c is for cat

birthday time again.   my daughter's friends all know i make their gifts so i get requests for birthdays.   makes knowing what to get so much easier!   here is the request i got, purple and cats.   i have been having one of those hectic months so i knew i wasn't going to get anything crocheted in time.   i went to pinterest where i found this adorable and seemingly simple pattern for a stuffed cat.   

looks pretty simple, right?   well it would have been had the pattern included seam allowances.  i am not sure how the pattern got those cute little legs in there unless she has a serger or some kind of magic that i don't know of.   i admit, i am not great with a sewing machine.   we often disagree on what we are going to do and where we are going, but this was more difficult than i thought it would be.

i printed the pattern form the site twice on regular paper.   you probably know, i am a recycler.   i take old clothes and sheets to make stuff.   this cat happens to be flowers from a hanna montana sheet set.  nobody in the family likes the show, so she ended up fabric.  

as i was cutting out, i eyeballed some seam allowances in.   that is most difficult between the legs.   there just isn't room.

stitched everything together, turned and stuffed.   the tight turns were a killer for me.  those turns were the deciding factor in me not attempting kittens to go with it.    

i don't know what i am doing wrong, but i do not have nice round feet and my head turned out a bit less than perfectly rounded although not as lumpy as it looks in the picture.     i also learned that the tail should be sewn on a little loose or tacked in two places or it sticks up weird.   i let mine be a tad loose but didn't tack it so she can move the tail.    

i embroidered a simple face.   we discussed button eyes or embroidered.   i figured it should be a sleeping cat and have a soft face in case she chooses to lay on it.

my projects rarely go as planned but this turned out cute anyway.    i hope that my experience with the pattern helps you before you dive in.     

my first fingerless gloves

fingerless gloves seem a bit silly to me.  i mean, what is the point if your fingers are cold?   i need gloveless fingers or something cuz my fingers freeze before anything else.   my tomboy princess loves them though.   ok, i'll do it.

she chose a thicker yarn.   i included a picture of the yarn, label and hook i used.   one skein did one glove with maybe a yard left over, probably less.   

you know i don't know how to follow a pattern much less write one but here's the basics of what i did.   

chain 33

skip a chain and do a double, chain two and another double.   

skip a stitch and attach to the next stitch in your base chain.   repeat until the end of the row.

you will have several mountains.   ( i know i am super with technical terms)

for the next layer, place a chain in each high point of your mountains
half double in the back of the next stitch, just the back loop so you get that raised zig zag
and a double in the back loop of the center between the mountains. and so on

i did 11 sets of these two layers and in the last fill layer just crocheted to the first row to close the tube up.   remember to leave a space for the thumbs though. . . .yeah, i forgot on the second one.

this is a picture of the closing line from the inside and outside.   the inside has this seam and the outside looks continuous.     i was pretty impressed since i was making stuff up as i went along.

i still don't get fingerless gloves but i do like them because o can actually make them.   my friend wants a pair of piggy fingerless gloves.   i'll be working on that one here soon.

tp roll fish tank

my little blonde curls has developed a major fish obsession.   he has been coloring and cutting out pictures and taping them to the wall for a "fish tank" for quite some time.    we have a fish tank, but he has octopi and eels and whales in his paper tank . . . i guess he has a paper ocean on the wall, not a tank.   the other day, i was looking at the many tp rolls that accumulate and thought, "hmmm . . fish in 3d".   i flattened the tp rolls so they had a crease on the top and bottom, cut basic fish shapes and he painted, and i painted, and we made a large selection of tp roll fish.   they sat on my window sill for a couple weeks while school was starting and there was just too much chaos for finding tp roll fish homes.   this week, i decided it was time.

 TA-DA!   tp roll fish tank!

ok, it's a mobile, but you know.   it's fun.

we painted some strips of cardboard for the water and taped them to some wire bent into circles.   two strings crossing for the top suspension of the thing.   same basic principle for the bottom layer of water but longer strings and attached at the same top point so they both turn freely.     i used a large blunt needle to pull string between the cardboard and wire in the water sections.   i went with the easiest attachment, just pulling the string under the top crease in the fish.   you could get fancy and cut fins that stick out, tape the front together etc.   the fanciest i got was one fish he wanted "big".   i used two tp rolls glued together with a third in the middle to stabilize them.    i had some funky cut "sharks" too.   he wanted them to have open mouths.   i thought they looked like nothing but he was happy and that is all that counts.    i had to stick the needle though those, there just wasn't enough top crease to support them hanging.

next time, we are going to cut turtles out of the tp rolls and make coral for them to swim in.   since halloween is coming, we should really make some bats again.   those are fun too.   but that's another post.

bathtub shooter

my son loves playing in the water.   most of the time, that means bathtub.   he wants to take all of his toys in the tub.   obviously, water and most toys just don't mix.   even if they aren't electronic, anything with springs or screws will rust and just make a mess or eventually disintegrate into a non-usable state.   we have to improvise.

recently my little blond curls wanted a gun for the tub.   not a water gun, but something that shoots something.   this is our first attempt, it could still use some tweaking to perfect it but it should get your creative juices flowing.   the bathtub shooter with plastic bottle lid ammo-

this is super simple to make and understand.   it is a deodorant container, disassembled and equipped with a rubber band.   really, just that easy.   the hardest part is prying the end of the deodorant container off.   

