A wonderful pennant!

Dallin's carnival birthday party will be here before I know it, so today I made a fun pennant that will adorn some ez-up shade tents at the party. 

The things you will need:

- 1/4 yard each of FOUR coordinating fabrics

- 5.3 yards (16 feet) of 1" fold over binding/bias strip in a coordinating color (or you can get 1 yard of the fabric you would like as your binding strip and make it yourself following these simple instructions). Please note that I use the word binding and bias tape interchangeably.

- thread in coordinating color to match the binding

- pinking shears

- measuring tape

- disappearing ink fabric marker

- straight pins

Step 1:

Cut your fabric, using pinking shears, into pennant shapes (mine are 8" across the top and the point is 10" down from center). Cut 4 pennant shapes from each piece of fabric. You should have a total of 16 pennant flags. arrange your pennant's into the order you want them.

Step 2: 

Make your bias tape (follow these awesome directions). If you are using store bought binding/bias tape simply unravel it and start attaching the pennants to it (you may need to sew pieces of bias tape together to make it one continuous strip.

Step 3:

From the start of your bias tape measure in 9.5" and that is where you will insert your first pennant into the center of the binding. 

Secure it with straight pins. Continue pinning the pennants to the binding, being sure to leave a 3" gap in between them. Once the last pennant is secured , measure the remaining bias/binding tape to be sure it is 9.5". Cut off any excess.

Step 4:

Sew the binding/bias tape closed, while attaching the pennants to the binding.  

Step 5: 

Enjoy your cute pennant flag. You could even adorn it with felt letters to spell out special greetings. 

I hope this tutorial makes sense. Leave me a comment if you need me to clarify anything.

Happy creating, Megan

Things Are Blooming

Carson and I investigated our garden today and our observations lead us to the conclusion that things are growing in our garden and we are thrilled! 

Passion Fruit Vine

Meyer Lemon

Can you see the little tiny broccoli flower in the center of the plant?

Sweet 100 tomatoes - YUM

The Armenian and Lemon Cucumbers, as well as the Zuchinni, have lovely yellow flowers!

Little bell peppers are starting to appear

Brotherly Love

Caught in a fine moment of brotherly love these two were enjoying sno cones and the afternoon!

Memorial Day Weekend

We started a new family tradition last year with our family and this year's annual camping trip to New Brighton Beach in Santa Cruz, CA was fabulous!

It was pretty cold, but we still enjoyed being in the Santa Cruz mountains, fun at to the beach, s'mores, good food, great company, playing games, going on long walks, etc....

Another plus of the camping trip is that there are several (about 20 or so) families from our stake that camp at the same campground over Memorial Day weekend. So the boys had friends to play with and we got to visit with our friends too! So much fun! The boys are already asking when our next camping trip will be. Soon - real soon!

I do want to offer my gratitude to the men and women who have and are fighting for our freedoms and those who may not yet have freedom. I am also so grateful to our founding father's of this great country who sacrificed much to establish this land as a place for freedom and liberty. We benefit so much from their inspired words and actions. I can absolutely see our Father in Heaven's hand in the establishment of our nation! God Bless America!

Happy Day to you, Megan

Free Giveaways

May Giveaway - The Motherload of stuff! Go check out Mormon Mommy Blogs they are giving away some awesome things. Let them know that I sent you!

Happy Mother's Day

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction." M. Russell Ballard, "Daughters of God," Ensign, May 2008.

This quote has gotten me through many a tough time! I just keep clinging to the joyful moments (the slobbery kisses, the "I love you's," the random acts of kindness, the dandelion bouquets, etc...). I still have days that I struggle but I really wouldn't trade this "job," "responsibility," "choice," etc.... 

May you all find those joyful moments! 

With much love and respect, Megan

No One Has More Influence

"No one has more influence over boys and girls, young men and young women, men and women, and the families of the Church and even of the world than do you, my sisters, whose influence because of your mothering and mentoring nature us unparalleled. Never, ever make the mistake of underestimating the influence of women. There are few things as powerful, as nurturing, or as life-changing as the influence of a righteous woman." Elder M. Russell Ballard, 2003 BYU Women's Conference.

