*Huge shout out to Fabletics for supplying today's post*

I'm definitely not a professional seamstress, even though I like to kid my family that I am, but I have recently taken up sewing and it has been an amazing outlet for my daily stress and anxiety. There's something very satisfying about taking a piece of raw material and turning it into something amazing.

While sewing, all your concentration is on the project in front of you and there's no time to worry about things that aren't really worth worrying about in the first place. Sewing is my therapy. Without further adieu, here is today's therapy project... an adorable rag skirt.

This project came together fairly quickly, but the prep was a bit tedious. There's a lot of cutting involved and some short seams which are a bit time consuming, but once you find a rhythm, you'll be fine.

First things first, find several different, yet coordinating fabrics. I used five, but you could use as many or as few as you like. This is one time where prints, stripes and dots would totally work together. You can also mix the types of fabric you use. I used cottons and flannel-ish type fabrics.

Now that you have your fabric, you need to measure the child who will be wearing the skirt from waist to where you want the skirt to hang. Take that measurement and add an inch and a half, two if you choose to put a nice hem on the edges. (I didn't, I think it looks more whimsical that way)

After you have your measurements, you can start cutting your pieces. I did mine approximately 3 inches wide, but you can go smaller, if you want. The skirt pictured above was made for a smaller framed, almost five year old. who wears a size 5t.  My fabric dimensions were 3 x 21. You can also find sizing charts online with a simple Google search of something like "girl's tutu sizing guide".

Lay out your fabric and mark every three inches or so, then cut. Do this with each pattern / color you chose. You don't have to have perfect lines, in fact it's better if you don't. The number of strips you need will vary, depending on the size rag skirt you are making. 

I used approximately 40-something strips and my skirt was very full.  Try to keep each pattern or color in its own pile, this will help you later when you get ready to assemble the skirt.

After you've cut your strips, while questioning your decision to make this skirt, you will add a one and a half-ish inch hem to the top of each strip, yes, all 40-something. No, there's no way around it, besides tying them, which is super bulky and not very easy to wear. You'll end up with something like this...(remember to back-stitch both ends) I used a zigzag, but you could use a straight stitch, if you want.

Now that you officially have carpal tunnel syndrome from all that cutting and sewing hems, it's time to arrange the skirt. You will want to lay out the strips next to each other to see how you want them arranged. I am super OCD and had to have a specific, symmetrical pattern... until I realized I'd cut more of two colors than the others. This is where the patience comes in. Keep your eye on the prize.

Lay out your strips, then sandwich them together in the order you want them on the skirt. You will end up with something like this...

Measure the waist of the child who will be wearing the skirt, add two inches for finishing. I strongly suggest using no roll elastic, it is a lot sturdier and will hold its shape better. A cheap elastic will get buried by the strips and it will infuriate you to no end... don't ask me how I know.

Secure a diaper pin in each end of your elastic. Notice in the picture below, how one is going straight and the other is side to side, that is on purpose. The straight end is for threading through your strips and the side to side end is to keep your strips from falling off as you assemble the skirt. You're welcome. 

Finally, time to assemble the skirt. This part goes rather quickly and there's no right or wrong way to do it. Make sure you keep your elastic straight and scoot each strip as you go. This is where the extra pin comes in handy. Continue this method until all the strips are on the elastic.

After all strips are on and you've distributed them evenly, it's time to close the elastic and finish the skirt off. Measure the skirt around your child's waist and pin, then sew the elastic and hide it among the strips. That's it, you're done.

You can cut the bottom edge on an alternating diagonal or you could use pinking shears, but neither are necessary. You can expect a bit of fraying each time you wash, but this is part of the character of the skirt and won't really hurt anything.  

Follow me on Instagram to see more of my "therapy sewing" projects, like this adorable upcycled pillowcase dress I made from a .50 Goodwill pillowcase and some fabric scraps.

It's a very common misconception that homeschoolers don't participate in the obligatory "back to school" shopping shenanigans that their traditional schooling counterparts do. In fact, it's quite the opposite, homeschoolers loooove shopping for pens and pencils and new clothes. Only, instead of buying button down shirts and khakis, we're buying new pajamas and slippers, because that's obviously what all homeschoolers wear, riiight?

Jokes aside, it is almost that time of year again and if you've got the shopping bug like me, may I suggest you check out Groupon Coupons before trudging into the store. Not only can Groupon Coupons save you money, they could quite possibly save your very sanity. *insert dramatic music here*

There are those who like to brave the crowds and enjoy the thrill of the hunt and to those people, I say: (slow clap) ... Way to go, you are the real MVPs, but for those who, like me, abhor the very idea of schlepping through all those people and all the unorganized chaos that once were nicely arranged shelves, say "hello" to free shipping and no lines from *a ton of your favorite stores. *Actual number of stores is closer to >125. "a ton" was just a guesstimation.

Unless you've been living in a cave or hiding under a rock (see what I did there?), you've probably seen (or at least heard of) the the rock painting craze that is sweeping the country.

If you haven't, I will give you the Cliffs Notes version... You paint or decorate rocks and then hide them in inconspicuous spots around town for others to find; kinda like an artsy fartsy version of geocaching.

The goal of "rock farming", as some call it, is to bring a smile to a stranger's face when they find your hidden gem. Kinda like a random act of kindness or, what I like to call a "Karma boost".  The best part of all; you don't even have to be artistically gifted or even creative to participate. All you need is a few common art supplies, rocks and an imagination.

