tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348940776679173162024-03-12T22:33:50.251-07:00craftgoosecraft for life.craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-78845182015329959332015-06-22T13:46:00.000-07:002015-06-22T13:47:15.078-07:00Mr. Mommy Guest Writes<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Over the last year, I've been lucky enough to have the time to work on this blog and
other personal writing projects because of my awesome and fulfilling
job as an English professor at FRCC and because my amazing and supportive
husband has sacrificed his own career to take over as our daughter's primary caregiver. I thought it would
only be appropriate to invite him to share his experiences as a full-time
stay-at-home dad. This is what he said.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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Recently when people ask me what I do and I explain that I
stay home with my baby girl I often get rather extreme reactions. As a stay-at-home dad, it seems as though I
am either The Greatest Guy Ever or kind of a deadbeat. I do not believe I am either and hope I do
not portray either role to my daughter.
But sometimes I can't help but feel that I have involved myself in a
position that everyone seems to have a strong opinion on and sometimes I can't
help but feel a little self-conscious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Take for instance this morning, my baby girl and I were
running around the lake (well, I had been running, she was still sleeping in
the stroller, her preferred exercise technique). Sometimes on beautiful mornings like this
one, when I get to participate in the leisurely activities that I enjoy without
hardly any displeasing responsibilities looming over the rest of my day, I
cannot help but feel a little spoiled.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we approached the home stretch of our run just south of
the lake along 34, I began noticing the cars on the road and wondered what
those people must have thought when they saw us. I naively assumed that there were only two
possible opinions behind those eyes watching me jogging on a Tuesday morning
while heading to work, or to school, or to jury duty, or to the dentist, or to
the hospital to visit a sick loved one: either a good-natured envious
perspective, thinking that it must be so nice for that guy and his baby to be
able to enjoy a beautiful morning together, or a more critical perspective
thinking that this loser needs to be working like the rest of us and stop
rubbing his laziness in our faces. I knew I was simultaneously reminding some
people that their day would not be quite as enjoyable as mine and others that
their ideas of social structure and family values were being challenged. <o:p></o:p></div>
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By the end of our run I felt an awkward sense of guilt, even
though I knew I shouldn't have. I crossed at the crosswalk and stopped to
change my music to distract myself from this bad mood. As I scrolled through my playlists I felt that
someone was watching me, that someone must be judging me again. Then I looked up to see an older gentleman
smoking a cigar in a two-toned Ford pickup truck; he looked directly at me,
smiled, and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a stay-at-home dad in Loveland, I understand that some
people may have a negative opinion of this choice my family and I have
made. I mean, women are supposed to
raise the kids and take care of the house and do the dishes and the laundry and
cook dinner and wake up at night to quiet the babies and wipe the butts and
change the diapers, right? And men are supposed to be part of the workforce and
be responsible for paying the bills and supporting their families with
paychecks and health care and coming home to hang up their hat to say, "<i>Honey, I'm home!" </i>and shower their families with love and
attention, right? Shouldn't children see
their dad as a strong bread-winner who sacrifices for his family to keep a roof
over their head, because, after all, fathers are better at that than mothers
are? Shouldn't daughters and sons see their mothers as a source of
unconditional love and devotion and as a comforting caretaker and custodian of
the home, because, after all, mothers are more suited for these roles
anyway? After all, isn't it true that most
male mammals in the wild are more concerned with providing security and
protection than they are raising the children and occupying the home? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Look, I realize there are societal norms in our country that
suggest women are more fit for the raising of children and the caretaking of
the house and that men are more valuable for labor and money-making, and for
most cultures, these norms have historical and sociological significance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, I also realize we live in the 21st century and every
family is different and we are not wild animals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The truth is, I just feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity
to do what is best for my family. I get to spend quality time with an adorable
9 month old baby girl every day. The
worst things in my day consist of not getting as much sleep or eating a
respectable meal as much as I would like or experiencing a diaper fiasco that
leads to getting all that poop on my hands.
I once was so tired that I feel asleep at the breakfast table waiting
for my daughter to finish her banana and woke up sometime later to her looking
at me judgingly while a half-eaten banana peel lay slack in her jaw; my daily sustenance usually consists of whatever
leftover foul mixture of fruits and
veggies and meats she won't eat. But I can't really complain; I obviously get <i>enough</i> sleep and food, and all that poop
washes off easily. And trust me, the
highlights of my day will always be more powerful than the low points that can
be boring or stressful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even though some people may think I'm a deadbeat and others might
think I'm The Greatest Guy Ever, I have to believe that most people understand
that I am simply doing what is best for my family and they probably don't react
as much as I would like to think. For
all I know, that guy in the Ford pickup could have given me a thumbs up not
because of anything to do with me pushing a stroller on a Tuesday morning, but
because he liked my beard, or maybe he noticed my new Nikes, or maybe someone
he knows was behind me and I didn't know it.
Regardless, his gesture reminded me that I am very lucky to be able to
spend so much time with my daughter every day and have a wife that loves her
job and supports me. I can't remember a happier time in my life.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>An earlier version of this essay originally appeared in the October 2014 issue of </i>The Fourth Street Chronicle.</div>
craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-59440543590355835022015-06-17T14:01:00.000-07:002015-06-22T12:44:26.470-07:00the blob you’ve been waiting for, and mega-blob too<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQuvaFPYuHFZSwc13o1isxtZ8dG453dI3OKur63Wbrr7XzTSRLcuK0wCJgOtx55ws2M7stx_EkHodRmRIpwSNnsvB7r5as_jtHYD3RtbNsIKbVPgGJeyk3u5wrHSKYOtOCv3NscQscibE/s1600/IMG_0598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQuvaFPYuHFZSwc13o1isxtZ8dG453dI3OKur63Wbrr7XzTSRLcuK0wCJgOtx55ws2M7stx_EkHodRmRIpwSNnsvB7r5as_jtHYD3RtbNsIKbVPgGJeyk3u5wrHSKYOtOCv3NscQscibE/s640/IMG_0598.JPG" width="640" /></a>This is a project that I had been waiting for since I found
the post in a <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/" target="_blank">blog </a>I frequent back in March, when I was having a serious case
of spring fever and the surprisingly mild temperatures made me wish I could
just fast forward three months. Too bad it was cold for most of May and the
first half of June so I had to wait a little bit longer than I originally
thought. But when summer finally came this year, it came in style, thanks to
this little number I like to call the blob, and its much older sibling
mega-blob.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwu455TeguUdBFDAPCVb35Gxt7qfuCB2_5TjWt5cbht32Gq3BErWra-2M2CQfQ9PW36qnDd4x64lrJpRC-ucg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
I have to start with my sources on this one because I in no
way take credit for the conception or planning of this amazing project. My only
goal in writing this is to express how incredibly easy it was to execute and
how much fun my family and friends had playing with it. Pretty much everything I
did <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/2013/07/how-to-make-leak-proof-water-blob.html" target="_blank">here </a>came from Leisha over at her<a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/" target="_blank"> Homemade Toast </a>blog.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you follow the <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/2013/07/how-to-make-leak-proof-water-blob.html" target="_blank">directions </a>on <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/" target="_blank">Homemade Toast</a>, you will see
that it’s really pretty straightforward. You can find a lot of <a href="http://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/splash-park-hacks/9" target="_blank">different</a> <a href="http://www.clumsycrafter.com/2012/05/water-blob-tutorial/" target="_blank">tutorials </a>online for how to do this, but <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/07/summer-water-blob.html" target="_blank">most of them involve sealing the edgeswith duct tap</a>e, which I’ve heard results in almost immediate leakage. I would also
think it would be more expensive, since you’d be using so much tape. What <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/2013/07/how-to-make-leak-proof-water-blob.html" target="_blank">Leisha has come up with, with the iron and parchment, </a>is nothing short of pure genius. I want
to emphasize here that melting the plastic edges together is really the only
