Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – Anon. Series (Diamond McKinney)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies!

I have been on a reading binge with this series. So, just a little backstory on why I started to read this series. This author is actually a Sims creator, meaning she uses the Sims to film a series, and I recently found out it was turned into a book series.

Link to the entire book series list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/117306-anon

I decided, since I saw the series on YouTube, why not check out the book series to see how it compares to the original series, especially since that came out first. Plus, it was available on my Kindle, so I spent the past few weeks reading the 10-book series.

Link to the Sims 3 series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4bz_A6Ntwg&list=PLHN0pWLVAm0BmZ0Z3di1Hkxq5vLWsi4wI

So, I’m going to review the 10 books together in one blog post since there is a lot I want to say about this series. To give you a little idea of what this book series is about, the main character is Chelsea, and you are reading her blog that she posts talking about her life. Also, you have to keep in mind that she is living in California, and it talks about a lot of fancy brands that I had no idea about. (I’m from Maine, so most of these brands are just too fancy for me anyway.)

Of course, there is also a LOT of drama between her friends, family, and boys. The good thing is that at the beginning of each book, she does give a recap on what happened previously, which is very helpful since so much happens in each book.

Spoiler alert is in place because there is a whole lot I want to talk about this book series. I would be breaking this down for each book, but honestly, I wasn’t paying attention to what situation happened in each book.

So, let’s begin!

Let’s Talk About Chelsea

Chelsea is really easy to get on board with at the beginning, but over time, I had a hard time rooting for her because of the decisions she started to make. First of all, she’s an only child(well, for most of the series until later on) and can be an entitled brat, sometimes.

Her whole crush and being in love with Kyle, I wasn’t on board with it because of the number of times he treated her like complete trash; she overlooked it and forgave him over and over. To the point where others were telling her he was using her, and she flat-out ignored it. Granted, they didn’t start dating until later on in the series, and it was only for a year.

In my opinion, I wanted her with Tucker. He was always there for her whenever she needed someone to talk to. He was her shoulder to cry on, and even though he had told her what a piece of crap Kyle was, she still seemed to care for him over Tucker. Now, Tucker also isn’t a saint, so there were a few times that he was a little “shady” too.

The surprising thing is she dated Tucker more times than she dated Kyle, yet she loved both of them, at different times, of course.

There were also times when Chelesa would jump the gun in a situation or response without actually listening and understanding where the other person is coming from. Some of the situations, like her dad and the Michelle situation, I can understand her still being upset about it. Or the situation where her mother cheated on her father with his best friend, got pregnant, and then married him.

She had a tendency to walk away when things didn’t go her way. Instead of just being an adult, she whines and walks away, then wonders why her relationships with boyfriends/friends/family are all over the place. Mind you, most of the series happens when she is leaving high school and entering college, but she still acts very immature.

It made me glad that she goes to rehab to get help and talks to a therapist because she honestly never really processed all the stuff that had happened to her, especially the whole roommate being killed and her being considered a suspect. I honestly think her parents should’ve put her either in rehab or therapy after that.

Overall, Chelsea was a character that I liked at the beginning, but the more I kept reading, the less I started to care about her. Most of her actions, her attitude, and acting very entitled, went downhill. I’m also not the only one who has opinions about Chelsea; there were quite a few others that I saw on GoodReads or Amazon reviews where they pretty much didn’t care for Chelsea.

I will have to say, I even had to take a break from reading the series because I didn’t know how much longer I could read about her entitled behavior of thinking her entire world revolves around herself.

Drama, Oh The Drama

There was so much drama in each of these books, honestly, I think that kept me going was to see how much crap was going to happen in her life. Between getting randomly beaten up at school, parents going back and forth through a messy divorce, getting accused of murder, dealing with friend drama, and so much more.

It was crazy how much crap was going on in her life alone. It was so different from the series because it wasn’t as crazy as I thought it was going to be. Plus, I honestly thought she was going to write the book as she did with the series, but most of the stuff that happened in the book was so different from the series.

The series seemed lighter than the book series because the book covered a lot of darker themes, whereas the series did not. It could’ve been that the author wanted the series to go in a different direction, which, as a writer myself, I could understand. You can put much more detail into the written word, versus filming the series, especially when it’s only you making them. (I sort of understand how difficult it can be to film a Sims series. I’ve actually attempted and failed at doing so.)

Most of the drama happens towards the end of the series, right before she goes to rehab, and even than really struggles to not make situations about herself. I can sort of forgive her on this one because I can’t imagine what it would be like to go to rehab and then have to come back into the crazy world she left to get help from.

This is also when I got excited because Tucker was always trying to be a good support system, while Kyle had dumped her before her mental breakdown because he didn’t want to deal with it, then ended up dating one of the girls who beat her in high school. If this doesn’t tell you how much of an asshole Kyle is, I don’t know what will.

Not to mention, when she gets out of rehab, her mom is trying to marry her dad’s best friend, the one with whom she cheated on her dad, and also got pregnant, and Chelsea finds out about this right as she gets out that her mother’s wedding is less than a week away.

I was honestly surprised that she didn’t go back into rehab because of it. What really pissed me off was the fact that her mom’s divorce wasn’t even finalized with her dad yet; literally, this divorce had been going on since Chelsea was at the end of high school and took years.

Like I said, the last few books go through a lot. I don’t want to spoil the last one, because that ended on a complete cliffhanger. I really wanted to see things through and see if it would end up like how the series did, but I don’t think it will.

The Kyle-Tucker-Chelsea Love Triangle

Honestly, the love triangle really pissed me off because both of these guys wanted to be with her, and yet the only one who actually made it official and asked her was Tucker. It really reminded me of the Twilight Series, Kyle is like Jacob, and Tucker is like Edward. The reason why I say this is in the series, she ends up with Tucker, like gets married has kids.

However, Jacob never treated Bella as badly as Kyle did to Chelsea. I really don’t get what she saw in Kyle; it’s like she wanted her life to end like the Taylor Swift song “You Belong With Me”. I can understand having crushes, especially in high school, it’s more prone to happen, and even looking back on my crushes, I outgrew them, which is what Chelsea should’ve done in the first place when Kyle still treated her badly.

Tucker’s not completely off the hook; there are a few times when he has broken Chelsea’s trust, such as finding her blog and sending the link to Kyle to mess up their progress. He was also a bit of an ass on their very first date, where he ditched Chelsea and she found out he was seeing Taylor, who was also Kyle’s girlfriend at the time.

It’s not like Kyle is completely the bad guy, but honestly, I would’ve had her rather stay with Tucker; however, if you read the last book, you can understand why that might not be a good idea because this version of Tucker has way too much going on, while the series Tucker, he’s better. Again, that part I’ll let you find out because I really don’t want to spoil it.

Oh, and not to mention, you have other characters that are trying to win Chelsea’s affection, like Kyle’s best friend Brett, who pretty much told Chelsea he had feelings for her, and they had a one-time make-out session, all while she was trying to rebuild a relationship with Kyle for the millionth time.

Then there’s River, her next-door neighbor, whom she meets when she and her dad move into a beach house towards the beginning of college. He is like a side character she flirts with off and on, then gets butthurt when he’s living the single life, having side chicks all the time at his house. They do share a kiss, but River actually has a brain, despite how much pot he smokes, and can clearly see how Tucker looks at Chelsea, and chooses to back down.

It’s like whenever Chelsea has a crush, if they are with someone else, instead of just struggling it off, she has, not like a full-blown meltdown, but more of a pity party, thinking her life is over just because the guy she likes doesn’t like her back. Not to be rude, but she could’ve used her backbone and been blunt with these guys and asked them out.

Overall Review

If I were to honestly rate the book series versus the Sims series, the Sims series kinda has it beat. I liked the storyline a lot better in the series, and Chelsea isn’t as bad as she is in the book series. I was so grateful that I finished this series because I don’t know how much longer I could take with Chelsea and her poor decision-making.

Like, yes, in life we can all make poor decisions, but it’s like Chelsea was doing it more for attention instead of learning from your mistakes, like most people do. If there was another book to explain the ending and I could find out what happens, I would read it, just so I could give myself the closure it needed to complete it.

Overall, I would probably give the entire series a 3-star rating; I liked it, but it wasn’t life-changing. Would it be something that I would reread? Maybe, but it’s not something I would buy physical copies of the book and have it on my shelf.

This has probably been one of my longest book reviews, but I’m definitely glad it’s all done. I started to drag my feet towards book 6-7; otherwise, this would’ve come out a lot sooner.

After reading my review, would this be a book series you’d be interested in or something you would want to avoid? Let me know in the comments!

Posted in Gaming

Online Multiplayer Websites I Wish Still Existed

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies!

I wanted to take a trip down memory lane from my childhood. You know those videos that show pictures of stuff that we used to see, especially if you grew up in the 90’s or 00’s? Well, YouTube started pulling them up, and one of the videos was about old websites that no longer exist.

It was kinda heartbreaking, but at the same time, it made me remember what it was like to go back to being a kid and logging onto these websites with no care in the world other than having fun.

Granted, I wasn’t one of those kids who was glued to the computer; my mom was pretty strict about screen time, especially when it came to the home computer that we all shared. If anything, we spent more time outside in the backyard than on the computer as kids.

There were so many websites that I loved visiting, but there were a few multiplayer ones that were my go-to’s as a kid/pre-teen. This was before Facebook was the place to go to play online games such as Farmville, which later my mom would let me have a Facebook at 13, just so I could send her stuff she needed for her farm.

Now, not all of these websites are gone, some of them had been relaunched with a new site name and owners or they are still hanging on with a thread. I will be including the new website link as well if you wanted to check it out!

So, lets go back down memory lane!

Millsberry.com

Millsberry was one of my all-time favorite websites to visit as a kid! It was simple and yet was super fun! You had a house that you could adopt pets, buy clothes, send mail to friends, visit friends houses, and play mini games that were based on your favorite cereal brands!

It was such a simple, but yet fun game to play and it sucked when it shut down. It first came out on July 2004, sadly it shut down in December of 2010.

HOWEVER, during researching this, I found out that there is a group of people that are trying to rebuild the beloved Millsberry.com! I was shocked and so excited! If it really happens, that is going to be amazing to go back and enjoy what made Millsberry.com such an amazing platform!

I’m going to leave the link here if you want to check it out: https://www.millsberry-rebirth.com/

Fantage

This was another game that not only I enjoyed, but my siblings did as well! This was one of the websites that we would literally fight over to be able to login. Between Millsberry, Club Penguin and Fantage, I would classify as more of a kid-friendly/kid-safe for online multiplayer.

There was so much you could do, visit different places, visit other players houses, become a spy, lots of mini games, and of course my all time favorite activity, the fashion show! Granted, some of the features did require a purchase of a membership, which I never had a chance to enjoy, but honestly, the only thing it did get you was upgraded hair, clothes, or stuff to decorate your home with.

Fantage was first launched in March of 2008 and lasted until July of 2018. Its crazy to think it lasted 10 years! During researching this, I did see that there was possibly a revamp of Fantage coming back, but it doesn’t look like a site or date is saying for sure if its in the works.

I think it would be so cool for this to make a return for sure!

Club Penguin

Of course, I have to talk about Club Penguin! This was another one my siblings and I fought over to log in as! It was different from the other ones as your character was a penguin that you could dress up, change the color of, and have a pet puffle that followed you around the map!

There was a lot you could do on the island! Tons of mini games to play, my favorite was the pizza making one and also becoming a ninja as well. So many places you could visit with friends and an igloo you get to decorate as well!

It was so popular that Disney even bought it! Granted, not everything was completely free; you did have to pay for a membership for the more fancier items, but there’s no surprise there. Plus they also had secret places you could go as well, I think it was more fun exploring and finding something new every corner.

Club Penguin first launched on October of 2005 and ended up shutting down on March 2017. Which is crazy to think it lasted that long, however, this isn’t completely gone away!

After researching, I found out someone did bring back Club Penguin, but its called Club Penguin Legacy and its completely free! All of the membership stuff that locked most of the items has been unlocked and if you are interested to check out a blast from the past, I have included the link below!

The link for Club Penguin Legacy: https://www.cplegacy.com/

ourWorld

ourWorld was one of those games I got into during middle school. One of my friends was so into it, that I ended up getting into it, however, I didn’t get into as bad as a lot of people used to. I can still say, I never spent a dime on that game!

It was a very unique world were you could level up and get different features that made your character look cooler. I didn’t do a lot of exploring as you needed to be leveled up to see most of the island, but I was more focused on playing the mini games, which the more you played, the more flow you got in order to level up.

Most of the mini games were really fun to play and most of my time was spent doing that. There were a few times I got a job at a cafe, but it got boring quick, plus sometimes most of the people wouldn’t want anything to do with you until you had the “cool” features or if you had a membership for it.

ourWorld launched in April 2008 and ended up shutting down in October 2021.

SmallWorlds

SmallWorlds was an online platform that I really liked, although most of the items you had to pay to be a member in order to unlock. Now, I didn’t spend as much time on this one as I did with the others, but it was different from the other online games that I used to play.

One of my favorite things was to go to school and role-play as a student. Now, I don’t really remember if they had mini games to play, but they had a lot of locations to visit and pretty much chat with others and role-play. You could also customize your character and house as well.

I think what didn’t keep me playing was that the characters sort of looked creepy looking and there wasn’t really a way to make them less creepy unless you paid more for it. There was a lot you could do free wise, but most of these games like this wanted you to pay to make your character better looking.

SmallWorlds was released in 2008 and shut down in 2018. However, this one is also available to play online, its just under a new name.

Here is the link: https://www.smallworldslegacy.com/

Poptropica

Poptropica was one of those fun online platforms that was very centered for kids and it was, in my opinion, a safer way to play online. Yes, you could still chat, but the messages were generated or pre-written, which I think my mom liked that factor.

This was one of the websites that you could play during school that the teachers wouldn’t mind you playing during free period. Pretty much, you visited different islands and there were tasks that you needed to do to unlock items that was used to lock more of the island. Once you completed it, you went onto the next one.

It was honestly a lot of fun and there was so much you could do on there. There was also areas where you could hang out with other players on each of the different islands, but there was only so much you could say to others.

Poptropica first released in 2007, however, the game has been moved to CoolMathGames in 2024. It is also available on Steam as well, which I wasn’t aware.

Here is the link: https://www.coolmathgames.com/0-poptropica

Those were just a few of the ones that I used to visit all the time as a kid/tween. There are others, but the other ones are still active today, like Habbo Hotel or Stardoll or IMVU, just to name a few.

I’m really excited for them to bring back Millsberry, it would be so awesome to show my kids the games that I grew up playing online. I showed my oldest about Webkinz and Club Penguin and she was all excited to try it for herself.

Of course, I would be sitting right next to her when she did because, honestly, I think parents need to be more observant of what their kids are doing online and talk about how to be safe online.

Were there any of the websites on this list that you also enjoyed like me? If so, which ones were your favorites? Let me know in the comments below!

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – One Last Chance (Reno R. Mist)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I was so excited to do a review on this book because I literally finished it less than 2 days! One of my co-workers actually was the one that told me about this book and I was very interested in it right away.

So, the story is about a man named Levi, where he ends up leaving his wife to be with his mistress and then wakes up after dying in a car crash to find out he is back where he was 12 years ago when he first left his wife and realizes this is his second chance to fix everything that he knows will happen if he stays on the path he was before.

Now, I’m not the type who enjoys reading about affairs or cheating, but when the book mentions about pretty much bending over backwards to fix his marriage and his kids lives, I was so intrigued.

It shows a lot of character growth of Levi when he talks about the past 12 years he’s already lived and shows his wife, Sloane, the effort and williness to make the marriage work the second time around. Plus while he is trying to fix his marriage, his mistress, Angie, is causing hell to get Levi back for herself.

Angie is one of the reasons that makes this read worth it because you really want to know how far she goes to try and win back Levi. When I mean this chick is crazy, I mean shes CRAZY. The amount of stuff she does to Levi and his family is just unreal.

The whole waking up back after dying and giving a second chance is what really intrigued me because I haven’t read a lot of books that have that factor in them. Not to mention, it got me thinking about writing a story with the similar concept of what a second chance would look like.

The author really did keep me glued to every word she wrote, I mean I was so zoned in and invested to find out what happened that if I would’ve started it on a rainy day first thing in the morning, that it would have been finished the same day.

I will mention, there are some spicy scenes, which I didn’t know were in the book, but its not like its every other page. Its what I like to call a happy medium. I honestly don’t mind spicy scenes or ‘smut’ in books, however, I don’t like it when it takes over the entire book.

This author did it perfectly, there was enough going on drama wise and the spicy scenes inbetween was like a bonus honestly. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I can see myself rereading this book over and over for sure.

I also did want to mention that this is also a series! Of course, this is the first book of the series and I really can’t wait to see what is next! I ended up following her on Amazon, so that when the next book is out, I’m going to be buying it as soon as it is out!

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read this yet or want to start reading it!

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – A Little Me (Amy Roloff)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I know I haven’t started this year off on a good note with my posts, but not to worry! I’m working on getting back on schedule! So, I figured, why not start off with a book review?

So, I wanted to make a note that I started this book back in the middle of 2025, but I finally found my Kindle and was able to finish it, thankfully! I know you are probably wondering, what made me choose this book to read? Well, let me explain!

It started back when I first saw the show called Little People, Big World, which was a reality TV series that focused on a family with dwarfism and showed how they lived their everyday lives and how they were raising their kids on their family farm.

I’m not sure what or why, but I really enjoyed watching it, and when it happened to be on HBO Max, I figured, why not watch it all from the beginning? However, there was something that I really wanted to see, which was the downfall of Matt and Amy Roloff’s relationship because there was a rumor that Matt was having an affair with one of their employee’s who worked on their farm.

Of course, I was curious about what the show was going to show versus what Amy was going to say in her book.

After finishing the entire series, which had 25 seasons, you can start to tell where their relationship started to get very rocky. Mind you, when they started filming the series back in 2006. In the beginning, you don’t really notice the cracks and see how happy their little family is, however, the cracks start to show.

Reading Amy’s book gave me more of a backstory to how she grew up, and more importantly, you can see the growth from when she talks about being this shy little girl to how she is now, more outgoing and not afraid to speak up.

It also gave more of an inside on how she first met Mat,t and they very much rushed into getting married and then having their children shortly after. You can tell that she really loved Matt in the beginning of their marriage. They were very much complete opposites, but sometimes that can be like a blessing.

Anyway, she did mention the big fight that they had on one of their vacations, where they took a Mississippi River cruise. In the show, you see the kids reacting to their parents having a very heated argument, which wasn’t filmed. Amy talked about how Matt wanted to leave in the middle of their cruise to go back to the farm because he needed to be there, but Amy tried to convince him to stay and enjoy spending time with them all, but that didn’t happen.

I did do some Reddit searching on this, and there is a whole thread where people think that Amy found out about the affair on the Mississippi River cruise, which would explain why he would want to leave the cruise just to go back to the farm. However, in the book, Amy doesn’t really say exactly when she found out, but she does mention it.

However, you can tell that’s probably where the real crack in their relationship happened.

Moving on, she does talk about how hard it was to get divorced because she never thought she would be going through it. What I liked about this part of her novel is that she not only gets through it, but also works on herself to become the person she wanted to be.

I honestly loved that for her, granted her kids probably thought she was going through a midlife crisis, but she did what she needed to do to not only heal, but get ready for the next chapter in life.

Overall, I really read the novel to see if she had more to say about the affair, but not much was talked about other than that one part where she saw their messages. Honestly, it was interesting to know what the problems she had growing up, since on the show, you really only hear about Matt’s issues.

There was a lot of her repeating herself a few times, but I think we all have rambled at one point or another. I also liked her advice that she left at the end of the chapter, which some of them I highlighted and saved in my Kindle.

It was an interesting read, but I think only for those who are true fans of the show would be more eager to check it out. I am tempted to buy Amy’s cooking books since she really does have a passion for cooking, and it makes me want to make one of her recipes from her book.

Let me know in the comments if you have read her book or if you haven’t and what you think about it.

Posted in Uncategorized

New Blog Schedule for 2026

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Happy New Years! I know this is a few days late, but I have had some unexpected events in my life that has happened recently. However, I don’t want it to mess with my resolution to blog more!

So, during the past month, I have been going through older blog posts and editing them, I haven’t really gotten through them all, but my goal is to get the rest looked at before the end of January. The only ones that I may not get to are my short stories, since they would need more time for me to lookover and edit. 

I’m going to do my best to get back on track! Anyway, I wanted to talk about the new updates for my blog that I plan to start doing!

Blog Schedule for 2026

Mondays & Thursdays: Other Ideas/Topics – Kinda of like a Random topic so that I can post whatever I would like without there being limitations. This may not be daily, that way I don’t overwhelm myself. 

Tuesdays: Formally known as “Crafty Sassy” – The new name for it is going to be Crafty Odyssey. I know this is a big change this year, so if you start seeing blog posts with the old name, it will be completely switched over to the new name before the end of this month. 

Wednesdays: Reviews – This will be reviews on anything expect book reviews (there is a separate day for those!) This one also may not be daily, as well.

Fridays: Gaming – I’m debating on having more of a formal name, but for now, I will leave it as is. I will be trying to do this daily, it will be anything from builds or tips or challenges. I’m going to try my best to switch it around and do different games and not just my go-to’s. 

Saturdays: Writing Works – I’m leaving the name for now, but I might change it. I don’t want to make this a daily thing since I still want to make sure that I don’t overdo it, so this one will be every other week. 

Sundays: Formally known as “Mom Talk” – Now will be called “The Mom Odysseys”. I think its different and unique. You will slowly start to see the name change by the end of the month as well. This won’t just be raising kids, but I wanted to also include other ideas, activities or traditions that I’ve been doing with my kids that I want to share with you all. 

Sundays (Last Sunday of the Month): Book Reviews – Now, I wanted to give myself at least a month, depending on how many pages of the books I can get into. I won’t just be review adult only books, but I am rereading some of the books I grew up with or never got a chance to read that I am also going to review.

 

So, that is the plan for 2026! I hope that this year is better than the last for all of you! I also want to thank each and every one of you that has sticked by my side since I began blogging back in 2018.

This year, I have a few new resolutions to work on, especially the big one everyone says they are going to do by don’t, which is working out more/eating better. I’m really trying to make sure I buckle down this year on that.

Plus, I have a goal to read more. Less phone/computer time and more reading! I have a list of books that I definitely want to finish this year and I need to stop buying books and read some of the ones I have sitting in my closet on a shelf. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has done that!

Not to mention, I’m doing another temperature blanket! Yes, you heard right! I haven’t done one since 2019 and I’m doing it differently this year! There will be a post on it!

Anyway, I’m hoping there will be a lot of good changes this year for my life and for my family! What’s your goals this year? Do you have any big changes you want to make for yourself this year? Let me know in the comments!

Posted in Uncategorized

Katie’s Blog Update for 2026

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies!

So, I’m trying to get back in the groove of things as I don’t want my blog to get forgotten and I’m starting to get back into writing, which has been a challenge these past few years off and on with writers block.

Plus I also had another baby at the beginning of the year which has kept me plenty busy! I haven’t talked about her since I’ve been struggling to find the balance life of both a single working mom of 2 now.

With that being said, there has been a LOT going on in my life that I have kinda put everything on the back burner to make sure I am spending as much time as I can with my girls. I’ve also ran into a lot of ups and downs this year that have made me want to change myself for the better, not just for myself, but for my kids and career.

Lately, I’ve been on autopilot or “zombie mode”, as I like to call it. I haven’t had much time to do the stuff I love, plus balance work and the kids. So, I’ve decided I wanna make a change.