start by cleaning the container out.   boiling water and some vinegar worked for us.

twist the base up until it comes off.   lay that aside for later.

now, the hard part.   take the thing apart.

we put a butter knife between the twisting end and the main part of the container.   it wasn't just about prying up but also getting into the center and releasing the two pieces.  don't push down from the inside as you might end up actually removing the center stick and you need that part to still be attached later.   every deo container is different so i can't help much.   for us, twisting it so the end sat uneven with the container and pushing the knife in between at the center hole popped them apart.  

use a knife or sandpaper to remove any edges that were holding the two pieces together.   you need to be able to push the twist end back in all the way without it staying there.  i used a dremel tool and a little sand paper disc.   the plastic is really soft so it doesn't take much.

now, the easy part.   cut a couple of slits in the sides of the container for the rubber band.   the plastic is pretty soft yo you could probably use a knife.   we used a dremel.   the paper sanding discs at high speed was enough to cut it.   they are really that soft.  make sure your slits are wide enough for the rubber bands and smoothed off so they aren't sharp.  that will cut your rubber band.  

 we contemplated cutting the slits on the long edge or the short.   haven't tried both ways so i am still not sure which would be better.   the makeup of your deo container might make your decision easier.   the rubber band has to go through the deo base so look at where your holes are.   

you can see in the picture how we ran the rubber band through the holes and looped them over the slits in the sides.   you need to go through the holes in the base and not under the base.   obviously, the rubber bands won't fit between the base and the sides of the container.   

now, just hold your base at the top and put the twist end back in and twist it back into the base.   you are basically reassembling the container the way it was with a few modifications.   don't glue them together.   if the rubber band breaks, and it will eventually, you need to get the base back off to make putting another one on.

now, just put your plastic bottle caps, or milk lids, or pieces of balled up tin foil (don't use foil in the water though), whatever ammo into the shooter, pull back and release.   you can adjust your power with different rubber bands.   this would work with any container that has the twist up end.   you could make lipstick or glue stick container shooters too.

enjoy your totally easy, water safe, no real cost or commitment bathtub shooter!

let me know what kind of fun tweaks you make to it or how it might work better in the comments.

UPDATE:
we discovered that setting various boats sail in ocean tub makes great target practice.   my little blonde curls likes trying to get the bottle lids in the cups or just knocking them over.   he also found that he can fit several lids in the shooter at once to make a serious multi-shot function in his shooter.

fiery darts!

q-tips!
have you ever thought about the amazingness of cotton on a stick?

clean your ears, nose, belly button and various body cavities with it
swab for dna
general nook and cranny cleaner
building material, nifty crafty stuff for skeletons, bunnies, sheep, stars, snowflakes, turkey tails, people, paintsticks, "what's that smell" game dosers, flowers, fireworks, and spider legs.   of all that funs stuff . . . . .

the most often used at our house- fiery dart!

ephesians 6:13-17
these scriptures talk about putting on the armor of God.   we did a family home evening about it that turned into a favorite past time.

 you need a volunteer to put on the armor -

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

if you don't know how to gird your loins, it is talking about the fact that everyone wore and still wears a robe or tunic.   there are a lot of different names for it, including dishdasha / dish dash, taub / thawbs, abaya . . .not my culture so i am not going to try and educate you on it or pretend that i know the difference between them.   i do know how to gird up your loins and the meaning though.

basically, if you need to run, work, or fight in a long skirt, you are going to trip.  ( i'll trip no matter what, but that's not the point. )   gather up your skirt, pull it forward and then pull the excess between your legs to the back.   pull the material to the sides and out about even so you can wrap it around and tie it in front . . .like a diaper.  you are girded!    
 
you can also just reach under and pull the back upü between the legs.   hoist it all up over the knees and pull the back of your skirt through the front of your belt.  this isn't going to stay as well though, this is like the quicky, "just gotta jump this fence" version

strap a pillow to your volunteer with tape and if you happen to have a nice full skirt, gird 'em up


too

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

put your shoes on!   even better, a pair of rubber boots, just cuz



16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

we used the lid to a storage bin, you can use a garbage can lid ( if it's clean) or whatever.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

slap a bowl on their head, you have a helmet

now, where are the q-tips coming in?   THEY ARE COMIN' IN A BLAZIN'!

everyone else gets a straw and some of these fancy q-tips that we colored for effect ( and so the kids know which q-tips they get to play with and which  ones need to stay in the bathroom for regular use.   they steal my clean q-tips when they run out of ammo, little stinkers! )

load up the straw and you have fiery darts in a blow gun!

this game is so dang much fun!   they don't dress up anymore but they like to have these blow gun fights all the time!   i bought them a couple of the cheapo packages to use and they have to pick them back up and keep using them until the cotton falls off.   no reason to waste good ammo.   they still snag a pack from the bathroom occasionally, but they are good about asking first.

i would be completely remiss if i didn't show you the rapid fire gun my son made from legos.   he is continually making improvements to it.   it just holds several straws together and he can blow down the line like pan pipes and fire however many one right after the other.   he thinks he is very clever!   ( he is )

that is my gratitude for the day.  i hope you never think about q-tips the same way and i even hope you have a little fiery darts war.   it's too much fun to miss!