way to ensure a true, leak-proof seal. You can get a few small holes here and
there and be fine, but if the seams go, the whole thing is going to lose its
structure. I’d hate for that to happen when the kids are running and jumping on
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycRWwZcLdY9OmhbTpzxRgas0w3AVAVXHN4PtZ8B9DwpCU00xRAXqTJa4bZYnfvfp51FLe9mFrrAbsza3lCag' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KLzbjM7o1mWDQd0RF9P5iE3t3Sul3Tp4KHIiQB6yfja7Y1jEaD8dHS_gdbsONoRcc0bAggPqvVW4DpSuHpkIGmiAmrcFhuSYo2J0leqoQo74krIMdeb4dWZhVDJ6fpzq3rbivNRa-DCv/s1600/IMG_0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KLzbjM7o1mWDQd0RF9P5iE3t3Sul3Tp4KHIiQB6yfja7Y1jEaD8dHS_gdbsONoRcc0bAggPqvVW4DpSuHpkIGmiAmrcFhuSYo2J0leqoQo74krIMdeb4dWZhVDJ6fpzq3rbivNRa-DCv/s200/IMG_0658.JPG" width="150" /></a>The only thing that I think was confusing was what to do
with the parchment paper, so I’ll try to clarify that. The parchment is meant to create a buffer zone between your iron and the actual plastic sheet. That's why you draw the line down the middle. Once you fit the two layers of plastic inside the parchment, with the edges pushed up against the parchment's inside seam, the line will provide a guide that shows you how far in to iron, about 2" from the edges/seam. There will still be a couple of inches of paper between the line and the plastic, so you don't even have to be exact; just follow the line as best you can, like I'm doing here:<br />
<br />
And here's a video just in case it still isn't clear.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwhVLKieS-Yf8wOjZ1_r7KocwwmEhJYpD9qOYPBvUThsK7PW5-k3TL-uymTvH-59W8uP2zsUu7EEPwTsz5Eyg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Like most projects, I did a semi-trial run first. Turns out
the painter’s plastic comes in various weights that correlate directly with the
price of the product. So I purchased a smaller 10’ x 9’ sheet in .2 mil weight for
about $4 the first time around. The only other thing I had to pay for was the
water itself, so this is definitely an economical project to say the least. The
only caveat I can offer with the .2 mil is that it was much weaker at the seams
and over time small leaks began to develop where the material was stretched,
and it was so thin on top that the girl’s toenails eventually began to poke
little scratches and tears in it. This was okay at first, as it kept a
perpetual skin of water over the top, but eventually it led to more leakage
than we really wanted. So definitely go for the .4 mil if you want an
end-product that you’re going to be able to use more than once or twice, or
even fill and refill multiple times. I would also note that I do not recommend the .2 mil test version for use by any children over 30 pounds, as the thicker
plastic is really necessary to support any more weight than that I would think. Here's a video of the original blog:<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzsx8N8CRPgGbVbJZCTCJJ_WFdXkKm0I2Ce9y0tIU1Bxov2A2r6OFPfOf_18ZOZTOkCJCPM6lvznz-74OCCtw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I also added a final step of spraying down the top and drizzling on little eco-friendly dish soap so that the kids would have an easier time sliding around on it.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzf07rZlzB_utds8FN4NdJgobyOShBuqlq2K4OwZbZ5VGWkrYhe_PcWId2_oULjEn96ZOWcrSMx3oCQiXpjrw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The addition of the slide was a huge hit, at least until
they started getting all soapy and falling on the ladder to climb up. In the
future I would put a baby pool of water at the base of the later so that they would
have to rinse the soap off before climbing up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_okVb1Ko0lHCqui3pQqTHZafStbHgWP7WE34cXoNsGSubnICqg_dRtpx3g5PHMrnp5a9sKeOKJP51fxUumqWbvsZzDsPcvr4zo6CxJcaZwHQCdzm_IvJ9Bn0cGNqaWoE_jdLkeFmS8WQ/s1600/IMG_0599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_okVb1Ko0lHCqui3pQqTHZafStbHgWP7WE34cXoNsGSubnICqg_dRtpx3g5PHMrnp5a9sKeOKJP51fxUumqWbvsZzDsPcvr4zo6CxJcaZwHQCdzm_IvJ9Bn0cGNqaWoE_jdLkeFmS8WQ/s640/IMG_0599.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Once I was ready to go all in on with mega-blob I went back to the <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/2013/07/how-to-make-leak-proof-water-blob.html" target="_blank">instructions from Homemade Toas</a>t, and this time I followed her instructions exactly, rather than using the thinner and smaller plastic like I did for my prototype. The only thing I did differently is that I did not cut down the .4 mil plastic like <a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/2013/07/how-to-make-leak-proof-water-blob.html" target="_blank">Leisha recommends</a>; instead, I used the whole roll! It was huge!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMUR6P0vWAliB6c_njHOIdBp_HdQEZOvuSpYF4nxi5ZjAn095Vx9J8j9J_zYuwzhCPyaGUA0NOln-8ieWtxZCnsnjNdjfyG24r353difLg9wjw16q413dGrDnJB7ATx7l-dXbdC3cSaEL/s1600/IMG_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMUR6P0vWAliB6c_njHOIdBp_HdQEZOvuSpYF4nxi5ZjAn095Vx9J8j9J_zYuwzhCPyaGUA0NOln-8ieWtxZCnsnjNdjfyG24r353difLg9wjw16q413dGrDnJB7ATx7l-dXbdC3cSaEL/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCzJaBKS7jZHAap99J5yxnReBbdlJe73P-XkBrbFA9Qoi_0k3Bkaq-d_7T28k6Aa1i55011Nhkd4lahf8v1OjctIeDsWrTT9UPQaumMXjCHhiBbgXjedx34b4dnbWx55EayAgFVAuF6uB/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCzJaBKS7jZHAap99J5yxnReBbdlJe73P-XkBrbFA9Qoi_0k3Bkaq-d_7T28k6Aa1i55011Nhkd4lahf8v1OjctIeDsWrTT9UPQaumMXjCHhiBbgXjedx34b4dnbWx55EayAgFVAuF6uB/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-eFPD68LP4GBne3W2O2jUMocpGUADQfL81bLWxWsjISfVXe6xHavnB5flVmimSNNsshu_TUo6P53DKWxAQ5Elv0SmMNqgb8jKM7MNtvDrQPr4oCckXQ2gZh9qVfYUVmwzwklRIQju4FB/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-eFPD68LP4GBne3W2O2jUMocpGUADQfL81bLWxWsjISfVXe6xHavnB5flVmimSNNsshu_TUo6P53DKWxAQ5Elv0SmMNqgb8jKM7MNtvDrQPr4oCckXQ2gZh9qVfYUVmwzwklRIQju4FB/s320/IMG_0667.JPG" width="320" /></a>I am not kidding you, this thing took over an hour to fill up with water!<br />
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But the added bonus of mega-blob is that it is adult-friendly.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwC47KN79ue4j8VgRF4ISsvybXjgE5hzryXSdjSztKHYhHlTjpny1nMz4emki71CVNaub8Iwo5As860dePlpA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
And here is a picture of the larger and thicker .4 mil
version of the painter’s plastic that I purchased off Amazon for mega-blob.<a href="http://www.homemadetoast.com/2013/07/how-to-make-leak-proof-water-blob.html" target="_blank"> HomemadeToast’s instructions</a> have a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJVVF2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000WJVVF2&linkCode=as2&tag=homemadetoast-20" target="_blank">link to the product</a> and I looked around and did
some research and this is really the best thing. At $12 I still think that it’s
a pretty economical project overall.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-j9N1aoWGiqH66w7VgYCXi77O24MBNjAta958dm8tOzxqKP_XC3b_zbTaO4l70FN6pdPwiWLOKXOLJyz2GkpDLz8qvODcUwH5WzTW0kWCXS92WH0hkmC2QjKe6DI7-v8343wP2BdxprVi/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-j9N1aoWGiqH66w7VgYCXi77O24MBNjAta958dm8tOzxqKP_XC3b_zbTaO4l70FN6pdPwiWLOKXOLJyz2GkpDLz8qvODcUwH5WzTW0kWCXS92WH0hkmC2QjKe6DI7-v8343wP2BdxprVi/s320/IMG_0591.JPG" width="320" /></a>I have to say, this is one of those rare internet finds that
reverses the typically inverse relationship that you find between how exciting and
fun a project turns out to be and how difficult it is to pull off. Usually I
find myself putting the most work into the projects that are least successful,
but in this case it was much easier than I thought and the kids had a much
better time playing with it than I ever could have anticipated. But I don’t know
why I didn’t think it would be a total hit—it is, after all, a giant outdoor
water bed covered in soapy, slippery water. It also looks cool once it’s filled
up because the plastic is clear. If I ever make another one I might put some rubber
sea creature toys inside or something so the girls can pretend its an
inside-out-aquarium. But for now blob versions 1.0 and 2.0 have been quite
enough. After it was finished we played with it for about three weeks before I found
the time to come inside and write this post.</div>
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Happy blobbing, everyone.<br />
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craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-4782052666843105802015-06-05T15:39:00.000-07:002015-06-05T15:46:43.054-07:00boxing back the front<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;">One of the best things about having one of us stay home is
that we don’t always have to make decisions out of convenience but rather get
to find ways to save money by putting in a little extra effort to make or reuse
things ourselves. One way in which we have done so is by investing in a
substantial garden from which we can pull fruits and veggies for at least four
months of the year (I know four months probably sounds pathetic but this is
Colorado, after all). This is nice because gardening also happens to be one of
Mack’s life passions—something that he throws himself into fully without
hesitation or reserve. Usually, we spend our summers embarking on our
semi-annual pilgrimage to Kentucky, but with a few recent developments in our
family’s living situation, we didn’t feel the need to do so this year. This has
left our summer plans wide open in a way that we have yet to experience since
moving to Colorado—in eight years, we had never really spent a full summer
here. And because of that, a garden was something that we’d never really been
able to achieve (since June is such a crucial month for growing here and that’s
usually when we would be gone). As Colorado readers already know, the soil out
here isn’t necessarily conducive to growing a lot of product in a short amount
of time, and coaxing even a modest yield out of in-ground plants seems to take
an amount diligence far surpassing that necessary even to get my toddler to eat.
