Super easy Father's day gift for grandpa

I don't know about you, but I always have the hardest time ever coming up with good presents for Grandpa for Father's Day. Let's face it, at 60 (+), they already have enough ties, they don't need anything, and they don't really want much either.

Luckily, for one side of the family, we have the only grand kids. So anything I give with my child's face on it means he will like it.

So here's my super duper, incredibly easy father's day present.

Step One: Make a picture. If you have Photoshop, or some other scrapbooky program, you could easily throw together a picture like mine. This actually a quickpage from Queen Pamedalah , which means I just stuck some pictures in the slots. SUPER EASY!! The hardest part was picking out the pictures. (For more quick pages, check out the options on DigiSrapDepot I'm a huge fan of freebies. Huge). If you don't have photoshop, or aren't into digital scrapbooking (but really, you should try it. I LOVE IT!! Sorry, I'll stop now), you could do just one big picture, or paper scrap a page.

Here's my picture:
(sigh. I have very little artistic ability. I love crafts that are just assembly! I mean look at that picture. Isn't it great! Ok. I'll shut up about the digital scrapping stuff. Really this time)

Step Two: print the picture. I've heard lots of people that print their stuff out at Costco. I checked their prices, and for square photos, you can't beat them. However, I don't have a membership, so I need other options. My original page was 12 x 12. In Photoshop, I opened a new page with the same resolution, but an 8 x 10. Then I changed my page to 8 x 8, and dragged it over, and saved it as a jpeg. Then I uploaded it to Walmart's photo center and ordered it 1 hour (the price for 8x10s are the same regardless of how you print them, so just do 1 hour). Make sure you preview it to be sure it's going to be on the page the right way.

Step 3. Buy your supplies. You need a piece of foam board ($2 at Hobby Lobby), 3/8" grosgrain ribbon, a way to stick it together (I used Elmer's Craft bond, for extra easiness), a big old knife to cut the foam, and some sand paper.(I know, I forgot to put the sandpaper in the picture. I also didn't put the clear spray stuff. I guess that's what happens when you create on the fly)

Step 4: Cut white parts off the picture, and then trace it on the board. I like to use a ruler, since I seem to be incapable of drawing a straight line otherwise.

Step 5: Cut out the board. I used my hubby's Leatherman. It helps to score it a bit first, but since it's just foam board, it really does cut super easy. Don't stress that the edges aren't perfect, we'll fix them in a minute.

Step 6: trace and cut a second board. (Hobby Lobby does sell foam boards that are twice as thick, but they were $6 instead. Cutting two is much cheaper)

Step 7: Go outside and lay down something (Very important part as I found out later). Spray both boards with the adhesive, then quickly smush them together. You do have a little tiny bit of movabilty, but work fast or it will but stuck skewampus. (and yes, those are the technical terms)(Don't look at my toes. I said DON'T!)

Step 8: check and make sure that you have the boards the right size. Then sand the edges. If you have a scrap board to wrap the sandpaper it works a lot easier too.

Step 9: measure how much ribbon you need to wrap around the outside, and cut it.

Step 10: go back outside and spray the board. Quickly put the picture on top, getting edges as even as possible. Wrap the ribbon around the outside (hum, no picture of that part, sorry. The point of the ribbon is so you don't see the yucky foam board edges. I suppose you could paint it instead, but that would mean you'd have to spend more time making the edges look nice. Slapping some ribbon on was a lot faster.) I had enough spray just land on the edges to make it stick. You could also do this part with a glue gun, but I was too lazy to heat mine up.

Step 11: Measure out 10" of ribbon for a hanger. I glued mine 1.25" from each edge. And yes, I was super lazy and stuck mine on with the spray adhesive. And then I figured out that the adhesive stays sticky. So I cut a regular piece of paper slightly smaller than my square and put it on the back.

Step 12: optional - I also sprayed it with this stuff:
So it will be a bit more scratch resistant.

