Olympic Torch Craft

How many of you are totally sucked into the Olympics?  We are!  Last night, my daughter asked me when she could take swimming lessons again.  This coming from a girl who threw a tantrum and used every excuse to get out of the pool during last year's lessons.

To get the kids into the Olympic spirit, we made Olympic torches.  These are so easy and quick to make and are sure to provide hours of fun for the kids.

MATERIALS

Empty paper towel roll

Aluminum foil

Tape

Glue

Tissue paper

DIRECTIONS

Cover the paper towel roll with aluminum foil

Rip the tissue paper into thick strips. Glue the tissue paper to the inside of the roll, creating the outside layer of the flame.

Continue to glue tissue paper to inside of roll, creating more layers.

After you get a few layers glued, you can bunch the tissue paper

together and stuff it into the middle of the roll to create the middle.


These are two very excited kids!  

I've got a few more Olympic crafts to share in the next few days so please stop on back!

Fabulous Friday {36}

Hello and welcome to Fabulous Friday!  I hope you all have had a wonderful week. Thanks for stopping by and joining the party this week!

The link with the most views from last week was:

Custom fit your sandals from 

Moments with the Montano's

Here are some of my other favorites:

Entryway Update by Bullfrogs and Bulldogs

Semi-Homemade Strawberry Applesauce by Juggling Act

Entry Closet turned Entry Bench by Woven Home

Please grab a button if you were featured today!

Remember, I also pin the features to my Pinterest board.

On to this week's par-tay...

1. Please become a follower of my blog if you would like to link up.

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit at least 2 links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. Please link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.

Money Saving Tips: Clothing

Today I have some money saving tips for you regarding clothing. Everyone like to save money, right?

Consignment

I buy all my kid's clothes at consignment stores/consignment sales.  Kids grow so fast and there is no need to pay full price for clothes that they are going to wear for one season.  At a consignment store, I got a good chunk of my kid's summer wardrobe for about 9 bucks!  I also sell my kid's outgrown clothes at consignment sales to make money.  In my area, there are usually sales in the Spring and Fall.  You can find all sorts of baby/kid items for a fraction of retail. Also, if you sell at these sales, you usually receive between 50-75% of your selling price.

When buying adult clothes, I tend to shop for higher quality brands.  I have found that lower quality items just fall apart after one season.  And you really aren't saving any money if your shorts all fall apart after one summer and you have to buy them again the next year.  I have found a consignment store in my area that sells higher brand items (J. Crew, Ann Taylor, etc.) for the price that you would pay in someplace like Target.  

Hand-Me-Downs

I have a friend who has a son a couple months older than my son.  Her son grew like a weed when he was born and although they are only a couple months apart, the boys were a year apart in sizes.  She was gracious enough to let me borrow her son's outgrown clothes and I just gave them back at the end of the season.

I also bought some clothes from another friend whose son is 4 months older than my son.  She priced the items very reasonably and I got an entire wardrobe for him every season for very little money.  She was always my go-to person for clothes because I knew they were high quality and stain-free with very little wear.

If you are lucky enough to find a friend like this, see if you can borrow/trade/buy from them!

Upcycle

You don't have to sell ALL your kid's clothes.  If there is an item that can be altered so it will fit again next year, take the time and alter it.  I turned one of my son's onesies into a t-shirt by cutting off the bottom and sewing a simple hem.  I took two of my daughter's shirts and combined them into one.

Here is the tutorial.

If those jeans still fit in the waist but are a bit too short, cut them off and make cute shorts or a skirt.

You can turn regular leggings into capri leggings. 

Remember, anytime you can get one more season out of a piece of clothing, you are saving money!

What types of things do you do to stretch your budget when it comes to clothes?

Fabulous Friday {35}

Hello and Welcome to Fabulous Friday!  

Before I get to the party, have you checked out the huge giveaway that Adrianne from Happy Hour Projects is hosting?  There are six prize packs totalling over $600 that you could win!  You can enter here.

There were so many great links last week.  

Here are a few of my favorites

Sonic Knock-Off Strawberry LimeAid by Simply Designing

DIY Lolly Table Decorations by Ashley's Dandelion Wishes

Minnie Mouse Cake by I Gotta Try That

Pallet Serving Tray by Live.Laugh.Rowe

Please grab a button if you were featured today!

Remember, I also pin the features to my Pinterest board.

