Secret Subject Swap - September 2015

Welcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This week 16 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.







Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:



 Baking In A Tornado

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Spatulas on Parade

Sparkly Poetic Weirdo 

 Southern Belle Charm

 The Angrivated Mom

 Confessions of a part time working mom

 The Lieber Family Blog

 Cluttered Genius

 The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

 Someone Else’s Genius

 House of J Chronicles

 Climaxed





My subject is:

“Do you believe that people can be forced to do what's good for them?

It was submitted by: Confessions of a part time working mom .


The short and sweet answer is no, you cannot force someone to do what's good for them. 

The thing is, that is very subjective. Good for them by whose standards? Mine, yours, theirs? What I think is good for someone maybe the complete opposite of what they think is good for them. 
We all have different opinions about everything under the sun.

Now, I obviously don't mean things like drug abuse or drunk driving. Although, in those cases you still can't force someone to not to them. I wish we could. The world would be better off if we could. 

That being said, the world would NOT be better off if some of us were able to force our will, and only our will, upon others. It really isn't up to us to decide what may or may not be good for someone else. We haven't walked in their shoes. We don't know what's driving their decisions. We don't know their options. 

Oh, people try every single day to make people do what THEY think is good for them. But if you're like me, that gets your back up. When someone tries to force me to do what THEY think is good for me, without any thought to who I actually am, and what I actually stand for, or where I have actually been in my life, they are more likely to meet with resistance or out right rebellion. 

I'm not necessarily proud of that. I am usually such a people pleaser but sometimes even I can be contrary. LOL 

Most times people think you are asking for advice when what you are really asking for is an ear to listen to you, a heart to feel for you, and arms to hug you. 

Funny Friday - August 2015

 Funny Friday, August 2015

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write 5 captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.

Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by The Bergham’s Life Chronicles     

.

1. Yes. Yes, there is definitely something I don't like hiding in there.




2. Hmmm, maybe if I shove my boogers in here no one will know that I've been picking my nose.




3. Do they not see my cape?? Do they not realize that I am Super Baby??




4. Pigs in a blanket? I don't see any pigs!!!




5. Maybe if I close my eyes that won't see that I don't want to eat anymore!





Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:





Spatulas on Parade

Stacy Sews and Schools

The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

Follow me home

Measurements of Merriment

Southern Belle Charm

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Baking In A Tornado

Someone Else’s Genius

Confessions of a part-time working mom

The Momisodes 

 

USE YOUR WORDS - August 2015

 

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them. 

I’m using: Surreal ~ shoddy ~ succumb ~ satiate ~ sorrowful

They were submitted by: Angrivated Mom


So I have to admit a little something here before I get started. I totally thought I had another week. YILES!!!! Not sure how I got all mixed up and confused. Sooo... this may not go as well as it could/should have. 

This is the story of the 5 Ss at work. 

Surreal (S number 1) was always in the clouds. He was a dreamer. The other Ss had a hard time getting him to deal with reality. It was a very difficult thing to put up with. Some of his ideas were definitely out there. 

Shoddy (S number 2) was a lazy bum. He was always getting in trouble at work for not giving his best. The other Ss were getting sick and tired of him! Why won't someone fire him????

Succumb (S number 3) was always sick!! She seemed to catch every single bug that went around. The other Ss were forever buying her hand sanitizer and orange juice. She swore she took her vitamins but the other weren't too sure about that. 

Satiate (S number 4) was always happy. She never seemed to have a single problem! She always working toward helping the other Ss in whatever way she could. 

Sorrowful (S number 5) was the complete opposite of Satiate. She was always depressed. Satiate tried being her friend but Sorrowful couldn't seem to see past her tears and heartbreak.




Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

 Baking In A Tornado

 Spatulas on Parade

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Southern Belle Charm

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Never Ever Give Up Hope

 Confessions of a part-time working mom

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

 Searching for Sanity

 Climaxed

 Juicebox Confession

Cluttered Genius

 The Angrivated Mom 

Secret Subject Swap - August 2015

Welcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This week 16 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:



 Baking In A Tornado

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Spatulas on Parade

 Southern Belle Charm

 Never Ever Give Up Hope

 Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

 Silence of the Mom

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Confessions of a part-time working mom

 The Angrivated Mom

 More Than Cheese and Beer

 Searching for Sanity 

 Climaxed

My subject is “I think everyone has seen a movie or read a book and found themselves disappointed in the ending. How would you rewrite the ending? ”. It was submitted by More Than Cheese and Beer . Here goes:

Ohhhh boy.... Are you SURE you want me to address this subject??????? Ok... Well, you asked for it. ;)

Let's talk Harry Potter.... The books first and then I'll get to the movies. 

Did we HAVE to kill off everyone??? Well, nearly everyone?? WHY Dobby? Hedwig? Mad-Eye? 

I understand Sirius and Dumbledore, really I do... But STILL!!! Fred???? Lupin and Tonks???? 

GRRR!!! 

Now, the movies!!!

Why leave out sooooo many great parts?? I understand that not all of the stuff can fit but can we at least TRY??

Why leave out Peeves and Winky??? 

Sigh... Most of us really would watch 4 hour movies if they followed the books properly. 

So, if I were to rewrite all the endings, nearly everyone would live!!! LOL We can kill off the bad guys, actually I would kill MORE of them off. LOL 

And if the movies were left up to me, they would follow the books!!!!! So, there! ;) 

Don't forget to check out the other links!!!! 

Funny Friday - July 2015

Funny Friday, July 2015

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write 5 captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.

Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by Sanity Waiting to Happen .

1. Hold on, Bessie!!! Don't let go!!!

2. This takes cow tipping to a whole new level!

3. I tried to tell Bob that's NOT the way to make a milk shake!!!

4. How now brown cow??

5. Brown cow says, "Shut up and get me off this thing!!!"

Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:

The Momisodes

Sanity Waiting to Happen

Spatulas on Parade  

Stacy Sews and Schools  

People Don’t Eat Enough Fudge

The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

Follow me home

Southern Belle Charm

Silence of the Mom

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Baking In A Tornado

Someone Else’s Genius

Confessions of a part-time working mom

Hope you have a great weekend!!!!

Fly on the Wall - June 2015

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 18 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.

Buzz around, see what you think, then click on these links for a peek into some other homes:

 Baking In A Tornado

 Spatulas on Parade

 Follow me home 

 Menopausal Mother

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Battered Hope

 Just A Little Nutty

 The Momisodes

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Disneyland in Kentucky

 Juicebox Confession

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Sanity Waiting to Happen

 Southern Belle Charm

 The Sadder But Wiser Girl

 Searching for Sanity

 Go Mama O

 Eileen’s Perpetually Busy 

 People Don't Eat Enough Fudge

Well, I'm pretty sure a fly would have been bored to tears at my house this month. :/ We haven't really been doing much of anything. 

We're done with school. We just finished testing this week. 

It's too hot to do anything outside or go anywhere. SIGH..

We were having a nice cool spring then out of nowhere the gates of hell open up and spew out this heat!!! BLECK!!!!!!!!! Make it go away!!!!!!! How long until fall????

Anyway, here are a few pictures of what we did manage to do.

The girls got new glasses. Deanna won't let me take a picture of her. :/ 

All I can say is, thank goodness for good vision insurance because my girls have expensive taste! Cailey picked some cute Kate Spade frames and Deanna picked Dolce and Gabbana!! YEESH!!! glasses. 

7-11 has new Slurpee straws! YAY! Last year it was mustaches, this year it's animal faces! 

We got some swimming in!! YAY!!! 

We have some friends that just moved down here. They are staying in the same hotel we stayed in last year. Love that pool! ;) 

We rescued an orphaned raccoon.

