Chore Jars

Well, we've started consistently doing chores around here. Okay, I already was doing them, but now I've allowed my children to partake in the great joy that one receives as a result of doing chores on a daily basis.

Ever since I posted about wanting the boys to have regular chores, I've been "testing" them to see what they can do. I have been pleasantly surprised to see all that they are capable of and how eager they are!

I'm also wondering why I didn't start this sooner! These kids are a huge help!

I took popsicle sticks and wrote the boys' chores out, one on each stick. Then I used baby food jars (the large ones--I knew I was saving them for a good reason!) and decorated them. I know, I know, that step was unnecessary, but it was fun!

I just used fun clip art images I found online. Russell got an alien in a space ship:


And Randall got a rocket ship:


As you can see, each boy gets two jars. One has "To Do" on it and the other has "Done". I choose the chores each morning and put them in the "To Do" jar. As they finish them, they, obviously, move the popsicle sticks to the "Done" jar.

I also have extra chores that they can do (after they've finished their regular ones) and they can earn extra money for doing them. They are marked with a red dot so I remember that they are extra. And, I have an extra jar for the chores that aren't necessary that day (like emptying the trash or putting away clean clothes, etc).


For a list of the specific chores I gave each boy, check out my family blog!

Some of these still require my supervision, but I've been so pleased with their willingness to help and with how teachable they've been to my instruction on how to do the chores!

Well, we're enjoying blasting off to chores!


And, I leave you with a joke.

What did the alien say to the rose bush?

Take me to your weeder!

Ba-da-dum!

Venting

I am frustrated and want to vent.

I did a search last night for "magnetic scrapbook" to see if my etsy stuff shows up in searches. I was curious how many pages you would have to scroll through before finding my refrigerator scrapbooks. What I found was someone that makes the exact same magnetic scrapbooks as I do. Her description was even very similar to mine, almost word for word in parts.

Now, I realize that I don't have a copyright on my idea, but she could at least give me credit, like when I stamp a card and "case" someone else's.

Or she could have made it look a little different than mine! She used the same idea of using a brand new, plain metal tin and the same kind of magnets, same placement of magnets and everything.

I know that some of you might be rolling your eyes at me and think I'm making a big deal out of nothing. Am I? I don't know. I'm not trying to be ugly, I'm just bummed that the very thing I was afraid would happen, did happen. I should have known it would happen since I did put my idea up on the world wide web, but she's even selling on etsy.

Aargh.

I could get a copyright, but it looks like it's very expensive and there's still no guarantee that someone won't see my idea and copy it anyway.

There's nothing I can do (at least I don't think there is). So, I have a choice. I can sit and think about it and be mad (which is what I want to do) or I can get over it (which is what I *want* to want to do).

Oh, well. It's not like we can't both make them and both sell them. I love making them and I imagine she does, too. It's not the end of the world, is it?

Okay, I feel better after venting.

I was pleasantly surprised to see, in my googling, that someone blogged about a tin and some magnets that they ordered from me last summer. What a nice surprise!

So, I'll end on that note!

Happy Birthday, Cap'n Aidan!

I sold a pirate paper bag album on etsy the other day and what a fun album to personalize. Cap'n Aidan is just a little younger than Randall and I can imagine what a fun party he had!


Have fun putting pirate memories in your album!

Teacher Gifts

Back when I made Russell's teacher a crayon initial, I had grand intentions of making one for each of Randall's teachers, too. It just didn't happen. So, I was determined to make them for the end of the year.

My neighbor, Allison, wanted to make one, too, so we spent a few hours together one evening and cut up crayons. We're such cut-ups. Ha, ha. Ha. Hmmm.

Anyway, I was very pleased with the result! So, of course, I had to take a picture. For some reason, when I make a gift, I like it so much, it's hard to give it away. Although, I don't know what I'd do with two crayon intials (especially considering I don't have a 'K' or a 'P' anywhere in my name...). But, if I take a picture, I have no trouble giving it away. I know, I'm weird.

