I got this idea from an online friend a while ago and I thought I’d share it with you guys. This is a very easy and fun craft to make. It makes a great gift for a friend or grandparent and your kids can be big helpers too!
I found all the supplies at Walmart except for one (noted below).
Here are the supplies you need:
- Clear, glass, flat marbles–usually found in the floral section
- 3/4″ magnet rounds–can be found in the craft section
- Clear Silicone Adhesive–in the hardware section
- 1/2″ hole punch–found at Joanne’s or Michaels
- Small pictures found in magazines, your own pictures, clip art from the computer, letters printed out from your computer etc. (Use you imagination!)
Directions:
- Use the 1/2″ hole punch to punch out pictures of your choosing. If you don’t want to use a whole punch then you can just use scissors. But, the hole punch takes a lot less time and kids like doing that part too.
- Squirt a pea size amount on the back of the marble. Put it on top of the picture and press down until the silicone spreads over the whole image.
- Wait a few minutes for the silicone to dry and then attach the marbles to the magnets using a small amount of silicone. Wait for them to dry and you are finished!
We made some for my niece’s birthday. We picked out a cool font on the computer and spelled her name. We cut out the letters and made the magnets so she would have her own special magnets to hang up her stuff on their refrigerator. I made a black background with hot pink letters and it turned out really cool. I wish I had a picture of it!
The cool thing about the glass pebbles is that they end up magnifying the picture so even though it looks really small when you cut it out, it looks really neat when you are finished.
Buying all the supplies cost me less than $20. The special hole puncher cost almost as much as all the other supplies put together. But, I have enough supplies to make a ton of magnets! This is a simple, fun, inexpensive, and easy craft. I hope you have fun making it to!
I recently fell in love with Seeqpod. Seeqpod is a Web 2.0 application that allows users to create playlists with music, videos, and rich media files. Creating an account is completely easy and fast. Once you are in you search for the song you are looking for and Seeqpod finds it in a file that is already online and streams it. Then you click on the arrow of the song you want and add it to your list. It is totally legal, this is from their about page:
Our technology is legal, and we diligently observe industry-standard DMCA regulations for search engines, otherwise known as .information location tools.. We do not support, nor facilitate, illegal downloading, and we do not host files. But, we do support artists and makers on and offline.
You can’t download a song, but you can listen to the entire song before you go buy the song on iTunes. You can listen to your mix while you are online or if you have a computer with an internet connection near by. I love bringing my laptop into the kitchen and playing my Seeqpod mixes while doing dishes.
Once you have created your playlist you can embed the player into your site. It doesn’t start playing automatically when your site loads. Your readers can chose to hit play themselves.
Not every song can be found in Seeqpod, but most of the popular songs can be found. Also, I added one song to my list only to find that it didn’t have the full ending, so I had to find another listing of my song. Remember you don’t have to be a great music aficionado to use it, just play what you like!
I first used the program to create my playlist for Myra’s Mix Tape Mondays. If you haven’t checked it out yet – you must! Dawn and I were recently feautured. So you have to go to her blog to hear our mixes. I have listened to mine at least 20 times. I love my mix (if I don’t say so myself.)
Amanda’s Mix
Dawn’s Mix
If you create one and post it on your blog let us know!
I recently hired two regular sitters for my kids when the fall semester starts up. We’ve
always relied on family members to babysit for us, so this will be the first time we are trusting our children in the hands of non-family. This will also be the first time that I am regularly away from my children. Due to this upcoming change, I put together a handbook for our babysitters. When I was a babysitter, I would have LOVED it if my families left me with a handbook like this! I babysat for many years as a teenager and it was very hard to remember all of the last minute instructions parents left me as they were kissing their children goodbye. I can’t expect that a babysitter is going to remember when bedtime is, what to feed them for dinner, whether they need to bathe Susie first or give her a bottle first, etc…
I opened up my word processor and got to typing! For those of you who are crafty, I could totally see the handbook being done in a cute scrapbook style! Mine is in a cheap, navy blue folder with prongs. Some of this may be excessive, however I would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared.
So, what’s in my handbook?
Contact information
- Our full names
- Our home address and phone number
- Our cell phone numbers and my husband’s work phone number
- Emergency contact (Grandma) home/cell/work numbers
Rules
- I listed my children’s basic no-no’s (climbing on table, hitting each other, etc…)
- I gave basic household rules (no shoes on in our house, our policy on television, etc…)
- I gave the babysitter basic rules as well (keep stair gate and bathroom doors shut at all times, no smoking, guidelines on having visitors over, etc…)
Special instructions
- Potty/Diaper instructions-I listed where diapering materials are kept and instructions on what to do with dirty diapers. I also gave instructions on where the kids are at in potty training and instructions on when to let them sit on the potty.
