Welcome!

As some of you may have noticed, I have added an author to my blog. 

My sister Penny! 

I am in the process of adding my SIL Beth to the blog as an author as well. 

Sort of a sister's thing. 

Be sure to be watching for their posts and don't forget to share with your friends and family. You never know if they need some sanity.

It is *possible* that we will change the domain in the future, so be on the lookout for that as well.

I hope you have enjoyed "Mom's Bag of Tricks" so far and I hope that some of the ideas have helped you. 

Thanks for tuning in!

Jennifer

Curtain, Curtain! Who Has the Curtain!?

As a home-owner, I have had the joy of being able to be creative in my architecture, my landscape (still working on that one - haha), my paint choices

and my window coverings. 

I searched for curtain options that:

1) Don't block too much light

2) Allow for privacy

3) Are CHEAP

4) Weren't too flowery
5) Didn't have patterns that clashed with our living room style

I don't really care for the partial window coverings because we live on a main road, so if we have only a partial curtain, in the evening, our every move can be seen by strangers.

We had blinds, wooden blinds when we moved into the house. They stayed for a while, but they just were to "hard" in a house with laminate (wood look) flooring. The house always seemed cold and had a cold feel to it, like we were living in an office or something.

Wanting to make our house more like a home, I began looking for the perfect curtains.
After spending many hours in several stores, I just couldn't find anything that fit the bill. Sure, there were a few that were near perfect, but were way out of the budget.

When my boys ruined their blinds, I quickly covered them by pinning sheets up over the windows.

That is when it hit me. Well. As I was falling asleep that night problem solving (because we all know that is the ONLY time moms get to think) over their window covering.

Sheets.

All the sheets I have ever known about are ingeniously constructed with a "pocket" or large hem at the top of the sheet.
I figured to cut a corner off, to open the seam to allow for the curtain rod to go through.

Square cut out of corner. Just enough to take out the seam. You could use a seam-ripper and remove the stitches in that area, then put the curtain rod through. I suppose I am just a little less patient.

I do NOT use two sheets for one window, nor do I split the sheets in half.
I measure the width of the window and select a sheet that is the next size up in width. So if my window is 56" wide, I would select a Twin size flat sheet, which is typically 66". If my window was 66" wide, I would go to the next size up which is a Full at 81" wide. You can make it more "voluptuous" if you desire by going up even one more width size.

Figure out where you want to place your curtain rods. I prefer mine near the ceiling, as it supposedly (and so far I agree) adds height to a room. Our ceilings are the low standard and windows are north-facing. Because of these, our living room feels and seems small. Ok, maybe it is, but still. So I add the height by putting the curtain rods near the ceiling. So far I like the move up.
I sweep my curtains to the sides and put them on the hooks. These hooks are marketed for hanging swag curtains or draping fabric, but I use them for tie-backs.

Now, you can decide how long you want the curtains to be.
 In my living room, since I have them near the ceiling, I didn't worry about cutting any off the bottom. When I had them hung just over the window a couple years ago I hung them, then cut them just slightly longer than the length I wanted them to be. I used my serger and cleaned up the end. It was really hectic at that time, so I didn't bother sewing a hem.
I know, I am horribly simple/lazy.

These look awfully wrinkled, but I know you will do much better than I do and will iron the curtains before putting them up.  ; )

In my girl's room I have white (sheet) curtains under deep red (sheet) curtains. I do this so:

1) It isn't as obvious from outside the house that it is a girl's room (because who wants to give an invitation into their little girl's room by hanging a pink curtain/sheet...?)

2) So you don't have multiple colors of curtains visible all over the outside of your house. Can we say patchwork?

3) Having the white underneath allows for privacy and light during the day, but closing the deep red during daytime naps or bedtime during the summer allows for the room to be darker. (Love that!)

I leave all of my sheets solid colored.
You can dye a white sheet if you can't find the right color. See Rit's Color Chart to find your color.

 I needed a soft pink for my daughter's room (Walmart didn't have a soft pink at the time) when she was born and so used Rit dye to make it pink. It was perfect...until she didn't sleep when it was light. So I changed the color to deep red. Yes. Lovely.

