Tutorial Tuesday - Ruffled Skirt from Pants or Shorts

Eden has hit that stage when she just wants to wear skirts all the time. Forget dresses or even pants, she could live in a skirt. The problem? She only has one. So, I thought it would be fun to make her some skirts.

When looking through her clothes, I found a pair of shorts that someone gave us. She has TONS of shorts and I thought these would be a good beginning to a really cute skirt. I had bought some fabric on sale and realized it would actually match.

Voila!

This is what I came up with (without buying anything new - I love that!)

Do you want to make one too? Come on, you KNOW you do!

Here is what you'll need:

• A pair of shorts or pants that fit your child in the waist and bum
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 yard of fabric
• Thread
• Measuring Tape
  
• Scissors
• Embellishments (ribbon, buttons, whatever)
• Sewing Machine

Project Time: approximately 30-45 minutes (if you have done some sewing and know how to baste or gather, a bit longer for a beginner)


Start out by cutting the shorts or pants above the crotch (you can measure your child down from the waist and determine how long you want this part of the skirt to be).


Next, measure the fabric for the rest of the length of the skirt (however long you want your skirt to be minus however long the cut off shorts are plus a one-inch seam allowance).

Now, cut the full width of the fabric (45") at that length.
Now, finish the edge of both your shorts and the fabric (I used my serger but you can zig zag on your sewing machine if you don't have a serger).
Next, connect your fabric by sewing the two "short" edges together (right sides together - so the seam is on the "inside").

Now baste along the finished edge of the fabric. This is so that you can pull the thread to create a gathered ruffle. You'll want to set your stitch length to a high number (I did 4.5). A longer stitch length makes gathering easier.

Now, gather your fabric by pulling on one thread. If you want a more detailed tutorial on gathering, see here.
Once you have your fabric gathered to the right length (to fit your top piece), pin it (right sides facing) to the top piece and then sew into place (don't forget to move your stitch length to normal).
Now hem the bottom (hint: I used the finished edge of my fabric and so I didn't have to hem). You may embellish with ribbon or whatever and you are done!

Tutorial Tuesday - Reusable Coloring Pages

This is a REAL simple tutorial.

What you'll need:
Printed Coloring Pages*
Card Stock
Scissors
Glue
Laminate


All you do is

1. Print out coloring pages.
   
2. Glue coloring pages to each side of the card stock.
   
3. Laminate.

Let your child color with regular crayons.

Wipe the crayon away with a tissue or cloth.

Color again.

Rinse, repeat.

I told you this was easy!

*I printed the coloring pages from the new nursery manual. You can find them here. Click on the right picture column (there are usually two pictures, a painting or photo and then a coloring page, the coloring page is usually the one to the right). These are what I take to supposedly entertain Eden during Sacrament Meeting. It doesn't always work. Eden doesn't understand why she shouldn't provide commentary through Sacrament Meeting the way she does the rest of her life. I'm so glad that I encouraged her to have good verbal skills by giving her a running commentary for the first year of her life. Now I will spend the next many years listening to her running commentary. Smart, I am.

Tutorial Tuesday - Dressing Cube

I wanted to have some fun toy to help Eden learn her "dressing" skills. After looking online for different toys I came up with the idea to create my own dressing cube. There are lots of tutorials out there to help you make a block so I won't be redundant. You can look here or here or here for that.

So, now that you've looked over those tutorials and understand how to make a cube (or block) I will show you how I made a dressing cube.

1. I made a list of the skills I wanted to teach: zipper, buttons, snaps, tie, velcro, etc.

2. I cut out 6 squares (mine are 9 inches squared) using a canvas black fabric I just had on hand.

3. I looked through old clothes (hers and mine) for items that could be repurposed.

4. I found this fleece jacket with HUGE buttons. Eden loved this jacket last fall but it is too small now. I cut out the middle section then pinned it to one square. I sewed a seam on each side (so the middle is still open unless buttoned shut.
5. I found this pair of pants that were well-worn but that have a button, zipper, and tie. It also has great pockets so that was an added bonus. I cut out the section I wanted to use and sewed it onto one of the canvas squares. It is sewn on the bottom and along the sides but the top is open.6. I found this shirt of mine that was well-worn and headed for the garbage. It has a great zipper - I especially like the pull on the zipper. I cut out the section I wanted and serged (you could zig zag) around it so it wouldn't fray. Then I sewed it on one of the canvas squares.
7. For the velcro pieces I decided to use felt and cut out my daughter's initials. I first made a pattern for the letters.

