What's Up Now?

Just a quick note to let you know that Beach Bird Eclectics is now on Twitter (@BeachBirdMakes), as well as Facebook Beach Bird Eclectics
https://www.facebook.com/Beach-Bird-Eclectics-736947369780150/.

I'll get the buttons up and running soon.  In the mean time, just follow the Facebook link above.

Ordering options:
This website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

See ya!!

Storm Preparedness

Summer has officially/unofficially arrived as of Memorial Day, and with the warm weather comes the threat of storms.  No matter where in the world you live, storms can have a great impact on your life.  In my area of Florida, we can see anything from torrential rain to hurricanes (thankfully, though, we have been spared a direct hit for the past sixty-some odd years). 

Last year I did a little bit of planning, but nothing too detailed.  This year, though, I have scoured Pinterest for the best ideas for making it through a natural disaster.  Check out my board, Storm Preparedness to help you get your emergency plan in place.  It even has a pin for packing for pets!

What about you?  Are you prepared to weather a storm?  Leave a comment and let me know what you do to prepare!

Amanda

Just...Wow...

That's about all I can say about the last few weeks.  Just...wow! 

I have been super busy with work, the flu hit us hard,  room parent stuff, and then food poisoning.  Ugh!  Enough already!  I'm ready for a vacation!

So, needless to say, this is just a check-in post.  I know I promised I would have the kitty crochet pattern ready, but I haven't had a second to get it done! 

Please stick with me, though, and I should have it done in a couple of weeks. 

Thank you for sticking around!  Here's hoping I get a moment to breathe sp I can get some blogging done!

See ya!

Beach Bird's Garden Update

Um, yeah.  I should probably let that photo speak for itself, huh?

Needless to say, the garden didn't go quite as planned.  I planted the seeds too early, which would have been fine, but I didn't have the pots for them yet, and I had to put them up on the shelf so the cat wouldn't eat them, and then I completely forgot about them - I'm a horrible plant mommy!!

Well, I did learn some things with this failed project.  I paid close attention to the weather and how quickly the seeds sprouted, so next year I can be more prepared.

I am also going to start hoarding pots so I can plant them when they're ready.

Also, I'd love a rain barrel!  I think I need to look into that!

Well, hope you got a little laugh out of my garden that looks like it was tended by Beatlejuice.

See ya soon!

Smoothie Obsession

Yum!  Smoothies have been my go-to breakfast for the past month or two.  My favorite right now is strawberry and blueberry!

They are so simple to make, and they take no time at all!  Here's my super secret, oh-so-delicious recipe for a quick smoothie.

1 cup green tea (unsweetened)
1 cup vanilla yogurt (that adds the sweetness that I need)
Handful frozen strawberries
Handful frozen blueberries

Throw it in a blender, and mix til you get the consistency you want (if you don't have frozen fruit, throw in a handful of ice).

I normally buy fresh fruit every week, clean it, and freeze it for the next week.  Sometimes if I know I won't have time to prep, I'll buy frozen fruit, but I prefer to prep it myself.

Prep the fruit beforehand, freeze it, and all you have to do is take it out of the freezer and dump it into the blender.
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Another smoothie I used to make (recipe courtesy of my IG friend @crochetnanigans) is to use the recipe above, and add carrots and kale.  Yummy!!!
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You know something else I want/need to try?  Adding whey protein to my smoothies.  I love whey protein shakes in the morning, so I have to wonder if I can combine it with my go-to recipe.  I'll let you know how that one turns out.

How about you?  Do you smoothie?  What's your favorite recipe?

Teacher Appreciation Roundup

As the end of the year approaches, teacher appreciation week gears up.  Let's make our teachers feel special and loved for all of their hard work!

Here are some crafts I've come up with for teacher appreciation week:

If you're into crochet, try out the V-Stitch bag, the Heart Drawstring Bag (without the heart, if you prefer, or you could add the flower from below!), or the Shell Market Bag filled with your teachers favorite candy!

This vase of flowers doubles as a gift card holder.  Pinterest has a ton of pins on how to make paper flowers, and the crochet flower pattern is here.

Pencil/Crayon Vase.  There are some wonderful pins for those, as well.  I made one, but forgot to take a picture of it.  : /

Sunglasses pouch.  I stitched this one by hand.  Here's a little template for you.  Simply cut four pieces of your fabric, as well as two pieces of stuffing (?) And sew them together.  Here's a link to some hand sewn stitches that I've pinned.  (I didn't iron before sewing the pieces together.  Please do that!)

Summer time goodies!  In the past I've done a cup with a straw filled with some of their favorite goodies.

What if you don't have a lot of time (the end of the year really sneaks up on me!), or you just aren't feeling the crafty bug?  Try these little goodie bags.  The kids can decorate a brown paper bag, and just stick some thoughtful little somethings in. 

I'm sure there are some things I've missed, feel free to check back on previous posts, or hit up my Pinterest page.  I've hoarded tons of stuff over there that you may get some use out of.

Happy gifting!

Ruffle Market Bag

You guys know how much I love bags, right?  I have bags to hold bags that will hold bags.  It's ridiculous.  So, here's another bag pattern.  Because I just can't get enough!

I made this bag a couple of years ago for a student teacher, when she was leaving our classroom.  I filled it full of teacher-type stuff for her new classroom.

You can get the pattern HERE.

NOTE:

• If you want to make it wider, continue to increase the bottom to the size you want  (likewise to make it smaller, crochet only a few rounds of the bottom).
• If you want to make it taller, keep on going with it.  It's all up to you!

Enjoy!