Making Coasters with Sharpies and Rubbing Alcohol

Here's my last post before my son and I leave on our roadtrip! I can't wait to tell you all about it! But for now, we're talking about alcohol coasters. My son and I signed up to do this fun craft at our local library. We showed up and had a blast!

First, we sat down at a table where there were white tiles laid out and there were buckets of Sharpies everywhere. We were told to color the tile however we wanted. Then, we should use q-tips and dip them into small cups that contained rubbing alcohol to blend what we colored.

Tip: If you want large splotches, load your q-tip with a lot of alcohol and make large drops. If you want tiny little dots, squeeze out some of the alcohol on your q-tip and lightly dot directly onto the coaster.

I decided to do an underwater scene.
In order to make this, I put all different shades of blue in the top 3/4 of the coaster and tan and browns on the bottom 1/4.
Then, I used the alcohol and made large splotches all over.
I decided to use the alcohol and a corner of a paper towel to rub off a spot to leave an empty space to put a fish in.
I made sure to let it sit for a minute to completely dry. The nice thing about alcohol though, is that it doesn't take very long to dry.
I looked up a couple fish on my phone and used those as inspiration for the fish I drew.
Finally, I added some seaweed and coral and a jellyfish to complete my design.

My son wasn't really feeling the alcohol look at first and decided he just wanted to make a Snorlax (he loves Pokemon!).
I looked up an easy 'how to draw' on my phone for him to follow and he drew the outline of the Snorlax.
Then, he colored his design in.
I convinced him it would look cool to add a background and then use the alcohol to add a dotted look. He reluctantly agreed.
So, he colored in some grass, the sky, and a sun.
Then, I helped him out by lightly dabbing a mildly damp (with alcohol) q-tip just in the background.

When we were both done, we handed our tiles over to a library employee, who sprayed our designs with a sealant. I wish I had looked closer to see exactly what they used. But alas, I didn't. They said it would be dry in about 15 minutes so we went into the library to look at some books. Then, when we came out, they were ready for us! Now, these coasters sit on our shared desk in our homeschool room. I think they're awesome. And the possibilities are seriously endless.

Tell me in the comments some other fun summer crafts we can tackle! I'm always looking for new ideas.

Taco T-shirt

For my son's birthday (back in March) I told him that I would make him any shirt he wanted. We were going on vacation so I figured a short sleeved shirt would be perfect. I wanted it to incorporate something that he loved so we made a list of some things that he was really in to. We came up with Minecraft, Mario, tacos, running, his echo dot kids edition, the Switch, Pokemon, and plenty of other things. We came up with a couple funny sayings that incorporated these things. But eventually, we decided tacos would be there perfect theme for this t-shirt.

The first thing I did was look around Wal-Mart for a plain shirt that wasn't just a single-colored tee. And I found the perfect one! It was a dark grey with green sleeves. I love the different colored sleeves idea.

Then, I designed a couple things in Design Space so that I could cut it out with my Cricut. I found a cute picture of a taco and added that. It was so fun. I hadn't really tried layering yet, so this was going to be a simple design.

I made the shirt for my son and now he LOVES it! Seriously, he wears it so often. It quickly became one of his favorite shirts! I love that I am able to make him things that he treasures so deeply.

Let me know in the comments if you have any awesome ideas for more shirts I can make my sweet boy!

Travel Shirts

I'm currently dreaming about all the awesome things my son and I are going to do on our 2 week roadtrip. I'm a little nervous because it's going to be just the two of us. Normally, my husband would be joining us, but he just couldn't take that much time off work so I decided to brave it on my own.

So, speaking of traveling, I made some cute shirts for our last trip. We'll be bringing a couple of these with us again so I thought I would show you what I've made!

Some of these, I designed myself in Design Space. I hope these can inspire some travel shirts for you!

Striped Crochet Diaper and Wipes Travel Holder

My sister is having a little baby girl! Yay! So I decided to make her something that I've made for a couple of my friends who were having babies. I think this cute little diaper and wipes holder is perfect. It's big enough to hold a couple diapers and a small travel size wipes. But it's small enough to fit in a purse or small bag. Plus, I did my best to pick out some cute colors. I wrote down the pattern as I made it so here it is!

