Everything's Famtastic

September 16, 2021October 6, 2021

13 DIY Halloween Costumes to Make Right Now and WOW Your Kids

As Halloween ticks ever closer, many of us are on the hunt for the perfect Halloween costume for our little ones. Ok, and for ourselves too, perhaps. And aren’t there just a million gazillion to choose from?!?

If you are anything like me, time gets away and you are left scrambling for ideas, fabric, needles and the glue gun. And never mind that the children change their minds every 37 seconds. Or they come up with a vague idea of wanting to dress up as “lots of colours”. Umm…

To take some of the stress off, I have done a stack of research for you and found 13 fun-to-make, colourful and creative costumes that you can put together for your trick or treaters!

There is something here for everyone. Whether you have left it until 30^th October to start, this is your 200^th Halloween costume, or you can’t manage a sewing machine to save your life, there’s bound to be something in this list of 13 DIY Halloween costumes that takes your fancy! See for yourself…

September 2, 2021October 29, 2021

5 Common Mistakes that Sewing Beginners Make & the Easy Ways You Can Avoid Them

Sewing is such a fun and creative hobby to learn. The variety of projects you can make are practically endless and can be as small or as grandiose as you are willing to put your time, effort and imagination into.

Like any new skill, learning to sew will be full of small wins, proud smiles and a more than a few moans of frustration. Remember this though: Nobody nails anything the first time they try it. Learning to sew is no exception.

BUT how do you get better at anything if not through practice, experimentation and learning from mistakes?!? The best way to get better at sewing is to keep trying. Like that old saying “If you fall off the horse, get back on”. Don’t let the mistakes dishearten you and stop you from improving. If you’re still unsure whether it’s worth learning to sew, take a look HERE at why sewing is so good for you.

There are plenty of websites out there listing gazillions of mistakes that sewing newbies make. You may even have come across some of those sites already. You might recognise that you have made some of those mistakes too.

I have seen so many mistakes made be sewing beginners that don’t even make it onto these other lists. And I want to help you avoid the frustration of making those mistakes too.

How do I even know that these things are “mistakes”? Well, just between you and I, *wink wink* perhaps, just maybe, I might have made some of them too.

Most sewing mistakes- we won’t call them a “sewing fail”- can be all too easy to make. BUT they are also avoidable with a bit of know-how and paying careful attention (i.e., not being too tired when try to nail that outfit at the last minute!).

Are you ready to learn how to avoid making 5 big sewing mistakes, stop feeling so exasperated, and improve your sewing experience? I’m here to help you! Read on…

August 19, 2021September 24, 2021

The Simple Way to Sew a T-Shirt Neckline

Whether you are new to sewing or not, getting creative with your sewing projects is one of the awesome things about sewing. YOU get to decide the colour of the fabrics you use. YOU get to decide what embellishments you can make. And sometimes, YOU get to decide which technique you want to use for a particular step.

For instance, T-shirt necklines. There are a number of fabric options you could choose, a variety of different stitches you could use, and even a number of ways to sew the neckline together.

I am going to make it really easy for you and show you the simplest, cheapest way to sew a T-shirt neckline using supplies you almost surely already have in your fabric stash.

This sewing tutorial will walk you step-by-step through the whole “How do I sew a professional looking T-shirt neckline?” process- accompanied by loads of photos!

Let’s do this!

August 4, 2021November 6, 2021

33 Mega Funny Jokes for Kids That Will Make Them Laugh Out Loud

Who DOESN’T love to have a good laugh? NO-ONE, right?!?

After this past year we’ve experienced, it’s as good a time as any to put on your silly hat, sit down with the kids and share a belly-aching, laugh-out-loud session together.

Sharing jokes with your kids is a great way to spend time fun together as a family. It also gives children a chance to improve their reading and story-telling skills, encourage word-play and of course , cheer themselves up when they’re feeling down.

I’ve put together 33 thoroughly hilarious jokes guaranteed to make your kids crack up and give you a giggle too.

February 11, 2021September 25, 2021

37 Simple Ways for Busy Moms to Practice Self Care

Valentine’s Day. All over social media there’s love in the air and chatter about what nice things we ~~can~~ should do (and buy!) for the people that we love. But behind all the lovey-dovey talk, there’s a very important person we keep forgetting about.

Ourself.

The mothers of the world work so hard to care for their families 24/7 yet all too often forget to plan in anything nice for themselves. Even just to take a breather.

Quite a while back I touched on why moms should take a time out. It’s definitely time for a recap and to fill you in a little more about practicing self care.

But wait! Isn’t self care really just being selfish?!?

In case you’re a little unsure, keep reading to find out about what self care means, why it is so important- yes, YOU TOO should be practicing self care- and a list of simple, yet beneficial, ways you too can take a time out to care for yourself.

January 28, 2021September 25, 2021

Cheap & Easy Awesome Activities to Stop Kids Saying They’re Bored

I’ve been hearing from a lot of fellow mums lately, about how hard it is to keep their kids busy and entertained these days. I hear you. (I am one of them trust me! 😉)

For a million reasons not limited to: the kids being at home more, household budgets getting tighter, chaotic work schedules, fewer activities outside of the home being an option, even lousy weather, parents just like you are struggling to come up with new ideas to keep their kids occupied and happy.

