Mommiedom

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

One Week with the Glowforge

I LOVE THIS MACHINE!

Did I say it loud enough? The Glowforge is so much fun and of course I am using it every single day to make something. If I have an idea, I can usually draft my project and cut it in under an hour if not sooner.

Here are some of my projects that I have been working on. The Catan board was by far the longest cut (9 hours over to cut over four days).

The family set it up as I cut the last few pieces. It was so much nicer than the board you get with the game because this doesn't move.

I really am into jewelry as well and trying my hand at different designs of stuff like plaques and bookmarks!

The picture doesn't do it justice- I made this for my niece and painted it with metallic paints

My own design in metallic paints

Not all who wander in Gallifrey keychain

My heart is in WI

From the catalog

I so wanted to engrave a octopus!

Mom can I have a Wonder Woman necklace

I love you bookmark in Gallfryan

My leather feather.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Glowforge Fun, The First 24 hours

Becky 11:39 AM 0 Comments

A few years ago, I saw a video on Facebook for a startup laser cutter/printer called Glowforge. I was so fascinated by it and showed it to my hubby who was also really thought it was interesting. We looked at it but decided that we would hold off because it was a two year wait.

Two years go by and well my hubby was still watching that video that showed all the fun things you could make. I mean you watch it and are amazed at how simple it looks and what it creates. So he figured with my big 4-0 coming to surprise me with it. He was so sweet when he told me he got it for me and that it would come in November. Well the arrival date got moved to March and well we hemmed and hawed about still getting it. Than all of a sudden, the email showed up saying it was ready to ship, nearly six months after we ordered.

So we got ready for it and prepped the area for it because it is huge. The proof grade material showed up and than we waited and waited. It was a long nearly two weeks between the email and delivery. So she we finally got "It's out for Delivery" we were so excited. I waited all day for it and finally we all had to leave for ball with both kids. The hubby left a note for UPS to leave it so when he got home, it was there.

So at 10 pm, we set it up and did our first and second print by 10:45. This machine is so easy to use. I spent the first 24 hours having fun with it. The only downsize is the smell is a tad like burnt marshmallows but we are getting use to it.

I made a ton of things some where from the catalog they have and some were from my own design.

Here are some of the fun things I made. I find it to be easy to use and figured I need to just use it.

Wooden pin I found on www.cartonus.com

My son had me make two more bigger ones we put on stands for his friend and him.

Here is my machine

Acrylic key chain. I used my Cricut to do the monogram.

Fun little box

Feather necklace. This was the second cut made

Jewelry ser

Periodic Element Clock that I designed myself.

The start of the Catan Board!

Thanks for stopping by!

Becky

# Glowforge

Monday, January 8, 2018

Godzilla 8th Birthday Party

Becky 11:02 AM 1 Comments

My son wanted a birthday party his year to celebrate his 8th birthday. I said sure but we needed to have it at the house because last year we did Dave and Busters.

So I figured I could do a Spy or Army theme but no he wanted a Godzilla theme. This kid LOVES Godzilla. He was Godzilla for Halloween (that is his costume that big sis is wearing). He watches the movies like crazy. El Rey had a marathon on for Christmas so we watched a bunch of them.

So I started the task of seeing what was out there for Godzilla party supplies. Nothing Nada and nope on that area. Yes if I wanted to pay outrageous prices for vintage 1998 Godzilla movie supplies but nope that wasn't going to happen.

So with two weeks and the holiday break, I was able to figure out an idea and set it in motion.

My plan was to have Monarch Agent Training (Monarch is the secret agency in the new Godzilla and Kong movies).

Using one of my digital scrapbook programs, I created a fun invite for the boys and mailed them out all like they were secret agents.

My invite turned out super cute:

The kids ate it up and were so excited to come and train. So here I was honestly now trying to figure out what I could do for a group of 8 year old boys that would be fun, not be speed through and be like they were being trained.