So it should go without saying that nothing requiring that much effort could
possibly be worth it, and any respectable home-gardener around here will tell
you that above-the-ground is the way to go. For my east-coast and southern
friends out there, this means that here in Colorado, we buy our dirt at the
store. We started by digging down about six inches below where we wanted the
surrounding mulch to come up in the bed alongside where the boxes were going to
go. Then, Mack hammered in the stakes for the four corners of the western-most
box. Here is a picture where you can easily see the corner stakes that we
hammered into the ground and then built everything else off of:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">But we must have hit rock or something because the far
southwestern stake got stuck with about three feet still sticking up in the
air. After nearly an entire afternoon of frustrated pounding, Mack decided that
a three-foot-tall garden box might not be such a bad idea, in terms of our
tomato crop and maintaining his sanity. I personally thought it would look
weird to have three-foot-tall garden box sticking up randomly in the air, and
so the idea was born to build a second-level tier around the outside of the
taller inner box, to make it all more proportional and Roman-looking; because the
idea involved more planting, building, power tools, and general digging in the
dirt, Mack took little convincing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">Here’s a picture of what the tiered corner
looked like (never mind what is going on in the background):</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">Of course, our limited income makes the economic benefit of
growing our own edible plants an added bonus, and it was important to us to
maximize our return by spending as little as possible on the overhead. You see
a lot of nice-looking and bountiful gardens that probably cost more than a
whole summer of trips to Whole Foods (never mind a Costco membership) to get up
and running. Once again, we decided that pallets were the way to go—they would
provide cheap lumber, after all (and my definition of cheap is really free). Mack
had to spend about 100 hours at the dump busting up pallets into their
individual panels, which he loved. But after doing some research Mack realized
that it can be very hard on the wood to sustain multiple waterings year in and
year out, and he didn’t want to have to keep fortifying the thing over and over
again, so we decided to go ahead and purchase some ¾” plywood, which we covered
in plastic sheeting. This will prevent the side panels from bowing out from
water damage after a couple of seasons, and instead allow the wood panels from
the pallets to really serve as just a façade. This is basically what you are
going for on the inside:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGteSCbF2Ge7lXmTg1vF_eBTWTzls0Ciqmvzydt0qL5Dd258_mFFsTnn25D5gJ5z1Nwoi84jj2W-WAHxTgvDyuwubSVEFTP8danoh_d0L5Bop9FtwnFqf4ZhSgA1mgRcrxMckEXW5FirJ5/s1600/IMG_0548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGteSCbF2Ge7lXmTg1vF_eBTWTzls0Ciqmvzydt0qL5Dd258_mFFsTnn25D5gJ5z1Nwoi84jj2W-WAHxTgvDyuwubSVEFTP8danoh_d0L5Bop9FtwnFqf4ZhSgA1mgRcrxMckEXW5FirJ5/s320/IMG_0548.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWUOp50iowMhqL1xneIXYpFYeN0qfmLvzW7sUica8rGwjOHqaeRl6SaPjKoTQOdsYT67Q1telUjqu9LDXGc3Z7N7INdVHnYy6imbF30wi5uCmT3zGE04vvocAo5d5le9Y7co_Wd0CbleX/s1600/IMG_0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWUOp50iowMhqL1xneIXYpFYeN0qfmLvzW7sUica8rGwjOHqaeRl6SaPjKoTQOdsYT67Q1telUjqu9LDXGc3Z7N7INdVHnYy6imbF30wi5uCmT3zGE04vvocAo5d5le9Y7co_Wd0CbleX/s320/IMG_0551.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">You can also see that there are horizontal braces running
the length of the plywood. On the larger box we added an additional vertical
post in the middle. All of this lumber came from the dump (read: free). The
plastic sheeting was one of our larger expenses, at about $10 for the
three-mile-long roll, but we will have plenty to use for slip-and-slides throughout
the summer, so win-win-win, I think. In this picture, you can see the plastic
sheeting covering the plywood panels on the inside a little more easily (Mack
just used a staple gun and wrapped the plywood panels like a present):</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: red;">For the southeastern corner we just made a single-tier box
in line with the proportions of the larger western box (Roman, again). Then,
Mack had the absolutely genius idea of finishing the edges, corners, and
borders with 2” trim, which we purchased for about $7. This also allowed Mack
to use the miter feature on his chop saw, which is always an event worth
celebrating in the Holly household. Note his particularly fine craftsmanship
here:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeTIl_dxCD6XEvk8ixO0Jm_-PWdIIw9pSX6RUHuFuzhr3l4pA_G93GEScTh2Cf43CQwy7gqeCXYYlmQbR9pJLhbeeWr8N0ULw9rqhoe-2z9gHKp5ehhmj3SmKaXKuTKa0-HpP_gOBpAqe/s1600/IMG_0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeTIl_dxCD6XEvk8ixO0Jm_-PWdIIw9pSX6RUHuFuzhr3l4pA_G93GEScTh2Cf43CQwy7gqeCXYYlmQbR9pJLhbeeWr8N0ULw9rqhoe-2z9gHKp5ehhmj3SmKaXKuTKa0-HpP_gOBpAqe/s320/IMG_0547.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">And here are some pictures of Mack looking hot and lining up the corners:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDEtwi0VK8Mnz4OxfuPbrinEaBsvw9ac90YAf-jweTZbvvDmaUFlnONKL6Y4kKiBJG0R9jBkepyAUCyICcPfujIxcPB-29JZRT1A5zRoxuCZX200U5kAdmbOEjSNEh8dNhnY_Zh_w-NPD/s1600/IMG_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDEtwi0VK8Mnz4OxfuPbrinEaBsvw9ac90YAf-jweTZbvvDmaUFlnONKL6Y4kKiBJG0R9jBkepyAUCyICcPfujIxcPB-29JZRT1A5zRoxuCZX200U5kAdmbOEjSNEh8dNhnY_Zh_w-NPD/s320/IMG_0543.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TdHxA5vm0GE2hGDfwvFRS3-OPUu-zokwYLGmemQwVmb78y834zqAyp86evcN216Xug3oPF8Ywg0wftN9zhHlIPz3Om8Lc1AB1n_7tQeKH69zyV89vob4JdIqVRsVRndd6SA_x-rztwTT/s1600/IMG_0546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TdHxA5vm0GE2hGDfwvFRS3-OPUu-zokwYLGmemQwVmb78y834zqAyp86evcN216Xug3oPF8Ywg0wftN9zhHlIPz3Om8Lc1AB1n_7tQeKH69zyV89vob4JdIqVRsVRndd6SA_x-rztwTT/s320/IMG_0546.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4PzXyryGqOv2JAMHZ-e45aVwW9iCNOQENy83-BaKWOYIH7IxSf4NsBcLAdnNpIo4YwEB3Gv08Wgp44D3iciFP_NCfIp2mWVEZ4rWUcIGpss8jvsqIiqWFbGzZyt-k5HvUl1dR1gvajjM/s1600/IMG_0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4PzXyryGqOv2JAMHZ-e45aVwW9iCNOQENy83-BaKWOYIH7IxSf4NsBcLAdnNpIo4YwEB3Gv08Wgp44D3iciFP_NCfIp2mWVEZ4rWUcIGpss8jvsqIiqWFbGzZyt-k5HvUl1dR1gvajjM/s320/IMG_0542.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">And here’s the finished version with the trim (you can see
that this again is the smaller of the two):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnRWA19AhT_3rQH9GR6sjO7_YDssa1bzLVj_jcD7WQicRBLyEBcOu_OQVl9gscQV1jxWY4VH7lSwDQvnCoiM1UI5Ta93bfVeJB9hQLbq5kBhWNn0BYX-FPmvLTTkU6LTwQyW83wIe6jY9/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: red;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnRWA19AhT_3rQH9GR6sjO7_YDssa1bzLVj_jcD7WQicRBLyEBcOu_OQVl9gscQV1jxWY4VH7lSwDQvnCoiM1UI5Ta93bfVeJB9hQLbq5kBhWNn0BYX-FPmvLTTkU6LTwQyW83wIe6jY9/s400/IMG_0550.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">We coated everything in a clear poly to protect against
weathering, but the best part is that the inside is completely protected by the
plastic sheeting so if any of the outermost panels become damaged all we have
to do is replace them. Overall, we have planted flowers, tomatoes, and herbs in
these boxes, which are south-facing and add a much-needed addition to our modest
crop. It’s also kind of convenient and nice to just walk right out the front
door and grab whatever herbs I need while I am cooking.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red;">Because the backyard is so far away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">Happy gardening, everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: red;">~Amy</span><o:p></o:p></div>
craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-44543304401396878152015-05-30T12:03:00.000-07:002015-05-30T12:05:55.092-07:00what I didn't learn from playing The Oregon Trail<div class="MsoNormal">
Last summer my husband and I traveled with our then
six-month-old daughter on a cross-country road trip that took us through twelve
states. Our Toyota sedan was stuffed to the gills, filled with all the
accoutrements that come along with traveling with a small child. It was a new
experience for the two of us, as we've always prided ourselves on being light
packers. Before we bought our house we were somewhat minimalists, moving
frequently and typically giving away most of our furniture and starting over
each time. Since the birth of our daughter, though, our possessions have
effectively doubled. Like many of the homes in the Old Town neighborhood, our
house has minimal storage, lacking closets, a garage, and a basement. About all
we have is a narrow attic space above the small portion of our home that isn't
an addition. Now every corner of the space is overflowing with baby items, a
swing here, a stack of board books there, a pile of folded blankets tucked away
beside the couch. As my husband and I packed for our trip, deciding what was
necessary to take and what it was possible to leave, I couldn't believe how
much stuff we would need to make it through the four weeks that we would be
gone. It was the first time I'd ever been forced to take inventory of all the things
that we use on a daily basis simply keeping our daughter alive. It got me
thinking about how much stuff there is involved in being a parent these days,
and how much of it we really do—or do not—need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here's what we brought: one Pack-n-Play portable crib; four
sets of clothing for my daughter: one for the size she was wearing at the time,
one in case she grew, one for hot weather, one for cold; a suitcase full of
clothes and other essentials for my husband and I, including one blow dryer
that according to my husband took up too much space because "ounces lead
to pounds"; one teal Bumbo seat; one Ergo carrier, one Baby Bjorn, and one
Maya wrap; rock climbing harnesses and shoes; all our running stuff; three
swimsuits per person; our laptop and a few work items I was pretending to plan
to make time for during the trip; one forty-pound dog and his large Tupperware
box of food; a pillow; four blankets; bottles and bottle accessories (drying
rack, microsteam sanitizer bags, natural dish soap, bottle brush, formula); one
collapsible stroller; one bag of random things including a bottle warmer and
nightlight and baby monitor; one bag of books; one small-ish box of toys; baby
toiletries and medicines; a cooler; two packs each of diapers and wipes; a
diaper bag with extra outfits, bottles, and formula; two folding chairs; one
air mattress; six pairs of adult shoes; four pairs of baby shoes; fourteen
headbands; two rain jackets; one
umbrella; two Father's Day gifts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuJAJavvnjNoWnVC5obyi5YKRh-ReZLvVjQL03GJAqw3Zir-_hR7LURwOQuvImgIftXh5AmHMFVz7_ra7m96SzrjvCQjG3KpmpHldWfT-uGTDChz_K_uup2MTD38Qt87lwFjHYYhU1B7Z/s1600/DSC_4985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuJAJavvnjNoWnVC5obyi5YKRh-ReZLvVjQL03GJAqw3Zir-_hR7LURwOQuvImgIftXh5AmHMFVz7_ra7m96SzrjvCQjG3KpmpHldWfT-uGTDChz_K_uup2MTD38Qt87lwFjHYYhU1B7Z/s320/DSC_4985.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
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My husband is truly a master of packing the car. We had
everything and anything we needed, or so we thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But along the way, each time we played the game of Tetris
involved in retrieving some essential item from the trunk, I couldn't help but
feel as if we had brought too much. In our defense, every single thing we had
was either something we truly intended to use or else something that we would
need in case of some emergency. The last stop on our trip was a stay with my
husband's sister in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. She's a design
student who wants to build tiny houses for disabled adults to live in
independently. She and her boyfriend and dog currently reside in a 247
square-foot apartment which the contents of our vehicle alone would have
filled. When we arrived there after two days on the road, we bustled in with a
tiny mountain of necessities which quickly piled up in the small living space.
