Everyone likes to hear that they are loved. This past Yule, I decided to surprise my husband with this simple and inexpensive gift. I began with 51 circles punched out of cardstock. I then used a 1/16th hole punch to punch holes by which to string them together. When everything was attached, I sat down... Continue Reading →
A great addition to any Harry Potter fan's dress up trunk is an invisibility cloak. One of the deathly hallows, the invisibility cloak, by definition, renders the wearer invisible - a handy thing to have when battling evil forces, sneaking around Hogwarts, or playing make believe. Traditionally, my children have grabbed whatever was handy to use... Continue Reading →
My 9 year old worked hard this Fall, helping a neighbor clear out tree limbs from a tree that had needed trimmed. When we realized the neighbor didn't want the limbs anymore, he asked if he could have them for a project. He wanted to make some tree blocks for his brother and sisters for... Continue Reading →
The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference by Gail Damerow comes out in a couple of weeks. As the title implies, it's written in encyclopedia/dictionary format with topics alphabetized. It may seem strange to sit down to read an encyclopedia for entertainment puposes (unless you share genes with me), but I found the book to be quite... Continue Reading →
My decision to knit a turtle last Fall was followed a couple of days later by my 4 year old's announcement that turtles were cool and he wouldn't mind having a toy turtle. The idea grew in my mind but it wasn't until the week before Yule that I finally got around to knitting this cute... Continue Reading →
My children have been patiently waiting for snow in order to make a snowman, sled, build an igloo, and build an arsenal of snowballs with which to surprise their father. It hasn't been forthcoming. So, one weekend as I set about making pancakes for everyone, I decided to surprise them with snowman pancakes. My husband... Continue Reading →
A repurposed frame was perfect for some family art. A free form tree outline provided the backdrop for handprints of our family in different colours. Below each handprint is the person's name, so that we can look back and remember. It needed a finishing touch, so I added Our Love Grows.
With a new year looming, many people are looking to organize their homes. My children came to me with a request for 2012. They wanted to order Motivated Moms. We haven't used Motivated Moms in a couple of years, but they liked the system so well that they wanted to reimplement it. Motivated Moms has daily,... Continue Reading →
Photo by Rob Howells Boxing Day isn't celebrated much in the States. It started out long ago as the day when wealthy land owners would give supplies to their workers for the following year. Hundreds of years later, the day has turned into a day to think of others - those who are less fortunate or... Continue Reading →
I've always known about orange pomanders. They were once used as air fresheners during the winter, a time when bathing was limited. I'm certain I even heard about my mother making them as a little girl. However, until recently I had never made an orange pomander. I bought a bunch of oranges and bulk cloves... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 