After I thought some, I came up with some ideas to do at the party.

I figured out the five following games for the boys to play while here and each was a part of their "training".

Our first game was to match the Kaiju monster to his name (Know your Enemies) . The kids were stumped but they had a blast trying to figure out who was who. They worked in teams to figure out who Mothra and Rodan were. It was surprising at how well they knew some of the famous monsters.

We than went on to learn about Godzilla's power by pinning his fire on him. The boys thought this was hysterical and they loved turning the others around and trying their hand.

Our third game was target practice where I built a homemade bunch board and loaded it up with Godzilla eggs. The boys used Nerf guns to try and break the tissue paper. It was harder than it looked and most boys had to go twice to get their eggs.

Our fourth game was diffusing the bomb where we had the boys stick on huge monster slippers and try to pop the ballon. Some boys instantly popped where others, it was harder. Having large floppy feet wasn't so easy.

Our final games was defeating Godzilla which was a piñata. Now we had to be careful because nearly all but 2 of the boys play baseball so swinging the stick we had to watch out. Boy did they have fun destroying.

The boys had a blast with all of the training and of course the cake and presents. They each went home with a goodie bag full of Dinos and Dino gliders. They also had treats as well to take home.

Food was another thing I struggled with because it was an afternoon party and it was to late for lunch and to early for dinner, so we served snacks. We went to the Hong Kong market to get fun Asian treats where the boys were able to try shrimp sticks, rock candy, hi-chews and seaweed crisps. I also got a huge bag of fortune cookies which was a huge hit.

The other thing I got was the marble soda drink that they kids loved. The loved popping the marble in and having some fizzy drink. I also served some cheese and crackers as well.

The cake was my son's creation. He picked the colors out and than we decorated with mini Godzillas.

Here is my food table of treats!

We also had our fun table for the matching game and cake.

I also love to randomly decorate for the event. I created fun and very simple front door entrance.

The favorite thing was our city scape back drop. The kids took pics with Godzilla and than at the end we let Liamzilla rampage through the city scape. Kids love destroying things and knocking the buildings down.

Here is video of his rampage:

The party was great and my son told me it was the best party ever. He now has a new set of nerf guns and of course bullets are every where.

Thanks for stopping by!

Becky

# Birthday Bash

Thursday, August 31, 2017

The Aftermath- Getting Back to Normal

Becky 6:26 AM 0 Comments

It has been a LONG week and still have days to go before the kids go back to school but things are slowly getting back to normal. It has been hard and we aren't dealing with much in comparison to so many. The pictures of the flooding and all the water is hard to see. The news dominates the airways 24/7 with rescues and where the water is still rising days after the rain has stopped.

We woke on Wednesday morning to the sun rising and it was a wonderful sight here. Days of rain and flooding took a toll on everyone no matter how you were affected. It was a break after it honestly feeling like the days were running together here. My husband asked me Tuesday what day it was and was surprised when I said I was day 5 of all of this.

Tuesday morning which feels like forever ago, we ventured out some to see our area. We tried our favorite place for breakfast which was closed. We thought we might try to get to our office but it ws flooded out.

We finally stopped at he donut shop to get some donut holes. Even the poor duck just wanted it to be done with it.

On Wednesday, we heard that more was opening up so we headed out for breakfast, checked our office and heard of a place in need of volunteers so off we went helping out for an hour. So much can be done in just an hour of your time.

After that we had a late lunch and saw that the water hadn't fully receded on the feeder road.

We also stopped at the grocery store for some stuff. It was stocked as much as they could with the situation. No bread in sight but tons of meat and milk which was good. Employees were doing an awesome job.

After we got home, the kids decided to play outside to burn energy. Even the neighbor kiddo came out to get out.

I found my trash can full of water which really shows how much water we had and how lucky we were that we didn't flood.