On to this week's par-tay...

1. Please become a follower of my blog if you would like to link up.

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit at least 2 links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. Please link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.

Blogging Tips: Finalizing your Facebook Page

Welcome to something new here at Here Comes the Sun.  Every once in a while, I will be sharing some useful blogging tips with you, my wonderful readers.

Now I don't claim to be an expert blogger at all.  I'm still learning new things every day.  My goal is to pass on some info that I have learned so you don't have to go searching all over the internet on how to do it. 

The tip I have for you today is for your blog's Facebook page.  You don't have one?  You should really look into getting one.  Obviously you don't NEED one but it is another social media outlet to drive traffic to your blog.

Have you ever wondered how to get rid of that long string of numbers at the end of your Facebook page URL?  Yeah, me too!  I had no idea that you could actually get rid of them.  I set my page up and then looked at others' pages and wondered "Huh...they don't have numbers at the end of their URL.  Did I set mine up wrong?"  No, no I did not.  All you need to get rid of the numbers is 25 "likes".

Here is how you do it:

Go to facebook.com/username

Make sure you are under your profile and not your business.

This is what you should see (but with your info):

The username for your personal page should be shown at the top.

There is a drop-down menu below.

Choose your page name from this drop-down menu.

Type the username that you would like into the box to the right. 

Click "check availability" to make sure the username you want is available. If the name that you have chosen is available, there should be a button or something of the sort to confirm and set your change.  Since I did mine a while ago, the image above does not reflect this "confirm" step because mine is already set.  Does this make sense?

That should do it!  No more string of random, meaningless numbers. Click over to your page to make sure your change has been saved.

I hope you found this tip useful.  I look forward to sharing more tips with you in the future!

Christmas in July Giveaway at Happy Hour Projects

My good bloggy friend Adrianne over at Happy Hour Projects is having a HUGE giveaway this week in conjunction with her Christmas in July celebration.  Six prize packs are up for grabs. SIX!!  I'm sponsoring an item in Prize Pack #2.   Do you want to win?  {The answer is yes! Yes I do!} Read on to see how you can enter to win one of these amazing Prize Packs! There are so many ways to enter so you have tons of chances to win!

Well, the big day is finally here - it's Christmas, it's Christmas!  Okay, not really, but I do feel like a parent who has just triumphantly finished assembling a tricycle at 4:30 am, and I have gifts abound for some lucky readers!!

Today's giveaway is HUGE, with over $600 in prizes up for grabs from some amazing sponsors.  Check out these awesome prize packs - each of these are valued over $100!

Prize Pack #1 is available for US Shipping only.  $103 Value.

Wooden Name Puzzle in Primary or Pastel Colors from TLC Woodcrafters

"Every child is an artist" vinyl wall quote from Blissful & Domestic Vinyl Designs (10" x 23")

$10 Gift Card to Target from Live Laugh Rowe

$10 Gift Card to Hobby Lobby from 4 You With Love

$10 Gift Card to JoAnn Fabrics and one Coffee Cozy of winner's choice from Wait Til Your Father Gets Home

$15 Starbucks gift card from Happy Hour Projects

Prize Pack #2 is available for U.S. shipping only.  $101 Value.

Stencil of choice from Cutting Edge Stencils (up to $50 value)

One Bar of Lavender Shea Butter Soap and Shea Butter Lavender Lotion, handmade by Natural Garden Soaps

$10 Michael's Gift Card from Here Comes The Sun

Handmade Brooch by Bear Rabbit Bear Crafts

Random Mix of 4 Woven Bracelets from Happy Hour Projects

PrizePack #3 available to US & Canada.  $120 Value.

36" Hand-Blackened Brass Necklace with Mother of Pearl Accents by Tumblestone Handmakery

$20 Michael's Gift Card from The Painted Pear

Choice of Vinyl Chalkboard Labels from Ginger Snap Crafts

Item of Choice from Jessie Street Designs

Unfinished Wood Jewelry or Craft Item from Banglewood Crafts

Prize Pack #4 available to both US and Canada.  $100 Value.

Lowercase Ballroom Boogie Stamp Set

Jewelry Hammer

Bench Block 

24 metal stamping blanks (not pictured)

Everything you need to get started metal stamping

sponsored by ImpressArt Metal Stamps

Prize Pack #5 available to both US and Canada.  $103 Value.

