Sunflowers At Home

Tea Time

2013-06-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Recently Princess and I were playing "neighbor" (which is pretty much what it sounds like, we pretend to be neighbors) and having a tea party when she asked why we don't have real tea parties. Hmmmm...... I couldn't really answer that. So I decided we would start having real tea. But being more of the commoner than the high born tea crowd I had to do some research. What do you serve at a tea party? Did you know that there are two types of tea? There is "low" tea and "high" tea. Usually when we think of tea we are thinking of low tea which includes the sweets like crumpets and jam or lightly sweetened scones. High tea includes meat treats. We were having low tea! Again, being very tea uneducated I had to research what crumpets and scones were. I was a tad disappointed to discover that crumpets are very similar to english muffins. I like my english muffins but I wanted something special for tea time, so I checked out some scones. Scones are basically sweetened biscuits. That sounded more like what I wanted for our cup of tea! My first batch was just a simple raisin scone. It was okay and we were all pleased by it but not really wowed which surprised me given that it was from our Good Eats chef Alton Brown.

You can find this recipe here.

So when we finished those up I went searching for another and I think we have found it. It has apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and they are yummy yummy yummy! Here is that batch:

My 15 year old son have even decided to join us for low tea just so he can eat some of these! The good news with that is that we are having Bible study during low tea too! He is one of those guys who has all the head knowledge but hasn't surrendered yet so this will allow us to talk a little more about God and who He is. Woohoo! And if you are interested in this recipe you can find it over on Simply Scratch by clicking here.

But I have to run now.....it's tea time!

Until next time,

Baking Day

2013-06-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

I am on a domestic diva kick. Mr. Sunflowers has been watching Alton Brown's Good Eats ever since we found it for free on Amazon Prime. Our list of "to try" recipes has grown tremendously. Last week we watched an episode in which he made oat bread ( Oat Cuisine II ). We have been eating whole wheat/whole grain breads for some time now and love it. So we decided to give this recipe a try. To be honest I was a bit scared of it. I have no luck with yeast breads, especially if it requires two rise sessions. My first successful attempt was the pretzel bites and that was only a single rise. Still, I hit the store and began the process. After mixing and 10 minutes of hand kneading this is what I set aside to rise:

After punching it down, placing it in the pan in the fridge for its 8-15 hour second rise and then baking, this is what we had to eat:

and it was YUMMY! I am currently waiting for my second batch to rise. I think our days of buying bread at the store are done! If you want to give it a try you can find the recipe on Food Network here. Until next time,

Craftsy

2013-05-24T20:09:00.002-04:00

Have you checked out Craftsy yet? I had heard about it around the web but I admit, I was slow to give it a try. Then I tried one of their online classes and WOW!

I signed up for the Curvy Crochet Class. First let me say that I love that as soon as you pay, you can start taking the class. No waiting period and it doesn't matter what time of day it is. With teens, a preschooler and a husband I need something that I can do on my time, not something that I have to schedule for. I can watch the videos any time of the day or night and I can even post questions that the instructor will answer. (Not immediately, but they do get answered!)

I also like that everything is right there in one spot. This class includes two free patterns for me to alter to my curves, a chart for my measurements, and so much more and it is all right there on my Craftsy account. But it doesn't have to stay there. I can download everything to my own computer and print it out also (although I prefer to transfer the PDF file to my Kindle Fire so I can easily take it with me).

Mostly, though, I liked that Marly (the instructor) knew what she was doing. This isn't some gal who threw together some information and wants to make a quick buck. She is thorough in her explanations and her instructions. She makes sure you have what you need to succeed, and she has experience. And when it comes to trying to alter a pattern designed for a not so curvy gal into one that not only fits, but flatters a woman with curves - well, let's just say that's important.

So I started snooping around the site. There are patterns (LOTS of patterns! Currently over 16,000 crochet patterns), a place to share your projects, a place to order yarn at some really discounted prices, and a blog. Not to mention the different categories: Cake Decorating, Knitting, Quilting, Sewing, Embroidery, Cooking, Spinning, Jewelry Making, Paper crafts. If it's crafty it's on Craftsy.

And this weekend is a great weekend to check it out. Not just because it's a three day weekend which means an extra day for craft, but this Memorial Day weekend you can join Craftsy in honoring the brave men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces. For every class sold this weekend, Craftsy will donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit a veterans' organization. Select classes will be on sale up to 60% off!

Are you still here? Hurry up and get over there! You won't regret it!

Until next time,

This post contains affiliate links.

Swimming against the Current

2013-04-25T15:20:00.000-04:00

It's been a pretty awesome week studying Stressed-Less Living: Finding God's Peace in Your Chaotic World with Stephanie Clayton (thanks girl!) over at Melissa Taylor's Online Bible Studies. Honesty moment here. The first half of the chapter is a blur to me. Not because I didn't read it, or because there wasn't some awesome insight there. When I got to "swimming against the current" I felt like my heart stopped and God whispered, "pay attention".

I'm a momma of four pretty awesome kids. My oldest turns 18 this coming Friday (Happy Birthday!), my son is 15, and two more daughters ages 13 and 4. Yep, three teenagers and a preschooler! When Tracie wrote, "When children are little, the demands they place on a parent are physically exhausting...but as they grow into adolescents, the physical exhaustion is quickly replaced by emotional exhaustion in the highest form" my head was bobbing up and down as fast as it could. Teen drama mixed with preschool temper tantrums quickly add up to S.T.R.E.S.S.! Especially with teens who want to do what everyone else does and parents who just don't always think like everyone else.

But you know what? I wouldn't give it up for anything. God entrusted my husband and I with training up these children in the way they should go and I figure that if He thinks we can handle it then we probably can. I think this holds true for a lot of relationships in our lives.

God places people in our lives for a reason, and sometimes those relationships stress us out. Ever been stressed out by your parents? Your best friend? Your boss? Your spouse? "It's hard being a Christian in a lost and broken world..." and that is true in any relationship. It's hard to chose to honor your mother and father sometimes, especially in a world that tells us it's all about us. It's hard to tell your best friend that you disagree with their actions but you still love them. It's hard to works as if for the Lord when your boss acts like he has horns. And it's hard to remember that your spouse is a part of you and you need to treat them with love and respect when you don't feel loved and respected yourself sometimes. But when we remember that a relationship is not just between you and that person, but between you and Jesus and that person, it's a little easier to to do the right thing. If we can remember Matthew 25:40, which paraphrased says what we do for others we do for Jesus, then maybe we can stop stressing out about the situation and relax knowing that God's already involved.

Until next time,

The Ugliest Doll Ever pt. 2

2013-04-25T12:33:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to share with you what a little TLC can do.