My thoughts are with all the people who are dealing with tons of clean up. Some it took just a few hours to rid their homes while others are just starting months of repairs. The news said likely three months before all the flood waters are emptied out of here.

I don't know who to credit for this but I love this artwork for Houston.

I have many people ask me from a far how they can help and I have emails out to some people looking at needs that might be. The shelters are filled with supplies now and have started turning donations away because they just don't have the room. As soon as I have one more long term needs known, I will let you all know.

Thanks for stopping by!

Becky

Monday, August 28, 2017

Tales of Hurricane Harvey and How You Can Help!

Becky 11:11 AM 0 Comments

The monster storm (cbs.com)

As I write this, we are hoping the worst is behind us and that the storm’s additional anticipated rain fall gets pushed east and rains on areas that can take rain. Houston and most of our area really can’t take much more because the retention ponds and drainage ditches are near or at capacity right now. Gas is limited as us getting our hands on additional supplies from the grocery store is becoming difficult today but likely will be resolved here in the next day or so.

To start off, we are okay. We had a ton of rain Friday and Saturday nights. The water just ran down our streets right into a few homes unfortunately that got flooded. Our house is fine and likely just has some wind and storm damage on the roof, so will be filing a claim here as many are also doing. We spent about 40 solid hours together as a family which is lately a rare commodity with our new start up plus the start of school.

We spent our time together, watching movies, working some, and of course crafted and cleaned. I was actually deep cleaning my master bedroom when I quick post on the subdivision Facebook page got my attention. The kids’ elementary school was open as a shelter and intake location. They needed blankets, so I pulled a few blankets from my stash and sent my husband over there to donate.

He said he walked in to a few people and zero supplies there. They needed medical supplies so he came home to grab our big medical kit and took it over. He soon discovered there was no food there and more people started pouring into the cafeteria. He texted me that they needed food, so we gathered what we could like snacks, drinks, and some stuff to make PB&Js. We all piled in the car and headed over.

I also put out some calls onto social media as well as the local Nextdoor app asking for supplies at the school. We got there to the kitchen already being open (heard the fire department broke the lock) so we set to work organizing the little we had and started making sandwiches.

Another Mom was there who asked what she could do to help and I said can you help make sandwiches. Before we knew it, tons of food, dry clothes, blankets and supplies started pouring in. People stepped up to start cooking noodles and hot dogs arrived. As it poured, both people needing a dry place to come and people bringing donations streamed in. We hit a point where we now needed to move the supplies over to the other locations where more stable long term locations were set up. That Mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon just manning the food. We both ache this morning (the perks of getting older).

All the supplies coming in.

Sorting

Food donations

My drenched husband who worked his butt off!

So, we a call went out to bring trucks so the supplies could be moved and in a little over a hour, it was all moved to one of the two locations. We continued serving food and assisting people for hours. People who had been rescued were in shock and a warm meal helped. Before I knew it was 4 pm. Matt, my husband, helped with delivering supplies and had run into some friends who all caravanned with the supplies to the Red Cross shelter.

I finally headed home with two tired kids while Matt stayed for the last few waves of people coming in. A neighbor and he made some more hot dogs and just helped as needed. They finally closed the location down after everyone had been taken to the shelters.

Honestly, we did a little and many of us did just a little but because we all did that little amount, tons got done. It was amazing how people who were flooded out, stepped up to pitch in. Our EMS, Fire and Police were incredible. There was no single person in charge and actually no one was really in charge but so many stepped in to do what needed to get done now. It was a times overwhelming and it took all my might not to break down in tears but warmed my heart when a three-year-old boy who had been rescued was so excited for some cookies and had the biggest grin on his face as he ran up to tell his dad about his treasure.

It wasn’t my intend to help like I did. I just did without thinking about it one bit. It needed to get done, so we stepped up. Matt said it felt like his Navy days and he was through a few Typhoons when he was station in Guam. I really don’t think I did anything special but I do appreciate the countless thanks we were given. It was a team effort with every single person who stepped up to make the call.

