Flickr Friday

Are you all familiar with Flickr?
I love their tagline, "Share your photos, watch the world."
People from all over the world upload photos on flickr, for everyone to see.
And there are some amazing photos!

We went camping last weekend,
and of my favorite things about camping is being able to see the stars so well.
Here's a view of the stars from the canyon closest to my home.

Via here

Do you have a flickr photo to share? Leave a comment with the link to your photo or post!

Interpretation of Dreams

I found this article about dreams on MSN and thought it was so interesting!

Life may be just a dream, but how do we interpret it? What we dream at night can give us clues about what is important to us in waking life. Dreams help us to process our conscious thoughts and can give us new and important insights into the problems and challenges we face in the world. Although we may have strange and unusual dreams, there are a number of common dreams that many of us experience over and over again. Read the interpretations below for an explanation of symbols that seem to appear frequently in dreams.

1. Faulty or lost items: your phone won't work, your car breaks down, or you can't find your husband.
This dream is alerting you to areas of your life that need repair or extra care right now. You may want to slow down and pay more attention to the realm of life indicated. For example, if you dream of your phone not working, notice how you are communicating to others now. Are you doing everything you can to get your message across in a positive way? If not, you may want to tune up this area of your life.

2. Money: you received a windfall, or you lost your savings in the stock market.
Money in dreams symbolizes what you value or find important in life. If you dream of suddenly receiving a sum of money, this indicates that you are at a time in your life when your values are becoming very clear to you. If you have dreams of losing money, you may be experiencing a time of feeling separated from your sense of meaning in life. Try to explore what has been important to you in the past to see if your values have changed or altered over time.

3. You find yourself back in the classroom, or you've failed a test.

This dream indicates that there is a challenge in your life and you fear failing. It also can mean that you may feel regressed in some way and are not up to the task currently at hand. You may also feel judged or tested by an authority figure or someone who is in charge of you in some way.

(I have had this dream several times!)

4. You or a loved one is ill or dying.
You may be approaching a time of great change when some parts of your life are falling away and disappearing. This dream is helping you to practice the feelings of loss that you may be having as the elements of your life or your relationships with others change and evolve. It is rare that this dream forecasts an actual death or illness, but it still might be a good idea to get a check-up or pay extra attention to your health now.

5. Being chased.
Being chased in a dream indicates that you may be feeling you have a lot of responsibilities that you are having a hard time keeping up with. This dream is often known as a 'stress dream,' indicating that its presence is a sign to try to relax and slow down.

(I've had this one too!)

6. Teeth: you're smiling with nice, clean teeth, or your teeth are breaking off or forming cavities.
Teeth represent time, stability, and maturity. The state of the teeth in your dream will give important clues as to what your relationships and feelings are related to these important life themes.

7. Falling, flying, or sinking.
Changing direction, either going up or down in a dream, indicates where your awareness is in waking life. Dreams of falling or sinking symbolize a time of being more aware of your unconscious mind and deepest innermost thoughts, feelings, and memories. Dreams of flying indicate that you are exploring your conscious mind at this time or connecting to the realm of spirits, angels, and other energetic beings.

8. Water
Water in dreams is a sign that a certain emotional situation or experience is of importance in your life. Now is a good time to pay particular attention to your feelings and the realm of the imagination, dreams, and fantasies. The condition or state of the water will give clues as to the exact nature of your experience. Hurricanes and storms can indicate more challenging emotional situations, and on the opposite side, gentle streams and lakes indicate a more calm and peaceful emotional state or even a love or romantic connection.

9. Missing a boat, plane, bus, etc.
Transportation vehicles in dreams symbolize the ability to move and act in the world. They represent our will, desire, and skill at accomplishing and manifesting our dreams and goals. When one of these vehicles is missing, it can mean that we are having a hard time finding the motivation to act and move in the world. We may need to reconnect with what drives or propels us into creatively manifesting our dreams.

Developing the skill to interpret and make the most of your dream messages is an easy and enjoyable process and can be done by just about anyone.

Quick Tips to Interpret and Benefit from Your Dreams:
1. Keep a dream journal near your bed to record your dreams.
2. Read through your journal once a week and underline repeating dream symbols, terms, people, and themes that arise.
3. Use the guide above to track your current emotional state and life issues, and notice the patterns and timing of their evolution.

