too much me time

Lately, now that the kids are in school full time I have been having a lot of "me time". Honestly, I don't like it!! I have been trying to figure out how to enjoy time with myself. I read a lot of books, crochet, cross stich plastic canvas (or whatever the plastic canvas technique is called is) and I am failing on figuring out how to enjoy my own company! I don't know how to change this. theoretically you can just decide to change how you feel right? well, that has never been my experience. I can change how I respond to things which over time sometimes helps change how I feel but the fact that my mind is sometimes just messed up and feels things that completely don't make sense (and I know it) makes it hard to just flat change the feelings. I keep thinking about finding a job, but then on days I work and I am stressing about one of the kids potentially being sick and what am I going to do cuz its hard on everyone if I call in. How will the kids get here or there if I am at work, and many other things that work out so much better if someone is home. I also have a really hard time enjoying motherhood after a day at work, seems I go to work and I enjoy it, then I come home and I am tired and ready to relax. Coming home and doing homework with the kids is not what I had in mind as relaxing but it is a very necessary thing to do.  I know so many parents who manage to be amazing parents while being a working parent but I am scared to death to make that change. :/ How do I decide which is better, continuing to attempt to figure out how to stay busy and enjoy my own company at home alone while the kids are at school, or figure out how to juggle being the best parent I can be and work. :/ I am so grateful for my amazing husband who supports me in so many ways and allows this to be a decision that I can debate and decide what will be best for our family. I really believe there are so many benefits to having a stay at home parent involved in the children's lives even as they get older and need less and less immediate help with things, and its much easier to continue to be involved in their lives and be there for them if I am here. sometimes I just wish things were more black and white so that decisions like this would be easier because there was one right decision instead of two decisions which both have pros and cons to them! I love being home with the kids when the kids are home, they are amazing little people who make life so much more fun! I on the other hand, am not so much fun to be around maybe one day I will be as cool as my kiddos.

Plastic canvas Minecraft chicken.

I decided to add a chicken  to the minecraft  plastic canvas toys for my boys.  This is how it turned out.  I had to put a double  layer on the feet so it angled the chicken up to help it balance.  For the legs I stitched all three layers then stitched them together making the legs more firm.  The chicken is still not perfectly  balanced  or anything  but she stands up on her own so I'm  calling  it a win. 

Plastic canvas minecraft creeper.

I decided mushroom  needed a friend so I went ahead and  drew out plans for a creeper!  :)  Here is how it went... 

The design  I made.  The top of legs section  is done in one section and legs are attached to the bottom and body to the top.  

When attaching the legs I found it easiest  to attach one side however you prefer,  but for the second side I sewed sides or legs together in a row,  then after they were attached to each other, I attached  them to the body. I opted to not sew the inside side of the second leg section leaving only 3 sides attached to base,  and it seems fine. 

Attach the base of the head onto the body prior to sewing entire head together.  I do wish I had only attached it on the front and back.  I think it would have been easier sewing the head together without the additional layer of yarn already attached when assembling the head. 

Here he is! 

Finished product.  :)  still not perfect,   but I like it.  

Plastic canvas minecraft cow experiment

My 8 year old is obsessed with minecraft!!!  We were at a store and he saw minecraft  plush toys,  they were not high quality  or anything  I was dieing to buy,  yet still cost quite a bit. The crazy person I am natrually came home and looked to see if I could find Crochet  pattern  for them.  I came across  a picture  of a plastic canvas mushroom,   the cow.  (which is the one he really  wanted at the store)  It didn't have a pattern or anything so I got brainstorming how I could make this happen.  Looking at pictures (Yay for them being pixilated)  Using graph paper I started drawing my pattern to use.  Hopping I could actually do it, I jumped in.   My grandma  made some pretty  elaborate  things from plastic canvas so I knew it could be done,  but this is only my second  attempt  at doing plastic canvas,  so wish me luck.  So far it's going fairly well,  I just wish I didn't start on the face before I figured out what I was doing.  Of course I messed up slightly figuring out what I was doing.  I didn't mess up bad enough to redo it just enough to wish I worked out some kinks before doing a crutial part of him.  I think  I'm going to make another smaller one cuz I made this guy 4 squares to every one graph paper square and I think  it would work out just fine smaller and make a few other characters  too.  Then I can make him some friends and foes. (creeper) :)  I'll have to update after I fully finish.

My not so pretty  plans.  :) 

Mushroom's  progress so far,  just one more piece to make,  until it's time for assembly.  :)  im excited  to see how it comes out and make more guys.  Fingers crossed that this will actually  be  a good Christmas  present  for the kiddo! 

When assembling,  don't sew entirely  shut before attaching the mushrooms and legs.  

I decided  to lightly stuff the body with some  wadded up news paper.  I did not feel like anywhere else other than the body needed it and even there I probably didn't need it.  

Mushroom  is done!  Other than he is bigger than I wanted (approximately 9 1/2 inches tall to the top of the  mushrooms)  I think he turned out great!  He isn't excessively  tall by any means,  I just prefer cute little  ones. 

