Fakin' It

Wednesday Wandering of the Mind: I'm Not Perfect

I love to read other peoples blogs but sometimes it makes me feel inferior. I mean sure I do a lot of craft stuff but there are other moms out there doing the crafty stuff plus saving $$$$$$ by cutting thousands of coupons, making their own cleaning supplies and then actually using them to clean. I'll sweep up my spilled glitter but anything more than that and you're asking an awful lot of me.

Now you might assume by the greatness of this blog that I too am perfect. But do not fear my minions, I am extraordinarily ordinary.

Let's start with my dog training abilities. We recently adopted a 1 year old puppy from the humane society. Her name is Abbi (picture a tiny heart dotting the i). Apparently I forgot to tell her that the top of the kitchen table was off limits. When I discovered her up there, I should have been yelling and freaking out about the germs and what not. Instead I grabbed my camera because I thought all my bloggy friends might find this funny.

 

If that hasn't convinced you of my imperfections, let me share more. My fourth grader had a friend spend the night. It was my job to get them up very early for their tackle football game. So at 7:30am I burst into the room and yelled in my deepest most masculine voice, "Are you ready for some football?!!" C's friend J was sleeping in the top bunk and bolted upright in shear terror, not quite sure where he even was or why he was being yelled at. My son who is used to my crazy antics didn't even budge. Afraid C's best friend would never want to sleep over again, I promised next time I would wake them up much more gently.

Friday Night: Dog on Table

Saturday: Terrorize C's friend from Catholic school

Sunday: C had another friend come over who had never been in our house before. After the tour the boy turned to me and said "I like your house! It's messy." It's true my house is messy and I wasn't offended by his comment because I could tell he actually liked it. I think he realized this was a house he could play in and have fun in and even get a little messy in without worry. And frankly I would rather be remembered as the mom who creates fun memories than the one who creates spotless countertops.

Here's wishing you an imperfect week!

Melty Crayon Rock Craft

Do you know what I hate most about winter? The TV! I feel like we are so couped up and run out of things to do and just turn to the tv to entertain us. Well I am going to make a real effort this year not to let that happen. Even if I have to put on my battle gear to fight the rest of the family off the remote control.

One against four, I bet your wondering how I can overcome those odds. It's simple. I have a secret weapon. ROCKS! No I am not going to throw rocks at my family--although the thought has crossed my mind from time to time.

I'm telling you now so you and your family can take a few hikes while the weather is still bearable. Gather some cool rocks. The lighter in color, and smoother, the better. Then store them away until the kids get their first snow day off school.

 
Put your clean dry rocks in a 300 degree oven for about 10 - 15. Not to hot or to long. My husband tells me they will explode. And while I have dreamt of blowing up my oven so I don't have to cook dinner anymore, I choose to take the more mature and responsible approach.

 

 
While your rocks are becoming semi-explosive get out your old and broken crayons. We save all those crayons they give you at restaurants or that the kids bring home left-over from the school year. Take off the wrappers and set aside for a future craft. You'd be surprised how many different activities these crayons come in handy for.

 
Turn off the oven but keep all the rocks inside except for the ones you are working with. I use tongs to place each rock on a work surface, aluminum foil, paper plate, wax paper, etc... Touch a crayon to the rocks and watch it instantly melt and ooze all over.

  
I got this idea from Family Fun Magazine a few years ago. They did it with Easter Eggs and that is the only way we decorate our eggs now. So much fun!! Me and a million other people also figured out  you could do it with rocks as I have seen lots of other tutorials out there.  

Now, go take a hike!! 

This post is dedicated to my wonderful friend "K" who thought I had been abducted by aliens since it's been so long since my last post. Love ya "K"!

Printable Christmas Planner--It's Never Too Early

 
I have been on a "printable" kick lately and let me explain why. My color printer has not worked for about 2 years and for the last 6 months, the black and white hasn't worked either. Finally we got a new printer. It's a cheapy but way better than nothing!

I have also been really getting into using my Creative Memories Story Book Creator for scrapbooks and such. Combining the two together has been tons of fun!

The weather here really cooled off today which made me think it's time to break out the fall and Halloween decor and that means I need to get started on my Christmas prep. Thus I created this Christmas Planner to start getting those jingle bells ringing in my head. They're much nicer to listen to than those dumb bells that clang more often than I would like.

 
Start by listing all the names of people you need to buy/craft for. Trust me, this list will grow longer as the days grow shorter. Then you can start jotting down ideas and about how much you are able to budget for each recipient. Remember that even a tray of cookies or loaf of homemade bread is still going to cost something. Once you've finished a friend or family member, teacher or neighbor - check him/her off the list and feel good as you see the check-marks multiply.

I know that for me, sometimes I get so caught up in the baking, decorating, and gift-giving, I forget about the true gift of Christmas. May Jesus's name be at the top of your list this year.

 Download Your Own Christmas Planner Here

 Thanks for visiting Fakin It!

Root Beer Get Well Present

A young friend of the family recently had surgery. He's too old for stuffed animals or cutesy stuff but we wanted to get him something to let him know we were thinking of him.

My kids love pop as a special treat so I thought I would go that route,  with ROOT BEER!

I designed this little card on my Making Memories software and attached it to the bottle with fibers from my scrapbooking stash.

 
I later tied up the bag of cookies with the same fibers to give the whole package a more cohesive look.

I think our friend really enjoyed his gift and I enjoyed making it.

 
If you would like a copy of this free printable, just click the link the below.

 Click to Download Free Printable

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My Thumb is Neither Green or Orange

The last few years I have tried my hand at gardening, usually unsuccessfully. So why I expected this year to yield a hardy harvest, I have no idea!

My middle child LOVES carrots! I mean really loves them. One morning I surprised the kids with donuts from THE BEST donut shop and J asks if he can eat a carrot instead. Sure-right after I get you DNA tested because there must have been some mix up at the hospital.

To make a long story short, J got carrot seeds in his Easter basket which we planted together.

 
We weren't sure exactly when to pick them but when we saw these beautiful lush green stems, we figured the carrots were ready.

 
OOPS! Apparently you are not supposed to put all the seeds in the same hole and assume they will spread out on their own.

 
Major Carrot Fail! I do think we will try this again next year now that I know what NOT to do.

Hope my blunders bring you joy because there has to be a good reason I have so many of them:)