I bought a set of huge wall maps and then realized I had no wall space. We were constantly bring the maps out and spreading them on the dinning table so we could consult the map. One day I got the blow dryer out to help the map uncurl. My daughter came in and asked, "What is this, National Treasure?" All of the sudden I realized I could heat it, lay it flat on the dinning table and get a few yards of clear vinyl and cover the map to protect the map but leave the map out.
I placed a lovely flannel backed vinyl table cloth on the table, placed the Maps stack on top of each other on top of that vinyl table cloth. This way we can change the maps with ease. Then I went to the fabric store and bought a piece of medium weight clear vinyl about 1 foot longer than my table. I brought it home and gently unrolled it on the dinning room table over the maps. Having the map there has led to more discussion and understanding of our world and has made consulting a snap! When we have guests sometimes we put a tablecloth on the table over the vinyl and sometimes we set the china right on the vinyl. The vinyl is easy to clean and maintain.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Refrigerator Culture
Say what? You heard it right, "Refrigerator Culture."
Refrigerator Culture, is using the front of the fridge to bring more culture into the home. I took the magnet clutter from the front of my fridge and placed the information on the calendar and into our Family binder. Then I created my "Refrigerator Culture," and placed it on the refrigerator door.
Creating "Refrigerator Culture"
I bought two neutral tan colored pre-cut mattes and created magnetized picture frames.
You will need:
A pre-cut picture matte
4 round magnets
1 clear plastic sheet protector.
tape
Directions:
1. Place the matte face down on a clean dry surface.
2. Take the clear plastic sheet protector and place it face down on the back of the matte, with the sheet protector opening is toward the top end of the matte.
3. Tape the sides and bottom of the sheet protector to the back of the matte.
4. Glue magnets to the corners of the same side of the matte the sheet protector is taped to.
5. Let dry over night.
6. Turn matte over.
7. You will see that the sheet protector has become a window.
8. You can now slip a painting of the week or a scripture, poem, or other words for recitation into the sheet protector and place on the fridge, at eye level. This replaces the clutter with pleasantness and culture. Every time anyone goes to the fridge they will be reminded.
9. Introduce a new painting and quote each week.
Once I took mine down off the fridge and put them into a bag to take with me to a presentation. My daughter came in and wanted to know why the fridge seemed so bare.
Refrigerator Culture, is using the front of the fridge to bring more culture into the home. I took the magnet clutter from the front of my fridge and placed the information on the calendar and into our Family binder. Then I created my "Refrigerator Culture," and placed it on the refrigerator door.
Creating "Refrigerator Culture"
I bought two neutral tan colored pre-cut mattes and created magnetized picture frames.
You will need:
A pre-cut picture matte
4 round magnets
1 clear plastic sheet protector.
tape
Directions:
1. Place the matte face down on a clean dry surface.
2. Take the clear plastic sheet protector and place it face down on the back of the matte, with the sheet protector opening is toward the top end of the matte.
3. Tape the sides and bottom of the sheet protector to the back of the matte.
4. Glue magnets to the corners of the same side of the matte the sheet protector is taped to.
5. Let dry over night.
6. Turn matte over.
7. You will see that the sheet protector has become a window.
8. You can now slip a painting of the week or a scripture, poem, or other words for recitation into the sheet protector and place on the fridge, at eye level. This replaces the clutter with pleasantness and culture. Every time anyone goes to the fridge they will be reminded.
9. Introduce a new painting and quote each week.
Once I took mine down off the fridge and put them into a bag to take with me to a presentation. My daughter came in and wanted to know why the fridge seemed so bare.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Designing Aprons
This morning I had an epiphany about a three pocket apron and actually came up with three designs. A center set of pockets on the chest- a narrow one for a pen and a wide pocket for a large sticky note pad. Large pockets below the waist. One to pick up things to throw away like string or paper. The other for little things that need to be put away. This would leave my hands free.
1. Butcher Apron with long ties that can wrap around the waste and tie in front.
2. A pinafore Apron with the chest pockets and two large patch pockets.
3. An apron that has no ties but criss crosses in back and wraps around the sides to cover dress clothes. A pocket on the chest and two large gathered pockets lower.
So, I quickly sketched them in my Epiphanal Journal. Pictures will be posted when they are made.
1. Butcher Apron with long ties that can wrap around the waste and tie in front.
2. A pinafore Apron with the chest pockets and two large patch pockets.
3. An apron that has no ties but criss crosses in back and wraps around the sides to cover dress clothes. A pocket on the chest and two large gathered pockets lower.
