Friday Pieday

When I started doing Friday Pieday with the kids last year I really had no clue what I was doing (still don't) or where it would lead, but for about six or seven weeks every Friday I just made a point to bake a pie with whoever was around and wanted to join in. The tradition stuck like glue with them and in fact even though we took a break from making a pie every week they still ask, without fail all the time if it's Friday yet and if we get to make a pie.

It was kind of shocking to me actually how much the little act of intentionality worked on them and boosted their confidence so much in fact just this week Grandma told Josie that Grandpa loves apple pies and apparently she beamed and said "well I know how to make pies!" and that just made my heart swell with joy!

So I've decided to make it a yearlong goal to make a pie as many weeks as possible with the kids in 2015. We shall see where it leads and I know I will learn a ton, I am not a great pastry chef by any stretch of the imagination just a Mom on a mission to bless her kids with a special tradition!

I mentioned to a few friends that I was picking back up with the project and got a few comments like "that is crazy, do you even sleep?" :) ha! Made me crack up because I TOTALLY get the intimidation factor and stress of baking with toddlers - I thought I'd share just a couple things I've learned so far in case you were thinking of starting a similar tradition or are groaning at the thought of what a mess it would be.

The first thing I do is choose the pie with the kids in advance and make sure we have all of the ingredients on hand for Friday before Friday rolls around. Nothing worse than not being prepared.

If the pie has a really involved crust or many many steps I usually make the dough the night before or try to do any of the steps in advance so that Pieday is not complicated or stressful for me!

Make sure your work space is clean and set out all of the ingredients and the tools needed before calling the kids into the kitchen and if you want to photograph the experience have the camera there too so that you aren't looking for it with flour all over your hands with the kids grabbing and flinging things while you scramble.

And after we are done making the pie and get it into the oven or fridge I like to have a little snack and a special movie or activity all set to transition the kids onto the next thing and give me a chance to clean up alone - I know it's good to have the kids help with clean up but on Pieday for the most part I like to get the crazy mess under control quickly making my stress level a lot lower.

And then make a HUGE deal when the pie is served. We usually do pie right after dinner on Friday and we ooh and ahh and set special plates out - seriously you will be shocked at how they beam with pride, it's my favorite part!

Just my two cents of course if you have any other tips or ideas I would love you to leave them in the comments and if you've done a similar project tell me about it I am all ears!

These are a few pictures of pies we made that I never posted about - Orange Dreamsicle and Blueberry Fried Pies. We are making a pie today and I will be sharing it next Friday of course. Thanks so much for letting me share a little about my process and plan here it helps me with accountability! Hope you have a wonderful Friday - and I will be back tomorrow with Ten on Ten! xoxo

pom pom hair clips

Josie got it into her head that she wanted to make pom pom hair clips after finding a big bag of pom pom's in the art closet the other day. I thought I would indulge her cute idea and broke out the glue gun for a bit of one on one time and let her design and pick out which colors she wanted for each clip. There are no secrets here it was pretty much glue gun + pom pom + hair clip but it was so fun to do this simple project with her.

After a few clips were made we decided they looked like caterpillars a little bit and so we hunted in the art closet again and found some giant goggly eyes and added those to the mix…

Then some little fabric hearts that were sitting in one of the bins turned into wings and she was so excited to make a little butterfly friend - adorable for sure!

Pretty soon Levi found us and he wanted in on the fun so we found him a clothespin and he made a caterpillar bookmark and a "quiet critter" as he called it (big pom pom with eyes) apparently his teacher used these last year - if you are holding it you are suppose to be a quiet critter…sounds good to me :)!

All in all it was a really fun little craft hour for a hot summer day - so many variations and so so simple so I thought I would share. What are some fun little projects you have done with your kids this summer so far?

make something monday :: crocheted pom pom hair ties

These little guys are really fun and addicting to make! I love yarn crafts but I am seriously horrible at crochet. I love a little something easy to do with my hands though in the evening after everyone goes to bed so I figured out a way, with my limited knowledge and ability to work the crochet hook how to cover a simple rubber band with some brightly colored yarn. I am thinking these would be the perfect addition to many stockings this holiday season, they feel so festive! Josie and I have been wearing ours for the past few days and they just make me smile!

You don't need much just some rubber bands, yarn, scissors and a crochet hook - mine was a size 6. And seriously do not be intimidated if you have never worked a hook - if I can do this, anyone can do this trust me!