I wanna write more, I want to post more on here, like I did when I was a stay at home mom years ago. I want my blog to not only be my comfort place, but hopefully be an inspiration to others that no matter where you are in your life, you can still follow your dreams to do what you love to do.

You are probably wondering what inspired me to start wanting to make a change? Well, after what has felt like a long time, I’ve found an amazing guy that I’ve been seeing since July and he done nothing but treated me like a goddess! Honestly, he has been the light in my life that I was waiting for.

Anyway, with him in my life, I’ve been happier and more excited to see what the future holds, however, there is something that is putting a damper in my life that I’m currently trying to fix, which is my career.

I’ve been asking this same question about my career for a very long time. Recently, things in my currently employment have made me rethink about if this is what I want to be doing for the next 5-10 years. So, I’m currently pushing myself to figure out what I want and hopefully persuade it in the distance future.

That’s one of my many goals that I want to do/change for this upcoming year. So, with that being said, what is happening to my blog?

Before the end of the year, I want to start going through my blog posts and either trash or fix and keep. Then, I’m hoping to get a schedule started as I do want to take the extra time to make posts for my blog.

So, lets talk about what’s staying and what might be going.

  • Mom Talk – Sundays
    • So, I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of this because as a mom, its nice to have a space where I can talk about the different challenges of raising kids and especially with the struggles of a single mom. Instead of just talking about raising kids or struggles, I wanted to start posting other stuff that can be fun to do with the kids, like crafts or holiday traditions or ideas that you don’t have to break the bank when you do them with the kids.
    • I also might be changing the name of it as well to something else, since I don’t want the title of every blog post to have “Mom Talk”, since now that I’ve realized that it should be either at the end of a blog title versus the beginning.
  • Crafty Sassy – Tuesdays
    • This is getting a name change for sure! Honestly, I’m not sure what drove me to name it that, but I think it does need to be changed.
    • I also want to start doing more than just crochet stuff, but other stuff such as crafts, knitting, needle print, more latch hooks, etc.
  • Gaming – Fridays
    • I really want to focus more on gaming stuff, especially since my oldest daughter has been getting into the same games that I also play as well. I really wanna focus on tips or tricks, possibly some builds as well.
    • I also have gotten a few newer games that I want to spend more time playing and getting into such as Planet Coaster 2, Planet Zoo, Hogwarts Legacy, House Flipper, Supermarket Simulator, etc. A few of them I’ve already checked them out, but the first 3 are new and I haven’t had a chance to check them out.
    • Right now, my oldest is into Minecraft and Animal Crossings, so you might start to see more stuff on those first.
  • Writing Works – Saturdays
    • Now, I know a lot of my short stories on here NEED a review and fix, so with that being said, I’m going to start fixing those and then I’ll start posting maybe an intro and chapter to my books on Wattpad, but those also NEED a lot of review and possible rewrite since a few of them were made when I was younger.
    • I also want to do other stuff with this and not just short stories, but possibly writing prompts or ideas that doesn’t directly involve just short stories.
  • Book Review – Last Sunday of the Month
    • So, I have done the start of some book reviews since my oldest and I have started a tradition where we read a little bit of a book we are working on. Currently, we are working on Harry Potter. We have finished a few other books, which I’m going to try and get those reviews posted, but the books I read with her, I might also include her input as well.
    • I also have a goal for next year that I’m going to see if I can start to read every book that I have sitting on my shelf in my closet. I have a tendency to buy books I’ve wanted to read and then forget all about this, but I’m going to make sure I have some time to read more because I do miss it.
    • I’ve also got a few book series that I would like to do as well, but I kinda want to pack their books all in one review, if possible.
  • Reviews – Wednesdays 
    • There are a few reviews I’ve done before, I believe most of them were crochet products, but I plan on doing more with this. I don’t think it will be every Wednesday, but I’m going to try to get at least one or two for each month next year, if I can.
    • These reviews I’m not going to limit them to just crochet products or products in general. I might do movies or TV series as well, I think I’ve did them before on here, but maybe it might be something I bring back up again.
  • Other Topics – Mondays & Thursdays?
    • I’m going to leave this as a sort of extra thing I would want to start doing, but I don’t want to really push it, but some of the other topics that I’m interested in are:
      • True Crime (Unsolved/Solve Murder Cases and Missing People Cases)
      • Living in Different Decades
      • Meditation
      • Yoga
      • Conspiracy Theories
      • Monthly Challenges
      • And maybe more?

Overall, I’m going to get back in the groove for the beginning of 2026. I’ve already started to make a gameplan for next year. Don’t worry if you see some changes happening on my blog, from now until the end of the year, I’ll be doing a lot of editing so I can start the new year on a better track!

Posted in Mom Talk

This Game Isn’t As “Kid Friendly” As It Seems (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I wanted to talk about this topic as my daughter is into gaming, and some of the games she plays, I don’t see any issue with; however, there are some games that I thought were fine, but they really aren’t. 

Growing up, we had a home computer that our family would use daily. My mom would be watching us like a hawk when we were on the internet. If we were playing the many educational CD Rom games, she wouldn’t have to worry. However, once I was in middle school, I had a little bit more freedom to explore the internet. 

I completely understand why my mom watched us like a hawk whenever we were on the internet. 

Nowadays, kids have access to tablets, smartphones, computers, and gaming consoles, so they cannot only play games, but also have access to play online with others. If you were like me and grew up playing the Super Nintendo, you never really had to worry about “online gameplay”. 

However, you really DO need to worry. Especially if your kids play online. 

Roblox

So, what started this was the fact that my daughter likes to play Roblox with her cousins. I signed up with an account to kinda check it out for myself, just to see what the fuss was about. 

Well, once I started playing a few games, it seemed pretty harmless, but I jumped onto one server where this random person had messaged me saying I was ugly. I didn’t react because it’s literally a blocky character that’s your avatar. I honestly thought it was funny; however, depending on how young the players you have on here are, that could really upset them.

Ironically, I came across a video from this guy Visual Venture, about Roblox. I got curious and watched it. It really opened my eyes to how DANGEROUS this game really is. 

Here is the video that I watched. Any parents who have their kids playing Roblox, I HIGHLY recommend watching this: 

He not only breaks down some of the flaws about how Roblox can allow ANYONE to sign up and play, but how there are predators that have used Roblox to lure their victims.

Visual Venture talks about how the game is actually rating T for teens, but there are kids as young as 5 years old that are on this platform playing. The game was originally meant for players to create their own games and share for others to play, however, its not as sweet and innocent as you think. 

When I saw this article, being pissed was an understatement:

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/roblox-schlep-pedophile-vigilante-lawsuits-1235414218/

You read that right, Roblox BANNED a guy that was trying to get predators off the platform, after he, himself, was groomed online by a predator. You’d think that Roblox would want to work with Schlep, the one banned, to make their platform safer for kids. 

If you read in the article, there have been so many cases where Schlep has gotten justice for getting these real-life predators arrested, so that no other kids have to experience being groomed or worse abducted.

This is why I won’t let my daughter play Roblox. 

Now, Roblox isn’t the only game you need to worry about, anytime your child has access to the internet, you need to always have your guard up. We can’t always protect them when it comes to the internet, but we can teach our kids about using the internet safely.

Here are a few things to teach your kids about protecting themselves online:

  • Never give out personal information
    • This is pretty common sense, but definitely a very good reminder.
    • Think of the word “Yappy”:
      • Y – Your Full Name
      • A – Address (Home/School/Email)
      • P – Phone Number
      • P – Passwords
      • Y – Your plans & birthday
  • Keep your passwords safe
    • Having a family Password/Username booklet can be very helpful for this! (Especially if you are like me and have a few streaming services)
    • Make your passwords long or use a phrase to ensure that no one can get it.
    • Avoid using personal names/birthdays/or same passwords.
  • Don’t talk to Strangers!
    • Same if it was in person.
    • Only talk to those online, IF you have met them in person.
  • Tell an Adult if something doesn’t seem right
    • If something looks bad or seems bad, tell your teacher, parent, or a trusted adult.
    • Parents: Don’t get upset with them as if it happens again, they might not want to tell you if they get in trouble.
    • Best way to prevent them searching random stuff is having parental locks and only have selective websites from a trusted source.
    • This also applies to any conversation they have online with others.
  • Ask before you Download
    • Always explain to them that not every website can be trusted and that they need to ask before downloading anything.
    • I see this more as a problem for young teens who don’t realize that the free game they want could be a virus.
  • Always Be Kind!
    • Remind your child that being kind to everyone!
    • Just remind them that you never want to be rude or mean to anyone because you never know who is on the other side of the screen.

As parents, we need to do anything and everything to protect our children, as using the internet because more and more normal each day, its best to make sure our children are growing up knowing how to use it safely. 

Its just like them having cell phones at a young age. I didn’t have one until I was 13, the same age you’d need to be to sign up for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. We shouldn’t be pushing the limits and having our children have access to those until they really understand and know how to use them respectfully and are actually the correct age to be on them. 

Teaching them that anything you post, say, or do, you can’t just delete it and its gone, it will ALWAYS be on the internet in one form or another. 

Let me know in the comments what you think about all this!

(Yes, I did use AI to general the man photo, got curious to try it out!)

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – Flirty Little Secret (Jessica Lepe)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies!

I have been on a “trying to read more this year than I did last year kick”. I also have a closet full of books that I’m trying to get through as well, however, I didn’t have this particular book just sitting on my shelf.

I’ll admit I was trying NOT to buy any more books because I’m honestly running out of room and when I saw this one and read what it was about, I was honestly curious to see how it turned out. Most of the time I would just buy the book and then it sits on my shelf because I forget about it, but I was determined to read this one.

Not to mention, this was the first book that has been published by this author, Jessica Lepe, which I never get a chance to find an authors very first published works, I never get THAT lucky.

So, the book is about Lucy, a guidance consulter at a high school who also as an online presents as @TheMissGuidedCounselor on Instagram where she gives out the best advice for her followers that no one really knows who she is. She also struggles with a lot of mental health. Which I can say I related to her so much in this book.

Then, you have Fletcher, who is a teacher who transferred to the same high school Lucy works. Little does he know that he has been also talking to Lucy on Instagram through his online present as @BravesGuy93. Fletcher also has his table of family issues that Lucy has been helping him out with.

Anyway, they have such an awkward cute meet, which I’m not going to spoil any details with that because its just hilarious and I honestly would act like Lucy if that ever did happen to me.

Also, I forgot to mention that the book is different chapters of both Lucy perspective and Fletchers perspective. Which I honestly quite enjoyed because a lot of books that I’ve read, its always based off of one persons perspective, but it was so interested to read both sides.

I don’t want to give out too many details as I think this book would be a great read for anyone who is a teen/young adult. The reason why I would recommend this to that age group is that I think it would benefit a lot to actually read what a modern romance is nowadays, especially if there is also mental health in the mix to all that.

I think a lot of people nowadays don’t want to work on relationships and would rather skip to another new person versus sitting down and working on the problems they have if they truly loved each other. I think this book does an amazing job talking about how mental health can affect you when being in a relationship when you aren’t at 100%.

One of the scenes in the book that I am referring to is the scene where Lucy and Fletcher have their very first date. When Fletcher comes to pick up Lucy, he finds he so overwhelmed with a list of stuff she has been delaying doing because of her mental health and instead of just leaving her to deal with them herself, he cancels the dinner plans and takes her around help her get the stuff she needs done, done.

In my eyes, that not only shows that Fletcher is willing to help Lucy in need, but it shows that he wants to be with her through the good, bad, and the ugly times. If I were Lucy, I would snatch that man up for myself since there aren’t many men that would do that, its slim pickings that will.

Overall, I really liked the book and found that I couldn’t put the book down, especially when the author was going back from Lucy to Fletcher, I wanted to know what happened next. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad if there was a sequel, but I think how the book ended, it ended in a perfect way there wouldn’t need to be a sequel.

Honestly, I will be following this author because I loved her writing style and I related to Lucy in so many ways, which can be hard to do when sometimes authors want to give us the fairy tale hope of happily ever after, but life isn’t like that and I think Flirty Little Secret showed the side that we really don’t see with relationships nowadays.

Let me know in the comments if you have also gotten a chance to read this or if its on your book list to check out!

Posted in Gaming, My Sims Challenges, Sims, Sims 3 Challenges

Sims Challenge – “Not So Berry” Challenge (Generation Intro)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I know I think everyone has been waiting for me to FINALLY post an update on a Sims Challenge. With everything that’s been going on in my life, I have finally been able to update! 

So, if you don’t know what this challenge is, its of course a generation challenge where each generation you have to master a career and skills. I have also added the challenge of making the Sim that’s doing this chosen task to ALSO get a degree in the respected field. 

I just want to say, this is NOT my challenge, I think I found this on either Pinterest of the “Mod the Sims” site. I’m going to include the site where there are a TON of different challenges to try: https://modthesims.info/f/564/

Mod the Sims is an amazing resource, I highly recommend it for any Sims player to check it out. Its got mods, custom content, and so much more to check out. 

Anyway, so each Generation is a set color, career focus, and aspiration. Sometimes there are other “mini goals” you need to complete while working on your man goal. I’m also adding the degree too, which isn’t needed, but I figured it would make it more challenging and fun!

Here are the lists of Generations:

  • Generation 1: Mint
    • Aspiration – Knowledge
    • Career – Science
    • Goals:
      • Reach top of science career
      • Master logic skill
      • Max Science hobby
    • Goals I Added:
      • Max gardening skill
      • Max fishing skill
      • Max fixing skill
      • Diploma in Science
  • Generation 2: Rose
    • Aspiration – Romance
    • Career – Politics
    • Goals:
      • Master politics career
      • Max charisma sjill
      • Have one child only
      • Don’t get married until elder
    • Goals I Added:
      • Master logic skill
      • Master writing skill
      • Master social media skill
      • Communications Degree
  • Generation 3: Yellow
    • Aspiration – Knowledge
    • Career – Military
    • Goals:
      • Reach Astronaut (Level 9 in Military)
      • Master mechanical skill
      • Master logic skill
      • Be abducted 5 times
      • Never have close relationships, until grandparents pass
    • Goals I Added:
      • Master athletic skill
      • Master fishing skill
      • Master charismatics skill
      • Technology Degree
  • Generation 4: Grey
    • Aspiration – Any
    • Career – Athletic
    • Goals:
      • Master athletic skill
      • Learn parenting
      • Max Athletic career
      • Have 3 failed relationships before finding “the one”
      • Be good friends with all your children
      • Have family night once a week
    • Goals I Added:
      • Master fishing skill
      • Master charismatics skill
      • Master cooking skill
      • Physical Education Degree
      • Have a child from each of the relationships
  • Generation 5: Plum
    • Aspiration – Pleasure
    • Career – Slacker, Medical, Entertainment
    • Goals:
      • Master 3 skills, achieve level 8 in all others
      • Reach level 3 in each of the above careers
      • Get divored and remarry the same Sim
      • Must move 3 times.
    • Goals I Added:
      • Business Degree
      • Science and Medical Degree
      • Fine Arts Degree
      • Master charisma skill
      • Master science skill
      • Master cooking
  • Generation 6: Orange
    • Aspiration – Any
    • Career – Criminal
    • Goals:
      • Master cooking skill
      • Master charisma skill
      • Master criminal career
      • Have 5 enemies
    • Goals I Added:
      • Master athletic skill
      • Business Degree
      • Master social media skill
      • Marry one of the enemies spouses and have a child with them
  • Generation 7: Pink
    • Aspiration – Any
    • Career – Business
    • Goals:
      • Master painting skill
      • Write 5 novels
      • Write 1 best seller
      • Join the book club
      • Quit day job as an adult to focus on writing
    • Goals I Added:
      • Master writing skill
      • Master social media skill
      • Master gardening skill
      • Communications Degree
      • Master photography skill
      • Master Business career before reaching an adult
  • Generation 8: Peach
    • Aspiration – Any
    • Career – Law Enforcement
    • Goals:
      • Master cooking skill
      • Master painting skill
      • Become a detective (Level 6)
    • Goals I Added:
      • Master logic skill
      • Master handiness skill
      • Technology Degree
      • Master photography skill
      • Get married twice to different sims
  • Generation 9: Green
    • Aspiration – Knowledge or Popularity
    • Career – Gamer
    • Goals:
      • Master handiness skill
      • Master logic skill
      • Master gaming career
      • Must go on at least 1 outing or throw 1 party a week
      • Have 5 good friends and 5 enemies
      • Reach level 10 Nerd Influence
    • Goals I Added:
      • Technology Degree
      • Communication Degree
      • Master social media
      • Master charisma
      • Master writing
  • Generation 10: Blue
    • Aspiration – Family
    • Career – Journalism
    • Goals:
      • Adopt at least 1 child
      • Master cooking skill
      • Learn parenting
      • Master Journalism career
      • Be with the same Sim from high school until death
      • Have 1 affair
      • Write 1 book for each genre
    • Goals I Added:
      • Communications Degree
      • Master writing skill
      • Master photography
      • Have affair while in college
      • Master charisma skill
      • Have 5 kids

Most of the stuff I added extra was either skills that you needed to master in order to master the career or degree they needed or thought it would be fun to do while playing the game.

Also, for each of the generation colors, I’ve been mostly having their hair tips dyed with the same generation color they are in, so like the one I currently started, I dyed the tips of her hair a “mint” shade, so as she ages, it will stay that until shes an elder, which I still go in and make her tips that same color.

Pretty much once they hit elder stage, you can start focusing on the next generation by getting their skills ready to go. If there isn’t any limitations to how many kids you can have for each generation, you can have more to make it more challenging or even adopt pets. Those will help kill some time you need to age up your Sims as well.

So, I have started this challenge and I’m going to post an update for how each of the generations were, but keep in mind, I made their life spans last a little bit longer than usual, just so I could go back and do the degree part of the challenge.

Keep an eye on the next update I have with this challenge, I’m hoping to have it all set and done for this Friday and hopefully have updates on Fridays going forward. I’m honestly so excited to see how far I can get into this challenge! Wish me luck!

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – The One & Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Since one of my goals for this year was to read more books for 2025, I’ve started trying to do that. Granted I haven’t been able to finish a book with how crazy the beginning of the year has been for me, but I finally finished a book!

So, The One & Only Ivan, I actually saw the movie first before I knew that there was a book. This is usually what happens to me, I’ll see the movie or series and then find out that it was based off of a book. At that point, I’ll either get the book or have it saved on my Amazon list and then forget its still there. 

I ended up getting The One & Only Ivan at my daughters book fair. I figured, why not. As adults, we don’t really tend to read books our kids are reading and I figured since my daughter has started reading, I figured why not read it. 

The book is actually very interesting because its in the perspective of Ivan, a gorilla. So, it was a very quick read because most of the pages were short and sweet. If you wanted to, you could finish this book in a day.

Basically, the book is about Ivan who is an act at a mall circus with a few other animals, including an elephant Stella. Also, can’t forget about the stray dog named Bob. Anyway, when a new act, a baby elephant named Ruby, comes into the picture, Stella has Ivan promises her that Ruby will not be stuck at the mall as a circus act. 

Ivan uses his creativity to communicate to the humans to get Ruby and him out of the mall. Which is pretty much the just of the story. The best part was that Ivan was based on a true story. Most of the story is fictional, but Ivan was based on a real gorilla.

I really enjoyed both the movie and the book, but there are some differences between the two. After reading the book, I noticed that the tone was different from the movie when it came to a few aspect. 

In the book, for example, Mack, the mall owner, is more aggressive in the book than in the movie, especially when it comes to when he’s training Ruby. In the book, he uses a “claw stick”, to train Ruby and Mack uses it in the book, but in the movie, he doesn’t. 

Other than that, I think Disney did a great job with the movie, they didn’t follow the book completely, but I’m kinda glad, I don’t want to spoil the book, but there was a scene that they described that I’m just glad Disney didn’t add in, it was a minor detail, but it was still heartbreaking to read. 

I will say if you do watch the movie, you might cry like I did at a few parts. They did a good job with the movie and every time I was reading parts where Bob was talking, all I could hear is Danny DeVito’s voice since he voices Bob in the movie. 

Have you read The One and Only Ivan? If so, what did you think of it and did you like the movie afterwards? Let me know down below!

The picture above is Ivan the gorilla, which was what the story was based on.

Posted in Gaming, Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley – Can You Complete The Community Center in the First Year?

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! 

My daughter and I have been playing a lot of Stardew Valley lately. Well, I got her into playing it since we currently like playing Animal Crossing, but once you have everything unlocked, the only thing left is to decorate the island and make sure you have all the bugs, paintings, fish, and fossils. 

Which can get a little boring after a while, especially if you have to wait until the months that you are missing different bugs or fish. Anyway, I bought Stardew Valley on the Switch, which does take some getting used to if you are used to playing on PC like I am. 

My daughter would watch me play it on PC and kept asking to learn how to play, so I finally caved last week and we started showing her. So, we have a farm, its called MoMo Farm, named after her cat MoMo. 

One of the things that I was teaching her is about the Community Center, which, if you complete bundles, can unlock other game features. Now, technically, you can unlock these features through the Jojo Mart by paying for them, but what kind of fun is that? 

Once you unlock the Community Center, and go to speak with the Wizard to be able to understand what the Junimos are saying, that’s when you can start putting in what each of the bundles requires.

Now, the question remains: Can you finish the Community Center within the 1st year on the farm?

The answer, for most speed runners, is yes! However, you really need to come up with a gameplan because not everything you can get within the first year. Your best friend is going to be the Traveling Cart

She is located in the Cindersap Forrest, however she is only open on Fridays and Sundays and is open until 8pm both days. My advise is to make sure you have some extra gold or sell some stuff before you see her, so that if she has something you need for one of your bundles, you can buy it from her. 

However, you have to keep in mind it’s random stuff every time, so most of the time she will have many one or two items that you truly need, other times she won’t have anything you need. She also appears at the Desert Festive (Spring 15-17) and the Night Market (Winter 15-17). 

Now, let’s go through each bundle and find out where and when you can find each of the items, as well as the reward for completing the bundle.

Crafts Room

Once all bundles are completed, you will unlock the Bridge Repair to unlock the Quarry.

  • Spring Foraging Bundle
    • Wild Horseradish
    • Daffodil
    • Leek
    • Dandelion
    • Reward: Spring Seeds (30)
  • Summer Foraging Bundle
    • Grape
    • Spice Berry
    • Sweet Pea
    • Reward: Summer Seeds (30)
  • Fall Foraging Bundle
    • Common Mushroom
    • Wild Plum
    • Hazelnut
    • Blackberry
    • Reward: Fall Seeds (30)
  • Winter Foraging Bundle
    • Winter Root
    • Crystal Fruit
    • Snow Yam
    • Crocus
    • Winter Seeds (30)
  • Construction Bundle
    • Wood (99)
    • Wood (99)
    • Stone (99)
    • Hardwood (10)
    • Reward: Charcoal Kiln
  • Exotic Foraging Bundle
    • Coconut
    • Cactus Fruit
    • Cave Carrot
    • Red Mushroom
    • Purple Mushroom
    • Maple Syrup
    • Oak Resin
    • Pine Tar
    • Morel
    • Reward: Autumns Bounty (5)
  • Tips: This will be the bundle you will start to work on, as soon as you complete one of them, the Pantry will then be unlocked. Out of all the bundles, this one is more of the easier ones to complete before the first year.

Pantry

Once all bundles are completed, you will unlock and restore the Green House.

