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...this this week is another themed edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday. Clearly, I need a WFMW about planning ahead.
For fun (and to take a load off!), let's have the Greatest Hits Edition. From your own archives, re-run one of your favorite of your own WFMWs. If you only have a handful to choose from, that's okay. It will still be fun to read everyone's best.
I'll leave this post at the top of this page, as a reminder.
We were on our way home from an especially well-played soccer match. My son Joseph settled happily back in the seat and sighed.
"Mom," he said. "I feel, deep in my heart, that I'm about to be famous."
"Really? I asked. "What do you mean?"
"Well," he said, "You know how I'm not famous now?" I thought for a minute, trying to remember if I'd seen his picture on the cover of People magazine. Nope.
"Yes, I know."
"Well," he continued, "I just feel, in my heart, like I'm about to be."
He contentedly sighed again, and he gazed out his window.
How easily I forget the wonder of having the mystery and possibility of an entire life stretching out in front of you.
It's good to be six.
Why the Church? Thinking Christian. An excellent article, and I'd think that even if it weren't written by my brother.
It's a Bratz Country CrunchyCon
Tot Shocks Parents By Reading -- Today Show
Unwritten Rules of My House -- My RUF Life
Frozen Grand Central Station -- Improv Everywhere
The Worst Baby Names -- MSNBC.com
It would be very convenient if Jesus could just please hurry up and come back before my kids hit middle school.
The end.
...I'm posting on teaching my kids about presidential elections. (And shhhh....you can also find out who I'm voting for! Or "for whom I'm voting". Or whatever.)
I have been itching for a good sewing project lately. Positively itching.
It seems that half of my friends are pregnant right now, and baby sewing is my favorite sewing. The times was right to hole up with my sewing machine and temporarily let the housework go to the dogs.
I sewed up seven--SEVEN!--batches of burp cloths. I never get tired of making these things! I remember, with my own baby daughter, how handy they were. And the fun fabric combinations keep me from getting burned out on each project. Here are the finished products--click on any one of them for a larger look (each set is either five or six cloths, folded and tied together with a tulle bow):
These next ones are my favorite. Gingham and strawberries--yum!
(This is the point where you say, "MY WORD, is she actually going to make us look at ALL of them?" And the answer would be, "Yes.")
Every time I've posted about making burp cloths, I get requests for the pattern and instructions. I don't have a great track record with tutorials, but I'll give it a try.
1. Each burp cloth set makes 5-6 burp cloths, depending on how your flannel washes up (and how accurately the lady in the fabric store does the cutting!)
2. You'll need 1 yard each of two coordinating pieces of flannel. I usually pick a pattern with a coordinating gingham or stripe. Watch your fabric stores for half-off sales and stock up!
3. First, make your pattern. Use whatever paper you'd like to make a 11x17 rectangle. Using a plastic cup, trace rounded corners onto your pattern.
4. Wash and iron your flannel.
5. Place your two pieces of flannel, RIGHT SIDES FACING EACH OTHER, together. Lay it out on your cutting surface.
6. For speed, I prefer tracing my pattern onto the flannel, instead of messing with pins.
7. Cut! You should have five or six double-thickness flannel rectangles now--RIGHT SIDES STILL FACING EACH OTHER. It will look like this (click on any of these pictures to enlarge):
8. Sew it together (pin together in a few places first). I use just over a 1/4-inch seam. Leave a 4-5 inch opening, so you can turn it right-side out:
9. Next are two very awkward photos of me trying to turn it right-side out with only one-hand. Um, please use two hands.
10. Flatten the seams. You can either do this very quickly and neatly with an iron, or you can do it SLOWLY using your fingers and pins while sitting on the couch watching American Idol (guess which one I chose?):
Be sure you pin up that 4-5 inch opening especially securely.
11. Now, back to your sewing machine. Using just under a 1/4" seam, sew all around the edge, including the opening. If you're using that tiny seam, it will close the opening up for you--no hand work!
12. Your finished seam is going to look something like this:
14. Here's each side of a finished pair:
13. Fold them up all pretty, alternating between which patterns are on the outside (see pictures at beginning of this post), and tie them up with a bow.
I've learned this project seems to go a LOT faster when you sew several sets at once. And it feels good being set for baby gifts for a while!
....of the Kangaroom giveaway is Mumple. Congratulations!
Last week my oldest son was invited to a co-ed sleepover.
Let me re-type that in all caps in case you missed it.
LAST WEEK MY OLDEST SON WAS INVITED TO A CO-ED SLEEPOVER.
I answered him in my typical understated, never-over-reactive way (I believe the words "over my dead body" and "when pigs fly" were part of my answer. And I think there might have been a shriek). Yes, I am a veritable fount of gentleness and grace.
But I was just curious if there was some line of reasoning I'm missing: anyone out there a fan of co-ed sleepovers for elementary-aged kids? Would you be more or less inclined to allow this of teenagers? What are your sleepover guidelines, in general?
Maybe I should say it one more time:
Patsy Clairmont has a blog!
How I love this hilarious and thoughtful writer. And how tickled I am to find she has a spot in the blogosphere--head over there for a peek.
My WFMW tip for today is going to sound like a shameless product endorsement, but just so you know, I'm posting this of my own free will. My own, free, mildew-hating will.
The first time I saw a commercial for the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner, I was indignant. The idea behind it is that you hang this little battery-powered contraption in your shower, and it will automatically spray down your shower every time you press the button.
"Really?" I thought. "Have we as a nation gotten so lazy we can't even scrub our own showers?"
And then I stopped to try and remember the last time I gave my shower a good scrubbing. And then I shut up.
A friend told me this doo-hicky was actually pretty impressive. I found a good coupon for it, and I thought it wouldn't hurt to try.
It actually works. Really well! Not only does it keep the shower clean, but it smells SO good. The refills cost basically the same as a regular bottle of shower scrub, so the only additional cost is the doo-hicky upfront (and I think I bought mine for $15 at WalMart, with a coupon--that included two refill bottles).
Now, here's the funny part.
When I hung it in our shower, I happened to read through the warning label. Here's what it says:
Look at the fifth item: "Not a body wash."
Really? Is this a widespread problem? Is there an outbreak of people who think it's a good idea to scrub themselves down with....
WAIT JUST A MINUTE.
I thought of my three little boys, and their remarkable ability to take showers in which nobody actually comes out clean. And while I can't say I'd be tempted to hose them down with shower-cleaning solution, I'm thinking that an automated device for cleaning off smelly boys may be The Next Big Thing.
You just watch. It'll be coming to a Works-For-Me Wednesday soon!
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