Tada! Once I had the picture printed and all my supplies, I honestly did this in less than 30 minutes. And the whole thing only cost me $10 including the spray adhesive. Not too shabby.

Miricles realy can happen.

Truly. Even in my little neck of the woods. They can occur. Like jewels falling from heaven- strike that. That would actually be quite painful. How about like a perfect smore - truly a rare confection but when it graces your taste buds with it's presence you discover a new meaning of joy. (sorry for the food reference. I think I'm hungry!)

It happened. At last. After only 15 months in progress, Buddy went a full 24 hours without a single accident!!!!!!!! And joy of joys, one of his successful ventures was internally inspired! Usually his successful days are me telling him got go try about 3 times a day. Last night while I was cooking dinner, I suddenly realized he was singing "Go Potty. I go a potty. go potty" as he was heading in the bathroom to do his business.

All. On. His. Own.

It was beautiful.

Now, let's not dwell on the fact that he hasn't had a BM in 36 hours and I'm a bit worried about when that happens, but that's for another day (and a diaper I hope!!!!)

It's my blog and I'll whine if I want to

Can we talk for a minute? Oh wait. This is where I get to talk about what ever I want to. So I think I will. Whine that is.

What am I whining about you ask? Not much. Just general injustice.

You see, I'm learning that for weight loss, I do best if I can run. Not having a treadmill, I run outside. And having young children, this means I can only run the days that Hubby is actually home. And being he's a pilot, that amounts to 3 mornings a week. Except lately he's had overtime, so I'm down to 2 days a week when I can run. Not exactly conducive to my goal of 3 miles 4 times a week (seriously, do you know people that run that much? Every one that I've ever known is skinny. I think if you run that much the fat just falls off instead of sticking everywhere!)

ANYWAY. I've also learned that I do best when I can run with a jacket on. There is something about being able to whip that jacket off half way through when I hit my wall that gives me such a huge burst of energy.

For the last week we have had the most GORGEOUS weather. Highs in the mid 70's, lows around 52, no humidity. The. Perfect. Exercise. Weather. My beef with this? Hubby has been working the entire time. Absolutely no chance for me to actually love running again.

Finally this morning I had my chance. And wouldn't you know it - 72 and humid. It's SOOOO much harder to keep going.

And to make things even worse, my running shoes have DIED. I recently learned that you should replace running shoes every 3 months. Hah! I've had my pair for over 3 YEARS now. I tried buying some insoles to help. I obviously got the wrong kind. I couldn't even make it a mile before my foot was in so much pain I had to start walking instead.

And Buddy has woken up 3 mornings in a row at 5:45 with a nightmare. Just early enough that I can't ever get back to sleep. Which really doesn't work with my whole "I have to take my basal temp every single morning" thing, since you're supposed to take it when you're only half awake and before you've moved out of bed.

And yes, I'm well aware of the fact that some people have real problems. But this is my place to say whatever I want. And if you don't like it, just stop reading.

And yes, I really, REALLY think I need a visit from Aunt Flo!!!

What's in a name

I know I've talked about names before. I LOVE my name. I love when names have meaning. My kiddos names have very great meanings - not that we picked a meaning and then the name, but they have names that mean good things. Girly-Lou's means Princess. Buddy's is "God has given". Things that I want my kids to be proud of.

I thought for a long time about what to name my blog. Since I look at my blog as, well, not like a child, but maybe like a pet. You know, something that needs care and attention, and I have way too much fun playing around with. I wanted my blog to have a name that meant something, that showed personality.

But now it will be wrong.

Because I'm moving across the country. The tiny - never-heard-of city of Euless will no longer be my home. Actually, we're moving very close to Happy Mom. And since she's kept her info private, I'm not even going to tell you what state we're moving to. But it's a big move, and it's come on fast.

Crazy fast. Like three weeks ago we didn't even know it was a possibility, and last night we made an offer on a house fast. Whenever I think about how crazy fast this whole process has been, I start freaking out. But I have felt 100% right about each choice we've made.

