Reindeer Fodder

Mmm mmm good! Even if you think this sounds terrible, you must make it and sample it - because you are wrong, it's delicious! The salty peanuts provide just the right counter balance to the sweetness of the chocolate. Enjoy!

Here's what you'll need:
3 1/2 C Captain Crunch (no berries) cereal (it's the only time I buy this)
3 1/2 C Rice Krispies
3 C Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 C miniature marshmallows
2 lbs white chocolate (or almond bark)

Stir the first four ingredients into a large mixing bowl.



Mix all together.

Break the chocolate into 1-inch chunks, and melt it in a double boiler or a heavy saucepan. Stir regularly.

Hard way to cut chocolateEasy way to cut chocolate

Pour chocolate over the other ingredients, and mix well.


Pour out in a thin-ish layer onto wax paper. Let harden and break into smaller pieces.

See Scribbit's Winter Bazaar for more crafty winter/Christmas ideas and for Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday tips.

If you want to play "Guess the Celebrity" - see this post.

Candlelight Dinners

The whole month of December, our family eats by candlelight. We take turns lighting and (carefully) blowing out the candles. I grew up with that tradition, back in the old days when we used matches to light candles.

My kids love this tradition. We used to use tapers, but it became to tricky for lighting purposes, then we went the votive route - too messy, now we just use tea lights. Ahhh perfect.

Luckily, we have a dimmer on our dining room light so we can still see what we're eating, but the kids get the feel of eating by candlelight. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, they are begging us to bring out the candle tree.

If you'd like to see other Works for me Wednedsay posts, head over to Rocks in my Dryer or see my Christmas Goodies posts each Wednesday from now until Christmas.

And just for kicks:
IKEA Style closet
Toddler Proofing your Christmas Tree
Organize with a Baking Bin
A little something pink
Beware, attack of the lint!
Pampers diaper review

Turkey Feather Place Cards and Yummy Centerpiece

In my Aunt Kathy's family, they've had this tradition for years. First, make a regular batch of rice krispie treats, but mold them into the bust of a turkey. We used spice drops for eyes and a wattle.

Next cut feathers out of construction paper or cardstock and write each family member's name on them. Tape a toothpick to the back of the feather. Place the feather on the plate where each person should sit.
Before or after your Thanksgiving Prayer, go around the table and have each family member say something they are especially grateful for and then have them place their feather in the turkey. I think the turkey we'll be poking this year will be covered in more than 30 feathers.

This has been a Winter Bazaar post. Check out Scribbit's place for more Winter Bazaar craft ideas.

Easy Centerpiece

Here's an easy Thanksgiving centerpiece. Purchase a solid (8-10)grapevine ball from your local crafts store, as well as silk fall leaves, mini pumpkins, acorns,and raffia. Hot glue with reckless abandon (but not reckless enough to burn yourself)!

You could also use your own real leaves and nuts. Just realize that your lovely creation will need doctoring up for next year if you do.


Check out Scribbit's site for more Winter Bazaar ideas and Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday posts.

A few of my previous WFMW posts:
Paint like a pro
Organizing bags
Secret to beautiful wood floors
Sunday Jar
Family Fun
Math is fun
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Job charts
Kids' snacks

Dem Bones, dem bones

Are you up to your eyeballs in Hallween crafts yet?

Here's another quickie, and all you need are qtips, glue, and black construction paper.


Assemble them like the picture, you need the qtips that have a paper middle. I don't think the ones with the plastic centers will work.


Click on the picture to enlarge it and see what we did. A fast, fun project - although not exactly anatomically/physiologically correct.

Click for a fun, tasty (not to mention easy) Halloween dessert. Or to see other Works for me Wednesday posts visit Rocks in my Dryer.

Paint like a pro!

Here's what works for me when painting.

The easiest (and the most boring) way to make a painted room look great is to paint it all one color, but if you'd like to attempt painting the ceiling a different color than the walls (or trim) - I have a few tricks that will help you.

The most important thing is to mask. Mask the trim and the ceiling. I use the wider tape to mask where the wall and ceiling meet.

I like to paint the walls first, so I mask off the ceiling right next to the wall. If you've done this before and you have a textured ceiling, you know that the wall color will seep under the tape and you'll get an uneven edge even though you went to all the trouble of masking it.

