Milk Carton Bird Feeder

Today, my awesome DH started picking up some stuff and putting it in the trash for the boys to take out to the street for pick up. I thought, "How sweet!" Then, I saw an old milk carton that I'd been saving for a while go into the trash. gasp! Not my milk carton! I told him I've been saving that to make a bird feeder with the kids. In his defense, it has been sitting around for two weeks.

I decided the time is now to make that bird feeder!! The weather was unbelievably beautiful outside today, so I grabbed B. (6) to help me. Here's what we did:

1. You need a cardboard milk carton. Trace a template onto the front and back, then cut out. Don't forget to do both sides! :)

2. Make a hole about an inch or two below the opening. Put a stick or dowel through the holes to make your little perch.

3. Next, make a hole in the top of the carton, then string yarn or wire through the hole.

4. Fill up the bottom of the carton with bird seed.

5. Hang it in a tree or wherever you find that birds can use it! Stay close and enjoy seeing the birds that come to your yard!

If you've done this project or end up making one, let me know! I'd love to see your post or pics!

Thankful Thursday

Today, my heart is bursting with thankfulness mostly to my God for loving us, leading us, and providing for us in every way.


Also, I'm unbelievably grateful for the group of guys from our church family that got together and came to our house to help us with our yard work. Some of you know that my sweet husband is disabled, in a wheelchair, and simply cannot do things like work in the yard that he wishes he could do. There were 30 trees in my small backyard. Nothing would grow back there because it was completely shaded, even grass wouldn't grow. I wanted to grow a garden in my shady backyard, but had given up hope of getting all those trees down. A whole group of friends showed up with their chainsaws and willing hands and made quick work of my yard! WOW!! I'm so thankful!! I pray that God blesses those people even more than they have blessed me. Thank you so much, Lord, for providing for me and my family.

Thanks, Guys!!! You're awesome!!

It's in the BAG!

My newest sewing hobby has been making bags. I picked up a pattern for handbags, but decided I needed something a little larger probably. I tried enlarging all of the pieces, and now I can make them any size we need! The boys needed a bag to have all of their Patch the Pirate stuff in to take to church every week, so I started with theirs first.

Ry likes the cool flames, so his is done blue on the outside and orange on the inside lining

B. picked out Veggie Tales for his bag.

Then I made one to be a door prize at a Ladies' Mtg. I hosted last month, but I can't find the pic!

Here's one I made large enough to carry scrapbooks. The bright colors just jumped out at me in the store and said this will make a cute tote.

And finally, this is a bag I made for my sweet little nephew's birthday.

I also made a Thomas blanket and pillow that fit inside it.

I just love tote bags! I carry all of our stuff to church in them, books and videos to the library, all kinds of "necessary" things on trips like camera, snacks, extra batteries, magazines, goodness SO many things to carry!!!

Spring Break with my parents

My parents came to visit us on their spring break. They were here for 3 days and brought along my lovely little niece. She's precious, and I don't get to see her often. The first day rained and rained, but the next day we had beautiful weather. We all went to the Caldwell Zoo and had a terrific time!! Here are some pics of our trip.

Ancient Sheets.... I mean Greeks

When we finished up our chapter on Ancient Greeks, we decided it would be fun to dress up to fit the part. We learned through our lessons that the clothing looked like a toga. We looked for sheets that would work, but B. insisted that he wear his Toy Story sheets! I KNOW it could have looked a little better, but it's such a sweet memory and kind of funny to think of trying to make a Toy Story sheet look ancient. Thankfully, we were going for fun instead of perfection.