Happy Mothering, Megan

It's about perspective

Motherhood, I'm learning, is about perspective! I am finally (it's taken almost 7 years to get here) in a place where I have accepted that most days will be less than stellar, but that it is my choice to focus on the negative or to celebrate the positive. I HAVE to put on my "joyful" glasses and only look through those and see the joyful things.

Here are my thoughts on mothering based on the following scripture:

"And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain...the intent to do good - to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted." Jacob 2:19

There are times when I feel like I'm not giving enough in my efforts to keep the covenants I've made with my Father in Heaven, and in those moments I search out the scripture listed above to help me re-focus my perspective. The mounds of endless laundry is my way to serve my family and "clothe the naked;" the snacks, meals, and treats that I prepare are how I "feed the hungry" and when my little ones get sick or hurt I get to "administer relief." 

It's when I realize that these basic things (that I do every day) really are a significant contribution to building up the kingdom of God here on the earth that I feel better and am re-energized to continue in my efforts as a stay at home mom!

I really am so blessed!

Happy Mothering to you all, Megan

Nothing Less Than The Best

"The mother loves her child most divinely, not when she surrounds him with comfort and anticipates his wants, but when she resolutely holds him to the highest standards and is content with nothing less than his best." ~Hamilton Wright Mabie (1845-1916)

"To nourish children and raise them against odds is any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons." -- Marilyn French

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love."  ~Mildred B. Vermont

“God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.” - Jewish Proverb

Happy Mothering to you, Megan

" Motherhood is not what was left over after our Father blessed His sons with priesthood ordination. It was the most ennobling endowment He could give His daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. declared, motherhood is “as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself.” Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Happy Mothering, Megan

Are We Not All Mothers?

"When we understand the magnitude of motherhood, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of woman’s most sacred role. While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord’s language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve 'the mother of all living' 3—and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Just as worthy men were foreordained to hold the priesthood in mortality, 4 righteous women were endowed premortally with the privilege of motherhood. 5 Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us." Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Liahona, Jan 2002, 112–14 (footnotes can be found on the link to the talk)

Happy Mothering Week (one day to celebrate mother's just isn't enough), Megan

I was featured on StretchMarks

My sister-in-law featured me on her blog, Stretchmarks (which is a great place to get ideas for fun things to do with your family). I am slowly getting my business up and running (I have had to take a break since I am on the executive board of our upcoming Pioneer Handcart Trek and am still serving with the YW). Anywhooo, for Christmas, I made all of our younger nephews and niece (and our boys), superhero capes! For a pattern, I used the ones that my husband's mother had made for her boys, 20+ years ago. 

I have all sorts of ideas for new designs and plan to get back to my sewing machine to start creating more superhero capes, aprons, toothfairy pillows, and purses when things slow down a bit. For now I will keep drawing them on paper. Even though I am not creating an inventory yet, I am still taking custom orders! 

My website is still in the infant stages, but you can take a peak if you like at http://orangepeanut.com/ .

I hope you have a crafty day, Megan

One, Two, Three...

... make a counting book for me!

It has been a rainy day and Peanut #2 and I made a counting book to pass our time while Peanut #1 was at school. I had seen this idea in a magazine several years ago (I think Martha Stewart Kids or Family Fun, sorry I can't give credit since I can't remember. I'm sure my very clever sister-in-law has done something like this with her kiddos).

What you need:

A camera

Toys

Computer and Printer

Paper Trimmer

Laminator with laminating sheets

Hole Punch

Ring Fasteners

How To:

1. You and your child can have a fun photo shoot with toys or objects from around your house. Be sure to take a picture to show a different number of toys. We made our book from 1 - 10. So take a picture of one toy, then take a picture of two of the same type of toy, then 3 of the same type of toy and so on until you get to 10.

2. After the photo shoot, import the pictures on to your computer and then insert them into Powerpoint and put 4 pictures on one slide. (You could just print out each picture, but I would be sure to check if you can laminate photo paper). Then print out the slides onto heavy cardstock paper. Send the pages through the printer a second time so that the pictures will have the cooresponding number on the back.

3. Once the pictures are printed out use a paper trimmer to trim the pictures so that you have 10 seperate "pages."

4. Laminate the pictures. Once laminated, trim and add 2 holes with a hole punch to each page.

5. Place the pages in numerical order and then place a ring fastener through each hole.

6. Enjoy!

Happy Counting to you, Megan