Striped Diaper and Wipes Holder

Materials:
5.5mm hook
Worsted weight yarn in 2 colors (I chose a light grey-color A and white-color B)
Button
Yarn needle

Pattern:
Using Color A, ch 34
Row 1: hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc across, turn (32)
Row 2: ch 2, hdc across, turn (32)
Row 3: ch 3, dc across, change to color B, turn (32)
Row 4: ch 2, hdc across, turn (32)
Row 5: ch 2, hdc across, turn (32)
Row 6: ch 3, dc across, change to color A, turn (32)
Rows 7-48: Repeat rows 1-6 (hdc across twice, then dc across, changing colors after each set of 3)
Row 49: ch 2, hdc across, turn (32)
Row 50: ch 2, hdc across (32)

Fold each end so that you have an overlap of 10 rows
Using color A, sc along each side, creating two pockets. Fasten off.

Attach color A to the bottom edge of one pocket, 12 sts from the corner.
Row 1: ch 3 to start the strap, dc in next 8 sts, turn (8)
Row 2: ch 3, dc x 8, turn (8)
Row 3: ch 3, dc x 8, turn (8)
Row 4: ch 2, sc x 8, turn (8)
Row 5: ch 2, sc x 2, ch 3, sk 3, sc x 3, turn (8)
Row 6: ch 2, sc x 8, turn (8)
Row 7: ch 2, hdc x 8, fasten off (8)

Sew button on the 4th rows of sts on the back of the other pocket (opposite to where you just created the strap)

Attach Color B and sc around the entire case, including the strap

Flower Applique

Use a color that will give your flower a nice pop against the stripes of your holder.

ch 4, ss in 1st chain to make a circle
1. sc in circle, ch 5, repeat around so you have 6 loops
on the last ch completion, join to 1st sc

2. work next sequence in ch spaces
sc, ch 1, 6dc, ch 1, tc, ch 1, 6dc, ch 1, sc
repeat in each ch space
join to 1st sc in 1st petal

Fasten off leaving a tail about 12 inches long.

With your needle, loop the tail in the first DC and last DC of each petal. This will make the flower into the 3D shape. Thread the yarn to the back of the flower so that you can sew it onto the holder. Sew to holder. I did mine on the front, bottom left.

My Ultimate "Pop Punk/Emo from the 00s" Playlist

When I was growing up, I loved what is sometimes referred to as Pop Punk music with some Emo influences. I mean, what young white female high schooler in the 00s didn't love that kind of music? And if you didn't, you really missed out. Clearly, this kind of music is very nostalgic for me. So, in an effort to have some great music to listen to during workouts and while I'm cleaning the house, I put together this playlist. Please, enjoy!

In no particular order:
1. Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy
2. My Own Worst Enemy by Lit
3. Fatlip by Sum 41
4. The Rock Show by blink-182
5. I'm Just A Kid by Simple Plan
6. 1985 by Simple Plan
7. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring
8. Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects
9. Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne
10. My Friends Over You by New Found Glory
11. The Anthem by Good Charlotte
12. American Idiot by Green Day
13. Misery Business by Paramore
14. Dear Maria, Count Me In by All Time Low
15. The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
16. Sugar, We're Goin Down by Fall Out Boy
17. Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard
18. All The Small Things by blink-182
19. Thnks fr th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy
20. I'm Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance
21. I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At The Disco
22. The Kill (Bury Me) by Thirty Seconds To Mars
23. Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
24. Pressure by Paramore
25. Bring Me To Life by Evanescense
26. I Miss You by blink-182
27. Numb by Linkin Park
28. Miss Murder by AFI
29. Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous by Good Charlotte
30. Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
31. Addicted by Simple Plan
32. Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
33. Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
34. Girl All The Bad Guys Want by Bowling For Soup
35. In Too Deep by Sum 41
36. Swing, Swing by The All-American Rejects
37. Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne
38. Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus
39. Complicated by Avril Lavigne
40. Hold On by Good Charlotte
41. Flavor Of The Weak by American Hi-Fi
42. My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne
43. The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls
44. Until The Day I Die by Story Of The Year
45. Be My Escape by Relient K
46. Almost by Bowling For Soup
47. Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional
48. Bouncing Off The Walls by Sugarcult
49. Girls & Boys by Good Charlotte
50. Anthem Of Our Dying Day by Story of the Year 51. Scars by Papa Roach
52. I Don't Wanna Be In Love by Good Charlotte
53. You're So Last Summer by Taking Back Sunday
54. All That I've Got by The Used
55. All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) by Bullet For My Valentine
56. Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye
57. The Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin
58. Broken by Seether ft. Amy Lee
59. Ohio Is For Lovers by Hawthorne Heights
60. It Ends Tonight by The All-American Rejects
61. 45 by Shinedown

