Lap desk

Everyone I'm sure has encountered this problem at some point during their child rearing days.  You're on a long trip and to save time you decide to eat on the go.  Give the kids their hamburgers and hope they don't make a big mess all over their seats and laps.  Oops, too late, they just did.  Laps and car seats are cleaned up as much as possible.

Lunch is done, now to find some entertainment seeing how your DVD player's batteries are dead after being on for 5 hours.  How about coloring?  "Sorry, kiddo, do the best you can.  You'll have to use your lap, we don't have a desk in the van."

Not anymore :)  I found a tutorial to make a lap desk.  Very little sewing involved. Easy, easy, easy.  They aren't as sturdy as a real desk, but they ought to get the job done.  I, of course, was trying to make these on as little of cost as possible, so I didn't use the recommended materials in the tutorial.  I just picked up two serving trays for under a dollar, polly foam I found at the thrift store, used some of my scrap fabric, cut up a cereal box, and a little hot glue and wala!  A solution to my problem.   They have a little bit of a lip so that should help crayons from rolling off.  I think they may be handy when we go camping.  The girls can sit in their lawn chairs and eat.  Brennan doesn't exactly fit on a picnic table very well yet.  Sorry, Bren was taking a nap and couldn't model hers for you, so it's just pictured here all by itself.

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  Here's the link in case you want to make some for yourself.
http://balancingeverything.com/2010/04/09/who-wants-to-make-a-lap-desk/

Polly meets Paul

Polly was SOOO excited to meet her new buddy Paul.

When they met it was love at first sight.

....and they were thrilled to pieces that they had a nice sleeping bag purse to rest in and store their cloths in. 

....but most of all, the are beyond excited to meet the princess that will be carrying them around and giving them lots of love.

I Marvel

I am always marveling at the developments of my girls, especially Kadyn since she is my first, and every development she makes is new to me.  She is such an artsy, crafty girl.  I have a lot of supplies easily accessible for her to get into so it's not uncommon for her to get a whole bunch out and start doodling away all on her own.  Lately her drawings and colorings have gotten more detailed and extravagant.  It blows my mind to see such a young person be able to draw so purposefully and legibly.  I think all the crafting we have done together has paid off, inspiring her to get better and better at drawing and coloring.  Here's the proof: (Notice the stripes and polka dots on the frog.  The shapes on the pink paper is supposed to be houses with people in them.  Oh, and I just adore our family portrait with the tree. Sigh!) 

 So proud of Kadyn!
 

Another green move

Whipped these up last night and this morning.  I've been reading a few green blogs and the writers on those blogs are quick to point out we have an overuse of plastic in this country.  I knew using reusable grocery bags was a great way to help reduce this waste, but it never even dawned on me to use reusable produce bags.  After all, you never see those for sale at the registers as you check out like you do the grocery bags.  So when I read about making your own produce bags I was all about it. I picked up some sheer fabric that had been used for curtains at the thrift store, used a few regular cotton fabric scraps, and ribbon.  I wasn't very careful about making things all nice and neat as I knew this really wasn't going to be a show piece, but more of just something to help make life more functional and less wasteful. 

Sure wish Branson had a farmers market, they'd really come in handy then.  I realized after making these little puppies that never again will I have to go to a bag dispenser only to find out it's out of bags and have to go to the next one.  I made big bags, 2 medium bags, and 1 small bag.  I think that ought to do it.   Since becoming vegetarian, it's amazing how many of those produce bags I was coming home with every week.  Glad to know I'm doing my part there.

Another July weekend

The owners of the building Jeff works in decided to throw aEdit HTML staff party for all of their employees.  They invited Jeff and our family to the party.  Mr. Akers, one of the owners, owns a houseboat.  Originally we were supposed to board the houseboat for the party, but things got changed due to logistical reasons.  Anyhoo....Mr. Akers also owned some land in Forsyth, MO and decided to hold the party there.  The land really was beautiful and it happened to have a very large creek running through the middle for the kids to swim in.  They also had canoes for people to ride and you could even bring your own fishing pools and go fishing.  Kadyn loved going for a canoe ride and swimming with the minnows.  A good time was had by all.

Babies, babies, babies

Seems everyone is having a baby.  Just found out about another dear friend who will be welcoming another little one into their family ;)  Anyhoo....I found a sewing tutorial that showed how to make the CUTEST little baby bibs ever.  I had these all done a week ago, but waited to post them until now because I took them to an embroidery place to have the names put on them.  Turns out I'm not very good at embroidery on my machine, and I didn't want to take the time or the chance of screwing it up by doing it by hand.  Now I have a new thing on my wish list, an embroidery machine.  I just love personalizing things I made five bibs total. Anyhoo...all the girl bibs look the same and all the boy bibs look the same. Too make them I used a combo of used pillow cases, receiving blankets, and an old pair of jeans I got from the thrift store.  They were SOOO fun to make.  The girl bibs I admit are my favorite ones.

And this isn't really baby related, but remember how I said I wanted to make a chocolate colored table cloth to go with my new sewing setup.  Well I found the perfect shower curtain at target to turn into a table cloth.  I had a gift card so I ended up only spending 10 dollars and I had a ton of fabric left over for more projects.  Yea!  You can't tell in the pic, but it has satin like stripes.  It did exactly what I was hoping, it makes everything POP!!!!  Now it all goes with the rest of my decor in mour living area.  I'm afraid that means, it's a permanent part of our living room, or at least until we get the basement finished or one of the girls moves out in 20 years and I get to steal one of their rooms and make it into my craft room...snicker, snicker.  Anyhoo...I just wanted to show it all put together.  It turned out exactly how I wanted.  The only thing that would make it more perfect is a tiny little plant, but then I thought, that might be a disaster if some tiny little hands knocked it over which is VERY possible. 

Today after her nap....

Another bed head child.  Sorry, had to post.  I just can't get over her CRAZY hair.