DIY: Chalkboard Erasers

Remember in Elementary School when at the end of the day you would have to help your teacher wipe the chalkboard clean?  I remember one of my teachers, in particular, using a wet sock.  I wasn't too keen on this task, but I was a good noodle, so I went with the flow.

Anyhoo, just recently we erected our very own chalkboard for our homeschool. I knew the chalkboard was already in the works, so a few weeks back Charlotte, the baby, and I made these spiffy erasers--out of socks!

I bought Charlotte these cute socks a while back.  They are supposed to not match, so you can wear any two together.  I thought it was a clever little idea, that is, until they started developing holes very quickly. 

What we did was just cut the heel part off (where the holes were), stuff the sock with cotton balls (that we puffed out a little bit), and tie them with this decorative cord that I grabbed at the Hobby Lobby.  I left the loops a little long when I tied the bow so that we could hang them on a hook.  While I was at the Hobby Lobby I also got the little tin bucket there to hold all of my chalk.

So...chalkboard, check...erasers, check.  I think we're ready!

       

Words to Live By

To celebrate growing older, columnist Regina Brett, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, once wrote the 45 lessons life taught her. It is her most requested column ever, and she has graciously shared it with us.  In fact, she has become a bit of an urban legend.  

Somehow along the way, her story was "embellished" to make her out to be a 90 year old imparting her words of wisdom.  She is in fact in her 50s today, and wrote this list when she turned 45, after a battle with breast cancer in her early 40s.  So no, she isn't old and wise as some would make her out to be; she is just plain wise.  

I am especially partial to numbers 15 and 21.  But they are all goodies.  Enjoy!

  

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Remember Pet Nets?

Well, I do. In fact, the Pet Net that I had growing up may still be at Daddy's house in the same spot I left it. ;-) If you don't know what a Pet Net is, you may also have heard it described as a toy storage hammock. It's basically a mesh net that you hang in a corner of a room to store stuffed animals in.

And as soon as we started to be overrun with stuffed animals at the Walkush household, I KNEW that Aidyn and Jaxon needed them, but they were no where to be found. I guess they were a figment of my 1980's imagination.

Anyhoot! Not to fear for you crocheters - you can make them! Behold:

To make these, I used this free crochet Pet Net pattern. I started making the solid sage green one first. You can probably tell from the photos that it turned out smaller than the second green and blue one.

The pattern is written so that you decide how large of a starting chain to start with and what type of yarn and size hook to use. I used worsted weight yarn and a J hook for both.

For the solid colored one, I only chained 125 and the more I motored through, I thought that it looked awfully small. For the second one, I chained 150 and it came out much larger. What a difference those 25 chain stitches made!

I modified the pattern by single crocheting two rows around the edge of each one to give them some stability and to also lend a more finished look.

I finished each in about 2 - 2.5 hours (one was larger and took longer). These are very quick projects and I think they would make nice gifts for the stuffed animal hoarder in your life.

If I were to do this again, I wouldn’t start with any less than a 150 starting chain (and of course, use even more if you're looking to store A LOT of stuffed animals).

Mount them on the wall with simple cup hooks and you're done.

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