I'm trying to remember all the places Blue 5 went and all the things we did during our time in Nevada, both Reno and Henderson. I need your help and photos! (well, I would like the photos...Chau, this means you!! I gotta go dig up mine also) Here's what I can remember now, not sure about the dates - help with that would also be awesome. Thanks Blue 5!!
Reno
lived in bunk bed housing (weird)
helped sort things at donation center near Fernley, NV
worked on houses affected by flood in Fernely, NV
lived in sketchy hotel
pulled cottonwoods out of ground and replanted
took out irrigation system
removed tumbleweeds from area near creek
lived in a church (I remember being sick there)
built irrigation ramps out of rocks in a wash
surveyed people on wash usage
anything else??
Henderson
"swanky" apartments
camped and worked at Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge
-cattail clearing, also cut/pulled weeds out of stream to help it flow
- learned about Devils Hole pupfish - they're doing well!
camped and worked at Lake Mohave picking brassica..to forever haunt our dreams
worked at Lake Mead picking brassica
visited Death Valley and Racetrack Playa - where we "saw" a UFO - actually the moon - and almost ran out of gas
I can't remember much else besides brassica...and the various ways to try to keep from going insane while picking the stuff
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
DiY Gifts
I know...its a little past Christmas
I have been meaning to post the Christmas gifts I made this year, since there were quite a few and they turned out so well and I want to be able to brag on pinterest and there isn't too much room in the comments section for explanations. So here we go...
Potholder - First is the potholder I made for Dad. I found some sailboat home decor fabric on sale at Jo-Anns in, like, October?? and knew I could figure out something for a gift. Dad has a sailboat and has guaranteed himself gifts made with or from or for sailboats for the next...oh...rest of his life. I put off making this because I was dreading how difficult it would be, but it really wasn't! He seemed happy with it and I'm hoping he can use it on his boat (if he ever gets to take it out).
Initial Tee - Next we have the tee shirt for the little guys in the family. It has the letter of his first name, which is made from a tee shirt that his dad (my brother) and I both had. I spent a few hours embroidering "sprinkles" onto it. Then, I sewed the letter on a simple shirt from Wal-Mart in his size and presto present-o! I know the other nephew I made one for LOVES his shirt and I am guessing that because every time I see him he is wearing it.
Play Mat Road - This was easy and fun. For the back I used a checkered material. I tried to get fabrics that look like things - water, grass, jungle with cutesy animals, and the grey could be buildings or stone roads. There was some sweet building fabric I found online, but it was sold out - Black Saturday strikes again! I got a few vehicles "matchbox" cars (including a fire truck and tractor cuz I had an inside line that the kid LOVES firetrucks). Notice the Angry Bird car? Yeah, I am the awesome Aunt who is tuned in to current kid stuff. Kinda. Angry Birds is still a thing, right?
Story Bots Tee - Yup. Did it myself. No link here to find the tutorial for this. Cuz I made it up! Well, kinda. I found out that you can use freezer paper to make cool stencils for fabric. I also found out about Story Bots from the brother whose taste for clothing is only one of our similarities. We are also related (spoiler alert). Side note - if you do not know about Story Bots that means that you are probably not the parents of or spend much time around children ages 3 to 10? I know the preschoolers love these videos. Too much. This shirt was also a big hit and the cause of tears for the poor child who did NOT get this shirt as a present, so maybe two of them would have been a better idea.
That's all the pictures I have access to now. Maybe more to follow? I am enjoying my week off, as you can see, and keeping really busy.
-I am Sami
I have been meaning to post the Christmas gifts I made this year, since there were quite a few and they turned out so well and I want to be able to brag on pinterest and there isn't too much room in the comments section for explanations. So here we go...
Story Bots Tee - Yup. Did it myself. No link here to find the tutorial for this. Cuz I made it up! Well, kinda. I found out that you can use freezer paper to make cool stencils for fabric. I also found out about Story Bots from the brother whose taste for clothing is only one of our similarities. We are also related (spoiler alert). Side note - if you do not know about Story Bots that means that you are probably not the parents of or spend much time around children ages 3 to 10? I know the preschoolers love these videos. Too much. This shirt was also a big hit and the cause of tears for the poor child who did NOT get this shirt as a present, so maybe two of them would have been a better idea.
That's all the pictures I have access to now. Maybe more to follow? I am enjoying my week off, as you can see, and keeping really busy.
-I am Sami
Conversations With a Preschooler
Princesses and Their Clothing Rules
Preschooler: Daddy says princesses can wear pants.
