Free preschool learning tools!

 

I am not sure where I got this idea from. I think it is a mix of pintrest idea and my own stingy nature to do things for free!

They are reading sticks! Very easy to make and a great way to get your child over the “sounding out every letter ‘til they forget what the whole word sounded like" stage! Yea, you know! That stage!

 

All you need to make this is a paint stick (free at the hardware store) A paint chip with wholes in it (compliments of Lowes) a magic marker and string! (Painting the stick is optional. I used acrylic for mine. One could also spray paint)

My 4 year old loves them. And my 2 year old! They are great for car trips!

  

Oh, and while you are at the store grab some larger cards and turn them into a color book for you learning-colors child! I love free!

Everything is better…with a little formalness!

 

I few month ago I got a package of invites in a bag of stuff purchased at the thrift store. I tried to sell them but they aren’t quite the latest in invite fashions. So I held on to them waiting for an inspirational idea to hit me!

Then, while patching the knee of a pair of Jeans (while they were still on me!) I thought of it! What if I get friends together for a sewing party? Actually it will be more of a patch party! So that is what I did. I called it “Sew Sweet plus Handkerchief Gal” Since most of my friends are very sweet and well, then there is me. I’m blessed. I know!

 

 

The set came with 20 invites, bows, sleeves, envelopes and online templates to print it all. Including the front and back of the envelopes!

I figured the rather “formal” wording and invitations might make it a tad more fun! I will do some baking for it and have some tea as well. I’ll try to take pictures if it all turns out!

Man Apron photo tutorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

Cold, wet and “I don’t feel so good” days.

 

Well, my hubs got to go back to work today and I’m home with the kids. I really need to do some grocery shopping. I mean like we are out of butter and almost out of flour and sugar kind of need. However, I think I might fall over if I try to do that so I’m staying home and we can just live off hot chocolate. I’m pretty sure I did that as a young tike and it work so I know we will succeed. At least until my mom catches us…well, that is what happened to me before.

Anyway! I needed something to keep the older two (ages 4 and 2) entertained while I got caught up on the laundry and dishes. Well, I’m not caught up but they were entirely entertained! At least while I was making it!

 

We, like so many other American family’s received a train set for Christmas. I found someone selling more of the peices for $10 on Craigslist and added them. We now have a nice size train set and my son goes through phases of playing with it. Right now he is in a phase of reading books. Probably because our awesome new behind-the-door bookshelf my husband made!

I don’t know what made me thing of doing this. We haven’t ever set the train set up on the table but this time was special so this is what we did:

 

  

Now if your son is anythign like mine then you know that 5 inches of that road with the yellow lines can entertain for up to 1 hour! He loved it! And then we went outside to get plants and our “wood pile” the bulldozer is moving so it was personalize it a touch more.

99 cent swimsuit makeover

 

See these swim suits?

I remember purchasing a Lands End swim suit when I was a teen. I think I paid AT LEAST over $40 for it.

The printed one is a Target brand. I got it for 99 cents on sell day at my thrift store.

The brown one came with bottoms and was also 99 cents. It turned out to be Banana Republic! Score!

The problem is that the neck line is a touch to low for my liking on the brown suit. So I was going to run to the thrift store and get another suit I could cut up. But realizing that on that day it would cost me a couple of bucks for a suit, at the minimum, I took a 2nd look at the floral suit.

 

Yep. I cut it up. I thought I might regret it but it was only 99 cents. And right now my just-had-a-baby body doesn’t fit anything quite right so I’m not even sure how well this fit me!

I cut the back completely off. I used the top part of the back so I wouldn’t have to hem anything.

I eyeballed it then pinned it in.

 

I didn’t cut the material until I sewed it just so if it didn’t work out I’d have extra material to fix it.  

Yes, I sewed it by hand. The sewing machine I had is out of whack and I just plain don’t have room for another sewing machine in my house!

 

 

I tried on the almost finished project and used my imagination on how it would  fit next summer when I’m almost done nursing.

The inside was a little rough but since this is just for me I don’t mind! 

It turned out pretty well I think!

Laundry room Touch up- Stain remover list

I saw this posting from i heart organizing and got inspired by the her stain chart that she got from Martha Stewart and framed to add to her laundry room.

I have a very small laundry room but I thought turning a stain chart into a wall hanging would be a nice touch!
I got rid of all our frames lately so I only had one to use for this. I thought about waiting until garage selling tomorrow and seeing what I could find but, well, the kids were down for a nap and it was good timing. Sometimes waiting means not getting it done.
I first had to find the right background for my frame. I plan on repainting the laundry room in either a orange or yellow or maybe green…not sure yet. But I figured I can change the color of the background paper there. These were some of my options. It is a whole pile of 12x12 paper I found in someone’s trash. Yes. Can you believe it?

I made my selection and printed off the stain chart (which I adapted for my use by removing some cleaning stains that I never deal with). I also used a fun font.


I glued it to the deco paper and then decided that since my frame is rather thin and delicate I should add something. I opened up my ribbons and found a modest yellow.

I just used stick glue to glue the paper as well as the ribbon on to the background.

It needed a touch more so I pulled out my buttons. I got the little jar of these from the above pictures at Michael’s store for $1. Every size green button imaginable!

I used glue spots that I had on hand and added the buttons to the corners.

Ta-da! It actually fit in the frame with the glass, Which I wanted to remain due to the humidity pressures in that room. Maybe someday I will make this and laminate it before adding the buttons.

One last thing. I added a ribbon to the back by sewing it on.


I added a knot to keep the frame from tilting. I liked the outcome.





It is a little squished in there, as you can see with this picture below.

I also would like to have found a way to cut the glue dots down since they oozed over the smaller buttons.

Hope this inspires someone else! And thank you I Heart Organizing for the great idea!

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