She may still be missing an eye, and every time you take her hat off she looses a little more hair (as I write this she is down to one long curl on the back of her head, and her face is still kind of blue, but I have to admit I can see what Princess saw in this doll. She really is kind of cute once you add some TLC.

Until next time,

The Ugliest Doll ever

2013-04-24T10:53:00.001-04:00

Meet the ugliest doll ever!

For more than 6 months every time Princess and I go to the craft store she has picked this doll up and carried it around with her. When Princess first found her she was ugly. She had a blue tinged face and wiry hair, naked other than shoes. She was in a box with other dolls - pretty dolls - dolls that I felt were much better than this one. But Princess was drawn to this one. Princess named her Cinderellabella. Over time the doll had lost most of it's hair and one of the sleepy eyes is missing. Still, Princess would seek her out every time we went in and I always warned her that perhaps she would not be there. Cinderellabella always was.

Yesterday she finally asked if we could bring her home. My first instinct was to say no way, the doll wasn't worth paying for, it was broken, used up, defective. But I saw the love in her eyes and couldn't say no. What I did say was that she would have to ask what the price of the doll was and she would have to pay for it herself. If she wanted this ugly doll then she would agree, and she did.

The store owner told her it was a dollar. My opinion was that it wasn't worth it. The owner would never be able to sell this doll in it's current condition to anyone other than my daughter, but my sweet 4 year old agreed and brought Cinderellabella home. This doll goes with her everywhere now. Cinderellabella is her prized possession. She rushed to show her off when Little Man and Big Princess came home. When dad arrived home this was the first thing she told him about. I didn't get it.

Until I did. This morning God showed me something special about this situation, and I am sure you have already seen it. I'm a little slow sometimes. While I saw only an ugly doll, my daughter saw something of worth. Much like God sees the worth in each of us.

All of us are less than perfect. We have our versions of an off color face, an eye that doesn't see, we are less than beautiful, even if only on the inside. We are flawed. Many may view us as less than desirable, only seeing our flaws. Jesus however sees our worth, much as my daughter saw worth in this doll. He seeks us out at every opportunity and loves on us. He values us so much that he paid a price that was much to high just so he could give us a home. Jesus is proud of us and loves us unconditionally. While the world may see the ugly doll, Jesus sees a beautiful treasure.

It's days like this that I wonder if God gives us children so we can teach them, or so they can teach us. I learn so much about Him through them!

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Until next time,

Spring!

2013-04-18T10:54:00.000-04:00

I am finally beginning to think that spring has arrived to my little section of the world and that it is safe to pack up the bulky winter coats and sweaters. Spring and Autumn are my favorite seasons - I love all of the colors! Here is a peak of spring around my house

I planted some peas along my fence line this year. The fence had been overgrown with Virginia Creeper, so Little Man and I spent an entire afternoon clearing it and trying to untangle and save a honeysuckle that had been growing as well. I hope to plant some sunflowers along the fence later this year too.

These are growing along the side of my house. I wish bleeding hearts stayed in bloom all year and not just spring. The little delicate flowers are beautiful and I love to see them all in a row. The carpenter bees seem to like them too as well as the butterflies.

These wild violets sprinkle the hill in my backyard giving it a splash of color. I have heard of people using them to make jelly, but I don't have enough of them to try it. Besides, I think they are to pretty to pick.

These have been at the top of my hill tucked into a cluster of trees since we bought the property. ~~I have no idea what it is~~, but it comes back every year. Thanks to a Facebook friend posting a picture of her flowers in bloom I have discovered that this is Dogwood!

My Stargazer lillies are starting to crop up, a gift from my oldest daughter last year for Mother's Day. The get the prettiest flowers on them and I keep this pot on my back porch. When the flowers are in bloom the porch smells so sweet.

And the true marker of spring are the little, blue Robin eggs. I used to keep bird feeders in the yard, but last year our cat, Nibbler, decided it was more fun to hang outdoors than indoors. She also discovered that she could catch the baby birds when they were learning to fly. It wasn't a good thing. Many days I spent chasing the cat away. This momma bird wasn't to smart when she created this next. It is only about 2 feet off the ground! Momma is a feisty one though in that we often see and hear her chasing Nibbler away from the tree! These babies might have a chance if momma keeps it up!

I have some garlic, lettuce and celery growing in the garden. I started some tomatoes and cucumbers as well. What has me most excited is the little, blurry seedling you see above. I am hoping it is a carrot. Now carrots are supposed to be the easiest thing to grow, only I can't ever get them to grow! A few of these little seedlings have popped up on the carrot row this year. Maybe I will get lucky!

And while I tend to spend more time outdoors this time of year, my hands are still on my knitting needles in the evenings. I am trying to finish up a sunflower toddler sized afghan I started quite some time ago. I want to give it to Princess for her birthday. Will post pictures of it next time.

Until next time,

Frog Prince

2013-04-15T22:04:00.000-04:00

Just a little something I whipped up for my hubby. I have taken to calling him my frog prince. It's a long story but it ends with me married to my prince charming. I actually began working on this cutie in the middle of my 40 hats in 40 days series but it ended up in my UFO (UnFinished Objects) basket. Finally finished the little guy. I think he turned out pretty cute. How about you?

This cutie was designed by Meridith Swartwout and the pattern can be found on her blog Frog vs. Fungus here. I used Sweet Delight Baby by Baby Bee in colorway baby camo #126.

Until next time,

40 hats in 40 days weeks 7

2013-04-02T20:19:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I am finished. To be honest, part of me is glad in that I can devote some serious time to an afghan I am knitting for Princess for her birthday. At the same time I hate to see it end because I have so enjoyed working on these baby hats. The rest of the year it is so easy for me to put my charity crafting at the bottom of the list because the demands of daily life have to be done, but I don't want helping these little ones to get pushed off the list completely. That is one of the reasons that I give myself this challenge every year. And hopefully it has inspired you to donate some items yourself. Here are the last 6 hats of the challenge.

Day 35 - the Best Baby Cloche by Anneliese. I worked this hat in cotton yarn. It worked up quick and would be a cute spring hat. You can find the pattern on her blog, Aesthetic Nest or by clicking here.

Day 36 - Heart on a String designed by Susan B. Anderson. I used Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn and a size 6 and 9 needle. You can find the pattern on Spud and Cloe or at this link. I followed the directions for the baby size and I didn't hold the yarn double. This gave me more of a newborn size hat.

Day 37 - is the Flowertot Hat designed by "Fuzzy Fingers". The original pattern can be found here. I modified the hat though. I followed directions through round 4. For round 5 I did 3 dc (pattern calls them trc) in each ch 1 space. Ch 1 between these clusters. I repeated round 5 six times or until hat measures approximately 4 inches. Then worked 3 rows of sc and fastened off.