There has been countless emails, calls, texts and Facebook messages asking how people can help. I have been trying to compile lists of information as I get them. For me social media as of late has been a tough pill to swallow so the positive nature of the last 30 hours is amazing.

Currently, our local supplies are limited with the lack of stores being open but many have plenty of water and food. The stores should be stocked fully again here soon because the water has receded a lot since yesterday. Once that infra structure is back in place, we all should be good there.

There are numerous shelters around the area that need additional supplies:

Bay Harbor Methodist Church is an official Red Cross location. They are in need of blankets, pillows, plates, forks, toys, cereal and sleeping bags. They can be reached at 281-334-1100 but it is unknown if anyone is answering the phone. You can also donate directly to the Red Cross .

Clear Creek High School is in need of prepared food and non perishable items. People are staying there and donations can be taken to the cafeteria.

Please though if you cannot safely leave your home, do not go out. While most of the rain has slowed and water has receded, it might not still be safe out there.

I have had so many ask how they can help so right now those are the immediate needs of our area. Donations are appreciated but there is going to be long term needs so donate to the Red Cross who help in these times. Please make sure your donations are going to a legit organization because in times like this, people will capitalize on the situations.

For anyone out there that may need assistance due to flooding here is some information I was able to find out on about FEMA and TWIA (If you are insured through them).

FEMA Information is as follows (https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey?utm_source=hp_promo&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=disaster)

1800 FEMA employees have been deployed in the area. If you want to call the command center at the Coast Guard center the numbers are as follows:

281-464-4851
281-464-4852
281-464-4853
281-464-4854
282-464-4855

If you need FEMA assistance, here is the direct link to that: https://www.disasterassistance.gov.

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is what most people have for their Windstorm Insurance. The information is here: https://www.twia.org and a claim can be started via the phone at 800-788-8247. I have heard that you should try and file prior to Friday if you can because insurance laws are changing but I don't know if this is true or not. If you don't have your policy through TWIA, contact your insurance provider as soon as you can.

It's been a rough couple of days for Houston and it still will be for weeks. We are lucky and many our friends are as well. There are also tons of friends who flooded it out and are now picking through their stuff. If you need help, please reach out for it and if you can help, please do it. If we all do a little, a lot of stuff could get done.

Also, I don't know if all the information is correct but is as accurate as I can find per the websites and information I received. You may need to verify.

Thanks for stopping by!

Becky

# Help

Friday, August 18, 2017

Back To School Tips

Becky 12:00 AM 0 Comments

Tips for going back to school

1. Plan your first week out so your kids know what to expect. Kids need to know where and when they are being dropped off. Ask them what questions they might have and have them work with you to get a feel about how it will go.

2. Lunch Meal Plan for the week and execute it on Sunday. The kids are picking out the things they like and we are getting it ready on Sunday so during the week , they can just grab and go for their lunches.

3. Backpack checklist.

My seven year old needs this so I created this checklist for him to have on his backpack. He is pretty good about remembering the stuff he needs to bring home but in the morning we sometimes forget.

I am just printing up, laminating and attaching with a key ring on his backpack. My kids also know if they forget something on here, that I will not bring it up to them. You forget you lunch, well than you buy lunch. Homework is your responsibility to make sure it is done and put in your backpack.

4. Have a evening checklist of things to do like getting backpacks semi ready, lunch kits ready to pack and of course clothes ready for the morning. This five minutes of stuff will help lower stress for the morning.

5. Enjoy the time and try not to stress about it. The first week of school can be stressful for everyone so find ways to have fun with it and understand there re things you can and can't control; Buses run late don't fret, car rider line is super long don't fret, and the tons of paper work work at tackling it in a logical means.

The first week is all about setting a good routine and hopefully some of these tips will help you to get in. good groove. Also adjust as needed because things change.

Thanks for stopping by!

# back to school