How to fake a letter from the Tooth Fairy

A couple of teeth ago, we had cause to write the Tooth Fairy a letter, because Cameron swallowed his loose tooth during dinner.  If I remember correctly, the conversation went something like...

Me:    Has that tooth still not fallen out yet?
Cameron stops eating, sticks a finger on his tooth and wobbles it about:  No, not yet.  Maybe soon (continues eating).
Me:  What did you do at school today?
Cameron:  Science.  We learned about magnets!
*pause*
Me:   Cameron, your tooth is gone.
Cameron stops eating, sticks finger on non-existent tooth and exclaims:  What? Oh no!  Ooops!

We had been waiting for that particular tooth to come out for ages.  I wanted it out because for weeks it had been sticking out at a 45 degree angle, making him look like one of Cletus Spuckler and his sister's 44 children.  Cameron  wanted his two bucks.  So, Cameron wrote the Tooth Fairy a letter -

and received one in return explaining that LOTS of children swallow their teeth (I don't know if that's true or not, but we'll go with it).  Now, just plain old money isn't good enough.  The Tooth Fairy is not doing her job properly if she doesn't leave a letter as well.  After all, we need some authentication that it was the ACTUAL Tooth Fairy who took the tooth and not some delinquent tooth-fairy-wannabe. If it were the latter, who knows where that tooth might end up (although I doubt there are few places worse than a child's digestive tract).

Our Tooth Fairy is a very business-like one, no fancy paper or anything.  Of course, it's up to you how elaborate your fairy is.  I just like to use what I have available.  You could use scraps of wrapping paper, magazine pages, scrapbooking paper, or plain paper.  Whatever takes your fancy.

For the letters, I make up a document in Word (with page orientation set to portrait).  I set my document up with five columns, select an easy to read font, such as Times New Roman or Calibri and type it in size 8 font.  Then, just type little letters to your child leaving enough space above and below each letter for cutting.  Personally, I only type on the first, third and fifth columns, so that I give myself plenty of space for fixing my wonky cutting. 

 

And, don't forget to type a couple that say what an awesome mother you are.

Print out your sheet of little letters and cut them out.  If you have those fancy scrapbooking scissors that cut the pretty edges, you're lucky!  Use those!  I keep meaning to get some of those.

For the envelopes, I make up another sheet with Cameron's name printed on it in the same tiny writing, well-spaced, so that I can make 'printed' envelopes.  But you can make just plain envelopes if you like.

Print out the template and instructions below for making the envelopes (click on image to view full size, then save to your computer and print).  Cutting the slot is optional, but if you're making envelopes with your child's name on the front, the slot will help you centre the name on the front of the envelope.

Once your template is made up, in pencil, trace around the template onto your chosen paper, and lightly rule in the score lines.

 

If your happy with the way everything is centred and lined up, cut it out.  Score and fold where necessary.  Erase those tell-tale pencil lines.  Fold sides in first, then fold bottom up.  Secure with dots of glue and leave to dry thoroughly. 

 

Insert your little letter, a pinch of fairy dust if you have some handy, then fold top flap down, securing it if you like with the tiniest dot of glue (so that it can be opened easily by little fingers).  Then look forward to their excitement the next morning when they wake up and find a genuine letter from the Tooth Fairy! Oh, and their money.

Be prepared and have a stash of Tooth Fairy correspondence ready to go.  Again, this is involves a bit of  prep, but once your letters and your envelope template are done, it's really quick and easy.  You could probably make and fold up ten or twelve envelopes in a half hour, put a letter and fairy dust in each one and you've created enough fairy magic to last the next two or so years without any further effort.  And ten is probably all you need before some miserable little know-all at school dobs you in and ruins your fun. 

How to make cake in a mug.

 

We all have those moments when we're snuggling under a blanket in front of the telly on a rainy night and perhaps about to watch our favourite Jane Austen movie adaptation, and all of a sudden the urge for something comforting and chocolate-y STRIKES!   So, you ambush the pantry, only to remember that it has been one of those weeks when you have decided that you are an extremist health freak and in a moment of moronic good intention, you've stocked the cupboard with Superfoods and thrown out all the tasty stuff.  Oh, bugger.  You quickly figure that a raw carrot or Weight Watchers jelly cup is just not going to cut it.  And driving down to the servo for a Cadbury family block after you've already showered, scrubbed your face and put your pyjamas isn't really an option  (although, where I live, plenty of people walk around like this after dark, thinking to themselves that they're being pretty rad and out there.  Sad, but true).  So what do you do?  Nuke yourself a chocolate cake for one (or two, if you're the generous sharing type).

First, you need a gigantor mug like mine.  This one holds about 1 1/2 standard cup measures.  One of those soup mug type things from Woolies would probably do the trick. (Edit:  Or probably not.  Becka tried cooking cake in a soup mug for two minutes, and got an overcooked cake.  Ooops, sorry!  Try a lesser cooking time if using a soup mug, or a taller mug with a narrower base.  Thanks for the heads up, Beck!)

Then put in 4 Tbsp plain flour,  3-4 Tbsp sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cake, so 4 for me!) and 2 Tbsp cocoa and mix it all up together with a fork.