8. Next, I sewed the scratchy side of the velcro onto the "extremities" of the letters.
9. I did a zig zag around the part of the letter that would be open and then I pinned the "base" onto my canvas squares. I zig zagged the base on so it was secure. Then I sewed the soft side of Velcro on to the right spots on the canvas square. The picture below shows how the stem of the K (the straight line) is secured to the square while the arm and leg are loose unless fastened with the velcro. (The reason you want to put the scratchy side on the felt is because if it is on the square, it will snag the felt and create problems.)
10. For the last square I needed to present snaps. I thought it would be fun to make some flowers and so I made some yo yos (see tutorials here, here, or here) and fastened some ribbon to them and then one part of the snap on the back. Then I cut out some felt grass and sewed it on to the canvas square - leaving the top part open (forming a pocket of sorts). Then I fastened the other end of the ribbon (stem) inside the pocket. Finally, I sewed the other part of the snap onto the canvas square in the appropriate places. This makes a cute little flower garden. The flowers can be inside the grass pocket and then "grow" up and be snapped into place.

Here is a picture of the final block. Eden is quite proud of it and is learning her dressing skills.

Let me know if you have any questions. Also leave suggestions for how this can be adapted. Have fun!

Tutorial Tuesday - Musical Squares

If you have a laminator (or access to one)
and if you have a toddler or preschooler (and therefore not much time), then
this is a project for
you!

Materials List:

• Several (you determine the number) pieces of cardstock cut to squares (approx. 6" x 6")
• Glue
• Desired Images (found on the internet, made by yourself, cut out of a magazine, etc.)
• Laminator
• Source of Music
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Decide what you want to teach your child.
   
2. Find images that will meet your need (shapes, letters, numbers, colors, etc. - see suggestions below).
3. Cut cardstock to squares.
4. Glue images to cardstock. (Suggestion: use both sides, I did shapes on one side and vowels on the other thereby getting two games out of one.)
5. Laminate cards.
6. Trim laminate as needed.
7. Turn on the music.
8. Dance.
9. Stop the music and call out an image (e.g. "Triangle!") and watch your toddlers scramble to find the right card to stand on.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 until everyone is tired and ready for a nap.

I know, it sounds simple but toddlers LOVE it and it is a great way to teach. Depending on what you are trying to teach your child, you can put various images* on the game pieces. You can find free clip art online by simply doing a search such as "triangle clip art" and then click on "images" when the results pop up.

*Some Ideas for different types of cards:

• Alphabet Cards
• Various Animal Cards
• Number Cards
• Shape Cards
• Color Cards
• Scripture Cards (images from different scripture stories)
• My Family Cards (pictures of different family members: aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
• Simple Word Cards (CAT, DOG, HAT, etc. - you could include an image of the item too)

Another variation is to layer your images so that you have a yellow card with a cat and a "C" on it. That way you can call out the color, the animal, or the letter.

Be creative and share your ideas in the comment section.

P.S. Any wonderful suggestions for how I can clean up that fireplace (seen in the video)? We haven't used it and it is driving me nuts!

Internet Romance

I found a new site that I think I may want to start dating. I don't think I'm ready for an exclusive relationship with it, but we will definitely be hanging out!

Check it out here!

What do we need to do?

Each day after Eden wakes up from her nap, we go outside and get the mail. Today Phil got her up from her nap and so I thought it would be interesting to see if she remembered our routine.

Me: "Now that you are done with your nap, what do we need to do?"
Eden: "toot."

And then she did.

Heidi, I try to do'd it

Just now I was in my bathroom curling my hair (cuz it is like 2:30 and it just seemed like time to do that). Eden had just gotten up from her nap and was in the other room. Then I heard this:

"Heidi, Heidi, Heidi!"

I hollered so that she would know where to find me. In she walked and said,

"Heidi, potty. Heidi, I try to do'd it."

And so she sat on the potty. She watched the poo poo go away and said, "bye-bye poo."

An exciting day!

The fine print is this: she had already poo'd in her diaper and I just emptied the contents into the toilet after she sat on the pot for a minute. She did flush it and wave goodbye to the poo. As I was putting a new diaper on her she said, "I do'd it again, more." I think we are just that much closer to the real experience.

I'm not sure why she called me "Heidi" she does that once in a while...

"NO!"

Scene: Bamamoma and the Bambino are in their kitchen eating lunch. They are having very tasty (leftover) stroganoff and steamed carrots. Bamamoma looks over and notices that the Bambino is holding her plate in a vertical fashion and all the food is sliding down and splatting on the kitchen floor.

Bamamoma: "No, no please. We do not drop food on the floor. Now we will have to clean up that mess."

Bamamoma continues to eat her food and then when she is done she makes a PB & honey sandwich for the Bambino. She hands her the sandwich and the Bambino acts with great excitement. She then pulls the two pieces apart (as is her way) so that she now has two open-faced sandwich pieces. She then holds each of them past her tray and over the floor. She holds them there and makes eye contact with Bamamoma.

Bamamoma: "Don't you drop that sandwich, you eat it."

Bambino: (maintaining eye contact) "NO!"

fade to black

Mispronouncificationly Speaking

I was listening to a podcast of This American Life in which several contributors were sharing funny stories about things they believed in their childhood which they continued to believe into adulthood.

