DIY Projects For information on my affordable online design service, please click here.Just a quick reminder, the information I provide on my blog is based on my own experience and is my own opinion. You are reading and following my advice/tutorials at your own risk. Please always use safety precautions when performing a DIY project and always read and follow manufacturer's directions for the products and tools you use. DIY Project Tutorials: The 31 Day Series, Building Character: This series was a challenge posed by The Nester and The Inspired Room to blog about one topic for 31 consecutive days.
Born to Learn ~ You are Born to Learn A Little Hut - Patricia Zapata Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class The following is a guest post from Michelle Doman, a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Brandon Middle School in Wisconsin. Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class Many people get a little squeamish, wiggly, and offer a scrunched expression when I respond to the question, “What grades do you teach?” I teach middle school, and with heart and honesty, I find great joys (and challenges) in teaching the group referred to as “tweens” and adolescents. So, I invite you into the quirky world of middle school. Here are the Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class... 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. If anyone has more ideas to capture the wondering, daydreaming, (hormonal) minds of middle school students, I would love to read about them. Related Articles 10 MORE Ways to Wake-up Students in Class About the Author Michelle Doman is a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Brandon Middle School in Wisconsin's Rosendale-Brandon School District. P.S.
House Cleaning Schedule *New* Print a condensed copy of this housekeeping schedule for your fridge or home-maintenance binder. Good house keeping starts with a good cleaning schedule, and there’s nothing like walking into a house that smells as good as it looks. When floors are washed, beds are made and dishes are put away, the family gains a sense of comfort in knowing that their surroundings are under control. Being clean and organized saves you both time and money. This schedule focuses on house cleaning. Tackle one area of your house/day, and before you know it you’ll have it sparkling clean from top to bottom! My sister Betty always says, when the dishes and laundry are done a woman is happy, but that happiness dissipates quickly if we don’t make a daily effort to keep up those areas. This “Daily Upkeep” section of the schedule covers the cleaning that you’ll need to tend to each and every day. Make the Beds It only takes five minutes to make a bed. Laundry Once they are folded, put everything away. Monday
25 Ways to Obtain Children's Attention in a School Setting by Leah Davies, M.Ed. By Leah Davies, M.Ed. There are countless times when educators need their students' undivided attention. The following methods are best taught during the first weeks of school. 1. 2. (1) Eyes -- look (2) Ears -- listen (3) Mouth -- closed (4) Hands -- still (5) Feet -- quiet Later when you say, "Give me five," the children are to think of these five things and hold up their hand to show they are ready to listen. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 1 - No talking 2 - Whispering 3 - Normal talking Use a large clip to indicate the acceptable noise level at any given time. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.Teach young children the following chant: Teacher says; "1, 2." 23. 24. 25. Note: A special thank you to all of the educators on teacher chatboards who contributed their "attention getting ideas" for use in this article.
101 Things to Do with Your Husband (rather than watch TV) 101 Things do to with your husband, rather than watch TV. Matt and I will be celebrating our 11 year wedding anniversary this June 30th. I’m as crazy for the guy as I was the day I laid eyes on him. I remember seeing Matt in early 1998 and thinking to myself, “That’s the kind of guy I want to be with.” Fate had its hand in securing that later that year and my life was suddenly “complete.” Here we are – almost 15 years later – and most nights (OK, all of them!) So – without further adieu… Bike ride – around the block or out and about! Author: Audrey McClelland Audrey left the fashion world of Donna Karan International in NYC to raise her brood of boys (4 of them, 9 and under) and a baby girl in her home state of Rhode Island.
November 2008 This is my mom's cinnamon roll recipe and these cinnamon rolls are to die for! Cinnamon Rolls 3 c flour1 c oil1 c sugar4 T yeast5 t salt4 c hot water1 c powdered milk - dry5 eggs 14 c flour or less Add all ingredients except the 14 c flour, beat with mixer for 3-5 minutes. Add additional flour 1 cup at a time until barely cleans side of bowl or just so you can handle. Spread with:1 stick softened butter2 c brown sugar3 T cinnamonlightly sprinkle with white sugarRoll up. ***Put pan of very hot water in the bottom of the oven & close oven door while dough rises each time. Cream Cheese Frosting Beat together for 5 minutes:8oz Cream Cheese -soft1 Cup Margarine -soft Add slowly & beat for another 5 minutes:3 ½ Cups 10x Powdered Sugar 2 tsp Vanilla Flavor ½ tsp Lemon Flavor Spread on cinnamon rolls while still warm & eat!