Crochet baby shower gift

A friend of mine is having a baby shower  and I decided I was going  to crochet something  to go with my gift.  Originally  I was planning  on  doing the motorcycle diaper cake thing and Crochet  the stuffed animal  for it.  After asking what her favorite  animal was I began searching to see if there was a good option for an owl that could sit on the motorcycle.  While searching  I decided to change my plan and just Crochet a gift all together and bag the motorcycle all together.  This is what I have so far and am trying  to decide of I should add more to the gift or just  do these. I hope they work out and are adorable  on the tiny day girl soon to come :)  I'm  not entirely  happy with how the green sandles turned out but hopefully  they will work out. I am not goona lie, I'm not one of those people who find crocheting  therapeutic  or just wants to sit down and Crochet  to crochet,  but I do like finishing cute,  unique things! Maybe one day I'll love crocheting in  itself,  but for now I just look forward to finishing cute things like this! 

The owl hat pattern  is found here. 

http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2012/09/crochet-owl-hat-pattern-in-newborn.html?m=1

Sandles were found here. http://www.jennyandteddy.com/2013/08/25free-crochet-baby-sandals-and-barefoot-patterns/

Baby shower motorcycle

About 2 years ago I was trying to figure out what gift to get for my nephew's  baby shower.  My aunt called me up telling me that she heard I needed a gift for a baby shower and that she had the perfect idea for me.  The people  at the daycare she had been working at had been using this idea for a few and it was a big hit.  She sent me to check out http://www.sweetaprils.com/2011/08/diaper-motorcycle-tutorial-diy-how-to.html?m=1
I loved it!  The motorcycle  could be done fairly cheap  if you didn't care at all about brands and such,  however  I decided I wanted to use products that they actually wanted so that it would be more appreciated.  I convinced  my sister in law  to go in on it with me. After my first  one and the mom to be saying she wanted to use it for decoration in baby's room for a while,  I decided to  use size 2 diapers next time so that there was no rush in taking it apart and all supplies would still be used.  I think this is a brilliant idea and had a lot of fun creating this fun gift.  :)

have you seen my motivation?

So I thought this blog was a good idea... but right as I start it, I also happen to hit a slump. My motivation is completely missing, it has ran away or something... who knows what happened. I haven't been doing a lot of the things I know I should and am really dragging. I do not have anything exciting to share on here because of the fact that I haven't been keeping up on the house work. I have 3 pokemon that I need to crochet and have started one but still have a lot left on it. I also have a long list of things I need to take the kids out to do before summer is over. Man is summer flying by!!!! hopefully tomorrow or at least soon I will have located my motivation so we can get out and have some fun adventures. (honestly getting out and playing with the kids is way more important to me than a clean house.) 2 days ago Paxton got hit with a stomach bug tho and then i got it yesterday. I am mostly better just a tad queasy when I move around to much. maybe tomorrow will be all better. I SURE HOPE MALAK DOESN'T GET IT!!! well if you see my motivation let me know!!! here's to hopping that tomorrow is more that sitting on the couch, or laying in the hammock reading, or talking with the kiddos. I'm ready to get out there and play! Today I did get to enjoy a nice summer rain storm and watch the kids have a blast "going on a snail hunt" or doing a "snail robbery" there is nothing quite like laying around relaxing while laughing at the imaginations of children at play. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that my kids can play outside together for hours doing things like that. its sad that my kids keep wanting to play video games and not just use their imaginations more and more.

box pinatas

Several years ago it seemed every party I took the kids to had a pinata. so when it was my sons turn of course he wanted a pinata, we bought on and had it at the party... next birthday came around and my other son wanted a pokemon pinata instead of any that they had at the store.... so I sat down and began planning! I drew out a design and thought it would work out well and would use cardboard and paper mache to create my plan. I ran it past the birthday boss, who told me I had it all WRONG!!!! He wanted a pokemon CARD not the actual creature.... silly silly me. tho I was a little bummed that I spent time figuring out a plan, I was also very relieved to be set on a course I knew I could succeed at. All I had to do now was turn a basic cereal box into a card. So black to the drawing i went, only this time instead of drawing a plan I figured out the right size and got the paper ready for the drawing, drew a pokemon card. (yes, I like to draw, and as long as its a fairly basic drawing I can draw it) after drawing it out, I had the birthday boy color it for me... or at least help pretty sure i did the back side of the card and he did the character side.  He loved it and both boys were way more excited about the home made pinata than any store bought one. the down side to it is... you have to make sure you really enforce the top well with several extra layers of cardboard or whatever you would like to use for extra support, otherwise it will simply tare off from the top and hanging it to be beaten will be quite interesting. The other thing that my family seems to think is a down side to these pinatas (I actually like this) is that it doesnt break easy at all... boxes can take a beating!!!! prepare yourself to let the children have a few turns of hitting. I like this cuz everyone always gets a turn and none of the kids have ever complained about having to hit it again, and once I decide I'm done with it we just rip open one of the tares that it gets. 

