Here is the link to Skip to my Lou's website. You will be able to follow her all month long for tutorials on handmade gifts. She has great ideas and I can't wait to see all that she will have to offer for the Christmas season!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
My next craft!
Well, I actually finished my shades. I waited until my new windows went in. I have only completed the living room set so far. I haven't been to the fabric store yet and don't have any on hand for my other rooms. While I wait, I have something new to try!!! I came across this great blog Skip to my Lou and she had a guest blogger put this great craft on there!! I am so excited. The girls are DYING to start making homemade Christmas gifts for everyone, but I would have to buy so many materials for some of these things, I was a bit hesitant. These items can be made with things from the Dollar Store!!! I also have to add that there is a Dollar Store blog that has tons of great Christmas crafts all made with things from the Dollar Store! Anyway, here are my next 2 crafts! Enjoy!!!
Sweater refashion into a hat and scarf
An always popular gift is a hat and scarf set. This is a darling idea from a wonderful blogger named, Disney. She has the most creative blog, Ruffles and Stuff. Her blog is filled with the most clever recycling and refashioning ideas! You will also want to visit Disney's Etsy shop where she has made beautiful jewelry and accessories from vintage and recycled materials (I so want that Debutante Necklace).
I think if you happened upon a sweater instead of a vest you would be able to also make matching mittens for the hat and scarf. It would also be fun to think of other animals, or a plain set would be great for older children!
Disney writes...
Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be guest posting here at Skip to my Lou today!
My name is Disney, and I have a little craft blog called Ruffles and Stuff. I'm a (new)preacher's wife and stay at home mommy, so I love to spend my free time sewing, and trying to figure out easy ways to make all the cute things I can't afford.
How to make a hat and scarf from a sweater
Something for the boys! Yay!
I got this sweater vest at the Dollar Store several days ago (sweaters at the Dollar Store? How random is that??) and I just knew it was dying to be a little beanie and scarf set! I'm so excited to have a project for little boys!
This would actually work best with a sleeved sweater (then you could just use sleeves for a scarf!), but this is what I had, so...
1) Measure your child's head, and cut out a hat shape through both layers (I free-handed this, but if you had another beanie to trace around, that would be great!), then cut a large rectangle shape through both layers for the scarf.
2) Lay the two scarf pieces right side together and pin the non-banded end. Sew with a zig-zag stitch, being careful not to let it stretch too much.
3) Cut out your "face" shapes from felt or fleece. 4 ears, two big circles for eyes, and two slightly smaller circles for the pupils, and a little triangle nose.
4) Lay two of the ear shapes on top of the other two, and sew around the edges with your machine. (not pictured)
5) Pin the ears to the right side of the beanie, facing downward. Lay the other piece of the beanie on top of it(right sides together), with ears sandwiched in between, and pin.
5) Pin the ears to the right side of the beanie, facing downward. Lay the other piece of the beanie on top of it(right sides together), with ears sandwiched in between, and pin.6) Sew the two hat pieces together, leaving the banded side open.
7) Take your scarf piece and fold it over, right sides together, and pin. Sew all the way down the side.
7) Take your scarf piece and fold it over, right sides together, and pin. Sew all the way down the side.
Turn the scarf right side out, and sew the banded edges closed.
9) Pin the face shaped where you want them, and hand stitch them on.
Ta-da!
___
Disney also shows how to make a pair of fingerless gloves from a pair of socks----- another great gift!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Well, we do actually do things in school. Here was an on going art project. Every year we enter some art work in the local fair. Claire decided she would love to do an un fired clay project. Here is her dragon she made from Crayola Air Dry Clay. She got the idea from our 15 Centuries of Art book.
Here is the finished product. We spray painted it gold and it turned out fabulous. She really did an amazing job. The camera wouldn't take a very good shot.
Here is our Ziggurat from Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. They are bullion cubes. I couldn't find sugar cubes at walmart. LOL. Top view.
Here is the front view. It was used for worshipping idols. This may have been the type of tower the Tower of Babel was.
Here is our clay tablet with cuneiform writing.
Well, I thought I would show that we do actually do something in school. I am just really bad about actually posting any of it!! I will post about our trip to the giant science center in our state capital.
Here is the finished product. We spray painted it gold and it turned out fabulous. She really did an amazing job. The camera wouldn't take a very good shot.