grateful for jersey knit

i have been a total slacker lately with my gratitude.      such is life.
a few weeks ago, i made a jump rope for my tomboy princess out of jersey knit, (t-shirt material).  
http://plaidipusmound.blogspot.de/2013/10/homemade-jump-rope.html
it worked great and came back to help me this week.

my shoelaces were wearing through . . . had worn through and been tied several times.   then my little blonde curls wore my shoes, broke the lace again and lost the end so i didn't have anything left to tie.   i was in the middle of something when it happened and didn't really think about it . . .until i had to go somewhere.   stink!   ironically, i had to go pick up the blonde curls when i remembered that the blonde curls broke my laces.  option: wear the hubby's shoes (too big) , wear sandals in the cold and wet (barefoot maybe if i didn't have to go into his school but not sandals.  barefoot is ok no matter the weather for a few minutes, but sandals in the cold, no. and i was going ride my bike), so, fix it is what we have left.    yah for the jump rope experiment.
i just cut a strip off of the same sheet i used for the jump rope, and laced 'em up.   i cut the end really slanted and used a crochet hook to pull it through faster.   you could use tape on the end for an aglet if you wanted though.   it totally didn't match, not really a problem for me.   i'm not fashion conscience.   my pant legs were long enough to hide it anyway.   i just have to put in, this is not a long term fix.   i had to fix my shoe twice before remembering to go buy laces.   i did want to see how long they lasted though.   not long.

the point is not the shoe laces.   the point is doing what you can with what you have, thinking outside the box, applying past experience to present situations that may seem totally unrelated.
the point is not fencing yourself in with the easy way, the normal way, the usual way, the everyday.
the point is it may or may not work, but you tried it, you learn from your failures.   and seriously, this failure was seriously cool!

what you need to know about going natural

over the last several years, i have tried to add more and more nature to my life.   you know, not like taking walks.   using more herbs and less meds.   using vinegar instead of shampoo and cleaners.   adding raw foods more than processed.   fermented foods.   that kind of thing.   trust me, i am not nature girl.   some nights, it's late, and we throw a pizza in the oven.    i am adding things a little at a time.   i am learning a bit, implementing, learning some more, and implementing more.    as i do this, here is what i have learned and what i warn people about when they ask about going natural themselves.     that's probably my first piece of advice- take it a step at a time.   do some research about the things that interest you.   look on the internet, pinterest, join facebook groups, ask your friends.   i have been really surprised which of my friends were doing various natural things.   choose one that looks the most doable and try it.   give it time, keep with  it.   once you feel comfortable with the new routine, look into another practice and on and on.   you will keep some and not others.   that's ok.   just be sure to give things a fair chance.

that brings me to my next advice.   realize that designed products force a certain outcome in a short amount of time.   nature doesn't do that.   nature takes time and nature has cycles.   we have put so much science into keeping certain standards at even levels that we have thrown our concept of healthy and natural completely out the window.   windows are actually a good place to start.   look out the window!   see that tree?   it took years.   if you cut it open, it will have rings of different sizes that reflect the difference of  it's growing conditions over the years.   it will not be even rings of the same size and shape.   point is, nature moves slowly and not nice and even and controlled.     it has ups and downs.   if you want to live a more natural life, you have to accept the ups and downs and cycles of nature.   *there will be good and not so good hair days for instance.   you will notice that they will go in cycles though.   you'll have great hair for a few weeks then it will slowly become less cooperative.   you will simply have to adapt to the cycle.*   going natural takes time and experimentation.   it will take days or weeks to adjust to some and  months and even a year or so to adjust to some changes.  *just sticking with my own hair cycles for instance - i wash with just vinegar for quite a while.  it goes great.   then, i have this not wanting to be cooperative time where i use a bit of coconut oil to tame it.   still looks fine though.  then we hit straightening it with coconut oil and a ceramic flat iron.   once or twice a year, i get a day or two where i have sort of waxy hair.   i wash it with dish soap and move forward from there.   it may seem like a fuss but my hair is more healthy, it is cheaper than what i was using and, honestly, i have more good hair days and less hot iron days than before.   plus, since it goes in cycles, i can predict what my hair will be like for the most part.      my tomboy princess's straight hair has a much longer cycle.   she rarely needs a good soap wash.   her hair is mostly braided though, that helps.   my curls are a bit more wild anyway so this is actually an improvement for me and my crazy mop.   **update - after more than i year of the vinegar for my hair, i have not had a waxy time for quite a while.   things seem to have calmed down and the cycles aren't so extreme.   things are starting to even out a bit more than at first.   it has taken time.**

*personal example for both giving it time and taking it slow - fermented foods - i started milk kefir 8 months ago.  i didn't have any trouble when i started but some people have an increase in the health problems they were trying to get rid of for a while.   it's called die off.   sounds super healthy right?   well, it is actually.   imagine all of the little bad things in your body that cause problems.    they are hiding out and burrowed in all over.   when you add the probiotics, good yeasts, good microbes, etc that are in fermented foods, they go in and dislodge the bad stuff.   when you add a little at a time, it dislodges a little at a time and your body can flush it (if you are drinking enough water).   if you jump in with both feet and start cramming in all the ferment you can, you are going to dislodge all of it at a time and that is harder for your body to deal with.   still ok, just uncomfortable at first.   go slow, get used to one thing at a time.   give your body a chance to adjust.   on the upside for us, everyone is healthier than ever before.   when i have a whole winter without being down and out in bed sick, it's a miracle!   definitely worth the little bit of time it takes to do it.  