It's also tough to get a tight seal with your tape on the baseboards. Make sure to wipe them down with a wet rag to get the dust off first. Get your tape lines as straight as you can.

Just take some of the ceiling color (which is usually a lighter color than the walls) and with a brush paint right on top of the tape next to the wall. This will seal the edge of your tape and prevent the wall color from seeping under it. Do the same thing with your trim color; paint it over the top of the tape, right where the wall and trim meet.

Let it dry, and then paint your walls. Later, when you're ready to paint the ceiling do the same process in reverse. Tape off the walls, run some wall color over the tape where it meets the ceiling, let it dry, paint, let it dry (very important), peel off the tape and voila! perfect straight lines. Well, at least as straight as you taped them.

This also works great on orange peel textured walls and bullnose corners when you want to have a crisp line between colors.

For other tips, stop by Rocks in my Dryer or see some of my past tips:

Organizing bags - and a fun giveaway
Secret to beautiful wood floors
Sunday Jar
Family Fun
Math is fun
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Job charts
Kids' snacks

You need this kind of Organizing in your life

Edited to add this exciting announcement:
Here is your chance to win some of those Organizing Bags that you've been waiting to try. If you already know of their loveliness first hand then you know you can never have too many! The winner will receive one bag in each of five sizes. The contest is open to U.S. and Canada .

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post, and then go and visit The Lazy Organizer and leave a comment on her post. If you visit each of her affiliates’ posts and leave a comment, that's that many more chances to win. She is giving away one set of bags but the more comments you leave the more chances you have to win. (One comment at each post please.)

She will choose a random winner on Friday and notify him/her by e-mail. If the winner doesn't respond within four days she will pick a new winner. (you must post a valid email address to win)

Yep, that's right, the kind of Organizing with a capital O.

I love these bags. I ordered the 8 bag sample kit for only $30.00 so that I could test drive all the sizes. Each bag has a see-thru pocket in the front that Lara suggests putting a name card or project label in (it also just happens to accommodate my cell phone perfectly), as well as a handle - I love that feature - so the bags can be hung on hooks, can you say convenient? How about tidy? How about extremely affordable?

As a crafter, I think the extra large size is wonderful. They are perfect for holding applique quilt blocks, yarn & needles for a sweater project, 12x12 scrapbook pages, or any other project you can think of. (4 for $25)

Hands down, I love the large Organizing bag (picture at top) the best! I'm going to order three more to hold a coloring book and pencils for each of the girls and Russell's drawing supplies for when we're in the car. It's also how I pack my baby knitting projects around. I'm considering throwing out my game boxes and storing the board games in these - I may just have gone a little mad with that last idea. (4 for $20)

The medium Organizing bag is great for holding a couple diapers, my portable huggies wipes container, and a spare onesie (for those times when I don't want to haul the entire diaper bag). I'm using them as church bags for the girls, too. I put their 2nd set of scriptures, underlining pencils, scripture mastery cards, and a small notebook in each one. No more looking everywhere for odds and ends when Sunday rolls around, now they have a special bag just for Sundays. The label pocket lets them easily tell which one is theirs. Oh, and Karen, wouldn't these be great for storing those activities for the deafblind simulations? I'm just sayin.' (4 for $15)

The small Organizing bag is great for storing bits and bobs, thread, circular knitting needles, embroidery floss, flashcards, puzzles, snacks, markers, glue sticks, hair stuff, stickers, or a mini first-aid kit. It is Mom's little organizing buddy. (4 for $10)

The extra small Organizing bag is perfect for housing your lip gloss, clippers, and on-the-go makeup; or your cash and credit cards when you go swimming. You know all that stuff that tends to roll around in the bottom of your purse and you can never find it? Put it in here. What? You expect me to believe that your purse is not an dark abyss you are afraid to reach into? (4 for $10)

Try these out by clicking on the "Organizing Bags" button in my sidebar, browsing around, and placing your order. Lara will be hosting a giveaway for these bags soon, so be sure to check back here in the next few days - you'll definitely want to win some. All proceeds from your purchases will be donated to the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation. Thanks and Happy Organizing! With a capital 'O'....