Here is our Ziggurat from Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. They are bullion cubes. I couldn't find sugar cubes at walmart. LOL. Top view.
Here is the front view. It was used for worshipping idols. This may have been the type of tower the Tower of Babel was.
Here is our clay tablet with cuneiform writing.
Well, I thought I would show that we do actually do something in school. I am just really bad about actually posting any of it!! I will post about our trip to the giant science center in our state capital.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Teaching Textbooks Review
Well, we are going on week 9 of school! I can't believe it! It has gone by so quickly. I am still so impressed with the curriculum the Lord led us to. I especially want to brag on my 4th graders math curriculum.
Last year I was not very pleased with our choice. It jumped around with almost no review. She would start multiplication for a chapter or two, then skip to division, then we were measuring, then more multiplication. And all this time, there was no review of what she had already learned. I tried to supplement with flash cards and extra worksheets, but it wasn't helping.
By the middle of the year I was extremely frustrated, but also scared to change curriculum. Would I know where to start? What if we start in the middle and miss something she needed? What if we started at the beginning and didn't finish in time for testing? Obviously her testing showed both the poor curriculum and my fear.
At the conference this year I poured over math curriculums. One in particular caught my attention. Honestly the reason it caught my attention was that my friend Karen was the representative for them! She had a daughter who struggled with math the previous year and for that present school year she had changed to TEACHING TEXTBOOKS! I spoke with her for quite a while about the book and how it worked along with CD Rom for reinforcement. I brought the information home for Tim and I to go over with. We prayed about it and finally ordered it. I am so thoroughly impressed by it!
The difference? Last year, Amber used a curriculum that was designed for a Christian school. Not a homeschool. There is almost no explanation in a school designed textbook. It is mostly just assignments. Homeschoolers tend to be more independent and self sufficient, so there is more need for the explanation to be written in the student book. Teaching Textbooks have much more of an explanation than any other math book that we have used in the past. Amber listens to the lecture on the computer, does her work in her book, then gets back on the computer and enters her answers. Each problem is explained and if she gets the problem wrong, it tell her and gives her the chance to correct it. If she still gets it wrong, it will show her the proper way to do it and shows her the correct answer. Then all of her work is stored in a gradebook. I can acces it through the parent log in and she can look at her grades through her log in and password. I love this feature. If she does poorly on a lesson, I can delete the whole thing wich would then make her do it again when she logs back on, before she can move on! Which means mastery in that area. Not a bad grade and move on. She has to know it and do exceptionally well.
There are 119 lessons plus quizzes every few lessons. In 21 lessons she has a 98 average and on her quizzes (4 in all) she has a 99 average. I would definitely say that is an improvement over last year!! Check out their website. Right now they have 4th grade all the way up to Pre-Calculus. They will soon have the 3rd grade book and CD Rom available as well( Feb. 2010). While they are around $100 per set, they are well worth the money. They are completely re useable. you are able to change and add students whenever you want to, which means that more than one can use the curriculum! Here are some testimonials straight from their website:
Last year I was not very pleased with our choice. It jumped around with almost no review. She would start multiplication for a chapter or two, then skip to division, then we were measuring, then more multiplication. And all this time, there was no review of what she had already learned. I tried to supplement with flash cards and extra worksheets, but it wasn't helping.
By the middle of the year I was extremely frustrated, but also scared to change curriculum. Would I know where to start? What if we start in the middle and miss something she needed? What if we started at the beginning and didn't finish in time for testing? Obviously her testing showed both the poor curriculum and my fear.
At the conference this year I poured over math curriculums. One in particular caught my attention. Honestly the reason it caught my attention was that my friend Karen was the representative for them! She had a daughter who struggled with math the previous year and for that present school year she had changed to TEACHING TEXTBOOKS! I spoke with her for quite a while about the book and how it worked along with CD Rom for reinforcement. I brought the information home for Tim and I to go over with. We prayed about it and finally ordered it. I am so thoroughly impressed by it!