It was at that moment that the full weight of everything we had accumulated in
the last six months really hit me. How could someone so small involve such a
huge entourage of things, a quantity of possessions that could easily trump
that of four adults?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hard fact was that it was all pretty excessive. Sure,
everything there in some way made life with an infant more easy and convenient,
but very little of it was essential. There were a few items we did need. The
Pack-n-Play was worth its weight; we only used it a couple of times, but it
really allowed my husband and I our much-needed sleep. About five hundred
thousand wet wipes definitely saved the day on multiple occasions (two packs
was not nearly enough). All the bottles and their accessories of course. And
I'll admit that my daughter went through quite a few outfits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what we didn't need were things like any of the clothes
we brought for ourselves. All of the athletic equipment, not sure what we were
thinking there. The second and third baby carriers and wraps. Of course, the
stuff I brought for work. The books and toys; the grandparents supplied these
as soon as we arrived in town. The truth is we didn't actually need most of
what we brought. We had access to laundry facilities, stayed in the homes of
family members and used their toiletries with entitlement. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We didn't have everything we needed; we had everything. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why does it feel necessary as parents to surround ourselves
with physical reminders of our responsibility to keep this tiny, helpless
little person alive? Maybe because it's such an important job, because failing
at it is so terrible a thought that we want to try everything we can to do it
better. But I don't think doing it better always means making it easier and
having things doesn't always make me feel confident. Maybe if we had a little
bit less, we might actually be more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>An earlier version of this essay originally appeared in the August 2014 issue of </i>The 4th Street Chronicle</div>
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craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-48511078077563666082015-05-27T13:55:00.000-07:002015-05-27T14:16:27.865-07:00to schedule or not to schedule...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are all kinds of perspectives on this, from proponents
of <a href="http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/free-range-parenting" target="_blank">free-range parenting</a> to more <a href="http://jezebel.com/nightmare-parents-write-letter-about-babys-nightmare-bi-1698447652" target="_blank">rigid, autocratic styles</a>, but our approach to everything
related to our daughter thus far has been biased toward moderation. We’re
against any particular extreme, have always been more middle-of-the-road. We
don’t cry it out but we aren’t against it, either—it’s just not what our
daughter has needed. We try to follow her cues, for the most part. But when I
was at home with her for the eight months after she was born, I felt myself
going stir crazy every morning as all of the hours in the day spread out before
me. Now that it’s summertime again, and Mack is working more and more at his
various jobs, I am yet again in the position of watching her for days at a time
by myself. Let me preface this by saying that I could never be a stay-at-home
mom; I love my job too much and am too selfish to let that part of my life go,
and I truly admire my husband’s patience and the way he has taken on the making
of our home as part of his life’s work. Throughout the day, though, now that
school is out, I find myself constantly struggling to get things done while
Harper wanders, aimless and bored, trying to entertain herself (probably
expecting too much of an eighteen-month-old). It’s frustrating to me when she wants
me to play because I’m in the middle of trying to do something else, like write
this blog. And I catch myself feeling irritated that she needs so much
attention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wait a minute. What I really said there is that I feel
annoyed when she wants to spend time with me. What kind of mother says that?
There’s something really wrong here, something I’m going to regret when she’s
18 and goes away to college and all I’m going to want is to sit and play with
her for five more minutes. But really, that’s not me. I’m not that kind of mom.
I do enjoy my child, love spending time with her and watching her discover
life. So maybe the problem here isn’t me, necessarily, it’s with how I’m trying
to do too much all at once. Trying play the role of stay at home mom but not
really giving it my all. That’s why I came up with the schedule—it separates
the time that she can be independent from the time I need to be interacting with
her directly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The schedule is as much for me as it is for her. Instead of
getting frustrated about the clash between my needs and hers in the moment, I
am engaged with each activity on its own terms. And she’s much more likely to
play independently if I’ve just given her a good solid chunk of attention. I
just get more done when I’m focusing on one thing at a time rather than
multitasking. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I started by planning out the entire week. This was based on several engagements that we had to schedule around--story time at the library, for example, or days that either Mack or myself has to work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xPWr2LfZ64K8DDOuJlo1Zyrov9HdEf6Nc8Imc8YYnJ0los4faEm5m0d1hR1f8aEE4Q20AV7FwQO5GOM6Ut7Z0shZedXkVfY-cXZZ3Nbc8LvA5aXpHBwFmPTn1ouZt-oN-OWpK5tPad9N/s1600/weekly.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xPWr2LfZ64K8DDOuJlo1Zyrov9HdEf6Nc8Imc8YYnJ0los4faEm5m0d1hR1f8aEE4Q20AV7FwQO5GOM6Ut7Z0shZedXkVfY-cXZZ3Nbc8LvA5aXpHBwFmPTn1ouZt-oN-OWpK5tPad9N/s640/weekly.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Then, I planned out more specific schedules for individual days, doubling up on the days that were the most similar. As you can see, some things happen every day--like nap time. The major activities in the mornings and afternoons are what vary most from day to day.<br />
<br />
For example, story time at the library is always on Monday and Thursday mornings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wsL3E5_B6wSCnxDIJGpLfBRHVj-8q5EUGIJJYLTyGIKrRO0DkHfgAlFrGEhi62K-7GtaDXkp-4E98ZXx-cR7WJEdrfxo0KomowibvogroS0goXuv4H61buIJI3EK5mTrH9DFdRV8w1Ey/s1600/mon-thurs+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wsL3E5_B6wSCnxDIJGpLfBRHVj-8q5EUGIJJYLTyGIKrRO0DkHfgAlFrGEhi62K-7GtaDXkp-4E98ZXx-cR7WJEdrfxo0KomowibvogroS0goXuv4H61buIJI3EK5mTrH9DFdRV8w1Ey/s640/mon-thurs+1.png" width="498" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1L9UZo4KbNtlmx3k1TCVuFMSyiZtJ3SF1MFuKfmdPGkCSotRaVCh0ZlcKSawOJoMWfHiRKX6QpSnnxriwE25_3cZJa0vQGFCNWvO4wNxXUzYEokSmqOcXeyBaXndF2DwhMGHEoMv6s0_3/s1600/mon-thurs+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1L9UZo4KbNtlmx3k1TCVuFMSyiZtJ3SF1MFuKfmdPGkCSotRaVCh0ZlcKSawOJoMWfHiRKX6QpSnnxriwE25_3cZJa0vQGFCNWvO4wNxXUzYEokSmqOcXeyBaXndF2DwhMGHEoMv6s0_3/s640/mon-thurs+2.png" width="492" /></a></div>
<br />
Sorry if they're a little difficult to read. I had trouble first embedding the Word files themselves, and then converting the Word files to images. I made them as big as I could here so that you can hopefully still read them.<br />
<br />
Here's a look at the Tuesday/Friday schedule, when she has art/music time in the morning (this usually consists of me making a weekly list of Montessori-inspired art activities from Pinterest and leaving it with my husband):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MwDeTY8llNKM8FE2iK7FU6pjzrNxZuhCjgmHbkPrsQ7kA8c3B79GvmATc8Y5VjwsuirHiqFRVbnXYyYK3vY8yby658PDESPbiW00VjkPP0Ut8li7XXMFmjinvPo9PjVNnkEzxgA3I4ni/s1600/tues-fri+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MwDeTY8llNKM8FE2iK7FU6pjzrNxZuhCjgmHbkPrsQ7kA8c3B79GvmATc8Y5VjwsuirHiqFRVbnXYyYK3vY8yby658PDESPbiW00VjkPP0Ut8li7XXMFmjinvPo9PjVNnkEzxgA3I4ni/s640/tues-fri+1.png" width="490" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2911G9UstUSfz8q_nAA4txWYX0uYQH7PsvBjvp0WSGo0HZ2B7_97_w2kouZ6YymI4VObARHIr6kp_hKLQB_RyJvL_cDlAyaOefQssSx4JHSRR2HkmPHTC2NbjRvdmVJz-lZMBDOtD11Vo/s1600/tues-fri+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2911G9UstUSfz8q_nAA4txWYX0uYQH7PsvBjvp0WSGo0HZ2B7_97_w2kouZ6YymI4VObARHIr6kp_hKLQB_RyJvL_cDlAyaOefQssSx4JHSRR2HkmPHTC2NbjRvdmVJz-lZMBDOtD11Vo/s640/tues-fri+2.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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<br />
Wednesdays are all on their own:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCV9oAv2btQPPEnYYdc5reay_gz15KuydraMRICg-i-TBNdPUiBMGPdUMj7BFZL1JFAxkH-bPD0ZPTQE4esyDnNJWcN84qmj5EdXIZnHSBRY5K8wun_Z3on0huCXRPqL2AUYLDxyvYisP/s1600/weds+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCV9oAv2btQPPEnYYdc5reay_gz15KuydraMRICg-i-TBNdPUiBMGPdUMj7BFZL1JFAxkH-bPD0ZPTQE4esyDnNJWcN84qmj5EdXIZnHSBRY5K8wun_Z3on0huCXRPqL2AUYLDxyvYisP/s640/weds+1.png" width="492" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRqZgOiNzHIQvXs-SqCZYlI6Ham4q-TAJJMK78YsMr6-5IwnMm8MIlcGqeZO24Iwv8RLENHqHR1JnxOl98ZsLh2WoHel_Ar0zvIhLo0_1smR18-ODujEYXcOoIl6Vf9jXN0NonKBIgKIU/s1600/weds+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRqZgOiNzHIQvXs-SqCZYlI6Ham4q-TAJJMK78YsMr6-5IwnMm8MIlcGqeZO24Iwv8RLENHqHR1JnxOl98ZsLh2WoHel_Ar0zvIhLo0_1smR18-ODujEYXcOoIl6Vf9jXN0NonKBIgKIU/s640/weds+2.png" width="492" /></a></div>