Vintage Inspired Necklace from The Painted Pear

Choice of 2 Crochet Patterns from Petals To Picots

$15.00 Gift Card to Knit Picks from 4 You With Love

2 Crocheted Cloths and Michael's Gift Card (or Canadian equivalent) from Seven Alive All Livin' In A Double Wide

Fat Quarter Bag Pattern and 4 Made-to-order, Hand Stamped Fat Quarters from Homemade By Cameron

Initial Impressions Ty Pennington Fat Quarter Shop Bundle from Happy Hour Projects

Prize Pack #6 available to both US and Canada.  $102 Value.

Limited Edition Leaf Necklace with Orange Quartz Briolette and Sterling Silver Chain from StampCharm

Set of 3 Braided Polymer Clay Bracelets from Leslie Marquez Designs

Matching Mug Rug and Coffee Cozy from Finding My Way In Texas

$10 Starbucks Gift Card and Random Mix of 4 Woven Bracelets from Happy Hour Projects

WOW, right?

I know that rules are scary, but I have a few things to tell you about how this giveaway will run so that we are all on the same page.

There is just one Rafflecopter widget, one pool of names, a one-time shot to be entered to win one of the six prize packs.  I opted to run it just once to give everyone the best chance at everything available.  You don't have to keep coming back and entering new giveaways every day - but that means there are a LOT of optional ways to enter to maximize your chances.  Please don't get overwhelmed or feel as though you have to complete every entry task - but of course, the more tasks you complete, the better your odds.   So set aside some time to make the most of your chances of winning!

Only the #3, #4, #5, and #6 prize packs are available for shipping to both US and Canada.  If a Canadian winner is drawn for the #1 or #2 prize pack, they will be awarded the next numerical prize available.  Even though the #1 and #2 prize packs cannot be shipped outside the US, you may still complete the entry tasks for those sponsors if you wish!  That will still increase your odds of winning one of the other prize packs!

Facebook has an anti-spam system in place so that computers cannot auto-"like" pages.  The word "confirm" may appear on some entries - this is a random validator, ensuring that you are a real person and not a computer.  You must click "confirm" in order to like the page and for that entry to be valid.  Winners will be verified, so don't risk forfeiting your prize because you didn't click "confirm"!

A big thank you to these great prize sponsors!

Now, enter to win from through July 22!  If you can't make it through the tasks you want to do all at once, just come on back anytime this week.  (Giveaway ends on July 23 at 12:01 am EDT).  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Boredom Buster Jar

Mo-om, I'm BORED! 

I know you ALL have heard it.  All of you with school-aged children, that is.  In my house, it is usually followed by "can I watch {insert favorite tv program here}"

We are in the middle of summer.  A month and a half down, a month and a half till Back to School time.  We have already taken our mini-vacation and don't have any other trips planned.  A stay at the grandparent's house is coming soon but other than that, we're hanging here the rest of the summer.

I knew SOMETHING had to be done pronto to bust the boredom.

Here is my take on the summer boredom buster jar.  

All you need is a clear jar, some washi tape and some popsicle sticks.

Wrap the washi tape around the jar any way you choose.

Choose a few activities that your kids like and write them on the popsicle sticks.  I chose activities that were free {or relatively cheap}.  

The only activity that we have to drive to is bowling and I signed up for the Kids Bowl Free this summer so all we have to pay for is shoe rental.  The pool is our neighborhood pool and we can walk to it. I've got six activities and can add more if I need to and switch them out if they just aren't working to keep the kids entertained.  I tried to use some activities that encourage independent play and some that I am involved in too.  

When I hear those dreaded words, I just hold the jar out and the kids pick a stick.  Problem solved {hopefully}!

I hope you are having a wonderful summer.  

What kinds of activities are you doing with your kids to keep them entertained?

Fabulous Friday {34}

Happy Friday!!

The heat wave is slowly moving on out here in the south.  It has been is the 80s the past few days.  Brrr!!! I may have to break out my jeans and sweats :)  I'm hoping for nice weather on Saturday and a family beach day!  My daughter has been at summer camp this week so its been just me and the little guy.  Too bad that half the week was too hot to step foot outside.  I shouldn't complain...I don't have to shovel any snow in the winter.  Heck, I didn't even SEE any snow last winter.  Enough about the heat, let's get to the party.  Grab a refreshing beverage, take a seat on your porch/deck/balcony and join me for a bit.