While you're here, why not look around at some other fun stuff?
This is a Works for me Wednesday post. See Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for other ideas or see my other WFMW tips:
Secret to beautiful wood floors
Sunday Jar
Brand Loyalty
Family Fun
Math is fun
Kids in the kitchen
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Longer lasting cut flowers
Job charts
Kids' snacks
Sensory garden
Traveling w/baby

Get your shine on!

If you have glossy wood floors, or would like to, I highly recommend using Quick Shine Floor Finish by Holloway House. (Use it on sealed wood floors).

First, I wet mop my floors with plain water to remove all the spills from the kids. This leaves the floor looking a bit dull, so I use this type of mop and get the towel applicator wet.

I wring it out completely, stretch the applicator over the mop, and then squirt it with the Quick Shine. (Do not squirt this directly on your wood floor, it will leave a mark - ask me how I know).

You can mop a 3x6 foot area before you need to squirt more product on your mop. It doesn't leave streaks, but I do recommend mopping with the grain of the wood floor rather than across it. It dries in about 15 minutes. I like to put on a second coat for the ultimate shine.

I do it about 4 times a year and spot clean in between. It will make your floor look like it was just professionally resealed, and it smells a bit lemony. It's about $4.80 a bottle and you can usually find it on the bottom shelf of your local Walmart.

For other Works for me Wednesday tips visit Rocks in my Dryer or see my other tips

Sunday Jar
Brand Loyalty
Family Fun
Math is fun
Kids in the kitchen
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Longer lasting cut flowers
Job charts
Kids' snacks
Sensory garden
Traveling w/baby

The Sunday Jar

Remember Sundays when you were a kid? We had some wonderful traditions (caramel popcorn and family movies at Grandma's), but there were lots of things you couldn't do. Lots of them.

We came up with a way to focus on the things we can do and still keep the Sabbath holy - The Sunday Jar.

On each folded paper square (made with scrapbook paper) is a suggestion. In our family, the kids get one Sunday a month (each) to pick from the jar after church. That's our family activity for the day. It has helped us to build memories and enjoy Sundays more.

We also have quiet time each Sunday. (It's really Mom and Dad nap time) The kids stay in their rooms for an hour and do something quiet (read, draw, stitch, etc). The time starts over if they get loud (rarely happens).

Here are a few suggestions to get you started on your own Sunday jar:

*Watch a family movie (you know - the camcorder films)
*Invite another family over for dinner or dessert
*Go on a family walk - notice God's creations
*Play a game together as a family (we have several Sabbath type games)
*Make caramel popcorn
*Go for a drive in the mountains
*Read together from a chapter book
*Write in our journals
*Write letters to grandparents, missionaries, or servicemen & women
*Make cookies for someone special
*Put together a care package (extra food, letters, comfort items)

This is a Works For Me Wednesday post, for other ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer or see my other tips:

Brand Loyalty
Family fun
Math is fun
Kids in the kitchen
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Longer lasting cut flowers
Job charts
Kids' snacks
Sensory garden
Traveling w/baby

The brands I love and can't live without!

We are mostly a generic or store brand family, but there are a few things I feel are worth spending the extra money for.

For babies:
Huggies wipes - I go through a lot of these each month. The fragrance isn't overpowering, the wipe is plenty thick (so you use less per change), and I love the pop-up feature.

Luvs diapers - I use Huggies for the newborn size, but after that it's Luvs all the way! Economical and no leaks.

For the kids:
Skippy Natural Peanutbutter - at the beginning of our marriage, we became peanutbutter snobs. We have always paid a bit more for Skippy, but then we got health conscious, at least we sorta did, and made the switch to Skippy Natural. Wait for Albertson's to have their 10 for $10 sale and pick up all the 18 oz jars you can - it's cheaper than buying the heart attack jumbo size - or, just buy it regularly when you stop in at your local Wal-meh it's $2 there.

Yoplait Gogurts & Fizzix - again, we pick these up at Wal-meh (best price, not a lot of variety). Ty absolutely loves these and you can freeze them if they're close to expiring. Fizzix is a cross between pop rocks and yogurt, kind of like carbonated yogurt. I know they're loaded with sugar, but I'll try anything to help Ty eat by mouth again.

For the grown-ups:
Post Frosted Shredded Wheat and Quaker Granola - if I haven't made our own granola, these tend to be our breakfast favorites.

Dr Pepper - Mr Pibb just doesn't cut it for me, in fact, I'd rather drink water than spend the calories on a substitute. Although, I like mine from a soda fountain rather than the can.

