I am doing when it comes to sewing.  This is how I made it, but there are probably better ways out there.

You need:

4 pieces of black fabric {I used cotton} cut into a boot
2 pieces of colored fabric {mine is green} cut into 6 1/2 inches by 14 inches
12 1 inch x 6 1/2  strips of black knit to make the stripes

{not pictured...ribbon for hanging & stuffing to fill your legs & a little fun ribbon for the laces on the boots}

I pinned my 1 inch strips 1 inch apart on the green pieces.  Then I sewed the strips on using a zig zag stitch.

After the strips were sewn onto the green pieces...I cut each rectangle in half length wise.

I made sure to hem the raw edge of the top of the witch's boot.  Then I sewed one piece of the boot to one piece of the leg.  Now you will have 4 legs pieces.

{Now...I didn't take pictures....sorry!!!}

Pin your ribbon for hanging on the right side of one piece of the leg leaving it tucked down against the leg.  I cut my ribbon in half & just tied a bow to attach the two legs together.  Sew right sides together...leaving an opening to turn your leg right side out.  Do this to both legs.

Stuff each leg as full as you would like.  I just used the filling of an old pillow.  Sew up the opening.  I also used little strips of ribbon to make the laces on the boots.  I just hand sewed these on & then tied a little bow & hand sewed that on too.  Now you can hang up your cute witch legs.

On the wood sign...I just used an old sign that I had bought at the dollar store.  I painted it purple & then added the green dots with a round paint brush.  I wrote the words with a black sharpie!

I've linked up to

If the shoe fits...

I am so excited to have this finished.  It one idea that I have made my own & I love it.  I have seen wooden signs like this, but I knew it would be fun to make it out of fabric.  Here is the finished product.  I will post a tutorial soon!

Don't be Jealous...

There is something about the kids starting school & fall that gets me in the thrifting mood.  Today, I had a little downtime...so I stopped at Saver's {a thrift store right by my house}.  I found this GORGEOUS cake plate for $7.00.  It was upside down & a little hard to notice, but I did!  The base was separated from the top, but I knew with a little glue...she would be good as new.  I was SO excited {because my other cake plate had an untimely fall off the counter}!  Because this beauty was "broken", I was able to get it for $5.00.
A little E6000 & she is ready to hold all of my treats!  I can't wait to use it!!!  It isn't the best picture, but I resorted to taking the picture at night because I just had to share.

I am sure that there will be more "thrifting" posts in the near future!

Menu Planning

I have really been struggling with dinner lately.  I have every intention of cooking for the family, but I'll be honest...sometimes we eat cereal for dinner.  If you live in Utah...you may have heard of The Food Nanny.  My Mom & I met her at a fun craft fair called Swiss Days.  Her cookbook is amazing & she is really cute.  My Mom bought it & I have sampled some of her recipes.  YUM!!!  One thing that caught my eye was her Menu Plan.  I love the idea of having a "theme" for each day of the week.  She recommends that you plan two weeks worth of meals at a time.  I have done this for years & it makes a HUGE difference.  Those little jaunts to the store REALLY add up & I find myself wanting to just "go & grab something"!

I decided to make my own Menu Plan with my own "theme" nights.  I will post my theme category list in the next little bit.  My plan is to have a list of meals that my family enjoys for each "theme" night.  That way, I just have to consult my list to plan for each 2 week period.

Here is the Menu Plan that I made up with my theme nights listed.

and here is one without the theme nights listed so that you can write your own in.

Good Part/Bad Part

We are slowly getting into our routine now. There is one tradition that we started as a family about a year ago. It is a great way to get conversation started around the dinner table. {I have to give credit to my hubby for starting this in our family.}

Each night, as we eat dinner we tell about a good part & a bad part of our day. There are only a few of rules.