So, if our offer is accepted, we will be closing on a house in six weeks. In six weeks we will be, like real adults. All grown up with a mortgage and everything. But my blog might need a new name.

So tell me. (please, really! Especially everyone that reads this blog but never actually comments). Do I keep my "Ever heard of Euless" title. I'm not changing the url (which is euless not useless in case you ever noticed. Since lots of people call my blip on the map useless instead). Should I rename the blog to something else that fits? or will the randomness of Euless prevail and still fit with the randomness of the thoughts displayed here?

We'll see.

Shelf reliance give away

There's another shelf reliance give away over at the Family Home Evening Blog. You can click on their button to get there, or click here



(and now I feel so cool 'cause I can make cool links!

He did not just say that

Last week I got back from an awesome trip to seem my sis, Happy Mom. Since she is very close to where my parents are serving a mission for our church, we headed up to see them too.

Now, Grandpa is a very funny man. He likes nothing better than to tease his grand kids. And tease them over very silly simple things. He had a new box of toothpaste. And being Grandpa, he was teasing that it was a snake! He made it jump out of the box, teased, and laughed it up.

So Buddy, enjoying playing with Grandpa, proceeds to pull open his pants, and exclaim "Wook, Gwanpa! I have a snake in my pants!"

WHAT!!?@!#*!%!#!@(!

My son just said what? Grandpa looks over at me and asks "Just what are you teaching this kid?"

I promise, I have never taught my son that he has a snake. Or anything about it. I'm a firm believer that all the labeling my child needs is "private parts". Period. That was 100% his own doing.

Blushing like crazy, I changed my son into his pajamas, told him to please stop talking, and thought that was the end of it.

But no. Then we got back to Happy Mom's house. And her Hubders asked how the visit went. Of course Girly-Lou and Girlie-Whirl started telling how Silly Grandpa had pretended that the toothpaste was a snake. And Buddy opens his pants right back out and tells Hubders that he has a snake in his pants too!

Uggh. Yes, boys give you a whole different set of trials than girls. But at least I know I'm still capable of blushing!

Nightmares

As a child, I suffered from nightmares. Really.Bad.Nightmares. Killer clowns, maniac grandpas with guns, Giant blood sucking worms - you name it, I probably had a nightmare about it. Very bloody, scary, terrifying nightmares. I would say I averaged 4 a week. I remember being told that you can control your dreams since it's your brain coming up with things. But the first step is always knowing you are IN a dream. I never do. We weren't allowed to sleep with our parents, but I needed reassurance after the horrors my mind created. More than one morning my mother would find me sleeping on the floor of their walk in closet (which always had the light left on), using her dirty clothes as a blanket. I felt safe being close to my parents, with the light on, and cuddled with their smells around me.

My dreams are . . . strange. Really really strange. Just ask the sisters I grew up with - almost every morning I would come up stairs and announce "I had the weirdest dream last night". I am very involved in my dreams, and from what I understand, my dreams are just like most pregnancy dreams (I can't compare, since my dreams during pregnancy were just like my regular dreams) They seem more vivid than reality, one part science fiction, one part action adventure, and one part insanity. I never sit still in a dream, but instead (no joking) solve murders in hotels, fly with gargoyles, invent cures for rare diseases, and meet famous people (and all that was just this morning's dream.)

Why do I dream like that? Is my mind bored with the world around me that I have to create such action to entertain me at night? Do I crave adventure? Or is it just so opposite from me that dreaming is the only way I would ever want to experience such things. I do not often have nightmares now (but it's SO much nicer to have my cute hubby hold me as I wake up from one than to just have to hold my pillow tight!), but I live in an alternate reality as I dream. One of these days, I'm going remember to keep a notebook by my bed. I'll record the insane details depicted in my dreams. With a little tweaking, I think I could write the next bestseller.

Because really, I can't make this kind of stuff up. Except, apparently I do . . .just not in the waking world.

What do you dream about?