Finally!

More Car Cozies and Advent Vinyl Kits (everything you need except a magnetic pan or board)  are coming to my etsy...many of you had special requests, and I have a limited number, so if you were someone who contacted me about either of those, can you send me an email- see sidebar for new email- and I'll reserve one for you! Thanks!

2 Months

photo: baby at almost 5 months old now

2 months ago this little guy was only out of surgery one month.

I thought everything would be fine until the next surgery- a few years from then.

2 months ago we were told he had to go back to the hospital for 2 weeks.

2 months ago I wasn't sure what was going to happen with my little boy.

2 months ago I thought everything would be O.K.

Now I worry about every move I make with this sweet little guy.

I don't want him back in the hospital. ☻

2 months ago we did not owe that much in medical bills.

Now we have more co-pays and bills than we ever thought possible.

2 months ago I thought I knew who my friends were.

Now I know- people came from everywhere bringing us food, offering to help watch the kids, etc.

I still have a full heart from that, and cannot thank them enough.

2 months ago I was upset that my house was always a mess.

It still is a mess, but I am grateful to be at home and to have a house to live in.

2 months ago I could not wait to quit nursing. (it isn't my favorite.)

Now I don't know when I'll quit- since this little guy needs me- I'll sacrifice for him.

2 months ago, losing weight and making craft crap was all I thought about.

Now I am thankful for  each day that baby is healthy and  that I am able to be a mommy to my sweet 3 little boys. Perspective is a wonderful thing.

2 months ago, I loved my family. I loved being a mommy.

Now I not only love it, I treasure each moment, and thank my Heavenly Father more each day, for the wonderful opportunity to be called MOM.

yeah, I was having a moment where I just wanted to hug my kids, and husband-if he was home- and just count my blessings. Home + Family = Wonderful.

Napkin Rings- {Indian Corn}

This is a fun craft kids can do with mom, which can help decorate your Thanksgiving table. (I saw something similar in a magazine years ago.)

Indian Corn Napkin Rings:

You need:

felt- small squares

assorted buttons

popsicle/craft sticks

twine

scissors

glue

Instructions:

Lay out 6 popsicle sticks on a felt square. Cut the felt slightly larger. Glue the sticks to the felt. (I used hot glue- which was a little messy- and obviously you would not let a child use.)

Pick out fall colored buttons- yellow, brown, orange, etc.

Lay out the buttons on the sticks in a random order.

Carefully glue the buttons to the sticks.

When dry, attach twine to the back side on both ends, so that it can tie around the napkin. (I glued a button over the twine where it attached to the felt, to help hold it in place.)

Wrap around napkins, tie, and enjoy a pretty little fall napkin ring.

This is a great craft for the little ones to assist with- they can sort the buttons, and use their small motor skills to place the buttons on the sticks. If you use hot glue- don't let the children touch-(obviously). Glue dots would be perfect for putting on the buttons, but might not hold up as well, and you wouldn't want a loose button around your food. ☻

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Treats Kids Can Make

Here are a few ways to use up some of your Halloween Candy (if you still have some around) and make some fun Thanksgiving Treats- that the kids can decorate.

ABOVE: Pumpkin Muffins (we even used a real pumpkin we never carved, for the pumpkin) and decorate like a turkey using toothpicks, candy, marshmallows, raisins, craisins, frosting

Above: Native American Tee pee Treat- using an ice cream cone covered in frosting, and leftover candy

And my son thought it was so much fun to make these, that the next day he made his own his way- candy corns, frosting, and a muffin equals turkey ;)

Car Throw Pillows

I have an obsession with throw pillows. I have them on everything. (It drives my husband crazy.)  Lots of them. And I can't throw my old ones away, because I could recover those things someday. So that is what I did.

Here is what these looked like before:

(Mickey Mouse from my school-teaching days- I had a Disney-themed classroom for several years...)

And now these have been remade to look like these:

Yes, I know it went from 2 pillows to 4, because I recovered some other ones too. I found these perfect duvet covers with cars at Ikea, and had to get them.  And the fabric that matched too- with smaller cars on it. (the backs of the pillows have this fabric on them.) The wood bed will eventually be navy blue, and the walls will eventually be tan or something....it is a work in progress. But I think the bedding looks better already! AAHHH the beauty of throw pillows! LoVe them!
p.s. more car cozies coming soon....and when they are gone, they will be gone for a while. (meaning I will be out of car fabrics for the time being and have other Christmas stuff to work on and make. ☻ ☻ ☻)

Turkey Fun for Kids {from the Archives}

      Coffee Filter Turkeys

Turkey Pancakes

Veggies and Biscuits

Turkey Sticker Art

The Turkey with the Terrible Temper (story)

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

I must say, I was skeptical, when I saw this featured on Make and Takes. So when I was at the grocery store, I bought some regular old popcorn and brought it home. When I told my husband about this, we had to try it that instant.( He likes these experiment type  of things.. ☻) We made homemade microwave popcorn-all by ourselves. This was featured on yummy site called Snack Snoop.

When I taught 6th grade, I learned all about microwave popcorn, and that the bag has a heating element that makes it pop. Well a brown paper bag does not have a heating element in it, so you would think that it wouldn't work. Surprise! It works! (The spots you see on the bag are from the little bit of butter I put in the bag- don't do that...wait until after it is popped.)

Here is what we did:

We put 1/4 cup corn kernels in a brown paper bag and taped it shut.

Next we put it in the microwave- the flatter side down, and put the microwave on popcorn setting.

Almost all the kernels popped!

We next added brown sugar, and some margarine to the bag and shook it up. This made caramel corn-which is in the picture. Snack Snoop mentions all kinds of seasonings you can put on it. Talk about a great and easy healthy affordable treat!

Next microwave experiment: putting a string of Christmas lights in the microwave- sounds dangerous- but I saw it on Rachael Ray and they got all twinkly and lit up...not sure if I'm brave enough to try that though...