4. Try to identify any dream symbols (cars, teeth, water) that appear in your waking life, noticing which appear with greater frequency and the nature of your interaction with these symbols. Is there any overlap between your waking and dreaming life?

Want to interpret other dreams? Check out the Dream Dictionary!

Amievoltaire Giveaway!

One of my fellow UtahEtsy team members is having a giveaway on her blog.

She makes the cutest skirts and dresses for little girls, her shop is so fun!
For a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to her etsy store be sure to stop by her blog.

Tutorial Tuesday

I am loving these adorable stripwork skirts!
Want to make one of your own?
You can find the tutorial here.

How to keep kids sharp during the summer

Summer vacation, educators say, is no time for parents to let their kids forget about academics. Research has shown that if you don’t keep your child’s brain working during this interlude, she could lose, on average, 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math skills and as much as a year’s reading level.

It's also important, however, to let kids relax and have fun during the summer. They can have a lot of stress during the school year so it's best to find a happy medium.

During past summers I have always scheduled time for flash cards, workbooks, and reading. But this summer I have slacked off and let it go. The good news is that it's not too late!

Some ways to keep your kids sharp during the summer:


1. Read, read, read. Stop by a bookstore during story hour. Sign up for a summer book club. Visit the library often and let your kids choose books that interest them. This summer my son has fallen in love with the Harry Potter books and is devouring them!



2. Give your kids a small allowance and have them budget out their money. If they're saving money to buy a specific toy have them figure out how long it will take before they have enough. This is a built-in math lesson.



3. Think of the kitchen as a math lab. Ask your child to help you cook and bake. The extra mess is well worth the effort of applying math concepts like measuring and figuring out fractions. Make it a game, too, by asking: How many pints in a quart?


4. During a road trip play “I Spy” to search road signs for numbers, colors and geometric shapes. For older children, estimate and calculate the travel time to your destination.

“This helps kids see the math all around them,” says Trena Wilkerson, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at Baylor University. “Parents can also incorporate these kinds of math-related activities as they visit community resources, such as museums, zoos and even the park.”



5. Turn any activity at home into a teachable moment. For example, beading jewelry with a young child helps support pattern recognition and counting. (Patterns were a huge part of the math curriculum for Kindergarten in our kids' school.) Have some letter beads? Have kids practice their spelling.


6. Conduct a science experiment at home. We love the PBS Zoom website, they have tons of fun ideas. like this color splash activity.



For younger kids try the Teaching Tiny Tots website, they have some fun ideas.

7. To keep writing skills sharp try the age old tradition of writing a letter. Kids can write a letter to a friend, or an out-of-town family member.


Or have them keep a journal to document the fun they're having during the summer.


8. Keep their creative juices flowing by doing some art projects. Art Projects for Kids is a great source for ideas, like this fireworks drawing:
9. Keep kids' memory sharp by playing a matching game. Whether you play one that's more difficult or a simple one like this, kids will have fun and won't even realize they're doing something educational!


10. Don't overlook the great educational computer games and websites out there! My kids used to love Reader Rabbit, and I loved that it was helping them learn.

I'm going to start implementing these during the rest of our summer plans.
It's never too late to learn!

Flickr Friday, Pioneer Day edition

Are you all familiar with Flickr?
I love their tagline, "Share your photos, watch the world."
People from all over the world upload photos on flickr, for everyone to see.
And there are some amazing photos!

Today I'm featuring this photo of a covered wagon.

Via here

Today, here in Utah, we're celebrating Pioneer Day.
I have ancestors who crossed the plains and settled here in Utah.
I'm thankful for all the sacrifices those brave souls made to settle the Salt Lake Valley.

Have a flickr photo you'd like to share?
Leave a comment linking us to the photo or your blog post!

Free music download!

This summer I've heard the song You're So Good For Me by Sonnet several times because it's the theme song for the Lagoon commercial.
I love this song!

And guess what-- you can download it for free right here!
(Just click on the button near "I want to get Sonnet's song.")

Spot the Space Station!

For the past few years we've watched the
International Space Station
from our own backyard.
It looks like a star, but it's moving across the sky.