So, here they are:


And, just because I'm so crafty and cool like that, I even wrapped them up in a very professional manner.


Oh, wait, I must've forgotten to take a picture of them all wrapped and spiffy in their matching paper with handmade bows. Or... Maybe the whole "matching wrapping paper and handmade bows" was just in my wildest dreams. You spend too much time cutting crayons and sniffing tacky glue and you, too, can have wild dreams...

I used the basic idea of the crayon initial from Dawn's blog. She helped me last time (because I don't have PhotoShop and I waited until the last minute before beginning my project), but this time, I was a big girl and did it by myself. It was much easier than I expected. I used Word and made mine to fit an 8 1/2 x 11 frame.

No handmade cards this time with the busy-ness of the end of the school year. I know, I know...

By the time the kids graduate from high school, they will have left a trail of initials and broken hearts... er, crayons.

Baby Showers

I have had quite a few baby showers lately and I always forget to make a card!

I had two in one weekend and I finished the presents (refrigerator scrapbooks and diapers), but had to rush at the last minute for cards. Here are the quick cards I came up with. I was very, very pleased and I'll definitely make more--maybe even sooner than 10 minutes before I need to leave for the shower... maybe...

One shower was for a Mama having a little girl. So, here was Kirsten's gift bag and card.


A close up of the card. The paper matched the refrigerator scrapbook she got with both her daughters' names on it.


The other was for a Mama having a little boy. We don't know his name, yet, so here was Baby Fruge's gift bag and card.


And a close up of the card.


The stamp was one of a set of 4 that I got from the Dollar $pot at Target and I mainly just used cardstock for the paper. I used my copic markers to slightly color the images. And, I used a scrap of ribbon and a piece of crochet thread to tie the cards on.

I loved how their gift bags matched (not that anyone noticed... or cared) I know, I'm a dork. I'm okay with that.

So, the moral of the story is, whatever you do, don't drink the water here! I think babies are contagious!

Wii Love our Mom!

My mom watches my sisters' kids 5 days a week because they both work full-time. When she wants to go to the fitness center to work out, she just takes the kids. Well, my younger sister is pregnant again and soon Mom will have a newborn to take care of. The fitness center she is a member of doesn't have childcare for young babies, so she looked into getting a Wii Fit so she could exercise at home in the evenings.

My sisters and I decided to surprise her with a Wii and a Wii Fit for Mother's Day to say a huge "thank you" to her (from my sisters) for all that she has sacrificed to be home with her grandkids and (from me) for the times when she offers to watch my kiddos while I run errands or when I just need a break. She is available for sleepovers when the kids want to spend the night with her.

She is a great Grammy to our kids and we wanted to surprise her this year to say "thank you".

Here is the card I made for everyone to sign for Mom.

I took a stamp of a little girl holding her lunch bag, masked the bag (to remove it) and drew a mini Wii-mote for her to hold instead.


Then I drew a circle around her to make it look like she was a Mii in the Mii Marketplace. Don't they have little circles around them when they're waiting for you to choose the one you want to be? Anyway...

A close up of the Wii-mote. I was so, so pleased with how it turned out!


And, my Mom loves puns, so, even though I kind of give her present away, I had to make the inside say this:


By giving the presents away in the card, I didn't have to wrap them since they're big! I could just leave them in the car and get them after she read the card.

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all had a great and wonderful day! Wii did!

Gig 'em!

I recently had someone request an Aggie-themed refrigerator tin and I was so excited because I had just bought some Texas A&M paper, along with Texas Tech, Baylor and UT papers, at Scrapbook N Such's garage sale! Great timing! I also got stickers and a few embellishments for some of the schools, too.

So, I got to work and was very pleased with the final product!



And, inside:

Perfect for an Aggie parent or grandparent! Also great for any Aggies off at college to hang on their little mini fridges!