Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Prevent Faux Fur Trimmed Jackets from Matting in the Wash

how to prevent the matting of faux fur

I have seen many girls already this season with matted down faux fur trim, and thought I'd share how to prevent the matting.  It's so easy!

I learned this trick many years ago with my own children.  My daughter got a beautiful coat with fur around the hood.  She spilled her drink all over the front, and it needed to be washed.  I followed the directions on the coat. I washed it in cold water, and tumble dried on low.  When I pulled it out of the dryer I was so sad, it was all matted and terrible looking.  It was as if all the little faux fur fibers were slightly melted.  I looked around and many of the little girls coats in her class had the same problem.

I decided to try and brush it out.  
This definitely improved the problem, but it wasn't quit as nice as it was before I washed it.

With three girls and myself, I was given multiple chances to figure this out.  

The next time I had to wash a  coat or jacket with faux fur trim, I washed as the label directed, but I didn't put it in the dryer.  Instead, I hung the jacket to dry (or lay flat).

After the jacket dried, it was left a little matted, but it wasn't melted at all.  Sigh of relief!


I then took the jacket, and brushed the faux fur trim.



You can see in the picture below, the top half of the jacket is brushed,
and the bottom half is not.


After a good brushing, my 10 year old jacket still looks great.  I have washed this jacket numerous times at least once a season, if not more often.  
It is my favorite jacket and I wear it all the time!



There was a little bit of faux fur trim fibers in the brush, 
so don't over brush or you might get bald spots.


This method works on most faux fur, but as with anything results may vary.

Hope this helps keep a few jackets looking new longer!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Blankets for Project Linus

volunteer kids

We like to involve ours kids in volunteer work, but sometimes it's hard to find something for them to do.  Our local church group was making quilts and blankets to donate to Project Linus.  I wanted each child to be able to complete a project all by themselves, so we decided on fleece blankets.  We wanted the blankets to be warm, so we opted to tie two fun colors together.  This way is a little more expensive because it involves two pieces of fleece.  
There are many other places you can donate blankets to.  Your local children's hospital, nursing home, children's justice center, shelter, and a sick neighbor are some great donation locations, even some fire departments and schools collect them.

volunteer work

We first vacuumed our recently steam cleaned floor. You can use a table top.
(Be cautious of pet hair and cleanliness depending on your donation location)

We used 1 1/2 yards of  fabric for each color, I am planning on using 2 yards when we do it again, they just seemed a little small.  Whatever size you pick, keep in mind that they get smaller, because you are cutting them and tying them.

Place the two colors of fleece on top of each other and trim off any excess, making the two pieces of fabric the same size.

how to measure your fleece blanket

Decide how long and wide you want you knots and fringe.


We made our the width of the ruler, because it made it easy for the kids to measure.
we made them 3" long, again, it made it easier for the kids. Use fabric scissors to cut both colors still on top of each other.

If it helps, you can use a disappearing fabric marker.  We just cut as we went.


We simply tied our cut strips on the top and bottom fleece together.







Take pictures of their masterpieces.  My girls loved how cute they turned out and were a little sad they couldn't keep them, but definitely wanted to donate them.  They were proud of themselves!











volunteer work

I took the excess strips we cut off the fabric during sizing, and braided them together.  I used this to tie the blankets shut, giving them a more gift like professional appearance.

volunteer kids

If possible, take your kids to deliver their blankets,
 letting them see for themselves, the difference their act of kindness makes in another's life.

Teaching your kids when they are young to volunteer and give, will plant the seed of compassion for a lifetime of contribution!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Gingerbread House Demolition


We had so much fun making our gingerbread village together as a family, but we had even more fun demolishing it after Christmas.  This is definitely our new family tradition. 


We set up  all our houses on a large driveway. 
Clear away anything the kids might break, with flying pieces.

*Take all safety precautions needed for the specific people in your group. 
Adult supervision is highly recommended.
You might consider the use of special clothing, steal toe shoes and/or safety glasses.

We used a soft rubber mallet. 
*A metal hammer or mallet might chip away at the concrete if you miss or hit too hard.











gingerbread house

Victory is ours!
The kids absolutely loved this activity.  There was a huge mess to clean up.

Have Fun, but take safety precautions!

If you liked this post, you might also like:

How to Hang a Wreath on Vinyl Siding
www.mustruninthefamily.com

Project Linus
volunteer kids

Keeping Christ in Christmas


Craft Stick Nativity

Buffalo Ranch Chicken


 This is a super easy crowd pleasing family favorite.
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
a packet of your favorite dry ranch dressing mix
a bottle of your favorite hot wing sauce.

Cook your Chicken in the slow cooker alone for two hours or until cooked through.
or
In an Instant pot with a cup of water or broth for 10 mins.

Then, drain water.



In your slow cooker add sauce and dressing mix, cook and additional hour.
In your Instant Pot bring to a boil on Saute.





Serve over rice, on a bun, or shredded in a sandwich.
Goes great with a side of celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing!

If your really lazy, you can add all the ingredients together at the beginning, but it will be way more watery.

Enjoy!

If you liked this recipe, you might also like:
Buffalo wings in a slow cooker or Instant Pot
mustruninthefamily.com

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
pork chops