<br />
And Saturdays and Sundays are the most flexible:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghK3yqGztw06DjJ6Vo5nDepk4lSvU4i40pfNEHyw6HFkkP4iVpGIYNixFG5J6R09o6HnEtbTzXdxkHwVS2iXkzE3WYmcRJHVbj5jVLunJsTkJ2lNf8Y5m2Z06cROD7wZIFaSbm3fc0U_nO/s1600/sat-sun+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghK3yqGztw06DjJ6Vo5nDepk4lSvU4i40pfNEHyw6HFkkP4iVpGIYNixFG5J6R09o6HnEtbTzXdxkHwVS2iXkzE3WYmcRJHVbj5jVLunJsTkJ2lNf8Y5m2Z06cROD7wZIFaSbm3fc0U_nO/s640/sat-sun+2.png" width="492" /></a></div>
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Hopefully you can kind of tell that I wrote it in a way that would make it useful if she ever had a babysitter or nanny, or had to go to day care. I think having something like this to give a child care provider might either be very helpful or seem a little weird. But you can also see that the amount of time she spends playing
with toys inside is minimized. This is the time when I’d usually go crazy,
hovering around her as she needs this and that, constantly distracted but not
really getting anything done. The schedule also prevents me from trying to do
too much in one day; we don’t have to go to story time and swimming on Mondays,
for examples, because I know we’ll make it to the pool at least twice in the week.
In general, I think it helps to have a regular pattern for both me and her to
rely on. Babies, and adults for that matter, flourish the most and are the most
secure (and therefore able to take risks safely) when they are able to predict,
within reason, what’s going to happen from day to day. This, I think, is
essential to learning. So that’s kind of important. It’s also easier to mess
with the schedule once it’s already in place. For example, as long as she has a
regular bedtime and a solid routine, it’s okay if I want her to stay up late
one night or skip her bath, as long as there is a reason. When there is a
predictable routine already in place, she can understand why things might be different
on any particular occasion, but if things were always different from day to day
it would just be utter confusion all the time. So the point may be that the
schedule isn’t meant to make our lives more rigid, but actually make it easier
for us to mix things up when we really need or want to. A secure baby is a more
flexible, content, well-adjusted baby in my mind. And anyone who’s ever stayed
home full time, even if only for a few weeks, knows that when the baby isn’t
content and flexible the hours just drag on and on.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, you don’t want to get too married to the schedule. If
you are rigid enough in the beginning to solidify it in your child’s
consciousness, then you can be much more lax about it later on. You just have
to follow along until the routine is in place, and then you can adjust from
there. Also notice that the schedule isn’t that detailed. I’ve found <i>way </i>more detailed versions than this
online but again, I wanted to err on the side of moderation. And it’s important
to keep things in perspective too—don’t get all bent out of shape if everything
goes to shit one day and you completely lose your ability to think about life,
much less the schedule. We also tried doing this in the middle of our transition
from two down to one nap, which I would strongly advise against. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay so if you have any questions (or want me to go back and
try to find my sources, primarily <a href="http://www.todaysthebestday.com/daily-activites-one-year-old/" target="_blank">this one</a> and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/117093659037454001/" target="_blank">this one</a>) or want editable Word versions of these files, just comment.
I wish you and yours happy scheduling and many timely and efficient days to
come!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Amy<o:p></o:p></div>
craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-82358569505855030152015-05-23T11:50:00.002-07:002015-05-23T11:53:12.454-07:00marathons and mommy mistakes<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FfpCEv-vl9KCQ5jH8-qep8OSrhKVxmcQT7Wp_SJhN4A0GDZZNemSWjLYK05vFeClUXCgLz7Ke-y7GEUbPGtxaMI6oX6ups2YS_7KwAk5kQtWQ4E4gsSDFjzCIK3ip5uqngrowbtyojJU/s1600/running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FfpCEv-vl9KCQ5jH8-qep8OSrhKVxmcQT7Wp_SJhN4A0GDZZNemSWjLYK05vFeClUXCgLz7Ke-y7GEUbPGtxaMI6oX6ups2YS_7KwAk5kQtWQ4E4gsSDFjzCIK3ip5uqngrowbtyojJU/s400/running.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I was jogging around Lake Loveland yesterday, one of my
favorite local runs. It took me six months after giving birth to my daughter to
get back to my pre-pregnancy workout routine. I was the kind of new mom for
whom the eight weeks of recovery my doctor ordered felt like a life sentence. I
thought as soon as I was given the all-clear I'd be back to my morning runs,
starting with two miles, then three, then working my way up until my legs and
lungs were back in shape. I even considered signing up for the Colorado Marathon
in May, just five months after she was born.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me pause here to allow space for your hysterical
laughter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thinking back on those aspirations, all I can do is laugh.
Hard. That marathon quickly turned into a half-marathon, then to a 5k, then a
weekly walk around the baseball fields at Centennial Park. I learned that it
wasn't about getting my legs and lungs back in shape, but rather a whole other
set of muscles, muscles I hadn't known existed until that night in December
when I pushed a nearly seven-pound human girl out of my body.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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All of this got me thinking about the expectations I had for
myself before my daughter was born and the kind of mom I actually turned out to
be. One of the first baby items that I purchased shortly into my pregnancy was
a top-of-the-line (read: very expensive) jogging stroller. I really thought I would
be the kind of mother who you would see running my infant all over town, the
kind who would whip myself back into shape in a mere matter of weeks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Things didn't exactly happen the way I had expected. Turns
out, being a mom is harder than I thought. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As moms, especially first-time moms, I think it's common to
set up expectations for ourselves. As we struggle to form this new identity,
often as some kind of consolation for our quickly retreating youth, we try to
envision a perfect version of ourselves moving forward. A kind of super-mom who
always gives 110 percent, who never cuts corners, does everything not just the
right way, but the best way. For me, that meant a natural, drug-free
childbirth, at least one full year of breastfeeding, cloth diapers, daily
exercise, home-cooked baby food, never fighting with my husband, a baby who
sleeps all night long on her back, etc. (insert your ideal baby/mom image
here). But so far, I have failed to meet nearly all of these expectations, with
the only exception being cloth diapering, which I actually recommend, as long
as you don't mind washing poop off of your hands. But these expectations and
failures are only the beginning. Beyond this, I have since learned that there
are other failures I've had as a mother that I never would have expected.
Things I had completely taken for granted before have now become the biggest
failures, things I never expected I would be able to possibly fail at. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I expected I would be the kind of mother who would return
phone calls from family and friends. I expected to be able to remember to feed
my dog. I expected to not dress my daughter in pink every day and assign to her
a gender identity at a young age and I expected not to baby talk all of my
sentences, even those in everyday conversation with adults. I expected to at
least do <i>some </i>laundry, or at least
not to use every surface in the house to wipe my daughter's spit up, including
curtains, couch cushions, the dog, and so on. I expected to read a story before
bed every night, to be willing to turn off the TV (it never occurred to me that
limiting screen time also meant that I might have to miss some of my favorite
shows). I expected to not shout obscenities in the middle of the night or throw
pacifiers across the room. These are the expectations I never would have
expected I would fail to meet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I expected to sleep at least a little bit, or to ever have
sex again. Pause again here for your hysterical laughter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The fact is, what we used to consider normal has become the
ideal. It's a perfect day if I can get the dishwasher unloaded, if my daughter
doesn't sit in her dirty diapers for more than a few minutes, and if I can pay
my husband at least <i>some </i>attention.
It's a perfect day if I don't run out of formula or wipes or accidentally leave
the back door open over night. Does that make me a bad mother? Does that make
me not the perfect mother? When I look at my daughter I see a very different
version of life than I expected when I was pregnant. She doesn't get an hour of
reading time every day, she doesn't live in a sterile, germ-free environment.