CLICK HERE to listen to my playlist on YouTube!

Mailbox Makeover

About a month ago, my sister asked me if I could make her a mailbox decal showing her address. She had just gotten a new black mailbox after a snow plow had taken out her old one. She sent me a couple examples of things that she kind of liked off of Etsy. Then, her husband chimed in with "make it have a fox!" He thought this was very clever because they live on Foxford Drive. I wanted to make sure it still looked somewhat classy while incorporating the fun aspect of the foxes. I came up with a couple options and my sister chose her favorite.

This is what we came up with!

Before:

After:

I created this design on Cricut Design Space and then cut it using my Cricut. I made sure to cut two of them so that one could be applied to each side. Then, I weeded them and brought them to my sister's house. I used Duck brand clear contact paper to transfer the design. Here are the steps I followed to apply the design.

1. Clean the mailbox thoroughly with alcohol.
2. Remove the backing and position the design where you would like it. Use the scraper tool to ensure the design is stuck to the mailbox.
3. Carefully and slowly remove the transfer sheet. Make sure to pull at a 180 degree angle. If you pull directly toward yourself, the design is more likely to come off and not stay on the mailbox while you're removing the transfer sheet.
4. At this point, I lightly rub the design again to make sure it is really stuck on there.

Since mailboxes are outside (duh), I like to look at the forecast and make sure there is no rain predicted for the next 48 hours or so. If there is, I'll either wait for a better time or like I did with theirs (since my sister lives 2.5 hours away from me), I applied the decal on Saturday after their mail had already been delivered, put a large trash bag over the top and tied it in place using string. I instructed them to just take the bag off Monday morning before they left for work. The decal is still sticking nicely and they have the best looking mailbox in their neighborhood. This is such a simple way to add a little curb appeal.

Why I Decided To Homeschool My Son

I feel like everyone has their own reasons for homeschooling. Some do it for religious reasons. Some do it because the structure of school just isn't right for some kids. Some do it because they want more control over what their child is learning. And plenty do it for countless other reasons. Some people start their homeschooling journey at the preschool age while others don't start theirs until they've experienced public school.

For us, it was a long time coming. My sweet, impulsive, talkative, emotional, and incredibly smart son struggled during Kindergarten and 1st grade, but it was really 2nd grade that sent him into a tailspin. I was constantly getting notes home or calls from his teacher or administrators. He was just always in trouble. He would come home in tears and ask why no one liked him. He would tell me that he didn't do the things he was getting in trouble for. But I didn't know what to believe. Sometimes kids lie. Why would the adults in his school not be telling me the truth? It wasn't until the very end of the year that I saw the horrible truth about what was happening to my son. Another parent had been volunteering for an event in a different grade and told me that my son's desk was in the common area for 2nd and 3rd grade. She told me that he had been there all day. My son wasn't even aloud in the classroom? How was he learning? I immediately went into the school (only about 20 minutes early) and took my son home. I talked to him and found out that this wasn't an isolated incident. He spent a lot of time in the commons. I was furious. I was sad. I was disappointed. I decided to talk to another teacher in that commons to verify my son's story. It turns out, he wasn't lying. Some things made sense. Like why his teacher thought he was behind in reading even though he was reading books above his grade level with me. Some things just created more questions. Like how could the administration see this and not do anything? How could he be doing all these things he was getting in trouble for when he wasn't even in the classroom? But I didn't know what to do about it.

There had been a discussion of homeschooling when he was in 1st grade and struggling a little. But the discussion became far more real when I saw what was happening to my son. Unfortunately, it was the very end of the school year and this teacher was retiring so there wasn't really anything I could do. I had it on good authority that he was going to have an amazing teacher the next year so I gave public school one more chance.

