How To Make Your Cricut Cutting Mat Sticky Again

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CRICUT BOARD STICKY AGAIN

During my darkest moments in some serious frustration with borrowing my church's cricut machine and trying to figure out how on Earth to use it, realizing the main problem was the board not being sticky enough, I realized, wait, there HAS to be a cheap solution for this...

I wanted to throw the thing. The paper kept slipping and the blade was cutting through all my precious tags for MaddiandAddiBowtique.etsy.com but you know, you can't break what ain't yours, and you shouldn't ruin your things either...

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CRICUT BOARD STICKY AGAIN

A basic swagbuck search popped up a lot of different options (Gotta earn those free Starbucks gift cards through swagbucks, link below). One I like best was using Spray Adhesive.




It's so simple, you don't even need pitcures. I even have safe Amazon links for you to click and buy. I'm that good.

Take your board (whatever brand you use, I hear there are a few), cover the frame: the non sticky part around the sticky part. It's important. The rollers go over this part and you don't want the rollers getting sticky stuff on them. I used scotch tape and regretted it, but it's all I had. You can use painting tape, or even cover it with paper.

Spray the adhesive spray around the board. Not too much in one spot (and remember, when it wears off you can always reapply more). If you spray too much in one spot, your paper will really stick. Learn from my experience. ;)  I sprayed the board I use right there on the floor. It isn't messy if you're careful. Easy Peasy.

LET IT DRY completely. It's not sticky until it dries.

Remove your tape and enjoy!






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Busy Making Bows

I feel like more often than not, I'm posting about how I neglect my blog.

I've been busy! I have been trying to get my etsy shop up and running and it's a lot of work.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaddiandAddiBowtique

The Proof is in the Puddin', go ahead and take a look at it.

I realize a few things about myself are as true now as they were years ago: I'm not a photographer. I'm just not. I try and try to get great pictures of my products and I am lacking the eye for it. I've come to terms with it, but it has to be done. It gets frustrating.

I can get caught up in bow making and ignore the noises around me. It's usually a good thing because I work into the night, but if I need to have something done during the day, it can get bad. Kids need supervision. I'm glad Carson is starting to be able to play by himself.

I miss working. I really do. I feel like I need to contribute more financially and I do, I want to, but thinking about leaving my kids is tough.

So, hopefully this bow stuff will kick off!

Another Wednesday, Worded

I've been waking up late, lately and I don't like it. I had every intention of going to a senior yoga class for a morning stretch and slept through that. I eventually got up and got the kids dressed for a splash pad date with their cousins. The clouds parted and the sun beamed like it was meant for us to be there.
They played for almost 2 hours! What fun! I love to go there, it's right beside the YMCA. It's free and 5 minutes away.
Back to the house for lunch and nap time, and that was great by me! Madeline fell asleep without even a peep in her bed and Carson walked me to his bed so I could sing his good-nap song. Sehara was Sehara and asked me a billion questions when I didn't feel like being awake, much less answering them.
I took Sehara to jazz, then picked her up and got us all to church in time. I even made a Kroger pit stop in between all of that.
I really missed my husband throughout the day. It's such a long time for me to go without him. I mean, but he's working, so I am definitely not complaining. 
We got some nasty weather alerts and I'm going to bed, while Tim and Sehara watch the Justice League cartoons.

Carson's 1st Year

We celebrated Carson's first birthday a week ago (more than a week ago, but around that time). Tim and I were so excited to throw a party for our boy and we feel so blessed about the turn-out. That little boy is such a joy in our lives!

Parenting isn't an easy task. I think for Carson, nurturing has been a lot easier and natural than with S, for various reasons. It's still a struggle for me to be a stay at home mommy every. single. day, but I know it's best for my kids and in the long run, for me as well.  If it isn't a challenge, it's probably not worth doing.

As for my boy... he's already running (fast, fast, waddle walk), has 13 teeth, and can say a few words while gibbering all day long.

Happy 1st Birthday, Carson! :)

Melted Wires

Here I am on a Thursday, not quite as bored as I should be.  I'm keeping Gabriel a few times a week for now.  Gabriel is my new cousin's son, making him my cousin as well, but we have decided that we will  make it uniform and all be aunts and uncles.  It is going to get too confusing with having to differentiate and it builds better bonding!!  He is such a joy.  He has a double ear infection right now which makes him a fussy baby but it's nothing I can't handle.  Plus, as he gets better, his spirit improves. :)

As more times passes since Tim's graduation (and a number of other friend's graduation) I have noticed a lot of people are joining the Berea College Black Alumni page.  I just wonder what would happen if someone made a Berea College White Alumni group.  It would probably be called blasphemous and racist.  I have nothing against young black people making a stand in their odds (statistically speaking).  It was just a thought and now that I have expressed that thought, I will let it go.

Tim found a temporary job, just a week after graduating! Go him!! I feel bad now, in his first full week because I encouraged him to take it.  It's a sales jobs based on commission for the first few weeks then he will be promoted to a manager position.  He has not had any consistent hours so far and the ones that they said he would have were 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m (and we don't think he'll be paid for his loooong hours).  Today is the first time he has been given those hours.  But one of his coworkers said that they don't even pick them up from their site until after 8 usually!  We'll give it a few more days then I'm going to affirm his quitting idea.  He needs to focus all that energy on getting a great job and not waste it on an idiot company.  What really happened was the guy who pitched him the job is a top notch salesman himself and I panicked (and I think Tim did as well) because how often does that happen?  It sounded really nice at first and I hate being broke all the time. *sigh*  We're just putting money into with gas, and all of his time and energy too.  It's not worth it unless he gets paid what he deserves, and we're talking a lot of $$$ here.

Bertha is working again...not.  Turns out, the battery that we bought specifically for her ACCORDING to the "book" is the wrong one and all the wires were melted together, probably causing the short.  Probably didn't even need to get a new starter either... My dad and brother replaced the wires and I guess my mom will buy the new battery, because, goodness knows, we can't afford it or a new car.  Battery wins.  Then, when it is test driven, I'll go get it.  It has to be able to withstand the long drive though or I'm not even going to do it.  Maybe if I can get it to my sister's house, which is 40 minutes from my parent's to Tim's cousin's house in Cincinnati, then here, maybe that will work.  I'll talk to Tim about it.  Baby Steps for my fat cow.  Haha, when I describe Bertha to my new family, I don't think they realize that this car is literally a cow.  Even with the front bumper finally fixed (*cough* no more duct tape on it), she still is the ugliest, fattest, thing to roam the streets and with my Kentucky plates on it, I'm sure they'll all agree.  I'm considering painting daisies on her.