To see exactly when the space station will be visible where you live then go here.
You'll enter your country, and if you live in the US you'll enter your state,
and then your city (or the city that you're closest to).

Here's part of the info for when the space station will be visible in Orem, UT

Here's a little video clip of what it looks like in the sky (though it moves much slower than this) :

One year the shuttle was following the space station so it could dock and we could see two "stars" moving across the sky. It was amazing!!

Giveaway at the Shabby Nest!

Have you all stopped by The Shabby Nest?
Wendy has such wonderful ideas on how to make your home
beautiful-- on a budget!

Ttoday we're doing a giveaway on her site!!
You could win a $25 gift certificate to my shop.
So stop by and check it out!
Just click here.

Tutorial Tuesday

I used freezer paper to do this project, you can buy it at Walmart by the Saran Wrap.

I found an image I liked online and tried to reproduce it on the freezer paper. You could also print a graphic, cut it out, and trace it onto the freezer paper, with the waxy side down.

Here is the sketch on the freezer paper:

I then cut out my image (this one is slightly different because it was my test image) and placed it where I wanted it to appear on the shirt:

Then you iron the freezer paper, waxy side down, onto the shirt.



I then took my project outside so I wouldn't get bleach all over random things in my house. I also changed my clothes, make sure you wear something that you won't mind a few bleach spots on in case some happens to blow your way.

I slid a piece of cardboard inside the shirt so the bleach wouldn't leak through to the other side of the shirt:

I put a 50/50 bleach/water solution in an old hairspray bottle (after I rinsed it our thoroughly) and started spraying the area of the shirt I wanted to concentrate on:


I had to be patient (which I hate!), the bleach took a few minutes to start changing the color on the shirt. I re-misted it a few times to get the concentration that I wanted.

Once it was almost dry I peeled off the freezer paper.


And my test shirt looked like this:

Here is my daughter modeling her finished shirt:
(I made these in October-- no I don't make my kids wear long sleeve shirts in the summer!)

If you want to do something basic this should give you some idea of how to do it, the ultimate tutorial can be found here.

Summer boredom busters for kids

Summer for us is 2/3 over.
I've had fun having my kids at home with me all day,
but I have to admit I'm running out of creative and fun things for them to do.
And there are times when I really do need to get things done.

So I loved finding this great list of easy ways to entertain the kids:

1. Give the kids flashlights. There are lots of things you can do with flashlights. Play tag in a dark room, shine it on the wall and make finger shapes/animals, shine it on the floor while moving it and the other person has to try to stomp on it before it gets away. They could also draw letters or shapes on the wall and the other person has to guess what it is.

2. Give the kids a sleeping bag. Let them slide down the stairs in the sleeping bag! It's so hilarious to watch and they have a blast. (Note from Or So She Says: I did it plenty when I was young and I'm still alive...but, I take no responsibility if they get hurt.)

3. Let them make a house out of a cardboard box. I have great memories of this when I was little. I would draw pictures (in frames) on the wall, a vase of flowers, cut out some windows, etc. I even slept in my boxes.

4. Give them some blankets and chairs/stools and let them make a huge tent/fort.

Not my house, random internet picture...

5. Pour some Fruit Loops (oh, I mean Cheerios) in a bowl and let them string a necklace with them.

6. Set them up a wishlist on Amazon. Let them scroll through the toy and game section and create a wish list. My kids love to print off theirs and stare at it while in bed. Hey, they can dream!

7. Give them some old magazines and a huge piece of paper and have them make a collage by cutting out pictures and gluing them down. It could be a theme of things they like or items that describe them. Frame it.

8. Give them free reign of the fridge and pantry. Let them blindfold each other (siblings) and give tastes of things or smells to each other. See if they can guess what the food is.

9. Have the kids go outside and collect leaves. When they bring them in give them crayons and paper and do a crayon rub to see all the veins and shape of the leaves. It's really cool. Just lay the leaf flat, put the blank paper on top, then turn a crayon sideways and gently rub the paper over the leaf.

10. Fill up the sink with water and let them play "Will It Sink Or Float?". Let them drop random objects in the water but beforehand they have to guess whether or not it will sink or float.

All tips found via Or So She Says