The two links with the most views were:

Skinny Cake Batter Ice Cream Sandwiches by Couponing and Cooking

Vinegar Stain Table by Kayboo Creations

Check out these other great ideas!

Lime Green Adirondack Chairs from Alderberry Hill

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes from Gingerbread

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade from Addicted to Recipes

Grab a button if you were featured today!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up.  I really appreciate you stopping by.  I know there are tons of link parties out there to choose from so thanks for linking up here!

On to this week's par-tay...

1. Please become a follower of my blog if you would like to link up.

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit at least 2 links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. Please link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.

DIY Envelope Closure Pillow

I have been dying to make some pillows!  Last summer, I made these pillows .  Although I love the way these turned out, they were only good for one summer because I used regular fabric and they got mildew on them from being outside in the humidity.  UGH. This time around, I got smart and used outdoor fabric for these Envelope Closure Pillows.

I upcycled some old pillows to use as pillow forms.

 Here is our living room from our old house and the old pillows:

We refer to these old pillows as "the 40 dollar pillows" because, that's right, they cost $40 EACH!   We bought 3 and somehow justified that spending $120 on pillows was ok.  *GASP* This was obviously before we had kids and a budget.  

But now, the $40 pillows are growing kind of ragged and beat up.  They have been good to us over the past 8 years but they definitely needed an update.  

Here's how to do it...

MATERIALS

Pillow form (or old pillow)

Outdoor fabric

Rotary cutter and mat

Sewing machine and coordinating thread

DIRECTIONS

Measure your pillow form.  Mine was 16.5"x16.5"

Cut the following pieces out of your fabric:

(1) 16.5" x 16.5" square (or the same dimensions as your pillow form)

(2)  16.5" x 12.5" rectangles

Fold over one long side of each rectangle 1/2". Press and pin.  

Using a straight stitch, sew 1/4" from the fold.

Place your square piece of fabric right side up.  Lay the two rectangle pieces on top, wrong side up.  

The hemmed edges of the rectangles should be overlapping and the raw edges should be matched up with the raw edges of the square.

Pin in place. Yes, this photo is upside down compared to the one above.  Let's pretend it's not, okay?

Sew around the entire pillow using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Back stitch in the corners for added strength.

You now have a pillow cover that is 1/2" smaller than your pillow. Do not worry. It is ok.  Your pillow WILL fit.  It will look nice and plump!

Turn the pillow cover inside out and insert your pillow.

Sit back and admire your work!

The key to this project is using fabric specifically designed for outdoor use.  It is not as expensive as you may think.  I purchased $13.00 worth of fabric during a 50% off sale.  That's $6.50/pillow!  Not bad. Not bad at all!

Fabulous Friday {33}

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.  

This week's Fabulous Friday is late because well, I was on a little camping adventure with my family for the past few days.  And let me tell you...camping and a 2 year old do not mix!  More importantly, hiking and the July heat and a 2 year old don't mix. He loved the campfires and he even slept all night in a separate tent with his sister, but when it came time to actually hike to see a waterfall, major meltdown mode and whining occurred.  But we are home now and I have learned my lesson that camping should be a Fall activity.  So..after an exhausting couple of days, I've got some brewskies in the fridge and I've got a party that I need to start!  So sit down, relax and hang out for a while!  

The  link with the most views from last week's party was:

DIY Rug from Thrifty Crafty Girl

If you want to see features from past Fabulous Friday parties, make sure to check out my Pinterest board!

On to this week's par-tay...

1. Please become a follower of my blog if you would like to link up.

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit at least 2 links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. Please link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.

Patriotic Fabric Wreath

Do you need a last minute July 4th decor idea?

This is super simple and pretty quick to make.  I made it in one night.

MATERIALS

Wreath form (I used a wire one from Michael's)

Fabric

Rotary cutter and board

DIRECTIONS

Cut strips of fabric 2 inches wide and approximately 16 inches long.  Cut LOTS and LOTS of strips.  You could use scissors but it is easier and quicker to do with a rotary cutter and board.

Double knot your fabric around the wreath form, one strip at a time.  Scrunch your fabric together until you fill the entire wreath.

Since it is not very heavy, I hung it on my front door with a 3M picture hanger.  

I hope everyone has a SAFE and HAPPY holiday!