a few last thoughts -  do try natural things, every bit of natural living that you do, positively affects your life.      don't think you have to be totally off grid to be natural.   ask yourself why you are going with natural practices and just stick with that.   do what fits your life and your expectations.     don't compare your natural path to anyone else.   you might be more or less than someone else.   it doesn't matter.  sometimes i hear competitive or even accusative statements made about not doing enough or trying it at all.   i hear both sides of it.   don't worry about it.   do what works for you.   that is what nature is after all.   nature does what works.   and lastly just enjoy it!

super simple car costume!

my son decided that he wanted to be acaar for halloween this year.   car?   easy!   i love an easy costume!

you can be as fancy or simple as you want, time will allow and resources will grant.  i have next  to nothing in the last two so we went with simple.

first, you're gonna need a box!

consider kid/box ratio, length, width, height, length.   

i un glued the bottom and the seam so i could lay it out flat.  i didn't to try and deal with the glossy outside and the inside is nice and clean.   plus, i want to work with it flat.   much easier. 

 give your ride a paint job.   we laid down an old shower curtain and went to work.   i used kitchen sponges since i don't have any large paint brushes here.   my 4 year old used his hands.   it all worked.   after painting the ride, we painted some wheels.   just circles with white rings.   you have to have white walls after all.   black tires blend with the pavement.

 cut the tires off the bottom side flaps.   fold the bottom front flaps up and tape.   fold the top side flaps down and tape for a little stability.   then i just taped it back together inside out.

 i used some wire to hold the wheels on.   you could glue them as well.   just make sure to secure them well.

i used wire folded in half and then splayed at the ends.   i taped over the ends so the wouldn't snag.   you should also tape them on the back of the wheel or add some stabilization to the hole in the wheel so it doesn't tear and jump off your car. you could use washer of some sort to keep it on as well.

my son and i multi-tasked on this and got it done in no time.   i got the wheels on and he installed the windows.    we are so  much faster than any garage.

 

we used tin foil for the front and back windows.   just press the tin foil over the flap so you can see the outline, fold it gently in half so it won't crease and cut a window slightly smaller than the outline.

i cut a grill out of tin foil and added some detail with paint and the original paintbrush.  

 the lights are seriously awesome!   they make the costume super sweet and super safe at the same time.   we had some of these small push lights, you could cut holes and use flash lights or glow in the dark stuff as well.  

 for the back lights, i cut up a red plastic bag and taped it in place.   all of the lights were taped on with duct tape.   i just made little tape rolls and they held fine.

 the straps were made from duct tape as well.    i had my tomboy princess be the car lift and hold the box in place while i measured.   then i just ran tape across from one side to the other.   then ran another piece on top of it so it wasn't sticky.   i went wide at the front and met in the center of the back so they wouldn't slip off the shoulders.  

 i would reinforce the flaps.   my race car driver went of roading and racing around until the front window separated from the body.  i had to steal some tape from the straps to do some on the spot body work.   i usually carry duct tape, of course, not tonight.

hope you have fun making a car for your little driver . . .or for yourself.   it's a great thing for halloween or any day really.   when is a box car not fun?!

homemade jump rope

like most tomboy princesses, mine likes to jump rope.   her school has some but they are literally rope.  no handles, just rope.   they work, as well as just rope works.   the problem with just rope is that the rope is turning but held at the pivoting point, i.e. the hand so they twist until they tangle.   she wanted a jumprope that worked, so i made her one.  no problems.  

 i found some inspiration :

http://churchfun.com/2008/09/17/how-to-make-a-durable-jump-rope/

http://proverbs31living.blogspot.de/2010/11/have-handmade-christmas-week-3.html

and then i took off on my own.   

first, i did use the t-shirt material but i have some sheets made of jersey.   it's already the length i need.  much simpler.   i had my tomboy princess mark the material at the width of a wide ruler, around two fingers or so.   it's not important that it's exact but you don't want tit too thin or it will tear and too thick makes it harder to work with.   i wouldn't go thinner.   

after marking, i cut the strips and stretched them.   be gentle and slow stretching them.   cut extras.   we broke a few.   you want them to stretch to the point that they become a stiffer "string" but not until they break.   it worked best to stretch them a couple times instead of overstretching the first time.   

this is the difference between the fresh cut and the "string"

try to pull them so they are the same length, approximately.

leave some room at the end.   my regular sheet made one too long for me and long enough for two to turn and one to jump.  knot the first end and then just use a little rubber band on the second end for now.

next, you braid. . . and braid . . and braid . . it's easier if you have help . . .

depending on the help.   my cat was super helpful.   

while you're braiding, you want to pull one string out of the others to keep them from knotting up under you.   just pull one out every 4 or 5 wraps.   obviously, the material will wear out eventually.   you could cut some rubber/plastic tubing beads to put on the middle to protect the rope and give it some weight if you want.   i just didn't have any and couldn't buy any.   maybe next time.  i'll be keeping my eye out for some used fish tank tubing wide enough to go on the ropes.   maybe some small garden hose but you don't want it too heavy either.   i am thinking just a few to protect the center that hits the ground.