To make the hair tie portion:

1. Start by tying the yarn onto the hair tie just to hold it in place.

2. Bring the hook under the hair tie and pick up the yarn and bring it back through the band.

3. Now do a single crochet by yarning over and bringing it through the first stitch.

4. Repeat bringing the hook under the hair tie and picking up the yarn again - but this time you're going to do a double crochet by yarning over and then bringing the yarn through the two stitches that you have on your hook. Does that make sense?

5. Continue doing double crochets under and over the hair tie until the entire rubber band is covered then pull the yarn through the last loop.

6. Tie the two ends together and trim off the excess - that's it!

To make the pom poms I simply wrapped the yarn about 75 times around my four fingers and then slid the whole mess off and laid it onto a separate piece of yarn wrapping it around the center of the loops and pulling tight. Cut the loops and go to town giving it a nice little hair cut - you're going for round but mine are never quite even. Remember to keep the piece that you tied the pom pom with long so that after you're done with it you can tie it onto the finished hair tie. Tie it tight, snip the tails and boom you're done!

I've also made a few with some fabric covered buttons for a different and equally as easy twist. The skies the limit on possibilities here and like I said they are super addicting once you get started! Hope you have a wonderful Monday friends - lets make something good out of it! xoxo

make something monday :: fabric poppy barrette

I have always adored poppies they are by far one of my most favorite flower. I love their feminine shape and the bright citrus colors they come in and the way their petals curl in slightly - I like to think they are shy and lady like. I love making poppies out of fabric and beads using a flame to lightly singe the petals edges, simple and sweet. These would make an equally pretty brooch for may day or mothers day or any day in between!

Supplies:

synthetic fabric that won't melt, not cotton, a satin or rayon is best - test your fabric before you begin.
circle template cut from card stock (I traced a large pill bottle onto a recycled cereal box)
candle
scissors
small beads
needle and thread
fabric glue
ribbon
alligator clip

1. To make one flower you will need three to five circles cut from your fabric using the template.

2. Fold each circle in half and then in half again and trim down the outside edge just slightly creating two little dips on the inside of the circle. (fourth photo)

3. Using a small candle, carefully singe the edge of each petal just enough the make it curl in slightly. Imperfections are perfect no need to worry to much if they are slightly off.

4. Stack the petals one on top of the other and then use a needle and thread to stitch on four or five tiny black beads to hold the poppy together.

5. Once you have made a few flowers cover an alligator clip with some ribbon using the fabric glue and then glue the poppies in place and let dry.

Simple as that!

 Happy Monday everybody - here's to a wonderful week full to the brim with beauty and life!

pipe cleaner princess (and prince) crowns

I love finding fun little girly crafts to do with my daughter since she spends a lot of her time playing with action figures and toy cars and her three wild brothers. She also gets her fill of doll houses and ponies thought so I suppose it's a good mix for her but selfishly I love to do the tea parties and nail painting just as much as she does. What surprised me with this craft though was how into the crown making my five year old boy was - I think seeing all of Moms special fabric and embellishments and glue got his creative juices flowing. Whatever it was these super simple crowns were tons of make believe fun!

supplies: 

pipe cleaners

fabric scraps

glue

sequins and jewels

To make a crown simply measure your child's head with pipe cleaners to create the base and then use one or two more pipe cleaners to shape any points you want on the face of the crown.

Using fabric scraps and glue cover the entire crown and then add any jewels, sequins and embellishments your heart desires. Then get ready to make believe some royal fun!

On a side note I made a practice crown the night before our little cousin tea party to use as a visual example. I put it on and walked by my boys room where Chris was reading to them before bed. He looked up and I kid you not looked at me like I had lost my mind. He confessed later that he was worried I was making the crown as an accessory NOT a dress up toy. It was super awesome...I wore around a bit longer with a smirk. :)

a butterfly morning

It's humbling being their Mama and having quiet mornings to create sweet little crafts out of basically nothing. It has been a hard winter for my heart in so many ways but I see such brightness and light when I allow myself to enter into their world and engage their imaginations for a few hours. I see life and joy and beauty in a whole new way.

I suddenly have the biggest urge to decorate my entire space with preschool crafts. It won't be long and they will be gone from under my wing but I soaked them in today and that feels so good.