I Believe I Can Fry: Reconditioning & Re-Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware I LOVE cooking with cast iron. As more reports come out about the dangers of nonstick pans and the toxins that they can emit, I appreciate my cast iron cookware more and more. They distribute heat evenly, can stand up to almost any abuse, and will last for many years - some of the pieces in my collection are around 100 years old! Most people I know think that cast iron skillets are solely for making cornbread or for frying. I use mine for everything from homemade cinnamon rolls & scrambled eggs, to steaks and roasted chickens. The only thing I DON'T do in my cast iron is boil water. I seek out older cast iron pieces, made back when the pieces were machine polished to a smooth glassy surface after casting. Greg has a great restoration tutorial over on his Black Iron Blog. I picked up this Birmingham Stove & Range skillet and this Griswold skillet at a local junk store. All that is needed for the reconditioning process are a few inexpensive, readily available items:
Furniture Painting Tutorial | Just a Girl Blog **Please see the updated post on how to paint furniture. The paint I mention is no longer available, and you can find the replacement for that here. The #1 e-mail inquiry I get is from people wanting to know the specifics about how I paint furniture. I tend to giggle at this because I certainly don’t consider myself an expert. I’ve been lucky that (knock on wood) I haven’t had any disasters yet. #1. I make sure that I use a cleaner to get all the grit and grime off any piece of furniture that I paint. #2. A lot of people ask me about primer, but I don’t have a set kind that I use. #3. My love. A lot of people wonder about the paint brush. I might continue to get some questions about when to sand, how much to sand, or words that rhyme with sand. I sanded the heck out of these barstools, and it was completely unnecessary. And finally, I don’t seal my pieces with anything.
Creative Date Ideas | Good Fun Cheap Date Ideas Dream Studio | If you can dream it, we can create it. Don't settle for a design that isn't just right! Let us know how we can create a custom wall lettering design, wall transfer. wall graphic design, wedding wall monogram, or child's room decor design. "Rub a dub dub" was created for one of our clients. She had been inspired by an image in a magazine and hoped we could re-create it. You bet we could... and it turned out wonderfully! She loved it! We begin with your initial idea and work with you to create a custom design you will absolutely love and if you don't, we won't stop until you do.
Tutorial: hanging book display - penny carnival If you're here just for the book sling tutorial, skip this intro and scroll down a bit. It begins with the bolded word "tools." My tutorial on making a hanging book display for kiddos is up on Ohdeedoh now. Again, this is my entry in the Apartment Therapy February Jump-Start contest, which called out for small home projects that can be completed in a weekend or two. You can look at all the other entries here, and if you want to know who I'm up against just look at the projects in the Ohdeedoh column. FYI--If you're not familiar with Apartment Therapy, it is the umbrella site for several more focused sites, like Re-Nest (green topics),The Kitchen (cooking/kitchen topics) and Ohdeedoh (babies and kids design and parenting issues). I'd been meaning to make something like this book display for Bo for a while, and the contest truly inspired me to get off my duff. So if you like my project, please head on over to Ohdeedoh and click on "thumbs up" to support it. Drill and drill bits -Level -Pencil
Show HIM Looking for simple ideas on how to show your man that you’re totally diggin’ him? We’ve got a few! Check out these ideas to get your spouse through the week…he won’t be able to WAIT until date night! {If you have one to share, please email us your awesome ideas! We love “Sassy Suggestions”! Articles April 9, 2014 You Are Just What the Doctor Ordered! Download these free printables for quick and easy romance after the baby arrives! Continue Reading April 8, 2014 Intimate Easter Basket Fill your hubby’s Easter basket with some sassy treats that’ll have you hopping into bed! Continue Reading April 7, 2014 The Puzzle Date Create a night of fun and mystery for your spouse with these puzzle themed ideas and gifts. Continue Reading April 3, 2014 Shower You With Love April showers will bring YOUR man a lot of love with this creative craft! Continue Reading March 29, 2014 Free April LOVE Calendar Your FREE April LOVE calendar is here. Continue Reading March 26, 2014 Easter Egg Hubby Hunt Continue Reading St.