  • Spring Crops Bundle
    • Parsnip
    • Green Bean
    • Cauliflower
    • Potato
    • Reward: Speed-Gro (20)
  • Summer Crops Bundle
    • Tomato
    • Hot Pepper
    • Blueberry
    • Melon
    • Reward: Quality Sprinkler
  • Fall Crops Bundle
    • Corn
    • Eggplant
    • Pumpkin
    • Yam
    • Reward: Bee House (1)
  • Quality Crops Bundle
    • Parsnip High Quality (5)
    • Melon High Quality (5)
    • Pumpkin High Quality (5)
    • Corn High Quality (5)
    • Reward: Preserves Jar (1)
  • Animal Bundle
    • Large Milk
    • Large Egg Brown
    • Large Egg White
    • Large Goat Milk
    • Wool
    • Duck Egg
    • Reward: Cheese Press (1)
  • Artisan Bundle
    • Truffle Oil
    • Cloth
    • Goat Cheese
    • Cheese
    • Honey
    • Jelly
    • Apple
    • Apricot
    • Orange
    • Peach
    • Pomeganate
    • Cherry
    • Reward: Keg (1)
  • Tips: Out of all the bundles, this is one you’ll want to complete before winter of your first year since you can grow any crops at any time in there, as well as fruit trees. The Traveling Merchant is going to be the best way to complete the animal bundle, especially if you don’t have enough money to get a coop or barn started in time. Having the fruit bats will help with this bundle too as well.

Fish Tank

Once all bundles are completed, you will unlock removing the Glittering Boulder that is around the Mines.

  • River Fish Bundles
    • Sunfish
    • Catfish
    • Shad
    • Tiger Trout
    • Reward: Deluxe Bait (30)
  • Lake Fish Bundle
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Carp
    • Bullhead
    • Sturgeon
    • Reward: Dressed Spinner (1)
  • Ocean Fish Bundle
    • Sardine
    • Tuna
    • Red Snapper
    • Tilapia
    • Reward: Warp Totem Beach (5)
  • Night Fishing Bundle
    • Walleye
    • Bream
    • Eel
    • Reward: Glow Ring
  • Crab Pot Bundle
    • Lobster
    • Crayfish
    • Crab
    • Cockle
    • Mussel
    • Shrimp
    • Snail
    • Periwinkle
    • Oyster
    • Clam
    • Reward: Crab Pot (3)
  • Specialty Fish Bundle
    • Pufferfish
    • Ghostfish
    • Sandfish
    • Woodskip
    • Reward: Dish O’ The Sea (5)
  • Tips: This bundle is going to be difficult to complete because you have to pain attention to both the season or weather. The Traveling Merchant helped me quite a bit on completing this bundle because I really don’t like fishing when you first start. The crab pot bundle is going to the easiest to complete.

Boiler Room

Once all bundles are completed, you will unlock and restore the Minecarts.

  • Blacksmiths Bundle
    • Copper Bar
    • Iron Bar
    • Gold Bar
    • Reward: Furnace (1)
  • Geologists Bundle
    • Quartz
    • Earth Crystal
    • Frozen Tear
    • Fire Quartz
    • Reward: Omni Geode (5)
  • Adventurer’s Bundle
    • Slime (99)
    • Bat Wing (10)
    • Solar Essence
    • Void Essence
    • Reward: Small Magnet Ring
  • Tips: This is another bundle you will complete quickly, especially if you are like me and want to get to the bottom as soon as possible. Plus unlocking this bundle will make getting around fairly quicker than just running all over the map.

Bulletin Board

Completing all bundles will improve each of the player’s friendship rating with each of those villagers.

  • Chef’s Bundle
    • Maple Syrup
    • Fiddlehead Fern
    • Truffle
    • Poppy
    • Maki Roll
    • Fried Egg
    • Reward: Pink Cake (3)
  • Dye Bundle
    • Red Mushroom
    • Sea Urchin
    • Sunflower
    • Duck Feather
    • Aquamarine
    • Red Cabbage
    • Reward: Seed Maker (1)
  • Field Research Bundle
    • Purple Mushroom
    • Nautilus Shell
    • Chub
    • Frozen Geode
    • Reward: Recycling Machine (1)
  • Fodder Bundle
    • Wheat (10)
    • Hay (10)
    • Apple (3)
    • Reward: Heater
  • Enchanters Bundle
    • Oak Resin
    • Wine
    • Rabbits Foot
    • Pomegranate
    • Reward: Gold Bar (5)
  • Tips: This bundle can be difficult, but the Travel Merchant can help with some of them. Building friendships can help with unlocking other receipes that you will need, especially if you are trying to complete all the achievements.

Vault

Once all bundles have been completed, you will unlock and restore the Bus Stop, unlocking access to the Calico Desert.

  • 2,500g Bundle – Reward: Chocolate Cake (3)
  • 5,000g Bundle – Reward: Quality Fertilizer (30)
  • 10,000g Bundle – Reward: Lightening Rod (1)
  • 25,000g Bundle – Reward: Crystalarium (1)

Overall, it is possible, but it can be a challenge. Best bet is to pay attention to what items you can get during which season. I actually have an app on my phone that has a check list for each of the bundle items. Plus the app also includes all the villagers favorite items and disliked items as well.

If you have a team or a few people playing together on your farm, you’ll have better odds at completing the Community Center quicker as well. Plus you can asign each player to focus on one of the bundle groups.

Let me know in the comments how soon you were able to complete the Community Center. I’ve been close to finishing it within the first year, but the fish are usually the challenge for me. The closest I got was two weeks after the first year I was able to complete the Community Center, but it does make you want to complete it way sooner!

Posted in Mom Talk

How I Dated a Walking-Talking Red Flag (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies!

I know this post is overdue, but last year, I talked about how difficult it is to be single and dating nowadays and most of the red flags I ran into were because of one particular ex of mind. Now, since it’s been over a year since I last had to deal with him, I figured it was time to talk about how bad the relationship really was.

I’m not going to use his real name, so for the sake of this post, we are going to call him Ronnie or “Red-Flag Ronnie”, which fits him perfectly. Now, let’s get into this mess of a relationship that only lasted 3 months.

So, I first met Ronnie on Facebook Dating. I don’t remember who swiped on who first, but he was the one who sent the first message wanting to talk through texting. Which I usually have no problem doing, but looking back now, he didn’t want me to have his socials.

Anyway, the first day of texting, he really didn’t impress me right off. The conversation was going well until he mentioned wanting to do sexual stuff. To me, if that’s the first thing you want to have a conversation about when we just started talking, you aren’t looking for something serious.

Of course, whenever a guy starts the conversation out like that, I ignore them or move on to the next one. However, I decided this time to give Ronnie the benefit of the doubt, but boy, did I know what I would be dealing with.

So, we continued to talk, and not even a week later, he was already asking me to borrow money. The first time was so that his phone service wouldn’t get shut off, so we could still text, and then it was “I don’t have money for food” or “I need a couple bucks to get me a vape pen”. Even though I was giving him little amounts here and there, boy, does it add up.

Then we planned to meet for the first time, but he didn’t have a way to get to me unless he took the bus. Want to guess who paid for the bus ticket? Shocker, I know. I even had to pick him up at the bus stop, too. Apparently, he totaled his truck and couldn’t pay to get it back up and running, but had his license.

Meeting him in person for the first time, I honestly enjoyed it and didn’t notice any other red flags at the time. Of course, we made it official, but when I asked if he wanted to make it Facebook official, he didn’t want to do it.

That honestly should’ve been another red flag, especially since the name that he used on Facebook wasn’t his actual name. Not to mention, he wouldn’t even friend me on Facebook, which I thought was also odd. If you were dating someone, wouldn’t you want to show that you are with someone? I mean, I do.

So, once we had the first weekend together, I thought everything was great. I waited until the next weekend, when I didn’t have my daughter, for him to come back down, but the second time he visited, he was glued to playing on my gaming PC. All he did most of that weekend was play Rust, trying to get me into it, which I honestly couldn’t do.

Pretty much, you can guess that almost every time he came down after that, he spent playing on my gaming laptop. I would even ask if he could spend time with me, and when I was able to get him off my gaming laptop, he was glued to his phone. It was a nightmare getting him to do anything with me unless he wanted to do it too.

Then there was the time when it was a weekend we weren’t seeing each other, and he randomly texted me that he possibly got someone pregnant. Now, I wish I would’ve dumped him right there and then. I don’t know why I didn’t, but he told me it was a “false alarm” the next time I was able to see him again.

Then he claimed he needed a place to stay because of his current living situation, his “roommates” were all moving out, and so he asked if he could stay with us. I agreed as long as he got a job and was giving money towards the bills and food. This man, I swear you not, got a job and then quit a day later because he called out on his second day.

Instead of job searching, while I was working, he was playing on my gaming laptop all day and all hours of the day and night. Then would sleep, eat, and repeat. Until one of my family members offered him another job, and he finally was working, but I had checked out of the relationship.

I think he could sense that the end was near because he even tried to get me to start looking at apartments for us to live in. I had told him no because I wasn’t going to be the only one who was paying for everything, especially when he couldn’t keep a job.

He even told me through text message that he supposedly loved me and got mad when I didn’t say it back. I only say “I love you” when I mean it, and I would never do it in a text message. I didn’t love him, and I wasn’t going to say it back or be forced to say it back because he did.

When I had had enough, I wrote him something, the one time he was actually working, explaining that it was over. I wanted to get all my thoughts on paper to figure out what I wanted to say. He kinda had a sense of that and asked what was wrong. All I told him was that I had written something down for him, and immediately, he asked: “Is it a break-up letter?”

I told him we could talk about it later since I didn’t want to mention it while he was working. He then kept asking, and I finally just told him. Apparently, I made him cry at work over it. Well, you asked and didn’t want to wait until later.

It was pretty awkward when he got back from work, and he read my letter. He sent me what he was feeling in a text message, thinking that I didn’t want to be with him because he wasn’t rich.

First of all, I just want to clarify that I never judge someone by how their lifestyle is. I don’t care if you are rich or poor, it’s about how you are as a person. Clearly, my brain was not working when I met Ronnie, since he made himself seem better than he really was.

Once I ended it with him and he moved out, it was a huge relief not having to deal with him. He still tried to contact me and ask me for money, but I shut him down. I wasn’t going to keep stressing myself over it.

You also might be wondering, “Why didn’t he give out his real name?” Well, this might answer a few things, as well as the big one, why he couldn’t keep a job. Well, it turns out that Red-Flag Ronnie had a record. Now, I didn’t search his name when he gave it for his bus ticket, but if I had, I would’ve blocked him.

Turns out that when Ronnie was in college, he sexually assaulted someone. Which is why he doesn’t use his real name, because if you were to search it, it pulls up articles that talked about it from a few years ago. Apparently, the case was still ongoing.

Ronnie did tell me about it, but he spun the story very differently from what the articles explained. He told me that he met this girl, and they hooked up. The boyfriend supposedly found out she cheated, and apparently, the girl didn’t want her boyfriend to leave her and claimed that Ronnie assaulted her instead.

However, that wasn’t what the article said. The news article said that he threatened her with a knife, which he never mentioned. Mind you, I didn’t find this all out until after the fact; if I knew this, I would have ended things and blocked him right off.

This explains quite a bit why he couldn’t keep a job, and probably one of the reasons why women wanted nothing to do with him after they found that out. This is exactly why, whenever you are dating someone, Google their full name and see what pops up.

Granted, a few other things happened with that relationship, such as him raising his voice at me and having angry outbursts when things didn’t go his way, which were some more red flags.

In the end, I learned a few things, and I now know if I attempt to go back on Facebook Dating, I know exactly what I want to avoid. I think one of the big things that I’m not going to do is rush into things. Nothing goes well when you rush.

I’m now at the mentality of “if something is meant to be, it will be.” I’ve also completely accepted that famous quote Chandler Bing in Friends says:

Posted in Mom Talk

Mom Talk: The Dating World of 2024

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I wanted to bring up something that I’m having trouble with, but some pointers I wanted to bring up if you are a newly single. Whether your a single parent, just got out of a long relationship, or have been single for awhile, but just started looking, this might be good information to know!

Now, for all of you who have been following me since the very beginning, I decided to leave my children’s father back in 2021. I didn’t start dating again until 6 months after I had left him. A lot of people asked why I didn’t just jump right into and it was because I wanted to work on myself.

I wanted to make sure that I loved myself before I jumped into another relationship. However, I felt like I had to start putting myself out there. I also had a few people that were pushing me to get out there as well.

I was expecting the dating world to be back before I first met the father of my children. Back when it was 2014. Oh no, things had really changed this time since I first went back on dating sites.

First, Facebook had a dating part that they had added and that’s where I first started. I met a few guys that I had really great conversations. Most of them would ghost me or never talk to me after saying ‘hello’. Other guys weren’t really there for meeting anyone to build a relationship, just hook ups. Then there were the few guys that actually caught my heart and shredded it down to practically nothing.

At the end of 2021, I did find someone I really started to fall for and started dating him. I’m not going to go into complete details, but he was the one that got away. It also didn’t help that life happened and I didn’t really know how to handle it. We tried rekindling it back last year, but he had his life that he had a lot going on.

Anyway, I decided in March to give this dating thing another try and this time my walls would be up no matter what. However, I still have hope for that one guy he will come running back into my life so we can try again, but as the saying goes, “If you love someone, let them go. If they come back to you, it was meant to be, if not, it never was.”

So, nowadays, I’m focused on building a friendship with some of the guys I’ve been talking to. I don’t want to rush into anything and I know what I’m looking for, but I am keeping an eye out for the red flags.

Here are a few Red Flags you should keep in mind:

–No Job or Can’t Keep a Job– This is a HUGE red flag. My more recent ex had this issue and I lost a LOT of money because I was supporting him. I learned my lesson on that. Even if they wanted to borrow $20 bucks here and there, don’t do it. Trust me, it adds up faster than you think.

–No Car/No License– This is a red flag for me because I live in Maine and in order to go anywhere, you really need to have a car. I have nothing against those that don’t have a car or license, but please don’t date people just because they will cart you around.

It’s one thing if you are taking an Uber or taxi to meet up with them, but it’s another thing to demand them to bring you here or there. Keep this in mind, the first time you tell someone you will give them a ride, they will always think you will give them a ride.

–Separated/In a Open Relationship– This one is tricky because all situations are different. I feel that if you still are married, you shouldn’t be dating until your divorce is final, but that is just me. I also am not a fan of “open relationships”. I know that people’s opinions have changed on that, but I’m against it completely. When I’m in a relationship with a guy, I don’t want him to share me or me to have to share him.

Nothing against those who are in an open relationship. If it works for you or for your situation, great! I don’t think I could handle it very well, emotionally.

–Love Bombing – I didn’t even know this was an actual red flag, but it is! I really hate to bring it back to my more current ex, but he did the same thing to me. Pretty much all the time he would call be “beautiful” to the point that the word meant nothing. He would also use this whenever we got into an argument, he would change the subject into complimenting me instead of talking about the issue at hand. If you don’t know what “love bombing” is, it is when someone frequently attempts to influence another person with over-the-top displays of attention and affection.

–Not Respecting Your Bountries – This is a huge red flag, if they can’t respect your bountries, that shows that they have no respect for you. Granted, in the beginning of a relationship is learning what each other bountries are. That is why if you let them know what your bountries are at the begining, you can tell right away if they will respect them or not. I had an ex that got mad at me for hanging out with my best friend for one night, just because I didn’t include him.

–They Want You To Always Put Them First – If you have children, you would understand that when it comes to a new relationship, you and your kids come first. It brings us back to situtation I talked about before. That ex wanted me to put him on the thrown, honestly, he is in most of these red flags, I should just write about how awful the experience really was.

–Talk Badly About Ex’s/Or Still Talking To Their Ex’s – So, I can’t say that I haven’t talked badly about an ex since as you can see from this post, however, I’m not one of those that goes onto the internet and blasts them by name. If they can talk badly about their ex or say all their ex’s are crazy without explaining why, that is a problem to be aware of.

What is even more of a red flag is still talking or being friends with an ex. Depending on the situation, I will keep an open mind. If you have a baby daddy or baby mommy, that is a different situation since you are communicating about the kids. That’s the relationship I have with my daughter’s father, its strictly about our daughter.

–Drug/Alcohol Problem – This is another huge red flag to keep in mind because they will tend to put their “habit” first. There’s nothing wrong with having a social drink every now and then, but if they need it constantly or all the time, that is a problem.

–Bad Feeling/Gut Feeling – You know your body better than anyone else does, but if there is something off or fishy about the person you are talking to, trust your gut! Most of us want to listen with our hearts or heads, but sometimes its better to listen to your gut first.

If you aren’t sure, talk about it with friends or family. They would be the first one to notice the red quicker than you would. Especially, if you are so into them. You don’t have to listen to them, but its always good to get a 3rd party’s advice of the situation.

–No Social Media/Different Name for Social Media – Okay, so this one isn’t really a red flag, but it really depends who you ask on this. My last ex had a different name on his Facebook. I really didn’t think anything of it until I found out there was a bigger reason why he didn’t give out his full name. It’s okay for someone to not want to have a social media presence, but if they can’t seem to tell you their true name, really look into why that is.

There could be a number of reasons why, but if you start out talking to them and right at the bat they give you a fake name, that’s a red flag. The reason why I say this, is because they are hiding something from you. Whether they have a double life or have been in trouble with the law, this is something you want to pay attention to. Especially, if you plan on having your kids meet them after going out with them for some time.

–Ignoring You/Taking Longer to Reply – This one, I really had a lot of issues when it came to them taking either days to reply. However, I have finally understand that if someone likes you enough to talk to you, they will. If they don’t or have excuses as to why they haven’t replied back to you, take the hint that they aren’t interested in you.

It’s one thing if they are at work or in the middle of doing something and they give you a heads up that they are busy and will talk to you later. Its another thing if they are straight up ignoring you and you see that they are active or they posted on their story or Facebook.

Don’t waste your time waiting for a reply. My rule is if they don’t reply back to you within 24-28 hours, move on to the next one. Everyone checks their phone more than once a day, so there isn’t really an excuse as to why they can’t reply to you.

–They Don’t Want To Meet In Public/Wants You To Meet At Their House – The first meeting with someone you met online, it should be in public. The reason why I say this is because of the fact that if you feel uncomfortable or the person is starting to creep you out, you can get outta there faster.

Most of the time, if a guy/girl are asking you to meet at their place, it usually means they just want to hook up. Not for everyone, but most of the time its usually that reason.

Another key thing to keep in mind, is that if you go on a date with someone in public, let a friend or family member know where you are, just in case something goes wrong. Or even have a friend at the location with you watching from a distance, so if there is something wrong or off about your date, you can text them to let them know, that way your still safe.

Overall, the best way to handle the dating world is think of it as a battlefield. The problem with today’s dating world is that there are too many apps, tons of being ghosted, and no one really looking for something real anymore.

Posted in Mom Talk

Mom Talk: Tooth Fairy Ideas

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, but with my daughter now old enough to be in the stage of losing her baby teeth, I wanted to share what I’ve been doing for the Tooth Fairy, as well as some other ideas that I’ve seen and heard from others or Pinterest!

So, I was a little nervous about how my daughter would react to losing her baby teeth. She was a little scared when the dentist told her one of her bottom teeth was loose.

Once the dentist told her all about the Tooth Fairy, she was more excited to see what the Tooth Fairy would leave under her pillow. My grandmother actually got her a tooth kit that had a little jar for her to put the tooth in and a tooth bag that she could put the jar in and place it under her pillow.

Growing up, we literally put the tooth under our pillow and when we woke the next morning, the tooth was gone and a dollar or quarters would replace it. I even remember the Tooth Fairy leaving me $20 dollars under my pillow! My mom ended up sharing how that happened once I was older.

Anyway, once that bottom tooth started to move more and more, to the point where she was nervous to just pull it, I gave her a tissue, to give her more grip. She was able to pull it out, she did cry a little bit because a little bit of blood was on it, but she was excited that she would finally get a visit from the tooth fairy.

She woke up the next morning and was so excited that she got a dollar and placed it in her piggy bank. She lost the second one recently, it was pretty loose until she lost it eating a donut since we couldn’t find it. Even though she couldn’t put a tooth under her pillow, the Tooth Fairy still made sure she got that dollar.

Now, for those of you moms who did what I did, there is nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Especially if you are like me and just want to keep the simple tradition going, here are some really cool ideas that I found on Pinterest that you might have wished you had done.

Crochet Tooth Fairy Holder

For all my crocheting moms you know that I just had to share these cute little guys! Something simple and cute for your little ones to put their baby teeth in! I really wish I had seen this sooner and I would’ve just had my daughter use that as the bag for the Tooth Fairy!

Tooth Fairy Pouch – Free Crochet Pattern

Tooth Fairy Letters

This is another super cute idea for sure! Since everyone writes letters to Santa, why not to the Tooth Fairy too! Not only are these letters typed out, but they even get little certificates for each tooth they loose too! How adorable!

https://www.homeschoolof1.com/tooth-fairy-letter

Sparkly Tooth Fairy Money

This one is a super idea to do! If you have craft glitter or even sparkly body spray, you could cover the dollar in a little bit of glitter and it would look like the Tooth Fairy sprinkled some of her magic all over the dollar.

Those are just a few ideas to look into for your little ones who are about to experience a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Even if this is the first time or if you want to do something different for each of your other children.

The best way to play that off is by saying to your children that each kid in the household gets a different Tooth Fairy. Or whatever else comes to mind. In the end, we only get to watch our children experience it once in their lives, making the imagination come alive for them.

I’m going to try my best to be more active, so don’t be alarmed if I start posting more lately!

Posted in Uncategorized

Life Update: Why I Haven’t Been Active

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies. So, there has been a lot going on in my life, which is why I haven’t been posting as much as I have planned to do. I know I keep saying this, but I’m really trying to make sure that I can get back in the groove of things.


So, first things first, I got prompted and that has been taking up a chunk of my time. It hasn’t been as stressful as my last job, but it can be very draining at the end of the day. In other words, I still think about work when I’m not there.
Not to mention my daughter is going to be 6 years old. I still can’t believe how much time as flown by, it feels like yesterday that I had her. I know a lot of mother’s say that, but it really does.


It’s incredible to watch her grown up into this amazing little girl. Not to mention, she will also be heading into Kindergarten this year, so this is the time of year I get to take her back to school shopping.


Plus, I also have some of my crochet stuff being sold at one of my friends store. Which is getting me thinking about getting into the idea of selling stuff on Esty or having someone sell my stuff at a craft fair.


Honestly, I would love to make my hobbies into a career, but its harder said that done. I would need to take the time think and plan how I would be able to do it. Plus I would need to know how much stock I would need and time how long it takes me to crochet each item. It is something I really want to look into, however, I have some other stuff that I need to get done too.


Lastly, one of the other reasons why I haven’t been as active, my mental health took a hit at the beginning of this year and I’ve been slowly trying to get back to where I need to be. With that being said, I didn’t have the motivation to write or blog or crochet. I have been slowly getting back into my crocheting zone as well as I’m almost out of my creative block that I’ve been having.


I’m really sorry to all my followers, especially the ones that have been following me since day 1. I’m trying to get back to where I need to be. Plus, there are a few blog changes that I want to do as well.


Such as, changing the appearance and looking into possibly selling stuff on here as well. You also got to think that I have been blogging since my daughter was very little. I never thought I would still be wanting to do this still and I’m glad that I’m going to keep on doing it.


Soon, hopefully, you won’t have to wait 6 months or longer for an update, I’ve got a few things I am working on and I just need to get around to throwing it into a blog post. I will be back, unsure when that will be, but I plan on getting back into the normal blog groove soon.

❤

Posted in Mom Talk

Chores Ideas (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I wanted to go over some chore ideas that you can do with your kiddos! I will be listing stuff for all ages too as well because you can start chores or the idea of chores as little as 2 years old.

