How to Limit Screen Time

One of the best rules we've come up with as a family is Technology Days.  This was made to discourage computer and TV use every day.  Instead, we only allow a certain amount of time of each technological thing on days of the week that have a 'T' in the name.  So, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  They are allowed this screen time AFTER they have cleaned their room and made their bed.  It has worked pretty well.  We do have exceptions for holidays and occasionally Sundays, but doing that sometimes makes the technology day rule a little too relaxed, so be careful about doing that.

We also have a system of coupons and clips on a behavior chart.  We will soon be implementing the Technology Days with the coupons so that they have buy coupons from earned 'behavior money' (tokens) to on those days instead of just being given them after they clean their room and make their bed.  Here are some of the coupons I've made:

The cost of the coupons vary, of course, according to the value the kids have for it.  I print them on cardstock and laminate them at a teacher's supply store.  We had the kids come up with their own ideas for coupons to encourage them to work harder for the coupons.  Here is what they came up with:

The important thing to remember when trying a new system/idea in parenting is to stick with it and be consistent or it will not work no matter how great the idea or system is.  I know this from experience.

  Good luck!

No Parking Backpacks

I made this sign to encourage my kids to stop putting their school backpacks all over the kitchen floor.  I grabbed a few images from the internet and combined and edited them.  It took about 10-20 minutes.  I love Photoshop.

Head Jewelry for Renaissance Festival

We were planning to go to the Renaissance Festival this fall but decided last minute not to. I made a piece of head jewelry for each of my daughters plus an extra.

Katara Costume Pajamas from Avatar the Last Airbender

My oldest wanted a Halloween costume as Katara from Avatar the Last Airbender, but this last Halloween was not the best time for it- (not that Christmas time is much better!)  I bought a pajama pattern to use to make it and ended up not even opening it.

Finished

First, I found a dress and shirt that I knew fit her well and used them as the base for the pattern. I allowed extra room around the chest and waist since these are pj's and she is very particular about comfort.

Pattern like I want it to look before adding seam allowances and pattern pieces

I drew with rulers and careful hand the entire layout of the dress. Then I folded it down the center and made sure it was symmetrical (change drawing/trim to even out).

Paper placed over Pattern and traced to make smaller pieces of the pattern.

Next, I put the tracing paper over the full drawn dress and made each piece by tracing and adding seam allowances.

 Always remember to do seam allowances if you make a pattern!

Close-up to pattern pieces

Purple pieces

White trim pieces

Cut and Ready to Sew

Cut and place on the appropriate fabrics and cut and sew!  If you have a basic knowledge of how a garment is pieced together, you should be fine.  This one didn't have sleeves! Yea! That's the beauty of making your own patterns- you make them as simple as you want.

She loves wearing this to bed, and it looks so cute on her!

Space Ghost Costume for my Hubby

I made this Space Ghost Halloween costume for my husband about 7 years ago.  He's a comic book nerd who likes superheroes, but I like him.  I made every bit of the costume.  I used red plastic school binders for the wrist bands and yellow craft foam for the 'buttons'.  Walmart had some white sweatshirt bargain fabric.  Most if not all of the fabrics I used were $1-2 per yard.  It was a good project.  Plus, it made my husband happy.

www.idealeon.com

Halloween Craft Activity- Black Widow Spider

 

One Halloween my sister put together some Halloween crafts for her kids and my kids to do.

 We all made spiders out of pipe cleaners and pompoms with wiggle eyes. Most were 'daddy long legs' with one middle body. This is what I did for mine. There is a magnet on the bottom with 4 pipe cleaners bent to look like 8 legs, and 8 wiggle eyes of 2 kinds, red felt hour-glass for a Black Widow, and 2 pompoms large and medium sizes. Easy peasy.

Idealeon

Easy Pioneer Trek Skirt Instructions DIY

My aunt needed a couple of trek skirts for the stake youth conference coming up, but they were for unspecified young women.  I have no idea the height or weight of the girls, so I had brain storm an idea so that it would fit anyone or most anyone AND look a little attractive so that they would wear it.

Here is the pattern I came up with.  It has a waistband in the front and a drawstring/tie back.  The back half extends to 40 inches in length from one side of the front to the other.  The front is about 14.5 inches across.  That is about 54 inches, give or take for the waist expansion.

I used a Full Size Bed Sheet.  I used the top and bottom edges for the hems of the skirt.  The + 2.5" hem is the extra length needed if you are NOT using a bed sheet.  I made 2 skirts- one for a 5'8" girl and another for a 5'4" girl out of one bed sheet with a little extra leftover.  I apologize if these are confusing patterns or instructions- someone with a little knowledge of basic construction should do okay with it.  Most of the 'how to' is with pictures.  If you need clarification, just let me know!

Here are the measurements and instructions