Fun Tissue Paper Pom Poms

I saw these great looking pom poms in Martha Stewart Living magazine and knew I wanted to make them for our playroom. They were super easy and really took no time to make. I do recommend using heavy duty tissue paper and not the cheapy thin kind. That way when you pull the layers apart - very gently - you don't rip the tissue and they also look fuller. You also need scissors and a little bit of thin floral wire

I made another one in red for the boys room because they turned out so cute. I hung the ones in the playroom along with a lime paper lantern I got from Hobby Lobby using fishing line so you wouldn't see it. You could also use ribbon to hang them. After a friend of mine saw these, she went and made pink and white ones for her baby girl's nursery, which looked fantastic.

Here are the step-by-step directions from Martha. I've also included my two cents from my experience.

Step 1

Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

Step 2

Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. Also, I wasn't the most perfect folder, so my ends when folded looked more ragged than this photo, but it doesn't really matter due to the trimming you do next. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes. My orange pom pom is trimmed with rounded edges and my yellow one is trimmed with pointed ends to give you an idea of the difference.

Step 3

Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time. I can't stress this enough, this is the most time consuming part of the project. You must be GENTLE and slow when pulling the layers apart. You should also pull them apart all the way to the center where the wire is. This will give it fullness and body.

Step 4

You should now have a fluffy ball of tissue (see photo above to make flat one sided for flowers). Bend wire into a loop and twist to secure. This will hold the hanging filament or ribbon.

I hung mine with fishing line so you couldn't see it. They are a perfect, fun, inexpensive and easy decoration for just about anywhere. You could use them for a birthday party or baby shower.

Coolidge Park In Chattanooga

Jump on I-75 north and head to Chattanooga. We haven't been to the aquarium in a long while (too expensive with three kids) but there is lots more to do in Chattanooga beyond the aquarium. We love going to Coolidge Park with it's free sprayground its great summer fun. Right next door is one of the oldest hand- carved wooden carousels. It's really beautiful and the kids have fun finding the flying fish and the eagle, much more beyond your typical horses. And get this...it's only 75 cents!

We used to go to Cheeseburger Cheeseburger for lunch where the kids could their get lunch in a car, but now we've recently discovered a place we like better- River Street Deli. They have delicious sandwiches and spreads. Their pimento cheese is not to be missed. My middle child is especially partial to their peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich (and somehow Daddy always seems to extract a bite or two).

If you want to make a whole day of your Chattanooga adventure, you can always add on a game at the minor league baseball park. The Chattanooga Lookouts play near downtown Chattanooga and seats can be purchased for as low as $2! How's that for a family fun adventure?

Free Mulch

So you want the yard to look good, but how much is that going to cost in pine straw or mulch?? I don't know about you, but it pains me to pay for something I can get for free. If you call a local tree company or even the local electric company, they will put you on their "list". See the companies that take down trees have to pay to dump the shredded tree mulch. Of course, they would rather not pay, so they are thrilled when someone will take the chips. When you are on their list, the next time they take trees down near your house, they will gladly come and dump a huge pile anywhere you tell them. And you don't have to take the whole truck load, you can ask them to stop whenever you have enough...1/2 load, 1/4 load, whatever you need.

Now, I'm not gonna kid you moving that mulch wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow is hard work. It's physical labor, which is pretty much the catch in this free deal. But it's better than going to the gym on a beautiful spring day and your yard will look fabulous. The added bonus is kids LOVE playing king and queen of the mountain on top of the giant mulch pile.