Rub a dub dub.

My kids love bath time, but sometimes we don't get around to it until everyone is cranky. I usually have some tricks on hand to help us get through without meltdowns.

1. Little pellets from the dollar store that dissolve and reveal a little sponge creature.
2. Baking soda and Epsom Salt, otherwise known as "Bath Sugar" and "Bath Crystals". They create a chemical reaction when mixed with a little water. I haven't done it yet, but I'm going to try a drop of food coloring with this sometime.
3. Store bought tub entertainment like finger paints or tablets that tint the water color. Since these are usually a little expensive, I really don't use them all too often so they remain a novelty.
4. I read this idea here. Freeze little toys in water using ice cube trays, or small containers, and let the kids play with them as they melt.
5. I get cheap shaving cream and let the kids spread it around on the glass shower door. They draw things and make designs in it. This is great for when kids are learning the alphabet, or to practice their spelling words. (Of course this is for the kids that are old enough to keep it away from their eyes.)

What tricks do you use?

SewMamaSew Giveaway Day

Head over to SewMamaSew for their May Giveaway Day. There are tons of links to blogs who are giving something away. Usually a comment is all it takes to enter, and you'll find some great new blogs/ideas too!

Hand Prints and Silhouettes

I've seen some wall art ideas around that use your children, and end up being wonderful mementos to add to your Family History. I'm going to use one of the hand print ideas, and include mine and my husband's too. They could even be turned into pillows or small quilts and given as Grandparents' gifts. (Click on the titles under the first two pictures to go to the tutorials.)

Appliqued Hand print



Embroidered Hand prints

Silhouettes

(Picture from here)

I first read about on these on NieNie's Blog . She re does them every year. I can't remember if she says what she does with the old ones but I would preserve them and put them in the children's scrapbooks or memorabilia boxes. I've seen a few ideas like this that I wish I would have known about when my oldest was young. Here are a couple of different tutorials that I found on how to do the silhouettes. This one is cute with the patterned paper as the background. Here is another one that I think is very clear and simple, this is the method I'm going to try.

Here is another great idea for preserving memories of your children. I'm going to do this one either at the beginning of each new school year, or on their birthdays.

Pan**a Bread Recipes

I had a great salad from Pan*ra today so I tried searching for a copycat recipe on Google. It pulled up a link to where Pan*ra lists recipes. The one I was looking for wasn't listed but there are some good ones so check 'em out.

This is what I found for the copycat recipe. I can't wait to try it and am really hoping that it's close.

Fuji Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

6 cups mixed field greens (such as arugula, radicchio, curly endive, etc.)

1-1/2 cup cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken breast

1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 oz. apple chips Tomato and onion slices

For Apple White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I'm going to try fresh instead.)

1/3 cup olive oil

*I added the astrix to try to cut down on traffic from search engines. I tried to disable it in my settings and it didn't help. Sorry if it annoys you!

Quilting Tutorials

I've been searching for ideas for a new quilt to start, and have found lots of good information along my way. I'm too lazy right now to add pictures and make this post cute, please don't hold it against me.

Quilt-a-long: 6 week tutorial, start to finish
http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com/

Squares:
http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-dana-wonky-log-cabin-block-tutorial.html
http://quiltsatcs.blogspot.com/2007/04/disappearing-9-patch-tutorial.html
http://sometimescrafter.blogspot.com/2008/02/disappearing-9-patch.html

Quilt Tops:
http://www.purlbee.com/zig-zag-quilt/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/9918836/Colorful-Coins-Quilt-Pattern
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2009/01/orange-quilt-dimensions.html
http://quilttaffy.blogspot.com/2009/03/showered-with-love.html
http://kellymccaleb.typepad.com/photos/quilt_kit_instructions/index.html

Binding:
http://www.heatherbaileydesign.com/HB_QuiltBinding.pdf

Stippling:
http://www.thimbleblossoms.com/Thimble_Blossoms/Thimble_Blossoms_Home/Thimble_Blossoms_Home_files/StipplingTutorial.pdf

A very complete tutorial for a simple patchwork quilt, from start to finish.
http://tashahorsley.typepad.com/photos/patchwork_quilt_instructi/img_0243_2.html

Fabric Flowers Again!

OK- I was so excited to see Tip Junkie do a post of Fabric Flower Tutorials today. I've linked to a couple already in my previous posts, but there are some new ones too. Check em out.

Home Dec.

