Jan 13 Craft Day

I love crafts!  My favorites are crocheting, knitting, scrapbooking, and sewing.  However, if you offered me something else, I wouldn't say no!  I was super excited when my aunt asked me to come over for a craft day with her and my grandma.  Usually we don't actually accomplish much on craft days, but I figured if grandma was there, she'd keep us on task! :)

So, first we made towel toppers.  Now, these kind are not the kind you actually sew onto a towel.  There is a string hidden underneath that you hang your towel on.

Those are just some pictures of the one we were trying to copy.  Hopefully now you have a better idea of what I was trying to say.  Here is the one I made, which didn't turn out exactly as planned because I didn't use the same yarn...

The next project I did was a quilt top.  I thought I had the backing already, but apparently I don't. And actually, this fabric was originally for a more complicated quilt, but I just want to use it up, so I am going easy!

I had all of these pieces cut the night before, so that I wouldn't have to bring my rotary cutter or mat.  So this was a quick craft for craft day!

I also started on a rag quilt.  Most of these pieces were cut a long time ago, as I already made a quilt out of these same pieces.  I cut a few the night before also.

I am not finished with this.  I have to go through and cut slits on all of the edges, about 1/2 inch apart, which takes a long time!  Then, I have to wash and dry it, at least once, if not twice.  Here is what it will look like when it is done.

We will be having another craft day on the 21st, so look forward to more crafty posts!

Forever His,

 

Weekly Goals: 1/13

 
I am so excited about my weekly goals.  That may be because I completed ALL of them last week!  How awesome!  What makes me even more excited is this feeling of "catching up".  I have so many things I want to do, and I am getting there!  So here is what I completed last week, and my new goals for this week:

Last Week

Relationship with God
Complete Bible plan
Write in Prayer Journal
Keep the Sabbath
Tithe 10%
Bible study group
     -Assign accountability partners
     -Create weekly GMG schedule
     -Post Friday questions

Friends/Family
Message 1 friend
Go to yarn shop Saturday (changed plans early in the week because of weather)
Spend time with grandma (planned for Saturday, but was able to make it Sunday)

Finances
Don't use credit cards
Tutor 2 days

Health & Fitness
Go to gym 3-4 times (3 days, MThS)
Use My Fitness Pal 6/7 days
Stay under calories 6/7 days
Floss teeth every day
Cook 1 new recipe
Eat fruit with breakfast Sun-Thurs

Blogging
Monthly goals
Weekly goals
Monthly goal sheets
Frugal list
Make craft project list

Crafts/Projects
Finish granny square blanket
Complete headband
Work on knitted hat
Crochet blanket for Leslie
Buy yarn to finish 2nd granny square blanket

Reflection: Yay!  I just feel so great!  I was actually surprised that I finished them all, because it was kind of a crazy week.  However, I did end up with a half day on Thursday and a Snow Day on Friday (Woohoo!).

 This Week

Relationship with God
Complete Bible plan
Write in Prayer Journal
Keep Sabbath
Tithe 10%
Complete all Bible Study Group Posts (MTWThF)
Memorize Psalm 119:11

Friends/Family
Craft Day at Jen's
Meet w/ Coworkers at Poncho and Lefty's
Message 1 friend

Health and Fitness
Work out 4 Days (MTWS)
Take 3 classes (M-Step, T-Spin, W-Step)
Use My Fitness Pal 6/7 days
Stay under calories 6/7 days
Floss teeth daily
Eat fruit with breakfast Sun-Thurs

Blogging
Weekly goals
Books
Craft Day
Towel Topper
SSMT Verse Post

Finances
Don't use credit cards
Tutor 2 days
Save tutoring money $48

Crafts/Projects
Crochet blanket for Leslie
Knit hat
Make quilt top
Make rag quilt
Start gift for Hillary

I am feeling pretty good about these goals.  It actually shouldn't be too difficult for me to complete, as it is a pretty normal week and things are starting to quiet down again.

Forever His,

Unfinished Project #1

I picked out this project the first week of January.  My unfinished projects are sorted in ziploc bags in a bin, and this one was already partially done.  I had the flower completed, just had the actual headband to do.  I even had the pattern with it, so I knew it would be an easy one to start with this year!

I got the pattern for the flower from Very Berry Handmade.  I found the directions a little confusing, so I am going to post what I did, which I am not sure is what I was supposed to do.  I also found two different patterns, from the same webpage.  I printed one in 2011 and one in 2012, so she must have changed the directions.  I will give both here.

Start with a magic circle and make 4 single crochet in the circle.  Close the circle.
R1: 2sc in each sc around.  Join last sc to 1st sc with ss. (8s)
R2: 2ch, 1ss in next sc.  Repeat.  Join with ss. (8s)
R3: In each chain space, make 1ss, 1ch, 2dc, 1ch, 1 ss.  SS into 1st ss.
R4: Going behind the work, chain 2 (or 3), hook inbetween next petals.  Repeat. SS into 1st ss.
R5: In each chain space, make 1sc, 1ch, 3dc, 1ch, 1sc. (or 1sc, 1ch, 3tr, 1ch, 1sc) SS into 1st sc
R6: Going behind the work, chain 3, hook between next petals.  Repeat.  SS into 1st ss.
R7: In each chain space, make 1sc, 1ch, 5dc, 1ch, 1sc. (or 1sc, 1ch, 5tr, 1ch, 1sc) SS into 1st sc.

