Jen's Show and Tell

Hooter Hiders

2008-07-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

These are the absolute best. I wish I had one with my first three kids. It is so easy to nurse little Sara. I'm not sneaking out secluded places like dressing rooms and bathrooms anymore to hide away in case my blanket falls off my shoulder. I don't ever worry about nursing anymore! Yeah! I know some people don't ever have any problems but it never was easy for me.

Here is one I made for my sister in law.

Here are the professional models with one.

http://imustnotthinkbadthoughts.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/here-have-a-hooty/

Here is the tutorial that I use to make them.

Have fun!

Someone teach me how to knit!

2008-04-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

So these are my new favorite toys. Do you ever buy something for your children that is really just for you. I'm sure I won't really play with them. But it was that feeling of , "Mom, please..please..please can I have those!" when I was at my favorite Fashion Island store (This Little Piggy Wears Cotton) in California last month.

I paid a small fortune for them. But they are awesome and the girls really love them.

But now I need my master knitter sister to visit and teach me how to make these perfect little yummies. I bought the ones in the checkered basket. The other set I found on-line.

Monster Pals

2008-04-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you Family Fun Magazine for yet another wonderful idea. I don't know how mothers get along without a subscription. It is my favorite magazine and the source to most of my "great" ideas. I saw these in the May edition and I am really excited about them. Unfortunately (for me at least) my kids really love stuffed animals. I know they will like these. The girls have been having problems with bad dreams lately. Who better to fend off those bad dreams with your very own monster pal. Of course it might totally backfire and make things worse but I think it's worth a try.

For directions see here:
http://www.blogger.com/jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11974

New Lunch Bag

2008-04-23T14:06:00.001-07:00

So this is Chase's new lunch bag. Or at least it will be. It will take us a few days to drink the juice and let the bags dry out. How super easy. And very afforable:-) Chase loses his lunch sack so often this is just what we need. Our school secretary has a bag just like this. The other day I was volunteering and saw it. I love it so much it has jumped right to the top of my list of crafts to make.

Here are some online tutorials. The first is the lunch sack, the second is a purse.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf984011.tip.html

http//www.mormonchic.com/crafty/juice-pouch-purse.asp

Space Mud

2008-04-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

My Friend Heather Robertson first introduced me to this ingenious concoction through our little preschool group. It has since become a very popular play staple in our home. So much so that we took the ingredients to Arizona to make ourselves a batch there. The kids and their cousins had a fantastic time playing with it. And there was no surprise to see the adults getting in on the action. Heather had warned me that it would be consuming even to adults.

Here's the recipe. Everyone Enjoy.

In one bowl mix:
2 cups Elmer's glue (use Elmer's!)
1 1/2 cups hot water from tap
food coloring

In another bowl mix until dissolved:
1 1/3 cup hot water
1 Tablespoon Borax

Mix together. I ended up kind of kneading it together after a while. Don't dispare when you mix it all together and it looks like a watery mess. A chemical reaction takes place and the liquid turns to SPACE MUD!

Fabric Beaded Necklace

2008-04-18T13:19:00.001-07:00

I found this awesome necklace at Nordstroms while shopping for Easter dresses. I thought to myself, "that looks easy enough." Hoping it would be a fun project to try out with my Mom I stopped by Michaels for supplies and had hi hopes of making my own in Arizona. One quiet afternoon my Mom and I went through her chest of scrap fabrics, picked out some fun scraps and gave it a go. Here are our first attempts.

Supplies:

small wooden balls
approximately 2 1/2 inch wide piece of scrap fabric (long and thin...nothing heavy)
hardware for the clasps at both ends

First we made a know in our fabric.
Then we put in a bead and folded the fabric over itself around the bead.
Holding the fabric in place we made another know and cinched it down as tight as possible over the bead.
Repeat until desired length.
Add on jewelry making hardware.
Trim any frayed ends around beads for a clean look!

Hope yo all like them. Have fun trying them out yourselves!

Three new ones YEAH!!!!!!!

2008-02-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking Again!

2008-01-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

OK ladies I finally did it. I packed up the sewing stuff and set up the scrapbook stuff. It was hard to do since I have really enjoyed my sewing projects and still have more I want to do. But alas, I can't have both sets of supplies out at once. The poem by Robert Frost totally applies here!

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler."

In my future house I will have to have my own crafting space. No more working on cluttered folding tables in my poor bedroom! David be forwarned! I will not move into a new house without an extra bedroom to be all mine!!!!!

So after sitting at the table for an hour the first day and getting nothing accomplished for lack of inspiration, I made a trip to the scrapbook store yesterday. First of all spending money always perks me up and second who can't get inspiration at the scrapbook store? Right!?

So ladies, here are my first endeavors. I'ld better get cracking since Katie as you can see is Sara's age almost. Better late than never though!!!!

Three down a hundred more to go!

Resent sewing projects

2007-11-17T15:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't broken out the pictures, pens and do-dads yet but I have been a sewing machine lately. I thought I would post some pictures of my more resent projects for all to see. So here you go...

I taught 28 sisters how to make these bags for our Enrichment Super Saturday two weeks ago. (why do people that don't sew sign up for a sewing project?????) It didn't go very well. I have since made two more. With excellent advise from my friend Mary I put tissue paper over the vinyl and voila!!! way easier to sew! Thanks Mary.

This is my copycat version of a little thing being sold in stores and on-line called a Taggie. I first saw one at General Conference. My sister-in-law had one for her daughter. I thought they were so cute and easy looking. I finally made one of my own now that I'm expecting a little mouth machine again. I fell in love with the monkey material at a great fabric store near by.