#1..No interrupting.
#2..You can have as many good parts as you want. However, when it comes to bad parts...you can't have more bad than good. So..for example...if you share 3 bad parts, then you MUST have at least 3 good parts.
#3..This goes along with #2.  You don't have to have a bad part, but you do have to have a good part.

The boys look forward this every night & sometimes they even start it before we can. I love that it gets them thinking about their day. It also helps them not be negative!

Chore Chart

I have been trying to get a chore chart up & running for months now. I have had two issues with my plans...{1} They get too complicated for my 4 & 6 year old and {2} I have no where to hang 2 chore charts on my walls. However, I do have a HUGE magnet board on my wall. I use the magnet board for school stuff & our smileys reward system. I decided that this would be a great place to stick their chore chart. You could also stick it on your fridge.



Here is what I came up with....




I printed out the "to do/done" chore chart {just click below}. I let the boys pick out some scrapbook paper & then I used double sided tape to stick the "to do/done" chore chart to the scrapbook paper.



I had purchased The Chore Chart Kit from The Ettes and Company. It is on sale right now for $3.00. You could also use clip art {that is what the shoe picture is}. I used the different chore items that I needed & just printed them out in color.

I bought some clear decorative stones that you can get at any craft store.



I was in a hurry & didn't do a tutorial, but it is pretty easy to do. I place the stone over the design & traced the stone around the design so I knew what size & shaped I needed. I did one stone to a design at a time because each stone is a little different. After I the traced circle shape out I put the Mod Podge on the FLAT side of the stone. When I put the Mod Podge on the design...it bled a little bit. Put the circle...design side up..onto the Mod Podged {is that a word?} stone. Let it dry. Use your hot glue gun & glue on a good sized magnet on the back & then you have your chores to be done.

Their chores are:

{bed} make your bed
{homework} do your homework
{toothbrush/toothpaste} brush your teeth
{books} 20 minute nightly reading
{dog} feed the dogs
{clothes} put your dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket
{shoes} put your shoes away
{toys} put your toes away

Each morning the chores start out on the "to do" side. As they do their chores...they get to move that magnet to the done side. I will give them a smiley for every chore that they did that day & they can redeem the smileys that they earned at the end of the week {as well as the smileys that they earned for good behavior}.

Moustache Bash

We had a fun & simple get together for my hubby's 30th birthday. I was nice & didn't make too big of deal out of the fact that he is 30 {only because I want the same done for me in a few years}. My favorite part of the party was our moustache photo booth. I used brown & black felt to make the moustaches. Then I glued them onto sticks. I just googled moustache silhouette in the images section to get different moustache templates.

I set up my camera & everyone had a blast. It was so much fun!

{I don't want to take the time to get everyone's permission to post this on the blog...so I will only post a few of the pictures, but you get the idea.}

Back on Schedule

Now that summer break is over, I feel like this is the perfect time to get back on a schedule. We had a crazy summer & I will admit that I totally slacked off on my domestic responsibilities. I am shocked at how little I cooked dinner..it was just easier to grab something or throw something simple together. So, I decided to set up a few goals of what I would like to accomplish in our new schedule.

*I will cook a real meal 3-4 times a week. {It is pathetic that this is a goal.}
*The boys will be in bed by 8:00 PM. {Our routine will begin at 7:30 PM.}
*The boys will be responsible to do chores. {SIMPLE chore chart coming soon...}
*We will resume the smiley system. {If you don't know what I am talking about...you can look here. I just need to refill our reward box.}
*Preston & I will work on different learning activities on the days when he doesn't have preschool.

I hope that by posting this...I will be held to keep my goals. Plus, I will be posting more recipes here & more kid activities over on Mommy-Guru. I hope to have my VERY simple chore chart posted on Wednesday. I just have a couple of supplies to pick up.

Biohazard

Hello, my name is Tiffany & I am addicted to freezer paper stencilling.

