Duct Tape Wallet - Picky Teenager Gift

Ever ask a teenager what they want for Christmas? Either something outrageously expensive, like a new car, or gift cards and cash, right? To add a little something extra to those gift card gifts this year, I made duct tape wallets.

Their inexpensive, so if your picky teenager decides to throw away the duct tape wallet, it's not like you spent a ton of time or money on it!

• Super easy to make.
• Materials:

1. One roll of duct tape, preferably a decorative print available at Target or Walmart.

• There are lots of tutorials on the web for making a duct tape wallet, including YouTube videos, but I found that I had to read a few to merge their ideas to come up with the best design for me.
• I need to write my own tutorial to make it easier for a "crafting for dummies" like me.
• Total Cost: $3.49 for the roll of duct tape (was able to make 2 wallets from one roll)

Mustache - Hoping for Delayed Excitement

Mustaches. So cute, in a 70's kind of way.

I intended this mustache for Clayton, but he refuses to wear it. I chase him around the house giving him "mustache kisses" while I'm wearing it and he hates it. So I am hoping in a few months he will have new found excitement for it.

Until then....Cora is my mustache model. She loves to wear it (or eat it)!

• Materials:

1. Black Felt Square - $0.29
2. Embroidery Needle - borrowed from my mom
3. Black Embroidery thread - borrowed from my mom
4. Black oval elastic - $a few dollars (I can't find my receipt)

• Total Cost: $4.00
• Craft Source: I found this idea at 5 Orange Potatoes.
• She said her 7 year old finished this in 30 minutes. This took me embarrassingly way more time than 30 minutes, but it was the first time I had picked up a needle and thread in over 10 years.

Easy Nature Sign

Our simplest project, cheapest, and we get the most compliments on it.

• Materials:

1. Miscelleaneous nature items: pine cones, acorns, leaves, corn husks, etc.
2. Sticks that easily break
3. Elmer's glue
4. Scrap piece of cardboard.
5. String.

• Total Cost: FREE - Or about $2.00 for me since I had to buy the Elmer's glue ($0.75) and the string (dollar store)

• It was fun to break this project up over a week, spending several days gathering nature items on hikes.
• Then it started to get cold and we had to bundle up to go in search of some sticks and get going on our project.

• Clayton with the dog running in the background. Baby Cora is in my Gypsy Mama wrap under my coat!

• No, Clayton, those sticks are too big!

• I copy cat'd this idea from the Family Fun website.
• Ideas for doing this project: Camping trips, fall, spring but with flowers instead, tree house, club house, play house, play kitchen sign.

Super Dad's Birthday

Matt really is a super dad in so many ways. Super diaper changing, funny, handsome, playing with kids super dad. His day job? A police officer, which makes him extra SUPER.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUPER DAD!

• My first attempt at being crafty/make it yourself housewife.
• A rare occasion of me baking something. (soon to be more often)
• I copy cat'd the idea from Kara's Party Ideas but I dumbed it down. Her idea was so cute, but I didn't have the time or the supplies to do some of her stuff. So I got the free Super Dad printable from Delightful Designs.
• Being that we are in a rental house with most of our stuff in storage (including our broken printer), I emailed it to Staples and didn't even cut the prints out. Just taped them on the wall with some balloons!

• These are delicious Praline Brookies from the pilsbury website. Easy to make with brownie box mix and pre-made cookie dough. (Because my cupcake pans are also in storage!)
• I used bamboo forks (similar to toothpicks) for the mini super dads on the brookies.
• How do you like my bath towel tablecloth?

• October 17th - the actual birth day!
• As the super wife that I am, I stayed home alone for a weekend in September with a 3 week old baby and 2 year old toddler, while he went to see the Hawk's play and party it up all weekend with his friend from St. Louis.
• Super newborn baby and 2 year old = exhaustion.

At the Hospital

Wonderful Dr. Nancy Angenend.

Very tired Daddy.

Shelly came in to help hold Cora while mom was recovering and dad took a nap.

We restricted visitors so we could rest. Grandpa & Grandma Martin came by.

Welcome Cordella Lynn Martin

Born on September 5th around 3:30am at 8lbs 4oz and 19 inches long. Named Cora and then we changed her name on the 2nd day to Cordella after my great great grandmother "Cordelia."

In this picture, feeling great meeting my little girl. Was still surprised that it really was a girl!

They didn't weigh her until much later that day...weighed in at 8lbs 4oz.