Add one egg, and mix it up, as best you can (it will be super gluggy).  Then add 3 Tbsp milk and 3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil, and mix it up again until thoroughly combined.  Chuck in a wee squirt of vanilla, and, if you like and you have them laying about, throw in some chocolate chips (about 1 to 2 Tbsp) and stir to combine.

Pop your mug on a saucer (there may or may not be spillage!) and put it in your microwave.  Now, my microwave is an 1100watt and takes about two minutes and 15 seconds on high to cook nicely without going crunchy on the bottom.  If yours is of a lesser wattage, you may want to cook it a bit longer.  As it cooks, you'll see the cake rise up over the rim of the mug, but don't panic!  It will sink back down as soon as your microwave stops and beeps at you.  Oooo, look at that!

 If you're sharing, tip it out, cut it in two and plate it up with some cream or icecream or chocolate sauce, or all of the above.  Stabbing a few marshmallows into it while it's hot is always a good option, too.  Or, if you are feeling reeeally hungry and want it all to yourself, just add your extras to the cup you cooked it in and grab yourself a big ol' spoon.  Be warned though, it is quite a big serve for one, so you may need to post dibs on the DVD player the following night, too, so you can watch another period drama while you finish your cake.  Go on, you earned it.

How to make a quick and easy skirt for a baby girl

Before Sophie was born, I was given bags of clothes which contained heaps of tops and heaps of tights, but nothing for in between.  And no matter how cute those little tights are, with all their wee pokey-dots and daisies, that nappy bulge is just waaaayy unattractive.  In any case, it's never too early for any daughter of mine to start learning how to cover up those lumps and bumps.  If she is anything like her mother, it will become her life-long occupation.  Sorry, kid.

This is a really easy skirt, which you can make with just one print fabric, or different prints.  I have a lot of bits and pieces that I need to get rid of, so my skirts are a little hyper.

For the hip yoke, measure your baby's waist.  Multiply by 1.25.  This is the width of the hip yoke.  Divide this number by two, and add 3 centimetres for seam allowances to this measurement.  Now, measure from bubs' waist down to the top of her thigh (where the outer thigh starts to bulge out.  This is easily spotted on my baby, and I'm only assuming other babies are like her).  This measurement is the length of the hip yoke.  Add 2 centimetres for the elastic casing at waist and another 1.5 centimetres for the lower seam allowance.

For the underskirt, double the width of the hip yoke.  This is the width of the skirt.  Divide this number by two, and add 3 centimetres for seam allowances.  Measure from top of (bulgy) thigh to desired length of the finished skirt (I went for about 2 centimetres above the knee.  Add 1.5centimetres for the seam allowance along the top edge and 2.5 centimetres for the hem. 

The upperskirt is the same measurements as the underskirt, the only difference being is that it's length is 3 centimetres shorter.  (Note: all of these pattern pieces are to placed with one short end on the fold of fabric.)

Press your desired fabrics in half and cut one of each pattern piece out of your fabrics on the fold. Yay, time to sew.

Firstly, hem your under- and upper-skirts.  Do this by turning up 0.5 centimetres, then pressing this before turning up another 2 centimetres and pressing again.  Sew hems in place with straight stitch.

  Baste top edges of your skirts together, then gather to fit the width of your hip yoke.

Pin your gathered skirts to your hip yoke, right sides together, making sure that your gathers are even distributed (best you can, anyway!) along the width of the yoke.  When it's looking good, sew together with straight stitch. (1.5 centimetre seam allowance.)

Overcast seam allowance with zigzag stitch, trim and press upwards.

Sew the back skirt seam with straight stitch (again, 1.5 centimetre seam allowance), overcast seam allowance with zigzag stitch, trim and press to one side.

To form casing for elastic, turn 2 centimetres on upper edge of hip yoke to inside and press, and sew 2mm from pressed edge around the upper edge.

 Then turn in 0.5 centimetres on raw edge and press.  Stitch a scant 2mm along this pressed edge also to form casing, leaving an opening at the back seam to insert elastic.  Measure elastic around your child's waist comfortably (but not so comfortably their skirt will fall around their ankles), add 2.5 centimetres and cut this length.  Insert 12mm elastic through casing with a safety pin, ensuring that elastic is not twisted inside casing.

 Lap ends, and fasten with a safety pin.  Try it on your child, make any adjustment if necessary, take it off your child (well, derr, Lainie, you say) and stitch ends of elastic together securely.  Stitch the case opening (stretching elastic while doing so, so that you don't catch it with your sewing machine).

Finished!

Time for a happy dance.

This pattern will work for girls of all ages, but is particularly good for little ones because you can use up your scraps (providing their long enough, of course).  I've found by using bright colours such as those shown, I've been able to dress Sophie up in some of Cameron's old tops without her being mistaken for a boy, which also appeals to my miserly sensibilities.  Win, win - for me anyway.  Poor Sophie May, dressed in scraps and now her brother's hand downs as well as her Dad's.   Them's the breaks in this house when you're only little and don't know how to verbally complain yet.  Sorry again, kiddo.