It was soooo cute and tiny!!!

We gave it to some friends that have done that sort of thing before. There's just no way that I would have to time. That little booger was eating non-stop! LOL 

I found a CHEAP rock painting kit at Barnes & Noble. The kids had a lot of fun with it. 

So, that's about it. Pretty boring around here. ;) 

Well, there's one more thing... Deanna has now gone on her first date (and 2nd and 3rd). SO MUCH hilarity ensued but I don't think she would appreciate me repeating much of it. Although Jacob talking about a machete was pretty funny... 

I WILL tell you one thing that Colin said. "What? Deanna's dating? No way. Nuh, uh... We have enough family members! We have way too many people in this house as it is!" I said, "Buddy, she's just going on a date. She's not getting married. He's not moving in." 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!

Blog with Friends on the Go - DIY Vacation Pajamas - Mandarin Style

It's that time again!!! Blog with Friends!! This month we're on the road! Ready for some great travel and vacation ideas???? 

For my part, I am going to show you how to make a comfy pair of pajamas, Mandarin style. ;) Comfy, cool and perfect for a special vacation. 

I'm not gonna lie. I struggled with this one. In my head. Once I actually got started it really wasn't that difficult! LOL 

WHAT I USED

2 yards of flannel backed poly satin 
1 package of black piping
3/4" elastic
3 frog closures
Small piece of lightweight fusible interfacing 



STEP 1

I used one of Cailey's shirts as a guide to draw out my pattern. I wanted it to be rather long. 
I actually could have cut it a bit wider. You sew and you learn. ;)

This will be the pattern for both the front and back bodice pieces. You'll just cut the neckline for the front a little lower. 

You're going to cut 2 on the fold. 


STEP 2

I free handed the pattern for the collar. 
Actually, I went back and made one a bit bigger. I should have stayed with this one. The one I ended up with was a little big as I'm sure you can tell from the picture. ;)

Cut 2 on the fold.



STEP 3

Next I used a pair of Cailey's capri pants as a guide for the bottoms. 
Make sure you leave a couple of extra inches at the top!! I didn't leave enough room and had to put a waistband on in the end.
Also, I used capris because I wanted a wide bottom cuff thingy on the ends of the legs. 

Cut 2 legs on the fold.


STEP 4

Now you cut the cuff thingies. 
Mine are 10" when unfolded. 


STEP 5

Now we start with the tricky bits. 

You can cut this part anywhere you like and at any angle you like. Just make sure to start in the middle of the bodice. 

*You can also make this fasten straight down the middle OR over on the side. 



STEP 6

Now you need to cut one facing and one placket. The only difference between the 2 is that 1 will show and 1 won't.


STEP 7

Fold both pieces with right sides together.
Sew the ends.
Turn right side out and press.
Pin the bottom to the bottom of the top piece. 
Sew.
Press with the placket lying flat not tucked behind the bodice piece.
Top stitch in place.

On the bottom piece, follow the same instructions except that you will press it under the bodice piece before top stitching. 

Press.



STEP 8

With right sides together, pin the shoulders in place.

Sew the seam.

Press.


STEP 9

Take your frog closures and pin them in place.

I used my button foot and dropped my feed dogs when I sewed them on.

Sew them in several places. 

This was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. ;)



STEP 10

SLEEVES!!
I forgot to actually take the pictures of HOW to cut the sleeves so hopefully you can just follow along.

To cut:
Fold the fabric.
Place the shoulder of the bodice in alignment with the fold.
Use the armhole as a guide to cut the sleeve, making sure to leave a seam allowance. 

If you need a visual click HERE and scroll down. ;)

Now, on to the piping!!

Pin the piping to the raw edges at the bottom of the sleeve. Right sides should be together and the actually piping portion should be toward the top.

I used my zipper foot to sew this on.

Sew close to the actual piping part.

Fold over at the piping and press.

