Mass Appeal

As a mother of a 3 year old, often the longest hour of my week is during Mass on Sunday. These last few months I've been church-hopping a bit just to change things up a bit in order to keep Gianna's attention.  It's worked fairly well and she really has improved tremendously.

I noticed she beginning to play church fairly often and always wanted me to stand in line for communion (or commillion - as she calls it.)  Not long after that a friend on Facebook posted about a children's mass kit that Wee Believers puts out. 

It's cute as can be but costs SEVENTY BUCKS!  How riduculous is that?  I suggested that she could probably make one of her own with things she already had. (Don't you hate when people suggest those things.)  Well, I started thinking about it and thought I would compile a few things to make our own mass kit.

I'm not quite done but I've had fun with my little project.

I used mostly plastic or melamine pieces that I spraypainted with brown Krylon spraypaint for plastic. I used an unbreakable bathroom cup that wasn't spraypainted becasue I  knew she'd have her mouth on it.

I found those little battery powered votive lights. I had an extra liturgy of the hours that I had packed away - but any old book would do since she doesn't read.  I had some white felt that I doubled up, cut into circles and glued together to make them a little sturdier. 

Well, I gave it to her today and she immediately got into Liturgy mode.  I was surprised at how much she was able to re-enact. Of course, there was a fair amount of Gianna's creative flair added, but all in all, it was sweet for a three year old.

Although the priesthood is out of reach for her, she may very well have a future in some sort of liturgical ministry and I'm excited to have this teaching tool so early in her little life.

Mommy's "Projeck"

A couple of months ago, we moved G to a twin bed.  I ordered a safety railing for just one side (since the bed was against the wall.) I was pleased with my purchased and thought it would be perfect during our the transition into a big girl bed.

During nap-time one day (when she was going through one of her exhausting behavioral stages) she pushed the railing and fell over it.  She wasn't hurt at all, but I removed the rail immediately, not really because I didn't feel it was safe, but more because I really coudn't trust Gianna's actions.  Sometimes she'd wake up in the middle of the night and stand up, like she would in her crib with her arms outstretched and I think the rail offered her a false security.

Anyhow, I needed another fix and I'd already spent $35 on the bed rail, so I wasn't excited about paying more for something I wasn't sure would work.  I saw these bolsters online...

I got to thinking, "Hmmm....that doesn't look like it would be hard to make."

So I thought some more and remembered I had a pink fleece blanket that wasn't being used as well as those micropedic pillows that we were no longer using.

 So, I cut and sewed a tube out of the fleece and began to empty the contents of the pillow.  Holy Cannoli - those microbeads are tricky little buggers.  They weigh almost nothing and have a trememdous amount of static cling.

 After I managed to create an unwelcomed Winter Wonderland in my kitchen, I yelled to Iain for help.  I wish I would've had pics or video of that!  We really got tickled.

I was really pleased with my finished product.  I think that if I'd have stuffed the bolster with polyfill or the like, it would've beeen too maleable and not as effective.  The microbeads made it rather stiff - in a softish sort of way.

 I place the bolster under the mattress pad and it doesn't go anywhere while she's sleeping.  Gianna really likes it and she's never fallen out of bed since!

It was free and simple and the bed is SO much easier to make in the mornings!

It works for me!

Linked up to We Are That Family for Works for Me Wednesday.

Summer Math....

Not to worry......no actual math was performed in the writing of this post.

After a little bit of a blogging break, I afforded myself some time to get a few mundane projects completed that have been hanging over my head.

Once I completeled those projects, I felt like I had the freedom to do some of the creative things that I've been postponing until the important stuff was done.

What I learned was that I really need to be plugged in to my creativity. It energizes me, inspires me and gives me the umph I need to take care of the mundane crummy things I need to do. I guess it's just all about balance.
So, here are some of the more fun tasks that I've been able to complete lately in the form of a few simple math equations:

Equation #1:
Grandmother's victorian-style pitcher that doesn't really go with my decor...

PLUS
Craft Paper & Mod Podge I already had

EQUALS:

Nice little watering pitcher for my sunroom.

Equation #2:

Receiving blankets that have great use with newborns for the first 2 weeks of their lives...

PLUS
a pair of scissors or pinking shears....

EQUALS:
Tons of awesome, soft little everyday clothes to wipe messy mouths at the table, use when baby has diaper rash so as not to add chemicals to their soar bottoms, throw in your diaper bag for messes on the go, or to stash in your car for invariable messes. What I love is that you can just throw them away if you don't want to have to deal with the super-yucky messes and not feel guilty about wasting money.
I keep mine in a fancy shmancy crystal napkin holder that I rarely use.

Equation #3:

A pair of scissors or pinking shearsPLUS

four yards of tulle (I used pink and white)

EQUALS:

A TuTu for my sweet little ballerina.

Here's the Tu Tu Tutorial I used that I found on You Tube.

And just in case you missed my TuTu post and want to see 48 pictures of my sweet baby girl in her TuTu....HERE'S THE LINK.

Equation #4

Silver 'Plated' Tea set that started chipping and I got tired of polishing:

PLUS

Craft Paper & Mod Podge (one of my favorite combinations lately!)

EQUALS:

Cutesy new little shabby chic tea set - whose purpose I've yet to discover.

Equation #5:

Old faded sand box that I've had for years.

PLUS

A can of special FUSION spray paint for plastic (less than $5 at Wal-mart)

Equals:

Brand spankin' new (looking) sand box

Equation #6:

Cheap little wooden frame from Michael's (on sale)Plus craft paint and ribbon I already had:
Equals:

sweet little frame for almost nothing

Equation #7:

A few bags of balls you can get at most superstores. (I used 3 bags for $8 each.)

Plus:

An old play pen I had in the attic. Equals:

A ball pit for my very busy little munchkin as well as a sanity preserver for her mommy.

Original Ball Pit post is HERE:

Equation #8 (a little more on the practical side):
The following ingredients (less than $10 for the whole lot)

PLUS:

A big ol' pot and water & a five gallon bucket.

Equals:

Laundry soap that will last for MONTHS and only took 30 minutes to make (it comes out to about a penny a load).

There are tons of tutorials in blogland. I used THIS ONE. ***

*** I have to say I was a little bit tentative about trying this, but I am delightfully surprised by the results. It doesn't suds up like regular detergent and once you've mixed it, it has a gelatnous consistency (which my husband and I think is pretty cool.) They suggest you add essential oils to scent it, but I gagged in the health food store smelling them all. I didn't add anything and it smells super-clean. I also have $1 containers of the Oxyclean knock-off brand from Dollar Tree to add to loads with a little extra mess.

Now, this is the kind of math that I don't get tired of!

Don't mess with my TuTu

A few weeks ago I made Gianna a sweet little tutu with some tulle that I've been saving. I found a "tutu tutorial" online and it only took about 30 minutes. Not bad.

I finally put her in it this week to take some pictures.

This might be the result if you mess with her TuTu.....

This one's my favorite, by far. Kinda reminds me of one of the munchkins from the Lollipop Guild of 'Wizard of Oz' fame.

Here's a slide show of the rest of the pictures, just in case you haven't gotten quite enough of my little ballerina. You can thank me later. :)