Some people get really fancy with their rocks and paint glorious scenes and portraits and use actual art implements, like brushes and such. (I admit, I have had rock envy more than once) While that is great for them, most of us are not budding Picassos.

Instead of allowing my complete lack of creative ability dissuade me from becoming a rock planter, I decided to do what any good, red blooded 'murikan would do.... CHEAT! Yes, I found a way to cheat at rock painting....Say "Hello" to my little friend: Mod Podge aka glorified school glue.

When I saw a guy in my local group had painted this really cool rock with the bedroom window flying scene from Peter Pan with glow-in-the-dark paint, I was floored... and also a bit jealous. I wanted to make really cool rocks, but I know my limit(s) and it is somewhere right around stick people.

As if by some stroke of artistically challenged genius, I thought... "I can't paint to save my life, but I can decoupage like nobody's business." and it was at that moment, I came up with the most okayest idea I've had in quite a while... decoupage the rocks with clipart from the internet. Yes, I know, I was quite astonished myself. (sarcasm)

I set off to make my first rock in a series I call "Stuff I Like". Still remembering the Peter Pan rock I saw on Facebook, I thought of my favorite movie of all time, The Wizard of Oz and I started perusing the internet for free clipart. After finding a few images I liked, I knew they would need to be resized, so I went to Picmonkey. (a free-to-use online photo editing program)

This part might take a time or two to get right. Take into consideration the size of the rocks you will be using and resize accordingly. You could also just enter your images into the "collage" feature on Picmonkey and it should resize pretty close to what you'll need. Like this... Go to picmonkey.com and look at the header on the top. Click on the "collage" option. Once your editor opens, look to the left hand side of the page and click on "add images"

After you've added your images, choose the 4x4 collage frame by clicking on the appropriate buttons on the sidebar, like this...

Go back to the photos you just uploaded by clicking on the picture icon on the left hand side of the menu. (the one on the top that looks like a photo) Add each of your photos to a frame in the collage. You could also use the 3x3 frame as well, if you need your images to be smaller, just leave blank spaces as needed.

Now all you need to do is save this collage to your computer and print it out. After you get the images printed, cut them out and see if they will fit the rock you intend to decoupage it to and trim accordingly.

You will want to prime your rock with an acrylic paint. Bonus points if it has glitter. You can also use regular glitter glue and add it as its own coat after the initial paint is completely dry.  You should end up with something like this....

You will notice I am using the very technical art implement known as a "sponge brush". You can literally do this with a Qtip if need be. (although that would suck and take forever and probably leave lots of fibers behind) Note: Remember to rinse your brushes or sponges out after each use.

While this is pretty fool-proof, I added some handy dandy pictures of the steps, in case you're one of those people who likes (needs) pictures...

You will want to let the Mod Podge dry in between coats and I like to apply at least three, if not, four coats and then allow it to dry a day or so before planting. After your rock is dry, you can embellish it with paint pens or even tiny beads. (make sure to use an appropriate outdoor-safe glue)

These are a few that I have created in the last few weeks. The blue one was a gift to my husband on Father's Day. The ninja cat on the unicorn's back is my personal fave and I probably will not be hiding it, ever and the Wizard of Oz is the opposite side of the one shown in the handy dandy pictures above.

Using this method of rock decorating, the only limit truly is your imagination... and the limits of your clipart finding abilities.

I would love to see any decorated rocks you or your kids have made. Drop a comment or link in the comment section below.

It's road trip season and Dreamworks has released these awesome activities featuring your favorite "Home" characters, Tip and Oh.
Click the picture below to get started.

DISCLAIMER: This is an editorial.

You may or may not have heard about Dermarollers and the micro-needling process. You may be curious if it works or not and if so, what it can do for your skin.

Well, the short answer is "Yes", it works on certain skincare issues and can make your skin look younger and healthier over time. Microneedling is used for several types of skin conditions. It isn't an overnight change, however, it may just be the right treatment to benefit your skin.

The process of microneedling uses medical grade, micro-sized needles to penetrate the skin, reaching down to the dermis which is the deeper layer of skin. The needles create micro injuries which the skin reacts to by producing collagen and elastins to heal the tiny wounds.

Dermarollers are the devices used to deliver the micro-needling process. The Dermaroller has a handle with a cylinder shape on one end covered in needles. The standard roller for large areas has about 200 needles where other rollers have far less. The rounded end is rolled across the surface of the skin. Dermapens and Dermastamps are shaped like a pen with a small or large cluster of needles and are used when precision is required or a very small area is being treated.

Anyone may purchase a Dermaroller, meaning you don't have to seek treatments in a clinic. However, you need to take certain precautions and follow instructions for use very carefully, Only the shorter needle lengths should be used at home as the longer lengths do come with some risks. The micro-needling device needs to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before and after every use. Taking shortcuts or skipping steps leads to infections. However, if you follow the instructions to the letter and maintain your device, home applications can certainly improve your skin with regular use.

Microneedling therapy is not an overnight process. It takes several sessions to start seeing the subtle changes in your skin. Fine lines and mild wrinkles begin to disappear over time. Scars and stretchmarks slowly fade and may even vanish altogether. Many people use a Dermaroller at home several times a week and find their pores become smaller and the skin gets stronger.

Because micro-needling opens a temporary channel down to the deeper layer of skin, it allows product to be easily absorbed into that layer. Collagen formulas, for instance, help jump-start healing and the rejuvenation process. No matter what, always make sure you do all your research before using any new procedures or products on your body.