Day 38 - is the Diamond Trellis Toddler Hat designed by Kendrea Beers. The pattern is available as a direct PDF download here.

Day 39 - is the Little Sister designed by Linda Permann. I also used Lion Brand Pound of Love for this hat also. Since this was not a DK weight yarn as the pattern called for I began with 5 sc. Otherwise I followed the directions for the baby sized hat. The finished hat has a 12 inch circumference and is about 4.75 inches tall. You can download the PDF here.

Day 40 - is the Candy Puffs Beanie designed by "Unfuzzy Boutique". Although the pattern can be altered for newborn to adult, I really don't think this makes a good newborn hat. The pattern calls for us to work with two strands of yarn. I really felt like it was to think using Simply Soft yarn (which the pattern calls for). This is worked with a single strand of Red Heart Super Saver yarn. I began with 10 hdc in the magic circle. At the end of round 2 there are 20 and at the end of round 3 there are 30. I began the clusters on round 4 and worked 4 rounds of the clusters before working 3 rounds of sc. I ended up with a newborn size hat (11.5 inch circumference and 4.75 inch height)

And that is it for this years 40 hats in 40 days, but not the end of my charity crafting.

Until next time,

40 hats in 40 days week 6

2013-03-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

I ran out of my blue yarn this week! That is over 1000 yards of yarn in hats for boys or about 6/10 of a mile. Had to do some quick changes on my pattern choices as a result. Here are this weeks hats:

Day 29 - The Shadow Stripes Hat designed by Patti Pierce Stone. I love how the purl stitches create the swirl stripe pattern in this hat and the ribbing pattern is unique. The PDF can be downloaded for free here.

Day 30 - Little Bittie Noggin Cap designed by Andee Graves. A quick little hat designed specifically for the Save the Children hat campaign. You can find the free pattern on Andee's blog, and an adorable pic of her little one wearing it, by clicking here.

Day 31 - The Three Textured Baby Hat designed by Heather Tucker. While the basic hat pattern is the same, Heather has designed three different textures for you to choose from for your hat. I chose the King Charles Brocade design, but you can choose the Little Checks or the English Diamond blocks. You can get the pattern for all three on her blog here.

Day 32 - The Half Double Crochet Preemie Hat from Handcrafting with Love. I didn't work my rows in the back loops as the pattern calls for cuz I just noticed that the pattern calls for it when I was verifying links for this post (oops!) which is probably why I felt the pattern worked out to be a bit small and I worked extra rows to compensate. Once completed but before joining I worked a pom pom at the top by chaining 15 and then slip stitching to the next row all across the top. Then join the sides and gather the top. You can find the free pattern in sizes extra small to extra large here.

Day 33 - The Preemie Beanie designed by Lyn Rowley for her grandson who was born at 30 weeks. It is easily adjustable but as written it will fit a small newborn. You can find the pattern over at Rowley Poly Bird here. This was worked up in Simply Soft yarn.

Day 34 - the Aston designed by Maxcine DeGouttes and featured on Stitch Therapy Brooklyn as the June 2009 hat of the month. It uses the Barley Sugar stitch. The direct link to the PDF pattern is here. I worked this using Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn.

I can't believe there are only 6 hats left! Have a great week.

Until next time,

40 Hats in 40 Days week 5

2013-03-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a quick post. Been a pretty busy week this week and I haven't really had time to update much of anything. The weather has been crazy (i think our friend Phil the groundhog played a joke on us) with snow flurries, rain, 65 degree days followed by 40 degree days. It has been difficult to get decent pictures of the hats so please keep that in mind when you are looking at the pictures. That being said, here are last weeks hats:

Day 23 - the Summer Shells Baby hat designed by Beverly Button. I used a G hook to get more of a newborn sized hat. You can find the link to the PDF pattern for this hat as well as many others on her page here.

Day 24 - The Granny Hat designed by The Quiet Koala. I really love the look of a granny hat but this one turned out rather large when following the directions so I took the time to modify this to get a true newborn size. I used an F hook and had to omit the last round of hdc. Only worked 6 rounds of the granny pattern before working 3 rounds of sc. I ended up with a newborn size beanie with a circumference of 11-12 inches and a height of 4.5 - 5 inches. I think it turned out pretty well. You can find her pattern here.

Day 25 - This one is called Smooches and was designed by Kristen Jancuk. I love the X O pattern around the edge of the hat. You can download the free PDF for this pattern from Ravelry here.

Day 26 - is the Newborn Crochet Beanie Pattern designed by Dear Baby G. There is an alternate boy style edging on the pattern as well. While I am not overly fond of Dear Baby G's blog subtitle, the pattern makes it worth overlooking. You can find the direct link to the pattern on her blog here.

Day 27 - I think this is my favorite hat so far. It is the Knitted Baby Bow hat designed by Twenty Something Granny. Super simple and quick to knit up but it is adorable (the picture doesn't do it justice!). I love that she created the pattern because of a picture she saw on Pinterest. You can find her free pattern (and see the original Pinterest pic) here.

Day 28 - Little Petals Baby Crocodile Stitch Hat designed by Laura Tegg. I had been curious about the crocodile stitch so when I saw this pattern I decided to give it a try. It isn't a difficult stitch, but it is a yarn eater! You can find this hat in 3 different sized as a PDF download on Ravelry here.

So those are my hats from last week. Hard to believe that there are only 12 hats left!

Until next time,

40 hats in 40 days week 4

2013-03-13T11:58:00.001-04:00

This week was for the boys again. I also got a little behind this week and found myself having to do some work on Sunday to catch up. I have got to remember that some of these knitting projects take longer to complete than crochet! Here are the hats I made:

Day 17 - The Gooseberry Hat designed by Suvi Simola. You can download the PDF pattern available on Ravelry here. I cast on 72 stitches to get a smaller, newborn size. The pattern is easily adjustable.

Day 18 - The Ribbed Crochet Preemie Hat designed by Donetta Johnson and available on her blog One Day at a Time. The direct link is here. This one is super stretchy and easily adjustable!

Day 19 - The Basketweave Baby Hat designed by Carole Barenys. I had to make some adjustments to get a newborn size. I cast on 68, only worked 6 rows of ribbing and worked the pattern for 4.5 inches before beginning decreases. I have always liked a basketweave pattern! You can find this pattern on Carole's sight, Carole's Baby Knits or by clicking here.

Day 20 - Owl hat designed by yours truly. Sorry about the picture quality, so not a photographer here. You can find my pattern here.

