Make your own photo canvases (for much, much less than the professional ones)
Just popping in quickly to share this weekend’s project in The Chronicle Herald (available online, too).
I made these cute photo canvases for our dining room, because I pretty much had a STROKE when I saw how much the professional versions cost.
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| View the full tutorial here, at My Handmade Home |
Psssst, I even show you the trick for getting the canvas texture that the professional ones have. Check it out, will you?
xo
Five on Friday: iPad edition
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| C loves hearing her name in this app — and even though she’s not typically a Sesame Street fan, she loves it! |
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| Miss C is all about calling Rachel. I kind of love Rachel, too. She’s rad. |
4. Thomas & Friends: Engine Activity Fun. We got this one ages ago, and it’s a wonderful (free!) app. Both of the kids love doing the puzzles (there are different levels of difficulty) and C especially loves the colouring section.
5. The Speck iGuy. I was singing this guy’s praises today over on Scratch or Sniff along with another writer, and he really is awesome.
We bought one about three weeks ago because I was worried about the iPad getting cracked or broken since the kids are always toting it around. We used to just have a stand for it, and there was no actual protection. This guy is basically nothing BUT padding, so I feel more comfortable having the kids carry the iPad around. If it tips forwards, backwards, or gets dropped, it’s most likely going to be just fine.*
*Which is good, because I like to watch Netflix on the iPad when I’m sewing. I can set it up right next to the machine and keep my eyes on a show without sewing over my fingers. #winning
Tell me: What are your favourite iPad apps or accessories for kids?
Spending time with your kids: quality versus quantity
My kids are at the babysitter’s today.
I have been working for the last six and a half hours, and I still have an hour to go before I leave to pick them up.
I went upstairs a minute ago to grab a glass of milk (yes, and two Oreos) and I caught sight of a familiar red snowsuit. I could see them, just barely, from the kitchen window. They were all playing outside in the sitter’s backyard, throwing snowballs at each other.
In that moment — clutching my Oreos, standing in a quiet house, getting a ton of work done, and NOT being out in the freezing cold pretending to enjoy myself — I was really, really happy with our decision to get childcare one day a week.
Of course, I immediately felt a little guilty for being so grateful.
Read more about these kinds of feeeeeeeeeeeelings in this week’s parenting column, if you’re so inclined?
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| Click to read my column on childcare, no childcare, and related feeeeeeelings |
xo
Make your own Cougar Town inspired EAT letters
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| View the full tutorial |
On a related note, I have no idea what Anthropologie is actually like. I suspect it will be the year 2042 before we get a store in this part of Canada. I think I’d love it there, though?
xo
When moms follow (mom)trends
Understatement of the century: I am not a trendy and/or stylish person.
I am a super basic dresser — jeans, striped tops and sweaters, and don’t forget the uncool winter boots that I wear eight months out of the year (replaced with flats or sandals* in the summer).
*Ugly “mom-sandals,” according to the trendy Little Sis
I get a ton of hand-me-downs from Little Sis’s bestie, so I’m not even sure if I have my own style or not, but I totally love them. Stripes! Stripes! More stripes!
So when crazy-patterned leggings started popping up here and there on my friends, I wondered (A) if this was a legit trend or a mom-trend, (B) if they would look ridiculous or not on me, and (C) if I was too damn old for them.
My friend had a home party where an Official Travelling Leggings Saleswoman (here, for locals) brought her inventory over and let us try them on. Well, if my friends were buying them, then I decided I didn’t care about (C). We could all band together and look like we were trying to be young. Solidarity!
I tried on one pair (below) and was immediately sold. I still wasn’t sure about (A) and (B), but they were OMG SO SOFT AND CUDDLY-COMFY that I knew I had to have them.
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| My Instagram followers dug this pair. Thanks, baes!** |
**Hilary Duff taught me what “bae” means. I had thought it was short for “babe,” but it’s apparently an anagram for Before Anyone Else. You’re welcome, Fellow Older People.
You seriously won’t believe how soft they are.
I also bought this pair. You know, because they’re … neutral-ish? IDK.
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| My second purchase |
Then I got sick for a million days, which means I have only worn them (well, the first pair) out of the house once. It went well. No one hissed at me or tried to capture me and send me back to the circus or anything.
Then, today, I got a Facebook notification that the two OTHER pairs of patterned leggings I’d ordered from a co-op were in. Suddenly it was LEGGINGS CENTRAL up in this joint …
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| These camo ones (well, they look just like this stock photo I found) |
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| … and these leopard print ones (NOTE: these are not my skinny legs … unfortunately) |
Darling Husband thinks this legging trend is totally insane. So does our four-year-old son, who immediately noticed when I wore the first pair and told me I looked silly. Thanks for the support, family.
But my friends are rocking them, and I love how they look, so I’m timidly jumping on the cray-cray leggings train. I definitely plan on wearing the first two pairs out in public, with flowy shirts or sweaters. I’m wearing the camo ones right now (SRSLY SO COMFY) and I think I’d wear them out of the house. Probably. Maybe.
Not so sure about wearing the leopard pair in public. I’m kind of afraid of this situation …
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| Photo credit |
xo
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