The difference? Last year, Amber used a curriculum that was designed for a Christian school. Not a homeschool. There is almost no explanation in a school designed textbook. It is mostly just assignments. Homeschoolers tend to be more independent and self sufficient, so there is more need for the explanation to be written in the student book. Teaching Textbooks have much more of an explanation than any other math book that we have used in the past. Amber listens to the lecture on the computer, does her work in her book, then gets back on the computer and enters her answers. Each problem is explained and if she gets the problem wrong, it tell her and gives her the chance to correct it. If she still gets it wrong, it will show her the proper way to do it and shows her the correct answer. Then all of her work is stored in a gradebook. I can acces it through the parent log in and she can look at her grades through her log in and password. I love this feature. If she does poorly on a lesson, I can delete the whole thing wich would then make her do it again when she logs back on, before she can move on! Which means mastery in that area. Not a bad grade and move on. She has to know it and do exceptionally well.
There are 119 lessons plus quizzes every few lessons. In 21 lessons she has a 98 average and on her quizzes (4 in all) she has a 99 average. I would definitely say that is an improvement over last year!! Check out their website. Right now they have 4th grade all the way up to Pre-Calculus. They will soon have the 3rd grade book and CD Rom available as well( Feb. 2010). While they are around $100 per set, they are well worth the money. They are completely re useable. you are able to change and add students whenever you want to, which means that more than one can use the curriculum! Here are some testimonials straight from their website:
| Matt M. (Norman, OK) | ||
| "I made a perfect score on the math portions of both the SAT and the ACT. Teaching Textbooks covers all of the topics on these exams and gives you the conceptual understanding that you'll need to thrive as a future engineer." | ||
| Zia M. (Phoenix, AZ) | ||
| "I was a pre-med student at Johns Hopkins and in my view, Teaching Textbooks is the best math program for people who are planning for a career in medicine." | ||
| Catherine L. (Provo, UT) | ||
| "I'm almost 50 years old. My return to college necessitates that I learn Algebra 1 - something I always avoided because I was told over and over by teachers that "you aren't any good at math because you are good at English." Well, now you are proving them wrong! Thanks for giving me the confidence I always lacked and, more surprisingly, a love for algebra!" | ||
| Vicky M. (Atlanta, GA) | ||
| "We are thrilled with your Algebra I. What we like: interesting and humorous word problems (not that old dry stuff), constant review, the cute drawings, and, of course, the CDs are most helpful - the voice is so pleasant and non-threatening. You rock!" | ||
| Barbara F. (Oklahoma City, OK) | ||
| "My daughter finally gets it!!! This is the most understandable and student-friendly algebra program I've seen yet. The easy to understand lessons speak directly to the student and are written in clear language (not "Mathese"). So even the mathematically-challenged parent or student can grasp the concepts." | ||
| Patricia P. (Clayton, NC) | ||
| "Teaching Textbooks has been a life changing experience for our son." | ||
| Jeanette R. (Indianapolis, IN) | ||
| "Teaching Textbooks makes math a joy again." | ||
| Karen L. (Cave Springs, AR) | ||
| "I'm understanding all the things that none of my high school or college teachers were ever able to get across to me! I finally get it!!! Thanks for an excellent program." | ||
| Robyn L. (Athol, MA) | ||
| "WOW!!! You are an answer to prayers! Thanks and God bless you for your math program!" | ||
| Donna B. (Jacksonville, FL) | ||
| "We are using the Algebra 1 series that you wrote and LOVE it! This has been the best math program we have EVER used, bar none, in the 9 years we've homeschooled." | ||
| Allan & Jana G. (Oklahoma City, OK) | ||
| "It's like they sent an instructor to our home in the box!! Our daughter loves it!!!" |
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Workbox Giveaway!
I just found this great giveaway for something called The Scrapbox! If you craft in any form this is like a gift from heaven! Here is all of the info straight from My Organized Chaos.
I am fortunate to be 1 of only 10 bloggers that are a part of quite a HUGE giveaway. I think you'll be quite impressed....
Are you a Scrapbooker, Quilter, Stamper, Artist, Seamstress...
or do you just have too much stuff?
The Original Scrap Box is a company that produces some valuable and quality items for the crafter & creator {anyone with a hobby to a business}. One of their items, The Workbox, is a massive workspace and storage solution that will indeed Organize your own Chaos. A gorgeous design on the outside and such thoughtful organizational sections on the inside - to me, it's a masterpiece. T
he Workbox hides any and all materials out of sight, and separates and sections everything in a very clever way. It's huge, but because it's on wheels, you can easily move it where you'd like to. The Workbox comes with a collapsible work table, and adjustable shelves.Everything you need come with the Workbox; 85 removable canvas totes with label inserts that fold up for easy storage, 20 removable clear zipper pouches in 3 sizes. It comes in either a raised panel or beadboard door styles, and either knotty alder, black or vanilla colors which allow you to choose one to match your decor.
