I'm Back! Sorta...

Hello again, friends! How are you?  I've missed you.  

I stepped back from Pajama Mama for a good while, and it was the right decision for the season. But a few months ago, Matt and I were looking for some funny clips to share with the kids. We love comedy and I don't think we've missed an episode of Saturday Night Live in about 9 years. So when we started looking for SNL clips that were kid-safe, we couldn't find any website to help. We joked that we should make that site, but the idea stayed with me.  We could start that site - we love SNL and we love sharing funny with our kids!  

So, I'm back in the blogging world, but now I'm over at ComedyParents.com.  If you're ever looking for something fun to watch with the kids in your life, stop by! We post a Parents Review of SNL every week. We're also working on a list of safe YouTube Channels. If you've got some favorites, I'd love to know so I can add them. 

If you're still blogging or blogging elsewhere, let me know, I'd love to reconnect (read: I need blogging friends! So much has changed!).  

The Rules for Family Rules

The thing about having kids is that they are always growing.  always changing.  as soon as i figure something out that works, it no longer works, or i get distracted.  but i wrote these rules for coming up with our family rules when my oldest was 5.  i knew a lot about being a mom back then.  now my oldest is nearing 10, and i know very little.

but my friend, rachel, reminded me of my rules and asked to borrow them.  so i read back over them, and they're pretty good.  good enough to go back over them with my kids and see what happens.

rachel is posting the rules over at Every Days Best today. she is too kind in her introduction, but we have been friends since forever.  and when i read in proverbs this week, love wisdom like a sister, it made me think of her. 

do you have a set of family rules?  how do you teach your children your expectations?  

Finished Cru Quilt

Sitting here on a clear, cold afternoon surrounded by three kiddos trying so hard to get their work finished despite their energy.  Above me, the baby is jumping in her crib.

We are back to school but not too busy.  intentionally so.  which is why i haven't posted in nearly a month.  no rush to get back online.  the kids are growing too fast.  the internet, and my blog can wait.

Christmas was good, and I again used the break to bind a quilt.  Then took it outside to take pictures with Noelle and my brother's springer spaniel, Bentley. 

Oh, thank you for all the input on the backing.  We went with the Crosshatch Sketch for a neutral back.  I think it's perfect.    

Happy New Year! 

5 Gifts I'm Giving This Year

a few things I'm giving my family this year:

--a book to each kiddo, which they will sign immediately to record their current john hancock.  how sweet will be it be to open a beloved story years from now and see an early handwritten name?

--we're keeping our Christmas book collection under our tree all month for the kids to read to each other on schoolwork breaks.  we added this Christmas Carol picture book by Charles Dickens to our collection this year.

--a new Bible for each reading kiddo.  this year I bought Adventure Bibles for two of my kiddos and the Action Bible for my comic loving son.

--a stocking stuffer of school supplies (like these multicultural skin-tone markers) and band-aids (Sorette's favorite thing ever) to unwrap before we open gifts with others.  this will be a practice for receiving gifts with gratitude.  (read onethankfulmom here for her 5 Hints for Avoiding a Christmas Fiasco)

--i've had so much fun planning 12 Days of Christmas for matt.  each morning i'm giving him a small token of appreciation for who he is and all he does.  did i mention small?  they are small. on the first day of christmas, i gave him a pen.  people are always taking his around here.  i can't give more away, because he hasn't opened everything yet and he reads my blog, the sweet guy.  here's some printables i found too.

what are you giving?  

Girlfriends Gift

This was what I gave a few of my best girlfriends last year (because you can't expect me to post this year's).

A quick little quilted pouch with my favorite nail polish, by Rimmel and a Stila Lip Glaze, which I bought solely based on a Pioneer Woman's post. (although since using the glaze, i haven't been impressed, fyi.)

What are you giving the girls in your life?  how about the father-in-laws?  just kidding.  not really, i need ideas! 

WIP: An Ombre Plus Quilt

First, Happy Anniversary to my brother and sister in law!

They're going to have to wait til Christmas for this one, but here's what I'm working on...(inspired by the pia wallen crux blanket and this baby quilt)

Now for the backing...I've been thinking about a mustard or saffron whole cloth back like:

Anna Maria Horner's Field Study in Coordinates in Saffron (via Hawthorne Threads) or

Kaffe Fassett Shot Cottons Wovens in Mustard (also via Hawthorne Threads)

but...it's not my quilt, so I'm just straight out asking my brother/sister in law who have way more creativity than me what I should use on the back.  I'm sure they will pick something in a completely different, but much better, direction.

What would you put on the back? 

Linking up for ideas at Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday! 

How to Homeschool a 7 Year Old Boy

like I know.

but we've found something that's helped this year: Deconstruction.

 
After a really good day (or week) of diligence and hard work, my Samuel may earn a broken something to deconstruct, like this electric broom.   

How do you motivate your littles?  When we run out of broken stuff, I'll need some ideas, or some petty cash for the thrift stores...

First Quilt Contest Entry

Remember this quilt?  

I blogged about finishing the top last fall, but never posted once it was quilted. Now seems like a good time, since it's all autumnal and all and the Blogger's Quilt Festival is going on.

    

The idea came from a book called Quilting for Peace, where I saw one with shades of blue sawtooth stars.  It was beautiful.  

So I started one in shades of coral.  

88  sawtooth stars.  

It was slow and steady wins the race for this quilt, but I love it so it was worth it.

I had it professionally quilted last December by a woman who works at a local quilt shop.  I asked her to do an all over meander and avoid the stars.  She did such a tight meander and left the stars unquilted for me-which makes them really pop, don't you think? 

Then I took it home to my folks last Christmas and bound it fireside with my mom.  

Which is a pretty nice way to spend the holidays.  

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Stats

Finished quilt measures : 67″x 88″

Special techniques used : detailed piecing

Quilted by : Martha Wolf

Best Category : Two Color Quilt, Professionally Quilted, Bed Size
Entry No: 425

Nominations begin November 1st, 

so check out all the beautiful entries if you haven't been over to the Festival yet!

More on my quilt here:

• WIP: Sawtooth Post
• Finished Sawtooth Quilttop