{DIY} Anthro Pinwheel Pushpins

These little guys are so cute and quick to whip up, they should be at the top of your gift-making list. 

 Plus they use up scraps!  and you don't need a sewing machine.
Anyone can make these!!!

Here's my version:

cost - $.24 (yes a quarter!)

Here's Anthro's version:

cost - $15

The secret to making these the cutest pushpins you've ever seen, is the size. 

Finished they are only 3/4" across (which you cannot tell by that Anthro pic). 
Teeny tiny and oh-so-adorable.

Here are the supplies you will need:

various scraps of fabric

needle/thread

scissors

small beads (I used little seed beads)

a pack of pushpins

a 1.5" circle template

Step 1:  Cut 8 (or as many as you want) circles, 1.5" in diameter, out of different colors of fabric.

Step 2:  Make them into yo-yos: Thread the needle and tie a knot in the end.   With the wrong side of the fabric facing you, fold the edge over toward you about 1/8" and push your needle through. 

Use a running stitch to gather the edge of the circle - folding the raw edge in as you go.

Push the pin through the center of the circle, then pull the thread tight to gather the yo-yo completely.

Step 3:  Slip 3 small beads onto the needle and thread, and secure them in the center.

Tie a knot in the thread and cut it. 

Repeat with each pushpin until you have the desired amount!

It's a perfect gift for someone with a new job or even a great stocking stuffer!

Happy crafting,

xoxo

jessica



Spring Cleaning Update

I've been playing along with Ask Anna...'s Spring Cleaning Challenge.  I have to admit - it's been kinda hard but totally rewarding.  Here are a few pics from my cleaning adventures.

I cleaned all my windows using hot soapy water and a squeegee:

I dusted all of my vents:

dusty

clean

 

I washed my drapes:

I cleaned my floors ( I scrubbed the corners with a toothbrush and everything...)

Wiped down my walls, cabinets, and doors

(yuck!  how did they get so dirty?!)

much better :)

Cleaned out and organized my freezer/frig (don't worry I did buy food yesterday...):

Dusted everything in my house - including the insides of my cabinets:

Just a few more days to go!  My house really looks great!  

Have you been spring cleaning?

xo

jessica

Time is on your side...

Ever feel like you don't have time to clean?  I do.  Like, every day.
Actually I'd just rather spend my time doing something else.
BUT the cleaning must get done.  Sometimes I have to set my timer every 20 minutes and I will sew/craft for 20 minutes, then clean for 20 minutes, and so on.
So I had fun with the stopwatch on my phone and timed some basic household tasks.  I did not hurry through them.  They really don't take that long (assuming you're not interrupted by princesses or pirates) and make a big difference. Here's what you can do in short increments of time.

Got 10 minutes? 

Clean the bathroom (toilet, sinks, tub, floors, trash): 9 min 43sec

Got 8 minutes?

Fold a load of laundry and put it away: 8 min 7 sec

Got 6 minutes?

Vacuum the main parts of the house (living room, play area, your bedroom): 5 min 23 sec

Got 6 more minutes?
Change your sheets:  5min 41sec

Got 5 minutes?

Swiffer (I don't mop) the kitchen and eating area: 4 min 28 sec

Got 4 minutes?

 Put away the dishes from the dishwasher: 3 min 55 sec

Got 4 more minutes?

Sweep the kitchen and eating area: 3 min 28 sec

Only got 3 minutes?

Wipe off the kitchen counters: 2 min 27 sec

Now that's not so bad right?  If you did them all at once it would only take 46 minutes!  

Just 46 minutes, and your bathroom would be cleaner, you'd have clothes in your drawers, clean sheets on your bed, your floors and counters would sparkle and the dishwasher would be empty!  

I can do that.  It may take you a more or less time depending on your house. Try timing yourself and see.  At least now I have a reference point so when I don't feel like putting the dishes away I can say to myself - "it only takes 4 minutes....get over it."

We are also implementing a new system I call the "5 minute pickup".  It happens right before bathtime.  I set the timer for 5 minutes and Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte pick up anything we have that's lying around the house - toys, clothes, shoes...  It is AMAZING how much of a difference this makes.

Happy cleaning - and if you want some serious cleaning tips, head to Ask Anna... She is kicking my tail with her Spring Cleaning Challenge!

xoxo

jessica 

Demystifying Feng Shui

I've been wanting to write this post for a while now, ever since having a conversation with my sister about what Feng Shui is.

(pic from here - a good post about how to feng shui your bedroom)

Here's wiki's definition:  an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. 

The part I want to focus on is the "improving life by receiving the positive".  When applied to the home, it means that your home should be a positive place. It should make you feel positive.  Not annoyed.  Not exasperated.  Not stressed...........good luck right?  But it doesn't mean your home has to be perfectly clean.  It means your home should work for you.  Many of the aspects of Feng Shui are spiritual and claim to help you be more profitable in your money-making endeavors.  I'm not going to focus on that - the best way I know how to explain how I use Feng Shui is to give examples.  So here are several ways I have "Feng Shui'd" my home lately.

1.  The ironing board.  I was storing it in the laundry room.  Logical place in my mind.  However, every time my husband opened the door, the ironing board fell over on him.  (this never happened to me....must be his masculine muscular structure that forcefully swings the door open...)  Anyway, it bothered him.  Your home shouldn't bother you.  So I moved it.  Now it is over by my crafting area - which works well for me anyway.

2.  My sink.  In our bathroom, we have his and hers sinks.  For about 3 months now there has been a small piece of plastic in my drain that I stare at every time I brush my teeth.  It grosses me out.  Why have I left it there?  Because I am lazy.  But every time I use my sink I get an annoyed feeling.  Bad Feng Shui.  So the other day it took me about 3 seconds to reach in there with a pair of tweezers and take it out.  Now I have positive feelings instead of negative when I use my sink.

Is this starting to make sense?  You might think it seems silly - but start noticing around your house - what is annoying you?  What doesn't work for you?

3.  Last example:  Coffee.  My sister noticed that every morning she had to walk across the kitchen to get the sugar for her coffee.  And every evening she had to move the coffee beans across the kitchen to the grinder.  Not a big deal - but why not have them all together in a common place?  So she rearranged some things and now has a happy little coffee station. 

Again - not a big deal, but those little annoyances of life add up.  You should not get annoyed in your own home. There are plenty of other things to annoy you "out there".  For more information you can go here.  You can find lots of other resources by googling it - just try not to get bogged down with all of the "extra" stuff - just keep remembering YOUR HOME SHOULD WORK FOR YOU!!!! 

(pic from here)

your feng shui guru for the day,
jessica

p.s.  If you have more tips for how you feng shui, please tell us in the comments!