Car organizer pockets

 Using 1 yard of fabric, I made two car organizers for each of my boys. I bought a half yard of turquoise, and half yard of lime, and used both to mix and match. This fabric is a little heavier than normal, but still only $4 a yard at Joann Fabrics.

 First I cut out the pieces I wanted and layed it out. 

I hemmed all edges under first, then attached the outer pockets, like this one made for little toys.

When the little toys pocket and the pencil pocket was sewn on, I then sewed the bigger pockets on. The top left pocket has 2 pleets in it to make it more spacious to hold a sippy cup or bottle.

 I sewed a thick wide shoelace to the top to hang around the seat, then I ended up safety pinning the sides and bottom to keep it really secure and to save leg room.

Chore Chart

This is our much needed chore chart.  To make this I took pics of all the chores my kids regularly do.  Using Picasa I wrote the name of the chore on the pic and printed 6 pics onto a 4x6 pic so each was a small square.  I cut them out and glued them to small tiles and glued magnets on the back.   Each time they get 5 Magnets they earn a Fake Dollar which can be used for a treat or saved for something bigger.  If they are naughty, thye lose a magnet.  It works great.

Mermaid Towel

Here is the Mermaid Towel I made the other day. My daughter loves this for bath time as well as pool time and dress-up.   I don't have a full tutorial, but it's pretty simple.   It is basically 3 different towels:

One full towel sewn to a fin cut out of towel 2

Ruffle cut and sewn from towel 3

Hood from towel 3

with a ruffle cut from towel 2

Ruffle Flower Shirt

Tutorial:

Double Click to Enlarge Tutorial

Summer Boredom Busters

Click Here for a list of the top Kids Activity Sites.  Print some worksheets to make sure their brains still work or just get a fun activity idea when you are starting to go nuts!

Celebration Board

My friend showed me this great idea and this is my version of it.  Check out the Celebration Board.  Each day you write something you are celebrating that day!  Kids would really get into this.  I love this because it would remind us to stop and take the time to Count our Blessings.  You could even make one that said "We are Blessed..."  The instructions are here.

How to Add Ruffle Flowers to a Shirt

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How to Add Cute Ruffle Flowers to a Shirt:

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now.  First of all, I am not a professional sewer.  I am an experimenter.  So the other day I figured out how to make those cute ruffled flowers on shirts.  This is what I did:

I bought this basic shirt at Old Navy.  Then I found some coordinating fabric I already  had.  I cut it into three .5" x 24" strips.  I sewed up the middle of the strips by themselves and then pulled the bottom thread to gather.  Then I layered the gathered strip on the fabric in a spiral flower shape and pinned it.  Then I slowly sewed around the spiral as closely as I could.  I did this three times to make three flowers.  You could also do this and just add three ruffles to the top or random ruffles.  However you want.  Then I added a basic ruffle around the bottom of the shirt. This shirt went from Ordinary to Boutique style  in half an hour!  So cute!

Tips:  You could do this to any ordinary shirt you have laying around that needs some pizazz!  You can also cut up an old shirt and use that fabric for the newly designed shirt!  

Problem Solved

Does anyone else's kids do the "SPLASH and DASH?" Mine never seem to wash their hands for longer than 5 seconds and we all know it needs to be longer to be effective. Well the awesomely smart people at DIAL figured this out and made this NEW SOAP that has little beads that disappear only when you have washed and rubbed your hands for long enough. GENIUS right?

Now my kids think it's a game and not only has washing become FUN, they actually stand there and get it done RIGHT! I don't know about you, but I'm stocking up!!!

Learn To Walk and Ride a Bike Belt

Two of my kids have the same attitude:  I will do it when I care enough to do it!  My son is still working on walking and I am trying to give my daughter some ambition to want to ride a "two wheeler."  So, when I saw the pattern for this learn to walk belt, I had to try it!  It was easy to make and it works great for both issues.  

This is where to go for the instructions.

A great Spring Activity

Send your kids on a quest to find some nice smooth rocks.  Then bring them in and let your kids brush on some paint!  My kids really enjoyed this!

Crayon/Marker Holders

These are two different Crayon/Marker Holders or Crayon Roll-Ups I made.  I wish I could tell you exactly how to make it, but I really just threw it together one night.  The pink one was 3 pieces of cardboard I covered with fabric that I had sewn crayon and marker holders in.  I also put a flap to hold a notebook.  Then I made it close Trapper Keeper Style.  The green and brown is what I made for my son after feeling too lazy to make this again.  I made several slots for crayons and wider ones for markers. It rolls up and ties.  These are the best at church.    

TAMI

Crayon Valentines

These Valentine's were so much fun to make with my kids.  Collect your broken crayons and peel off the wrappers.  Then put the pieces into a heart shaped pan  (I found mine at the Target dollar section for $2.50).  Bake at 250 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Complete Instructions are HERE.

I made the Card by making a Collage in Picasa and printing them as 4x6 pictures.  She was still 

able to sign them and it was so easy!

easy handprint frame

This little project is fun for kids and is super cheap. I made it for my baby to give my husband for father's day. His name is Radley so I put words "dad" and "Rad." Great gift for grandparents too.

Check out this fake money you can create atwww.festisite.com/money. It's so easy!

These are now what my kids earn as their rewards for doing chores and being good. Then they can come to the Reward Store for their pick of a reward and pay the price. Like a half an hour of playing the XBOX is $1. Having a friend over is $2.

They get one dollar each time they earn 5 magnets. Luke has 5 truck magnets and Riley has 5 car magnets. The magnets live on the fridge and get to be put on a little magnetic board anytime they are good and get put back on the fridge for bad behavior. You get the point. I am definitely not the expert on well behaved kids, but I do know this money is super cute and I have been able to run errands with almost no problems with all 3 kids in tow now. You can work it however you want, but when your kids see their picture on a dollar bill that they get to spend, you can't go wrong.