Chore Chart

I spend EVERY morning asking: "Did you brush your teeth? Are you wearing deodorant? Are your toys and clothes picked up?" etc. In the future, I think someone will invent a robot that will follow kids around and repeatedly ask them these questions.  Since I'm fresh out of robots, I Used my Cricut and the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge, to make a chore chart for each boy. I don't think it will solve my problem , but hopefully I can combine all of my nagging into one question: "Did you do you chore chart?"

I set it at size 5/12. Then I mounted each doll on a piece of scrapbook paper. I made each doll a pair of boxers, b/c I know that they could never get over it if the guy was naked. Just saying the word "naked" would bring on fits of hysterical laughter. It's probably even a little risky putting one out there is just boxers. Boys.

 Then I laminated the entire sheet and all the pieces..

 On the back of each shape, I wrote a job that they had to do:
Brush teeth
Make bed
Pick up clothes
Pick up toys
and for the older one Apply Deodorant

I also added a book, since I'd like them to read for 20 minutes/ day.  (school's been out a few days and I haven't seen anyone crack a book yet-but I have high hopes for July)

Each time a job is complete, they attach the piece to their guy. When all the jobs are complete, they get to score a point.  I cut out 7 each of both balls which they can cash in at the end of the week for their allowance.

If you want to learn a cute way to draw faces watch this video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fh_ScVfk24

(oops I forgot to put his book in the picture-but he has one)

I've gone back and forth basing allowance on chores.  I don't think it's right to pay them to pick up their toys.  But I do think allowance should be somewhat merit based  and cash is a good  motivator to get jobs done.  I'm going to try this.  I'll give them a set time to have all jobs completed.  If it's not done by that time, then I will do it and they will have to pay me and I am expensive.  Technically they're still getting paid to do their jobs.  I will also explain that sometimes I will just tell them do something and they have to do it b/c I am the Mom and they are the kid and that's just the way things are.  I do offer extra cash for extra jobs  like mowing the lawn or detailing my car etc. 
What do you do?

Linking up here.

Other handy hints here.

Makes me want to have another one.

I had a lady ask me to sew up a custom outfit for her son's baptism.  This always makes me nervous and I keep telling myself that I'm going to stop doing it.  I worry that what she envisions in her head is different than the one in my head.    I was really pleased w/ how it turned out-hopefully she like it too, but she never left any feedback.  I love the piping-I had some leftover from a dress that I made my niece.  You can get it at Farmhouse Fabrics if you're interested.

Do any of you that have etsy stores, spend far too much time worrying that people will like what you send them or is it just me?
UPDATE:  She left me some very nice feedback and she loved it.  I think I stress more b/c I'm sewing for a baby's big day and I want it to be perfect for them. I treasure the pics of all my little ones on their blessing days.

  I could never sew wedding dresses-I would be a complete emotional wreck.

Linking up here. 

Got Warts? UPDATE

For some reason, my kids have got a ton of warts.  I've spent a small fortune on over-the-counter products.  The most expensive and least successful was the freeze off spray.  With all of my recent skin issues, I made my ex-lifeguard husband go in to get a skin check (he got a clean-bill of health) and told him to ask the doctor about warts. Besides products like Compound W, she recommends 2 other very surprising and practically free methods to remove warts. (it goes w/ out saying that you should check w/ your own doctor)

1. Duct Tape-no kidding.  Actually medical research has been done and it works. They aren't sure how it works-maybe it suffocates the wart-but she says it works.  Check it out (http://www.warts.org/duct-tape-wart-removal.html).  Does anyone else think it's hysterical that there's a site called warts.org?

2.  The Power of Suggestion-this sounds a little far-out to me, but she says it's been proven to work in small children. 

I promise something cute and crafty tomorrow.

UPDATE: I had a kid that had a hand covered in warts.  It looked nasty and it was fairly painful for him.  We made several trips to the dermatologist.  They tried to freeze them off.  Then they cut off the tops and then tried to freeze them off.  Then they painfully injected them with yeast infections to kick start his immune system.  Then they froze them and then injected them with yeast.  We battled those warts for almost 2 years and NOTHING worked.

Then my dermatologist told us that there was a link with the Gardasil vaccine and warts. I was skeptical, but he was behind on some vaccines and so I thought we'd try it.  

Within about 3 days, we started to notice a difference.  The warts started to fall off painlessly and didn't come back.  

Linking up here.

Check out more tips here.

Patriotic Pinwheel Wreath

You'll need about a 1/3 a yard of fabric-cut into 2 inch wide strips.

 Then wrap the strips around a straw wreath form (I used stick pins to secure as I went along).

Then I cut out squares of various sizes and turned them into pinwheels and secured them on the wreath with a little hot glue and upholstery tacks.  Tadaa!

Todays photos are brought to you by Tropy Daughter, who thinks my photography skills stink and has decided to spend her summer taking and editing my pics.

Linking up Here.

Middle/High School Teacher Gifts

As I said before, I used to teach high school and never got many thank-you gifts.  Those teachers might not actually have the huge stashes of coffee mugs, candles and lotions like their elementary counter-parts.  I'd love to get everyone of them a gift card, but since there are 10 of them, I settled on a candy bar.  I cut out an apple, a school, bus, and a backpack with my Cricut Doodle Charms cartridge.  Then I printed out a note (I'll have my daughter sign the back) and tied them altogether with a candy bar. 
Click here for PDF files:
Color
Black and White

If your kids are too shy to pass them out, you can always just leave in their mailboxes in the office.

Now that I think about it, I should have done something for my boy's music, PE, computer teachers.  Maybe I'll make some of these for them as well.
Here's what I did for the Elementary teachers.
Linking up here.

Comment and Log-in Solution

We all love comments and it has been frustrating lately having only the sporadic ability to leave them.


Check here for some possible solutions:


http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=4bd36d5355dbcf8c&hl=en


I cleared cache and cookies, but still had issues.  However, strangely when I use Firefox as my browser everything works fine.  I may have watched too many sci-fi movies, but I'm starting to wonder if this is some conspiracy to get us all to switch to Firefox?


Here's what fianlly worked for me:  Strangely, if you don't click "stay logged in" it will actually keep you logged on.  If I do click the box, it just keeps bumping me back to the log-in page. (that's just buckets of fun) I wonder if somehow it got mixed up.


Anyone else having same problem-find something else that works?

I'm linking up here. 

I'm going to leave random comments all day all over the blogosphere just because I can!

Help my sister Adopt

When I was 9 and living in South Korea, a newborn was left literally on a doorstep. In the process of adopting her, my parents fell in love with a toddler and I now have 2 sisters from South Korea. Adoption Rocks!

My sister is holding an online-auction (Through June 3)  to raise money to adopt a baby from Korea. .  Check it out: http://www.plunderhere.com/shop.php?user_id=113407

Here's my contributions:

I made 7 camera straps, but this is my fav.  It's currently only listed for $5