Me (confused but curious): Yeah, sure. Princesses can wear pants.
Preschooler: No. They only wear dresses.
Me (catching on): Oh. Well some princesses wear pants. There is a princess in England who wears pants a lot.
Preschooler: No. Princesses don't wear pants.
I was shut down. I can only imagine the original conversation where dad is trying to explain to the 4 year old how she can wear pants (probably because that is all that was clean and/or it was 30 degrees outside), not just dresses and the immediate fight that ensued. Poor dad. It was only later that I remembered a very famous princess every little girl probably knows about who does wear pants. But also not much else. So I didn't bring in the picture for proof.
-I am Sami
Preschooler: Daddy says princesses can wear pants.
Me (confused but curious): Yeah, sure. Princesses can wear pants.
Preschooler: No. They only wear dresses.
Me (catching on): Oh. Well some princesses wear pants. There is a princess in England who wears pants a lot.
Preschooler: No. Princesses don't wear pants.
I was shut down. I can only imagine the original conversation where dad is trying to explain to the 4 year old how she can wear pants (probably because that is all that was clean and/or it was 30 degrees outside), not just dresses and the immediate fight that ensued. Poor dad. It was only later that I remembered a very famous princess every little girl probably knows about who does wear pants. But also not much else. So I didn't bring in the picture for proof.
-I am Sami
Wash Your Mouth Out!
Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap
I thought I should kick off my foray into the blogging world with a super exciting post..about laundry soap!! Yay!!
Ok, truthfully, I wanted a way to keep the recipe I use online somewhere so I can pin it and find it on pinterest. So here is the recipe I stole from somewhere and have a hard time finding it when I want to. Anyway, this is for the non-liquid version. I've been using this soap for a few months now and it's great! It doesn't get every stain out, but it cleans the clothes and is sooooo cheap. I keep Tide on hand for extra tough stains..but I bought that bottle like a year ago and its only half gone. Here we go...
Powder:
I mixed up a double batch and kept it in an old OxiClean container with an old medicine measuring cup (that I thoroughly cleaned) marked at the 1 tablespoon line. I use a little more for bigger or dirtier load. I recommend shaking the mix up as things tend to settle.
Researching homemade soap, there was much debate about powdered soap messing with septic tanks. Some say yes, others say, what? you are crazy..stop crawling around in the septic tank! So far no problems, and I make sure to put water in the machine first, then detergent, and swirl things around a bit to make sure it gets dissolved.
Side note...I just grated up 3 bars of fels naptha, which gave me about 4 cups of soap. So dividing that into 1/3 bar would be about 1/3 cup and a third of 1/3 cup. I was never great with fractions. So a little more than a third cup would be about right. Or maybe I will just mix up a triple batch...hmmmm.
Keep it real, ya'll (I'm experimenting with post signatures...maybe I should use...
-I am Sami
I thought I should kick off my foray into the blogging world with a super exciting post..about laundry soap!! Yay!!
Ok, truthfully, I wanted a way to keep the recipe I use online somewhere so I can pin it and find it on pinterest. So here is the recipe I stole from somewhere and have a hard time finding it when I want to. Anyway, this is for the non-liquid version. I've been using this soap for a few months now and it's great! It doesn't get every stain out, but it cleans the clothes and is sooooo cheap. I keep Tide on hand for extra tough stains..but I bought that bottle like a year ago and its only half gone. Here we go...
Powder:
- 1/3 bar fels naptha, finely grated
- 1/2 cup washing soda
- 1/2 cup borax
I mixed up a double batch and kept it in an old OxiClean container with an old medicine measuring cup (that I thoroughly cleaned) marked at the 1 tablespoon line. I use a little more for bigger or dirtier load. I recommend shaking the mix up as things tend to settle.
Researching homemade soap, there was much debate about powdered soap messing with septic tanks. Some say yes, others say, what? you are crazy..stop crawling around in the septic tank! So far no problems, and I make sure to put water in the machine first, then detergent, and swirl things around a bit to make sure it gets dissolved.
Side note...I just grated up 3 bars of fels naptha, which gave me about 4 cups of soap. So dividing that into 1/3 bar would be about 1/3 cup and a third of 1/3 cup. I was never great with fractions. So a little more than a third cup would be about right. Or maybe I will just mix up a triple batch...hmmmm.
Keep it real, ya'll (I'm experimenting with post signatures...maybe I should use...
-I am Sami
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