My daughter is now 5, which is still crazy to me because yesterday I remember bringing her home from the hospital and now she is in preschool. Now that she is older, I wanted to start doing a chore chart for her and introduce chores and the idea of helping out around the house.

I bought her a chore chart that is magnetic and they give you options for different chore ideas, of course, some of them didn’t pertain to my daughter yet, such as homework. Every time they would do something on the chore chart, she would get to put a star next to it.

I haven’t been strict with her about it, yet, but I did get her excited to want to start doing chores around the house if it meant she got to put a star on her chore board. Lately, to get her to get stuff done, to reward her with some screen time or mostly playing Minecraft or Animal Crossing.

Here are her usual list of chores is just simple stuff, such as brushing her hair, brushing her teeth, getting dressed, picking up toys, setting the table, etc. Simple things that she can do. I haven’t pushed her to follow through with the other types of chores I want her to start doing because I don’t want to overwhelm her with them.

You don’t want to overwhelm them with a long list of chores because then they will never want to do it. I have started her with 5, which seems to go well and she still needs to be told to do them, but she will usually do them, if not I just tell her no Minecraft and she will start getting them done.

Now that you sort of know what I’ve got my daughter doing at home, let’s talk about what kinds of chores you can introduce to the little ones.

Chore Ideas for Ages 2-3 Years Old

Of course kids, this age don’t need to enforce it, but you can start introducing to them to some simple chore ideas such as these:

  • Pick up toys & books
  • Put trash in the garbage can
  • Dust
  • Put away silverware
  • Wipe baseboards
  • Fold rags &dishcloths
  • Put clothes in the hamper
  • Put clothes away in drawers

Chore Ideas for Ages 4-6 Years Old

At this age, is when you should start making a few chores mandatory for them to do. I would start with at least 3-5 chores that they are responsible for. You can also include some of these from up above:

  • Take care of the pets
  • Set & clean the table
  • Match Socks
  • Wipe down dirty walls
  • Empty trashes
  • Sweep

Chore Ideas for Ages 7-11 Years Old

At this age, doing chores should be something they should be doing every day. You might be also including allowance for them or treats for completing chores. They should be doing at least 5-10 chores a day and if you want to include one day of their choosing that they don’t have to do it. Here are some stuff they should be able to do:

  • Fold laundry
  • Sweep
  • Vacuuming
  • Take out the trash / Taking it out to the curb on trash day
  • Wash mirrors
  • Meal prep
  • Weed flowers / Garden
  • Clean out the car
  • Clean toilets
  • Clean room
  • Organize toy room
  • Bring in mail / newspaper

Chores Ideas for Ages 12+ Years Old

At this age, they should be doing chores all week long. They might be getting more of an allowance or none at all because they know they should be doing chores without being told to do so. Here are some other chore ideas that the older kids should be doing now:

  • Mow lawn
  • Babysit siblings
  • Wash windows
  • Iron
  • Wash car
  • Cook simple meals
  • Laundry
  • Mop floors
  • Clean bathroom
  • Clean out fridge

Of course, you don’t need to do it the way that I suggest because every parent has a different way of raising their children. I was raised to do chores and as we got older, my mother stopped paying us for it once we got older because when we lived on our own, we would have to do these things for ourselves.

What kind of chores do you have set for your kiddos? When did you first start them out with chores or at what age do you think they should start doing chores? Let me know in the comments!

Posted in Gaming, Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley – Villager Info & Tips for Beginners

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies, so since I mentioned that I play Stardew Valley, I wanted to give some helpful tips for those that are just starting out. I wish I had done more research before playing, but sometimes you just have to learn as you go. 


One of the big things you would need to do in the game is to make friends with the villagers. This was something that I didn’t do and then realized that in order to unlock more recipes & different scenes, you needed to befriend the villagers.


You also have to keep up with the friendships too as well, otherwise, you lose all your progress. Especially, if you are trying to date one of the villagers, it takes time and patience. 


Anyway, I wanted to make this post because I wanted to give some tips on how to help you increase your friendship with the villagers, as well as get some information on them as well. Plus I will also include some of their favorite items and when the best day is to give them the presents. 


I also wanted to note that in order to build a friendship, you need to give them gifts, but you can only give them gifts twice a week. You can tell what level of “friendship” you are at with a villager by the amount of hearts that they have. 


Once they reach to 10 hearts, you don’t have to worry as much about their hearts going down. Anyway, we are going to start with the villagers you can date, then we will work our way down the rest of the list. 

Villagers You Can Date

Alex (Summer 13) – Favorite things he loves: Complete Breakfast, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Salmon Dinner.

Elliot (Fall 5) – Favorite things he loves: Crab Cakes, Duck Feathers, Golden Pumpkin, Lobster, Pomegranate, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Tom Kha Soup.


Harvey (Winter 14) – Favorite things he loves: Coffee, Golden Pumpkin, Pickles, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Super Meal, Truffle Oil, & Wine.


Sam (Summer 17) – Favorite things he loves: Catus Fruit, Golden Pumpkin, Maple Bar, Pizza, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Tigerseye.


Abigail (Fall 13) – Favorite things she loves: Amethyst, Blackberry Cobbler, Chocolate Cake, Gold Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Pufferfish, Pumpkin, Rabbit’s Foot, & Spicy Eel.


Emily (Spring 27) – Favorite things she loves: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Cloth, Emerald Golden Pumpkin, Jade, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Ruby, Survival Burger, Topaz, & Wool.


Haley (Spring 14) – Favorite things she loves: Coconut, Fruit Salad, Golden Pumpkin, Pink Cake, Rabbit’s Foot, & Sunflower.


Leah (Winter 23) – Favorite things she loves: Goat Cheese, Golden Pumpkin, Poppyseed Muffin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Salad, Stir Fry, Truffle, Vegetable Medley, & Wine.


Maru (Summer 10) – Favorite things she loves: Battery Pack, Cheese Cauliflower, Diamond, Gold Bar, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Miner’s Treat, Pepper Poppers, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Rhubarb Pie, & Strawberry.


Penny (Fall 2) – Favorite things she loves: Diamond, Emerald, Golden Pumpkin, Melon, Poppy, Poppyseed Muffin, Prismatic Shard, Red Plate, Roots Platter, Sandfish, & Tom Kha Soup.


Sebastian (Winter 10) – Favorite things he loves: Frozen Tear, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin Soup, Rabbit’s Foot, Sashimi, & Void Egg.


Shane (Spring 20) – Favorite things he loves: Beer, Golden Pumpkin, Hot Peppers, Pepper Poppers, Pizza, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.

The Rest

Caroline (Winter 7) – Favorite things she loves: Fish Taco, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbt’s Foot, & Summer Spangle.


Clint (Winter 26) – Favorite things he loves: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Artichoke Dip, Emerald, Gold Bar, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Jade, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Ruby, & Topaz.


Demetrius (Summer 19) – Favorite things he loves: Bean Hotpot, Golden Pumpkin, Ice Cream, Prismatic shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Rice Pudding, & Strawberry.


Dwarf (Summer 22) – Favorite things he loves: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Dwarf Scroll 1-4, Emerald, Golden Pumpkin, Jade, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Ruby, & Topaz.


Evelyn (Winter 20) – Favorite things she loves: Beet, Chocolate Cake, Diamond, Fairy Rose, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foots, Stuffing, & Tulip.


George (Fall 24) – Favorite things he loves: Fried Mushroom, Golden Pumpkin, Leek, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Gus (Summer 8) – Favorite things he loves: Diamond, Escargot, Fish Taco, Golden Pumpkin, Orange, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Jas (Summer 4) – Favorite things she loves: Fairy Rose, Golden Pumpkin, Pink Cake, Plum Pudding, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Jodi (Fall 11) – Favorite things she loves: Chocolate Cake, Crispy Bass, Diamond, Eggplant Parmesan, Fried Eel, Golden Pumpkin, Pancakes, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Rhubarb Pie, & Vegetable Medley.


Kent (Spring 4) – Favorite things he loves: Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Roasted Hazelnuts.


Krobus (Winter 1) – Favorite things he loves: Diamond, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin, Rabbit’s Foot, Void Egg, Void Mayonnaise, & Wild Horseradish.


Lewis (Spring 7) – Favorite things he loves: Autumn’s Bounty, Glazed Yams, Golden Pumpkin, Hot Pepper, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Vegetable Medley.


Linus (Winter 3) – Favorite things he loves: Blueberry Tart, Cactus Fruit, Coconut, Dish o The Sea, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Yam.


Marnie (Fall 18) – Favorite things she loves: Diamond, Farmers Lunch, Golden Pumpkin, Pink Cake, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin Pie, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Pam (Spring 18) – Favorite things she loves: Beer, Cactus Fruit, Glazed Yams, Golden Pumpkin, Mead, Pale Ale, Parsnip, Parsnip Soup, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Pierre (Spring 26) – Favorite things he loves: Fried Calamari, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Robin (Fall 21) – Favorite things she loves: Goat Cheese, Golden Pumpkin, Peach, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Spaghetti.


Sandy (Fall 15) – Favorite things she loves: Crocus, Daffodil, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Sweet Pea.


Vincent (Spring 10) – Favorite things he loves: Cranberry Candy, Golden Pumpkin, Grape, Pink Cake, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


Willy (Summer 24) – Favorite things he loves: Diamond, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Mead, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin, Rabbit’s Foot, & Sea Cucumber.


Wizard (Winter 17) – Favorite things he loves: Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Purple Mushroom, Rabbit’s Foot, Solar Essence, Super Cucumber, & Void Essence.

And that’s all the villagers from Stardew Valley!

I have only gotten a few to have a few hearts, but when you keep up on it and remember, you can unlock more of the game and the scenes as well! For the villagers you can date, I have only dated and married two out of them all.

The first one I did was Shane, I gave him a bunch of beer, and in less than a year, I got him with enough hearts to get him. The other one I did was Elliot and he was a little bit more challenging to get because the stuff he liked, you needed to be further in the game to get some of his favorite items, but I got him eventually.

Which of the villagers is your favorite character? Which love interest do you usually go for in the game?

Posted in Beginner Patterns, Crochet, Free Crochet Patterns

Free Crochet Valentine’s Day Mug Cozy Pattern (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! So, I know it has been a long time since I’ve posted a pattern of my own and I finally wanted to make more mug cozy designs! I know that we are past Valentine’s Day, but I really wanted to create a simple mug cozy that you can make that is both simple and easy to mass produce.

This is also a Beginner pattern and is super easy to do! Also, this mug cozy is what I like to call ‘flat crochet’, which means that it’s crocheted back and forth, not in a circle. So, some assembly is required, but patterns like this give you more practice in making fun items that don’t seem hard to do.

What You Wil Need:

  • 4.00mm crochet hook
  • 3 different colored worsted weight yarn (Dark Red, Pink, & White)
    • Size 4
    • I’m not sure what brands I used, this is actually out of the smaller balls of yarn that I just had in my scrap bag of yarn.
  • Sewing Needle
  • Scissors

First, chain 41 in the dark red color.

Row 1: *Single crochet in the second chain from the hook. Then double crochet into the next chain.* Repeat * until you have reached the last chain. Your last chain stitch will be a double crochet.

Row 2: Chain 1 and turn. *Single crochet in the first stitch, then double crochet in the stitch after that.* Repeat * until you have reached the last chain.

Rows 3-6: Repeat Row 2.

Switch to the pink color.

Rows 7-9: Repeat Row 2. At the end of Row 9, leave a long tail to sew together and fasten off.

That is the base part of the pattern. If you want to add the heart like I did, here is the pattern for that.

Heart:

Make a magic circle with the white color.

Chain 2.

3 treble crochets, 3 double crochets, chain 1, 1 treble crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochets, 3 treble crochets, chain 2, slip stitch in the middle of the magic circle.

Leave a tail for attaching it to the mug cozy and fasten off.

There you have it! A simple pattern and easy to make! This is also something you can make a few of for craft fairs as well. Don’t worry, I’m going to have a few different mug cozy ideas for you guys, especially for each of the holidays, and a few surprises as well!

Posted in Crochet, Yearly Crochet Blankets

Crochet Yearly Project Ideas (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! So, I am currently working on a yearly project for 2023, but I wanted to suggest if anyone was thinking about doing a yearly blanket or temperature blacket. I think they are very fun to do, but the temperature blanket can be a pain because you are crocheting a square or a line every day.

The one that I am working on currently is actually from a Youtube that I am subscribed to. Plus, she does have some other yearly blankets that she has done too and I am going to leave links to her videos too if you are interested in trying them out.

If you are going to be making a yearly blanket, you need to do a little bit of research to find out how much yarn you are going to need & how much time you would need to complete it. I have done a temperature blanket before and the one thing I didn’t think of was how much yarn I was going to need and to make sure to stick to that brand as well.

I ended up in a pickle and used a color from a different brand that sort of worked, but it’s okay because it’s just a simple trial and error. So, the next time I decide to do a temperature blanket, I am going to pre-stock some skeins of colors so that I don’t run into the same problem.

I do want to try again doing a temperature blanket, but I’m thinking I want to do one next year since I wanted to make the current yearly blanket that I’m working on. I was going to also give an update on the first square that I made, but I wanted to wait to show you guys every 2 months.

So, with that being said in mind, that update will be posted the last week of February, and last Tuesday I will show you guys how it is looking. I will also update my Instagram every month, as well. Now, here are a few other yearly blankets, if you are trying to figure out what to do for the 2023 year.

Calendar Square Blanket

This is the current yearly blanket that I will be doing. This creation is from Jayda in Stitches and she does have a series of videos to make each square. I didn’t want to show the rest of the months since I do want it to be a surprise!

Plus I really like the idea of each square representing each of the months. It is also a better option if you don’t have time to crochet a square or row a day. I really can’t wait to see how this blanket turns out. I will also include a link for the videos:

The link that I included is a link to the full playlist of all the videos for each of the months. Just in case you decide to want to make this blanket for this year too!

Temperature Blanket (Granny Square Verison)

This is the temperature blanket that I made back in 2019. The one big problem that I had with this blanket was that I ended up making the squares too big and using more yarn than I expected. With the result of making the squares bigger, ended up making the blanket huge, which I didn’t mind, but trying to fold it was a pain for sure.

Now, the type of granny square that I did was the solid granny square, but I’ve seen people due either. You could even do different crocheted stitches as squares for each of the days or use two colors, one of the morning temperature and the afternoon temperature.

Themed Blankets

These blankets are pretty cool to make, but they can take a lot of patience and practice. They also may not have a crochet along, but there are a few out that do. You don’t really need a crochet along for yearly blankets, but you can always have one of those theme blankets that you can work on throughout the year.

If you do have any favorite TV Shows, such as Friends or the Office or Big Bang Theory, they do have blanket patterns out there that you can make. I saw someone had created a themed Friends blanket, I got so excited that I ended up looking to see what others had done.

You would be surprised how many other TV Show themed crochet blankets there are out there. The only reason why I haven’t made them yet, was because I didn’t want to make multiple themed blankets and then have no room to put them.

Those were just a few items that you can start with if you are interested in making a yearly blanket or temperature blanket. Let me know in the comments if you are working on a yearly blanket or a temperature blanket for this year. I can’t wait to see how mine comes out!

Posted in Mom Talk

Snow Activities To Do With Your Kids (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey dearies! Since I live in Maine, we have been getting slammed with snow! As a kid, i used to love it when it snowed, especially if they canceled school.

For me, on a Snow Day, growing up, we used to go to my grandmother’s house. She had a nice yard to play in, build snow forts and she lived next to a nice hill for sledding. Which was probably the main reason we loved to visit her house during the winter.

Anyway, since I’ve become an adult, I only love snow when it’s around Christmas or New Years, after that I’m over it.

I also live in Maine, so the weather is literally crazy. One day, it’s just 50 degrees, and the next day, there’s a blizzard outside. Don’t get me wrong, I love Maine because we all have 4 seasons, but sometimes mother nature can’t make up her mind.

So, what are the best things to do on a Snow Day for your kids? Check out below!

Indoor Activities

Depending on where you live and how bad the weather is, figuring out what to do with the kids inside can be a little bit harder. Especially if you don’t want them to be glued to the TV all day.

Here’s a few ideas indoor activities:

  • Baking – This is an awesome idea because then your house is going to smell good too!
  • Playing Board Games – Depending how old your kiddos are, playing Hungry Hungry Hippos or Candy Land is always a fun time!
  • Painting – Whether it’s following a Bob Ross painting or just doing a simple freelance painting, painting is always something fun to do on a Snow Day!
  • Jigsaw Puzzles – This is one of my favorite activities my grandmother and I would do on a Snow Day. We usually picked a 1000 piece puzzle, which kept us busy all day!
  • Coloring – Whether your kids want to color or your inter child in you wants to color, go for it! My daughter and I love to color with gel pens and you can get a simple 60 pack of gel pens on Amazon for less than 20 bucks!
  • Reading a book together – My daughter and I loved doing this while she was a baby, but we haven’t done it as much as of recently. On a day where you can’t go anywhere, have you kiddo pick out their favorite books and read to them. My daughter current loves Click Click Moo.
  • Watching a movie or TV show – Usually, I’ll tell my daughter to pick a movie that we either haven’t seen in a long time or something my daughter hasn’t seen at all. Of course, watching TV all day isn’t something we want our kiddos to do on a Snow Day, but switching inbetween activities and saving a movie for the morning or the afternoon is always a good idea.
  • Cleaning – I know this isn’t a fun thing for the kiddos to do on a Snow Day, but getting them into the habit of doing chores is always a plus! Not to mention you can reward them with some screen time, too!

Outside Activities

Of course, every kid wants to be outside and play in the snow. Us adults would love to do that, but we get stuck with the shoveling duty, but there are lots of stuff to do outside in the snow!

  • Build a Snowman – One of the most classic activities that you can do outside in the snow and nowadays you can actually buy kits that have everything you need to make a snowman!
  • Make Snow Angels – This was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid!
  • Build a Snow Fort – My cousin and I would build these all the time, especially when our grandparents driveway was plowed, we would build little holes and pretend to live it them.
  • Go Sledding/Tubing/Skiing/Snowboarding – One of the best things to do on a Snow Day! I don’t Snowboard or Skiing, but I love sledding and tubing!
  • Go Ice Skating – I’ve been ice skating and let’s just say I would rather roller blade instead, but it can be lots of fun to do!
  • Snowball Fight – My cousin and I loved to do these! Not to mention, our grandmother got us snowball makers, which made it so much faster to make them.

Those are just a few ideas on what to do indoors and outdoors. I’m sure there are a few that I missed, but let me know down in the comments what you do with your kiddos on a Snow Day!

Posted in Gaming

My Favorite Games I Love to Play

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey dearies! Since it’s been a busy week so far, I wanted to talk about the games that I love to play in my spare time.

For me, I mainly play on my PC, but I used to love playing on PS4. I figured since it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything for gaming, I should talk about the main games that I love to play.

Minecraft

I love playing Minecraft, I actually remember playing the first version of Minecraft. It’s a love hate that I have for the game. It’s fun to play, but there are some things that piss me off with the game.

Survival World is my favorite version to play because I like the Survival component. Creative Mode is fun, but its not something I want to play all the time.

Plus, they do add little things that make the game better, more challenges to try and do. I would love to try the mods that they have out there for it, but I have to upgrade my computer in order for that to happen.

Stardew Valley

I think Stardew Valley is such an amazing game. It’s got a little bit of everything and you don’t have to make money by just farming, you can fish or mine in order to make money.

Plus you can make friends to unlock different things, especially the Town Hall. Once you finish the bundles, you unlock the mine carts so your not running everywhere.

You can also get married and have kids, but the downfall is that you can’t use them to have them help you on the farm. Basically, they are useless, just there to complete your “farm life”.

It really gives me the creativity to make a farm that I really like and plus I even started making my own book to kinda help me out when finding out how much money I can get from different crops or fish or gems.

I also found a recipe book for Stardew Valley, that I just ordered and can’t wait for it to get here, so I can recreate some of these recipes that I’ve made in the game.

The Sims Saga

I’m a huge fan of Sims and I’m really only a big fan of the Sims 2 and 3. The reason why I love two are the graphics and the different activities you can do.

The reason why I love Sims 3 because it’s an open world and you don’t have to deal with any loading screen. Not to mention, I love that there’s more decorative options you can do.

I also love adding mods are so much fun to add to the game that and I also love adding different jobs or finding out if a Sim is pregnant. I just wish my computer ran faster because the graphics aren’t working for my computer.

My favorite thing I love about Sims are the challenges that you can do. Plus I have a few that I want to play and blog about as well!

Those are just the main 3 that I play on my PC. I am hoping that once I upgrade my PC, my game library will open a little bit more.

I also want to talk about my favorite games for each of the gaming systems I grew up with, such as gameboy, DS, Wii. PS1, 2, & 3, etc. Let me know if you have a favorite game or game system you love playing on.

Posted in Crochet, Uncategorized

My Projects Update (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! It’s been a long time since I have finally posted a blog for Crafty Sassy, but I really wanted to give you guys an update on how far I’ve come since I first started crochet back in 2017.

I’ve tried some different stuff than what I normally go for and since I’m working full time, I’ve haven’t felt like I’ve done a lot of projects than I normally do. Like I wanted to do a temperature blanket for last year and never end up starting it.

Plus I still like maybe 5 projects that are still ongoing or just not finished. You see, a lot of people don’t understand that you have to be in the mood for crocheting or doing anything crafty. I usually just crochet when my anxiety starts to bother me.

So, here are my projects that are currently ongoing:

  • Cat Couch – Sadly, I’ve been working on this one for over 2 years. I started making it for my brother’s cat DJ, it’s a Christmas green, I want to say. It’s also something that I have to make pieces and sew them together.
  • Towel Toppers – I’ve always got a ton of these hanging around. I don’t like doing them all at once, but I have 2 totes filled with all my completed ones, they are just waiting for a craft fair for me to do.
  • Bags – I have 2 bags that I crocheted, just need to assemble them and create a strap.
  • Blankets – I have one that I’m working on for work and then my second one is just a simple scrap blanket.

For the ones that I’m currently working on, my goal is to finish them before the end of this year. I don’t mind having more than one project going, but at some point, I would like to not have a few going on at the same time.

Anyway, since I’m not sure of how far back I haven’t shown you guys, but I’m posting everything just in case I haven’t.