Just think:
If you are one that has endless containers or fabrics, ribbons, papers, tools - and they are all over the place, you need this! When you are able to find exactly what you are looking for right away, think of the time it'll save. Plus, close it all up and it's hidden out of sight.
The Giveaway:
The winner here on My Organized Chaos will get to choose either
The Ribbon Box or The ScrapMaBob, both items would be so useful!
PLUS,
This one My Organized Chaos winner, along with the other 9 winners on the other 9 participating blogs will each be a
finalist to win The Workbox! { the other 9 participating blogs are linked at the bottom of this post, so increase your chances to win!}
The winner will be able to choose the color & style.
On October 12th, Rachellewrites will hold a drawing at her blog, with a select number of entries for a Workbox from www.TheOriginalScrapbox.com. Each entry will come from a competition held on another blogs, as well as on My Organized Chaos.
This is one HUGE giveaway.
So, do you want to be a finalist
and enter for a chance to Win the Workbox?
Ya, I thought so. Here's how to enter:
TO ENTER: Visit The Original Scrap Box and choose your favorite product. Come back here and comment to this post, telling me what it is and why you'd like the Workbox.
Did I mention it's valued at $1295.00?
For Extra Entries do one or all of the following:
(but leave a separate comment for each!)
~ Become a Facebook fan of The Original Scrapbox
~ Become a My Organized Chaos Fan on FaceBook!
~ Share my giveaway with your friends on Facebook, and share the code for $100 off shipping: 100writes
~ Follow My Chaos {With Google friend Connect}
~ Subscribe to my blog {to either reader or email, or both!}
~ Add the My Organized Chaos Button to your sidebar
~ Blog about this contest with a picture of the Workbox and link back to this giveaway. {Please use the tags: The Original Scrapbox, Scrapbook storage, Workbox}
~ Blog about any other item offered from www.theoriginalscrapbox.com and include this information word for word: Enter this code when you place your order to get $100 off your shipping: 100Writes
~ Follow me on Twitter (@MyChaos) and tweet.
*you can tweet once per day*
Feel free to copy/paste this as your tweet:
' $1295.00 Workbox giveaway {and $100 off shipping code} enter now at My Organized Chaos; http://tinyurl.com/y9qzq6a '
Rachelles Writing Spot
The Mommy Files
Make It and Love It
Vanilla Joy
Auntie Thesis
Life As Lou
PriscillaStyles
Cricut Christmas
Capadia Designs
Good Luck!!!
The Workbox ~ With Giveaway & entry into the Grand Prize
I am fortunate to be 1 of only 10 bloggers that are a part of quite a HUGE giveaway. I think you'll be quite impressed....Are you a Scrapbooker, Quilter, Stamper, Artist, Seamstress...
or do you just have too much stuff?
The Original Scrap Box is a company that produces some valuable and quality items for the crafter & creator {anyone with a hobby to a business}. One of their items, The Workbox, is a massive workspace and storage solution that will indeed Organize your own Chaos. A gorgeous design on the outside and such thoughtful organizational sections on the inside - to me, it's a masterpiece. T
he Workbox hides any and all materials out of sight, and separates and sections everything in a very clever way. It's huge, but because it's on wheels, you can easily move it where you'd like to. The Workbox comes with a collapsible work table, and adjustable shelves.Everything you need come with the Workbox; 85 removable canvas totes with label inserts that fold up for easy storage, 20 removable clear zipper pouches in 3 sizes. It comes in either a raised panel or beadboard door styles, and either knotty alder, black or vanilla colors which allow you to choose one to match your decor.
Just think:If you are one that has endless containers or fabrics, ribbons, papers, tools - and they are all over the place, you need this! When you are able to find exactly what you are looking for right away, think of the time it'll save. Plus, close it all up and it's hidden out of sight.
The Giveaway:
The winner here on My Organized Chaos will get to choose either
The Ribbon Box or The ScrapMaBob, both items would be so useful!
PLUS,
This one My Organized Chaos winner, along with the other 9 winners on the other 9 participating blogs will each be a
finalist to win The Workbox! { the other 9 participating blogs are linked at the bottom of this post, so increase your chances to win!}
The winner will be able to choose the color & style.