next, the handles.   here is where you make a difference between a rope and jump rope.

i used an old hula hoop because it was what i had.   you could use pvc pipe anything hard for the handles.   i don't know if garden hose would work.   it would depend n how stiff it was.   the rope has to be able to freely turn inside the handle.    that is what keeps it from twisting up  

i grabbed a picture of it in the tub when i washed it.  these pictures are totally on the go.   we had several things to do including make a jump rope.   chaos as always, but you are patient with my chaotic pictures.   you're such a great audience!

if you have a cut off wheel for your dremel, you can cut the handles easy . . .i used a serrated knife without cutting myself for once.     seriously, use caution and cut carefully.   be responsible with your cutting.

we measured a bit longer than my princesses hand is wide.   you want room for them to hang on and not interfere with the end of the rope turning.

after cutting, i used sandpaper to smooth the ends.   you don't want the raw edges to cut kid's hands or the rope.   i sanded it inside and out until it was smooth.

 next, string your rope together.    this is why you leave one end with just a rubber band.   it's easier to get through the tubing and washers.
you want your washers on the ends, between the handle and the knot.   that is what lets the rope turn inside the handle.   i happened to have some washers.    (hope my husband didn't need them for anything)   i figured if i couldn't find washers, i would cut a circle out of plastic or even cut the pipe in half and make a hole for the rope to go through.  you could use large beads too.   be creative with what you have.    it just has to be able to turn freely on the end of the handle and not slip into the handle.

 this is the order you string them on.   then just tie your other end and you're done.   if you need it smaller, just tie it up higher.   no problems.   leave it a loose knot so you can make it longer again later.

you could use any color sheet but make sure it's t-shirt material.   you could use a t-shirt too if you wanted.  just cut in a spiral around the shirt from bottom to armpits.   you could use permanent markers to put some color on it as well.

you should be able to make this jump rope from what you have around the house.  with a little creativity, you can probably find all you need without shopping.   be creative and think about what it has to do instead of just looking at my list and wondering if you have what i have.

hope it works well for you.   have fun!

the truly creative thinker

this last month, i was able to join in a great webinar from amber kane.   the original broadcast ended up with several technical problems, but that happens.   she re-recorded the whole thing and posted it here-
creative class webinar
password: thecreativeclass

i finally got to watch it today and loved it!   i also watched a conversation she had with tara gentile about marketing.   the-customer-perspective-with-tara-gentile   also great.

you may ask what the first one, on creative and divergent thinking has to do with marketing . . . i made several connection but that's just the way i think.   so i wanted to share both with you and then give you my tweaked version and vision.

first, divergent thinking.   this was great because i came to understand why i do the things i do, the way that i do them.   there are 3 practices she covers in the video that research says divergent thinkers do.   seriously, watch the video.

the first thing she talked about was the paperclip test.   personally, i think a creativity or divergent thinking "test" is an oxymoron but whatever.   it was fun too.  you name as many things as you can that you can do with a paperclip.   little kids can come up with over a hundred things usually, but only 2% of adults can.   i had to make myself quit at 136 because the kids got home from school and i really needed to get things done.    that was a fun adventure though.   i had actually done about half or more of the things i wrote down.   divergent thinker, a.k.a crafter, a.k.a. cub scout leader, a.k.a. mom . . . .

ok, first divergent practice - get out of your comfort zone.   this is why you don't get patterns from me.  i don't use them.   i just dive into stuff.  i see something and think, "wow!    all of these images and great ideas are popping into my head, i'm going to try them all at once!"   i have always been willing to try new things but i still had a comfort zone.   then we moved to germany.   i was hurled out of my comfort zone at light speeds.  i kept thinking i can't do this anymore and yet, there i was.   still alive and kicking because i don't know how to lay down and die.  so, now, what comfort zone?   ok, somethings are easier than others, but i am learning to walk over comfort lines without much thought.   (please don't confuse comfort zones with moral codes or creeds.   two really different things and one should be challenged, the other not.)

another practice she mentioned - write things down.   everything!   ideas come to mind and i have to record them.   which is why i am up at 11pm writing a blog post instead of sleeping.   my brain just wouldn't shut off until i got it out of my head and onto print.

another one that was new to me but i am having tons of fun with is image streaming.   it's like a rollercoaster in your head!  wheeeee!  the theory is that you have images running through your head all the time but tend to zone them out so you can get things done.   thank you schooling and fitting in.   when you image stream, you close your eyes, and the first image you see, describe it in full detail.   use all five senses and speak out loud.   it doesn't need to be actual, "the chair is blue" stuff.  it can be things it reminds you of, things you feel or hear or smell when you see the image.   it's lots of fun.     i'm going to come back to this one so don't lose it.

the other video is about marketing.   i run businesses online so this was interesting to me.   as i watched it though, i saw the two combining.

the interesting thing that she said about marketing is that instead of target markets you should listen to target conversations.   so, you still need to know who you're trying to sell to but you need to know how they communicate so you can speak their language.   (again, watch the video, even if you're not selling anything.  i'll tell you why in a just a second).   it doesn't mean lose your own voice but know how to communicate, the language that the target uses so you can see their own language to get their attention and get across important info.