Skintimate Shave Gel (sensitive skin)- Why yes, I do like to pay for products through the nose, thank you. This one is worth it. Soft legs without the dryness, what's not to love? The price maybe?

Best Foods Mayonnaise - either you're a mayo or a Miracle Whip family, but hardly ever are you both. We are a mayo family. I have made my own and it tastes a lot like Best Foods, so we are stuck in a mayo rut.

All Small & Mighty detergent - I have always been a Surf detergent user, but then my daughter developed excema. Somehow All Small & Mighty gets the clothes clean, is easy on her skin, and still leaves the clothes with a nice scent. I think having soft water helps, too.

And, while we're at it, let's talk chocolate. I prefer the creamier stuff like Cadbury's and Lindt. I don't go so far as to shop at the import store, and I have been know to succumb to the siren song of Peanut M&Ms.

Check out other bloggers' favorite brands at Rocks in my Dryer. But first, tell me what brands you can't live without.

Family starts with F, and that means FUN!

I don't think I inherited the "fun mom" gene. I know that some of my sisters did - but me? I only got the "read-aloud mom" gene. (edited to add: links at the bottom of the post)

It's not that I don't like to have fun, it just doesn't come naturally to me. I have to sit and really brainstorm for fun ideas, plan them, and then voila! FUN happens.

But! There is hope for people like me. If you are one of us, you will enjoy Shelley Wille's books. My aunt lent me her copy of Never A Dull Moment-

there are so many ideas in here that I'm going to try.

I love her "Kooky Cookie Night" - tons of ideas for family fun with the cheap cookies you can get at Wally World (i.e. stacking contest, bobbing for cookies, building with cookies & frosting, cookie golf, cookie burgers, and more). We may just have to take photos of all our fun and post them.

"Disgusting Derby" and "Messy Mania" both promise a twist on the word 'fun' - anyone with boys (& maybe even girls) ought to love these ideas with disturbing themes (hairiest legs contest - involves corn syrup and sprinkles; musical burp - think musical chairs with carbonation; vaseline/cotton relay; toilet plunger sundaes; worm search - think pudding, gummy worms, & no hands; chocolate marshmallow drop, and many, many others). I don't think you or I have the stomach for me to post any of these pictures.

The bubblegum party is another idea I know my kids will go for. I am so stocking up on Hubba Bubba and Bubble-licious!

Shelley's ideas are fun and easy to implement. Key items to keep on hand for the 29 different themes - pudding, marshmallows, balloons, shaving cream (cheap 69 cent brand).

I love how the greatest discoveries seem to be by accident. Try her books and see if you don't agree.

For more ideas for your family, check out Works for me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer or see my other tips:

Math is fun
Kids in the kitchen
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Longer lasting cut flowers
Job charts
Kids' snacks
Sensory garden
Traveling w/baby

We love Math, Math is fun!

Say it with me now. Now.
How about now?

Nope? You don't think so? That's because you've always done it the regular boring way. We have been enjoying a great site that helps parents to help kids understand and yes! even enjoy math. Get started here with basic ideas for learning math the natural way.

Julie Brennan, a CPA, has created a wonderful resource for the rest of us with Living Math. My favorites are her Math reader recommendations. The Murderous Maths series, Mathematicians are People Too, and more.

I also love her game recommendations. (complete with a list of internet sites to play math games, make your own worksheets, etc.)

Surf around, and enjoy.

For other Works for Me Wednesday tips visit Rocks in my Dryer.

Kids in the Kitchen

The kitchen seems to be the heart of most homes. Even if you don't cook, you eat and clean up in there.

My kids have always been with me in the kitchen. There are times when I shoo them out to have it to myself, but mostly we're all in there.

Even a two year old can help unload the dishwasher if the dishes are stored low enough for her to put them away. Nothing gives them a sense of accomplishment and self esteem like helping around the house. Here are a few more things from my bag of tricks to make it fun and easy for kids to help in the kitchen.

1. Aprons - everyone should have one. In fact, there are cheap decorate-it-yourself ones at craft stores everywhere. But, just for kicks, why not buy cute aprons like these?

2. Baking Bin - I keep my measuring cups & spoons, spatulas, liquid measures, wooden spoons and cookie scoop in a dishwashing tub in the cupboard by the mixer. At 99 cents they are the cheapest storage container (& no lid so you can see everything).

