I'm so happy we were able to join the YMCA this year. There are so many great classes and activities and I can't wait to try more of them. We have started going to a KidsYoga class and let me tell you-it is ADORABLE. The focus is a little less on being "zen" and more on acting like animals. But the class is very calm and sweet and I just love seeing preschools doing traditional yoga poses and having so much fun.
Of course, my sweet girls are more than a little shy. So getting them to participate was going to be a challenge. I realized that I was going to have to be in the class as well, at least at first. Lo and behold, I found the comraderie of three to five year olds far less intimidating then my own demographic. I was actually able to learn some simple yoga, with no concerns that anyone was judging me! Love it.
Last week the teacher used these cards, and I'd really like to buy them. A nice portable way to practice the poses and very kid-friendly. http://www.yogafit.com/PROD/educational_tools/ED001.shtml
Not sure, however, that I am willing to fork over the cash just yet. So I found this nice free printable version: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/kids-yoga-poses.html
So our project later today may be making our own cards. If we do, I'll be sure to post the results.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
This is pathetic....
Rather than discuss my lack of posting, let's pretend that I'm actually a very consistent and prolific blogger. While we're at it, let's imagine that I have a huge and faithful following of blog-readers, shall we?
Back in reality, it's truly summer here in the South. It's hard to believe that the 4th of July is over! Time really does go faster the older we get. It's been a nice summer so far, but a bit different for us. We've been doing more staying at home and fewer out of town trips. Thankfully, we have had the lovely splash pad at the YMCA to enjoy, and the girls and I have certainly taken advantage of it.
I have been spending some time searching and planning crafts for our summer. So far we have done a few projects, some of which I will probably share here. I've slowly been building up our craft stash, which has involved lots of fun trips to thrift and craft stores. I also was able to collect quite a bit of materials from my Grandmother's house. It's sad to see her home being inevitably disassembled, but still special to know some of her favorite things are coming to live with us. My Grandmother is the one who taught me how to crochet and sew and I will always think of her when I create something from yarn or cloth.
Here some pictures from our summer so far:
Back in reality, it's truly summer here in the South. It's hard to believe that the 4th of July is over! Time really does go faster the older we get. It's been a nice summer so far, but a bit different for us. We've been doing more staying at home and fewer out of town trips. Thankfully, we have had the lovely splash pad at the YMCA to enjoy, and the girls and I have certainly taken advantage of it.
I have been spending some time searching and planning crafts for our summer. So far we have done a few projects, some of which I will probably share here. I've slowly been building up our craft stash, which has involved lots of fun trips to thrift and craft stores. I also was able to collect quite a bit of materials from my Grandmother's house. It's sad to see her home being inevitably disassembled, but still special to know some of her favorite things are coming to live with us. My Grandmother is the one who taught me how to crochet and sew and I will always think of her when I create something from yarn or cloth.
Here some pictures from our summer so far:
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Spring Cleaning
and crazy clearing out of junk going on around here. I've been trying to go through cabinets, closets, drawers, and even a few boxes from the attic to eliminate all of the unnecessary clutter. I find it so difficult to let go of things, because I always ask myself "What if...?" What if I happen to need 50 balls for an emergency? What if for some reason mismatched gloves come into style? What if I simultaneously lose 20 lbs while also instantaneously traveling back to a time when overalls were still cool?
But I remind myself to be optimistic, and imagine this scenario:
What if......I have a neat and orderly home and livable life instead of existing in utter chaos, never being able to find I am looking for, and feeling defeated and guilty all the time?
So, in 2010, I have gone through our linen closet, our laundry room, our bathroom cabinets, our guest room drawers, our kitchen hutch, the girls' closet, some (though not all) of the Master closet, all of my dresser drawers, my jewelry box, and our front hall closet. We have just plain trashed a lot of out-dated or irrelevant items or things I never should have saved in the first place.
We also gave some away to a local charity this morning. Here's a pic to prove I am turning from my packbunny ways!
Frankly, the photo does not do justice to our hard work! There were tons of clothing, two vacuums, several bags, two boxes of drinking glasses, a popcorn popper, two sewing machines, a rug, a silverware tray, some shoes, and a Thomas the Tank Engine Ball Pit.
Ironically, you can see in the front of the photo, a box is inscribed with the pathetic words "PANTS TOO SMALL". I'm so glad I recorded that for posterity and the entire internet to view. At least it comforts me to know that someone, somewhere will purchase my pants at a charity thrift store and hopefully put them to better use than another layer of insulation in my already cluttered attic.
Onward and upward.....I'm starting a new program tomorrow called "Motivated Moms" so I will be sure to share the details.
But I remind myself to be optimistic, and imagine this scenario:
What if......I have a neat and orderly home and livable life instead of existing in utter chaos, never being able to find I am looking for, and feeling defeated and guilty all the time?
So, in 2010, I have gone through our linen closet, our laundry room, our bathroom cabinets, our guest room drawers, our kitchen hutch, the girls' closet, some (though not all) of the Master closet, all of my dresser drawers, my jewelry box, and our front hall closet. We have just plain trashed a lot of out-dated or irrelevant items or things I never should have saved in the first place.
We also gave some away to a local charity this morning. Here's a pic to prove I am turning from my packbunny ways!
Frankly, the photo does not do justice to our hard work! There were tons of clothing, two vacuums, several bags, two boxes of drinking glasses, a popcorn popper, two sewing machines, a rug, a silverware tray, some shoes, and a Thomas the Tank Engine Ball Pit.