Day 21 - Preemie Hat #4584 by Bernat Design Studios. This hat took FOREVER to complete. It is basically an 8 inch single crochet tube. Not my favorite pattern and one I probably won't make again. You do have to join the Bernat site to get access to this pattern but membership is free and you will have TONS of free patterns at your fingertips once you join. You can find the pattern here.

Day 22 - Crochet Cables Baby Hat designed by Emma Duffy. This one works up super quick and I really like the cable look. You can find the pattern on her blog, Crafty Corner, or go directly to the pattern by clicking here.

It's back to the girls next week and I have a couple of patterns I can't wait to try. If you have a free pattern you think would be perfect for this, please share it with me! It is about this point in my personal challenge that I begin to start panicking about finding cute, free patterns. You can leave them in the comments section or send me an email.

Until next time,

Let. It. Go. week 4

2013-03-04T09:30:00.002-05:00

"Changing our circumstances rarely changes us. What transforms our outlook and us is an attitude shift. It's God's job to determine our circumstances. It's our job to cooperate with him in the midst of them, adjusting and realigning our attitudes with the truth of Scripture."

I spent years trying to change the circumstances to make me happy. I had a bad home life growing up, so I got out as soon as I could. I still wasn't happy. I was lonely so I started dating early, that didn't make me happy. My first relationship was rocky, so I got pregnant (not on purpose, but we weren't trying to prevent it either). That didn't help anything. Changing circumstances won't change us, and I was what needed to change. I couldn't find happiness because I was looking to the world to make me happy, when only God could fill that hole in my heart. I had to shift my attitude.

The issues in my life were orchestrated to show me that He was the key to heart. Once I accepted that and began to cooperate with Him, I found happiness. But I still have to remember Scriptural truths. My flesh is weak and more often than I like it wants to revert back to the person who blames everything around her for how she feels rather than dig deep into God's truths and look to Him for my joy. This is why it is so important for us to stay grounded in His word.

Karen made an analogy in a past chapter using sweet tea. What comes out of our cup is what we put into our cup. Put in some sweet, refreshing tea and that is what comes out when life gets jostled. Put in some bitter coffee and let it sit and grow cold and that is what comes out when life is jostled. Sweet readers, God's word is our sweet tea! You quite often can't change your circumstances, but you can change what gets jostled out of you by changing what you put in. When we consciously choose to put in God's sweet words we begin to push out the old bitter coffee that had been in there previously, things like anger, resentment, unforgiveness, foul language, gossip, etc. Instead we are filling it with the fruits of the spirit (flavored tea anyone?) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control.

So to this end I am going to be bringing back my weekly Scripture cards. I pray that they bless you and will help you to fill up on some sweet tea. But don't stop there, even sweet tea will go bad if you leave it sit untouched for to long!

Until next time,

This post was written as a response to Melissa Taylor's Online Bible Study of Karen Ehman's book Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith.

Owl Hat

2013-03-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, I promised you on Saturday that I would share my new hat pattern. First let me tell you about it.

I have been saving pictures of inspiration pieces for some time now, sticking them in a folder with the thought that I would one day sit down and work out a pattern for it. That is how this one came about. The picture was of an adult hat, and to be honest I don't even know where I found the original picture, which is why I am not sharing it.

Well, with all the baby hats I have been making I wanted to design one of my own. So I flipped through my inspiration album and chose this one. It should fit a newborn, but can easily be resized to fit just about anyone by adding multiples of 4 stitches. If you find a problem with the pattern, please let me know as it hasn't been tested.

That being said, here is the hat:

and here is the pattern:

Owl Newborn Hat

You will need:

size 6 dpn

sports weight yarn. example worked using Bernat Baby Sport in colorway denim marl

cable needle

stitch guide:

C4B = Cable Four Back; Worked over 4 sts. Place the first 2 sts on cable needle, hold in back of work, K2, then K2 from the cable needle.

C4F = Cable Four Front: Worked over 4 sts. Place the first 2 sts on cable needle, hold in front of work, K2, then K2 from the cable needle.

p2tog = purl next two stitches together

pattern begins here

co 58

r 1-2: k2, p2, k8, *p2, k2 repeat from * around

r3: k2, p2, C4b, C4F, *p2, k2 repeat from * around

r4-5: repeat r1 and r2

r6: p in the front and back of next stitch, p3, k8, p in next 15, p in front and back of next stitch, p in remaining stitches (60 stitches)

r7-10: p in 5, k8, p in remaining

r11: p5, C4B, C4F, p in remaining

r12: repeat r7

r13-14: p5, K1, P2, K2, P2, K1, p in remaining

r15-16: repeat r7

r17: p5, place 2 stitches in the cable needle and hold to back, k2, p the two stitches on the cable needle, place 2 stitches on the cable needle and hold to front, p2, k the two stitches on the cable needle, p remaining stitches

r18: p5, k2, p4, k2, p remaining

r 19: p around

repeat r19 until hat measures 4 inches from beginning

begin decreases

r1: *p8, p2tog repeat from * around

r2: p around and every even round

r3: *p7, p2tog repeat from * around

r5: *p6, p2tog repeat

r7: *p5, p2tog repeat

r9: *p4, p2tog repeat

r11: *p3, p2tog repeat

r13: *p2, p2tog repeat

r15: *p1, p2tog repeat

r17 * p2tog repeat break off leaving a long tail. weave tail into live stitches and pull tight.

I would love for you to share pictures of your completed hats on my Facebook page. And if you have some extra yarn, please consider making an extra hat to donate to a charitable organization such as God's Tiny Angels

Until next time,

If you have enjoyed this pattern, would you consider donating a small amount to Sunflowers at Home?

40 Hats in 40 Days week 3

2013-03-02T12:23:00.001-05:00

It was girl's week again last week. Here are the hats I finished. My box is full so I will be mailing out to God's Tiny Angels this week. Here are the hats I made and the links to the free patterns. All hats were made with Bernat Baby Sport yarn in colorway Candy Baby.

This pattern is called Cap 2 Match and was designed by Suzetta Williams. It was designed to match a collared sleep sack (also available on her site). Although the pattern was written for worsted weight yarn, I was able to modify it by casting on 80 stitches and then doing a k1 p1 ribbing pattern for an inch before beginning rows 5-8. You can find the pattern here.

This is the Simple Newborn Hat with a Touch of Lace designed by Ginny Sheller. You can't really see the lace pattern unless it is on a baby's head, but it's there. I think this would look much better in a cotton yarn rather than this acrylic blend. You can find the pattern on her blog here.

This one works up SUPER quick. It's the Picot and Lace Baby Cloche designed by Annaliese. I finally decided to look up the definition of cloche since I had no idea what it meant. It is simply a bell shaped hat. You can find the pattern over on her blog Aesthetic Nest or by clicking here. She has several other cute patterns available on her site also.