the second point of the video (at least what i got out of it) was that instead of trying to tell someone about your product, tell them about what matters to them.   the result!   "i don't want to know that it's a great product, i want to know what it does for me."

ok, now why marketing is useful to you no matter what you do.  i am thinking and talking as a wife/mom/teacher because that is my thought process but you can translate this to co-workers, teachers, etc. anyone you want something from.  isn't this a dirty marketing trick?   well, no, it's better communication.   you want your kids to clean their rooms, do their homework etc?  you want something from them.   you want your husband to listen, fix the whatever is broken, yada etc?   you want a good grade from your teacher?   well, there you go.   you want something.   this is better communication.

so, listen to your target's communications with others.   facebook, other people, observe them from this perspective.   i really want you to pay attention because each person communicates with each other person differently.   my son doesn't talk to me the way he talks to his sister.   my grandmother doesn't talk to me the same way she talks to my uncle.   this is a bonus of paying attention to how some people interact.   you will find that you automatically get irritated by one person but totally let stuff slide with another.   if you change the thought process, you can change the attitude.   for instance, i have told my kids to talk to each other the way they would talk to me.    now, back at that marketing stuff.   use this different communication in those moments that you want them to pay attention, use their language and what interests them to tell them what the results are you are looking for, the results that you can give them if they will do what you need them to.   this has been said about communication before, don't just say what should (or shouldn't) be done but also why.   for me this means talking to my kids on their level and interacting with them in their communication method.   it means that i explain why i want them to do or don't do something and give them positive alternatives for the don'ts.    amber gave an interesting example of how her students gave her an unexpected result to her assignment.   i had this light come on, "know your target audience's language and way to communicate.   present the results not just the product.   this marketing scheme, this different communication thinking would help there too."    obviously, you can't necessarily know that the kids are going to freak out about a lesson but this is how my new thought process was born.

ok, so how do i wrap these two things together?   use the image streaming as a group!   i thought about the communication skills this could bring to our family or any group.   one person briefly describes the first image that comes to mind with all five senses.   everyone listens and forms the image according to what was said.(you could use a picture or object instead of having someone come up with an image if you wanted.   this might be a better alternative for larger groups.)      the next person takes that image and describes it with their five senses and so on.   stick with the original description.   you can't change what's in the other person's mind.   (also a good lesson)   we did it as a family while fixing and eating dinner.   we each took a turn starting and then went around describing what we saw from the original description.   this was fascinating!   i learned a lot about my kids listening to their images and their descriptions.   this activity really gets the creativity flowing and helps everyone to think differently.   you get some interesting observations from this.   my tomboy princess had a problem describing how her pony tasted.   that part was priceless, but i think she improved in just the few rounds we did tonight.  

 it was so much fun!   the kids said we have to start doing it all the time.     it' our new game.   this is such a multi-tasker.   it encourages the us to be more divergent thinkers.   it helps us focus on one thing and describe it.   it helps us to sense things with all five senses and be more aware of our surroundings.    it helps us focus on what the other people are saying.   that helps communication skills.   it helps us understand each other's language better so we can communicate better.    it gives us a better understanding of how others sense the world.   it helps us verbalize our ideas.  . . . .this can go on and on.  

it was really interesting to hear the kids describe something from their heads.  i think it really gave me insight into what goes on inside of them.   they have such different ways of describing things and such different things they chose to describe.   it was seriously awesome!   my son said he was going to tell his teacher about it and see if she wants to do it at school.   i think this would be a great team or class building game.   it would be a great way to learn more about a group or class.   this could be done out loud or written if you used a picture or object.   i think out loud encourages spontaneity but written would be good for a class that might be judgemental of each other.   there are several directions you could go with it.

another way you can use image streaming with your kids is to have your child tell you about the story in a book, or pictures they love, etc.   ask them how things feel, smell, sound, etc as they tell you about them.   you can use this when they tell you about a picture the have drawn as well.   i used this to spend time with my little one while doing the chores.   i wash dishes and he tells me about a book.   it's fun!    

i hope you check out the videos, there is way more than i can tell you.   i hope you can use the practices to better your life and the lives around you.

i have a couple last thoughts about communication and teaching.
when you want something, when you assign something, be clear, then, stick to what you have said.   just because you thought you covered the bases, you may have that divergent thinker that goes off somewhere else you didn't think of.     that's not their fault.   you have to respect their creativity and your own rules.
follow these 4 perfect p words and then hold them and yourself to them.   these may be an exercise for your brain as well.

purpose - what are we trying to get out of this?  give them something they are aiming for or what they are trying to accomplish with the task.

process - what are we trying to learn?   what way of thinking, working, creating, are we trying to practice here?   what do you want them to get out of this?   what is the process you want them to learn?

parameters - set the boundaries so they know where they can go.

probe - understand why that divergent thinker, did what they did so you can change your run at getting the message through.    understand why it didn't work so you can make it better.

here is the story as to why i have these 4p's.

in first grade, my teacher gave us a picture to color every month for the front of our folder for the month.     at first, she said we could color them any way we wanted to.   i colored my sky green and trees blue and grass orange.   i liked it that way.   she did not.