- Outdoor instructions-I gave instructions on outdoor play. I asked that the sitter check for fire ants and check with me before hand if they wanted to play in the pool. I mentioned where the wagon is kept and other quick notes about outdoor play.
- Mealtime instructions-I noted where mealtime accessories are kept and a few notes about mealtime with my children.
- Bedtime instructions-I mentioned their nap schedule and bedtime routine. I most importantly noted that Darah must have her lovey for bedtime to be successful!
- Discipline instructions-I explained our discipline strategy with our children, located time-out and the buzzer for them, and explained which offenses deserved a time-out. I also explained redirection when time-out was over and what I expected from each child after time out (apology, hug, etc…)
List of foods
- I basically just listed the foods my children will eat so they don’t have to guess what to feed them if they need a meal or a snack.
Medical information
- I gave a complete list of all of our medical providers and specialists, including their addresses and phone numbers. This has been a handy list for myself!
- I typed up each child’s full name and their birthday and indicated if they have allergies and typed up the medications they are on. I also typed up their health issues, including a list of all surgeries and medical procedures and dates.
- Health insurance information, including copies of our insurance cards.
- Darah and Connor both carry a special card indicating their need for an antibiotic in case of an emergency due to their heart defects. I copied these for our babysitters.
More resources for creating a babysitter handbook:
Children’s Safety Zone Guide for Babysitters
Checklist for Preparing a New Babysitter
A Babysitter’s Guide to Babysitting for a child with diabetes
Printable Babysitter Checklist
What else would be beneficial in a babysitter handbook?
After I found out I was pregnant two weeks ago my husband and I had to decide when to tell people we are pregnant with our second. With the first baby we immediately told our family and a few close friends who knew we were trying. My mother-in-law’s Baby Radar is off the charts and we wanted to tell her before she figured it out herself. I waited to tell my job and the rest of the world until after my first appointment at the doctor’s office.
This time around we decided to birth at the San Antonio Birthing Center and my first appointment isn’t until I am 10 – 12 weeks along. We just can’t wait that long for confirmation before we tell everyone. Also, with me getting sick so early it is kind of hard to hide. So we told the world last week.
I know some people enjoy having a secret or choose to keep it a secret until they have more confirmation than a pee stick that everything is okay. I have never been through the loss of a pregnancy. I wouldn’t know if I would want the support of my friends if something horrible happens or if I would hate having to tell people over and over again what happened. I think this is one of the main reasons people wait to tell the world. Everyone’s situation is so different based on their previous experiences and the way they handle grief.
It all comes down to the time that you feel comfortable telling everyone. Also, as friends and family we she should never be insulted or upset when we hear that someone else is pregnant and has been for a long time. When someone chooses to tell you is completely up to them.
My husband and I aren’t the kind of people that can keep exciting news to ourselves. Two months ago I told a few friends that I thought I was pregnant only to get a full blown period a few days later and sending out a sheepish email saying I wasn’t after all. (I really think that when you get off the pill your hormones go all wacky.) I would definitely wait until you see the double pink lines before you tell people that you think you are pregnant.
When did you tell people you were pregnant? Was anyone ever insulted that you told them later in your pregnancy?
Additional Resources:
BabyCenter: When should I tell family members that I’m pregnant?
Mothering: When to tell people that you are pregnant?
The Poop: When should you tell people you’re pregnant?
Yeah, um, we forgot about Friday. We were either on vacation, dealing with a sick child, just posted an article, or staring at a lined trashcan. The last one would be me (Amanda). Two weeks ago I found out that I am pregnant with our second little one. This week I have been laying as still as I can and barfing into the trashcan beside my bed.
Although, I didn’t feel too nauseated not to watch the best show of the summer – So You Think You Can Dance! Can you believe that Will got voted off? I am not sad one bit. Go Chelsie and Joshua!
Back to my point. I have been sick. I have sent out a few emails to my caring friends whining about being nauseated and praying that it goes away sooner than 20 weeks this time around.
So in honor of my morning sickness. Here is a link to my post with 20 Tips for Dealing with Morning, Noon, and Night Sickness. I have certainly been eating whatever I can keep down (hooray for Eggos and bean and cheese tacos.)
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