So, I quickly sketched them in my Epiphanal Journal. Pictures will be posted when they are made.
Eipihanal Notebook
I often wake up suddenly with a mind full of epiphanies. I call these wake up calls. This morning I had a morning like that. I awoke suddenly and realized I needed to have a notebook to place those epiphanies into. Usually, I will not permit myself to go back to sleep. I get up and go to work, often derailing my day. As I pondered this in the early hours of the morning I remembered that I started a sacred journal and that it was probably in my nightstand. Sure enough it was there. I read the pages that were there and then found a page that had a legend of symbols to accompany my entries.
An Open Book- Epiphanies that come from pondering what I have read from the scriptures, church classics, and inspirational writings.
A Head with closed Eyes- Prayers and the answers or fulfillment that comes.
A Head with Open Eyes- Wake-up calls- where I wake up with pure knowledge and understanding of what I need to do.
A Light Bulb- Aha's, moments of pure clarity and insight.
A Box- Action items of things to do
It is sad that there are only recordings on 26 pages.
Today I had impressions on how to reclaim my days, sticky notes, 3 apron designs, website improvements for both websites, and how to stop itchy skin.
An Open Book- Epiphanies that come from pondering what I have read from the scriptures, church classics, and inspirational writings.
A Head with closed Eyes- Prayers and the answers or fulfillment that comes.
A Head with Open Eyes- Wake-up calls- where I wake up with pure knowledge and understanding of what I need to do.
A Light Bulb- Aha's, moments of pure clarity and insight.
A Box- Action items of things to do
It is sad that there are only recordings on 26 pages.
Today I had impressions on how to reclaim my days, sticky notes, 3 apron designs, website improvements for both websites, and how to stop itchy skin.
Mother's Binder
"Mother's Binder- When new babies arrive I like to give a binder with a few uplifting articles for moms, along with some ideas and hints for moms. I also like to enclose a hand made gift for the little one, often a soft cotton T-shirt-knit, flannel, or satiny blanket." from Binders are my Assistant Brain
I had an invitation to a baby shower last week. I was could not attend due to a conflict in my schedule. Later on Saturday I began to compile a Mother's Binder. Right now it has a note to the mother and several articles for the new mom. Her mom died a few weeks before her first child was born and my friend has need of a mother in her life. Her mother-in-law, unfortunately, has not chosen to be a mom to her. A binder is no replacement for a mom, but provides a place to gather her wisdom from other women.
I invited my friend and her daughter to join us at dinner last evening. I discovered she only got one blanket at the shower and no burp cloths. I invited her over Tuesday so we could go buy and prepare the fabric and I show her how to sew receiving blankets, quilt as you go quilts and burp clothes. I get to teach her basic sewing.
Now the Mother's Binder is evolving. I have decided to create a binder with divider pages and tabs. Each divider page will have some inspiration on the divider page. There will be places for articles, a mother's plans, mothering tips, home remedies, and more. When this binder is done my friend will customize it by her own life experience. I will save the template of content I create, so I can use t again for other showers. I will also make ones for my married daughters.
The template will be available on The Princess Academies website, in the Prairie Princess Publication and Gift Shoppe.
I had an invitation to a baby shower last week. I was could not attend due to a conflict in my schedule. Later on Saturday I began to compile a Mother's Binder. Right now it has a note to the mother and several articles for the new mom. Her mom died a few weeks before her first child was born and my friend has need of a mother in her life. Her mother-in-law, unfortunately, has not chosen to be a mom to her. A binder is no replacement for a mom, but provides a place to gather her wisdom from other women.
I invited my friend and her daughter to join us at dinner last evening. I discovered she only got one blanket at the shower and no burp cloths. I invited her over Tuesday so we could go buy and prepare the fabric and I show her how to sew receiving blankets, quilt as you go quilts and burp clothes. I get to teach her basic sewing.
Now the Mother's Binder is evolving. I have decided to create a binder with divider pages and tabs. Each divider page will have some inspiration on the divider page. There will be places for articles, a mother's plans, mothering tips, home remedies, and more. When this binder is done my friend will customize it by her own life experience. I will save the template of content I create, so I can use t again for other showers. I will also make ones for my married daughters.
The template will be available on The Princess Academies website, in the Prairie Princess Publication and Gift Shoppe.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
* Peaceful, joyful evenings with family. (I love, love, love evenings in front of warm fire sharing our family tradition of 25 days of Christmas Stories)
* New walking shoes and a healed ankle, heel, and arch, so I can use them. I love to walk!