You could even go further and fabric paint a curtain to be the same pattern as a pattern already in your decor such as a floral stencil pattern around the room - the pattern doesn't have to stop at the curtains.

Screen printing.

Tie-dye.

Fabric printing.

Embroidery done by you....oooh, that sounds tempting, but daunting. I would never get it done.


Sew or fabric glue ribbon or lace on edges and/or over seams to personalize it.
Pom Pom fringe.
Sew or fabric glue a fringe on.

This list could go on and on...buttons is the last thing I will say on that.

You make it what you want it to be.
Simple or personalized.
Difficult and personalized.

It is your sheet/curtain. Have fun!
Don't let the run of the mill curtain companies decide what floral weave they are going to cover your window with. What fringe they are going to put on. What colors they will make it available in.

I have 2 sets of PURCHASED curtains. I used one set for a bit, then dyed it and used it for a short time until I decided to change to sheets.
The other is a beautiful satin burgundy color with beautiful roses embroidered on them with bead fringe. Oh, it is beautiful. I had a place to put it, but now, 2 years after purchasing it, I still have not put it up. It matched my room for about 5 seconds. Roses to no roses happened really fast.


For anyone looking at selling your home:
You usually have to leave whatever window treatments were there when the house went on the market. Say you have grandma's antique fabric that was sewn into curtains and you don't want to part...
Ok. That probably isn't very likely to be, but in case you are attached to your curtains and hopeful they will fit into your next home(s), replace them with sheets before you show the house. If done, it should add a neutral look to a room and without the print on the curtains, it won't distract from the home. Plus you won't lose your favorite curtains.

Have fun all and enjoy this post!

And as always I find out that others are just as smart and crazy as I am ; )
I found others out there that are just as simple or more involved than just cutting out a small square.

Creatively,
Jenn (Mom of 5)

Light Bulbs and Children

What are the odds?

I mean it; What are the odds that I would purchase night-light bulbs for a night-light and

the same DAY I have to fish the base of the bulb out of the night-light base?

Within a couple hours of having screwed the new light bulb into the night-light fixture,

one of my children (love them!) came along and pulled the bulb off the base.

Luckily, the guilty party didn't have any cuts from the sharp glass edge.

I could not, however, screw a new bulb in. 

I remember a trick using a piece of a potato (or whole--I can't remember) to unscrew the light bulb base from a fixture.

Problem: 

I have no potatoes!!!

So I started to think of things that might turn it. 

A pen!

Nope.

A handy dandy popsicle stick!

Nope.

I need something to GRIP it from the inside! 

Yes!

A rubber band (this one I folded twice to get enough grip),

Pen

This worked!
I KNOW I have thrown night-lights away before because of this. 

I assume I am not the only one.

They aren't that expensive...why bother?

It is easy! 

Thanks for reading!

Again, if you have seen this elsewhere, I apologize...I am not one to copy.

Originally,

Jennifer (Mom)

Pinterest, Pinterest...

I keep thinking of things I want to post on here, things that I hardly have time to post.
Then I find myself foolishly wasting time on Pinterest.
Why do I do this!?
I find Pins of things that I have done for years and have thought about putting on here.
I just told a friend yesterday how I keep my kid's clothing organized.
I also told her about how I put my girl's (ages 2 and 4) tiny socks and underwear in a mesh lingerie bag. I put them in when dirty, close up the bag on laundry day, wash, dry, (all in bag still) then they are all clean and dry and TOGETHER!!!
What did I see my (awesome) niece re-Pin on Pinterest today? Of course, the mesh bags.
Someone just as genius as myself (haha) beat me to the punch and blogged or somehow got the lingerie bag full of kid's socks and underwear idea on the www and it is spreading like wildfire...Pinterest wildfire.
So!
If you have not been so lucky to see this same Pin as I saw today (ya know, the one that made me realize I am not as genius as I thought), do it!
Do you want to have unmentionables or stinky feet evidence kept in one place?
Do you hate having to find unmentionables or socks scattered among the pants, shirts, towels?
Do you want to easily find matching socks EVERY single laundry day?
Yes?
Do it!
Put those pesky socks in their place!
Put those unmentionables in their place!