She won't be breastfed until she's seven and she probably came into this world
in a paralytic haze. But what I do see is a happy baby. A baby who feels safe
and loved and confident that her parents are always around. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We finally made it all the way around the lake. Five miles
in six months. The old version of myself would have been disappointed. But the mom
in me doesn't have time for disappointment. I've learned that my expectations
were all wrong, that being a good mom isn't about what you read in magazines or
see on the internet. I've learned that sometimes there are no matching socks,
and you're just not going to be able to get all of that sunscreen rubbed in.
That sometimes it's enough just to have a bedtime routine at all and a properly
installed car seat. I've learned that I already have everything I need,
strapped safely and perfectly into my (albeit very expensive) stroller. That,
for now, is good enough for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-69535240223229707132015-05-22T12:24:00.000-07:002015-05-22T12:24:27.552-07:00filtering black gold<div class="MsoNormal">
Mack came up with this one all his own and I have to say I
was pretty impressed because it is a true feat of engineering. Everything <o:p></o:p>we make these days is from pallets because on one income a project is much more worth doing if it is free. If I had known all it would take to make my husband happy would be to go to the dump every day and pick up free stuff, I would have had him quit his job a long time ago. But now being resourceful isn’t just fun; it’s necessary. We used to have one of those fancy drum-shaped plastic bins that you turn with a crank on a side, but it basically desintigrated when we tried to move it from the old house, and besides, we were looking for a more permanent structure here. So Mack designed this bin to suit our purposes, and it kind of turned out halfway between a bin and a heap. It’s kind of hard to explain so I’ll just give you lots of pictures.</div>
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So to start out, he took one pallet in relatively good shape. We had some plastic chicken-wire type fencing that the previous owners left in our backyard when they moved out; he just tacked that on using a staple gun. The idea behind the chicken wire is to have a double-layer of filtration (in addition to the pallet planks) to sift out the smaller product from the larger pieces of stuff inside. You only want to use the material that is furthest along and most broken-down, so filtering out the big chunks helps with that. The whole compost bin is going to be built on top of this first pallet, like a base, and you need to be able to access the area beneath the pallet to pull out the material that filters through. Unlike other compost bins that need to be cranked and turned, gravity is doing the work for you here. That's what the cinderblocks are for. You could use something higher if you wanted more space to work with underneath, but for us this is just fine. You can see in this picture that there is a flat board all the way across the ground beneath the pallet that can be pulled out to access the final product; more on that later.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4ZrOkzRdXKFy4Tvj535gidaDCek1_7J4TqHr6-euZDR7UhNeUImRKMWDOr7Hw1l8PURN1z7n4x3vKMdlkBiiyeUxALlIxTlWQ1HYGP37FBIEjhTnjvyiYuyTHUbLDEXdvWerwVxs2Cn9/s1600/compost3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4ZrOkzRdXKFy4Tvj535gidaDCek1_7J4TqHr6-euZDR7UhNeUImRKMWDOr7Hw1l8PURN1z7n4x3vKMdlkBiiyeUxALlIxTlWQ1HYGP37FBIEjhTnjvyiYuyTHUbLDEXdvWerwVxs2Cn9/s640/compost3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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You can already see in the picture above that panels are positioned on three sides, made of plywood. These are going to be the walls of the bin. You can just screw these into the pallet base directly, then use simple 2 x 4 boards as corner anchors. Here's a picture of my husband looking hot and attaching the sides:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3X22nCPs0er5qvId2P8ASQrSMqiYTQl1kc7LnE3HN9BZ7HtyYQm9lhPUnhwPRbAWKBpF5UOKklPHp7jF2QAPhxYkq0qgHHNVMVas24L_AdYI4KeQdntrEIjzDhBtKQQ9QOkroWrRDmZl/s1600/compost2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3X22nCPs0er5qvId2P8ASQrSMqiYTQl1kc7LnE3HN9BZ7HtyYQm9lhPUnhwPRbAWKBpF5UOKklPHp7jF2QAPhxYkq0qgHHNVMVas24L_AdYI4KeQdntrEIjzDhBtKQQ9QOkroWrRDmZl/s640/compost2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
And here's a pic with all of the sides attached. You can somewhat see the 2 x 4 corner anchor in that far back corner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9flwibBiSk6RLoDl6zzUiuFUetqFdHSy__mqGRWDKemwyLv5SRvDoN_gsLxyOLmrmSFKDoOQbdJwDU3A5nWvaNTYxckqK_Lhvio8QO3Gx1pHXn479G6OTFW0W55uE62vZnIHUOJCOe23/s1600/compost8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9flwibBiSk6RLoDl6zzUiuFUetqFdHSy__mqGRWDKemwyLv5SRvDoN_gsLxyOLmrmSFKDoOQbdJwDU3A5nWvaNTYxckqK_Lhvio8QO3Gx1pHXn479G6OTFW0W55uE62vZnIHUOJCOe23/s640/compost8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
And now for the final step: accessing your compost. As you can see here, Mack selected a clean piece of plywood in relatively good shape and made sure it was the right size to fit in between the cinder blocks.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQUHqp64YpeZaS92Ql2hFw3hO019xiHhmgv2vj0rDsrn6YT7QThb4Hjk4Bd9wL3Xo04z-kgDDKRl1Vu8gi1zQC0o9KD6jDlps2UwSwPLjzd16GqlKzOcDgeY0lSveZuF59OYmipLfAdbv/s1600/compost4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQUHqp64YpeZaS92Ql2hFw3hO019xiHhmgv2vj0rDsrn6YT7QThb4Hjk4Bd9wL3Xo04z-kgDDKRl1Vu8gi1zQC0o9KD6jDlps2UwSwPLjzd16GqlKzOcDgeY0lSveZuF59OYmipLfAdbv/s640/compost4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
He also positioned some 2 x 2 planks horizontally and vertically so that the board would slide more smoothly when pulling it in and out (rather than sliding directly across the ground). You can see that underneath here:<br />
<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb6Z9Iyn-BwBfOE0sdX1nSqb2zi71WqlhkYG4sNdyqkiOKZW5Iju0dl7qUHGNL_akVidylX8364XgzhYkkKkVqHwYzVNxnECZcfLM_KEk78XTQ8BcYUuvPoxxZN3L8DcmZWCHef_nBZP8/s640/compost5.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
Having a lid helps of course, both with smell and keeping little critters out, but it also keeps the moisture in and helps the materials inside decay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU4W8FatPQcrA94Ui2TSf7Vdxht9WEyKjySxyHPNbaluzExJ-zzpm4jxtFsE95BmD1a3qf8xG7iBmwbYj5ORCZUTWU0IZSXzhuaUSxJbN7pwXHl8ta2a9dVdbtE86a9JjqYjq6JzdAZZc/s1600/compost7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU4W8FatPQcrA94Ui2TSf7Vdxht9WEyKjySxyHPNbaluzExJ-zzpm4jxtFsE95BmD1a3qf8xG7iBmwbYj5ORCZUTWU0IZSXzhuaUSxJbN7pwXHl8ta2a9dVdbtE86a9JjqYjq6JzdAZZc/s640/compost7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
In Colorado, you may actually have to water your compost to make sure it is healthy and breaking everything down in an efficient way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskEwlnRYVRjsxF1nDQP0efCjiIkCVH_rABX91lIrYsPwCGf06UwExeHe-NvUBAWWqgtAyZPxXFgdnIdEfma94rIoDBHiJJJmWsncCQ-KCu_sCg8hmCLg3Qgv1FnEIZ6LD0gFpAqtVbI2w/s1600/compost9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskEwlnRYVRjsxF1nDQP0efCjiIkCVH_rABX91lIrYsPwCGf06UwExeHe-NvUBAWWqgtAyZPxXFgdnIdEfma94rIoDBHiJJJmWsncCQ-KCu_sCg8hmCLg3Qgv1FnEIZ6LD0gFpAqtVbI2w/s640/compost9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
That's black gold, people. Putting worms inside helps, too, but they tend to migrate so make sure you add more from time to time. Happy composting! Please let me know if you have questions.<br />
-Amycraftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-4829804257317512172015-05-20T11:51:00.001-07:002015-05-23T12:00:51.203-07:00loving it while it lasts<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yTJGuS8dlcr6I0UQ_IUX7DXwfdUX9BXVmbQn4YMq6ItJ-AlM2lawIryhXw6RAHl7-w-e_NVXX1WMtAXDLs9-ALnCataXi_DVABtw-MME49j4YbomL_1a97wzpy89D6tG_VUJIOIwFAqv/s1600/tutu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yTJGuS8dlcr6I0UQ_IUX7DXwfdUX9BXVmbQn4YMq6ItJ-AlM2lawIryhXw6RAHl7-w-e_NVXX1WMtAXDLs9-ALnCataXi_DVABtw-MME49j4YbomL_1a97wzpy89D6tG_VUJIOIwFAqv/s400/tutu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I recently participated in a discussion on a friend's
Facebook page. She was relating a conversation she overheard in the coffee shop
on her college campus, in which a young woman bemoaned the weight gain of her
best friend, who had become "so fat" she had begun to wear a size
medium. My friend, a once-again freshman
who averages a decade of seniority over most of her classmates, had remarked
that she was grateful to not be 18 anymore, to be beyond the stage of skin-deep
friendship that comes with a transient, childless existence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think
it's an important issue, the tendency of women to succumb to fulfilling the
stereotypes of a culture that refuses to judge us on anything other than our
appearances (not hyperbole—just Google "Miss America Pageant"). This
kind of commentary, unacceptable at any age, is all too common in the media and
our everyday lives. But I'm not feminist. In fact, I've always prided myself on
not being a feminist. I like it when my husband does things for me, opens doors
and carries bags, and I even let him pay my bills once in a while. But in this
new role I've been given as a mother of a daughter, a little baby daughter who
still is presumably young enough to be molded and taught things, I can't help
but wonder how and how early we learn to do this. How young are we when we are
taught these things? And how can I teach her?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
answer to the first question is clear on a Monday morning at story time at the
Loveland Public Library. Mostly girls, the audience and participants comprise a
who's who of local fashion role models under two feet tall. I'm still adjusting
to the shock that the baby I had thought for nine months was surely a boy came
out to be a girl, and I'll be the first to admit that dressing my daughter has
become one of the unexpected joys of motherhood for me. There's just nothing more
fun to do with a baby girl than to dress her up in cute little clothes. Why
should we care about the message it sends to our daughters when some of their earliest
social interactions are preceded by a significant amount of fussing over the
way they look? Aren't the matching polka dot tutus worth it? Aren't the leather
jeans and cowboy boots? I've seen a necklace on a baby and thought it was
adorable. And then there are the tiny pink sparkly Tom's shoes small enough to
fit in the palm of your hand. I'll say it one more time to let the cuteness
sink in: pink sparkly Tom'ses small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. In
a world of sequined headbands, puffy shoulders, ruffled butts, and teddy-bear-eared
hoods, doesn't the adorableness of it all outweigh any permanent scars we may
be inflicting on our yet impressionable children?<o:p></o:p></div>
The
answer to question two is a little more troubling. As moms, we want to give our
kids the tools to deal with adversity. We want to teach them how to cope with
the way the world works. Should I teach my little girl how to judge and be
judged? Should I remind her that her best friend has really chunked up in the
last few months, or warn her of the dangers of being friends with an
eighteen-month-old who wears a 2T? Should I point out that the bald look is
very last-season and so a hat is probably the best choice and that she should have
done more tummy time last summer because now she’s going to have to run a few
laps around the yard before lunch? Should I not use words like
"pretty," "beautiful," and "cute" when I'm
talking to her over breakfast or getting our nails done? Along with that,
should I avoid objectifying other children by Googling things like
"hipster babies" (if you haven't done this yet I highly suggest you
devote to yourself the 15 minutes of pure joy and amazement it will bring)? Or
is there a better way? Should we instead teach them to love their bodies while
it lasts, because once their own kids are born they had better have something
else to fall back on, if you know what I mean? Should we tell them, over and over, how
beautiful they are? Because seeing is believing means one thing but when you
hear it and know it, it becomes a part of who you are. That's what's so great
about story time at the library—every little girl is beautiful in her own way.