These are the 2 pokemon card pinatas that we have used.

then this year we had a left over Valentine box we had created for fun during valentines time just for fun. so we decided to convert this into a pinata and get good use out of the ninja turtle we had floating around the house. (I should probably eventually make a post about those too cuz they are fun and you can make just about anything you want as long as your content having it just a funny shaped head)  

next birthday came around and the birthday boy decided they really wanted a pokemon and this time wanted the character but wanted to make it a box pinata. I was feeling particularly unmotivated and waited until the day of the party to even figure out what I was doing for anything. (yes I rock) so day of I find out what I need to be doing. Together I and the kiddo set off to  make Magikarp. I start doing the top fin, which doubled as the support to hang it by. deciding this time I'm going to use tissue paper and have it look more pinata like. of course it gets shut down. I was simply told he liked it better before the tissue paper was put on. Sense it was already glued on it stayed and he had to deal with it, but we kept the rest simple and didn't do any more of the tissue paper, also i was informed he wanted to make it. so i handed off the job to birthday boy. He didn't do it quite as i I envisioned or anything but i think it turned out wonderful and HE MADE IT!!!! All in all I think I have a pretty creative and talented kid (no bias or anything) 

I didn't do well with the wire that held it up sense it stretched out and looked kinda funny but I don't think it killed any of us. so I will just take this as a lesson learned... Do not curve the wire to help make the top fin without making sure they are secured well and wont undo and just make it hang weird.

With this pokemon party I did a pretty darn good job of pretending that I am awesome! The kiddo believed it so my job was compete for the day. :) 

Minecraft pig. 

It was supposed to rain the day of the party so we made this one a pull string minecraft Hulk piniata.  :)  I cut out the shape from a box and used the cut out pieces to fill in the sides of where I cut and used painters tape to hold it in place.  I had a lot of super thick sting lying around the house so that's what I put through  the bottom with a needle.  I had a lot of strings that just came out on both sides so when yiu pull it it just slides out, and one that was attached to a popsicle stick.  When someone finally  pulled the one that didn't easily come out it ripped the taped side open to release the candy.  The kids seemed to really enjoy this so thst was a good thing. We later taped it shut and used him as a regular  piniata  at a family reunion.  Got 2 uses with only making it once.  :) 

time to add my latest one.  :)  this one was for a friend and I'm most likely  going to do the strips of tissue paper with slots cut in them around the horn also.  For now I'm done tho so I decided I was going to post this one here anyway and can update if I do finish the horn my kids think she looks perfect  just like this,  so maybe I'll cave and no do it at all.  Ya never know with me.  

Ps.  This is the first piniata I have made the the kids help.  It was kinda weird not having them helping.    

Pikachu cake

I'm going to start with my most recent awesomeness... My oldest son just turned 8 and for his birthday, asked if we could make his cake look like Pikachu. (he loves Pokemon and seems to think I can make things if he wants it) To my surprise, after thinking about it for a bit i came up with a plan and told him that tho i was not about to make promises that it would turn out well, i would give it a shot. After my supportive husband (who was baffled that I would even attempt this and had no idea I had a plan.) bought me the supplies and was even to my surprise able to find yellow frosting. I really thought that I was going to have to use food coloring to make white frosting yellow, and didn't complain at all about him finding yellow. i also had him buy the baking cooking spray cuz i have only even tried to get a cake out of the plan once in my life and failed miserably!!!  So i had the supplies now so here goes nothing!!


Supplies: cake mix, baking cooking spray, frosting (yellow and chocolate) red sprinkles.

I wish I would have taken pictures of the process, maybe i will make another and add pictures of the process later, but for now i will simply have to explain.  I baked a basic 9 x 13 pan. after it cooled, dumped it out of the pan onto a large cooking sheet. (man was I nervous about this step!) next time I do it I would definitely put it onto a foil covered piece of cardboard, it didn't really fit on the cookie sheet. I then cut a small wedge off of two of the bottom sides to make the ears, and moved them to the top. I am not good at frosting cakes so perhaps yours can be even better than mine, it had flecks of the chocolate cake all over it and wasn't neat but it turned out awesome.

I just used a knife to make the eyes, nose, mouth, and tips of ears. Then used sprinkles for the cheeks. This cake went over nicely and made for an excited group of children. It was super simple and turned out great. 

decided to start a blog

So, I decided that I should start a place where I can post as many crafts and fun things I do with my kids as I want, no fear of being annoying cuz, well, YOU CHOSE to come her and read this. There is a fair chance that you will regret your decision, but it still stands, it was your decision. Anyhow, I enjoy doing random crafts and things with/for the kids and always want to show off and brag about it! occasionally I even have my own ideas that i use!! Imagine that!! The first several things I post are going to be things I have already done and just want to share anyway. I love doing SIMPLE (or at least simple for me, I'm lazy) things that make my kids (and sometimes others) think that I am awesome!