* Work for my husband. (In the state of world affairs, I realize I am in good company, but I am still praying).
* 1.5 Tb external hard drive (an assistant brain to store all the creative ideas I have and to store pictures, videos, and MP3s we create).
* A New Long Life Battery for my Dell laptop. The one I have is old, old, old (almost 4 years old and it sings to me)!
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
* Pajamas my mom made me. She worked full time because she was a divorced mom. She would use her coffee breaks to do the hand sewing on her Christmas gifts.
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
* Heirloom Cookbook of Grandma's Recipes (I have her Recipe box)
* Hand bound Mom and Dad's Excellent Adventure I , II, III
(I- the story of our awesome 1996 12,000 mile 6 week Family Camping Trip with six kids from seventeen months to seventeen years old; II- Our two week 2005 Western National Parks Camping trip; III 2006 Trip to Church History Tour).
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
* A goody box from grandma!
We had moved to Hawaii in October 1961 and there was a shipping strike. Just before Christmas grandma's box arrived from Indiana. There were hand sewn clothes and home baked goodies packed in real popcorn. One of the goodies was three layers of her red velvet cake, carefully wrapped, and there were her sour cream sugar cookies. A lot of love sent in a box .
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
* They are not telling.
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
* Red Velvet Cake With Heavenly Frosting.
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
I will post pictures as the things are made.
* Aprons.
* Stuffed used denim dinosaurs (pattern From the 1980s).
* A soft vogue doll (pattern from the 1980s) or a Raggedy Anne I started years ago.
* Quilts from used denim jeans and flannel (I have a few boxes of old Jeans with torn knees my kids outgrew. I have a box of old flannel Shirts the local second hand store could not sell. The shirt buttons will be part of the quilting in the middle of each square)
* Concentration game (made by affixing pictures or symbols on lids from orange cans).
* Santa's Workshop with my children...
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
* It's A Wonderful Life
9. Favorite holiday song?
* Hard to say, I love so many! "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
* Santa's workshop with my children. We bake, design, create, sew, build Christmas presents each year.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
* Peaceful, joyful evenings with family. (I love, love, love evenings in front of warm fire sharing our family tradition of 25 days of Christmas Stories)
* New walking shoes and a healed ankle, heel, and arch, so I can use them. I love to walk!
* Work for my husband. (In the state of world affairs, I realize I am in good company, but I am still praying).
* 1.5 Tb external hard drive (an assistant brain to store all the creative ideas I have and to store pictures, videos, and MP3s we create).
* A New Long Life Battery for my Dell laptop. The one I have is old, old, old (almost 4 years old and it sings to me)!
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
* Pajamas my mom made me. She worked full time because she was a divorced mom. She would use her coffee breaks to do the hand sewing on her Christmas gifts.
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
* Heirloom Cookbook of Grandma's Recipes (I have her Recipe box)
* Hand bound Mom and Dad's Excellent Adventure I , II, III
(I- the story of our awesome 1996 12,000 mile 6 week Family Camping Trip with six kids from seventeen months to seventeen years old; II- Our two week 2005 Western National Parks Camping trip; III 2006 Trip to Church History Tour).
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
* A goody box from grandma!
We had moved to Hawaii in October 1961 and there was a shipping strike. Just before Christmas grandma's box arrived from Indiana. There were hand sewn clothes and home baked goodies packed in real popcorn. One of the goodies was three layers of her red velvet cake, carefully wrapped, and there were her sour cream sugar cookies. A lot of love sent in a box .
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
* They are not telling.
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
* Red Velvet Cake With Heavenly Frosting.
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
I will post pictures as the things are made.
* Aprons.
* Stuffed used denim dinosaurs (pattern From the 1980s).
* A soft vogue doll (pattern from the 1980s) or a Raggedy Anne I started years ago.
* Quilts from used denim jeans and flannel (I have a few boxes of old Jeans with torn knees my kids outgrew. I have a box of old flannel Shirts the local second hand store could not sell. The shirt buttons will be part of the quilting in the middle of each square)
* Concentration game (made by affixing pictures or symbols on lids from orange cans).
* Santa's Workshop with my children...
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
* It's A Wonderful Life
9. Favorite holiday song?
* Hard to say, I love so many! "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
* Santa's workshop with my children. We bake, design, create, sew, build Christmas presents each year.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Donna's Gateway Posts this Week
As I promised, this is a gateway blog. So, here is the skinny on the last week! When did I start these blogs? How often have I posted? What tags did I place with this week's posts that would give you more insight into their breadth? I have annotated those answers. I told you my family called me ADOS (Attention Deficit Oh-Look Shiny)!