Do you remember the gnome hat I made last week with the mock cable that took me forever? This hat uses the mock cable also and I was right. The first one took so long because it was a new stitch for me. This one worked up in a day! Of course the first 2 1/2 inches are a k1 p1 ribbing which does make it go lots faster. This hat is designed by Lenore English and can be found on her blog, tatt3r's knittingstuff, or by clicking here.

This is one of my patterns, the Shells and Vines baby hat. I have a sweater pattern to match it. Both are available free on my site. This is the direct link to the hat pattern.

The last hat of the week was designed by "Wormie". It's called the Crazy Cute & Easy Baby Hat and the pattern can be found here. I used to make blankets using this stitch pattern. Never thought to use it for a hat.

Got a special surprise coming for you Monday. I designed a new hat. This one is knit and I am going to share the pattern with you!

Until next time,

40 hats in 40 days - week 2

2013-02-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Only the second week and I have already had a hat that just about did me in! Took me 3 days to make it!!! I love how it turned out though so it was well worth the time! Here are this past weeks hats and the links to make your own.

This is the Very Basic Baby Beanie designed by Janet D. Russell. It is available on Ravelry as a free PDF download here. It works up really quickly and the large ribbing area makes it expandable to last for many months.

And this is the one that almost did me in. It is called the Expanding Gnome hat and uses a mock cable pattern. I had never done a mock cable so I thought I would give it a try. With the small needle size and a new technique this was definitely a time eater for me. It was designed by Maureen Hefti and is another one of those patterns that should last for several months as it is very stretchy (unlike traditional cables). You can get the pattern as a free PDF download on Ravelry here.

Here is a crochet hat pattern titled "Looks Like Knit Crocheted Shaped Baby Hat" designed by Heidi Sunday. Super quick to work up. I worked a chain of 15 at the end of every row 6 repeat to have a built in tassel at the top. You can download the free PDF on Ravelry here.

Another crochet hat called "Hat in a Hurry" designed my Thomasina Cummings. Another free PDF download on Ravelry here. This was is designed to be a little longer on the sides to come down over the babies ears and there is a different edging for boys and girls.

This is Melinda's Ruffled Preemie Hat without the ruffles. Designed by Melinda Gorley it is sized to fit a 3-5 lb preemie if worked with a G hook and sports weight yarn. This pattern easily adapts larger by increasing the weight of the yarn. I obviously worked it without the ruffles since this one is for a boy. You can find the pattern on Bev's Country Cottage by clicking here. There is a pattern for matching booties on the same page.

And the last hat for week 2 is the Ribbed Preemie beanie designed by Hailey Redden. This one is available on her blog, Wee Robin. Click here to visit.

I have been tinkering around with my own knit hat pattern. It was inspired by a picture on Pinterest but I couldn't find a pattern for it anywhere. It was an adult sized pattern anyway. I hope to finish working out the pattern and share it with you soon.

If you are inspired to make some of these hats, please thank the designers for generously making their patterns available free of charge. Also, won't you make an extra one to donate. There are a lot of charity organizations that would love to give it to a baby. My favorite is God's Tiny Angels.

Until next time,

Let. it. go. week 3

2013-02-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

"overall, don't beat yourself up over their bad choices. They aren't your fault. Yes, equip them as best you can, but don't glean your identity from their decisions. It's God's job to be their God and your job to be their mom."

I needed this this week. It has been a very difficult week. I found out that my 17 year old (who was an honor roll student when she lived with my husband and I) currently has a 1.28 GPA and may not graduate high school. I have court on Friday with my son. He had seen what appeared to be an interior light on in a neighbor's car. Without thinking he opened the door and went to turn the light off for them rather than knocking on their door and telling them. Naturally the owner thought the worst, called the police and he has been charged with tampering. (Nothing was stolen or damaged obviously). My 13 year old has been making some poor choices at home. While shopping with my 4 year old last week she picked up a small toy and hid it in her pocket. The look the cashier gave me when I returned to the store and made my 4 year old tell her what she had done (through the tears), pay for the item with her own money and then throw away the item made me feel like the winner of the worst mom of the year award.

To read the above paragraph, maybe I should be giving my acceptance speech. But that paragraph doesn't really tell you about my kids.....or about me as a mom. My 17 year old is a sweet, smart girl in a situation where she has no boundaries and the expectations of those around her are significantly lower than those my husband and I had for her. As a result she has acted as most teens would. Now that it is coming down to the wire she is realizing that maybe we weren't as crazy as she thought and she is trying to repair the damage.

My 15 year old has a HUGE heart for people. He often tries to secretly make others feel special. He's a class clown/cut up and is very emotional. He doesn't always think before he acts, but his actions are never done with a malicious intention.

My 13 year old is the gal who cries with you, laughs with you, and wears her emotions on her sleeve. She is at that awkward age where she is trying to figure out who she is on her own. Peer pressure is getting to her, causing her to not always make the best of choices, but when she realizes it she is genuinely saddened. She is quick to try and encourage others and often gives of herself emotionally until she is drained.

And my 4 year old is a great kid too. She is always jumping in to help, always telling everyone in the family how much she loves them, a ray of sunshine and happiness.

I really have been blessed with some pretty awesome kids. And they all have an understanding of who God is, how much He loves them, and what He expects of them. Two of them have given their lives to Him.

Raising kids is like writing a novel. I have to remind myself that we aren't at the end of the book yet. The characters have to go through some difficulties early on to prepare them for the climax. I can give them the tools to navigate with. I can choose to write a story for them in which they never face hardship but when the climax comes they won't be able to overcome it. 1 Peter 1:7 reminds us that trials are a test of our faith. As a momma who wants to protect her kids from all things hard (even those things brought on as a result of their own choices and actions) I need to remind myself what Paul tells us in Romans 5. Suffering leads to perseverance (a trait I definitely want my kids to have). Perseverance leads to character (another quality I want my kids to have). Character leads to hope, which Strong's Concordance says is a "joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation". I totally want that for my kids!

By only looking at that single page in the novel in which the characters are being developed we don't see the big picture. As a parent, only focusing on the times our kids don't make the best choices doesn't allow us to see the big picture either. These times will help our kids become the men and women God wants them to be. We need to help them see the lessons in the process. We also need to help them to see it is a process. This moment doesn't define them any more than it defines us. My kids are good kids that have made a bad choice. I am not a bad mom because they made a bad choice. (If so then MY mom would be the one passing the bad mom of the year award down to me!)

So momma's, hang in there. Keep praying, keep loving, keep being there for your kids. Help them to see the lessons in the consequences, but don't take away the consequences. That robs them of the lessons. You're doing just fine!