I actually made this for a co-worker of mine. I literally kinda just winged it and I think it didn’t come out too bad.
Candy cane mug cozies were a lot of fun to make, but assembling them wasn’t as fun. I actually made these for a co-worker who does the whole craft fair. I figured why not.
A baby sweater for one of my mom’s friends. I love to make stuff for babies, it’s a lot of fun and there are a lot of ideas for it!
This was the beginning to my endless amounts of baby hats and booties that I have made. I made a bunch last year and those have happened to fill a tote or two.
One of the few projects that I actually made for myself. I think it came out okay, wasn’t my best, but it is so warm!
My daughter has an American Girl doll knock off that she wanted a sweater for. I don’t think I made the sleeves long enough, but it was pretty fun to make.
For the last job I worked at, I made a star for all of my co workers for out Christmas tree and I loved how they came out, but it was a lot of sewing in ends.
This farm blanket was actually for my nephew. It was my best job connecting the squares together since I wanted to use yarn from my stash, instead of buying more yarn. Overall, I liked how it came out, also making the faces for the animals was pretty fun too!
Another blanket for my other nephew. He loved Spiderman, at the time, and with the limited time that I had, this was the quickest pattern I was able to complete in time before Christmas. Was a blast to make tho!
I love Snoopy and Woodstock, no Woodstock isn’t in the picture, but I did make him. This is a Christmas project that I worked so hard on it and to this day, we have been using every Christmas.
I was attempting to find a pattern that I could make to sell at a craft fair and I figured this would be a cool idea to try, but I didn’t like how you had to button it from the back instead how it normally is. The good news is that I gave it to my daughter, and she used it for one of her baby dolls.
I was trying something different and new with this one, I’m not sure if I came up with this or if I used a pattern I found, but my daughter ended up claiming it as her own.
I know. I know, you probably see where I messed up. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it until after the fact, but I honestly figure this would happen sooner or later. I really loved the colors for this one tho!
Testing different patterns for baby booties and hats. Still was trying to find a happy medium for me to stock them up for a craft fair or something of the sort.
Another baby hat testing, I wanted to explore different styles of baby hats.
Like I said, I have a lot of different baby hats on this list, but I love the different colors!
I tested some face mask patterns too, especially at the beginning of 2020. Wanted to find a face mask that looked like Katana’s from Mortal Kombat, but of course in red!
Best crochet bag I’ve ever met! It carried so much yarn!
I loved making this blanket, I also loved the colors! This was also a shell stitch, which I loved trying!
I will say this was my best baby set I’ve ever done. This was actually my 2nd attempt at making a baby set, but I always love a challenge!
This was a mug cozies that I made for my aunt. Her dog passed away that year and for Christmas, I made it for her and she absolutely loved it!
Finished baby blanket, really loved the blue and green colors!
I made this for my niece, who loved Elsa at the time. A lot of yarn used, but it was such a warm snuggie!

Another snuggie that I made for my nephew, and it was super warm!

And there you have it! Those were just a few of the projects that I have completed in the past few years. Don’t worry, next Tuesday it won’t be as boring!

Posted in Mom Talk

What To Do If You Are Stuck In Life (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies, long time no see. I know I have been MIA for a little bit, but I’m going back to blogging. I just switched jobs, so I have been adjusting to that and trying to come up with a game plan on what I want to do in life.

Lately, I’ve been in a funk, like I know what I want, but I’ve been putting everything on hold for some weird reason, and I don’t know why. I want to make changes in my life, but I don’t know where to start.

Since last year, my brain has been on planet crazy, from learning to co-parent with my ex, raising my daughter, learning how to find myself, going to college, and trying to have some sort of social life. It hasn’t been an easy process for me to do so.

My goal for this new year is simple: Find my purpose in life.

When I mean that, I want to find out what I want to do in life for a career. Something that has always been a question or mystery to me. I want to find my passion in life and actually do it as a career. It doesn’t help that my mind changes what I want all the time, so there’s that to work on.

Hence, why I am stuck in life, right now. I want to be able to do something that I can’t wait to wake up and do. Right now, my current job is great! No problems with it at all, and the best part of it is that I can work from home, which is a HUGE plus since I’ve been trying to do that for a while now.

However, I like that I get social interaction with actual human beings. I’m not really one for making friends; I’m usually very quiet and keep to myself. I’ve learned it’s easier to do so until you feel comfortable.

Anyway, you are probably wondering what my point is about all of this. Everyone hits a dead end or a fork in the road when it comes to life. I realized it the other day when I looked at my daughter. I wanted to be able to spend more time with my daughter, or at least do more for her. I have my license and a car, so the door is open for more possibilities.

Plus, hopefully, if all goes well, my daughter will be starting pre-k this fall. I want to spend the beginning of the year and the summer making memories with her before she goes off to school. As much as I’m not ready for this, it’s going to happen sooner or later because that’s what our children do, grow up on us.

So, what do you do when you feel like you are stuck?

An answer to that is different for everyone, but it starts with the simple thing of searching online for the different careers you have thought about or a career quiz to find out what is recommended for your skills.

This might seem silly, but it will help you navigate through different skills, hobbies, and interests. Basically, narrowing down what careers would suit you or what might interest you because of those things.

After that, look into what it would take to get you to your dream job.

For me, I have a lot of thoughts about what I want to do in life: teacher, medical coding and billing, artist, small business owner, accountant, and writer.

So far, I haven’t decided what I want to do, but I did try the path for medical coding and billing, and it really wasn’t for me. After answering patient calls for the past year, I’ve been over the medical field in general. I am glad that I got to learn what it is like to know how a doctor’s office works.

You are probably wondering what my next step is. Well, I have no idea, but I know one thing for sure: I want to be creative, whether it is writing or using my creativity to sell something that people will buy. I won’t know until I try and see what happens.

Let me know in the comments if you have ever been or felt stuck in life.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon with a new post. I’ve got some things I’ll be working on this weekend.

Posted in Mom Talk

Loss Of A Child Is Harder Than You Know (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

If you have been following me since the beginning, you know all about my son Liam and how he passed away from complications with HLHS.

A lot of people don’t realize how difficult it can be. This year, it’s been 5 years since he has been gone. Which is one of the reasons why I haven’t been as active, and that life can get tough when you are going through a lot.

Liam would’ve been 5 years old this year, and I just realized that he would’ve started kindergarten this year, which hurts my heart more.

While everyone is taking pictures and getting excited for their kids’ first day, I’m missing out. Of course, I’m not missing out as my daughter will start school next year, but I’m missing out on Liam.

I always wonder how he would act, what his favorite things to do would be, and whether he would be more like his father or me. The questions will always remain a mystery.

Every now and then, I get nightmares of what had happened to him. Most of the time, I try to snuggle close to his blanket, it’s comforting knowing that he used to use this blanket, that I can still wrap my arms around something of his.

As time goes on, it just gets harder, but I’m grateful for the time I did get to spend with him. Even though it was short, it was all worth it.

Posted in Mom Talk

Self Healing (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies, I know it has been off and on with blog posts lately, and with everything that has happened in my personal life, I’ve been very lost and overwhelmed. It’s especially hard when this year marks 5 years since my son has been gone.

Which is why I wanted to take a moment to let you all know what I have been doing or trying to do to get myself in a better place where I need to be.

First things first, I wanted to give everyone a thought to keep in mind because it can be difficult to actually accept it, trust me, it took me a while to realize that to be happy, you have to take the time to not only love yourself, but taking the extra time to spend time with yourself.

A lot of people, when they leave a relationship, most of them are quick to jump into another one because they think that having someone is what makes you happy, which, if you believe that, all power to you.

I believe that happiness comes from within, and it isn’t something you find in a person. Yes, you can be happy with someone, but that person can’t be the only reason that makes you happy. Being happy in a relationship and being happy with yourself are two different things.

So, since I left my daughter’s father, I’ve been trying my best to work on things, such as trying to figure out what in my life that I wanted to change and fix. One of the things that I wanted to start doing was to learn how to love myself.

How to truly love yourself?

Loving yourself can be a lot harder said than done because we are all human and we like to point out the flaws in ourselves so that we can fix them. The one thing that a lot of people have trouble with learning to love about themselves is their appearance.

I, for one, have had a very difficult time learning to love myself. Even growing up, I was very unhappy with my body. I would tell myself I was too fat. I would look at the smaller girls and wish to be that size so that I would be more confident in myself.

Now, as an adult, I still struggle because I’ve always been “fat,” and even though I have started to lose some of the weight that I have been trying to get rid of, I still look at myself in the mirror and see myself as fat.

So, what is something I have been doing to change this?

Well, I’ll be honest, the one thing that I think has been helping me with the weight lost, is that I have been drinking more water, watching how much I eat and what I eat, and trying to do some type of exercise, whether it is yoga or walking.

I didn’t realize how small I was until about a week ago, when my co-workers noticed how much weight I had lost since I first started working there. When I did, I felt proud of myself. I felt comfortable, well, almost, in my own skin. I even felt confident enough to take a picture of myself in just my undergarments because I actually felt confident.

After having kids, you tend to pack on or keep some of the weight, and it can be difficult to get rid of. Now that I’ve seen the change, I have motivation to do more, exercise, and work out because I want to stay healthy, but I want to actually stay that size.

Do I truly love myself? I would say almost, well, for me. Like I’ve said before, change isn’t something that will happen overnight.

Hobbies: Making extra “me” time

As you all know, I love to crochet and don’t get me wrong, it is one of my favorite hobbies, but depending on what projects I have going on, it’s not something I can do all the time. I also have to be in the mood to crochet as well.

Crocheting isn’t just my only hobby, but it is my go-to for sure. The other hobbies that I do from time to time are knitting, writing, painting, and reading. Sometimes I have time for them, other times I have to make the time.

It’s okay to have more than one hobby, too. I even have hobbies that I want to try, but haven’t had the time to start, such as resin molds. I watch a lot of those videos, and it looks like fun to try, same with candle and soap making! Trying new things is a good thing, and it can open doors to meet others with the same passion.

Daily Habits: What to try?

I wanted to bring up daily habits because I have been struggling to attempt to do them. One of the daily habits that I really need to get back into is meditation. I found that doing meditation after work or even early in the morning kind of refreshes my brain and clears my head of all the thoughts running around.

I want to start doing it once in the morning and once at night, but being a mom, it can be tricky to figure out the best schedule to do so.

Another habit that I have been trying to stay on top of is journaling more. I love writing, and I have found that journaling, whether it is typing or handwriting, putting my emotions and thoughts down, can make it easier for me to figure out the best way to handle it or at least make me not so worried.

They say that if you do something for more than 30-60 days, the habit will be like second nature for you. Which is why I’ve been looking for apps to help me out with staying on task, but I haven’t found one that I like, yet.

Get out of the house more!

Another thing that I’m trying to work on is being more out of the house. Whether it is to go to work, hang out with friends, or even go to the store. Getting out of the house, is a good thing. Yes, I am one of those who would rather stay home than go somewhere, but I’m learning to be more open about going out and spending time with friends or myself.

I don’t have very many friends, so I’m working on making some and going out more with them because everyone needs to have a social life. Yeah, we all have social media, but it’s more fun to spend time with people in person.

Even if you have a date, get dressed up and make yourself feel pretty, and just enjoy life! Life is short, and realizing that I haven’t done much since my son passed away, I want to learn to enjoy life more.

Currently, I’m iffy about the whole “dating scene”. Which is okay. A lot of people have asked me, “Are you going to start dating again?” and to be honest, I really don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready. I even pushed myself to get on a dating app, and I ended up deleting it an hour later.

Don’t rush into anything if you aren’t ready.

In the future, if I feel comfortable and ready, then yes, I might start dating again, but I think I want a chance to be single and enjoy putting myself first. I will admit, I do miss the comfort of having someone to talk to and cuddle with, but love will come to be when I don’t expect it to.

There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first and making sure that you are happy, both mentally and physically. As parents, we put our kids first and forget about our well-being and making sure we are okay.

Take the time to put yourself first because in the end, we are all human and we just need to take it day by day.

Posted in Mom Talk

Don’t Stay For The Kids (The Mom Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

I watched my mother for years stay with my father. Even though I didn’t really understand what was going on, as I got older, I realized that my mom was only with my father for my siblings and me. You could see her put on that fake smile just to make sure that we kids didn’t know what was going on, but we knew.

I knew I was the oldest and watched my mom put on this front that everything was okay, but she was slowly digging herself down into a hole just to keep the presence of a ‘happy family’ alive for us.

Well, I ended up doing the same thing my mom did, but my story is different.

As you know, I have been with the same guy for a while and ended up having 2 beautiful children as well. However, over time, things started to change. I felt like I was putting up this front to pretend to be who I really was.

Every time I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see myself anymore. I felt different, and that can happen after having a child; you change completely just for your kid. Usually, with the right partner, it can be the happily ever after, but that’s not what was happening.

I’m not going to go into details about our breakup because the details are between my child’s father and me. Unfortunately, some of the people around us are very noisy and don’t understand as to why we broke up in the first place.

I realized about a year ago, if not more, that I wasn’t happy and that the only thing that kept me from leaving was our daughter. I felt like I had to stay with him because I didn’t want to ruin my daughter’s view of a ‘happy family’. Or I had to stay because that is what was the right thing to do, instead it made me realize that this was something I wasn’t just doing to myself, but to my daughter as well.

I was teaching her that it was okay to stay in an unhappy relationship.

Now, my daughter is 3, but the kids know, they sense it. I don’t know how, but they do. My daughter would give me a hard time knowing that she sensed something was up between Mommy and Daddy.

Kids aren’t stupid; they know what is going on, and that’s what made me realize I had to make a change, not just for me, but for my daughter. I didn’t want her to group up and watch her follow in the same footsteps that I ended up walking in.

So, I made a change for 2021.

This year, I’m focusing on getting myself to a better place. Getting back to the real me, the one that I used to love and used to not give a shit about whatever I do. The me that I haven’t been able to embrace for a long time.

So, don’t stay because you have a family, you should want to stay with your spouse because they are not only the love of your life, but you both make a great team together and are the best of friends.

Don’t just put up with it because you have the family. You have to love yourself before you can expect anyone else to love you in return. Embrace your inner weirdo!

As for me, I’m taking it one step at a time and one day at a time. You never know what the future can hold, but I plan on being or trying to be positive for

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Easy Patterns

Crochet C2C Handbag (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Since I have been so busy working on some new things, I wanted to share how I made this C2C (Corner 2 Corner) handbag!

I’m probably not the only one who hasn’t thought about using the C2C stitch to make a handbag, but I wanted to come up with a twist that also gave me the chance to crochet my own buttons as well!

Not only will I be showing you how to make this bag, but I will be also be showing you how I made my homemade crochet buttons! You can use regular buttons, but if you are like me and forget to carry some in your crochet bag, then this is the perfect time to practice!

What you will need:

  • 5.25 mm hook
    • You can use a 5.0 mm hook, I only went up a size because I wanted to try something new.
    • Going down a size, than what is recommended isn’t a problem, but keep in might that the small your hook size, the small your project might be. Same if you go larger for you hook size, the larger your project might be!
  • Medium Size Yarn
    • I’m using Red Heart Super Savor yarn in the color Zebra.
    • I suggest using another color for the boarder, I didn’t and I wish that I did instead of using the same color for the entire project.
  • 3 buttons
  • Sewing Needle

Before we begin, if you don’t know how to do the C2C stitch or need some help on how to get started, I highly recommend seeing Heart Hook Home’s video on how to do the C2C stitch, I found her video very helpful when attempting to learn this stitch!

Let’s Begin!

Base: By using the video from above, you are going to be making a square that is an 18 x 25. Instead of slip stitching, when decreasing the sides, make a single crochet. I find that it makes your project look more neat!

Once you have finished your 18 x 25 square C2C, DON’T fasten off, instead, chain on and single crochet around the entire square, make sure to have 3 single crochets in each corner.

Once you are done, fasten off and weave in any loose ends!

Now, here is the fun part! Grab some yarn and your sewing needle, you don’t need a lot of yarn, but enough to sew each of the sides.

What I did, for this part, I folded my square the hot dog fold, leaving at lease 5 squares, for the flap part of the bag. Then, I sewing my sides together on both sides of the bag.

Button Hole: At the top of your flap, single crochet in the first 9 stitches, chain 3, skip the next stitch and single crochet in the next stitch. Repeat this two more times.

Tip: If your button hold don’t look even or you want them to have more or less distances between them, you can always adjust them and change whether or not you want 3 buttons or 2 buttons instead.

Strap: So, this strap is a little different than what I’ve seen being used as a strap, but I wanted to try it out for myself!

When making this strap, chain how long you would like the strap to be, I didn’t really keep track of how long I chained for, but make sure that you chain 2 extra chains.

Then skip the first 2 chains from your hook and make 2 double crochet in the next chain stitch. (The chain 2 counts as a double crochet!) Double crochet into each chain stitch until you reach the last stitch.

When you reach the last stitch, make 6 double crochets in that same stitch.

Then continue to crochet on the other side of the double crochets, double crocheting into each opposite double crochet stitch until you reach the last stitch.

Make 3 more double crochets in that last stitch. Slip stitch at the top of the chain 2 and fasten off!

Tip: To make it easier for sewing this into the bag, leave a long tail, about 3 inches or so.

Attachment: To attach the strap to the base, sew on the outside of either sides of the bag.

Once your straps are attached, grab your buttons and sew them onto your bag as well.

Tip: Folding your flap down and seeing where the button holes will sit, helped me a lot when placing my buttons.

And once you attach your buttons, you are done! Weave in any loose ends!

There you have it! A simple fun hang bag to make! Let me know in the comments down below if this is something you would use for yourself?

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Free Crochet Phone Case Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I figured I would should you fun new ways to decorate your phone or store your phone in! Since having a smartphone is something that we all have, I figured I would find some patterns to have some fun with it!

Note: None of these patterns are my, all rights go to the original creators. I will leave a link to the pattern as well.

Let’s check out some of the cute cases that you could decorate your phone with!

1.Blue Agrave Phone Pouch

I really love the colors for this case and the design, it looks like shells. Not to mention, it is also like a purse or hang bag, but instead it only holds the phone. The best part about this type of pattern, you can always add a small pouch behind it to give it extra room.

Link to the pattern: https://www.mooglyblog.com/blue-agave-phone-pouch-wristlet-cozy-free-pattern/

2.Big Bow Cell Phone Case

I think this pattern is super cute, it also in closes your phone completely, so there is no risk of it falling out. It doesn’t replace an actual case, but it gives your phone more style. Also, I love the aqua color and the fact that these types of patterns are open to trying out different color combos.

Link to the pattern: https://missnissdesigns.weebly.com/blog/free-pattern-big-bow-cell-phone-case

3.Mixin It Up With DaPerfectMix Cell Phone Case

This is a more simple phone case, that you may have to adjust because this was meant for a smaller phone. This would be perfect for my old BlackBerry, that I used to have, but his is opened for newer colors, as well. I suggest using a button, but you can try out the Velcro.

Link to the pattern: https://daperfectmix.blogspot.com/2011/01/cell-phone-case-pattern.html

4.Easy Cell Phone Case

Naztazia is one of my favorite crochet tutorial channels to look up. Not only are her patterns simply amazing, but the colors she chooses are amazing as well. She is also always has her free pattern and a video to show you how to make it. I highly recommend checking her channel out!

Link to the pattern: https://naztazia.com/easy-cell-phone-case/

5.Mobile Phone Cozy

A simple yet easy phone case to make, but there is a different style on the top part, which I love! I also like the chain loop that you can make for it, to keep the phone in place. Plus the color combos you could do for this pattern is endless!

Link to the pattern: https://crochetdreamz.com/2013/07/mobile-phone-cozy-or-case-crochet.html#.UebSs421EWc

6.Owl Cell Phone Cozy

I really like how much detail this creator put into this design, although, it might not fit the phone we have today, it’s possible to adjust it to fit whatever phone size. Not to mention, I love how the owl’s nose is the button that not only holds the phone in place, but it’s a clever idea to use that type of button.

Link to the pattern: https://woolpatterns.com/owl-cell-phone-cozy-free-crochet-pattern/

7.Stripped Mobile Phone Cozy

This is another standard phone case, but with a twist and I just love the pinkish color they used for the phone case. Not to mention, the button is super cute. I love the stripe in the middle of both of the cases.

Link to the pattern: https://crochetdreamz.com/2016/10/mobile-device-cozy-or-case-crochet.html

8.Secret Pearl Phone Cozy

This design has lots of different colors that work really well together, not to mention I really like the middle design they chose as well! This also tests your skills by using a smaller hook and finer yarn, which is always fun to try out!

Link to the pattern: https://www.lillabjorncrochet.com/2016/06/secret-pearl-phone-cozy-free-pattern.html

9.Summertime Fishy Phone Case

When I saw this one, it literally blew my mind! look at all the work that was put in to this case! not to mention, there is a hook at the end to connect it to your purse or backpack. I love how beautiful the colors are and the mix color that they used for the body of the fish!

Link to the pattern: https://coolcreativity.com/crochet/summertime-fishy-phone-case-free-crochet-pattern/

10.Toaster Pastry Mini Cell Phone Cozy

I’m a big pop tart fan and when I saw that, I am adding this on my list of stuff to make for myself for sure! Can you imagine if you had a purse that was a toaster? Now that would be an amazing idea! Anyway, I also loved how they gave one on them a little face and added the extra sprinkles as well!

Link to the pattern: http://burlapandlacecrochet.blogspot.com/2016/05/toaster-pastry-mini-tabletcell-phone.html?m=1

There you have it! New ideas for your phone! Which one of the designs do you like? Let me know down in the comments!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 5 Free Crochet Freeze Pop Cozies (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Since it is summer time, the best thing to have on a hot day is ice cream! Well, if there isn’t any ice cream, freeze pops work as a amazing treat instead! Especially for the kiddos as well!

I remember picking the colors blue and pink, but now, I don’t mind having any of them! Although, the one thing that I wished I had was something to hold my freeze pop because sometimes they were too cold or sweaty.

Instead of having these cozies, we ended up using paper towels or wash clothes, which helped for a bit, but it didn’t do much, not to mention it wasn’t fun to have a plain old paper towel.

So, let’s look at some of the freeze pop cozies that I found that are not only cute, but the patterns are free for you to try!

Note: None of these patterns are mine, all rights go out to the original creators. I’ll be leaving links to the patterns for each one.

  1. Shark Fun Pop Cozy

This freeze pop cozy is something I’ve actually made and I love this pattern! It was very easy to understand and not to mention, I love how this shark looks! The eyes might the be most difficult to do, but if you have any black puffy paint around, you can use that instead!

Link to the pattern: https://mermaidhooked.com/2018/07/21/hungry-shark-freeze-pop-cozy/

2. Monster Ice Pop Holders

These lil monsters aren’t as scary as they seem, but they are so adorable! I also love the touch of using googly eyes! Not to mention, I love the bright colors that they used for these pop cozies and the finishing touches for the mouth is amazing!

Link to the pattern: https://blackstone-designs.com/monster-ice-pop-holders/

3. Unicorn Freeze Pop Cozy

This one is especially cute for all the little ones that love unicorns! I haven’t made this one yet, but I just love how cute this is! Not to mention, this pattern actually uses puffy paint for the lashes. Plus, you can try out different colors for the horn and hair as well!

Link to the pattern: https://mermaidhooked.com/2018/08/31/unicorn-freeze-pop-cozy/

4. Light Saber Freeze Pop Holder

This one is for the inner child in us, or for those big Star Wars fans. I remember using a light saber, the plastic ones they sold that you could change the light different colors, but the next best thing was freeze pops! Even they are smaller than the normal light saber, I can finally change the colors!

Link to the pattern: http://greenfoxfarms.blogspot.com/2017/05/light-saber-freeze-pop-holder-tutorial.html

5. Mermaid Fun Pop Holder

Another cozy that I made, and it was fun to make! Although I did add a different color yarn that was around the beginning of the tail. Not to mention, this is something that is very easy to make and explore with different colors and yarns!

Link to the pattern: https://mermaidhooked.com/2018/06/23/mermazing-funpop-holder-free-pattern/

There you have it! A few freeze pop cozies that are fun for all ages during these hot months of summer months!

Once we are able to do craft fairs again, these are something that are supper easy and quick to make and sell! Not to mention, how cute it would be to have these for the kids, too?

Also, what was your favorite treat to have during the summer months? If I’m honest, it was s’mores, but if we are talking about a cold treat, I would go with a mint-chocolate chip ice cream in a sugar cone.

Let me know what yours were in the comments down below!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Double Crochet Square (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! We will be doing the double crochet square! This stitch is another stitch that is used very commonly used in most if not all projects. In fact, I use it quite a lot in my towel topper pattern.

This stitch is different from the other stitches we have learns, such as single and half-double crochet, instead, this stitch is longer, which can make your project look more completed or more farther along that it would with the other stitches.

Let’s begin!