next, she told us we had to color them realistic colors.  ok, i had a picture of a group of school children.   i colored one's hair brown, one blonde, one black and still had  few to go.   i wanted diversity!  so, i decided that no two should have the same color hair . . . .but, it had to be realistic.     one of the kids in our class had great orange hair.   in my box of crayons, there wasn't an exact match but i used a basic orange. . . then i started thinking.   i had heard the term, "red hair".   so, one kid got red hair.   i had no idea that the kid in my class with orange hair was a redhead.   i  mean, that's stupid.   now, i had also heard the term "blue hair".   so, one of my kids got blue hair.   now, i was just 6 but it seemed to me that if someone with red hair married someone with blue hair, their kid would have purple hair.   oh, yes, the last kid got purple hair! . . . .
guess how much my teacher liked this picture.
i am still stumped as to why, but i was sent to the principal's office over this picture.  i am so not kidding you!

the principal actually talked to me about the hair colors and explained to me what i had misunderstood.   i felt like it was dumb and like she should have been there instead of me.  even at just my shy 6 years old, i was stubborn.   i spent a lot of time in the principal's office that year.

that year was horrible for me.   i cried all the time, but i refused to let my mom change classes.   stubborn.   i was determined to win, and i didn't want to leave the little orange haired kid that was also getting the brunt of her difficult year.

in this woman's defense, there were things happening in her life that a 6 year old could not have known or understood.   i saw her many times as a teen and adult.   she always hugged me and called me her favorite student.   i wondered why, until much later, when we found out about the personal trials she had going on that year.   i just accepted that she loved me and truly i loved her because of it.   i really hope she remembered it that way and that she didn't know what she put me through.   i was glad that i had the opportunity to grow under her.      i am thankful for the lessons i learned from it as i reflected on it from adulthood.   i am grateful that i could feel her love later in life.

so, there i leave you with lots of fun stuff to think about and ponder.   hopefully, some of it will be of use to you.   i am going to image stream it that way at least.

family history promts

a few months ago, the visiting teaching lesson was on family history.    i found this great list on the internet and used it to make these books.

i used this list, with a couple tweaks -
http://ldsthisismechallenge.blogspot.de/p/personal-history-in-depth.html
i don't think i used the sleeping part and i added a few things.

i started by printing the list with two columns so i had list on both side of the page.   i made sure that whole sections were together and not broken into two sides or pages.   then i printed and cut them out.  i cut colored paper into fourths and punched holes at the top for string.   i glued the sections of prompts onto the papers and bound it together.   i cut fun little curlicues for the pages to decorate them.   my daughter helped with the whole project.
here is what it looked like after i was done.

 this would be a great grandparent gift from the grandkids, or useful for interviews etc.

here is the list i used . . .i think . . .

Your birth and family:
*What is your full name and how did you get that name?
Do you have any nicknames?
*What is the date of your birth? Where were you born?
What are some of the circumstances (when your mom went in to labor, how long, her doctor, your dad fainting, etc.) of your birth?
*What are your sibling's full names and birth dates?
What are your parent's full names, birth dates and places? Grandparents? Great-grandparents?
Stories, sayings, lessons, or other things you remember about parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.
Growing up, early years:
*How was your relationship with your siblings and parents?
*What are some lessons you learned from you parents?
*How did you help in your home?
*Where did you grow up? Describe it.
*What was your earliest memory?
*What games did you play as a child?
*Where did you go to school?
*Who were your friends?
*Who were your favorite teachers and why?
*What were your chores?
Did/ do you have a favorite story, song, bedtime story or lullaby or nursery rhyme?
Other bedtime traditions?

Growing up, teenage years:
*What activities did you participate in?(Sports, dancing, music, arts, etc.) Explain what you did with each activity.
*How did you learn how to drive?
What kind of car did you have?
*Who were your friends?
*What did you like/dislike about school?
*What was your first paid job?
*What were your chores at home?

College years:
*Did you attend college or a trade school of some sort?
*How did you choose what you wanted to be when you grew up?
*What did you think was the hardest thing about your chosen profession at that time? Did it turn out that way?
*What dumb things did you do during those years?
*What good things did you do?
*Did you live on your own? How well prepared were you for that?
*What life lessons did you learn?
*What choices did you make that affect where you are now?

Grand-children:
*Give your grand-children's full names, birth dates and places.
*What are the things you love the most about each grand child?
*Are there any traditions that you have with them?
*How often do you see them?
*What do you do to stay in contact?

Work:
*What jobs have you had? (Give details of the dates, places, responsibilities, etc.)
*What did you like/dislike about each job?
*What did you learn at each job?
*Have you used any of that knowledge in later years?
*Who were your bosses? Did you like them/get along?
*How did you get along with your co-workers?
*Which was your favorite job?
*How many years until you retire?
*Do you have any big plans for your retirement? (If retired: What have you done since retirement? What's next?)

Children:
*Give your children's full names, birth dates and places.
*How did you choose their names?
*What were the circumstances of each child's birth?
*What are some funny things that each child does/did or says/said?
*What do you love most about each child? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
*What are your children involved in?
*How do you spend your time with your children?
*What are your favorite family activities?