For the record, my son's 3rd grade teacher was the absolute best teacher in the entire world. She was perfect for him! Plus, she and I had a great relationship. The things that happened to my son in 2nd grade, though, truly affected him. I didn't learn how much until I saw it for myself while he was in 3rd grade. In 2nd grade, he chewed on his pencils a lot. I bought him some extra ones for 3rd grade, thinking he would go through them faster than most children. He didn't chew on a single pencil! It turns out, he was so stressed in 2nd grade that he was destroying his pencils. That broke my heart. His 3rd grade teacher told me that she absolutely adored my son and that it made it truly sad that she constantly needed to remind him that he was wanted in her class. She told me he would apologize that she got stuck with him in her class. She was amazing though and would let him know that she specifically asked for him. And the cherry on top of the crap sundae his 2nd grade teacher left for us was when I watched a student walk into the classroom, push my kid, and then tattle that my son was pushing and shoving him. His teacher told me there was a lot of that at the beginning of the year, but she squashed it and said it wasn't going to happen in her class. So I thought my child was lying to me when he would say he didn't do something. I felt like the worst parent in the world. I didn't trust my own son! My one small relief from feeling like absolute garbage was how smart my child was. Not only was he NOT behind in reading, he was ahead. So far ahead, he was off the scale for 3rd grade. He was reading at a 6th grade level. And it wasn't just reading. He was good at everything. His teacher told me once that my son was the smartest kid she has ever taught.

It sounds like things got a lot better. Right? Well, kind of. All of those problems that happened in 2nd grade were still happening in some of his area classes (like music, p.e., and lunch). I was asked to have a meeting with some teachers and the administration. I was hopeful that this meeting might make some things clear to me as to why my child was having so many issues outside of his main classroom. Well, it was a crap storm. The "administration" that showed up was the assistant principal who thought that every child should be treated the exact same regardless of their emotional state. I understand where she's coming from to a point. But if you expect teachers to adjust their teaching styles to each individual child based on their learning abilities, why can you not have a plan in place for a child that isn't always emotionally able to handle a classroom? She was very negative the entire meeting and she was disrespectful to anyone who tried to stand up for my child. I left that meeting feeling defeated. At this point, my husband and I decided that we just couldn't do it anymore. We couldn't allow the public school system to fail my child any longer. We were going to start homeschooling in 4th grade.

I wish that was the end of my story. But clearly, it's not. A combination of my son saying he was being bullied (my words, not his) in the lunchroom and the assistant principal not letting him move away from that child and me actually witnessing her yelling at him to the point where he was almost in tears. Plus, a principal who just couldn't be bothered to be involved led me to pull my son before the year was over.

When I told the principal that my son would not be returning to that school for the remainder of the year or any year in the future, she was very judgmental. She told me I was making a mistake. She told me it only gets harder from here and that if I took him out, I was setting him up for failure. She told me that if he was having trouble socializing now, he would only suffer more if I took him out. She told me that I can't protect him forever. That really set me off. I told her that no matter what we decide for the future, I need to do what's best for my son. And what's best for him is to not think that every single person, including the adults, in his life hate him. What's best for him is to have people that will respectfully speak to him and not scream in his face. What's best for him is to learn in an environment where he can really flourish instead of having his smarts suppressed because it's more important to make sure that he stands in line quietly than to learn how to channel his creativity and energy into something great. So what I am completely sure of, is that what's best for my son, is to not be here in this school. It may work for most people, but clearly my son is not most people. And that's why we decided to homeschool.

Truthfully, I am so glad that most people will never have to have the same experience that I have had with public school. I truly believe that it works for most people. There are some amazing teachers out there and I hope that if your child is in public school, that they are blessed with as many great teachers as they can get! But just know that it's not for everyone. And people that homeschool their children are truly doing what they think is best for their kid.

I know there are two sides to every story. And I would love to hear the other side of this story from the people involved. But this is my side. I know I didn't always handle things the way I should have. I know I wasn't always the best parent. But I'm learning and doing my best to better myself. Baby steps, right? Let me know in the comments why you chose to homeschool your kids or why you never would. I would love to know!