The little girls don't notice one another's outfits, only the other moms do
(we'll leave the psychology of how and why moms try to impress each other
through their offspring for another day). After all, is it really so bad that tiny
humans are adorable and that we celebrate that, that we fall in love with our
babies based, in part, on how they look? Leave the scarring and emotional
analytics for a later time, once your kids start to get older and lose some of
their cuteness. Luckily, I won't have that problem; I'm the mother of the most
beautiful girl in the world.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>An earlier version of this essay originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of </i>The Fourth Street Chronicle, <i>Loveland, Colorado.</i></div>
craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0Loveland, CO, USA40.3977612 -105.074980140.2043077 -105.3977036 40.591214699999995 -104.75225660000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-72006464282029762192015-05-19T16:00:00.000-07:002015-05-19T16:00:00.073-07:00a Very Hungry birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKcNBEqO_EMYaQuItjRK6DytjNGtRVTnv-fOz2P42FeLrbZcia6-TvQ77-8_nDsLUC1NwzMkr5ci7DGuqSUbt0CuVqd1LGr1e997aI5QePQGunflNDrfrYGiF0eqRiSFPnG9JB0UFCmz7/s1600/137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKcNBEqO_EMYaQuItjRK6DytjNGtRVTnv-fOz2P42FeLrbZcia6-TvQ77-8_nDsLUC1NwzMkr5ci7DGuqSUbt0CuVqd1LGr1e997aI5QePQGunflNDrfrYGiF0eqRiSFPnG9JB0UFCmz7/s640/137.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">We had a few setbacks, but Harper’s first birthday party was
overall a major success. Things didn't exactly go as planned because my
grandfather died and we ended up going back home to Kentucky the very same
weekend as the party was originally scheduled. So we had to postpone things a
bit, but it was alright because I hadn't actually sent out the invitations yet!
I was a little behind from the start, to say the least, and I will admit to
being a little too overly ambitious in my Pinterest party dream-world. And when
we decided to change the venue to an entirely different state at the very last
minute, well, everything else pretty much went out the window from there.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">I decided, of course, to do whatever I could by hand, but the copyrighted images and text I just didn't have time to scan in and format myself. I saved myself countless hours of tedium by purchasing <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/248300042" target="_blank">a downloadable package</a> (or really combination of two packages) that included all the signage, invitations, thank you cards, various label-making materials, and a pattern for a pennant banner that I had wanted to make anyway. Again, this saved a ton of time and was definitely worth every penny of the $17 price tag. If I had InDesign on my computer I might have tried to do it myself, and then I might have actually lived up to my dream of being the world’s first perfect mom. But that shit is just too hard on Microsoft Word. I’m pretty sure Harper didn’t know the difference. And the invites were adorable, and I even splurged on the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/249678476" target="_blank">little food labels with quotes from the book for each individual food</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">One thing I did make myself was the birthday board, a piece of plywood that I had Mack sand down and cover with chalkboard paint; then I wrote on it with those chalk paint markers that restaurants and coffee shops use to write out menus. These go for upwards of $100 on Etsy, so this one was definitely worth the DIY. We also didn't want people bringing gifts since I knew she'd get enough from grandparents anyway, so we asked for donations to the local food bank, which we collected in a box I covered with wrapping paper.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"> Other DIY projects I could have spent a ton of money on included the 12 month caterpillar banner (thank goodness for this one and the justification it gave me for all those monthly photos all year !)...</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; text-align: start;">...these quick curtains which added a little childish flare...</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"> ...and, of course, plenty of balloons.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"> There were a few fun craft projects, which mainly entertained the adults (mainly myself).</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">The food consisted of everything the caterpillar eats in the book. This was one of the primary reasons why I chose a Hungry Caterpillar theme—I thought the menu would be easy to plan and relatively cheap. The last part turned out to be a major disappointment to the tune of almost $300; just ask my mom. Thanks, Grandma.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">I actually had guests helping hang up the decorations and put out the food as they arrived because we were so busy doing everything that morning! I guess it takes a village to throw a picture-perfect fantasy Hungry Caterpillar birthday party for a one-year-old.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"> Everything was so last minute with the changes that I was way behind and didn't get to decorate the cake the way that I wanted to. But it was still delicious--lemon with raspberries inside and cream cheese frosting. One thing I did ahead of time, though, was make an adorable outfit for Harper to wear for the cake smash. I've been to enough one-year parties to know that you have to have a back up for that super adorable and super expensive dress you bought for your adorable little princess. This one was easy. I made a copy out of the Hungry Caterpillar book that I printed onto iron-transfer paper for Harper’s cakesmash outfit, then just sewed a little tutu we had onto the onesie. It was pretty cute and saved the nice birthday dress I had bought her from certain ruin.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">Did I mention Grandpa came all the way from South Carolina?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">We did make favors, but there weren't really any kids there
because of the venue change and short notice. The only other baby was Harper’s
cousin Sean, but he forgot to take his, probably because I forgot to tell his mom it was there.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">If you’d like to see more pictures, please check out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/worldsraffle/harpers-first-birthday/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a>. In all it was a wonderful day and I know my grandmother had a blast. She passed away herself in March, so it was wonderful to have had the time together with her and Harper, my mom and myself.</span></div>
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craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-5147773210741679312015-05-19T14:55:00.002-07:002015-05-19T14:56:14.607-07:00back on the wagon...the Radio Flyer, that is<div class="MsoNormal">
Well it's been a while since I posted and I have to say it's been a well-needed break. A break from nothing, really, since the blog itself never exactly got under way in the first place. But a break from thinking about life to just enjoy it, the kind of break that demands itself because you can't turn away from whatever the distraction is. I started this blog as a way to keep track of the DIY and
craft projects I was working on for our wedding. That got way out of hand, and I barely had time to finish everything before the big day, much less blog about it. The wedding turned out to be beautiful:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gl7rg4uG1bmhOX57-3InptVHwOVx109WzZmerPM8qYxYKurT4zEO5ZqgrnVuvm8RPBvW5O8OlaRSo_ge3cBDqf8EY1GLk54c3c9QISDZA6DjA_crG5ABcaEhgWHHmYHa1WD6jVCMdr74/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gl7rg4uG1bmhOX57-3InptVHwOVx109WzZmerPM8qYxYKurT4zEO5ZqgrnVuvm8RPBvW5O8OlaRSo_ge3cBDqf8EY1GLk54c3c9QISDZA6DjA_crG5ABcaEhgWHHmYHa1WD6jVCMdr74/s320/kiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But with Harper coming along so quickly after that, our first months as newlyweds were spent getting ready for her. Considering we brought her home
from the hospital on our six-month wedding anniversary, the first 18 months of
her life have been a relative blur of sleepless, drool-covered nonsense and we
are only now beginning to get our feet under us. I have a serious backlog of
projects to write about, so it’s my goal to whip this blog in shape and make it
something worth reading again (or in the first place).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsmZBjMzTOT0T0IP8_OGQGYwP94Z_1vAbPL-mXgUQZSBAvGCe4mAvQIi0AQibJFAd2uKDI0Ji_SKkUNL88FN37aRJhCHla_Pr8ul5phtjrUyy1NY_fa1vBvG4AUuQZgc6QpoLQMshIW5a/s1600/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsmZBjMzTOT0T0IP8_OGQGYwP94Z_1vAbPL-mXgUQZSBAvGCe4mAvQIi0AQibJFAd2uKDI0Ji_SKkUNL88FN37aRJhCHla_Pr8ul5phtjrUyy1NY_fa1vBvG4AUuQZgc6QpoLQMshIW5a/s320/snow.jpg" width="240" /></a>It's summertime, folks; let's get excited.<br />