3. Parchment Paper - for easy cleanup and fluffier cookies. Trust me on this.

4. Order - line up the kids and let them take turns measuring and then dumping in the ingredients. That way everyone gets a turn and you keep your sanity.

5. Kitchen Scissors - This is for you, not the kids (sharp enough to cut through bones). These are the best 1.99 I've ever spent. Have I told you how much I love IKEA? I keep them on the top shelf in my pantry.

6. Gloves - I do not love the texture of raw meat and let's not get into the sanitary issues. Whenever my kids mix up a meatloaf or handle chicken, they put on some latex-free gloves. Any medical supply store will have these for about $7.00 per box of 100 (it'll last a long time). The gloves can be big for small hands but a rubberband around the wrist does a good job of keeping them on (just remember to cut them off and throw away the gloves when you're through).

7. Assign a cooking night - Have each child cook with you. Start with one night a month and work up to once weekly. It's a great way to squeeze in some quality time even if you're just heating up prepared food.

For other Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer or see my other tips:
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Longer lasting cut flowers
Job charts
Kids' snacks
Sensory garden
Traveling w/baby

On the Road Again

When we take road trips, we have found a few things that are really helpful.

Besides bringing:
A book on cd or a good read-aloud book
Kids' music
Catalog for eye candy (our favorite is Lakeshore Learning Supply)
A dvd player (I'm pretty mean and only let them watch a couple)
A small bin with an activity/coloring book for each child, car games, & colored pencils (only twist up crayons, because of melting issues)
A small handiwork project (if we're going to be more than 8 hours in the car)
Their own pillow & small blanket
Water bottles (with their name on them)

I also prepare on-the-road snack bags. I use a paper lunch sack, and write their name on it. I put snack portions in ziploc bags of a few favorite snacks (Nibs, Bugles, Teddy Grahams, Chex Mix-Honey Nut, carrot sticks, apples slices pre-dipped in Sprite). Chocolate is too messy for the car - leave it out. This limits the amount of snack food, but gives them control over when and how much to eat.

It is funny to see how each child eats or saves their snacks. Sometimes I throw in a dollar for them to pick their own thing out when we stop for gas. Everyone likes a little mad money, I just like to limit the madness to a dollar.
I also like to bring a clean, damp washcloth in a baggie for quick cleanups. Baby wipes will do the trick too.

(Also, you'd be surprised how quiet the kids can be when perusing a great catalog).

More of my favorite parenting helps:
Chore Chart
Snack Bags
Traveling with Babies
Sensory Garden
Or check out a whole host of parenting tips helps at Rocks in my Dryer

Long-lasting cut flowers

First, plunge the cut flowers into a sinkful of lukewarm water right after cutting, or better yet bring a container of water out into the garden with you.
Put 2 tablespoons of sugar into the bottom of the vase, add water, and stir to dissolve.
Before: flower with leaves intact.
After: run your fingers along either side of the stem and strip off foliage that will be below the water line.

Recut the stem on the diagonal and place into the vase.

Arrange and enjoy!

My flowers last longer than I like to keep them. I just threw out my last group of cut flowers and they were nowhere near being wilted after two weeks.

Another hint: empty the water in the vase after 5 days, trim another inch off the bottom of the stems and refill with water and a Tbsp. of lemon-lime soda. An easy way to do this without having to rearrange the flowers is to grasp the flowers just above the vase line, pull them out and continue holding while you trim the ends with the other hand.

Here are some of my other Works for me Wednesday Tips (scroll down). For other great tips, head over to Rocks in my Dryer.

Manage the Snackage

Mom, I'm hungry. What can I eat?

Do you hear this in your house? I came up with a strategy to quiet their cries. I call it Snack Management.

Each child gets a lunch sack with their name on it every Saturday. I put 8 snack foods (enough for one snack a day and an extra) into each sack. It's up to them to "budget" their snacks.

My kids are welcome to as many fruits and vegetable snacks as they would like, but I limit their intake of prepared snacks to one serving a day. Actually, they could eat them all on Monday, but they won't get any more until the next Monday.

I have included such snacks as wheat thins, a cookie or two, rice krispies, granola bars, pretzels, a ticket for a yogurt, some chips, etc. I make sure to have plenty of apples, grapes, carrots, bits of cheese, etc in the fridge.