The only difficult...
and I mean
DIFFICULT

thing left to do is to actually train your family to put their socks and unmentionables in those
mesh bags!
(For the kid's sakes, call them laundry bags or something not having to do with a racy subject.)
"Mom? What is lingerie?" is not exactly what you want your 6 year old child to ask you.

Okay.


Over and out.
I will attempt (haha)
to get my next post done sooner than in one week...
...or two.

Til next time,
Jennifer (Mom)

Bills, Bills, Bills!

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY likes bills! What is worse than bills?
Forgetting a bill!
When a bill is forgotten, you end up with late fees or if the bill is auto-drafted from your
account, it can cause overdraft fees...
Yeah, nobody likes bills.

I know there are many methods to staying organized as far as bills go, but this is my way.
FIRST;
Make sure you have all of your bills, websites, usernames, passwords, account numbers as well as the company phone number.
Believe me, you WANT the company phone number for those little instances where the power is out, the internet isn't working, or any other little mishap that makes contacting a bill collector difficult.
SECOND;
Get some 3x5 or 5x7 index cards WITH lines.
THIRD;
Put the bill NAME and ACCOUNT number on the TOP of the FRONT.
FOURTH;
Write the company phone number, the company web address, your username and password to access your account on the BACK of the card.

 Start with LAST month's bill amount and date it was due, how it was paid, whether it was via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), online Bill Pay (BP), mail, by phone, etc.
The day you paid it or it is scheduled to come out.
Once it comes out of my bank account, I put a check mark to the right of it to let me know it has come out and if it is different than the EFT date, I put the date it actually came out on. For example, my security bill says due on the first of the month, but it usually doesn't come out until the 3-7th of the month. This lets me know that if pay day falls on the 2nd-5th of the month, chances are I will be able to have that bill come out of that paycheck instead of the previous one.
Dig so far?

If you already know the exact amount and the exact date a bill will be paid via EFT, you can write it out a few months in advance.
WARNING! Don't write out the whole year, you never know what may need to change, so just do 2-4 months at a time if you "plan ahead."
Ok, so:
Biller Name
Account #
Biller website
Username and Password to access your account online.

OH!!! My! I forgot to tell you:
When WRITING DOWN YOUR PASSWORD!!!
DO NOT WRITE DOWN THE ENTIRE PASSWORD!
So what I do is:
Say my password is Johnny31
I am going to write the ones I absolutely need to know to remember the password:
J****##
Or more commonly seen on mine is:
J............##

Say it is is jOhnnY31
I am going to put
*O**Y##
or
....O......Y##

This tells me what are caps and what are numbers.
The rest you need to remember on your own.
Remember those security questions? You can write those down on the back of these as well. So say I said my security answer was "Pony"
I can write P...

It is important to NOT write down the entire password or security answer.
Make sure (and this is something quite honestly I need to actually DO)
Make sure your S.O. knows what these stand for in case you, the bill payer, are unable to take care of bills.
I realized recently that as I am the billpayer, my husband has NO clue how to do it or the slightest idea on how to do this. Even when I had known I was about to give birth, I set it all up, he never had to do a thing.
He would be lost without me! LOL!

Last thing I do is take a clothes pin or some sort of office clip and write "Bills" on them. You can have one clip for "Pay Now" and "Pay Later" but I find that if I move all the bills I just paid to the back of the stack, it leaves the ones that need paying the soonest in front.
So far  this system has kept me sane and kept all of our bills on time and up to date.
It is helpful for me to have a calendar nearby noting when paydays take place.

I would LOVE  for the day to come when I can just pay bills the day they are due and never have to worry about there being enough to cover them.
BUT, this is reality and I don't know anyone who is able to do this.

Good luck and remember, if you have bills, it means you HAVE something. Home, car, insurance, phone, whatever your bill is, means you have something and something is much better than NOTHING.

Until next time,
Jennifer (Mom of 5)
YOU CAN DO IT!