On October 12th, Rachellewrites will hold a drawing at her blog, with a select number of entries for a Workbox from www.TheOriginalScrapbox.com. Each entry will come from a competition held on another blogs, as well as on My Organized Chaos.
This is one HUGE giveaway.
So, do you want to be a finalist
and enter for a chance to Win the Workbox?
Ya, I thought so. Here's how to enter:
TO ENTER: Visit The Original Scrap Box and choose your favorite product. Come back here and comment to this post, telling me what it is and why you'd like the Workbox.
Did I mention it's valued at $1295.00?
For Extra Entries do one or all of the following:
(but leave a separate comment for each!)
~ Become a Facebook fan of The Original Scrapbox
~ Become a My Organized Chaos Fan on FaceBook!
~ Share my giveaway with your friends on Facebook, and share the code for $100 off shipping: 100writes
~ Follow My Chaos {With Google friend Connect}
~ Subscribe to my blog {to either reader or email, or both!}
~ Add the My Organized Chaos Button to your sidebar
~ Blog about this contest with a picture of the Workbox and link back to this giveaway. {Please use the tags: The Original Scrapbox, Scrapbook storage, Workbox}
~ Blog about any other item offered from www.theoriginalscrapbox.com and include this information word for word: Enter this code when you place your order to get $100 off your shipping: 100Writes
~ Follow me on Twitter (@MyChaos) and tweet.
*you can tweet once per day*
Feel free to copy/paste this as your tweet:
' $1295.00 Workbox giveaway {and $100 off shipping code} enter now at My Organized Chaos; http://tinyurl.com/y9qzq6a '
Rachelles Writing Spot
The Mommy Files
Make It and Love It
Vanilla Joy
Auntie Thesis
Life As Lou
PriscillaStyles
Cricut Christmas
Capadia Designs
Good Luck!!!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Life
So we have been in the house right at a month now. I pretty much have everything unpacked (except the pictures to hang on the wall. I am very nervous about that for some reason.) I think there are two boxes with paperwork in them from the house and the business that need to be put away, but I don't have the desire to tackle them for some reason...I will be posting pictures on here and facebook one day next week.
School is going great so far too. We finish up our 3rd week tomorrow. We nearly have our first month done! Amazing. Our new curriculum is so amazing. The kids are learning so much. I am really enjoying Mystery of History and Apologia Science Botany. Actually our spelling wisdom, language books, and Artistic Pursuits are amazing too. I am so pleased that God knew exactly what we needed. He is so amazing~ I was worried about what to use with the kids having the age gap they do, but He knows better than I do. He led me to Simply Charlotte Mason and as excited as I was there was also alot of fear. While I'm very sure that I'm not implementing everything exactly the way CM did, I know that what we are doing is working. I am still pretty new and uneducated as far as that is concerned, but I'm really trying, especially in the living book area. We are really enjoying ourselves and having a blast. Once I get some pics erased from my camera(memory card is full), I will be taking some pictures of the kids with all of the great stuff we have already done. Here they are on the first day getting to paint pictures of our house. Of course, after the house we had to paint "Just one more!". I love the freedom in homeschooling!
School is going great so far too. We finish up our 3rd week tomorrow. We nearly have our first month done! Amazing. Our new curriculum is so amazing. The kids are learning so much. I am really enjoying Mystery of History and Apologia Science Botany. Actually our spelling wisdom, language books, and Artistic Pursuits are amazing too. I am so pleased that God knew exactly what we needed. He is so amazing~ I was worried about what to use with the kids having the age gap they do, but He knows better than I do. He led me to Simply Charlotte Mason and as excited as I was there was also alot of fear. While I'm very sure that I'm not implementing everything exactly the way CM did, I know that what we are doing is working. I am still pretty new and uneducated as far as that is concerned, but I'm really trying, especially in the living book area. We are really enjoying ourselves and having a blast. Once I get some pics erased from my camera(memory card is full), I will be taking some pictures of the kids with all of the great stuff we have already done. Here they are on the first day getting to paint pictures of our house. Of course, after the house we had to paint "Just one more!". I love the freedom in homeschooling!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Visit http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/09/15/sewing-with-kids/ to find out how to enter to win this cute sewing machine for kids!
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