What I used:

  • 5.0 mm hook
    • This is the most commonly used hook size for beginners, but you can use whatever size that you would like.
  • Medium Size Yarn
    • I used the ‘Red Heart Super Saver’ in the color Perfect Pink.
    • You can used any type of size yarn, but make sure that you use the right hooks that go with the size.
  • Sewing Needle

Note: You can chain any amount of chains you want, but make sure to add an addional 3 chains. For example, I want there to be 25 stitches, so I will chain 28, instead.

Make a slip knot and chain 28 chains.

Row 1: From the 3rd chain, from your hook and double crochet into the next stitch. (Remember, the chain that is already on your hook does not count!) (25)

Row 2: Turn and chain 3. Double crochet in the next stitch and across. (25)

Repeat Row 2 until you have reached the length you desire. I crocheted up until row 20. Fasten off and weave in your ends.

There you have it! The more rows you make, the more practice you gain from this! There are tons of projects you can try out with using the double crochet!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Half-Double Crochet Square (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! So, today, I wanted to show you how to make a half-double crochet square! I’ve already shown you how to make a single crochet square, but now I’m going to talk about how to make the half-double crochet!

The half-double crochet is like the single crochet, it looks like a tight stitch, but instead of just entering the stitch with your hook, you are crocheting almost like you would for a double crochet, but going through all the loops.

So, let’s start!

What I used:

  • 5.0 mm hook
    • This side hook is what normal beginners should use, but you can use any size hook.
  • Medium Size Yarn
    • I’m using ‘I Love This Yarn’ in the color Menthe, but any medium size yarn will work.
    • If you are using a smaller or bigger hook, just make sure that the yarn you choose, will be able to work.
  • Sewing Needle
    • You’ll always need this item, not matter what the crochet project!

Note: For the half-double crochet stitch, chain the amount you would like to do, but make sure you add an extra 2 chains! The extra two chains will not be crocheted!

Make a slip knot and chain 27. ( As I said before, you can chain whatever size you want, but make sure to have 2 extra chains. Example: I want 25 stitches, but I added 2 extra chains, making it 27 chains in totally.

Row 1: Skip the first 2 chains (Do not count the chain that is already on your hook!) Half-double crochet into the next stitch and across. (25)

Row 2: Chain 2. Half-double crochet in the next stitch and across. (25)

Repeat Row 2 until you have reached the number of rows you want to make, or keep going for more practice! I stopped at row 30

Once you are on your last row, fasten off and weave in any of your ends!

There you have it! Another fun stitch to practice and learn how to do! This stitch is also a very common stitch to be used in projects. I think it looks good for hats or blankets, especially!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Free Beach/Summer Crochet Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hi Dearies! I’m back! I’ve had a lot on my plate and have been crocheting constantly lately! So, since we are finally in the summer season, I figure this would be the perfect time to find some patterns that are perfect for the beach or for summer in general!

Since I LOVE going to the beach, I figured this would be the best time to look for some patterns that would be perfect for going! Some of the patterns that I’ve found are not just for us adults, but for kids as well! 

Note: These patterns are not mine and all credit goes out to their original creators. I have left links for each of the patterns. 

1. Beach Cover-up Shorts

2020-06-16

That’s right! Crocheted shorts do exist! I was shocked when I was a beginner and saw this! These aren’t for your normal closet, but if you are headed to the beach, these are perfect, especially if you don’t have a sundress or want to wear jeans to cover your bathing suit bottoms. Also, the yarn is very breathable, which is a plus!

Link to the pattern: https://furlscrochet.com/blogs/crochet-tutorials/crochet-shorts-beach-cover-up

2. Stuffed Beach Ball

crochet-beach-ball-6

Don’t have your own beach ball to play with? Or have a beach theme going on in your house, then this is a very fun project to make! This stuffie is also perfect for the little ones and the best part is, you don’t have to worry about blowing it up or any holes that those plastic ones usually get. Not to mention, you can mix around the colors and make something similar to this one or get creative and make it into a rainbow theme!

Link to the pattern: https://persialou.com/crochet-beach-ball-pattern/

3. Beach Hat

raffia-sun-hat

Can’t go wrong with a beach hat, that’s for sure! The good thing about this is that it’s very simple to make, not to mention very breathable, although you might have to work with a different type of yarn, it’s worth the try! I also love the ribbon that they placed around it for the finishing touch!

Link to the pattern: https://www.craftpassion.com/beach-hat-crochet-pattern/

4. Sun-Kissed Crop Top

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These are cover-ups that don’t necessarily have to be for your bikini, but you can use for tank tops or dresses, like in the picture. I also want to say that this person, who created the pattern, I actually follow her and her blog, she has a lot of free patterns, so check it out when you can!

Link to the pattern: https://yarnutopia.com/2016/06/18/sun-kissed-crop-top/

5. Sea Shells By The Shore Market Bag

Sea-Shells-by-the-Shore-Market-Bag-free-crochet-pattern-by-Nanas-Crafty-Home-for-Underground-Crafter-600x721

I love how this bag looks! Especially how they look like little shells that were embedded into the bag itself. Not to mention the colors they chose were amazing and what really caught my eyes. Now, market bags aren’t just for the market, but these bags are perfect for the beach just because there are lots of open spaces for sand to fall out!

Link to the pattern: https://undergroundcrafter.com/2019/06/05/crochet-market-bag-tutorial-pattern-sea-shells-by-shore-market-bag-by-nanas-crafty-home/

6. Beach Ball Hat

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This pattern is for the kiddos, but so cute and for both boys and girls! This pattern is also a fun one to switch out the colors with, especially if you are making this for someone who is having a baby around the summertime! I love how creative this pattern!

Link to the pattern: https://traversebaycrochet.com/2019/06/04/beach-ball-crochet-sunhat/

7. Beach Day Louge Towel

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I’ll be looking into making one of these for myself for sure! Now, this isn’t a towel you dry yourself with, you could, but this makes for a wonderful towel-blanket to use to tan or sit in the sand, without the sand sticking to your legs. Not to mention, I love the colors they chose! Simply amazing!

Link to the pattern: https://snappy-tots.com/pattern-beach-day-lounge-towel/

8. Sand Dollar Beach Bag

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Are you one of those that just loves to go on the hunt to find sand dollars? Then this bag is perfect for that, not to mention, it small enough to carry around and soft enough to prevent the sand dollars or shells from breaking! Perfect to make for the kiddos, when they go out to search for them! Or it could be used for picking up rocks, like my 2 1/2 year old does!

Link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sand-dollar-beach-bag

9. Breezy Swim Cover

Crochet+Pattern+for+the+Easy+Breezy+Swim+Cover+-+Megmade+with+Love

Cover-ups aren’t something I’ve worn or felt comfortable enough to wear in public, but the design for this cover-up is simply beautiful! I think I might actually add this to my list of stuff to make for myself! I also love the soft pink shade that they used, very pretty!

Link to the pattern: https://megmadewithlove.com/blog-2/2018/5/19/free-crochet-pattern-for-the-easy-breezy-swim-cover

10. Sandy Shore Cover Up

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I had to look for another cover-up because you never know what people’s tastes might me, but this one is super cute and very simple to make. Not to mention, there is a hood attached to it, which is perfect for keeping your hair being blown everywhere on a windy beach day! This type of style isn’t something I would wear, but the color really caught my eye for sure!

Link to the pattern: https://www.croydencrochet.com/sandy-shore-crochet-cover-up/

There you have it! Some ideas for you to make for the summer! Not to mention, you got to know that there is more stuff, such as clothes, to make for us adults! Let me know in the comments down below if you have attempted to make any of these or are you thinking about making one of these, I’ve got a few that I’ve added onto my list!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Single Crochet Square (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Here is another pattern that is perfect for beginners! Single crochet is one of the most basic stitches20200526_085325.jpg that is commonly used in most, if not all patterns, especially for beginners.

 

What I like most about the single crochet is that is it very simple and easy to do, although I don’t really recommend using the stitch to create a blanket with unless you are using double strands.

We are only working with one strand, so don’t get too nervous!

Single crochet is the stitch that makes your work look ‘tighter’ just like the half double crochet, but we will talk about that one later!

So, what do you need to make the single crochet square? The answer is the same for the solid granny square and regular granny square, any yarn or hook size you want to use or need to use for a project or just to practice it with different yarn sizes and hook sizes.

Let’s start!

What I used:

  • 5.0 mm
    • For most beginner projects, a 5.0 mm hook is the ‘normal’ hook size, especially when it comes to crocheting for the first time!
  • Medium Size yarn
    • This is the normal size yarn that you will use for most projects.
    • Today, I am using Mainstays Basic Yarn in the color Soft Gray Heather
  • Sewing needle
    • You’ll always need this, there is no if and or buts about it, you need to sew in your ends!

Note: For single crochet, you can chain however long you would like to like, but once you have reached your desired length, chain 1 extra, this extra chain isn’t going to be crocheted in. 

Make a slip knot and chain 26. (As I said before, you can chain whatever size you want, but make sure to have 1 extra chain. Example: I want 25 stitches, but I added an extra chain, making it 26 chains I do.)

Row 1: Single crochet into the second chain from your hook. (Not counting what is already around your hook.) Single crochet in the next stitches across. (25)

Row 2: Chain 1. Single crochet in the next stitch and across. (25)

Repeat Row 2 until you reach your desired length or however long you want to practice it.

I kept going till about 30 rows, you can stop whenever, but once you are done, it makes a great washcloth, if you are using cotton. The more rows you do, it’s more practice for you!

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Now, if you noticed, it will tend to roll or fold on you, when you try to flatten it out, with is normal. Most people will block them, which is when you get your project wet and peg it to a block for it to dry, and they usually don’t fold after that!

But this project is so simple and fun to do, that you could easily make a bunch of these squares into a blanket or make a bunch of them into washcloths, towels, and even blankets! The possibilities are endless!

 

 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Free Crochet Shawl Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! So, here is another top 10 list, but for shawls! Since spring/summer is the perfect time to wear these, and since most of us are stuck at home with nothing to do, these are something you want to make.

Shawls can be used for fashion or something that can keep you warm, especially if you decide to go to the ocean or coast and don’t necessarily need or want to put on a sweatshirt.

One of the best things that I just love about these shawls is that they are perfect for using yarn cakes, which are a type of yarn that is in a ‘cake’ shape that is in different colors. Which turn out beautiful!

Note: These are not my patterns, all rights go out to their original creators. I will leave links to the patterns. 

1. In The Garden Shawl

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This shawl is perfect for enjoying your garden views or taking a hike in the forest. The design is open but very beautiful. This shawl isn’t using a ‘cake’ yarn, but if you have extra yarn laying around, I would use it to make one of these.

Link to the pattern: https://knotions.com/in-the-garden-shawl-2/

2. Triangle Shawl

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I just love the ‘cake’ yarn that they used for this shawl, especially when the greens slowly turn into pink. In this showing, of a shawl, it shows that you don’t have to wear it as a wrap, but you can wear it as a sort of scarf.

Link to the pattern: https://www.anniedesigncrochet.com/2019/09/23/crochet-triangle-shawl-with-shells-free-pattern-fragrant-shawl/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=838450652_35449804_530964

3. The Earth Shawl

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One of the thicker looking shawls, however, more simple to create, perfect for a starter shawl. I also just love the colors, although when I saw that this shawl was called an ‘Earth’ shawl, I was surprised to see that they didn’t choose more of the green colors.

Link to the pattern: https://merrymarystories.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-to-crochet-earth-shawl.html

4. Cara Shawl

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A more inclosed shawl, perfect for those chilly nights to hang around the campfire. This is more of a solid color, which is perfect if you are looking to make a simple shawl. It would also make a wonderful gift to grandmothers, as well.

Link to the pattern: https://trulycrochet.com/cara-shawl-free-crochet-pattern/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=932303504_41169220_351291

5. Mahogany Shawl

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This flower shawl is amazing! I just love the pattern and the color that they choose. Plus, the deep purple that they used, makes seeing the flowers easier and in more detail. Making this to go with a simple white dress, would look perfect together.

Link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/tearaleaf/south-bay-shawlette

6. Amore Wrap

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Another ‘cake’ yarn pattern, but this one is the blues turning into pinks, which is beautiful, not only does it look like the perfect yarn to make a baby blanket with, but shawls look amazing in it.

Link to the pattern: https://noowul.com/amore-wrap-free-crochet-pattern/

7. Fairy Tale Shawl

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I am one of those people that just love a good fairy tale and this shawl is perfect for whenever you think of the word ‘fairy tale’. The design is simply amazing, I just love the boarder, plus this shawl is longer, kinda like a cape.

Link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fairy-tail-2

8. Bella Vita Shawl

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Looking for a shawl to make that isn’t too open or flashy? This one is perfect for those who work in an office setting, this shawl is simple yet elegant. The ‘cake’ yarn that they used is amazing, perfect for making a lap blanket.

Link to the pattern: https://wilmade.com/bella-vita-shawl/

9. Primrose and Proper Triangle Shawl

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Another thicker shawl that would be perfect for those chilly days that we get in between spring and summer. I also love the tassel idea, but if you have cat, watch out because they will think you made the shawl not just for yourself, but for them as well. This is also another design that is simple and perfect for beginners when it comes to making shawls.

Link to the pattern: https://kirstenhollowaydesigns.com/2019/12/primrose-and-proper-easy-triangle-shawl-crochet-pattern.html?crlt.pid=camp.1QzozM5GPMil

10. Bottom Up Shawl

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Last, but not least, this shawl is one of my favorites, when it comes to the pattern and the ‘cake’ yarn that they chose for this project. Not only is the pattern look simple, but it looks like if you cut the solid granny square in half. You can also use this shawl to make it into a scarf, as well.

Link to the pattern: https://trulycrochet.com/bottom-up-shawl-free-crochet-pattern/

What do you think of these shawls? Is this something you would want to make or wear? Let me know in the comments.

Also, I will no longer have my Facebook page, so my updates will be posting on Instagram in my news feed or ‘story’, make sure to follow that as well.

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Free Crochet Flowers Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! With it getting warmer outside, I figure it was time to go on the lookout for some crocheted flowers! Now, crochet flowers can be used for quite a bit of things, from accessories to pins and to add-ons for other projects that you might have.

Note: These patterns are not my own creation, all rights go to their original creators. There are links for each creation. 

1. Sunflower

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Sunflowers are always the perfect accessories for dresses, headbands, and even bags! Not to mention, you can always make them as hair clips or pins to add a touch of spring to your outfit. Some people have gotten creative and created a bouquet of them.

Link for pattern: https://www.skiptomylou.org/crochet-sunflower/

2. Cherry Blossom

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Cherry blossoms are beautiful when they are in full bloom, not to mention, they are my sister’s favorite flower, so I had to add them onto this list. Even though they are small flowers, they can still be perfect add-ons to any project.

Link for pattern: https://www.goldenlucycrafts.com/cherry-blossoms-crochet-pattern/

3. Lilly

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As you can see, people do crochet flowers as centerpieces or add them to vases, as if they were real. I was glad an added lilies to this list, it took forever for me to find, but I did! I’ve seen a few people crochet flower bouquets for weddings, and they love using these lilies!

Link for pattern: https://woolpatterns.com/beautiful-crochet-flowers-free-patterns/

4. 6 Petal Puff Flower

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I love how the petals are 3D for this pattern. It spins a twist and makes these flowers more fun to create! I also love the different colors that the creator tried out for this pattern.

Link for pattern: http://mamachee.com/2010/07/26/6-petal-puff-stitch-flower/

5. Curved Edge Flower

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If you are looking for a simple flower to make to add onto a project or make it into a pocket, these are the flowers to use for that. If you wanted to make them as pockets, you can always go up a hook size for a bigger pocket.

Link for pattern: https://crochetncreate.com/curved-edge-flower/

6. 6 Petal Flower

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This flower has an amazing design, but the bead adds a perfect touch to the flower. I can see creating these as an added accessory for girls as a hair clip or for stylish headbands. The pattern might be a little challenging, but I love the added touch for each petal. Adding this one on my to-do list.

Link for pattern: https://www.crochetbeja.com/simple-crochet-flower-with-6-petals/

7. Blooming Flower With Leaves

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I love these flowers! Just because the layers make them more beautiful and the added touch of the leaves is perfect. I love it when creators add little details, such as leaves and the colors that they chose as well.

Link for pattern: https://www.anniedesigncrochet.com/2018/12/30/blooming-crochet-flowers-free-crochet-pattern/

8. Loopy Flower

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This is a more unique flower on this list, but the way the petals are created is amazing because it’s not how you would normally see petals created. Perfect add on to a hat or bag, I can even see you sewing a small button in the middle to give it some more detail.

Link for pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/loopy-flower-for-february

9. Kanzashi Flower

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When I saw this flower, all I could think of was ‘That 70s Show’. These flowers are pretty ‘groovy’, but I just love the button that they added, which makes it seem more modern. I also just love the colors that were chosen.

Link for pattern: https://naztazia.com/kanzashi-flower/

10. Summer Daisy 

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Another flower that I had to go looking for, daisies! I’ve actually tried out a pattern like this and it is very simple to create, not to mention, I’ve seen them being added to blankets. I think they would look wonderful on a sunhat, especially for the little ones!

Link for pattern: http://justpootling.blogspot.com/2016/06/summer-daisy-garland.html?m=1

There you have it! Which ones are your favorites and are you wanting to try out? Let me know in the comments down below, also make sure to follow me on Facebook for my daily updates on this blog!

Posted in Products, Reviews

Product Review – HUE HD Webcam

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Forgot to post this Saturday, but I wanted to review this webcam since it was something that I ended up getting for myself when I was doing Facebook lives all the time.

One of the reasons as to why I was looking into webcams that were overhead, was because I wanted to record videos of my crocheting so that I could post them on my blog and/or to YouTube.

Most of the camera’s that I found were between $99-$200. Since I didn’t know anyone else, I figured to see how well the cheaper camera would do. Now, a lot of the time it is a hit or miss when you buy something that is cheaper, so I took a chance.

When I got this item, I paid $50 buck for it on Amazon, which wasn’t too bad, I just hoped that it would do the job that I was hoping it would do, which is sort of did. It also came in four different colors: green, red, blue, and of course black. I got the green one.

Here is the link for the Webcam: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TTFEWG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have been following me since the beginning, you know that some of my lives are used with my phone and a tripod, but in some of the other videos, you couldn’t see the tripod, which was when I was using the HUE Webcam.

Now, before I purchase any products, especially on Amazon, I always just see the reviews, both good and bad, which for this product, it was kinda split in half. Meaning it worked for some and others, not so much.

For me, the first few times I worked with the camera, it worked great, downloading the CD program worked on my computer and it worked with no problems, but after a few times of trying to record longer and live, it started cutting out or not working.

I’m not sure if it was my computer or not, but it made it really hard for me to want to record or try to go live. I would even uninstall it and reinstall back onto my computer, sometimes it works that way, other times, not to much.

The good thing that I liked about the camera when it was working for me, was when I could adjust the picture or video clearly by turning the lens of the camera. I also like how there is a light to indicate when the webcam is plugged in, however, there is no manual control to turn it off and on.

Also, another feature is that you can attach and detach the camera from the base, which I found really helpful because if the base doesn’t want to work for you, you can always plug the camera directly into your computer base.

I might have to try it out on my laptop, and see if it works or not, and I will update when I do that.

Overall, for the price, it was okay, I wouldn’t get it again unless it was a last resort or they had it upgraded to something that was better than before. If anything, I would try out one of the more expensive ones, just to see if there is a major distance.

The good news is that, in good lighting, it records great! I just don’t understand why it was cutting in and out all the time. One of the options that I found very helpful, was that you could adjust the camera very easily, to any angle you needed it to be.

Have you tried out this camera? How was it for you? Or did you have the same problems as I did? Let me know in the comments down below and if there are any products you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments as well.

Posted in Writing Works

Finally Free – Friday’s Short Stories

Posted on by Katie Night

Finally Free

Hey Dearies! So, this one is another short story based on an idea or prompt! This one inspired me or gave me the idea from Safe Haven, but with a different twist to it. This one has mentions of abuse, so if you are triggered by that, please don’t read! 

What would freedom really be for those who are trapped?

Hailey didn’t know what freedom was until she got dropped off at the docks of Hawaii. She had finally left the pain and hurt that had been damaging her for years. She never thought that she would have to be on the run, but she figured being in Hawaii would give herself and her ex more distance between each other.

She looked around in amaze as she took a deep breath of her new surroundings. Picking up her bag pack that only held a few essentials that he grabbed in rush from leaving Kevin. She shook her head as she wandered around the street, she was amazed at the beautiful view of the ocean.

Hailey had always wanted to come to Hawaii, but after high school, her plans completely changed. They had especially changed since she met Kevin. The worse regret of her life. If she would’ve known what he would’ve been like before she had got with him, she would’ve run for her life.

Now she is running for her life.

Discouraging the thought of Kevin, something caught her eyes, as she watched him walk by. He looked familiar to her and it took her only a second to realize it was him, the real reason why she ran to Hawaii, all because of Ethan Brooks.

Her heart started to beat faster as he gazed into her eyes and stopping right in front of her.

“Hailey? Is that really you?” Her heart dropped, he still remembers her. Especially, since it’s been almost 3 years since she last saw him.

She was silent, a tear had fallen from her cheek, as she didn’t expect to cry in front of him. Instead of walking away from him, Ethan embraced her in his arms, holding her tightly. It made her feel safe and at home.

They stood there for a few minutes before Ethan pulled away from his embrace and took another look at her. Even though was in Hawaii, Hailey didn’t dress like she was comfortable. Wearing jeans and a tank top with a sweater covering her arms and zipped up to her neck.

Ethan noticed the bruise that slowly healing on her neck. Once he noticed that, he noticed other bruises of hers that were now more noticeable. “Walk with me, my beach house isn’t that far from here.” He grabbed her hand and took her bag of hers, throwing it over her shoulder, as he led to his beach house that was down the street from the boardwalk.

As soon as they got into Ethan’s beach house, Hailey was shocked at the place that she was in. She never knew that Ethan was rich, but he sure lived like it. She then took a view of the balcony that showed over the ocean, waves crashing onto the beach. It was heaven to her.

“Why didn’t you meet up with me that night?” Ethan spoke, he wasn’t going to catch up with her once he saw her bruises. Hailey beats herself up over not leaving to go with Ethan. She had met him in a nightclub, it was right after she 21, she went out with her friends to celebrate.

Hailey was talking to Kevin, but she was single when she met Ethan. When they danced, they clicked just like that and she followed him home where they had an amazing time. He told her he was leaving to go back to Hawaii and he wanted to take her with him, but before she could, she tried to explain it to Kevin, but it ended badly.

Hailey didn’t want to think about it, but she had to give Ethan an answer. “It’s harder for me to explain.” She spoke, turning to face him, tears fell from her eyes. “You don’t want to know what he did to me.”

Ethan, hugged her again, she hugged him back as she tried to maintain her crying, but it came out like waterfalls. “I’m sorry. I wanted to. I was ready to go and then he found out-”

“You don’t need to explain. You’re here with me now, aren’t you?” Ethan smiled, wiping her tears away as she gave him a smile in return. “Feel free to stay with me. I’m gonna make you something to eat, why don’t you go take a shower.”

Haily nodded as Ethan showed her the bathroom, giving her a set of sweat pants and shirt, then handing her a towel before walking out into the kitchen.

Hailey shut them down and started to strip out of her old clothes and looked at her naked self in the mirror, the black and blue bruises that were up and down on her body. She turned and looked at the deep scar that planted down her back, that hadn’t started to heal.

That scar was what gave her strength to leave Kevin.