Until next time,

40 hats in 40 days - week 1

2013-02-16T13:19:00.002-05:00

This was the first week of my 40 hats in 40 days personal challenge. If you don't know what that is, let me fill you in.

Last year for Lent I decided to make a hat a day to give away. (You can read about it and see last year's hats by searching "Lent" in the sidebar.) I am doing it again this year. I hope to use a different pattern every day, but we will see how it goes. Patterns will all be available for free, and I will share the links with you. Some will be knit and some crochet. If you chose to make one, would you consider making an extra to donate to God's Tiny Angels? They sure would appreciate it! And if you know of a pattern you would like me to make for a newborn or preemie I would love for you to share it with me in the comments!

So here are last weeks hats:

This is the Eyelet Hat designed by Deanna Pate. You can run a piece of ribbon or I-cord through the eyelets right above the ribbing if you chose to.

This is the Bow Tie Baby Hat designed by Janice MacDaniels. I love the bow tie at the top, but next time I think I will leave the garter stitching out and just knit every row.

This is the Tulip Preemie Cap designed by Dee Stanziano. This is one of my favorite hats to crochet. It works up quick and cute! I left off the leaf portion that is supposed to go on the top.

The final hat this week is Olivia's Butterfly designed by Valerie Whitten. To make it baby sized I used a G hook and omitted round 5.

All the projects this week were worked with Bernat Baby Sport Big Ball Yarn in the colorway Candy Baby. Next week is for the boys.

Until next time,

Let It Go week 2

2013-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

How neat is it that this week in the Let. It. Go. study with Melissa Taylor we are reading about Managing Your Man!

I have been blessed with 6 wonderful years of marriage to a man who is my best friend. Sounds great doesn't it? Problem is that I have been married for 16 years!

Mr. Sunflowers and I met when neither of us were Christians. We worked together and a year after our first date we married. It was a rocky start with both of us trying to be the boss and neither of us willing to compromise - on anything. We both worked and kept separate bank accounts. The bills were split in half, he had his truck, I had my car and we might as well have been room mates. We fought and argued a LOT as you can imagine. The fact that I had a child from a previous relationship meant that he had a ready made family and we to this day have no idea what it is for it to be just the two of us. (My daughter was 8 months old when my husband and I began our relationship.)

I must admit, I had issues with submission, both before I came to know Jesus and after. What a nasty word I thought that was. Why should I be this meek little gal who gave in to everything my hubby wanted?

There are two problems with that. First, as a Christian, I am not to submit to my husband because of my husband. Col. 3:17 tells us that whatever we do, in word or in deed, we do for Jesus. Not only do we do it, but we give thanks to God while we do it. You see, we are submitting to our husbands because they are so totally awesome (even if they are so totally awesome!) but because we are told to (Col. 3:18) by God and when we obey we are honoring Him.

Second, submission isn't weak! Not by a long shot. Sometimes it takes a lot me to bite your tongue and obey than it does to throw a little hissy fit and go your own way. Anyone can do their own thing and it doesn't really take a lot of strength to thumb your nose at someone and say, "No way Jose!". When our Bible says the wife is to submit what it means it to put ourselves under. It is a choice, an action, and expression of will. Is your husband always going to be right? Probably not. Is his way always going to be better than yours? Again I have to say probably not. But here is the reality - someone has to be in charge and God said that isn't you. And do you know what? I am glad it isn't!

He may get the final say, but he also gets the responsibility that goes with being the one in charge. He is accountable for what happens in the family. He is charged with being the example of Christ. That alone makes me content to let him be in charge!

So what does Karen have to say about this? She has 5 key points to remember:
1) Realize that the act of submitting is always a choice and action of the wife. LOVE this! He can't make you, you have to want to!

2) Know that backing off and not controlling your husband will feel very foreign. We are advisers to our husbands. We should still be contributing to the decision making process but we need to remember that the final decision is his to make.

3) Recognize the subtle difference between manipulation and influence. Okay, still trying to find the line on this one. I think it goes to intent. If the information we are offering for our husband's consideration is truly just information and not us trying to stack the deck then it is influence. If we are stacking the deck to get our own way then that is manipulation. Anyone have any thoughts on this one?

4) Find the unique dance steps that work for your marriage. This is the second biggest thing that finally brought us to happier ever after. (First was beginning a relationship with Jesus.) I just knew what I wanted my marriage to look like. I wanted that Leave it to Beaver home where mom cleaned the house, cooked, handled everything with a smile on her face while dad came home from his 9 to 5 job and doted on his wife, his kids etc. Reality is I hate wearing heels, have no idea how to wear nice clothes and scrub the bathroom, couldn't cook a lick when I got married and 9 to 5 has NEVER been my hubby's work hours. So I tried to model our marriage off of the marriages of people I knew. That didn't work either. We had to figure out what our marriage was supposed to look like and go from there. Once I quit trying to have everyone else's marriage and started focusing on mine things started falling into place.

5). Recognize when you need dancing lessons from a pro. Every marriage has problems at times. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in what is wrong you can't see what is good. Or you get stuck on what hurts you that you can't see what you are doing that hurts them. There is no shame in asking for help.

When I stopped trying to be the one in control and started recognizing God's plan for my marriage and following it I began having the marriage I had dreamed of. We still have our ups and downs, and I still forget to Let it Go sometimes, but that is where grace comes in.

Until next time,

Lettin' it Go week 1

2013-02-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

You may have read my review of Let. It. Go. by Karen Ehman that I posted last week here. Melissa Taylor is leading an online Bible study with this book that over 8,000 people are doing! Wow! Well guess what....I am one of them! That means you get to hear all about what I am learning/doing during the study every week for the next several weeks. Ready for the first one?

In the book Karen makes a comparison between Ma Ingalls of Little House on the Prairie fame and Jane Jetson (you know....the gal with a dog named Astro!). I loved it! I have often wished I lived back in Ma Ingalls days. Life was so much simpler and easier....ahhhh....those were the days...

Then my hubby and I were talking about it and now I am not so sure. Ma Ingalls may not have had to chose between 30 different kinds/brands of peanut butter when she went to the store, but all the girls in the house wore dresses from the same bolt of fabric cuz there wasn't a lot to choose from. She may not have been competing with the gals on the cover of Vogue for her husband's eye, but she sure was busy handwashing all the clothes and the dishes and scrubbing the floors by hand. (Probably made for some not so soft hands!) Ma Ingalls life may have had fewer areas to control, but I think I am content with my vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, and dress styles.

And don't think she didn't have issues with control too. After all she was the one who decided which bolt of fabric came into the house, whether the meat Pa brought home got roasted, stewed or fried, and I can just see her telling Pa all about the dining room table needing to be sanded down because Sally who was visiting commented on how hers was smooth (we women sure are catty aren't we?). As Karen said in chapter 1, we women seem to be wired to control. That is true whether you lived next door to Ma Ingalls or Jane Jetson and it is true where you are living now.