Mahalo, Donna (Total Posts of Since 13 September 2009 )
Donna's Gateway Posts this Week Tags: My Father's Study, Sons of Valor, Donna's Journey, The Princess Academies, Donna's Recipe Box, NaTeSeMo, What's There to Lose?
My Father's Study (Total Posts 2 Since 7 October 2007)
Climate Change and Trees Tags: Climate Change, Seasons, and Trees
Sons of Valor (Total posts 9 since 21 December 2006)
Thoughts on the Father-Son Journey Tags: Duty to God, Eagle Scout, and Tool Box Journey
Donna's Journey (Total Posts on this blog 2084 since15 February 2006)
Classic Book request for Love of Learning/Pre Scholar Tags: Education, Family, Mentoring Our Own, Parenting, Sowing Seeds of Greatness
Happy Sixth Anniversary Adam and Ki Tags: Birthdays and Anniversaries
Help! Starting at Core With Pre-Teens Tags: Charlotte Mason, Education, Home Education, TJEd
Masten Space Systems Wins NGLLC LII Tags: Events
LDFR Topic: How Do You Stay Motivated Tags: Charlotte Mason, Education, Home Education, Parenting
The Princess Academies (Total Posts 70 since 7 February 2007)
November 2009 Royal Academe and Liber Tea Luncheon Ideas... Tags:Circle to Circle, heart to Heart, Hope Chest Journey Presentations, Liber Tea Luncheons, My Hope Chest Journey Blog,
Royal Academe
Donna's Recipe Box (Total of 142 Posts Since 14 August 2007)
Boiled Crab Tags: Main Dish-Seafood
Tuna Sandwiches Tags: Main Dish-Seafood, Sandwiches, Tuna
Donna's Tuna Salad Tags: Main Dish-Seafood, Pasta, Salad, Tuna
NaTeSeMo (Total of 2 Posts Since 2 November 2009)
Second Annual NaTeSeMo AKA White Christmas Tags: NaTeSeMo
Include the Youth Tags: Youth
What's There to Lose? (Total of 22 Posts Since 5 December 2007)
Good News Bad News Tags: Minding the Gap, Injuries
Mahalo, Donna (Total Posts of Since 13 September 2009 )
Donna's Gateway Posts this Week Tags: My Father's Study, Sons of Valor, Donna's Journey, The Princess Academies, Donna's Recipe Box, NaTeSeMo, What's There to Lose?
My Father's Study (Total Posts 2 Since 7 October 2007)
Climate Change and Trees Tags: Climate Change, Seasons, and Trees
Sons of Valor (Total posts 9 since 21 December 2006)
Thoughts on the Father-Son Journey Tags: Duty to God, Eagle Scout, and Tool Box Journey
Donna's Journey (Total Posts on this blog 2084 since15 February 2006)
Classic Book request for Love of Learning/Pre Scholar Tags: Education, Family, Mentoring Our Own, Parenting, Sowing Seeds of Greatness
Happy Sixth Anniversary Adam and Ki Tags: Birthdays and Anniversaries
Help! Starting at Core With Pre-Teens Tags: Charlotte Mason, Education, Home Education, TJEd
Masten Space Systems Wins NGLLC LII Tags: Events
LDFR Topic: How Do You Stay Motivated Tags: Charlotte Mason, Education, Home Education, Parenting
The Princess Academies (Total Posts 70 since 7 February 2007)
November 2009 Royal Academe and Liber Tea Luncheon Ideas... Tags:Circle to Circle, heart to Heart, Hope Chest Journey Presentations, Liber Tea Luncheons, My Hope Chest Journey Blog,
Royal Academe
Donna's Recipe Box (Total of 142 Posts Since 14 August 2007)
Boiled Crab Tags: Main Dish-Seafood
Tuna Sandwiches Tags: Main Dish-Seafood, Sandwiches, Tuna
Donna's Tuna Salad Tags: Main Dish-Seafood, Pasta, Salad, Tuna
NaTeSeMo (Total of 2 Posts Since 2 November 2009)
Second Annual NaTeSeMo AKA White Christmas Tags: NaTeSeMo
Include the Youth Tags: Youth
What's There to Lose? (Total of 22 Posts Since 5 December 2007)
Good News Bad News Tags: Minding the Gap, Injuries
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