Ironically, you can see in the front of the photo, a box is inscribed with the pathetic words "PANTS TOO SMALL". I'm so glad I recorded that for posterity and the entire internet to view. At least it comforts me to know that someone, somewhere will purchase my pants at a charity thrift store and hopefully put them to better use than another layer of insulation in my already cluttered attic.
Onward and upward.....I'm starting a new program tomorrow called "Motivated Moms" so I will be sure to share the details.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Projects/Ideas
I've so easily gotten sucked into reading other blogs about crafting and WOW! People are so creative and intriguing and just brilliant. It just makes me think how God made us in His image and has given us creativity and abilities to glorify Him, even if we aren't using them. Imagine a world without creativity, art, music, story-telling and songs....I'm so glad God gave us the chance to create!
My abilities need some practice, but here are some projects I've been thinking about trying:
Reusable snack bags. Maybe save a few baggies and go cloth. I've already started these, I just need to pick up some velcro to open/close them.
T-shirt bags. I have a huge amount of t-shirts that I am emotionally unwilling to discard. Several of them are not something I would ever wear out in public, but who needs 37 sleep shirts? I thought this would be perfect for them: http://wildonionstudio.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/tee-bags-a-tutorial-to-recycle-a-tee-shirt-into-a-shopping-bag/
Pillowcase dresses. I've made a couple of these, but really hope my 3rd and 4th attempts will be a little less sloppy!
Embellished/decorated hoodies. I bought a pile of plain navy hoodies for the girls and plan to jazz them up with some fabric pens. I need to think of something clever and twin-ish to write on them since I am too cheap to buy the expensive twin clothing that is sold online. "COPY" and "PASTE"?
Playsilks. This has been in the works so long is shameful, but I'd really like to dye them before Easter. That will involve some serious work and placing a quick order, which probably won't happen. Maybe I should shoot for the twins' birthday, which will give me months!
So, what projects are you hoping to tackle?
My abilities need some practice, but here are some projects I've been thinking about trying:
Reusable snack bags. Maybe save a few baggies and go cloth. I've already started these, I just need to pick up some velcro to open/close them.
T-shirt bags. I have a huge amount of t-shirts that I am emotionally unwilling to discard. Several of them are not something I would ever wear out in public, but who needs 37 sleep shirts? I thought this would be perfect for them: http://wildonionstudio.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/tee-bags-a-tutorial-to-recycle-a-tee-shirt-into-a-shopping-bag/
Pillowcase dresses. I've made a couple of these, but really hope my 3rd and 4th attempts will be a little less sloppy!
Embellished/decorated hoodies. I bought a pile of plain navy hoodies for the girls and plan to jazz them up with some fabric pens. I need to think of something clever and twin-ish to write on them since I am too cheap to buy the expensive twin clothing that is sold online. "COPY" and "PASTE"?
Playsilks. This has been in the works so long is shameful, but I'd really like to dye them before Easter. That will involve some serious work and placing a quick order, which probably won't happen. Maybe I should shoot for the twins' birthday, which will give me months!
So, what projects are you hoping to tackle?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Fancy Nancy
I try not let my prissiness get out of control, but I'm really a girley girl at heart. Fortunately, my children seem to be a little more well-rounded; loving animals, sports, books, and still playing with dolls and wearing tutus occasionally. We all love the Fancy Nancy series by Jane O'Conner
The illustrations are beautiful and the stories sweet. Not only does the series tickled a little girls' pink funny bone, but it teaches a lot of great vocabulary words, even some basic French, while encouraging kindness and empathy. In Fancy Nancy we meet the Clancy family, and Nancy who feels it is "hard being the only fancy person in your family". In Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly Nancy apologizes to her mother for her behavior and learns that you must choose to have a good attitude even when faced with disappointment. The Clancy family learns about responsibility in Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy. The latest book, Fancy Nancy and the Splendiferous Christmas talks about the importance of family and establishing traditions and memories.
The series isn't just about glittery boas and lacy accessories, Fancy Nancy Explorer Extraordinaire delves into plants, insects, and exploration from a "fancy" perspective. I love how it shows girls can be strong and feminine at the same time. We love these books; look to Jane O'Conner's many titles for your daily fancy fix! http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=fancy+nancy&x=0&y=0
So far, so good
Things are still under control. Sunday we bought a wedding gift for a friend. Definitely justifiable purchase. I've gone over a week without even looking at the kids' clothing at Target, so that is progress! Yesterday I spent about $50 on groceries but instead of shopping elsewhere I worked around the house. We also have made trips to the park and library rather than shopping for fun. I feel like I'm doing well. We will be shopping for a few gifts coming up, which is always fun and doesn't clutter our home which makes a big difference!
We sold the plastic playhouse we had on our deck. The girls had gotten too big for it and since we don't have a lot of yard space, we decided it was time to say goodbye. The girls were sad for a few minutes, but quickly got over it. It was a gift from some very dear friends of ours, so we were able to buy them a fun gift with our profits!
I'd eventually really like to get a table and chairs for our deck. I think it would be so nice to eat out there in the coming beautiful weather! I also can't wait to plant some herbs and veggies for spring in the pots on the deck. Last year we had pretty good luck with our container garden, the pots are easier to maintain than a traditional garden.
We sold the plastic playhouse we had on our deck. The girls had gotten too big for it and since we don't have a lot of yard space, we decided it was time to say goodbye. The girls were sad for a few minutes, but quickly got over it. It was a gift from some very dear friends of ours, so we were able to buy them a fun gift with our profits!
I'd eventually really like to get a table and chairs for our deck. I think it would be so nice to eat out there in the coming beautiful weather! I also can't wait to plant some herbs and veggies for spring in the pots on the deck. Last year we had pretty good luck with our container garden, the pots are easier to maintain than a traditional garden.
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