Are you looking for decorating ideas for you home? Check out this site where they are doing home tours every Friday. They've already done kitchens and living/family rooms, and next week is kids' rooms. I've found some great things I want to do.

If you are interested in other home dec. inspiration, (Like I mentioned before, I try, but I'm really not good at it, I really need ideas from others.) here are a couple of other good sites http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ and http://www.centsationalgirl.com/ .

These are the ideas I've found today that I'm adding to my ideas file. They could both be used as last minute Mother's Day gifts (Grandmother's would love them too). There are lots of other great ideas on the rest of their blogs, so spend some time checking them out.

Simple Aprons:
http://crapivemade.blogspot.com/2009/05/apron-in-hour.html
Edit: My friend, Dr.T, made one using this tutorial. It turned out really cute, see it here.

Painted Glasses:
(Could be done on one of those Sweet Tea/Lemonade Jars too. What is the real name of those things?)
http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com/2009/05/last-minute-moms-day-gift.html

Gift Containers

Look at this great idea for a Teacher Gift.

I think I may even use it as a hostess gift,

or as a welcome gift for a new neighbor. So cute!

I also found this cute container that would be great for party favors,

or maybe for classroom gifts for holidays.

Drawstring Bags and Zippered Pouches

(These are some of the bags I've been making, you can click on the picture to see it bigger so you can see the details better. The top right is the All People Quilt, 2 tie style.)

I have been sewing drawstring bags like crazy. (It's my new addiction with all my spare time that I've found since starting to use Google Reader, and a great way to use my fabric stash.) I have been making the ones with just one tie, and also the two tie style like this (I mentioned them in the Earth Day post too, now I've actually tried them). I've decided I like the two tie style better. I think these are a great project for kids who are learning to sew.

I've been wanting to get away from using Ziploc bags in my organizing, mainly in the kids' rooms. I'm going to use the drawstring bags for anything that has pieces that I don't want getting mixed in with all of the other toys, or to replace broken cardboard boxes. Here's an idea of how to keep track of puzzle pieces.

I've also made a few as gift bags. It turns out to be part of the gift. I read about someone making cute bags to use when she gave away her homemade bread and jam. I would love to get a little care package like that! I'm going to make some out of strawberry fabric and give Homemade bread and strawberry jam as Teacher gifts for the end of the year. I think I may add a fabric flower on the ones for females. (A few other ideas I had for the gifts are: A big batch of cookies, an activity bag with a coordinating Crayon Roll or Pencil Roll and a coloring book, a boredom buster bag for kids who have a new sibling or are going on a long road trip, spa items for a new Mom, etc.)

I'm planning to make one of these laundry bags for when we travel. It will be fun to have something cuter than the pinkish/purplish one that we use from my husband's college days. (I do think they need some straps as well as the ties, since it will be pretty heavy when full.)

A different type of bag that I like to make is a Zippered Pouch (great tutorial here). If you are afraid of zippers, this easy project will help you overcome that. I use them for so many things, besides cosmetics, like in my diaper bag, or for teaching supplies for my church lessons (chalk, magnets). I even made one using a vinyl tablecloth for my travel bag so I don't have to worry about leaks. I saw an idea somewhere to place either a vinyl window in the front, or sew on a vinyl pocket for a label (again, something I'm going to use for the kids' toys). This too could be used as a gift idea, maybe a really feminine print with some lip gloss and nail polish inside for a little girls' birthday. I think maybe that's what I'll do for all of my nieces for Christmas next year (this year I did the Crayon Rolls, except I used some stamp markers I found at Ikea instead of the crayons).


Another handmade organizing item that I've seen lately, and want to try, is fabric baskets like these and these. I'm going to make some to replace the wicker baskets for my changing table. Search for "Fabric Basket" on Flikr to see tons more samples.

OK- That was a ton of ideas, now go forth and sew. Let me know if you do any of these projects.

Help for addicts.

OK- for those of you who are blog addicts like me, I want to share a little something I've learned. I've just started using Google Reader to keep track of the blogs I read. It shows all of the most recent updates, and it saves so much time by not having to click on each individual site to see if they've updated or not. (It has cut down my computer time a lot, I don't really know what to do with all of this new found freedom from my laptop/recliner!) I know there's a widget similar to that in Blogspot, but I have so many more blogs bookmarked than I want to have listed on my sidebar. Try it, you'll like it. (I know there are other sites that are similar, this is just the one I've tried.)