Category: Tutorials

It’s amazing how things sort of cosmically come together sometimes. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a woman organizing a Superhero 5K to raise awareness of bullying its long-term effects. She was looking for donations for prizes and had found my superhero masks and asked if I’d donate a set. I was so flattered and eager to help with anything she needed. I then discovered she was organizing the run in my city and had no idea where I lived! So I promptly registered The Hubs and I for the run and asked her if I could donate more. She happily accepted my offer.

It just so happens that the day before, a friend of mine shared a story about a paper-thin, washed-one-too-many-times, beloved Spiderman costume her son owns and how it caused a wardrobe malfunction at the least opportune time–with missionaries on her doorstep! It got me thinking about how I wished there were more options for boys and costumes of their heroes. There are all sorts of dresses you can make to look like Princesses or other girl characters, but boys are left with one-piece, horribly-produced, overpriced Halloween costumes that aren’t meant for the washing machine or daily wear.

So between the two, I was inspired. I’ve seen the hero shirts that have capes that velcro on them and they’re just not my style. Velcro quickly collects junk in it and loses it’s ability to stick to itself (yet manages to stick to other laundry in the washer), and it doesn’t stay on very well, no matter how new the velcro. It’s just not my favorite medium. So I decided I’d make an easy way to put the cape IN the shirt!

Why a cape? Well, because I firmly believe that everyone needs a cape.

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We’ve been hit hard with sickies this winter. Though it’s been a mild winter in our area, compared to most of the country, we’ve had more than our fair share of germs! Ella spent 2 months straight with one or both of her ears infected, while on a constant stream of various antibiotics. She ended up getting tubes 4 days before Ollie was born. We had colds, flus, and snotty bugs. Then 2 weeks ago we all got a round of the stomach bug, followed by 2 days of fevers for the girls. Last week I came down with a lovely sinus infection coupled with strep throat and a few days later Sofie had her third ear infection in 4 months! It feels like it will never end!

One thing that has made it easier to deal with is knowing dinner is in the freezer! I’ve done several rounds of freezer cooking since I first posted about it and I still LOVE it! I got lots of website recommendations from you guys and have fallen in love with the Crockin’ Girls. So much so that I bought their cookbook!!

I used to belong to the camp that crock pots are used for soups, stews, and all things mushy. Since starting to use my crock pot consistently, I’ve discovered there’s so much more to it than I ever imagined! In the past 6 months we’ve moved more towards as much fresh fruits and veggies in our diets as possible. But it’s still hectic to try and cook a meal with my crew, and now that I’ve got 4 kids under 5, time management is even harder to deal with and good nutrition is even more important. Add in trying to stay away from artificial anything and The Hubs prefers a low carb diet and it might seem like our options are limited. But I’m finding the opposite to be true! By getting creative, I’ve been able to come up with great entrees to go in my crock pot, and fresh sides that are easy to prepare quickly, or earlier in the day, so it still takes just a few minutes to get a healthy, homemade meal on the table.

The grocery shopping is still a little overwhelming at first. It’s not just the price, but the volume of what I’m buying, too. It’s nice, though, because my weekly shopping continues to be much smaller and easier to do quickly with 4 kids in tow.

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I have very little experience with boys and boy things. I have 3 nieces and 3 daughters, so when Sofie started getting invited to boy birthday parties at school this year, I was at a loss! I love to give a handmade gift along with a store bought one when I can, just so I can give them something a little more personal.

So when one of our best friends had a party in February, I went looking for an idea of what to make him. I’d stumbled on these amazing superhero masks from Cutesy Crafts several months before and knew this would be it! In about 2 hours, I whipped up these awesome little masks!

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