I honestly don't think it really matters if you do dc or tr in R5 and R7.  I imagine tr just makes the petals larger.

The headband is much more simple than that.

Chain 16
R1: Start dc 3 stitches from hook.  14dc total.
R2: Ch 3. 14tr
R3: Ch2. 14dc
And keep going until you have the length you need. 

Now onto the next project!  I will be at my aunt's house today having a craft day, so hopefully I have a couple more things to post when I get back!

Forever His,

Unfinished Projects from 2012

One of my goals for 2013 is to finish all of those unfinished projects from 2012 (and some probably from before then!). 

Here is my list:
Headband (Finished, post coming soon)
Cards
Boy Washcloths
Girl Washcloths
Rag Quilt Tote Bag
Girl Rag Quilt
Boy Rag Quilt
Cardigan - change buttons
Girl Quilt
Mom's Washcloths
Chemo Caps (2)
Towel Toppers

The boy and girl washcloths I have actually already made, but I have enough to make more.  Actually, I have the pieces already cut.  They just need sewn!

 

Forever His,

Granny Square Lap Blanket

Now before I go any further, I need to say that I cannot take complete credit for this lap blanket.  I did not make the granny squares.  I have never made a granny square in my life.  I did, however, but it all together.

I used to crochet at the yarn shop at Knit Night each week.  Life has gotten busy, so I don't go there as much anymore.  Anyway, someone had donated a ton of granny squares at the yarn shop to be used in lap blankets for cancer patients.  The yarn shop owners are both knitters primarily, and asked me to take this project on because I was the only crocheter that came in regularly.  This is actually the second one I have done, and I have enough granny squares for a third blanket.

It really is pretty simple. I just attached the squares together to make rows of 5 and then attached all of the rows together, all using single crochet.  Then, I made a border, which would have been larger if I hadn't run out of yarn.  It is still cute.  I did a row of single crochet initially, and then went around again and did a double crochet, or a half double maybe?  Next time, I'd like to do 2 rows of doubles or half doubles instead of doing a single.  I did an image search on google to look for a granny square quilt I could do for myself, and I have found a ton.  Now just to look on ravelry!

Forever His,

A New Recipe (and an old one too!)

One of my goals for 2013 is to try 2 new recipes every month.  I decided to make Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes using a recipe I found on Money Saving Mom.  I love peanut butter, and putting peanut butter on pancakes (with chocolate chips!) is amazing. Sometimes I put peanut butter with just a little bit of maple syrup.  Yum!  I didn't completely follow the recipe, as I didn't have regular chocolate chips. 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
4 tbsp butter
mini chocolate chips (didn't measure, just did what looked right)

I mixed the dry ingredients separately from the other ingredients and then mixed them together.  The pancakes I made were about 6 inches in diameter, and I think I got 10 out of this recipe.

As you can see, I'm not very good at keeping my pancakes light.  They are still delicious!

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I also made a black bean and corn salad/salsa to put in whole wheat tortilla wraps.  I have made it before, but apparently didn't save the recipe.  So I decided to "wing" it. 


Here is what I used:

Black Bean & Corn Salad/Salsa
1 can black beans (mostly rinsed)
3/4 small bag of frozen corn
green pepper
red onion
minced garlic
red pepper

Now after doing all of that, I finally found a recipe that is pretty much what I was looking for on All Recipes.  I like it the way I made it too.  I had it for lunch in whole wheat wraps, and also as a salsa with some chips. Yum!

Forever His,

2013 Plan to Be Frugal

I came across a blog post on How to Be Frugal, which lists 50 tips on how to be frugal.  I looked through them and many of them definitely seemed achievable and worth my time.  So I decided that I would pick one new money habit for each month in 2013. 

In January, I have decided to keep my credit cards off-limits.  I have two store cards in addition to my regular Visa.  The two store cards I am pretty ok with, but it is the regular Visa that I really need to work on.  When I have many places to shop and don't feel like writing down my purchases in my checkbook, I will just use my credit card and decide to "figure it out later". 

Well, I have decided in 2013 to be more aware of my finances, so "figuring it out later" isn't an option.  Here are some of the habits I plan on implementing in 2013, in no particular order:

-Only buy what is on my shopping list
-Wait 24 hours before buying anything
-Seriously coupon and use a price sheet
-Make only one shopping trip per week
-Make a coffee fund/budget per week or per month
-Find recipes that are cheap to make
-Grow my own food
-Transfer credit card debt and come up with a plan to tackle it
-Search for free samples
-Use only cash
-Make freezer meals (February?)

What are some frugal tips you have?

Forever His,