I don't think I need to teleport back to the old days, I just need to focus on deliberate simplification, choosing what is important and letting go of the rest. One of the things I had to let go of was some of the organizations that I worked with. I have always liked trying new things, and the opportunities that had been extended to me to review homeschool materials, foods, and lots more were becoming overwhelming. So I prayed and let go of the ones that were becoming to distracting, to much work and not enough reward, that were causing me to stress over deadlines. So I let them go....deliberate simplification.

Recently I also had to weed through my reading choices. I am a BIG reader (which is why I have created Sunflowers at Home's Book Review 4 U 2) and my reading had been very eclectic. A while back though I felt God telling me that that was an area I needed to examine in relation to my walk with Him. As Karen said on pg. 42, "Our mission is...obey God. Love and serve others. And do it with a smile so that the watching world will want to know more about the God we faithfully serve as we glorify him with our choices". Some of my reading/entertainment choices weren't glorifying Him, they weren't helping me to grow closer to Him, they were pulling me back into a worldly life. Not don't get me wrong. I am not condemning secular reading. There are some really great authors out there that don't write in the Christian genre. I just know that for me, reading them wasn't a good thing, so I let them go.

Another choice that I made was to only listen to Christian music. Again I found that secular music was drawing me back to the life I lived before I met Jesus and I didn't want that. The good news is that Christian music isn't just gospel (not that there is anything wrong with gospel, but for this gal who grew up listening to hair bands of the 80's it just wasn't getting it!) anymore. I find myself listening to Christian rock, my son listens to Christian hard rock/metal bands as well as Christian rap. My daughters fall in between. We have found that it helps us to keep our hearts on Jesus, helps us to hide His word in our hearts and generally keeps us smiling.

Now, I still have a lot of winnowing to do and a lot of letting go to do. So far we are just talking about controlling things. I am pretty comfortable letting go of that for the most part....before long we are getting into running (controlling) the home....uh ohhhh!

Until next time,

It's not to late to join over 8,000 women who are studying Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith online with Melissa Taylor. It is free to join and all you need is the book. Zondervan is even offering portions of the DVD study to the participants free of charge! Click here for more information and to sign up.

Share day!

2013-01-31T13:30:00.000-05:00

I have been updating my Ravelry projects page. I had noticed that I had made several projects and not posted pictures before I gave them away so I began remaking them to get pics. I also notices I had TOOO many UFO's (UnFinished Objects) floating around so I am working on those too. Here is what i have accomplished:

This one wasn't a UFO, rather it was a little surprise gift for my hubby on our anniversary. Using size 10 thread it works up to be about an inch and a half. You can find the pattern here.

I actually made two of these cross bookmarks, one white (pictured above) and one ecru. I sent them to a couple of gals in my online Bible study group (more about that later). This pattern works up super quick and is relatively easy to do. You can find the pattern here.

This isn't a great picture, but Princess wasn't wanting to stand still. She asked for a pair of legwarmers so I whipped these up for her using Caron Simply Soft Yarn Paints colorway Sticks & Stones. I really like the yarn, it works up really soft. Unfortunately Princess doesn't like legwarmers (these were her first pair)! Of course, now that I have made a set for her sister, she has decided that if I add pompoms to these (her sister's pair has pompoms on them) she will wear them. Who knows?!? The pattern can be found here, although I had to modify it to fit Princess.

Another anniversary gift for my hubby. I call him my frog prince. It's a long story but when we got married we both had a LOT of issues that caused a lot of rough patches in our marriage. However, he is now my best friend, my prince charming. You can find this pattern here. I used size 10 thread and a 1.65 mm hook. I had to add some extra stitches to the foundation chain of the tongue to get it long enough and an extra round to the head to make it proportionate since I was using smaller yarn than called for.

This was also a gift for one of my Online Bible study gals. Another one that is quick to work up and it makes a pretty good bookmark also. You can find the pattern for this one here.

And this is one of the legwarmers that i made for BP (Big Princess). There is a tie under the cuff that has pompoms on the end to keep them up. I first saw this pattern a few years ago (before I started knitting) and tried to get someone I knew to make a set for my oldest daughter. Unfortunately it didn't happen. So when BP asked for her very own legwarmers I decided to give it a try and see if I could master it. I made this one and then moved away from it. I didn't really like the way the back panel worked up (not in picture). BP wouldn't let it rest though so I finished the set this past week for her. The pattern is called Mosey and I worked them using Caron Simply Soft. You can find the pattern here.

Unfortunately, I still have several more projects to work on, so look for some catch up work to show up here over the next several weeks. I am also starting to compile a pattern database for my hat a day during Lent project. If you know of a pattern for a newborn or preemie hat I would love for you to share it with me!

My final share is an organization tool for Bible study. Let me fill you in on the why....

About a year ago I signed up for an online Bible study with Melissa Taylor. I joined one of the Facebook small groups and loved it. I was invited to become one of the small group leaders and have been so blessed by the ladies that I work with as a result. The studies are amazing, the women I have connected with have been so sweet, and I have really grown closer to God as a result.

The problem was that I was having problems keeping everything all together. I had one notebook for my personal study, one for the online study, notes stuck everywhere, and just a sense of chaos. One of the other small group leaders posted pictures of a notebook she created to help her stay organized. I LOVED it. Problem was, you had to pay for the printables. Now it wasn't a huge fee, and it included lifetime access to all of the printables, but I figured I could create something myself and save a few bucks. So I scoured the net for some inspirations and created my own set.

It is designed to go into a 3 ring notebook. Above is the cover page. There are dividers for Bible Study, prayers, journaling, notes and quotes, and memory verses. Many of these (like the example above) have a Bible verse relevant to the topic on them. Included are lined pages for the Bible study and Prayer time sections. I put my dividers into plastic page protectors in my notebook.

You can download your own PDF copy of them here. Please note that they are available for personal use only.

And if you are looking for a great way to get closer to God with some amazing women, consider joining Melissa Taylor and over 7,000 people in the upcoming study of Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith by Karen Ehman. Look for my review of this book ~~tomorrow~~ on Sunflowers at Home's Book Reviews 4 U 2 or just click here to go directly to it.