Top stitch right at the edge of the sleeve above the piping. 

Not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. LOL



STEP 11

Time to attach the sleeves!!

Lay the bodice flat with the front in one direction and the back in the other. 

With right sides together, pin the raw edges of the sleeve to the armhole. 

Sew the sleeve in, pressing when you're done. 

Here's what you should have so far and a close up of the front where the tricky bit meets the sleeve. 



STEP 12

On to the collar!!!

Take one piece of the collar and line it up with the lightweight interfacing. 

Cut the interfacing to match and iron it in place on the wrong side of the collar piece.

Take both collar pieces and pin them with right sides together. 

Sew around the sides and the top. Leave the bottom open.

Turn right side out and press.

Top stitch across the top of the collar. 



STEP 13

Time to attach the collar.

Pin the raw edges of the collar to the raw edges of the neckline with right sides together. 

Sew the seam and press. 



STEP 14

Time to finish up the sides. 

I put a slit on both sides of the top. 

To do this fold 1/4" and press. Fold another 1/4" and press. 

Now, top stitch that in place.

When that's done, turn it all inside out. 

Pin along the sides of the top and the raw edges of the sleeves.

Sew the seam and press. 



STEP 15

Final part for the top!!!! 

Fold the hem in 1/4" and press.

Fold 1/2" and press.

Top stitch the hem. 

Press.


THE TOP IS DONE!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!!


Now on to the bottom!!!!

STEP 16

Take the piping and sew it to the bottom of the legs  exactly as you did with the bottom of the sleeves. 



STEP 17

Take the bottom cuff thingies and pin them to the bottom of the leg, right sides together. 

Sew just above where you stitched the piping.

Press it out. 

Top stitch just above the piping. 



STEP 18

Time to sew the inseam.

Pin from the bottom of the cuff to the curve of the crotch. 

Sew the seam and press. 


STEP 19

Take one leg and turn it right side out. 

Slide it down into the other leg and pin the raw edges together. 

Sew the seam and press. 


STEP 20

This is where you do the elastic casing. I had to do mine differently this time because I didn't leave enough room at the top when I cut my pant legs. LOL So, I'll have to walk you through it without pictures to help.

With the pants wrong side out, fold over the top by 1/4" and press.

Fold again by 1" and press.

Sew the along the bottom making sure to leave an opening of about 1" in which to insert the elastic.

Take 2 large safety pins and pin each end of the elastic. 

Push the elastic through the casing. 

Pull on both ends and sew them together. 

Sew the opening in the elastic casing closed. 

ALLLLL DONE!!!!!!!


**The alternative**

Just in case you were like me and didn't leave enough room at the top....

Cut either 2 pieces or one long piece 3" wide and long enough to fit around the top of the pants. 

Sew the ends together. 

With the band right side out, fold in half and press. 

Pin the raw edges of the band to the raw edges of the top of the pants. 

Sew the seam but leave the ends open.

Trim the band if needed but leave a seam allowance of at least 1/4".

Insert the elastic as above.

Sew the elastic and the band closed at the same time. 

ALL DONE!!!!!

If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask!!!!

Now!!!! 

Time for all the other projects this month!!! 

WOOO HOOO!!!!

Karen at Baking in a Tornado has some more yummies for you!! This time it is Fruity Lemonade Snack Mix. PERFECT for traveling!!!

Robin at Someone Else's Genius is going to show you how to make this AMAZING Frodo's Journey Bezel Bracelet. OMG how great is THAT???

Eileen at Eileen's Perpetually Busy will show you how to make that CUTE His & Hers Toiletry Cases! You won't believe how she does it!!! 

Melissa from Home on Deranged has some GREAT Tips for Summer Travel. I know we could all use that!!! 

Lydia from Cluttered Genius has some great advice about how to Travel with a Newborn!! I know a lot of people that could use this post!!!! 


HAVE FUN TRAVELING!!!!!!