I am a bit obsessed with making the boys cute freezer paper stencilled shirts. I think one reason is because there are so many cute things to do for girls, but not as much for boys. I saw a REALLY cute boys shirt over at Crap I've Made. She used a Silhouette to cut out the design, but I don't have one...so I cut it out by hand. You can check out my tutorial if you want to know how to do it.

Over the summer I bought Preston a really cute outfit, but after one washing the shirt shrunk so much that I gave it to may nephew who is a year old. I have been looking for a shirt to match the cute plaid shorts that have been sitting in his drawer. When I saw the shirt from Crap I've Made...I knew that this would be the shirt to match Preston's shorts. So...here is the finished product....



I used the image below...

More Shirts...

I am having so much fun with the freezer paper stencilling. We went to Moab & I made the boys shirts to wear. The shirt says "I make dirt look good." Kaden's isn't pictured because he got sick on the way to the trail.



Then, I saw these cute "tombot" dingbat fonts & let the boys each pick their design. I downloaded them for freeeeeee from Fonts.com. I just searched tombots & tombats. There are some really fun things to choose from. I got the little "+" design off of picnik, but I resorted back to photoshop. It is just easier for me! If you want to know more about freezer paper stencilling check out my tutorial.

The boys were nice enough to pose for me! Today was a lucky picture day!!!





Here are the templates that I made for their shirts...just in case you want to use them.

The Last Days of Summer...

The last few weeks of summer have been absolutely amazing!! We have spent some time at Bear Lake...



& then a few days later...we were off to Moab! I love Utah!!



Things will resume shortly! I have been going crazy with freezer paper stencils & I am in the process of making quilts for the boys' beds.

I'll be back...

School is going to be starting in a few weeks, so I have plans to make the best of the last of our summer vacation. I will be back at the beginning of September.

A Super Party!!!

As I mentioned before...I am trying to simplify birthday parties. Our superhero party wasn't SUPER simple, but when I went the extra mile...it was for the kids. We made capes & masks out of felt for all of the kids. That was a hit! I had the capes, masks, letters, & the emblem ready to go. Each kid got to pick their color of cape & letter...then we glued them on with fabric glue.



Then, we had an obstacle course for our "Super Hero Training". They loved the obstacle course. We had a slide, hula hoops, a balance beam, & some tunnels for the kids to climb through. They LOVED it!!!



So, part of my "simplify" plan was to order cupcakes from Sam's Club. I have done this before & they are tasty & pretty cheap. I ordered red, royal blue, & bright yellow. My sweet Dad picked them up for me while I finished some things at home. When they arrived...I had a box of pastel pink, yellow, & blue cupcakes. Uh...not what every 6 year old boy wants at his birthday party. I think it bothered me a bit more than Kaden...however Preston refused to eat a pink frosted cupcake. Oh well, Sam's Club is going to make it right...so I can't complain too much. It just didn't do much for my presentation! I forgot to get a picture of all of the cupcakes before we ate them...so here they are after the fact!



I made a fun banner out of felt that I can reuse. I am going to make one for each family member.



Here is another picture of the banner & the party stuff. I love the colors!!!


I made some cute "POW!!!" & "BAM" designs to put on the goodie bags.



The biggest design went on the front & the little design went on the back to seal up the fold. You could print them out using stickers or print them on regular cardstock & use tape.

Embrace the Retro

I live in a house built back in 1948. We remodeled parts of the house, but the kitchen stayed the same. I have hated the look of my kitchen from day one. I have FINALLY come to accept that my kitchen is what it is. I have decided to embrace the 1950s kitchen. I have lived here for almost 2 years & have no curtains on my windows. SHAME!!! So, I decided to make a valance for my windows & embrace the retro.

I have NO idea what I was doing. I just kind of went with it. I knew I wanted the curtains to have a ruffle, but not sure if I wanted it on the top or the bottom. At first, I thought that I wanted ties to hang the curtains, but decided against it. So, here they are.

I LOVE the ruffle on the bottom. It makes me happy! I think that I captured the retro, but they are also a little modern.