Cut out a 10″ Square. Serge all the way around the edges. I used the rolled edge stitch on my serger.
No serger instructions: Cut out 2 – 10 1/2″ squares and sew them right sides together using a 1/4″ seam, leaving a hole for turning. Turn it right side out, iron and whip stitch the hole.

Sew a 1″ piece of velcro into the corner. Flip it over and sew the other side of the velcro onto the opposite corner on the opposite side of the fabric.

Fold in the corners without velcro first, then fold in the velcro corners. It is like an envelope.

You can also use it as a little tablecloth when you picnic.

I made his cake from the directions at Taste of Home.

I used this recipe for Whole Wheat Waffles.  I really like this recipe because it doesn’t leave you feeling hungry an hour later like some waffles do.  Yummy!

But, they definitely catch some bugs!  Here’s a picture of the inside after being out just 2 days.

I hope all of these moths wound up in here before they laid any eggs on my trees!

Fruit Tree Bug Catcher

Slice a banana peel and put it into a milk jug.  Mix 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vinegar.  Pour into the jug.  Fill about half full with water.  Hang from your tree.  We put them out when the trees start blooming.

Be sure to check out other gardening ideas at the Petersonclan’s Garden Club!

Soil Sterilizer

Dissolve 3 Tablespoons salt in 2 cups white vinegar.  Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid.  Put into a spray bottle.

WARNING: This will sterilize the soil – nothing else will grow there for quite a while.  I use this on my patio or driveway only.

This is a picture of a weed on our patio the day after my daughter sprayed it.  That is another benefit of this type of weed killer.  I can let my kids use it and not worry about the effects on their health.

I like to put a label with directions right onto all of my homemade cleaners and gardening remedies.  Then I don’t have to hunt for the recipe when I need to make more.  You can download the label I made for the soil sterilizer here.

Recently, a used children’s clothes store opened near us.  I found out that they also accept toys in good condition.  Today, the kids each took toys to sell that they no longer wanted.  They got to show the store owner how each of the toys work and bargain a selling price.  Then we went to the bank and put their money into their savings accounts.  They are quite happy with the money they received and I am ecstatic about less clutter in their rooms!

How do you keep your kids rooms clutter free?

I have a big clothesline outside.  I also have a clothesline and a drying rack in the basement.  I also hang clothes up on plastic hangers and hang them from the ceiling in the basement.  I have found that if I wash an average of 2 loads per day, I can keep up with the laundry and have enough room to hang up everything.  The clothes in the basement dry overnight.  We do school in the basement, so it is actually nice that I can fold the clothes as I am able in between helping the kids instead of having to do it as soon as the dryer buzzes so they don’t get wrinkles.

It seemed like we were saving on our electric bill, but I thought I’d graph it so we could see exactly how much savings we have had.

December and January here were very cold this year.  We have a heat pump and we had to run the emergency heater many days this winter.  Last winter we only ran it a day or two.  That accounts for the two winter months.  The other months clearly show a savings for us.  I’d hate to think how high our bills would have been in December and January if we had been running the dryer!

What do you do to save on your electric bill?

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Makes 6 cakes

3 egg yolks
4 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1/2 cup cake flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine egg yolks, lemon juice and sugar and beat until thick.  Beat egg whites until they peak.  Gently fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites.  Sift flour over eggs, a few tablespoons at a time.  Gently fold in after each addition.

Pour into ungreased shortcake pan.  Bake about 30 minutes.  Invert the pan and cool on wire cooling rack 1 hour before removing.  Loosen edges with a knife and carefully pull out each cake.

I don’t normally sift flour in recipes that call for it, but I do sift the flour in this recipe.  If you don’t have cake flour on hand, you can substitute 1/2 cup minus 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour.

Notice our dog in the background?  She would really like a sample!

It was easy to quit using paper towels for cleaning.  We just started using rags instead.  I even use rags for cleaning mirrors and glass and it works just fine.   Switching to rags to wipe up spills was also an easy switch.

It was harder to switch for washing dishes.  I like to use a fresh cloth every time I wash dishes and paper towels seemed like the easiest way to do this since I didn’t have very many dishcloths.  But then I realized, it is cheaper to make or buy some new dishcloths than it is to keep buying paper towels!  Why didn’t I realize that earlier?!  Anyway, I found a small ball of yarn in my yarn stash and started double crocheting a new dishcloth.

It works really well!  I simply wash after one use so I don’t have to worry about germs growing on it.  I am looking forward to making some more.  It is a great little project to work on while helping the kids with school.  Now, if I could just figure out a sanitary replacement for dixie cups in the kid’s bathroom!

The most common alteration I need to make is adding elastic to pants.
Use a seam ripper to rip two holes in the waistband seam just to the inside of  the belt loops.

Choose some elastic a little narrower than the waistband seam.  Put a safety pin on one end.  Use the safety pin to help you draw the elastic through, being careful not to pull the end all the way through.

Carefully pull the elastic through until the very end is just inside the open seam.  Using matching thread, sew the elastic into place.  I used a zigzag stitch for added stability.

Now, you’ll need to try the pants onto the child.  While they are wearing them, draw up the other end of the elastic until the pants fit comfortably.  Safety pin or just hold this in place.  Sew this end of the stretched elastic the same as above, being careful to ensure the elastic is not twisted.  Cut off the extra elastic and sew up the seams you ripped earlier.

This whole process only takes about 15-20 minutes.

What types of alterations have you made to your children’s hand-me-downs?