After her shower, she got dressed in the clothes Ethan gave her and then headed into the kitchen, he was just finishing up cooking burgers. Her stomach growled, she hadn’t had anything since she left California except a cereal bar.

They ate together in silence. As Hailey was washing the dirty dishes, Ethan noticed the scar on her back, he was shocked at how bad the situation she was in. He turned her around, which scared her, she gazed into his eyes.

Ethan leaned his forehead against hers and studied her eyes, kissing her forehead. “I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Stay with me.” He promised as Hailey was in shock, but it felt so right. She then nodded and then went to kiss his cheek, but Ethan turned his head, having her miss his cheek and plant a kiss onto his lips instead.

They kissed for a second, Hailey’s heart fluttered as she missed his kiss. Ethan pulled her closer and held her close, as they both had missed each other, more than they had known. In his arms, it was like wrapping yourself in a heavy blanket.

In the next few days, Ethan and Hailey caught up on what they missed in each other lives. The more time they spent together, they ended up growing closer to where they before. Hailey started to see a better version of herself in his arms, but having Ethan around made her forget all the pain and hurt that Kevin had ever put her in.

She was finally free from it all. The best part is that she was finally happier, stronger, and more empowered about her life choices. She was a bird that was finally free to fly where ever she wanted to go.

Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments! 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Free Crochet Bag Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Since summer is right around the corner, I figured I would show you some free bag patterns. When it comes to crocheting, there are lots of bag patterns, from purses to handbags to market bags and so much more!

It’s crazy to see so many designs and patterns that they have for these super cute bags! I’ve made a few of them myself, which I have ended up using a few of them myself, not to mention, I’ve figured out what type of yarn is the best for crocheting bags, too.

So, these patterns, you can use the yarn that is recommended, but I’m going to put in my suggestion, just in case you don’t like how the cotton or acrylic feels or looks like as a crochet bag.

I recommend using the Bernat Maker Home Dec. I’ve used this yarn to create my make-up travel bag and I love how it’s not fuzzy, but it also looks a little better. Not to mention, this yarn is perfect for creating placemats, seat covers, or even coasters. The link below is where you can find some of this yarn, but you can find this at Walmart as well.

Note: These patterns are not my own, all rights go out to the creators. I will be linking the website for each pattern. 

1. Valerie’s Market Bag

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I’ve done a few patterns from The Lavender Chair and I just love her designs! I actually made my daughter’s first Easter dress from one of her patterns. Her bags though are just so beautiful! I also love the colors that she chooses for her bags as well!

Link to pattern: https://www.thelavenderchair.com/valeries-market-tote-crochet-pattern/

2. Beginner Market Tote Bag

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This one is a simple market bag or for those of you that have little ones, this would be perfect to hold any sand toys, the best part is the gaps that would allow sand to fall out as you are leaving the beach. This is a pretty simple pattern if you are looking to learn how to crochet a market bag.

Link to pattern: https://easycrochet.com/market-tote-bag-crochet-pattern/?utm_content=buffer56f22&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.VcZWYCZVikp/

3. Easy Market Tote

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I love the colors that they used for this bag! Perfect for the little girls that you know, especially if they want a bag like their mommy. This is another easy bag and has the granny square build into it, which is very simple to follow in a pattern.

Link to pattern: https://loopsandlovecrochet.com/2019/07/18/easy-market-tote-free-crochet-pattern/

4. Beach Please Summer Tote

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I actually have this bag save in my ‘to-do’ list for myself! I love the design, but they are also using the same yarn that I recommend! Also, the color combination is perfect for this tote bag! I think I will actually get the yarn to recreate this!

Link to pattern: https://loopsandlovecrochet.com/2019/07/07/beach-please-summer-tote-free-crochet-pattern/

5. 1 Skein Farmer’s Market Bag

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Another simple farmer’s market bag, but this one is different from the others. Some of the bags that are on this list or others that you might find somewhere else might require to use more than just one skein, however this pattern, you’ll only need one. This is super helpful if you have a skein of yarn just hanging around and your not quite sure what to make with it, which would make this project perfect for that!

Link to pattern: https://www.sewrella.com/1-skein-crochet-farmers-market-bag/?epik=dj0yJnU9M3pTN2p3ZDBsd0VweXJqS09wZFVoN1hkR1hiNVVoeGYmbj1ZMVVyRHQwRUVVZTFQdk5IWXBEaUFnJm09MyZ0PUFBQUFBRjI1Ny1V

6. Starling Handbag

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I love this one as well, a simple, yet beautiful design. I just love how the ribbon intertwines with the bag. This bag looks a little smaller than the others, so if you are looking for a bag that is perfect for a ‘Mommy & me’, this one would be perfect! Not to mention, all you would need to do, to make a smaller bag would be to use a smaller hook size to do so.

Link to pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/starling-handbag

7. Solid Granny Square Bottom Bag

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This bag is a solid granny square, which is perfect for those beginners wanting to practice with patterns or just to challenge yourself with something new to do! I also love the colors they choose for this, going from white to pink to dark pink into grey!

Link to pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/solid-granny-square-bottom-bag-crochet-tutorial

8. Sweet Pea Tote Bag

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I would say this is the perfect bag for the beach, just because the stitch is a shell stitch! I also love the yarn they used for this. I think I might add this to my list of endless patterns to try out! However, I might more of an ocean color yarn mix or a blue color yarn mix or add some 3D crochet turtles onto the bag.

Link to pattern: https://capscrochet.webs.com/apps/blog/show/1523376-sweet-pea-tote-bag-pattern

9. Meshy Shells Market Tote

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Another shell’s bag, but instead of the shells being really close to together, they are more spaced out, which is makes this a wonderful bag to use for either the market or for the beach or ocean. I also love the handle that she chose for this pattern!

Link to pattern: https://www.thelavenderchair.com/meshy-shells-market-tote-crochet-pattern/

10. Puff Stitch Market Bag

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Another granny square stitch, but this bag is a little bigger than the other one, which would be perfect for the beach, not to mention the colors that they chose for the bag, I just love it! I also like how this bag is taller, which is perfect for holding quite a bit of stuff.

Link to pattern: https://crochetbag.einsnummer.com/puff-stitch-market-bag-pattern-free-easy-crochet/

Which patterns were your favorites? Any of them that have caught your eye or get you interested in recreating one of these? Let me know in the comments below!

Make sure to follow me on Facebook for daily updates and if you want to see any of my projects that I’m currently working on!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crochet Solid Granny Square (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I’ve been quite busy with college since my finals are almost here, I figured I would post another free pattern for you! Now, since I’ve shown you how to do a regular granny square, I figured it was time to show you what a solid square looks like and how to make it.

So, when I first started crocheting, I didn’t like the granny square and how there were spaces in between it all, but now, I don’t mind it for some projects. Which lead me to create my temperature blanket squares with solid granny squares instead of regular granny squares.

Not only is this square is something you can play with the colors with, but it is really simple to make for those who are looking to try something new to do!

Let’s talk about what you will need for this project:

  • 5.0 mm hook
  • Medium Size Yarn (Size 4)
  • Sewing needle

Note: You don’t need to use a 5.0 mm hook or size 4 yarn, you can use whatever hook or yarn you would like, but if you are a beginner, I recommend using my suggestions.

Let’s Begin!

First, make a magic circle, however, if you don’t know how to make a magic circle, you can always chain 4 and slip stitch into the first chain to create a circle that we will be working into.

Tip: Using a magic circle will make it so that the hole will be closed tighter, however, it can be undone if you don’t leave a long tail. Chaining 4 will keep it more together. 

Round 1: Chain 3. (This counts as 1 double crochet). Working in the circle, make 2 double crochets, chain 1, make 3 double crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochets, chain 1. Slip stitch into the top of the chain 3.

Round 2: Chain 3. In the first corner, double crochet. *Double crochet until you reach another corner. When you get to the next corner, make 2 double crochets, chain 1, 2 double crochets.* Repeat * til you get to the last corner. 2 double crochets and chain 1. Slip stitch into the top of the chain 3.

Round 3-5: Repeat round 2 until the desired length. For my temperature blanket, I went 5 rounds but only recommend 4 rounds. Fasten off and weave in your ends!

Get creative and change up each row with a different color or use a multi-colored yarn!

There you have it! A simple solid granny square that makes an incredible blanket! Not to mention, for the beginners, this gives you something different to try out.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, that is where I am mostly active on and I also let you know whether when a post will be out or delayed!

 

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – Ever After (Laurel-Leaf Books)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Back with another book review for you all! So, this one I never thought this was really a book, but it is and you can find it on Amazon.

Ever After is a motion picture that Drew Barrymore stars in as the main character, Danielle. This movie is one of my all-time favorite version of a Cinderella story, next to Hillary Duffs more modern version in A Cinderella Story.

The ‘Cinderella’ story has been told in many different ways in, by different writers and in different genres. In my opinion, ‘Cinderella’s story is one of the easiest recreations that any writer can do, but I’m always curious to see what writers come up with and try to do.

The same goes for any other fairy tale story, but I think this version is the best because not only is it in the perfect timeline and location to do it.

The theme of where this Cinderella story is set more like how the original Cinderella story started. Danielle lives with her father, her more died in childbirth and her father raises her the best he can. Of course, when she is 8, he re-marries Baroness Rodmilla of Ghent, otherwise known as her evil stepmother, and has two daughters of her own.

However, the reason why Rodmilla marries Danielle’s father is to get further up the line, or into the castle, basically wanting to live the life of riches. So, she really doesn’t care about Danielle, anyway, makes Danielle a ‘slave’ when her father dies.

I will say, Danielle puts up with a bunch of crap as a servant, but how she meets Prince Henry is even funnier than how the other versions. She ends up meeting him and throws apples at him thinking that he is stealing their horse.

The entire book is an exact play-by-play of the movie, which made me feel like I was just reading the movie and I ended up finishing it in a day. So, instead of watching the movie, you can read it, however, depending on how fast you read, it could take a day, perfect for passing the time.

There are only a few slight things that weren’t in the movie, but even if it wasn’t, it doesn’t change the way the book is, instead, I feel like it gives more of a backstory to some of the parts that are ‘rushed’ when created into a movie, or they were parts that they didn’t put into the movie.

Overall, this is an amazing book, even though it is literally the movie script, but in a book form and since I don’t own the movie, it’s not a bad way to pass the time. Perfect for a rainy or snowy day when you can’t go anywhere and want to snuggle up to a good book.

I also think that it would be a great bedtime story or a book that you could read to your kids before bed, you won’t finish it all before bed, but you could finish a chapter a night before bed no problem.

So, since I’ve reviewed the book, later in this month, I will be reviewing the movie because you know that’s what makes sense to do, right?

What do you think about the book? Were you as shocked as I to find out that there was a book to the movie? Let me know in the comments below.

 

 

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – I Hate Myself & It Gets Worse (Shane Dawson)

Posted on by Katie Night

 

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Hey Dearies! Since I finally have finished both books, I figured I would do both of them in one review, just to make it easier! So, if you don’t know or haven’t been following me, I am a HUGE fan of Shane Dawson, I’ve been a fan since the first video I watched of his, which was ‘Fred is Dead’. 

After that, I followed him through his YouTube journey and to what he is currently doing now, however, I never got a chance to get his books until a year ago. Which is why this review is very overdue, but I don’t care because Shane is amazing!

So, when I finally got his books, I got more of an understanding of not just his past, but some of the challenges he had to face when he was younger and up now. As you look at him now, he does struggle with some of those challenges today, but I see him as more confident now, than he was before.

You see, when you watch YouTubers videos, you see what they want you to see, you don’t see the depression, anxiety, or any of their struggles outside of the YouTube community. Sadly, if anyone does bring light to what’s going on in the background, but Shane did in his book and just like how Brittani Lousie Taylor did in her book.

I don’t want to spoil the books for anyone that hasn’t had a chance to read it, so I just want to say that the first book was amazing and it gave me the insight to sort of how his childhood and teen years were like for him.

Also, he did a short film of the Prom chapter, which I will leave a link for here, if you would like to see them, they are hilarious!

Part 2

Also, I want to note that one of the reasons why I follow and another Shane is because we have the same problem that we share together, whether he knows it or not. We both have been struggling with our weight.

As like him, I’ve been struggling with it for as long as he has and it sucks. In high school, I got picked on and judged because I had the extra weight. I used to wear a sweatshirt on all the time because I didn’t want anyone to see how fat I am.

Even after having kids, I’m still struggling with it, but if there is one thing Shane has taught me, it is to love yourself and to not listen to those who judge you based on your weight. In other words, live your best life however you want to live it.

After his first book launched, then he had a second one, which was around the time of when he came out as bisexual, so one of the chapters talks about how he struggled as a kid on what type of gender he was attracted to.

I don’t know much about that because I’ve never had to deal with something like that, all I know, that it is a very hard thing to do, for those who struggle with who they are.

That essay made me understand that he wasn’t just struggling with his sexuality for a few months or years, but almost his entire life.

The very last chapter was a chapter that his mom wrote and I loved that he let her do that because if you grew up watching Shane, you grew up watching his mom and they would do skits and videos together.

Not to mention, he loved to surprise her and when he bought her to see Kathy Griffin, it was amazing for him to do that for her. I love the closeness that they had together as Mother and Son, which I hope I will have the same closeness to my daughter as they had.

Here is another short film that he made for the second book!

Overall, I loved both the books, there was a love of things that I didn’t know about Shane, or what he didn’t want our fans to see and I’m glad I know. It makes me love Shane and want to support him more and more!

One more thing, I just want to add, this has nothing to do with the books, but the friendship that he has with Jeffree Star I think is amazing and I wish I had a friendship like that!

Are any of you Shane Dawson fans? Or have you read his books? Let me know in the comments down below!

Posted in Writing Works

Circle The Drain – Friday’s Short Stories

Posted on by Katie Night

Circle The Drain

Hey Dearies! This story is a little more serious topic, that involved alcohol abuse and what can occur to those who are affected by it. I just want to also make a disclaimer that if you are triggered by physical abuse, please read with caution. I also want to point out that this is just a story, this isn’t a true story.

This is from an older Katy Perry song that wasn’t one of her famous songs, but this one I think has a bigger message to those who are around those who can’t control the addictions they have started or picked up. Here’s a link to her song:

I’m not sticking around to watch you go down.

She could hear the crack of another bottle opening, this was her father’s 6th beer and she could tell things were about to get worse before they get better. Instead of grieving her mother’s death, her father drowned himself after work in that bottle.

That bottle.

She hated that bottle and the contents that were in it. She wished when the days were back to as they were: happy and simple. That all changed when her mother was killed in a drunk driving accident. After that day, everything changed.

She remembered her mother just stepping out to get some stuff for supper, she wanted to go with her, but her mother told her she was going to be right back. Then 2 hours after she left to get food, they got that call, it changed her life and her father’s.

Tears started to fall down her cheek, just thinking about it. She wiped them away and saw that a tear had fallin on her homework, as she tried to wipe it away. She missed her mother, she wished that she was in the car with her, that maybe she could’ve made sure that her mother stayed in the store longer and missed the driver or she was in the car with her mom when she got hit.

“Go to bed!” My father yelled, it was only 3pm and she was just trying to finish up the leftover work that she had to get down for class. Her eyes landed on that bottle as she wished she had the courage to rip that bottle from her father’s hands and throw it out the window.

Instead of arguing with her drunk father, she gather her stuff and headed into her room, slowly closing the door behind her.

Before she knew it, her father had swang her bedroom door open, startling her as her stuff fell to the floor.

“Don’t turn your back on me, you listen and answer me!” He shouted again and raised his fist, throwing a punch at her.

She winced in pain as she held her hurt cheek, more tears started to fall as this wasn’t the first time he’s done something to his, but it was never more than just a slap. She froze on the ground as she covered herself from his beatings and kickings.

Once he was down, he left her alone, on the floor, bleeding from his beatings. She tried to sit up, but wince in pain before she could. She didn’t understand why. It had only been 7 months since her mother’s death, but what she had been going through, make it seem that it had been a lifetime that she has been going through this.

She pulled herself up, after waiting for the pain to go down, grabbing her backpack and grabbing a few things that she needed before opening her window and sneaking out.
She was greatful for living in a trailer park and knew exactly what to do. She headed down the second street of their trailer park and slowly walked down to Mrs. Humble’s house.

She would always remember the times that her mother used to go down to Mrs. Humble’s house to help her with grocery shopping, cleaning her house, and spending time with her and her husband, and when they heard the news about her mother passing, they were heartbroken.

Mrs. Humble also knew her since she was a baby and treater her just like one of her own grandchildren, giving her presents and teaching her new things, she enjoyed her more than her mother’s presence.

She now stood outside of the Humble’s house, their porch light had just gone on and she could see through the window, Mr. Humble watching T.V. in his chair, as he was working on his crossword puzzles. Then she looked over and next to him was Mrs. Humble, knitting away at another blanket, which were always a favorite of hers to make.

Slowly, she approached the door, but once she rang the door bell, she saw Mrs. Humble opened the door and her eyes watered as she saw her fall into their house.

“Gary! It’s Linsey! Call 911!” Mrs. Humble yelled as she held her in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

Linsey woke up in a hospital room, Mr. and Mrs. Humble were in the room with her, and they ran to the side of the bed as her eyes fluttered open. “Linsey, how you feeling?” Mrs. Humbled asked as Linsey just shrugged. “We need to tell you something, dear.”

Linsey nodded as Mrs. Humble held her hand carefully. “They arrested your father for what he did.” Once Mrs. Humble told her what happen, Linsey was heartbroken. As much as what her father did to her was inexcusable, she didn’t want loose him too.

Linsey tried to speak, but nothing was coming out, she didn’t understand. “Dear, your father did a lot damage to your voicebox, it looks like you may have lost your voice. I’m so sorry, dear.”

She was so angry and sad at what the events had occured, but the one thing she hated more, was that bottle of liquor that had started it all.

Let me know what you think about these short stories! Comment down below if you have an idea on what I should write about next!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Crochet Bookmarks (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Since most of us are stuck home, some of us, like me, are taking the time to get some reading done. Or you are a bookworm, like me, then these patterns are perfect for you!

Not only are these bookmarks super cute and fun to make, but they are also free patterns! Now, I had to do some real digging to find these! These are perfect for a beginner project and these gifts can be perfect for those kiddos that are trying to learn how to read!

These projects are also very quick to make and don’t require a lot of yarn either, which is perfect for another item to sell at a craft fair or online to your friends!

Note: These aren’t my patterns, all rights go to those creators. The link for each of these patterns will be provided.

1. Bow Bookmark

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Theses bows are not only super cute, but you can crochet these very quickly! Not to mention, if you are a teacher, these are perfect to make for your students to have! These would also make a perfect addition to a craft fair or a gift!

Link for the pattern: https://justbcrafty.com/2014/06/mini-bow-bookmark-free-crochet-pattern_25.html

2. Leaf Bookmark

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Since spring is just around the corner, I had to include these cute leaf bookmarks! These are perfect for those bookworms who also have a love for gardening! Not to mention, these are also perfect for the classroom or giving them away as gifts! If you wanted to be a little more creative, you can always add a flower with the leaves as well!

Link for the pattern: https://www.tyinganend.com/budding-leaf-bookmark/

3. Daisy Bookmark

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Another spring theme bookmark, I just love these! I love this pattern because you can get creative with what kind of button to use for the center of the flower. Not to mention, you can always use just the flower part as a pin, or adding design for any hats or clothes!

Link for the pattern: https://daisycottagedesigns.net/free-crochet-pattern-dainty-daisy/

4. Cat Bookmark

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For those of you, who love cats just as much as I do, these bookmarks are perfect for you! This pattern is another simple easy one to create and would make an amazing addition to any book fair or craft fair.

Link for the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/city-cat-bookmarker

5. Overlapping Hearts Bookmark

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This pattern has more of a longer tale, which I don’t mind and if you are like me, you don’t want your bookmarks getting too thick, especially for those of us that have lots of paperbacks, this are perfect for those!

Link for the pattern: https://forum.crochetville.com/topic/88245-overlapping-hearts-bookmark-pattern/#entry1494542

6. Little Angel Bookmark

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I know this one is more of a ‘Christmas’ theme, but if you are looking to try something different, here is another pattern you can try! You can also start crocheting these for Christmas presents now! It’s never too early for that!

Link for the pattern: https://suzies-yarnie-stuff.blogspot.com/2009/12/suzies-little-angel-bookmark.html

7. Little Boxes Bookmark

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This bookmark is more of a traditional one, but has a lot of detail that’s put into it, which I love! Also, as you can see in the background, this bookmark is being used for a recipe book, which works! I just can’t get over the detail!

Link for the pattern: https://crochetncreate.com/little-boxes-crochet-bookmark/

8. Webster the Elephant

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As you know, I LOVE to find anything with elephants in it and when I saw this pattern, I just had to share it! I also LOVE Heart Hook Home, she does an amazing job with her patterns and I was so excited to find out she made a bookmark! These are perfect for the kiddos that are learning how to read! Not to mention, this is more of a 3D bookmark, which is always fun!

Link for the pattern: https://hearthookhome.com/webster-the-elephant-bookmark-amigurumi-crochet-pattern/

9. Easter Chick Bookmark

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Here is another 3D bookmark pattern and this one is a little bit more towards the spring or Easter theme! Especially if you can’t see those family on Easter, you can always send them a bookmark for Easter! Not to mention, you can always not add the bow on the top and take a ribbon and tie it to the neck for the boys!

Link for the pattern: https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=4552&cid=17

10. Rainbow Bookmark

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Rainbows are another favorite for the kids and these are fun to make as well! Not to mention, the cheeks have a little bit of blush, under their eyes, which makes this pattern even more perfect! Details, as such, are what make these projects just so amazing to make!

Link for the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-bookmark-2

What do you think about these patterns? Any of them look super cute enough for you to want to make them for yourself or others? Which one was your favorite? Let me know down in the comments!

Also, make sure you are following my Facebook page to get the latest updates of what’s going on with my blog!

Posted in Products, Reviews

Product Review: Puzzle RollUp Mat

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I am back with another product review! So, if you don’t know, I LOVE to do jigsaw puzzles in my free time and especially during this time, they help not only pass the time but it also keeps your eyes from staring at a smartphone all day either.

Not to mention, my 2-year-old daughter loves to watch and help me with them, so we have a few puzzles that are perfect for her to do. This product is more for those who are like me and LOVE doing the bigger puzzles, such as a 1000 piece puzzle. They are lots of fun but can take a lot of time and patience to complete.

This is when this product comes into need! Especially if you can just leave the puzzle where it is because it’s either in the way, or you have little ones that will try and ‘help’ to get it done.

This roll-up mat can not only keep your unfinished puzzle intact, but you can roll it up an store it for another day or when you are ready to finish it.

I got mine a few years back and have only used it a few times. My big problem with these is if you have a puzzle that you have done multiple times, meaning the pieces are a little wore down, they don’t like to stay on the mat together very well.

Not to mention that the mat is felt, so it’s hard to move pieces. If you were doing a newer puzzle, it wouldn’t be so difficult, but you do have to push some of the pieces back together, when you roll it out, again.

However, I do not recommend leaving the pieces, that aren’t connected, by itself on this mat. I’ve had a few times where they have fallen out and I lost the pieces to those puzzles, which is never fun to go closet search for puzzle pieces when your closet is full of open boxes.

Leaving the extra pieces in the box would be a better idea, or try putting them in a sandwich baggie and attach the baggie to the storage roll or inside of it.

Overall, if you live in a small place or just can’t leave the puzzle out by itself, then this would be ideal for you. I also want to note that there are mats that are bigger or smaller for whatever size puzzle you plan on doing, so be sure to make sure you check out the size of your puzzle before buying one of these roll-up mats.