Last year I published a great post with tons of fun ideas (Psst! That are not TV!) to keep your children occupied when school’s closed .

In the list you’ll find a range of things for kids to do when they’re bored. There are indoor activities and outdoor activities, sporty activities and quiet ones, as well as social and independent activities for kids of all ages.

No matter whether you have toddlers, tweens or teens in the house not only will the ideas on that list stop your children from saying “Mum I’m bored!”, they are all budget-friendly! Fun and cheap ideas for kids?!? Yes please!!

Because I keep hearing people ask for help on how to keep the kids entertained when they’re stuck at home, I thought it was time for a fresh update of my kid- (and mum-) friendly ideas. But this time I am not the only one here with the suggestions.

I have called on a group of fantastic fellow mums to share their top tips for clever ideas to keep kids busy. I’m really excited to have them all on board, because as we mamas all know, what works for one family isn’t guaranteed to work for the next.

Have fun reading the dozens of ideas in this post and pick and choose as you please, the best boredom-busting activities for your kids.

January 14, 2021October 8, 2021

8 Essential Tools You Need in Your Sewing Kit

Happy New Year! I’m not sure whether you dared make any plans for this year. (Last year put the brakes on a lot of people’s plans.) My goal for this year is to create create create! One thing I love doing is sewing unique clothes for my kids. But another thing I love creating is super helpful tips and fun ideas for my busy readers!

I have been asked before about what types of machines and tools I can’t live without for my sewing projects. There certainly are a few that I love! So how about I share my list of essential sewing tools with you, right here, right now?!?

December 10, 2020June 26, 2021

What’s Christmas like in…? Fun Christmas Traditions Around the World

I’ve got a real treat for you today! I am taking you on a sleigh ride to peek at how people celebrate Christmas around the world! And you don’t even need to pay for the fare. It’s my feel-good Christmas surprise for you!

I’ve got a bunch of expat friends and bloggers together to write about what Christmas is like for them in their respective adopted countries. It’s a really fun insider’s look at this lovely time of the year.

pin, Pinterest, christmas, christmas traditions, christmas celebrations, christmas around the world, expat life, expat tales, expat stories, expat christmas

Have you ever wondered how people celebrate Christmas in other countries? Maybe you didn’t even know that the 25^th December is not always a big deal in holiday celebrations at this time of year. Well then, buckle up and come along for the ride to explore Christmas traditions around the world with me!

November 26, 2020July 2, 2024

How to Sew: The Ultimate Handmade Relaxing Neck Pillow

Just the other week I shared with you a list of great gift ideas for book lovers, when you want to avoid giving them yet another book. (Didn’t catch it? Read the list here.)

diy, sewing, sewing project, neck pillow, neck support pillow, reading bone pillow, leseknochen, nähen, nähprojekt, beginners sewing, 60 minute project, gift ideas, christmas gift ideas, birthday gift ideas, gifts for him, gifts for her, gifts for kids, pin, Pinterest

There was one suggestion in there in particular that I know caught a lot of attention: that funky-looking neck support pillow. Remember? The one that was shaped a little like a dog’s bone?!?

They are so practical AND cute. You can use it as

> a neck rest (lean back and relax!)

> a book stand

> or just a comfy pillow to snuggle up with.

“What else is so good about a neck support pillow?” I hear you asking. Well, they’re ideal for a personalised, unique gift for any occasion (Hello, Christmas gift! Hello, birthday present!) for friends and family of all ages. And who doesn’t like comfort when reading?!?

What’s also super cool about these relaxing reading pillows is that they are SO easy to sew! Yes, even for beginners! (Trust me 😉)

And I’m here to share the details with you, how YOU too can DIY one of these super comfy, relaxing neck support pillows!

November 12, 2020January 18, 2023

Guide to the Greatest Gifts Book Lovers will Adore!

I love my kids. I love how they constantly have an abundance of creative ideas! And I love how they are always asking about Everything’s Famtastic and offering me ideas of what I could write about here. This post is the result of exactly this type of enthusiasm and brain-storming. Well, sort of… in a roundabout way… 😉

pin, Pinterest, book lovers, bookworms, book fans, gift guide, gift ideas, Christmas gift ideas, birthday gift ideas, anniversary gift ideas, Valentine's Day gift ideas, kids who read, gifts for him, gifts for her, gifts for kids, gifts for boys, gifts for girls, DIY, sewing project

All 3 of my kids are MASSIVE bookworms. My 2 daughters have been so for a loooong time. And my son, who just started school this year and always had an affinity for books, can now proudly read for himself. Suffice to say, that this bilingual household is overflowing with German and English children’s books!

A while back my eldest daughter wrote a (now very popular!) post about super books series for girls aged 9-12. And then my younger daughter published her list of must-read book series for girls 6 – 9 years. So naturally, they keep prodding me to write even more blog posts here about kids’ books.

But this article isn’t about books per se, rather about creative gifts for the book lover in your life. These gift ideas are perfect for bookworms of any age, especially if you are trying to avoid adding to the already sagging bookshelf!

So, what present do you give a book lover, if not books?!? Well, in this list we have thought of all the things an avid reader needs to stay comfortable, undisturbed and busy in their reading “happy place”! There’s also printables to keep an eye out for.

Be careful though! These gift ideas are SO GOOD that your bookworm may get so settled, you might never see them again! Take a look for yourself…