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I'll definitely have a post to come on some of the highlights from the wedding projects. But mostly the goal here is to document the projects that I'm already working on for Harper as she grows in to a beautiful, intelligent, and active little girl. I also have a few essays on motherhood I’ll be posting as well, along with recipes, general material worth considering, etc. You can definitely look forward to a backyard water park and some baby-Ninja Warrior obstacles in the near future. Hopefully this will give my Facebook page some relief, as well, since I've been using it like a blog and that's not really what it's for. And I hope too, of course, that those of you out there will find it somewhat useful, entertaining, or at the very least a shameless way to spend your brief moments of respite between butt wipes and stop lights! But seriously, please read, but not while you're driving. There's kids out there on the road.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by.</div>
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~Amy</div>
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craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1034894077667917316.post-86298307758418098002012-07-13T19:27:00.001-07:002012-07-22T09:50:37.564-07:00Monogrammed Magnets!<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of the very first projects I took on for my wedding was to make monogrammed magnets as small favors for the reception. I've known for a while that I want to have several favor options, and this seemed like a quick easy project to get my feet wet toward all the wedding craft projects swimming around in my head. Plus, it was kind of a no-brainer given the large amount of bottle caps that had begun to amass in the utility drawer where my fiance and I keep our bottle opener. It seemed like a good way to assuage some of his annoyance at my refusal to throw them in the trash. The first step was to find all the good ones. I was looking for caps that weren't bent from opening, were clean, and didn't have stickers on them. I also tried to choose caps from beers my fiance and I actually like. At this point we're working toward a final guest count of about 130, and amazingly (or not) I had no problem finding enough caps to do the job. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd845uV3LYL6a08K2FBpOT9_-TDpvJJXo1PkvydCt8sIqjuXwOJZi-XrMSTVpmB84Hf1fLJBRObH9zyNI9uVrmihHKPQ0ejpaYITDxU2tCGt0oexROWhRDOLDZj3bVdbbCbBCHdfgcPdbf/s1600/caps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd845uV3LYL6a08K2FBpOT9_-TDpvJJXo1PkvydCt8sIqjuXwOJZi-XrMSTVpmB84Hf1fLJBRObH9zyNI9uVrmihHKPQ0ejpaYITDxU2tCGt0oexROWhRDOLDZj3bVdbbCbBCHdfgcPdbf/s1600/caps.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The next step was to print the monograms. I chose a simpler version of what we're going with for the invitation, but in the same style. It came from my favorite wedding craft book, <a href="http://www.chroniclebooks.com/handmade-weddings" target="_blank">Handmade Weddings</a> by the girls over at Hello!Lucky stationary, from an image I scanned and isolated off of their Modern Classic Wedding invitation template. I simply printed out thumbnails (you can get about 35 per sheet) and then cut them out by hand. I've heard that you can very easily head over to the craft store and purchase a 1" paper punch to do the job much quickly, but it seems like that's the easy way out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Once all the circles were cut out, I had to water-proof them so that when I sealed them in the caps the ink wouldn't run. There's a couple of ways to do this. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At first I tried Mod Podge. This worked, but it was very difficult and time consuming considering I'd already cut all the monograms into 1" circles. If you're going to go this direction, which I'd only suggest if you have a gross amount of excess Mod Podge on hand, I've found that aluminum foil is the best surface to work on, since Mod Podge is glue and pretty much sticks to everything, as it obviously should. However, even better than the Mod Podge option, I've found, is to simply use packing tape. It's cheaper, faster, cleaner, and yields a much clearer seal on the monogram.</span><br />
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Anyway, I then got all of my materials together for the next few steps so that I could set up an assembly line. I needed all of the monograms sealed on both sides, the caps, glue, and a role of adhesive magnet tape. </div>
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Then, it was time to start gluing the monograms inside the caps. At first I used super glue, but I've since learned that hot glue actually works better. It's important to use a lot of glue to cover the inside of the cap, so that there are few air pockets when you finally fill in the sealant.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the monograms are glued in, it's a good idea to go ahead and put the magnets on the back so that you don't have to mess with it once the sealant goes in. If you're worried about the magnets holding up a lot of weight then you probably want to spring for the more expensive 1" disc magnets, but if you're like me and trying to be as frugal as possible, then the best way to go is just a roll of the strongest 1/2" self-adhesive magnetic tape you can find. Then, it's easy to cut it into as many small squares as you need for each cap and stick them right on.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXeEnsKc_JjBscJAqW9WBtBGVvQ-bUDbv6q4nzQXRQIjfTduzFZ7FYTm7TUx-QAAPZrwLCDdUP1ZLrkfP0WW1J0DqUmeB2wpNAZ7L8fmJeL9lVr7YB68VvybtJo-LliefQB4GJNjIBfwd/s1600/cap+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXeEnsKc_JjBscJAqW9WBtBGVvQ-bUDbv6q4nzQXRQIjfTduzFZ7FYTm7TUx-QAAPZrwLCDdUP1ZLrkfP0WW1J0DqUmeB2wpNAZ7L8fmJeL9lVr7YB68VvybtJo-LliefQB4GJNjIBfwd/s1600/cap+back.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmHuPaSVDZfbfcFR6Kz3PSnvO5Y5RxipKpeLin5qbsIUWf6ASOva-rrCAIGdmpdI9FiJ5PtnxhkP-Xepo_NIVg7RJJPP9JEXTI89104UtaCKrMOj2crtWju45VM5ZbHpDGTx-eqmxXM-C/s1600/magnet+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmHuPaSVDZfbfcFR6Kz3PSnvO5Y5RxipKpeLin5qbsIUWf6ASOva-rrCAIGdmpdI9FiJ5PtnxhkP-Xepo_NIVg7RJJPP9JEXTI89104UtaCKrMOj2crtWju45VM5ZbHpDGTx-eqmxXM-C/s1600/magnet+back.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the caps are assembled with the monograms sealed and glued inside and the magnet secured to the back, the only thing left is to fill the magnets in with a clear resin.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've heard that casting resin will work and it's probably the cheapest route, but I found this cool product called Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, and I think that it was the best thing to get the look that I was going for. It creates a really nice seal that makes the magnets look finished. The best way to avoid bubbles is to fill the caps slowly, tapping the monogram with the nozzle to jiggle any of the air out. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUGIW-qPHzQkdfu2M9nKigdx5Zz7ZCs4MNiE0_JgGav1oJVvMypmmlgkaENnaICc5J8iZsaRPuZ9UQhrhwOh5-ER99CY9sh7xL1R-7DPvt_dPd4-W0JN22idS3wFgR2oV8iWsdbNkRoyk/s1600/mod+podge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUGIW-qPHzQkdfu2M9nKigdx5Zz7ZCs4MNiE0_JgGav1oJVvMypmmlgkaENnaICc5J8iZsaRPuZ9UQhrhwOh5-ER99CY9sh7xL1R-7DPvt_dPd4-W0JN22idS3wFgR2oV8iWsdbNkRoyk/s1600/mod+podge2.jpg" /></a></div>
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It takes a really long time to dry...watch out for bubbles!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqklOeQY62BtrqCri4bAu4zWc2U4bIxa0ldlieRqZvcQrzh2Zw9iFCWlgxt22T-G_bK5u7u7KARHTCstUGqjg69jJx_TbUNBBKq2dSoqH90vHQNrDDxVe1QiAtvs-nDXD0EWaavEZKE9V/s1600/drying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqklOeQY62BtrqCri4bAu4zWc2U4bIxa0ldlieRqZvcQrzh2Zw9iFCWlgxt22T-G_bK5u7u7KARHTCstUGqjg69jJx_TbUNBBKq2dSoqH90vHQNrDDxVe1QiAtvs-nDXD0EWaavEZKE9V/s1600/drying.jpg" /></a></div>
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Once they dry overnight you're good to go!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Qmiz_sHAwE2ednvQlE9unEp3UftatmcEOxD_10uKAvcUJm6v0ES_okGCGFWdTsN8COHIQmHRRAj6hadvLokh2z8NpvxXBXTrtw59M3sLfef9hQfwvPaANW-LO6jiMQGk2TX7jqrC3jpt/s1600/finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FedF8BdDTLdDGOyMvGJz0sdUpjQSWMVdrzO8yfcg1dGywWj_K_RCwx7mpPThE-KHxHlk137MKlSkKxVTEDTTvWKd1q_naH2PJoSxWCYfxAJRTPHdpeyWX22cgo66ZABAYxFrwvoiTbOH/s1600/finished+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FedF8BdDTLdDGOyMvGJz0sdUpjQSWMVdrzO8yfcg1dGywWj_K_RCwx7mpPThE-KHxHlk137MKlSkKxVTEDTTvWKd1q_naH2PJoSxWCYfxAJRTPHdpeyWX22cgo66ZABAYxFrwvoiTbOH/s1600/finished+close+up.jpg" /></a></div>
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For very little material cost (really only the Mod Podge sealant if you have a printer and packing tape already, and drink a lot of beer) you've got a nice momento for your guests to remember your special day. At the reception I'll probably display these by wrapping a cookie sheet in some nice satin fabric and then just sticking them on. If you have any questions about this process please don't hesitate to ask!!! Good luck!</div>craftgoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04964318775832346202noreply@blogger.com0Fort Collins, CO40.5852602 -105.08442340.3922417 -105.40028 40.7782787 -104.768566