Marriage:
*How did you meet your spouse? Was it love at first sight or did it take some time?
*How long did you date before you got engaged? How long was your engagement?
*How did you get engaged? (The story.)
*Who did most of the wedding plans? Who helped?
*Who were your bridesmaids/best men?
*Describe the details of your wedding: the colors, the cake, the decorations, etc.
*Where did your wedding take place? Who performed the ceremony? Do you remember any words of advice given?
*Who attended your wedding?
*Where did you go on your honeymoon?
What adventures did you have?

Politics:
*Are you involved in politics? How so?
*Are you a specific political party?
*How do you choose who to vote for?
*Are you happy with the Government?
*What would you change if you could?

Celebrations:
*What are some of your personal and family traditions for each holiday? (New Years, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Easter, Christmas, etc.)
*What traditions have you carried over from your childhood? Which ones did you start in your own family?
*How do you celebrate adult's birthdays?
*How do you celebrate children's birthdays?
*How do you celebrate your anniversary?
Celebration memories from Christmas, birthdays, etc.?

Nature:
*Where is your favorite place to go to get away from it all?
*What outdoor activities do you like to participate in?
*What are some of your favorite outdoor memories?

Health:
*How is your overall health?
*Have you had any surgeries? (If yes, give details.)
*Have you had any broken bones? (If yes, give details.)
*Do you have allergies? (If yes, give details.)
*What are you doing to keep healthy now?

Religion:
*How did you gain your testimony of the Gospel?
*Write your testimony.
*How has the Gospel and knowledge of Heavenly Father's plan helped you in your life?
*What ordinances have you completed? (Baptism, Blessing, Endowment, Sealing, etc.) Describe the day, circumstances, who was there, any advice you were given, how you felt, etc.
*What callings have you had? Which were your favorite and least favorite? What did you learn from them?
*What is your favorite scripture/ hymn/ Conference talk? Why?
*Did you serve a mission? Talk about it.

Home life:
*Describe the places you've lived.
*What was your favorite house or apartment? Why?
*How do you like to decorate?
*What is it about home that you love?
*How has your standard of life changed through the years?

Traveling:
*Where in the world have you been?
*Where was your favorite vacation? (As a child, as a teenager, as an adult, etc.)
*Where would your dream vacation be?
*How do you like to travel?

Hobbies:
*What are your current hobbies?
*What hobbies have you had in the past?
*How often do you get to do your hobbies?
*What hobbies do you wish you could start?

Around the World:
*What major world events have happened in your lifetime?
*Has it affected who you are now?
*Who was the President when you were born? Who is it now?
*What natural disasters have you been in?

Miscellaneous:
*What is the most daring thing you've done?
*What is the stupidest thing you've done?
*What is your most embarrassing moment? (Or moments.)
*What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
*What is your general attitude toward life?

Death:
*What would you like to do before you die? (Bucket list)
*What are your beliefs about death?
*Are you scared to die?
*How would you like to go?
*What are your final wishes?
*What are your wishes for your funeral and burial?
*What would you like people to say about you when you're gone?

Food:
*What are your favorite foods?
*What are your favorite desserts?
*Do you like to cook or bake? What are your favorites to make?
*Do you have any food allergies?
*What are some foods you have a hard time saying "no" to?
*What foods do you HAVE to have name brand? Which can you do generic?
*Do you try to eat healthy?
*Do you prefer eating out? Where?

Personality:
*What kind of personality do you have? (Shy, outgoing, calm, stressed, etc.)
*How has your personality changed over the years?
What made it change?
*How well do you associate with others?
*What makes you nervous/ happy/ angry/ surprised/ scared/ etc?

Sleep:
*How many hours do you like to sleep at night?
*Do you take naps?
*Do you like a lot, or few blankets and pillows?
*Can you sleep anywhere, or does it have to be in your own bed?
*What are your favorite conditions for a good-night's sleep? Does it have to be completely dark and quiet?

i hope you enjoy the list and i hope you get something written from it.   make your personal family history now while you are still living it.

thankful for whatever this is

the other day, i had my blonde curls in the tub.   i was trying to keep him there for a while because he was sick.   so after he got tired of the boats and cups, i put the shower hose in the soap dish for him.   it keeps the water running but i can turn it down really low so it's not wasting water either.     it drains out the bottom so it's like a little waterfall.   he kept putting things under it to fill and dump.   it all lead to this-

a straw stuck in the bottom hole of the soap dish, a few straws stuck together, and we had this crazy thing where the water comes out different places different times and fills other cups and is totally useless except it's fun.   now, i'm sure there are hydraulics applications and all kinds of sciencey things that he's learning at the same time.   what happens when i stick two little straws inside this bigger straw?     how far up can i bring this straw before the water doesn't come out any more?   how much faster does this cup fill than that one?

after we did this one for a while, we found some other things to play with -

i cut the end off of a soap bottle and then cut a hole in the back so it would fit over the faucet.   he liked being able to plug it up and then letting the water go with the nozzle.  

i just took the whole end off of a large water bottle for him to play with.   i took the stopper out so the water just flowed but he like sticking straws in the end.   i used a hole punch to make holes and tied it onto the rail so it would sit under the soap dish and flow from there into it.   he, of course, wanted it to go faster and helped it along. 

yes, yes, it's all very useful and educative.    mostly, it was just fun to play with my blonde curly boy.   isn't that what is really important.   i am always grateful for time well spent, doing nothing with the people that are my everything.