They don't have to ask me what they can have. When it's gone - it's gone. They do remind me when "Snack bag" day rolls around though.

Hope this helps you manage the kids' munchies. Hmmm, maybe I should make one with my name on it. Naaah. See Rocks In My Dryer for other WFMW tips or go here (and scroll down) to see s'more of my tips.

Sensory Garden

A Sensory Garden is fun for every child - or the child in each of us. It includes plantings that appeal to each of our senses: Sight, Smell, Touch, Taste, and (done right) even Hearing.

You can plant a mini Sensory Garden using potted plants or you can go all out and plant an entire flowerbed or yard. Typically they are accessible to the diabled as well. My son is in a wheelchair so we have planted everything to be at a height that is easy for him to touch.

Our vegetable garden is raised so that he can help pick the peas and tomatoes. Involve the kids and talk about what you're planting - they will love getting their hands in the soil.

Here is a basic planting list for each of the five senses - my favorites have an asterisk next to them. Many plants can fit into more than one category.

Pictures of our Sensory Garden can be found here

Sight - This is where to include bright colors and annuals are great for this

Snapdragons*

Anemones

Gerber Daisy

Yarrow

Larkspur

Salvia

Carnations

Tulips

Pinwheels - The metallic ones are very eye catching

Petunias

Smell

Fragrant Roses (Blossom Time*, Tiffany,* Fragrant Cloud)

Lavendar* - also calming, when kids get wound up - have them pick some for you

Mock Orange

Hyacinths*

Phlox*

Mints (best grown in a container, they are invasive)

Dill (crush between fingers)

Chammomile (apple scented)

Curry plant

Chocolate Basil or Cosmos

Touch

Lamb's Ear

Fern

Moss

Succulents

Sedums

Water features
Sensitive Plant - very cool, closes when you touch it

Ornamental grasses (some of these can give you a paper cut, choose carefully)

Pebbles

Taste - be careful to plant these together or clearly mark them as edible to avoid accidents

Grape Tomatoes

Thornless Blackberries/Raspberries

Strawberries

Cilantro

Fennel (black licorice taste)

Dill
Nasturiums

Violets

Calendula

Sound

Water fountain (simple or elaborate)

Bells

Aspen trees

Chimes

Bamboo

Grasses
Birds - if you plant berries, they will come

This is a Works For Me Wednesday post. To check out other ideas visit Rocks In My Dryer.

To sleep, perchance to dream...

Back when Ty was an infant, I refinished a cradle belonging to my Uncle D. I loved it, I painted it white, and kept it in my room. When he outgrew it, he slept in a crib we bought from my mom's neighbor. He had horrible reflux and we ended up sleeping him in a bouncy chair or his car seat (still, technically, in the crib though).

When we moved four hours away I began sleeping my babies in a playpen. My sister thinks it's cruel, but I remind her that in some countries people actually sleep on the FLOOR. At least she sleeps three inches higher than that and it's not like she's sleeping on dirt, or has flies landing all over her, or a distended belly. (veiled reference to my former third world country of residence or have they made it to Developing Nation status now?)

My reasoning for this was simply convenience. I traveled a lot to visit my mom or Mr. Triumph's mom and I wanted them to be able to sleep where ever we were. I mean, I wanted to be able to sleep where ever we were.

The playpen? Worked like a charm! For my first four, I used the same basic, boldy-colored square playpen. No bells, no whistles - just a playpen. And my kids were excellent sleepers, even on the road. Hah!

There is a seven year gap between our last two and the playpen had long ago found a new home at Grandma's house. We decided to give the crib *thing* a try for our last baby. Besides, they are so much more fun to decorate around.

I sewed a dust ruffle, crib sheets, and quilts. I was ready. I hung in there for about 6 months, and then I caved and bought a new playpen. The basic square pen is no longer available, but did you know they make them narrow enough to fit through doorways now and they have wheels on one side to aid in moving them? Suh-weet!

So now my sis thinks I'm a meanie to have my daughter sleep on nothing more than a padded piece of masonite (although I do pad it with a quilt or two), but my baby - she can sleep anywhere!

And that's a "Works for Me Wednesday" For other tips or to join in, visit Rocks in My Dryer.