Tuesday, October 21, 2008

WFMW - Fabric Organization

I love fabric. And I have plenty of it. I would say lots, but I have seen pics of other stashes, and mine really wouldn’t qualify as lots. But it is plenty.

Organization is definitely not my strong suit. Never has been, but I do think I have found the perfect solution to fabric organization. This was definitely not an original idea, but one that I found after diligently searching the web.

The supplies that you will need are shelving, or cubicles (I purchased mine from Target) and comic book boards. The boards took some searching to find locally, but I was able to get them at a comic book store. (Not just any comic book store, mind you, and the comics that I am familiar with, Archie and Jughead, were nowhere to be find. This was a very, very dark comic book store. If that is your only choice and you happen to be a 40 yr. old woman, who would be very out of place, I would say skip it, and order them online.) The boards remind me of poster board, just a smaller size.

I went through my storage boxes of fabric and took the large pieces, fold them neatly and wrap them around the board. The size of the fabric was anywhere from ½ yard to 2 yards. I had my husband take a handful of boards to work and cut them in half, making smaller boards. On those, I wrapped my smaller pieces of fabric and have stored them in a fabric drawer. I secure the fabric with a straight pin at one corner and then place it upright on a shelf, similar to storing books. I have attempted to group them by fabric type/theme, but they always seem to get out of order. For now, I am pleased with the progress.


You will be amazed at the amount of fabric that can be stored this way. This was from two to three huge plastic storage containers full of fabric.I cannot explain what a time saver this has been for me. I can now see all of my fabric and am able to find it without digging through a bin.

It definitely Works for Me. For other great tips, please visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Fall Promotion

Jump over to my homeschool blog, Funny Farm at School, to check out a great promotion from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!

TRUMPED!!

While walking through the W*l-M*rt parking lot the other day, I was busy giving instructions about our impending venture inside the store. I announced that I only needed a few things, therefore, we didn’t need to get a cart. (A cart really slows me down when I’m shopping some days.) I figured that between the five of us, we have 10 hands. And some of those hands can carry more than one thing, so no cart necessary.

After the announcement of “no cart”, my girl (A) gets a little bit of the whinies, saying she was tired, and didn’t know if she’d be able to walk through the store. Now, she knew that we were heading to the park after our quick stop, and I’m sure she’d have renewed energy by that time. I assured her that she would be able to make it, that we wouldn’t be in there long, and I needed her help carrying some things.

Well my oldest son, C, immediately tells A that the boys always have to walk in the store and they never get to ride in a cart, and she always gets to ride in the cart, blah, blah, blah. Basically, wanting to do his brotherly-fatherly duty and try to explain that she didn’t have it that bad, but the boys do. (Apparently he forgot that he is 12 and would look rather silly sitting in the shopping cart!)

Poor fella. He didn’t know what was coming his way. I looked at him and asked him if he had a titanium rod in his back that went from his shoulder down to his bottom, and had his back been sliced open twice so far this year? Answer: Well, no. My reply: OK then. Maybe she has a point. She’s allowed to ride in the cart from time to time.

Trumped. She’s not really old enough to realize it yet, but she has the mac-daddy of all trumps. 3 surgeries in one year, with 10 years of surgeries to go. Hoping she doesn’t realize it too soon!

WFMW - 5 Minute Chocolate Cake


Do you ever have a craving for something chocolate and can’t find ANYTHING in the house? Not even a stray M&M in the couch cushions? Well this might be your answer.

The 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake! We made one today, and it was surprisingly good. It came right out of the mug. The texture was a little bit spongy, but other than that all was well. I did not have any chocolate chips in the house, and I will definitely add those next time.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.





Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).


The cake will rise over the top of the mug. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.





ENJOY! For more great tips and hints, visit Rocks in My Dryer!