Children's Routines and Chore Charts

Like almost every child, my older son, Ian, has a routine and chore chart to do every morning and night. His chores are his responsibility but he has a horrible time trying to remember them, even though he's done them every day for as long as I can remember!

In the past he had a routine chart similar to mine. I typed up his routine, printed it out and put it in a clear sheet protector. He'd then use a dry erase marker to mark items off. However, this didn't work really well for him. His list wasn't kept in a place where he could see it, he kept loosing the marker, and had a good dose of laziness thrown in there.

Recently, I was reading a book and there was a short section about chores and a couple pictures of different types of charts. I saw a chart that I thought would be perfect for my visual, tactile, scatter brained son!

I created this chart in a Word Document using the table tool. The top reads "Good Morning" or "Good Night", indicating which one he needs to look at for that time period. Below that are rows of smiley faces/thumbs up and rows of chores/routines listed. If you have a non-reader you can replace the words with images. I printed this out on colorful paper. On another colorful piece of paper I printed out check marks. All my images came from clip art. I cut out and laminated (clear contact paper) the chart and check marks individually then attached the check marks to the chore chart with brads. When it's time for Ian to do his chores he makes sure all the smiley faces/thumbs up are covered before he begins and as he completes a task he flips the check mark over revealing the 'reward'!

This is the perfect chore and routine chart for us! Instead of me constantly telling him what to do or reminding him a million times all he has to do is go look at his chart which are now conveniently sticky-tacked to his bedroom door. He can't miss them. And although I do still have to remind him to look at his charts everyday, I don't have to remember everything on there and I sure don't miss our morning and bedtime struggles!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Delights

On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for

Our blessings all year through,

For family we dearly love,

For good friends, old and new.

For sun to light and warm our days,

For stars that glow at night,

For trees of green and skies of blue,

And puffy clouds of white.

We’re grateful for our eyes that see

The beauty all around,

For arms to hug, and legs to walk,

And ears to hear each sound.

The list of all we’re grateful for

Would fill a great big book;

Our thankful hearts find new delights

Everywhere we look!

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

~Heather

I'm Back!

After a long, half forced, half no-time-to-blog, break… I'm finally back! Well, I really am not sure how much time I'll get to blog because it’s the holiday season and I'm busy, busy, busy!

Justin got home from up-state New York last Friday (11/12/10) safely. He ended up being there 2 and a half months instead of just 2 months. He ended up being out of town again on Thursday and Friday of this past week and he'll be out of town again for the first week of December. We sure have missed him and he sure does hate being gone so much!

Pretty soon after Justin got home he fixed my laptop. It didn't have a virus but the fan and keyboard were stuffed full of fuzz and kept over heating which caused the heat sensor to shut the computer down. It's all cleaned out and working great again! Our home base computer did have a virus and it's now been fixed too. So I now have both computers available to me again! Yay!

Once my computer was fixed I was able to check my google reader… I had almost 1,000 blog posts to catch up on! I skipped over a ton and read the ones that interested me but I didn't comment on anything for time's sake. I've also been trying to catch up in other places too, which hasn't left any time to blog. I am definitely glad to be back online though!

While I was 'away' I got several projects completed and started several more! My crochet cardigan is done and I'll be dedicating a post just to it. I finished my 3 1940's style dresses. I'll have to show all of them to you too! I also picked up another wholesaler whom I create upcycled jean diaper covers for. I will have to post about that in the future too because she has a shop you could go visit! I've already completed 1 order for her and am working on a second. I've also created some pull-ups/overnight underwear for bed wetter's for a local friend of mine's children. They are really great products and I would like to carry them in my shop (when I have the time to make some!) and I hope to create a post to tell you all about them! What else? Hmmm… I've started some Christmas presents and a crocheted Christmas rag-rug (which I'll tell you about in the future). Soooo much! LOL

I have lots of ideas flowing around in my head for posts and I try to make a little note about them so I can remember them! Now, if only, I could find the time!

I hope you all have a great week!

~Heather

Garden Bouquet Quilt: Month 24- Dresden Plate Quilting Design

Not all the members of the Nancy Page needlework club wanted to use the leaf pattern for quilting the white blocks in the Garden bouquet quilt. They wanted some other designs. And not only for that quilt but for others as well.

Accordingly Nancy had other block patterns which she is suggesting for use. They are called the Dresden plate, the ring on rig and the rosette.

Each week she will give one pattern. When they are all printed she plans to start another quilt. It’s a brand new one and she won’t give a hint as to its plan or color scheme. But she counsels patience. You’ll see it before long.

The one she has today she calls the Dresden plate. She might call it the “Aster” or the “Friendship” or the “Album” pattern. It is planned for the quilt which bears any of those names.

In the quilt the blocks are made of wedge shaped pieces joined to form a circle. There is a circular piece appliquéd in center. And the whole thing is appliquéd to a plain white block.

These quilts are satisfactory in that they use up scraps of material. Even large patterned pieces may be used, since just a wedge is cut. Those large patterned pieces are not so good for flowers or birds, such as we have been using in the Garden Bouquet quilt. In that quilt it is better to use plain and small patterned prints. They do not distort the outline of the appliqué by their own figures.

In the quilting pattern given today the method of procedure is as follows: Trace this onto regular tracing paper. This is tough but semi transparent. Just one-fourth of pattern is given. It is wise to make a complete pattern. This is easily done by using center point as a converging point and repeating pattern three more times.

Carbon paper is useful for transferring pattern, or the tracing paper may be laid over the paper pattern. Since the tracing paper is semi transparent it is easy to see lines through. A sharp pencil will carry the design.

Now paste the newspaper pattern into the Nancy Page scrapbook. Once it is in there you have it safe for future use.

Take a pillow, a sharp pin and set to work to prick the tracing paper pattern.

There are regular perforating machines but the home maker does not need one. Perforate the pattern with pin holes placed about an eighth of an inch apart. The toughness of tracing paper purchased at a stationer’s- comes in to play in the fact that close perforation does not tear paper.

When the pattern is completely pricked, get a wad of soft cloth or cotton and the stamping powder or paste.

Follow directions given with these and you soon will have the pattern transferred to quilt.

Then the fun of quilting begins.

Quick Links to:

Month 1: Beginning Instructions, Urn, and Basket Instructions
Month 2, Part 1: The Tulip
Month 2, Part 2: The Saucy Bird
Month 2, Part 3: The Meek Bird
Month 3: The Cactus
Month 4: Lily of the Valley
Month 5: The Wild Rose
Month 6: The Trillium
Month 7: Canterbury Bells
Month 8: Nasturtium
Month 9: The Pansy
Month 10: The Tiger Lily
Month 11: The Primrose
Month 12: The Zinnia
Month 13: The Daffodil
Month 14: The Phlox
Month 15: The Poppy
Month 16: The Rose
Month 17: Balloon Flower
Month 18: Forget-Me-Not
Month 19: The Lemon Lily
Month 20: The Crocus
Month 21: The Violet
Month 22: The Border
Month 23: Leaf Quilting Deisgn
~*~
Hand Appliqué
Machine Appliqué
Alternate Method of Appliqué Tutorial
Biased Binding Tutorial