Sew God's Grace

I love making mixes as gifts.  I like to make up this "Perfect Pancake Mix" for new mommies.  It makes a quick and easy breakfast.  Go here for the recipe.  For more info on how I make my labels, see the instructions on Orange Poppyseed Scrub.

Here is a quilt that I made for one of my good friends while she was pregnant.  We didn't know if she was going to have a girl or a boy, so I thought that this sock monkey quilt would go well for either.  You will need 35 ten inch squares to assemble the quilt.  For more detailed instructions on making a rag quilt, see Rag quilt tutorial .  I made a sock monkey to complete the gift.  We tied balloons to it at her shower and placed the quilt on top of the table where she was opening gifts, so it actually doubled as a gift and decor!

Okay, my picture is not the best.  But, since I rarely do anything special for Valentine's Day, I had to note this one!  My mother-in-law picked up some heart-shaped marshmallows for the kids for Valentine's Day.  I was feeling like doing something a little special, so I melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I added a small amount of shortening to help thin the chocolate out, and then I dipped the marshmallows into the chocolate at an angle.  Needless to say, they were a big hit with the kiddos!  Try something like this the next time you are wanting to do something special but don't have a lot of time to do it.  A little chocolate makes ordinary life special!

I am always looking for easy crafts that all my kids can participate in.  It's hard to get the little ones to "go play" while I try to concentrate on something more difficult with the bigger ones.  I try to save the more ambitious projects for nap time.  Well, here is another one that everyone enjoyed:  Fruit Loop Bracelets.  You need pipe cleaners and Fruit Loop cereal. Simply thread Fruit Loops onto pipe cleaners.  Twist to close at desired length. Then enjoy the "fruits" of your labor! The little enjoyed a bowl of Fruit Loops while the others worked. Hope you enjoy this quick and easy project, too!

I realized the other day that I have been taking lots of pictures, but I haven't put any on my blog.  Well, here is an easy and fun kids' craft:  Graham Cracker Stoplights.  (This is definitely my kind of craft; quick and satisfying!) We got the idea from Evan's Clubhouse Junior Magazine by Focus on the Family.  Separate each graham cracker into four rectangle crackers.  Spread with peanut butter and arrange red, yellow, and green M & M candies to make your stoplight.  Enjoy!  As a bonus, my younger kiddos just ate the separate components of the craft.  It was quite a success.