The ideal is to have a puzzle table, but those can run from $90-$150 bucks, but if you don’t have the room or have kids or pets that like to be ‘helpful’, then these mats are perfect and only run from $15-$30 bucks, depending on the size that you want, I would always go the biggest, if you can, just because you never know when you are in the mood to do a big puzzle.

What do you think about the Puzzle RollUp Mat? Have you used one, or are you thinking about getting one? Let me know in the comments down below!

 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Easter Free Crochet Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! Easter is right around the corner and if you are at a loss of what to make for this year or want to make gifts isn’t just buying chocolate for the kids, then look no further! I have found 10 FREE patterns for you to check out!

There is a mix of patterns that aren’t just for kids, but for babies as well, especially if this is their first Easter!

Note: These are NOT my patterns, I will leave a link to where I found the original pattern. All rights go to the original creators. The only pattern that is mine is the last one. 

1. Chocolate Easter Bunny

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This little guy is perfect for the kids, especially for the younger ones that aren’t ready to have chocolate, but they don’t have to be left out in not getting a ‘chocolate’ bunny, except this one, they can cuddle with.

Link to pattern: https://crochet-news.com/crochet-easter-bunny-pattern/#_a5y_p=6626917

2. Marshmallow Bunny Baby Booties

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This one is for the babies! Especially, if you are unsure what to get them, these booties are super cute and perfect for Easter! The best part about these is that they aren’t just for the bunnies, but they come in 3 different styles.

Link to pattern: https://www.passionatecrafter.com/marshmallow-baby-boots/

3. Easter Bunny Mug Cozy

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Of course, knowing me I would have to have a mug cozy on here, this one really fits for the Easter season! This pattern is also super easy to create, not to mention, look at his little fluffy butt! I can’t get over this pattern, it’s just too cute! These look like they would be killer sellers for any craft fair!

Link to pattern: https://haakmaarraak.nl/free-crochet-pattern-easter-bunny-mug-cozy/

4. Belle The Bunny

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I had to have another stuffie on this list, but the funniest part about this little guy, is that it has the same name as my daughter, Bella, but instead of an ‘a’ at the end, its an ‘e’. This one is perfect for those younger kiddos to have for a gift!

Link to pattern: https://yarnsociety.com/patterns/belle-the-bunny/

5. Carrot Treat Pouch

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These aren’t just for the bigger kids, but for the younger ones too, just instead of jelly beans, you can fill these up with the Gerber puffs or yogurt melts! You can even make these for the older kids to have a little ‘jiggle’ from Easter.

Link to pattern: https://pattern-paradise.com/2019/03/18/free-crochet-pattern-carrot-treat-pouches/

6. Easter Wreath

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Another item that I just had to find, but I just had to! Plus you just have to have a wreath for every season. This one might take some time to do, especially when it comes to making the bunny, but once it’s complete, it would look so cute on your door. However, like I’ve said before, I would keep these wreaths away from rain or snowy, just because it can ruin them.

Link to pattern: https://www.dailycrochet.com/fabulous-crochet-easter-wreath-pattern-to-make-now/

7. Bunny Ears Headband

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I think this one is for those little girls that actually keep headbands in their hair. The best part about this pattern is that you can try out different colors for the roses to either match what they are wearing for Easter or have them pick out the colors and just have fun with it!

Link to pattern: https://www.graceandyarn.com/2018/03/crochet-bunny-headband-free-pattern.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=586785218_20891078_493480

8. Marshmallow Bunny Peeps

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Okay, so ‘Peeps’ are a hit or miss type of item that comes out EVERY Easter, whether you are a fan or not, these ones are too cute to make for the babies. I’m not a big fan of the actually marshmallow ‘Peeps’, but I LOVE the shapes that they have for the chicks and bunnies, which in the end, makes it more fun to create these little guys instead of eatting them.

Link to pattern: http://whiskersandwool.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-marshmallow-bunnies-free-pattern.html

9. Mini Easter Basket

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I have to include a type of basket, especially when the you need one for holding the eggs that the Easter bunny left behind for the kiddos. However, this one is more for decoration to hold those mini chocolate eggs or jellybeans for anyone one to take. Or you can get a little creative and put in ‘nips’ for the adults.

Link to pattern: https://www.skiptomylou.org/crochet-basket-pattern/

10. Stuffed Easter Egg

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This pattern is the one I posted last year, that went with the actual baskets I was selling for Easter. However, I still think these are an awesome idea to make for the babies to have for Easter. Not to mention, they would look super cute in a photoshoot for Easter!

Link to pattern: https://katiesblog96971617.com/2019/02/26/crafty-sassy-crochet-stuffed-easter-egg-easy/

Which ones are your favorites? Any of them catch your eye for you to want to make this year for Easter? Let me know in the comments down below!

Make sure to like my Facebook page to find out when my next blog post or updates on my blog!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crochet Granny Square (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been trying to figure out my plans for my online college classes and with everything that is going on in the world, I’ve been trying to keep busy and not panic.

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When thinking about getting into crocheting, one of the first patterns that I’ve ever attempted to do was a granny square. There are LOTS of versions to create a granny square, but the best granny square tutorial that I’ve found super easy was the Nervous Knitter.

Below is a link to her video. She slows down the steps and makes it very easy for you to follow along with her.

However, this is not the version of the granny square pattern that I’m going to share for you. The only that I’m introducing to you is a simple, but very easy to create, especially for any beginners that are looking to pick up the crocheting hobby!

Now, granny squares can be used to make anything you can think of, the most common, and one that I have made is the blanket. But there are so many other items I’ve seen the granny square being used for, such as hats, bonnets, towel toppers, placemats, cardigans, coasters, etc.

The list goes on and on for what ideas you can use to make with these granny squares! Not to mention, you can also get created and switch out colors every other row and see what you get! Without further due, let’s get started!

Things You Will Need:

  • Medium size yarn
    • You can used any size yarn, but just make sure you adjust your hook to go with the size of yarn you are planning to use.
    • I’m using a medium size yarn, but I’m not sure what brand it is from, this was given to me as a gift, so it didn’t come with a label, but the color is a type of aqua.
  • 5.0 mm hook
  • Sewing needle

Let’s crochet!

Make a slip knot on your hook and chain 6. Then slip stitch into the first chain. We will be working into this circle.

Round 1: Chain 3 (This counts as double crochet!) Work 2 double crochets into the center of the ring. Chain 3. *Work 3 double crochets into the center and chain 3.* Repeat 2 more times. You should have 4 sets of 3 double crochets in the center. Slip stitch into the top of the first chain 3.

Round 2: Chain 3. In that space, work 2 double crochets. Chain 1. Into the next space or the chain 3 space, *work 3 double crochets, chain 3, 3 double crochets. Chain 1.* Repeat 2 more times. Once you are at the last corner, make 3 double crochets and chain 3. Then slip stitch into the top of your chain 3.

Round 3: Chain 3. In that space, work 2 double crochets. Chain 1. Into the next space, crochet 3 double crochets. Repeat this for the sides. When you reach a corner, make 3 double crochets, chain 3, and 3 double crochets. Repeat this process for the remainder of the round. Making sure to slip stitch into the top of the chain 3 for each round.

After that, the process is still the same, so, you can stop right here or keep on going! One of my very first actual projects was a granny square rasta blanket that I made for my fiance.

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One of my very first attempts at a granny square blanket and also one of my first successful projects for crocheting!

Personally, the granny square isn’t something that I will also run to for my projects, just because it, in my option, I don’t like how ‘open’ it is, especially when it comes to blankets, but for a beginner, this was something quick and easy to start out with!

Have you ever crocheted a granny square? Was it what go you into crocheting? Let me know in the comments!

Make sure to like my Facebook page, especially if you are looking for more updates on what’s going on with my blog and such!

Posted in Writing Works

The Monster’s Of Weddings (Friday Short Stories)

Posted on by Katie Night

The Monster’s Of Weddings

Hey Dearies! Here is another little short story about when two mother’s end up butting heads over their daughter or soon to be daughter in law, about the plans for the wedding. Basically, this gives you an idea of how I would think Bridzella is awoken from her slumber when you are a bride.

Weddings are stressful. They’re especially tricky when one family is magical and the other hates spells, and both mothers want to control the celebration.

“I don’t know what I’m really getting into,” Tiffany said as she was being held in her fiances’ arms. She was dealing with a lot when it came to the wedding. As soon as she accepted his proposal, both her mother and Gail’s mother have been at each other’s throats, trying to make the wedding as there.

“I’m sorry, love. I know my mother can be a little wicked, but don’t worry. Once this wedding is over, everything will be perfect.” Gail explained as he gave her a light kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back before the wedding, I’m going to get your wedding present, until then, try to get everyone to get along.”

Tiffany nodded as she gave her fiance one more hug, and then planted a kiss on his lips. She watched as he got on her horse and rode off the dirt path.

“Tiffany! Dear, I need to ask you what you want to do with the place settings for the reception?” She heard Gail’s mother calling out to her. Tiffany took a deep breath and turned around, giving her a small smile as she watched her mother-in-law, Selma, get closer to her.

Selma handed her a picture of lily’s, but before she could answer, her mother, Judy, can out and handed her a flower vase with sunflowers. “Tif, love. I think you would rather go with these, they will bright out the room for sure!”

Judy watched as Selma rolled her eyes, “I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken, lilies bring out her wedding dress better than those silly little sunflowers would ever do.” Selma snapped as Judy frowned, then they turned back to Tiffany.

“I honestly don’t know which one I like best, but perhaps I see the other choices for flowers and then I can make my decision?” Tiffany spoke sweetly to both her mother and mother-in-law.

Tiffany had a fear that something like this would happen. Selma and her family were gifted with magic and they weren’t, which made it harder for Judy to really expect Gail to be apart of their family.

Sadly, Selma has been planning for the day her son would get married and she was excited to finally meet Tiffany, the one who had ‘stolen’ her son’s heart, but will also steal the one thing that she’s been loving and caring for since after Gail’s father had passed.

Both of the mothers looked back at each other, giving them a dirty look to each. Selma looked back at Tiffany and frowned. “I guess my choice wasn’t good enough, eh?” Selma snapped at Tiffany, which shocked Tiffany because she has always been nice to her, but this must of been the last straw for Selma. “Wait till my son hears about this!”

Selma went back into the cottage, that they all were staying at until the wedding. “Selma, Gail just left, he went into town to get my wedding present. He’s gone until tomorrow night.” Tiffany explained as calmly as she could.
Selma threw the photos of the lilies on the ground and stormed off into the cottage.

Tiffany and her mother went back inside.
“Child, I know this is a difficult choice you have to make, but that old hag should know that everything that I’ve chosen for your wedding is already perfect!” Judy spoke, as

Tiffany had put some water into a teapot. Tiffany had a fire of anger, burning inside her. She had hoped that her mother and Gail’s mother would’ve gotten along. She also didn’t understand why the choices that she was given to choose from, was making it so she would favor one mother over the other.

She just wanted to plan the wedding with what she wanted, she wanted her day to be the happiest, most magical day of her life. Dealing with her mother and soon to be mother-in-law’s bickering back and forth, Tiffany was dreading planning this wedding.

Tiffany slammed the teapot on the floor and turned to her mother, she noticed that Selma had run out of her room to see what was going on.

“Just stop, mother! Please!” Tiffany looked over at Selma and Judy together. “Both of you are making this entire process of planning a wedding dreadful! I know both of you are trying to help me, but it seems like it’s about you both! This is Gail and I’s wedding day, we want it to be the most magical and wonderful day of our lives, but you aren’t allowing me to choose what I want for my special day!”

Tiffany turned to her mother, who was shocked at the outburst that was currently happening. “Mother, I love you, but you need to be okay with Gail and his family. Once we are married, we are all going to be one.”

She then turned to Selma, who too had a surprised look on her face at Tiffany’s outburst. “Selma, I know you want this to be perfect, but you have to be okay with me disagreeing with the choices you have already chosen for me.”

Tiffany then took a deep breath and slowly picked up the broken teapot that laid on the floor. “I just wanted you to both get along.” She spoke softly, but loud enough for them to hear it, as she picked up the broken pieces and laid them out onto the table.

Tiffany then ran off into her room. Selma and Judy stared at each other in silence.
“I better go check on her.” Judy sat, but before she could heat out, she was stopped by Selma.

“Your daughter is right, we should learn to get along with each other,” Selma spoke, letting go of Judy’s wrist. “I’m sorry for my behavior. It just hasn’t been easy since Gail’s father passed away a few weeks ago. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Judy then placed her hand on top of Selma’s and looked up into her eyes. “I’m sorry, too. I didn’t know Gail’s father, but I know how you feel.” Judy pulled out a napkin and handed it to Selma. “I lost my husband before Tiffany was born.”

Selma looked us, as then were red, from her crying, “Oh, Judy, I’m so very sorry, I shouldn’t-”

Judy gave her a warming smile. “Don’t worry about it. We both judged each other before we even got a chance to finally know each other. Let’s just put it all in the past or at least for the kid’s sake.”

Selma smiled as she wiped her tears. Then walking over to the teapot that Tiffany had dropped, she whisked her hands around and the teapot was fixed, brand new, just as it was before it was broken.

Both of them headed over to Tiffany’s door, where they could hear her sobbing on the other side of the door. Judy approached the nob, but before knocking on the door.

“Tiffany, can we come in, dear?”

Tiffany wiped her eyes and cleared her voice. “Yes, mother.”

Judy carefully opened the door and watched in shock of how her mother-in-law and mother were acting to each other. Normally, they would be staring at each other, giving dirty looks, but this time, they were only focusing on Tiffany.

“Hun, we just wanted to come in here and apologize. I’m sorry that we were so picking about your wedding. Especially how we treated each other. From now on, you choose whatever you for your wedding, anything at all.” Selma explained as Tiffany stood up to her bed, smiling.

Tiffany grabbed onto both of their hands and smiled. “Thank you.”

Finally, the big day approached, Tiffany was more than excited for her big day, but she got rather sad before she was about to walk down the aisle. She had always dreamed of her father walking her down the aisle, giving herself away, but this reality was, she would be walking alone.

Just as she grabbed her flowers, she took a deep breath and noticed her mother and mother-in-law, wrapping around each of her arms.
“I know this is something your father would’ve done, but Selma and I decided that we don’t want you to do to this alone.” Judy smiled, as they both gave Tiffany a boost of confidence.
Tiffany looked down the aisle and smiled when her eyes gazed upon Gail. Walking down the aisle never seemed so easy, once she approached Gail, both her mother and Selma gave her a kiss on the cheek and held her hand out to Gail.

He smiled as he saw his beautiful bride be. Leaning into Tiffany’s ear, he whispered. “I’m surprised things are going quite well with you three. What’s your secret?”

Tiffany giggled and leaned into his ear. “Just a little bit of bridezilla seemed to do the trick.” As they turned to face the preacher to start the beginning of their lives together.

Let me know what you think about this week’s short story! Comment down below if you have a song in mind for what I should do next for next Friday’s!

Posted in Products, Reviews

Product Review: Make-up Brush Cleaner

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! So, this month’s product review is actually gonna be for make-up. Now don’t worry, I’m not reviewing any make-up palettes or lipsticks, we are going to be focusing on a product that is supposed to make it easier to clean your brushes.

So, where did I see this product?

As you know, if you have been following me on Instagram, you have probably noticed I’ve been wearing make-up more or testing products out, lately. So, I’ve been using my brushes quite a bit, to the point where I didn’t even know that you had to clean them on daily.

Which, I was told, that you don’t have to clean them every day, but at least once a week, if not more, depending on how often you use them. Which is also what lead me to purchase this make-up brush cleaner.

Now, since I didn’t have any knowledge of how to clean make-up brushes, I figured I would look on Amazon for an easier way to do so. Originally, I wanted to get this product as a gift, for a few people, but me being curious, I wanted to know if it really worked.

All you do is load up your brush, you can choose any of the different options for each different type of brush. Then a drop of dish soap, or make-up brush cleaning solution, to the mixing bowl and slowly dip the brush in and out of the solution, while it’s spinning. Then let it dry spin for a few and it should be dry or barely wet.

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The max it should take, for each brush, is about 10 to 30 seconds. Which to a lot of make-up people is AMAZING timing! I like the fact that it’s that quick that it dries.

  • How’s the quality? 

Because I’m not a great make-up artist and almost have no idea what I’m doing, the quality of how clean these brushes get is not bad, but it’s not great either. Setting it up is a pain in the butt, but I feel that it doesn’t clean enough.

  • Does it work for me?

In all honestly, yes, this product does work, but for someone who isn’t a HUGE make-up guru’s. I recommend getting this for someone who is or does use their make-up brushes all the time. Although it doesn’t clean the brushes well, it does make it quicker for them to get dry quickly.

  • Is it worth the money?

At the time, I paid about $17.00, for it on Amazon. I’ve seen them range from $9.99 – $25.00, if not more depending on the brand. It is worth the money, but if you don’t use it all the time, this product is more of a waste of space.

  • Overall, is it something I would use or buy again?

I wouldn’t buy this again since I already own it, but I do see myself using this again, just because it drys the brushes so quickly! I do however, see this as a great gift to those who are make-up lovers.

What do you think about this product? Is it something that you would use or have used? Let me know what you think about it in the comments!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Top 10 Crochet St. Patrick’s Day Free Patterns (Craft Odysseys)

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! I know this post is a little late, but since my midterms are literally around the corner, it’s been hard to push out these blog posts, but once the madness of midterms is over, I should be back on track, or that’s the plan.

Anyway, because St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, I figure I would share some of the free patterns that are available to give you some ideas. I know St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a very celebrated holiday, but if you are me and love to theme your house with those decorations, even if it’s for a short time.

Note: All these patterns are NOT my own, all rights go out to the creators. I will be leaving a link for each of the patterns.

So, let’s get started!

1. St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Gonk

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This cute guy, ‘Gonk’, is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. The perfect decoration for the holiday! Not to mention, he’s a perfect gift for those kiddos who were born in the month of March.

Link for the pattern: https://hookedonpatterns.com/a-gonks-journey/gonk-free-crochet-patterns/st-patricks-day-leprechaun

2. Pot-Of-Gold Hat

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This is a very decorated hat, that is perfect for the kids who love to get excited for each holiday, not to mention, they are perfect to still wear for the month of March if you are like me and it’s still chilly out, you might need a hat still!

Also, when you click on the link for the pattern, the hat pattern is on another link, so make sure you check out that link, it will be in green saying ‘Link Here’, that’s for the hat.

Link for the pattern: https://pattern-paradise.com/2014/03/02/free-crochet-pattern-pot-o-gold/

3. St. Patrick’s Day Scarf

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Scarfs are always my favorite to create and like I said with the hats, it’s still a little chilly in March, so we can still wear scarves. These ones can be a little tricky, just because of the detail, when it comes to crocheting the shamrock. I think it would definitely be fun to make.

Link for the pattern: https://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2016/02/crochet-shamrock-scarf.html

4. Classy Leprechaun Boot Cuffs

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I love boot cuffs and when I saw these, I got excited! This pattern is not only perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but it is more simple and can work with your outfit easily. It doesn’t have those really bright greens, but more of the settled greens that make this boot cuff more desirable to make.

Link for the pattern: https://www.mamainastitch.com/st-pattys-easy-crochet-boot-cuffs-with-poms/

5. Shamrock and 4 Leaf Clover

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You can’t have St. Patrick’s Day without seeing or creating a few of these shamrocks and 4-leaf clovers. These are perfect for adding them to blankets, hats, scarves, or anything else you can think of. The cutest part about these is that they are shaped in tiny hearts.

Link for the pattern: https://www.goldenlucycrafts.com/2017/02/22/crochet-st-patricks-day-shamrock/

6. St. Patrick’s Day Wreath

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You probably knew I was going to have more than just one type of decoration and the St. Patrick’s Day Wreath is perfect! I love how much detail the creator put into this and it makes me want to create one for myself to hang on my door, although, it would have to be on the back of the door since these aren’t water proof.

Link for the pattern: https://www.highlandhickorydesigns.com/st-patricks-day-wreath/

7. Leprechaun Hat Beer Cozy

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If you have been following my blog for a while, I asked on a poll to make one of these life and since this didn’t get picked, I decided to make sure I at least have a free link for making these super cool beer cozies! These are perfect for the men in your life, or for yourself!

Link for the pattern: https://www.youshouldcraft.com/leprechaun-hat-beer-cozy/2/

8. St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Hat

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I had to find a leprechaun hat, not only is it super cute for St. Patrick’s Day, but if anyone in your family wants to dress up as Lucky, from Lucky Charms Cereal, this hat is perfect for that!

Link for the pattern: https://spotconnie.blogspot.com/2017/02/free-crochet-st-patricks-day-hat.html

9. St. Patrick’s Day Mickey Mouse 

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Here is a tribute to all of those Disney fans out there, but more importantly, those Mickey Mouse lovers. My daughter is in that stage where Mickey Mouse is her favorite stuffy to sleep with, so I figured I had to find something “Mickey” related, not to mention my mom is a HUGE fan of it too!

These can be used for decorations, I’ve seen a few people add pin clips to the back of these to wear as a pin or attaching them to a headband. You could even add these to a blanket, the possibilities are endless!

Link for the pattern: https://www.olyat.com/st-patricks-day-mickey-head-crochet-pattern/

10. St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Baby Booties

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Now, last, but not least, are some super adorable baby booties. So, if you know someone who just had a baby or is due in March, these are a perfect gift to create for them!

Link for the pattern: http://www.hopefulhoney.com/2016/02/st-patricks-day-shamrock-baby-booties.html

There we have it! I hope this gave you all some ideas on what to make for St. Patrick’s Day! There are a few that I have on my list and I really can’t wait to make a few of these.

Make sure you follow me on Facebook, for upcoming stuff and updates!

Posted in Random, Reviews

Random Review: Crochet/Knit Electronic Finger Counter

Posted on by Katie Night

Hey Dearies! So, this month, we had an extra Saturday and instead of doing nothing on that Saturday, I figured I would do something a little bit different. The random reviews are a review that are based off of anything, could be from arts and crafts supplies to kitchen or office stuff.

This week, I wanted to talk about these super cool finger counters and if they are really worth it or if they are helpful.

So, when I first got into crocheting, I was counting rows on paper and pen, which does make it easier to follow rows because I write out the rows on paper and cross them out when I’ve completed that row.

Plus if I have to go back or figure out exactly what row I’m on, I can look down onto that sheet of paper and find out where exactly I left off. However, there are a lot of downfalls to using pen and paper, especially if you have younger kids that LOVE to get into anything.

Which is when I next looked into other ways to count my rows, without dragging the paper and pen around. I wanted something that was portable and easier to keep tract of counting, which is when I found the electric row counters for your fingers.

First, let me start off by saying that I got really excited to use these, which I ended up getting myself a pack of 2, just in case, which there is really no harm in doing so.

I honestly loved them!

However, as much as I loved them, I did have a few minor complaints.

Having this on your finger, to me, was a pain in the butt. Then again I have really long and thick fingers, which doesn’t help the fact that the adjustable band doesn’t fit ‘perfect’ on my finger.

To me, it’s a little too loose for my liking. Other than that, it worked great!

One of the best features of these little counters is that after a few minutes of not counting your rows, it would shut off, but keep track of what row you were on when you turned it back on.

Another great feature it has is that it’s not just in one boring color, but can come in many different colors, currently, I have a green and pink ones since those are my two favorite colors!

Not to mention, it does a better counting, I feel than any other app that is out there. (Which I will review that in the future.)

What do you think about this little gadget? Do you have one or wasn’t sure about getting one? Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think about them!