Until next time,

One Skein Wonders

2012-12-30T18:45:00.002-05:00

Have you missed me? I know I have been MIA for quite some time now, or at least over here on the crafty side of things I have been anyway. (Now if you are a reader and are following my Book Review 4 U 2 blog, we have seen quite a bit of each other lately.) To be honest I have had so many UFO's that I have been playing catch up. Not this kind of UFO:

(image source)

but this find of UFO:

(my own UnFinished Objects basket)

The blue project is the Mosey legwarmer pattern I am working on for H. The reddish project is one of those beard hats for Mr. Sunflowers, until he changed his mind about which design he wanted, leaving me to wing it as I go! The doll is called the Pandora doll. I hate to admit but I started her a year ago, intending for her to become this year's Elf on the Shelf. Maybe next year! I just haven't really felt crafty lately.

That isn't to say I haven't been crafty. Princess and I were making something daily to go along with our The Truth in the Tinsel lessons. What is better than glue, glitter, gems, crayons, and feathers? With all that who has time to pick up the needles and hooks? Not me, I thought. Until.......

I was given the opportunity to explore and review Crochet One-Skein Wonders: 101 Projects from Crocheters around the World.

I had never browsed a one-skein wonders book before (WHY didn't you tell me about them!!). I was surprised at all of the projects and the variety of projects it contained. Patterns for thread, lace, super-fine, fine, light ww, medium ww, and bulky. Cowls, mittens, purses, toys, hats, headbands, gloves, placemats, hats, and even a SUNFLOWER PILLOW!! I am in love with this book!

So I pulled out my hook, frogged one of my UFO's ( a cowl I just couldn't get into using Patons lace yarn) and started on a project. The Bristleberry Scarf. Not a complicated pattern, and definitely one I was able to sit and do while watching tv once I got the pattern down. But the results are awesome. I had a friend asking me about it the first time I wore it!

Here is a close up of the pattern:

Beautiful design and SOOO easy to do. It's just chains and single crochets. And to be honest, there are a LOT more patterns in this book that have been added to my to do list. And as I post this, Amazon has it for a preorder price of only $11.50!

So that is what I have been up to. What is on your hooks and needles now that Christmas is over?

Until next time,

Black Friday!

2012-11-21T12:26:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share a couple of great Black Friday deals with you! Personally, I prefer to sit at home in my pj's scooping up the sales online rather than fight the crowds. Especially this year with so many Black Friday sales starting before I even get dinner in the fridge on Thursday!

First, I am having a sale in my Etsy shop starting on Black Friday and running through Cyber Monday. If you stop by and make a purchase you can use the code Sunflowersale to save 10%! Would love to have you visit!

Last month I told you about the awesome advent program I use with princess, Truth in the Tinsel (click here to read about it in case you missed it!).

This year she has created some really cute printable ornaments to go with the book for those who either aren't crafty, don't have the time to shop for supplies, or just want to keep it simple. On Black Friday, everyone who purchases a book will get a copy of the printable ornaments for FREE! Don't add them to your cart though, or you will end up paying for them. Your receipt will include a link to download them. Click here to visit Truth in the Tinsel.

The other sale I wanted to share with you is the We Choose Virtues Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale.

You may remember me talking about We Choose Virtues last month also here. They are an awesome company with an awesome product. We use their program in our homeschool and I have to say I love that princess remembers Cake Jake's patience and Jill's gentleness and all the others in the gang! The poster hangs in our school area and we talk about the virtue of the week every day based upon this program. Want your own set? On Black Friday you can get 30% off using the code FRIDAY30 and on Cyber Monday you can also get 30% off using the code MONDAY30. That's a great deal! Click here to visit their site and shop!

The final offer I have is for homeschoolers. Have you checked out Enchanted Homeschooling Mom? I admit I use a LOT of her printables and ideas as supplements in my own homeschool classroom. You can gleen a lot of neat ideas from her blog, but she has also created a member's only area with TONS of units that you can use. For a very small, very reasonable fee you get a lifetime membership to everything she creates! That's an awesome deal. Want to see what is currently available? click here to open a pdf to view her curriculum as well as unit studies organized by subject. From now until November 25th you can get 20% off your lifetime membership using the code EHMTHANKSYOU Click here to visit Enchanted Homeschooling Mom.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow and whether you brave the lines or shop from home, have a great Black Friday too!

Until next time,

testing, testing, testing

2012-10-27T20:03:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share a picture of a baby ballet slipper crochet pattern that I tested for Hui Lan. I had tested a previous baby pattern for her (shell booties) and loved that pattern so I was excited to get to test these as well.

The pattern was really easy and will be available in preemie - 9 months once testing is finished.

Aren't they adorable?!? I love them! Hui Lan plans to list them in her Etsy shop shortly/

Until next time,

Truth is in the Tinsel

2012-10-24T07:37:00.001-04:00

I know, Halloween isn't even here yet and the Christmas stuff is already starting to come out. First the OCC shoeboxes, I am seeing Christmas trees already on display at stores, and now I am talking about an advent program. It seems to come earlier and earlier every year!

One good thing about early Christmas sales is that it makes it easier and less stressful for me to get prepared. A few years ago we began using a Jesse Tree in our family rather than the typical advent type activities. I bought the book and the first year we colored paper ornaments. The second year I tried to make them out of polymer clay. Let me just say that my polymer clay talents need some work. This year I am carrying a list with me of the ornaments I need so that when I am out and about and see one I need I can grab it. I love the idea of a Jesse Tree and it is a great tool to help remind my kids what Christmas is truly about. But I often wonder if my youngest "gets" it.

Last year we stumbled upon a program called The Truth in the Tinsel, created by Amanda White of Impress Your Kids and Oh, Amanda. She too wondered if her kids were "getting" it, and decided to create this awesome advent program. Every day you and your child can read a scripture, talk about the story and then create a craft to hang on your own advent tree as a reminder, and it all points to Jesus.

Each day consists of 5 parts, the clue (a printable picture and word clue to hint about the topic of the day), the Scripture, the Talk, the Ornament, and more (additional scriptures, songs to listen to, DVD's to watch etc). The book includes a supply list at the beginning so you can be sure you have what you need for the entire month, and if you have a preschooler in the house you probably already have most of the items on hand! Amanda even goes a step further and also breaks it down into a daily supply list so if you don't want to buy it all at once, you know what you need for each day. And if your schedule is hectic, don't freak out. Amanda includes alternate schedules so you can do a weekly advent, one which focuses on the highlights etc.

To top it off she has created a Facebook community so you can join up with other parents and see what they are doing to teach the message of Jesus. The awesome thing is that you can see some of the crafts there as well. Even if you aren't a crafty momma, these are EASY PEASY to do with your child. I can tell you that after going through the advent with my then 3 year old, she really was focused on what Christmas was about and who was the main person of the season, and let me tell you that isn't Santa Claus!

You can get your own copy of The Truth in the Tinsel today. Amanda is offering it as a PDF download that you can read on your computer or you can read it on your e-reader of choice. Well worth the small fee! Click here to find out more and to order.

Until next time,