One woman thought that unicorns were as real as zebras or dinosaurs. While at a party, a group of her friends were discussing the plight of various endangered species. She spoke up and asked, "yeah, is the unicorn endangered or already extinct?" A moment of silence followed, and then great laughter, followed by another moment of silence when they all realized she had been serious.

Another woman thought that crossing signs (shown as X-ing - like Deer X-ing) were "Xing" (pronounced "zing") signs. She was with a colleague and saw several geese cross the street. She informed the colleague that they should "really put a xing sign here, don't you think?"

It made me think of some of the misunderstandings (usually dealing with mispronouncing things) I've run into (or had myself).

One of my younger brothers saw the reception center at which my sister's wedding reception had been held. He asked my mom, "isn't that where Merilee and Calvin had their conception?"

I had a companion on my mission say, "Your dad is an institute teacher so you know the scriptures pretty well. Can you tell me what a shameno is?" "A shameno? I've never heard of it, where did you hear it?" "Well, in that song, which I thought was from scripture, you know the one that goes 'by this shameno ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.'"

When I was younger I was fairly concerned that perhaps I wasn't a child of God. Every day I would check my knees to see if they had turned gray yet. I surmised that they only turned gray after sufficient time on those knees in prayer. I wondered and wondered when my praying would turn my knees gray so that I could be considered a child of God. You know, "I am a child of God, and so my knees are gray." It was much later that I realized that my "needs" were "great."

So, please, do share. What funny stories of this sort do you have tumbling around in your past?

Not gonna do it...

Remember this post about the things I just don't do around the house? Well, this is a related post.

Phil is a fabulous dad and husband. He ably and willingly takes care of dirty diapers, food messes, and even boogers.* However; there are a few things that Phil just hasn't been able to tackle quite yet.

1. You won't catch Phil cleaning the earwax out of Eden's ears.
2. Although he attempted it once, Phil does not cut Eden's nails.
3. Phil will not be the one who will stand by and watch Eden hurt herself (even just a little) just so that she can learn a lesson. (When she is playing with the kitchen or dresser drawers -opening and shutting them - it about kills him because he is sure she is going to slam her fingers shut in the drawer.)**
   

When you figure everything that must be done for a small child, it is really an impressively short list.















*This is a complete surprise to all who know Phil - especially himself. Probably the biggest fear he had about having a baby around was the whole idea of snot and boogers. One time (before Eden was born) we were at my parent's house and I was in another room. I rejoined the gang and realized that Phil was missing. I found him downstairs gagging. He had tried to be the hero and wipe my nephew's nose. He just couldn't do it without dry heaving.

**Phil can't stand young children to be in pain. I'm still not completely sure if this aversion is due to his empathy or the annoying noise most pained children make. One time his niece was playing with a candle and burned her finger. She began to howl. Phil couldn't take it and had to leave the care-giving to his brother Ken so that he could leave the area - away from the sounds of her pain.

Anticipation (is keeping me way-ay-ay-y-ting)

I think I may have mentioned that my little girl LOVES food. When she sees food that she likes (and she likes MOST food) she gets pretty excited. So, here is the scene yesterday...

Location: LDS Chapel with about 75 members in attendance
Setting: Sacrament Meeting

Eden and I are sitting on the third or fourth row and to the left side. Phil is on the stand directly in front of us. We've had the announcements, opening hymn and prayer, branch business, Sacrament hymn and prayer, and things are going pretty well. Then the young men begin to walk toward us with the sacramental bread. Eden begins to quiver with excitement. But wait! What is this? The young men have stopped at the end of the pews to wait for President Thornton to receive the bread. This is more than a one-year old can take! The quivering body cannot contain the anticipation any longer. THIS must be vocalized. And so, she begins to grunt-pant-gasp in loud pulsating moans. All eyes (and smiles) are now directed toward us. My face turns red. Her hands are outstretched and (still trembling) grasping for the bread as it is finally brought to our pew. At last that longed-for moment has arrived. Having received her one piece of bread, she is quite content. She doesn't complain that she only gets one. Her world is now at peace once again.

That is, until the sacramental water begins to make its way toward us...

Dress Up Day

Erin and Kendal came over today for a dress up party. When I was single and had more means and opportunity, I made (and bought) a bunch of costumes. It is always fun to see them get used (usually by Eden's cousins). I look forward to when Eden will be dressing up in these.

Erin the Clown:

Kendal the Darling Witch:

Eden gets into it:

Kendal the Cowgirl:

Erin the Country Western Star:

Army Ranger Kendal:

Very Stylish:

Silly Clown:

Lady Bug Kendal:

A 3 Year Old Explains...

Today on RadioWest, Doug Fabrizio was interviewing Howard Berkus about the press conference yesterday with President Monson. They talked about the church's stand on women and the Priesthood. It made me think that perhaps the church could use my 3 year old nephew to help explain things (see the last paragraph on my SIL's post).